The Smiley Smile Message Board

New Bowie EP on iTunes today: No Plan, which includes Lazarus, the title track, and two other tunes. I believe they're from the musical.

On the indie side of life, a new Shins album is announced for a March release, with 2 tracks available already.

Thanks, captain, for launching this topic. I'm always open to suggestions about new music. :=)

To observe Bowie's birthday, a video for the song 'No Plan' was also released today. I really like that song and wouldn't have minded a bit if they had decided to include it on Blackstar.  I'm not that enthusiastic about the other two new ones. They were all included on the Lazarus cast album that came out in November.

See the video here:   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIgdid8dsC8

New Flaming Lips album 'Oczy Mlody' is due out on Friday the 13th.

Of Montreal has a new EP coming out this week. Hopefully it's strong new material instead of more of the afterbirth that was the last album.

New music from 2017 that I've listened to:
"Strange or Be Forgotten" - Temples (https://soundcloud.com/templesofficial/strange-or-be-forgotten-1)
More dreamy than their other single, "Certainty". This will be the final track on their new album due in March, and it sounds like a good album closer to me.

"Fly on Your Wall" - Angel Olsen (https://ourfirst100days.bandcamp.com/album/our-first-100-days)
Sort of similar to MY WOMAN; also, the second half is wonderful. It's part of a project called "Our First 100 Days" that I think you guys should check out.

"Name for You" - The Shins (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnQKb2lHGes)
I can't not comment on new Shins stuff. "Name for You" took a few listens to grow on me, but I enjoy it enough now. I'm pretty excited I'll be a happier person when their new album comes out.

and how did that turn out for you

Pretty bleak.

Pond (which includes some touring members of Tame Impala and has albums produced by Kevin) will have a new album, The Weather, to be released May 5th (https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/news/latest-news/pond-announce-new-concept-album-the-weather).

I listened to "30,000 Megatons" (https://soundcloud.com/pondling/pond-30000-megatons) last night. I think I liked it, but I was distracted and only half listening. I haven't listened to that much Pond, but I'm interested in this.

Also, the album artwork looks pretty cool. A pic of some mall in Perth:
(https://consequenceofsound.files.wordpress.com/2017/01/pond_the-weather_packshot-600.jpg?quality=80&w=806)

New Father John Misty album on the way. I continue to be uncertain as to my own feelings about him: so talented, yet I can't really get into the comedy schtick (although he occasionally does crack me up).

Heard the Foxygen album. Sounded sort of like a Broadway musical. Think I will listen again.

Brian Eno's 'Reflection' was a surprise to me. It's a one track, 54 minute soundscape that just rolls along, but it keeps you interested with different sounds, bass notes, and atmosphere.

The sound of this record would seem to be perfect for a planetarium. No doubt I'll be listening to this on nights out with the telescope.

Mac DeMarco released two new songs today and announced his new album, This Old Dog, to be released May 5th. The album cover features artwork similar to that of his previous side project Makeout Videotape (instead of a picture of himself).

Listen to new songs here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utdidBGSw5s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fKLy0uKL3Y

More fun stuff: Beach House is releasing an album of rare songs/b-sides. Expect that within the first half of the year.

Picked up the new Jens Lekman and Jesca Hoop albums. Haven't listened to either in full yet, and thus this report ends in 3, 2, 1, now.

A new Mountain Goats album is coming this spring. Huzzah for Goths. And apparently, in a nod to Queen's old tagline although from the opposite direction, "No guitars." That's interesting. I love Darnielle's piano in general, and the leadoff single, "Andrew Eldritch is Moving Back to Leeds" (great title!) seems to have drums, bass, marimba, electric piano, maybe a pedal steel?, clarinets, and flutes. Great arrangement, too! It's most often his lyrics that I love most of all, and I haven't even dug into those yet. But the music is great, bouncy and interesting. After a couple of what I thought were lesser albums, I was a big fan of the wrestling album a couple years ago and am excited for this one as well.

