Frank & Earthy

A few things happen when a favorite artist doesn't put out an album for a few years. The first is that the already-existing catalogue ossifies into what seems like a closed canon. The second, and basically inverse, reaction is the lingering fear that the next project is going to be the shitty one, the one where the star ratings in the AllMusic.com discography suddenly jag downwards. Hearing new songs in advance of a new record can be exciting, if scary. What may've seemed like a perfectly balanced body of work suddenly needs to admit something new; and one must make room in whatever his conception of the band is.

This week, both Yo La Tengo's "Beanbag Chair" and Wilco's "Is That The Thanks I Get?" made the cyber-rounds. I am still assimilating, though I have happily listened to "Beanbag Chair" many times, but have been semi-afraid to take a second glance at "Is That The Thanks...," for fear it might confirm my initial impression. Likewise, a friend directed me towards a page of live recordings from the current Radiohead tour, including much of their new material. I have not yet had a chance to listen (see above).