Jake Brennan and The…wait, its just Jake
I love it when Ear Farm throws up his Don’t You (Forget About Me) posts. It’s a great way to recap the bands / artists that you’ve enjoyed over the past few months on your blog. I wish I had the time to do such a post.
I digress and I’d like to share with you an artist that I came upon. Not only does Jake Brennan have that ruff and scruff folky sound that I’ve been diggin recently with albums like Springsteens Nebraska and the constant rambling of Johnny Cash (ok, smooth deep folk voice here but still on the same track), but he is based in Boston. And I love it when I find talent in this city, because it’s actually not that easy to come by.
Interestingly enough, I saw Jake and his band, The Confidence Men, play when My Morning Jacket and the Boston Pops had their PopRocks gig a ways back. They were one of the opening bands that played out in the hallways of Symphony Hall. I remember saying that this surf rock / hardcore folk – maybe not exactly that – was really kickin and that I needed to check them out. Of course, I forgot. But it all comes back around in time.
However, things are a bit different then when I saw Jake and his band play. Now it’s just Jake and his guitar. I think that’s what I was hearing back at the Symphony Hall. I checked out some of their songs from their album, Love & Bombs, and thought it was too polished for this guy I’m now listening to on myspace.
Apparently the band just got tired of playing their music, which is not uncommon. In fact, this is more common then you think. There are probably bands playing together right now that whether or not they’ll admit it, probably hate what they are playing (ahm, come on Mick and Co., it’s about time you called it quits).
Listening to “Do You Remember What Joe Strummer Said” I’m automatically thrown against the wall. I love the agressiveness in the song. I don’t know what it is but there is a fine line that is drawn between the punk sound that I like and a punk sound that I hate. Jake has the side that I like mixed in with some rockabilly and what he calls, “hardcore folk” (which I like). I’ve also been diggin the Tom Wait’s album, Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers and Bastards, and Jake’s voice, while not as raspy, conjures up some of his bellows.
I’m looking forward to his forthcoming album that is said to be quite raw and stripped down and I’m assuming similar to the “Joe Strummer” track. Keep an eye on Jake and if you’re a Boston local, make sure to check out his Myspace page and see where he’ll be playing this weekend – Yes, I believe Jake has quite the sense of humor with his concert locations.
Links of Interest:
Management: Fenway Recordings
Download: “Do You Remember What Joe Strummer Said”
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Music News: Today
Three stories interest me today. They are…
Capitol Records and Virgin are merging
Brian Eno set to produce the next Coldplay album (interesting)
Modest Mouse unveil tracklist and release date
Weekend get away…’Bird, ‘Moller and more
It has been slow going here on the square but I’m looking forward to a three hour drive tomorrow and dusting off some album cobwebs and letting the hounds loose. I’m loving Hissing Fauna and have only listened to about 3/4 of the album at once. Looking forward to a full listen. But a recent 2006 album that I picked up has got me just as excited.
(Anders) Trentemoller is a new face for me. A Danish DJ that’s been on the scene since 1997. He has remixed Royksopp, Pet Shop Boys, Moby and Pitchfork’s best 2006 album/artits of the year, The Knife.
His latest album, released in October 2006, was voted among many of the electronic worlds elites as the best album of th year (Groove Mag and Trax). For me, the album has gone widly unnoticed.
The album was released on Poker Flat Recordings, Steve Bug’s label. Until his debut, Trentmoller’s studio work consisted of a handful of EP’s and remixes along with colloborations with fello electronic / techno dj’s throughout Europe.
With my road trip this weekend, I’m looking forward to adding this one to my shelf and keeping it there for some time.
