Jason just asked what my "go-to" song was when I felt like singing. I responded with 2002 from Since 1972, but could have easily responded with at least half of this album (apologies to several songs on Give Up by the Postal Service). An album of joy (splendid for the holiday season!). I'd say this was my favorite album of the year to play in my car. My favorites are I Don't Think That's OK, Blood On Your Knuckles, 2002, I Wanna Cheat On My Girlfriend, Because, and All Goddamn Day. Yep, half the album. 5. Passion Pit - Manners
The melodies are so good you'll get past the high voice fast if that's something that initially intimidates you. You'll find yourself picking favorite songs, then new favorites will emerge, then they'll change once more, and before you know it you love every song on the album. Every song is great on its own, and they all do a nice job of being pretty different from each other. I'm also a fan of the trans-fat-like percussion; another album that sounds good. Very memorable songs. 4b - Fuck Buttons - Tarot Sport
Allow me to explain why there's an "a" and "b" here. This album came out late in the year, and believe it or not, even though I loved Street Horrsing and had read about a new release coming this year, I completely forgot. So this album didn't make up my initial list*, but after experiencing it just once I had to put it in. It's previous Fuck Buttons, but with an extra special twist of more variety and accessibility. There's more to the songs now, which makes them less challenging to get through. But you still get the permagrin-inducing underlying melodies that appear and a really rewarding overall listen. Again Street Horrsing was good, but this is a huge improvement. 4a - A Place To Bury Strangers - Exploding Head
I love this band. The aspect of them I most appreciate is how their records sound. Whatever it is they're doing in the studio to get that grainy, far away, spaciness to their music is working wonders. As soon as the first instrument makes any kind of noise you can tell it's them. Their newest release, Exploding Head, is a little less demanding for the listener. The barrage of guitar is still here but not as in your face and for as long periods of time. And a good band to see live.
*Another album that should have made my list for 2009, in this case honorable mentions, but I discovered it late is Clark's Totems Flare.
Without question my favorite Peaches album. Generally speaking, I'm not the biggest Peaches fan. I recall sitting through her set at the Post-Gazette Amphitheater in Pittsburgh maybe 3-4 years ago confused. What am I supposed to like about this? Is she for re... yeah, she's for real. What's she doing in the region of her crotch? OK, maybe I do like this. Ehhhhh maybe not. But anyway, I have all of her other stuff, but none of those albums receive a whole lot of listens anymore. The song Operate from Fatherfucker remains a classic. It's almost as though she started from the simple electronic feel of that album and made it whole lot crisper and developed songs more. I Feel Cream sticks out to me for one main reason: the production. It's notably better in that regard than anything else she's released and an absolute joy on headphones. The synths are full of character and the bass is juicier than a pack of Gushers. Most of the songs follow some predictable formulas, which is fine, but I do find the lyrics lack at times. She could have written a few more words for some of these songs, yet, this is kind of an improvement from previous albums. All in all, and album that sounds good and impacted me instantly because of that.
These guys clicked for me on this album. Since diving into Wavering Radiant I've learned to appreciate their older stuff a little more, too. Sometimes all it takes from a band I think I like but haven't invested the right amount of time in is to release a new album with attractive artwork while I'm paying attention and I'm in. You're looking at 5, 7-minute+ tracks here, all of which are excellent in their own right. My particular favorites are Hall of the Dead and Hand of the Host - both of which are treats live. It seems it's common practice to talk about Isis and their lyrics. Do they add to the music? Would they be better without? "Man if he'd just quit his screaming..." I think the lyrics add a certain amount of atmosphere that's hard to quantify. Maybe a possible analogy is a bass guitar. Not the first thing you notice in the mix, but the first thing you notice when it's not there. It helps that there's a bit more singing this time around as well.
Though I don't record every single listen in my life over at last.fm (but certainly most), the song Die Slow came in 4th this year. I'd be comfortable saying it's one of my favorite songs ever. I found HEALTH's previous work rather unlistenable at times. It wasn't what I would call pleasurable. This entire album is pleasure because they added some melody and song structure. Now it's important you don't take that the wrong way - there's still walls of sound all over this album. I can just follow it now. Favs: In Heat, Die Slow, Death+, Eat Flesh, In Violet.
