New Releases Tuesday (10/25)

Various Artists - This Bird Has Flown (Razor & Tie) I can't remember the last time I've been so annoyed at a single release....I absolutely DESPISE this record. To be fair, I haven't listened to it in its entirety, but I keep hearing countless tracks from it via KEXP, KCRW, WOXY.com, etc. and it's driving me up the wall. In general, tribute albums almost always suck (exception to the rule: that Lee Hazlewood tribute on Astralwerks) and this one really takes the cake. There are already like a million Beatles and Beatles-related tributes out there already, does anybody in their right mind really think that someone like The Donnas are going to be able to bring something new to the table? "Oh my god, I've never got 'Drive My Car' ride before, but after hearing Donna A. sing it, I totally understand the genius of this song!!" If the sheer redundancy of this project wasn't bad enough, the performances here are absolutely worthless. The paint-by-numbers covers are boring and the reinterpretations are unbelievably annoying. In fact, I think The Fiery Furnaces may have actually replaced William Shatner for the title of "Worst Beatle Cover Ever" with their butchering of "Norwegian Wood." I've always kind of thought there should be a law against covering The Beatles, and now I think this law should apply doubly to indie rockers. Do yourself a favor, avoid this record at all costs and pick up a cheap used copy of the real thing. Releases out today that ARE worth your time: Annie - DJ-KiCKS (K7) Calvin Johnson - Before the Dream Faded (K) Quintron & Miss Pussycat - Swamp Tech (Tigerbeat6) Rogue Wave - Descended Like Vultures (Sub Pop) Tom Vek - We Have Sound (Startime Int'l)