Hoping that my mind don't slip, sailing on a sinking ship.

I've been battling a passionate love affair with the above tune lately. It seems that whenever I try to separate from it, which is often, considering how I'm literally stabbing the repeat button my stereo, it seems to find me and we have passionate makeup sex. Am I cursed with the monogamous life?

Listomania - Phoenix (Live on KEXP)

Bonjour unionists, humanitarians, jugglers, circus folk, ice gypsies, rhinos, fascists, ect. ect., my name is Norman Nehmetallah, and I'm just realizing how pretentious one sounds when greeting others in a language that they themselves do not speak. This is Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice, as a quick glance to your address bar would've confirmed, and I haven't post in what seems like a millennium. Thankfully, it has not been a millennium though, and not much has passed us by in the music world which won't be covered in this very post. So, put a seat belt on, spank your child(ren) for good measure, and prepare yourself for the capitalist adventures which are(n't) about to unfold.

At the very top of this post is a band called Phoenix, who've not only been on a constant (this is not to be taken lightly) repeat on my stereo, but also on my iPod, computer, and headcomputer (known as a brain to the locals). Their new album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, is not only a piece of pure pop brilliance, but an infectiously simple record that I've yet to tire of. Being the restless soul I am, this is quite an accomplishment for the band.

Living With The Living, Underneath The Tyranny of Oak

In the very distant past, formerly known as a week ago, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists released a brand new demo which has proved to be quite promising material. Ted Leo & The Crew have always been favourite musical act of mine, but with the election of President Barack Obama, I've found myself pondering what Mr. Leo might be doing with his superb songwriting talents these days, since the "evil" Republicans and "nasty" bureaucrats, who have been the subject of many a Ted Leo record, have been overthrown. It seems that Mr. Leo has begun internalize his songwriting, and quite literally, as this new demo has The Pharmacists singing about Ted Leo's... brain?

This scathing 2 minute and 18 second blizzard of power chords and garbled talk is a very welcome change in today's intricate, although sometimes boring, mess of exaggeration that is not uncommonly found in music. Don't trust my opinion though, take a listen for yourself?

Where Was My Brain? - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

And a peak at the archives...

Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone? - Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

I hope everyone reading this has their orgasm pants on, because this news is a fucking tsunami...

Monsters of Folk

According to the fine young gentle(wo)men at Pitchfork Media,

"The Monsters of Folk supergroup-- which also features producer/Bright Eyes member Mike Mogis-- release their self-titled debut on September 22 via Shangri-La in North America, Rough Trade in Europe, Spunk in Australia, and P-Vine in Japan. A press release says so and everything.

According to the release, "all four members play every instrument on the album" and the music ranges from "road-worn" to "intimate" to "sun-soaked." The sometime tourmates recorded the LP in Malibu, California and Omaha, Nebraska over a two-year period between other projects. Track titles include "Whole Lotta Losin'" (Zeppelin tribute?), "Temazcal" (named after an ancient sauna), and "Losin Yo Head" ("Yo"!). The rest of the song names are below:

Monsters of Folk:

01 Dear God (sincerely M.O.F.)
02 Say Please
03 Whole Lotta Losin'
04 Temazcal
05 The Right Place
06 Baby Boomer
07 Man Named Truth
08 Goodway
09 Ahead of the Curve
10 Slow Down Jo
11 Losin Yo Head
12 Magic Marker
13 Map of the World
14 The Sandman, the Brakeman and Me
15 His Master’s Voice "

To clear up any falsities that may still reside in your mind, Conor Oberst, M.Ward and Jim James (of My Morning Jacket glory) have formed a supergroup and are now preparing to unload their collective awesome onto an unsuspecting world.

Best of!

My Morning Jacket - Gideon (Live)

Bright Eyes - Lua

M. Ward - To Go Home

Tomorrow, I will be supplying you, the marvelous reader, with a full blown review of Dirty Projectors new ditty, entitled Bitte Orca, which has snuck it's way, along with Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix, Veckitamest and Merriweather Post Pavillion, unto my Best of 2009 list. Tune in? Log in? I don't give a fuck, just read it.

