I got a place to go.
I’ve been looking up a lot of my favorite music peoples and checking on their 2005 plans, so I thought I’d compile my research into one big LJ entry for anyone interested, rather than parse it out into a dozen different excited and/or disappointed emails to Rob and/or Marisa.
2005 Music Progress Reports:
Oasis: I’ll start with something that has a solid release date. May 16th (in the UK-that would be 5/17 for us Americans) was the date I had heard, along with the usual proclamation from Noel that this is their best album in a long time. Apparently the whole group shares writing credit-not sure if it’s in a rotating way or an “all songs by Oasis” way. Kinda make-or-break time for these boys, although I guess that’s what everyone said last time. I hold that if you took the best bits of Standing on the Shoulder of Giants and Heathen Chemistry, you’d have the best Oasis album ever. Unfortunately, Noel puts at least two crap songs on every release, way more on Heathen. Anyway, we’ll have something to listen to on the way to Episode III.
Sleater-Kinney: Another May release, according to the band’s website. They’re working with Dave Friedman (!?). Will probably be brilliant.
Beck: Beck has had a depressing slide in productivity for this decade. He had albums out in ’94 (more than one), ’96, ’98, and ’99. Then nothing till 2002 and nothing after that this upcoming project that keeps getting pushed back.
The Mountain Goats: Thankfully, no one has told John Darnielle about how you’re supposed to make way fewer albums when you move your studio from paper bag in stairwell to room in actual recording facility. The best one-man band in the world has a title, The Sunset Tree, and is working on 4AD recording #3. It should, then, be out sometime this year.
Rainer Maria: In the midst of apparently being the house band over at North Six, Rainer Maria found time to record a new album, which I’m assuming will be nine tracks and comes out “this spring.” No official date yet means probably actually summer.
The Flaming Lips: These guys have a tentative title, At War with the Mystics, and a fall-05 release date. Although my working title for it is Yet Another Roadblock Standing in the Way of Us Ever Seeing Christmas on Mars. Actually, I’m going to give the Lips’ whole career a tentative title of Maybe This Christmas? I hope the new record doesn’t take any leads from their newfound jam-band following.
Radiohead: Said to be heading back to the studio in ’05, they probably won’t get anything out by the end of the year, but we can hope.
Blur: Another question mark, although I’m at least expecting a much shorter gap than the four years between Thirteen and the fantastic Think Tank. Maybe they’re holding out for Graham to return?
The White Stripes: Haven’t heard anything about them going back to the studio, but there’s only two of ‘em and they can record a whole album in about two weeks, so a 2005 release can’t be ruled out yet. Of course, neither can you rule out a quiet break-up that actually happened six months ago.
Liz Phair: Indie outcast Liz was apparently “in the studio” working on the next album as of November, with a producer called Dino Meneghin with no allmusic entries and a Google resume that mostly includes being referred to as a producer who worked with Liz Phair. Good luck with that, Liz.
The Pixies: I’m pretty sure you could do a graph of how the various Pixies have responded to the “so, new album??” question since the reunion tour began. It started out with “nah, doubt it,” and has progressed through “we haven’t really thought about it,” “maybe,” and “seems like the thing to do.” 2005 predictions: several variations on “probably” followed by the ever-popular “early next year.”
Broken Social Scene: It’s OK that I don’t *love* Broken Social Scene because it means their records will come out faster. Pitchfork was saying “February ’05,” can’t find much confirmation of whether this is still actually true.
**special nerd section**
Weezer: They’re working around Rivers going back to Harvard (remember how they were going to do an album every week for the rest of their lives or whatever?) but album five should be out in the summer or fall.
OK Go: Recording in Sweden, anyone know if they’re done yet? Lodged as they are in the gears of major-label marketing, I expect it will be the customary longer-than-necessary before the record actually comes out. I’d expect summer or fall, like Weezer.
Fountains of Wayne: They’re putting out a comprehensive B-side collection this year, and “working” on another new album, but I’m guessing the latter won’t emerge till ’06. Why do so many bands follow up fairly successful and/or promising releases with B-side collections? Why do I feel like the next Modest Mouse record will be B-sides?
Ben Folds: Spring ’04, Summer ’04, February ’05… I’m sorry, he’s stalling. Rolling Stone online had an article a few months ago saying the album was done, 11 tracks, and will be out in February, but there’s no mention of the album or a release date on the Ben Folds or Epic webpages. Benfolds.com does mention, however, a few tourdates this month and next, and then a jaunt to the UK for a summer tour? Ben, what are you touring for? Those EPs you put out? This is the Super D world tour, then, is it?
They Might Be Giants: Even though they just put out a record last July, it sounded as if their plan was to record and work on other stuff for the first half of the year, and not really tour again until they put out another rock album in fall ’05… but I’m not holding my breath.
