Purchased today at HMV's huge sale:
- The Sounds -- Living In America
- Talking Heads -- Speaking In Tongues
- Klezmer: A Rough Guide
- Patsy Cline compilation
- Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys compilation
All good CDs, but I need to rave a bit more about The Sounds. This Swedish quintet -- Ivarsson, Anderberg, Nilsson, Bengtsson, Rodriguez? -- cranks out rough-edged indie power-pop with just enough new-wave FM synth mixed in to make you wonder if Blondie's back on the scene again. If that's your thing -- and I know you people! -- then I'd encourage checking these guys out. I'm not sure how much radio traffic the first single, Living In America, is getting, but this is worth checking out -- there's video and audio available on New Line Records' website.
And don't get me wrong, despite how Maja Ivarsson sounds (and looks!) like Debbie Harry, The Sounds aren't any Blondie clones. The influence is there, but they've got their own sound and style which recalls new-wave without leaving the current power-pop world.
I wish bands today would stop looking like they just stepped out of the 70s or 80s though.