Notes from the Bargain Bin

Yes this is my first blog post ever (myspace doesn't count). I'm finally giving in to the blog world, I am surrounded by co-workers who blog on a daily basis. It's my turn. So if you know me at all you can guess what my blog topic of choice will be - music. I hope that some of you will find my posts worth checking out every once in awhile. I promise to expose new upcoming artists to you, and mention a few artists that I feel deserve a brief moment of attention. And of course you can count on up to date info about well established artists, like if they are coming to town, or when their new album is due and so on...

Another feature, maybe a weekly feature, will be on the lines of today's post title "Notes From the Bargain Bin", you see I still do a little music shopping here & there, but I promise you have no idea where my best bargain finds come from. It's not a music store, nor a box retailer. I frequent this place once or twice a month and I always find something that surprises me.


This week's bargain bin find:


The Devastations - Coal

What caught my eye while digging through the bin was the label running along the side of the CD case, it featured a quote from Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeah's:

"I heard this for the first time in Australia. Within five minutes I had tears streaming down my face. It is one of the most emotionally accessible albums. It gives me feelings I can tap into outside of myself because I can’t quite tap into what is going on inside. That for me is most precious."

Also I noticed that it was on the Brassland label, early home of The National, you know The National don't you? They only had one of the biggest albums of 2007.

The Devastationa hail from Melbourne, Australia and came together in 2002 but moved to Berlin in 2003 finding themselves an audience. From the first listen I can hear the heavy Nick Cave influence with some hints of Mark Lanegan, especially on The Night I Couldn't Stop Crying (posted below).

Devastations - The Night I Couldn't Stop Crying (mp3)