I'd like to shout from the rooftops that Cotton Mather has a new album (not to mention had one last year that somehow I failed to know about)! This band had the great mid-90s album KonTiki as well as some other cool stuff, but only three full albums and an EP from the 90s through '02 or so, when they called it quits.

Bandleader Robert Harrison is now in the midst of a 64-song project that will be released and performed by both Cotton Mather and his other band, Future Clouds & Radar. From what I can tell, so far it's the two aforementioned albums and a 3-song single, so hopefully there is a lot more coming soon. Happy happy happy happy.

Kendrick Lamar's new album, DAMN., is out today. I've downloaded my copy but haven't listened yet. (I mean, it's 7:15. Let me have my coffee.) But I am pretty excited for it. And I have been listening to the Cotton Mather albums I was so excited about last weekend all week long. Very nice. Also I've been happily listening to Aimee Mann's new album. And Craig Finn's.

New Kendrick!!! Gonna see if they received a copy at a local library.

And I'm really looking forward to the new Lorde album.

I haven't decided whether I'm excited about it or not. I've listened to the two songs she's released so far and while I don't dislike them, neither have I thought all that much about them. I am certainly going to listen to it when it's out, though.

I've managed to avoid both of them. I prefer to hear them within the album. Same with Kendrick's singles. It reminds me of when he released i two years ago as the leading single and everybody thought he'd gone commercial because it was too happy and anthem-like. But then we heard it within To Pimp a Butterfly and it made so much sense as the conclusion.

Makes sense, but I suspect the artists actually want you to hear pre-release singles outside of the album context (or they wouldn't release them early!). That's not to say you have to, naturally. But I don't think it's betraying their intentions or anything.

Oh, I know. It's just something that I like to do.

Well I think that's just wrong and proves you're not a real music fan.  :lol

And it's not like Lorde's album will be an 80-minute concept or anything like that. At least I don't think it will. Since Kid Cudi did one, you can never know for sure.

Actually--and I am not kidding--I understand that her album is a concept album.

Oh, sh*t.

To be fair, I don't know whether it's explicitly a narrative, or just thematic. But it is to some extent, from what I've read, a concept album. (See how I'm withholding the concept to avoid polluting your mind, pre-listen, though? Respecting your preferences!)

By the way, since we're about a quarter of the way through the year, here's my little recap of what's been going on from my perspective.

Best albums (alphabetical order):
Aimee Mann, Mental Illness
Cotton Mather, Wild Kingdom
Craig Finn, We All Want the Same Thing
Dirty Projectors, s/t
Thundercat, Drunk

Also pretty good and/or too soon to tell (also alphabetical):
Jens Lekman, Life Will See You Now
Jesca Hoop, Memories Are Now
Kendrick Lamar, DAMN.
Laura Marling, Semper Femina
Valerie June, The Order of Time

Most disappointing:
Magnetic Fields, 50 Song Memoir
The Shins, Heartworms

Most anticipated:
The Mountain Goats, Goths
any potential albums rumored coming from Earl Sweatshirt and Neutral Milk Hotel

Good idea since the Captain is more influential than Pitckfork these days....

Heh, I think Conde Nast's financials would prove that to be inaccurate.

Its about the ART! :hat

You take the art, I'll take the income.

I must admit I've not heard many albums from this year so far. Nothing really piqued my interest until now with Kendrick. And I've been busy catching up on Prince, The Police, Roxy Music, OutKast, T. Rex, Marvin Gaye, Bruce Springsteen, ABBA and a few others.

I've been trying to keep up, but it has been hit and miss. There are a few things out there I meant to check out (Your Old Droog, Conor Oberst) that I haven't even gotten around to sampling yet. So much music, so little time. Especially when work gets in the way.

Speaking of, I'm "working from home" at the moment. Which means fucking around here and listening to music. And people wonder why I don't post under my real name...

Deep Purple released their new album last Friday.  I've heard one song.  Pretty good for later era Purple (sans Blackmore / Lord).  Haven't purchased it yet.  

