Well, hello
there. It's been a rather long while since there was anything for you
guys to listen to around here, so I figured it was a good time to dust off
SOTO and get back to work. Before all returns to normal,
though, I want to recap the twenty best tracks that were released while we
were on our glorious break. Enjoy.
- The
Best Of What You/We Missed: Part 1 -
:The
Rural Alberta Advantage - Stamp:
As of this moment, the new full length from this act is
probably my most anticipated release. Hometowns
was a stellar debut and, in listening to this anthem-esque
number, their sophomore effort is looking like it will be
even better. Departing is out March 1 on Saddle
Creek.
:Trail
Of Dead - Weight Of The Sun:
I loved every epic moment of Century Of Self, so I
was a little disappointed when I read that the band had cut
down their lineup in order to achieve a more "simplified"
sound. Bummer. On the bright side, they restored
some of my confidence with this blistering sliver from the
new LP. Tao Of The Dead is due February 8 on
Richter Scale Records.
:J
Mascis - Not Enough:
I'm beginning to think there's no stopping this guy.
He always seemed to be involved in something noteworthy, and
now he's readied a solo album that will probably be
fantastic. Several Shades Of Why, which is said
to be mainly acoustic, is due March 15 on Sub Pop.
:Sin
Fang - Always Everything:
Admittedly, this probably doesn't count as something that
was "missed" since it just popped up in my inbox late last
week, but I was anxious to share its refreshing sound.
Formerly known as Sin Fang Bous, this Icelandic artist will
release Summer Echoes on March 15 through Morr Music.
:Kitten
- Chinatown:
If I had to arrange a short list of songs that were guilty
pleasures over the break then I'd probably put this at the
top. Mainly because such a sugary sweet piece of pop
rock (that sounds like it belongs in a montage at the climax
of a movie involving high school kids) is a weird thing for
a 27 year-old to dig. The Sunday School EP is
available now.
:White
Hinterland - Don't Take It Personal (Monica Cover):
This is a weird song. Although, I can't decide if
that's because it's a Monica cover or because the thought of
White Hinterland doing an entire R&B pop album is
surprisingly appealing. You decide. The
Eidolon EP is available on Bandcamp now.
:Bright
Eyes - Shell Games:
I thought Conor Oberst had longed moved on from Bright Eyes,
but that would appear to be all wrong. Here's a catchy
new single, and you can expect a full length titled The
People's Key on February 15 via Saddle Creek. I'm
ready ... as long as it's not as boring as 2007's
mostly-uninspired Cassadaga.
:Richard
Ashcroft - Are You Ready?:
This song was apparently floating around everywhere last
year (commercials, the World Cup, the World Series), and I
somehow managed to totally miss it until it arrived via
email over Christmas. It's super slick (probably
overly so), but infectious as hell. Richard's
United Nations Of Sound is due March 8 on Razer And Tie.
:Starfucker
- Bury Us Alive:
Here's a band that initially impressed me, but then put out
a string of tunes that I didn't think worked. So, does
this mean I'm loving them again? Maybe. This is
definitely a fun, dance-worthy number, and I'm interested in
hearing what else is on the new LP. Reptilians
is out March 8 on Polyvinyl.
:Yuck
- Rubber (Mogwai Remix):
Like the Richard Ashcroft track, here's something that had
gotten around for a bit before making a December appearance
over in my world. It's one epic slow burner, so prep
yourself by grabbing some headphones and making sure you
have eight minutes that won't be interrupted.
- John Laird -
Unless
otherwise expressly stated, all text in this blog and any
related pages, including the blog's archives, is licensed by
John Laird under a
Creative Commons License.
