In House #1876: New Bloodshot Records Tribute to Larry Brown

More via Bloodshot.



In House #1876.
Airdate: 5/23/07
Focus: New Bloodshot Records tribute compilation, Just One More: A Musical Tribute to Larry Brown, A Great American Author, featuring cuts from Greg Brown, Alejandro Escovedo, Robert Earl Keen, Vic Chesnutt, and more. Plus, new music from Ryan Adams, The Avett Brothers, Robbie Fulks, Mark Olson, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
From Just One More: A Musical Tribute to Larry Brown:

Cary Hudson: "Song In C" (MP3)

Ben Weaver: "Here's to My Disgrace" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #314

In House #1875: The National's Boxer; New Adult Swim Compilation

A couple of years ago, The National released what would prove to be a truly slow burn of an album with their third effort, entitled Alligator. Although it hit stores early in 2005, it received little more than a casual reception. By the time the end of the year lists were upon us, however, Alligator had worked its way into more than a handful of top fives. Others still wouldn't discover its brilliance until well into 2006. No chance of a similar scenario unfolding this time around, as The National's Boxer has been at the top of the "much anticipated" list for many for the last couple of months. A bit moodier and more reserved than its predecessor, the album is marked in its brooding dignity, as Matt Berninger's words and vocals once again cast a dark musical hue. Songs like "Fake Empire," "Mistaken For Strangers," and "Start a War," are moving even before one deciphers the cryptic lyrical snippets which comprise them, and the deliberate intensity is perhaps best coupled with the liquor of your choice. Measured, intelligent, and occasionally caustic, Boxer is music that requires listening. The rewards will follow. The National embarks on a North American tour beginning next week in New York.

The National

In House #1875.
Airdate: 5/22/07
Focus: New release from The National, Boxer, plus selections from a new compilation from Adult Swim, featuring music from Broken Social Scene, The Raveonettes, TV On the Radio, Sound Team, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
The National, from Boxer:

"Fake Empire" (MP3)

"Slow Show" (MP3)

Selections from Warm & Scratchy, presented by [adult swim]-

The Raveonettes: "Dead Sound" (MP3)

The Brother Kite: "Half Century" (MP3)

TV On the Radio: "Me-I" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #313

In House #1874: The Meat Puppets Play Salt Lake City Tonight

Just ahead of their first studio release in seven years, The Meat Puppets play Salt Lake City's Urban Lounge tonight. The rather legendary trio, including the brothers Kirkwood, Curt and Cris, return in July with Rise to Your Knees, perhaps an apt description following a 25+ year career that has seen the band hit plenty of low points. Cris Kirkwood, in particular, has weathered his share of stormy events, including a well-publicized heroin addiction and the overdose death of his wife, and a bizarre run-in with a post office security guard that left him shot in the back and in prison. Following his release last year, the Kirkwood brothers announced plans for a regrouping of sorts and began work on the new album, their eleventh. The album finds them settling back in to the comfortable sound of much of their more polished, post-SST work, with songs like "On the Rise," and "Enemy Love Song," playing to the pop side of things before the psychedelic guitar noodling of "Disappear." Rise to Your Knees drops July 17th to be exact on the Anodyne label.

The Meat Puppets

In House #1874.
Airdate: 5/21/07
Focus: New music from The Meat Puppets, playing Salt Lake City tonight. Plus, new music from The Shaky Hands, Backyard Tire Fire, The Mendoza Line, and more.

BONUS MP3-
The Meat Puppets, from Rise to Your Knees:

"Rise to Your Knees" (MP3)

Two Gallants, from The Scenery of Farewell (due 6/19):

"Seems Like Home" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #312

In House #1872: Page France's ...and the Family Telephone


Page France

In House #1872.
Airdate: 5/17/07
Focus: Recent release from Page France, ...and the Family Telephone, plus new music from Benni Hemm Hemm, Vandaveer, Sea Wolf, and more.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #311

