Monday: After the Jump New Year's Eve Show @ Knitting Factory 7pm $30
New Year's Eve in New York City is expensive no matter where you go. The prices are jacked up, people are dressed up, everything is packed, so why not spend your last evening of 2007 seeing some fantastic bands instead of being packed inside a sweaty dance club or hanging with your cousins? Tonight After the Jump gives you a slew of bands on two floors of the Knitting Factory to ring in the New Year right. We got Dirty Projectors, Foreign Islands, Senryu, Care Bears On Fire, Poingly, and then some super sweet after midnight treats presented by Cex that include Ecstatic Sunshine and Wzt Hearts! Doesn't that sound better then getting puked on by your underage niece that can't handle her champagne? I thought so.
Dirty Projectors - "No More"
Care Bears On Fire - "I Must Know Why"
Ecstatic Sunshine - "Little Big Dipper"
Tuesday: Happy New Year!!!
There's no shows on New Year's! Aren't you all partied out from last night anyway???
Wednesday: Any Suggestions???
Thursday: Any Suggestions???
Friday: Man In Gray + XYZ Affair + Pale Nimbus @ Mercury Lounge 9:30pm $10
With three stellar bands on this lineup this is your official first chance to rock in 2008. Man In Gray wrapped up their 2007 by making my year end list and I have a feeling Pale Nimbus and XYZ Affair might be making the 2008 list and they haven't even released their albums yet! If this is the starting line, 2008 is going be one heckuva year.
Man In Gray - "Last Night's Party"
XYZ Affair - "Little Fool"
Saturday: The Lisps @ Joe's Pub 11:30pm $12
Tonight we celebrate with The Lisps as they release their debut LP Country Doctor Museum! I cannot tell you how much I love this album in such a short amount of space, but I'm sure I'll be mentioning it more and more as time goes by. If you're up for something a little bit new and exciting you should definitely stop by Joe's Pub and check it out!!!
The Lisps - "The Familiar Drunk"
Sunday: Any Suggestions???
Free Shows: (the best price in town)
Saturday Jan. 12th; Oakley Hall, The Last Town Chorus, Nicole Atkins, + More @ World Financial Center [info]
Oakley Hall - "Angela"
Tuesday Jan. 15th; Kimya Dawson @ Sound Fix Records [info]
Kimya Dawson - "Loose Lips"
Cheap Show: ($10 or less)
Friday Jan. 4th; Bear Hands + She Keeps Bees @ Cake Shop [info]
Bear Hands - "Bad Blood"
She Keeps Bees - "Stutter"
Friday Jan. 4th; Man in Gray + XYZ Affair @ Mercury Lounge [info]
Man in Gray - "Last Night's Party"
XYZ Affair - "Little Fool"
Saturday Jan. 5th; These United States @ Union Hall [info]
These United States - "The Business"
Sunday Jan. 13th; Franz Nicolay @ Maxwell's [tix]
Thursday Jan. 17th; Wakey! Wakey! @ Union Pool [info]
Wakey! Wakey! - "Cokehead"
Saturday Jan. 19th; Apes & Androids @ Mercury Lounge [tix]
Apes & Androids - "Golden Prize"
Saturday Jan. 19th; Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Show @ Martini Red (info to come)
Saturday Jan. 26th; Ladybug Transistor @ Knitting Factory [tix]
Ladybug Transistor - "Oceans in the Hall"
Saturday Jan. 26th; Get Him Eat Him @ Southpaw [tix]
Get Him Eat Him - "2 x 2 (feat. Zach Condon)"
Not So Cheap: ($20 or less)
Saturday Jan. 5th; The Lisps @ Joe's Pub [tix]
The Lisps - "Heaven"
Tuesday Jan. 8th; Thurston Moore + Tall Firs @ Knitting Factory [tix]
Thurston Moore - "Fri/End"
Wednesday Jan. 9th; Kate Nash @ Bowery Ballroom [tix]
Kate Nash - "Foundation"
Thursday Jan. 17th; The Fiery Furnaces @ Maxwell's [tix]
The Fiery Furnaces - "Restorative Beer"
Wednesday Jan. 30th; Vampire Weekend + Aa @ Bowery Ballroom [tix]
Vampire Weekend - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
Aa - "Thirteen"
Mad Expensive: (More then $20)
Saturday Jan. 12th; Wu Tang Clan @ Hammerstein Ballroom [tix]
Wu Tang Clan - "The Heart Gently Weeps"
Saturday Jan. 19th; Mission of Burma @ Warsaw [tix]
Mission of Burma - "Academy Fight Song"
Saturday Jan. 19th; Blonde Redhead @ Terminal 5 [tix]
Blonde Redhead - "23"
Saturday Jan. 12th; Oakley Hall, The Last Town Chorus, Nicole Atkins, + More @ World Financial Center [info]Oakley Hall - "Angela"
Tuesday Jan. 15th; Kimya Dawson @ Sound Fix Records [info]Kimya Dawson - "Loose Lips"
Cheap Show: ($10 or less)
Friday Jan. 4th; Bear Hands + She Keeps Bees @ Cake Shop [info]Bear Hands - "Bad Blood"
She Keeps Bees - "Stutter"
Friday Jan. 4th; Man in Gray + XYZ Affair @ Mercury Lounge [info]Man in Gray - "Last Night's Party"
XYZ Affair - "Little Fool"
Saturday Jan. 5th; These United States @ Union Hall [info]These United States - "The Business"
Sunday Jan. 13th; Franz Nicolay @ Maxwell's [tix]Thursday Jan. 17th; Wakey! Wakey! @ Union Pool [info]Wakey! Wakey! - "Cokehead"
Saturday Jan. 19th; Apes & Androids @ Mercury Lounge [tix]Apes & Androids - "Golden Prize"
Saturday Jan. 19th; Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Show @ Martini Red (info to come)Saturday Jan. 26th; Ladybug Transistor @ Knitting Factory [tix]Ladybug Transistor - "Oceans in the Hall"
Saturday Jan. 26th; Get Him Eat Him @ Southpaw [tix]Get Him Eat Him - "2 x 2 (feat. Zach Condon)"
Not So Cheap: ($20 or less)
Saturday Jan. 5th; The Lisps @ Joe's Pub [tix]The Lisps - "Heaven"
Tuesday Jan. 8th; Thurston Moore + Tall Firs @ Knitting Factory [tix]Thurston Moore - "Fri/End"
Wednesday Jan. 9th; Kate Nash @ Bowery Ballroom [tix]Kate Nash - "Foundation"
Thursday Jan. 17th; The Fiery Furnaces @ Maxwell's [tix]
The Fiery Furnaces - "Restorative Beer"
Wednesday Jan. 30th; Vampire Weekend + Aa @ Bowery Ballroom [tix]Vampire Weekend - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
Aa - "Thirteen"
Mad Expensive: (More then $20)
Saturday Jan. 12th; Wu Tang Clan @ Hammerstein Ballroom [tix]Wu Tang Clan - "The Heart Gently Weeps"
Saturday Jan. 19th; Mission of Burma @ Warsaw [tix]Mission of Burma - "Academy Fight Song"
Saturday Jan. 19th; Blonde Redhead @ Terminal 5 [tix]Blonde Redhead - "23"
Flying first caught my eye back during CMJ when the band played at Cake Shop as part of the Cardboard Records showcase. Their performance that night set the tone for the entire evening, providing the first of several fantastic sets. The music was simple to get into, amid a cacophony of noisy instruments there were beautifully constructed boy/girl harmonies that could have fit in any era of pop music. Using the difference between an ethereal noise and a shimmering pop hook the band showed the beauty of having stark contrasts within their sound. Now the band has gone and recorded their second album, Faces of the Night, and the sounds found on their recordings are just as appealing as they were live.Considering how noisy Flying can be live it's a bit surprising that Faces of the Night isn't all that noisy, in fact the album could be considered fairly calm and quiet. Sure there are elements of noise on here, it's just not cranked up at a live volume and it's recorded at a much slower pace. The shimmering pop vocals are still present and the elements of the noise still exist, but it comes of less contrasting and more coherent then the live show did.
The tracks on Faces of the Night seem to follow a boy, then girl, then duet, then back to boy formula that adds to the overall cohesiveness of the album. It's like a pattern and within that pattern you are lulled into a calmness that lends itself into the music. As the tracks go by you can find yourself lost in their songs, listening to the female singer as she slowly drips out her lyrics over a quiet guitar or some simple electronic sounds. The best songs on the album are certainly the tracks where both boy and girl meet and their vocals are able to play off of each other.
With the pacing, the soothing sounds, and the wonderful vocals Flying have crafted a wonderful album that should make an immediate impact in 2008. Because of a few problems with the packaging the album's release date had to be pushed back to February 19th, but make sure you pick up this album when it comes out or you'll really be missing out.
Flying on Myspace
Flying - "Falling Leaves" (off their debut Just-one-second-ago-broken Eggshell)
Flying - "Minors" (off their debut Just-one-second-ago-broken Eggshell)
(Editors Note: I will try and get one or two of their new tracks up as soon as I can, in the mean time please enjoy these two tunes off their first album. Thanks.)
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Friday December 28th:
New York Dolls @ Irving Plaza [tix][mp3]
Saturday December 29th:
Patti Smith @ Bowery Ballroom [tix][mp3]
New York Dolls @ Irivng Plaza [tix]
The Forms @ Union Hall [info][mp3]
Sunday December 30th:
Patti Smith @ Bowery Ballroom [tix]
The bands of New York are always going to be a little larger for folks like me. They play here constantly, they have built in audiences throughout the city, and they have a plethora of venues to call home, giving them a great advantage in the big city. It doesn't mean they don't have to work hard to get a leg up, they just have some nice advantages that make it a little easier for them to blow-up. Here's my picks of the New York bands poised to have big years.
The Antlers; I named their "EP" my 7th favorite record of the year so these guys are already on the radar, but until they are headlining Bowery Ballroom for five nights in a row I won't consider them all blowed up. That may be coming sooner then later though as the guys are already in the studio recording their debut as a full band and getting ready to hit cities up and down the East Coast on a tour early in 2008. With their combination of raw power and vocals that are reminiscent of Jeff Buckley I honestly don't see how this band could not grow in stature. Take a listen if you haven't already and pass the word on to someone else.
The Antlers - "Stairs to the Attic"
The Lisps; Their full length debut is pressed and set to be released with a show on January 5th at Joe's Pub. This pushes The Lisps to the top of the list, because they will most likely be the first band to gain prominence in the New York scene this year. Their album features a slew of sing-a-long friendly tunes, even if their sound isn't quite contemporary. Believe me when I say you are going to be hearing a lot from The Lisps this year.
The Lisps - "The Familiar Drunk"
Vampire Weekend; Quite possibly the biggest, "No shit Sherlock" on this list it is inevitable that Vampire Weekend will blow up in 2008. Why? Because they already blew up in 2007 with only an EP burned onto a CD-R that's why. Now the New York band will be releasing a proper album with songs that sound like the one's they got popular with this year. I think that's the perfect equation for absolute success in 2008 and these guys will be big and bad ass all year long.
Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma"
Dead Rabbit; The Staten Island quartet have been working on a full length album, though I'm not exactly sure when it will be ready. Still, I'm sure they will be playing all over town this year and word of mouth alone should propel this band to much higher points then they've reached so far.
The Diggs; Living in New York in 2006 it was hard to avoid The Diggs. The name was on every New York music lover's lips and they seemed to be playing every five seconds throughout the city. Then they almost disappeared in '07, playing just a few shows here and there and focusing on working on their sophomore record. Well the sophomore record is done, it's called Ctrl-Alt-Del, and based on the lead single from it I have a feeling it's going to be pretty excellent.
The Diggs - "Careen"
High Places; High Places had a breakout 2007 thanks to a 4-track 7" and a steadily building reputation as a solid live band. With songs that have a very ambient vibe to them, this could be the most soothing and refreshing band in New York. The vocals here are excellent and the synth work is remarkable. Look for the band to follow-up on the success of their 7" with an album or EP at some point this year, and I'm sure they'll back that with a number of live shows.
High Places - "Head Spins"
The Muggabears; With the release of a sparkling EP, Night Choreography, in 2007 The Muggabears firmly established themselves within the New York scene. Now in 2008 the boys and girl of The Muggabears should be looking to widen their audience with another release and a shit load of live shows. This could be a break out year from the 'bears.
The Muggabears - "Dead Kid Kicks"
Beat Radio; Beat Radio have the type of sound that could be a huge player in the indie rock world. Their debut LP, The Great Big Sea is a fantastic listen that they've strengthened by attaching an additional four song EP to. If they keep going in the direction they seem headed this could be a very nice year for the boys.
Beat Radio - "Elegy"
The Antlers; I named their "EP" my 7th favorite record of the year so these guys are already on the radar, but until they are headlining Bowery Ballroom for five nights in a row I won't consider them all blowed up. That may be coming sooner then later though as the guys are already in the studio recording their debut as a full band and getting ready to hit cities up and down the East Coast on a tour early in 2008. With their combination of raw power and vocals that are reminiscent of Jeff Buckley I honestly don't see how this band could not grow in stature. Take a listen if you haven't already and pass the word on to someone else.
The Antlers - "Stairs to the Attic"
The Lisps; Their full length debut is pressed and set to be released with a show on January 5th at Joe's Pub. This pushes The Lisps to the top of the list, because they will most likely be the first band to gain prominence in the New York scene this year. Their album features a slew of sing-a-long friendly tunes, even if their sound isn't quite contemporary. Believe me when I say you are going to be hearing a lot from The Lisps this year.
The Lisps - "The Familiar Drunk"
Vampire Weekend; Quite possibly the biggest, "No shit Sherlock" on this list it is inevitable that Vampire Weekend will blow up in 2008. Why? Because they already blew up in 2007 with only an EP burned onto a CD-R that's why. Now the New York band will be releasing a proper album with songs that sound like the one's they got popular with this year. I think that's the perfect equation for absolute success in 2008 and these guys will be big and bad ass all year long.
Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma"
Dead Rabbit; The Staten Island quartet have been working on a full length album, though I'm not exactly sure when it will be ready. Still, I'm sure they will be playing all over town this year and word of mouth alone should propel this band to much higher points then they've reached so far.
The Diggs; Living in New York in 2006 it was hard to avoid The Diggs. The name was on every New York music lover's lips and they seemed to be playing every five seconds throughout the city. Then they almost disappeared in '07, playing just a few shows here and there and focusing on working on their sophomore record. Well the sophomore record is done, it's called Ctrl-Alt-Del, and based on the lead single from it I have a feeling it's going to be pretty excellent.
The Diggs - "Careen"
High Places; High Places had a breakout 2007 thanks to a 4-track 7" and a steadily building reputation as a solid live band. With songs that have a very ambient vibe to them, this could be the most soothing and refreshing band in New York. The vocals here are excellent and the synth work is remarkable. Look for the band to follow-up on the success of their 7" with an album or EP at some point this year, and I'm sure they'll back that with a number of live shows.
High Places - "Head Spins"
The Muggabears; With the release of a sparkling EP, Night Choreography, in 2007 The Muggabears firmly established themselves within the New York scene. Now in 2008 the boys and girl of The Muggabears should be looking to widen their audience with another release and a shit load of live shows. This could be a break out year from the 'bears.
The Muggabears - "Dead Kid Kicks"
Beat Radio; Beat Radio have the type of sound that could be a huge player in the indie rock world. Their debut LP, The Great Big Sea is a fantastic listen that they've strengthened by attaching an additional four song EP to. If they keep going in the direction they seem headed this could be a very nice year for the boys.
Beat Radio - "Elegy"
Labels:
beat radio,
dead rabbit,
high places,
local bands,
mp3's,
the antlers,
the diggs,
the lisps,
the muggabears
Last Friday, my girlfriend and her family headed down to the tropics for the holiday week while i was left in New York to toil at my job and suffer through the holidays while not sitting pool side. It was a bit of a downer and it led me to drink away my loneliness on Friday night. Anyway, I found myself at my local bar Martini Red, sitting at the bar, shooting the shit, when a band went on that sounded eerily reminiscent of Radiohead. I know, I know, most bands that sound like Radiohead are just cheap imitations of the esteemed British band, but these guys had the structure and the talent to pull off the sound without sounding like a direct rip-off.
As the set progressed I noticed a few flaws in the band, namely that they needed a bit more practice, but beneath the few flubs that were cranked out on Friday night there is a definite style that appeals to me. The song writing is strong, the rhythm section keeps it's beats well, and the lead guitarist can really play, plus she'll occassionally hit the keyboard as well always a nice little addition. So considering the band's collective age of about 22 or 23, I thought they had a lot of potential and that was before I checked out their recorded stuff.
Recorded the band has much fewer flaws, as they are probably able to edit them out and keep the cleanest of the cuts, but there is still that style that is so important to good bands. I'm really impressed by the four songs they have posted, not blown away necessarily but believing that this band can grow into some really good music makers.
I'm planning on having this band at my next show so keep an eye out for that announcement sometime in the next week or so, and make sure you check out this band to see if you think their potential is as high as I do.
Canopy on Myspace
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Thursday's Links:
- The Depreciation Guild are giving away their debut album, In Her Gentle Jaws for free on their website. You should download this if you like a)music or b)free stuff.
- The A.V. Club lists the least essential albums of 2007 so you don't have to waste your time listening to them.
- Some band is trying to crowd their way into your New Year's Eve plans by doing some sort of webcast.
As the set progressed I noticed a few flaws in the band, namely that they needed a bit more practice, but beneath the few flubs that were cranked out on Friday night there is a definite style that appeals to me. The song writing is strong, the rhythm section keeps it's beats well, and the lead guitarist can really play, plus she'll occassionally hit the keyboard as well always a nice little addition. So considering the band's collective age of about 22 or 23, I thought they had a lot of potential and that was before I checked out their recorded stuff.
Recorded the band has much fewer flaws, as they are probably able to edit them out and keep the cleanest of the cuts, but there is still that style that is so important to good bands. I'm really impressed by the four songs they have posted, not blown away necessarily but believing that this band can grow into some really good music makers.
I'm planning on having this band at my next show so keep an eye out for that announcement sometime in the next week or so, and make sure you check out this band to see if you think their potential is as high as I do.
Canopy on Myspace
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Thursday's Links:
- The Depreciation Guild are giving away their debut album, In Her Gentle Jaws for free on their website. You should download this if you like a)music or b)free stuff.
- The A.V. Club lists the least essential albums of 2007 so you don't have to waste your time listening to them.
- Some band is trying to crowd their way into your New Year's Eve plans by doing some sort of webcast.
2007 was a truly great year for music. We received hundreds of albums that impacted people far and wide, a huge array of sounds and innovations, and of course some great tunes from bands we've never heard of, but I have a feeling 2008 might be just as good and just as big as 2007. Here's what I'm looking forward to.
Januray:
The Magnetic Fields Distortion; People have been waiting for something new from The Magnetic Fields for a long time and now we're about to get it. I'm just kind of wondering what it is we are actually about to get. Is it going to be as good as their legendary catalog? Or is it going to be a complete disappointment. Apparently the album has leaked already but I haven't gotten my greedy paws on it yet, all I got is a single track and it's alright. I'm holding out judgement till I hear the whole thing though.
The Magnetic Fields - "Old Fools"
Cat Power Jukebox; For the second time Cat Power is releasing an album of covers and it's loaded with stuff new and old that is interesting coming from Ms. Marshall. I heard some of the tunes done live a few months ago when Cat Power opened up for Interpol and it sounded great live, but on the new album there are a couple of down tracks. Overall it's a solid, though certainly not great album. Some of the tracks here will hang around longer then the others, and it's pretty much an example of the parts being greater then the whole.
Hello, Blue Roses The Portrait is Finished And I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty; I'm thinking 2008 is going to be a huge year for Dan Bejar. First up on the slate is a side project with his partner Sydney Vermont called Hello, Blue Roses. We've all heard the first tune off this album and I'm really diggin' it, though you can pretty much say that about anything Bejar touches really. But this is just the first of the Bejar releases this year, we've also got some Destroyer coming, and maybe just maybe a new Swan Lake album. So look out 'cause Bejar's gonna be everywhere.
Hello, Blue Roses - "Shadow Falls"
Xiu Xiu Women As Lovers; I've been listening to this album as a stream only pres version for the last two weeks or so and I have to say I am completely blown away by the new album. Featuring an awesome cover of Queen's "Under Pressure" and a few mind blowing tracks this is gonna be a really big record for the band. I'm going to go ahead and predict that this is the big album of the first half of 2008, making mid-year lists like crazy and all that fancy stuff. Should be a good one that everyone should hear!
Xiu Xiu - "I Do What I Want When I Want"
Black Mountain In the Future; This leaked a few weeks ago and I haven't had enough time to let it seep into my mind. I've only had one or two listens to the whole thing but from what I've heard I like it a lot. Still, Black Mountain has always been the type of band you need to listen to several times before everything becomes clear, so I think I'll spend some time with it in the next few weeks and see what it really does to me.
Black Mountain - "Tyrants"
Times New Viking Rip It Off; I've already given you guys my preview review of this album and it's still kicking my ass all over. It's load, minimal, and terrific in so many ways. I hope you guys are all ready to have your asses beaten black and blue by Times New Viking, 'cause this album rocks freakin' hard so you better be ready.
Times New Viking - "(My Head)/R.I.P. Allegory"
February:
Hot Chip Made in the Dark; I haven't heard anything but the song below off this record, but I am still giddy with excitement to hear stuff from it. When Hot Chip released Colours I think most of us were blown away by their dance rock abilities and I think we're going to get blown away again here. Hopefully the band has progressed, but not changed their sound too much. I still want the catchy, dance tunes like "Over and Over" and I want it now!!!
Hot Chip - "Ready for the Floor"
Atlas Sound Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Not Feel; Deerhunter really blew up in 2007 making Bradford Cox a new indie rock star and allowing him the chance to release some of his bedroom recordings under the Atlas Sound moniker. I gave you guys my thoughts on this last Friday so hopefully they are still with you, but if not make sure you take a listen to this album as soon as you can. It's a strong, though not over powering album and it gives a great example of Bradford Cox as a truly astounding song writer.
