New Music: Adrienne Drake - “Dullabies”
A few months back I posted a bizarre cover of Bear in Heaven's "Lovesick Teenagers" by an unknown artist from Eerie PA named Adrienne Drake. I searched for more info, and aside from a dark myspace page, I found nothing. After I posted the track he sent me an email with his own rewritten lyrics of the Bear in Heaven song, and until last night that was the last I had heard of him.
Late last night Adrienne sent me a link to his "rock opera" Dullabies: A Subconscious Tragedy. The website includes a full record of tunes and an insane 3 Act play taking place at "A HOUSE IN THE PENNSYLVANIA COUNTRYSIDE, SURROUNDED BY WOODS" and revolving around the characters of Adrien, Adrienne, and DDAL (Darkness Disguised as Light).
While I haven't had time to read everything yet, the songs have been playing while I've been at work, and when track 6 - "Between Space And Clouds" came on I couldn't help but think that this song will be a hit. This might even be the song of the year!
Check out his website with full play and album here, or stream below.
New Music: ArpLine - “Travel Book”
mp3: ArpLine - "Parts Unknown"
mp3: ArpLine - "Fold Up Like a Piece of Paper"
A month ago I was trusted with an unmastered copy of one of the releases I've been looking most forward to in 2010, ArpLine's debut Travel Book. Told not to leak to anyone, I kept it to myself like it was a holy grail, no matter how much I wanted to share its awesomeness.
Now Travel Book has been mastered, and that which had already blown my mind became even greater. This is one of those debut records that introduces the band as not one with potential to build on, but as a fully developed superpower. Travel Book comes flying out of the gate with 2 of ArpLine's most accelerated tracks, "Fold Up Like A Piece of Paper" and "Make It Rain." Both have massive potential as hits. Then comes the brilliant, gothy "Parts Unknown"—possibly the finest song on the record— and at this point there is no doubt that the record will maintain brilliance over the entire 10 tracks.
What makes ArpLine so good is that they have created a new sound constructed from an unexpected mix of elements of New Order, Bauhaus, Nine Inch Nails, and possibly Rush. The craft is one full of intricacies that only the finest of musicians can handle.
Tonight ArpLine plays a sold out show at Mercury Lounge with a load of my favorite bands—Oh No Ono, Bear in Heaven, and Jaguar Club. Another show will follow on February 17th at Brooklyn Bowl.
This is just the beginning of what could be one of the finest years of new music I've ever experienced. New albums by Beach House, Spoon, Field Music, The Silent League, Besnard Lakes, Liars and Yeasayer have already rivaled the best releases of 2009 and it's only January. Radiohead, Gorillaz, Motel Motel, Arcade Fire, Modest Mouse, Hooray For Earth, The Walkmen, New Pornographers, Magnetic Fields, and Joanna Newsom are just a few of the amazing artists that have albums scheduled for 2010.
Overlooked in 2009: 1. Capybara – “Try Brother”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
1. Capybara – Try Brother
Not a single major publication reviewed this record, which would have to make me assume that none of them heard it because to hear this record and not sing its praise is to be deaf. It's a triumph deserving immediate praise and attention. Anything less would be disrespectful. There are elements of critic darlings Sufjan Stevens, Postal Service, Grizzly Bear, Bon Iver and Dirty Projectors all over Try Brother, but at the same time Capybara have their own totally wonderful sound. What Capybara does so well is balancing the lush atmospheric harmonies and instrumentation with catchier melodies. "Birthday Song For Bridgegirl" is the perfect embodiment of all of their strengths.
If Capybara continues to go unnoticed by critics, then I may very well lose all faith in the music industry that continues to make cookie cutter lo-fi bands stars.
Overlooked in 2009: 2. Deleted Scenes – “Birdseed Shirt”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
2. Deleted Scenes – Birdseed Shirt
mp3: Deleted Scenes - "Fake IDs"
Indie tastemakers gave it an 8.0 and showered it with praise, but for some reason Birdseed Shirt never put a dent in the rest of the industry. I've been pretty hard on Pitchfork, but I have to give them credit, because they were pretty much the only ones who gave Deleted Scenes respect for this wonderful record. It's not just about 12 really well-written songs, it's about subtle, yet great musicianship and variety.
