Animal Collective: Vinyl Rip of Merriweather Post Pavillion

Ohhhhhhhhh snap! Here it is... the new Animal Collective Album. I've only listened to it about once all the way through, but I gotta say this is probably the most accessible and toned down I've seen Animal Collective in a while. Stand out track is definitely "Brothersport"... very addicting. Anyway... get this shit before it's gone... cause it will probably be gone quick. 

Merriweather Post Pavillion

2008 Top 10 Albums!

I guess it's that time of year. Time for whiskey and thoughts of suicide, sprinkled with random sex with strangers, crying and being cold... Oh yeah and then there's this years top ten albums! This year was a strange year for music. There were a lot of GOOD albums from some of my favorite bands.. and some pretty good newcomers... but really nothing AMAZING. I looked at the Pitchfork top 50 for inspiration and really... the top ten are good, and I agree with most of it... but honestly this years top ten wouldn't have even made last years top 25. I mean last year Radiohead, The National, Animal Collective, Panda Bear, LCD Soundsystem all gave me albums that I listened to like 500 times on repeat and will probably hold as some of the best albums in the new millennium... and unfortunately there weren't any groundbreaking albums like that this year. That being said... I had a lot of trouble coming up with the top ten. While there weren't any amazing albums... there were a TON of good albums.. and it was hard to decide who deserved a top spot. So I derived a system based on 2 qualities: 1. Artistic merit (meaning how I viewed the album as a whole, and it's level of artistic complexity) and 2. Replay value (meaning how much I actually listened to the album). I did this because while some albums I found highly artistic and challenging to listen to... I rarely replay the album even to this day. Whereas some albums that I actually thought were very catchy and had immediate appeal... but not very much artistic value. So I had to find a happy medium between the two, with albums that I both listened to a lot, and also appreciated for their artistic content. Okay?! okay.... now on to the list!

1. Okay - Huggable Dust

It seems fitting that at the top of my list is my very first blog post. I struggled more with the top 5 of my list than anything else. I didn't know who deserved 1st really... and while this album has it's flaws, I keep coming back to it. Its genius is in its simplicity. It's an album of love songs... period. But it really brings you through the whole process of emotions that go along with love. It's as heartwarming and catchy as it is heartbreaking and distant. If listening to these tracks doesn't make you feel sorrow for your loves you've lost or feel grateful for the love you have, then you need to check your pulse... cause you're probably ugly... or a totally unlovable bitch. There I said it.

2. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

Technically this shouldn't be here because this album was released late last year. But it had it's major release this year and no one knew this guy until 08 anyway so who freakin cares really. So here's another album of love songs... I know. But the proof is in Justin Vernon's voice. Like with Okay, he has this endearing quality to his voice that really makes you feel everything he sings. The atmosphere on this record is second to none... it has a cold and openness to it that is utilized perfectly with the crooning of Vernon's vocals. It's too bad this didn't get a proper release because this would've been on the top of either this year or last years lists... but instead he missed out on both of them. Don't worry though....we don't pay attention to "rules" on teh intarwebs.

3. Dosh - Wolves and Wishes

This, along with Okay, is one that I feel a TON of people overlooked. This is probably the freshest sounding electronic music being made today, courtesy of Andrew Birds drummer. I mean this guy kills on the drums, which are all live on his albums. No samples here bitch. Oh and if you listen to this and then listen to Andrew Birds new album, you will notice that Bird totally swiped a bunch of beats off of this CD... WTF man. I mean, I'm sure he had Dosh's approval, but seriously, it kind of devalues and taints the amazing quality of the original when you use it in other peoples songs. It would be like 50 cent taking DJ Shadow's first album and rapping over the beats.... well maybe not that bad.. but you get the point... either way. For me this album instrumental masterpiece... catchy, appealing, great production, full of depth and of course... some freakin tight ass beats.

