Music

This Week's Best New Music Releases - April 20, 2010

by Josh

Plants And Animals – La La Land

When Plants And Animals first released “Parc Avenue” in 2008, they were bold, fresh, and loaded with energy.  A little over two years later, they’ve released “La La Land”, and not much has changed.  They still sound like a bunch of young guys with loads of talent having lots of fun.   However, this doesn’t place “La La Land” in the “more of the same” category.  Their new album contains far more dynamics than its predecessor, including a few slower tempo tunes, and at times harnessing some inner Bowie.  Their diversification certainly pays off – “La La Land” is superb. Label: Secret City

Caribou – Swim

To know Caribou is to love Caribou.  Caribou is Dan Snaith, one of Canada’s greatest musical mad scientists, who for years performed under the name Manitoba until a somewhat goofy legal threat forced the name change.  Possibly one of his most unique talents is creating a fine meshing of electronic and acoustic sounds to create music with a very organic and earthy vibe.  In 2008, Caribou won the Polaris prize for “Andorra”, an album more accessible than his previous works, but still possessing that electronic/acoustic marriage.  With his new album, “Swim”, Caribou has created an upbeat dance-pop record with flare.  And while it may alienate some fans of “Andorra”, this could be the album that makes him a worldwide sensation. Label: Merge

Black Prairie – Feast of the Hunters’ Moon

If you google the phrase “Feast of the hunters’ moon” like I did, you will learn that the “feast” is a re-creation of the annual fall gathering of the French and Native Americans which took place in America’s mid-west at a  fur-trading outpost in the mid-1700s. Participants dress in the authentic garb, and set up period appropriate huts.   And apparently, Black Prairie (a Decemberists side project featuring Chris Funk, Nate Query and Jenny Conlee-Drizos, as well as Annalisa Tornfelt and Jon Neufeld) either felt like the week long festivity required a soundtrack, or were inspired by it.  Either way, you get an album of eerie southern swamp tunes not of this era, with jazz and blues overtones.  Luckily, it’s fife free. Label: Sugar Hill