Welcome Back!: Quasi

Even though the last couple of records didn't really do it for me, I'm happy to see Portland's finest duo (errrm, make that trio!) re-emerge with a rockin' new song.

Repulsion is the unhinged rave-up you want from Sam Coombes, full of sass and fire. Sam's back on the guitar thing (oh, how I miss the skronky old Roxichord, though) and he's cranking it up.

There's a definite joyful verve to this punker, especially when the various members fall into the chorus at different times. For some bands, this might seem like a blown take, but for Quasi, it's all (messed-up) good.

The new album is supposedly imminent and live shows will certainly ensue. (But, please tell me that they'll be reprising the Quasi Sings The Who set that they did in Portland. Having seen them play Pictures Of Lily ages ago, I'm ready for a full night of that action!)

From The Future: New MGMT Album in April

A song about Brian Eno, a song about "Lady Dada", and guest vocals from the girl from Royal Trux? Oh, MGMT, you had me at a song about Brian Eno.

See you in April!

The Latest: Help by Thee Oh Sees

Yikes, this might be the worst cover of all time. Fortunately, it doesn't reflect what's inside. (My brain just blinked off to avoid thinking about what music that cover would represent.)

Of course, what is inside isn't exactly beautiful and lovely. Thee Oh Sees are masters of scuzzy garage rock, like a modern down-and-dirty version of some of the best tracks on Nuggets. This is real off-the-walls and on-the-floor rock'n'roll. They are also muy prolifico. While I'm just now digging into (and digging) Help, they've released another album (Dog Poison) to end 2009. But I'm OK playing catch-up if they stay this good.

For starters, I recommend Enemy Destruct and Meat Step Lively (which boasts a rockin' flute solo, of all things.) If you like those, you're on track to dig the whole shebang. You should come up with a substitute cover, though.

(By the way, I highly endorse The Master's Bedroom Is Worth Spending A Night In which leads off with the mighty Block Of Ice. An Album of the Decade!)

The Latest: Donuts by J. Dilla

I don't even know where to begin with Donuts. What is it anyway? Is it a proper album or a bunch of amazing demos? Is it a batch of hip-hop backing tracks awaiting vocals? Or is it the feverish dream of a gifted beatmaster that can build jams out of almost anything else? (Can you guess what camp I'm in?)

For me, hip-hop has always been at its peak when the beats match the creativity of the rhymes. Tell me you don't love the insane soundclashes of It Would Take A Nation Of Millions or the giddy playfulness of 3 Feet High And Rising. You can't... and now I'm telling you that J Dilla is in the same league as The Bomb Squad and Prince Paul for bringing the noise.

Case in point: Workonit. This song is built out of 10cc samples. Samples of a terrible 10cc song - The Worst Band In The World, no less (and as you probably know, I love the 10cc). The end result is a Jam with a capital J.

You can play Donuts as a complete work or enjoy the little snippets individually. I'm not sure if I can explain it, but it makes me think of listening to dusty soul on the front stoop on a hot night, where the music is more than a soundtrack. It weaves in and out of your consciousness, with familiar refrains triggering memories and thoughts. The mix is woozy and wonderful, with looped beats and warped grooves from classic old school stuff. Time: The Donut of the Heart and Glazed are both brief heartbreaker instrumentals constructed from little bitty bites of Jackson 5 and Lou Rawls songs. (And it's killing me that I can't find audio to share with you, they are soooo good!)

Sadly, Dilla was gone before I even found out about the guy, but there's a ton of stuff out there. I've been warned a lot of it isn't anywhere near the quality of Donuts but I'm going to enjoy the trip.

The Latest: Idyll Intangible by Navvy

OK, where did this record come from? I can't honestly recall why I bought it, so it's got to be a Rough Trade or Artrocker recommendation. But thank god I did buy it, because I love it to death.

Navvy reminds me of the days when the original new wavers realized they could move some behinds by building their songs off a good groove and into an indie dance party. That doesn't mean drum machines and sequencers. It means you've got a rhythm section in lock-step, supporting some bouncy tunes. Think early Gang of Four or Au Pairs or Mo-dettes... or for something a bit more recent, think Dig Me Out era Sleater-Kinney or Bis.

Actually, this sounds like the second coming of Bis, now that I think of it. Shouty boy-girl vocals in a call-and-response mode, angular guitars playing off fat bass lines, and sloganeering lyrics... it's just a lot of fun. Plastic Bag is an awesome dance floor jam, in that Alternative Music Brigade kind of way. Sticker might be even better, with its updated Devo/Satisfaction vibe and wonky synth accents. (I'm still trying to nominate this as the official anthem of Schtickers!)

I'd like to thank whoever recommended this puppy to me, but since I can't figure out who that was, all I can do is do the same for you.

The Latest: The Silence Of Love by The Headless Heroes

One of the non-advances of our times is the fact that everyone in a band has to write their own songs. Oh, definitely, some of the greatest songs ever came directly from artist to you, but there are centuries of filler tracks wasting the time of the few to have ever bothered to listen to them.

