Before I jump into the Hodge Podge today, I want to remind everyone about the kick-ass contest we have going on for the Eulogies and The Dears show coming up here in Chicago next week. In case you missed THIS POST on Wednesday, we are giving away a pair of tickets to the show on May 13th at Lakeshore Theatre to one lucky reader. All you have to do to enter is send us a note via THIS LINK with the words ‘Eulogies Contest’ in the message by midnight PST on Sunday night. I’m not going to bore you with the details about how great the new album, Here Anonymous, is or how great their live set is because I have already done that HERE and HERE, so you are just going to have to take my word for it or go back and read the earlier posts. Either way, be sure to get your entries in sometime over the weekend, because in these tough economic times we could all use some free rock n’ roll.
First up today is a brand new track from one of our favorite Austin bands, White Denim. Our love affair with the Texan trio began back in 2007 when we first heard their debut EP Let’s Talk About It, and grew even stronger with last year’s stellar long player Exposion, which we named one of our top albums of 2008. As such, you can imagine how excited we are to hear that the boys will be releasing a new album, titled Fits, later this summer. The UK release is set for June 23rd on Full Time Hobby, and though the band is currently seeking a label for the stateside release, they expect it to drop here sometime shortly after that. The first track from Fits, “Mirrored and Reverse,” leaked into the blogosphere about a week ago and we have been itching to share it with you all ever since. This track retains all the elements that made us fall in love with White Denim over two years ago, incorporating all of the pop sensibility and rollicking garage beats you have come to expect from the band. Also present, however, is a darker and cleaner quality to the music that introduces a psychedelic jazz influence to the standard mix. Based on this track alone, it is safe to say that you will likely be seeing White Denim on our annual year end list once again; it’s that good. And we can assure you that we will get a proper review of the full album up here on Citizen Dick just as soon as we can get our ears on a copy.
White Denim – “Mirrored and Reverse”
The next band up today is a group that I really don’t know a lot about, but I gave a listen to a track that came to me via e-mail a few days ago and I’ve been slowly falling in love with it ever since. The groups is called Snowglobe, and apparently they have been around since 2002 and have toured with a handful of bands from the Elephant 6 collective such as Of Montreal and Olivia Tremor Control. The band, originally from Memphis, TN but currently based in Athens, GA, is all set to release an EP of new material titled No Need To Light A Night Light On A Night Like Tonight (try saying that three times fast) on May 26th on Makeshift Records. The lead track from the EP, “Get It On,” is really my only reference point of the group, but based on that song the Elephant 6 influence is very apparent. The music is honest and heartfelt with almost a hint of despair, not unlike so many moments on Neutral Milk Hotel’s seminary album In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, with a big, booming vocal, assertive acoustic guitar, and swirling horns all present. I’m not going to go overboard and say that Snowglobe is quite in the same league as NMH, or that singer Luke White has the chops of Jeff Mangum, but if you were a fan of NMH I would certainly think that you will find things to like about this EP. In addition to the EP coming later this month, the band also plans to release a proper full-length album sometime later in the year. If it delivers, we will be sure to bring you a proper review of it.
Today’s vault track takes us back just a bit further than usual, but it comes from an album that, before yesterday, I had gone without listening to for WAY too long. The influence of The Replacements’ 1984 masterpiece Let It Be within the indie rock genre goes without mentioning, but what is often forgotten is how incredibly fun it is to listen to. Yesterday afternoon was a gorgeous, sunny 80-degree day here in Chicago, and I found myself cruising around town with my windows down, sunroof open, and The Placemats (as they are affectionately referred to by their fans) blasting through my speakers and all I could think about was what a great day it was to be alive. In my perfect world, that is exactly the way any great album should make you feel. Let It Be is without a doubt the Replacements’ finest album, and arguably one of the greatest albums of all time, with legendary frontman Paul Westerberg at the peak of his songwriting game. Though the album was not a commercial success at the time of its release, it was critically acclaimed by legendary rock critics such as Michael Azerrad and Robert Christgau, and in later years became a mainstay on a host of reputable “greatest ever” lists. Seamlessly blending op, punk, metal, arena rock, and jazz, Let It Be manages to sound every bit as groundbreaking today as it was upon its release nearly 25 years ago. Choosing just one track to post from this album may be the hardest thing I will have to do all week, so I am just going to go with a sentimental favorite of mine, “Unsatisfied,” which does a good job of summing up the essence the album as a whole.
The Replacements – “Unsatisfied”
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This is why we pay Diamond Jim the big bucks. Dude read my mind. the sun is shining, trees are growing leaves and all I want to do is listen to Let it Be on a loop. Androgynous, Black Diamond, Coming Out… Come on. Seriously.