Atlas Sound - "Quarantined"
Mountain Goats Heretic Pride; Last month I got to see The Mountain Goats preview a few of the tunes off of Heretic Pride and they were nothing short of fantastic. If you combine that sneak preview with the strength of the last few Mountain Goats albums I think we're going to have a real strong showing from John Darnielle and company this year.
The Mountain Goats - "So Desperate"
Growing Lateral; Growing were one of the bands that really wowed me during CMJ last year so I'm really looking forward to their new album. Unfortunately I haven't heard anything off it yet but I'm sure it will be pretty good.
March:
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Real Emotional Trash; Anytime you get a release from Malkmus you get a palpable sense of excitment that borders on insanity, and with the additions made to the Jicks recently I think we're in store for one of his strongest non-Pavement releases yet. This could be a landmark album. Or it could suck. Who knows.
Be Your Own PET Get Awkward; The kids have had time to grow up a bit, become more deft musicians, and really hone their craft on the road so it's pretty easy to say that I'm amped to see what they do with their sophomore album.
Destroyer Trouble In Dreams; Like I said before, this is gonna be a huge year for Dan Bejar. Mark it down, this album is going to be awesome.
April:
Animal Collective Water Curses; An EP from Animal Collective is always a nice addition to the music landscape. Not sure what they're gonna do here, but I'm sure it will be interesting.
Colin Meloy Skulls, Ship, Sheep; As a huge Decemberists fan I am really looking forward to this solo album from Colin Meloy.
Man Man Rabbit Habbits (or Hot Topic); Having spent most of the last two years on the road, I'm curious to see what the Man Man crew have been working on. If it's half as good as Six Demon Bag was it'll be a solid album and I'm willing to bet that it's more then half as good.
Tim Fite (TBA) ; Craziness will be ensuing, no doubt about it.
Boris Smile; probably some more drone metal from the wizards of the genre.
Expected Later in 2008: (a list)
Deerhunter, Eminem, Final Fantasy, Forward Russia, Franz Ferdinand, The Futureheads, Gang of Four, Islands, Ladytron, Jamie Lidell, M83, Massive Attack, The Notwist, The Postal Service, R.E.M., Rancid, Roxy Music, Shearwater, The Silver Jews, The Streets, Tapes n' Tapes, Tortoise, U2, Weezer, Wolf Parade, The Wrens, and more!!!
Januray:
The Magnetic Fields Distortion; People have been waiting for something new from The Magnetic Fields for a long time and now we're about to get it. I'm just kind of wondering what it is we are actually about to get. Is it going to be as good as their legendary catalog? Or is it going to be a complete disappointment. Apparently the album has leaked already but I haven't gotten my greedy paws on it yet, all I got is a single track and it's alright. I'm holding out judgement till I hear the whole thing though.The Magnetic Fields - "Old Fools"
Cat Power Jukebox; For the second time Cat Power is releasing an album of covers and it's loaded with stuff new and old that is interesting coming from Ms. Marshall. I heard some of the tunes done live a few months ago when Cat Power opened up for Interpol and it sounded great live, but on the new album there are a couple of down tracks. Overall it's a solid, though certainly not great album. Some of the tracks here will hang around longer then the others, and it's pretty much an example of the parts being greater then the whole.
Hello, Blue Roses The Portrait is Finished And I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty; I'm thinking 2008 is going to be a huge year for Dan Bejar. First up on the slate is a side project with his partner Sydney Vermont called Hello, Blue Roses. We've all heard the first tune off this album and I'm really diggin' it, though you can pretty much say that about anything Bejar touches really. But this is just the first of the Bejar releases this year, we've also got some Destroyer coming, and maybe just maybe a new Swan Lake album. So look out 'cause Bejar's gonna be everywhere.Hello, Blue Roses - "Shadow Falls"
Xiu Xiu Women As Lovers; I've been listening to this album as a stream only pres version for the last two weeks or so and I have to say I am completely blown away by the new album. Featuring an awesome cover of Queen's "Under Pressure" and a few mind blowing tracks this is gonna be a really big record for the band. I'm going to go ahead and predict that this is the big album of the first half of 2008, making mid-year lists like crazy and all that fancy stuff. Should be a good one that everyone should hear!Xiu Xiu - "I Do What I Want When I Want"
Black Mountain In the Future; This leaked a few weeks ago and I haven't had enough time to let it seep into my mind. I've only had one or two listens to the whole thing but from what I've heard I like it a lot. Still, Black Mountain has always been the type of band you need to listen to several times before everything becomes clear, so I think I'll spend some time with it in the next few weeks and see what it really does to me.Black Mountain - "Tyrants"
Times New Viking Rip It Off; I've already given you guys my preview review of this album and it's still kicking my ass all over. It's load, minimal, and terrific in so many ways. I hope you guys are all ready to have your asses beaten black and blue by Times New Viking, 'cause this album rocks freakin' hard so you better be ready.Times New Viking - "(My Head)/R.I.P. Allegory"
February:
Hot Chip Made in the Dark; I haven't heard anything but the song below off this record, but I am still giddy with excitement to hear stuff from it. When Hot Chip released Colours I think most of us were blown away by their dance rock abilities and I think we're going to get blown away again here. Hopefully the band has progressed, but not changed their sound too much. I still want the catchy, dance tunes like "Over and Over" and I want it now!!!Hot Chip - "Ready for the Floor"
Atlas Sound Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Not Feel; Deerhunter really blew up in 2007 making Bradford Cox a new indie rock star and allowing him the chance to release some of his bedroom recordings under the Atlas Sound moniker. I gave you guys my thoughts on this last Friday so hopefully they are still with you, but if not make sure you take a listen to this album as soon as you can. It's a strong, though not over powering album and it gives a great example of Bradford Cox as a truly astounding song writer.Atlas Sound - "Quarantined"
Mountain Goats Heretic Pride; Last month I got to see The Mountain Goats preview a few of the tunes off of Heretic Pride and they were nothing short of fantastic. If you combine that sneak preview with the strength of the last few Mountain Goats albums I think we're going to have a real strong showing from John Darnielle and company this year.
The Mountain Goats - "So Desperate"
Growing Lateral; Growing were one of the bands that really wowed me during CMJ last year so I'm really looking forward to their new album. Unfortunately I haven't heard anything off it yet but I'm sure it will be pretty good.
March:
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Real Emotional Trash; Anytime you get a release from Malkmus you get a palpable sense of excitment that borders on insanity, and with the additions made to the Jicks recently I think we're in store for one of his strongest non-Pavement releases yet. This could be a landmark album. Or it could suck. Who knows.
Be Your Own PET Get Awkward; The kids have had time to grow up a bit, become more deft musicians, and really hone their craft on the road so it's pretty easy to say that I'm amped to see what they do with their sophomore album.
Destroyer Trouble In Dreams; Like I said before, this is gonna be a huge year for Dan Bejar. Mark it down, this album is going to be awesome.
April:
Animal Collective Water Curses; An EP from Animal Collective is always a nice addition to the music landscape. Not sure what they're gonna do here, but I'm sure it will be interesting.
Colin Meloy Skulls, Ship, Sheep; As a huge Decemberists fan I am really looking forward to this solo album from Colin Meloy.
Man Man Rabbit Habbits (or Hot Topic); Having spent most of the last two years on the road, I'm curious to see what the Man Man crew have been working on. If it's half as good as Six Demon Bag was it'll be a solid album and I'm willing to bet that it's more then half as good.
Tim Fite (TBA) ; Craziness will be ensuing, no doubt about it.
Boris Smile; probably some more drone metal from the wizards of the genre.
Expected Later in 2008: (a list)
Deerhunter, Eminem, Final Fantasy, Forward Russia, Franz Ferdinand, The Futureheads, Gang of Four, Islands, Ladytron, Jamie Lidell, M83, Massive Attack, The Notwist, The Postal Service, R.E.M., Rancid, Roxy Music, Shearwater, The Silver Jews, The Streets, Tapes n' Tapes, Tortoise, U2, Weezer, Wolf Parade, The Wrens, and more!!!
In 1997 I wasn't the smartest kid alive but I did know enough to share interests with girls you liked. That led to me asking for a Garth Brooks CD for Christmas and to a lot of heartache and woe.As a senior in high school I fell for a girl named Sam. She was beautiful, smart, funny, and only a freshman so it was a bit taboo. But that taboo didn't stop me from pursuing this new hottie in my life. Only problem was this freshman was dating a 22-year old member of the Coast Guard. Yikes! Anyway, my crush on the girl went on for almost two years with lots of peaks and valleys, her toying with me, and then me finally giving up on the whole idea. I could expunge on this further but it would only highlight how easily I can be toyed with by the fairer sex. Not really something I want to advertise.
So now sitting in one of my CD books at home is Garth Brooks' Sevens I never really liked the album, though I did listen to it several times. It was just one of those things I couldn't get into and despite sales of over 9 million copies to date, I don't know a single other person that owns this record. There isn't much country in my record collection and I really wish this one wasn't there either, but for some reason I can't bring myself to give it away. Maybe it's because I know that girl is still out there or to remind myself of the dangers of unrequited love. Whatever the reason I have it, I don't listen to it, but I felt like telling the abbreviated version of the story to all of you. Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.
Top 10 Movies I Saw In 2007:
1 - Control; I spent most of my year seeing huge blockbusters and silly comedies, but the one dramatic movie I actually spent money to see was by far the best piece of cinematography I have seen in quite some time. With a powerful cast of characters, tremendous music performances, and of course the heart-breaking story of Ian Curtis' life this was a can't miss movie that didn't miss for a single second. I'm sure some people were worried how they would cover the life of one of the most beloved musicians in history, but fear not folks, Anton Corbijn has the background that makes him the perfect creator of this movie and he did an amazing job incorporating the story, the acting, and his own abilities to tell this story. It's a beautiful film in so many ways.
2 - Lars and the Real Girl; watching this movie I felt a bit awkward laughing at the hijinx involved when Lars begins dating a real doll, but the heartfelt sincerity of the performances combined with the writing in the movie overcome that initial awkwardness to create one of the most tender films I've seen in years. Ryan Gosling once again gives an Oscar worthy performance, which is becoming quite a trend with this guy. As good as Gosling was Emily Mortimer steals the show as Lars' sister-in-law Karin. She is passionate, caring, and in one scene where Lars insults here feelings she is brutally honest and rightfully so. I know this is only in limited releases, but if you get the chance to see it make sure you do. Even if you have to wait for it on DVD make sure you do.
3 - Knocked Up; For years Hollywood has made money re-doing the same romantic comedy script over and over again. You know the one, starring Adam Sandler where he falls for a girl, the girl falls for him but then one of them does something so stupid that it can't be forgiven, well it can't be forgiven until he does some ridiculously heroic effort to win her back. Yeah, it's been done to death and I'm pretty sure every person with a brain was sick of it. Well Judd Apatow changed the romantic comedy this year and I think we are all going to be better off for it. He basically removed the line that couldn't be crossed in romantic comedies and made them funnier, more daring, more realistic (sort of), and of course packed in more laughs then ever before. Knocked Up will probably go down as one of the funniest movies ever, and it certainly deserves it.
4 - Superbad; Unlike the romantic comedy, the buddy comedy did not leave me cringing with every new trailer featuring a comedic duo. Hollywood has been doing this genre of film well for decades now, and Superbad certainly adds to that legacy. This movies is stupendously written, full of sharp wit, slight and short emotional moments, and some of the wackiest hilarity of any movie this year. At times the movie was a bit over the top, but it's done in such a good way that it's hard to complain at all about this movie. Also, I think we have a pair of budding stars on our hands and this is certainly the jump off point for their careers. I loved every moment.
5 - Juno; Michael Cera really had a break-out year. Even though is role is much larger in Superbad this shows more versatility from the young actor and gives us insight into how his career may look in the future. But Juno is way more then just Michael Cera. We get an awesome debut from Ellen Page as the title character, wonderful spots from Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, and the briefest Rainn Wilson cameo of the year. Together the cast is as good as they get, bringing to mind the success Little Miss Sunshine had last year with their own ensemble cast. I don't think this one will win Best Picture of the Year, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it did.
6 - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story; I just saw this the other night, but it was damn funny. I mean really damn funny. For all the great, small parts John C. Reilly has had over the years, it's about time he got his chance to be the star of the show and he certainly doesn't disappoint here. His voice is magnificent as a singer and he plays an excellent confused rock star. Also great was seeing Tim Meadows in his finest movie role to date; "You don't want none of this Dewey." And the chick from The Office was solid as well. I'm really glad they cut the scene with Patrick Duffy, that will allow me to keep some shred of dignity, at least until the DVD comes out with the deleted scenes.
7 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Yes this basically makes the list because I am a Harry Potter addict and will be loving everything Potter for the rest of my life. It also is the biggest spectacle yet in the movies and I thought it was pretty well done. They need to hurry up and finish the last two movies though, because the cast is starting to become a bit unbelievable.
8 - The Simpsons Movie; I was terrified of the prospect of this movie, but the writers did such an excellent job to keep it the way The Simpsons has always been. There have been better episodes of The Simpsons then this two-hour one, but not too many.
9 - Hot Fuzz; Shaun of the Dead was way, way better then this, but there are still more then enough laughs to keep me fully satisfied.
10 - Spider-man 3; Okay, so this wasn't the greatest Spider-man movie. Venom should have been played by someone bigger, the Sandman back story was completely wrong, and it was more then a little campy. But tell me it wasn't cool watching Spidey battle multiple villains throughout the movie.
Top 5 TV Shows of the Year:
1. Heroes; I really got into Heroes when the calendar flipped to '07 and the story heated up. Luckily I was able to catch up on the back epsidoes I missed and really enjoy it. Sure season 2 has been a bit down compared to the first season but I have a feeling it's really going to pick up come 2008.
2. 30 Rock; Simply put this is the funniest show on TV. If you expand that a bit you have probably the best cast on TV, the best writing on TV, and some of the more interesting hijinx anywhere. This is what a TV sitcom should be like in 2007.
3. The Office; The hour long episodes were a bit daunting, but more times then not i found myself laughing. I hope they get back to being more awkwardly funny rather then the cutesy way they have been going lately. I do not want The Office to devolve into another version of Scrubs.
4. The Sopranos; Finished with possibly the strongest three episode stretch in the series. Could ask for anything more, yeah probably but I'm not gonna.
5. The Simpsons; This should make the list every year it continues.
Top 10 Music Blogs Not Named Pop Tarts Suck Toasted:
1. Daytrotter; for a couple of years now Daytrotter has set the bar for the rest of the music sites on the internet. Recording his own sessions with up-and-coming artists of the indie world, Daytrotter is quickly becoming the digital era's John Peel. Not only do they have great sessions there is also some of the best music writing on the web found right here. I wish I were Daytrotter.
2. La Blogotheque; though I don't understand a word in French, La Blogotheque still gets regular views from me thanks to their Take Away Show series. Featuring the best in the indie sphere, the Take Away Shows stick bands in odd, out door settings and let the magic happen. These are some of the best music videos anywhere.
3. Pampelmoose; written by Dave Allen of Gang Of Four fame, pampelmoose is easily the best blog written by a musician on the internet. It gives a musicians insight on the world of music, while regularly reporting on the big news stories in the industry. This is a fantastic read and occasionally he'll post new tracks from Gang of Four as an added bonus!
4. Heart on a Stick; Heart on a Stick is one of the more contentious corners of the music blog world. Not afriad to speak his mind, he will bash other blog trends in the head if he feels the need to, but he is also a die-hard music fan that can rave with the best of us. No matter whether I agree with him or not, his posts are always interesting to read.
5. I Guess I'm Floating; This is simply one of my favorite straight up music blogs in all the world. With great content daily and some of the best writing on music in the world I Guess I'm Floating is a must for any fan of music.
6. Brooklyn Vegan; Vegan is still one of my main sources for information in the music world. It is just that important.
7. Underrated Magazine;
8. Sucka Pants; Earlier this year Rachael made a mild shift from stalking bands to writing about the music found in TV shows and music. It's a cool switch and it incorporates more of her strengths to give a new insight into music and pop culture and all of that fun stuff.
9. The Big Part; Basically all The Big Part is, is one big AIM conversation but when it's filled with funny reviews and criticisms of new albums it's all I need to be interested in it. If you're not reading this, you're missing out.
10. CMJ Staff Blog; Full disclosure here, Rachael is the news editor at CMJ so I have spent an inordinate amount of time reading their news stories and staff blog. That said I am always into their live reviews of the shows they are going to. It's written by every member of their staff, from the interns to the editors and it shows a varied taste and a wealth of opinions on the current music world.
1 - Control; I spent most of my year seeing huge blockbusters and silly comedies, but the one dramatic movie I actually spent money to see was by far the best piece of cinematography I have seen in quite some time. With a powerful cast of characters, tremendous music performances, and of course the heart-breaking story of Ian Curtis' life this was a can't miss movie that didn't miss for a single second. I'm sure some people were worried how they would cover the life of one of the most beloved musicians in history, but fear not folks, Anton Corbijn has the background that makes him the perfect creator of this movie and he did an amazing job incorporating the story, the acting, and his own abilities to tell this story. It's a beautiful film in so many ways.
2 - Lars and the Real Girl; watching this movie I felt a bit awkward laughing at the hijinx involved when Lars begins dating a real doll, but the heartfelt sincerity of the performances combined with the writing in the movie overcome that initial awkwardness to create one of the most tender films I've seen in years. Ryan Gosling once again gives an Oscar worthy performance, which is becoming quite a trend with this guy. As good as Gosling was Emily Mortimer steals the show as Lars' sister-in-law Karin. She is passionate, caring, and in one scene where Lars insults here feelings she is brutally honest and rightfully so. I know this is only in limited releases, but if you get the chance to see it make sure you do. Even if you have to wait for it on DVD make sure you do.
3 - Knocked Up; For years Hollywood has made money re-doing the same romantic comedy script over and over again. You know the one, starring Adam Sandler where he falls for a girl, the girl falls for him but then one of them does something so stupid that it can't be forgiven, well it can't be forgiven until he does some ridiculously heroic effort to win her back. Yeah, it's been done to death and I'm pretty sure every person with a brain was sick of it. Well Judd Apatow changed the romantic comedy this year and I think we are all going to be better off for it. He basically removed the line that couldn't be crossed in romantic comedies and made them funnier, more daring, more realistic (sort of), and of course packed in more laughs then ever before. Knocked Up will probably go down as one of the funniest movies ever, and it certainly deserves it.
4 - Superbad; Unlike the romantic comedy, the buddy comedy did not leave me cringing with every new trailer featuring a comedic duo. Hollywood has been doing this genre of film well for decades now, and Superbad certainly adds to that legacy. This movies is stupendously written, full of sharp wit, slight and short emotional moments, and some of the wackiest hilarity of any movie this year. At times the movie was a bit over the top, but it's done in such a good way that it's hard to complain at all about this movie. Also, I think we have a pair of budding stars on our hands and this is certainly the jump off point for their careers. I loved every moment.
5 - Juno; Michael Cera really had a break-out year. Even though is role is much larger in Superbad this shows more versatility from the young actor and gives us insight into how his career may look in the future. But Juno is way more then just Michael Cera. We get an awesome debut from Ellen Page as the title character, wonderful spots from Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, J.K. Simmons, and the briefest Rainn Wilson cameo of the year. Together the cast is as good as they get, bringing to mind the success Little Miss Sunshine had last year with their own ensemble cast. I don't think this one will win Best Picture of the Year, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if it did.
6 - Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story; I just saw this the other night, but it was damn funny. I mean really damn funny. For all the great, small parts John C. Reilly has had over the years, it's about time he got his chance to be the star of the show and he certainly doesn't disappoint here. His voice is magnificent as a singer and he plays an excellent confused rock star. Also great was seeing Tim Meadows in his finest movie role to date; "You don't want none of this Dewey." And the chick from The Office was solid as well. I'm really glad they cut the scene with Patrick Duffy, that will allow me to keep some shred of dignity, at least until the DVD comes out with the deleted scenes. 
7 - Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; Yes this basically makes the list because I am a Harry Potter addict and will be loving everything Potter for the rest of my life. It also is the biggest spectacle yet in the movies and I thought it was pretty well done. They need to hurry up and finish the last two movies though, because the cast is starting to become a bit unbelievable. 
8 - The Simpsons Movie; I was terrified of the prospect of this movie, but the writers did such an excellent job to keep it the way The Simpsons has always been. There have been better episodes of The Simpsons then this two-hour one, but not too many. 
9 - Hot Fuzz; Shaun of the Dead was way, way better then this, but there are still more then enough laughs to keep me fully satisfied. 
10 - Spider-man 3; Okay, so this wasn't the greatest Spider-man movie. Venom should have been played by someone bigger, the Sandman back story was completely wrong, and it was more then a little campy. But tell me it wasn't cool watching Spidey battle multiple villains throughout the movie. Top 5 TV Shows of the Year:
1. Heroes; I really got into Heroes when the calendar flipped to '07 and the story heated up. Luckily I was able to catch up on the back epsidoes I missed and really enjoy it. Sure season 2 has been a bit down compared to the first season but I have a feeling it's really going to pick up come 2008.
2. 30 Rock; Simply put this is the funniest show on TV. If you expand that a bit you have probably the best cast on TV, the best writing on TV, and some of the more interesting hijinx anywhere. This is what a TV sitcom should be like in 2007.
3. The Office; The hour long episodes were a bit daunting, but more times then not i found myself laughing. I hope they get back to being more awkwardly funny rather then the cutesy way they have been going lately. I do not want The Office to devolve into another version of Scrubs.
4. The Sopranos; Finished with possibly the strongest three episode stretch in the series. Could ask for anything more, yeah probably but I'm not gonna.
