Monday's Leaky Faucet

Who: SpoonTitle: Got Nuffin'
Release Date: June 30th
Label: Merge Records
Thoughts: To say the stream of new music coming through the pipeline has quieted down is a bit of an understatement, so the news that Spoon was releasing an unexpected new EP late last week was the type of good news audiophiles everywhere were hoping for. The three song (four if you include the remix) EP will be officially out on Tuesday so it barely counts as a leak but I figured we'd chat about it. This EP celebrating the inaugural SpoonX3 taking place next week in Austin finds the band in a playful, and slightly different sounding mood. It starts off with the title track, "Got Nuffin'", a tune that follows your standard Spoon song with strong guitar riffs and Britt Daniels unmistakable voice but something sounds a bit off, a little skewed. Some might say it's lo-fi, but really it's just lower-fi then what we're used to from Spoon and it sounds kind of cool. Then we get the tribal drum track "Tweaked", which shows that Britt just got down working with the percussion heavy White Rabbits. The last (non-remixed) tune, the epic "Stroke Their Brains", is a kick ass type of tune that's a little rougher then normal Spoon but absolutely amazing. Overall, the spontaneity of this 3-song EP and the playfulness of the sound are definitely winners but that last tune could become a classic in the band's live repertoire. Though you can totally just ignore the remix of "Tweakers"
Listen: Spoon - "Got Nuffin'"
Spoon - "Stroke Their Brains"

Who: Portugal. The ManTitle: The Satanic Satanist
Release Date: July 21st
Label: Equal Vision
Thoughts: Listening to Portugal. The Man for the first time I am kind of lost amongst all the influences present on their new album. Apparently the band has been around for a while, but I was unaware. Instead I'm getting my first taste of the band at the hands of The Satanic Satanist which really has nothing at all to do with Satan. The album is full of pretty, peppy sounds and harmonies, a little bit funky, definitely having some soul, with an air of folk, and influences galore! It's just hard to pick them out because they're all layered so well together but they are definitely there. Forgive me but doesn't this remind you a little bit of a band like New Radicals? Making sounds that will stick in your head for days but don't have much behind it. I guess that's a bit harsh, tunes like "Work All Day" and "The Woods" are fantastic pop tunes, they suck you in and make you wanna sing-a-long and bop along to every note but there's also tunes that don't sit so well. I definitely need more time to listen to this record again.
Listen: Portugal. The Man - "Work All Day"
Portugal. The Man - "The Woods"

Who: Blue Roses
Title: Blue Roses
Release Date: July 21st
Label: XL Records
Thoughts: Already a hit across the pond (and already out, I told you it was a slow week of leaks) Blue Roses spent the weekend playing Glastonbury while we were being introduced to her new, self-titled album. It's a pretty album to be sure, with intricate instrumentation and Laura Groves' remarkable voice, but haven't we heard this already? Aren't there albums by people like Joanna Newsom that perfectly cover this type of sound. I know that it's unfair, that other people can try their hand at the same sounds but come on! This music is pretty and nice and damn boring. Forget it, I don't have the patience to listen to the rest of this. Try it if you like that kind of thing and need some more of it.
Listen: Blue Roses - "I Am Leaving"
Blue Roses - "Coast"