Lush, aspiring and larger-than-life art-pop -- with the necessary grand themes to go along -- has been the acclaimed stock in trade for Shearwater, the Austin, TX band led creatively by Jonathan Meiburg (ex-Okkervill River). Over a pair of extraordinary, universally praised albums - '08's Rook, '06's Palo Santo - Meiburg and band fashion songs of epic proportions, filled with majestic sounds and insanely beautiful nuance. The music is often as challenging as it is rewarding -- as most great album are -- with Meiburg's vocals moving from fragile falsetto to ardent intensity as the music builds and recedes, from turbulence to calm, behind him. It's a rarity when music can come across as both magnificent and understated, but Shearwater often finds compelling drama in the quietest of places.

New album The Golden Archipelago (February 23, Matador) once again explores big-canvased themes, this time focusing on the idea of islands from both a natural, physical state -- and Meiburg's own globe-trotting recollections and historical studies -- along with the associated inherent isolation. Tracks such as the resplendant "Runners of the Sun", furiously detailed "Black Eyes" and achingly supple "God Made Me" all fit together like pieces of a meticulously assembled puzzle, each adding its own sophisticated segment...and an homage to the fading art-form known as the "album." Highly recommended.

Shearwater - "Castaways" (from the album The Golden Archipelago)

Shearwater - Album Sampler (of The Golden Archipelago)

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There's a simpler new efficiency to the third album from Swedish indie alt/popsters Shout Out Louds, an indication coming directly from the title: Work (Merge). Part of it is attitude, peeling away any unnecessary pop clutter or bells and whistles. Part of it is a maturity and confidence that's evident in the new songs from chief creator and front man Adam Olenius, composed while holed up in his Aussie girlfriend's apartment with just a guitar, a small keyboard and his laptop. And part of it is in the choice of producer: Seattle indie mainstay Phil Ek (Fleet Foxes, The Shins) -- a man known for keeping it real and keeping it all about the basics, primarily with an organic "live in the studio" feel. And yes, in case you were wondering, it does, indeed, work. And well.

Lead tracks -- the vigorous, impellent "Fall Hard" and edge-meets-hook impact of "Walls" -- reinforce this new frill-resistant Work ethic. Whatever decorative, orchestral and "space"-filling trappings that may have been employed with the band's 07 album Our Ill Wills have been pretty much eliminated and the songs have a refreshingly blunt urgency. "The whole idea for this record...was to make a more stripped down record, to lose the dramatic sound we had on the second one," Olenius reflects. "We wanted to be more relaxed in what we do." Recommended. Videos after the jump...

Shout Out Louds - "Walls" (from the album Work)

Shout Out Louds - "Fall Hard" (from the album Work)

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Former Talking Head-man David Byrne and noted beatmaster Fatboy Slim will finally see the release of their adventurous new conceptual musical project Here Lies Love on February 23 via Nonesuch. Alternately described as a "song cycle" and a "disco opera", Here Lies Love tells the tale of Imelda Marcos, the highliving, shoe-collecting and deposed First Lady of the Philippines utilizing some high-profile female singers performing original songs from Byrne and collaborator Fat Boy Slim, aka Norman Cook. Among the 20+ vocalists participating on the new album: Cyndi Lauper, Martha Wainwright, Santigold, Brit soul-belter Alice Russell, Dapking's frontwoman Sharon Jones, Tori Amos, Candie Payne and Roisin Murphy.

As you would expect, Byrne and Cook indulge in a tasty stew of international musical influences, from Latin, Brazilian and African beats to the high-energy dance music of the 80's, a nod, says Cook, to Marcos' legendary nights at New York clubs like Studio 54 with the likes of Henry Kissinger and George Hamilton. Here Lies Love will be available as an double CD set and also in a deluxe version that includes a book and DVD. 

David Byrne Myspace  Fatboy Slim Myspace  Here Lies Love Page

David Byrne, Fatboy Slim with Santigold - "Please Don't" (from the album Here Lies Love)

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Fans of Eef Barzelay and his unfortunately christened band Clem Snide got a long awaited gift last year with the release of Hungry Bird, the oft-delayed album that was subject to the plagues of internal creative strife and personnel disarray. After some promising solo projects, Barzelay decided to regroup Clem Snide, wrapped up Hungry Bird for '09 release, toured with his cohorts and set out to continue the Snide-ly legacy. To our great delectation, twelve fresh new slices of The Meat of Life arrive February 23 via the 429 label, clearly the result of a renewed and reinvigorated creative process from Barzelay (who describes his songs as "confrontational") and backing members Brendan Fitzpatrick (bass, organ) and Ben Martin (drums).

