New/Upcoming Release Listening – The tracks I’m “allowed” to give you edition.

photo stolen from Less Noise More Signal

So I am sitting here listening to one of the many iTunes playlists I make (I am a bit of a fiend for this) and while scrobbling to my Last.fm profile I noticed that some tracks are readily available for download.  As I consider myself basically an up and up music blogger – meaning that I post only “approved” media on the blog.  I consider a track down-loadable only with an okay from the artist/label or if it is already posted for free download elsewhere, etc (well for the most part, *wink*).  So what this means is I don’t always post the songs I want to.  This is a bit of a unfortunate situation as I could like a album enough to do a feature on it, but the approved media is not the track I especially like and is not the reason I may like an artist/album.  I often feel like I have to provide the reader with songs that would normally skip over when listening to an album if I want to post anything.  This is mostly as I am a fan of the downtrodden and slowcore tracks from albums, which often are not the “lead off single” or promotional track that labels like.  Go figure.

This brings me to a couple of tracks that come from albums that I really like, but wouldn’t be the track I would have posted if I had my choice.  Who am I to say what gets released!!  I am sure the PR guy wanted a bit more of a positive feature on the blog, but this is slowcoustic…I like the slow and acoustic tracks from the album!!  No big deal, the albums are great as a whole and I do recommend them; but I think I said my piece.  Enjoy.

The “I’m not going to jail for a song” playlist

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Joshua James – Build Me This (Sept. 8, 2009)

This is 25 year old James’ second album and it follows suit to his first album, The Sun Is Always Brighter, was a strong selection of intimate singer-songwriter tracks, while this album does continue that, there is a bit of sway to a fuller sound.  This sound can be summed up in the lead off single “Magazine” – the story is still that of heartache, which works well for James.  Of note, the album will be a double vinyl and include 5 additional tracks!!

“Magazine” – Joshua James
*Track I would have liked to post:  “Pitchfork”

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The Maldives – Listen to the Thunder (Sept. 15th, 2009)

This one is a bit more to the country side of things and the album actually crosses the entire street of Alt-Country from a bit of rocking to whiskey soaked crooners.   I admit that the up tempo stuff is not fully my cup o’ tea, but damn they have some great country styled ballads.  While the album is not out until Sept. 15th, you can purchase it and the previous EP that includes some of the same tracks at Mt. Fuji Records here.

“Tequila Sunday” – The Maldives
*Track I would have liked to post: “Walk Away” (10 and a half minutes of beauty!)

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David Bazan – Curse Your Branches (Aug. 25th, 2009)

I have been a fan of Bazan for a while (just like everyone else) from Pedro the Lion to his solo stuff.   I do admit, not unlike my comment on The Maldives above, his slower stuff is killer.  His cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” is one of my favourite songs, period.  I mean the song has been covered like a bazillion times, but it is rarely done justice…Bazan kills it.

“Bless This Mess” – David Bazan
*Track I would have liked to post: “Lost My Shape” or “Harmless Sparks” (I know Harmless Sparks is on daytrotter, but the album track)

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There you have it, life as it is versus as it should be!!  HA, just kidding, enjoy the tunes, maybe pick up the three albums to see what you would have selected as your preferred track…

~Smansmith