Hüsker Düde, I forgot The Shins had a new album coming out! Hurray! The only new album I’m looking more forward too is Belle and Sebastian’s Dear Catastrophe Waitress, which comes out in October. Not too thrilled about the title, but it has to be better than Storytelling*. Right?
I’ll second that. A fine album, way better than I ever would have expected. Honorable mention to Radiohead’s generally pretty cool Hail to the Thief, but it’s pretty slim beyond those two.
The new Shins album is excellent; I’ve actually listened to a couple of times.
They haven’t written another song as good as 'New Slang.’ But I think Chutes To Narrow surpasses their debut by far. You have a sweet treat to look forward too, I promise.
I’m going to wait and buy it when it comes out on vinyl, Oh, Inverted World came in beautiful blue vinyl and had the most gorgeous packaging.
Bit of a disappointing year so far. There’s been lots of pretty good albums but no real stand-outs.
cheddarsnax,
Why do you say that Indestructible is a low point in the career of Rancid? Which of their albums are better (aside from Let’s Go, I’ll give you that one)?
Hüsker Düde, how have you received a copy of the new Shins album? Life is so unfair!
New Pornographers - Electric Version
Already kudo’d up
S.T.R.E.E.T.S. - Bobognargnar
Stands for Skating Totally Rules Everything Else Totally Sucks… great skatepunk/metal
The Exploding Hearts (RIP 
) - Guitar Romantic
It’s a real shame these guys (3 out of the 4 of them, anyway) recently died in a car accident… they could have been America’s answer to the Buzzcocks
The Gossip - Movement
Garage rockin’ goils.
Andrew Vincent & The Pirates - I Love the Modern Way
A mixture of Jonathan Richman’s first album and the Replacements first album
The Scene Creamers - I Suck On That Emotion
Cynical, smart, original indie-rock
The Weakerthans - Reconstruction Site
Took a while to grow on me, but it was worth the effort.
The Kings of Leon - Youth & Young Manhood
Part of the Southern rock revival, but they expand upon the premise.
It has leaked. My friend plays it non-stop around his house, but personally I’m waiting for the proper release.
I forgot The Exploding Hearts album. Excellent ‘pop-punk’ (in the vein of The Jam and the aforementioned Buzzcocks) that has nothing to do with skateboards, Vans shoes or wallet chains. These guys were my age with their whole lives in front of them, just on the brink of making it big. Breaks my heart…
I really want to check out The Scene Creamers album, Ian Svenonius is a hero of mine.
But are we sure that a Southern Rock revival is a good thing? I don’t know…
And Out Come The Wolves, Rancid (2000), and Life Won’t Wait (in addition to Let’s Go).
I have to agree on the greatness of Life Won’t Wait. Thats the album that all the “punx” hate, but IMHO its the most punk album Rancid ever put out. Everything else they’ve done is pretty much by-the-numbers generic punk, but they actually tried to do something different on this album. Ahhh…but then again, I think Sandinista is the best Clash album, so what do I know?
I don’t really like the fact that they’re hob-nobbing with the likes of Good Charlotte. Thats kind of like collaborating with the enemy. They lose at least a hundred thousand punk points for that. Having said that, Indestructible is still a pretty good, albeit generic album.
Jon
I’m gonna go out on a limb and call the Bangles new one, Doll Revolution, one of the best of 2003, but thats only because I have a thing for Susanna Hoffs.
I have to agree with The Griffin…It has been a disappointing year so far. New albums from my old faves, Turbonegro and Supersuckers, haven’t been up to the standards of previous releases, Garage Rock is becoming watered down and commercialized, and there hasn’t been anything new in the punk underground to get excited about.
I did think of one new album while I was typing that really kicks some major ass…The new Mudhoney record, Since We’ve Become Translucent, is probably the best album they’ve ever made, hell, the best album ANYBODY has ever made, and its been totally overlooked by the mainstream, the underground…by everybody. You all should go buy a copy, on vinyl, right now.
Jon