The Hold Steady’s very good (but not as great as some people seem to think it is) follow up (review here) to Boys & Girls in America opens auspiciously with ‘Constructive Summer’, a typically infectious piece of anthemic rock’n’roll.
Hefner’s The Fidelity Wars was one of the great underrated British albums of the 90s and has recently received the full make-over treatment, repackaged with a whole load of bonus material. And the Darren and Jack Sing Hefner Songs show at the 100 Club was one of the best I’ve seen this year. And ‘Hymn For The Cigarettes’ is just the best song about smoking ever.
Psych-rock is represented by the old and the new with The Count Five’s classic from ‘66 ‘Psychotic Reaction’ (check out Lester Bangs amazing review of the similarly titled album), and San Franciscans with an extra consonant Wooden Shjips’ (whose second album Wooden Shjips came out in July) awesome ‘Losin Time’.
I’m currently half way through David Browne's Sonic Youth biography Goodbye 20th Century, and while I haven’t reached the Daydream Nation section yet, there’s always room for a live Sonic Youth track.
Born Ruffians’ (interview here) Red, Yellow & Blue remains the best album released so far this year and for that reason alone the ode to vulpine monogamy ‘Foxes Mate For Life’ gets its place in this playlist. The War on Drugs' debut Wagonwheel Blues is one of the few that is close to taking its crown – ‘Arms Like Boulders’ is the storming opening track.
Saturday Looks Good to Me seem to have been influenced by all the right British bands, but retain an American veneer over their brand of indiepop. They were also great supporting the aforementioned Darren and Jack in London.
Salty Pirates are one of those bands you stumble across and instantly fall in love with, only to discover that they are Swedish and don’t seem to be making music anymore. Bugger. Still, their back catalogue is available to download from their website, which is quite frankly brilliant. Okkervil River, too, just keep being brilliant.
Ontario’s The Acorn’s 2007 concept album Glory Hope Mountain came out in the UK on Bella Union on 11th August (digital, physical release is in October) and it’s quite a treat. ‘Darcy’ is actually taken from The Pink Ghosts (2004), which just so happens to also be somewhat of a treat.
I actually know very little about Windmill and can’t even remember where I came across this song, but he's/they're from just down the road in Brixton - and sounds like he really shouldn't be. Fleet Foxes are rather better known and their debut can’t fail to move you. M Ward + Conor Oberst + Jim James + one of the great self-deprecating male songs = what’s not to like?
Liam Finn’s debut album came out last month over here and is a real grower. He certainly has his old man’s ear for a tune and his double-tracked vocals really remind me of Elliott Smith. Pete & the Pirates, along with Windmill, are the only British band on this list currently making music which says something about the quality of British records out so far this year . Here’s to a better second half of the year...
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