Quick Bits

Some short thoughts for those things I don’t have enough to say about to make it worth a full post.

Sam’s Town, the new album from The Killers, is a massive disappointment. Talk about a sophomore slump. The title track is half decent, the lead single “When You Were Young” is great, but the rest of the album abandons the brilliant dance pop of Hot Fuss and opts instead to sound like early Bruce Springsteen filtered through terrible speakers. Stream it for yourself at Napster, then go buy “When You Were Young” from iTunes, and forget that the rest of the album even happened.

Weird Al Yankovic’s new offering, Straight Outta Lynwood, is funny, but no Bad Hair Day. You should especially listen to “White and Nerdy” and “Trapped in the Drive Thru,” and get “You’re Pitiful” from his site. James Blunt loved it and gave it his blessing, but his record company put the kibosh on it. Too bad.

LOST returns tonight. I can’t quite explain how excited I am.

They’ll Need a Crane

In the era of indie rock supremacy, the term “major label debut” can be disastrous for a band. Swapping basements for plush studios and experimental riffs for time-honored guitar licks, oh so many bands have “sold out” to the detriment of their music. When The Decemberists moved from indie label Kill Rock Stars to major player Capitol, then, it wasn’t unfair for fans to fear the same drop in quality with the release of The Crane Wife, especially since Her Majesty, Castaways and Cutouts, and Picaresque were so artistically rich. After just one listen of The Crane Wife, though, fans can rest assured that not only does the new album carry on the rich tradition already set by the band; it may be their very best stuff yet.

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