Quick thoughts...

A few quick thoughts on the new (to me at least) albums I've heard lately, from the most distant to the most recent:

Amon Amarth - Twilight of the Thunder God

The latest from Amon Amarth, an old standby of the melodic-death/viking scene is more of the same, but that's no complaint. Though no immediate standouts from one listen, there are plenty of top-notch, distinctly Amon Amarth riffs and a plethora of Norse Mythological goodness. This is no Fate of Norns, but nonetheless an excellent release. The Valkyries are still riding!

The Dresden Dolls - Yes, Virginia

Much more interesting than their first album. The self titled has some GREAT songs (Coin Operated Boy, Missed Me, Good Day, Girl Anachronism) but the second half of the album didn't hold my interest. Yes, Virginia is much more consistent and overall I liked it more. It needs another listen to really show me what it's got.

Blackmore's Night - Shadow of the Moon

Yes, Blackmore's Night as in Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple and Rainbow. Turns out he's got a neofolk/Renaissance music project he's been working on for years, and it's damn good. Neofolk is proving to be one of my favorite genres lately (check out A Darker Shade Of Pagan, a glorious podcast showcasing the genre) and finding a band with such a respected name as Blackmore attached is a welcome easy find in a genre operating under the radar of most music press. The album sounds great, with great production values and a heaping serving of Renaissance Good Cheer. 

The second bit of Moby - Play

I'd not finished the album the first time around, so I listened to the second half and it was really great. Not much to say, it's Moby. Delicious, delicious digital tunage.

Johnny Hollow - Dirty Hands

My friend Josh (who is not my co-blogger, but a different Josh) showed me this band just the other day. My first impression 10 seconds into the song on their myspace: "Excuse me? The Dresden Dolls? Is that you? Where did you get the cello?" Damn good dark atmosphere, a haunting female singer, and a melody driven by piano and cello. No chance of mainstream success, but that's ok. It's not the most interesting album I've ever heard, although it managed to hold my interest all the way through. I don't know if I'll go back for more though.

The Doors - The Very Best Of...

I mentioned to the same not co-blogger-Josh that I'd never been much of a Doors fan, but then realized that I made the statement without ever having really listened to them. I'd heard their big songs (Touch Me, Light My Fire, Riders on the Storm, Break On Through, etc) but the rest of their catalog had escaped me. So I listened to this to see if my opinion was the truth. Turns out it mostly wasn't. I now realize why everyone made such a big deal about the Doors (Hint: It's not because Jim Morrison is pretty). Their music is very good, and I found the organ, one of my main complaints about the Doors, to be unexpectedly unobtrusive, and I realized the greatness of many of their songs. Some of them didn't stick in my head (Soul Kitchen? The Crystal Ship? Peace Frog? Did I even listen to those ones?) but the majority of the album rocked like you'd expect a drug user like Morrison to rock.

7 Seconds - Walk Together, Rock Together

The Hold Steady referenced this band on their latest album, the sublime, majestic, incredible, godlike release "Stay Positive;" on the title track the singer waxes nostalgic about "back in the day, back when things were way different, when the Youth of Today and the early 7 Seconds taught me some of life's most valuable lessons." Well, I don't know if 7 Seconds second album taught me any lesson beyond "hardcore punk from the 80s can actually be really good," but I guess that's valuable enough for the Hold Steady. And if it's valuable enough for them, it's valuable enough for me.

The Libertines - The Libertines

I liked this album. I dunno. It's good. I recommend it. It doesn't inspire writing. 

Iron & Wine - The Shepherds Dog

I wish I could write about this album, I'm really enjoying it. Unfortunately, I'm only halfway through, and I don't have a good sense of the album yet. Josh, the same Josh I mentioned before, told me that he was "More proud of [me] now than [he's] ever been in [his] entire life" that I'm listening to it. I really like it though, and if that makes me goddamned hipster scum, then I'm ok with that. I&W and Sufjan Stevens are two of the Indiest of the Indies, as far as I, an outsider (gasp) can tell, and so far The Shepherds Dog is far more entertaining than Illinoise was.

So those are my quick thoughts. I'll try to do a post like this every so often. "Recently Played" on itunes is invaluable.