You were the blogger.
Hello, I'm Alternative Press music editor Scott Heisel and welcome to the third installment of Positive Jams, your guide to the best (and worst) of the week's new music as selected by yours truly. Let's get to it!
IF YOU BUY ONE THING TODAY, PLEASE LET IT BE:
Thursday's Common Existence
THE SCOOP: Okay, I'm gonna level with you -- Common Existence isn't Thursday's best album (that award goes to A City By The Light Divided, and I don't care if you disagree with me). However, if this were Pitchfork (and thank god it ain't), ACBTLD would get a 9.8 and Common Existence would probably get a 9.3 or something. This album is a total rager from start to finish; it proves that no matter how many wringers this New Jersey post-hardcore sextet get put through, they always are able to come out on top. Truly inspirational, and worth owning (hell, it's only $7.99 on Amazon right now).
CRUCIAL JAMS: "Resuscitation Of A Dead Man," "As He Climbed The Dark Mountain," "Friends In The Armed Forces," "You Were The Cancer"
BUY IT NOW: Amazon
(physical), 
(digital)
GOT MORE CASH? SNAG THIS NEXT:
Morrissey's Years Of Refusal
THE SCOOP: Every few years when England's eternally hopeless romantic Morrissey puts out a new album, it's invariably hailed by eager critics as "his best work in years!" before they relegate it to the bottom of the iPod a few weeks later. It's not that Morrissey's not good; every Morrissey album is at least tolerable. But rarely does the dude make great albums anymore, which is why I'm so jazzed to recommend Years Of Refusal. This album is a far more rock affair than a number of his previous ones, with a tighter, more energetic backing band (who obviously have a sense of humor, too). Will any of these songs be the ones he's remembered for in 50 years? Eh, it's questionable. But I bet these things are fun as hell to witness (and perform) live.
CRUCIAL JAMS: "Something Is Squeezing My Skull," "All You Need Is Me," "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore," "I'm OK By Myself"
BUY IT NOW: Amazon
(physical), (digital)
DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH:
The Appleseed Cast's Sagarmatha
THE SCOOP: The Appleseed Cast progresses further down the post-rock spiral on what I think is their 37th full-length (it's actually their eighth, but man, it sure feels like 37). This band started off so promisingly a decade ago as a heavier Sunny Day Real Estate, then quickly got caught up in delay pedals and other guitar effects (and a new rhythm section) that has made each successive album after 1998's awesome End Of The Ring Wars a snoozefest (although 2000's Mare Vitalis is pretty solid, too). Maybe if I smoked pot, I would appreciate this kind of meandering, now nearly all-instrumental post-rock more, but I'll stick with being sober and listening to Mono and Explosions In The Sky.
CRUCIAL JAMS: I seriously couldn't make it all the way through a single song.
BUY IT NOW: Amazon
(physical), (digital)
IF YOU BUY ONE THING TODAY, PLEASE LET IT BE:
Thursday's Common Existence
THE SCOOP: Okay, I'm gonna level with you -- Common Existence isn't Thursday's best album (that award goes to A City By The Light Divided, and I don't care if you disagree with me). However, if this were Pitchfork (and thank god it ain't), ACBTLD would get a 9.8 and Common Existence would probably get a 9.3 or something. This album is a total rager from start to finish; it proves that no matter how many wringers this New Jersey post-hardcore sextet get put through, they always are able to come out on top. Truly inspirational, and worth owning (hell, it's only $7.99 on Amazon right now).
CRUCIAL JAMS: "Resuscitation Of A Dead Man," "As He Climbed The Dark Mountain," "Friends In The Armed Forces," "You Were The Cancer"
BUY IT NOW: Amazon
(physical), (digital) GOT MORE CASH? SNAG THIS NEXT:
Morrissey's Years Of Refusal
THE SCOOP: Every few years when England's eternally hopeless romantic Morrissey puts out a new album, it's invariably hailed by eager critics as "his best work in years!" before they relegate it to the bottom of the iPod a few weeks later. It's not that Morrissey's not good; every Morrissey album is at least tolerable. But rarely does the dude make great albums anymore, which is why I'm so jazzed to recommend Years Of Refusal. This album is a far more rock affair than a number of his previous ones, with a tighter, more energetic backing band (who obviously have a sense of humor, too). Will any of these songs be the ones he's remembered for in 50 years? Eh, it's questionable. But I bet these things are fun as hell to witness (and perform) live.
CRUCIAL JAMS: "Something Is Squeezing My Skull," "All You Need Is Me," "It's Not Your Birthday Anymore," "I'm OK By Myself"
BUY IT NOW: Amazon
(physical), (digital)DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME WITH:
The Appleseed Cast's Sagarmatha
THE SCOOP: The Appleseed Cast progresses further down the post-rock spiral on what I think is their 37th full-length (it's actually their eighth, but man, it sure feels like 37). This band started off so promisingly a decade ago as a heavier Sunny Day Real Estate, then quickly got caught up in delay pedals and other guitar effects (and a new rhythm section) that has made each successive album after 1998's awesome End Of The Ring Wars a snoozefest (although 2000's Mare Vitalis is pretty solid, too). Maybe if I smoked pot, I would appreciate this kind of meandering, now nearly all-instrumental post-rock more, but I'll stick with being sober and listening to Mono and Explosions In The Sky.
CRUCIAL JAMS: I seriously couldn't make it all the way through a single song.
BUY IT NOW: Amazon
(physical), (digital)
posted by Scott Heisel at
11:50 AM
11 Comments:
Stoked about this Thursday album.
Disappointed that tuesday's are now the only day you blog, and new releases are the only things you blog about.
The new albums from Trail Of Dead and William Elliott Whitmore are the only things I need this week.
...and the album from Tombs, that is quite solid as well.
oh my god, are you fucking serious about TAC? SERIOUSLY?! its the best thing they've done since low level owl! i can't believe what i'm reading. i liked sagarmatha more than CE and thursday is my favorite band of all time.
i am with you 100 percent on that Thursday album (Divided) being their best. But this one is pretty great too, i think.
Uhhh.... where's the new BtMI!? It's by far the best thing released this year. Also Sagarmatha isn't that bad.
i agree with sam
I don't like the way Morrissey is holding that baby. Doesn't seem very safe.
I have to agree with Sam and the other person as well. These new blogs are cool and all but I hate how they are only updated once a week.
I definitely prefer the old style where you guys could just riff on whatever you wanted.
This new Morrissey is melting my brain...in the best of ways.
Seriously, I haven't been able to stop listening to it, which seriously surprised me.
Love. It.
Okay, Thursdays album isn't bad, BUT A Day to Remember's new cd was freakn' gold man, how could you possibly leave it out?
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