4. Los Campesinos - Hold On Now Youngster and We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

So, this is probably cheating to use two albums as one post... but a lot of people did that with Deerhunter's Microcastle/Wierd Era Cont. and Fleet Foxes EP and follow up album... so I win this argument! Take that blogosphere! If I were to pick album(s) of the year based solely on how much I listened to an album, these guys would've been #1 hands down. While Los Campesinos are the quintessential indie band... they are ahead of the game in one gigantic aspect. They know EXACTLY what they are... and aren't trying to be anything else. So while most bands that use this formula end up sounding whinny, cheesy, predictable and just plain lame... these guys end up sounding catchy, fun, witty and exciting. Los Campesinos are definitely the break out new band of the year... and with two albums in one year (both of them good) I'm excited for the future.

5. Portishead - Third

When I first heard Portishead was going to resurface, I was questioning how in the hell their old formula for success was going to translate in a modern sound scape. I guess they asked themselves that question too, because they essentially came back as an entirely new band. This album evokes the exact opposite type of feeling I get from Los Campesinos. If I were to pick an album based solely on artistic merit, these guys would've been #1. The only problem I had with this album is that it is insanely dark and thus immediately disorienting. It takes a while to get past it, but when you do, you realize what an amazing achievement it actually is. How do you destroy your beloved indie image, only to come back as a darker, more haunting band with an entirely different set of structures and make one of the years best albums? Yeah.... THIS.

6. M83 - Saturdays = Youth

M83 = Blissed out synth pop... I think. I dunno. I always feel very 80's-ish whenever I put M83 on. While this album doesn't really break any new ground for the band, it definitely contains some of the years best songs. It took a while but this one definitely grew on me. 

7. TV on the Radio - Dear Science

TVOTR have hit a nice stride here. First "Return From Cookie Mountain" now... this! Although out of the two I think I prefer the former... but this one is no step in the wrong direction. These guys do production better than any band out there today. Even when they are tame they manage to keep everything so refreshing that it's still exciting. I do feel like this album could have benefited from a couple more focused songs. 10 songs isn't much and when a few are easily ignored then it kinda kills the feel... while a 12-14 track album can have a few throw away tracks and still be brilliant. Ah.. but what the hell do I know... either way these guys continue to impress. 

8. Why? - Alopecia

Ugh... WHY? WHY!!!??? Why doesn't Yoni stop rapping and ruining half of his records!? Maybe I'm alone in this feeling. The rest of the songs are great though. This is another band with the potential to make a mindfuck of a record. Elephant Eyelash was close, this was a little less close... but it is definitely still good enough to make it to # 8 in the top ten. 

9. Beach House - Devotion

If 'life is a beach and then you die' (like I read on some dudes coffee cup)... then a Beach House must be where all the shit happens when you're alive... and then I guess you die. It's so simple! The only reason this album wasn't at the top of my list is because I felt this album didn't really progress the band any further than their self titled did.  That and you really have to be in the right mood to listen to this music. But when the mood is right, nothing hits you quite like Beach House. 

10. The Notwist - The Devil, You and Me

There were a lot of bands that I thought deserved the top ten really... but I just had to get Notwist in here somewhere. While I can't say that this is the best album ever... I did listen to it a ton... and there are like at least 4 of my favorite songs of the year on this album. This one really made this list cause of the sheer excitement it gave me to listen to it for the first 5 times through. There was no album this year that I was anticipating more than this one... and while it didn't blow my mind... it definitely satisfied my hunger for one of my favorite bands. 

Alright I couldn't help myself. Here are a few more albums that are definitely worthy of checking out even though they didn't make the top ten. The "honorable mentions".

Bonnie Prince Billy - Lie Down In the Light

Probably his best release in recent years

Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Flight

I just recently found out about these guys... great album. If I had discovered this sooner it might have made the top ten, but I don't think I can get past some of the cheesy lyrics. But when it's good... it's really good. 

Grouper - Dragging a Dead Dear Up a Hill

Like Beach House, you really have to be in the right state of mind to listen to this. I really wanted this to make the top ten but it is such a mood music record that I felt like others deserved it more. 

Subtle - Exiting Arm

I really love subtle, but for some reason I just didn't listen to this as much as everything else on the list, so I couldn't find it in my heart to give them a spot... still a great album though. 

