Selective Memory

Here we are, a little bit past the half-way point of 2007, and it's time for a little look back. Shall we?

Highlights

1. The Arcade Fire keep from screwing up entirely. In fact, Neon Bible is still an amazing piece of music three months later, going long past the life expectancy of most sophomore records.If you haven't gotten it yet, why are you still here reading this?

2. Dinosaur Jr. beat the Pixies to recording a new album. Beyond is probably better than we should've expected from the reformed J. Mascis Patrol, and it'll probably be better than anything their Bostonian alt-rock contemporaries will serve up. We needed a friendly reminder of just how freakin' awesome this band still is.

3. NME hype bands take "artistic tailspin" to a new level. One released the same exact album over again (Arctic Monkeys' Favourite Worst Nightmare), another overstepped their artistic boundaries (Bloc Party's pretentious A Weekend In The City), and another really overestimated what they could do (The Bravery's laughable concept album The Sun and The Moon). If the excitable, ADD-riddled British music tabloid hasn't lost its credibility already, these three mis-steps should be the nails in the coffin.

4. Modest Mouse hire Johnny Marr, find ways to not be overrated. I guess all Isaac Brock needed was someone who could write real songs in order to make an album worthy of the hype that this band usurps from indie gods Built To Spill. Naturally, the indie press flat-out rejected it, making an impossible occurrence become reality: a Modest Mouse album is now under-rated.

5. Billy Corgan sells out even more, screws fans, only to receive his just desserts. "Tarantula" has failed to burn the charts, as expected, and one listen of Zeitgeist demonstrates that Corgan has completely forgot that he wrote any song other than "Zero". Even if the album becomes a minor success, it's safe to say that the Smashing Pumpkins "reunion" is turning out to be a failure in almost every respect.

Alas, I wish I bore more good news. But if I did, I wouldn't be a critic, now would I?

1. Hey Ted, where are you? Seriously, what is with the public indifference to Ted Leo? He put out some of the best music I've heard all year, he tours relentlessly (including a packed house show at Webster Hall which was, by mine and many other accounts, the shizz), yet nobody seems to pay him any mind. I'm not a big fan of hype, but come on! Somebody say some outrageously presumptuous statements to give Ted the popularity he deserves.

2. The Shins get more fans by being boring. By now, anything bearing the name of The Shins will get lots of attention from faux-hipster suburban girls who thought Garden State was, like, totally deep and shit. The Shins themselves proved that by releasing an album that made little impact except on Billboard.

3. Interpol lose it. And it probably won't come back. After a pretty good start, Our Love To Admire sinks back into the dance-rock funk our mopey heroes fell into with Antics. Clearly, having major-label tools at one's disposal doesn't always lead to greater ambitions.

4. Wilco get way too complacent for their own good. Jeff Tweedy used to be America's answer to Thom Yorke mixed with a bit of Alex Chilton to spare. Now, we find out that all he really wants to be is Graham Nash. Somebody get him back on painkillers and hopefully he won't come up with something as ho-hum as Sky Blue Sky.

5. Good rap music takes a hiatus. Six months into 2007, and all the rap world can offer us is T.I. and Young Buck? Are you friggin' kidding me? Hopefully, Kanye will laugh at my expectations and make a third album as good as his first two.

Oh, and...

6. Still no new Radiohead album. Seriously, Thom. It's been four years. What the hell?

As you kiddies enjoy your summer with cool drinks and fun, free Williamsburg shows (I reccommend any show at McCarren Pool. Slip-n-Slides make indie rock even more fun), here's some albums that'll make your summer better with their general awesomeness:

The Arcade Fire-Neon Bible
Ted Leo & The Pharmacists-Living With The Living
Spoon-Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Dinosaur Jr.-Beyond
Feist-The Reminder
Panda Bear-Person Pitch
Battles-Mirrored
Deerhoof-Fiend Opportunity
Menomena-Friend and Foe
Paul McCartney-Memory Almost Full (Please don't laugh. It's actually much better than it should be).

I'll be back in a few days with my picks for what to keep an eye out for in the second half of 2007.