Audio By Carbonatix
Welcome to “Nothing Not New,” a yearlong project in which New Times editorial operations manager Jay Bennett, a 40-year-old music fan and musician, will listen only to music released in 2010. Each Monday through Friday, he will listen to one new record (no best ofs, reissues, or concert recordings) and write about it. Why? Because in the words of his editor, Martin Cizmar, he suffers from “aesthetic atrophy,” a wasting away of one’s ability to embrace new and different music as one ages. Read more about this all-too-common ailment here.
Adam GreenTitle: Minor LoveRelease date: February 16, 2010Label: Fat Possum Adam Green has six solo records out, but who’s even heard of this guy? Well, you may know about his work in the Moldy Peaches, the “anti-folk” duo that wrote that cloying song “Anyone Else But You,” which eventually became a minor hit because of its inclusion in the movie Juno. After Moldy Peaches stopped making music, most people probably figured they’d never hear from its members again. But Adam Green kept on making music, and lots of it. Six solo records in five years, by my count.
His latest record shows that he’s a talented musician with tons of ideas and a broad sense of style. Too bad he doesn’t really fully flesh out many of the musical ideas on Minor Love. To me, it’s a collection of 14 underdeveloped songs. There are flashes of greatness here and there, and the record clocks in at just 31 minutes, so it never wears out its welcome. Green’s sound unlike Lou Reed, and a couple of the songs sound as though they could be late-era Reed stuff. If you like offbeat humor and that Lou Reed-esque idiosyncratic NYC street-poet stuff, you’d probably really dig Adam Green.
Best song: “What Makes Him Act So Bad,” Green’s stab at Nuggets-style ’60s garage.Rotation: MediumDeja Vu: Any college town’s goofball-romantic singer-songwriterI’d rather listen to: Jonathan RichmanGrade: B-
The “Nothing Not New” Archives
Feb. 15 — Juliana Hatfield: Peace & Love (B+)
Feb. 12 — Massive Attack: Heligoland (C-)Feb. 11 — The Watson Twins: Talking to You, Talking to Me (C-)Feb. 10 — Hot Chip: One Life Stand (B+)Feb. 9 — You Say Party! We Say Die!: XXXX (B+)Feb. 8 — Allison Moorer: Crows (B)
Feb. 5 — Joe Pug: Messenger (C)Feb. 4 — The Soft Pack: The Soft Pack (A)Feb. 3 — Polysics: Absolute Polysics (B-)Feb. 2 — Pierced Arrows: Descending Shadows (A-)Feb. 1 — The Brunettes: Paper Doll (B-)
Jan. 29 — Basia Bulat: Heart of My Own (C)Jan. 28 — Priestess: Prior to the Fire (B)Jan. 27 — The Magnetic Fields: Realism (B)Jan. 26 — Four Tet: There Is Love in You (D)Jan. 25 — Delphic: Acolyte (C+)
Jan. 22 — The Hot Rats: Turn Ons (B+)Jan. 21 — Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring (A-)Jan. 20 — Midlake: The Courage of Others (D-)Jan. 19 — Laura Veirs: July Flame (B+)Jan. 18 — Beach House: Teen Dream (C)
Jan. 15 — Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM (B)Jan. 14 — OK Go: Of the Blue Colour of the Sky (D)Jan. 13 — Eels: End Times (A-)Jan. 12 — Spoon: Transference (B)Jan. 11 — Editors: In This Light and On This Evening (D+)
Jan. 8 — Surfer Blood: Astro Coast (B+)Jan. 7 — Yeasayer: Odd Blood (C-)Jan. 6 — Cold War Kids: Behave Yourself EP (B+)Jan. 5 — Vampire Weekend: Contra (D+)Jan. 4 — Texas Tornados: Está Bueno! (B)
Jan. 1 — Scanners: Submarine (B-)
