Well, Not Lame is back in the game with some new featured releases, and together with the CD Baby backlog unleashed today, my head is spinning. (I still have two days of CD Babys to check out). Here's what NL is featuring:
Supraluxe-S/T.Supraluxe?
Never heard of them. Are they some kind of rock band? Seriously, if you still haven't succumbed to the hype, relax and give in. To quote Bruce, "(T)he always tasteful arrangements make sure that this release will not end up being `just another very fine CD` on your shelf and become one you will be forced, at the least, inclined, to tell others about." Gee, I wouldn't know anything about that.
The Roll Ups-Low Dives For Highballs.We all have our idiosyncracies and little things that bother us, things that sometimes get in the way of properly appreciating something. For example, I know quite a few people that can't get past Bob Dylan's voice and appreciate the genius that he is. In my case, I can't get past this
album cover. It creeps me out. Big time. I will note that this is one time that Not Lame has CD Baby beat on the samples. Other than that, it's glam rock, and a reissue, so I took a pass. But that doesn't mean you should, if that type of thing is up your alley. And especially if you can get past the album cover.
Dave Stoops-Spill Your DrinkThis one is new to me, but it looks like a great find by Bruce & Co. I've started to listen to it, and I have to concur with this description: "Stoops sounds a lot like Karl Wallinger of World Party (and like Chris Bailey from The Saints), a very good thing and, in fact, much of the material sounds like the long, lost World Party album that fans have been waiting for the last 15 years or so."
And Mr. Stoops has done something very cool for us - he's put the entire album up on
his site in mp3 format. So there's no excuse not to be listening to this one, and if you like the album, don't just keep the mp3s,
buy it from Not Lame. Stoops has gone out on a limb here, and we should support artists willing to trust us with their music.
The Badways-Leave Us AloneThis one's new to me as well, and my first impression is that it definitely rocks. From what I'm hearing, it sounds like Steve Van Zandt couldn't have invented a better band for his
Underground Garage channel on Sirius. I'm really digging the second track, "Two Worlds", which I'm hearing for the first time as I type this. I definitely see myself picking this one up.
You can stream "Two Worlds" and three other tracks at their
myspace page.
The Clintons-Strange Day In MexicoThis one I am familiar with, having picked it up back around October. The point of reference that immediately came to mind was the
Bodingtons I featured yesterday, and I see Bruce mentioned The Badlees in his writeup, so I remembered them correctly. This is the type of cd that's mainstream-sounding enough that you can play it for your non-powerpop-obsessed friends (unless they're perhaps Republicans, although you could always tell them they're named in honor of
George Clinton).
They've had several albums out, and there's a variety of stuff you can stream at
their site. When you get there, click on the "launch music player" button to get an idea of what they're like. And as usual, there are four streaming tracks on their
myspace page.
Breather-One In a MillionBruce really pulled this one out - it dates back to 2001. Tough to find samples, etc. online (Swedish bands from 2001 usually don't have myspace pages), so hit the Not Lame page linked above and decide for yourself.
The Hazey Janes-Hotel RadioListening to as many bands as I do, it isn't easy keeping up with what they're all up to. So it was a pleasant surprise for me to discover tonight that this Scottish band has put out a full-length, as their
self-titled EP from last summer was a favorite of mine. And I see that this new one isn't repeating tracks from the EP. Very nice. The HJ's are at the intersection of my two favorite styles of music: power pop and alt-country. The Jayhawks and Cosmic Rough Riders comparisons are most certainly apt.
All of the tracks can be sampled
here.
All in all, a lot of good stuff tonight from the good folks at Not Lame.
The Offramps-Split The Difference. After catching our attention in 2006 with Hate It When You're Right, this Michigan band serves up another helping of Replacements-style rock that you can both tap your feet and bang your head to. "Actual Events (Based On)" is the kind of potboiling opener crucial to setting the tone, and it comes through big time. The pop leanings of "Take You Away" bring to mind Superdrag and the more rocking side of Matthew Sweet, and the boys throw a changeup with "Alimentar Los Moscas" ("feeding the flies"), an impressive acoustic Americana number. Meanwhile, "Race Among The Ruins" gives off a Buffalo Springfield vibe. No sophomore slump here. 
The Badways-Second Album. We stay in the state of Michigan with Detroit's The Badways, garage rockers extraordinaire, who are back with the imaginatively titled Second Album. On their debut Leave Her Alone, I wrote "Steve Van Zandt couldn't have invented a better band for his Underground Garage channel on Sirius", and that assessment still stands with the new one. "Cute Girlfriend" and "Turn You Engines On" are a great 1-2 punch to open the disc, while the midtempo "She Cannot Tell The Truth" is reminiscent of a lost Zombies track. Other standouts include "Paper Doll", "Albert Einstein", and the catchy "She's Just a Girl", complete with handclaps. Although the disc is available for download from iTunes and the like, make sure you get the CD on this one, as it contains 3 CD-only tracks including a cover of "When Doves Cry", which itself is worth the price of admission as the boys turn the Prince classic into a late 60s Nuggets-sounding track.
