i am back from being dead, sort of. lots of updates to fill you dudez+babes in on. here are some:
• weezer’sred album is pretty rad/good/amazing/average, all at once. “pork and beans” is one of the greatest songs cuomo has ever written, not to mention the video is possibly the greatest thing EVER MADE EVER (below).
other highlights are “heart songs”, with absolutely brilliant lyrics; including this gem:
Back in 1991 I wasn’t havin’ any fun
‘Till my roommate said “Come on and put a brand new record on”
Had a baby on it. He was naked on it
Then I heard the chords That broke the chains I had upon me
and also, the completely insane “the greatest man that ever lived”. overall this record is leaps and bounds above the subpar make believe
• the dandy warhols’ new record, earth to the dandy warhols is also pretty damned good. i’ll admit i wasn’t digging it much at first, but after leaving it on repeat all night it grew on me just as much as their others. “now you love me” is a stunning fuzzed-out lovefest on par with “good morning”, “heavenly”, etc.
• ratatat - lp3 is pretty good, albeit, somewhat more chill than their first two albums. the opening trifecta of “shiller”, “falcon jab” and “mi viejo” are particular good. “gipsy threat” is just weird and creepy as hell.
• mates of state’s latest, re-arrange us, is pretty happy-go-lucky, as we’ve come to expect from such a lovestricken husband-and-wife duo. but that’s, of course, a good thing when it comes to mates of state. still, i can’t say i liked this as much as their more recent efforts, especially the epic bring it back.
• a few albums that i missed last year: the first, (i had no idea that) meredith bragg & the terminals realeased a new album in 2007. which they did, titled silver sonya, and which also, is amazing — even greater than their debut. HIGHLY recommend this record, which would have easily been in my top 15 or so of ‘07. another which i keep meaning to write about, that i learned about from good old sebastian, is junius, who play a brand of post-hardcore similar to the more melodic aspects of deftones or the more fuzz-drenched passages of maserati or cave in. their jawdropping self-titled debut was far and away one of the better records of 2007. “hiding knives” is just unreal.
• also thanks to sebastian’s writeups, i have recently been revisiting wire’s seminal work. i have been particularly enjoying 1979’s 154 and ’78’s chairs missing. though admittedly it takes a bit of work to fully begin appreciating them, i’m still not quite sure what took me so long to be able to love these albums.
• the hold steady has a new album (stay positive), but as someone who has never really enjoyed the band that much (save for the unquestionably amazing “how a resurrection really feels”, from 2005’s separation sunday), i won’t write too much about it. i’ve given it a couple of listens, and can’t say i dislike it, but as per usual, nothing sticks out either.
• finally, dead meadow released their new record some 5 months ago now, and i keep meaning to post a review of it, but my laziness has fucked you again, dear reader. nevertheless, in my opinion, it’s their best to date, which may mean that it’s your least favorite (if you’re a legit dead meadow fan). because the same things that make me like it most (it’s more structured, more pop-oriented, more accessible), are probably the things that are turning longtime fans away. the first half of the album is particularly impressive. “down here” is brilliant.
this is a mix i made about six years ago for a friend of mine. i just recently found the tracklist and decided to edit it together to let it flow. it turned out quite nice. you might enjoy, despite the seemingly strange song selection, and the fact that this is so old i even broke the sacred rule of not repeating the same band on one mix. (three times in a row). a few of these tracks would turn up on later mixes as well. still, i quite like this one.
1. idaho - for granted
2. nick drake - pink moon
3. audioslave - like a stone
4. doves - rise
5. the dirtmitts - fix and destroy
6. the dirtmitts - bank card
7. cat power - metal heart
8. cat power - evolution
9. moonbabies - have you ever said goodbye
10. moonbabies - im insane but so are you
11. the church - under the milky way
12. interpol - leif erikson
13. ms. john soda - unsleeping
14. massive attack - angel
15. new order - crystal
16. starflyer 59 - too much fun
apologies for the recent downtime (did anyone even notice? probably not). anyway, i was forced to switch servers and i am still trying to fix some of the things that are f’d up because of the move. i will fix it though! i am a fix-it man! i promise! i swear :(
here are some things for you to read:
• i have found the greatest video ever created. this is the reason the internet was invented:
yeah.
