On first listen, the new record, The Trials of Van Occupanther, due out July 25 will be in my year-end Top 10.

MP3s - "Roscoe" , "We Gathered in Spring"

Stream samples at Bella Union's Trials mini-site

Recommended.



Thourougly enjoyed their 2004 debut, Bamnan & Silvercork. 2004 RIYL: Grandaddy & a more melancholy Flaming Lips

I like this album quite a bit. It sounds more like Fleetwood Mac than Grandaddy to me, though.

I bought Bamnan&Silvercork after I heard Van Occupanther and thought it was a different band. I hear the Gdaddy/Lips influences much more on their debut.

Right, hence my "2004 RIYL" preface.

It's nice to hear that they aren't repeating themselves. I liked the first disc but was hoping for something different on the new disc.

brilliant album IMO. one of my fav releases this year.

They were consciously looking to make this record sound much different than the last, because I think they heard the Grandaddy thing a bit too much. I hear more late-Beatles than anything. Young Bride is the best single I've heard this year, thus far.

Hmmm.... now that I think about it, you may have something there. However, it's a bit more melancholy than the Beatles stuff.

Definitely. Very Bob Welsh-era Mac. Very good stuff. Still in my Top 10.

I recently starting playing this again now that the nice weather is here, perfect album for a summer afternoon. I also hear the Mac and some Wings in there as well.

color me interested.

late to the party. finally got around to this. and i have a massive obner for this record.

MASSIVE.
since i've been unliking everything for the past six months or so, the fact that i'm excited about this makes me feel like a human again.

i'll double up on the mac comparisons, but the thing that thrills me here is it's not just in the pop and the harmonies, but in the rhythms, which to me was key to how great fleetwood mac is. and stuff.

hi nico

The fact that this album brought Nicole out of hiding is yet another reason for it to make the year-end "Best Of" list.

Love it. It's better than Bamnan and Slivercork.

way better than the last one. theres a couple of clunkers on this one though that make it hard for me to put it in my top 10. there are a couple of jams that would definitely make my top 20 songs however. i feel like i'm being picky now that i wrote this...

hello yous twos.
i lurk sometimes but i feel out of the loop, like you've all learned a new language while i've been off in newspaper land and i'm yet unhip to it.

i do however on occasion get stu to come hang out with me, so i feel like i still have some obner in my life. not enough, tho.

*waves*

Bout time you came for a visit!

So, are you saying that Stu is "lacking" in certain areas?

Yeah, I really love the first half of the album, but it tails off for me enough in the 2nd half to make it an unlikely entry in my top 10---top 20 is very likely though.

HA! I hope her hubby provides adequate "obner."

Still loving this record. No other records this year sound anything like it.

I was just grooving to this track on one of my Paste Magazine discs. Glad to hear you guys like it. It's officially on my wishlist.

I've had this downloaded since June, and completely forgot to listen to it. Didn't even see this thread, I stumbled upon it today in my collection. 1 1/2 listens, and I'm really liking it. Might not crack my top 10, but a really solid album nonetheless.

wow am i late to the show. but this record is soooo pleasant, i dig.

apparently me too. i've had it sitting here for awhile and as i'm going through the '06 releases, i'm kicking myself in the ass for not listening to this before.

i listened to a couple songs but had to turn it off because the sound quality (160kps) annoyed me too much. liked what i heard though.