The Best of 2009

It's hard to believe that it's been a year since I made my best of '08 list for I Want To Go To Brainville. I can assure you, this year's list(s) are much more in-depth and legit then last year's. Not only did I make a 25 album list, but we have a Top EP, song, and music video list. Compared to last year, the year of 2009 for music was phenomenal. I always thought that no matter what, no year could top 2007 in the future. I'm not sure if 2009 was better, but it was damn close.

By the time January 1st was over, people were already convinced what their number one album of '09 what would be. When Merriweather Post Pavilion, the new, rediculously-hyped/critiqued album from indie legends, Animal Collective leaked on Christmas day of 2008, the blogosphere erupted into hysteria. Bloggers left and right claiming that no album will top this in 2009. I never like to count my chickens before they hatch, so I just told myself, yeah this album is REALY good, but wait for December to make that kind of judgment call. I'm glad I did, because there were better albums in 2009 then MPP.

Three albums actually. THREE albums were better than MPP, in my opinion. And the rest of the top 10 are all pretty damn close. It's interesting how the album became a measuring device. Any album released after MPP that was even remotely similar in sound (a lot were), was meticulously juxtaposed next to it and examined. It was kind of disturbing to watch this happen.

New genres, new bands to love/hate, crazy beefs between bands, hissy fits, collaborations, bands breaking into the Billboard charts; 2009 was an incredible year for music. Whether you loved to watch Wayne Coyne drop the f-bomb on Win Butler or hope that Nathan Williams does get the shit kicked out of him by that dude from Black Lips, or if you actually listened to the music, you have to admit, 2009 was quite a year for music.

So without further namedropping and AnCo referencing here's a few of my favorite things from 2009.

T O P A L B U M S
25.

Volcano Choir - Unmap

24.

Here We Go Magic - s/t

23.

The xx - xx

22.

Memory Tapes - Seek Magic

21.

Taken By Trees - East of Eden

20.

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

19.

Bat For Lashes - Two Suns

18.

Girls - Album


17.

Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young

16.

Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be

15.

Blind Man’s Colour - Season Dreaming

14.

Passion Pit - Manners

13.


jj -jj n˚2

12.

Le Loup - Family

11.

St. Vincent - Actor

10.


Black Moth Super Rainbow - Eating Us
Oh, Tobacco. I wish I knew your name. And I wish I knew where you got your synthesizers from. I wish I knew a lot of things about the mysterious leader of psychedelic Pennsylvanians, Black Moth Super Rainbow. These guys are crazy, straight up. Analog synths clash and collide over thick lo-fi drum beats and vocoder vocals to create some intense psychedelic pop music. Eating Us is definitely the band’s most focused and solid release so far, while there are no real vocals on this album, you get a real pop vibe and the songs are actually catchy. “American Face Dust” and “Born on the Day The Sun Didn’t Rise” are fantastic pop tunes that anyone can really enjoy. You don’t HAVE to do drugs to listen to this band, but it might help, who knows?

9.


Neon Indian - Psych Chasms
Alan Palomo; the man, the myth, the legend. In just one year, this man brought two different projects to the forefront of really awesome electronic music. More importantly, his Neon Indian project released their first LP. First single, “Deadbeat Summer” is one of the best tracks of ’09 and sort of became an instant classic as an anthem for bedroom musicians and stoner kids across America. But it doesn’t stop there, the rest of this album is chock full of lo-fi electronic pop tunes with stifling guitar sounds and perfectly flat bass drums. I look forward to more tunes from this cat.

8.


Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist
It’s hard to put these guys so low at 8 because I love them so much. Portugal. The Man have released a great record every year since 2006 and show no signs of stopping. From loop-based, electronic rock sounds to 70s-infused indie rock, this band has progressed fluidly and naturally from a studio collaboration to a full-fledged live act and studio friendly band. If any of you have seen them live you can say safely that they are incredible at what they do. The Satanic Satanist is a record full live-set accessible songs that are memorable and intriguing. On the surface the songs might seem somewhat tame and generic, but once you break into the arrangements, instrumentation, and sounds they use, you realize how intricate and beautiful the album is. Tracks like “Lovers in Love,” “The Home,” “Guns and Dogs,” and “Everyone is Golden” are incredible songs that flow perfectly as a short and simple collection. The record is not very long and it really couldn’t be any other way. Look for a new record from these guys in 2010 for sure.

