immaculate machine

gorging myself on cds at the beige thanks to d. out of 5 new ones from today the clear winner is immaculate machine, the album is called "ones and zeros." male/female vocals, singing reminiscent of new pornographers. (d tells me the female vocal fills in for neko case when she is unavailable to play with NP) The sound of the band is like the New Pornographers in that they make well-crafted songs, guitar-based, tight and melodic. but the feel of the album is more personal/insistent/a bit melodramatic maybe and the arrangements are simpler than NP. It's earnest music. at moments the rhythm or guitar parts (or something in there) reminds me of Mission of Burma. I know that is a strange band to bring up in their context, but not in terms of earnestness and the speed, but this is a much more luscious and filled out pop record - very different. There are a few moments of balladry on this album that i could do without, but that is the way things go, can't be perfect. (Actually, listening to this band again as i type this, this band is steeped in indie bands, from quasi to small factory, to probably a million others i can't think of right now.)


#2 is the Spinto Band - album is "nice and nicely done" - starlight mints + elvis costello + flaming lips (mid-careerish)
Fun, quirky, inventive pop songs. somehow it avoids being completely predictable. you will like if your taste runs to the sugary, goofy but there is a slight dark element here and there that keeps it interesting - mostly in the vocal delivery i am thinking.

#3 outrageous cherry - "our love will change the world" - i would have heralded this record at one time as genius - maybe 8 years ago. are you a fan of the Nuggets boxed sets? elephant 6 + sixties soul with a dash of pop-psych? a fun, sugary album, how can one not like it, really? but i have to wonder what the point is? I'd pick the detroit cobras over this band if i were wanting a retro moment, but i liked this record well enough.

#4 & #5 - mountain goats "the sunset tree" and tangiers "the family myth" - worth listening to, the mountain goats dude does what he does. you can either get in there with his voice and go back in time or not. i must admit i enjoyed the record, the confessional songwriting, the sparseness - although it is not sparse like his old time lo-fi work. The tangiers - the verdict is out, but it has promise. it is hitting a lot of my soft spots but something feels a little flat about this record. sounds like ?? uh retro. dunno.