WHAT'S BEEN PLAYING #23

Libraries, The Love Language, 2010.

As 2009's self-titled release was still spinning on my stereo, Libraries came as a pleasant surprise. With the recent Fragile-esque hype of Broken Social Scene and Arcade Fire's latest records, a back to back annual release feels kind of like finding a unicorn.

Fans of this North Carolina outfit's freshman release will be overall pleased with the politely lazy pop banter of Libraries, however this record also explores a much larger, more polished sound, at times turning into a very James Mercer experience.

"Brittany's Back" & "Wilmont."

King of the Beach, Wavves, 2010.

Of course the beach is fun, and of course rock and roll and Crap sunglasses are fun, but from start to finish Nathan Williams keeps King of the Beach so painfully juvenile, I had to keep checking the stereo to make sure Blink 182's Buddah wasn't playing.

Zach Hill gave Wavves some cojones, he could have been the saving grace on King of the Beach. However, since his departure, Wavves feels like nothing more than sun-burned twerp rock.

Thankfully the album is short, and this rickety beach rock roller coaster ride quickly comes to a much-needed end.

Oh, and getting all blended on Xanax and Valium before a performance, is that the only way to get through having to play this music?

Whoa, cool bro, the world always needs more Pete Doherties. Wipe out.

"Mickey Mouse."

Childish Prodigy, Kurt Vile, 2009.

Take a trip down the road between noise rock chaos and classic Americana, and somewhere in the middle, you'll find Philadelphia's Kurt Vile.

Originally fronting The War on Drugs, Vile's solo rock sensibility features both technical guitar work and a "Lou Reed and Mick Jagger underwater" vocal timbre. Add a dash of biazzro studio wizardry and Childish Prodigy suddenly becomes familiar and strange yet gripping from start to finish.

"Freak Train" & "Inside Lookin Out."

Crazy For You, Best Coast, 2010.

With cuts that remain short and sweet, Bobb Bruno and Bethany Cosentino know the lay of the beach rock land. Girls on a road trip will drink every Best Coast drop, while dudes in cowboy boots at the local dive will probably throw up in their mouths.

I will say however that the nail has been hit square on the head. The whimsy and petty angst of a dreamy California lifestyle probably hasn't had a soundtrack this good in a while.

And yes, Crazy For You blows Bethany's beau's broken beach banter out of the water.

"Our Deal."

Crystal Castles II, Crystal Castles, 2010.

Well, they're back, smashing synthesizers and stirring up more 8-bit mayhem than Dan Deacon in a Gameboy factory.

Aside from perhaps a more mellow and paced Alice Glass, not a lot seems to have changed, but should it?

If the microKORG isn't broken, don't fix it, just make it sound like it's broken, and add a beat.

"Doe Deer."

White Magic, ceo, 2010.

An ambitious recording spearheaded by the prolific Swedish musician and label owner Eric Berglund, White Magic breeds a streamlined body of exotic and emotive songs exploring an upbeat but honest sensibility.

Berglund, of The Tough Alliance fame, has a love of texture, weaving a bolt of some of the most expansive sonic fabric of 2010.

From more boisterous tracks to narrate you and your buddies dancing on the coffee table, to those string-latent movements catering more introverted excursions, White Magic breaths with a very real life consciousness.

"Illuminata" & "Come with Me."

Otis Blue/Otis Redding Sings Soul, Otis Redding, 1965.

Redding is not shy about his influences on this legendary record, as it's mostly comprised of songs penned by B.B. King, The Rolling Stones, Soloman Burke, & Sam Cooke.

This record also features Redding's original "Respect," a later Aretha Franklin grand slam, and a cover of "Satisfaction," arranged as Keith Richards originally envisioned as he struck those famous 9 notes.

"Respect", "Rock Me Baby," & "Satisfaction."

Forgiveness Rock Record Record, Broken Social Scene, 2010.

Well, it looks like the gang's all here. It's been about 5 years of BSS fans brooding in their lofts and parent's basements, hoping for the return of everyone's favorite angsty indie posse, and thankfully the arrival of Kevin Drew & Co.'s Forgiveness has not been in vein.

It was a tall order to follow up the success of 2005's self-titled album, yet Forgiveness is a surprisingly tight ship, and quickly becoming one of my favorite BSS recordings.

"World Sick" is hot, "All to All" is cool, and "Sentimental X's" features a surprising appearance by BSS's famous three ladies (Leslie, Emily, & Amy) singing side by side.

South Carolina, Tennis, 2010.

This lovestruck nautical duo is easily one of the most slippery musical projects in the works right now. Since the release of "South Carolina", people have been chomping at the bit for a little bit more Tennis, and a Myspace page featuring three lonely cuts is leaving listeners thirsty.

Maybe this is the way to do it these days, release material bit by bit and let it stew online, as listeners anxiously return to the same YouTube page for days, clamoring on about how "they're not on iTunes?!?!?!"

I will say that this whole lo-fi sun-faded Gidget pop rock stuff is the latest fad, and fads can get worn out quicker than a bad pair of boots, but in the end I'm on Tennis' side.

It's nothing new, Sandy Nelson and the Beach Boys did it better, but it's fun, and let's just hope their upcoming 7" from Underwater Peoples keeps the ball rolling.

"South Carolina."

Source: http://nrmccann.blogspot.com/2010/07/whats-been-playing-23.html