Funny you mention Springsteen, Ovi.  I've been on a kick lately.  I just bought myself a copy of Live 1975-85

He's great! I've been playing The River and Nebraska lately. Born to Run is an old favorite, total masterpiece.

Tunnel of Love is pretty good as well.

And everybody raves about Mount Eerie's A Crow Looked at Me. Has anybody here heard it (captain?)

I think it's his best, though there is stiff competition (primarily from the other albums you named, really). To me, that's his greatest masterpiece.

This will sound a bit tactless, but is that the one by a guy whose wife died (about his wife's death, etc)? If so, I literally just sampled the iTunes free snippets of a few songs and didn't know what to think of it quite yet. (If not, then no.) I'm always a little hesitant to embrace "tragedy art." It's almost as if the listener is guilted into liking it. I've referenced it a thousand times over the years, but there was an interesting controversy about the choreographer Bill T. Jones's piece "Still / Here" when I was in college. If I recall the controversy properly, it was a dance piece in which (non-dancer) AIDS sufferers were featured. Some prominent critic refused to review the piece, basically saying that it was unfair: a critic who too-heavily criticized the (again, non-dancer) performances would be seen as a heartless asshole; yet from a technical perspective, how could it be otherwise? I believe the non-reviewer called it "victim art."

That concept has stuck with me since that time. Whether I see mentally ill artists (Daniel Johnston ... or sometimes, Brian Wilson) seemingly trotted out, or see the inevitable "breakup album," or whatever other variation on the theme, I always feel a bit queasy and want to proceed with caution.

But all that said, art is and always has been inspired by tragedy as much as, if not more than, by triumph. And of course there is a difference between someone unprofessional or incompetent being (potentially) used versus a talented professional taking inspiration from the dark side. So there's nothing absolute here. It's just something often in my mind.

Yeah, it's that one. I hear what you're saying, but I actually get excited when I hear a story like that because it means there's a chance we'll get some music that goes a bit in an extreme, if you know what I mean. I think a lot of music today is too tame, not even bad, but just transparent, especially in the indie rock and singer-songwriter fields. If this is another Bon Iver, count me out.

I agree with your sentiment, but maybe my problem is that half the time the tragedy albums feel every bit as fake and belabored as a Taylor Swift post-performance "surprised gratitude" face. ("Oh my gosh, you're clapping for li'l ol' me!?") I hear less honesty than many people seem to hear. Actually I think I was saying something like that to Smile Brian not that long ago: I think the "authenticity" people hear isn't usually there.

Yeah, "authenticity" really depends on if you are a fan of the artist in the first place.

My go to albums are Born to Run and Darkness on the Edge of Town. 

Minneapolis-based musician Jeremy Messersmith--whose mid-60s-Beatlesque album The Reluctant Graveyard a few years ago was absolutely fantastic--has a new album out today, too: 11 Obscenely Optimistic Songs For Ukelele: A Micro-Folk Record For the 21st Century and Beyond. Sound a bit twee for your tastes? Well, yeah. But he's good, and it's $7, so whatever. He also put out the songbook for it first, a couple weeks back, encouraging fans to record and post their versions prior to the album's release. (I got the songbook but never got around to looking at it.) Kind of interesting approach.

I like this song best so far (of the four I've gotten through), "Love Sweet Love": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PutswpbiikU

By the way, since we've had some Springsteen talk here today, I really think that his fans may want to check out Craig Finn's new album, We All Want the Same Things. Finn was in Lifter Puller and the Hold Steady, and has done a few solo albums. Of that history, I've only really liked one album (Hold Steady's Boys and Girls in America from 06 or 07). But this is some of his best writing and the tracks are nice, too. Sometimes it rocks (in a very Springsteen kind of way: not HARD rock, but rock), though there are softer moments as well.

Listened to the new Kendrick album twice now. What'd y'all think?

If I recall correctly, I really enjoyed "Fear." I'm not crazy about Bono being on this album, but that track isn't unlistenable. Also, rumors of a second album (sort of an Easter-type album resurrection?) to be released on Sunday?