Overlooked in 2009: 3. Loxsly – “Tomorrow’s Fossils”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
3. Loxsly – Tomorrow's Fossils
With Tomorrow's Fossils, Loxsly has recorded a brilliant scientific concept album that doesn't just hint at the genius of influences like Grandaddy, Flaming Lips and Wilco, it actually measures up to them. It's a fully realized record that doesn't get overly lost in the overwhelming task of being a concept album. The songs function just fine on their own, but only when combined as a whole can they really be fully appreciated, flowing perfectly. The pedal steel is the ultimate weapon, but all the parts are contributing something interesting at every moment.
Overlooked in 2009: 4. Dappled Cities – “Zounds”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
4. Dappled Cities – Zounds
mp3: Dappled Cities - "The Night is Young At Heart"
Dappled Cities is Australia's answer to Radiohead, and sure we've seen bands get plugged with that Radiohead tag before and no band alive can match that caliber of excellence, but with their sophomore release, Dappled Cities is inching closer. More upbeat than rock's greatest band, Dappled Cities' greatest asset is a pair of exceptional vocalists.
Jonny Leather’s 25 Favorite Albums That I’ve Listened to This Year, based on My Own Personal Taste
When someone has the balls to make a list called "The Best of..." the results are always a very subjective cross-section of their own personal tastes. The best lists are always generated by consensus of a large collective of people well-informed about the subject they're ranking. Music is my oxygen. Without it I suffocate, so I listen to a lot of new music every year. That said, it's all restricted to my tastes, what I have access to/know about, and my moods. Like everyone, I have favorites and I'd like to spread the word about the records I love, but I won't dare call them the best records of the year. It amazes me how so many "Best of 2009" lists completely lack genres, as if to say that indie rock is the ultimate form of music. My favorite records of the year are a variety of rock records. Almost embarrassing that it lacks hip hop, jazz, classical, soul, and other genres, but rock is where I was with my head this year and this isn't a best of list, it's a completely subjective list of my favorite records—a list that probably wouldn't be exactly the same tomorrow.
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Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
It's gonna be almost everyone's choice for album of the year, and that makes me not want to make it #1, but the fact is that Animal Collective has made an uncompromisingly great record that should withstand the test of time and inspire musicians for many more years.
Best track: My Girls
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Capybara - Try Brother
Why all of the music media missed this one is beyond me. Combining elements of Sufjan, Arcade Fire, Dirty Projectors and many more, the refreshingly diverse Try Brother is easily the year's best debut record.
Best track: Cutaway Kid
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Swan Lake - Enemy Mine
Beast Moans only hinted at what the combination of Krug, Bejar and Mercer would be capable when joined together as indie supergroup Swan Lake. As three of the most talented and unique songwriters in the world, they seem to mesh perfectly, and in the end it's Mercer who shines most brightly with a huge voice that sounds like a really crazy drunk Bowie.
Best track: Peace
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Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I've said it before and I'll say it again, Phoenix are the best pop band of our time, and it's about time people realized it. "Love Like A Sunset pts 1 & 2" is the perfect centerpiece, pulling a 5:40 second instrumental before eclipsing into pure bliss.
Best track: Love Like A Sunset pt. 1 & 2
-
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
The fully realized masterpiece that Dave Longstreth has hinted at for years, thanks to some of the tightest harmonies ever caught on record.
Best track: Useful Chamber
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Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love
As if Black Mountain's To The Future wasn't great enough, Stephen McBean's other project outdid them.
Best track: Vampire
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Flaming Lips - Embryonic
No one expected this. Just when Wayne Coyne and Flaming Lips had seemingly grown out of their extreme weirdness, they go and release their most bizarre record since becoming indie rock icons.
Best track: Evil
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Deleted Scenes - Birdseed Shirt
Diverse, desperate, and genuine—Birdseed Shirt is a rock record with a soul and humanity, during a time where humanity gets lost behind effects or sounds forced.
Best track: Fake IDs
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Hooray For Earth - Momo EP
Just a hint of what's to come, Hooray For Earth has worked out the ideas of their earlier releases and created their own unique sound that is able to combine loud and heavy with poppy and danceable.
Best track: Get Home
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Bear in Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth
A psychedelic headtrip unlike any I've ever heard before.
Best track: Ultimate Satisfaction
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Built to Spill - There is No Enemy
All it takes is that opening riff to let you know that this is Built to Spill's best album in 10 years. It's a return to form for one of the indie rock's elite bands.
Best track: Aisle 13
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Loxsly - Tomorrow's Fossils
If Flaming Lips got too weird for you, Loxsly may be able to fulfill the need for Soft Bulletin-era Lips. Not many bands can debut with a concept album. Fully developed at the starting line, Loxsly's not like many other bands.