Zack Attack: After an extended hiatus following the release of their last album, 2002’s prog-rock experiment Valley of the Golden Moone II: The Return, Zack Attack is planning a return to record stores in 2005 with a collection of rarities and live tracks. This is rumored to include the deleted UK-only single “Whoomp (Friends Forever)” and a collaboration with Evan Dando called “Purple Blue.” I actually really liked the last Zack Attack record and I hope they aren’t too discouraged by its poor critical reception and the suicide of several band members.
And here are those other 2004 albums I’ve been listening to for the past few weeks:
The Tigers Have Spoken, Neko Case
Definitely the most “country” album I own. Neko Case has a great voice but I don’t know what to make of her original compositions, which sometimes sound underdeveloped (about half of this live album’s eleven tracks are covers).
From a Basement on the Hill, Elliott Smith
The best songs are the ones that sound kind of raw and weird, mixing Smith’s hushed singing and plucking with feedbackier stuff in the background. Otherwise, he’s one of those singers with a beautiful voice that I nonetheless sometimes tune out after fifteen or twenty minutes because so many of his songs sound the same.
Bows + Arrows, The Walkmen
Why don’t I like this more? “The Rat” is so great and they definitely have their moments. Some music writer described them as being “indie cabaret,” and that’s a good description, but all the slow piano/wailing songs make me feel like I’m listening to Rufus Wainwright. Albums like this that make me feel like I don’t get it.
Funeral, Arcade Fire
But the Arcade Fire makes me feel like I do. Actually, there’s an elusive quality about Funeral that makes it hard for me to recall specific parts of it. It’s more like an encompassing mood. For the most part, it’s as good as people are saying. The amount of stuff going on reminds me of Broken Social Scene and Radiohead, especially the way that I can only intermittently understand the lyrics but like them when I do. Parts of it also sound like Talking Heads. I’m sort of addicted to this album; I think I’ve listened to it eight or ten times since it came in the mail on Wednesday or Thursday.
Pawn Shoppe Heart, The Von Bondies
The curse of a great single: None of these songs are as good as “C’mon C’mon.” The album on a whole is growing on me, especially some songs towards the middle/end where the boys and girls sing together, but how anyone could say that it’s “more fun” to listen to than Elephant needs rehab.
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2
Disappointing so far. U2 isn’t dropping off in quality like R.E.M., but I’m underwhelmed by large chunks of this record. They did put some of their best songs towards the end of the album, in stark contrast to All That You Can’t Leave Behind’s ski slope of a tracklist. I’ll give it a few more listens but my first instinct is that it’s boring.
2005 Music Progress Reports:
Oasis: I’ll start with something that has a solid release date. May 16th (in the UK-that would be 5/17 for us Americans) was the date I had heard, along with the usual proclamation from Noel that this is their best album in a long time. Apparently the whole group shares writing credit-not sure if it’s in a rotating way or an “all songs by Oasis” way. Kinda make-or-break time for these boys, although I guess that’s what everyone said last time. I hold that if you took the best bits of Standing on the Shoulder of Giants and Heathen Chemistry, you’d have the best Oasis album ever. Unfortunately, Noel puts at least two crap songs on every release, way more on Heathen. Anyway, we’ll have something to listen to on the way to Episode III.
Sleater-Kinney: Another May release, according to the band’s website. They’re working with Dave Friedman (!?). Will probably be brilliant.
Beck: Beck has had a depressing slide in productivity for this decade. He had albums out in ’94 (more than one), ’96, ’98, and ’99. Then nothing till 2002 and nothing after that this upcoming project that keeps getting pushed back.
The Mountain Goats: Thankfully, no one has told John Darnielle about how you’re supposed to make way fewer albums when you move your studio from paper bag in stairwell to room in actual recording facility. The best one-man band in the world has a title, The Sunset Tree, and is working on 4AD recording #3. It should, then, be out sometime this year.
Rainer Maria: In the midst of apparently being the house band over at North Six, Rainer Maria found time to record a new album, which I’m assuming will be nine tracks and comes out “this spring.” No official date yet means probably actually summer.
The Flaming Lips: These guys have a tentative title, At War with the Mystics, and a fall-05 release date. Although my working title for it is Yet Another Roadblock Standing in the Way of Us Ever Seeing Christmas on Mars. Actually, I’m going to give the Lips’ whole career a tentative title of Maybe This Christmas? I hope the new record doesn’t take any leads from their newfound jam-band following.
Radiohead: Said to be heading back to the studio in ’05, they probably won’t get anything out by the end of the year, but we can hope.
Blur: Another question mark, although I’m at least expecting a much shorter gap than the four years between Thirteen and the fantastic Think Tank. Maybe they’re holding out for Graham to return?
The White Stripes: Haven’t heard anything about them going back to the studio, but there’s only two of ‘em and they can record a whole album in about two weeks, so a 2005 release can’t be ruled out yet. Of course, neither can you rule out a quiet break-up that actually happened six months ago.