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Links of interest:
Purchase The Last Resort: Amazon.com (US) or (UK)
Bonus Tracks of the Weekend:
Andrew Bird – “Heretics”
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From Andrew’s forthcoming album, Armchair Apocrypha
Chalie Louvin Ft. Jeff Tweedy – “Great Atomic Power”
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Learn about the history of the song and where Jeff Tweedy fits in the history at Pitchfork
Fader issue #43
The Fader has released the 43rd issue of their magazine. You can run out to your nearest Borders, Virgin, Barnes & Nobles or if you’re really special, you an go to Amoeba to pick up your copy. Or download the 84 page PDF file by clicking here.
But the real benefit to this release is the DJ mixed podcast. If you’re feeling upbeat and you want something spicy to listen to. If you’re craving for some eclectic hip hop and reggae then you need to look no further then this mix for the Fader 43. Besides The Good, The Bad and The Queen, the tracks are primarily hip hop. My favorites being the Aloe Blacc, Stephen Marley and Nas tracks. Here is the complete track list:
Collie Buddz, “Come Around”
GLC, “Chi State Of Mind”
Machel Montano, “Higher Than High”
Aloe Blacc, “Find A Way”
White Flight, “Timeshaker”
Ty and Kory, “Hey Ty”
Kim Hill, “Nutshell”
Stephen Marley, “The Traffic Jam”
Ta’Raach, “Yeah!”
Georgia Anne Muldrow, “Leroy”
A Race of Angels, “The Main Attraction”
Nas, “Where Are They Now”
Mavado, “Mr Informer” (produced by Supa Dups of Black Chiney)
Vybz Kartel, “Mofraudo” (produced by Supa Dups of Black Chiney)
Daedalus, “Sunshine”
Santogold ft Spankrock, “Shuv It”
The Good, the Bad and the Queen, “Kingdom Of Doom”
Death Vessel, “Snow Don’t Fall”
Download options:
New Feed – Run Baby Run Songs
Make sure to upload my new feed if you are a Hip To Be Square subscriber: Click Here
And here are some tracks I’ve been diggin while working on my stereotypical new years resolution:
Klaxons
“Gravity Rainbow (Van She Remix)”
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Dr. Dre -
“Nuthin But a G Thang”
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Thieves Like Us -
“Drugs in my Body”
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Listen to more at myspace.com/thieveslikeusplaymusic
Huey Lewis & The News – “Do You Believe in Love” (Sorry, m4a)
Purchase Time Flies: The Best of Huey Lewis and the News
Fujiya & Miyagi -
“Collarbone”
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Purchase / Pre-order Transparent Things
“Party Dream” Interview
We decided to conduct a short interview with the brothers from Youngstown, OH in light of their upcoming show at one of Cambridge’s best kept secrets, PA’s Lounge (show info: 1/12/07, $8 for 21+ and doors open at 8:30 pm).Band info:
-Myspace/partydream
-www.partydream.com
-www.audioeaglerecords.com
-Buy Bloodsongs
From talking about their childhood to releaving themselves on the toilet while playing Nintendo, this interview with Gil and Donny from the Party Dream has everything that I would expect out these characters. I hope you enjoy their repsones as much as I did.
Here’s what we know:
You are two brothers from Youngstown, OH. You are on Audio Eagle (which is the drummer from The Black Keys label). Your last album, Bloodsongs, came out on the Audio Eagle label and brought you guys some noise in the industry. But really it was the live show that seemed to be giving you a major buzz. The album for me really started to take form after I saw your show. Your shows don’t just involve music but an overall stage performance
that includes costumes and brotherly love antics.
Square -So you’re brothers, who’s big bro?
Gil – Donny.
Square -The band’s called Gil Manteras Party Dream. Why not Ultimate Donny’s Party
Dream?
Gil – That’s a ridiculous notion.
Donny – That’s just the way it is.
Square – How did you get originally hooked up with Audio Eagle and Patrick?
Gil – The music world in Ohio is pretty small. Jamie Stillman, who co-runs the label, is in my old roomy’s band, Teeth of the Hydra. I don’t know exactly how Pat came across us, but I’ve known his younger brother for years and like i said, it’s a small world. It seems like everyone’s paying attention to everyone else, even in different towns.
