Another week, another Tuesday, another flurry of new music. As new albums drop, this column will do its best to track the notable releases so you don’t have to. Only new material is included in this list; compilations, re-releases, live albums and remixes will generally not be covered.

• Autechre - Quaristice

Electronica that is fairly aurally interesting, but ends up trying to be too clever for it’s own good.

• Born Ruffians - Red Yellow and Blue

Folk rock with a light alt-country influence. The instrumentations are calming and yet catchy, and though the vocals are overproduced the music is a pleasant listen.

• Cadence Weapon - Afterparty Babies

Hip-hop rhymes over IDM and house succeeds in being fun if not in being innovative. It’s better than a lot of stuff in heavy radio rotation, but that isn’t saying much. The flow is occasionally uneven and “Do I Miss My Friends” - a capella doo-wop underneath clumsy rhymes - is one of the most awkward things I’ve heard in a while.

• The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia

The desparate, dark result of one of underground rock’s most anticipated albums of the year. The Gutter Twins are a product of Greg Dulli, Mark Lanegan, and possibly a deal with the devil.

• Ladyhawk - Shots

Playing dirty and messy rock music, Ladyhawk oscillates be between lucid, run down, and bat-shit crazy, without actually sounding bat-shit crazy. The Canadian four-piece is the auditory equivalent of a dive bar. Make of that what you will.

• Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash

Pavement fans should realize before clicking above that this is not in any way Pavement. It’s blues-tinged rock (of the type that the White Stripes and the Black Keys have been popularizing for the last several years), and if you like that sort of thing this might be right up your alley.

• The Ruby Suns - Sea Lions

New Zealand indie-pop heavy on melody and echo. There’s a definite dream-like aesthetic at work, but it’s not working very hard.

• A Weather - Cove

I imagine this is what Azure Ray would sound like with a male/female vocal. Sparse, soft, commanding a sad elegance. A tad bit too much production.

• Black Crowes - Warpaint

This record apparently is a mediocre rehash of the band’s earlier work. Unless, if course, one actually listens to the album. Mixing the best of 70s and arena rock since the 80s.

• Flogging Molly - Float

A favorite of suburban high schoolers exploring punk ever since I was a suburban high schooler exploring punk. Not as rowdy as their fellow Irish-American punks the Dropkick Murphys but then again, who is?

• Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazerus, Dig!!!

I don’t really know how to describe this other than “It’s Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.” Check it out.

• The Oaks - Songs for Waiting

Simple, sweet, introspective and yet somehow incredibly dense. It’s difficult to pinpoint how exactly the Oaks do what they do, but on their debut album they definitely do it quite beautifully.

• Bauhaus - Go Away White

The iconic band’s first new album in 15 years. After an 18 day recording session in which band members got along well, and first takes were taken as final takes, “an incident” occurred causing the group to announce that this will be their final album, with no supporting tour. After listening to of these tracks, it’s a damned shame. Dark, menacing, driving, compelling rock and roll at its best.

Some definite highs and lows this week; new bands sprouting up and old legends giving their last. Such things are to be expected when checking out What’s New.

© Eric Atienza 2008 for Listen In. Some rights reserved.

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