More Musicalicious

Music: New Order: Waiting for the Sirens' Call Spring and autumn seem to be the two most important music release times for my special kind of eargasm. I must admit this has been an especially good year for exercising my pop organ, and the next few months are full of treats. Let me take a moment to highlight some surefire gems:

First, proof enough that Sub Pop still have their shit together is Frausdot's Couture, Couture, Couture, one of the better of the return-to-the-eighties-waver bands that make all us Cure/Depeche Mode/Echo and the Bunnymen fags wet our pants. The title track, "Dead Wrong," is so damn right (in sentiment, gloom-and-doom-tongue-in-cheek lyrical pussyfoot irony) that I couldn't resist putting it on this year's Philophobia compilation.

Aside from the new Beck album (which needs no introduction), on tap for release tomorrow is Bravery, another fun New York 80s-guitar thing (think The Killers, Interpol, The Rapture, and so on), but with a much smarter edge and slightly more "queer" than the rest. The self-titled debut is a solid album from start to finish. Speaking of queer, in the same idiom but even more "gay" (we put that in scare quotes deliberately you see) is Elkland, who have been opening for Erasure on the new tour, whose new album rocks with synth and that progressive bass thing that New Order does so well. For fun QuickTime video of the "Apart" single from the new album Golden, click here. That'll be out on the 19th, along with the new Nine Inch Nails single "The Hand that Feeds" and . . . Martha Wainwright's first full length! Finally! This chick can kick some folk rock shit! I'll never forget seeing her jam at one the best live shows I've seen in the past decade: Rufus Wainwright, Teddy (fucking!) Thompson, and Martha played with a small number of musicians at a show in Minneapolis one time, and we were simply blown away. She has the coolest, smoky belly voice and a saucy attitude (check out the single "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole" for a good taste). She's already got some play in the UK (of course, everyone goes there first), and I'm really looking forward to her self-titled debut!

Of course, the new Fischerspooner is on its way as well (but I've already written about that). And did I mention New Order has one on the way as well? I've already listened to it today twice through; if you liked the last one, this one will not disappoint.

YAY! for pop music.