• also, here is a video of tony romo and mr. belding singing “don’t stop believin’” with metal skool. seriously. mr. belding and tony romo covering the greatest bar song of all time? the world just imploded.
• things have been quiet on the new music front recently, but there are gems that i will be posting shortly. (e.g.: mgmt, foals, we barbarians, girls in hawaii).
• for some reason i have been salivating on old school modest mouse recently. i kind of forgot how great and raw their earlier stuff was. do yourself a favor and listen to “neverending math equation” again.
and the plants and the animals, they are linked
and the plants and the animals eat each other
oh my god and oh my cat
brilliance!!
also, the lemonheads. was there ever a song about drugs that made you more relaxed than “drug buddy”? (the answer is no)
• should i start making more lists? perhaps. i think i will.
• the wire is like, the greatest tv show ever. and i just finished season 4 and now i am :(
• also, dexter is the greatest tv show ever. don’t watch it on cbs, though — that is bound to be horrible.
Horrible cover art aside (yes, that album cover is actually real), Stephin Merritt’s latest thematic undertaking is drenched in reverb — brilliantly accentuating Shirley Simms’ sugary vocals, which in turn act as delicious adversaries to Merritt’s deep, miserablist delivery.
Brooklyn band’s second full-length is a wall of post-rock guitars interlaced with shoegazy post-punk influences. Sleep Forever dares to kick some ass one minute and cry in the rain the next — what you would get if you mixed Black Sabbath with Explosions in the Sky.
Nada Surf’s fifth full-length is an unfortunately bland addition to an impressive recent discography. The splendid mellow harmonies found on their past few releases have been dulled down into a mired pit of average indie rock.
Thinking Machines A Complete Record of Urban Archaeology [Catapult/Jan 1]
This Philadelphia trio’s third full-length is an exclamatory blend of post-punk dynamism and melodic cacophony that seamlessly connects to its roots and never denies its willingness to explore new sonic territory. An early frontrunner for best-of-2008.
As much of a holy omfgical year in music it was for me, there were also some huge disappointments. Here were the biggest:
:’(
Smashing Pumpkins Zeitgeist [Reprise/Jul 10]
The first new Pumpkins album in 7 years was a horribly-produced, steaming pile of shit with Corgan’s vocals turned up 5,313 decibals louder than anything else. Even the album cover is laughable. The only thing remotely decent was Jimmy Chamberlin’s drumming, which is barely audible anyway.
:’(
Interpol Our Love to Admire [Capitol/Jul 10]
This album was way better the first two times they wrote it. The third time around, it’s a boring, uninteresting eulogy of a band who once had a world of hype and promise. To add insult to injury, it (terrible cover and all) was released the same day as The Smashing Pumpkins’ Zeitgeist.
:’(
Against me! New Wave [Sire/Jul 10]
Perhaps not coincidentally also released on July 10, these folk punks’ fourth studio album showcases the final steps of a band moving completely into the spectrum of mainstream, polished production that does nothing but ruin their sound. RIP
:’(
Tiger Army Music From Regions Beyond [Hellcat/Jun 5]
Like Against Me!, these psychobilly’s latest offering suffers from a polished production that does not fit their sound and style at all. Though not a terrible record, their track record has proven capable of much better, making this all the more disappointing.
:’(
65daysofstatic The Destruction of Small Ideas [Monotreme/Apr 30]
These UK post-rockers have done nothing but gone downhill since their stunning 2004 debut. The most recent entry to the band’s catalogue furthers a descent into generic instrumental post-rock that lacks the tumultuous electronic drums and pulsating beats that made their debut so incredible.
:’(
Portugal. The Man Church Mouth [Fearless/Jul 24]
Despite an amazing EP at the beginning of this very same year, these Alaskans’ second full-length is hardly daring and fails to deliver on the experimental promises of their previous work. Hardly a worthy adversary to a debut that was one of 2006’s best releases.
:’(
The New Pornographers Challengers [Matador/Aug 21]
Though this album was one of the top 75 of the year, it was nonetheless a weak offering from a band who’s previous releases were nothing short of amazing. Challengers is by far the worst from The New Pornographers to date.
