Some bloggers work very hard to compile a unique year end list that doesn’t match the hundreds of others out there.  They’ll scratch every musical surface and leave no stone unturned.  They’ll abandon the surefire indie hits for the pursuit of their own personalized favorites.  They’ll go to the World section of their local cd store and write down names of African tribal artists and then go home and download those albums off bittorent.

Luckily for me, I don’t really have to put much effort into this thing at all.  Naturally and easily, my list will always be pretty different from everything else out there in music blog internet land.  For starters, I don’t get nearly as many promos as other blogs, which means there are dozens of great albums I’ll never have to worry about avoiding due to ‘Best Of’ over-saturation (ignorance is bliss!).  I can just post the 5, 6 or 9 albums that I really enjoyed that year and move on.

The other reason why this list will be a little varied from what one might see on other blogs is that I am a unique, insightful, enlightened music listener.

So with that, let’s dive in! Continue Reading »

Emiliana Torrini’s “Me and Armini” has all the swagger of Lily Allen’s “Smile” without the annoying superfluousness and tabloid attachment.  Also unlike the previously aforementioned track, the steady backing rhythym and Torrini’s confident, calm singing let the rest of “Armini”’s layers reveal themself over multiple satisfying listens rather than blowing its musical wad on the first go round.  Employing a cool, soothing vocal style, the Icelandic singer uses her new album to flip between ambient, acoustic folk songs and more upbeat, almost-radio ready pop songs, similar to Feist’s last record.   The album, also titled Me and Armini, ships out September 9th on Rough Trade Records.

Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini

Pre-order Emiliana Torrini’s new full length “Me And Armini” on Amazon.com

All it took was finding an amazing wallpaper on Google images to look up Grand Island on myspace, and I thank God that I did.  After hearing one song I was immediately hooked and had to hear their other songs.  I guess you could group them with that garage rock genre filled with the Raconteurs and the Strokes and such.  But this band has some serious pop.  Every song has such energy in it.  The vocals are phenomenal and random horns and keys just jump out.  I can’t say enough awesome stuff about these fellows from Oslo.  The song I have posted is from their older album “Say No To Sin”, but they just released a new full-length a few months ago.

Grand Island - Us Annexed

Purchase Grand Island’s New Album Boys & Brutes on Amazon.com

Sibling labels Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, and Secretly Canadian have always attracted solid talent to their roster and Wisconsin’s Bon Iver is no exception. Meaning “good winter”, Bon Iver is the stage name for solo artist Justin Vernon and his sparse, personal folk music which has collected much praise since his debut record For Emma, Forever Ago was released in February. The album was recorded in a remote cabin in Wisconsin during Vernon’s self-imposed hibernation from the outside world. The plan, according to Vernon, wasn’t to write a record during this time but it happened and no one can complain with the end result. On ‘Skinny Love’ the grizzled, flannel-loving Vernon shouts, whispers, and sings in his ear-grabbing falsetto, finding any way he can to get the lonely feeling of the track across. The acoustic music and sparse tone may be familiar ground for these kinds of projects but the raw delivery is something worth hiding out from the world for.

Bon Iver - Skinny Love

Purchase Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago on Amazon.com

After weeks of indie blog hinting the general public can finally see for themselves whether The National’s fourth studio album Boxer is the record to beat in 2007. If magazine & newspaper critics have any say in the matter Boxer is, at the least, a very surprising step up from 2005’s already adored Alligator. Here is what Stylus magazine has to say about Matt Berninger and company, which I believe sums up the record & most reviews beautifully:

“Boxer is a National album through and through but blessed with a restraint and self-assuredness of a band on top of its game, resulting in a startling masterpiece on par with Turn on the Bright Lights, Bows & Arrows, or any other austere tribute to urban alienation you care to name.”

The only negative review I could find was from the UK surprisingly (which is where the National seemed to receive most of their attention prior to Alligator) and even then the publication, The Gaurdian, gives the record 3 out of 5 stars; although not until after criticizing the band’s last two records as “claustrophobic, minor-key U2-on-a-budget” and “deadened, muffled music”.

Harsh, no?

But perhaps the most interesting piece of feedback I’ve read for Boxer comes from the Earth’s largest social networking site, Myspace. For a week the record was available for full streaming on the band’s page and they were featured as a spotlight artist. Here is a screenshot of their write up on Myspace’s homepage.

Best band in America? Not sure the site’s 16 year old screamo-loving base will agree, but I sure love hearing those words.

Now the next step beyond what the critics think is to see how the public responds to the record. As Goodhodgkins so perfectly states, “If there’s one thing about Boxer that everyone and their grandma is going to use to discredit it, it’s the fact that there’s no ‘Abel’ or ‘Mr. November’”. These are the exact thoughts I had as I sat down and listened to the record for the first time.

As great as it would be to have a clear, aggressive single, Boxer benefits from its uniformity. Other than the darkly energized ‘Mistaken for Strangers’, most of the songs on record are content to give up their personal will and do their part in making Boxer a great complete listen. No instrument or vocal track attempts to stand out above the rest or steal the spotlight away from the collective whole. In my opinion, this is what gives Boxer the advantage over Alligator. It’s smarter and shows more restraint/maturity.

