It is really painful to give a bad review of one of your favorite groups. Maybe I was a little too excited when I heard of the Eels new album. Maybe I put the Eels in a category of greatness that even they couldn’t live up to. Or, maybe the new album Shootenanny just isn’t as good as the others. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great Eels moments on this album, and compared to other music on the market, this is still a great buy. However, I am not sure exactly why this album’s claws just didn’t dig into me the way the other albums have. So rather than rip on one of my favorite groups, let me recommend another place to start.

You can’t go wrong with any of the Eels albums, but my favorite is, “Daisies for the Galaxy.” It isn’t quite as dark as Electro-Shock Blues, which was recorded at a very low point in lead singer, E’s life. Souljacker is the most recent, and it is fantastic. Those albums will most likely convince you to buy Electro Shock Blues, and Beautiful Freak, which have received the highest critical acclaim.

The next step will be to get the solo albums by E. Before the Eels, E recorded 2 albums that are definitely worth owning called “Broken Toy Shop” and “A Man Called E.” If you still haven’t gotten enough, you can pick up an album by MC Honky. It is really just a side project where E does some mixes that are reminiscent of early Beck. So that’s my recommendation. Check the Eels out, you won’t be disappointed.

Sharing my new poster with you gives me an excuse to ask if anyone has heard the new “They Might Be Giants” album. The article in Wired makes it sound like they went political on me. Apparently, they are working with Spike Jonze on a benefit album for MoveOn.org. I am not going to run out and get their new album if it is going to be another celebrity on their soapbox. The Amazon reviews look harmless enough. Maybe I should give it a chance. Anyway, the poster is promoting their concert in Omaha earlier this July. It is a 3 color screenprint. I got number 47 of 70.

I held off on discovering Belle and Sabastian for a long time. I guess I was turned off by their name, and I didn’t really know what to expect because nobody could compare their sound to anybody else. When I finally got around to giving them a chance, I bought Dear Catastrophe Waitress, and I wasn’t disappointed. Since then, I went back and picked up a few of their earlier albums, and Belle and Sabastian have become one of my favorite groups.

I like Dear Catastrophe Waitress better than their previous recordings. This album’s arrangements are much more dense and layered than previous work, most likely the result of the production of Trevor Horn. Lead singer Stuart Murdoch’s vocals are less timid, and he sounds comfortable being backed by strings and horns. This has upset some of the die-hards of the past, but you will hear no complaints from me.

I have picked up bits and pieces of a discussion about Belle and Sebastian being a “Christian” band. Looking at the album from that perspective, I was surprised to hear people being offended saying this was too religious. The rumor is that Stuart Murdoch is a Christian although it isn’t particularly blatant in the music. He says “prayer” a few times in pretty ambiguous settings, and that is about it. It is pretty sad that people are so easily offended by the slightest hint of spirituality. I wouldn’t let it affect your decision one way or another, because this is a fantastic album and definitely worth purchasing.

I don’t know why I always get caught up on the names of bands. I hated the name “The New Pornographers,” of which A.C. Newman was the leader. I just never got the point of why they would want to have porn in their name. Now that Newman has gone solo, at least I don’t have to be ashamed to have his name on my ipod. I kind of wish he would have picked a name and been a band instead of a solo artist, but I will just be satisfied not to have pornography in his name.

I was a bit surprised by how much “Slow Wonder” sounded like a New Pornographers album. With Newman sounding so much like The New Pornographers, it kind of destroyed my perception that the group’s unique sound was a byproduct of the eclectic and eccentric artists all coming together for this side project. Not that it is necessarily a bad thing, but this album shows how much of a hand A.C. Newman had in The New Pornographers sound.

My complaints and praise of this album are the same as they are for The New Pornographers’ albums. I love the inventive arrangements, and high power melodies. The song’s are catchy and interesting without following any formula for traditional pop songs. Newman’s voice has a tendency to be a little too glaring, which starts to annoy me after I have been listening to it for a while. Many of the tracks use the same (disonant?) harmonies as The New Pornographers. On the positive however, Newman has some slower numbers where his voice is more gentle, and I prefer it that way. The New Pornographers maintained such a high energy, that the change of pace is appreciated. Overall, I thought the arrangements here were better than The New Pornographers, with the horns and strings on a couple of the tracks being highlights of the album. Overall, this is a good album, and deserves repeated listening.

We have a bunch of fabric sample boards in our office for some RV brochures we are doing, and someone commented that they look similar to the painting I have above my desk. Ha, ha very funny, but when I looked at it she was right. The image on the right is a painting I did in college. The bad thing is I hate the fabric. But the good news is my paintings would look great in one of those RVs.