BRETT DENNEN Por Favor (Elektra/Atlantic) Amiable West Coast singer/songwriter Brett Dennen is releasing his fifth studio album which is a rhythmic, stripped-down affair with a light reggae flair. Here’s a note from Brett in his own words from his website about his new album,“Por Favor”, an album that came from a time of vulnerability for me. During it’s creation, I regularly felt as though I was on the verge of breaking down, but writing these songs and recording them has helped me gain confidence and now I’m proud to share it all with you. Over the last couple of years, I’ve traveled to many far away places, had some ups and downs, and learned a great deal about myself, most of which is documented in the music. I hope it makes you feel good. brettdennen.net
CAR SEAT HEADREST Teens Of Denial (Matador) The American indie rock band originally from Leesburg, Virginia, United States, currently based out of Seattle, Washington. They began as a solo recording project in 2010 by Will Toledo, Car Seat Headrest released 12 albums on the internet site bandcamp. Signed to Matador Records in 2015, Car Seat Headrest is currently on tour presenting material from their latest album Teens of Denial as a full band. Toledo’s work is notable for its large online cult following. Some controversy as of late with this new album… advance copies were distributed to press months ago — contaning a song titled “There Is A Policeman In All Our Heads, He Must Be Destroyed (Good People),” which contains elements of The Cars classic “Just What I Needed.” It outright lifts the opening riff, but wanders off into a completely new vocal melody, forming a new song. The song’s outro reverts back into the original riff, this time incorporating Ocasek’s lyrics: “I don’t mind you comin’ here/ And wastin’ all my time/ ‘Cause when you’re standing oh so near/ I kinda lose my mind/ It’s not the way you cut your hair…” before trailing off into “…it’s a pretty nice haircut.”
It’s clearly built on Ocasek’s song, and not a cover, so Matador needed to negotiate a license to sample Ocasek’s work… to make a long story short he’s excercising his copyright and now thousands of the new LP will be returned and destroyed. For his part, Will Toledo — the stage name of the young songwriter who writes the Car Seat Headrest songs — is taking it in stride, and re-recorded a new song in place of the one Ocasek ordered pulled. The new song, cheekily titled “Not What I Needed,” will appear on both the digital and the delayed physical versions of the LP, which is ambiguously slated for a “summer” release.
MUDCRUTCH 2 (Reprise) Mudcrutch picks up where their 2008 debut left off, with trace elements of Southern swampiness mingling with sun-kissed West Coast mellowness. Tom Petty’s pre-fame band, Mudcrutch, have reunited for their second LP aptly titled, 2, and will embark on it’s first major American tour on May 26th in Denver, concluding June 28th in Santa Ana, California… Mudcrutch formed in 1970 in Gainesville, Florida. The band signed to Shelter Records in 1974 and released one single, “Depot Street,” before breaking up in 1975. Decades after Petty, Campbell and Tench found multi-platinum success with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, the quintet reunited for 2008’s Mudcrutch and a run of seven club shows.
Also Available The Week Of May 20
ANDY SHAUF The Party (Anti-)
ARTHUR BEATRICE Keeping the Peace (Harvest Records)
BARENAKED LADIES BNL Rocks Red Rocks (Concord Music Group)
BOB DYLAN Fallen Angels (Columbia)
ERIC CLAPTON I Still Do (23rd solo album, produced by Glyn Johns) (Brushbranch/Surfdog Records)
MUTUAL BENEFIT Skip A Sinking Stone (Mom + Pop)
ONDEADWAVES California (Mute)
PANTHA DU PRINCE (aka Hendrik Weber) The Triad (Rough Trade)
RACHAEL SAGE Choreographic (MPress/ILS/Caroline)
REUBEN HOLLEBON Terminal Nostalgia (Bright Antenna Records)
THE SACHAL ENSEMBLE (f/ Jim James, Kendrick Lamar, Cibo Matto, Nels Cline & more) Song Of Lahore (Universal Music Classics)
TONY JOE WHITE Rain Crow (Yep Roc)
VARIOUS ARTISTS (The National, Courtney Barnett & more) Day of the Dead (Dead tribute collection) (4AD)
ZIGGY MARLEY Ziggy Marley (6th solo album) (Tuff Gong Worldwide)
(Info Video Amazon TripleARadio.com iTunes NME ConsequenceOfSound Pitchfork.com NPR EW.com Pitchfork Wikipedia Facebook YouTube flavorwire.com rollingstone.com)