5. The Simpsons; This should make the list every year it continues.
Top 10 Music Blogs Not Named Pop Tarts Suck Toasted:
1. Daytrotter; for a couple of years now Daytrotter has set the bar for the rest of the music sites on the internet. Recording his own sessions with up-and-coming artists of the indie world, Daytrotter is quickly becoming the digital era's John Peel. Not only do they have great sessions there is also some of the best music writing on the web found right here. I wish I were Daytrotter.
2. La Blogotheque; though I don't understand a word in French, La Blogotheque still gets regular views from me thanks to their Take Away Show series. Featuring the best in the indie sphere, the Take Away Shows stick bands in odd, out door settings and let the magic happen. These are some of the best music videos anywhere.
3. Pampelmoose; written by Dave Allen of Gang Of Four fame, pampelmoose is easily the best blog written by a musician on the internet. It gives a musicians insight on the world of music, while regularly reporting on the big news stories in the industry. This is a fantastic read and occasionally he'll post new tracks from Gang of Four as an added bonus!
4. Heart on a Stick; Heart on a Stick is one of the more contentious corners of the music blog world. Not afriad to speak his mind, he will bash other blog trends in the head if he feels the need to, but he is also a die-hard music fan that can rave with the best of us. No matter whether I agree with him or not, his posts are always interesting to read.
5. I Guess I'm Floating; This is simply one of my favorite straight up music blogs in all the world. With great content daily and some of the best writing on music in the world I Guess I'm Floating is a must for any fan of music.
6. Brooklyn Vegan; Vegan is still one of my main sources for information in the music world. It is just that important.
7. Underrated Magazine;
8. Sucka Pants; Earlier this year Rachael made a mild shift from stalking bands to writing about the music found in TV shows and music. It's a cool switch and it incorporates more of her strengths to give a new insight into music and pop culture and all of that fun stuff.
9. The Big Part; Basically all The Big Part is, is one big AIM conversation but when it's filled with funny reviews and criticisms of new albums it's all I need to be interested in it. If you're not reading this, you're missing out.
10. CMJ Staff Blog; Full disclosure here, Rachael is the news editor at CMJ so I have spent an inordinate amount of time reading their news stories and staff blog. That said I am always into their live reviews of the shows they are going to. It's written by every member of their staff, from the interns to the editors and it shows a varied taste and a wealth of opinions on the current music world.
buy tickets here!!!Main Space Schedule:
11:30pm - Dirty Projectors
10:30pm - Senryu
9:30pm - Care Bears on Fire
9:00pm - Pattern Is Movement
Main Space After Party:
starts at 1am - FREE with main space ticket, $10 without
hosted by Cex, with special guests Ecstatic Sunshine and Wzt Hearts
Tap Room Schedule:
11:00pm - Foreign Islands
10:00pm - tba
9:00pm - Poingly
Tap Room After Party:
starts at 12:30pm
Karaoke hosted by Sid and Buddy - FREE
Monday: Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the night we spend with my Dad's side of the family. This normally involves more booze, less presents, and lots of playful insults. It's a lot of fun. How do you guys celebrate your Christmas Eve?
The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping"
The Pogues - "Fairytale of New York"
Tuesday: Christmas Day
Apparently Christmas is no celebrate with indie rock concerts. It is however, a wonderfully fun time of the year even with my girlfriend spending it in the tropics and me in New York. Yeah, sometimes life ain't perfect but it's still not too shabby. Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you are all on the good list, unless you really wanna be on the naughty one!
Oppenheimer - "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" (straight to Rachael if she's reading this!)
Wednesday: Day After Christmas
Yeah, no freakin' shows today. What the hell??? Does anyone know anything other then retunring gifts to do tonight?? Please help!
Cocteau Twins - "Frosty the Snowman"
Thursday: Spanish Prisoners @ Cake Shop 8pm $5
Finally a return to our normal show going schedule. Not that I don't enjoy the holidays but I can only go so long without sitting in some dark basement club listening to music being played way too loudly. Tonight we get Spanish Prisoners a band I met during CMJ but haven't given proper props to. I'm hoping to check them out tonight and maybe that will be enough for me to give them some play here.
Spanish Prisoners - "Some Among Them Are Killers"
Friday: New York Dolls @ Irving Plaza 8pm $43.50
Okay so the tickets to this show are freakin' expensive, but I'm sure some of you have a few Christmas dollars just burning a hole in your pocket. So if that's the case blow it on seeing this legendary New York band doing their live thing that they do so well. It will be well worth the price, hopefully.
New York Dolls - "Looking For A Kiss"
Saturday: The Forms @ Union Hall 8pm $10
I caught The Forms a while back for their record release show at Cake Shop ad I was fairly impressed with the band. That night the place was a little too cramped to get a proper view of the boys rocking out so I'm hoping my sight line improves a bit tonight at Union Hall. Definitely check this out.
The Forms - "Knowledge In Hand"
Sunday: Patti Smith & her Band @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $40
Not too many options tonight but I guess the option of having a rock legend playing in one of the best venues in town is a pretty good one. If you've never seen Patti Smith with your own eyes I think you owe yourself at least witness of the greatness.
Patti Smith - "Gimme Shelter"
Christmas Eve is the night we spend with my Dad's side of the family. This normally involves more booze, less presents, and lots of playful insults. It's a lot of fun. How do you guys celebrate your Christmas Eve?
The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping"
The Pogues - "Fairytale of New York"
Tuesday: Christmas Day
Apparently Christmas is no celebrate with indie rock concerts. It is however, a wonderfully fun time of the year even with my girlfriend spending it in the tropics and me in New York. Yeah, sometimes life ain't perfect but it's still not too shabby. Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you are all on the good list, unless you really wanna be on the naughty one!
Oppenheimer - "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)" (straight to Rachael if she's reading this!)
Wednesday: Day After Christmas
Yeah, no freakin' shows today. What the hell??? Does anyone know anything other then retunring gifts to do tonight?? Please help!
Cocteau Twins - "Frosty the Snowman"
Thursday: Spanish Prisoners @ Cake Shop 8pm $5
Finally a return to our normal show going schedule. Not that I don't enjoy the holidays but I can only go so long without sitting in some dark basement club listening to music being played way too loudly. Tonight we get Spanish Prisoners a band I met during CMJ but haven't given proper props to. I'm hoping to check them out tonight and maybe that will be enough for me to give them some play here.
Spanish Prisoners - "Some Among Them Are Killers"
Friday: New York Dolls @ Irving Plaza 8pm $43.50
Okay so the tickets to this show are freakin' expensive, but I'm sure some of you have a few Christmas dollars just burning a hole in your pocket. So if that's the case blow it on seeing this legendary New York band doing their live thing that they do so well. It will be well worth the price, hopefully.
New York Dolls - "Looking For A Kiss"
Saturday: The Forms @ Union Hall 8pm $10
I caught The Forms a while back for their record release show at Cake Shop ad I was fairly impressed with the band. That night the place was a little too cramped to get a proper view of the boys rocking out so I'm hoping my sight line improves a bit tonight at Union Hall. Definitely check this out.
The Forms - "Knowledge In Hand"
Sunday: Patti Smith & her Band @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $40
Not too many options tonight but I guess the option of having a rock legend playing in one of the best venues in town is a pretty good one. If you've never seen Patti Smith with your own eyes I think you owe yourself at least witness of the greatness.
Patti Smith - "Gimme Shelter"
25. Pterodactyl - "Esses"
By far the loudest song on this list, it's also catchy as all hell which is certainly an oddity for the noise rock realm.
(Bonus: live video)
24. Avril Lavigne - "Girlfriend"
Any song with the line "I'm the mother fucking princess" deserves to be on a year end list. I will hold to this theory for as long as I need to.
(Bonus: video)
23. The Deathset - "Impossible (Dan Deacon Remix)"
The first version of this song on the album is a mind blowing, fast paced thrill ride that begins to show you what you are in for when you turn on The Deathset. This version completes that ride with an awesome remix of the original.
22. Feist - "1234"
It didn't make me want to buy an iPod mini, but it certainly got stuck in my head more then just about any other song this year. And just 'cause it's over played doesn't mean it's not brilliant.
(Bonus: video)
21. Ra Ra Riot - "Can You Tell"
This song has special meaning to me as it's the first song Rachael and I danced to at a Ra Ra Riot show earlier this year. There have been few songs played more often on my iPod then this.
20. Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"
Twee to the extreme! This song is so cute I thought it was going to be marketed to Japanese school girls.
(Bonus: video)
19. Cool Kids - "Black Mags"
I truly believe that 2008 will be Cool Kids year, but this song gave us a great preview of what is to come.
(Bonus: video)
18. UGK - "International Players' Anthem"
The untimely death of Pimp C truly overshadows an amazing year for this rap duo. R.I.P. Pimp C!
(Bonus: video)
17. Arcade Fire - "Intervention"
The first time I heard this tune this year I got goosebumps. It's stuck with me, and though I'm sure there are some better overall songs on this album this one still stands out as my favorite.
(Bonus: video)
16. The Field - "A Paw In My Face"
Never been a big techno fan, but this is so much more then just techno.
15. Dan Deacon - "Wham City"
The one fault I find with this song is that at over 12 minutes long, it's longer then I would ever want to stay out on the dance floor.
14. M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
Even when I was a little down on the new M.I.A. album I was still loving this song. Now that I've found a taste for Kala this song is even better.
(Bonus: video)
13. Battles - "Atlas"
This song is bad ass in so many ways.
(Bonus: video)
12. Jay-Z - "Roc Boys (And the Winner is...)"
Jay-Z makes up for all the piss poor rhymes on Kingdom Come with one of his strongest songs in years.
(Bonus: video)
11. Spoon - "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb"
This may be the best Spoon song ever, and that's saying a hell of a lot right there.
10. Beirut - "Scenic World (Full Band Version)"
I think a lot of people overlooked the Lon Gisland EP from earlier this year, but this version of "Scenic World" is so excellent I have had a lot of trouble trying to get it out of my head.
(Bonus: live video)
9. Liars - "Plaster Casts of Everything"
Anyone who loved Liars for what they did on Drum's Not Dead, was probably a bit shocked by this tune. I almost never made it into the rest of the album though because this song is so damn good.
(Bonus: video)
8. Kate Nash - "Foundations"
So you thought Lily Allen wrote the most catchy songs in all of Britain huh? Well as catchy as she is, nothing is as catchy as this quirky song.
(Bonus: video)
7. Kanye West - "Stronger"
Kanye + Daft Punk = musical genius
(Bonus: video)
6. Rihanna - "Umbrella"
On rainy days people no longer sing "Singing in the Rain", nope it's all about "Umbrella" now. If you don't know the words to this song by now you must have spent the year in space or something.
(Bonus: video)
5. Jens Lekman - "Postcard to Nina"
"Postcard to Nina" is pretty much the complete Jens Lekman in one song. Here you get his witty lyrics, wonderful croon, and addictive chorus all in one song.
(Bonus: live video)
4. Justice - "D.A.N.C.E."
By the end of the first time I listened to this song I was singing along, I haven't stopped singing yet.
(Bonus: video)
3. LCD Soundsystem - "New York I Love You"
Having trolled through a lot of the year end lists, it seems like a lot of people are having trouble agreeing on which LCD song was the best. My vote is for "New York I Love You", the slowest song on the album, but probably the best lyrics James Murphy has ever written.
(Bonus: fan video)
2. Panda Bear - "Bros"
The best song on the second best album of the year. End of story.
(Bonus: video)
1. Architecture In Helsinki - "Heart It Races"
This is probably the most catchy song I have ever heard in my entire life. I have spent entire afternoons listening to nothing but this song.
(Bonus: video)
(Double Bonus: Take Away Show)
By far the loudest song on this list, it's also catchy as all hell which is certainly an oddity for the noise rock realm.
(Bonus: live video)
24. Avril Lavigne - "Girlfriend"
Any song with the line "I'm the mother fucking princess" deserves to be on a year end list. I will hold to this theory for as long as I need to.
(Bonus: video)
23. The Deathset - "Impossible (Dan Deacon Remix)"
The first version of this song on the album is a mind blowing, fast paced thrill ride that begins to show you what you are in for when you turn on The Deathset. This version completes that ride with an awesome remix of the original.
22. Feist - "1234"
It didn't make me want to buy an iPod mini, but it certainly got stuck in my head more then just about any other song this year. And just 'cause it's over played doesn't mean it's not brilliant.
(Bonus: video)
21. Ra Ra Riot - "Can You Tell"
This song has special meaning to me as it's the first song Rachael and I danced to at a Ra Ra Riot show earlier this year. There have been few songs played more often on my iPod then this.
20. Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"
Twee to the extreme! This song is so cute I thought it was going to be marketed to Japanese school girls.
(Bonus: video)
19. Cool Kids - "Black Mags"
I truly believe that 2008 will be Cool Kids year, but this song gave us a great preview of what is to come.
(Bonus: video)
18. UGK - "International Players' Anthem"
The untimely death of Pimp C truly overshadows an amazing year for this rap duo. R.I.P. Pimp C!
(Bonus: video)
17. Arcade Fire - "Intervention"
The first time I heard this tune this year I got goosebumps. It's stuck with me, and though I'm sure there are some better overall songs on this album this one still stands out as my favorite.
(Bonus: video)
16. The Field - "A Paw In My Face"
Never been a big techno fan, but this is so much more then just techno.
15. Dan Deacon - "Wham City"
The one fault I find with this song is that at over 12 minutes long, it's longer then I would ever want to stay out on the dance floor.
14. M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
Even when I was a little down on the new M.I.A. album I was still loving this song. Now that I've found a taste for Kala this song is even better.
(Bonus: video)
13. Battles - "Atlas"
This song is bad ass in so many ways.
(Bonus: video)
12. Jay-Z - "Roc Boys (And the Winner is...)"
Jay-Z makes up for all the piss poor rhymes on Kingdom Come with one of his strongest songs in years.
(Bonus: video)
11. Spoon - "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb"
This may be the best Spoon song ever, and that's saying a hell of a lot right there.
10. Beirut - "Scenic World (Full Band Version)"
I think a lot of people overlooked the Lon Gisland EP from earlier this year, but this version of "Scenic World" is so excellent I have had a lot of trouble trying to get it out of my head.
(Bonus: live video)
9. Liars - "Plaster Casts of Everything"
Anyone who loved Liars for what they did on Drum's Not Dead, was probably a bit shocked by this tune. I almost never made it into the rest of the album though because this song is so damn good.
(Bonus: video)
8. Kate Nash - "Foundations"
So you thought Lily Allen wrote the most catchy songs in all of Britain huh? Well as catchy as she is, nothing is as catchy as this quirky song.
(Bonus: video)
7. Kanye West - "Stronger"
Kanye + Daft Punk = musical genius
(Bonus: video)
6. Rihanna - "Umbrella"
On rainy days people no longer sing "Singing in the Rain", nope it's all about "Umbrella" now. If you don't know the words to this song by now you must have spent the year in space or something.
(Bonus: video)
5. Jens Lekman - "Postcard to Nina"
"Postcard to Nina" is pretty much the complete Jens Lekman in one song. Here you get his witty lyrics, wonderful croon, and addictive chorus all in one song.
(Bonus: live video)
4. Justice - "D.A.N.C.E."
By the end of the first time I listened to this song I was singing along, I haven't stopped singing yet.
(Bonus: video)
3. LCD Soundsystem - "New York I Love You"
Having trolled through a lot of the year end lists, it seems like a lot of people are having trouble agreeing on which LCD song was the best. My vote is for "New York I Love You", the slowest song on the album, but probably the best lyrics James Murphy has ever written.
(Bonus: fan video)
2. Panda Bear - "Bros"
The best song on the second best album of the year. End of story.
(Bonus: video)
1. Architecture In Helsinki - "Heart It Races"
This is probably the most catchy song I have ever heard in my entire life. I have spent entire afternoons listening to nothing but this song.
(Bonus: video)
(Double Bonus: Take Away Show)
1. Jens Lekman Night Falls Over Kortedala; Listening to Jens Lekman's croon on Night Falls Over Kortedala is similar to that first sip of beer on a Friday after work, or that first kiss from a crush you've had for years. It is pure bliss, and once you get passed his vocal abilities, you realize he's a damn fine songwriter too. Jens had his first impact on my ears with his wonderful collection of songs Oh You're So Silent Jens, but as fabulous as that album was it wasn't very cohesive and played like the collection of songs it is rather then a complete album. Night Falls Over Kortedala corrects that flaw by keeping Jens in his neighborhood, surrounded by the people he knows. The focused approach here is refreshing in so many ways, it gives us the chance to believe we are getting to know Jens as he sings about loves past and present, he charms us into believing we are a part of his neighborhood too. Lyrically, Jens is at the top of his game here giving us cute, romantic lines that could be mistaken for simple pick-up lines if they weren't delivered by Jens' luscious voice. From every angle this is the finest Jens Lekman album yet, and it is also one of the finest indie pop albums in a long time. I've done my best to stay away from hyperbole, I think I've pretty much failed in that department so I'm just going to state this plainly - Night Falls Over Kortedala is the best album of the year!Jens Lekman - "Your Arms Around Me"
Jens Lekman - "Opposite of Hallelujah"
2. Panda Bear Person Pitch; Coming from Animal Collective I wasn't expecting an album like this from Panda Bear. I thought it would have an ambient feel to it, with lots of synth work, but I never expected the harmonies and actual songs that are found on Person Pitch. As surprising as it was, it was never a shock in a bad way. From the immediate playing of "Comfy In Nautica" you are welcomed into the album by Panda Bear's voice and the simple, soothing electronic sounds he combines them with. The best song on the album is almost 13-minutes long and gives us the best example of Panda Bear's ability to blend the natural world with the electronic world. "Bros" gives us a perfect melody, excellent lyrics, and a wonderfully simple string of rhythms and tones to go along with everything. We now know that this shift was band related as Strawberry Jam proved later in the year, but Panda Bear started the shift and topped his band mates with a wonderful album.Panda Bear - "Bros"
Panda Bear - "Comfy In Nautica"
The first time I heard a song from Deerhunter I was pretty impressed. It was loud, it was psychedelic, and it was fairly eye opening, but what impressed me the most was the actual music being played and how capable these guys were as musicians. My appreciation of Deerhunter has only grown since that first listen, and luckily with Deerhunter and Bradford Cox we are rarely left in a gap waiting for new music. For the past few months, as the band toured constantly and earned rave reviews for their second LP and the newer EP, Bradford has been constantly posting mp3's of new tunes from his solo outlet called Atlas Sound. These songs are completely different from the Deerhunter sound. Instead of loud, psychedelic opuses we are treated to something more internal, quiet, and cerebral. The one thing that remains the same with Atlas Sound is that Bradford still has a way with the music, deftly maneuvering a beat over this passage, a few tweaks here, a twist there, and wahlah a brand new song.On his debut album as Atlas Sound, Bradford Cox has taken fourteen of these songs and combined them to create a cohesive unit. The songs on Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Not Feel are the same type of things he has been posting on his website (though I am not positive if they are the exact same songs or not), quiet, introspective solo compositions. The solo aspect of this album should not be over looked, as the album basically adds up to another modern day bedroom recording courtesy of Pro Tools. Nearly everything on Let the Blind... is run through Bradford's laptop with fuzzy techno beats layered on top, and a warbled, quiet vocal delivery coming from Cox, but the music lends only an ambient atmosphere to the deep lyrics found on the album. Throughout Let the Blind..., Bradford tackles the insecurities that haunt him, and in turn his quiet delivery haunts the listeners of this music. It's eerie and dark, but held by the ambient sound of electronics covering every inch of this recording it becomes completely calming, and maybe even cleansing.
Though I would prefer to listen to the louder sounds of Deerhunter on a more regular basis then this, the Atlas Sound experiment certainly has it's merits and provides Bradford one more outlet for his prolific song writing. Considering the man has already posted hundreds of mp3's, and the way in which people devour everything related to Cox it won't be surprising to see this album blow up when it's released in February of 2008 and then be followed by alternating releases from everything Bradford is a part of. This is certainly going to be one of the most talked about releases early on next year, but the talk is justified, and the music is very solid. Make sure you check it out when it's released.
Atlas Sound - "River Card"
Atlas Sound - "Quarantined"
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Friday December 21st:
A Place to Bury Strangers @ Bowery Ballroom [tix][mp3](Highly Recommended)
The Lemonheads @ Highline Ballroom [tix][mp3]
Spanish Prisoners @ Luna Lounge [info][mp3]
Apes & Androids @ Red Door [info][mp3]
Saturday December 22nd:
O'Death + Meowskers @ Mercury Lounge [tix][mp3]
Sunday December 23rd:
The Lemonheads @ Maxwell's [tix]
Today's mix is the best from the indie rock world in '07. I don't have a title for it, butt hat doesn't make it any less enjoyable. Mostly these are tunes off some of my favorite albums of the year that really stood out, that you are likely to skip to, or listen to on repeat. Hope you like 'em!
