In light of the fact I've owed you all a new post for months, here's a grab-bag of wonder:

Joan As Police Woman - To Survive

Where to begin telling this woman's story? Joan Wasser's not only an amazing singer-songwriter, wielding the light-yet-strong vocals of Feist (only richer, fuller, more mature) and the multi-instrumentalism so hot right now - she's also plugged directly into the heart of the whole sheebang. Who doesn't love and adore her? She started playing piano and violin as a kid, playing a stint with the Boston Symphony Orchestra before turning to rock with the Dambuilders, where she started learning more guitar and keys, a sound you can definitely hear on this newest, To Survive. I love the violin solo ending on "To Be Lonely" and the swinging-singing on "To Be Loved". After the band broke up & the death of her boyfriend, Jeff Buckley, she went on to play with members of his band as Black Beetle, playing in/with Antony & the Johnsons on their hit record I Am a Bird Now, and tour as a Rufus Wainwright's new bandmate.

No wonder this album is superb from start to finish.

For fans of: Let it Die-era Feist, Billy Holiday.

Adem - Takes

I can't get enough of this guy, side projects and all (see him live, playing foot bells). His solo work is nothing like his band work, playing bass in one of the sweetest (read: sickest) post-rock instrumental bands of all time, Fridge (together with more glorious post-rock/electronica Four Tet aka Kieran Hebden). As himself, he's folky. I didn't (and still don't) think anything can top his first album, Homesongs. That collection of jangly, acoustic folk-pop tunes remains a staple in my listening rotation. But his next album, Love and Other Planets introduced more vocals, more bells, more instruments, something he carries on for this latest, Takes (vibraphone? dulcimer? autoharp? check). Is this a new album? No. It's an indie-rock kid's fantasy. Covering: PJ Harvey, Pinback, Aphex Twin, Yo La Tengo, Smashing Pumpkins, Bjork, The Breeders. Finally, a covers record of songs I know!

Best part? You won't recognize the songs until you recognize the lyrics. And it'll take you back to a time in your listening life when things were more innocent, when you weren't disgruntled by all the crap pop bands your hipper-than-thou friends are blogging about this week, when you actually listened to albums from start to finish, then hit repeat.

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Lie Down in the Light

I'll start right out saying it: Will Oldham is my hero. Bonafide - and I realize you only get one. This man is so awesome it hurts. What other dude could record under 6 different names? Or star in a Kanye West video? He makes music that just soothes me, literally has me smelling the woods, craving wet leaves. But he's a complete goofball. He's known for his DIY style, both in his music and on-screen in Junebug, the fantastic road-film Old Joy, and vivid vignette-washed weirdness of The Guatemalan Handshake. I even saw him once at a David Pajo (Slint, Zwan, Papa M, Dead Child) concert in Baltimore, rocking out in a dirty tshirt and flip-flops. He just oozes a kind of vapidness in his music that's in such opposition to his own personality. I love it. And this new record! I've been a little let down by some of his efforts in the past, generally favoring three-fourths of an album over a few songs (although the lyrics to "Rich Wife Full of Happiness" from Ease Down the Road make me laugh and nearly everything on Master and Everyone is priceless; The Letting Go has it's great moments, and Superwolf with Matt Sweeney's talent make it my favorite record; the critics will tell you I See a Darkness is one of the best albums made in the last ten years). But Lie Down in the Light is solid Bonnie P, slow country-folk, gospel-touched tunes - "I'll Be Glad" and the title track being my two favorites. It's massive Americana for kids who don't listen to Americana.

Keeping in DIY style, Oldham didn't give us much warning on this one, so take this as a lesson: don't buy the buzz. Trust your ears. And watch his movies.

For fans of: Iron & Wine (Sam Beam's a huge fan himself), Two Gallants, Bill Callahan (Smog).

Back in my college radio days, I discovered indie rock. Before then & in high school, I listened exclusively to punk music, and I generally scoffed at anything off-genre. Forced to play 80% of my radio show from the station's general rotation (which was updated weekly and held anything from gospel to hiphop to noise metal), I discovered tons of great music, which goes to show niche programming isn't going to encourage diversity. Had I lived then in the world we do now, I might have only read punk blogs, heard punk Internet radio stations, chatted on punk forums, kept dying my hair red or pink or blue; I would have discovered new music, but all within the small scope of what I already liked. As it was, most of my friends had similar musical tastes. It took several listens, albeit begrudgingly at first, to introduce me to nearly all my mainstay staples (aka The Big 5). I quickly went on to profess a love of The Explosion, Denali, Iron & Wine, The Black Heart Procession, Pedro the Lion, Pretty Girls Make Graves, Fugazi, Lightning Bolt, half the rosters of indie labels Saddle Creek and Polyvinyl, and one talented group from Seattle: Death Cab for Cutie.

