New Release Tuesday

This Tuesday, Rusty finds that there are a handful of amazing records you should check out this week at your local independent record retailer (what, you really think Wal-Mart will carry the new Panda Bear?)

One album I cannot get enough of so far this year is the sophomore effort from LCD Soundsystem. James Murphy returns this week with an album that outdoes its predecessor by keeping up with the cowbell and exploring new sounds and textural plateaus. My review of Sound of Silver is up at the SiS site. Do check out the amazing Diplo mash-up of Silver's shining moment ("Someone Great") with something great by Mr. Timberlake.
Download: "My Love (Diplo Mix)" [mp3] /// Buy Here


An album I still cannot get in to at all is the new one from Ted Leo & The Pharmacists. There are some great moments on their 4th album, Living With The Living, but there are also too many moments in general. Over the course of an hour, the 15 songs make Living hard to digest, with many different musical styles being tried and tested. It's almost as if there's a lot of filler among an album that could be trimmed down by a few songs and be morphed in to the best thing since Hearts Of Oak. Do track down the limited edition bonus EP, Mo' Living; I'd even go out on a limb and say the track "Old Souls Know" is Mo' interesting than any song on the album it comes packaged with.
Download: "Bomb.Repeat.Bomb.(1954)" [mp3] /// Buy Here

Johnny Marr joins Issac Brock and the rest of Modest Mouse on another one of the more anticipated albums of '07, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. Logically progressing from the 2004 breakthrough, Good News For People Who Love Bad News, Sank is anchored in lots of references to the sea, amidst flourishes of strings ("Dashboard,") and lots of brass ("Spitting Venom.") The best part about this album is that with the addition of Marr they don't try to sound like his former band, but instead just work on perfecting their own sound. Do look out for a cameo by Shins frontman James Mercer on "We've Got Everything" and "Fire It Up."
Download: "Fire It Up" [mp3] /// Buy Here

Finally, this is an album I honest cannot get enough of. I was never really in to Animal Collective, but am in love with Panda Bear (not to be confused with the Panda Band.) Panda Bear is Collective's Noah Lennox and his third album, Person Pitch, can easily be likened to Brian Wilson and his triumphant Smile LP. The album is a sonic haven of bright and beautiful sounds, competing with a lo-fi ethic that doesn't hold back Lennox's attempt at being grand. Check out the video for "Bros," it's definitely a trippy one.
Download: "Take Pills" [mp3] /// Buy Here