Capitalist Pig Tuesdays

A very light load this week, as there are absolutely no viable movie purchases (or any other special category items as well). However, there is one high profile release this week that is definitely worth a gander, if you dare!

Album of the week: My Morning Jacket's Evil Urges

My Morning Jacket is a strange band to me. Many media outlets raved about them, bloggers could not stop talking about them, my mom absolutely adores them. And there I am, constantly wondering "what's the big deal?" I dug the instruments, especially on tracks like "One Big Holiday" and especially when performed on their live album Okonokos.

Then one day last month I was listening to my ipod at work and a song came on that caught my ear. It was "Off the Record" off their massively adored album Z. I was hooked, and since I've become a big fan of that album and the band overall. Just in time for the release of their new album Evil Urges.

Now if you listen to some reviewers, this album is the beginning of the end for the band. What do I think? As a fan of music, it's the first time I've listened to a MMJ album and thought "damn, this is good" right off the bat. As someone who recently got into the band and is now familiar with older material I think "it's a little different, but still good." Sure, tracks like "Highly Suspicious" are a bit off the beaten path. Sure "Thank You Too!" may sound like their attempt at a wedding ballad.

But they're all delightful tracks full of the MMJ spark, with the southern fried charm they add to the alternative rock formula being on full display on tracks like "I'm Amazed" and "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, pt. 1," every bit as relevant and fantastic as they were on other albums. It's an extremely diverse album, with wildly different directions being taken from track to track. This in my opinion is not a crime, but is the sign of a band that doesn't want to be pigeonholed as any one thing, and of a band that doesn't want to settle into a groove (or rut, depending on your angle).

With all that said, I consider this album to be a out and out success for the band, and really shows their talent as musicians and as songwriters. At this point, their next release could be any genre and I wouldn't be surprised. That's a very rare sight out of a band these days.

Click here to stream the album, totally legal and free.

Capitalist Pig Tuesdays

This is going to be one of my last posts before my vacation, and I'm sure I will get on a computer while down there and write a blog or two up, but I wanted to make sure posted my recommendations for the week.

Or to be specific, one big recommendation, as that is all I have for you today.

Album of the Week: Islands - Arm's Way

This week has one major release in my eyes, and that is the second album from Islands, a band that rose from the ashes of former indie greats the Unicorns. So far, a lot of people have chimed in on the web about this album as it leaked long ago and it is a fairly high profile release after their critically adored Return to the Sea brought them into the limelight, but one review I wanted to note is Pitchfork's review.

For those that have talked to me about music, you may have heard I am not a fan of Pitchfork. I think they get off on being naysayers, and I think they are the type of people who mourn what music has become as opposed to bask in the goodness that it still provides. Not only that, but they seem to be the type to review something based on the inverse of their popularity quite often (meaning if it is well known, it's crap, and if it's a self recorded EP that is 15 minutes of terrible vocals and lo-fi production, it's genius! *ahem* Black Kids).

Back to the point, as I went on a bit of a tangent about Pitchfork. Their review gave the album a 6.2 out of 10, which is not a bad review from them to be honest. It's fair to middling, but not a pan. What bothers me is that Pitchfork uses the word "conventional" within their review as if it is some sort of crime to be that. I liked Return to the Sea, but contrary to Pitchfork's thought process, I believe what they did with Arm's Way is bring pop sensibilities and structure to a band that had displayed limited interest in pursuing that before.

And it works.

It works incredibly well. This album isn't overly polished, it still maintains the unique Islands feel. The song structures are more focused which allows the band to pin their efforts towards making the best album they can, as opposed to pontificating about how they can turn the nice sounding noise they made into music. Every facet of the band improved album to album, and there is still plenty of space for the band to experiment and get their fill of the "these walls can't hold us nature!" of the first album.

No track shows this more than "In the Rushes," which is clearly the standout track for a number of reasons. The opening section of the song is pure build up, as the guitar/bass provides a rhythm to work with and the strings plus lead vocals steadily build . From there, a powerful section with Nick Thorburn's vocals taking the lead kick off, and then we transition into a repeat of the beginning. That's when things get a bit unpredictable, as the band provides an absolutely fantastic homage/somewhat cover of the Who's live track "A Quick One While He's Away." It's the way covers should always be - respectful, but inventive.