Liz Phair: Indie outcast Liz was apparently “in the studio” working on the next album as of November, with a producer called Dino Meneghin with no allmusic entries and a Google resume that mostly includes being referred to as a producer who worked with Liz Phair. Good luck with that, Liz.
The Pixies: I’m pretty sure you could do a graph of how the various Pixies have responded to the “so, new album??” question since the reunion tour began. It started out with “nah, doubt it,” and has progressed through “we haven’t really thought about it,” “maybe,” and “seems like the thing to do.” 2005 predictions: several variations on “probably” followed by the ever-popular “early next year.”
Broken Social Scene: It’s OK that I don’t *love* Broken Social Scene because it means their records will come out faster. Pitchfork was saying “February ’05,” can’t find much confirmation of whether this is still actually true.
**special nerd section**
Weezer: They’re working around Rivers going back to Harvard (remember how they were going to do an album every week for the rest of their lives or whatever?) but album five should be out in the summer or fall.
OK Go: Recording in Sweden, anyone know if they’re done yet? Lodged as they are in the gears of major-label marketing, I expect it will be the customary longer-than-necessary before the record actually comes out. I’d expect summer or fall, like Weezer.
Fountains of Wayne: They’re putting out a comprehensive B-side collection this year, and “working” on another new album, but I’m guessing the latter won’t emerge till ’06. Why do so many bands follow up fairly successful and/or promising releases with B-side collections? Why do I feel like the next Modest Mouse record will be B-sides?
Ben Folds: Spring ’04, Summer ’04, February ’05… I’m sorry, he’s stalling. Rolling Stone online had an article a few months ago saying the album was done, 11 tracks, and will be out in February, but there’s no mention of the album or a release date on the Ben Folds or Epic webpages. Benfolds.com does mention, however, a few tourdates this month and next, and then a jaunt to the UK for a summer tour? Ben, what are you touring for? Those EPs you put out? This is the Super D world tour, then, is it?
They Might Be Giants: Even though they just put out a record last July, it sounded as if their plan was to record and work on other stuff for the first half of the year, and not really tour again until they put out another rock album in fall ’05… but I’m not holding my breath.
Zack Attack: After an extended hiatus following the release of their last album, 2002’s prog-rock experiment Valley of the Golden Moone II: The Return, Zack Attack is planning a return to record stores in 2005 with a collection of rarities and live tracks. This is rumored to include the deleted UK-only single “Whoomp (Friends Forever)” and a collaboration with Evan Dando called “Purple Blue.” I actually really liked the last Zack Attack record and I hope they aren’t too discouraged by its poor critical reception and the suicide of several band members.
And here are those other 2004 albums I’ve been listening to for the past few weeks:
The Tigers Have Spoken, Neko Case
Definitely the most “country” album I own. Neko Case has a great voice but I don’t know what to make of her original compositions, which sometimes sound underdeveloped (about half of this live album’s eleven tracks are covers).
From a Basement on the Hill, Elliott Smith
The best songs are the ones that sound kind of raw and weird, mixing Smith’s hushed singing and plucking with feedbackier stuff in the background. Otherwise, he’s one of those singers with a beautiful voice that I nonetheless sometimes tune out after fifteen or twenty minutes because so many of his songs sound the same.
Bows + Arrows, The Walkmen
Why don’t I like this more? “The Rat” is so great and they definitely have their moments. Some music writer described them as being “indie cabaret,” and that’s a good description, but all the slow piano/wailing songs make me feel like I’m listening to Rufus Wainwright. Albums like this that make me feel like I don’t get it.
Funeral, Arcade Fire
But the Arcade Fire makes me feel like I do. Actually, there’s an elusive quality about Funeral that makes it hard for me to recall specific parts of it. It’s more like an encompassing mood. For the most part, it’s as good as people are saying. The amount of stuff going on reminds me of Broken Social Scene and Radiohead, especially the way that I can only intermittently understand the lyrics but like them when I do. Parts of it also sound like Talking Heads. I’m sort of addicted to this album; I think I’ve listened to it eight or ten times since it came in the mail on Wednesday or Thursday.
Pawn Shoppe Heart, The Von Bondies
The curse of a great single: None of these songs are as good as “C’mon C’mon.” The album on a whole is growing on me, especially some songs towards the middle/end where the boys and girls sing together, but how anyone could say that it’s “more fun” to listen to than Elephant needs rehab.
How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, U2
Disappointing so far. U2 isn’t dropping off in quality like R.E.M., but I’m underwhelmed by large chunks of this record. They did put some of their best songs towards the end of the album, in stark contrast to All That You Can’t Leave Behind’s ski slope of a tracklist. I’ll give it a few more listens but my first instinct is that it’s boring.