:’(
I Heart Hiroshima Tuff Teef [Valve/Aug 13]
I had been excitedly awaiting the debut full-length from this band after several excellent EPs. Tuff Teef however, is a bland record filled with unmemorable moments that all run together like a freight train of boring.
:’(
She Wants Revenge This is Forever [Perfect Kiss/Oct 9]
She Wants Revenge’s second album is an uninspired set of 80s synth-pop homages that don’t bring anything original to the table. The band’s previous penchant for intensely disconnected darkwave melodies is sorely lacking, leaving behind a lifeless collection of uninspired neo-goth.
:’(
Hard-Fi Once Upon a Time in the West [Warner/Sep 18]
Hot off the success of a surprisingly solid debut, these Europeans returned with a second album of trite, semi-indie rock wrapped in a terriblely gimmicky “no cover art” ploy. It doesn’t much matter, as there isn’t anything worth listening to underneath the obvious White Album imitation.
Dave Grohl continues his journey towards adult contemporary with this latest forgettable entry into mediocrity. Foo Fighters have been steadily declining since Pat Smear’s departure a decade ago, and this album is no exception.
:’(
Hot Hot Heat Happiness Ltd. [Sire/Sep 11]
The fourth album by these formerly danceable Canadians sounds like The Strokes on Vicodin playing arena rock. All of the band’s prior strengths have been covered up by overproduction and radio-whore subterfuge. So long :(
2007 has been the greatest year of new music in my lifetime. When I began writing this, I had over 140 albums to whittle down into some sort of cohesive, OCD-styled best-of list. I chose 75 because that is where the cutoff appears to be (the albums I absolutely love vs. the albums that were just okay). There were so many disgustingly good albums this year, it makes me want to puke with joy and convulse with happiness. I love music, and I love each of these albums.
You should, too:
025
Okkervil River The Stage Names [Jagjaguwar/Aug 7]
Artsy Austin band’s fourth full-length is rife with angular hooks and intellectual wordplay, brimming with a cool nonchalance that slays its surroundings with droll wit.
Seattle lo-fi rockers’ second full-length is a breezy, anticlimatic ride through the midwestern plains and northwestern forests and small towns along the way that effortlessly combines (and updates) the influences of the past 15 years into a refreshing, original album.
Reunited vetaran stoner rockers’ eigth studio album (and first in ten years) is a sludgefest of guitar solos fronted by J. Mascis’ typically nasal vocals that still manages to sound completely new and different.
The long awaited full-length debut by these neo-Spoon, Austin up-and-comers delivers on the promises hinted at by their multitude of EPs and singles while continuing to experiment with a more piano-soaked, chamber pop sound.
Modest Mouse We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank [Epic/Mar 20]
Brilliant Pixies heirs’ fifth proper full-length reverts slightly back to the rugged, abrasive quality of their earlier albums while retaining the poppy hooks of their recent past to form yet another unbridled indie rock masterpiece.
A droning dream of moody neo-shoegaze that explodes and implodes in a speedball of ketamine and doom, this San Franciscan band’s third record infinitely loops and encircles its own ambitions and fears.
Moros Eros Jealous Me Was Killed By Curiosity [Victory/Oct 16]
Georgian Les Savy Fav disciples offer up second album of brash, confrontational melodies and vigorous song structures that refuse to lay down or even shut the hell up while they dance in circles and vandalize their enemies.
New Young Pony Club Fantastic Playroom [Modular/Jul 9]
English hipsters’ debut is a créme brûlée of art punk/new rave á la mode — its detachedly sassy vocals flawlesly emasculating the über-hip hooks to add a foxy, art-school risque.
The latest full-length from Anthony Green is a frozen icescape of spacey harmonics and gorgeous melodies trapped in a timeless cave of ambiguity, exquisitely afloat and hovering somewhere between hidden and frostbitten dimensionality.
Dax Riggs We Sing of Only Blood or Love [Fat Possum/Aug 21]
Prolific metalhead’s first official solo LP is a smattering of Roy Orbison-like rockabilly and Glenn Danzig-styled crooning mixed with southern metal roots that coalesce into a glorious, neo-retro machismo.