Donny – Patrick saw us at the Lime Spider and was impressed. Audio Eagle originally was only going to put out 7-inches but decided to put out our full length.
Square -This tour you’ll be joined by another Audio Eagle band, Beaten Awake. What’s their story? (correction: Beaten Awake is not on tour with Party Dream, they are just going out on tour at the same time)
Gil – That’s news to me, but great news! I’m usually out of the loop. Beaten Awake is a really cool band with a great bunch of guys in it. Great tunes. Great show. No bullshit. I think with the right stuff, they could go very far. They probably would appeal to fans of My Morning Jacket and Band of Horses, but then again, I’m not too knowledgeable of exactly what those bands are all about and what people like anyways.
Square -I noticed recently Audio Eagle uploaded the Fleetwood Mac cover you do, “Dreams”(and most recently it was taken down). Are you working on any other covers?
Gil – I don’t think there was a reason to take it down other than making room for other stuff. We did the same thing to add my weird Troll shit. I’m going to do a solo project that’s all covers like that… synthy with vocoder vocals. I’ll do very recognizable hits like “Let’s Dance” by Bowie and “Jailbreak” by Thin Lizzy and “Drive” by the Cars. I’ve been looking into getting a sound responsive laser as the light show while I’m performing, just to make it dramatic. The idea is, I’ll work cheaper than i do with the Party Dream, so I can do fun opening gigs here in the ‘burgh. I’ll probably make my own CDRs and sell them for a little extra cash on the side. Jackson from Grand Buffet did the same thing with his karaoke CDR.
Donny – Although you’ll see collaborative thoughts come to fruition if we ever get the money. We spent a lot of time on the road in 2006 and came up with some dope-ass shit that needs to be made for us.
Square – Donny, when you guys are up on stage it seems as if Gil tends to push your buttons and often a short fight will ensue. While it comes off as brotherly love, is there some hidden resentment for Gil? As kids, was Gil always the one to score the ladies? What was childhood like for Gil and Donny?
Donny – There’s no resentment, but we do tend to piss each other off in a real way on stage, especially if technical problems and alcohol are involved. That’s when things seem to get the worst.
Gil – Childhood wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. We got along very well and actually hung out with each other. Donny was a cool older brother that took me out to shows and bars when I was still in middle school. He had a ton of cool albums that I got into while other kids my age were still listening to radio crap. I used to borrow his T-shirts and shit. Our parents got on our nerves, so we did our own thing.
Square -Now, since your stage act can at times come off as a bit homoerotic, do you get some meatballs in the crowd that call you guys queer and try to ruin shows? Not that I’m assuming anything here, for all I know you both could be homosexuals but that’s not my point. Besides, I saw you both with the ladies after the last PA’s show so we’ll just leave that question at bay. Hopefully you guys understand my point here. If this has happened, I’m imagining that you expose these fools during the show and really make them feel uncomfortable. Any stories?
Gil – Donny’s got a good one about a show in Bowling Green, Ohio. The meatball shit has died way down over the years. The homoerotic thing has been proven to be very rock n’ roll time and time again, but it doesn’t feel gay to me when I’m doing it. I feel great. It’s naturally what came to be. I think we have some male superfans with some latent homosexuality though, and that’s honestly weirder than someone wanting to kick my ass, or fuck it for
that matter.
Square – You may not remember, Gil, but last time at the PA’s Lounge you stumbled off the stage and bumped in to my friend, Syrah, who was skeptical at first of you two and when this occurred, she freaked out. Of course, she is now a devoted fan. I think it was Donny who came back as the peacemaker and said, “Hey, we’re just here to make you guys dance.” Any way, I was getting some where with this question; do you often fall off stages? If so, do you have any horror stories? I would imagine so as you tend to bounce around a
bunch.
Donny – The worst fall I can remember was at Birdie’s in Indianapolis – high stage, concrete floor.
