Two records from the list of new ones out at Good Records this week are studies in the delicate art of rehashing, as The Dandy Warhols reissue a favorite as they had first planned and The Most Serene Republic diverts little from the path Broken Social Scene blasted out.
The Dandy Warhols :: "The Dandy Warhols Are Sound" CD/LP/Digital (BTW)
In the dawn of the millenium, Capitol Records got their mitts on 13 tracks The Dandy Warhols made with the intention of releasing them as an album. The label remixed the songs and put the record out as "Welcome to the Monkey House" with the handclap-happy "We Used to Be Friends" as the golden single. Everybody danced about their merry way; four records with varying amounts of new material came out, and the tracks as the Warhols first imagined them with engineer Russell Elavedo were largely unheard. Well, the band got a sec, and they've put out a CD/LP on their own terms with the original versions of the songs in a different order, scratching out the Capitol logo at the top and splaying the band's signature half-peeled bannana over the vessels of play. A comparison of "The Dandy Warhols Are Sound" with the record's sugared-up incarnations yields just what you'd expect: lo-fi, screened noise on the true tracks, and space blips out front on Capitol's revise. Conspiracy theory affirmed.
The Most Serene Republic :: "... And The Ever Expanding Universe" CD/LP (Arts & Crafts)
Canada's Arts & Crafts stands alone with its orchestral-flavored roster of bands that can hardly fit on the stages they play (Broken Social Scene, Stars, The Dears.) The latest release of controlled cacophony comes from The Most Serene Republic, never much for subtlety. It's surprising that this band was reportedly the first one completely unrelated to the members of Broken Social Scene to sign with the label -- a few of the songs on TMSR's latest sound almost identical to tracks on "You Forgot It In People," BSS's critically acclaimed pop record. Slowly revealed intros, math-minded, energetic drums and dreamy vocals mixed in a grey haze are all what make BSS one of the most gorgeous working bands to listen to, so it's not like we mind hearing more. But all TMSR really contributes to this new-Canadian sound is a pinch of Belle and Sebastian.