Best track: As The Constellation's Arms Uncurled
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The Veils - Sun Gangs
You feel every word that Finn Andrews sings, because he delivers them with the type of intensity that can rip your soul to shreds.
Best track: Sit Down By The Fire
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Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Dream
Harlem Shakes first and most likely last full length is a fun, uplifting record about change.
Best track: TFO
-
The Antlers - Hospice
A big sweeping record filled with emotional despair.
Best track: Sylvia
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The Big Pink - A Brief History of Love
Sure, The Jesus & Mary Chain chain did it first, then Black Rebel Motorcycle Club picked up the torch, but A Brief History of Love is about as big and wonderful as anything either of those bands have released.
Best track: Velvet
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Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - A Fish Hook An Open Eye
Shilpa Ray has quickly emerged as the best female vocalist in New York City with brutally honest lyrics that come from a much darker dirtier place than her peers.
Best track: What The Fuck Was I Thinking
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Wild Beasts - Two Lovers
An album full of spinning webs of vocal theatrics.
Best track: This Is Our Lot
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We Were Promised Jetpacks - These Four Walls
Every second feels genuinely passionate and filled with immediacy.
Best track: It's Thunder and It's Lightning -
Foreign Born - Person to Person
A sophomore record that actually improves upon the debut in all the right ways.
Best track: Vacationing People
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Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer
The 2nd of 2 Spencer Krug related albums to make this list just goes to show how prolific of a songwriter he's become.
Best track: Nightingale/December Song -
Dappled Cities - Zounds
Could be heard as the Australian brother of Wild Beasts.
Best track: The Night Is Young At Heart
-
Islands - Vapours
They ditched the strings for synths, and when doing so Nick Diamonds returned to a more upbeat place. It's the closest thing he's done to that now legendary Unicorns record.
Best track: EOL
-
Wye Oak - The Knot
With The Knot, Wye Oak filled out their stripped-down bass and guitar duo sound and let the guitar scream a bit louder.
Best track: Take It In
-
John Vanderslice - Romanian Names
After 6 overlooked gems, veteran songwriter John Vanderslice signed to Dead Oceans and released the rest record of his career.
Best track: Too Much Time
Honorable Mentions:
-
Loney, Dear - Dear John
Best track: I Was Only Going Out
-
DeVries - Death to God
Best track: What A Wasted Life
-
Kurt Vile - Childish Prodigy
Best track: Freak Train
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Pains of Being Pure at Heart - s/t
Best track: You Adult Friction
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Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Up From Below
Best track: Up From Below
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Dan Deacon - Bromst
Best track: Snookered
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Best track: Skeletons
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Marissa Nadler - Little Hells
Best track: Ghosts & Lovers
-
Mew - No more stories Are told today I'm sorry They washed away No
Best track: Repeaterbeater
Overlooked in 2009: 5. Lightning Dust – “Infinite Light”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
5. Lightning Dust – Infinite Light
mp3: Lightning Dust - "Dreamer"
Two of the years best releases came from Black Mountain side projects involving Amanda Webber's Grace Slick-like quivering vocals. While Pink Mountaintops is still very much about Mr. Stephen McBean, Lightning Dust is all about Webber and her hauntingly beautiful voice. In 2008, she gave us "Night Walks" on Black Mountain's incredible sophomore record. With Lightning Dust she gives us an album full of songs from that magnificent breed, particularly the sensational "Dreamer."
Surprisingly, both albums by Pink Mountaintops and Lightning Dust have gone horribly overlooked in 2009 by critics who are overly focused on shit-gaze, glo-fi, chillwave, and other subgenres that have always existed, just without the hip names.
Overlooked in 2009: 6. fun. – “Aim & Ignite”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
6. fun. – “Aim & Ignite
mp3: fun. - "Light a Roman Candle with Me"
Their debut record lives up to the name of their band, but it's not just fun without having depth. Just as BLK JKS debut was ambitious, so is Aim & Ignite, just in a much different way. Reaching to the highest levels, Fun created a record of pop songs that hints at Beulah's best work with with biggest instrumentation. It's filled with harmonies, and an everything but the sink instrumentation approach. Many will quickly judge this band as just another emo band gone indie pop, but there are so many nuances making Aim & Ignite special. There's a few flaws that'll keep it from being as good as it could've been, but tracks like "Light a Roman Candle With Me" and "I Wanna Be The One" show a band with fully capable of writing perfect pop songs.