1. Feist - "1234"
2. Beirut - "Scenic World (Band Version)"
3. Architecture in Helsinki - "Heart It Races"
4. Datarock - "Computer Camp Love"
5. Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"
6. Panda Bear - "Bros"
7. Jens Lekman - "opposite of Hallelujah"
8. The Shins - "Australia"
9. Kevin Drew - "Backed Out on the..."
10. The National - "Mistaken For Strangers"
11. Spoon - "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb"
12. Arcade Fire - "(Antichrist Television Blues)"
13. Liars - "Plaster Casts Of Everything"
14. Vampire Weekend - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
15. Okkervil River - "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe"
16. Radiohead - "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
17. PJ Harvey - "When Under Ether"
18. Bright Eyes - "Four Winds"
19. St. Vincent - "Marry Me"
1. Feist - "1234"
2. Beirut - "Scenic World (Band Version)"
3. Architecture in Helsinki - "Heart It Races"
4. Datarock - "Computer Camp Love"
5. Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"
6. Panda Bear - "Bros"
7. Jens Lekman - "opposite of Hallelujah"
8. The Shins - "Australia"
9. Kevin Drew - "Backed Out on the..."
10. The National - "Mistaken For Strangers"
11. Spoon - "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb"
12. Arcade Fire - "(Antichrist Television Blues)"
13. Liars - "Plaster Casts Of Everything"
14. Vampire Weekend - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"
15. Okkervil River - "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe"
16. Radiohead - "Weird Fishes/Arpeggi"
17. PJ Harvey - "When Under Ether"
18. Bright Eyes - "Four Winds"
19. St. Vincent - "Marry Me"
Labels:
07 mix,
architecture in helsinki,
bright eyes,
feist,
jens lekman,
liars,
mp3's,
panda bear,
radiohead,
st. vincent,
the shins
3. LCD Soundsystem Sound of Silver; I've listened to LCD Soundsystem's Sound of Silver a lot this year. I don't know the exact number but I'd say a minimum of once a week since it was released in March. That's pretty impressive in itself, but even more impressive is the fact that I don't think I've skipped a single track when listening to this album. It's rare these days that you find an album like that, with all the singles, b-sides, remixes, and what not filling up the internets, there aren't as many true albums as there once were. Of course there is more proof then just my own listening habits, take a look at all the year-end lists out there and count how many different tracks from Sound Of Silver are making the lists. It's incredible, it seems everyone has a different favorite song here, and that's okay 'cause they are all spectacular.LCD Soundsystem - "Someone Great"
LCD Soundsystem - "New York I Love You"
4. The Deathset Rad Warehouses Bad Neighborhoods; The Baltimore scene certainly had a huge hand in shaping 2007. With vibrant, creative artists, and a sense of community that is second to none the scene is bursting from the seams with talents of all stripes. The Deathset are one of the city's latest imports, originally hailing from Australia the duo burst onto the scene this year with this crazy fast EP. The album seemingly lasts about ten minutes, but over the course of 10 songs and 2 remixes we learn all we need to know about The Deathset. They are not a band that is worried about substance, they are worried about having the most fun rocking out. Their synth beats, barely audible lyrics, and furious guitars barely rate above noise, but when they combine them they become a delicious taste of the future of dance rock. It's noisy, loud, tough to understand, but its so addictive I couldn't get enough of it this year.The Deathset - "Intermission"
The Deathset - "Impossible (Dan Deacon Remix)"
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Top Albums #5 - 6
Top Albums #7 - 8
Top Albums #9 - 10
Top Albums #11 - 15
Top Albums #16 - 20
Top Albums #21 - 30
Top Albums #31 - 40
Top Albums #41 - 50
Top Albums #51 - 60
Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Night's like last night don't come along too often, but really that should be obvious. Seriously people, how often do they rip people out of heaven just to have them perform a promotional tour for a movie about their life? Not too fucking often if you ask me, but thankfully the studio execs behind Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story realized the potential a come-back-from-the-dead tour would provide them. And so it was with great pleasure that I stood in front of the legendary Dewey Cox at The Knitting Factory last night.With a band of kids that weren't even alive when he passed away, Mr. Cox treated the crowd to a wide array of the material he wrote over his illustrious career, giving us a taste of each of the various periods of his career. Their were tunes from his raspy era, sweet rock n' roll ballads from his early days, and a few covers from the artists that seem to be littering his heavenly iPod these days, all making for a freakin' sweet performance from the legend. The band was solid and tight, but certainly couldn't hold a candle to the band he once walked hard with. That band of course is probably all dead or bloated somewhere and you don't want to waste the money ripping some bass player from the heavens, trust me it's expensive. So we dealt with the kids, but we barely even looked at them with the awe inspiring Cox on stage.
From the opening seconds of the show a layer of glistening sweat formed on his Cox head, giving a dripping, throbbing performance unlike many these eyes have ever seen. It was an impressive display, especially from someone who's been dead for years. At some point Cox brought out Kristen Wiig, a fair comedic performer who plays his first wife in the biopic of his life, to sing "Let's Duet" the song he famously wrote and performed with his long time love interest not played by Kristen Wiig. Wiig's voice was okay, and she looked freakin' good, but next to such a big Cox she seemed dwarfed and it was hard for her to get the same sort of attention we were giving Cox.Cox' night was spectacular though. His voice has not missed a beat in the time he's been up in heaven, and all of his classics came through like they did on those old 45's my dad used to play for us all the time. If only my dad could have seen this performance, but he was on Staten Island. As for those of us at The Knitting Factory we all witnessed something special, something that may never happen again, and I can say my life is now complete having seen Dewey Cox perform "Walk Hard" for us all.
If you ever get the chance to see Cox I would definitely recommend you do whatever it takes to get in to the Cox show. Otherwise your life may not be nearly as complete as mine is, and a live Cox beats a regular old recorded Cox any day of the week.Setlist: Guilty as Charged / (I Hate You) Big Daddy / A Life Without You / Mojo Workin’ (Muddy Waters Cover) / Let’s Duet / Dear Mr. President / Midget Man / Royal Jelly / Rehab (Winehouse Cover) / Shattered (Rolling Stones Cover) / Cocaine (Clapton Cover) / Weeping on the Inside / Walk Hard / Beautiful Ride // Sabotage (Beastie Boys Cover) // Dewey Cox Died
(Photos Courtesy of Underrated Magazine)
(Punk Photo has more pics, and three videos from the show)
Dewey Cox - "Walk Hard"
Today's mix is called Ear Plugs, and it is loaded with some of the loudest, noisiest tunes of the year. Very few of these have solid harmonies, none of these would ever cross into the mainstream, but all of them rock for different reasons. In a year that seemed to be dominated by the noise rock bands, we give them their due. So are you gonna wear ear plugs or not?
1. Pterodactyl - "Esses"
2. Parts & Labor - "Fractured Skies"
3. A Place to Bury Strangers - "She Dies"
4. Boris w/Michio Kurihara - "Rainbow"
5. Marnie Stern - "The Weight of a Rock"
6. No Age - "Everybody's Down"
7. Deerhoof - "Perfect Me"
8. Pissed Jeans - "I've Still Got You (Ice Cream)"
9. The Austerity Program - "Song 17B"
10. Times New Viking - "Teenage Lust"
11. Jesu - "Transfigure"
12. The Deathset - "Intermission"
1. Pterodactyl - "Esses"
2. Parts & Labor - "Fractured Skies"
3. A Place to Bury Strangers - "She Dies"
4. Boris w/Michio Kurihara - "Rainbow"
5. Marnie Stern - "The Weight of a Rock"
6. No Age - "Everybody's Down"
7. Deerhoof - "Perfect Me"
8. Pissed Jeans - "I've Still Got You (Ice Cream)"
9. The Austerity Program - "Song 17B"
10. Times New Viking - "Teenage Lust"
11. Jesu - "Transfigure"
12. The Deathset - "Intermission"
5. Kanye West Graduation; One of the issues I've always had with Kanye West were the ridiculous skits that took up so much room on his albums. On Late Registration and College Dropout it seemed that every time you hit a solid flow on the album these skits would pop up, ruining the flow and slowing down the entire tempo of the album. Luckily on Graduation Kanye gets rid of the skits and the rest of the album benefits. From the opening of "Good Morning" to the very last bar of "Big Brother" the album flows as a seamless whole making the whole album a more pleasant listening experience. But obviously the flow of the album isn't the only thing that makes this album great, its also loaded with some of the best beats Kanye has ever done and his most powerful lyrics to date. The samples here show a new, much larger vision of what he can do with his music. By blending beats from techno, house, rap, and other musical worlds Kanye has upped his game to a new level and other rappers just can't keep up. Only three albums into his career Kanye has attained a greatness few other rappers have reached, but being as we are only three albums in I think we have a lot more to look forward to from Kanye.Kanye West - "Can't Tell Me Nothing"
Kanye West - "Stronger"
6. Liars Liars; Following the career arch of Liars, listeners must be prepared to adjust their ears in a hurry. It seems with each passing album the band attempts to redefine itself by tweaking it's sound, and somehow they have always done so in pretty incredible ways. Following on the heels of the fantastic Drum's Not Dead, Liars adds a rock vibe on top of the dark, rhythmic sound the band used last. It's an interesting change, as it almost brings back memories of the band's Monument days, but without erasing everything they've developed since. Songs like the lead track "Plaster Casts of Everything" and "Pure Unevil" are quite possibly the best the band have ever released, with some melody, rock, and tremendous rhythm they incorporate all the great things Liars have done thus far making something even better.Liars - "Plaster Casts of Everything"
Liars - "Houseclouds"
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Top Albums #7 - 8
Top Albums #9 - 10
Top Albums #11 - 15
Top Albums #16 - 20
Top Albums #21 - 30
Top Albums #31 - 40
Top Albums #41 - 50
Top Albums #51 - 60
Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Scrolling through year-end list after year-end list, I found a stunning number of sites that chose to include Wilco's Sky Blue Sky as one of the best albums of 2007. It's stunning because the album has been more or less panned since it was released. Most people, and most Wilco fans that I've spoken to have referred to the album as "Dad rock" and I tend to agree with that argument. Coming from a band that has been as deep and versatile as Wilco has been in the past, Sky Blue Sky is an unimaginative trip down memory lane. It's a bit boring, pretty contrived, and the type of thing that might just woo some men to contemporary radio stations. When the band released Yankee Hotel Foxtrot back in 2002 it was hard to picture them ever taking this kind of a turn.If you thought Radiohead's model was so smart and sophisticated you had better send some thank you notes over to the Wilco camp. In 2001 the band finished recording Yankee Hotel Foxtrot to have their record label, Reprise Records, tell them that it stunk, drop them, and sell them the album for $50,000. Undeterred, Wilco went ahead and posted the entire album on their website for free. Before long the word of mouth reached a fever pitch and Nonesuch records picked up the band and released the record. Once it was properly released people hailed the new Wilco record, and why wouldn't they. It is loaded with some of the most heartfelt song writing of the decade, has stood as a shinning example of how to blend folk, country, and rock into something called 'Americana', and is a brilliant record from top to bottom.
My first exposure to Wilco was fairly uneventful. Like most of my initial exposures to bands it came via MTV when 120 Minutes showed the band's clip for "Being There" way back in the late 90's. I had never heard of the band, never listened to any Uncle Tupelo and didn't know what a Son Volt was, but the video was cute and the song was good enough to remember for a little while. It also appeared on one of the CMJ compilations around that time so it served as the only recorded Wilco song I owned for a long, long time. It was a few years before I would think about Wilco again.
In 1999 the band released Summerteeth and I was a bit shocked by the country sound of the album. Remember, my dear readers, I was a pop-punker in these days and country wasn't very high up on my radar. But something about the songs there really struck me and the album played a bit here a bit there, never really making a mark on me but also not being ignored. This is important to note I think, because if it wasn't for Summerteeth I probably never would have heard Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and probably wouldn't be a Wilco fan at all today. Basically it was an album that introduced me to the band, but didn't wow me. Not like the next album would.
My recollections of listening to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot start with an obsession with tracks 1, 5, and 7. "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", "Jesus Etc.", and "Heavy Metal Drummer" were the first songs I fell in love with on this album, and remain my three favorite to this day. In fact I place "Jesus Etc." in my top 5 favorite songs of all time. But when I started with this album that was all I would listen to. Everything else was a little too twangy, a little too sad, and not loaded up with fun hooks and catchy choruses. But as I listened to it more and more often, I broke down and listened to the other tracks as well and eventually this album evolved into one of those albums where I don't skip a single track (well, occasionally I will skip "War on War" but that's mostly because I get so excited for "Jesus Etc." that I can barely contain my excitement). It has become one of my favorite albums ever, but it took a little time before it reached that status.
My entire history with Wilco has progressed at a snails pace. From the one song in 1996, to an album I wasn't too into, to a slow adoption of their masterpiece as one of my favorite albums, it has all happened so slowly and over a very long period of time but I'd now consider myself a true Wilco fan. Listening to their latest album though I gave myself ample chance to allow it to grow onto me and it hasn't. It has remained stale, littered with some genius moments by Tweedy and Nels Cline, but overall not even coming close to reaching my expectations for this band. I guess that's why I find it so surprising to see it on so many different lists.
Wilco - "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart"
Wilco - "Jesus Etc."
Wilco - "Ashes Of American Flags"
Today's mix is called Dance Pop Tarts Dance, and as the title suggest it is loaded with dance tunes. Most of these tracks are from the indie realm of things, but a lot of them made successful crossovers into the mainstream world. The one thing they all have in common is that none will leave you standing around while they are playing. So will you guys be listening to this while playing Dance, Dance Revolution or what?
(note: these are being posted as individual tracks because I didn't have time to ZIP 'em up last night. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that later today so you can manage the download easier.)
1. The Field - "A Paw In My Face"
2. LCD Soundsystem - "Someone Great"
3. The Tough Alliance - "Something Special"
4. Sally Shapiro - "He Keeps Me Alive"
5. Pantha du Prince - "Saturn Strobe"
6.Dan Deacon - "The Crystal Cat"
7. Calvin Harris - "Colours"
8. M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
9. Justice "D.A.N.C.E."
11. The Go! Team - "Grip Like A Vice"
11. Rekid - "Next Stop Chicago"
12. Burial - "Archangel"
(note #2: I'm having a little trouble with the hosting of some of the larger files here, so I'm going to be adding tracks later when I get home. Check back for the rest later! Trust me, it'll be worth it!)
(note: these are being posted as individual tracks because I didn't have time to ZIP 'em up last night. Hopefully, I'll be able to do that later today so you can manage the download easier.)
1. The Field - "A Paw In My Face"
2. LCD Soundsystem - "Someone Great"
3. The Tough Alliance - "Something Special"
4. Sally Shapiro - "He Keeps Me Alive"
5. Pantha du Prince - "Saturn Strobe"
6.Dan Deacon - "The Crystal Cat"
7. Calvin Harris - "Colours"
8. M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
9. Justice "D.A.N.C.E."
11. The Go! Team - "Grip Like A Vice"
11. Rekid - "Next Stop Chicago"
12. Burial - "Archangel"
(note #2: I'm having a little trouble with the hosting of some of the larger files here, so I'm going to be adding tracks later when I get home. Check back for the rest later! Trust me, it'll be worth it!)
After the Jump presents New Year's Eve 2007
with
after party hosted by Cex
featuring
presented by the people behind; Battering Room, Bumpershine, Disconap, Earfarm, Finger on the Pulse, I Rock I Roll, Merry Swankster, Music Snobbery, Pop Tarts Suck Toasted, ProductShop NYC, Punk Photo, Ryspace, Sit Down Stand Up, Slap You In Public, Soft Communication, Stereoactive NYC, Subinev, The Modern Age, The Music Slut, Underrated Magazine, Water Cooler Gossip, Yeti Don't Dance
for more information, please e-mail:
booking: booking@afterthejumpfest.com
charity: charity@afterthejumpfest.com
sponsors: sponsors@afterthejumpfest.com
publicity: publicity@afterthejumpfest.com
7. The Antlers In the Attic of the Universe; For the first two minutes of In the Attic of the Universe we are forced to endure a world devoid of Peter Silberman's voice. It is the worst two minutes of the album. And by worst I mean it reminds me of a world where I don't know who The Antlers are and don't know about Peter's voice and it's a world I do not ever want to live in again. Such is the power behind Silberman's Buckley-esque voice, and it is in fine display on the most complete album he has released as The Antlers thus far. The lyrics here are haunting and when they are delivered in this style it's easy to find yourself lost in this album. Of course the voice isn't the whole story, there is some fantastic acoustic guitar bits here and some wonderful piano parts, but for my money I would take an album full of Peter singing in this style with no music to back him, it's just that good.The Antlers - "On the Roof"
The Antlers - "Stair to the Attic"
8. Deerhunter Cryptograms & Fluorescent Grey EP; It may be cheating to include the album and the EP together here, but I honestly can't separate them in my mind and I think that should be okay for all the list critics out there. Taken as a whole Cryptograms and Fluorescent Grey are a grand display of psychadelic noise rock taken to a level never seen before thanks to Bradford Cox' introspective lyrics. The first half of Crytptograms is particuarly dark, with long ambient sections, and lots of anger built into the melodies, but when Bradford sings "Suddenly I woke up..." as the opening line on "Spring Hall Convert" you know you are in for something drastically different from the band. It's at this moment that the band turns over to some of its pop influences and lets melody and song writing take over. This is leads us to Fluorescent Grey, a collection of four songs recorded soon after the completion of Cryptograms. Once again the band puts melody and pop in front of it's noisy origins, expanding the band's musical capabilities even further. It's amazing to watch the development that takes place from the opening of Cryptograms with the title track to "Wash Off" as it shows a band that progresses not only album from album, but also from track to track.Deerhunter - "Cryptograms"
Deerhunter - "Fluorescent Grey"
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Top Albums #9 - 10
Top Albums #11 - 15
Top Albums #16 - 20
Top Albums #21 - 30
Top Albums #31 - 40
Top Albums #41 - 50
Top Albums #51 - 60
Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
It's not very often that I recommend a movie soundtrack, but then again it's not every day that a movie soundtrack composed by Jonny Greenwood is released. So today I'm celebrating the soundtrack to the upcoming Paul Thomas Anderson film There Will Be Blood, and obviously most of you Radiohead fans will be out listening to this today too.Obviously There Will Be Blood is not a Radiohead album. Anyone expecting that is going to be sorely disappointed, but if you manage to go into the album without those preconceived notions you may find yourself enjoying the music quite a bit. The entirely instrumental soundtrack is beautifully composed withe wonderful tempo changes and an enormous range of emotions built into it. I haven't seen the movie yet, but based on the soundtrack I'm sure it's going to be quite the dramatic ride.
This isn't the best album of the year or anything like that, but it is a solid representation of the talents of Jonny Greenwood. It gives him a chance to expand his sound and show some of his fans a taste of something completely different. Perhaps this will lead to more soundtrack gigs in the future for Greenwood, and it may open the eyes of some of his more devoted listeners to some new sounds.
Jonny Greenwood - "There Will Be Blood"
Jonny Greenwood - "Oil"
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Tuesday's Links:
- Gothamist interviews Salt & Samovar.
- Pitchfork presents us with it's most straight forward Top 50 Albums list ever. Is it just me or does it seem Pitchfork is getting to be more and more predictable with each passing day?
- Rolling Stone gives us their ho-hum Top 50 list as well.
- Spin covers the Juno soundtrack, which is fantastic!
- My Old Kentucky Blog interviews the guys from Human Giant!
Okay so I've created four mixes full of the best songs of 2007. The mixes are broken down by some sort of arbitrary categorization which I will explain each day to you guys. On Friday I'll be posting my Top 25 Songs of '07 most of which appear on these mixes. The mixes will be posted as bundled packages with a few of the tunes getting individual mp3 postings. Hope you guys don't mind that I just don't have the bandwith to post them all individually. Anyway, hope you like 'em and all feedback is welcome!!!
Today's mix is called Pop Tarts Does NOW!, and if you guys know those compilations of albums called NOW! then you'll know exactly what's going on in this mix. Basically, its a list of my favorite tracks that hit the mainstream this year. It's hip-hop heavy, though pop singers certainly get their due. Very little mainstream rock here as most of that stuff has vanished or just flat out sucks. So is it better then the normal NOW! mix or worse???
Pop Tarts Does NOW!
Today's mix is called Pop Tarts Does NOW!, and if you guys know those compilations of albums called NOW! then you'll know exactly what's going on in this mix. Basically, its a list of my favorite tracks that hit the mainstream this year. It's hip-hop heavy, though pop singers certainly get their due. Very little mainstream rock here as most of that stuff has vanished or just flat out sucks. So is it better then the normal NOW! mix or worse???
Pop Tarts Does NOW!
9. Battles Mirrored; Since it's release I have lauded this album as my probable album of the year. I said it in my initial review, named it my half-way album of the year, and thought it would be #1 for the longest time. But, at some point I gravitated away from the album and that allowed eight albums to surpass it for the year. I know that may seem crazy to you folks, but wait till you see what the other albums are before passing judgement. Still, this album is a fucking powerful example of just how good math rock can be. Littered with odd time signatures, tweaked out vocals, and crazy electronic blips, Mirrored marks the first time I am truly enamored with the genre and I think a lot of people would echo that sentiment. This album feels more natural then most math rock albums, what it gives up in technicality it makes up for in emotion and that emotion pushes it to greater heights as an overall album.Battles - "Atlas"
Battles - "Ddiamondd"
10. The Twilight Sad Fourteen Autumns and Fifteen Winters; Led by the Scottish brogue of lead singer James Graham, The Twilight Sad have created a near perfect album, loaded with the emotions of a confused teenager and backed by some of the strongest music of the year. At the forefront Graham sings of life as a depressed 14-year old boy, and the album follows that story line very closely. Each song represents another troubled day or week in the young lad's life, and each one is met by the rising and falling of the music. It builds, it hits a crescendo, and then it drops back down to Earth, while our main character is tormented by it all. The sound and the story are as intertwined as any you'll find in pop music, and it really takes an emotional toll on the listener. Between the passion in Graham's voice, the depressing story of the main character, and the noise providing a soundtrack for the emotional changes, The Twilight Sad have crafted what amounts to a made for TV movie in the form of an album. And its beautiful in so many different ways.The Twilight Sad - "That Summer At Home I Had Become the Invisible Boy"
The Twilight Sad - "And She Would Darken the Memory"
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Top Albums #11 - 15
Top Albums #16 - 20
Top Albums #21 - 30
Top Albums #31 - 40
Top Albums #41 - 50
Top Albums #51 - 60
Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Monday: Any Suggestions???Blogger's Delight @ Knitting Factory 9pm FREE
I completely forgot my buddy Bryan over at subinev was asked to currate this week's edition of Blogger's Delight. So far this series has attracted a slew of excellent bands, but I'm sure tonight's may top them all in sheer volume. The show features some locals; Mancino & The Shamblers, and some out of towners; Hotpipes & Phantom Buffalo, so it should also be a fairly ecclectic show too. Check it out, and check out some more details over at subinev.
