So today marks the first big new release day of 2007 and at the top of the pile has to be Wincing The Night Away, the new album from The Shins and the first since they blew up like Valencia, California. To say that there was a fair bit of pressure on the boys is probably an understatement – but now that record is out, what’s the word?

Well, it’s very Shins-y. Remember, this is a band whose breakout song was a gentle, strummy acoustic tune with cryptic lyrics – just because they can now play arenas (small ones), doesn’t mean they’re going to start writing foot-on-speaker anthems. Their strengths are the quirky, slightly introverted pop songs and in that they’ve delivered another solid set of such. There’s no “killer single”, so to speak, like “New Slang” or “Kissing The Lipless”, but as an album it hangs together very well. The production is a good deal fuller than on their previous records, particularly the reverb – it’s deep and rich and gives the whole album a consistent mood that’s probably intended to invoke feelings of sleep (James Mercer was dealing with bouts of insomnia while writing the record, hence the title) but to me the effect sounds more aquatic. It feels a fair bit darker than their earlier records, a fact that most interviews with Mercer will attest to and has a few more groove-driven numbers that sound like, well a band that specializes in being geeky trying to get funky. Not entirely successful but still charming.

And charming is pretty much the word that I’d use to describe the record as a whole. As a long-time fan, I’m pleased to see that after grabbing that brass ring, they put it on a shelf somewhere and then carried on doing what they were already doing. I wonder if their decision to stay the course instead of turning out some earth-shattering (if uncharacteristic) work will make some consider this record to be a disappointment? Reviews so far are favourable if not overwhelming and you know, that feels about right. The Shins are like musical comfort food and Wincing The Night Away are a big heaping pile of mashed potatoes and gravy. Mmm mm.

James Mercer talks to Metro about welcoming Eric Johnson to the band as the fifth Shin, Local Cut about playing Saturday Night Live, The Herald Sun about the influence of crackheads on the new record and The New York Post about the calming effects of home ownership. AOL is streaming the album this week and they’re on Letterman tonight.

Stream: The Shins / Wincing The Night Away
MP3: The Shins – “Phantom Limb”
Video: The Shins – “Phantom Limb” (MOV)
MySpace: The Shins

Other noteworthy releases today that I’ve either talked about already or probably will do so in the near future are available to preview on AOL. Check them out if you’re so inclined.

Stream: The Early Years / The Early Years
Stream: The Broken West / I Can’t Go On, I’ll Go On
Stream: Of Montreal / Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Stream: Mew / Frengers

The Ted Leo & The Pharmacists show I mentioned going down May 2 at the Mod Club is now all confirmed and stuff. Pitchfork has full tour dates and the first MP3 from his new album, Living With The Living, is available to preview and it’s a scorcher. The album is out March 20.

MP3: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists – “Sons Of Cain”

Elbow’s Guy Garvey talks a bit to Drowned In Sound about their next record. DiS also reports that Maximo Park have completed their second record, entitled Our Earthly Pleasures. Billboard says the record will be out in North America on April 3.

Some shows – Exclaim! is throwing a party at the Phoenix on April 4 and Champion, Malajube, Chromeo and You Say Party! We Say Die! are all invited. You are too, but you have to buy a $15 ticket.

And on May 8, hailing from the UK, The Kooks are at Lee’s Palace, tickets $15. You know, every time I think I’ve heard the dumbest band name ever, I’m proven wrong.

Harp talks to Spoon’s Britt Daniel about the experience of scoring Stranger Than Fiction.

Guillermo del Toro discuss Pan’s Labyrinth with The AV Club.

24: Russians! Arabs! English arms dealers! Jack’s dad! Jack’s brother! Jack’s hot sister-in-law! Chopper Dave! It’s a 24 party and everyone’s invited. This week was mostly a scene-setting episode, establishing who’s what and where in the wake of last week’s big boom. It’s a shame they couldn’t get Donald Sutherland to play dad (though they did try) but the reveal that Jack’s brother is Bluetooth boy makes up for it. That’s awesome. Pretty obvious Jack is the elder one, the bag over the head? You know he’s done that before. I only hope their final showdown ends up in a noogie fight. And your 24 appendices this week – Information Leafblower declares Jack Bauer to be the new Chuck Norris (no, Kyle didn’t write them) and Gibson Guitars introduces the Kiefer-caster. It’s got real throat-ripping tone.

Graham Coxon’s guitar playing was what got me into Blur despite my initially being put off by Damon Albarn’s… well, Damon Albarn. I’ve since grown to really appreciate Blur for everything that they were. Of course, in typical UK fashion, neither of the principals’ projects outside the band have really done much for me. But while you could probably successfully argue that Albarn has been the more adventurous and experimental of the two with his post-Blur projects, I still prefer Coxon’s guitar poppery (at least now that he’s gotten over his American lo-fi worship phase).

And so it is that I’m happy to be able to give away, courtesy of Cornerstone Promotion, a copy of Graham’s double-7″ single for “I Can’t Look At Your Skin”/”What’s He Got?”, taken from his latest solo record Love Travels At Illegal Speeds. Yes, that’s right – vinyl. You do have a turntable, don’t you? Of course you do. In addition to the two a-sides, you also get a couple b-sides, “Outta My League, Dear” and a Libertines cover, “Time for Heroes”. Huzzah.