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

Okay, so I know it's cool to hate on these guys but they actually deserve most of the praise they are getting. A lot of bands nowadays are trying to mold themselves after Paul Simon's Graceland... even The Islands tried this a few years ago... these guys definitely did a better job... but honestly, I can't see them progressing with this sound any more than this record. Hopefully they decide to reinvent themselves. 

David Byrne and Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today

Wow... two of my most favorite artists put their brains together and make an album... how can it not be good? Answer: it CAN'T. 

Phew! That was a bitch to do. I hope to never do a post like that again... well.. until next year i guess. Sweet. I hope everyone enjoys my picks for 08 and has a lovely depression free holiday season. Alright, I gotta go catch santa and fuck his shit up. That bitch has yet to give me a Wii.. wtf santa. 

Blonde Redhead: MOCDL

In case you didn't notice, I'm trying to disguise the title here because I know Blonde Redhead's record label trys to kill links. Tricky huh? Here is a favorite from my teenage years. This one defintely had a huge influence on my progression in musical taste. I was getting into this stuff when I first discovered Sonic Youth... and while I think these guys sound very simliar to Sonic Youth, for some reason I was always prefered these guys. There was something immediately appealing and likeable about Blonde Redhead, whereas Sonic Youth took a lot of time and repeat listens to really enjoy. Unfortunately, like Sonic Youth, these guys make a lot of plain and boring records nowadays. Apparently almost being killed by a horse then taking four years off will do that to some people. (Although I think Mark Linkous would've enjoyed the ironic imagry) Either way..this one is from their prime...pre-horse trampling and subsequent down time... possibly their last good album.

Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons

INSANE

This shit blew my freakin mind. Make sure you watch it all the way through. This is either the workings of a genius or a guy with way too much time on his hands.

Dosh x 2

Since my Andrew Bird post got pulled I figured I would post some more stuff by his drummer, Dosh. If you don't know who this guy is or haven't heard his music, you need to check this shit out now. This guys is probably my favorite electronic musician in recent years... plus no one will care if I post his music. These are the two albums before his most recent effort Wolves and Wishes. I can't rep this guy enough ... anyone who is into electonic music would best be served by checking this out. I am a drummer and I am a sucker for music with tasteful and creative drums... and it really doesn't much get better than this.

Pure Trash

The Lost Take

Bon Iver: Blood Bank EP

In keeping with the new music trend... here we have a new EP from the guys who brought you arguably one of the years best with For Emma, Forever ago. (Speaking of... I will probably be putting together a best of 08 list relatively soon) To be honest, I was afraid that Bon Iver wouldn't be able to recreate the same magic that helped so much with For Emma... but I am happily proven wrong here. It's hard to tell if a band will advance in a good direction just from an EP... but at the very least this little ditty gives me hope that this band is definitely on the right track.

Blood Bank EP

Pit Er Pat: High Time

Holy shit... guess what? I've actually got some new music! Remember these guys from a while ago with their impressive album Pyramids? No? Then you need to go download it from this blog... then download this one. While I've only listen to this one through a few times... I find almost half the album skippable. So in order to enjoy High Time, you actually have to be high... because a lot of it is just ambient noise rock... not a whole lotta structure. And while that works really well for maybe a few in between tracks... when 4 outta the 8 songs are like this then I feel like you wasted a lot of space on just plain mediocre music. Really though, I bet if you were high you might actually like listening to this whole thing front to back... seriously! But I personally don't really enjoy listening to some sub par instrumental tracks when there are so many bands out there that do it better. However, don't be discouraged because those other four tracks are the shit... and even better... THEY ARE NEW. And that's apparently all that matters.



High Time

Ninjasonik: Tight Pants EP

For anyone who enjoyed laughing at the insanity that is Ninjasonik in the video I posted a week ago, here is something to take home with you. Sure this isn't the best music out there.. but it's rap music that doesn't take itself too seriously...in fact, it pretty much makes fun of itself... which is almost impossible to find nowadays. Put some freshy fresh beats over that shit and you're golden. I can't wait for their full album release... you know it's gonna be 10x ridiculous.





