Boo Boo Records

April Program Titles Released This Week:

Avey Tare – Cows On Hourglass Pond CD/LP+MP3/LP+10”+MP3 (Domino)

Dave Portner aka Avey Tare of Animal Collective, has returned, following up 2017’s release of Eucalyptus and 2018’s audiovisual album Tangerine Reef, a collaboration between Animal Collective and avant-garde coral macro-videographers Coral Morphologic, with a gorgeous and layered new record. Cows On Hourglass Pond takes inspiration from the future and the past in equal measure, referencing a myriad of cultural touchstones and influences: Buddy Holly, robots, Waylon Jennings, Morricone soundtracks, and much more. “The first single, ‘Saturdays (Again)’, is pretty low-key, with few of the bracing vocal contortions that Portner sometimes peppers his songs with. Sonically, it’s much slicker than the scrappy Eucalyptus, which felt like a return to the scrappy early days of Animal Collective, with its layers of lo-fi acoustic guitar and sound effects like malfunctioning electronic toys. The acoustic is back for ‘Saturdays (Again)’ but it sits within a lush and dubby mix, atop melodic synth bass, accompanied by peals of lead guitar.” — SPIN [Limited deluxe vinyl pressing adds a bonus 10” featuring the non-album tracks “Tipped In Hugs” b/w “Dog Says Goodbye”.]

Bad Suns – Mystic Truth CD/LP+MP3 (Epitaph)

The third full-length from L.A. band Bad Suns, Mystic Truth gets its title from a piece of art that vocalist Christo Bowman stumbled upon while visiting London’s Tate Modern on tour. Created by Bruce Nauman in 1967, the neon-and-glass piece spells out a possibly paradoxical statement in blue spiraled cursive: “The True Artist Helps The World by Revealing Mystic Truths.” “I thought that connected back to the message of the record, which is about finding the extraordinary in very simple things, even though we’re living in a very dark time right now,” says Bowman. Right from opener “Away We Go”, Bad Suns reveal the timeless sensibilities at the heart of Mystic Truth. With its soaring vocals, majestic piano melodies, and fiery guitar tones, the song unfolds as a brightly anthemic battle cry. “‘Away We Go’ was mostly inspired by us growing up and really being adults for the first time, and trying to make sense of all that,” says Bowman, who co-founded Bad Suns at age 17. “It’s about learning how to make decisions for yourself, and sometimes just going for something and blindly trusting that it’s going to work out.” [Limited clear vinyl pressing also available.]

Andrew Bird – My Finest Work Yet CD/LP (Loma Vista)

My Finest Work Yet finds Andrew Bird grappling with themes of current day dichotomies and how to identify a moral compass amidst such divisive times. “I’m interested in the idea that our enemies are what make us whole – there’s an intimacy one shares with their opponent when locked in such a struggle. If we were to just walk away would our enemies miss us? How did we get to this point and how can we, through awareness of it, maybe pull ourselves out of this death spiral,” says Bird. He tackles these topics with a more direct songwriting approach than his previous releases, taking greater risks both lyrically and in recording. Bird and the band taped all the songs live without headphones or separation attempting to create a sound where all instruments bled into each other’s microphones. Of the new music, Bird reflects, “There is a certain optimism to this record…it’s pretty up musically though it doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the lyrics.”

[Read more…] about New Releases for March 22, 2019

April Program Titles Released This Week:

The Cinematic Orchestra – To Believe CD/2xLP+MP3 (Domino)

Born out of the band’s latest formation, To Believe is a creative partnership between founder Jason Swinscoe and longtime friend and collaborator Dom Smith, along with an extended family of regular bandmates and collaborators. Guided by a communal spirit, the changing members are consistent with their ethos, where no individual ego takes precedence. Guest vocalists include the art-soul singer Moses Sumney, legendary UK rapper Roots Manuva, longtime vocal collaborator Heidi Vogel and many more. To Believe is the product of a long period of gestation, a reflection of the kind of album they wanted to make – the kind of album, that is, they’ve always made: deep, textured, and layered with meaning. With artwork by The Designers Republic and mixed by 15-time Grammy Winner Tom Elmhirst, at the legendary Electric Lady studio built by Jimi Hendrix, it’s a masterful return that stands as their most definitive statement as a group.

The Comet Is Coming – Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery CD/LP (Impulse)

The Comet Is Coming – “an improvisational, intergalactic mash-up” (The Guardian) who were shortlisted for the Mercury Music Prize in 2016 – is comprised of King Shabaka (Shabaka Hutchings) on saxophone, Danalogue (Dan Leavers) on keys/synth, and Betamax (Max Hallett) on drums. With their new album, Trust In The Lifeforce Of The Deep Mystery, the trio envisage a 21^stCentury take on spiritual jazz that is part Alice Coltrane, part Bladerunner. The trio are nothing short of alchemists, concocting a primordial stew of taut beats, sub-bass, and unhinged sax breaks. They paint pictures of astral planes and neon seas, with driving beats and celestial melodies. Listen to the pulsing “Blood Of The Past”, on which guest vocalist Kate Tempest delivers a state-of-the-universe address that somehow simultaneously summons the spirits of William Blake, Ian Dury, Carl Sagan and Stephen Hawking, all with wide-eyed awestruck wonder. Or “Summon The Fire”, perhaps their most accessible, riotous, and air-punching moment to date.

