The Shins : Port of Morrow

The Shins will leave you with questions. Why does frontman James Mercer sing with a British accent? What is a “goathead tune?” Will the Shins be the Shins after a five-year silence and major personnel changes? With regard to the first two, we may never know. However, after the release of their latest album, Port of Morrow, we can give that last question a confident “Yes.”

While the album has fewer of those little sonic flourishes– the beeps, buzzes, and shimmers– that made 2006’s Wincing the Night Away so wonderfully weird, Port of Morrow speaks to a comfortable maturation.

In the five years between albums, Mercer most notably teamed up with producer Brian Burton on one of the most buzzed about projects of 2010, Broken Bells.

With Broken Bells, we got to listen in on some other planet’s indie rock scene. Though, underneath the mellotron and synth, the sounds of the Shins was bleeding through. It was obvious that Mercer’s strong and distinctive style is the group’s lifeblood, regardless of drummer.

One of best examples of that is the new album’s first single, “Simple Song,” which has classic charging, Shins hookiness, but is more grounded than previous works. Take the line “I know things can really get rough when you go it alone.” It’s miraculously intelligible.

Another marker of growth is “40 Mark Strasse,” which showcases Mercer’s ghostly whistling and tableaux of moderate suburban malaise, but also a bolder, swelling, 80s-tinged chorus. This time around, their Brit pop bounce has been replaced with a subtle 80s sheen.

The only new question Port of Morrow leaves is whether that thing on the cover is a llama or Donnie Darko.

Shins Round Up

They put themselves away for five years and now they're everywhere.

+ Wednesday NPR is streaming an exclusive concert on their iPad app. Thankfully, they realize not everyone has an iPad. You can watch the show on their site.

+ The Shins also turned up on the way unfunny Funny or Die sketch "Clapping Butter."

+ Finally, they'll take on the fantastically bad sound set up at SNL this week. Jonah Hill is hosting, so the Shins might just be the best part of the episode.

The Shins Release "Simple Song" Video

As we slide toward March 20 and the release of the Shins new album Port of Morrow, expect an spike in all things Shins related. First up, there's a new video out for "Simple Song," featuring James Mercer as a not-so-dearly-departed dad. You can check it out above, or hop on over to iTunes and download it for free. 

You'll also probably get to hear "Simple Song" when the Shins play Saturday Night Live on March 10. Jonah Hill is slated to host. 

Simple Song : The Shins

Finally a mailing list is good for something. The Shins released "Simple Song" off their forthcoming album today for mailing list subscribers. Lucky for you, the Sound Cloud embed is above.

"Simple Song" is Shins-peppy, but a deviation from the Brit pop vein they were tapping on Wincing the Night Away. James Mercer, on the other hand, sounds as English as usual.

Port of Morrow is out March 20, and if you're hardcore about it, you can order a reel-to-reel version of the album.... because so many of us have reel-to-reel machines.

Kick in the Shins: New Album on the Way

Half a decade after Wincing the Night Away, the Shins (remember them?) have put out word that we can expect a new album sometime in March. In case you think this is another cruel fake out where they float out a bit of info and then go silent for six months, they've got album art and a track listing to back up their claim. It's ten songs and it's called "Port of Morrow."

Five years is a long time. In the meanwhile, frontman James Mercer has been busy breaking bells and firing his bandmates, so I guess we'll see how this stacks up to the rest of the Shins catalogue. Though in all honesty, I'm not worried. Mercer's sound (and really, the Shins's sound) came through so well on the Broken Bells album and EP, I'm sure this will be the follow up we've been waiting for.

In other news, I don't know about you, but that cover is some freaky stuff. It's either Donnie Darko up there or a llama. (Love child of Donnie Darko and a llama??) Perhaps. 

Track listing: 

01 : The Rifle’s Spiral 
02 : Simple Song 
03 : It’s Only Life 
04 : No Way Down
05 : September 
06 : Bait and Switch
07 : Fall of ’82 
08 : For A Fool 
09 : 40 Mark Strasse 
10 : Port of Morrow

This Exists: Bluegrass Cover of "New Slang"

A quick hit. Every now and then I have one of those "This exists??" moments. I present to you a bluegrass version of The Shins's "New Slang" by some sort of bluegrass tribute group called Iron Horse.