Hopefully fans will recognize this (it shouldn’t be very hard) and the chants of “It’s no Alligator!” and “Where is Mr. November?” will last only long enough before “Hey, I think I’m starting to love this cd!” kicks in.

BONUS:

Here is the band performing ‘Mistaken for Strangers’ and ‘Apartment Story’ live during MTV’s 24 Hour Human Giant Takeover last week (the always intelligent & musically knowledgeable people at MTV mixed the video tags, so Apartment Story is actually Mistaken for Strangers and vice versa).

[gv data="http://www.youtube.com/?v=Ma5aH8h7Hzs"][/gv]

[gv data="http://www.youtube.com/?v=hQI_D0ybmdI"][/gv]

By the way, Los Angeles residents can catch Human Giants’ Rob Huebel and Paul Scheer perform long-form improv at their always delightful Myspace Show every Wednesday night at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater on Franklin Blvd. Much recommended!

Before he became known as the less familiar half of the Postal Service, electronic songwriter Jimmy Tamborello was arranging his bleeps and clicks under the name Dntel.

His first album, 2001’s Life is Full of Possibilities, featured Tamborello’s electronic glitch-pop layered underneath several guest vocals from artists such as Mia Doi Todd, Strictly Ballroom guitarist Chris Gunst, and the more familiar half of the Postal Service, Ben Gibbard. This collaborative element added an interesting variety to his textured landscapes and is featured once again on his latest album, Dumb Luck.

Almost six years in the making, Dumb Luck is filled to the top with indie rock’s brightest young stars: Rilo Kiley’s Jenny Lewis, Bright Eyes’ Conor Oberst, Grizzly Bear’s Edward Drost. Even Mia Doi Todd returns for another go round. Add to that appearances from Fog’s Andrew Broder, Lali Puna’s Valerie Trebeljahr and Markus Acher, Arthur & You’s Grant Olsen and Sonya Westcott, and Mystic Chords of Memory’s Christopher and Jennifer Gunst, and you have a record that works simultaneously as an electronic pop album, a killer who’s who compilation, and a reminder that before ‘Such Great Heights’ Jimmy Tamborello was very much alive and making some great music.

The immediate stand out tracks are Jenny Lewis’ ‘Roll On’ and Conor Oberst’s ‘Breakfast in Bed’, however this may vary according to the listener’s familiarity with each vocalist. In the end Dumb Luck’s strong suit lies in its ability to draw all the different vocals into one cohesive whole. The bleeps and glitches float beautifully behind Jenny Lewis’ country drawl, Conor Oberst’s wavering and fragile storytelling, and Edward Drost’s airy voice.

The marraige between Tamborello and his friends works so well you may start confusing your favorite vocalist as ‘the singer for Dntel’.

MP3
Dntel - Dumb Luck

With their debut album Devestator, the Chicago rock band Star have written and recorded what appears to be an alternate soundtrack to the 2003 indie flick Lost in Translation.

The record’s twelve pop songs are so rich with atmosphere and mood that images of Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson laying in a hotel bed staring sadly at the ceiling might invade your imagination. This emphasis on texture & mood also turns one of the band’s potential weaknesses into a strength- singer Shannon Roberts’ reverb-drenched, indecipherable vocals fit right in here, avoiding the trap of becoming distracting. Behind Roberts’ light bursts of air, her bandmates Theodore Beck (bass/beats) and Scott Cortez (guitar) let their instruments echo and fuzz until they have formed a giant, slow moving wall of sound. This simple formula is the band’s successful foundation and they stick to it faithfully throughout the album.

In the end, if a few of the songs on Devestator sound a little similar it is because they are. However, people shouldn’t criticize Star for lack of variety; the mood and textures of their great walls of sound are what make Devestator a worthwhile trip. If the album had been released in 2002 perhaps Mrs. Sophia Coppola might have been tempted to steal it for her own exercise in mood & isolation.

http://www.myspace.com/lovelyrebelrecords

MP3s
Switchblade Heart
Pure Gold Reason

Aqueduct
Or Give Me Death
Barsuk Records

David Terry and his musical alias Aqueduct may not be household names but they have been in your living room. Quickly after the release of his debut full length, I Sold Gold, Terry took his keyboard and hit the late night talk show circuit, performing on NBC’s Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Last Call with Carson Daly. The single performed was Hardcore Days & Softcore Nights, a stand out track made popular by its simple, repetitive melody and some juxtaposed white gangster posturing (”Don’t ever ask me where I’m from…because if you start asking/I’ll pull this heat I’m packing”). The track was also selected for mixtape #4 of the O.C., appearing alongside hits from big players like Imogen Heap, Beck, Sufjan Stevens, and Modest Mouse. For a new band on an independent label, the exposure was momentous. Now, two years later, Terry is back with a new record, Or Give Me Death, and trying to capitalize on this early success.