Yeah, I know. If you're like me, Plans left a bad taste in your mouth. It's not that I don't like the album; I bought it the day it hit stores. It's not that it's on a major label; I don't assume more money and better production will lead to a bad record. It's not even that it's so full of sugary-sweet pop sentiment I sometimes want to follow up each listen with a good, cleansing dose of pure grindcore ala Discordance Axis. Nor, like the cries of so many hipsters and critics (often one and the same people), did I think it was a surprising direction for the band - it just wasn't the sound I liked. Their originality, that Death Cab sound, that blend of tight bass/heavy drums/fuzzy guitar/lo-fi production they did so well. It was instead piano & pop, love songs full of hope. What made their former bleak greyness in a Seattle summer disappear? What about those no longer cynical lyrics? It was barely human, a Chris Walla production masterpiece, but it also had sleek mass appeal. And Death Cab got the fame they deserved. They earned it, after all.

This year, the stage is set for new chances and a new album, Narrow Stairs (Atlantic, 05.13.08). If you've been paying any attention, you already know what the critics think of it. And old fans like me? It's damn good. It's got teeth, edges. It's got songs to remind you of nearly all their best: We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes (Big Sur tribute "Bixby Canyon Bridge", softly-spacey but hard-hearted "The Ice is Getting Thinner"), Photo Album (great bass and rhythm on "Cath...", echoing the pulse of "We Laugh Indoors"), Transatlanticism ("Talking Bird" pairs the same sagging slowness of that 2003 album with Plans' "Your Heart is an Empty Room"), and plenty of new originals to remind you why you thought this band great in the first place ("You Can Do Better Than Me" is a waltzy gem; "Grapevine Fires" vividly paints a nightmare in lyrics). Moreover, this is a band staring down fandom and daring to make mistakes. It's indie rock, and it gets better with each listen.

Speaking of good getting better, Portishead's back after nearly a decade with their third full-length, thusly titled Third. It's a wounded sparrow in the palm of your hand - Beth Gibbons' tense and trembling vocals paired with some seriously wicked sonic dissonance and more than one drum machine. My coworker Jimmy Lavelle did us all a favor bringing in his copy of the album; we play it nonstop! My heart skipped a beat when I read of its release back in January. Well worth the wait.

And since you've been so kind as to read this far, here's a treat from my newest favorite band, Canandian folk-rockers Plants & Animals (that's my favorite track, likable to the extreme; also check out "Faerie Dance"). Not surprisingly, they're on Secret City Records, the fabulous label-home of two other Amafavs: Miracle Fortress & Patrick Watson. The Canada Music Fund strikes again! What does it say about us when we subsidize corn but not art?

Thanks and image copyright to Andy Reitz: http://redefine.dyndns.org/~andyr/blog/

(author's note: this post goes best with a fresh cup of coffee. french press.*)

Sometimes the best things in life are also the simplest. As a lover of music with more than one obsession, I used to dread the question: So what's your favorite band? My response was usually to look away and shuffle my feet, ostensibly avoiding answering the question by asking a few of my own: what genre, what year, could you be more specific? Being also a NAVY brat, I had learned early that sometimes even basic questions could end up with a long backstory of an answer.

Are things different now? Yes and no. I've got the band, but I'm still stuck with the backstory....

(cue soft intro music here)

Ah yes, it was the spring of 2005. I was about to graduate (finally) from college and head off for a year abroad. I'd been working at the college radio station for years, but it wasn't until I had less than 6 months in the country that I decided to take an active part in what was in the station's general rotation. The long and short of that job: countless hours virtually unpaid, lots of free music. Which isn't as great as it sounds - any music reviewer knows, there are very few good bands and a slew of terrible ones. I could wallpaper every inch of my room with the amount of crap I've had to listen to over the years. I became pretty great at giving a record a 5 minute spin, playing various parts of a CD out of order, to determine immediately whether it was worth a second listen, if at all. My system would have been disastrous if I hadn't been right every single time. Call it a gift. A lot of good music landed in my lap that way, including the North Carolina band (now all but defunct) Ticonderoga. God are they amazing; they give me chills every time I play their first record. Phil Moore went on to start a delightful band with his girlfriend + comrades, The Bowerbirds.