It's pretty cool. And the best part is that I did not go looking for this sucker. You can thank the weird realm that is Turntable.fm for this little discovery.

The Shins Sell Out

I am totally kidding. Couldn't be happier that the long-silent New Mexico indie pop band signed to Columbia Records and is hitting the road this fall.

Look for a new album next year on Aural Apothecary, which is a Columbia imprint run by frontman James Mercer. The band split from SubPop in 2008.

Here's the tour schedule.

8/8 – Eugene, Oreg. : W.O.W. Hall
8/9 – Bend, Oreg. : The Domino Room
8/10 – Portland, Oreg. : The Doug Fir Lounge
8/12 – San Francisco, Calif. : Outside Lands Festival

9/22 – Toronto, Ontario : Phoenix Concert Theatre
9/23 – Philadelphia, Penn. : Popped! Festival
9/24 – Boston, Mass. : Paradise Rock Club

10/15 – Pensacola, Fla. : DeLuna Festival

And if they're not coming to a city near you, please enjoy my personal favorite song of theirs (above), also known as the 2nd most played song on my iTunes.

The Musically Inclined's Top Albums of the Decade

Several weeks ago, every music publication and their mother('s publication?) started putting out "best of the decade" lists. Of course, until that moment I hadn't actually thought about the fact that the decade was ending until Bob Boilen was waxing nostalgic about OutKast or whatever.

That said, if everybody's doing it (always solid justification to do anything), TMI would be remiss not to throw together a completely subjective list of albums from this first decade of the millennium, in the effort to celebrate (and to impress the reader-- more solid justification) the finer points of the past ten years.

Criteria: Must own album.

Note: I got 99 albums and Jay-Z ain't on one. Or Bon Iver. Or any White Stripes before 2006. Never bought the Arctic Monkeys album. Refused to buy anything by Arcade Fire. No, Wilco is not on this list either.

So here, not truly grounded in anything but my mood this afternoon, are The Musically Inclined's Top Albums of the Decade.

Send your eye-rolling grievances to
themusicallyinclined@gmail.com.

Much love,

Erin

Greetings from Michigan : Sufjan Stevens : 2003

Everyone always raves about Come on Feel the Illinoise, but Greetings from Michigan was the album TMI was interested in. It was partly due to my undying love for states that look like articles of clothing, but mostly it was because when I heard it, I knew Stevens hit Michigan on the head. Things have been rough up there, but there's a lot of natural beauty when you get past the economically depressed cities. Stevens managed to balance some of the grim realities of Michigan, with a sound that matched icicles on tree branches and the gorgeousness that is the Upper Peninsula. Plus, TMI first heard "For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti" on The O.C. in the Spring of '06. It felt significant.

Tranatlanticism : Death Cab for Cutie : 2003

Still the best Death Cab for Cutie album to date. More refined than their way early sound on Something About Airplanes, yet these were the edgier days before computers took over on Plans. Transatlanticism is Death Cab for Cutie at its best. Of course, this is not to say that TMI wasn't crazy about Plans... in fact, TMI would probably buy a box set of the band tuning their guitars, but really. Just about every song on Transatlanticism is a winner - "The Sound of Settling," "Expo '86," "Title and Registration," "Passenger Seat"-- this is the place to start if you haven't already.

Home : Dixie Chicks : 2003

Random country album? Maybe. Back in the day before The Dixie Chicks wrote mildly bitter songs about being wronged, they decided to go acoustic on their (in their current line up) third album, Home. It was ridiculously good-- a reprieve form that glitzy glossy commercial crap that passes for country these days. It was a little bit rootsy, a little bit folksy, but mostly just really solid. From "Long Time Gone," to the cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Landslide," to "Lil' Jack Slade," to the super powerful "Top of the World," The Dixie Chicks laid down the direction that country music should have gone in-- "More Love," less Miley.

American Idiot : Green Day : 2004

It was like those angsty kids in middle school grew up a (little) bit and made a somewhat serious statement. Who knew? Between "Give Me Novacaine," "Tales of a Broken Home," and "Boulevard of Broken Dreams," we started to get a grim picture of a generation raised by the media and popular culture. Or you could just sing along and pretend like you're angry. That's fun too.