In House #1871: Black Rebel Motorcycle Club Plays Salt Lake City

A couple of years back, L.A.'s Black Rebel Motorcycle Club surprised everyone with the soulful and largely acoustic musical about-face that was Howl. Immersing their music in country, blues, and even gospel flavors, BRMC essentially recreated their sound, transforming themselves from a frantically-paced, multi guitar layered, Jesus & Mary Chain-compared rock & roll act to an old world, gospel-tinged trio with a bit more on their minds. Plenty of harmonica, slide guitar, and good old fashioned soul-searching propelled Howl to one of the best-sounding releases of the year. Two years later, and the band is back to their rock & roll ways, albeit tempered with a few of the new-found elements employed with such success for Howl. Baby 81 finds the guitars plugged back in but doesn't necessarily rock with wild abandon. Instead, bluesy moments like album opener "Took Out a Loan," come across like a louder, less classic blues driven version of The Black Keys, while other moments suggest the influence of past acts like The Stooges and The Rolling Stones. Despite all of the volume, which is generally (much) higher this go around, there are moments of comparatively delicate texture to be found within: Robert Turner's piano turn that drives the rather epic "Window," for example. For the most part though, it's a loud and loose return to form, which is fine, except that Howl suggests that their real strengths lie elsewhere. BRMC plays In the Venue in Salt Lake City tonight.

BRMC

In House #1871.
Airdate: 5/16/07
Focus: New release, Baby 81, from the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, also playing Salt Lake City tonight. Plus, new music from Spoon, Electrelane, The Ponys, The Arcade Fire, and more.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #310


Coming soon: Our Filter Tourzine report from tonight's BRMC show

In House #1869: Wilco's Sky Blue Sky; New Track a Tiger

Once upon a time, with efforts like A.M. and Being There under their belts, Wilco was considered at the forefront of the alt-country movement. That began to change a bit with 1999's Summerteeth, with nods to the lushly orchestrated pop of Brian Wilson in the mix, before the band excused themselves almost entirely from the genre on their two 21st-century releases, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born. It's ironic then that the tweak to Wilco's formula this time around, the flavor switch that differentiates their new Sky Blue Sky from their previously recent work, is at the very least a nod to the rootsy beginnings they strove so hard to get away from. The band's sixth studio album (or eighth is you count the Mermaid Ave. volumes they released with Billy Bragg) is a creation culled largely from the influence of folk-leaning material from the 1970's, The Band to The Dead to Neil Young. Which is not to say there aren't some gloriously experimental moments here: "Walken," "Impossible Germany," and "Hate It Here," all have their moments of enjoyable difficulty, though it's generally tempered with warmer tones than you'll find on most of A Ghost Is Born. Whether one takes this as a creative step backward, or more of a coming full circle, the results are once again consistently great, unpretentious pop. In short, more distinctly American music from this most American of bands, which, in the context of this discussion at least, is the ultimate compliment.

Wilco

In House #1869.
Airdate: 5/14/07
Focus: New release from Wilco, Sky Blue Sky, out tomorrow, plus new music from Track a Tiger, Ian Hunter, Nick Lowe, The Mother Hips, and more.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #309

In House #1867: Elliott Smith's New Moon; New Jason Collett, Page France

It's been over three years since the mysterious and untimely death of Elliott Smith, and almost four years since his last public performance at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. It's easy to romanticize and martyr Smith-- the delicacy of his music and often dark intimacy of his words lend themselves to an Earthly afterlife reserved for the likes of Cobain and Drake, Morrison and Joplin. That's unfortunate because it's a largely contrived and easy myth that begins to inaccurately define Smith and his work, much like it does these artists before him. What tends to be lost in all of this storytelling about the musician, ironically, is the music itself.

Out this week on the label that released some of Smith's most revered work (kill rock stars), New Moon features two discs and twenty-four tracks worth of material culled from outtakes, demos, and home recordings made during his most consistently brilliant period, 1994-1997. These were years spent in Portland near the end of his involvement with Heatmiser that saw him creating the DNA for what would later become his first two releases, Elliott Smith and either/or, each held in high regard but particularly so for fans of Smith's less polished, less produced material. There are early versions of songs here that would become well-known later on, including unadorned takes on "Miss Misery," and "Pretty Mary K," as well as some diamonds in the rough (ocasionally, very rough) like "High Times," "Whatever (Folk Song in C)," and the Americana-leaning "Georgia Georgia." Also included is a stunning version of Big Star's "Thirteen," previously made available on the soundtrack to the film Thumbsucker. New Moon is a welcome reminder, however bittersweet, of the rare and affecting quality of Smith's work, and another testament to the argument that he was the greatest songwriter of his generation. In as much as that matters.
Elliott Smith

In House #1867.
Airdate: 5/10/07
Focus: New posthumous two-disc collection from Elliott Smith, New Moon, plus a new EP from Jason Collett and new music from Page France, Shannon Wright, and more.



PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #308

In House #1866: The Avett Brothers' Emotionalism


The Avett Brothers

In House #1866.
Airdate: 5/9/07
Focus: Upcoming release from the Avett Brothers, Emotionalism, plus new music from Ray's Vast Basement, Bright Eyes, Bill Callahan, and more.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #307

In House #1865: The Clientele's God Save the Clientele; Morrissey in Salt Lake City





In House #1865.
Airdate: 5/8/07
Focus: New release out today from The Clientele, God Save the Clientele, plus Morrissey in Salt Lake City tonight and new music from Travis, Ladybug Transistor, and more.



PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #306

In House #1864: Dinosaur Jr.'s Beyond; New Comas

It's apparently the going thing right now, this whole "gettin' the band back together" bit. From The Police to the (Smashing) Pumpkins, James to the Jesus & Mary Chain, the old are new again, and only a small percentage of reunionees seem to be doing it for reasons other than the fact that their core audience is more upwardly mobile now than they were back in the heyday. Of course, it's one thing to tour and play the summer festivals with a catalog of old favorites and entirely another to actually record new material, the sheer act of which drives ridiculously meteoric expectations destined for a fiery crash in the used bin. This is what makes Dinosaur Jr.'s Beyond such a remarkable achievement. It's a recording reunion roughly nineteen years in the making, but somehow makes good on the promise of the band's original line-up (J. Mascis, Lou Barlow, and "Murph"). And then some. In fact, one who didn't know any better would be hard-pressed to claim that songs like "Crumble," and "Been There All the Time," aren't vintage Dinosaur Jr. recordings as they feature Mascis' trademark world-weary delivery amongst an amalgam of gloriously fuzzed-out pop. Undoubtedly, the trio-- in particular the traditionally warring Mascis and Barlow-- have benefited both from touring since originally reforming a couple of years ago, and world views that are undoubtedly more nuanced and relaxed than they were in 1989. Beyond dropped last week on the Fat Possum label, while the band begins an extensive North American tour later this week beginning on the west coast.

Dinosaur Jr.

In House #1864.
Airdate: 5/7/07
Focus: New release from Dinosaur Jr., Beyond, plus new music from The Comas, Menomena, Modest Mouse, Buffalo Tom, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Dinosaur Jr., from Beyond:

"Almost Ready" (MP3)

"We're Not Alone" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #305

In House #1862: An Interview with The Broken West's Ross Flournoy

Easily one of the most talked about debut releases of the year, The Broken West's I Can't Go On, I'll Go On came out on Merge in February to much praise. The L.A.-borne band's first full-length mixes the indie sound of peers like The Shins with influences straight from your parents' vinyl stash-- if you had cool parents (think Big Star, The Byrds, and Gram Parsons). The band has spent the better part of the year thus far on the road, including a super-pop trifecta bill with Stars of Track & Field and The Long Winters. We caught up with Broken West frontman Ross Flournoy following a performance last month at Salt Lake City's Kilby Court to discuss their expectations prior to the debut's release, their comparatively aged fanbase, and summer touring plans (including slots opening for the Fountains of Wayne and The National).

The Broken West last month in Salt Lake City

In House #1862.
Airdate: 5/3/07
Focus: An interview with Broken West frontman Ross Flournoy, plus new music from Bishop Allen, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, Sea Wolf, and more.

An Interview with The Broken West's Ross Flournoy (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #304

In House #1861: Robbie Fulks' Revenge!; New Dale Watson


Robbie Fulks

In House #1861.
Airdate: 5/2/07
Focus: New double-album from Robbie Fulks, Revenge!, plus new music from Dale Watson, Porter Hall Tennessee, Jon Rauhouse, and more.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #303

In House #1860: Portland's Bridging the Distance Covers Compilation



In House #1860.
Airdate: 5/1/07
Focus: 100% covers edition, featuring music from the new Bridging the Distance: A Portland Covers Compilation with selections from The Decemberists, Viva Voce, The Minders, Britt Daniel, and more. Plus, new covers from R.E.M., Golden Smog, and The Magic Numbers.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #302

In House #1859: The Detroit Cobras' Tied & True

The first thing one notices when it comes to the music of the Detroit Cobras, and it'd be nearly impossible not to, is the belt-em-out vocal muscle of frontwoman Rachel Nagy. She remains the engine that drives the band on their recently released fourth album, Tied & True, out now on Bloodshot. While she remains at the top of her game when it comes to high-energy material, delivering songs like "As Long As I Have You," with an emotionally-charged swagger, the band turns it down a notch in places this go around and Nagy doubly shines as a voice that is smoky and sultry. The Detroit Cobras will be touring throughout the summer in support of the new release, including August dates in Boise and Salt Lake City.

