Tuesday's Tunes 9: Week of Mar 19 -- That One That Was Really Late

As much as I hate to post this "Friday" post late, I'm at home and have had very topsy-turvy day. Blogging (and Facebook) can be so cathartic!

Here are six new releases that are (or are supposed to be) pretty sweet:

LCD Soundsystem -- Sound Of Silver

James Murphy is back with a new album. I'm definitely not a fan of the first track -- it almost put me off of SOS entirely -- but if you get past it (and it's really not all that bad), you're in for a treat. North American Scum, Us v. Them, and New York I Love You are all out of this world. As a whole, I actually like this better than the original self-titled!

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists -- Living With The Living

Chalk up disappointment #2 from Ted Leo over the past 12 months. After seeing him perform at Pitchfork, I was kind of put off. Then again, I was far away enough to not get good sound or an intense crowd around me, so that could have been it. This album, on the other hand, doesn't live up to the glory days of Hearts of Oak, the track Biomusicology (off Tyranny of Distance), or my personal favourite, Shake The Sheets.

Modest Mouse -- We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

I was kind of surprised when I heard from Justin that he didn't enjoy the album. While it's no Good News (pun semi-intended), March Into the Sea is an opening track that I appreciate even more now that my love for shanty-rock has developed via The Decemberists and The Captain & Me. Spitting Venom is also a really nice track. You can totally hear the Johnny Marr-infused sound; I (unlike some others) don't find it all that disappointing.

Andrew Bird -- Armchair Apocrypha

In the interest of brevity (and a lack of words to form a concise description of this album), Armchair Apocrypha is a fantastically written, melodic piece of work. Another "great success" from the Bird-Man.

I'm From Barcelona -- Let Me Introduce My Friends

Okay, so this one's been out for a bit. The new US version, with bonus tracks, has just come out though! In case you haven't listened to them yet, they're a really pretty-sounding indie pop band. The lyrics, unfortunately, often don't match the musical integrity of the songs.

El-P -- I'll Sleep When You're Dead

Haven't listened to this one yet, but I'm a big fan of most Def-Jux material. It's on the "to-listen" playlist, and I'm expecting more of the same. Hopefully it won't be a bad case of it!