What You've Missed

Jeeeeeeeesus it's been a while. For all those waiting anxiously to hear from me, I apologize once again. I'm going to try and stuff a lot of thoughts and music into this post so that I can feel like I've "caught up," which will hopefully keep the torches and pitchforks at bay a little bit longer.

There has been quite a bit of great music released already in the year 2009 which will probably show up on people's Best of 2009 lists. Am I jumping to conclusions? Yes. But I've done so with the help of THIS. I promise that at least 50% of the music I mention below will be praised and praised and praised again 10-11 months from now.

Andrew Bird - Noble Beast

Andrew Bird returns with his follow up to Armchair Apocrypha (2007) with another album that showcases his multi-instrumental talents as well as all the pizzicato your heart desires. It is a splendid album that I think is more dynamic than his previous effort. It also proves further that his hyper-literate nature is profitable so long as its reigned in and comes with a great melody. He is sure to only gain more and more exposure with tracks like "Oh No" and "Fitz and the Dizzyspells".

Effigy

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

I've been listening to Animal Collective since I was introduced to their albums Sung Tongs (2004) and Feels (2005) a few years ago. At the time they were way out of the scope of my normal listening rotation and never delved into their catalogue except in passing. They have a distinct sound that truly is unique. I don't throw around that term very often, but when you listen to Animal Collective you're left with no other suitable adjective to describe their sound. Because of this fact it's hard to get "into" the band if you're the least bit put off by 9+ minute songs that consist of layered vocals, synths, pulse, meeps, skeeps, and occasional creeps. On their eighth studio album they hit it out of the park. It is by far their most accessible album, and most cohesive. It is never dull and has to be listened to beginning to end in order to gain full appreciation for its mastery.

Brother Sport

Antony & The Johnsons - The Crying Light

Antony & The Johnsons came to my knowledge with their seminal album I Am a Bird Now (2005). Being a vocalist for a number of years I appreciate a great voice when I hear one. The ultimate evaluation for me is The Goosebump Test. This is exactly what it sounds like. As corny as it is a great vocalist brings goosebumps to my arms and has such a timbre and tone that is unmistakable. Antony Hegarty has one of those voices. It's like no one else but also possesses an emotional resonance that is usually only found in opera singers if they're lucky. The first single may bring tears to your eyes, and I have no doubt you will hear it in a depressing/sad movie sometime in the next 18 months.

Another World

***These Next Couple Albums Have Yet To Be Officially Released***

M. Ward - Hold Time

Fresh off his gig with Zooey Deschanel, M. Ward returns with his follow-up to Post-War (2006). This new album shows influences from his time with Deschanel which is not necessarily a bad thing. The melodies and rhythms are familiar and catchy. The songs are relatively short and compact. There is still M. Ward's great guitar work as well as pulsing pianos, multi-tracked vocals, timpani and string flourishes. If there is something different it's M. Ward's mood. There are bursts of a sunnier disposition that is in contrast to his usual melancholy loneliness. Hold Time is another step forward for an artist that is inching closer and closer to the limelight.

Never Had Nobody Like You

Beirut - March of the Zapotec / Realpeople Holland

This double EP was leaked early and was later added to iTunes for a digital release back in January, but it's physical release will come on February 17th. It's two totally disparate works that show the range of Zach Condon. He gets backing help on March of the Zapotec from The Jimenez Band, a 19-piece band. This EP is inspired by his trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. The Realpeople Holland EP is remarkably different since it's electronic and has virtually no live instrumentation. Listening to these EPs next to each other is pretty great and can really hear the talent and artistry of a musician with a lot of influences and ideas. I liken this to when Bright Eyes released I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and Digital Ash in a Digital Urn on the same day back in 2005. Two totally different albums that stand up nicely by themselves. Personally, I think Realpeople Holland is more interesting because it's more of a departure for Beirut as an artist and what we're used to hearing from him.

My Night With The Prostitute From Marseille

Best of 2008 Countdown, Part 6

This mornin' I'm gonna be droppin' some knowledge. The following two artists/albums fall into the underground/indie Hip-Hop genre. Meaning, you'll probably never here them on a mainstream radio station. You'll probably never hear them unless you go searching for this type of music or read into small music rags. But you know what? I can feel the underground scene rising. The ease of production and dissemination nowadays is making the creme rise to the top. Anyone with a little technology can make beats if they're willing to learn or teach themselves. No longer do you have to be in someones crew or be discovered in random fashion. Peep a couple of the best from 2008

Common Market - Tobacco Road (Mass Line)

Consisting of RA Scion and Sabzi the duo came together in the burgeoning Hip-Hop scene in the Pacific Northwest. If Sabzi sounds familiar that's because he's also half of the group Blue Scholars. RA Scion's flow sounds similar to Talib Kweli and thus may make you listen closer, or confuse the two. This album was supposed to come out last year and ran into various complications. The flow, lyrical content, and production are really superb. If there is a knock against the duo it would be that RA Scion's lyrics are dense. So dense that you'd probably have to read the liner notes to catch all their meaning. I enjoy the quality because you can listen to the album over and over and catch something new each time. Hopefully this is the album that gains them respect nationwide outside their niche of the Pacific Northwest.

