The Minus 5 (self titled a.k.a The Gun Album)

Item: The Minus (self-titled CD)
Cost: $15.99 at Tower Records on W.4th Street

I recently spent an entire car ride home with the new Minus 5 album that was released in February. I actually wasn't aware that it had come out until a week ago and it was quite the welcome surprise. The last Minus 5 album was released in 2003 and was titled "Down With Wilco" though not as a battle cry to break up Tweedy and his bandmates. Wilco served as Minus 5 recording partners and put forth probably one of the Minus 5's best efforts to date. Minus 5 mainstay Scott Mccaughey still seems to be Down With Wilco as Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, and Glenn Kotche all make appearances on the album with the Gun on the cover. The album back cover reads like a veritable who's who of musicians with alt-country and indie cred as Minus 5 regular and R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck returns, along with sometimes R.E.M. tour guitarist and Posies member Ken Stringfellow. The regulars are joined by Decemberists' Colin Meloy, and John Wesley Harding, amongst a slew of other notable performers and combine for a generally upbeat, inspired album of great pop songs.

My car ride was completely enlivened by this collection as I rocked along to raucous rock n' roll of "Aw Shit Man". An bouncy southern rock riff and opening lyric of "I had six white russians tonight and two of them were people" kept things rolling. I somberly swayed to the Colin Meloy led "Cemetery Row". I kept control of the car as I swayed, don't worry.

The chorus of "Hotel Senator" is enough to keep it on repeat for at least two listens. This album made me miss driving in my car and blasting music. I've taken my ipod off shuffle because of this album. Maybe I'm getting a little too high on it but I generally liked most of the songs on this album and find that it had very little to no filler. I think we're in the midst of another good run of Alt-Country (whatever that means) music. Golden Smog is coming out with an album in a few months. Let the good times roll.

Overall rating: A