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Insound got sold to Warner's (ok, ADA, but they're about as independent of Warner's as Sprite is from the Coca Cola company). Maybe Warner refused to take back all those unsold Bloc Party records. Are there no more indie sellers on the internet? Can we call Amazon indie? The Plug awards seemed to think so.
Will P-fork find their link to a now distributor-owned store a problem? They sure haven't reported the sale.
One-sentence (or two) reviews are due, and some will be new stuff, some stuff I slept on, some stuff whatever. I've anyway been in a good mood lately, so I apologize for the possible paucity of hate here:
James Blackshaw (The Cloud of Unknowing) has made a John Fahey record, which isn't an easy thing, nor a bad thing, now that JF's transfigured himself, but I can't shake the feeling of witnessing a ventriloquist when I hear the tuning and picking of his track "The Mirror Speaks." James Blackshaw - The Mirror Speaks
Liam Finn's forthcoming solo debut, I'll Be Lightning, is heaps better than it should be, with gorgeous melodies and interesting arrangements all played by LF, a drummer first, but now no doubt a songwriting inheritor of his Crowded House dad's skills, although his voice remains a creepy dead ringer for his uncle Tim, oddly enough. Liam Finn - This Place is Killing Me
Although I haven't given it a thorough listen yet, I suspect the guys in Vampire Weekend are getting a bad rap as blog-created hype darlings, because they can flikking play, despite their baldfaced impression of the Walkmen covering Fela. They have the chops to go places most bands won't, and they beat listening to even five seconds of Kate Nash. Vampire Weekend - Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
The new Mountain Goats rekkid, Heretic Pride, continues an impressive spring, but when Darnielle's finger picking replaces percussive strumming on some tracks ("So Desperate"), I can't shake the (uncomfy) feeling that I'm listening to the indie Dan Fogelberg. Mountain Goats - Craters on the Moon
Tinariwen - Aman Iman: Water of Life: a hype-justifying jewel from Turkey, if a little repetitive (but then that's the point, no?). Tinariwen - Toumast
Magnetic Fields - Distortion. If you're going to buy or steal one MF record since 69 Love Songs, this is the one; indelible songs, screeding white noise and, if I may shockingly say, some of Mr. Merritt's inexplicably best singing ever (does he sound heartbroken too now?) Magnetic Fields - Old Fools
Hot Chip's Made in the Darkleak was a little disappointing. I don't know, it feels kinda corny now, maybe too dense, and not fun enough.
Videohippos - Unbeast the Leash - Postpunk sung by Alvin Chipmunk and a retarded arctic fish sprung from some long-lost Atari cartridge? I'm so down. Videohippos - Narhwals
Galwad Y Mynydd - Galwad Y Mynydd - Love it. Welsh teenagers in the 70s record soft rock masterpieces in Welsh. Imagine early Bats (NZ) corssed with the Left Banke. Galwad Y Mynydd - Niwl Y Mor