December 25, 2009

Albums of 2009

One of my favorite parts of the end of the year are all of the year end lists posted by various blogs, magazines, and other websites. I think it's one of the best ways to catch up on notable releases throughout the year and reconsider some music I brushed off after one listen. So here are the ten albums I enjoyed the most in 2009.

01. Grizzly Bear | Veckatimest
It is hard to say that Veckatimest was a refreshing hit when it was released in the spring since two of the singles had already been receiving heavy blog play for almost a year. However this album packed a subtle punch that proved it's strength after repeated listens. Taking the ambient and orchestrated sounds of Yellow House, the four piece expanded their well crafted tunes into perfect pop snippets blended with clever arrangements of striking guitar and topsy-turvey percussion.


02. Animal Collective | Merriweather Post Pavillion
There has been apparent love for this album since it leaked at the end of 2008 and it has all been warranted. Animal Collective have been some of the hardest working musicians of the decade and MPP has been a sort of culmination record most bands dream of making. They take their strong ability to mix together folk/jam/noise efforts into pop appeal for the masses in what is their most accessible album to date.



03. Dirty Projectors | Bitte Orca
No one has timing like this band. Nothing on this album happens in the way that you would expect and that is probably the reason why one can listen to it over and over and never hear the same thing twice. The swaying vocals and off kilter guitar jams are pure art rock and the vocal work is nothing shy of a Mariah Carey R&B hit. The fact that this band can make those two things fit together is pretty impressive.



04. The xx | xx
On paper (or computer screen) nothing about this record sounds exciting. It is hollow, quiet, simple, yet oh so powerful. These London teens recall overcast 80's British post-punk and add in some dub-step for one of the most daringly plain yet understated records of the year. It seems that this record should satisfy after one listen since it is so bleak, yet the ability to draw back repeat listens is nothing short of genius.


05. Phoenix | Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
For almost a decade, Phoenix has written jubilant indie-pop smashes that have always held them just at the cusp of fame. This time around, their savvy synths launched them to stardom. "1901" and "Lisztomania" were two of the biggest pop songs of the year and the best 1-2 punch to kick off an album in recent memory. They have the rock sensibility of the Strokes and a John Hughes synth-pop power that stretches just enough past the indie scale that made these guys the biggest sensation of the year.



06. Fever Ray | Fever Ray
When the Knife released Silent Shout in 2006 the album was sighted as icy, synth driven electronica. Well that album was the avalanche and Fever Ray is the tundra. These slow driven, pulsating sounds are the calm after the storm, but are just as harsh and dense as anything that has come before it.





07. Japandroids | Post-Nothing
This Vancouver duo takes you front and center in the garage and power through eight songs of pure teen angst that combines harsh fuzzed out guitars with simple hooks and melodies. Never have two youngsters given so much grief towards aging past 25 and so much hope to live life to the fullest all at the same time. What could be better than getting to France to french kiss some French girls? Not much, but listen to this album until the flight leaves.

08. Girls | Album
Christopher Owens, the main man behind garage-surf-pop band Girls, is just as unsure about his future as you and me. The only catch, his band is rising to fame for their acclaimed songwriting not only in terms of melody, but lyricism as well. Their tunes breeze by yet their disheveled lives catch-up to them and songs begin to contort into rocking bliss. Is Owens ready to step up as the next promising artist of his generation? Probably not, but he'll take a stab at in anyway.


09. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Take one part Belle and Sebastian, one part The Smiths, and one part My Bloody Valentine and you will have yourself one whole The Pains of Being Pure at Heart. These dream-pop songs have the freshness of 2009 with the nostalgia of 1989. The hooks are monstrous and the jangly shoegaze guitar bleed in with the vocals creating this haze of beautiful pop melody.



10. Lightning Bolt | Earthly Delights
Never have two people ever sounded as loud as Lightning Bolt. The obnoxiously loud bass drones of Brian Gibson are matched by the ballistically brilliant Brian Chippendale in one of the most aggressive attacks on a drum kit (and attacks on music) I have ever heard. This album is certainly not for everyone and might be the hardest to approach on this list, but for those willing to take the journey, Lightning Bolt can certainly take your ears to places they have never been before.

December 9, 2009

Portishead - "Chase the Tear"



Last time it took Portishead almost a decade to release a follow-up to their self-titled sophomore record. Third ended up being my album of the year of 2008 so once can imagine how stoked I am that the band has already released a new single only a year later. "Chase the Tear" is up for download here and is apart of a project for Amnesty International. Enjoy the video below!