Tight Pants EP

Brainiac x 2

Alrighty. Because It's morning time and I'm ridiculously tired... also I'm kind of hallucinating... I figured HEY, why not some Brainiac!? It seems to fit well with my delirious state right now. Internationale is the single when they were first signed to Touch and Go records. It's produced by Kim Deal of The Pixies ...and although it's short in length it makes up for it with a few pretty sweet songs.. most of which are a little more reminiscant of their earlier post punk days. Then we have the Electro-Shock for President EP, which ended up being the last release from Brainiac before Tim Taylor died tragically in an auto accident. Aside from being one of the main influences of Trent Reznor (you can seriously hear the similarities) Electro-Shock is one trippy as fuck ride through what one could call more of an experiment with electronic noise than a musical record. The songs don't necessarily have the attributes that a lot of traditional songs have... but it's an EP with a purpose. What that purpose is, I don't really know. Probably to really fuck up your equilibrium and make you question what you consider electronic music to be. Like their previous work.. it's difficult to place in a genre... I guess you could call it industrial electronic noise rock, with tiny bits of punk sprinkled in. When I listen to.. it takes me through a range of emotions... none of them good, but all of them powerful. And right now... would probably give me visions of unicorns murdering rainbows and the resulting blood-letting dripping on to a stereo, causing crackling bits of perverse beauty to weep from the speakers.... Yeah.. it's time to go to bed.




Internationale





Electro-Shock For President

Creed: Derrrrr-de-derrrrrrrr!

Is it just me... or did Creed get better?

Ninjasonik

I normally don't do posts that don't include albums... but man.. you gotta check these guys out. They are the future of hip-hop... or at least I hope they are. They are as smart and witty as they are crude and ridiculous. And DAAAMMMMN! THOSE BEATS ARE FREEEEESSSH! I've almost gotten in trouble a few times cause I'm singing this jam in public without even thinking about it... and it's not that acceptable to hear a white kid singing that he is a tight pants wearin ass nigga. Damn you Ninjasonik for being so freakin catchy... you're gonna get a honky killed. Check it. Ay-ay.

Arcade Fire: Neon Bible

I was reluctant to put this one up because I thought that everyone would already have it. Then I checked the numbers for Neutral Milk Hotel (which I also thought everyone had)... and that is the highest ranking download on this whole site. So... it goes to show what I know. It's kind of funny how these music blogs work. Sometimes I will praise an album to high heaven... calling it a must have... best album in the genre... and 10 people will download it. Then I will post something saying "here ya go!" and it will get 200 downloads. It seems that people just look for what they want and ignore everything else. Which is totally not what I think these blogs are for... I try to keep things varied.. but I try to post things that I think like minded people will enjoy. That's why I don't like blogs that just post the downloads. I try to give a breif description so people will know if they might like it. I don't know how many times I've been on a blog, downloaded like 20 albums, then deleted 19 of them cause they sucked. Sometimes it makes me not want to write anything and go... blah here is the album. But then I think even if only one person reads this shit and ends up downloading something and loving it... then it was worth the time and effort. I really don't mean to sound like some bleeding heart blogger or something... and I don't know why I wrote this ridiculously long tangent. But yeah... Arcade Fire... here ya go!




Neon Bible

Happy Turkey Day

May you all get fat, argue with you family and choke on leftovers. Amen.

Don't be fooled... tan lines have salmonella. Bake in the nude.

Be safe homies and happy thanksgiving.

Wire x 2

Wire are one of those bands where (in the begining or their career) everything they touched turned to gold. Their first three LPs might very well be the best sequential trio of albums released in history. I personally love Pink Flag, but I'm having trouble finding it (I'm sure it's burried in my car somewhere... man, I have to clean that thing) so here is one of the other three. I also thought it would be interesting to show how much they've changed by posting their newest album as well. These albums are 30 freakin years apart. Yikes... these guys are still rocking out at my parents age. Yeah and you can also thank Wire for the now stupidly trendy idea of naming albums after numbers of particular things in said bands repitoire. 154 was the number of concerts they played. Object 47 is the 47th item in their discography. It was cool when they did it. Now it's almost as cool as naming a song "untitled".