Continuum : John Mayer : 2006

Room for Squares was an album for lusty teenage girls. Heavier Things spoke of potential. Continuum was the product of not a teen heart throb or one more drippy, sensitive singer, but of a highly talented guitarist and lyricist. Continuum was bluesy and soulful in a manner we didn't think Mayer was capable of, and it put him on track for "guitar great" status. Continuum is so rich, I only like to listen to it on occasion-- don't want to take it for granted. I also treat mangoes that way, but that's a separate issue.

In Rainbows : Radiohead : 2007

Maybe it's that I'd never listened to Radiohead seriously before. Maybe it's their avant garde marketing strategy. Maybe it's the way "15 Steps" is some strange breed of entrancing and infectious. "Videotape," "House of Cards"-- being classified as "un-radio friendly" never sounded so appealing.

Wincing the Night Away : The Shins : 2007

I bought this album after hearing the Garden State soundtrack for the first time a few years back (and who didn't?!). "Australia" is my most-played song on iTunes-- which is funny because I can never remember specific times when I've listened to this album. It's like an unconscious instinct pulls me back to Wincing the Night Away and I gladly follow. Cryptic, catchy, lightly sprinkled with 60's Brit pop, TMI eagerly awaits whatever James Mercer (and whomever he's wrangled for the line up) releases next.

Boxer : The National : 2007

Describing The National as "orchestral pop" does not do the band justice. Sophisticated sounds back the uncertainty of drifting into an oblivion of adulthood. Beautiful, often poignant imagery almost makes you want to be 30, if only for the drama and doomed romance of blue blazers, swanky apartment parties, and friends you can barely recognize anymore. Also, there seems to be a critical consensus that front man Matt Berninger's voice sounds like a variety of liquors. How could they go wrong?

Which albums made your list?

News Round-Up!

It seems as though there have been quite a few interesting music news bits lately. Here's a quick overview.

- Reportedly, Bob Dylan is planning on releasing a Christmas album. Because you really want to hear Dylan rasping his way through "Up on the Rooftop." Not too many more details so far. We'll keep you posted.

- Mika has released the specs regarding his sophomore album. Name: The Boy Who Knew Too Much. Release Date: September, 22 (U.S.). Track Number: 12. City of Production: Los Angeles. First Single: We Are Golden. Level of Excitement at TMI: High.

- As if Ryan Gosling couldn't get any better, dude's got a band. Dead Man's Bones will release their self-titled debut album on October 6. According to NME, the band describes their musical inspiration as "Disney haunted mansion, doo wop and 60s girl groups." Maybe he should just stick to acting.

- Radiohead released a new song this week, entitled "Harry Patch (In Memory of). I felt very non-British. Harry Patch is (was) an actual person, in fact he was the last survivor of World War I. (Yeah, Patch was 111 years old.) He died on July 25th and Radiohead released the song the day before his funeral. Thom Yorke talked about the need for future generations to be reminded of the atrocities that accompanies war.

- But then, Radiohead came out and said not to expect any full albums for a while. EPs, singles and one-offs? Yes. LPs? They're just not feelin' it. We're confused?

- Jack White debuted a solo single called "Fly Farm Blues." [insert generic Jack White grumbling].

- Heath Ledger's Modest Mouse video for "King Rat" premiered. Haven't seen it yet, but apparently it has "save the whales" undertones. Score.

- The Shins' drummer Jesse Sandoval didn't leave the group because of an "aesthetic decision." He was fired. Well, alrighty then.

Phew, that's all I've got for now. Stay tuned, kids.

TMI Mini Mix no. 2

Is there a better way to start off 2009 than with TMI Mini Mix no. 2? I can think of none. Last week my friend gave me a copy of an album called The Midnight Organ Fight by Frightened Rabbit, a group from Scotland. I've been spending some quality time with the album and I'm liking it a lot. I put a good deal of stock in what my friend recommends and he's yet to suggest a dud.

I thought I'd build the mini mix around one track called "Old Old Fashioned" which as got this awesome skiffle thing going on and that inevitably brought me to "I've Just Seen a Face" by The Beatles and things just spiraled. Anyway, take a listen. It'll be up all month.

