In House #1722: Robyn Hitchcock's Ole! Tarantula; Lloyd Cole's Anti Depressant

Today we get to music from a couple of old friends as we spotlight new releases from Robyn Hitchcock and Lloyd Cole, each of whom made their marks with memorable 80's material. Hitchcock's latest finds him joined by a band dubbed the Venus 3, made up of R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Bill Rieflin, and the Minus 5's Scott McCaughey, resulting in an album that in places brings to mind Hitchcock's early days with The Soft Boys. "Adventure Rocket Ship," blasts things off, immediately signaling that Ole! Tarantula will be a decidedly different affair than his last outing, Spooked, on which he collaborated with Gillian Welch & David Rawlings. While there's ample Hitchcock rock to be had, he also finds space for harmonica-driven pop ("Ole! Tarantula"), surreal and sprawling storytelling ("Belltown Ramble"), and a rather moving elegy ("N.Y. Doll," inspired by the excellent documentary of the same name about the late New York Dolls bassist Arthur "Killer" Kane). Guests spots include former Soft Boys Morris Windsor and Kimberley Rew, Harvey Danger's Sean Nelson, and The Faces' Ian McLagan, among others. The album marks Hitchcock's second for the yep roc label.


This week also saw the return of singer-songwriter Lloyd Cole with the American release of Anti Depressant. Cole's sixth proper full-length since the disbanding of The Commotions finds him in typically sophisticated and self-deprecating territory. Cole has never been too shy to broadcast his mistakes and shortcomings in song, and there's plenty to go around here. The man who once upon a time moved a generation to find out who these Arthur Lee and Norman Mailer guys were now questions the naivete of those years in "The Young Idealists," before concluding that the bigger crime was the selling off of those ideals for the materialism of the "neo-con economic dream." Frequent Cole collaborator Jill Sobule guest stars, and former Commotion Neil Clark (who'll also be on board for the forthcoming tour) contributes slide guitar.

In House #1722.
Airdate: 10/11/06
Focus: New releases from Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3, Ole! Tarantula, and Lloyd Cole, Anti Depressant. Plus, new music from Nellie McKay, Joseph Arthur, Stephin Merritt, and more.

BONUS MP3s from today's show-
Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3, from Ole! Tarantula: "N.Y. Doll" (MP3)

Lloyd Cole, from Anti Depressant: "Travelling Light" (MP3)

Andrew Bird, from Fingerlings 3: "Dark Matter" (MP3)


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #188