A weekly compendium of the Creative Loafing music team's Monday music selections …
– R.E.M., Fables of the Reconstruction 25th Anniversary Edition (2010)
At last, a properly remastered edition of R.E.M.'s 1985 masterpiece surfaces! This, the band's third full-length release, found them charting new ground and expanding their horizons. One of the best works from R.E.M.'s catalog just got a little better. A bonus disc of demos is a nice companion, too. Add to that postcards, a poster, clever insightful liner notes and a tidy little box to fit everything into.
Leilani – Menomena, Mines (out July 27, 2010 via Bursak)
The fourth and latest album by my favorite Portland alt rock trio, their first in three years and for me, far too long in coming. The band has always been very good at sonic layering and tasteful subtleties and Mines is no different with its low end melodic grooves on bass guitar, fat and fuzzy synthesizers, and honking blasts of alto sax all vying for the lead spot, and lyrical harmonies delivered with heart-squeezing earnestness, sometimes shouted when the songs builds to a lush, full throttle climax. I need to give it a few more listens before my final verdict, but so far, I think I might be slowly but inevitably falling in love. Listen to the album in its entirety on NPR right now.
Taylor – Florence and the Machine, Lungs (2009)
I'm a little late to the Florence party, but the entire album is excellent. The first time I heard "Cosmic Love" my jaw literally dropped. Check out the video below.
This article appears in Jul 22-28, 2010.