There's a lot of interesting stuff to note, but I don't have enough time for my usual, meandering ruminations.Dr. Dog
New Dr. Dog album, Shame, Shame is out. For those of you who don't know, Dr. Dog is one of the biggest Philadelphia success stories of the decade. That which made them successful -- a great pop sensibility that, no shit, can best be described as recalling the Beatles, with a hint of more pop-ish moments by current rock acts like Wilco and My Morning Jacket -- is in full effect here. The 11-song set is very strong without a dud. It's not even worth mentioning favorites or track standouts. These are big songs by a great-sounding band. All are single worthy. It should make a lot of "best of the year" lists in December.
Best of Doves
A year after its fourth studio album, Kingdom of Rust, The Doves, a favorite of mine, are about to release a best of, The Places Between, which comes as a 15-song single disc or a two-disc deluxe version with a 19-song companion CD of B-sides and a DVD of the band's 13 videos. The first disc of The Places Between draws a great deal from the band's first two albums, Lost Souls and The Last Broadcast, and includes the obligatory new song that most best-ofs get these days.
The new track, "Andalucia," (listening to it as I type this) isn't the best Doves song I've ever heard, but it's very good. It's a driving guitar driven piece with a solid Jimi Goodwin melody. It's not a throwaway single at all. The second disc has a lot of interesting stuff that the band's fans might like -- some of which have appeared on singles and the band's Lost Sides -- a voluminous double CD of out-takes, demos and other material that followed Lost Souls.
The Places Between is a great entry point for someone who wants to introduce himself to The Doves -- a band that has never really attracted the following it deserves, particularly in the U.S and also provides real fans with some collectible goodies on the second CD.
New Band of Horses single
Finally, 2010 promises to be a pretty great year for new releases. I'm really anxious for the new Interpol and Arcade Fire albums due this year. Another album I'm looking forward to is the latest from Band of Horses. The new album Infinite Arms is due out on May 18. The video for the first single, "Compliments" on their Web site. It's a very cool song. Listen to it here: http://www.bandofhorses.com/
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