Overlooked in 2009: 7. BLK JKS – “After Robots”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
7. BLK JKS – After Robots
A victim of the hype that brought it here from South Africa, After Robots is a wildly ambitious record that blends music styles in a way an American-bred band would not be able to so well. Sure it can get lost in itself at times but the rewards keep coming too. It's far simliar too Mars Volta than TV on the Radio, who they were originally compared to, and that's not necessarily a bad thing. After Robots is not a perfect record, but gives us a lot to look forward to.
Overlooked in 2009: 8. Kurt Vile – “Childish Prodigy”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
8. Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy
mp3: Kurt Vile - "Blackberry Song"
Childish Prodigy starts with a bluesy, psychedelic opener "Hunchback" that recalls legend Roky Erickson. It's a promising sign of the road ahead. Then comes the fuzzy, fingerpicked "Dead Alive" and you know for sure that this trip is going to be very unpredictable and strange trip, but one worth traveling. The best way to describe Childish Prodigy is as an uncomprimisingly-twisted folk record filled with a strong sense of paranoia.
Overlooked in 2009: 9. Uninhabitable Mansions – “Nature is a Taker”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
9. Uninhabitable Mansions – Nature is a Taker
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mp3: Uninhabitable Mansions - "Midnight Topography"
Members of Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Dirty On Purpose, and Au Revoir Simone formed a band and made an album sounding like a perfect mix of their past projects and every bit as good, but Uninhabitable Mansions haven't yet blown up. Nature is a Taker is exactly the record fans would hope for based on the collection of members. It's poppy indie rock with buzzing guitars coming in and out, and utilizing/balancing three solid vocalists.
Overlooked in 2009: 10. Marissa Nadler – “Little Hills”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
10. Marissa Nadler – Little Hells
mp3: Marissa Nadler - "Little Hells"
Little Hells is the sound of dark mystical beauty. Nadler's voice is one of the most seductive I've ever heard, and it will lead you through a Twin Peaks-esque fantasia on her 4th studio release. Simone Pace of Blonde Redhead plays drums, and that makes perfect sense because Blonde Redhead is one of Nadler's closest sounding peers, especially considering the mood of the music. It's also one of those few records to score an 8.0 or higher on Pitchfork this year without receiving "Best New Music." Had it's 8.3 on Pitchfork been more noticeable, Little Hells might have been a much bigger record.
Jonny Leather’s 100 Favorite Records of the Decade: 2000-2009
It's all arbitrary. Ask me again in a month and this list will be in totally different order, and a a few different records will be on the list. Actually, give me 5 minutes and this list would be different. This is just a list of my favorite records. I can't even imagine the procedure in ranking them as "best records of 2000s". I don't know if Kid A is the best record of the decade or how anyone would be able to measure something so subjective, but I know that I like Kid A better than any other record of the decade. I would love for publications such as Pitchfork, NME, and Paste to really elaborate on their processes in measuring the rankings of their year-end and decade-end lists, because to say something is the greatest album of an entire decade is a pretty huge honor. In other fields it's a bit less subjective to measure greatness. For example, Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player ever based on his superior stats and the awards and championships he won, but it's not that easy with music. Ranking music is like ranking food. We all have different tastes, and there are a lot of different categories that are tough to judge against each other. Sure, we all know Nickelback sucks and some burgers taste like hockey pucks, but how do we decide if one incredibly succulent steak is better than another? We can't really.
Jonny Leather's 100 Favorite Records of 2000-2009:
- Radiohead - Kid A
- The Avalanches - Since I Left You
- Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica
- The Walkmen - Bows & Arrows
- Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That
- The Arcade Fire - Funeral
- The Strokes - Is This It?
