New Music for today, January 2nd, 2007

I had a little spending money left from the holidays and went out for a slight spurge at Second Spin in the hopes of knocking off music from my undying list of albums to own. I got three from my list and Second Spin have a buy three get one free sale goin’ on, so I purchased one for fun that isn’t on my list, but is certainly a very popular album at that. I only shelled out twenty-two dollars and 37 cents, so my guilt is slight and justified for buying anything when I still am unemployed. Here is what I bought:

Mountain Con- The MC Stands For Revolution. “What? You haven’t heard of this group, and you don’t own this album?” is what I would have been asking myself before today, and what I shall ask people after, forever now on. You certainly hear the Tom Rothrock influence over the whole album. It makes me want to go and purchase Tom’s album Resonator. I will, but for now, this Mountain Con album has already played twice in my car, and I even sat in the parking lot of Safeway until the end of track five, Cowboy Wasteland. I heard about this group from CMJ on their exclusive monthly compilation CD, but it wasn’t this album, and it was the song The Escape Artist, and I knew that I had found some sweet ear-cocaine, and that I needed more, and my addiction isn’t satisfied, so I’ll shut up about this album as I can certainly not give it justice, lest but these fellows have a new lifelong friend and fan. Go buy this album. I found it used for a $1.50.

Hot Chip- The Warning. After the sixth song, I didn’t shut off the album or start skipping through the rest of the album. It was refreshing, because this band is new, and has a positive sound waiting for them. If they avoid the production of Flood or The Matrix and lastly, Timbaland, they will do just fine. (I don’t dislike those producers, but I know that they can easily ruin what Hot Chip has going on, and those guys have a habit of randomly producing an album that they needn’t touch, i.e. Alive & Amplified.) Hot Chip could have condensed this album into a couple of EP’s, as it tends to drag with the ninth track, Arrest Yourself, but that is just an opinion of mine and can’t be supported by what a record label expects, or what the intent of the artists involved is. The Album Leaf’s latest release, Into the Blue Again is a perfect example. It should have been cut up into two EP’s instead of one long LP. I adore Seal Beach and Lifetime or More, and they are two finely concise EP’s that stand up very well, and are always a pleasant listen. But if these two should tour together, I would drag myself by my chin to hear them, definitely.

Marie Laforêt- Marie Laforêt. Wow! This was a find. I should have wet my pants in the store when I saw this. The 1995 re-release of this gem, is something I have been drooling for since I saw that crappy movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby and heard her cover of Paint It Black in the background. I pressed pause at the end titles just to find this song, and had a hard time doing it because her title is Marie Doucer/Marie Colêre. I went to eBay and Twist & Shout but found squat, and really just limped it on my list; if only there to haunt and torment me. But I crushed that despair, and here it sits with pride, making a desire within me to make out with all women from France.

Fatboy Slim- You’ve Come a Long Way Baby. Yeah, I didn’t own this album till’ now. I avoid hype and forget that it doesn’t always involve poor taste. But it is all right, now, Ma; I’m only listening...to what I have missed. The cover photo puts my collection to shame, but music listening shouldn’t be a contest, and I am proud that I own a partial amount of Norman’s collection. I do, in fact, own the song Take Yo' Praise by Camille Yarbrough that Mr. Cooke sampled on Praise You and are glad to own this track along with this whole album. The Rockafeller Skank video fills me with the want of a dune buggy.