Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

Best of 2010

Check out the shades on that Bear!!!

Below are my favorite albums of 2010 and a song from each that is a good representation of each album. These albums / songs are not ranked in any type of order, but more how I felt they would blend together during a yule tide holiday listening session or something festive like that.

Feel free to listen to each, but you should try buying these full albums too if you haven’t already. Happy Holidays to everyone.

1. Arcade Fire - “Ready to Start” (Suburbs)
2. Deerhunter- “Revival” (Halycon Digest)
3. Field Music - “Measure” (Measure)
4. Stereolab - “Sun Demon” (Not Music)
5. Twin Shadow - “When Were Dancing” (Forget)
6. Yeasayer - “O.N.E” (Odd Blood)
7. Broken Social Scene - “Romance to the Grave” (Forgiveness Rock Record)
8. Of Montreal - “Enemy Gene” (False Priest)
9. Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - “Round and Round” (Before Today)
10. The Walkmen - “Blue as Your Blood” (Lisbon)
11. The Radio Dept. - “Never Follow Suit” (Clinging to a Scheme)
12. LCD Soundsystem - “Home” (This is Happening)
13. Dum Dum Girls - “Jail La La” (I Will Be)
14. Wild Nothing - “The Witching Hour” (Gemini)
15. Country Mice - “Festival” (Transmissions)
16. Best Coast - “The End” (Crazy for You)
17. Beach House - “Lover of Mine” (Teen Dream)
18. The Morning Benders - “Excuses” (Big Echo)
19. Blitzen Trapper (feat. Alela Diane) - “The Tree” (Destroyer of the Void)

“ “ = Song

( ) = Album

You can also find this full list on Grooveshark (HERE)

A Very HAPPY NEW YEAR to EVERYONE!!!!

The Nerves

The Nerves are a band that were not together for very long at all. I was familiar with the name of the group and had heard that even with their short tenure as a band they were very talented and had also heard they were influential in many respects. It wasn't until this week that I discovered these claims for myself. The group was comprised of Peter Case, Jack Lee and Paul Collins (Paul Collins Beat).

This group initially only released 4 songs and then a second release of The Breakaways, this as an album of post-Nerves recordings made by Paul Collins and Peter Case prior to the formation of Collins' group The Beat.

Its poppy, a little reminiscent of The Jam or some of the other pop / punk bands from the late 70s early 80s. Despite lumping them into a giant pool like this...I think The Nerves were maybe a few years ahead of their time. Either way, all four of these songs are fun, timeless, and I'm glad I found them.

you can hear all 4 from their EP HERE

We Are Country Mice

We Are Country Mice released a great new song, and it blows the mind.

Look for the Cassette Tape titled: "Transmissions" Coming soon.

I love everything about this new track, the music itself and the lyrics. Its perfect for the peak of summer and it continues to build upon the two (2) very solid EP's previously released by We Are Country Mice.

Every time I listen I cant help but hear and make references to Neil Young, which is not an easy comparison by any sort. Can not wait for the full length album and the tour by WACM.

Listen here:

We Are Country Mice – Festival

MP3 Courtesy of WACM and Rollo & Grady

2 Great songs for 4th of July and World Cup

Two great songs to enjoy the 4th of July weekend to while watching World Cup.

Be safe and Go Germany (i guess)

Best Coast- Boyfriend

Frankie Rose and The Outs

POP! POP!, BANG! BANG! BOOM! POP! (Fireworks)

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

The new album speaks for itself, but below are some live sessions from APHG.

Enjoy.

Local Natives - World News (Video)

Its sunny, its sandy and there is a dog snagging a frisbee. I like all of these elements in a video combined with a great song. Watch it here:

Some exciting / new tracks

LCD Soundsystem

Spring

It's been weeks since I've posted, but something very nice has been happening within in that gap. Spring is here and that makes me smile. Spring is the transition in-between Winter and Summer, when its starting to warm, but there is still that fresh crisp air in the mornings and evenings. The days are getting longer and its a nice reminder of how much we can get done with a little more sunlight in our lives.

I'm getting sappy here, but not only is Spring a time for flowers and grass to renew, but I think personally its a time when we all renew. Spring does something to people, something positive.

Okay, wipe those tears of joy away, lets get to meat of the sandwich. Below are a few springish types of songs and most are pretty current, however the Black Angels is several years old, but its something I just rediscovered and I cant stop listening to their album (Passover). Shout out Jason (Reug dog) for the heads up on the Dum Dum girls. This album is great and I love this song.

Dum Dum Girls - Jail La La

Neon Indian - Sleep Paralysist

Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms (Bonus)

Blitzen Trapper - Heaven and Earth

The Black Angels - Black Grease

Ratata (Vegetables vs. Junk Food)

A little video I made this weekend for Ratatat's Nostrand off of Classic. Still a little rough, but its fun. It is titled Vegetables vs. Junk Food. Enjoy!

New!