- Radiohead - In Rainbows
- Beulah - Yoko
- The Walkmen - You & Me
- The Wrens - Meadowlands
- Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
- Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
- Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
- Spiritualized - Songs in A&E
- Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
- Liars - Drum's Not Dead
- Fugazi - The Arguement
- Sigur Ros - Agaetis Byrjun
- Blonde Redhead - Misery is a Butterfly
- Panda Bear - Person Pitch
- The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots
- The National - Alligator
- Pulp - We Love Life
- Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Howl
- Blur - Think Tank
- The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended To Like Me Is Gone
- Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
- At The Drive-In - Relationship of Command
- Radiohead - Amnesiac
- Sigur Ros - Takk
- Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
- Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
- The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
- Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
- Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love
- The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
- Wilco - A Ghost is Born
- Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
- The Dears - Gang of Losers
- Explosions in the Sky - All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
- Blonde Redhead - Melody Of Certain Damaged Lemons
- The Veils - Nux Vomica
- The Libertines - Up The Bracket
- Swan Lake - Enemy Mine
- Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
- Nada Surf - Let Go
- Spiritualized - Let It Come Down
- Elliot Smith - Figure 8
- ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead - Source Tags and Codes
- Shellac - 1000 Hurts
- Tomahawk - Tomahawk
- The Raveonettes - Chain Gang of Love
- Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
- The Good, The Bad & The Queen - The Good, The Bad & The Queen
- The Microphones - Mount Eerie
- The Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off
- Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
- Animal Collective - Feels
- Spoon - Gimme Fiction
- Bjork - Vespertine
- Motel Motel - New Denver
- Capybara - Try Brother
- Elbow - Cast of Thousands
- Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
- Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
- Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
- Walking Bicycles - GO
- Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- Hooray For Earth - Momo EP
- Peter Bjorn and John - Writer's Block
- The Dears - No Cities Left
- The Veils - The Runaway Found
- TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
- Kings of Leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
- Flaming Lips - Embryonic
- Yo La Tengo - And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out
- Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
- The Faint - Danse Macabre
- Hot Chip - The Warning
- The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
- Clinic - Internal Wrangler
- Man Man - Six Demon Bag
- Hot Snakes - Suicide Invoice
- The Microphones - The Glow pt 2
- Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump
- The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Grave
- Belle & Sebastian - Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like A Peasant
- Secret Machines - Ten Silver Drops
- Mew - And The Glass Handed Kites
- The Joggers - Solid Gold
- Liars - Liars
- Black Mountain - In The Future
- French Kicks- The Trial of the Century
- Unicorns - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone
- Deerhunter - Microcastle
- Built to Spill - There is No Enemy
- Destroyer - Rubies
- Beck - Sea Change
- Xiu Xiu - Women as Lovers
Overlooked in 2009: 11. Alvin Band – “Mantis Preying”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
11. Alvin Band – Mantis Preying
mp3: Alvin Band - "Temple Pressure"
You probably didn't even hear of Alvin Band this year. A solo side project for Miniature Tigers' drummer Rick Schaier, Alvin Band's Mantis Preying sounds like acapella Animal Collective. Schaier created it with layer upon layer of vocal tracks only, much like Bjork's Medúlla. Just on the basis that it was created with vocal tracks only makes it impressive. It's an unbelievably upbeat, fun record that could/should have been way more popular than it is.
Overlooked in 2009: 12. Dan Deacon – “Bromst”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
12. Dan Deacon – Bromst
A year ago, Dan Deacon was one of the most talked about artists in the indie world. Deacon's 2007 breakthrough record Spiderman of the Rings, along with a really unique live performance style, had propelled him to to stardom. Everyone from the New York Times to Rolling Stone to Pitchfork loved Deacon, and then he released Bromst in early 2009. Where Spiderman of the Rings may have been too hyperactive for its own good, Bromst takes its time to develop, and is a much bigger, bolder record because of that. It's unavoidably polarizing in its wierdness, but this is a year where wierd prevailed with the successes of Animal Collective and Dirty Projectors. Just how an artist like Dan Deacon can produce an album this great while still one of the most hyped artists around and not get the attention he deserved for it is baffling. This is the problem of the media focusing far too much on finding the next big thing and not even enjoying it when the next big thing blossoms in that big thing. We need to go back to enjoying artists when they're at their best rather than before they develop.
Overlooked in 2009: 13. Obits – “I Blame You”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
13. Obits – I Blame You
mp3: Obits - "Light Sweet Crude"
I could listen to Rick Froberg play guitar all day, and when I Blame You came out, I was. Since the early 90s, Froberg has been providing some of the most cutting guitar playing anyone's heard. Drive Like Jehu will probably always be Froberg's greatest gift to the music world, but Hot Snakes and now Obits are both incredible bands in their own right. Even if Obits are essentially all about Mr Froberg, the other members hold their own all the way through, even when guitarist Sohrab Habibion sings lead on "Run." This is a record full of straight forward rock with incredible guitar work, and oddly enough not much of that exists anymore in America.
