Holy... fartness, what a week. Luckily I'm not buying everything here, or have some of it already, because this is one of those weeks to seriously break the budget if you were so inclined.
The Afghan Whigs - Unbreakable: A Retrospective 1990-2006: As the title suggests, it's a best-of for this critically adored soul-punk act, and probably a good place for all of us to start. Myself, I have 1966 and like it a lot, but I've really fallen for lead Greg Dulli's new band, The Twilight Singers, who sound a lot like the Whigs but seem to stretch the boundaries just a bit more than his original band did. If you're easily offended, it should be noted, this is not the band for you. Dulli's got a pretty twisted lyrical bent in his music, but the music is oh so good.
The Jesus Lizard - Live (DVD): I know next to nothing about this - it just appeared on the release list and I hit "buy" because I love me some Jesus Lizard. What I do know is this: 1994, Venus De Milo in Boston, bonus of 5 songs from CBGB's 08/29/92. The rest is up to your imagination until this is in our hands, but I would guess that singer David Yow gets pretty freaky, and that should be pretty entertaining.
Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full: I had almost no hopes for this album upon hearing first single "Ever Present Past." It sounded like a very retro throwaway from Paul's 80s period, an era of his that I don't particularly feel like revisiting. But then I (ahem) stumbled upon a generous offering of a "preview" (of sorts (ahem)) of the album and gave the whole thing a chance. Surprise, surprise - I really enjoyed it. And, being a good sport, I didn't listen again so I could listen to the album with fresh ears when I finally get my hands on the real deal - the deluxe edition with three extra songs, of course.
Article comments
1 - Connie Phillips
Nice write-up, Tom. You're not kidding when you say it's one of those weeks that could break the bank account. You certainly have me looking over my music allowance in the budget and wondering where I can borrow a little extra cash from.
2 - zingzing
the afghan whigs album you have is "1965." i think there is a song on it called "66," though, so don't feel bad. while a best of may be great, i don't think it can replace owning "1965" and especially "gentlemen," which is just one of the best albums of the 1990s. still, if you have your doubts about the whigs, then this is a good place to start.
i've seen a clip from that jesus lizard dvd. the sound wasn't great (but that will be improved on the actual dvd), but the most troubling spot was the camera work, which was just bad. still... seeing mr. yow lumbering about like a drunk who just got hit by a car is always amazing. where does he put that microphone?
i've only read a couple of reviews of the new shellac, but i'm going to get it. everything that band does together is worth it...
3 - Jane Ripley
The Jesus Lizard are great. Best show I ever saw. Thanks for the information.