Chairs Missing

Object 47

Brainiac: Bonsai Superstar

Sup brohammers. I'm back (kinda) and I have some music for you. It's nothing new or anything but it's stuff that I've been meaning to put up for a month so I figured I would finally get this shit out there. I'm actually REALLY pissed that my link for the other Brainiac album got killed. Sometimes I can understand how an artist or record company doesn't want their albums shared (like when an album just comes out or the CDs are still selling really well). But when it is NEAR IMPOSSIBLE to find an album by Brainiac nowadays and 90 percent of their albums are OUT OF PRINT, it makes me laugh that they are preventing people from enjoying their music. I mean honestly, what do you have to gain from ripping down links to a band whose lead singer is dead... the band makes no new music... and almost all of the albums are out of print and you won't make more. I don't get it. Okay... end rant. The good news is that this album (unlike the last one) is really really hard to find... I had to pay a decent amount of money to get it... so for anyone who likes these guys it's a great find especially because it's considered one of their best albums. You wanna know what's funny? Remember when everyone was scrambling to get the new Death Cab for Cutie album? The band said in some interviews that they were really influenced by Brainiac for thier sound on the new album.. yadda yadda. Then their album came out and I was like "what Brainiac album where these guys listening to?". It just goes to show good musical influence doesn't make for good musical creation. Let that be a lesson to you lame hipster bands.

Bonsai Superstar

hey ya'll

What's good in the hood? My grandmother has been in the hospital for a while now, and it's draining the life out of me.. so I haven't posted much in the last few weeks. I promise I'll get back to it soon. I just haven't had it in me to upload anything or download anything or whatever. Anywho, music to come I promise.

Lali Puna x 3

I know I already posted Faking the Books a while ago, but because I downloaded each song seperately, the bitrate was different for each track... which totally Fs up the sound quality making one song quieter or louder or more distorted than the next. So I wanted to post that again with the other two LPs in consistent high quality 320kbps mp3 format... YIPPPIEEE! This band really gets my juices flowing. Each album has it's own great qualities, which makes it hard for me to pick a favorite. For those more focused on the electronic side of their music, then their first LP Tridecoder will probably be more for you. For those of you who want more intricate songs with verses and choruses, dynamic highs and lows, then their later albums will suit you. If you haven't heard this band yet, you are really missing out... it really has something for everyone. It's poppy enough for a casual listener, experimental enough for the edgy people, lyrically inciteful for poetic individuals... oh and did i mention that the singer Valerie sings like a beautiful call girl ear raping you through the phone? That one's for us guys. I also heard that now that The Notwist are done with their new album Markus will be working with Lali Puna again to make a new album. Freakin aweomse. Can't wait.

Tridecoder

Scary World Theory

Faking the Books

Nada Surf: Let Go

When this album came out, all I knew about Nada Surf was that song "Popular" with that funny music video that was always on MTV (back when MTV had music... remember that?) To be honest... it was a funny jab at the misguided teenage importance of being popular, but not much more than that. So when i heard this album for the first time.... I was really blown away by it's depth and maturity. I don't know what happened on this album, but for them they really hit a stride here that completely changed their career. It's unfortunate that they were unable to replicate this albums consistent greatness on any of their following releases. Lucky, their new album, comes the closest I think... but it still does not even touch Let Go. I think this is because when a band tries to reinvent their sound like they did on Let Go, they are forced to experiment with styles and sounds... and sometimes, like this case, you come up with this accidental genius that comes along with a band fondleing in the dark trying to find a new and different sound. It's kind of like when on OK Computer, Radiohead reinvented their sound with experimentation, and the end result was this sort of accidental genius. Now if they kept that same style for Kid A, it wouldn't have been as break-through exciting and refreshing anymore. Well that's how I see this album... it's their OK Computer. Now they just need to take another chance and finally make a Kid A. Either way... it's a great listen.