The Faint – Egowerk CD/LP (Saddle Creek)

The group that ignited an electro-pop-punk movement is back with an 11-track deep-dive into themes on modern society, the internet, and ego – specifically social media and its dark effects. Opener “Child Asleep” echoes well-loved Faint singles from the Danse Macabre days, with rapid-fire techno beats that sear so hot, your forehead will break into a sweat regardless of proximity to a dance floor. And though the synths should sound familiar to any Faint follower, the song’s monotone message is at once classic and current. It’s been four years since The Faint dropped a proper studio album, and more than two decades since they first tore onto the Midwest scene, alongside area staples Cursive and Bright Eyes, with anxious electro-pop-punk anthems that meshed doomsday themes with thudding dance-floor hooks.

Fallujah – Undying Light CD/LP (Nuclear Blast)

California progressive death metallers Fallujah swing upward and venture outward on new album, Undying Light. With new vocalist in Antonio Palermo (also of Underling fame) firmly in position and a no-filler, all-killer songwriting attack, Undying Light isn’t just the follow-up to 2016’s Dreamless, it’s a massive jump forward. Whereas Dreamless wandered intelligently and resonated lithely, new tracks such as “Glass House”, “Ultraviolet”, “Eyes Like The Sun”, and closer “Departure” find Fallujah stripped down, razor-sharp, and emotionally charged. [Limited purple/black splatter colored vinyl pressing also available.]

[Read more…] about New Releases for March 15, 2019

April Program Titles Released This Week:

Dido – Still On My Mind CD/LP (BMG)

Dido is back with her first new album in five years. Still On My Mind encapsulates a variety of styles and genres, ranging from her love of hip-hop to her folk roots, but ultimately the entire record carries a dance and electronic music sensibility, even on the tracks with no beats. At the core, it’s about the songs which capture the beautiful essence of Dido personally and emotionally. The first taste of the album is “Hurricanes”. From the first few notes of this powerful track, Dido’s voice has never sounded bigger and better, making you realize how much we’ve missed that sound. Dido describes the making of Still On My Mind as “an absolutely magical experience. I wanted to capture the feeling I still get from listening to music, just that rush like you don’t need anything more than this.” [Exclusive indie-store vinyl pressing also available.]

Flight Of The Conchords – Live In London CD/3xLP+MP3 (Sub Pop)

In October of 2018, ten years after the launch of their hit HBO series, Flight Of The Conchords, New Zealand musical comedians Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement returned to HBO for an all-new comedy special. Live In London was taped before a live audience at the Eventim Apollo – located in the Hammersmith, London – and featured the Conchords performing songs from the sold-out UK and Ireland edition of Flight Of The Conchords Sing Flight Of The Conchords Tour. The Live In London album features seven new songs including “Iain and Deanna”, “Father And Son”, “Summer Of 1353”, “Stana”, “Seagull”, “Back On The Road”, and “Bus Driver”. The album also features performances of fan favorites “Inner City Pressure”, “Bowie”, “Foux du Fafa”, “Mutha’uckas – Hurt Feelings”, “Robots”, “Carol Brown” and “The Most Beautiful Girl (In The Room)” (the latter two bonus tracks edited out of the broadcast due to time constraints). [Vinyl edition features an etching on Side 6.]

Foals – Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost: Part 1 CD/LP (WB)

Foals return with two new albums in 2019: Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost – Part 1 and Part 2, a pair of releases, separate but related. Part 1 is now available, with Part 2 following in the Autumn. Eager to break the traditional pop song structure which they felt they were becoming increasingly tapered to, the 20 tracks defy expectation. There are exploratory, progressive-tinged songs which occasionally break the 10-minute mark alongside atmospheric segues which make the music an experience rather than a mere collection of songs. Yet the band’s renowned ability to wield relentless grooves with striking power also reaches new heights. Part 1’s lead single “Exits” is a case in point, featuring frontman Yannis Philippakis conjuring the image of a disorienting world via a contagious vocal melody. It’s a fresh anthem for Foals’ formidable arsenal, but also an ominous forecast. “Exits” signposts what to expect thematically from Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost. The title is a warning that anything – from the tiniest fleeting moment of inspiration through to the planet’s own biological diversity – can be under threat of being irrevocably erased.

[Read more…] about New Releases for March 8, 2019