December 8, 2009

A Basic Human Right

As the topic of abortion is in the spotlight of the Health Care Bill once again, I thought I would step outside of the musical world and voice my opinion on a topic that will forever have relevance in our society. I will take the opportunity to quote a fellow Marymount Manhattan College student who once said "if it is immoral, according to some, to have an abortion, then it is equally immoral to treat rich and poor differently, and especially immoral to abandon the woman and child when her choice is removed."* If we are going to allow abortions to some of the population we must allow it to all. Discrimination against the poor and uneducated cannot take a backseat to a question of morality.

* Geraldine Ferraro (September 1989)

December 3, 2009

Phoenix play La Blogotheque

Phoenix have been gaining a lot of well deserved attention from their critically acclaimed album Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix as of late and they extend this streak onto the streets of Paris in the form of a brilliant take-away show via La Blogotheque. If you read this blog you know my love for Vincent Moon and his creations and if you read almost any other indie music blog you will see that I am not alone. The recent rendition featuring Phoenix in various locations around the famed French city seem to be particularly impressive and the video for hit single "1901" is pretty awesome. The rotating shot of the band starts off as a few intimate shot before revealing a stunning shot of the guys playing in front of the Eiffel Tower. Certainly a recent highlight!


Phoenix - 1901 - A Take Away Show from La Blogotheque on Vimeo.

November 25, 2009

Pixies played Hammerstein Ballroom

At roughly 9:00 Dali's Un Chien Andalou began to play and shortly afterwards the Pixies took the stage to much approval. Kim Deal quickly shouted out b-sides and the band shelled out four songs before getting into the heart of the show. The opening bassline of "Debaser" thumped out and everyone went ecstatic. The band was not very enthusiastic and lacked the high energy that their songs contain, however the evening was still every bit as memorable as I hoped. Songs such as "Debaser" "Mr. Grieves" and "Crackity Jones" got the crowd going and perhaps if it had been a night during the band's initial run int the late 1980s things would have gotten intense. Now it was more about watching these indie giants play their masterpiece. It was all about the craft of the album and hearing it played live from start to finish. The band doesn't pretend to be young and run all over the stage. They stood poised and powered along with the perfection that each one of the songs deserved. Kim Deal gave slight commentary where appropriate such as "end of side one" and "more b-sides" which confirmed the cool aura that band imparted to the audience. After finishing the album and better known b-sides, which included a slowed down version of the always excellent "Wave of Mutilation" the band rocked some other classics from their catolog and polished off the night with their best non-Doolittle songs "Where is My Mind" and "Gigantic" which Kim sang to perfection. Aside from the obviously near perfect setlist, highlights included the video screen behind the band which played excellent accompanying videos to each song. Despite the fact that playing a classic album in its entirety is becoming more and more of a tradition, it was still simply amazing to see one of the best albums from the 1980s, and possibly ever, played all the way through. Many of the songs have not been played in decades or ever at all and did anyone else know that David Lovering does the awesome vocal work on "La La Love You"?

Pixies Hammerstein Ballroom - 11/23/09
"Dancing The Manta Ray"
"Weird At My School"
"Bailey's Walk"
"Manta Ray"
"Debaser"
"Tame"
"Wave of Mutilation"
"I Bleed"
"Here Comes Your Man"
"Dead"
"Monkey Gone to Heaven"
"Mr. Grieves"
"Crackity Jones"
"La La Love You"
"No. 13 Baby"
"There Goes My Gun"
"Hey"
"Silver"
"Gouge Away"
--
"Wave of Mutilation (UK Surf)"
"Into the White"
--
"Isla De Encanta"
some of "Vamos"
"Nimrod's Son"
"Where is My Mind"
"Gigantic"

November 21, 2009

Andreas Kocks



Andreas Kocks is an artist who was born in Germany and now resides in the United States. Her works include watercolors, sculptures, and what I think are the coolest, paperworks. The above image as well as the one below are some of the paperworks that she has created. She is currently featured at the Winston Wächter Fine Art in New York until the end of November 2009. She also has an upcoming exhibit at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York until April 2010.