7.


Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
I would hazard a guess that most of the people that really got into Phoenix this year were completely unaware of the band’s back-catalog. Not only has the band made one of the best albums of 2009, but they’ve been producing solid records for the past decade or so! These French indie-pop wizards finally hit it big when lead single, “Lisztomania” became one of the first big bloggable mp3’s of 2009. And once the band went on SNL earlier this year, the hyping commenced. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix dropped in the middle of 2009 to reviewer’s and listener’s delight. The album is full of concise and sweet pop songs about love, loss, and everything in between. The vocals are delivered with a sense of certainty and security. The melodies are quick and sugary. What this album does is hook you quickly, and keeps you interested with subtly weird synths and drum sounds. Probably the best strictly pop album released this year. Probably.

6.

Atlas Sound - Logos
If you don’t know who Bradford Cox is, get educated. The exceedingly opinionated and skinny songwriter is in charge of two extremely successful projects on the indie scene. Deerhunter and Atlas Sound have been releasing records for only four years, but both projects are mature and intense listening experiences. Bradford’s solo outlet is Atlas Sound. One album and many EP’s deep, this is the project’s most cohesive and solid record. Logos plays through like a heavy and hazy journey through lo-fi folk experiments and psychedelic ambient infused meanderings. The ideas of Cox may seem loose and unfocused, but there is a solid core to every song. Each track has a unique sound and emotion attached to it. The record flows in a strange way, sort of ebbing and flowing as it takes the listener on a roller coaster ride of themes and moods. The album ends with a three song suite of songs about sickness and the insecurities that come along with his illness. Logos is definitely a weird listen, but it’s an honest record. And Bradford Cox is an honest guy.

5.


The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
I’m always in for the ride when a band changes their sound. Usually it’s more exciting when it’s a sophomore release or somewhat early in their career. But The Flaming Lips are more than two decades deep into their legendary run as psych-rock gods and they’re still changing things around. The crystalline sheen of At War With the Mystics created by fancy studio sounds and layers of keyboards has given away to loud bass, pounding drum sounds, and guitar freak-outs that wouldn’t sound out of place on any one of the Lips’ pre-Zaireeka efforts. What makes Embryonic so successful is that it makes a jam session sound like an in-depth and complicated double album. Essentially what we have here are mixed and mashed jams recorded by principle song-writer Stephen Drozd in his old house. Obviously, there’s a little more writing going on here than what that sounds like, but a lot of these songs are the products of good old, back to basic jam outs. Another rewarding part of this record is the presence of long-time live drummer, Kliph Scurlock. Drozd might be the weirdest, most creative drummer I’ve heard in awhile, but don’t turn a blind eye to Kliph. His beats and rhythms are groovy and powerful. While this album is a very different animal compared to their 2000-era material, you still have your classic Wayne Coyne pop sensibilities. What drags this album down is length and some insignificant filler. If the Lips had cut the fat off a little more, we could have been left with one of the tastiest Lips records ever.

4.


Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Oh boy. Where do I start? I name drop these guys in almost every post I make. That’s kind of embarrassing and I should probably stop doing that. But they’re such an influence on the music scene today, that it’s inevitable to be reminded of them when listening to the newer, more popular acts. Digressions aside, this album is probably one of the most overhyped, talked about, and critiqued album of the decade. Ever since AnCo debuted tracks from this album on the Strawberry Jam tours, fans eagerly anticipated the studio versions. Crowd favorite, “My Girls” premiered on the internet in late 2008 to the delight of bloggers and fans across the world. The song was everything we hoped for and more. The touching lyrics from Noah Lennox were delivered perfectly over a dense arrangement of sounds and samples. The chorus that everyone already knew the words to was still perfect. And then on Christmas Day, 2008, this record leaked. Not only was it a low quality vinyl rip in four parts, but listening to it now, it’s almost a completely different record. Once we got our hands on the studio version, blogs and zine’s worldwide claimed this the top record of 2009...in January. I’ll admit, I was skeptical that anything could top this record, but after repeated listens you can hear flaws. Sure it’s a wonderful avant-pop album created by some of the most creative songwriters of our generation, but the songs sometimes lack punch. The indomitable “Brothersport” is still amazing, and “Summertime Clothes” is also a beast of a track. But some tracks fall short, “Also Frightened” is a good song, sure. But give me any song on Strawberry Jam over this one. If it wasn’t for Panda Bear, I don’t know what this album would sound like. His contributions are slowly become more and more integral to the sound they’re going for. Yeah, this record is really good. But come on guys, it’s not that good.

3.

Antony & the Johnsons - The Crying Light
Antony Hegarty is a complete enigma to me. I’m not a mean kid, but the guy looks weird. He’s an overweight, gay British man with greasy long black hair and clothes that look like they were bought at Renaissance fair thrift store. Antony’s voice is haunting, but beautiful. Pained, but joyful; he longs to be a woman. It’s somewhat disconcerting at first to listen to tracks about wishing you were the opposite sex, but once you delve into his vocal work and arrangements, you realize that behind his pained exterior is an extremely talented songwriter, you find an amazing record. Piano chords lay on top of complex string arrangements and subtle guitar lines and percussion. Songs like “Epilepsy is Dancing,” are emotionally stirring numbers that often leave me staring into nothingness in a contemplative state. “Aeon” is a triumphant track that provides a rewarding chorus and bridge. But underneath it all you hear the guitar track gradually gain more distortion until the fuzz is undeniable. As the song progresses, so do the sounds. The way Antony connects his lyrics to the music is often perfect. Songs like “Dust and Water” are stark numbers that contain minimal instrumentation put an abundance of emotional power from the vocals. Every track on this record is completely beautiful, and I highly recommend any music lover to listen to this album.

2.


Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
Dave Longstreth is probably one of the weirdest guys in the scene today. His quivering vocals along with his noodly and prickly guitar lines are comforting, but in a way they’re confusing. Because there’s tons of melody on this record. But it’s almost discordant in a way that makes you consider what experimental music really entails. Longstreth has been kicking around the Dirty Projectors project for longer than you might think. Countless members and sound changes finally led to their breakthrough Rise Above. The reworking of the classic Black Flag album, Damaged, put Longstreth on the map. By adding the dual female vocalists, Longstreth stumbled upon something truly special and unique. And this year the band released Bitte Orca for our eager ears. Leading single, “Stillness is the Move” is probably the catchiest song you’ll hear all year. Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian, and third female vocalist, Haley Delke blend their voices with the awkward voice of Longstreth to create a vocal attack that will leave your jaw on the floor most times. The centerpiece of the album is the one, two, three of Stillness is the Move, Two Doves, and Useless Chamber. The first two songs are showcases given by Longstreth to Coffman and Deradoorian respectively. All three songs are completely different, but blend and flow perfectly. The album is questionably short at nine tracks, but it doesn’t matter when they’re this good.

1.


Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest
It’s a weird feeling when you can safely say that an album is flawless. When all the sounds mesh and fit seamlessly to create a sonic masterpiece. The guys in Grizzly Bear have been working toward this album for awhile now. Since the dreary debut, Horn of Plenty, Ed Droste and Co. have been steadily molding their sound into something really special. On Veckatimest, Daniel Rossen becomes even more dynamic and takes the lead on more tracks. Songs like “While You Wait for the Others” and “I Live With You” are incredible songs that floor me every time I listen to them. Not to say that Ed Droste doesn’t shine like always; “Ready, Able,” “Foreground,” and “Two Weeks” are also top notch tracks. And not to mention the spacious production by multi-instrumentalist, Chris Taylor. Known for his meticulous use of reverb and depth in his recordings, the way Taylor tracked these songs is overwhelming impressive. I’ve never heard someone so comfortable with a production job as he was on the record. I would recommend this album to anyone looking for tightly-crafted, interesting pop songs. And if you have the chance to catch these dudes live, please go. You will not regret it.


