July 10, 2007

What this episode covers

The new record from former Drive-By Truckers' frontman Jason Isbell is easily one of the month's best records -- and quite possibly the best debut of the year. Hailing from Muscle Shoals, Alabama, and recording in the same studio once used by Aretha Franklin, Isbell flexes his singer-songwriter muscles on Sirens of the Ditch, especially on ballads like "Dress Blues" and "Down in the Hole," both of which are featured on this week's podcast. Slow songs seem to be all the rage these days. The Gourds, a impossible-to-describe band from Austin best known for their cover of "Gin and Juice," also make a turn towards tears-in-your-beer ballads, with "Promenade." Also out this week: Interpol is back with their third album, Our Love to Admire, which sounds too much like their last two records; Spoon's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, sure to end up in many top ten lists by the end of the year; and the return of Crowded House, whose new album, Time on Earth, is their first record in fifteen years.

Distinct summary based on available episode metadata or transcript content.