Album Roundup, 2/18-2/24

Assuming I keep this blog going, I'd like to do a weekly entry as to the music I've purchased each week. It keeps me on my toes, and forces me to listen to everything, and gives you (the presumptive reader/s) a chance to keep up with what's hip. :^) And, again assuming the existence of reader/s, I'd invite you to add your own in the comments. To the day I die, I will always be looking for the next great album that I don't have.

This week's purchases/acquisitions:

Arctic Monkeys - "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not"
Still going to need more listens. I like it, but don't love it. That might change, but first impressions tend to be right -- at least when it comes to music.

The Delgados - "The Great Eastern"
Bought this on iTunes a year or so ago while living in Japan. Much more cost effective to buy online than pay the Japanese import prices. Unfortunately for me, both my computer and iPod decided to crap out at precisely the same time, and I lost it. And while I like to consider myself somewhat tech savvy, I'm also lazy as shit, and spent 5 minutes trying to see if I could re-download the album without paying again. No dice. At least not in those 5 minutes. So I finally just bought the damn thing. At least that's another $1.42 (or thereabouts) in the band's pockets. Yippee.

Eugene Kelly - "Man Alive"
Have not listened to it yet. Think this came out abroad last year. Had no idea it was out here until I saw it at Virgin last weekend. Maybe it's an import, but it wasn't priced as an import. Suppose I should listen to it. I still listen to those Eugenius albums pretty regularly. Though I still don't own a single Vasilines or BMX Bandits disc.. I'm terrible with back catalogues of bands I get into late.

The Glass - "Hibernation"
I believe it was Scenestars, a Memphis-based blog that I discovered this week (they had GNR leak links), has a panel of "recommended" bands on the right-hand portion of their page. I'd like to figure out how to add that here. Anyway, the first band they recommended is Lucero, who may be my current favorite band. Them or the National. The second band was The Glass. Never heard of 'em. Both MP3's were great, so I bought the disc. Like it so far. Great atmospheric alt-countryish disc.

Guns n' Roses - Leaked songs "Better," "The Blues," "IRS," "T.W.A.T."
There are very likely few other people who've followed this week's saga as closely as I. GNR was probably the very first band that I considered to be "mine" -- as in, I worshipped them. Of course, I was 13 when Appetite broke, and that was to be expected. And while a lot of other bands have come and gone in my life since then, I've always had a soft spot for them. Maybe this isn't Guns as we used to know it, but it sure sounds good to me. All 4 songs still need work. I hope these are demos, and I hope that Axl currently has completed versions in the can and ready to drop. I don't feel like waiting any longer for a final album. If nothing else, these songs remind me what GNR used to mean to me, and hopefully what they might mean again. Except that part at the 4 minute or so mark in Better. That's just not necessary.

The Light Footwork - "One State Two State"
They've got two of the best songs I've heard this year. First heard these guys on the best radio station in the world, WOXY, and after the fifteenth time or so, I had to buy the disc. It's great. They get a lot of comparisons to Beulah (I believe the bandmembers played in/with Beulah at one point), but not owning any Beulah discs, I can't really comment. Jesus, for someone with a crapload of cd's (me), I keep amazing myself with how much I don't have.

The National - Bonus songs to "Alligator"
About 3 minutes before emailing my "top 10" list of 2005, I slid "Alligator" from No. 1 to No. 2, and moved Bloc Party into first place. I think I still stick with that decision. These bonus songs -- which I discovered this week can be found on the Beggar's Banquet website as long as you have your UPC handy from the CD case -- make me rethink it a bit though. Primarily alternate/live takes on songs on the album, it reminds you how great this band is. Speaking of back catalogues, this is one of the bands I actually have managed to go back and buy all of their earlier stuff. Now I just need to listen to it.
:^)