T O P E P's

5.

Delorean - Ayrton Senna EP

4.

Memory Cassette - Call & Response EP

3.


Chromatic Flights - Sunset Bell EP

2.

Washed Out - Life of Leisure

1.

Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP


T O P S I N G L E S
15. Passion Pit - The Reeling

14. St. Vincent - Marrow

13. Portugal. The Man - People Say

12. Girls - Hellhole Ratrace

11. Phoenix - Lisztomania

10. Animal Collective - Brothersport

9. Washed Out - Feel It All Around

8. Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer

7. Atlas Sound - Walkabout

6. Antony & the Johnsons - Epilepsy Is Dancing

5. Animal Collective - What Would I Want? Sky

4. Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

3. Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move

2. Grizzly Bear - Ready, Able

1. Animal Collective - My Girls

T O P M U S I C V I D E O S

10. Girls - Hellhole Ratrace

9. Fuck Buttons - Surf Solar

8. Black Moth Super Rainbow - Tooth Decay

7. St. Vincent - Marrow

6. No Age - Losing Feeling

5. The Flaming Lips - Watching the Planets
It's hard to find, but it's out there
4. Grizzly Bear - Ready, Able

3. Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move

2. Animal Collective - My Girls

1. Yeasayer - Ambling Alp

Chromatic Flights - Sunset Bell

Kyle Wyss is one half of psych-folk-noise teenagers, Blind Man's Colour. The duo (Kyle's musical partner is long time friend, Orhan Chettri) released a record this year called Seasons Dreaming. It is definitely a good record, but I think his solo stuff is definitely on the same level. While Blind Man's Colour is a lot noisier and a little more free-form, Chromatic Flights is a more electronic-pop oriented project.

Synonymous with this whole tropical sound going down these days, the Sunset Bell EP is close to perfect. It's saddening that this is only 7 songs, with one being a cover of one of Orhan Chettri's songs (Lucid Bus). The songs are bit on the long side which makes up for its brevity.

It is clear that Wyss has a good ear for a structure and how to build a weird pop song. His use of keyboards and synth pads is impressive along with his beats and samples. Simple stuff here, folks, but definitely download this.

Download the album for free at his bandcamp.com site

Delorean - Ayrton Senna EP/Into The Plateau EP

If you had a car that could go back in time, what would you do? I would probably not almost hook up with my mother, but I would probably steal some ideas from the 80s or something and come back and make some sweet EP's.

Delorean does not have the car, but they have the name. And they have some stellar tunes to match. These Spaniards are joining this whole European pop scene going down in Sweden and Iceland and such called Balearic pop or something like that. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to classify this as Balearic by the genre gods, but whatever they remind me of The Tough Alliance and that whole Sincerely Yours thing that's getting real popular with the blogs lately. I dig it.

The Ayrton Senna EP is Delorean's latest release and is probably their best. Fast disco beats against delayed guitars and catchy melodies, layered and supported by digital organ sounds and pianos. Four songs deep, this EP is far too short and I'm looking for an LP to be released sometime here soon.

I put up their previous EP as well just so there's a little more meat to this post. Yeah. Meat.

Ayrton Senna EP

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Into The Plateau EP





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Sin Fang Bous - Clangour

I really want to go to Iceland. After watching the Sigur Ros documentary, Heima, I decided that one day I'll hit Iceland and explore or something. Not only does Iceland have some amazing landscapes, they produce some alright musicians.

