New releases, Tuesday, October 20
This week’s new releases include comedy — both intentional and unintentional — along with some indie blues-rock, and epic soundscapes.
Flight Of The Conchords‘ I Told You I Was Freaky is the follow-up to their smash debut on Sub Pop. Now, while they might have been eclipsed in popularity and hipness by the Mighty Boosh as of late, this album sounds more like an actual album than their first. It’s a real dance record, and were you not to pay too close attention to the lyrics (“The day after my birthday is not my birthday, mum!”), you could probably groove to these songs as easily as any other dancefloor jams. “Rambling Through the Avenues of Time” is not a dance number at all, but as it is simultaneously a skewering of Billy Joel and Donovan — and a note-perfect skewering at that — I don’t even care.
MP3: Flight of the Conchords, “Sugalumps”
The BQE, Sufjan Stevens‘ latest, is similar to his Illinois and Michigan releases, in that it’s an album inspired by a place. Aside from that, it’s actually nothing like the usual orchestral pop in which Stevens usually traffics. Described as “a cinematic suite inspired by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the Hula-Hoop,” as well as an idiosyncratic musical soundtrack, evoking a romanticized musical choreography of perpetual motion vs. gridlock,” it’s a soundtrack, meant to be experienced in conjunction with the documentary film which it accompanies. The CD ships with the film on DVD, while the double LP comes with a comic book.
MP3: Sufjan Stevens, “Movement VI—Isorhythmic Night Dance with Interchanges”
We mentioned Rammstein‘s Liebe Ist Fur Alle Da in conjunction with our post on the video for “Pussy” (I am so sorry, really). It’s getting surprisingly good reviews from the likes of Allmusic and Rocksound, but the news regarding the release is the way the album is being released. You can get either the standard CD or a special edition. The special edition comes with five bonus tracks, as well as the following:
The Special Edition will also be released as a Limited Edition pink double LP, and in a limited edition box set, featuring handcuffs, a black bottle of lubricant (featuring the band’s motif), and six pink dildos (molded from each band members’ penis), all within an aluminum case (featuring a mirror, Rammstein logos and Rammstein motifs).
Wow. Just…wow. Bret Michaels and Tommy Lee are fucking ponces beside these guys.
Oh, and White Denim‘s Fits gets an official US release today. It comes with a bonus disc of their debut Exposion. It’s a stellar release, and if you like the Black Keys, you will flipping love this. They play the Jackpot on November 3, and I highly recommend you attend. The first time I heard “I Start to Run” was on the BBC at ten minutes ’til 4am, and it’s been stuck in my head ever since. Buy that sucker, learn the words, and be at the show.