Like the rest of the music-blogging universe I'm going to do a favorite albums of the year list. But before getting into my top 9 of 2009, I need to show a little respect for those I enjoyed but didn't quite make the cut. I tried my best not to throw in the kitchen sink here and strongly recommend giving every band here a chance if you haven't heard them before. In no particular order:
This one is in particular order and would have made it if this was 10 in 2010. You'll have a hard time finding an album that meshes together better than this one. From front to back it's essentially one giant song. I had never heard of The Decemberists before this record (thank you Paste Magazine). While this sounds silly/obvious to say, the only reason this didn't get into my top 9 was personal taste. As well thought out and executed I think this album is, I don't listen to it that much compared to many other albums from this year and I couldn't bring myself to replace anything in the top 9 with it. Jason did a fantastic write up on this album back in August.
One of the many bands who opened for Nine Inch Nails at some point this year and last. I find half of this album to be great (songs like Mirror's Image and Who Can Say) and half to be OK. I always listen to this album in spurts and feel like I zone out every time. That's not a negative quality, but it's a quality that makes it hard to talk about.
The vocals are too similar throughout; that's the only beef I have. Or maybe I have some secret overall agenda against his voice. Love Like A Sunset is one of the best instrumentals of the year. If you're forced to listen to one song and one song only off this album, I'd suggest this one - though it won't give you the correct taste as to what the band is really like. It's 7 and a half minutes of nicely-arranged greatness. These guys took advantage of an altered schedule at the Monolith Festival this year and killed it as the second to final act on the main stage.
Whenever you need a kick-ass rocker chick in your life Spinnerette is highly recommended. I imagine Brody Dalle isn't someone you want to mess with. I believe this album lacks a little creativity as it's fairly straightforward/predictable from front to back, but then again it's not out to blow minds in that regard. This is a case of it is what it... nevermind.
This sounds like Tom Morello did it. He's accomplished the difficult feat of having his own instantly recognizable style. Sometimes that's hard to get away from. Tom Morello seems like he has the most fun on-stage out of anyone I've seen play live. You can tell he appreciates the opportunity for his voice and music to be heard. Seeing these guys open for Nails at the worst venue in Colorado was special because Tom Morello is a magical presence on-stage.
Welcome to Lunar Industries is one of the best instrumentals of the year. It has the unfair advantage of aligning perfectly with the visuals that remain in my head from the movie. Very atmospheric and lonely as you'd expect from this kind of movie soundtrack. Just look at the cover.
Now here's a CD that's not for everyone, and if I'm not in the right frame of mind I can't listen to it. All textures, all fairly lengthy. Little, if any, melody. Everything Ends Here IS one of my favorite songs of the year. An instrumental (I keep bringing those up...) that gets to me emotionally far more than most. I'd like to search for some of my initial reactions to this (and much of the other music here) via Twitter if I can; that would be interesting and revealing. I'll update this post if that search uncovers anything noteworthy.
Should this be allowed to be in the top 9 because it's an E.P.? I say no, and that's why it's here in the honorable mentions. Even one of Maynard's greatest songs ever (The Humbling River) can't convince me. There's 4 new songs here and 2 live recordings of previously released material. It's all good, and easily worth $5.34 at Amazon.
Bought this spontaneously after hearing the song Two Dots. Happy with the purchase. Two songs have lyrics. Well crafted. Sounds good. Favorite song is Every Disguise. I'm sure there's a lot of hidden gems over at Ghostly International.
That's not actually the album title, it's Veckatimsest. Seems like it's an album that's loved by everyone that knows it exists. Not me. I guess I don't 'get it'. Come to think of it I'm not sure why I put it in the list.
If you know anything about Lustmord you know what this is about: dark ambience. Tried it out based on association with the Tool guys and though it doesn't get a lot of listens, when I'm in the right mood it's wonderful (akin to Blindoldfreak).
Cage's latest album hits the entire spectrum for me. Some of it is dazzling, some quite blah, and some sinks to new levels of bad and obnoxious. Let's do a track by track attack... GO!