Hadn't heard that. Interesting. That would also be, what, three albums released within the past year or so? (untitled unmastered, DAMN, and the new one.) I like it. As a listener, my preference is usually for the (earlier) Dylan, Prince, Zappa, Reed school: put out a sh*t-ton of work and let someone else figure out whether it's any good.

Cap, what do you think of Bob Dylan's new album?

Haven't listened and don't really plan to, to be honest. I enjoyed the first standards album, to a moderate degree. I was entirely unenthused for the second. This one, I just can't even pretend to care, despite a good friend's insistence that it has some absolutely glorious moments (which I don't doubt). But while I don't doubt the man's capacity to perform inspired renditions of standards, it's not what I seek from him. It may well be my loss. I don't doubt that after he dies, I'll eventually get to it as I dig into the corners and crevices of his output. But for now? I just can't quite care. I'm too into Cotton Mather.

Yeah my brother played it for me and it's more of same like the last two albums.

So this new Lotde album is supposed to be a bid deal, getting great reviews and all. I'll be honest, her debut isn't bad, or at least I'm a fan of "Tennis Court." I'm looking forward to listening to this one.

I liked the debut----but I'll pass on the new one.

By the way, Mari, any sign of the captain across at PSF? I haven't noticed him there (or here) in ages. He is a missed man.

Every single SmileySmiler should check out Jens Lekman's latest record  :3d

(https://lastfm-img2.akamaized.net/i/u/174s/f423691cad0c7d5fbd25d20106204d71.jpg)

Just did. I'm sure it's very good of its kind but it's not for me. Perhaps the words are too important. I did my best----sorry!

Hey, that's okay :) "Thanks" for trying! :)

Am loving the new Fleet Foxes, Crack-Up. Went to see them in concert the other day and they were incredible. Made me feel like I was seeing The Band or something special like that. They have such a way about them. I love Third of May (https://open.spotify.com/track/2tUiuvEUs1Tw2pnfZUeIz1). My favourite of the year so far.

I have similar feelings. I'm quite a fan of "Cassius" and "On Another Ocean" myself, although ToM is great. I saw them live as well, which was a crazy experience for so many reasons.

Anyway, I'm glad to see someone else likes them here. They're so influenced by bands that people here enjoy, but I rarely find other fans around the forums. Granted, I didn't really care for Robin's voice at first, but here I am now, dazzled by his little masterpiece. Based on people who listened to the leak, I expected the album to be weirder, but that's ok with me. I wouldn't mind if they kept going in this direction, towards a weird, darker Fleet Foxes.

Out of all the albums I was looking forward to this year—i.e., the Shins, Mac, Real Estate—this has been my favorite one. The Wild Honey reissue was a lovely surprise as well.

They are like The Band and The Beach Boys had a lovechild! Their harmonies are incredible, and Robin Pecknold has such a beautiful voice. They were really, really great live. When did you see them undercover-m?

I saw them at the Showbox in Seattle back in May. They're quite wonderful live. I'll be seeing them at least once more this year. Looking forward to that as I'm much more familiar with the album now.

You know, I never thought I would ever say this, but I really enjoyed that new Harry Styles album. I really like his song "Sign of the Times," it never gets old for me.

I must give that a listen. I'm not familiar with him at all.

He was in Christopher Nolan's must-see WWII film, Dunkirk. (I only learnt that later.)

Apparently there were protests about him being cast in it! What's the point? Just about every film has a familiar face in it...

Protests?  Why?  Jon Bon Jovi was in U571. 

Yea his album is really good, he channeled a lot of 70s British rock in it. It was a nice surprise.
Dunkirk was FANTASTIC! If people haven't seen it yet, you're really missing out! And Harry was great in it, as well as everyone else in the cast! Not one character was miscast.
Yea people were mad at the fact that he was in it because he was from the boy band One Direction. That's pretty much it.

Hey Jess is back! :3d I sent you messages, girl. Reply back! :3d

 ;D Thanks RangeRover!