This particular Icelandian (?) is named Sindri Mar Sigfusson. Under the moniker Sin Fang Bous, Sigfusson makes cute folky/synthy jams. The sounds here are kind of hard to classify because you get that Morr Music feeling of kind of sad, subdued acoustic songs. But then there's a lot of weird things going on around it; matched with odd rhythms and interesting keyboard sounds. Sigfusson's voice is strikingly dry and somewhat muddled and stumbled over at times. But the songs all have tight melodies and structures to hold the song together. I'm interested in this guy's live set up. Could be very interesting to play this stuff life.

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Chillwave/Glo-fi

If you know me, you've probably heard me make a joke about it or namedrop some chillwave/glo-fi artist.

I'm not lame I swear.


Earlier this year, the genre became what you might want to call a buzzword in the indie music scene. For the uninformed, the glo-fi or chillwave movement is categorized by 80s influenced drum machines, vintage keyboards, reverberated and subtly lazy vocals, and fuzzy guitars and bass. Prominent artists in the genre; Washed Out, Memory Tapes, Toro Y Moi, Neon Indian, and Small Black (just to name a few).

The genre has become the topic of debate between music journalists, critics, bloggers, and listeners. While some respect the genre as a new and interesting type of music to be critiqued, others say it's a fad that deserves no respect and should be put to rest like post-rock was in the last couple of years. Do you remember when you found out about 'post-rock?' It was cool for like a year, right? Explosions in the Sky were the shit back then, huh? Yeah, well I see similarities in the two movements.

While I see chillwave sticking around and progressing a little more than post-rock ever could, are these music fads legitimate or are they just stepping stones to the next important and prominent musical movements in history? Will anyone remember Neon Indian's debut "Psychic Chasms" 30 years from now like we all know and love Dark Side of the Moon? Not to say that the records are on the same level, because trust me, I love Alan Palomo but that dude has a long way to go before we make those comparisons. Digressions aside, I think the genre is in a good place to make the right move towards widely accepted legitimacy. Until then, I will be unashamed in listening to and enjoying the music released thus far.

And so this post isn't completely useless, I'm going to put up Washed Out's first cassette, "High Times." Before his popular EP, Life of Leisure, Ernest Greene put out one of our first real looks at chillwave earlier this year. I already described the sound up at the top there so that's what you can expect. Hazy and sunny music that is great for chilling...and waving. And glowing? You be the judge. Love you.

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Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young

I was never a Strokes guy. When all those "The ____s" bands came out in the early 2000s I was completely indifferent...and probably a little oblivious. Listening to Is This It today, I realize that it is a damn fine record, but to an 8th grader into Pink Floyd, I never really jumped on that bandwagon.

Several years and two mediocre records later, The Strokes are laying dormant for the time being, while members sort out their respective solo projects (Check Albert Hammond Jr.'s stuff. Trust me). Casablancas premiered some of his solo tracks earlier this year and later announced he would release an LP. Phrazes for the Young is pure pop gold. Songs like "Left & Right in the Dark" and single, "11th Dimension" offer a synthesizer landmine of electronic pop. While tracks like the digital blues number, "4 Chords of the Apocalypse" and "Ludlow St." offer a more traditional indie rock sound. I recommend listening to this album in your car. Once you learn the words, you'll be at the optimal listening state of mind. Go a little over the speed limit, enough to feel badass (you are listening to an album by Julian Casablancas), but don't get pulled over because then you'll have to stop listening to this record. After you've reached a reasonable illegal speed, turn up your volume. Rinse, repeat.

Seriously though, this record may seem short. But it clocks in at 40 minutes, giving you enough time to make a few loops on the highway or just around your block like 30 times. I don't know where this will end up on my year end list, but this record is pretty good. And definitely better than the 5.5 it got from our dear friends at Pitchfork.

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Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP

Haven't listened yet. I figure it's good. It's Animal Fucking Collective. My download speed is not sufficient right now. I'm getting angry. Fucking college ethernet cable. Love you all. Do your homework.

EDIT: The first track is about as good as anything on Merriweather Post Pavilion.

EDIT NUMERO DOS: I was challenged to write a better review than the one Pitchfork gave this record. So here it goes right off the dome...