1. Nothing Left To Say Notable lyric: "What's the weather like kid? It's always sunny in hell." Starts off with some low-brow spoken word with sounds of CGI birds in the background. If you could see their chirps they'd be pixelated. Song really starts at 1:39 with a movin' bumpy beat and when his rhymes and tone become 'aggressive'. I like this song. His fast delivery here works well. Great start to the album. 8/10
2. Beat Kids Notable lyric: "Beat kids... beat kids. We keep shovelin' sheep... shit." The distorted and somewhat uninspired bass line gets on my nerves a tad. The lyrics aren't compelling to me. I don't think I've paid close enough attention to understand what he's really talking about, and I don't think I'm going to take any initiative to eventually find out. Chorus makes me want to read a newspaper from a random date in which nothing exciting happened. 5/10
3. Dr. Strong
Notable lyric: "But ther's no horses about to rip you limb from limb, but the tranquilizer in your blood is what they give to them." His name is Chris Palko and he's a former patient of Stoney Lodge Hospital. We know this because he says it first thing. He spits this one in a higher pitch. I don't mind. Some might think it sounds a bit whiny; I can deal with it. This song features a lot of the double vocal attack (DVA). The lyrics are weak, so putting two voices behind them presumably makes them more interesting and relevant. Eh, not so much. Song ends with, "When I get there, let me in." I think they will Chris, I think they will. 4/10
4. I Found My Mind In Connecticut
Notable lyric: "Truth is, she just fucked me 'cause my bro's D. Palumbo." Captivating and simple guitar riff over some phasy-synthy goodness. Here, he's spewing his letter combinations in quite the monotone voice. He perfects the art of, "Look at me not giving shit... and you love it." I do love it actually. If Rocky Minik could rap this is what he'd sound like. You probably don't know who that is but it's not important. Moving on... 9/10
5. I Lost It In Havertown Notable lyric: None. A fast start. Gets wild quick. Wastes no time. We are INTO IT! Very short tune, and I think that's good because if it was any longer it might feel too long. 6/10
The lyrics here dumb. This song annoys me to incredible levels. It's not long but it manages to kill an awful lot of brain cells in a short a
mount of time. I'm not talking about it. Sorry. 1/10
7. Eating It's Way Out Of Me
Key lyric: "As beautiful as this hole is, I need to climb out."
I would consider this a 'dope' and 'chill' beat. Play this for a babe in your car and she'll think you're Matthew Stafford. Nifty horn-like sound that begins around 1:30 means a lot to me. The track kind of drags on a bit and not much changes throughout, which greatly impacts my score. Still decent. 6/10
8. Kick Rocks
Key lyric: "I got me, I got Susie...uhh... can I get a +6?"
Remember Teenage Hands? This is 50x worse. In between renditions of an absolutely terrible chorus, we have stumbling conversations about rehab/cigarettes, getting on the list for a show, and something with mom who sounds like Beeker. Then Mr. Palko decides to neglect the usage of words because of a dueling problem that sometimes babies have to deal with. The result is messy. Chernobyl messy. 0/10
9. Captain Bumout
Notable lyric: "I hope somebody pulls a gun out and sucks all the fun out and levels the playing field for Captain Bumout."
Somewhat silly lyrics that in some strange and embarrassing way I can somewhat relate to. The chorus is catchy and melodic. Very traditional song structure on display here. This is really welcomed after the previous few songs. The 'District 9 alien sound' featured in this song makes it much stronger. 8/10
10. Strain
Notable lyric: "You wake up with a girl and a Robitussin mustache."
Not really bad, but certainly not great. Annoying chorus. He's saying something about gold chains. Not getting much emotional impact from this song. You could probably draw that conclusion from the lyric posted above. He tries to get deep and dark with some devilish talking over fed-back guitar. You can probably pass on this one. 5/10
11. Fat Kids Need An Anthem
Notable lyric: "I remember I was watchin' Fight Club with my ex-girlfriend and the part came up when he had bitch tits, and she laughed, and I had bitch tits, so that means she was really laughin' at me. I was just tired of feeling like shit, you know?"
Did you really think this song would be any good based on the title? Based on that lyric? Of course not. The chorus makes me want to detach the lawnmower blade from my Yard Machine and make a few attempts at cutting my own ears off. You'd think it'd be more difficult to cut the second ear off after the incredible pain of the first sever, but as long as this song's still playing they'll be motivation. 1/10
12. Look At What You Did Notable lyric: "She took my eyes and she put 'em on her somehow, now I understand why she gets up after sundown."
Best song. Constructed brilliantly. Kind of baffling how this song was made by the same person as the previous trash. Fun-bouncy-want-to-sing-along chorus. Perfect length (not too long like some other songs are guilty of). 9/10
13. Depart From Me
Notable lyric: "You knew it was so hard to see my brother dyin', so pardon me. You just depart from me. You ruined art for me."
Solid effort. It flows from beginning to end. These lyrics might just be the most meaningful on the album. 7/10
14. I Never Knew You
Notable lyric: "Perish the thought. You should cherish the words that I got in my mouth. The only words that can truly explain how I got in your house."