To put it another, cover songs are good for you.

The Headless Heroes would agree, since they've put together a stellar collection of others' songs, most of them from unexpected or obscure sources. The "band" is an assembly of studio rats with an impressive pedigree, but the center of the record is singer Alela Diane who, thanks to her own accomplishments as a solo artist, was brought on as the "hired gun" voice of the project. And what a voice. Although Diane's own records are filled with a hushed grace, the results are sometimes not completely engaging. When bringing others' work to life, it's a whole different story.

There's no better example of that than on my personal favorite, The North Wind Blew South. A true lost 60's gem by a fellow named Philamore Lincoln (dig that!), it's a testament to both singer and song on how this track comes alive. The mood goes darker with another little-known song, To You, originally by I Am Kloot. Here, Diane's voice drifts through a sonic haze, bringing chills to your spine in the process. Although everyone seems to cover Daniel Johnston these days, the Heroes' version of True Love Will Find You In The End is a sad, beautiful keeper.

Maybe it's because the most obscure tracks were the most interesting but I was less enthusiastic about the more obvious Jesus and Mary Chain and Nick Cave covers. But hey, they are pretty cool, nonetheless, as are Alela Diane's two solo records. If you like this album, check out her own stuff.

The Latest: Shame Spiral by Tacocat

The world needs more Tacocats. I'm serious, because they aren't. Be in a band because it's fun. Make noise. Write songs that will embarrass you minutes after you write them. Be cute. Be loud.

Shame Spiral is 100% exuberance and punk charm. Songs about Muffin Tops and Bike Parties are a blast and well, UTI is not as gross as it could be. Tacocat draws on a long lineage of punk goodness like Buzzcocks and The Undertones, and Riotgrrls like Bratmobile and Huggy Bear without getting bogged down with a certain sound or scene. They are a band and they like to rock. That's plenty fine as an ethos.

And seriously, Leotard might be the greatest two minutes about making out (and only making out) ever. Take that, Genie In A Bottle and Let's Wait Awhile. La-la-la-la-la-Leotard!

The Big Music

Out of sheer laziness, I let iTunes run through my "Big" albums and realized what an amazing run I had going. May I suggest that you try thinking big today?

• The Big Shot Chronicles - Game Theory: One of my all-time favorites. Jangly, eggheaded power pop, touched by the hands of Mitch Easter. Here Comes Tomorrow remains a giddy, wordy launching point.
• Big Plans For Everybody - Let's Active: Speaking of Mitch, this record (along with the former) were playing non-stop in my room in 1986 (and beyond). Big Shot has aged better than Big Plans, but I still love it. And, in lieu of an album version, check out Let's Active on the Old Grey Whistle Test in England.
• Big Science - Laurie Anderson: This record is almost 30 years old (yikes!) but it still sounds like it comes from the future. Forget about the latter years (and the Lou Reed thing, bleah) and Let X-=X.
• The Big Sell Out - Bongwater. Originally purchased for the wrong reasons (largely because Ann Magnuson was hot), the swan song for what might be the world's only post-psychedelic band is still weird. (And apparently, un-Blip-able.)
• Big Night Music - Shriekback. Another perplexing record by an incredibly strange pop group. This album has got too much digital polish on the whole, but it's enjoyably odd in small doses, like this mutated Andrews Sisters-esque tune.

The Latest: Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age

I've always been a massive fan of Broadcast, who have created a distinctinve, otherworldly pop sound of drone tones, girl-group 45s, and French new wave cinema mystere for over 10 years. (After all, they clocked in with my Song of the Decade!) And although they've mined a similar vein in their last few releases, it's always been a worthwhile listen because their sound is so distinctive.

But apparently, the band grew restless. They disappeared after releasing a retrospective compilation (which suggested their possible demise.) However, when they finally came back, they came back with a doozy... the gobsmackingly titled Broadcast and the Focus Group Investigate Witch Cults of the Radio Age.

Even after a dozen plays, it's hard to describe this record definitively. Although it retains most of the hallmarks of the Broadcast sound, it recasts them into a larger audio landscape. Most of the tracks are fragments of sound collage, with very little in the way of traditional songs. It is ambient in the true sense of the word, with found sounds falling into the overall mix (which brings a real human presence to Witch Cults.) The record is so atmospheric that one almost suspects a subtle narrative or a soundtrack to some unseen film. The density of sound is engaging and often enthralling, with something new emerging at each listen.

Made with the (apparently extensive) input of musician/designer Julian House (a.k.a. The Focus Group), Witch Cults isn't considered a true Broadcast record, but it definitely fits within their canon. It also stands alone as a distinctive audio document on its own. My only knock on it is the lack of tracks featuring the lovely tones of Trish Keenan, but songs like The Be Colony are boosted by her presence.

Recommended if you love the 4AD aesthetic of the mid-80's or Eno at his wiggiest - or if you want something a little more challenging without being too abrasive.