End of the Month Music Bitchfest - May 2012

Just a note for anyone who, for whatever reason, is here for the first time. Each month I complain about my five favorite bands (Nine Inch Nails, They Might Be Giants, Eels, Beck and Cake) and anything else relating to music that's in my Cone of Perception. If I don't mention one of my favorite bands, it's because, literally, nothing is happening with them...or at least nothing they are sharing with us, the people who BUY THEIR FUCKING MUSIC AND PUT FUCKING CLOTHES ON THE BACK OF THEIR STUPIDLY NAMED CHILDREN. so that's what this is.

Nine Inch Nails
Posted on Twitter at around 5:45 on Thursday, May 31st:

"Getting the plan together for @destroyangels. You will hear new music later this year. Stay tuned."

How 'bout you stay fucked?

Later this year? Reznor said this album was coming out quarter one of 2011.

That's the first four months of the year 2011, in case anyone doesn't get how time and calendar and shit work.

How about this: if this turns out to be a double album, all is forgiven. A double album could possibly have taken this fucking long, but if you assholes squirt out some 12 track, fifty-five minute thing in motherfucking December...I'm going to buy it and all the merchandise associated with it.

And see you in concert when you come around my way.

Seriously, who the fuck am I kidding?

Beck
I am utterly speechless.
So much so that I'm just going to post a link.
The Apocalypse MUST be coming.

They Might Be Giants
The band continues to release their amazing, free podcast weekly. While listening last week, I had a realization: TMBG is, essentially, bringing back the mix tape with this podcast. It's a guy with a HUGE collection of forgotten and rare tracks which he's releasing every week to those who are interested. Way to fight the future, Flans.
Aside from the podcast, Flans is keeping fans apprised of the recording of their new, as-yet-untitled album, expected early 2013.
What TMBG is doing, keeping people updated as things happen in the studio is so refreshing after the cryptic mindfucking of Nine Inch Nails, the smug silence of Cake and the utter absence of Eels.
You'll notice I've left Beck off that list as I am STILL floored by the above link.
Holy SHIT.


In other news, this month marked the release of the new Marilyn Manson, Garbage and Scissor Sisters albums.
I've talked at length about the first two (review of the shitty new Manson, review of the pretty good new Garbage) and, as for the new Scissor Sisters, Magic Hour, I'll have a proper review up soon, but, sadly, it isn't nearly as solid as I had hoped. There are a few rock solid tracks on it, but not nearly enough. Sad, sad, sad. Oh well, at least I'll always have "The Backwoods Discotheque".

 And, remember that super-rare-only-2500-in-the-world St. Vincent vinyl?
Well, they released it on iTunes.
Which, honestly, I couldn't care less about as I was going to have the record converted to mp3 anyway.
If we've learned anything from the Terminator films it's that you cannot resist the future.
*sigh*

Finally, the latest Ramona Falls album, Prophet, is astounding. The first album, Intuit, was amazing, a rock solid, stand out proof of concept, but this new one is the magnificent tree that's grown out of its incredible seed.
Ramona Falls has the same sad, beautiful complexity that can be found in a lot of Sufjan Stevens' music, but, while I find some of Stevens' stuff a bit inaccessible, most everything by Brent Knopf grabs you almost immediately and doesn't release you until the album is over. I don't think I've been more excited about a band's follow up album since finishing Intuit, and Prophet has delivered a thousandfold.
Ramona Falls is doing what indie artists should: being awesome, deep and unique.
Listen to Prophet if you like things that are good.

LINKS
Hear new Ramona Falls album
Ramona Falls - "I Say Fever" music video
Ramona Falls - "Russia" music video



* unless there is nothing to complain about...which is rare