Oops, I blew the surprise with that lyric. But we've arrived at the big single. The crem de le creme. Fitting that it's last, as I think it's a good ender with a slower pace and lyrics you can't ignore. The vocal style and pacing are perfect on top of the music. Check the Shia LaBeouf-directed video. 9/10
15. Hugs And Kisses (iTunes bonus track)
Notable lyric: Instantly I notice this is mixed louder than the other tracks. Not by a ton, but it's noticeable to me every time. Big-time percussion going on here, of the distorted variety. All in all, I'm glad I bought this album on iTunes in order to get this track (otherwise it would have been Amazon). At least my 5th favorite song. 8/10
So that's it. In regards to the bad on this album, I generally want to give Chris Palko the benefit of the doubt. The dude's had a rough life. But there are simply inexcusable errors in judgment on display here. I feel there's potential for this guy to be good from front to back, but overall, this leaves me with the feeling it could have been so much more. Not taking a few songs off and not being so reserved on the guitar would be starters. I've read articles/reviews saying this sounds similar to Linkin' Park. While I don't like Linkin' Park, I will readily admit there are similar elements. But Cage appeals to the rebel in me. My mom used to watch me play outside as an adolescent with the neighbors across the street. They loved their profanity. When they'd say 'fuck' I'd look across the street to see if my mom was actually watching/listening. Every time the answer was yes. I'd feel slight embarrassment, yet slight bad-assery. This album brings back that combination of emotions.
In Her Gentle Jaws is without question my 2nd favorite "free" album of all-time. And so there's no wondering, my first would be Nine Inch Nails' The Slip. I put free in quotations since, technically, I could have legally downloaded another Nine Inch Nails album, Ghosts I-IV, free of charge from any torrent site, since it was licensed under Creative Commons. I instead opted to pay $75 for the Deluxe Edition (which contains a gorgeous coffee table book for the coffee table I don't have). OK, enough with Nine Inch Nails...
You won't find this record on The Depreciation Guild's revamped website anymore, but you can download the album legally here. If you don't have it, do it. I presume it's no longer available on their website because the band is planning to release deluxe vinyl and digital editions of In Her Gentle Jaws under their new label Kanine. Tricking new fans into not realizing an album was previously released for free? Maybe, I don't know.
I first heard about The Depreciation Guild through Telefon Tel Aviv, and specifically Josh Eustis, who made the album sound pretty (mixed it). It's nice to know that's the case this time around, too. They write/wrote in what looks like a college dorm room, and I don't know the details about how making sounds with a Japanese Famicom work, but I like that they do it. The biggest accomplishment with this album in my eyes is how, even with the plethora of digital, 8-bit goodness, the final product sounds anything but digital to me. The songs come off feeling emotional and organic, not lifeless and boring (which many electronic artists of lesser quality are guilty of). This is where this band's talent lies. The songs are well-written with terrific melodies, and the digital butter is spread cautiously throughout, never blocking or interfering with the path the songs are on. It's like a muffler dragging on the road, but the sound is prettier and more intermittent than you're probably thinking. It should be noted that there are no synths on the album. None. Zip. These guys were recently added to the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks...on Saturday (it's a two-day festival). I'm going on Sunday only, so I'll be missing them. They would definitely be the #1 act I'd want to see on that day if I was there. And finally, while I enjoy the 2 new tracks, my first impression is t
hey aren't overly impressive and don't quite measure up to the majority of In Her Gentle Jaws. Here's the colorful, slightly dreamy, kinda weird, at times slow-motion video for Dream About Me:
Around the year 2000 I started finding bands on my own. Everything from Phish to Dimmu Borgir started filling up my hard drive. Then, through CD Now's similar artist pages, I came across Aloha. There were no reviews to be found or no 30 second samples to familiarize myself with. That's Your Fire was a title that just sounded catchy enough to give a try. The first track unexpectedly drew me in. My ears separated the vibraphone away from all the other instruments. Something about its soft delivery, and the constant undertones in all the songs gave me a reason to keep listening. To reluctantly give a title to what I was hearing; indie sleep jazz I think would be loosely appropriate. That is until the song A Hundred Stories showed up. The drums came alive as did the vocals. Tony Cavallario's vocals and Cale Parks endless work on the vibraphone gave this album enough distinction to stick in my head for weeks. Every release since That's Your Fire has put a damper on the Vibraphone, but each member of the band continues to enhance in their rightful positions. As a huge fan of bands who step outside the mainstream, I just want to say give this album a listen, move onto the next couple albums, and enjoy the progression of a great band.
hits the entire spectrum for me. Some of it is dazzling, some quite blah, and some sinks to new levels of bad and obnoxious. Let's do a track by track attack... GO!
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