Tuesday: Northern State + Celebration @ Crash Mansion 7pm $15
Tonight the Onion celebrates the holiday's with it's annual bash for charity. The show features two consistent acts hitting a much smaller stage then they normally would, plus your ticket money goes to Dave Eggers' 826NYC organization. Basically you should go 'cause it's a worthy cause and a couble of solid bands.
Northern State - "Mic Tester"
Celebration - "Evergreen"
Wednesday: Dewey Cox @ Knitting Factory
Having seen the preview for Walk Hard I am a bit worried that my 2008 will involve random people coming up to me pretending to punch me in the face. That said I'm very excited to see the movie (which will be screened before the show) and to see John C. Reilly on stage as Dewey Cox. Should be one of the funnier shows you'd ever attend.
Dewey Cox - "Walk Hard"
Thursday: Parts & Labor @ Knitting Factory 8pm FREE
Is there anything better then a free show featuring one of the best bands in New York City right now? There are, but not too many. Make sure you RSVP for the show tonight and bring your ear plugs!!!
Parts & Labor - "Fractured Skies"
Friday: A Place to Bury Strangers @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $13
For the second night in a row you will definitely need to bring ear plugs in order to maintain some of your hearing. If you don't the combination of A Place to Bury Strangers and the strength of Bowery's sound system might just blow you straight to deafness. Don't say I didn't warn you.
A Place to Bury Strangers - "I Know I'll See You"
Saturday: O'Death + Meowskers @ Mercury Lounge 11pm $10
Both of these bands had solid 2007's, but I really think they'll be blowing up even more in 2008. See them on the small stage while you can!!!
Meowskers - "Colors That Lie"
Sunday: Any Suggestions??
I completely forgot my buddy Bryan over at subinev was asked to currate this week's edition of Blogger's Delight. So far this series has attracted a slew of excellent bands, but I'm sure tonight's may top them all in sheer volume. The show features some locals; Mancino & The Shamblers, and some out of towners; Hotpipes & Phantom Buffalo, so it should also be a fairly ecclectic show too. Check it out, and check out some more details over at subinev.
Tuesday: Northern State + Celebration @ Crash Mansion 7pm $15
Tonight the Onion celebrates the holiday's with it's annual bash for charity. The show features two consistent acts hitting a much smaller stage then they normally would, plus your ticket money goes to Dave Eggers' 826NYC organization. Basically you should go 'cause it's a worthy cause and a couble of solid bands.
Northern State - "Mic Tester"
Celebration - "Evergreen"
Wednesday: Dewey Cox @ Knitting Factory
Having seen the preview for Walk Hard I am a bit worried that my 2008 will involve random people coming up to me pretending to punch me in the face. That said I'm very excited to see the movie (which will be screened before the show) and to see John C. Reilly on stage as Dewey Cox. Should be one of the funnier shows you'd ever attend.
Dewey Cox - "Walk Hard"
Thursday: Parts & Labor @ Knitting Factory 8pm FREE
Is there anything better then a free show featuring one of the best bands in New York City right now? There are, but not too many. Make sure you RSVP for the show tonight and bring your ear plugs!!!
Parts & Labor - "Fractured Skies"
Friday: A Place to Bury Strangers @ Bowery Ballroom 8pm $13
For the second night in a row you will definitely need to bring ear plugs in order to maintain some of your hearing. If you don't the combination of A Place to Bury Strangers and the strength of Bowery's sound system might just blow you straight to deafness. Don't say I didn't warn you.
A Place to Bury Strangers - "I Know I'll See You"
Saturday: O'Death + Meowskers @ Mercury Lounge 11pm $10
Both of these bands had solid 2007's, but I really think they'll be blowing up even more in 2008. See them on the small stage while you can!!!
Meowskers - "Colors That Lie"
Sunday: Any Suggestions??
So the threat of terrible weather this weekend is making me a bit nervous about my Christmas Show on Sunday. A nor'easter would be a pretty big blow to the show, but I hope faithful readers and fans of the four terrific bands on the lineup that night will brave the storm to enjoy some music.
In an attempt to ensure a slightly bigger audience I am offering guest list spots to anyone who can guess 5 out of the 10 albums that will appear in my top 10 next week. It's a pretty easy contest when you think about it, just take a look at what I've picked already and what I've talked about all year.
Just send an e-mail with your full name and your guess to poptartssucktoasted@gmail.com by Saturday at midnight. All winners will be notified by e-mail at about noon on Sunday.
And here's a reminder of all the wonderful details for Sunday's show!!!
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ Cake Shop
Sunday, Decemeber 16th doors at 7:30pm
8:00pm - The Black Atlantic
The Black Atlantic on Myspace
9:00pm - The Antlers
The Antlers - "On the Roof"
The Antlers - "The Universe is Going to Catch You"
10:00pm - Tim Williams
Tim Williams - "Novel"
Tim Williams - "Tape Your Head"
11:00pm - Wakey! Wakey!
Wakey! Wakey! - "Fallin' Apart"
Wakey! Wakey! - "Cokehead"
$7 or $4 with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy
In an attempt to ensure a slightly bigger audience I am offering guest list spots to anyone who can guess 5 out of the 10 albums that will appear in my top 10 next week. It's a pretty easy contest when you think about it, just take a look at what I've picked already and what I've talked about all year.
Just send an e-mail with your full name and your guess to poptartssucktoasted@gmail.com by Saturday at midnight. All winners will be notified by e-mail at about noon on Sunday.
And here's a reminder of all the wonderful details for Sunday's show!!!
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ Cake Shop
Sunday, Decemeber 16th doors at 7:30pm
8:00pm - The Black Atlantic
The Black Atlantic on Myspace
9:00pm - The Antlers
The Antlers - "On the Roof"
The Antlers - "The Universe is Going to Catch You"
10:00pm - Tim Williams
Tim Williams - "Novel"
Tim Williams - "Tape Your Head"
11:00pm - Wakey! Wakey!
Wakey! Wakey! - "Fallin' Apart"
Wakey! Wakey! - "Cokehead"
$7 or $4 with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy
Being as my Christmas show is on Sunday I think it's about time I get in the spirit of the season, and is there any better way to do that then with a mix of classic Christmas song being re-done by some indie rockers? Yeah I didn't think there was, so here is my 2007 Christmas Mix. Hope you enjoy, and I hope I see you all on Sunday.
Belle & Sebastian - "Christmas Time Is Here"
Arcade Fire - "Jingle Bell Rock"
Swipe! & Gwenno (of The Pipettes) - "Last Christmas"
The Walkmen - "Christmas Party"
The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping"
The Swear - "All I Want for Christmas"
The Kinks - "Father Christmas"
Asobi Seksu - "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)"
Cocteau Twins - "Frosty the Snowman"
Oppenheimer - "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)"
Yo La Tengo - "It's Christmas Time"
Snowden - "Happy Christmas"
Bright Eyes - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
The Pogues - "Fairytale of New York"
Neko Case - "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"
Bing Crosby & David Bowie - "Little Drummer Boy (Peace On Earth)"
R.E.M. - "Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)"
Belle & Sebastian - "Christmas Time Is Here"
Arcade Fire - "Jingle Bell Rock"
Swipe! & Gwenno (of The Pipettes) - "Last Christmas"
The Walkmen - "Christmas Party"
The Waitresses - "Christmas Wrapping"
The Swear - "All I Want for Christmas"
The Kinks - "Father Christmas"
Asobi Seksu - "Merry Christmas (I Don't Wanna Fight Tonight)"
Cocteau Twins - "Frosty the Snowman"
Oppenheimer - "Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)"
Yo La Tengo - "It's Christmas Time"
Snowden - "Happy Christmas"
Bright Eyes - "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen"
The Pogues - "Fairytale of New York"
Neko Case - "Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis"
Bing Crosby & David Bowie - "Little Drummer Boy (Peace On Earth)"
R.E.M. - "Christmas Time Is Here (Instrumental)"
11. Animal Collective Strawberry Jam; On past albums one of the great strengths of Animal Collective was their ability to keep listeners out of the music. Their complex sounds and indecipherable lyrics created a wall that kept out people looking for overt melodies and songs, and created a world where people looking for new and interesting sounds could congregate. On Strawberry Jam the band removes this wall with their most accessible album ever. The songs here are classic pop songs, although they are adorned with the odd found sounds provided by Geologist, they are also rife with sing-a-long lyrics and actual vocal harmonies. It's an interesting change for Animal Collective, but one that gives the band an obvious advantage in the new music world where electronic sounds are dominating the landscape. A band with the ability to meld the synthetic with the natural world so easily has a definite leg up on everyone else out there, and that's exactly what Animal Collective have accomplished on Strawberry Jam.Animal Collective - "Peacebone"
12. High Places High Places; How does a 7" EP consisting of only 4 songs with a 300 print sold out run make it on to the top 20 of a year end list? Well, simply put it blows you out of the water with the music found on it. Over the course of the four songs found here I fell in love with High Places. Their singer Mary Pearson has one of the sweetest voices I've heard all year and her partner in crime Rob Barber knows how to create the perfect sound to accompany that voice. It all comes off as sweet sounding pop music, with an air of sunshine and days spent walking around admiring every bit of your every day life. Each one of these songs is in the running for best song of the year, and that's pretty much what it would take to get such a limited and short album so high up on this list. Hope you guys can get a copy of it!!High Places - "Cosmonaut"
13. Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga; For all the great songs and albums Spoon has released over the course of their career you would think that they would be one of the biggest bands in the world, but the group has been criminally underrated for as long as they've been around. Hopefully, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga has changed all that as this album flat out rocks from beginning to end. The songs here are among the band's best ever and as whole it may just be the best end-to-end album of their awesome career. Songs like "The Ghost of You Lingers" and "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb" are blistering examples of what happens when a band is on top of their game and a song writer has given his all to a song. And it's not like this album doesn't sound like a Spoon album, it has every element the bands has ever used on it, but somehow Britt Daniel and company have found a way to top everything they've done to this point. I don't even know what that thing is, but damn it sounds great.Spoon - "You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb"
14. Dan Deacon Spiderman of the Rings; Listening to "Woody Woodpecker" open up this album almost put me off of it forever. The opening song on Spiderman of the Rings, is absolutely the definition of what Dan Deacon is and how he operates. The song borders on brilliance and mental insanity in one package, with a never ending loop of the guttural laughs from the famous cartoon character being bounced over an increasingly wonderful electronic sampling of candy coated pop tunes. Once I made it past this exercise in insanity, I realized that the man behind the electronics would be flirting with this fine line throughout the whole record but, for the most part, would stay on the side of brilliance. Brilliance in the form of genre defying electronic beats and samples, with quirky pop tunes thrown in, and a huge helping of fun added on top for some flavor. Deacon's Carpark debut is a crazed, schizophrenic affair, but if you can handle the insanity you'll probably have a lot of fun listening to this record.Dan Deacon - "The Crystal Cat"
15. A Place to Bury Strangers A Place to Bury Strangers; A Place to Bury Strangers self-titled debut resides somewhere between shoegaze and New Wave. A place where loud, fuzzed out guitars reign supreme, while tearful singers are lauded for their heartbreak, and where you can almost dance to it if you weren't so busy having your hearing killed and your heart ripped out of your chest. I know that might seem like a bit much when you're describing a record, but this record certainly has all the properties needed to destroy a persons psyche or to turn them deaf. Played loud, like it fucking should be, this is a blistering album with ridiculously powerful effects thrown onto the guitar, propulsive bass lines, and distant drums that somehow echo through all the darkness. It also has a morose feeling with death and heartbreak being the main material within the lyrics. It's almost too much to handle, and if you're a manic depressive I would just stay away from it forever 'cause it might push you over the edge. For the rest of you take multiple listens and enjoy.A Place to Bury Strangers - "I Know I'll See You"
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Top Albums #16 - 20
Top Albums #21 - 30
Top Albums #31 - 40
Top Albums #41 - 50
Top Albums #51 - 60
Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Friday Decemeber 14th:
The Heavenly Tenants @ Martini Red [info]
GZA @ Knitting Factory [tix][mp3]
Square Wave Punch @ Matchless [info][mp3]
The Most Serene Republic @ Mercury Lounge [tix][mp3]
Team Robespierre @ The Silent Barn [info][mp3]
DFA Holiday Extravaganza @ Studio B [tix][mp3]
Saturday December 15th:
Ravens & Chimes @ Galapagos [info][mp3]
Friction @ Mercury Lounge [SOLD OUT][mp3]
Phosphorescent @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [tix][mp3]
The Figgs @ Cargo Cafe [info]
Sunday December 16th:
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ The Cake Shop
The Heavenly Tenants @ Martini Red [info]
GZA @ Knitting Factory [tix][mp3]
Square Wave Punch @ Matchless [info][mp3]
The Most Serene Republic @ Mercury Lounge [tix][mp3]
Team Robespierre @ The Silent Barn [info][mp3]
DFA Holiday Extravaganza @ Studio B [tix][mp3]
Saturday December 15th:
Ravens & Chimes @ Galapagos [info][mp3]
Friction @ Mercury Lounge [SOLD OUT][mp3]
Phosphorescent @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [tix][mp3]
The Figgs @ Cargo Cafe [info]
Sunday December 16th:
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ The Cake Shop
16. Ra Ra Riot EP; Over the course of only six songs Ra Ra Riot have packed enough punch into their debut EP to create a lasting impression of the band. If they never released another note of music in their careers I would still come back to this album on a constant basis listening to the awesome songs found here, but lucky for us it doesn't look like they've put out their best work just yet. Still, even though this may not wind up being their finest work songs like "Can You Tell", "Dying Is Fine", and "Ghost Under Rocks" are filled with such enthusiasm and such a creative sound that it's hard not to be wrapped up in them. Fifteen years from now when I'm telling people their new album isn't as good as their early stuff this will be the reason behind my snobbiness.Ra Ra Riot - "Ghost Under Rocks"
17. Arcade Fire Neon Bible; Following up an album like Funeral is not an easy task for anyone, yet when you're the Arcade Fire and you're being labeled as the most important indie rock band like ever, well you must step up to the plate and deliver. Neon Bible delivers almost everything we were looking for in the follow-up to one of the most beloved albums of the 2000's so far. It has pomp, it has meaning, it has some bombastic moments that allow the band to soar within their musical abilites, the only thing it lacks is that susprised and awed feeling we got when we first heard Funeral. I got goose bumps the first time I heard "Intervention" as a terrible stream off the web, I got giddy and frost bit when saw them at Judson Chruch, and I shelled out the extra money for the ridiculous flip book, so obviously this album was a big deal for me and still is, but I think the next album is the one where Arcade Fire will really show us what they can do.Arcade Fire - "(Antichrist Television Blues)"
18. Black Lips Good Bad Not Evil; Remember the late 90's when garage bands were getting all sorts of play on alternative radio stations and bands like The White Stripes, The Hives, The Vines, and others were all the rage? Yeah well I do, which is why this year's garage rock revival arrived with a bit of tempered enthusiasm from me. That said the Black Lips manage to get my enthusiasm pumping thanks to this album which is chock full of great rock n' roll classics. As a band known more for their live antics then for their acutal music, Black Lips had survived in their niche for years but now this album pushes them to the forefront of music thanks to tunes like "Veni Vidi Vici" and "It Feels Alright". These songs are so much better then stage antics, they are fantastic rock songs that should be rocked out to any time they come on.Black Lips - "O Katrina"
19. The National Boxer; It seems anywhere you turned in 2007 people were talking about The National and their latest album Boxer. The word I've heard most describe this album is "grower" and I couldn't possibly argue that if I tried. The first time I gave this album a listen I turned it off midway through and was determined to ignore it the rest of the year. Yet people kept talking about it and it all started to weigh on me until I broke down and started listening to the album again. Each time I made it further into the album until I was left singing the songs without listening and humming tune after tune during my day. It's such a powerful record I'm surprised I didn't realize it and get it at first, but luckily I was finally turned on to this album otherwise I would have missed a classic.The National - "Mistaken for Strangers"
20. Beirut The Flying Club Cup; Last year Beirut made a quick ascension through the indie rock echelon arriving near the top in almost record time. So I think most of us kind of expected the band to fall flat on their faces with their follow-up, but somehow they overcame all the hype to release another solid record. The band has evolved on The Flying Club Cup going for a more pop oriented sound, the band decided to focus their sound around a French movement instead of the Eastern European sound they had on their debut. The change certainly kept things fresh for the band, and that translates to another fantastic effort from a band that just keeps evolving.Beirut - "A Sunday Smile"
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Top Albums #21 - 30
Top Albums #31 - 40
Top Albums #41 - 50
Top Albums #51 - 60
Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
I suppose its time I let you guys in on the information you have all been waiting for. No, not my top album of the year that's coming next week guys! Instead I'm gonna tell you who is my super secret headliner for Sunday's Christmas show. This guy really needs no introduction on this here blog, mostly because I've already written more words about him then I ever thought I could. That said, I'm truly excited to celebrate the end of a spectacular year with Wakey! Wakey! as my headlining band!It has been a tremendous year here at Pop Tarts Suck Toasted and Wakey! Wakey! was certainly one of the most pleasant finds of the year. His music has been a soundtrack to a lot of pivitol moments this year, and I'm sure it's only going to grow in the future. Anyway, if you missed out on his record release show last night make sure you're at his much more intimate performance at the Cake Shop.
Wakey! Wakey! - "Fallin' Apart"
Wakey! Wakey! - "Cokehead"
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ Cake Shop
Sunday, Decemeber 16th doors at 7:30pm
8:00pm - The Black Atlantic
9:00pm - The Antlers
10:00pm - Tim Williams
11:00pm - Special Guest (will be announced Thursday!!!)
$7 or $4 with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy
21. Radiohead In Rainbows; Sometimes expectations can be difficult to overcome, and unfortunately for Radiohead my expectations for them were impossibly high. Their innovative method of releasing the album certainly scores them bonus points, but musically In Rainbows was a bit lacking compared to their past albums. The music is still better than most bands, but considering I would rank this album somewhere above Hail to the Thief and below Amnesiac I have to lower them out of the top 20. I feel bad doing it, especially based on other people's reactions to the album but it just didn't click with me like past Radiohead albums have.Radiohead - "Videotape"
22. M.I.A. Kala; When M.I.A. released Arular people were swept up into her unique sound, blending dance and hip hop and some funky tribal beats to create something that sounded new and was a ton of fun. Kala is more of the same from M.I.A., and though its an excellent album it lacks the freshness that Arular had the first time I heard it. It's not disappointing, its just not as surprising as when she came from nowhere to make us all dance at once.M.I.A. - "Paper Planes"
23. Sunset Rubdown Random Spirit Lover; An album featuring Spencer Krug made the top 10 in each of my first two years doing this blog, but this year Sunset Rubdown just misses out on keeping Spencer in the top 10 for a third year in a row. At #23 I don't think they'll be to disappointed, an Random Spirit Lover is an excellent album, there was just too many good albums this year to get it up there. I love what Spencer continues to do in his song writing and it seems to me that his voice gets stronger with each release whether its Sunset Rubdown, Wolf Parade, Swan Lake, or whatever else he joins next.Sunset Rubdown - "Setting Vs. Rising"
24. Dirty Projectors Rise Above; When Black Flag released Rise Above I was five years old and it took me almost a decade before I actually got to hear that seminal punk album, but this time around when Dirty Projectors released their re-imagining of it I didn't have to wait long at all to hear it because it seemed everyone was talking about it this year. Whether its the fact that Dave Longstreth recorded the album from memory, or the fact that it sounds nothing like Black Flag, people were talking non-stop about it. And for good reason, it's a phenomenal record. It's not word for word, sounds nothing like Black Flag, and still drives home the punk messages found in songs like "Rise Above" and "Spray Paint the Walls". It was a cool concept when I first heard about it and it's an incredible accomplishment now that I've heard it.Dirty Projectors - "No More"
25. Boris w/Michio Kurihara Rainbow; I kind of feel that Boris is an acquired taste. At times their droning metal sound can be a bit much for casual listeners, but once you adjust your ears to properly hear all the sounds there is something surreal about the sounds they create. Combine their surreal sound with the technical expertise of Michio Kurihara and you have to possibility of being blown away by technical skills and abilities, not too mention the overall sound. On Rainbow we get to witness all those things as the legend teams up with the best drone metal group around. It's an awesomely powerful record and if you have yet to give it a shot I implore you to do so.Boris w/Michio Kurihara - "Rainbow"
26. Los Campesinos! Sticking Fingers Into Sockets; Los Campesinos! make twee music for the Fall Out Boy crowd. Now that may not sound like a ringing endorsement, but when you take the time out to listen to and enjoy this music you will realize that it is actually a positive. With lengthy song titles the band echos the poppy darkness found in Fall Out Boy songs, but with the quirky Scottish twee sound we all love. Considering this album is only six songs long you realize just how good these songs must be to get this high up on the list, especially considering I'm comparing them to Fall Out Boy!Los Campesinos! - "We Throw Parties You Throw Knives"
27. Justice † ; For months I thought this album would rate much higher come this time of the year, but over the last two months or so it has steadily dropped further and further from my most played list. Maybe I'm just getting a little tired of the repetitiveness of it, but when this album first came out I couldn't get enough of it. It was fresh and lively, and "D.A.N.C.E." was certainly the summer anthem for the non-"Umbrella" sect. But it has drifted off a bit, though listening to it now I'm kind of wishing it was higher again.Justice - "Let There Be Light"
28. The Field From Here We Go Sublime; Listening to this album I always get the feeling that I am dreaming. The repetitive sounds found within this album give you the eerie feeling of deja vu, while the overall calmness to the music soothes you and makes you feel as if you are watching from a distance. It is exactly the same type of feelings I get in the dreams that I remember. Then, like a dream, it is over just as suddenly as it started ending almost on a whim, or like the tape ran out. It's an impressive, charming album, that calms me no matter what state I am in.The Field - "A Paw In My Face"
29. Marnie Stern In Advance of the Broken Arm; Having witnessed Marnie Stern performing in person, and watching with awe at the skill in her finger-taping, I still can hardly believe that she plays every part found on this album. There's just so much going on here, and I know that's thanks to looping and all that modern technology mumbo jumbo, but it's still her playing even in the looped samples! It's an impressive display of musicianship, and what's even more amazing is the way she creates songs out of it instead of just opting for an instrumental album. Basically, Marnie Stern is a double threat (if only she could learn to dance!!!) and she doesn't hold back anything on this album.Marnie Stern - "The Weight of a Rock"
30. Feist The Reminder; If you were successfully able to avoid hearing Feist's album this year, well then I suppose you live in a dank cave somewhere far away from any sort of technology and are not even reading this right now 'cause you don't have a computer let alone any connection to the outside world. Yeah, that's how big Feist has become this year, thanks to a great album, and an iPod commercial. But even without the iPod commercial we'd still be talking about The Reminder here because I love Feist and this is such a great album from top to bottom. The songs on this album leave me breathless every time I hear them, they are beautifully written and sung by Feist's amazing voice. It's an impressive album and okay the commercial has been thoroughly ingrained in my brain too.Feist - "1234"
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Top Albums #31 - 40
Top Albums #41 - 50
Top Albums #51 - 60
Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Tim Williams has been getting a lot of love all year for his album, When Work Is Done. Featuring the awesome song "Novel", When Work Is Done would be you standard singer/songwriter stuff except that Tim experiments with slightly different sounds and instruments to give the album more of a pop feel and less of a sad, depressed dude, crooning in a coffe house feel. It's refreshing to know that not every singer/songwriter has to feel bad about everything and whine about it.I have yet to see Tim Williams do his thing live, but based on what my friends have said about his shows during CMJ I'm really looking forward to seeing him on the stage on Sunday. This is his only stop in New York on his current tour so make sure you come out and see him or you might not get another chance for a few weeks or even months.