I've given the album a listen. I think it's a brilliant debut, every song a winner. It's true you can hear all kinds of influences mainly from the '60s and '70s but that's fine with me.

I generally steer well clear of music aimed at a young age group until it's aged a bit, so to speak. I didn't have that feeling with this album at all. 

I gave that one a few goes and have mixed feelings about it... the rockers mostly didn't impress me, but on the other hand 'Carolina' is great.

Anyone tried the new Randy Newman album? I haven't listened to everything of his but there can't be much in the catalog as weird and wonderful as 'The Great Debate'.

Thanks, Dudd. Got "TGD" lined up for later. ;=)

I picked up Newman this morning. One listen, but enjoyed it.

On a related note, Pitchfork has an interview with him up today, focused on a track-by-track discussion of the album. The introductory paragraph includes this funny-and-sad commentary on the state of humanity.

"The hunched 73-year-old recently turned up in a segment on TMZ’s TV show, of all places, reporting on “Putin,” a track from his latest LP, Dark Matter. The song is a biting faux-anthem for the Russian president, with lines like, “When he takes his shirt off/Makes me wanna be a lady!” It’s a goof, but TMZ was stumped. “Is he puckering up—or poking fun?” asked the clip’s cartoonish narrator, after Newman affably tried to explain the song to a paparazzi cameraman in an airport. Then the gossip site’s newsroom launched into an argument about the song’s true meaning—as evidence, one diminutive TMZ staffer even attested to the bigotry of Newman’s 1977 hit “Short People,” a song that was written to expose the ills of baseless bigotry."

That's rich. I remember at the time everyone assumed Newman was a short person himself. :lol

I felt the exact same way when I heard the whole thing, I'm glad you enjoyed it too! It's a rare thing for me where I like every single song on an album and every song on this album I either liked a lot or loved.

Yea "Carolina" is a banger! It's one of my favorites along with "Kiwi."

Gave "TGD" a listen but gave up about halfway. "Putin" was more fun:

"Putin puttin pants on / One leg at a time" :lol

"Baltimore" from Little Criminals is my all-time favourite Randy N song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TvDge63Iy8

Interesting song from Grizzly Bear's new album.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vuCy6LCgqJg

Alvvays - Dreams Tonite
 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejdHdP7J8RQ)
I pre-ordered the album this morning, bundling it with this rad t-shirt:
https://www.polyvinylrecords.com/product/antisocialites_t-shirt

Hi, Mari. Long time no see. This is lovely. :=)

I've been let down by a few releases this year (coughheartworms), but I'm pretty happy with Fleet Foxes and Alvvays so far.

(http://img.wennermedia.com/480-width/yusuf-cat-stevens-the-laughing-apple-album-cover-1d84e483-9eee-4d24-a8b7-caf77db1a607.jpg)
Yusuf / Cat Stevens - The Laughing Apple released September 15, 2017

I'm finally digging into this album and I'm very impressed! Yusuf hasn't sounded more comfortable since his return to popular music with 2006's An Other Cup. This album is an all-around call-back to his earlier material. From the artwork, to the songs, to collaborating with guitarist Alun Davies and producer Paul Samwell-Smith. For those interested, here is a breakdown of the song origins...

1. Blackness of the Night (previously released on 'New Masters')
2. See What Love Did To Me
3. The Laughing Apple (previously released on 'New Masters')
4. Olive Hill
5. Grandsons (previously released on 'Very Best of Cat Sevens' and 'On the Road to Find Out' Box Set)
6. Mighty Peace (written in the '60s)
7. Mary and the Little Lamb (written in the '60s)
8. You Can Do (Whatever) (written in the '70s for Harold and Maude)
9. Northern Wind (Death of Billy the Kid) (Previously released on 'New Masters')
10. Don't Blame Them
11. I'm So Sleepy (Previously released on 'New Masters')

A lot of really nice moments here. I love the production. Early favorites include You Can Do (Whatever), Blackness of the Night, Mighty Peace, Northern Wind, and Don't Blame Them. He sounds incredible considering his debut was 50 years ago!