There's an interesting happenstance that occurs when the lyrics of a song sort of weave in and out of your brain and when they finally settle, you can decipher the meaning of the words. One thing I've always admired about AnCo member and 505-master, Noah Lennox (aka Panda Bear) is the way he writes his lyrics. Most times, when I read or hear really obvious and somewhat thin lyrics I find myself bored and uninspired. But with Lennox, there's always a decisive theme and mission with his words, and you can almost always pick it up. "And to have a band/That cracks the point of fame/Why does a band/Make me less settled in?" In the past year, Animal Collective went from blog-favorites and the best kept indie secret to having their music videos played in American Eagle, and new legions of bro-infested fan groups attend their shows. It's hard to be happy for them when you're seeing a band you held so dearly let themselves becomes victims of their own success.

Merriweather Post Pavilion makes sense to me now. A band releases a critically-acclaimed and widely accepted record, which in turn produces a very important stepping stone for a band to be able to release any kind of record they want while still retaining their initial new fan base...for the most part.

This 27 minute long, 5 song extended play features a collection of tracks that did not fit on MPP. A single listen to this one and it is easy to see why. Subtle layers of sonic textures coat shimmering vocal lines that twist in turn in an anti-pop but catchy way. Try not to hum "What Would I Want? Sky" after hearing it a couple times. Speaking of "Sky," this track may seem hard to swallow at first with over a minute and a half of 7/8 drum samples and reverberated vocal stylings from Avey and Panda. But after the break, the song releases into an uplifting stomp that always provides a satisfying sing-along. Opener "Graze" holds one of the band's best used samples in a pan-flute breakdown that gives away to a synth-bass infused refrain. "Bleed" and "On a Highway" are two vocal heavy tunes that feature gorgeous noise and more reverb than we knew Panda Bear had access to.

And to close the EP, is the Panda Bear-penned song, "I Think I Can." Once again, we can decode Lennox's thoughts through his lyrics. The song covers Lennox's confidence in his ability to move past his Person Pitch fame and continue to make interesting music. "What's nice about/Staying on the same phase?" More importantly, this song is close to perfect. It's a little on the long side for the amount of ideas in the song. But the rewarding part is the last half, when Noah flexes his vocal acrobatics.

It's hard to review this without bias, because I love this band so much. But I will say that this EP isn't perfect. It's sometimes easy to skip "Bleed" or "On A Highway" to hear "I Think I Can." And sometimes I just want to hear "What Would I Want? Sky." That's not to say this thing does not have replay value though. If you're in for the whole ride, it's easy to just start "Graze" again and go for the gold.

I think Animal Collective is in a right place right now. They moved past MPP and are poised to create a new style that fits their sound. Look for these guys to make another move in a couple of years after they settle in a little.

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1. Graze
2. What Would I Want? Sky
3. Bleed
4. On A Highway
5. I Think I Can

Dr. Dog - Fate

There was a time in the past decade where suddenly it was cool to sound like bands from the 60s and 70s. I don't know if it was Wolfmother or someone realized that the music coming from those decades is still relevant and really good. Either way, this resurgence brought a lot of bands to the forefront of the indie scene. Dr. Dog takes cues from The Beach Boys, The Beatles and just about any rock band from the 70s. Obviously, these dudes add their own little modern touch to the sound. They've released a couple of albums so far, but my favorite is their latest effort, Fate. Great stuff here folks.


Sorry for the lack of posts. I tried to post the latest Devendra album, but didn't feel like uploading it and couldn't find a link. It'll come soon, don't you worry. Love you.