Let Go

Wolf Parade: Apologies to Queen Mary

What the hey! Since we were talking about them already, I figured why not post a band that got me turned on to Sunset Rubdown in the first place. This is their first LP, produced by Modest Mouse guy Isaac Brock. I got their newest album... and it's good... it just doesn't have the pop that this album does. It seems like they tamed it down a little, which for them... they need something cathcy... hooky... or wierd to grab your attention. I came back to this album recently and was surprized by how much I overlooked this one when it first came out. Now I listen to it more in one month than in the whole first year it came out. Go figure.




Apologies to Queen Mary

Sunset Rubdown x 2

For those of you locked in a closet, Spencer Krug, the frontman of Sunset Rubdown, is also one of the singers for Wolf Parade. Personally, I like Wolf Parade better when Krug is singing. I guess that's why I like this band so much.... it's all Krug ALL the time. Now there is some debate over which of Sunset Rubdowns albums is the best. Some like only one, others favor one over the other... I like them both so whatever to you. Krug is definitely bringing back the case for music as an album. (which is usually how I listen to music, unless I'm putting together sad playlists *emo tear*) With Sunset Rubdown you really don't get the full effect of the music if you skip around. Each song bleeds into the next and is sonically and conceptually important to the song before it and after it. In an age where the album is becoming obsolete... being replaced by single song Itunes downloads, sound bytes from soundtracks of tv dramas and playlists of only our favorite tracks... it is reassuring to see someone interesting in the puzzle as a whole instead of just a piece.

Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Random Spirit Lover

Los Campesinos! x 2

One of the downfalls of virtually every other "indie" rock band these days is that they all take themselves WAAAAAAY too seriously. They act like they are trying to save the world with their whiny vocals and lo-fi production. That's all fine and dandy... and it definitely works for some bands, but honestly... the bands that tend to get it right also have a sense of humor about themselves. That's probably why I find Los Campesinos! one of the more refreshing newer bands to come about. While they aren't making any groundbreaking music, they are definitely fun and catchy... and while other bands are denying this aspect, trying to make their music abrasive and exclusive, Los Campesinos! are accepting it and embracing it, not as a limitation but as an end goal. And while this may offend some hoity-toity, holier-than-thou critics... to the rest of us it is just good fun music... plain and simple. And for Christ's sake... these guys released 2... count em... 2 pretty damn good albums in less than one year!!! And for someone like me who has an insatiable appetite for new music... that's a pretty promising aspect. Their first CD I actually own, so the sound quality will be better... the newer one I downloaded, but is still high quality. This is definitely music to have fun to. Dance... laugh... rock out... it's all good with these guys. 

Hold On Now, Youngster

We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

Repost

This is specifically for kris. He had problems because i uploaded my albums via AAC Encoder on Itunes, which makes mp4 files i think. I didn't think this was a problem for anyone with Itunes... which if you are like kris... go download that shit for free, and then you won't have a problem. I just want to keep files small and sound quality high, and AAC encoding is the best way to do that. I will try to upload files via mp3 from now on, unless it makes the file too large... then I will go back to mp4. OKAY? okay. If anyone else is having the same issue as kris, then please let me know so i can repost other albums that you might want in mp3 format. Here are two that kris wanted. 

The New Pornographers: Twin Cinema

Spoon: Kill the Moonlight

Spoon: Kill the Moonlight

While I enjoy all of Spoon's releases, I find myself coming back to Kill the Moonlight more than any other. It just has a spunk and sass that makes it the most accessible album in their repertoire. I think this is a band that could definitely use a little more edge in their sound nowadays. Their b-sides off of Gimme Fiction surprized the hell outta me. They were all rough and distorted and sounded nothing like the A-sides. I was all "WOOWWWIE!" I couldn't belive that they could sound like that... it was brilliant. While their polished sound works great for their minimalist rock style, a little edge could give these guys the push they need to make the best album of their careers. I guess that's why I favor this album so much. It has that little bit of edge that I crave from these guys. This album is a must have for any music lovers collection.