Renowned Austinites return with a brand new helping of bubbly, jangly indie rock that swanks with stoned grooves and shimmies and shakes like a zombie on PCP; altogether blasé, sluggish, rhythmic and danceable.
Kings of Leon Because of the Times [Hand Me Down/Apr 3]
Third full-length from southern garage rockers is a booze-addled introduction to life’s asskickings, replete with raucous guitars, clever wordplay and a brilliant understanding of Pixies-esque dynamics and southern rock & roll.
You Say Party! We Say Die! Lose All Time [Paper Bag/Mar 20]
Canadian dance-punks’ second effort is an unapologetic onslaught of deliberately vapid keyboards and defiant vocals set to danceable beats that wears its hipster cred on its sleeve.
Musical superheroes’ seventh full-length is glorious unification of past and present releases that introduces new directions whilst simultaneously appeasing history’s universal acclaim.
Churning with pounding rhythms and an air of murk, acclaimed Brooklyn band’s fourth album is despondent, disconnected and serves to darken the already gloomy and dejected (and sophisticated) lyrics even moreso.
Canadian indie rockers’ sophomore album builds on the promise of a near-perfect debut and delivers a second helping of gorgeous orchestral anthems and complex instrumentation that’s subdued, majestic, poppy, dignified.
Minus the Bear Planet of Ice [Suicide Squeeze/Aug 21]
Seattle band’s third LP showcases sophisticated songwriting, witty lyricism and complex time signatures as dynamic and innovative as a room full of drunken M80s and crackpipes with guitars.
Thurston Moore Trees Outside the Academy [Ecstatic Peace/Sep 18]
Eminent experimentalist’s second solo release is a stunning display of deceptively poppy avant-garde noise catharsis adrift in a sea of unwinding, melodic complexity.
The Ponys’ third record is another brilliantly cool slathering of vintage rock ‘n’ roll attitude updated with post-punk tendencies that churns like a ‘79 Trans-Am with t-tops and a huge fucking yellow Firebird logo on the hood.
The Raveonettes Lust Lust Lust [Fierce Panda/Nov 12]
Drenched in a minimalistic hurricane of reverb and Jesus-and-Mary-Chainsian harmonies, these neo-shoegazers’ third album is a midnight-tinged exposé of leather jackets and 50s-style diners backed by thick beats and nervous, pulsating desire.
The mysterious first Haunted Graffiti album from lo-fi cult hero is another strange, hallucinatory journey through a collage of twisting melodies, noisy interims and brilliant songwriting that combine together to form a surprisingly coherent, cohesive whole.
A Place to Bury Strangers A Place to Bury Strangers [Killer Pimp/Sep 17]
Exploding with brain-melting guitars, barely-audible vocals and pulverizing drum machines, NYC’s loudest band offer up a debut of ten thunderously melodic homages to shoegaze and noise pop that nearly break the sound barrier.
Les Savy Fav Let’s Stay Friends [French Kiss/Sep 18]
Seminal post-hardcore outfit return from 6-year hiatus with renewed brilliance — showcasing a greater attention to production and adding even more melody to an already defined pair of angular, post-punk fists of fury.
Portland singer/songwriter’s sophomore album is a collection of jaw-dropping acoustic renditions of classic 80s anthems that salivates at the seams with unparalleled brilliance; genuinely astonishing.
Seminal indie-rock trio’s seventh proper album is their moodiest yet; twisting and heaving and dying like some kind of drugged-out fairytale from a doomstricken Japanese netherworld, its mortality as ambiguous as ever.
Seattle band’s sophomore album is submerged in a gloomy Americana abyss of reverb and My Morning Jacket-styled wailing that do nothing to alleviate the dismal desolation depicted on its cover.
Animal Collective member’s third solo record is an avant garde cavalcade of strange kaleidoscopic collages composed with patience but bleeding with passion — evoking a sense of experimentation that shimmers and sparkles with a strange, translucent beauty.
The New Pornographers Challengers [Matador/Aug 21]
Much-adorned Canadians’ latest is more tame and less daring than previous releases, relying instead on subtle textures and unobtrusive hooks that don’t quite live up to potential but still outperform most bands’ best.