To enter, leave me a comment on this post telling me your considered opinion if a) Coxon will ever reunite with Blur and b) if that’s actually a good idea or if they should just let it be. I’m actually split on the matter – it’s not like they’ve been broken up for an especially long time, there’s not any real reason they couldn’t pick up where they left off… But anyway. That’s the criteria. Be sure to use your proper email address when commenting. Contest closes at midnight January 28.

MP3: Graham Coxon – “Tell It Like It Is”
Video: Graham Coxon – “I Can’t Look At Your Skin” (YouTube)
MySpace: Graham Coxon

It was a few years ago in the midst of an Elephant 6 kick (haven’t had one of THOSE in a while…) that I first picked up a copy of Of Montreal’s Aldhis Arboretum. Long story short? Didn’t like it. As I recall, I found Kevin Barnes’ sense of whimsy to dwell a little too far into the land of fey for my tastes so I shunted it to the discard pile and moved on with my life.

Fast forward to SxSW last March and my catching Of Montreal at Emo’s – I had heard that Of Montreal had gone through some stylistic shifts in the intervening years but I wasn’t really expecting the glam-tacular glitter explosion that I witnessed. Someone had discovered disco and funk and was wearing it well (though not literally – Barnes came onstage in a wedding dress and was stripped almost to his skivvies by his bandmates before the show began). I was also struck by how huge and rabid an audience they had – mostly younger, oh so enthusiastic and probably ready to kill if Barnes so commanded. Thankfully, the only thing he wanted the to do was dance.

And now, we come to their new album, the excessively-titled Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?, out tomorrow. It confirms what I thought in Austin, and that’s that Of Montreal sound a hell of a lot more interesting now that Barnes has embraced his inner retro-futurenaut persona. The dense, synth-heavy production just fits right and Barnes’ psychedelia looks and sounds a lot better with an injection of funk and soul and by the light of a disco ball. His indie-pop instincts and imagination are still intact but there’s a darker, more personal bent to the lyrics – bassist Bryan Poole talks about Barnes’ headspace when writing the album to AZCentral.com. But when you’ve got lines like, “Come on mood shift, shift back to good again” and “chemicals, don’t mess me up this time”, or “I spent the winter on the verge of a total breakdown while living in Norway” coming from a guy who once wrote a song called “Tim I Wish You Were Born A Girl”, you know someone’s got some things to work out.

And it’s on the epic-length “The Past Is a Grotesque Animal” that Barnes lets some of that out. Built on a sinister, Joy Division-ish rhythm track and with discordant guitar ands ynth squalls in the background, it features Barnes venting about something or someone with uncharacteristic yet wholly enjoyable venom. It just builds and builds over 12 minutes, seeking a release that never comes – some might find it exhausting but I find it invigorating and while Hissing Fauna won’t turn Of Montreal into my new favourite band – they can still have rather an adverse influence on my blood sugar levels – it certainly makes them more interesting to me. Of Montreal are at the Opera House on March 13.

MP3: Of Montreal – “Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse”
Video: Of Montreal – “Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse” (YouTube)
MySpace: Of Montreal

NOW previews two of the bands on the bill at the Horseshoe this Tuesday night, Montreal’s Young Galaxy and Brooklyn’s Last Town Chorus (whom I talked about in December). NPR is streaming a Last Town Chorus show in Philadelphia from last week while Chart talks to Young Galaxy about leaving their Stars behind. Last Town Chorus are on 10:20, Young Galaxy at 11:10 and there is no cover.

The Brooklyn Paper and Red & Black talk to Camera Obscura’s Carey Lander about their upcoming North American tour which brings them to the Opera House on January 31. They’re also gearing up to take on America in their blog – could this band be any cuter?

Here’s one for all fans of smoky Gallic pop and who like to play waaaay in advance – Keren Ann will be in town at the Rivoli on June 6 in support of her new self-titled album, due out May 8.

Harp talks to Early Day Miners about crafting Offshore.

A sort of double-header today. Mr Kevin Devine and Ms Jennifer O’Connor are playing an evening of singer-songwriter-y fare straight outta Brooklyn at Lee’s Palace on Monday, January 29 and I’ve got three pairs of passes to give away, courtesy of Against The Grain.

But wait! There’s more! I also have ten – TEN – copies of Kevin Devine’s new CD, Put Your Ghost To Rest, to give away. That’s like a baker’s dozen except not. The only catch with this one is that to get your prize, you have to be able to go pick it up at the front bar of the Horseshoe (if you don’t know where that is, it’s probably going to be too much trouble for you to get it) within a week of the contest’s closing. If that’s simply not doable, we’ll work something out.

So anyways. To enter, send me an email at contests@chromewaves.net with “I want the Kevin Devine stuff” in the subject line. I’ll draw ten winners – the first three will get the passes and the CD, the next seven will just get the CD. Clear as mud? Good. Contest closes at midnight, January 25.

MP3: Kevin Devine – “Holland 1945”
MP3: Jennifer O’Connor – “Today”
MP3: Jennifer O’Connor – “Exeter, Rhode Island”
MySpace: Kevin Devine
MySpace: Jennifer O’Connor