Saturday, November 03, 2012

Staff Picks, Vol. 2


Look, we started something and we're sticking to it! If only because a) there's so much great coming out lately, and b) we like posting silly photos on the blog. So here we are, then, back with a second round of DCD Staff Picks. We're planning to check in like this every couple of months or so to make sure you're not missing any of the essential recent new releases on our shelves. If you didn't see the first DCDSP post in September, give it a quick perusal before digging into these ten awesome albums:

Neil Young & Crazy Horse — Psychedelic Pill
"Young is Crazy Horse’s whisperer, calming the beast just long enough to jump on its back and dig into its flanks. The ride has never been smooth, but it’s always been worth the bruises. Young’s numerous, twisty left turns have inevitably led him home, to albums that reflect and rage, that rest and resonate. And Psychedelic Pill, with all its gritty warmth and haunting memories, is among his homiest." [full review]

Cody ChesnuTT — Landing on a Hundred
"Whereas his debut balanced pop with soul and rap, this record firmly plants itself in the garden of soul. ChesnuTT deftly flows between styles, be it the Womack vibe of 'I’ve Been Life,' the Gaye/Mayfield blaxploitation-era 'That’s Still Mama' and 'Scroll Call,' or the sweet soul of 'What Kind of Cool (Will We Think of Next),' all while exhibiting a charisma that is wholly ChesnuTT." [full review]

Ty Segall — Twins
"But despite what listeners might expect of a guy dropping his third album in less than half a year’s time, not only does Twins prove an exciting and vital listen, it’s Segall’s second consecutive album of guitar-heavy, rough-and-tumble rock ’n’ roll—the Nuggets disciple’s best stylistic look." [full review]

Bat for Lashes — The Haunted Man
"Some albums sound effortless. The Haunted Man sounds like effort magnificently realized. The rawness of feeling is achieved through equally raw ambition... Spacious, boldly orchestrated, and emotionally rich, Khan's latest is another step forward for the multi-instrumentalist and singer-songwriter, and one of the year's most beguiling albums." [full review]

Moon Duo — Circles
"Circles sounds bright and confident, unafraid to revel in droning, repetitious figures and fuzzy vocals. These nine compositions grind, churn and propel themselves onward at a relatively unhurried pace, a gleaming pop sensibility revealing itself given time." [full review]

Sweet Lights — Sweet Lights
"This is an outstanding record, and one that beautifully showcases the two sides of Halperin: the ability to craft an economical and immediate pop hook, as well as his love of heavy instrumental layers, interweaving parts and rangy, opus-like songs." [full review]

Bob Dylan — Tempest
"It's a prayer from one great artist to another, and a reminder that Dylan now stands virtually alone among his 1960s peers. His own final act, meanwhile, rolls on. It's a thing to behold." [full review]

The Mountain Goats — Transcendental Youth
"So like Lucinda Williams, or maybe even Rhett Miller, a very talented artist is coming to grips here with marking time, seeing what can be added to the canon, what new wrinkles can be tugged on. The Mountain Goats are now a trio at the top of their game live, with a canyon of great songs to pull from. Transcendental Youth adds a horn section. Fun." [full review]

Titus Andronicus — Local Business
"There might not be a better rock band right now at pairing an everything-is-fucked worldview with an it’ll-be-okay-with-another-guitar-solo chaser, and no frontman better at pairing the glorious freedom of being an individual with the pain and responsibilities and confusion that come with that individuality." [full review]

Metz — Metz
"The biggest lie about punk rock is that anyone can do it. Sure, anyone can do crap punk rock, but there is a fine to art to taking a music fueled by destructive impulses and building it to last... Though unafraid to temper their inherent ugliness with piano taps and tambourine shakes, Metz stop short of embracing traditional pop-song melody. But they do understand pop-song economy, carefully arranging their riffs, rhythms, and screams in two-to-three-minute bursts that still feel immediate and catchy in the absence of proper sing-along hooks." [full review]

2 Comments:

At 3:11 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

The Security Chicken must really like Austin L. Ray's work over at that audio and visual club!

 
At 4:24 PM, Blogger The Security Chicken said...

TWO BEAKS UP

 

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