Sobota 4 Lut 2006, 4:26

This month's goodie bag from our friends at Rough Trade's The Album Club contained:

• Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. How very predictable that we should see the Arctic Monkeys in this pack. Also very predictable that the Rough Trade notes should swoon over them. Quote: "This is a British rock record with sufficient authenticity and charm to unite the nation". Excuse me while I puke. I haven't listent to the album yet (ripping while I write this), but Rough Trade's spin does it no favours but ensures it has an extra large hurdle to pass to impress me.
  • There is a bonus disc from Domino Records (the publisher of Arctic Monkeys) which may be interesting. It contains:
    1. Settle for a Draw
    2. Circle Square Triangle
    3. It's Getting Light Outside
    4. Paper Mill
    5. She Can Stop Traffic
    6. Dart For My Sweetheart
    7. Peace and Love
    8. Eating Spiders
    9. La Verdá
    

• The Life Pursuit. This is the second one I predicted. Am I getting better, is The Album Club becoming less exciting, or is the entire music industry just so predictable these days? I must admit that I am sceptical about this record from Belle and Sebastian, but other people have said they liked it, so I guess I'll just have to wait and see.
• Tropicalia. OK, I did not predict this one which has Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Cal Costa, and Tom Ze; all from the Tropicalia cultural movement in Brazil in the 1960-ies. The album is timely, as the Barbican in London has the Tropicália - A Revolution in Brazlian Culture festival on from 16 February to 21 May 2006. Read more about The Tropicália movement on the festival web site.
• The Greatest, the seventh album from Chan Marshall a.k.a. Cat Power. Apparently, it is "sparse Southern vocals with pedigree Memphis musicianship inspire rainy-day hope". Whatever. Looking forward to his one.
  
  • The second bonus album feature some older Cat Power tracks:
    1. I Don't Blame You
    2. Satisfaction
    3. Cross Bone Style
    4. Nude As The News
    5. Willie Deadwilder (excerpt).
    

• In The House Of Love, a three disc compilation by Parisian DJ Dimitri. The Album Club recommends in particular the tracks
  Fantasy (the cover of the track by Earth Wind and Fire)
  La Vie En Rose
  The Look of Love
  Found Love
  To Be In Love ("performed with a full orchestra" - whatever.)
  

Cool. There are several I am looking forward to hearing, and several I would not have listened to had I not been an Album Club member. Which is kind of the point of membership for me.