As with all Snide works dating back well over a decade, Meat boasts all the signature traits that have characterized their sound and style: literate wordplay, unpredictable time signatures and off-kilter melodies all laid out with ambitious scope balanced with a raw, not-quite-ragged directness. The skittering indie-pop charms of "Denise" and sharp-cornered "I Got High" share space with the delicate sensitivity of "Nothing Much to Show of It", ebullient harmonies at play with a lovely string arrangement. Recommended.

Clem Snide - "Denise" (from the album The Meat of Life)

Clem Snide - "With Nothing Much to Show of It" (from the album The Meat of Life)

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After nearly twenty years of creating some of the most acclaimed and enduring modern folk of our time, singer/songwriter Carrie Newcomer says she's "peeled back another musical and emotional layer" on her forthcoming February 23 album Before and After (Rounder), adding that "there is something unguarded and naked about this album." As with her fine 2008 album Geography of Light, Newcomer's penchant for opulent production, impeccable ear for melody and warm, inviting vocal style make Before and After a sterling example of contemporary adult songwriting. You won't find much out of place here -- but you'll also marvel at the detailed craftsmanship in each song, effortless if you weren't aware of the innate artisan-like skill at work in each detail.

As with her fellow musical travelers Mary Chapin Carpenter (who guests here), Rosanne Cash and Alison Krauss, Newcomer has honed her own particular style to perfection, comfortable in her own musical and emotional skin, spiritual observations and musical influences: from rootsy Appalachian instrumentation to lovely, classic folk/pop melodies. We're particularly fond of the dark undertow at work in the hazy shadows of "Coy Dogs" and the warm pulse beating in the lovely "Hush." "The joy and challenge in creating this album was endeavoring to be fearlessly uncluttered and subtle," observes Newcomer. We think she's succeeded beautifully. Recommended.

Myspace Artist Site

Carrie Newcomer - Before and After sampler ("Coy Dogs", "Before and After", "Ghost Train", "Hush")

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Alkaline Trio - This Addiction (Rock/Punk)

Andrew McKenna Lee - Gravity and Air (Classical/Experimental/Guitar)

Andrew W.K. - Close Calls With Brick Walls/Mother of Mankind (Rock)

Balmorhea - Constellations (Alt/Folk/Ambient/Neo-Classical)*

Barney Bentall - Inside Passage (Rock/Roots/Pop/Americana)

Brian Jonestown Massacre - Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? (Rock/Alt)*

Butch Walker and the Black Widows - I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart (Pop/Rock)*

Carolina Chocolate Drops - Genuine Negro Jig (Americana/Bluegrass/Folk)*

Carolyn Leonhart and Wayne Escoffery - Tides of Yesterday (Jazz/Vocal)*

Carrie Newcomer - Before & After (Folk/Pop)*

Claire Voyant - Claire Voyant (Pop/Electronica)

Clem Snide - The Meat of Life (Pop/Folk/Alt)*

Daniel Merriweather - Love & War (Pop/Soul)*

David Byrne and Fatboy Slim - Here Lies Love (Pop/Rock/Dance)*

Deadstring Brothers - Sao Paulo (Country/Rock/Blues)*

Efterklang - Magic Chairs (Pop/Alt/Indie)*

Holly Miranda - The Magician's Private Library (Alt/Pop)

Irish Tenors - Ireland (Celtic/Vocal/Classical)

Jack Rose - Luck In the Valley (Acoustic/Blues/Folk/Guitar Instrumental)*

Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me (Pop/Alt/Neo-Folk)*

John Ellis and Double Wide - Puppet Mischief (Jazz/Pop/R+B/Instrumental)*

Johnny Cash - American VI: Ain't No Grave (Country)

Josh Thompson - Way Out Here (Country/Pop)

Josh Williams - Down Home (Bluegrass)

Joy Kills Sorrow - Darkness Sure Becomes This City (Bluegrass/Acoustic/Folk)*

Julian Cope - Peggy Suicide (Deluxe 2-CD Edition) (Rock/Pop)

Lucky Peterson - Heart of Pain (Blues)

Mark Whitfield - Songs of Wonder (Jazz/Guitar/R+B)

Moreland and Arbuckle - Flood (Blues/Rock/Roots)

Past Lives - Tapestry of Webs (Alt/Pop/Indie/Rock)

Razia Said - Zebu Nation (Afro-Beat, Folk, International)

Rocky Votolato - True Devotion (Pop/Folk)*

Sarah Buxton - Sarah Buxton (Country/Pop)

Shearwater - Golden Archipelago (Indie/Art-Rock)*

Shout Out Louds - Work (Rock/Pop)*

Sound of Days - The Quiet Night (Rock/Alt)

The Rocket Summer - Of Men & Angels (Pop/Rock)

Veil Veil Vanish - Change In the Neon Light (New Wave/Electronica/Alt)

Xiu Xiu - Dear God I Hate Myself (Alt/Folk/Pop/Indie)