Talking Music: New Album Roundup - Jack White, Arctic Monkeys, Courtney Barnett, Parquet Courts, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

There are new albums currently from:

Jack White
Arctic Monkeys
Courtney Barnett
Parquet Courts
Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks

Arctic Monkeys didn't release any singles in advance of the album's release today. The other artists have each released three singles to promote the new album before its release. Malkmus released a short film. All of them are touring extensively to promote the new albums.

These are some of my all-time favorite artists, but I have to admit being a little disappointed in the Jack White and Arctic Monkeys albums. (The other three are excellent!)

I liked two of the three early release singles from Jack - "Connected By Love" and "Over And Over And Over" but much of the rest of the album Boarding House Reach (released March 23rd) are instrumentals (yuck!) seemingly intended for use in TV commercials, movie trailers, video game themes, and sporting events. In other words, not rock and roll. (A few months ago I found his single "Battle Cry" on iTunes and discovered it was to be used as the theme song of certain baseball player Jack had partnered with on a special baseball bat company. You've got to be impressed by his marketing acumen but again, whither rock and/or roll?... Well, they say artists have to find new revenue streams now that no one buys CDs anymore...).

I've been wincing in fear every time I heard there was a new Arctic Monkeys album coming, afraid it would be pure disco. I mean they've got two guitarists, and were an important part of the early 21st century "guitar revival" along with bands like The Strokes, The White Stripes, The Vines, The Hives, and The Libertines. But their last album had songs that sounded more like dance music or pop or R&B than rock and roll and it seemed certain that this new album would be even worse. It is worse, but only because it was composed on piano and not guitar and none of the songs rock at all. I don't mind quieter songs on principle, but you've got to mix it up a little. This album is not disco, but not rock either. It's a concept album of slow songs about being on a space station (which is also a resort hotel, I think, or something like that).

Of course the biggest fear for rock fans is the disappearance of the guitar, with hip hop, dance music, pop, R&B, and soul dominating all the music charts.

At least, we have a few artists still willing to play guitar - Courtney Barnett, Parquet Courts, and Stephen Malkmus are all guitar-based - Parquet Courts has two guitarists.

So there is hope.

Rock on.