In House #1859.
Airdate: 4/30/07
Focus: New release from the Detroit Cobras, Tied & True, plus new music from The Avett Brothers, Kings of Leon, Holly Golightly & the Brokeoffs, and more.


PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #301

In House #1857: Laura Veirs' Saltbreakers; Richard Swift in Salt Lake City This Weekend

It's been a busy four years or so for Laura Veirs. The singer-songwriter has released three excellently-crafted and well-received albums, each more high profile than the last, toured exhaustively in their support, endured a failed relationship (which is well-documented in her new material), and made the move from Seattle to Portland. Of course, it's just such a schedule that has allowed her to go so far so quickly as she has organically grown her fan-base one at a time. Her latest effort, Saltbreakers, is also the third album with her current backing band (also called, you guessed it, The Saltbreakers), and a lineup that includes Tucker Martine, who also produced the album. Understandably, the band is close and it tends to come through in the music as they flesh out Veirs' whip-smart songs to great effect. Most impressive on the new release are the instances of new sonic exploration, sounding far more removed from 2005's Year of Meteors than a mere two years. "To the Country," features Veirs' ghostly call and response with the Cedar Hill Choir, with flourishes of solo fiddle further removing the song from Veirs' past repertoire. Elsewhere, "Phantom Mountain," rocks out like she never has before, adding garage-fuzz guitars and bombast. Following a string of European dates, Veirs begins a US tour May 8th in Chicago.



Also today, music from Richard Swift, who plays Kilby Court in Salt Lake City this Saturday night in what will be his final U.S. performance before he heads to the U.K. for a series of dates in early June. As his sound indicates, Swift is a true throwback, a pure pop songwriter that finds common ground amongst the likes of Paul McCartney (the good, 70's, songwriting version) and Tom Waits, among other artists of yesteryear. Maybe it's that circular taste thing working, but he somehow channels those retro leanings into a finished product that sounds entirely fresh and intriguing. Not one to be pigeon-holed into one decade, Swift broke ground on the 1980's earlier this year when his version of Prince's "Paisley Park," appeared as the B-side to his "Kisses For the Misses" single. His most recent full-length is this year's excellent Dressed Up For the Letdown.

In House #1857.
Airdate: 4/26/07
Focus: New release from Laura Veirs, Saltbreakers, plus Richard Swift plays Salt Lake City this weekend. Also, new music from Elliott Smith, Chrisopher Blue, Winterpills, Andrew Bird, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Laura Veirs, from Saltbreakers:

"Saltbreakers" (MP3)

Richard Swift, from The Novelist/Walking Without Effort:

"As I Go" (MP3)
...from the Kisses For the Misses 7":

"Paisley Park" (MP3) (Prince cover)

Elliott Smith, from New Moon (due 5/8):

"Pretty Mary K (Other Version)" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #300

In House #1856: New Martin Sexton, Playing Salt Lake City Tonight

Over the past twenty years or so, singer-songwriter Martin Sexton has built a reputation as an artist with a consistently interesting and diverse output. One need only seek out a handful of selections from his catalog to find an artist that has rarely, if ever, conformed to anyone's expectations but his own, and he's excelled at several different genres because of it, often over the course of the same album. Seeds, his sixth studio full-length but first in seven years excluding 2005's holiday-themed Camp Holiday, is no different in this regard. Over the course of thirteen new songs and one version of a soul classic, Sexton ambles between pop, rock, folk, country, gospel, soul, and even a little jazz, showing off his trademark vocal range in the process. Whereas in the past such diversity has caused his efforts to sound pieced together, Seeds somehow keeps its overall focus amongst the genre-jumping. "Wild Angels," features Sexton backed by a choir of himself, foreshadowing the gospel inflection on the later "There Go I." "Will It Go 'Round In Circles," meanwhile, is Sexton's take on Billy Preston's classic, proving that an entire album's worth of such material from him would surely be of more use to the world than similarly-themed releases from the likes of Rod Stewart and Michael McDonald. Martin Sexton plays The Depot in Salt Lake City tonight, along with up and coming opener Jonah Smith.

