eMUSIC ROUND TWENTY-SEVEN

Once again, I'm late in letting you know what I downloaded at the end of April. I still feel like I haven't digested this music too much, though a couple of the albums I've listened to more than others. Always the way, though, isn't it?

My Morning Jacket/The Tennessee Fire - My first experience with MMJ was their latest album, Z, which I got for Christmas the year it came out (2005?). I really liked it and planned on picking up their earlier stuff...then never got around to it. Now eMusic has the entire catalog available, so I started with their first album. It's more acoustic-based and sometimes it's quite hard to understand what Jim James is saying but I've enjoyed it through a couple listens.

Frightened Rabbit/The Midnight Organ Fight - I'd never heard of this band until right before I downloaded the album and it's one of the albums of the year in my book. Literate, depressing rock with a Scottish accent. Just grab it now and thank me later.

Robert Forster/The Evangelist - Forster was one half of the songwriting team that made The Go-Betweens such a great band; the other half, Grant McLennan, passed away the other year. This solo album has some songs co-written by the two and the rest are somwhat informed by his passing. It's a lovely album and one I need to listen to a lot more than I already have.

Sloan/Navy Blues - Because I just can't stop with this band. They have a new album coming in a few weeks and I really should have a Sloan week around here to celebrate.

Luna/Romantica - I downloaded this on a whim. I own their last album, Rendevous, and while I like it well enough I've just never fallen in love with it. So why did I get this? I don't know but I'm glad I did. It's very tuneful and is filled with odd lyrics and it just works. I think I need to investigate the band further.