Best of luck in 2009, here's to hoping you've sufficiently recovered from last night.

1. I've Just Seen a Face : Paul McCartney
2. Old Old Fashioned : Frightened Rabbit
3. Long Day : Matchbox Twenty
4. Turn On Me : The Shins
5. The Underdog : Spoon

The Travelling Band on Twisted Ear

No, I didn't add an extra 'l' to 'travelling' because I felt like it. Check these guys out. They won the New Talent award at Glastonbury this summer. Think Shins combined with Nickel Creek. This is some really good stuff.

This is about the Garden State soundtrack. I can't think of a snazzy title.

It's been quite the week, so unfortunately I've neglected The Musically Inclined a bit. The upside is that it's Friday and I've cleared my schedule to do precious nothing tonight...or that's the plan at least. Lord knows I'll wind up getting roped into something and probably go very willingly. In any case, I was trying to think of something to post about. The most obvious thing music-related is that the other day I watched Garden State for the second time. It's really a terrific movie, the kind of that's got a perfect balance of heart, soul, brain, and weirdness. Unless you've seen it before, you've got no idea where you're going until you get there. That's fairly representative of life, I think.

Garden State has been out a few years and I distinctly remember being more interested in it for the soundtrack than for the actual movie, because that's most of what anyone talked about. A friend gave me a copy of the soundtrack last year and that's ultimately what spurred me to rent it. Some soundtracks are weak, only having a couple songs worthy of purchase, but what makes this one different is that it plays like that perfect mix tape that someone gave you. I guess these days it's more about the playlist, but the idea is the same. From Nick Drake, Frou Frou, Colin Hay, Coldplay, and of course the Shins, there's not a track there that doesn't perfectly encapsulate the feel of the movie. Most strikingly, I knew exactly what kind of tone to expect before ever watching it.

That's some serious mix tape skill. At the same time the soundtrack is so solid and rich, I listen to it sparingly. These last couple days though, it's been on loop in my head and I don't mind hearing that wistful, calm, yet cathartic backdrop to my day-to-day life.

If for some reason you haven't seen Garden State, good freaking grief, get your butt into gear and watch it. Now.

The Shins Shun Sub Pop?

This rolled in about an hour ago from the always trusty Rolling Stone news feed. Apparently The Shins' fourth album will be released on Aural Apothecary, frontman James Mercer's label. And the exodus continues. What's surprising here, is that I thought smaller labels such as Sub Pop, though it does carry hefty indie clout, would be safe if only a little while longer. Hold up though, before you drop to your knees and start praying for the music industry, Sub Pop isn't totally out of the picture though its role might be of a supporting nature as a "partnering label."

In any case, TMI is more than a little giddy at the prospect of a new Shins album. At the moment the best we can do for a date is it won't be "due out until at least 2009." Well, I guess I can be content in knowing that The Shins are at work.

Look for the Viva la Vida review by tomorrow.

The Shins: Wincing the Night Away

Like probably 75% of Shins fans, I first found them on the Garden State soundtrack, but perhaps a few years later than most. I've always known of the existence of theses indie darlings but when Santa left their January '07 release under the tree, I finally was able to put a sound with a reputation. The weeks since have been a steady effort to get familiar enough with each song on a musical and literary level as not to write a superficial and somewhat uninformed review. Wincing the Night Away is a mix of folk, alternative, rock-- of course, plus a distinctly retro vibe at points, and a tad of whimsy. The easiest proclamation to make is that it's a terrific record. Another easy proclamation is that it's pretty cryptic. There seems to be endless chatter dissecting alleged references to Alice in Wonderland or the true meanings of songs. Trying to wade through the lyrics and take in the intricate musical flourishes is challenging. It's also a worthy pursuit. In the end answers to those questions are probably irrelevant. It doesn't impact the quality or even the allure.

Picking out standouts is also relatively pointless. All the songs are well crafted. Perhaps "Pam Berry" is a bit slow and heavy but its saving grace is that it's short. I like "Australia," "Red Rabbit," and "A Comet Appears." From there, I'm going to leave it at this, if for some reason The Shins have alluded your record collection, pick it up and see for yourself why writing a review seems insurmountable.