Upcoming Northwest Releases in early ‘08
Judging by some of the records being put out in the first quarter, 2008 is going to be a big year for Seattle bands (and their labels). Here are some albums I’m looking forward to…
February 19th – Grand Archives – The Grand Archives (Subpop Records)
The 4-song CDR the band made and was selling at shows created a huge buzz for this band. They were SPIN.com’s band of the day back in May. The band is led by Mat Brooke, who played guitar in Band of Horses for a while and before that fronted the much loved Carissa’s Wierd. Info on the track list and record release show can be found here.
February 26th – Voyager One – Afterhours in the Afterlife (Loveless Records)
Following 2005’s Dissolver, Voyager One are back with their fourth album, Afterhours in the Afterlife. Here is what the magazine The Big Takeover has to say about the album…
“Voyager One really hit their stride with the fuzzed-up and delirious ‘Monster Zero’ then followed it with ‘Dissolver’, one of the best space-rock records – maybe, ever. The brand new, ‘Afterhours….’ is a set that shows VO are more than willing to expand upon their (already-seismic) palette. The overall sound is bigger, incorporating more electronic trickery against the hypnotic, droning guitars of Jeramy Koepping and Peter Marchese. Opener ‘Here’ is the musical equivalent of that vortex that opens ‘Dr. Who’, with Marchese repeating: “you wonn-der…” while alien satellite signals orbit around your brain. The whole album feels like another grand slam from these Seattle ‘aural-nauts’, with my personal faves: ‘I Remember Everything’ (a stunner that almost has a roots vibe going for it) and the complex and emotional closer: ‘Sine Waves’.”
- Jack Rabid, THE BIG TAKEOVER
March 4th – The Gutter Twins – Saturnalia (Subpop Records)
The Gutter Twins are Mark Lanegan (Screaming Trees, Queens of the Stone Age) and Greg Dulli (The Afghan Whigs, The Twilight Singers). No music has been posted on their official site or their myspace page. I imagine it will sound something like the Twilight Singers’ songs Mark Lanegan has appeared on (i.e. “Number Nine” on Blackberry Belle). Here is what the official site has to say…
Saturnalia, however, finds the axis Dulli nicknamed “the Satanic Everly Brothers” going even deeper into the shadows than ever before. Mystical, unpredictable, ultimately masterful, Saturnalia both embodies and defies any expectations suggested by the principals’ individual notoriety. Featuring a caravan of all-star guests giving dimension to its rawly confessional, ambitious themes, The Gutter Twins’ debut ascends to a new, surprising place in both artists’ canon.
(I know Mark Lanegan no longer calls the northwest home, but I still consider him somewhat local)
March 18th – Sera Cahoone – ??? (Subpop Records)
Before going solo Sera Cahoone spent time playing drums in several bands including Carissa’s Wierd, Band of Horses, and Panda & Angel. Her self-titled, self-released album was, in my opinion, one of the best albums of 2006. Sad, beautiful songs that are the perfect soundtrack to dirt roads and wide open spaces. Except for a short post on her myspace page, there isn’t much info on this album
March 2008 – The Heavy Hearts - A Killer of Snakes (Selector Sound)
Go see this band live and you will understand why people are excited about this album. Featuring a dual-bass attack that propels songs forward on jet engines and lyrics that are seething indictments and calls for action, this band rocks hard and fast. Forget what your Chinese zodiac calendar says, 2008 is the year of the mongoose.
Furthur out in ‘08: Death Cab for Cuite will release a new album in May. Several blogs are reporting Hydra Head Records will put out the debut album from Helms Alee. With Friends Like Thesehave spent time in the studio recording a full-length follow-up to last year’s excellent debut EP. Michael Vermillion has also been recording a full-length debut.
Also coming in late Jan,
Helio Sequence “Keep Your Eyes Ahead” (Sub Pop) is due out Jan. 29.
It’s a bit of a deviation from their past releases but formulated with the same synth, drum, and huge guitar the Portland duo is known for. You can give the title track a listen here:
http://www.subpop.com/assets/audio/3969.mp3
I can’t believe I didn’t mention the Helio Sequence album! thanks.
Arriving at some point in time, preferably in temporal possibilities which can be perceived as “closer” to oneself, Wah Wah Exit Wound will be releasing “EARTH IS A CANON OF LOVE” in order to subsume the appetite of affected psych-prognoids.
The Gutter Twins have just posted a song from their upcoming album on their myspace page called “idle hands” http://www.myspace.com/theguttertwins
There are things I like about the song and things I don’t, but I can always listen to Mark Lanegan, even if he were reading from a phone book.
I’ll add a few more bands I’m sweet on:
Fleet Foxes, Ragged Wood
Apparently recorded by His Emminence Phil Ek, this album should be out in the springtime. I don’t think they have a label yet, though. For fans of Crosby, Stills & Nash, My Morning Jacket, AM Gold, and crooning, bucolic songwriting.
Juhu Beach, Untitled, (Metatape Records?)
I like these guys (http://www.nwmusicblog.com/?p=425). They don’t quite have a name for it yet, but they plan on releasing a full-length sometime this spring.
Partman Parthorse, Year of the Jerk (Xeroid?)
Again, not alot of details here, but they’ve got a couple new recordings up on their myspace page, so check ‘em out if’n yer innerested.
Helvetia will be releasing “The Acrobats” in March ‘08. This follows the 2006 album “The Clever North Wind” http://www.myspace.com/helvetzia
Also The Gutter Twins have added another song to their myspace page AND announced tour dates. They’ll be in Seattle on March 4th at the Showbox (Market).
UPDATES: The Voyager One album has been pushed back to March 25th, but they will be releasing a single with b-sides on Feb. 26th.
Sera Cahoone’s album will be titled, “Only as the Day is Long”
The Heavy Hearts album is currently set for a March 18th release.