That's tomorrow, but today I leave you with a couple older tracks to help you prepare your awesome self for exams...

A Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice Micromix
Holly Was A Hoodrat!

Micromix - 4 songs!

01 Up On A Mountain - The Welcome Wagon!

02 Debaser - The Pixies!

03 How A Ressurection Really Feels - The Hold Steady!

04 Alkali - Field Assembly (The best band out of Windsor, my opinion, who Kaitlyn Meloche unfortunately missed live.)

Spent a week in a dusty library...

[Editors Note: On account of my sickness, I've been sleeping for hours on end. On account of my afro, that sleep has now turned my hair into what closely resembles a flat top/Elvis-styled pompadour. I consider this newsworthy..]

Good afternoon my friends, and welcome to another lovely afternoon, here on Looks Like Coffee, Tastes Like Juice. I'm going to be incredibly frank today (as well as a little Norman); there are quite a bit of things that I harbor a deep and intricate hatred for. Headlining this vast list, followed immediately by venereal disease, is being limited to specific topics/pigeonholing myself. If anyone is catching these very subtle hints I'm trying to drop, what I'm basically saying is that restricting myself to THFNS posts was almost tumor-inducing for me. So, for the sake of my health, and the health of those in Windsor, Ontario (+ surrounding areas), I've decided to go on a hiatus from those THFNS posts, and continue with the regular spasmodic postings of ... whatever the fuck I feel like. So, without further hyperbole and ado; a return to form/lessness. Enjoy!

CAMERA OBSCURA'S My Maudlin Career (4AD Records)


When one first lays down Camera Obscura's My Maudlin Career, the crack of a snare drum whip and a handful of couplets, including "Spent a week in a dusty library/waiting for some words to jump at me", greet the listener. All Bob Dylan cliches involving snare drums aside, the song French Navy is a fantastic album opener. With sharp guitar chords, dizzying violins, and pure 60's/motown production, the album opens on a note of brass and string glory. A record that could easily go downhill , though, surprisingly does the opposite. The next two tracks, The Sweetest Thing & You Told a Lie, aren't the most prominent or melodic tracks on this record, but the Beach Boys-esque backing vocals and the jazz shuffle feel of the songs have them working well in context. My Maudlin Career continues in this fashion, concentrating more on quiet subtleties that make it's charm almost infectious.

STANDOUT TRACKS!
French Navy
James
My Maudlin Career
The World is Full of Strangers

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE'S The Open Door [EP]

In my opinion, Death Cab For Cutie's latest EP, The Open Door, had the capability and, judging by it's single "Little Brides", potential, to be a great EP, showcasing the band stepping into new directions. What we find instead on this record, is Death Cab For Cutie, playing typical Death Cab For Cutie songs. Now, I complete agree with the fact that DCFC is a hardworking band, who have worked hard to establish a signature "sound", and that's absolutely fine. The problem that I have with this record is that it sounds as if the band is trying to step in a new direction, while keeping one foot in the door (PUN!). This has kept the record sounding cautious, and as self conscious as a teenage girl during gym class, which is odd for such an established band. Hopefully, this is just a fluke, and the next album from this phenomenal band will be up to par with last year's Narrow Stairs.
STANDOUT TRACKS!
Little Bribes
I Was Once A Loyal Lover

THINGS TO LOOK FORWARD TO?

Sometime in the next week, I'll be writing a little about two albums, which are coming out of very similar scenarios, that both have me pissing my pants in anticipation.

Dinosaur Jr. - I Want You To Know (Via Stereogum) <--- Just right click this one to download! Sonic Youth - Anti-Orgasm

Occurring tomorrow will be a massive post, because these two weeks have most likely been the most exciting two weeks that the music world will see in 2009. So, buy a new pair of shoes and remember to comb your hair, because tomorrow is going to be a 15 on the Richter scale.

WHILE YOU WAIT!

While you're eagerly anticipating (or just casually waiting) for the exciting bundle of joy that will be tomorrow's post, go check out The Hold Steady's excellent session at Daytrotter. You won't be disappointed.

The Hold Steady's Daytrotter Session

Until tomorrow.