Working to create what can only be described as an indie music canon, Neon Filler has begun their list of the top 100 indie/alternative albums of all time. This week: 90-81.
You know what you've probably never seen? 1970's classic kids' film Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory sampled to create an entire rap album then edited to make it even more of an acid-trip than it was before. Darwin Deez thinks it's time someone did that. (Tree Swingers)
For the anglophiles who know you can never get enough cheeky British music videos: Andrew Evans Talks At You likes the new Frankie and the Heartstrings.
As the music industry bitches and moans that things aren't fair because they're only making millions, artists search for new ways of getting things done. Listen Dammit takes a look at Broken Cities' creative and sensible distribution model for their new album Flux. Better yet, it seems to be working. Unless you're a record company, obviously, in which case this is bullshit.
Architecture in Helsinki sounds different. Synthier, and Princier, and with crack-like powers to addict. Hyperbole has it.
Electric Comic Book dug around a vintage record shop (in Brooklyn, of course) and came up with this early, pre-international EP from The Hives. It might not be what you expect.
And finally, Yeasayer does a nifty cover of Crazy at Stereogum. You know, when I was about 10, my older sister bought a Cindy Crawford exercise video that prominently featured the Seal original. To this day, I can't hear that song without getting vivid images of a twenty-something Cindy Crawford doing lunges. It's like an awesome superpower.
Weezer just covered the State Farm jingle. I don't think this is to sell out, so much as it is to rile up a bunch of nervous hipsters and watch them unravel. Like a sweater. (See what I did there?) (Stereogum)
The Brit Awards happened again: Rihanna beat Robyn, Tinie Tempah beat The Xx, and Justin Bieber beat The National. Also Take That apparently hasn't yet been struck down by sweet justice. Are you sure you even want to look? (Spinner)
The Grammys managed to be a little hipper. A little. Summary at Play On Daily.
Growing up, while my friends all cooed over Courtney Love, I thought Melissa Auf der Maur was the coolest chick alive. Guess which one of us is still right? Bearly Rambling validates me after a decade and a half.
PJ Harvey streamed an entire concert live, and you can watch it in its entirety at Their Bated Breath.
Two very romantic phrases for this Valentines week: "I Remember" and "The Morning After Pills". Yeasayer's new video for the former can be found at the latter.
As if the French needed help being moody, Sonic Youth is writing and recording the (francophone) soundtrack for a new French film. Both the songs and the movie trailer are thumbs up. See and hear at Sonic Masala.
Spinner has the new "maybe" Lollapalooza lineup including Foo Fighters, Eminem, Muse, Crystal Castles, Girl Talk, Lykke Li and Best Coast. They also have the new definitely Sasquatch! lineup, and it includes the Foo Fighters too, as well as Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, Modest Mouse, The Flaming Lips, Bright Eyes, The Decemberists, Cold War Kids, Iron and Wine, Yeasayer, Deerhunter and the possible last performance of Wolf Parade. There. Everyone should be interested at least one thing I just said.
Stereogum has made a list of the worst Super Bowl halftime shows in recent memory. Now everyone think hard and try to remember one good one.
Got a song stuck in your head? Rock nyc explains why. With Science.
"Therapies Son(aka Alex Jacob) is like the world of synth and lo-fi meeting the circus."-- Their Bated Breath
The Universal Yellow Keys strongly urges you to check out Eulogies. The Universal Yellow Keys is onto something.
In grave respect for the first week the world is officially without them, The Good, The Bad, and The Unknown counts down the 11 best songs by The White Stripes.
And finally, if you're cool at all, you hate Bono. So let's all laugh at the fact that the Broadway production of Spiderman he wrote the songs for (?!) is really, really bad. Glenn Beck likes it though. Hahahahahaha Bono. Ha.
Let's make it very clear that this is a list of favourite albums. Not best albums--favourites. So yes, I know that Ariel Pink is awesome and Deerhunter did everything right, but at the end of the day, those albums just didn't give me a boner like like these ones did. And you can't argue with a metaphorical boner.
What follows are the first six of my eleven favourite 2010 albums**:
11. Girls, Broken Dreams Club
Techncally this is an EP, but I'm letting it in because as soon as you listen to it, you'll want to listen to it again. And then one more time. And then one more time, all the while thinking If I had a guitar I would learn to play every song on this album... Unless you have a guitar. Then you probably already have.
10. The Walkmen, Lisbon
This album makes me nostalgic. For my childhood, for my parents' childhoods, for emotions and ideals I can't put my finger on and don't even understand. Listening to it makes you feel wistful. And 100 years old.
9.The Morning Benders, Big Echo
This album does lose its way by the end, but it the first two-thirds go down so good, you'll barely notice. Recommended for sunny mornings when you can wake up slowly.
8. Yeasayer, Odd Blood
I've already discussed this album and the fact that it's not perfect (still can't get into Ambling Alp--no chance) But the more you listen, the better Odd Blood sounds. It's energetic, ambitious and interesting, all of which is way more important than perfect.
7. The National, High Violet
Ornate and deep, the only reason it doesn't rank higher is because I can't listen to it all that often--it has a way of sweeping you into a dark, dramatic world that's not always an easy place to be.
