Febuary's Music

Since I kind of had a slow start to the new year, I've spent this month trying to catch up with some of new Cd's.


The Mary Onettes This has been one of my best new finds in a long time. They were recommended to me from itunes, which sometimes has some good advice. If you love 80's alternative rock that mixes Echo and the Bunnymen's and Joy Division's foggy atmosphere, with New Order guitars, then this is the album for you. The Mary Onettes are from Sweden and have been trying to get their music out for years, but had a lot of record deals fall through. One of the most retro sounding outfits out there.

The Smiths This Charming Man EP Finally, I have every last song recorded by The Smiths. The Smiths were one of the greatest bands of all time. They had a profound impact on my life and really opened my eyes to alternative music, way before the 90's hit. They were a band worth collecting, since their b-sides were as good as their singles. Most of those b-sides found their way on to compilation albums, but the three b-sides on This Charming Man never found a full album to fit onto. Consequently, the three songs here Jeane, Wonderful Woman, and Accept Yourself have been sought after by "die hard" Smiths fans (like myself) for over two decades. I don't know if I'd say that these three songs were worth waiting two decades for, but they are better than anything Morrissey has done lately.

The National Alligator Like everyone else who reads "Paste" magazine (and takes their music collection seriously) I loved The National's latest album Boxer. So I thought I would try one of their earlier albums. Alligator took a few listens before I started to like it. There are some good tunes here. I think it hints at the creative genius to come on Boxer.
The Editors The Back Room (Bonus Disc). Another band I truly love are the Editors. I really love their debut album, The Back Room, so I was pretty surprised to find a bonus disc floating around on the Internet. These are 6 new songs that didn't make the final album. These are not B-sides, but songs that are just as good as the final album. Wherever they came from, they are pretty good and are a extra treat to have.
Kate Nash Made Of Bricks After receiving the approval of her friend Lily Allen, Kate Nash hit it pretty big in the UK and is slowly making her way over to the states cussing up a storm. Vocally, she has this "posh English" voice that swears more than sailors in a bulk of her songs. Not an album for the faint of heart. Kate sings about truly dysfunctional relationships where she's been hurt or taken advantage of. She has some "choice" names for the men that have betrayed her in her songs. Musically, it is pretty easy to take in, with it's poppy alternative sound.
Radiohead In Rainbows (Bonus Disc) Another great disc I found floating around on the Net. This is a must for us "die hard" Radiohead fans. Everyone knows In Rainbows is a great album, but the unreleased bonus disc makes it better. These 8 additional songs are in the complete In Rainbows package with all the fancy art work. This is offered through the website at a reasonable $80. I didn't feel like spending that much, so I obtained it through other means. Some of the new songs are just "fillers" but others like "4 minute Warning" and "Last Flowers" should have been on the regular album.
Glen Phillips Mr. Lemons I loved Toad the Wet Sprocket (the "Walk on the Ocean " band) but Glen's solo career has been a lot of "hit or miss". His first solo album sucked big time, but his second album Winter Pays for Summer is a masterpiece that out does a lot of Toad albums. Mr. Lemons is sort of a step backwards for Glen. Not a complete bust, but not his best or worst work. I only got it because I found it for a good price. Includes a unrecognizable cover of Huey Lewis's "I Want a New Drug" that I would rather forget.