Overlooked in 2009: 14. Islands – “Vapours”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
14. Islands – Vapours
Early in the year I saw Islands with high expectations after wonderful memories from other times I had seen them, but something seemed off and I assumed it was due to the new songs from Vapours which had yet to be released. I was no longer as excited about the release and assumed that Nick Diamonds had lost his touch. Then I finally heard Vapours and it's essentially a return to form for Islands, after the much darker sophomore record Arms Way. As much as I loved Arms Way, I longed for the more fun version of Islands that existed on their debut, and though Vapours isn't quite as upbeat, it's a lot closer in mood to Return to the Sea. Stripping away the strings, the band took a simpler approach of guitar, bass, drums and synths. Fans of the Unicorns should be particularly happy with this release, although it's not quite as original and quirky.
Overlooked in 2009: 15. Built to Spill – “There is No Enemy”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
15. Built to Spill – There is No Enemy
mp3: Built to Spill - "Aisle 13"
This is all about expectations and familiarity. At this point, we know what Built to Spill records sound like and we know they'll be good. The fast-paced music world run by blogs is all about "discovering" the "next big thing," so when Built to Spill released their 7th album, it didn't get nearly as much attention as Cymbals Eat Guitars got for "reviving" the sound that Built To Spill essentially created and still does better. And though we've grown used to their exceptional, drifting guitar melodies, Built To Spill hasn't done it quite this well for years. It's not Perfect From Now On, but it's up there. Cymbals Eat Guitars put out a solid record that'll get more attention on year end lists than Built to Spill solely because they're young and new, but Built to Spill still does it best.
Overlooked in 2009: 16. DeVries - “Death To God”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
16. DeVries - Death To God
mp3: deVries - "Darkest Summer"
Stone Roses made one great record, but that record continues its legacy as one of the most influential to ever be made by a British band. The minute I heard DeVries' Death To God, I couldn't help but hear Stone Roses. Death to God is darker and draws from quite a few other influences like Ride and T Rex, but the Stone Roses link is the most apparent. Despite a bunch of 2009's bigger bands like Pains of Being Pure at Heart and The Big Pink being heavily influenced by the same sounds, DeVries has gone unnoticed so far despite having released this incredible record.
Overlooked in 2009: 17. Foreign Born - “Person to Person”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
17. Foreign Born - Person to Person
mp3: Foreign Born - "Vacationing People"
Foreign Born quickly met the potential shown on their debut record, and then surpassed all expectations with Person to Person. More percussion heavy than in the past, Foreign Born still sounds heavily influenced by Echo & The Bunnymen, but have now carved out a sound of their own.
Overlooked in 2009: 18. We Were Promised Jetpacks – “These Four Walls”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
18. We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
mp3: We Were Promised Jetpacks - "It's Thunder and It's Lightning"
Album opener "It's Thunder and it's Lightning" is one of the most powerful introductions to a band ever caught on record. Each second is delivered with passionate fire and a Scottish accent. And that was just track 1. One of 2009's most promising debuts, These Four Walls never lets up. Even when We Were Promised Jetpacks slow down, as they do on "This Is My House, This Is My Home," they turn it into something epic. Every song could be an instant hit.
Overlooked in 2009: 19. Pink Mountaintops - “Outside Love”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
19. Pink Mountaintops - Outside Love
mp3: Pink Mountaintops - "Execution"
In a perfect world, Outside Love would have gotten the same type of treatment as Bitte Orca or Merriweather Post Pavillion. It's a huge record, containing not a single flaw. I thought last year's Black Mountain record was an epic masterpiece, and then McBean outdid himself with this Pink Mountaintops record. This is the true evolution of 70s influenced guitar rock in the 21st century. Outside Love won't even make most critics top 20 lists, but really should be right at the top. Though my opinion changes daily, for this has been one of my top 5 favorite records of 2009 since the first time I heard it.
Overlooked in 2009: 20. Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - “A Fish Hook An Open Eye”
I've decided to list 25 albums that will get shafted/overlooked on this 2009's Best Albums of the Year Lists.
Check back each day for a new addition to the list. (no particular order)
20. Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - A Fish Hook An Open Eye”
mp3: Shilpa Ray & Her Happy Hookers - "Filthy & Free"
Shilpa Ray is undoubtedly the best female singer in New York's rock scene, holding nothing back with some of the rawest lyricsever heard, all delivered in a seductively ferocious style. Musically it's more in line with 70s rock but the harmonium adds an element not often heard in rock music and warps the journey quite a bit. It's dirty like the Bowery of the 70s, and that makes it incredibly refreshing.