Gil – Yeah, land like a fish is what I always say. I had one of the worse incidents playing to about 10 people including bar staff in Indianapolis. I stepped back, and no more stage… I fell flat on my back off of a 5 ft stage, I shit you not. I must have been on some drunken monk shit, because I walked away without a scratch! Some of the most incredible stuff happens when the room is empty. We actually got the sound turned up for us that night because the owner loves Rush and we played our very “YYZ” inspired instrumental.
Square – There is a rumor that we’ve heard and I’d like to clear the air here and now. Did Gil and Donny go to a show in Ohio where the band that was suppose to play didn’t show up so you guys jumped on stage instead and jammed it out?
Gil – That’s kinda true. We had about 3 hours notice and then went onto to wing the first Party Dream show ever, on Christmas Eve I think.
Square – Now, you mentioned that you use to drink PBR’s as it was a better choice then Bud but now Donny is a fancy beer drinker and Gil, you are a jack on the rocks drinker. Is the Party Dream starting to see some escalating success in the CD sales? Or is this just a personal preference change?
Donny – I’ve preferred fancy beers for many years but took what I could get. We hardly ever settle for the cheap shit anymore. We deserve better.
Square – Damn straight you deserve better.
Gil – It’s just a part of growing up and trying new things.
Square – What’s a day in the life of Gil and Donny like on tour? For example, what’s a common toy on your tour bus?
Gil – In the Tour Bus de Honda Civic? We rock bouncy balls pretty hard. There’s usually always one in there for when we need to kill time. I just got a Nintendo DS, which is nice for taking shits and lonely nights.
Donny – Some things we’ve picked up on the road include a chirping caged bird, a chirping bird (without the cage), rubber dinosaurs, cowboy hats, a shitload of movies on VHS from quaint, old school video stores and countless other objects that escape my recollection.
Square – What is better about being on tour: the women or the drugs?
Gil – The drugs I want haven’t come into play as much yet. But when they do, I’m not even going to be able to get my dick hard!
Donny – Playing shows when we’re too sick to walk.
Square – Who are your biggest influences? You have “no way, Jose” on your myspace. Does this mean you have no influences?
Gil – We have many influences… probably too many to list. We’re not trying to keep it a secret or anything, it’s just that it needs constant updating. I’ve been listening to a lot of the obvious stuff lately like Italo disco, The Cure, Joy Division, Heaven 17, Sparks, Lio, Pet Shop Boys, Killing Joke, Telex, Vangelis, Liaisons Dangereuses, Alphaville, Ultravox, ESG, etc…
Square – What was the major impetus that has made your music sound like it does today?
Gil – I’d say destiny. It’s cool being in an electronic band and we are, well let’s be honest, pretty cool! Other than that, working with sequencers and drum machines brings about that certain sound… the user interface, limitations, possibilities, sounds, etc…
And finally…
Square – What does the future hold for Gil Mantera and Ultimate Donny? Studio work? Looks like you have two new tracks on your myspace page – “Troll Soundpiece 1 & 2″. They are quite experimental. Are Gil and Donny exploring their sound right now?
Gil – I did the Troll music a year ago and it hasn’t yet been brought to light with the animation it’s supposed to accompany. I figured it would be cool to get people’s opinions on something that’s not too Party Dream sounding. After this tour, we’re taking a break to work on a new record. As far as experimenting, I think I’m doing more four on the floor based beats. I’ve got better gear that sounds nicer too. I’d like to make it more album-like
than Bloodsongs. I’ve also been talking to a female opera singer, who is pumped to lay down some tracks. That, of course, is for the record only, but there may be some songs or segues that we won’t perform live.
Square – Now, can you leave the audience with a joke? And how do you feel about Ed Rooney (Jeffery Jones) from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off being a pederast?