I had a starburst that said "NEW" real big in yellow and red, but at the last minute I decided against it. Bad call. Look at this boring ol type with no call to action. Just siting there on its own like a bump on a log. A real snoozefest. I do however have something to offer that will make up for not having an eye catching "New!"

This something is 3 somewhat new songs by 3 different artists. Thats right, 3 and 3. Enjoy

The Morning Benders- Excuses

Broken Social Scene- World Sick

Pattern is Movement-Light of the World

Field Music

Field Music, who have been on hiatus since 2007 released a 3rd album last Tuesday, titled "Measure". So far it’s easily a stand up triple. Another perfect example of a "Stand Up Double" is the video of Kurtis Sanchez below...yep, its the game where Oak Grove DOMINATED Laguna. Never gets old seeing Laguna go down to OG.


Anyway, my point is that this album is really good. Its 20 tracks, 70 minutes and its quirky. Quirky in a good way, but difficult to describe. One song may start with beautiful spacey piano and end with complex percussion and string arrangements. So, I keep landing on quirky as a description. So many excellent tracks too, the Brewis brothers could have seperated this into two seperate excellent albums. Throughout the album I hear flashes of Beta Band, pinches of Super Furry Animals, and even a sliver Steely Dan on occaison. Field Music + Sanchez = Field of Dreams

Field Music-Measure
Field Music- Them That Do Nothing
Field Music- Clearwater

Best Coast

After dropping out of college in New York and interning at FADER, Bethany Cosentino wanted to focus her efforts on music and move back to a more mellow and relaxed environment – fucking Los Angeles. After returning to her home state, Bethany joined up with old-time friend and former babysitter, Bob Bruno, to start the lo-fi, garage rock band, Best Coast. Tracks like “Sun Was High (So Was I)” and “When I’m With You” incorporate enough noise and heartbreak, love melodies to make you think the Vivian Girls and Camera Obscura had a one-time love affair. You can’t deny the classic, West coast pop sound and enchanting melodies sung by Cosentino. Definitely a group to watch out for in the upcoming summer festival circuit.

Sun Was High (So Was I)

Local Natives - Entire Album

Local Natives will release their album on 2/16, but before they do you can listen to the entire album at NPR.

2010 Pitchfork Festival

One of these artists above will not be playing at the Pitchfork music Festival this year which is July 16th, 17th or 18th. Go on, go ahead, guess who's not playing.

Pavement- Harness your Hopes

LCD Soundsystem- Time to Get Away

Gregg Almann- I'm No Angel

Kurt Vile

This is not new, but I really wanted to put a few words down about Kurt Vile. His 2009 album "Childish Prodigy" got a lot of well deserved attention. I need to give it multiple listens still, but I definitely appreciate it more than I did two months ago. That being said, I still catch myself listening to many songs from 2008 "Constant Hitmaker" on repeat, it's such a great album and I wish I would've found it much, much sooner. So, what can you say about Vile besides the fact that his love for Philadelphia (mainly cheese steaks) could rival John Kruk's? Well, to use a beaten to death cliche...his music is very much indie Americana, its right up there with Apple Pie, The Dallas Cowboys, and Bald Eagles- all of these things would need to be wearing thick glasses and some dark skinny jeans....because, you know. Nevermind, trust me it works. Listening to his solo albums its easy to hear how his music could be likened to that of Springsteen, Tom Petty, Seger and often Dylan....and then can lead to thoughts of Traveling Wilbury's. These similarities are in his guitar play, his understated vocals, but mainly the rawness of these things melding together, kind of like a Philly cheese steak.

Eat your heart out John Kruk.

Two songs of 2008's constant hitmaker, one off 2009's Childish Prodigy, and another great song from Kurt's non-solo project "The War On Drugs" (they're great too)

Kurt Vile- Freeway
Kurt Vile- Breathin Out
Kurt Vile- Hunchback
The War on Drugs- Taking the Farm

Phantogram

The duo known as Phantogram will be releasing an album on Feb. 9th titled "Eyelid Movies" (available from Barsuk). I got to be honest, never heard of this guy / girl combo before today, but I'm really interested. It sounds like more than just two folks creating these sounds.

The band begins a east coast tour this week and they will also playing a few Midwest dates. You can listen to the ENTIRE record from NPR all week. Listen Here.

Below is the single off Phantograms "When I'm Small" compliments of The Orchard, as well as an excellent live version of "Mouthful of Diamonds" from a session on KEXP.
Peace.

Phantograms- When I'm Small

Yeasayer

Yeasayer has been getting a lot of press since December when their album, Odd Blood, was leaked. the songs I heard streaming were cool and I liked them. However, I heard “O.N.E” over the weekend and I haven’t stopped doing the mamba ever since. It’s starting to get uncomfortable in the work place too. Seriously, you try telling your co-workers and boss you can’t stop doing the mamba at your desk because of a song that’s stuck in your head. Give it a listen and see what I mean (you can also download O.N.E. from Yeasayer website)…and also buy the album when it’s released next Tuesday (February 8th)

For those that laughed at the mamba joke there is a bonus song below titled- “Ambling Alp” which had been floating around the elusive blogosphere for a while. Listen to it as well.