Martin Sexton

In House #1856.
Airdate: 4/25/07
Focus: New release from Martin Sexton, Seeds, also playing Salt Lake City tonight. Plus, new music from Willy Mason, Mavis Staples, Wilco, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Martin Sexton, from Seeds:

"Goin' to the Country" (MP3)

Mavis Staples, from We'll Never Turn Back:

"On My Way" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #299

In House #1854: New Patti Smith, Leonard Cohen Reissues

A busy show today features two legends of pop music, each of whom never really seems to get their full due. Fresh off of her induction this year into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Patti Smith returns with a covers album, entitled Twelve. Smith tackles a vast range of styles and artists, covering nearly forty years of musical output in the process. Versions of the Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter," and Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit," might almost be said to be expected, and Smith rather nails them accordingly. Also in the mix, though, are eyebrow-raising takes on Tears for Fears' "Everybody Wants to Rule the World," and Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," given a six-minute, banjo-backed treatment the reverence of which is the yin to the original's unruly yang. Interestingly, Smith almost exclusively chooses to cover songs sung originally by male leads, trying her hand at numbers by The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Young, and Stevie Wonder, among others. Twelve is out tomorrow on Columbia.

Also today, music from the first three releases from the legendary French-Candian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, each of which gets a deluxe reissue treatment tomorrow courtesy of Sony Legacy. On the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the release of Cohen's debut, the label will issue remastered, deluxe versions of Songs of Leonard Cohen (1967), Songs From a Room (1969), and Songs of Love & Hate (1971), each including bonus tracks. A true giant amongst both musical and literary circles, Cohen's artistic influence has been incalculable on many of those that have come after him. This initial trio of releases shows him in top form as it includes such staples of his catalog as "Suzanne," "So Long, Marianne," "Bird On a Wire," and "Famous Blue Raincoat," among others. Still going strong at 72, Cohen's most recent release, his eleventh, was 2004's Dear Heather.

In House #1854.
Airdate: 4/23/07
Focus: New covers album from Patti Smith, Twelve, plus music from three new Leonard Cohen reissues out tomorrow, as well as from the new Nonesuch release, A Tribute to Joni Micthell.

BONUS MP3s-
Patti Smith, from Twelve:

"Everybody Wants to Rule the World" (MP3)

Leonard Cohen, from the reissued version of Songs of Leonard Cohen:

"Blessed Is the Memory" (MP3) (bonus track)
...and from Songs of Love & Hate:

"Famous Blue Raincoat" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #298

In House #1853: Los Straitjackets' Rock En Espanol, Vol. 1

For over a decade, the Nashville-based quartet Los Straitjackets has taken to stages donning Mexican wrestling masks, concealing the faces behind the guitar-fueled instrumental powerhouse. Theirs has been the sound of Dick Dale, Link Wray, and The Ventures heard through a modern filter, a mysterious, slightly ironic blend of retro surf and twang. Rock En Espanol, Vol. 1, the band's latest out on Yep Roc, marks their first spanish language album and features guest vocal turns by Thee Midniters' Little Willie G., Big Sandy, and Los Lobos' Cesar Rosas, who also produced the album. Though the thirteen songs (+1 instrumental) are sung in Spanish, most of them are imminently recognizable '60's pop songs, some of which are directly modeled here after Spanish versions of the time recorded by the likes of Los Freddys, Los Rockin' Devils, Los Teen Tops, and Rebeleos de Rock, among others. The Kinks' "All Day and All of the Night," therefore, becomes "De Dia y de Noche," while Jackie Wilson's "Lonely Teardrops," (given an excellent turn here by Big Sandy) is "Lagrimas Salitarias." Others, meanwhile, are given less literal translations, including Larry Williams' "Dizzy Mizz Lizzie," known here as "El Microscopico Bikini," and The McCoys' "Hang On Sloopy," which is changed to "Hey Lupe." The collection also features songs made popular by The Troggs, The Coasters, and Marty Robbins, among others. It's a fresh take and a new perspective on a genre that has always been English-dominated. Los Straitjackets are currently touring along with Big Sandy.