6. Sleigh Bells, Treats
It would be cheap and easy to play on the album title here, but screw it--I am cheap and easy. And from sweet, girly electronic beeps to riotous guitar riffs, this album is full of treats. It's been awhile since listening to a record was so much fucking fun.
**Eleven because I can't stand even numbers. No even numbers and no orange M&Ms. Deal with it.
There's something wrong with my WiFi today. I'm looking into what the problem is, but I think it could be the fact that I live in Moscow. Once, the elevator to my 12th floor apartment broke and they didn't fix it for three weeks.
In Mother Russia, repairman calls you.
So posting may or may not be patchy. Luckily I have a list of things for you to look at:
Prince Harry got Snoop Dogg to write a track called "Wet" for Prince William's bachelor party. Fell In Love With a Drummer explains why I just typed a sentence that reads like an acid trip.
I haven't heard the Greenhornes "comeback" album yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Electric Comic Book explains why you should be, too.
I'm making mixtapes off the radio for everyone this year, but The L Magazine has some more impressive ideas for music lover-gifts.
I looked into Gonjasufi thanks to The Devil Has the Best Tuna. Because how can you not download something labelled "Turkish Surf Music"?
Prefix has a list of good songs to take off bad albums. Like the way I have one song off Duran Duran's Thank You. I'm not even going to tell you which one, so don't ask.
Clicky Clicky Music Blog is really excited about the upcoming Yuck album. I'd never heard of the band before, but they make it contagious.
End of the year means roundup lists. Music For Kids Who Can't Read Good rounds up their 25 favourite videos of the past year. The Yeasayer video gave me a very ugly dream when it came out and I haven't been able to watch it since, but otherwise this is a swell way to waste two hours.
These days if you're in a band it's impossible not to create a genre. Or claim to create one, anyway. YOUR BAND is not just "rock"; you're "post-metal-neo-new-wave". Or the first to deem your sound "pseudo-Lauper-low-fi-punk". Maybe you alone have mastered the potential of "new millennium-Broadway/porno soundtrack/chill hybrid". And while I do get the wanting to be distinct thing you need to know that, while avoiding pigeonholing, it also places your image somewhere between awesomely descriptive and totally useless. For example, I am the leading writer of random-music themed-Moscow based-Canadian expatriate-snark-blogger commentary. Set up a niche small enough and you're bound to rule it. But it's also like being president of the club you set up in your mum's closet--kinda fucking sad.
Unless this is your club. No wait--I meant especially.Especiallyif this is your club.
When their last album came out, Yeasayer dubbed their sound "Middle-eastern-psych-snap-gospel", placing them squarely in the "Muliticoloured Kangarabbit Kids Club" camp. This year's Odd Blood has a slightly different sound from their last album but they're still in the club. It's a little less psych, a little more pop, and a dash of synth. (I wouldn't go so far as to say synthpop but, y'know, it's there.) There's something very 1984 about it. The year and the novel.
Not following? Okay, imagine you take a shitload of acid and go to an 80's party. Tripping balls and surrounded by electric guitars, synthesizers and Simon le Bon haircuts you are asked to compose an album on the spot. That album is probably going to come out sounding like the bastard child of a back alley condomless one night stand between Pink Floyd and Tears For Fears.
Simply put, it's going to come out sounding like Odd Blood.
And that's not a bad thing. The album is bold, experimental, and pretty much kicks ass. Trouble is, the band doesn't seem to know where the strengths are. Their first single was "Ambling Alp". I'll give them musically catchy, but the lyrics put my ears into a diabetic coma. This song sounds like something a youth group leader plays to show how hip he is. It's, like, totally the best song at church camp. And I am not big on church camp.
Then there's "Love Me Girl," which sounds direct from the synth no-man's-land of the late 90's. Heading back to that time for this genre is like one of Moses' Jews heading back into the desert for a walk down memory lane. Dude you're lucky anything survived; don't go picking through the bones.
So the album has its weaknesses. And since iPod space doesn't grow on trees, here (in my opinion and open to debate) are the songs to make room for on Odd Blood:
Third Best: "Madder Red" (released as a single Sept 13th) --for it's wordless chorus that everyone will sing along to, and for the fact that I can now use "experimental-psych-Celtic-anthem" in a sentence.03 Madder Red by Mr. Shuffleupagus
Second Best:"I Remember"-- Because as you read this,some Hollywood asshole is pitching a remake of Say Anything. And if that should come to pass, this is the song that John Cusack 2.0 will have playing from his boombox04 I Remember by Mr. Shuffleupagus
Best on the Album:"Mondegreen"-- Because it's the musical equivalent of doing a line of coke: euphoric surge of adrenaline, the world picks up pace, and you feel way cooler than you actually are.09 Mondegreen by Mr. Shuffleupagus
Any music posted is for sampling purposes only. If you like anything you hear on this blog, please support the artist by buying their music. Then maybe send them an e-mail of encouragement because money can't give them the warm fuzzies like a nice letter can.
If you represent an artist on this site and would like a song removed, e-mail me. I'll tear the song down and buy you a beer. Then we'll become best friends, I just know it.
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