The Fall of Tosy and Cosh

Wait a minute.

That doesn't sound right.

The Autumn of Tosy and Cosh! That's what I should have gone with.

So, I thought I would come out of hibernation (briefly? permanently? sporadically? who the hell knows at this point) to note a few of the new albums coming out this Fall that hit the Tosy and Cosh sweet spot. Let's start with the most important:

Tempest, Bob Dylan
This new collection of Dylan tunes, his first in a few years, is probably the single pop culture thing coming this Fall (Autumn!) that I am most looking forward to. Dylan's been on a hell of a roll the last decade-plus, and the first single, "Duquesne Whistle," is something I haven't been able to stop listening to for the past few days.



I have to admit to being completely fascinated by how as Dylan gets older and older he embraces older and older sounds. Whereas some older artists experiment with newer sounds and textures (Paul Simon jumps to mind--his latest, So Beautiful or So What, featured classic Simon songwriting but very modern production and arrangements), Dylan seems to be trying to make records that sound as if they could have been cut on wax pretty much around the time wax was invented. And of course what's doubly fascinating is how effective this strategem has been. This new single shows no signs of slowing the trend. I mean just listen to that opening, with those country fairground guitars happily chirping along; it sounds like something Wilbur might have overheard on the fairground while Charlotte spun her web. And yet, as I already said in this space a few years back, regarding one of the other more-recent albums, it sounds irrestisibly modern, even if the how and why of were that modern feel and vibe comes form completely escapes my critical faculties.

If the rest of the album is anywhere near as good as this irrestible bit of song we might be in Modern Times or Love and Theft territory. And for me, that's superb territory to be in.

Beyond the Dylan, here are some other forthcoming albums that have me intrigued and excited:

Aimee Mann, Charmer
While I haven't been as infatuated with the title song of Mann's new album, that's only because I've only given it one listen, as busy as I've been listening to "Duquesne Whistle" over and over. That said, the video is fun as hell, with a game and clearly blast-having Laura Linney playing a robotic version of our Miss Mann.


Muse, The 2nd Law
I got into Muse when the opened for U2 on their last go-round, and am curious to see where they take their blend of Queen excess and stadium-sized anthems next.

Mark Knopfler, Privateering
Knopfler's mix of folksy, bluesy, kind-of-Celtic guitar music just keeps getting more and more refined with every album. On top of that, he'll be sharing some tour dates with Dylan this Fall. Now that's a show I'll want to see.

Until Whenever