My Listening Hours: Looking Forward

Loads of stuff coming out in the next few months—including two that came out just a couple days ago—though only a handful have my ears perked up at the moment. Hopefully there'll be a never-heard-before surprise in the coming months. How about you? What's got you excited in the next three months? (And will Midlake and the Radio Dept. ever release their new albums?)

Peter Bjorn and John: Living Thing (March 31)
In 2007 I was way up on Peter Bjorn and John’s Writer’s Block, an album that offered loads more than its single, “Young Folks,” might have you believe. But PB&J’s 2008 output—an instrumental record and Peter Morén’s lackluster solo album—left me cold. I’ve heard two songs off of Living Thing, out this week, and my anticipation has returned to Writer’s Block-level expectations. I hope this is what I’ve been waiting for: great pop with just the right amount of curveballs tossed in for good measure.

• Peter Bjorn and John: Nothing to Worry About

Yeah Yeah Yeahs: It’s Blitz! (March 31)
Speaking of previous output that left me cold: the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s last album, 2006’s Show Your Bones, had a handful of terrific tracks (“Gold Lion” being the best of the bunch) but otherwise fell flat. I put it on a couple weeks ago just to remind myself whether I liked it or not; midway through I was skipping tracks before they got even a minute through. Yet I remain interested in hearing where they go next. I’ve heard talk that It’s Blitz! is more synth-heavy and splits down the middle between rockers and ballads. Honestly I don’t know if that means it might be interesting or a trainwreck. I find the opening track, “Zero,” a little annoying. But I remain curious.

• Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Zero

Tortoise: Beacons of Ancestorship (April 21)
After being an obsessive fan for five or six years—all the albums, all the 7”s, all the 12” remixes—I got off the Tortoise train shortly after Standards came out. Never heard It’s All Around You, nor anything else since around 2002 (if there’s been anything else). Yet for some reason I feel like now might be a good time to check back in.

Wooden Birds: Magnolia (May 12)
Another group I’ve been meaning to check back with is the American Analog Set. They apparently broke up when I wasn’t looking, but primary songwriter Andrew Kenny’s got a new act, the Wooden Birds. "Sugar" begins with an Iron & Wine feel but it eventually takes on that subtle, stubborn repetition that makes Kenny's songs so great.

• Wooden Birds: Sugar

Phoenix: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (May 26)
Another one like Tortoise, I took a break from Phoenix on their last album; just completely missed it. I liked a lot of their first two albums, though they each have their spotty moments. Now for whatever reason I'm re-intrigued. I've heard a couple of tracks from the new album and both tell me Wolfgang's got some potential.

• Phoenix: Lisztomania

Grizzly Bear: Veckatamist (May 26)
Yes, despite still running cold on Yellow House, my nagging feeling that Grizzly Bear are supposed to click with me continues. If they can tone down some of their more dramatique inclinations, I think Grizzly Bear could put out a record that would knock me out. We'll see if this is it.

• Grizzly Bear: Cheerleader

Comments

[Richard]

It's All Around You was very boring. I hadn't liked Standards much, but had been curious nonetheless.... but it's bland, "tasteful licks" fodder...

[scott pgwp]

Funny how this band went from seeming cutting-edge on their first couple records to something that could almost be considered "conservative."

[bdr]

New YYYs: most of the cuts I've heard, I immediately think of Bettie Serveert, which is not a bad thing, though two years ago that's not a band I would have thought I'd use in the same sentence as YYYs.