Los Straitjackets with Big Sandy

In House #1853.
Airdate: 4/20/07
Focus: New release from Los Straitjackets, Rock En Espanol Vol. 1, plus music from The Tornados, Band of Bees, The Detroit Cobras, Jon Rauhouse, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
Los Straitjackets, from Rock En Espanol, Vol. 1:

"El Microscopico Bikini" (MP3) (with Cesar Rosas)

"Lagrimas Solitarias" (MP3) (with Big Sandy)

The Tornados, from Vampires, Cowboys, Spacemen, & Spooks: The Very Best of Joe Meek's Instrumentals:

"Ridin' the Wind" (MP3)

The Detroit Cobras, from Tied & True (due 4/24):

"As Long As I Have You" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #297

In House #1852: New Cowboy Junkies, Playing Boise Tonight

Twenty-one years ago, the Cowboy Junkies issued a fairly unassuming debut made up almost entirely of covers, featuring songs by the likes of John Lee Hooker, Bruce Springsteen, Robert Johnson, and others. Whites Off Earth Now!! was marked in its hazy, almost drugged-out take on classic country and blues, the beginnings of a signature sound from a band that has been called "country on valium." Low meets Neil Young might have been an apt descriptor if the band hadn't predated the former. The Junkies released their twelfth studio album earlier this week, entitled At the End of Paths Taken, and while they've certainly branched out and expanded their sound over the past two decades to include rock, pop, and folk, the deliberate pace remains in many cases, not to mention the cool coo of Margo Timmins. The album, however, also continues a recent trend with the band's music to eschew traditional song structure resulting in the kind of extended jams and meditations that are the anti-3-minute-pop songs. One need look no further than the 7-minute plus "Mountain," for proof, as it spreads an atmospheric soundscape over a recording of the Timmins' (Margo and Peter, who are both in the band) father reading from what sounds like it could a personal history piece. It's a long way from Robert Johnson, to be sure, but there are plenty of more traditional moments here, including the electric blues dirge "Cutting Board Blues," and the stunning "Spiral Down." The Cowboy Junkies play the Egyptian Theatre in Boise tonight.

Cowboy Junkies

In House #1852.
Airdate: 4/19/07
Focus: New release from the Cowboy Junkies, At the End of Paths Taken, also playing Boise tonight. Plus, new music from the Golden Smog, Ian Hunter, Grant-Lee Phillips, Patti Smith, and more.

BONUS MP3-
Cowboy Junkies, from At the End of Paths Taken:

"Spiral Down" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #296

In House #1851: The Rosebuds' Night of the Furies; Elk City's New Believers

United in love and music, the married duo that make up North Carolina's Rosebuds returned last week with their third full-length for Merge records, entitled Night of the Furies. To hear it, though, you'd hardly know it was them. After two albums of sometimes blissful, sometimes wistful indie pop laden with hooks, Ivan Howard and Kelly Crisp perform a musical about-face with a collection of songs glossed over by synths, drum machines, and dance beats. They've traded in their Go-Betweens records for New Order and even the Pet Shop Boys, in other words, and once one gets over that shock it works quite well. Often dark and occasionally deliberately kitschy, anthemic choruses abound on Furies, notably on both the title track and the dancefloor leaning, "Get Up Get Out." Elsewhere, "Silja Line," rides the only naked guitar passage on the album to a slow burn and eventual choral climax with guest vocals from the Shout Out Louds. The Rosebuds begin an extensive U.S. tour in mid-May.

Also today, the first new release in five years from Elk City, New Believers, which came out yesterday on Friendly Fire. The band announced their arrival back in 2000 with the promising if uneven status, and returned a couple of years later on Touch & Go with Hold Tight the Ropes. A few line-up changes later, including the addition of Luna's Sean Eden, and Elk City sounds better than ever. Renee LoBue's siren vocals continue to lead the charge, as she makes more than good on the "female Bowie" comparisons she's enjoyed over the years. Look no further than one of this year's best singles, "Los Cruzados," for definitive proof of Elk City's rebirth.














In House #1851.
Airdate: 4/18/07
Focus: New releases from The Rosebuds, Night of the Furies, and Elk City, New Believers. Plus, new music from The Concretes, Feist, Blonde Redhead, and more.

BONUS MP3s-
The Rosebuds, from Night of the Furies:

"Get Up Get Out" (MP3)

Elk City, from New Believers:

"Los Cruzados" (MP3)

"Cherries In the Snow" (MP3)

PLAYLIST

In House PODCAST #295