1. "The Breeze" – 3:59
2. "Hang On" – 4:01
3. "The Old Days" – 3:42
4. "Army of Ancients" – 4:05
5. "The Rabbit, the Bat, and the Reindeer" – 3:29
6. "The Ark" – 3:38
7. "From" – 4:39
8. "100 Years" – 4:06
9. "Uncovering the Old" – 3:22
10. "The Beach" – 3:42
11. "My Friend" – 5:36

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Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be

I have not put up an album in a century. This one is a new release from the freak-folk bard of indie music, Devendra Banhart. His sixth studio album just dropped on Tuesday and is titled What Will We Be. The album picks up where the dynamics of Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. Electric guitars and live drums and keyboards and reverb and louder vocals. Songs like "16th & Valencia, Roxy Music" and "Rats" are great tracks that show an upbeat side to the record that has songs like "Goin' Back," "First Song for B," and "Last Song on B." The classic rock influence is increasingly noticeable on songs like "Rats" and "Baby." This album didn't get that hyped from Pitchfork so it probably won't be on many end of the year lists. But just cause this is a different type of album from Devendra doesn't mean it's not quality. I highly recommend this record to you fine folks.

Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be

1. Can't Help But Smiling

2. Angelika

3. Baby

4. Goin' Back

5. First Song For B

6. Last Song For B

7. Chin Chin & Muck Muck

8. 16th & Valencia Roxy Music

9. Rats

10. Maria Lionza

11. Brindo

12. Meet Me At Lookout Point

13. Walilamdzi

14. Foolin'

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Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: The End of the Day

Up and coming rap wunderkind, Kid Cudi turned heads when he revealed his plans for the new album Man on the Moon: The End of the Day. Not only were psych-pop starlets MGMT announced to be featured on one song, but electronic duo Ratatat was noted as the producer to several of the tracks. Their unique electronic sound can be heard vividly on many of the songs.

This album is gold. Straight up. Hip-hop genius. Plus Common is the narrator. Go download this. And buy it when it comes out.


I GOT 99 PROBLEMS AND THEY ALL BITCHES.

Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: The End of the Day

1. In My Dreams (Cudder Anthem)

2. Soundtrack 2 My Life

3. Simple As...

4. Solo Dolo (nightmare)

5. Heart Of A Lion (KiD CuDi Theme Music)

6. My World Feat. Billy Cravens

7. Day N Nite (nightmare)

8. Sky Might Fall

9. Enter Galactic (Love Connection Part 1)

10. Alive (nightmare) Feat. RATATAT

11. CuDi Zone

12. Make Her Say Feat. Kanye West & Common

13. Pursuit of Happiness (nightmare)Feat. MGMT & RATATAT

14. Hyyerr Feat. Chip Tha Rhipper

15. Up Up & Away (The Wake & Bake Song)

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St. Vincent - Actor

I'm posting a lot of my top 10 of 2009 already.

Oops.


St. Vincent, a.k.a. Annie Clark is the latest indie wondergirl this side of Marnie Stern. Not a second too soon either, because her record, "Actor" is fantasmical. Her compositions are quaint and melodic, but there's a heavy dose of noisy instrumentation from fuzzy guitars and blaring saxophones. The drums lock seamlessly with the percussive demeanor of her arrangements. Songs like "Marrow" and "Black Rainbow" are art-pop masterpieces that need to be heard. The leading single, "Actor Out of Work" is a marvelous pop tune with a gorgeous hook and a playful horn section.

This is the second St. Vincent record, and I can't wait to hear more. She has joined the sad list of bands I discovered AFTER they played at Bonnaroo. Oh well. This album is very nice.

St. Vincent - Actor

1. "The Strangers" - 4:04
2. "Save Me from What I Want" - 3:35
3. "The Neighbors" - 3:30
4. "Actor Out of Work" - 2:15
5. "Black Rainbow" - 4:11
6. "Laughing with a Mouth of Blood" - 3:01
7. "Marrow" - 3:24
8. "The Bed" - 3:43
9. "The Party" - 4:05
10. "Just the Same but Brand New" - 5:24
11. "The Sequel" - 1:53

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The Antlers - Hospice

The Antlers are the Bon Iver story of 2009. Song-writer Peter Silberman comes out of a so-called 'social isolation' and writes and records a beautiful record about the relationship between a man and a child who is terminal in a hospital. Darby added two full-time band members to become The Antlers and the band self-released Hospice earlier this year. Now it is being re-released on Frenchkiss Records.

