Pitchfork Stuff Update, April Edition

Hopefully soon, I’ll be able to post two things: some thoughts on 2009 songs and albums thus far (Phoenix, “My Girls,” Yeah Yeah Yeahs, AC Newman, Royksopp), and more excitingly, my take on some of the best stuff to come out of Indiana lately (the Broderick, We Are Hex, Push/Pull, I’m looking in your direction[s]). For now though, some plain-old link-enabled narcisissm (much more to come this month, too).

Obi Best jumped out at me immediately late last year, then faded a bit, then re-emerged early this year. The closer I got, and the more I realized the template from which she was working, the more my enthusiasm waned. Still, though: Capades is about as solid as vaporous lady-pop gets. The record took a few years to get out in this form, which means, at least to me, that it’s a bit of a yard sale. Hopefully the followup comes from a briefer moment in time–I think that will reward her talents a lot more.

Who knew how much I’d still like Beth Orton, after 12 years? The first time I heard “She Cries Your Name” came in the midst of my Portishead thrall, when the girl I was dating opened a mix with it, and I dismissed it as too “resolutely Lilithy” to play around my friends. Guess I needed a few years of de-douching before I could properly recognize its proper merits. Revisit!

I’m not entirely overwhelmed with the new John Vanderslice single, but he’s a hard guy to be overwhelmed by. This is about as Vanderslician as he gets–impeccably crafted, sensitive, that balance between over-obviousness and obscurantism–and that’s…just fine.

Micachu and the Shapes seem destined for a ridiculous backlash, which is unfortunate. Jewellry (sic) is very good, not the kind of thing that could be called “great”, though it no doubt will be. “Calculator” isn’t the best track on the record (”Curly Teeth” is), but it’s the one that grabbed me first (the Champs riff, doy). The component parts of Music Blog Voltron went a little nuts over the record a month ago.