"Trouble Is"

Black Milk - Tronic (Fat Beats)

Known to the IRS as Curtis Cross but the rest of the music community as Black Milk, he's back with his newest solo release. He comes from Detroit, MI and is most often compared to the late, great J Dilla. Quite young (at age 25), and tapped by many magazines to being the next great producer/MC, Black Milk has been gaining quite a following. This album is all on him. Produced and MC'd with help from some great guests including: Sean Price, Dwele, Royce Da 5’9", and Pharoahe Monch. He's most respected for some seriously hard beats that "make you need a neck brace". Again, the whole album is pretty damn great and should easily get him the major label placement he's looking for.

"Losing Out" (feat. Royce da 5'9'')

Best of 2008 Countdown, Part 4

It's time to shake things up in this ongoing countdown I've got going. Today's grouping falls into what I've deemed the "Eclectic" category. It wouldn't be tough to pigeon-hole the following artists/albums but I think it's more interesting to have them next to each other in my own little version of Morning Becomes Eclectic (KCRW reference for those not in L.A.). Again, these are some of the best albums front to back of 2008.

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust (XL)

I wouldn't have known about Sigur Rós if not for a friend from high school that first insisted I listen to their album ( ) when it came out in 2002. At the time I kinda shook it off as nothing special and kinda weird. It has since become probably my favorite album in their catalog. What I consider Sigur Rós' best attribute is their stunning ability to build and shape songs to musical and emotional climaxes. They build crescendos and heighten emotion throughout the course of songs like a classical composer (building tension upon tension to have a huge resolution and release through dissonance or unresolved chords). Sigur Rós employs lead singer's (Jónsi Birgisson) falsetto voice and large arrangements to achieve the same effect. This newest album translates to mean "With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly" and is a departure for the band in terms of songwriting and overall feel. This album has a more "traditional" feel, whatever that means. It's still Sigur Rós which means it's pretty beautiful.

"Heima" (Japan, iTunes Bonus Track)

Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours (Modular)

This album hasn't yet peaked onto any Best of 2008 lists that I've seen which is surprising and quite an oversight. It'll most likely make Pitchfork's year-end recap considering it was given an 8.8/10 which is one of the highest scores they've given out all year. It took me a while to warm up to this dancepunk/electropop/new wave/post-punk effort from Melbourne, Australia's Cut Copy but once I did I realized it's a great album that is fresh and danceable and fun to listen to. One of my favorite tracks is below which is more of the "pop" variety than the "dance" ones on most of the record.

"Unforgettable Season"

Girl Talk - Feed the Animals (Illegal Art)

Mash-ups found their niche a few years ago and probably "jumped the shark" (I know the term has probably jumped the shark as well, which is just strange to consider) when Jay-Z teamed up with Linkin Park. Pretty soon everyone thought it would be cool to see what crazy shit they could put on top of each other. Unscathed (relatively) has been Gregg Gillis a.k.a Girl Talk. His breakthrough album (an exercise in the fair usage law) was Night Ripper (2006) which sampled and spliced and mixed 150-200+ songs over the course of ~45 minutes. He created the album as one long track and then cut it into separate tracks, all the while never received permission to use any of the music. He came back this year with a brand new album in the same fashion as Night Ripper that is equal to and better than what came up with two years ago. The track below features samples from: Jay-Z, Radiohead, Mary J. Blige, The Guess Who, Aerosmith, Young Gunz, DJ Kool, Fine Young Cannibals, and even Dexys Midnight Runners ("Come On Eileen") to name a few.

"Set It Off"

Best of 2008 Countdown, Part 3

Monday. Everyone dislikes Monday, which is why I'm here to make it a little less crappy. I've finally figured out how I'll continue breaking down some of 2008's best albums which is terribly exciting (basically by genre) for me. Today's couple artists/albums I'm going to lump into a Folk/Blues category. One is becoming a standby while the other I just discovered in the last number of months.

Ray LaMontagne - Gossip in the Grain (RCA)

This album has grown on me since my first few listens. It shows a natural progression for an artist in their third album. He's an established artist that is beloved by fans and has excellent commercial and licensing appeal. Yet, he still maintains an allure because he isn't a very public figure and doesn't really do a lot of press or interviews. It's a classic case of playing hard-to-get and having it pay off. If you haven't heard this album yet it's mostly unlike his previous two. This album has a little bit of everything from blues tunes, folk, hushed ballads, and country. Listen to the bluesy number below and feel the glorious pain.

"Let It Be Me"

The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

Finally an album/group I haven't already written about in this space. There really is no good reason for this fact. And frankly it's better late than never with The Low Anthem. A trio of multi-instrumentalists from Providence, RI the band formed only a couple years ago. Their album has quite a diverse range of tunes, but each one is infectious. I would have to post half the album to really give a sense of the diversity of the album. Below is one of the harder rockers on the album.