Promoters. Not always my favorite group of people, sometimes attempting to make up for talent with enthusiasm. I would never want their jobs, so I envy their determination. But they'll send you promos in a heartbeat. This is generally where most of the crap comes from.

Yet one day, while eating a hurried lunch and contemplating the idea of dumping all that day's promos in the trash without hearing a single note, I paused. The cover was eye-catching, cute little fleur-de-lis and an interesting color combination. A bit twee, perhaps. The one-sheet didn't have much to say about the band other than they were from Springfield, MO (where??) and played great, lo-fi indie-pop. Thank you, Captain Vague. But the recommended bands on the cover sticker grabbed my attention: the Sea & Cake, Elliott Smith. Really? I put it on, and the rest, as they say, was history. I was obsessed, and everyone I knew had to hear this record.

(interlude fade in and out)

I played that record all summer. It was perfect for long day drives through the foothills, my feet sticking out the window (I refuse to drive). I got it in my head to own everything this band had for sale, so I looked them up on the internet. Sure enough, there was a sweet little self-released EP to be had. I wrote the band & they responded immediately. I think the first copy might have even gotten lost in the mail and they had to send twice. I might have also been living in Germany at the time. It was a hazy time of infatuation.

The band? Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin.

I know, the name is enough to make you take notice. Well, actually, I used to feel pretty silly spitting the whole thing out; it just didn't roll off your tongue like Ida or Fugazi. But I liked it, and you could shorten it to SSLYBY, which made for fantastic tshirts and fun pronunciations. Like finger tapping each syllable. And they were the nicest guys I'd met in the profession in a long time. I know people say the internet is democratizing and all, but I think they still miscalculate how a little bit of stardom can turn an otherwise sweet, heartfelt singer-songwriter into an obnoxious performer.

Since then, SSLYBY has gone on to: start and end a fantastic tape club, be endorsed by Death Cab's Chris Walla, get signed by a great independent label, tour all over the country, play a show in Russia, and generally increase their level of awesomeness five-fold. And for rabid fans like me, there's finally another record, Pershing. Much more punchy pop than their previous; all the same boy-girl hang-ups. Catchy as hell on every track. I've already got a few new fans singing along, same as the old days.

I recently read a memoir of a public librarian (Quiet, Please by Scott Douglas; it's pretty nerd in a grand way) & started rethinking of all the reasons I got into books and music. Free access to all the newest probably tops the list, but it's also about finding that one great song, one great band that really gets you moving, then sharing it with someone. "You mean you haven't heard of Band X? You haven't lived." And it's true. We all want to hear our next favorite band of all time. So come out to Dupont Circle on Record Store Day, April 19 & we'll give you free stuff, live music, and a lot of sharing. Come anytime, but you don't want to miss local greats These United States are playing at 6pm. Let's swap stories.

*UPDATE: we have so much free stuff - CD and LP samplers, buttons, comics, magazines, posters, stickers, even Bjork 3D glasses - I can barely move around in our stockroom. This is going to be so good...

I still get excited about Tuesdays, i.e. New Release Day*. I'm the one filling day planners with expected releases instead of real appointments (not to mention my overbooked show calendar!). Am I a nerd? Debatable. Snob? Yes.**

Has anyone else noticed all the Swedish metal/heavy rock these days? Every time I peruse a release catalog, it's Sverige! all over the charts. It's interesting to note Sweden exports a lot of either heavy drone ala Candlemass or sweet, fist-pumping pop ala Peter Bjorn & John. Speaking of, Peter Moren is working it solo on his debut, The Last Tycoon out April 8 on Touch & Go/Quarterstick Records***. No whistling, but lots of my favorite acoustic styling (egged on by my own inability to play even a recorder).

And I think we're on to something here: frontmen saying sayonara (or senare, if you tala the svensk) to their bands & rocking it solo. It didn't seem to work so well for Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla, but Colin Meloy's been embarking on his own vivid storytelling since pre-Tarkio days. The Decemberists' lead singer/guitarist did a solo round in 2006, following in the wake of the band's newest, The Crane Wife. Recordings of cover songs as EPs made their circulation on-tour & Meloy was finally persuaded to record himself. Colin Meloy Sings Live! will be in stores April 8 (notice a pattern yet?). Nearly all the songs are old Decemberists/Tarkio staples, but for you completists - like me - there are two new tunes to enjoy plus some sweet show banter.