Tim Williams - "Novel"
Tim Williams - "Tape Your Head"
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ Cake Shop
Sunday, Decemeber 16th doors at 7:30pm
8:00pm - The Black Atlantic
9:00pm - The Antlers
10:00pm - Tim Williams
11:00pm - Special Guest (will be announced Thursday!!!)
$7 or $4 with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy
For some reason or another I've been on a bit of a Nirvana kick lately. Perhaps I just needed to get some grunge into my life once again. It seems to be a cycle with me, I go a while without listening to grunge at all and then suddenly I am thrust knee deep into a non-stop grunge binge. I am hoping this does not mean I will be listening to Stone Temple Pilots anytime soon, but you never know. For now I'm pretty much sticking to the Nirvana discography and one of my favorites is the 1992 b-sides collection Incesticide, which served as a filler between Nevermind and In Utero.I have loved this album for a long time, and if it wasn't for my complete adoration of In Utero this would probably be my favorite Nirvana album ever made. It's loose, it's humorous, yet it still has it's dark points and great songwriting. Incesticide is the landmark of all b-side collections. Featuring three cover songs, six never before released songs, and a bunch of other stuff that was packaged with singles and compilations, Incesticide has a little something for every type of Nirvana fan, it has their dark brooding sad songs, their up-tempo fast paced whirlwind songs, and of course it has the tunes that just straight out rock. But my real draw to the album is a certain section of songs - beginning with "Sliver" and going all the way through to "(New Wave) Polly". This may be the single greatest stretch of songs in Nirvana history. It is these songs that give brilliant insight to who Kurt Cobain was and what he delivered to us in the form of his art.
I'm sure not everyone loves this album, but to me it symbolizes everything that was great about Nirvana. It showcases their love of music with covers of The Vaselines and Devo, it gives a little insight into the inner workings of Kurt Cobain's brain, and it also provides us with the opportunity to straight out rock. All of these things make it one of my favorite albums of all-time, so it's really not so surprising that every once in a while I feel the need to come back to it.
Nirvana - "Been A Son"
Nirvana - "Turnaround"
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Wednesday's Links: (my Pop Report is on hiatus for the time being, it should return in '08. If enough people want it to)
- Largehearted Boy continues to update the massive list of lists being compiled throughout the blogosphere.
- Stereogum has announced it's Gummies for '07, no real surprises unless you count Jens Lekman topping Sufjan as Mr. Indie Rock.
- Atlas Sound has posted a three song "Holiday" EP on Bradford's blog.
- My Old Kentuck Blog continues it's holiday interview series with Q+A's with Bodies of Water and Tim Fite!
Late least year I was sent an e-mail from an aspiring singer songwriter that had already recorded four albums under the moniker The Antlers. Peter Silberman reached out to me to take a listen to his last EP, Uprooted, and I almost immediately fell in love with his voice and his ability to pen a song. This year Peter topped himself with the sparkling release of In the Attic of the Universe, a near perfect album that showcases all of Peter's strengths as a musician, writer, and singer. That album will be making my Top Albums of 2007 (surprise!) and on Sunday we'll get to end the year with The Antlers playing my Christmas show with his full (or almost full) band. Live Peter has become a captivating presence on stage. When he played my birthday party last year he was a bit shy, but with his strong voice he eventually wound up taking the place over (his Neutral Milk Hotel cover certainly helped in that). Now he doesn't need to resort to warming up to the crowd or cover songs, instead Peter just cranks up the intensity forcing people to look at him from the minute he takes the stage. It helps that he has a band to take all of the attention of himself, but still more eyes are watching what Peter is doing up there then the rest of his very talented band.
Considering The Antlers are back in the studio recording the follow-up already, I believe we may just be treated to some new tunes on Sunday evening. If that's the case that's just about all the Christmas presents I could possibly use.
The Antlers - "On the Roof"
The Antlers - "The Universe is Going to Catch You"
The Antlers - "Apple Orchard" (Beach House cover)
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ Cake Shop
Sunday, Decemeber 16th doors at 7:30pm
8:00pm - The Black Atlantic
9:00pm - The Antlers
10:00pm - Tim Williams
11:00pm - Special Guest (will be announced Thursday!!!)
$7 or $4 with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy
31. Les Savy Fav Let's Stay Friends; It took six years to get a new record from Les Savy Fav, but I'm pretty sure fans will say it was well worth the wait after hearing what the band did with Let's Stay Friends. The album is an out and out rocker that fits everything the band has done leading up to this point and may even surpass some of the older stuff with enough listens. Bonus points for the material here translating into an even larger catalog to draw from at live shows, potentially giving us even more live Les Savy Fav for our hard earned dollars!Les Savy Fav - "Kiss Kiss Is Getting Old"
32. Pterodactyl Pterodactyl; When I first heard Pterodactyl's self-titled album this year I was pretty much convinced I would be deaf by the end of the year due to excessive listens at ridiculous volumes. I made it through with my hearing in tact, but not by much. This album is absurdly loud and deserves to be played at volumes that exceed portable players and most home stereos. "Esses" is one of my favorite noise rock songs ever, it just has everything I look for in a noisy rock album and puts 'em into one song with some lyrics I can actually understand. Pretty awesome!Pterodactyl - "Esses"
33. Okkervil River Stage Names; Will Sheff absolutely dominates this album. No offense to his very talented band, but on Stage Names Sheff has stepped up his lyrics and singing to a new level and considering the level they were at in the past that's pretty amazing. I enjoyed Black Sheep Boy but this blows that out of the water. I'm pretty sure most of the band's die hard fans would agree with me on that one.Okkervil River - "Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe"
34. Menomena Friend And Foe; When I first hit play on my copy of Friend And Foe I got that feeling of excitement you get when you discover something brand new and extremely awesome, kind of like the first time you ejaculate. It was surprising and blissful in the same shot. It wasn't long before I was singing along to every word on this album, humming over the solo piano parts, and bouncing along to each saxophone note that gets played during this. Bonus points must be doled out here for the coolest album packaging of the year. If you don't own the CD you have no idea what I'm talking about but its so much more then the art work you see to the left. Trust me, buy the album just for the packaging.Menomena - "Wet and Rusting"
35. Deerhoof Friend Opportunity; A lot of people are torn on the direction Deerhoof took this year with Friend Opportunity. Some people were quite disappointed with the album, but personally I feel their trending towards a little bit more of a pop sound make the band infinitely stronger. Of course I don't want them crossing over completely, and they certainly didn't. The band still maintains the ferocity and noise of past albums and also that little quirkiness that made them so endearing in the first place. Oh and I think this is the best drum work of Greg Saunier to date.Deerhoof - "+81"
36. No Age Weirdo Rippers; No Age worked the word of mouth mill to perfection earlier this year. By releasing 5 solid EP's and playing a live schedule I couldn't hope to keep up with the band progressed quickly through the ranks and exploded once they released Weirdo Rippers, a compilation of the 11 best songs on those EP's. The album flows seamlessly with variations of noise rock, hardcore, and psychedelic all thrown into a barrel and mixed up. The drums can be overpowering at times, but just when you think you can take no more it calms down and goes into a quick lull before hitting the gas pedal again.No Age - "Everybody's Down"
37. Jukebox the Ghost EP; A five song EP isn't really an album, but if this were any longer it would have easily bumped up the list quite a bit. Jukebox the Ghost really came out of nowhere to dominate a good portion of my listening this year. The five songs on this release are sparkling piano based tunes with quirky sing-a-long lyrics and that's kind of what I like best about it. People have compared them to all sorts of bands with Ben Folds, Queen, and They Might Be Giants being right at the top of the list, but after spending a year with this band I can tell you without a doubt that Jukebox the Ghost are their own band with a variety of sounds and you better get used to them because I'm betting their album is going to properly blow up as soon as it's released.Jukebox the Ghost - "Good Day"
38. Wakey! Wakey! Silent As A Movie; I'm finding it more then a bit amusing that I have Wakey! Wakey! on my list the day before his record release party, but such is the music world we live in now a days. I've been listening to this for a couple of weeks no (I got it as a birthday gift from Mike himself, I did not get it on a leak) and I have been blown away by the live renditions of his tunes here. Sure, its a bit odd that the first release from this nascent band is a live album, but their live show packs such a strong punch that its easy to see why they would go this way. There are a slew of standout tracks here, so get to know them now!Wakey! Wakey! - "Fallin' Apart"
39. Pharoahe Monch Desire; I don't know for a fact but I would guess that every rap album that got into the top 10 on Billboard this year had at least one song that was concerned with how much money the rapper had. This is not a good trend. Flaunting wealth is almost as disgusting as ignoring poverty, its just completely unnecessary and I don't understand why the middle class laps it up so much (which is funny considering I love Kanye West, hmmm). Pharoahe Monch doesn't do this. He doesn't talk about his wealth or his poverty. He's not rapping about hustling. He's defining himself and who he is by rapping about record labels and deals, conspiracy theories, and a host of other topics that would feel out of place on any normal rap album but not here. Monch has a straight up delivery, he has smart lyrics, and he knows how to turn a tongue twisting verse. All of these things make this the second best rap album of the year. Pharaohe Monch - "Desire"
40. Chromatics Night Drive; I was a bit shocked by this album when it was released. I was under the impression Chromatics were a sort of punky dance band not a Europop group, but apparently somewhere between their last album and this one the group made a change in the direction of its band. It's a sharp change, but they make the change so effortlessly that it comes off as though this were their sound all along. The songwriting here is in the cutesy vein of other Europop tunes, but the beats and synths found here up the dance quotient to some new levels. It is a striking record for sure and one I think more people should take note of.Chromatics - "In the City"
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Top Albums #41 - 50
Top Albums #51 - 60
Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Out of all the bands playing my Christmas show on Sunday I am the least familiar with The Black Atlantic. Before today they have been mentioned twice on my site (when I announced the show and as my recommended live pick of the week) and honestly were only booked because they came as a package deal with their touring mate Tim Williams. That's the bad news about The Black Atlantic in a nutshell, the good news is that it turns out this band is really, pretty damn good.Now I am judging this solely on the merits of the four songs they currently have posted on their Myspace page, which is just enough for me to realize and enjoy the band's ability to craft a great pop song and turn it into an energetic rocking affair. Also good is the fact that the band features former Shai Halud vocalist Geert van der Velde, who wowed me at times with his former band and is pretty impressive in his new duties with The Black Atlantic.
I'm not gonna pretend that I know more then I do about this band or get all preachy that they are a "must see" band, what I am going to do is suggest you show up promptly to witness them for the first time along side me. I think it's gonna be a performance worth noting, and perhaps The Black Atlantic will be the first band I am keeping my eye on for 2008.
The Black Atlantic on Myspace
Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ Cake Shop
Sunday, Decemeber 16th doors at 7:30pm
8:00pm - The Black Atlantic
9:00pm - The Antlers
10:00pm - Tim Williams
11:00pm - Special Guest (will be announced Thursday!!!)
$7 or $4 with the donation of a new, unwrapped toy
For months I have been singing the praises of New York's own Wakey! Wakey! and now at long last I get to celebrate the release of Wakey! Wakey!'s first album! I'm truly excited about this, in part because this marks the first time I mentioned in liner notes (all you High Fidelity lovers should understand my excitement in that), but mostly because now I can take Wakey! Wakey! home with me and listen to him every time I want.It may seem a bit odd that Wakey! Wakey!'s debut is a live album, but if you've been following his booming career lately you can pretty much figure out all the reasons why this is a live album. First, and most importantly, is that Wakey! Wakey! is a fantastic live artist (well, now they are a fantastic live band). When he's on stage Mike Grubbs captivates the entire room whether by his passionate voice, his skill at tickling the ivories, or just with his witty and sometimes cheesy stage banter. He holds the room in his hands and doesn't let go until he's done with you. And that manages to come across here, granted not as strongly but enough that you should be convinced to check out his live show if you haven't already.
On Silent As A Movie, Wakey! Wakey! performs nine stellar songs, all of which can (and should) be sung along to. Starting with the classic "Fallin' Apart" and wrapping up with "Car Crash Song" this album doesn't have all of his songs, but it captures the ones that made New York audiences fall in love with him. Between songs you get to hear a little bit of his banter and the applause bestowed upon him that evening (note: I was not actually at this show, a shocker I know) adding to the overall experience of the album.
At the very end, after "Car Crash Song" we are given the second reason that this is a live album. The album is being released by Family Records a project by a friend of mine who is also part of Liberated Matter. Liberated Matter hosts a weekly live show at Piano's called Cross Pollination, and that is where this album was recorded. Phew, that's a mouthful. Anyway, following "Car Crash Song" we get the "cross pollination" part of the night between Wakey! Wakey! and Casey Shea of The Undsiputed Heavyweights. Like the rest of the album this is some fabulous stuff, you get the addition of having two of the finest stage personalities in New York together on the same recording.
From top to bottom this is one solid album, standout tracks for me are "Fallin' Apart", "Messy Girl", "Car Crash Song", and "War Sweater" all brilliantly written but they also display Mike's most passionate singing on the album. I've been raving about Wakey! Wakey! for a few months now, hopefully some of you have already hopped on the bandwagon but if you haven't now is certainly the time to do it. The album will be available at all of Wakey! Wakey!'s live shows beginning with the CD release party tomorrow at Mercury Lounge. After that it will see a digital release in January though I don't have an exact date for that yet. Make sure you pick this up!!!
Wakey! Wakey! - "Fallin' Apart"
Wakey! Wakey! - "Cokehead"
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Tuesday's Links:
- There were two other strong releases today in the Wu-Tang Clan's 8 Diagrams (recommended by Pitchfork) and the American release of Future of the Left's Curses (it landed at #64 on my top albums), so pick those up too.
- WOXY has Ravens & Chimes in the studio for a session today.
- Gothamist has an interview with the always awesome Chris Elliott, who's TV show Get A Life is the reason I know all the words to R.E.M.'s "Stand".
- The A.V. Club has a couple of notes of interest today. First up they interview some guy named Connor Oberst, and though his 2007 release Cassadaga is one of the biggest disappointments of the year for me I still love the guy and listen to his music regularly. Second, they have Staten Islander Ingrid Michaelson put he iPod on shuffled for everyone. Interesting tidbit about Ingrid, she is voting for my brother in Friday's north shore Mayoral election, who are you voting for?
- Daytrotter has White Williams.
- Prefix lists the Top 10 Wu-Tang albums, including their solo stuff.
41. St. Vincent Marry Me; On St. Vincent's debut album she provides us with a refreshing new feminine voice with which to fall in love with. Marry is a sparkling debut in every way, it introduces us to a lovely new voice, a wonderful song writer, and an incredible musician. The music on this debut is nearly as breathtaking as St. Vincent's voice, but her voice is just so pretty and strong that it dominates the album from start to finish. It's a pure and beautiful debut that I have loved from my very first listen.St. Vincent - "Marry Me"
42. Pissed Jeans Hope for Me; The Sub Pop debut from Pissed Jeans is an exercise in raw power. From the first strands of their noisy hardcore sound Pissed Jeans rip into you like they are trying to kill off whatever hearing you have left. The music is abrasive and rough at times, but with the sincere passion put forth here it's tough not to want to crank it to 11 and start your own solo mosh pit. The lyrics are barely audible from the warbled howl they are screamed from, but in there there are small messages saying your life basically sucks which is probably the most true thing any band can say at this point. You don't keep going back for the lyrics though, you keep going back to Hope for Men to rock out and rock out very fucking hard.Pissed Jeans - "I've Still Got You(Ice Cream)"
43. The Austerity Program Black Madonna; There's a possibility that Black Madonna is the hardest album of the year. For two guys to create such a violent noise is a pretty impressive feat, but considering the fact that you don't need to blow out your ear drums listening to this is even more impressive. The music is filled with killer guitar riffs and lengthy portions completely devoid of vocals. Its metal for people that just want to head bang through 5-minutes of nothing but out and out rockers and its like that from beginning to end. This is one freakin' awesome record.The Austerity Program - "Song 17B"
44. Lil' Wayne Da Drought 3; In a down year for rap certain folks really upped the game a few notches. Kanye, Jay-Z, and Ghostface all released solid albums but no one is moving the game forward like Lil' Wayne. His mixtape is one crazy sample after another topped with some of the most imaginative rhymes and craziest flows put forth this year. Of course Wayne thinks he's the best rapper alive so you're gonna have to back your talk with some proof and he certainly goes to great lengths to prove it here. He's not quite the best in my mind yet, but he's damn close and seems to be gaining ground by the day.Lil' Wayne - "Ride for My Niggas"
45. Ghostface Killah The Big Doe Rehab; I just picked up this album last week but knowing my history with Ghostface I had a feeling it would floor me pretty quickly. Though its certainly nowhere near previous offerings from Ghoastface, The Big Doe Rehab certainly has its place as one of the best rap albums released this year. Pound for pound there may not be a better MC in the game today, and he proves it all over again with some more fantastic verses on this album. Yeah, I know what you're saying "His last few albums were much better" and they certainly were, but when the rap game is as down as it is right now, you know you can always fall back on Ghostface Killah.Ghostface Killah - "Super GFK"
46. Iron & Wine The Shepard Dog; Iron & Wine has really developed nicely with each progressive album. In the beginning it was just Sam Beam and a bare bones sound of his hushed voice and some finger picking guitar, but it seems with each album Beam adds another trick to his sound. On The Shepard Dog, Beam has expanded the palette to include members of his touring band and the result is his fullest sounding album ever, Sure, the music is essentially the same with a focus on Beam's whispered voice and the imagery within his lyrics, but with the whole sound adding depth to the package it comes out twice as powerful as it has in the past.Iron & Wine - "Boy With A Coin"
47. The Tough Alliance A New Chance; At this point it may seem that Sweden is the capital of the indie pop world, and well it is actually. It's difficult to find another geographic area that consistently churns out winning pop music as frequently as Sweden does and The Tough Alliance are further proof of that. At just over 30-minutes long, A New Chance doesn't last long but it sure does leave an impression. The songs here are super sweet, structured with positive lyrics, and layered with an upbeat sound. It's a combination that just can't be beat.The Tough Alliance - "A New Chance"
48. Caribou Andorra; Dan Snaith has slowly developed his sound from his instrumental beginnings to an approach more focused in verses and lyrics. On Andorra his song writing approach has reached a career high point with his finest lyrics today and best song writing I have heard from him yet. This is all pushed to even greater heights thanks to Snaith's ability to compose his songs as powerful explosions of sounds to echo the emotions found in his music. It all sounds cute and pop like, but behind that fuzzy image is a lot of working parts.Caribou - "Melody Day"
49. Phosphorescent Pride; Phosphorescent's greatest strength is in his lyrics. As a song writer Houck is at the top of the heap with his ability to turn a phrase, shroud it in mystery, and sing it. His lyrics are rife with imagery and shrouded by small twists that make it nearly impossible to get to the actual meaning of the song. Sure some are less covert, but overall Houck keeps people out of his songwriting brain with some clever tricks. It's impressive and throughout Pride we are given more then enough displays to be awed by his abilities.Phosphorescent - "A Picture of Our Torn Up Praise"
50. White Rabbits Fort Nightly; White Rabbits were one welcome addition to the scene. The band grew in leaps and bounds this year, starting the year by playing small venues and trying to spread the word of their new album, the band is winding down the year by headlining Bowery Ballroom. Quite a whirlwind for such a young band, but their sound certainly merits all the acknowledgement. On Fort Nightly the band introduces themselves to the world with a blazing album pushed forth by their poly-rhythmic beats and great song writing.White Rabbits - "The Plot"
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Top Albums #51 - 60
Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Monday: High Places @ Death By Audio 8pm $tba
At this point you guys should realize that if High Places are playing somewhere in this fair city they will be mentioned right here in this section of the blog. Any chance I get to see them I will have to at least attempt to make it out to see them, unless some very powerful plans deter me from it.
High Places - "Cosmonaut"
Tuesday: The New Pornographers @ Apple Store (SoHo) 8pm FREE
Hey, you have a chance to see The New Pornographers for the grand total of nothing, all you need to do is be willing to wait for several hours of your day to barely catch a glimpse of AC Newman and company. If you are willing to brave a wait several hours long, seeing the New Pornographers for free should be well worth it.