"The Horizon Is A Beltway"

Paper Planes Everywhere

I was treated to another new movie over the weekend (aren't all the days considered "weekend" when you're unemployed?) called "Slumdog Millionaire." If it's playing in a theater near you I would definitely suggest seeing it. While it's not imperative to see in the theater, the Indian scenery will look better (and you'll be one of the few that has seen it come Oscar time). The movie utilizes a couple songs by M.I.A. and most notably "Paper Planes" which has become the anthem off her most recent album. The scene with the song is below. Along with it is the song used in back of a totally different sort of movie: "Pineapple Express" which was released this past summer. I found it interesting how a song could be utilized effectively in both a screwball comedy and a (romantic) drama while eliciting totally different responses.

Slumdog Millionaire:


Pineapple Express (trailer):

Best of 2008 Countdown, Part 2

A couple things before I jump back into the Best of 2008 Countdown:

1) I went and saw 'Twilight' yesterday afternoon and had forgotten how awkward, brooding, horny, and angst-ridden high schoolers were. But in terms of music there were a couple great songs at the tail end of the movie. When Bella is dancing at prom with Edward in the Christmas light laden gazebo Iron & Wine's "Flightless Bird, American Mouth" from The Shepherd's Dog is playing. It's a very sweet and tender song, but when you read the lyrics it's a somewhat curious choice. It would seem to have dual themes of the degradation of the American Dream as well as a person's loss of innocence. The second meaning totally makes sense as Bella has now entered a different world with Edward. The other song was "15 Step" off In Rainbows by Radiohead that lead into the end credits, which was another pleasant surprise.

2) Let me clarify some of my thoughts on how the art of constructing an ALBUM has been mostly lost. We are firmly in the digital age of music. I will probably see the end of CDs in my lifetime. Things obviously initially changed with the original Napster, and the ability to find obscure songs. Then with the advent of the iTunes store in 2003 you could download only the tracks you wanted from an album. This could have taken music in two directions; force artists to make better albums and get people to download them in their entirety, OR push for exceptional singles and try to sell as many of them as possible while disregarding how they fit into a larger whole. This is just my opinion on (probably) a complex issue. But most mainstream artists went down the road of killer singles. All of this hasn't been helped by the Death of Radio. That is a whole other topic, but I don't even listen to the radio unless I've forgotten to take my iPod into the car. While many singles have been exceptional, what are you left with after hearing the same song 100s of times? On a good album you have the luxury of exploring 40 - 60min of music not the same 3 - 5min. Thus, it is less likely you'll reach the "end". Alright, enough of that for today, how about praising a couple ladies?

She & Him - Volume 1 (Merge)

I was pretty excited about the pairing of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel from the get-go. Possibly because I had heard Zooey sing live a couple years before this project came to light and was impressed that she was above average. This album was universally given a "this is quite good" review, and in the neighborhood of 7/10 if you had to assign a number to it. Recently, Paste Magazine named it their #1 Album of the Year. That is probably the highest praise it has received. My highest praise is that She & Him's music sounds timeless through and through.

"You Really Gotta Hold On Me" (Live @ KCRW 1/6/08)

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue (WBR)

I tend to write about music I love. I don't like to waste my time on artists or albums that don't catch my fancy. What does this have to do with Jenny Lewis? Well, Jenny Lewis' formal solo debut is one of my favorites from this year and another album I wrote about upon its release a few months ago. You'll also notice all the albums I've mentioned so far I've mentioned here before. Thankfully, Acid Tongue still holds up a few months later. I'm not sure if it will make more respected Best of 2008 lists, but it stands out among my personal "Chicks That Rock" category.

"Jack Killed Mom"

Best of 2008 Countdown, Part 1

Over the course of the next few days (maybe weeks) I'm going to start briefly listing my thoughts for the Best ALBUMS of 2008. I stress the word "album" because I believe the art of making a complete album has nearly died. The number of albums that are worthy of repeat listens from front to back are increasingly few and far between. I don't expect each track to be a single, but a few gems around a mound of crap doesn't cut it for me.

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (Sub-Pop)

I previously wrote how excited I was after listening to this self-titled debut back in May. Since then, nothing has changed in my mind. On the other hand the band's profile has risen significantly. Glowing reviews abound for the debut album, and is already on most people's year-end lists. It's a complete album that shows range on a multitude of levels. I honestly don't know how many times I've listened to the album, but it now feels familiar like it's been around for more than a number of months.

"Quiet Houses"


Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago (Jagjaguwar)

Another artist that I wrote about back in May, it's finally the right time of year to listen to Bon Iver's exceptional debut. It was written and recorded in a cabin in the winter months, and although I'm in sunny L.A. I kind of wish I could listen to this on a mellow night with a burning fire someplace (not a wildfire, of course). This will be required listening for many Fall and Winters to come.

"Wisconsin" (iTunes-only bonus track)