And so I went and saw a preacher
I don't buy this whole "mp3 culture is killing albums" argument. I don't think people will stop wanting records with single points of view, despite making playlists of individual tracks to accommodate our collective growing ADHD. There are still great records like this around; I'd count Arcade Fire's Funeral as a great example that others are likely to follow.
Minneapolis band Skittish - consisting mainly of Jeff Noller and a smattering of talented friends helping him out - has put out a record called Tragedy Of The Commons that follows in this tradition. Though Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over the Sea has few equals, this record reminds me a bit of that out-of-nowhere masterpiece in its eclectic approach and surprising catchiness. It runs around like a sugar-filled toddler, running into valuable objects at break-neck speed, and then suddenly slows to a crawl for a beautiful ballad or two.
This track is pretty representative of the whole album. Its lyrics deal with frustration and disappointment, and the music is both emotional and fun. Granted, this sounds nothing like anything from In the Aeroplane Over The Sea, but the album as a whole has that kind of eclectic scope.
Plus, what can I say? I've got a weakness for handclaps, and this song has them in spades. Just wait for the end.
You can buy Tragedy Of The Commons from CD Baby.