Kickass albums you forgot to buy... Centro-matic

Centro-matic - Fort Recovery

Will Johnson puts his heart into everything he does (which includes Centro-matic, South San Gabriel and the occasional solo record), but on this record Centro-matic certainly sounds like his top priority. Sounding less self-consciously like any particular "project," Fort Recovery is just great songwriting and performances, pure and simple. It's often as ferocious as Crazy Horse, and other times as gentle as countrified Neil Young (both obviously guiding influences). In the press release for Fort Recovery, Patterson Hood of DBT writes:

"Centro-matic is my favorite band that is still vital and intact. All four of them together for ten years now. Their brand new album is their best yet. My un-mastered CD copy is my favorite album of 2006 and honestly my favorite new album of the past five years. I have listened to it several times a day for three weeks straight and like those great masterpieces of old I still find new things to love at every listen."

If that's not a ringing endorsement, I don't know what is. You can buy the album directly from Misra Records here (12 bucks, including shipping). Also available on iTunes.