Speaking of Missoula, MT (try to keep up here), I recently visited my sister in Big Sky Country. It was breathtaking, warmer than expected, and full of long, boring days. I loved it. My 4-month-old niece enjoyed dancing to Jana Hunter's "Babies" and taught me a thing or two about short naps. Home of the University of Montana, Missoula is quite easily the best city the state has to offer at that Ace Frehley. I didn't see too many people decked out in full face paint, but needless to say Juno's soundtrack was a little more rocking than intended (no offense, Kimya. I still love it when you sing Edwin McCain).

Stay tuned for next week when all I rant about is SSLYBY. They've finally got a second album out & boy howdy, is it grand.



* Let's share gcals.

** Olsson's Dupont featured on DCist! I take no responsibility for how snobby I sound, really.

*** I almost fell out of my chair to learn Three Mile Pilot AND Black Heart Procession will have new albums out this year. 3MP is probably my favorite band of the late '90s/early '00s, mixing all the best of Zach Smith and Tom Zinser (Pinback) with Pall Jenkins and Tobias Nathaniel (Black Heart Procession). They broke up in '98 !!. That's decades to some of you folks, which is really sad, seeing as how those were the best days of indie rock as we know it. If you're lucky enough to have their old records, I salute you. Let's hope Touch & Go rereleases their back catalog...

I'm just going to say it right off - LPs are better than CDs. I won't ever own an iPod. Many musicians make more money off their wearable merchandise than their music. I won't pay to see a band perform in a stadium.

With me so far? Good. Introductions are pesky things, better to get them out straightaway. Now let's start stumblin'!

There's a lot to be excited about this week. The catch: you might have to wait. You might even have to go to their shows to get your hands on their music. The reward: sonic gloriousness.

John Darnielle /The Mountain Goats have picked up the pace on their latest, Heretic Pride, bringing in some new voices (namely Annie Clark of St. Vincent) & fingers (namely former sometimes-band-members Peter Hughes & Franklin Bruno). It's refreshingly upbeat & full of fancy instrumentations, nudging me in the direction of spring. Pick it up! FFO: older Mountain Goats, Tallahassee-era.

Speaking of spring, I just started planting this week. I know it's a little early, but I'm getting ansy for warmer weather. Bike rides that don't leave me shivering for hours. And best of all - more shows! DC's music scene keeps getting better, with more small venues to catch local acts, though Black Cat's backstage remains my favorite. Small digs & unless you're running late, you're not in danger of having a show sell out on you.

So, in conclusion, here are some local acts I'm most anticipatin':

These United States - A Picture of the Three of Us at the Gate to the Garden of Eden (United Interests)

A long name, sure, but I happen to know firsthand this album has been years in the making. I caught songwriter/guitarist Jesse Elliot at a show last year in support of another great DC artist, Mark Heidinger of Vandaveer, and his enthusiasm for the band, record, and touring were all but spilling out of him. My go-to music site, Daytrotter, heralds the album as the "one of the best records all year." I'd say it's a slightly-dirty, slightly-sweet Devandra-Banhart-and-M.-Ward lovechild. Just check out that tour schedule if you've got any doubts.

The LK - VS the Snow (The Kora Records)

Full name: The Love of Kevin, Colour, Chaos, and the Sound of K,
formally The Love Kevins (aren't you glad they shortened it?). From Sweden. Infectious in every sense of the word. Musique-concrete. They call themselves a "borderline pop duo from some of the more violent parts of Scandinavia." Vs the Snow was released & recorded in Sweden awhile back, but early March marks their US debut on DC label The Kora Records. Lucky you, because the Swedish release has since sold out & there aren't plans for more. They've also planned a slew of DC dates including a romp at the House of Sweden (03.08) and a free Millenium Stage show at the Kennedy Center (03.09). My friend Alex has been awaiting this release for over 6 months! "Blakboy VS the Snow" is hotter than (dare I say it) Peter Bjorn & John's "Young Folks" & sure to get you dancing, wherever, whenever.

Honorable mentions?

Baltimore's Beach House - Devotion. Out Feb. 26. Sweetly soft & breathey. A haunted house, no where near the beach.

Virginia native Thao Nguyen - We Brave Bee Stings and All. If her story isn't interesting enough for a Haruki Murakami novel, her voice will inspire you plenty. This is music to make you happy & probably air-drum a lot. I like to shake my shoulders.

And remember: if you see me at a show, say hello. Sonic solidarity!