And that last sentence perfectly defines this album. This album is respectful of the fans that came with them from the previous effort, but this time the band has reinvented them as a more conventional (but in a good way) guitar driven rock band. Still not exactly normal, but every bit as interesting as the first time around. This is on my short list for favorite albums thus far this year, and I can't imagine it won't be there at the end of the year as well.

Stream the album here and judge for yourself. It's worth a shot, I promise.

Capitalist Pig Tuesdays

After a week of absolutely no interesting releases (at least to me), we have a very big one and a pretty fun little one to pair up with it as well. So welcome back to Capitalist Pig Tuesdays, feel free to take both of these albums for a spin and check them out yourself. They're worth a purchase, especially the former.

Album of the week: Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs

What?! No way?! The CD that I was touting last week as the best release of the year is the album of the week?! I can hardly believe it. This is absolutely shocking.

Regardless of the fact you are all likely floored, go here to see my breakdown of this album and why I think it's so great.

Also, go here to take this album for a spin yourself.

Random pick of the week: We Are Scientists - Brain Thrust Mastery

Oh you scientists you, back with your first release since 2005's With Love and Squalor which gave us such fun tracks such as "The Scene is Dead" and "The Great Escape," what exactly have you been doing for the past three years and what has it done to your fun garage rock sound?

Not much really.

Those expecting a major advancement in their sound from With Love and Squalor will not be receiving that from Brain Thrust Mastery (although I do strangely love that name and the album cover). Despite the fact that they definitely have not reinvented the wheel with this album, they've still released a very listenable and decently catchy album.

However, I think my biggest problem with the album is it's biggest strength at the same time - it's a good approximation of the first album and listenable throughout, but rarely do you ever hear a track and think "I love this!" Everything comes across as something you nod your head to and occasionally singalong to as you drive, but never really does it bring any sort of passion out of you. Perhaps that's because they never really get passionate, I'm not sure. A good, not great album, but one that's definitely worth a couple spins because it could be for you.

Go here to find out if this is the album for you, free and totally legal.

Capitalist Pig Tuesdays

In an effort to become a more legitimate blogger, I'm attempting to develop traditions to my blog. Well, that is traditions besides "what shenanigans did I get into this past weekend?" In that regard, I already had one tradition and it will assuredly continue for the foreseeable future.

However, one of those new traditions started yesterday, with "List Monday" where I create some sort of fun list, be it top 5, 10, 17, whatever. Whatever is tickling my fancy at the time. Tonight, I will be unveiling my second tradition, and it was what I will call "Capitalist Pig Tuesdays." Why? Because I really like the name, and because I'm a bit of a capitalist pig, but that's neither here nor there. Mainly its because Tuesday is the day of the week when new media is released (besides the all important comic book shipments), and because I'm addicted to new things, I'll give recommendations on what to buy in terms of music and movies.

On that note, let's get the show on the road!

Albums of the week: The Kooks - Konk and Phantom Planet - Raise the Dead

The two albums I've listened to all the way through more than once that came out this week are the new albums from The Kooks and Phantom Planet. Two very different bands, with the former being a big time hype band out of England whose first album was a big time success that seemingly would be difficult for them to match, and the latter being a band desperate for an identity after the departure of their drummer (and Rushmore star) Jason Schwartzmann before their self titled album that was immediately previous to this one.

So how did they do?

Very well, in fact.

With Konk, the Kooks proved that their would in fact be no sophomore slump, as they continued with their Arctic Monkeys-lite sound to much success. To say that, it makes it seem as if they are imitators of Britain's very favorite boys, but they really aren't. Arctic Monkeys have a tendency to make their sound seem very all important, aggressive and powerful, but a bit conceited. Strangely enough, the Kooks new album feels like a British band doing their own take on Phantom Planet's phenomenal album the Guest. It's for the lover of summertime singalongs in all of us, an indie rock gem that begs to not be taken seriously and sang along to with the windows down.

As for Phantom Planet themselves, after they were dropped by their major label amidst their self titled album bombing, they were sort of trapped. The change in their sound was not received overly well, and without Schwartzmann (who was a co-songwriter on many previous tracks) they needed to decide a new path. The path they chose seemingly is also akin to their previous album the Guest, but taken down a darker path and making their sound far larger sounding than they had in the past as well.

