The Lonely Goatherd Blog And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats - Matthew 25:32
Up to the minute notes on the current state of free thinking and free living: Kentucky moonshine - original analysis and reporting from MoreThings, and all round pop culture museum of sight and sound - photo galleries, mp3 and video downloads.
Al Barger and MoreThings - getting people's goats since 1998.
Links
To explicitly state the obvious, these external links go to interesting and provocative websites, but they speak for themselves. I don't necessarily agree with anything they say - especially that no-goodnik Richard Marcus.
************
All original content on MoreThings.com copyright 2008 Albert Barger or the respective authors
July 10, 2007
New Album Releases, 7-10-2007: Crowded House, They Might Be Giants, Smashing Pumpkins Woo-doggies, this week we get Time on Earth, the first new Crowded House album in a decade. I haven't heard this yet, but Neil Finn created the greatest song John Lennon never wrote. Indeed, "Don't Dream It's Over" will go head to head even with anything Lennon did write.
The problem is that Neil Finn just ain't much of a rock star. Sure, he's one of the greatest songwriters of his generation, but where's the controversy? He's never been hooked on heroin, or picked up DUIs, got arrested with underaged girls nor committed suicide. He's not even gay. Some rock star!
They Might Be Giants have a new album The Else, with production by the famous Dust Brothers. Having listened to this a dozen times, I don't hear that much of a difference for their presence.
The album's pretty good overall, perhaps a little above They Might Be Giants fairly high average. The first two songs in particular are real sharp, obvious candidates for a future box set. Overall though, the album seems relatively homogenized or normal. That's not a compliment. These songs have some good hooks and choruses, and good orchestration, but they nearly entirely lack the unique quirky geekdom that really makes the band special.
Billy Corgan is putting out a nominal Smashing Pumpkins record called Zeitgeist, some years after it had passed him by. Still, his album is #2 currently at Amazon, so he's obviously still got some juice.
Here's the complete list of this week's major new releases, courtesy AMG:
Crowded House Time on Earth ATO Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Interpol Our Love to Admire Capitol Indie Rock
Mark Ronson Version RCA Alternative Dance, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Pop/Rock, Urban, Hip-Hop
The Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist Reprise / Wea Alternative Pop/Rock
Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Merge Indie Rock
They Might Be Giants The Else Zoe Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Against Me! New Wave Sire Punk Revival
Aly & AJ Insomniatic Hollywood Teen Pop, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Dance-Pop
B-Side Players Fire in the Youth Concord Picante Latin Rock, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock
Bad Religion New Maps of Hell Epitaph Punk
Beatallica Sgt. Hetfield's Motorbreath Pub Band Oglio Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Emmanuelle Bertrand Saint-Saëns: Sonate No. 1; Suite, Op. 16 Harmonia Mundi France Post-Romantic Chamber Music
Blossom Toes If Only for a Moment [Bonus Tracks] Sunbeam British Psychedelia, Psychedelic
Blossom Toes We Are Ever So Clean [Bonus Tracks] Sunbeam British Psychedelia, Psychedelic
Buffalo Tom Three Easy Pieces New West Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Dance Club Massacre Feast of the Blood Monsters Metal Blade Math Rock, Heavy Metal, Thrash
Danzig The Lost Tracks of Danzig Evilive Alternative Metal, Heavy Metal, Hard Rock
Darkest Hour Deliver Us Victory Heavy Metal, Death Metal/Black Metal, Thrash
Cole Deggs & the Lonesome Cole Deggs & The Lonesome SBMG Nashville Contemporary Country, Country-Rock
Nick Drake Family Tree Tsunami Label Group British Folk-Rock, Progressive Folk, British Folk, Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Roky Erickson You're Gonna Miss Me [Original Soundtrack] Palm Pictures Garage Rock, Psychedelic, Rock & Roll, Proto-Punk
The For Carnation Promised Works Touch & Go Experimental Rock, Indie Rock, Post-Rock/Experimental
Gogol Bordello Super Taranta! Side One Dummy Gypsy, Punk Revival, Alternative Pop/Rock, Obscuro
Gothic Voices The Garden of Zephirus Hyperion Renaissance Vocal and Choral Music
The Gourds Noble Creatures Yep Roc Alternative Country-Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock
Great Lakes Myth Society Compass Rose Bouquet Quack! Indie Rock, Indie Pop, Folk-Rock
Jesse Harris Feel Velour Singer/Songwriter, Americana
Icarus Line Black Line at the Golden Coast Dim Mak Punk Metal, Indie Rock, Punk Revival, Hardcore Punk
Jason Isbell Sirens of the Ditch New West Alternative Country-Rock, Roots Rock, Southern Rock, Hard Rock
Kool & the Gang Still Kool New Door Funk, Urban
Tracy Lawrence The Very Best of Tracy Lawrence Atlantic/Rhino New Traditionalist, Honky Tonk
Lez Zeppelin Lez Zeppelin Emanation American Trad Rock
Ministry Rio Grande Dub Megaforce/13th Planet Industrial Metal, Industrial Dance, Alternative Metal
The Monkees Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd. [Deluxe Edition] Rhino Sunshine Pop, Psychedelic Pop, Pop/Rock, Pop, Bubblegum
Viktoria Mullova Bach: Sonatas Onyx Baroque Chamber Music
Oh No! Oh My! Between the Devil and the Sea Dim Mak Indie Pop, Twee Pop
Luciana Souza Osvaldo Golijov: Oceana Deutsche Grammophon Contemporary Choral and Orchestral Music
Tallis Scholars English Madrigals Gimell Renaissance Choral Music
Original Soundtrack Hairspray [2007 Original Soundtrack] New Line Soundtracks, Musicals
Original Soundtrack Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix Warner Bros. Original Score
Bobby Osborne Bluegrass Melodies Rounder Traditional Bluegrass
Patton Oswalt Werewolves and Lollipops [CD/DVD] Sub Pop Standup Comedy, Observational Humor
Lee Perry & The Upsetters Ape-ology [Bonus Tracks] Sanctuary Trojan Us Roots Reggae, Dub, Political Reggae
John Phillips Jack of Diamonds Varese Sarabande Singer/Songwriter, Soft Rock, Country-Rock, Pop/Rock
Kim Richey Chinese Boxes Vanguard Contemporary Singer/Songwriter
Chris & Rich Robinson Brothers of a Feather: Live at the Roxy Eagle Rock & Roll, American Trad Rock, Roots Rock
St. Vincent Marry Me Beggar's Banquet Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Indie Pop
Stephen Stills Just Roll Tape: April 26th, 1968 Rhino Folk-Rock, Singer/Songwriter
Us3 Say What!? V2 Jazz-Rap, Club/Dance, Hip-Hop
Various Artists Healing the Divide Anti Asian Folk, African Folk, Throat Singing, Spiritual, Indian Classical, Worldbeat, Singer/Songwriter, Neo-Classical
M. Ward Duet for Guitars #2 [Bonus Tracks] Merge Alternative Singer/Songwriter, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Indie Rock