Gil – I’ll leave with depressing enlightenment instead. I’m a cold-hearted snake. I don’t care. If it was Kurt Russell, who wouldn’t do that sort of thing, I’d be sending him all of my money for court fees and such, but this other guy hasn’t done shit for me. At least he’s got NAMBLA’s weird gay shoulders to cry on, but hey, freedom of speech is what i always say. Let ‘em have their websites and blogs if it means something to them. It definitely means something good to me that they still can in a country that’s going down the
shitter little by little.
Square – Have a great tour.
Gil – Thanks!
AHHH, there we go
Very nice, as Borat would say. Looking forward to a new year with a new blog template. Well, not really new design but instead of Nucleaus, which is just horrid, I’m now using WordPress. So much better. If you happen to be pondering the idea of starting your own blog, do yourself a favor and download this software.
I still have some work to do on my sidebar. For the most part, it is completed.
Bloc Party: Stream “Weekend in the City”
If you want to hear the official new Bloc Party album, “Weekend in the City”, and compare it to that leaked copy of yours, head over to Scenestars.net.
Pre-Order “Weekend in the City”
Myspace.com/blocparty
www.blocparty.com
Air: Pocket Symphony single
It seems fitting to start things off by introducing a single from one of the albums off the “most anticipated” album list of 2007. If you’re a proud owner of the Air collection – Premiers Symptomes (you must be very proud if you own this one), Moon Safari, 10,000 hz, Talkie Walkie – you’ll probably be jumping all over their forthcoming album, Pocket Symphony (if you haven’t already jumped on it). My introduction to Air didn’t come from Moon Safari, their first critically acclaimed album, but rather from Talkie Walkie. So you can imagine I’m a bit bias when it comes to their sound. In Talkie Walkie they were more accessible and a ton more poppy then on Moon Safari where they found exploration and experimentation to be their main focus. 10,000 hz is an album in between that doesn’t quite no where it’s going. There are wonderful moments on the album and some might even argue it’s their riskiest album to date. But with their new installment, Pocket Symphony, we’re taken far deeper in to Air’s dark side and sarcastic side.
With the addition of Jarvis Cocker and The Divine Comedy’s Neil Hannon, we stray away from Talkie Walkie quite a bit. The latter album brought along some hard hitting singles like Surfing on a Rocket (watch video on YouTube). Some of you may remember this track from a Nissan car commercial. But Pocket Symphony offers us no real pounding moments. There are only a few tracks that could have been on Talkie Walkie, “Napalm Love” and “Mu du Japon.” The latter being one of my favorite moments on the album.
But it’s tough for me to make too many more passing judgments about the album. I’ve got a couple more listens in me yet till I make my decision. I do like the subtle nuances of Asian music. According to Stereogum Nicolas Godin has been taking some music lessons from this guy apparently from Okinanwa. In “Mu du Japon” you get the full taste of their Asian influences. The first single off the album, “Once Upon a Time”, is a good introduction to Pocket Symphony. The main chorus is a bit hocky for me, “I’m a little boy, your a little girl, Once Upon a Time” but the overall tone sets the mood for the album. It’s a soft ride and reflects more early day Air rather than the Talkie Walkie sound.
Important Info: Album releases in the US on March 5th and February 5th in the UK Pre-Order from Amazon (US) or Amazon (UK) Myspace Page and listen to the single, “Once Upon a Time” Official website
Top Ten Albums of 2006
Here we go. I won’t bore you with any philosophical introduction as I have a tendency to do. Lets jump right in to it and then get back on track in 07 with a new website design and focusing on the coming year in what I anticipate to be a year where indie rock staples come out with some of their best material to date. Should be fun.
10. - M. Ward “Post War”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.mwardmusic.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/mward
Download: “Chinese Translation”
One of two albums in my top ten that came to my knowledge just a little over a month ago. Some might say that you need more time than a month to decide if an album will be a stand-by album for time to come. Thats essentially what these lists are all about. It’s not really the best albums of 2006 rather a visionary list. I envision that every album in my top ten will be with me until time will tell. I have put Post War on when I can’t think of anything else. I’ve sat back in my car, in my living room or in the coffee shop and listened to the whole album almost without realizing. I’ve always had a sweet spot for singer/song writer music. From Nick Drake to less complex artists like Josh Ritter, I’m always finding time for this style of music. I look forward to discovering more m. Ward music and rediscovering as my musical listening career wanes on.