Lead off track "Raise the Dead" sets the mood unbelievably well, providing a progressively fuller sound throughout the whole song and giving the listener some of the best singalong moments on any album so far this year. Noticeably, singer Alex Greenwald is taking a stand on this album, making his voice as big a part of the tracks as the instruments more than he had in the past and clearly stepping it up a notch in the writing of his lyrics.

I'm very impressed by both albums, but was shocked when I went to Best Buy to pick them up and the former was on the shelves but the latter was not. How perplexing is that? How far has Phantom Planet fallen?!

Feel free to stream both albums here to get your own opinion, but both are highly recommended by me.

Strange albums of the week: M83 - Saturdays = Youth and Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)

Now these two albums are definitely not for everyone. But for those looking for something a little bit different, let me throw my weight behind at least one of them here for a bit.

M83 is a band that has produced a number of albums already (namely personal favorites Before the Dawn Heals Us and Dead Cities, Red Seas, & Lost Ghosts) but only a couple in the current alignment. This French electronic outfit used to have two members, but now M83 is down to just Anthony Gonzalez. Considering the slight drop off from Dawn to Dead Cities, I was a bit concerned as to how this would affect their sound. However, after one listen I think this may actually be M83's most complete and best album yet, and I think I may feel like that for one reason.

On previous M83 albums, you could argue that their sound was vaguely...creepy. Definitely dark, and that darkness and perpetual sense of foreboding (beautiful darkness, haunting forebodng, but still) has been replaced by a levity and a sense of hope on Saturdays = Youth. It's as if you crossed one of M83's old albums with fellow French electronic group Air's material. It works very, very well, and I recommend it for those looking to try something new.

Now Cloud Cult...this is a harder one to find a target audience for. I don't even know how to explain this group. I had been a fan of previous album Advice from the Happy Hippopotamus, but this album is a bit of departure from even that sound, while being similarly narrow in its audience target. This band has an amazing ability to sound like Modest Mouse (at points the lead singer sounds exactly like Issac Brock), Arcade Fire, Architecture in Helsinki, and every other big time indie band out there...without sounding like any of them at all. If there was ever an indie rock mashup album made by Gregg Gillis, I'm fairly certain this would be what it sounds like.

I'm tentative to be negative towards this album, because I feel as if it is a definite grower, but I find that it's hard to really get behind something with such an identity crisis. They do get bonus points for making the beginning of track "When Water Comes to Life" sound like a piece off a Final Fantasy soundtrack (the video game, not the band composed of members of Arcade Fire), but ultimately I can't really recommend it unless you're really looking for something new.

Like with the Kooks and Phantom Planet albums, feel free to check them out here, streaming free and legally.

DVD Purchase of the Week: Juno - Written by Diablo Cody, Directed by Jason Reitman, starring Ellen Page, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner, Michael Cera, and J.K. Simmons

Ever hear of this movie? Little movie about a girl who gets pregnant at 16, and the trials and tribulations she goes through in having the child and the lessons she learns from those around her (namely the adoptive couple, parents, best friend and potential beau named Bleeker). It was nominated for a number of Oscars (Best Picture and Actress namely) and freshman screenwriter Diablo Cody even pulled in a win for Best Original Screenplay.

It's a very good, very funny, and surprisingly touching character study/slice of life comedy that wouldn't work without the genius within the cast. Namely Ellen Page, who deserves every accolade she gets, as she is quite possibly the only young actress who could have made the insufferably sarcastic Juno seem so real and vivid, and most of all, likeable.

The one serious downside I can say the movie has is the first 15 minutes are painfully quirky. This is coming from the guy whose favorite movie is Rushmore, which, if such a thing existed, would be the Captain of the all quirky movie Football team. The dialogue in the beginning almost made me pull my hair out from my head, but it came around and so did I. Strangely enough, I did not pick this up as I have already seen it three times (3 TIMES! What's wrong with me?) and felt as if that was sufficient at least until the upcoming Black Friday, when I can assuredly pick it up for $5.99 at Best Buy.