Hi retrokid (assuming you still look in). Harry had an hour-long show on BBC-TV last night. He has a brilliant backing band and the performances were uniformly excellent. They included a couple of great covers, one of which was "Girl Crush":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rroc2y9if_Q

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/2017/11/02/harry-styles-bbc-shania-twain-bingo-skills-things-learned/

Congrats to Misty for becoming a new father....

I do this every year (since 2012). Same as always, if it gets slightly longer every year: one song per artist, done with running order / listenability in mind (so it might not be my favorites, exactly, but close enough). Should be something for almost everyone, styles-wise.

I think this should be publicly listenable: http://open.spotify.com/user/lutherh/playlist/3ObEFmZf4qYpMH0wlhQkJX

Or download from here and manually put into order--listening in order is highly recommended. www.dropbox.com/sh/yxmttagh7ae33ox/AAC3KWQTHESYKqn47fwrmpKEa?dl=0

1. Uh Uh, Thundercat, Drunk
2. Evening Prayer, Jens Lekman & LouLou Lamotte, Life Will See You Now
3. Cut to the Feeling, Carly Rae Jepsen, Cut to the Feeling (single)
4. Sticky, Ravyn Lenae, Sticky (single)
5. Want You Back, HAIM, Something to Tell You
6. Little Bubble (edit) [Bonus Track], Dirty Projectors, Dirty Projectors
7. We Were Beautiful, Belle & Sebastian, We Were Beautiful (single)

8. Andrew Eldritch is Moving Back to Leeds, the Mountain Goats, Goths
9. Rubber Ballz, the Shins, Heartworms
10. When You Die, MGMT, When You Die (single)
11. Losing All Sense, Grizzly Bear, Painted Ruins
12. I Promise, Radiohead, OK Computer OKNOTOK 1997-2017
13. other voices, LCD Soundsystem, american dream

14. Green Light, Lorde, Melodrama
15. Can't Take That Away, Brother Ali, All the Beauty in This Whole Life
16. You Can Do It! (Give Up), Your Old Droog, Packs
17. Chanel, Frank Ocean, Chanel (single)
18. Love Can Be, Vince Staples, Big Fish Theory
19. Marcy Me, Jay Z, 4:44
20. The Heart pt 4, Kendrick Lamar, The Heart pt 4 (single)

21. Ninety Bucks, Craig Finn, We All Want the Same Things
22. Run James Run, Brian Wilson, Playback: The Brian Wilson Anthology
23. Bubblegum Dreams, Ariel Pink, Dedicated to Bobby Jamerson
24. Pretty Prizes, Daniele Luppi & Parquet Courts (feat. Karen O), MILANO
25. New York, St. Vincent, MASSEDUCTION
26. No Plan, David Bowie, No Plan (EP)
27. I Volunteer, Cotton Mather, Wild Kingdom

28. The Lost Sky, Jesca Hoop, Memories Are Now
29. Tonya Harding (in Eb Major), Sufjan Stevens, Tonya Harding (single)
30. Goose Snow Cone, Aimee Mann, Mental Illness
31. Nouel, Laura Marling, Semper Femina
32. Tachycardia, Conor Oberst, Salutations
33. He's Fine, The Secret Sisters, You Don't Own Me Anymore

34. Pick Up Your Feet, Nataly Dawn, Pick Up Your Feet (single)
35. Over Everything, Courtney Barnett & Kurt Vile, Lotta Sea Lice
36. Weakness, Margo Price, All American Made
37. Crazy Blue, Herman Dune, Crazy Blue (single)
38. Shakedown, Valerie June, The Order of Time
39. The Truest Stars We Know, Iron & Wine, Beast Epic
40. You Belong Up There With The Stars, Jeremy Messersmith, 11 Obscenely Optimistic Songs for Ukelele

41. Be True to Your Bar, The Magnetic Fields, 50 Song Memoir