Kill the Moonlight

Four Tet: Rounds

Kieran Hebden aka Four Tet makes some pretty chilled out electronic beats. This CD was my shit for about a year before I finally put it away for awhile. I have to skip around a little on this release but the songs that are good, are freaking amazingly good. For some reason, I always imagine a movie of someone riding in the backseat of a car across the country looking at the sun as it passes over trees, houses and power lines, while tracks like "Slow Jam" and "My Angel Rocks Back and Forth" play as a soundtrack in the background. Then some voiceover says some profound shit about the meaning of life. (I'll make that movie someday... haha) This is definitely some music to contemplate life to. It's jazzy, ambient, otherwordly style seperates it from the pack as one of the most original and emotional rides an electronic album can take you on. I wish he would stop remixing other people shit and get back to making records like this.




Rounds

David Bowie: Hunky Dory

With a catalogue spanning over 3 decades, it's almost impossible to pick a favorite or definitive album for an artist like Bowie. The only thing I can really do here is just post the album that has some of my favorite songs on it. I personally think "5 years" may be his best song ever (from the album "Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust")... but that's a pretty large assertion that I'm not willing to make. However, this album definitely has the most consistently amazing songs throughout. "Changes", "Oh! You Pretty Things", "Life on Mars", and "Quicksand" all pretty much blow my mind. Like the Velvet Underground, Talking Heads and Brian Eno; Bowie was making awesome experimental art pop that was WELL before its time. Enjoy!




Hunky Dory

Beach House x 2

This band may be old news to some of you, but if you haven't heard Beach House... you are certainly missing out. I have to be in the right mood to really get into this music, but when the timing is right this stuff blows my mind. A little fun fact... my bff Andrew over at 413some is living with this girl Rebecca from San Fran... and she apparently went to high school with the guy from Beach House and is good friends with him still. (Apparently she has a little crush on him too... teeeheee!) Don't worry Rebecca... I'm sure he doesn't read this blog. (Just in case he does though....WHAT'S UP ALEX!? Hey... will you bone Rebecca?) I just thought it was cool cause one night I was all "Hey Andrew you know Beach House? They are great!" and Rebecca was all like "Oh i know that guy Alex pretty well." Then I found 5 dollars! Crazy ass story huh? My life is just a mile-a-minute adventure. *sigh* Both albums are pretty equal in terms of quality. I've been listening more to their self titled but, hey... that's just me.

Beach House

Devotion

Radiohead: Com Lag (2+2=5) EP

Here is another cool release from Radiohead. I bought this shit waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in the day from a cool record store in Portsmouth New Hampshire. Unfortunately, back then, circa 2004 or so, it was an import for like 50 bucks. I thought it was an amazing find... and it was back then... but now it's available for like 10 bucks pretty much anywhere. Oh well... it's still pretty gosh darn good either way. There are a few must haves on this EP for any Radiohead fan...notably the live version of "FOG (again)"... which makes me cry my own tears. Seriously. *sniffle*




Com Lag 2+2=5

Belle and Sebastian: The Life Pursuit

I wanted to post an album by Belle and Sebastian that I personally thought was overlooked by a lot of people. This is definitely one of them. After "Dear Catastrophe Waitress" I had almost given up hope on these guys making a good album again. Then I heard this and was all like... WHAAAAAA? This definitely deserves "rebound record of the year" award or something. I was almost certain they were gonna end up being one of those bands that had a really good start then followed it by crap after crap. I know I will probably get a lot of shit for saying that because Belle and Sebastian are one of those bands where everyone has their own personal favorite and will die defending it... but this album, for me personally, renewed my interest in a band that I thought was destined for mediocrity. Who the hell knows what they will do next... it's been what.. 2 years and there is no word on even them STARTING a new record. Eh, whatevs... enjoy these pop gems until then.




