I am more than satisfied with the first month of 2009 so far when it comes to good music. Here are some of the good ones I can recommend warmly.
Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele – The Good Feeling Music of Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele
Mississippi musician Dent May’s wonderful debut-album has been on constant rotation here in my home since I got it. It’s released on Paw Tracks (Animal Collective’s label), but it sounds nothing like the “Paw Tracks-sound” (if there is any). Dent May may remind me of a crooning Jens Lekman playing pop-hits from the 50s on a ukulele, with the Beach Boys as his backing singers, or something like that. The album title says it all, This is “Good feeling music”. Lots of doo-wop’s and happy sounds in here! The album is officially released on Feb. 3, but it’s already available on 7digital.com.
Butcher Boy – React or die
I recently got this pre-order in the mail from the How does it feel to be loved-label, and I loved it instantly. Butcher Boy’s previous album “Profit in your poetry” was “almost there” for me, – lots of good songs, lovely feeling, but for some reason it never made it to “favourite status”. This one definitely does. It has everything, – the feeling, the melodies, the arrangements, the lyrics… “React or die” is one of those albums that you miss listening to when you’re away from it. The cover art is wonderful, – what an extraordinary photo of something as ordinary as cutting hair.
“React or die” is released in April, but if you go to the How does it feel to be loved website, you can pre-order it and get it now. Highly recommended!
Listen: Butcher Boy – Carve a pattern
Darren Hayman & The Secondary Modern – Pram Town
Former Hefner frontman Darren Hayman has made a new album called “Pram Town”, and he calls it a folk opera about good ideas gone bad. The album is full of songs with lyrics like stories, and the album is really good to listen to. I was a fan of Hefner when they were active, and for some reason I did not like the first solo-material from Hayman. I changed my focus and my attention were given to Hefner-drummer Antony Harding a.k.a Ant’s music. This album however, makes me regret that I haven’t kept my eyes and ears on Hayman for all this time. Now his back catalogue is on my shopping list, and he has earned himself a new chance. A very good album!
According to Hayman’s website, “Pram Town” was an affectionate name given to Harlow, Essex in the early 1950s, a town designed for modern and future life and intended to be the antidote to the city. He says: “But towns aren’t designed; they evolve. Concrete crumbles and plastic cracks and all the civic amenities in the world couldn’t put a heart into Harlow. As everybody on my street put faux Tudor leading on their windows and dreamt no longer of modernity, I escaped to London. ‘Pram Town’ is a set of songs about someone who doesn’t escape. A big fish in a little pond who is thrown a lifeline whilst fare-evading in a first class train carriage. This record is about good ideas gone bad. It’s about how pride can lose you love. It’s about high and low ambition and the gap between.”
This is Hayman’s tenth album, and his sixth since Hefner. The album is featuring members of Eardrums’ favourites like Ellis Island Sound, The Wave Pictures and Smile Down Upon Us. The album is available both from Hayman’s own Hefnet, iTunes and most other good record shops.
Listen: Darren Hayman & the secondary modern – Amy and Rachel
I Was A King – I Was a king
Norway’s wonderful I Was A King released their second album early in 2009. It has become an album even better than I hoped for, – almost perfect, – jangly, noisy, melody-filled, harmonic, beautiful… Their self-titled album has a little of everything, but the noise-drenched 60s inspired Byrds-y pop-songs dominates. Enjoyable!
Listen: I Was A King – Weighing Anchor
The Felt Tips – Bought and sold (3” cd) + WeePop! compilation “Starting Anew – A weePOP-UP compilation”
Another example of the WeePop-label’s great taste in music. The Felt Tips has long been a favourite of mine, and this new 3” WeePop!-cd is just lovely. This is the band’s third release, after two Cloudberry-singles. All the three songs on this albums are high quality, and this is a band I find it very easy to like. Highly recommended.
WeePop was early with their first release this year, a 7 track compilation called “Starting Anew” with bands like Horowitz, Stars of Aviation and the wonderful Very Truly Yours. The cover is a pop-up, and that’s why this is a “WeePOP-UP compilation”. Creative! “Starting Anew” is also a little cd it’s easy to recommend.
Both of these small cds can be ordered cheaply from WeePOP! records.
Listen: The Felt Tips – The one who got away
I will not spend to much space on a few albums that I like, but that has been written about in so many other places. I will mention some of them in short:
Animal Collective’s new album was a positive shock for me. I knew that these people could made music close to my taste, and the Panda Bear albums have been favourites of mine, but the AC-releases have always been a bit too difficult to listen to. This was more likeable. Or loveable. Andrew Bird’s new album have been one I have waited for, and it’s good, but …the whistling…oh, I can’t stand all the whistling!!
…and I must admit that I LOVE the new Lily Allen single “The Fear”. Finally the kids can get some good stuff to listen to.
I have lots of more to recommend to you, so there will probably be a part 2 of this post later this week. See you later!
Butcher Boy is a wonderful choice for people who love Belle & Sebastian & Wang Chung (i do)
Today Stereogum presents I was a King with a another great song
Thanks for the note on Stereogum, Michael! I’m a bit curious: I see your comparison between Butcher Boy and B&S, but what similarity do you see between Butcher Boy and Wang Chung? I haven’t heard them in years (probably since the 80s).
@michael – Just had a look at stereogum. Nice post. The song they posted was the same as we had on our Summer’s Here-compilation in June 2008, “Norman Bleik”, – wonderful song!