9. - Six Organs of Admittance “Sun Awakens”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.sixorgans.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/sixorgans (Note: not an official myspace page. This is a fan page. They have no page of their own.)
Download: “Bless Your Blood”
Earlier we discussed the essence of the band Comets on Fire and how I feel their contribution to music is helping to bring back the true blues and rock sound. Well, I guess maybe not the “true” sound in the sense that they resemble Led Zeppelin but the basic structure of their music is formed around the blues with rocked out guitar sound. Here we have another installment of Ben Chasney’s ingenious rock anthem music. When an album can put me in a trance for a period of time long after the album is over, there is no doubt in my mind it will be a staple album down the road. In Sun Awakens, Ben brings together haunting and enchanting tribal music with psychedelic rock. His vocals float over the music almost to the point where you can barely recognize he’s singing. If you’re curious where he gets his influences, all you have to do is go to his website, www.sixorgans.com, and click on Communique and you’ll find Ben’s favorite guitar jams (via YouTube). Hands down, my favorite solo from this list, AC/DC.
8. - Gnarls Barkley “St. Elsewhere”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.gnarlsbarkley.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/gnarlsbarkley
Download: “Who Cares?”
It’s interesting, a lot of the albums I find myself retreating to when all else fail are commonly albums I didn’t enjoy at first listen – Illinois, Cellar Door (Vanderslice), We Are Little Barrie (Little Barrie). And then there are albums like Twin Cinema that I love at first but have now almost forgotten about. St. Elsewhere is an example of an album that at first I put to the side. Maybe it was because I heard “Crazy” for 1 millionth time and thought I would throw up if I heard Cee Lo’s voice one more time. But once I started to jam out the entire album in the car I started to jam it out at home and during parties. From start to finish (and maybe a skip over “Crazy” every now-and-then) this album has a lot going for it. Cee Lo and Danger Mouse are truly on to something hear and I hope they keep collaborating. There is room to grow and the possibilities seem endless from where I’m standing.
7. - Junior Boys “So This Is Goodbye”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.juniorboys.net
Myspace: www.myspace.com/juniorboys
Download: “So This is Goodbye”
Something about soft electronic grooves that gets me every time. Maybe the subtle 80’s synth beats are what grab me with So This Is Goodbye or maybe it’s just a fantastic album. I had picked up Last Exit earlier this year as well and thought the album had a lot of songs that didn’t really go anywhere and all seemed to sound the same. I felt at times, if they just added a few more notes here and there on the tracks that the album would be stellar. Well, once I saw their new album come out and the critics going nuts, I had to jump on it. Without disappointment, the critics were dead on and Junior Boys came out with a cleaner, more precise album for their second go around.
6. - Ghostface Killah “Fishscale”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.defjam.com (Ghost Page)
Myspace: www.myspace.com/ghostface
Download: “9 Milli Bros. Ft. Wu Tang Clan”
There are certain ingredients that a rap artist must acertain before he or she can come out with an album like Fishscale. First, you need to be introduced to the world through a gang of collaborator rappers. Second, you need to completely vanish from the public eye while your gang breaks away to accomplish successful solo careers. Third, you need to be as sly and whimsical as Ghostface Killah. There is nobody out there right now that I can think of who flows as smooth as Ghostface. Nor is anyone out there as consistent with their albums as Ghost. No, really, I listen to Pretty Tony just as much as Fishscale. But there are tracks on Fishscale that warrant the album one of his best albums to date. 9 Milli Bros. was my pick for the song download because to me it’s one of those tracks ingenious enough to push Fishscale in to the rap album heavens. He brings his gang for the ride and as usual, their playfulness comes alive as the beat drops and they all come in with the first few verses and the song takes off from there. It doesn’t take long for the Clan and Ghost to take what is basically just one sampled beat, a few piano keys and a vamped guitar line to turn this song in to pure gold.
