Some American

Music Release List: July 20, 2010

Standing in stark contrast to last week’s release list, which included Danger Mouse and Sparklehorses’ (Dangerhorse) Dark Night Of The Soul, M.I.A.’s MAYA, and Sting’s Symphonicities to name but a few, this week seems a little… sparse. Still, here are the highlights for this twentieth day of July, without further equivocation:

Sleigh Bells - Treats

This week’s album-I-totally-thought-was-out-already goes to Sleigh Bell’s Treats, because JUDAS PRIEST have I heard a lot about the record. Near as I can tell, every music publication and skinny jean wearing hipster on the planet already knows that this is the album of the century, so I won’t express any opinion beyond to say that what I’ve heard, I like.

The High Confessions - Turn Lead Into Gold With High Confessions

The High Confessions are a collaboration between Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelley and Ministry/Revolting Cocks principal Chris Connelly. You can stream the entirety of Turn Lead Into Gold With High Confessions over on Stereogum now, which I would advise you do before spending your hard earned dollars, American, on it. Opening track “Mistaken For Cops” has an undeniably old school charm to it, but the sprawling ten minute epics that follow seem more weird than they are good.

Lower Dens - Twin Hand Movement

Lower Den’s Twin Hand Movement has me genuinely excited A) because they are Baltimore based and B) because it means I’ll get to weird people out by dropping the phrase “A Dog’s Dick” into conversation for a legitimate reason. Oh, and the album seems like it’s gonna be pretty killer as well. 

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST

Rick Ross - Teflon Don

Rick Ross wrote “Hustlin.” For that reason alone, you should definitely probably give this a try somewhere out in the wilds of the internet. Like here, for example.

What’s Up - DC Edition: 7/19 - 7/25

The live calendar this week is basically overflowing, and some of DC and Baltimore’s finest local talent are heading out to play. I’m looking forward to making it out to see Konono No. 1 and Eyedea and Abilities this week, and the Deer Tick show at the Ottobar is a chance for anybody who missed out on the tickets for their Rock N Roll Hotel gig to catch them. How will you be spending your time, folks?

Black Cat - 1811 14th Street N.W. Washington, DC 20009

Thursday - Konono No. 1 , Cheick Hamala Diabate - 8 PM - $20

Rock N Roll Hotel -  1353 H Street N.W. Washington, DC 20002

Friday - Yes Giantess , Audio Ammo - 7 PM - $15/$25/$30 - 21+

Jammin Java - 227 Maple Avenue East Vienna, VA 22180

Wednesday - Ellen Winter , Kid Architect   - 6:30 PM - $8 adv/ $12 

Ottobar - 2549 N. Howard Street Baltimore, MD 21218

Tuesday - Eyedea and Abilities , Cubbie Bear - 8 PM - $10

Wednesday - Deer Tick , Dawes , Television Hill - 9 PM - $12 

Saturday - American Womanhood , I Am Alaska - 1 PM - ??

Ram’s Head Live - 20 Market Place Baltimore, MD 21202

Sunday - Interpol , Twin Tigers - 7 PM - $35 

DC9 - 1940 9th Street N.W. Washington, DC  20001

Monday - Cerebral Ballzy - 7:30 PM - $8 adv/ $10

Wednesday - Math Panda , Kid Savant , The Honey Guns - $8

Quick Hit: Fol Chen - Part II: The New December

This week I picked up Fol Chen’s latest release, Part II: The New December, which was released earlier this month. Full disclosure here, I owe my interest in this album to Bob Boilen over at NPR, who included the album’s second track “In Ruins” as a part of All Songs Considered’s Summer LIstening show.

If you are a fan of the sound typified by bands like Dirty Projectors, then I think you will find Fol Chen’s sound very much to your liking, if a bit on the simplistic side. There is a glitchy vibrance to Part II that will mentally transport even the most dour of listeners, kick and scream all they might, to beach scene, albeit a somewhat darkened one. I’ve read several places that this album continues a story arc that was introduced on the band’s first full length, though as with all concepts of this type I had a difficult time discerning the exact features of the disillusioned world of the central character, John Shade. Maybe I just wasn’t listening hard enough?

Whether or not the concept is executed with clarity, I certainly enjoyed the method of it’s conveyance. Fol Chen’s music is disarming and joyous, a sort of mainstreamification of what the chip tune scene has been doing for years now. Production wise, this album are above reproach and, somewhat incongruously, is a bright listen that demands headphones to be truly appreciated.

I will temper my above thoughts by saying that there are a few moments on the album that come to close to being purely pop for my taste, the track “C/U” being a particular example. I don’t mind pop creeping into my ears every once in a while, but unless it cranks it to 15 in the way a band like Junior Senior does, it rarely works for me.

Part II: The New December was released July 6 on Asthmatic Kitty.