new CDs
I went to Aquarius Records while I was in the city yesterday. I was surprised at how small it was for a well-renowned record store.
The haul and first impressions:
- the Mountain Goats the Sunset Tree I really like this. I think it’s his best studio album (that is, non-boombox album). I’d heard it before, but bought it because I liked it so much. The songs are good as are the production (thanks, John Vanderslice) and the orchestration.
- Death Cab for Cutie John Byrd EP Limited edition EP sent to special independent record stores like Aquarius and Amoeba. Recorded live. Pretty good from first listen.
- 13 & God s/t This is the collaborative album between the Notwist and Themselves [I told this to someone and they wondered how that worked out and I laughed. It’d be really PoMo if the Notwist had made a collaborative album with themselves.] Good. Not what I expected but I didn’t really know what to expect. More experimental, more hip hoppy (vocals), less rocky/ poppy.
- the Album Leaf Seal Beach EP [reissue] Take a very good EP and reissue it with five bonus tracks. Yeah, it’s good.