Peace.

Yeasayer- O.N.E
Yeasayer- Ambling Alp

Phoenix (Acoustic)

Phoenix released several acoustic tracks from a recent live performance for German magazine Musikexpress. Some pretty interesting sounds are brought to life when these songs are performed unplugged and at first it was a little hard to get used to for the first minute or so, but now I'm liking it. It just shows these four guys are good in any format. There are three songs below and one is a cover (a Bob Dylan Cover in fact) compliments of Pitchfork. I've got to say, its a very good cover....only about half as long as the actual Dylan song, but I think it still keeps the integrity of the song in place. The second song is from their 2009 hit album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix , which was one of my favorites albums of 2009 and it's also up for a Grammy tonight. The final song is from Phoenix's 2006 album It's Never Been Like that which is also a very, very good record.

Take a listen below and lets hope they take a grammy back home to France. Eh hau hua hua (that's my typed version of a really good French impersonation..) Okay, Au revoir.

Phoenix - Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands (Acoustic & a Dylan Cover)

Phoenix - Armistice (Acoustic)

Phoenix - One Time Too Many (Acoustic)

Local Native- New Video

New Video released today from Local Natives, its the song "Airplanes" which will be on Gorilla Manor which will have its US release in abooooout two weeks.

Peace.

Airplanes

Local Natives | MySpace Music Videos

Beach House

I've been a casual listener of Beach House over the last few years, but never loved them or heavily anticipated an album by this band. My anticipation level has now changed. I liked Norway their single released late '09, but what did it for me was seeing them on Jimmy Fallon last night where they performed "Zebra" and it caused a spark in my anticipation meter I speak of. That is not meant to sound dirty. Anyway, I listened to this track multiple times this morning and now I am heavily anticipating this full length album.

"Teen Dream" will be released this Tuesday, 1/26/10.

Below is another live performance of Zebra and the streaming mp3.
Peace.

Beach House - Zebra

Beach House - Norway

Local Natives

The Local Natives out of Los Angeles are a band I've been listening to a lot lately. They're a five piece band that is extremely vocal heavy, but they're also a very beat heavy band which are things I love oh so much. The Local Natives will be making an even bigger name for themselves in 2010, its a guarantee.

Gorilla Manor (album) has been released in UK but will be available in the US around Feb. 16th. Mark the calendars and hide the air mics / bongos.

Below is one of the songs off that album. Its a Talking Heads cover.

Local Natives - Warning Sign (Talking Heads cover)

Followed by a very cool video of the Local Natives playing a Thank you song to a nice group of people in Vermont. The van was stuck and after a kind family helped the band / van out of the mud they played an amazing impromptu version of "Airplanes"

Jay Reatard- RIP

Everyone who was a fan is well aware, very sad day last week (Jan 13th). I think cause of death is still undetermined, but had heard it was being investigated as a homicide. Either way, its sad. I wanted to post a cover that Jay recorded. It's Beck's Gamma Ray...this is also streaming on Becks's webpage

Jay Reatard-Gamma Ray (Beck Cover)

Here are also some words written from Deerhunter singer Bradford Cox posted a tribute to Reatard on his band’s blog.

“Jay was what few people have the capacity to be,” Cox wrote. “He created an
undeniably classic album that contained so much pain transfered (sic) to tape in
such an explosive way that it made you feel different after hearing it. He was
transgressive and honest. His flaws were something he focused on and overdubbed
and distorted until they made you forget who he really was: a person with
feelings and a good heart. He loved music and worked hard from a young age to
pursue it. He was a self-made and unmade man. I am truly sickened to see him
go.”

Best of 2009

I'm late, but I wanted to go ahead and post favorites albums / songs of 2010.

I think 2009 was a good year for music, but then again, I think there is great music made and released every single year, you just have to be open to it. As far as lists go...they're completely subjective, everyone has favorites and mine is no better (or worse) than anyone else's. So here they are in no particular order, but where I thought they fit best in a mix-a-lot form.

Oh, yes Happy 9 days in for 2010. (No big deal, but that totally rhymed).

Looking forward to an amazing year of life along with beautiful music and all other things inbetween.

Avi Buffalo- What's In It For?
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Home
Grizzly Bear - While We Wait for the Others
We Are Country Mice- There's No Other
Local Natives - World News
Blitzen Trapper - Silver Moon
Deerhunter - Rainwater Casette Exchange
The xx - Islands
Holiday Shores - Phones Don't Feud
Surfer Blood - Swim (to reach the end)
Real Estate - Beach Comber
Girls - Lust for Life
Animal Collective - My Girls
Washed Out - You'll See It
Atlas Sounds - Walkabout (w/ Noah Lennox)
Miike Snow - Animal
Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move
Phoenix - Listzomania
Japandroids – Crazy/Forever