Thursday, October 13, 2005

The Real Super Monday (Part One)

Back in June, the NME, with its finger firmly on a great cross-promotional marketing opportunity, eagerly declared June 6th to be 'Super Monday'. Released on that day were the latest efforts from the perenially worthy Coldplay, blues infused garage rock duo The White Stripes and jangle-indie revivalists The Tears. Whilst The White Stripes album certainly had its merits, it was difficult to get truly excited about another Coldplay album and The Tears, whilst pleasant enough, could hardly be deemed significant.
No doubt the modern NME, now almost entirely a narrow 'indie rock' genre publication (yet one that still has the temerity to use the image of champion of diversity John Peel for front cover crredibility), will ignore the diversity of releases on offer this coming Monday, October 17th. There is the eagerly anticipated new album from reclusive electronica duo Boards Of Canada, the first new album in 35 years from folk legend Vashti Bunyan, a dependably impressive new Depeche Mode album, an outstanding reinvention from southern rock behemoths My Morning Jacket, yet another album from the prolific New York electronica-meets-hippy-folk Animal Collective, the first new material in over ten years from Stevie Wonder, yet another new album from sadly defiant homophobe Sizzla (who I've rather lost touch with over the last couple of years) an essential collaboration between two of the brightest stars in modern hip hop (Dangermouse and MF Doom), a new record from Scottish melancholics Arab Strap and, for some at least, a long awaited full commercial release for The Crimea's 'Tragedy Rocks' album. Take a deep breath and dig deep into the wallet!

Reviews of some of these releases will follow shortly...