The New Pornographers - "My Right Versus Yours"
Wednesday: Jukebox the Ghost + Wakey! Wakey! @ Mercury Lounge 6:30pm $10
Today we celebrate the release of Wakey! Wakey!'s debut live CD Silent As A Movie, I'm super excited for this because the album rocks and they have a solid lineup with Wakey! and Jukebox the Ghost playing to celebrate! It should be an awesome night, but buy tickets now 'cause I hear they're going fast.
Jukebox the Ghost - "Hold It In"
Wakey! Wakey! - "Fallin' Apart"
Thursday: Margot and the Nuclear So & So's + Le Loup + Bridges and Powerlines @ Mercury Lounge 7:30pm $12
I have not said enough about any of these three groups, but they are fantastic and deserve your undivided attention. Putting all three of them on one bill was an awesome idea, and this may just be a very very talked about show in the near future. We'll have to see how everything goes.
Margot and the Nuclear So & So's - "Skeleton Key"
Le Loup - "Le Loup (Fear Not)"
Bridges and Powerlines - "Floods and Fields"
Friday: GZA @ Knitting Factory 11pm $17
Finally! At long last, after countless months and several cancellations we finally get a chance to GZA perform Liquid Swords. Hopefully this show will live up to the hype that has been bestowed upon it. Either that or it will be cancelled again. Place your bets now.
GZA - "4th Chamber"
Saturday: Yeasayer + Team Robespierre + High Places + Chairlift @ Mercury Lounge 8pm $10
Every month Friction has an awesome lineup but I really think they have outdone themselves. The first three bands listed here all have a butt load of hype behind them right now, and two of those three have places on my Top 100 list, so this show is more or less a no brainer. The only problem is that I have found out it is now sold out so it might be a bit tough to get into. You should try though.
Yeasayer - "Red Cave"
Team Robespierre - "88th Precinct"
Sunday: Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ Cake Shop 8pm $7(or $4 w/toy donation)
All week I'll be profiling the bands playing my Christmas show this Sunday so look for that to get a taste of what these bands are like. For now I would like to remind everyone that with the donation of a toy at the door you get in for $4 instead of $7, plus you will be putting a smile on some small boy or girl at Christmas time which is about 10x more awesome then any band you will see or hear from in any year of your life. So please bring some sort of unused, unwrapped toy to donate, even if its a coloring book and crayons it will be greatly appreciated!
Tim Williams - "Novel"
The Antlers - "Stairs to the Attic"
The Black Atlantic on Myspace
At this point you guys should realize that if High Places are playing somewhere in this fair city they will be mentioned right here in this section of the blog. Any chance I get to see them I will have to at least attempt to make it out to see them, unless some very powerful plans deter me from it.
High Places - "Cosmonaut"
Tuesday: The New Pornographers @ Apple Store (SoHo) 8pm FREE
Hey, you have a chance to see The New Pornographers for the grand total of nothing, all you need to do is be willing to wait for several hours of your day to barely catch a glimpse of AC Newman and company. If you are willing to brave a wait several hours long, seeing the New Pornographers for free should be well worth it.
The New Pornographers - "My Right Versus Yours"
Wednesday: Jukebox the Ghost + Wakey! Wakey! @ Mercury Lounge 6:30pm $10
Today we celebrate the release of Wakey! Wakey!'s debut live CD Silent As A Movie, I'm super excited for this because the album rocks and they have a solid lineup with Wakey! and Jukebox the Ghost playing to celebrate! It should be an awesome night, but buy tickets now 'cause I hear they're going fast.
Jukebox the Ghost - "Hold It In"
Wakey! Wakey! - "Fallin' Apart"
Thursday: Margot and the Nuclear So & So's + Le Loup + Bridges and Powerlines @ Mercury Lounge 7:30pm $12
I have not said enough about any of these three groups, but they are fantastic and deserve your undivided attention. Putting all three of them on one bill was an awesome idea, and this may just be a very very talked about show in the near future. We'll have to see how everything goes.
Margot and the Nuclear So & So's - "Skeleton Key"
Le Loup - "Le Loup (Fear Not)"
Bridges and Powerlines - "Floods and Fields"
Friday: GZA @ Knitting Factory 11pm $17
Finally! At long last, after countless months and several cancellations we finally get a chance to GZA perform Liquid Swords. Hopefully this show will live up to the hype that has been bestowed upon it. Either that or it will be cancelled again. Place your bets now.
GZA - "4th Chamber"
Saturday: Yeasayer + Team Robespierre + High Places + Chairlift @ Mercury Lounge 8pm $10
Every month Friction has an awesome lineup but I really think they have outdone themselves. The first three bands listed here all have a butt load of hype behind them right now, and two of those three have places on my Top 100 list, so this show is more or less a no brainer. The only problem is that I have found out it is now sold out so it might be a bit tough to get into. You should try though.
Yeasayer - "Red Cave"
Team Robespierre - "88th Precinct"
Sunday: Pop Tarts Suck Toasted Christmas Show @ Cake Shop 8pm $7(or $4 w/toy donation)
All week I'll be profiling the bands playing my Christmas show this Sunday so look for that to get a taste of what these bands are like. For now I would like to remind everyone that with the donation of a toy at the door you get in for $4 instead of $7, plus you will be putting a smile on some small boy or girl at Christmas time which is about 10x more awesome then any band you will see or hear from in any year of your life. So please bring some sort of unused, unwrapped toy to donate, even if its a coloring book and crayons it will be greatly appreciated!
Tim Williams - "Novel"
The Antlers - "Stairs to the Attic"
The Black Atlantic on Myspace
1. Boredoms' 77BOADRUM @ Empire-Fulton Ferry Jul. 7th; In a summer of free shows this was the ONE to be at. The line for this show was ridiculously long (rumored at about 5,000) and people were being turned away at the gate due to capacity issues on the lawn, but for the folks that got in and witnessed a spiral of 77 drummers and the Boredoms performing were treated to quite a spectacle. As each part would rise and fall you could feel the percussion from all the drums beating on you, each time they would hit a crescendo 77 cymbals would be rung out to the heavens. It was absolutely mind blowing the talent they assembled for this event and watching them all act as one following their leader and progressing around the coil. It was truly one of the most awesome spectacles I have ever witnessed and I am so appreciative that I managed to get in and witness it.Video #1 & Video #2
2. Arcade Fire @ Judson Memorial Chruch Feb. 17th; The night before this show was the first night I "hooked-up" with my current girlfriend. It was a late night (or early morning) filled with lots of drinks and the morning after was not the prettiest sight. But I had made up my mind the night before that I was going to stand on line for these tickets and that's exactly what I did. I got up and went and stood in the cold for three hours waiting to get in to Judson Church. At times, while waiting on line, I totally regretted my deicision and almost gave up a few times. After a well timed bathroom break (thanks whoever held my place in line) I was re-energized and ready to make it through. Once inside the Arcade Fire treated us to a show that made all the waiting worth while. Standing in front of Elvis Costello and next to John Legend I realized just how big the show we were about to see really was, and then the band came out into the crowd and began playing "Wake Up" completely acoustic and unamplified. The crowd sang along at the chorus and the energy that was patiently waiting before then exploded into a brilliant night of song. The band was all suffering from colds but they trooped on and absoltuely blew us away with new songs and old songs alike. It was perfect, it absolute show going bliss, and if not for the above show would easily be the best of the year and one of the finest I have ever been to. And that's not hyperbole that is absolute fact.Original Review
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3. Ra Ra Riot @ South Street Seaport Jun. 29th; I have seen Ra Ra Riot a lot of times already. I saw them three times during CMJ last year, the first date I had with my girlfriend was at one of their shows, and I recently drove 400 miles to see them in DC. Yet somehow this show simply shines way above all the rest, but unfortunately its for a tragic reason. Only weeks before this, their biggest and most publicized show to date, the band lost their drummer John Pike to a tragic death. It was a stunning loss and their friends and fans had no idea what would happen to the young band in the face of such a tragedy. The decision was made to soldier on and Ra Ra Riot played a spectacular and emotional show on a Friday at the Seaport. The band played one of the songs John had written, a tune called "St. Peter's Day Festival", and they played with such an undying passion that I can still vividly picture the entirety of that song in my head.Original Review
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51. Jay-Z American Gangster; Last years comeback album Kingdom Come was one of the lowest points of Jay-Z's entire career. The album was lackluster to say the least and left most of Hov's fans wishing he would have stayed behind a desk rather then behind the mic. So when news of another Jay-Z album came about fans were a bit worried they would be face with another tepid performance from one of the greatest rappers in history. Luckily, Jay-Z took all the criticism in stride, and in basing this album on a movie that seemed like it was scripted from Jay-Z's own life he was able to regain the form that has defined his career. His rhymes here about hustling on the street are refreshing, especially when they are pitted against the crap he spewed all over Kingdom Come. It's good to have Jay-Z back in form, especially in a relatively weak year for hip-hop.Jay-Z - "Roc Boys (And the Winner is...)"
52. A Sunny Day In Glasgow Scribble Mural Comic Journal; A Sunny Day In Glasgow aren't exactly reinventing the noise rock wheel with Scribble Mural Comic Journal, but by including the lovely voices of twin sisters Lauren and Robin Daniels they certainly manage to change the perspective of the listener as they first absorb the band's sound. Among a cacophony of sounds, Lauren and Robin manage to make the music glow with a prettiness not always present in the noise rock genre, setting them apart from other noise rock groups while allowing the band a lot of room for growth in the future. It would be easy to build on top of the minimalist compositions with more even more layers of noise, but something tells me they will be keeping it simple for the time being.A Sunny Day In Glasgow - "5:15 Train"
53. Castanets In the Vines; Ray Raposa's thoroughly weathered voice creates a darkness that hovers over In the Vines from the outset. Being defined as a freak-folk artist would certainly imply that sort of thing in most cases, but somehow Raposa manages to make it doubly eerie amongst the finger picking guitar and occasionally added noise giving In the Vines an atmosphere that sometimes gets lost on other freak-folk albums because of the various oddities thrown into the music. In a sense its a stripped down version of the genre, though with all the working components it has to be lumped in with the other stuff I suppose. Still, Castanets accomplishes something most freak-folk artists would never be able to do and that is to hold my attention throughout the course of the entire album.Castanets - "Sway"
54. Times New Viking Present the Paisley Reich; If anyone ever dares to say punk is dead, I dare them to listen to this album and continue to believe that punk is truly dead. Times New Viking channels the punk gods of the past through 15 two-minute long songs that are as raw and gritty as anything the genre has ever seen. With most of the music being run through some sort of distortion we are given an overall impression of lo-fi, dirty music. There is no crazy budget for production values within Times New Viking, and DIY feel of everything is exactly what punk music once meant and should still mean if you're looking in the right places.Times New Viking - "Teenage Lust"
55. Tim Fite Over the Counter Culture; Tim Fite's latest album is one of the best deals you are likely to ever see in the music industry. For the total cost of nothing you can download Over the Counter Culture from Tim's site and be listening to some of the most topical and humorous rhymes of the year within minutes without ever leaving your computer terminal. The accessibility of Fite's new record is only half the story though, as the music found on the album certainly should garner some attention on its own. While preaching about the overall shittiness of things, Fite uses some sarcastic wit to take on establishments like Wal-Mart and record execs instead of resorting to low level attacks. On "It's All Right Here" Fite drops probably his best beat and best lyrics in the same song while attacking the consumerist nature of the nation.
Tim Fite - "Over the Counter Culture"
56. Burial Untrue; I find Burial's music to be extremely calming. The beats are soothing, the vocals calm and quiet, it all leads me to a sleepy trance nearly every time I put on this record. Perhaps that's why the album isn't higher up on the list, because more times then not I find myself zoning out or falling asleep as I listen to the tunes, but considering the fact that I have difficulty falling asleep I find that to be nothing but a positive thing.Burial - "Shell Of Light"
57. Architecture in Helsinki Places Like This; Over the course of the first few weeks that this album was out I expected it to soar into my top 20 with ease, but as time has worn on I have found myself going to the album less and less. I still adore songs like "Heart It Races" and "Like It Or Not", but overall I have tired of the twee sound of the album a bit. It's still a fantastically fun record, it's just not nearly as good as I first thought it was.Architecture In Helsinki - "Heart It Races"
58. Yeasayer All Hour Cymbals; Yeasayer seems to be taking their cues straight from TV on the Radio, the music they make have that sense of futurism mixed with classicism that permeates everything TV on the Radio does. With classic vocal harmonies mixing with the synths of the modern world they appear to just be a step away from being on par with the other indie darlings. The difference between the bands is the affinity Yesayer seems to have for songs that are based in nature, or rather what why we are neglecting nature and are now doomed. Yeasayer took a little bit to grow on me, but I keep throwing it on and am liking it more and more with each successive listen.Yeasayer - "Forgiveness"
59. Various Artists I'm Not There (OST); An album of cover songs making a year end list!? What has this world come to? Well when your album of covers contains some of the best names in music covering one of the most prolific song writers in the history of music you have a solid chance of doing something pretty darn good, though I think few expected the I'm Not There soundtrack to be quite this good. There are certainly a few down notes mixed in here, but for the majority of these bands they do a phenomenal job either aping Dylan or re-imagining his music in their own fashion making this one hell of a soundtrack.
Roger McGuinn & Calexico - "One More Cup Of Coffee"
60. Shocking Pinks Shocking Pinks; Hailing from the DFA label one might expect to get some type of dance punk from Shocking Pinks, but one listen to the album and you'll realize that there is very little of your standard DFA stuff here. The one man project of former Brunettes drummer Nick Harte, Shocking Pinks is a much more eclectic mix of sounds then anything the label has put out before. Drifting from shoegaze, pop, dance music, Shocking Pinks is more versatile record then your standard dance hall beat machine. It also has depth within its lyrics, something most DFA artists eschew in lieu of more repetition and beats. The resulting work is a beauty to behold once you get past the label on the back of the album.Shocking Pinks - "End of the World"
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Top Albums #61 - 70
Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Times New Viking roared into our lives this year with the release of their stellar EP Present the Paisley Reich, an album that adhered to the band's strict DIY ethic and shredded with every bit of emotion the band could muster. Now, having signed to Matador Records the band have a new album that easily matches the raw power of Paisley Reich while somehow maintaining the band's ethics.On Rip It Off Times New Viking pick up where they left off on their Siltbreeze EP, with every piece of music run through some sort of distortion or effect. The music is powerful, raw, and emotive quickly ramping up the listeners energy along with their own over the course of these 16 songs. Despite the overall perception that Matador would try to clean up the act and make them more mainstream oriented, the opposite has happened as the band seem to be more lo-fi then ever. This is a bare bones album, even with all the distortion involved, relying on the band's penchant for fast paced, aggressive songs. Basically what I'm trying to get at here is that Matador did not make them sell-out, they signed this band to be the band they are and that's exactly what Times New Viking have done on Rip It Off.
"(My Hand)" is a two-minute long tune that showcases everything that Times New Viking is about. Everything is fuzzy, but underneath that fuzz there are vocal harmonies that are pretty along with a steady beat and killer guitar riff thrown on top of it all, but that fuzz keeps a layer of dirt and grime on all the niceties in the song forcing it to be a real gritty, punk rock tune. The rest of the album is crafted in a similar fashion the beauty is hidden for the listener, disguised as anthemic punk rock songs that almost never push past the three-minute mark keeping the album moving at a rapid fire pace.
Fans of the Siltbreeze material will have no trouble finding their way into the new record, the band made sure of that, while new fans should be plentiful thanks to the Matador backing. All this is spelling a fantastic 2008 for Times New Viking. Rip It Off is slated to hit stores on January 22nd, mark it down now.
Times New Viking - "(My Head)/R.I.P. Allegory"
(this is the two song double A-side that will precede the record as a limited edition 7")
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Friday December 7th:
Elvis Perkins in Dearland @ Bowery Ballroom [tix][mp3]
Coyote @ Cake Shop [info][mp3]
King Khan & BBQ Show @ Don Pedro's [info?][mp3]
Yo La Tengo @ Maxwell's [SOLD OUT][mp3]
Deer Tick @ Union Pool [info][mp3]
Saturday December 8th:
The Fiery Furnaces + MGMT @ Music Hall of Williamsburg [tix][mp3][mp3]
Goes Cube @ Sound Fix Records [FREE][mp3]
Creaky Boards @ Supreme Trading [info][mp3]
Sunday December 9th:
Yo La Tengo @ Maxwell's [SOLD OUT][mp3]
Franz Nicolay (The Hold Steady) @ Mercury Lounge [info][mp3]
Jose Gonzalez @ Webster Hall [tix][mp3]
4. Panda Bear @ Bowery Ballroom Jun. 18th; It is a very strange experience to stand in a packed room and watch a single person behind an electronic dais for about an hour, but when that man is the one known as Panda Bear and every member of the audience his silent watching him do his thing you know you are experiencing something. It helps that the music Panda Bear produces with all those electronics is painstakingly brilliant, but the whole atmosphere of the Bowery Ballroom that evening was amazing. Behind Panda Bear was a simple screen that just showed simple images that coordinated fairly well with the music, but I don't think many eyes looked at it for too long, we were all trying to see what button he would push next and what song would come out next. It was truly awesome.Original Review
5. The Twilight Sad @ The Knitting Factory Apr. 2nd; Sometimes the best experiences are the ones that are decided upon at the very last minute. Late in the game I decided I was going to stop in the Knitting Factory to see The Twilight Sad. Their debut album was already stuck well into my brain and my thought process was pretty much, "why not?". Watching that show made me realize the power and the emotion within their music much more then I ever could have gleamed just by listening to the record. It was explosive, dynamic, and loud, and lead singer James Graham commands the spotlight with his rich Scotish brogue, but his band mates behind him were equally mesmerizing as they dominated their instruments throughout the set.Original Review
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6. Matt & Kim @ The Cuban Aug. 12th; Matt & Kim could have been on this list several times, their shows are always so raucous and fun and the one at Bowery was positively amazing, but when you think of shows you think of the entire experience not just the performance and that's why I have to give the nod to their set at The Cuban in London. It was my first day out of the United States (save for a few jaunts to Canada) in my entire life and my girlfriend and I saw that Matt & Kim would be playing that night. It was such an easy choice it was almost as if it had chosen us. Then we get to the Cuban, the kids are all having fun as some local bands are rocking out and in walks three members of Art Brut including Eddie Argos. Now readers of this fair blog know I am a huge Art Brut fan and I was absolutely floored that he was here. Well at the prodding of my girlfriend we chatted with Eddie and hung out and rocked out to Matt & Kim. It was an awesome experience, one I will never forget.Original Review
61. !!! Myth Takes; Listening to !!!'s Myth Takes should be reserved for areas with big open spaces, because listening anywhere else may lead to the destruction of personal property. This album is so full of infectious rhythms and beats that it is truly difficult to stand still for even a minute while listening. Listen to it on a crowded elevator or subway will lead to dirty looks and possibly even a slap or two if you wind up gyrating next to the wrong person. Like their past albums, !!! roll out the hooks a plenty on this album using their plethora of influences to produce some ridiculously catchy tunes. Try and not dance to this album, I dare you.!!! - "Heart of Hearts"
62. Simian Mobile Disco Attack Decay Sustain Release; The title of Simian Mobile Disco's debut is entirely aprapos. On Attack Decay Sustain Release the band does just that, in that proper order, without fail throughout the entire album. The tracks start off by attaching themselves to your brain. The beat is built into you and you start to feel it. Then they break it down, add in an extra sample or beat here, and force you to adjust to the slightly different sound. Then the keep on you for the next three or four minutes, before finally letting you out of their hypnotic grasp.Simian Mobile Disco - "Sleep Deprivation"
63. Love of Diagrams Mosaic; Matador sure was busy snapping up bands late last year picking up a host of new bands to drive the label for another decade or so, well at least they will if Love of Diagrams debut LP is any indication of what these bands are capable of. Mosaic is a careful fusion of the post-punk and New Wave worlds, combining the break neck pace of its rhythm section and its angular guitar riffs with lyrics that wreak of apathy. It's a fantastic, angst filled record, that just motors its way into your ears and mind. But above all the fantastic beats and guitar work what I love most about this album is the hollowness found in the vocal deliveries on it. It provides a distance that gets you to almost believe the band doesn't care about anything, but then you here the music and know they most certainly do care.Love of Diagrams - "The Pyramid"
64. Future of the Left Curses; Combining the worlds of Mclusky and Jarcrew was a pretty brilliant idea. We all wanted more from both camps, but it didn't look like we were getting any anytime soon. So former members of the bands joined forces to create Future of the Left, and their debut album Curses is the remarkable result of that fusion. Like the previous bands this is straight up rocking punk music, with keyboards that are used as brittle, jarring parts of the songs. It's a thrilling, fast paced, short ride through Curses but one that should leave fans of both bands pretty satisfied with what they are hearing.Future of the Left - "Manchasm"
65. Art Brut It's A Bit Complicated; I honestly expected more from Brit rockers Art Brut on their follow-up to Bang Bang Rock & Roll. Not that It's A Bit Complicated is a bad album, it just follows a little too closely in its predecssor's footsteps. There are some true rocking tracks on this album, "Post Soothing Out" for example is one of the year's finest tracks, but overall I was left wishing they had tweaked the sound a bit, or tried something just a little different. Whatever, they are still one of the most rocking bands around and that alone propelled them higher on the year end list, plus I still listen to the record on a fairly regular basis.Art Brut - "Nag Nag Nag Nag"
66. Field Music Tones of Our Town; The running theme on Field Music's Tones of Our Town seems to be that working sucks. As one who couldn't possibly argue with that I'd have to say I felt a certain affinity to this album and its dreamy pop hooks when it was first released. The tunes feature an array of quirky instruments melded with lush vocal harmonies to produce some terribly catchy indie pop music. If more people spent their days working with this music on, well then this album probably wouldn't exist.Field Music - "A House Is Not A Home"
67. Jesu Conqueror; I have to confess here that I was never the biggest fan of Napalm Death, so how I found myself listening to Justin Broadrick's work as Jesu I will never really know. That said, Jesu is no Napalm Death, duh. Instead of elaborate flashes of death metal, Broadrick prefers to layer guitars and guitar effects on top of more layers to create a droning, shoegaze like feel to the new music. It must drive the metal heads nuts to listen to one of their own drift in this type of etheral world where the sound is closer to pop then to visions of Satan, but I'm certainly not complaining about it.Jesu - "Transfigure"
68. Mannequin Men Fresh Rot; Mannequin Men are a bunch of nice guys that bring their A-game to rock your faces off when they hit the stage. What does this have to do with this album? Well, I really have no idea I just felt it needed to be said. Perhaps I'm saying that because as good as their album Fresh Rot is, what with all its punk influences, their live show blows the album out of the water. I guess that's not what I'm really here to talk about, but once you have your face rocked off seeing them live pick up the album at their merch table and take a listen to remember the face you once had.Mannequin Men - "Weekender"
69. R. Kelly Double Up; You gotta hand it to R. Kelly, for every count of child pornography he faces he has a song that keeps R. Kelly looking like one of the good guys in a lot of people's eyes. On Double Up Kelly is once again blazing some fresh R&B hooks, mixed with his unmatchable humorous lyrics, and guest spots that are second to none. No this is not the best R. Kelly album, but its about time that he got back to doing what he does best, making humorous songs with a fresh ass beat.R. Kelly (feat. T.I. & T-Pain) - "I'm A Flirt (Remix)"
70. Marissa Nadler Songs III: Bird on the Water;Listening to Marissa Nadler sing about love lost on this album is one of the most heartbreaking experiences I have ever had listening to music. There is so much sadness in her voice here and the lyrics and gentle finger picking certainly don't do anything to add any happiness to the album. But sometimes art is best at it's saddest points, and this album certainly makes a strong case for that.Marissa Nadler - "Diamond Heart"
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Top Albums #71 - 80
Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Last week I was so stoked about seeing The Mountain Goats for cheap that I nearly forgot there would be an opening band. When I finally got my tickets I barely gave it a second glance, but I realized Deer Tick would be playing and I also realized that I had missed them the two other times I set out to see the band. After seeing them open the show I am wholly regretting not seeing them earlier because they were a stellar opening band that night, and something tells me in a room full of their own fans they would absolutely own the place. The one thing I should have done at that show was pick up an album if they had one there, I was kind of broke so it probably wouldn't have made financial sense but at least I would have had some sweet tunes to make it through my poverty. Instead I've been relegated to downloading the few tracks (found below) off the hype machine and listening to them over and over and over again (when I'm not doing my year end lists at least). The songs are fantastic, a bit country, a bit bluegrass, and a whole lot of Americana, and are led by the song writing and singing of John McCauley. Considering this band hails from New England the sound is a bit surprising, but I'll chalk that up to an upbringing with nothing but some country legends yowling into his ears. Live, McCauley was helped out by a steady rhythm section that held steady beats throughout the show. Not sure if they're on the record or not, because I don't have it to check the liner notes. As an added bonus the band played a superb cover of "La Bamba" the night I saw them, and as that is one of the songs that is most burned into my brain (thanks Mom) it was a pretty special moment for me to realize they were playing it.