The Life Pursuit

Okkervil River: The Stage Names

Eh, I was going to post Okkervil River's new album "The Stand-ins", but since I was relatively disappointed by it I won't waste your time. Plus, there are like 50 blogs that already posted it... and I want to be different. (Forgive me while indulge in a longwinded criticism of the band regarding their new album.) The main fault I have with Okkervil River is that they always try to make "concept" albums. And while most of the time this is a good thing, for them this can present a challenge with material. They almost always seem to be WAYYYY to literal with their relation to the concept on each album, making the feel of some songs more contrived than cohesive (I'm specifically referring to their newest album). For example OK Computer, while a concept album (arguably one of the best), had an ambiguity to its lyrics and a universality that transcended their exploration of their concept. Every song wasn't like "Robots bad, humans good." If it was it would've been ... well... like a Okkervil River album. Haha... wow... that sounded harsh. I'm hyper-critical today okay? That being said, this album is probably the best concept album a band like Okkervil River could make. Next would probably be "Black Sheep Boy" which I also enjoyed quite a bit. Don't be fooled by my criticism of the band in general, because they are definitely a good band, and this is definitely a good album. In fact it is DEFINITELY one of 2007's best. Definitely.... Someone get me a thesaurus. I guess the best way to describe the band is like a guilty pleasure. Sort of... like a Jason Statham movie. You know the movie has its flaws...the plot is weak, the dialogue can be corny... but for some reason you freakin enjoy the shit out of yourself. And like a Statham movie, they once and a while make a pretty awesome movie that is also intellectually viable... this is one of those instances.




The Stage Names

Neutral Milk Hotel: In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

If I were to make a list of essential albums you must hear before you die, this would be high on the list. Some of the lyrics on this just break my little boy heart. *tear* The title song has the ability, no matter where I am, to make me look around in amazement that I exist at all... that I'm having a conversation and someone is understanding me... that out of all the shit that could have happened in the universe, I'm here, alive, in this exact moment in time. Pretty heavy stuff huh? It's funny because on first listen this album was not that impressive to me....but with time, reflection, and repeat listens, it ended up being one of my favorites. I think most people (myself previously included) overlook this album because of the crazy "I LOOOOVE YOU JESUS CHRIST" opening on the second song. Once you get he's kind of half joking, really using Jesus Christ as an exclamation. Like "I love you, Damnit!" things get a lot more interesting from there. You start to realize it's not a religious album, but a spiritual journey. A journey that ventures through the dreams of Magnum's head, revealing this sad, beautiful and horrific world that he has painted for us. It's a shame that Magnum abandoned music after this album. Like a musical J.D. Salinger, he gives us a few gems and vanishes to a life of obscurity.




In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

The Pixies: Surfer Rosa

Pixies rule my life. Quite possibly one of the best bands... ever. This album is still probably my favorite one. Steve Albini (producer for this album) just has a way with making a band sound exactly how they should. The drums on this have a sort of killing punch to them that the other pixies albums don't have (an attribute that caused Kurt Cobain to seek out Albini as a producer for In Utero). The Pixies just do it all for me. Frank Black can make you chuckle with his wacky lyrics, while at the same time delivering a heavy handed truth while you weren't looking... the guitars crunch and swell into larger than life choruses.... Kim and Franks voices harmonize in what most bands nowadays only can TRY to recreate.... the drums gallop along exploding into rocked out bliss... I dunno... I could seriously gush on for three pages about how important The Pixies are for modern indie rock music... or how they've literally influenced every GOOD band that has come about in the last 20 years of music.... the truth is without The Pixies, music as we know it would not be the same. I'm just glad I was able to catch them on their reunion tour before they disbanded again. Ahhhhhh... remember when music was so good it was exciting? Push play and lets reminisce.

Surfer Rosa

Radiohead: Pyramid Song

This is probably one of the coolest singles Radiohead have released. It's funny that a band as good as them release B-sides that are sometimes just as good and sometimes better than the material they put on their albums. I personally was amazed by the b-sides on this and Knives Out... I couldn't understand why they didn't replace some of the so-so songs on Amnesiac (like "Hunting Bears", or the second version of "Morning Bell") with the AWESOME b-sides on this CD and the Knives Out Single. Oh well... Either way it's all good. Enjoy

Pyramid Song