The most noticeable difference between Or Give Me Death and I Sold Gold is the expanded use of electric guitar and grand piano. On I Sold Gold Terry was the definition of the bedroom pop artist, relying on heavy drum loops, synth-blips, and a strict electronic pallette of instruments to convey his song ideas. Here, however, the songwriter shifts his arsenal to include more organic instruments (piano, horns, strings) with a much heavier focus on vocal melody. The result is a solid album that avoids the claustrophobic qualities of its predecessor while exploring it’s newfound freedom with both excitement and passion.

Even so, on the much grander scale, Or Give Me Death might not be the right vehicle to propel its songwriter to mainstream stardom. It is devoid of any radio ready singles, which is surprising considering the momentum coming into its release. The most upbeat track and the closest to matching the mainstream appeal of Hardcore Days & Softcore Nights is Broken Records. With the opening line “You are so over the top, I’m so over it now, like a backwards hat you better turn it around” and its light, bouncy rhythm, I can see it being performed live on a Conan or Letterman. There are other tracks such as As You Wish and Keep It Together that show FM friendly promise with their distinct keyboard and vocal hooks but their slow bridges and break downs might leave them better off as bright spots on an evenly solid album than isolated singles.

The final verdict is that while Or Give Me Death is a very rewarding and entertaining independent release, it would have been interesting to see what Terry could have done with more accessible sound. Judging by the material and growth present, it’s not a stretch to imagine he could create something both successful and worthwhile with the mainstream format. Maybe next time?

[mp3] As You Wish
[mp3] Living a Lie
[full album stream] Aqueduct -Or Give Me Death stream

Loney, Dear
Loney, Noir
SubPop Records

Like a cute furry mogwai, Loney, Dear’s twilight pop songs come alive during those dark, lonely hours between midnight and the next morning.  Their SubPop debut, Loney, Noir, is practically a soundtrack for all relationship-induced insomnia around the world. 

Opener, ‘Sinister in a State of Hope’, fades in slowly with just a quiet keyboard and some unplugged guitar, however, through gradual increments, it expands into a living, breathing pop song that cleverly invades your subconscious.  By the time you notice the various horns and keys swirling about the background of the song, you will already have fallen victim to the bittersweet allure of its lyrics.  ‘Summer nights bring me cold,’ songwriter Emil Svanängen coos in his light, high pitched delivery, ‘All I want is a state of hope’.  Much of Loney, Noir’s ten songs operate with this kind of stealthiness.

Anyone who has spent an entire evening dissecting phone calls, picking apart pauses in speech, and obsessing incessantly over the opposite sex can find something to appreciate in Svanängen’s delicate songwriting.  On ‘I Am the Odd One’, a lonely organ floats innocently underneath as the song’s narrator apologizes repeatedly for ruining the good spirits of a prospective lover.  The next track, ‘I Could Stay’, is a melancholy look at leaving friends and family in pursuit of your own fortunes.  The record’s bouncy single, ‘I Am John’, is the quick worded account of a night spent running from ‘dogs’ and struggling to fulfill our promises of support and love.  Similar to David Bazan of Pedro the Lion, Svanängen is an economist with his words, preferring to use short, succinct verses when drawing emotion from the listener.

If the wee hours wear you down and leave you begging for something, anything to make those still moments come alive, put on Loney, Dear’s Loney, Noir and let the Swedish songwriter’s melancholy music confront and put your qualms to rest.

[mp3] Loney, Dear - I Am John
[stream] http://www.myspace.com/loneydear

Menomena
Friend or Foe
Barsuk Records

One of my pet peeves as a music listener is when a young band confuses eccentricity for creativity. Bizarreness for the sake of being bizarre is not genius- it is as stale and unimaginative as following the latest mainstream trend. It’s lazy and it lacks creativity. No amount of woodwinds, computer effects, or Alec Ounswarth yelping can attest otherwise.

So when a record emerges that combines exotic elements and strange textures without sacrificing songwriting I can’t help but cry a bit inside. The first record of 2007 that fits this description is Menomena’s wonderfully strange Friend or Foe.

Like the aforementioned lazy hipster bands, Friend or Foe is loaded with layers and layers of instruments, however, the boys in Menomena use them discriminatively to enhance the natural structure of their songs. The bleeps and bloops aren’t the songs themselves. This shows that songwriters Brent Knopf, Danney Seim, and Justin Harris have an understanding of pacing and melody that extends beyond trying to sound cool or quirky.

There are still tons of quirky elements at play here, but like the piano pop of opening track, ‘Muscle’n Flo’, Menomena have more in common with conventional rock than any experimental art movement. ‘Wet and Rusting’ is another stand out track that shows the band’s ability to set limits and keep their sonic palette within the bounds of reason. There is a lot at work but the song never becomes a brain freeze of sugar and excess.

The best way to experience the delicate balance of Menomena is to listen yourself, so grab the mp3 below and check out their Myspace page. It’ll be worth it to hear the first exciting full length of 2007.

[mp3] Menomena - Wet and Rusting
[buy] Menomena - Friend or Foe @ Amazon.com

[stream] Menomena on Myspace