I'm looking forward to picking up their album, War Elephant as soon as the holiday season passes and I have money to recklessly spend on albums again. Until thn I'll be keeping myself happy with the songs below and hoping to catch another show or two from the band in the coming weeks. You should probably put it on your to do list as well.
Upcoming Deer Tick Gigs:
12/7/07; Brooklyn, NY - Union Hall
12/8/07; Providence, RI - The CP/DP Awards: Best of 2007 @ AS220
1/14/08; Providence, RI - AS220
Deer Tick - "Hell On Earth"
Deer Tick - "Art Isn't Real (City Of Sin)"
Deer Tick - "Diamond Rings 2007"
7. Siren Fest @ Coney Island Jul. 21st; Despite missing most of M.I.A. due to some heat stroke, Siren Fest '07 will probably go down as one of my favorite Sirens to date. The bands were fantastic all day long, the crowds were enthusiastic, and I got my girlfriend to ride the Cyclone for the first and probably the last time. The Noisettes were absolutely overpowering, The Twilight Sad rocked despite leading off the day so early, White Rabbits showed why they were one of the best up and coming bands in NYC, Matt & Kim railed against security and the photo pit, and Lavender Diamond was pretty much mezmerising. Plus with the possibility that this may be the final Siren Fest (the impending doom hovering over Coney Island may just seal the fests fate) people came out of the woodwork just to check out a band or two and soak in the scene. It was a beautiful day in the sun, although they proved that it was a bit too much sun for my pasty skin to take.Original Review
Video #1, Video #2
8. The Deathset @ Pianos Oct. 16th; By far the best single set I saw during CMJ this year was The Deathset's 30-minute assault at my ear drums during Brooklyn Vegan's day show at Piano's. It was a bombastic performance where the Baltimore two piece was joined by a fantastic drummer who only added to the frenzy that was going on. Beers were spilled, the people were dancing and shouting along with the music, crowd surfing was done, and the band was freakin' nuts! They were overflowing with energy at such an early time slot, and just ripped into every song they've ever written. The set was like a whirlwind and was over as quickly as it started but it burned a lasting impression in my head.Original Review
9. Battles + Deerhunter @ South Street Seaport Aug. 31st; Literally minutes before I trekked down to the Seaport for this show I was informed that Deerhunter was down a member as Colin Mee had quit the band the day before this show. I was a bit terrified for what I was going to see from the band following that news, but I head down to the free show anyway knowing Battles would more then make up for anything Deerhunter lacked that night. Well surprise surprise Deerhunter seemed more focused then ever with Bradford Cox taking over for Mee on the guitar he was a bit more restrained, held down by the guiatr cable, and locked to the mic. It was a great performance with none of the shennanigans that had been talked about so much from other Deerhunter shows. Then Battles took the stage and blew us all away with their off-tempo, mathematical assault on us. Their music had people dancing awkwardly all over the pier and it seemed that everyone was having a blast, myself included. The highlight of the evening though was chatting with Bradford Cox who was seconds away from telling us why Colin Mee had quit the band when he was interrupted by a friend and never returned. Luckily Mee has retunred to the band, but I hear they are still playing really tight and focused shows no doubt influenced by how great they were this night.Original Review
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Top Live Shows #10 - 12
Top Live Shows #13 - 15
71. White Williams Smoke; While "bands" like Dan Deacon and Girl Talk got dance crowds all sweaty throughout the year, White Williams was busy giving people more of a chill out vibe with their dance music. The songs on the album are delivered with Williams' casual cadence as the beats run rampant behind them, though never at the pace of previously mentioned electro folks. It's an interesting album, one I think would be perfectly placed next to a Pink Floyd album though not purely for musical reasons. Maybe its just me getting the wrong vibe from it but that's what I'm getting here, I like it though no matter if my vibe is right or wrong.White Williams - "New Violence"
72. Parts & Labor Map Maker; Parts & Labor have always been known for their loud brand of punk music, but on Map Maker the Brooklyn trio have branched out adding the use of horns, more vocal harmonies, and much slower songs then the trio have done in the past. Its actually quite refreshing all the changes because underneath it all the band is still doing what it always has, rocking, just a little bit differently. Don't go into the album thinking its all warm and fuzzy now because it's certainly not. It still is led by some hardcore percussion's and still loves the fact that it can make noise when it wants to, it just has a bit more melody then past P&L albums and that's obviously a good thing once you start listening to this album.Parts & Labor - "Fractured Skies"
73. Thurston Moore Trees Outside the Academy; Following the success of his band's most recent release last year, Thurston Moore struck out on his own to make his second ever solo LP. Trees Outside the Academy is an affair in minimalism by Sonic Youth standards. The feedback is missing as is the huge riffing guitar solos, replaced by slower, well paced jams that feature violins, acoustic guitars, and some quiet drumming keeping the beat behind it all. There's also Thurston singing as lovely as he ever has before, giving more emphasis to the songs rather then the sounds. It's an awesome difference from the majority of the Sonic Youth catalog and certainly from his previous solo work 1995's Psychic Hearts.Thurston Moore - "Fri/End"
74. El-P I'll Sleep When You're Dead; After a mere five years the world was finally treated to the follow-up to El-P's landmark album Fantastic Damage and in all honesty it seems like it may have been worth the wait. I'll Sleep When You're Dead, follows the darkness that was laid down on Fantastic Damage using fantastic imagery to imagine the horrendous future that awaits us all thanks to our current sins. The rhymes here are lively, when they are understandable, humorous but in the most morbid way possible. Production wise the beats are as fresh as anything we've heard all year and certainly add to the feeling of dread alluded to in the lyrics. It's a a proper way to follow-up such an imposing landmark album, and I only hope we don't have to wait another five years for the follow-up to this.El-P - "Smithereens (Stop Cryin')"
75. Papercuts Can't Go Back; Do you think a single reviewer let the potential to compare paper cuts and Papercuts go past them this year? I don't think so, but I'm going to give it the college try here in this brief synopsis of the record. Papercuts make pretty music led by the remarkable voice of Jason Quever, whose lush voice does almost exactly what his last name suggests. It's an interesting voice, especially considering it comes from a man body. The voice is looped around simple use of acoustic guitar and some gentle percussion, but getting passed the voice is almost impossible to do. Trust me, take a listen, then realize that's a man singing. Crazy. Oh and it's way less painful then a paper cut.Papercuts - "John Brown"
76. Soft Circle Full Bloom; Full Bloom is the sound of a musician experimenting with space and sound to perfection. Setting out on his own, former Black Dice drummer Hisham Bharoocha has crafted an awesome sounding ethereal album that exhibits just the right blend of space and sound in perfect looping circles. Each song seems to build from a sleeping start before rising, ever so slowly, to a crescendo before drifting off to sleep again. The moaning vocals that accompany the drums and electronic sounds on the album is just another instrument here rather then the normal focal point the voice takes on in music. It is a beautiful blend of instruments in order to create a calming, soothing sound.Soft Circle - "Ascend"
77. A Brief Smile Now We All Have Horns; When A Brief Smile released R.E.S.T. they were just kids releasing a record, but it suggested a lot more was ahead of the nascent band thanks to some fantastic song writing and some serious musical chops. On Now We All Have Horns the band prove their early followers correct, they were on to something they just weren't quite mature enough to know what. This album shows a major leap in the song writing of the band and in the ability to steer their own musical direction. On R.E.S.T. the band seemed almost too clean and over produced, but with Horns the band has stripped that away opting to go for a minimal approach to things. It darkens the entire album and adds more feeling to every note from every member of the band. But better then the album is the fact that the band is still very young and seems to be heading in a very interesting direction.A Brief Smile - "A Big Sky"
78. The Muggabears Night Choreography; If this album was longer then six songs it would be much higher up on the list. Unfortunately its a little too short to move it's way to the top, but the sheer force of the six songs on Night Choreography is enough to make it one of the top albums of the year. The album features one of my favorite drum parts released this year on the terrific "Dead Kid Kicks" as wells as five other stellar tracks that show a band on the rise. The music is slow and steady but still rocks hard at every listen and Travis' song writing has certainly grown since the band's last EP. The Muggabears are still a young band though, so the sounds found here may just be stepping stone that will launch them to the next level and if it does I can't wait for that to happen.The Muggabears - "Dead Kid Kicks"
79. Nurse & Soldier Marginalia; This was one of the early treats of the year. An album that I was unaware was being made that all of sudden sprang out and bit me on the ear with its lovely synths and distorted sounds. Featuring Bobby Matador of Oneida and his partner Erica Fletcher, Nurse & Soldier are a perfect synth pop duo. They have wonderful working harmonies, no matter how distorted they are, and amazing ability to produce catchy electronic sounds, and the occasional added instrument here or there that just fills in gaps in the sound. I've been amazed at how well this album has stuck with me all year and if you missed it earlier in the year I'd really suggest you pick it up as soon as you can.Nurse & Soldier - "Green Tea"
80. Health Health; Health was a band that snuck up on me this year. I had never heard of them and when I was told about them I was under the impression that they were a DJ duo like Simian Mobile Disco and Justice. Boy was I wrong. Instead this band is a rocking four piece that blows away listeners with music that is obviously influenced by bands like Boredoms and Liars. Sometimes Health can wear their influences a little too proudly, but when they finally notice that this band is going to take off to new heights.Health - "Heaven"
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Top Albums #81 - 90
Top Albums #91 - 100
Yesterday I was sitting at work wondering what my next Blast from the Past would be. There were thoughts of doing My Bloody Valentine's Loveless but I think I'll hold off on that till the band goes on hiatus again. Thoughts of In the Aeroplane Over the Sea drifted through my head, but it always depresses me to think of how little we've gotten to hear from Jeff Magnum. That's when I came across a story on The Rawking Refuses to Stop! that told me of an "impromptu" performance by The Moldy Peaches!!! My heart stopped and I read every word of the post twice to make sure I wasn't just day dreaming at work, something I'm known to do from time to time. But it was all there, there was even blurry visual evidence which has since been topped by clearer pictures posted on Pitchfork. My god The Moldy Peaches were playing a live show a mere 3,000 miles from my doorstep and I didn't even know about it, the things you miss when you head to D.C. for a night. So in honor of this, possibly, one-off reunion show I thought I'd chat about the only Mold Peaches record in existence, The Moldy Peaches.My personal story with The Moldy Peaches begins about two years ago, I was a newbie to all this indie rock music having finally shed my mainstream punk and alternative layers and I was devouring records at a ridiculous pace. My brother kept handing me CD's, albums by Neutral Milk Hotel, Pavement, The Shins, Modest Mouse, The Wrens, and I just kept adding them to my iPod and listening to them and loving them. I finally got to The Moldy Peaches and I told my brother I wasn't much into the weird lyrics and poor singing found on the album. He told me to listen to it again. It took a while but at some point something cracked, no longer were the voices poor or off key they became endearing, the lyrics changed from crass to cutesy, and everything seemed to fall into place for me to love the band. I asked my brother for another one of their albums and was told that there were no more. It was a one time deal, the band was done, and I was now into a band I would never ever see live or hear another note from other then the 19 songs they recorded way back in 2001. Goddamn.
Over time my fascination with the album grew and grew, I actually listen to the album on a near bi-weekly basis just to get a little bit more of their enigmatic song writing in my life. When I was planning my CMJ show I really wanted to contact the band to see if they would get together and play but I was terrified to do so. Now I see that it may have been possible to convince them to play, but hopefully this won't be a one time deal. Hopefully the band will reform on the strength of this performance! They will tour the world and make frequent appearances at small little venues throughout New York City! It will be awesome, and then the band will start writing again and rekindle the magic they found in order to record this fantastic album! Either that or this really was a one time deal and I go back to listening to The Moldy Peaches knowing I will never see this band play a song in my life.
The Moldy Peaches - "Anyone Else But You"
The Moldy Peaches - "On Top"
The Moldy Peaches - "NYC's Like A Graveyard"
10. LCD Soundsystem @ Bowery Ballroom Mar. 30th; I wasn't feeling particularly well when I saw LCD Soundsystem back in March. It's worth noting because I didn't dance about as much as I should have and certainly didn't give half the energy James Murphy and company gave us that night. What I remember about the show is that the room was split into two groups; the kids going nuts in the middle of the room and the old folks just soaking in the music on the outskirts of the crowd, but I think both of these groups would whole heartedly agree with me that the music that night was a fantastic experience to behold. Just wish I could have been with the kids going nuts in the front instead of lying on the outside of those crazy people.Original Review
(pic via The Music Slut)
11. Pterodactyl @ Glasslands May 25th; As a frequent show goer I should be wearing ear plugs by now, but I feel like a complete pussy when I put them in so most shows I just rough it like a good music lover should. Well on this night I probably should have jammed something in my ears because I couldn't hear properly for about three days following this show. It was so loud that I couldn't hear my girlfriend telling me she was stepping outside from inches away from my ear and at a screaming voice. But within that sonic destruction was one of the finest performances I have ever seen this noisy three piece give. They were nearly flawless that night with the bass pounding out in perfect time with the drums and the guitar shredding above all else. The only thing remotely wrong with this show was slightly lower then everything else vocals that made it difficult to hear what they were singing about. Oh well, I have the album to understand the lyrics, I go to the live shows to witness the true passion of these bands and on this May night Pterodactyl proved that there are few more passionate bands in New York at the moment then them.Original Review
12. Cardboard Records Showcase @ Cake Shop Oct. 18th; CMJ week could normally provide an entire list of top moments, but it seems like '07 was a bit of a down year for the college radio marathon. That said two shows provided me with some of the best music of the year and one of them was this Cardboard Records showcase. Featuring High Places, Shooting Spires, Gowns, Flying, Pterodactyl, and Big Bear this was a huge grab bag of different types of noisy art rock. Each band brought their A-game to the table whether they were on the proper Cake Shop stage or performing up in the record store, wowing the crowd and wooing new fans in the process. Since this show I have been pumping albums by every band that played this show in a near non-stop fashion, and a couple of those albums will be showing up on my year end list very, very soon.Original Review
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Top Live Shows #13 - 15
Labels:
cardboard records,
high places,
lcd soundsystem,
pics,
pterodactyl,
top live shows 07,
video
81. Ola Podrida Old Podrida; The release of Ola Podrida's self-titled debut was a breath of fresh air, and not only because they beat Interpol to the cover of their album first, but also because of the beautifully quiet and peaceful tunes found on the disc. They are perfectly strummed and sung, accompanied by just right amount of extra noise to take Ola Podrida from being just another singer songwriter to being a wonderfully robust and filling band.Ola Podrida - "Cindy"
82. Kevin Drew Spirit If...; I'm pretty much refusing to write out the part that goes in front of Kevin Drew in the artist name. It is long and gaudy and unnecessary. We all realize that this album is not meant to be a Broken Social Scene album, but does feature some of the members from the collective performing the music of Kevin Drew. Kind of like Broken Social Scene does. Argh, wording is confusing me, anyway...this album is good, certainly not Broken Social Scene good but really darn good. If this just happens to be a space filler between monumental Broken Social Scene albums it will have filled its niche quite nicely. If this convinces Drew to go in this direction permanently it will be the beginning of the end. So no pressure here Kevin. P.S. - J. Mascis is allowed to appear on any and all albums until the day he dies.Kevin Drew - "TBTF"
83. Electrelane No Shouts, No Calls; This album was very good when it first came out, but it drifted about as the year went on getting pushed further and further back into my mind. As I was going over the list I of course took another listen to the record and realized what a gem it was. If this list were to come out next month No Shouts, No Calls might move up quite a bit, then again it could be bumped out by something else. I guess that's why it best fits at this point of the list, because it could move up or down depending on how much you're listening to it, but unlike the higher albums on this list you don't necessarily have to listen to it all that often.Electrelane - "To the East"
84. Le Loup The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millenium General Assembly; Just another debut album in the huge pile of debut albums to make a large impact this year, Le Loup's extremely long titled album is a fantastic voyage to strange world. Inhabited by a plethora of instruments and littered with exceptional harmonies throughout The Throne... is a terrific introduction to the rest of the world. The band has been garnering all sorts acclaim for this disc as well as comparisons to bands like the Arcade Fire, and though I think that comparison falls a bit short it certainly wouldn't surprise me to see this band ascend to a higher echelon in the indie world just as quickly as they did.Le Loup - "Le Loup (Fear Not)"
85. Celebration The Modern Tribe; I kind of expected this disc to fair better then it did in earlier in the year, unfortunately it just didn't stay in my rotation long enough to garner a higher spot on the list. The album is solid throughout, but never quite manages to explode with the potential I think the band possesses. It seems like they hold back just a bit here and I think once they learn to let that go and let their sound do the talking for them they will be a better overall band and finally reach the point where the could be now. Still, The Modern Tribe is certainly worthy of several listens and the occasional return from time to time.Celebration - "Evergreen"
86. The Long Blondes Someone to Drive You Home; I had a long internal debate on whether to include The Long Blondes on this list or not. You see their album was released late last year in the UK but I didn't hear it until 2007 and so I have decided that it does belong on this list, but barely. The album is a full of great feminist power songs that could put a smile on your face as you listen to the band teaching young girls to stand up for themselves. It also feels like this album is from another time, like the late 90's when this type of music was everywhere led by No Doubt and Liz Phair and their ilk. It's a solid album, but it does get a little tired from any sort of over play.The Long Blondes - "Once and Never Again"
87. Rhys Chatham A Crimson Grail; Have you ever wondered what the sound of 400 guitars playing at once would sound like? Well you no longer have to wonder thanks to composer Rhys Chatham whose guitar-orchestra piece A Crimson Grail has been wonderfully released as a simple album containing three 20-minute long pieces of the composition. Sure, you're missing out on most of the 12-hour long piece but what you get in these 20-minute intervals is a wonderful snippet of what was accomplished when Chatham performed it live at France's Sacré-Cœur. If it sounds a bit overpowering at times that's okay, because it is but overall it such an impressive piece of music that its a must listen to any true audiophile.
88. Grizzly Bear Friend EP; After blowing minds with the release of Yellow House last year, Grizzly Bear spent most of the year on tour giving fans one of the most talked about live shows around before heading back to the studio to record the follow-up. Before disappearing though the band left us a nice little gift in the form of a gap filling EP loaded with re-workings of their tunes and some excellent covers. The songs found on Friend EP are all beautifully re-imagined with different pacing, added instruments, or simply stripped down versions of the originals. It's also notable for an excellent cover of Knife by Bradford Cox's side project Atlas Sound. Considering the over saturation of bands these days, its really impressive that a band could put out such an awesome gap filler almost on a lark.Grizzly Bear - "He Hit Me"