Peter Silberman is a very passionate song-writer. It's hard to tell if the lyrics he has penned are somewhat personal and based on true events. It's hard to tell yet what the details of the story are, but the music is very dynamic within the character of the lyrical content. The sounds themselves are very effervescent and intriguing. "Prologue" is the first song and sets up the record perfectly. The noisy number flows seamlessly into the heart-string tugging, "Kettering." This track holds some of the softest, but aggressive vocal sound I've ever heard. The record continues on with very loud qualities. The shoegaze influence is evident as songs routinely gain momentum and build as an almost post-rock like build and release idea. The pop sensibility of Darby's lyrics and vocal melodies bring the structure to the seemingly large compositions. Hospice doesn't really get a chance to drag through too much somberness because of the abrupt length of the record. It's a sad record, but it's somewhat short and bright sounding. It's hard to explain, I recommend this album and it'll definitely make my best of '09 list I've been slaving over so hard already.

The Antlers - Hospice


1. Prologue
2. Kettering
3. Sylvia
4. Atrophy
5. Bear
6. Thirteen
7. Two
8. Shiva
9. Wake
10. Epilogue

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Everybody Yay

I'm shamelessly putting my music on my blog. Go listen and stay tuned for more music.

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Ganglians - Monster Head Room

Woodsist is probably my new favorite label. Bands like Woods and Ganglians are two up and comers that are blowing my musical mind right now. The former is a lo-fi psych-folk outfit, while the ladder is a 60s influenced, poppy psychedelic band. Ganglians just released a new LP called Monster Head Room, and I really dig it. Good catchy songs with nice grooves and interesting melodies.

"This album is pure naive headphone acid pop to drive to, at least that's what was going through our heads."- Ganglians

Ganglians - Monster Head Room

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Portugal. The Man - The Satanic Satanist

I will not post the music on this website. But I will say this, I listened to the music and let me tell you this is is the best Portugal. The Man album you will hear. Nothing they have made so far can compare to this masterpiece. I say that with the utmost sincerity. This album is everything you ever loved about the band and sprinkles it all over this delicious pile of musical goodness. It's tangy and sweet, but it's energetic and playful. But it knows when to subdue itself and retract into a subtle music piece. This band has hit its prime. I have this album on pre-order and I advise you to as well.

PRE-ORDER THE NEW PORTUGAL. THE MAN ALBUM "THE SATANIC SATANIST" COMING OUT JULY 21st!



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Discovery - LP

Indie wunderkinds Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend) and Wes Miles (Ra Ra Riot) formed a duo/side-project called Discovery. They released a few tracks a while ago for the EP and announced the LP a few weeks later.

Well, it leaked and I've decided to post it up here. Probably not the moral thing to do, but I'll probably buy this album when it comes out.

This record is straight up R&B, which is kind of humorous and silly, but it works for them and the songs come out catchy and well-crafted. There are cheesy drum synths and auto-tune, but it's all done in good taste.

I forsee this being a fun summer release. Stand out tracks; "Osaka Loop Line" and "So Insane"

Discovery - LP

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I don't know where you can buy this yet.

Foxy Shazan - Introducing...

I remember the day I saw these dudes live. It was in an ill-lit room with no more than 200 people there. These dudes came out; one with the craziest facial hair I've ever seen and one with the worst bleach job I've ever seen.

Regardless, their set was nothing short of perfect. They played with a bombast and purpose that is hard to find in a lot of modern acts out there today. To mention a few things that happened during the show; the lead singer lit three cigarettes at once and after a few drags he proceeded to eat the cigarettes - lit side first! Also, the singer did a fantastic rendition of the Fresh Prince theme song. To put it bluntly, these boys kicked ass.

Their music is chaotic but soulful. It's innovative and catchy. I really have no means of describing their music, but I know that most music fans would find something they like in this band. This is their first album and I'm super duper stoked for their upcoming releases.

*Note: I didn't upload this album myself so let me know if there's anything with the link.

....Introducing Foxy Shazam

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