The Field From Here We Go Sublime [Kompakt/Mar 26]
Axel Willner’s debut is an intense minimalist opus of pounding beats and simplistic, repeating melodies which ironically add to the record’s complexity and ultimately rewrite it into something else entirely (a rave? death? drugs? hypnosis?).
Jatun’s self-titled debut takes the synth-soaked melodies of M83 and mixes them with restive, Röyksoppian beats; blissfully scattering atmospheric trip-hop and waves of mesmerizing shoegaze in every direction.
Maria Taylor Lynn Teeter Flower [Saddle Creek/Mar 6]
Former Azure Ray frontwoman’s sophomore effort is delicate and mellifluous, championed by beautiful vocal harmonies and a gentle, soothing rainstorm of instrumentation.
Lauded six-piece’s sophomore LP sounds a bit too similar to its predecessor yet still exhibits enough funky hooks and schoolyard chants to warrant a roller-skate-derby dance-off.
Rilo Kiley Under the Blacklight [Warner Bros/Aug 21]
Cult band’s fourth release delves into synth-pop territory while still clinging tightly to its alt-country roots, resulting in a neo-Fleetwood Mac vibe that’s at once both retro and progressive.
The Good, The Bad & The Queen The Good, The Bad & The Queen [Parolphone/Jan 22]
Damon Albarn’s latest project is a logical evolution of Gorillaz’ lethargic melodies mixed with a skillful understanding of indie rock’s recent history. It’s poppy but loaded with a complex subtext that lends it further credibility and rewards patience.
A valorous return to form, these NYC avant-gardists’ fourth full-length is brash, defiant and mutinous while still maintaining a skillfully crafted sense of experimentalism and self-deconstruction.
Ken Andrews Secrets of the Lost Satellite [Dinosaur Fight/Mar 13]
Former Failure frontman’s first official solo album is filled with themes of loss and alienation atop spacey, heroin-induced melodies, grunged-up guitars and near-perfect production.
Former members of Denali and Engine Down collaborate to create this hauntingly brilliant record thick with dissonance and drenched in unnerving melody —- incessantly threatening to explode.
The latest from this ambient-pop charged UK collective is fueled by moody post-punk malaise and a subtle canvas of musical radiation that silently electrifies and envelopes its surroundings, altogether relaxing and entrancing and barely convulsing.
Folksy singer-songwriter’s sixth full-length ambles and saunters through a slightly-sedated landscape of seemingly-sparse instrumentation and insistent vocal melodies.
Exalted Portland group’s third proper album is awash in nocturnally-clad desperation, tossing and turning in a bed of diligent admissions and emotional sincerity.
English psych-revivalists’ third LP spans a vast array of styles and influences — resulting in a buoyant, hallucinatory listening experience dripping in acid-soaked vitality and sun-drenched happiness.
Semidivine heroine returns with an angelic offering of saintly vocals contrasted by stark lyricism and bleak piano overtures that barely manage to keep from drowning in the surrounding cesspool of gloom.
Swedish band’s second album is less sad than The Cure and more neue than new wave — resulting in an effortless cross-pollination of the two that’s happily sad.
Wolf Parade frontman Dan Boeckner teams up with his wife to make an estrogenic neo-Wolf Parade record blanketed by a fog of realized delusions and adequate sadness sung peacefully over a backdrop of steady, electronic rhythms and nostalgic melodies.
European new ravers’ debut LP is littered with literary and intellectual references and still doesn’t break a sweat while breakdancing circles around its surroundings.
North Carolinan trio’s third full-length is soaked in beautiful indie pop bliss and lachrymose wordplay backed by gorgeously danceable synths and heaving beats; hypnotizing like a midnight summer thunderstorm.
Androgynous twins’ fifth LP resonates with adamant synth crescendos and sugar-coated vocal harmonies, exhibiting a controlled erotic nuance that’s both restrained and impassioned.
Voxtrot members’ debut plays host to a myriad of emotions all while appearing casually blithe on a surface of happy-go-lucky synths and dancey choruses that lead nowhere but the circle of life’s happy-cum-sadness.
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