5. - Neko Case “Fox Confessor Brings the Flood”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.nekocase.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/nekocase
Download: “Hold On, Hold On”
I was a little late to the party on this album as well. Both Neko and A.C. Newman invaded my iPod late in the year. I was and still am a fan of The New Pornographers but I must say, A.C.’s and Neko’s solo work might be a couple notches higher on the music listening scale in my book. In the Fox Confessor all that did it for me was “Hold on, Hold on”. Her voice sends chills up my spine and this one in particular gives me the chills. Now, I know, some of you may be saying, what about The Greatest. How come I don’t see that album in the top ten. Well, I may have only been listening to this album for a month but I literally just got Chan’s album. I just couldn’t see myself mentioning an album I’ve really only listened to once.
4. - Band of Horses “Everything all the Time”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.bandofhorses.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/bandofhorses
Download: “Our Swords”
We had our fourth Thanksgiving Party this year and one of the first albums I put on during the day was Everything All The Time. It was this moment and this listen around that set this album in stone. It’s quite simply a perfect album. At first, I couldn’t get over the similarities of Ben Bridwell’s voice to that of Jim James from My Morning Jacket. But as I sat there and gave the music itself more of a listen it started to become clear to me this was the perfect indie rock album. Extremely polished and well worth the top ten list.
3. - Phoenix “Its Never Been Like That”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.wearephoenix.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/wearephoenix
Download: “Rally”
I have yet to truly be disappointed by Phoenix. I wasn’t a big fan of Alphabetical but not necessarily disappointed. It took them just a few months later to come out with one hell of an album and one heck of a turn around. Here is another band that every time I throw on either United or Its Never Been Like That, anyone within a radius of 20 or 30 feet begins to gravitate to the speakers. Their songs, one after another, cause your body to shake and turn. I could listen to Its Never Been Like That twice maybe three times in a row and not get sick of “Rally”, “Napoleon Says”, “Long Distance Call”, etc. etc. etc.
2. - Hot Chip “The Warning”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.hotchip.co.uk
Myspace: www.myspace.com/hotchip
Download: “And I Was a Boy From School”
Boom…the world domination begins and Hot Chip steps out from the fog. They step up to their synthesizers and the music begins. You see Joe with his funky glow glasses step up to his mike and start to sing, “And i was a boy from school helplessly helping all the rules…” The electronic drum beat, the repetitive synth line and their airy vocals hook you and you can’t stop singing along, dancing your ass off and telling your self that “Hot Chip will break your legs, Snap off your head, Hot Chip will put you down, Under the ground.” Your life is now no longer yours, it now belongs to a world where the synthesizer is thought of as God, his disciples are British and his message is to just shut up and shake it like you’ve never shaked it before.
1. - TV on the Radio “Return to Cookie Mountain”
Purchase album by clicking on image -
Website: www.tvontheradio.com
Myspace: www.myspace.com/tvotr
Download: “Wolf Like Me”
Why even bother. Why should I even write another word? You’ve all probably heard it before. “TV on the Radio” is the most innovative band to date”…”They make the greatest art rock around and they’ll blow your mind.” Look, it’s simple. TV on the Radio is paving a new way to listen to music. You can either listen to music or you can LISTEN to music. This is not for everyone. However, I would suggest that if for some reason you have been living in a dark hole some where for the past year and don’t know about this album and you like artsy music or jazzy music or just really really really love music – do yourself a favor and buy this album.
About Editor
Name: Luke "Kip" Owen
Location: Boston, MA
Contact: kippy[AT]hip2besquare[DOT]net
Twitter: twitter.com/kipdog
Youtube: youtube.com/kipdog
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