November 1 Releases, 2011

By: Cassie Whitt, Blogs Editor

In this installment of ACRN's Drop It Like It's Hot, blogs editor Cassie will check out some things she's never given a chance in the past.

First on the testing table is Hit The Lights: a band known in my mind as one of the "highlighter generation." One whose fans could be found in neon-splattered clothes scrawled with large, block lettering journeying across Warped Tour parking lots over the past couple years.

Some would argue that my propensity toward black drives me away from such bands, but I argue this: These newer pop-punk bands, for me, offer nothing that is actually new. I can point to examples in the past which they echo, and I just can't get into a re-hashing of the same thing that I liked and perceived as better then.

Perhaps, if I hadn't grown up with bands like The Starting Line and Brand New (circa 2001), I could have a better appreciation for something like Hit The Lights' new EP, Invicta.

Still, it was not an unpleasant listen and I'm glad I gave it a chance. It has everything a good pop-punk EP should have: catchy choruses, a higher-than-usual male vocal, a couple mellow breakdowns and sing-along quality.

I may give Hit The Lights more chances after getting a taste through the Invicta EP.

The second chance I gave this week was to The Decemberists, because I know they hold a special place in editorial director Kevin Rutherford's heart. This week, they release Long Live The King, yet another EP, this one of b-sides from The King Is Dead, which came out earlier this year.

Immediately, I was struck by the title of the first track: "E. Watson." I could only hope it meant beloved Hermione Granger actress and fashionista Emma Watson. My hopes were naïve, I suppose.

The Decemberists reak of PBR, teardrops in dirty beards, slow-motion civil war reenactments and mountainsides: a strangely comforting combination. I get the appeal, but I don't want it for myself. I just wouldn't mind being surrounded by it from time to time when I need a nap.

Chance three of the week goes to Girl in a Coma because they are on Blackheart Records, so I assume they have to be at least a little bad-ass. Exits And All The Rest is a tad on the sleepy side for me, though more up-beat than the aforementioned EP.

The album, with its old-fashioned feeling and smooth alto lady vocals, does nothing remarkable for me. It just kind of makes me want to start a rad, more exciting band of my own here in Athens.

Who's down?

April 26 Album Releases

And now it's time once again to run down the list of albums dropping this week across the world. Get excited!

We'll begin with Dancer Equired!, the new disc from Columbus lo-fi trio Times New Viking. The band has played in Athens numerous times, most recently at 2011's Blackoutfest at The Union. The record's out on Merge Records, the band's first with the label. Merge is cool, right? Well, they've certainly had a good year-or-so. So I'd say TNV is in rather good hands. The new album is said to have a cleaner production style in comparison to past releases. Is this true or false? Get your hands on Dancer Equired! and find out for yourself!

Steve Earle's T-Bone Burnett-produced fourteenth album, I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive, comes out on New West Records. The album, which gets its title from a classic Hank Williams tune, has already been reviewed on ACRN.com by our own Jacob Betzner.

Personally, I can't say I've ever listened to Earle, but two things are leading me to figure that this shall change soon. First of all, the aforementioned review was not only positive, but the album described seemed to contain a flurry of characteristics that generally equal success in my eyes -- notably country and bluegrass. In addition, I saw Earle's son, Justin Townes Earle, open for the Decemberists last Saturday in Columbus, and he was superb. Therefore, I can only imagine that his father is just as great, if not better.

Bowling for Soup release Fishin' for Woos, the band's eleventh record. lol.

The guys and gal of Airborne Toxic Event are hoping to repeat the success of their 2008 self-titled debut with All At Once, released through Island Records. Will Mikel Jossett's story-songs of love and loss resonate again this time around? Lead single "Changing" has already climbed to No. 10 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart, so they're doing something right. Frankly, if they can match the epic-ness of "Sometime Around Midnight," I'll be satisfied.

Post-rock instrumentalists Explosions in the Sky return to the world stage with Take Care, Take Care, Take Care, their first effort since 2007's All of a Sudden, I Miss Everyone. At first, admittedly brief glance, the album might look like an E.P., what with its only containing six tracks. However, don't be fooled -- only one song, "Trembling Hands," dips below seven minutes long. So be prepared for some 45-minute-long instrumental weirdness. I'm sure, as with the band's last record, things will be dazzling.

Also releasing new music this week include British house duo Dirty Vegas, Liverpool's The Wombats, and folk-country royalty Emmylou Harris. It's a good week, so get out there and buy some music this week. Your record stores thank you.

--Kevin Rutherford, Editorial Director

January 18 Album Releases

There’s no better way to start a quarter than with some fantastic new music.

Thankfully, that need is being fulfilled during Week 3 (better late than never), and I’m thinking it’ll be just the accompaniment I need to power me through the papers and quizzes that Week 3 tends to arouse.

Kicking off the Week 3 pick-me-ups are The Decemberists with The King is Dead, and I would just like to say:

YES. YES YES YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE DECEMBERISTS FOR PULLING THIS ALBUM OFF.

My relationship with The Decemberists over the years has been very love/hate in a Jekyll and Hyde sort of way, to say the least, but this album most definitely earns my love, starting with the stellar opener “Don’t Carry It All.” The album displays a more stripped-down side of the band – one which, in my opinion, is overridden by excessively theatrical instrumentation much too often. Instead of going the big-band-anthem route, The Decemberists have produced a more Southern-fried sound: A satisfactory shift.

I tend to think that the hate part of my relationship with the band stems from my innate abhorrence with whiny, high-pitched, nasal-y vocals, which is very characteristic of frontman Colin Meloy. However, I actually enjoy his vocals in the musical framing that The King is Dead provides.



Another highlight of this week is Low Country Blues, the latest solo album (and first in 14 years – ballin’!) by my favorite Allman brother, Gregg. Low Country Blues is a covers album produced by T Bone Burnett, and it’s pretty much exactly what you’d expect from Gregg Allman.

When rock royalty (especially veteran rock royalty) goes blues, it can almost never disappoint. And disappoint Allman surely does not with track-after-track of his take on hits by BB King, Otis Rush and Skip James, to name a few. My personal favorite? “I Can’t Be Satisfied,” Allman’s cover of the Muddy Waters classic. Takes the cake.

The punk kings of Social Distortion release Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes this week as well. And to be honest, I’m underwhelmed.

It’s not a terrible album, but it just doesn’t do anything for me in that blood-pumping, muscle-tensing way that a good punk album should. I struggle to even refer to Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes as a punk album at all. It’s got a sort of West Coast motorcycle rock vibe to it, which, if you know me at all, you know I don’t mind. It’s just not what I expected out of them.

Unfortunately, it seems that Social Distortion’s relatively old age is really starting to affect the music. Hate all you want – all I’m sayin’ is Ted Leo’s still got it. There’s no excuse.

The last release worth mentioning is Teenage and Torture by Shilpa Ray and Her Happy Hookers. To be honest, I haven’t heard the whole album – just “Heaven in Stereo” and “Venus Shaver” – but the snippets I heard absolutely worked up my anticipation to hear the entire thing.

I mention Shilpa Ray because that band holds a little soft spot in my musical heart. They played at Athens’ very own Blackout Fest at The Union in April 2009, and I had the pleasure of watching/dancing (and subsequently fostering a bit of a girl crush on Ms. Ray) with former Managing Editor Jen Kessler. Ah, the good old days.

Being the Cold War Kids and Iron and Wine fan that I am, I’m realizing now that I’d probably be much better versed on the releases that next week is slated to bring. However, this week’s aforementioned releases are certainly deserving of my excitement and therefore have my full attention until next Tuesday.

--Courtney Baldasare, Editorial Director