(images from the artists website)

November 14, 2009

Solange covers Dirty Projectors


Back in June I raved about the new single from Dirty Projectors and since then it has become one of the most blogged about songs of the year and still remains one of my favorites of the year. Now the love for the song has spread. Recently New York (that's the magazine) called it the best song from Brooklyn and now Solange Knowles, who has that famous sister, has covered the song. From its release, the song has been called an R&B song for the indie kids and Solange handles the R&B with great skill. As a friend recently said "those knowles girls, love 'em." (Image and mp3 via Stereogum.)

November 1, 2009

Lightning Bolt played Above the Auto Parts Store

I am not sure if I could think of a band I would rather see on Devil's Night. Since being introduce to Lightning Bolt back in 2005, their live show has been held to such high regard in my head that I was unsure if I would ever actually be able to witness it. However about fifteen minutes after midnight on what was technically Halloween Brian Chippendale and Brian Gibson began their audio assault. The space above the actual auto parts store was jammed with people and the sweat poured out the second you came in contact with anyone. While Lightning Bolt is typically known for playing on the floor of venues this was not the case for the evening, which I will admit was a disappointment for me. However the band still packed a punch with their all out driving and pounding performance. Seconds after the band started I was split up from my friends and enjoyed the rest of the show alone. Although it was difficult to see the band, Chippendale made up for it with his bombastic drumming that was unlike any I have ever heard before, and Gibson played with plenty of distortion and fuzz that it felt like an entire ensemble was blasting music in front of me, not just two men. After everything I had anticipated from these guys, they did not leave anything out. The band was a force with sonic fury that allowed nothing to stand in their way. Chippendale's screams and palpitating drumming are among the best I have ever seen and I can only hope to re-witness something of his caliber again one day.

October 24, 2009

The xx played the Apple Store Soho

CMJ is always a fun week in the city since there are countless shows to attend, however this year seemed to lack a many bands I wanted to see. The UK group The xx has been getting pretty solid reviews of their self-titled debut and while I enjoy the album it also seems to be lacking something. The sound never gets too big, the music is ultra simplistic, but the voices sounds really great. Putting a label on the sound is also rather difficult. They mix 80's post-punk, with R&B, and indie-pop. While the album sounds hollow, I figured I should not pass up a free show. The venue was pretty packed by the time the band took the stage a little after 7:00 and the band began to play pretty much straight through their album adding in a cover of "Teardrops" which is off their bonus disc. While the band did sound much fuller live, then on record, the show still lacked a certain element. The four members stood in a line behind two giant boxes with an "x" and lacked a real presence. The music is very low-key without watching the band, and the live performance did not do much to add to the experience. There were definitely some points where the crowd was feeling the energy and tried to dance and shuffle around and the dueling male/female vocals were still really intriguing and the band was loud. In all it was definitely a step up from a record that I already enjoy. However I think this is a record that will be most enjoyed super late at night. It's an after the party album best played when everyone has gone home and you and your friends are almost about to pass out. Throw on this record, sit back, reflect.

October 20, 2009

Hop Along played an apartment in Brooklyn

On Columbus Day weekend back in 2006 I was given an album entitled Freshman Year by a singer under the name Hop Along Queen Ansleis and it became one of the most sentimental albums of my college years. That was the one of the last weekends I would gather with my best friends from high school and the album was played on repeat. Three years later I was finally able to see Hop Along perform in a small intimate apartment in Bushwick Brooklyn. That album is a collective of background sounds layered under acoutic folkie guitar, however her recent demos have featured a backing band and I was very intrigued to see how this new lineup would relate to her older sounds. After three excellent performances from the other bands on the bill, Hop Along was accompanied by a drummer and bass player and began to perform her new renditions of which I can only seem to compare to Explosions in the Sky meets Band of Horses with female vocals. My friend Franny said it reminded her of Land of Talk. Either way Frances brought a rich lush sound that echoed throughout the small space and unfortunately overpowered her unique vocal styling; something that is always a problem at shows in spaces that size. This was one of the only sets from the night in which I felt the entire audience was engaged and had people singing along with Frances. She only played "Bride and Groom" off of Freshman Year, but it was performed with such perfection that it made the entire night worthwhile. After her brief set she announced she would perform a cover in dedication to the people she had been on the road with and then burst into Bush's "Glycerin" which happens to be a personal favorite of mine. The entire room erupted in a sing-a-long and provided the perfect end to an evening full of excellent truly independent music.