Toro Y Moi is playing at the Bottom of the Hill with our friends The Ruby Suns on April 12th.
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[mp3] Toro Y Moi - Blessafrom Causers Of This (2010)
Akron/Family play an unreleased acoustic song called Silly Bear at the Haci Baba Café and in Vienna, Austria in November 2009. For more on this session, click here.
If the Hubble Telescope could choose a soundtrack to what it shows you, it would be Fragments Of Winter’s latest album, Skyrockets. Silently released last year in September, this is a late winter gem that found it’s way into my inbox that begged to be shared. You can purchase the album here or for more info on FOW, click here.
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There’s a distinct difference between ‘best albums of the year’ and ‘favorite albums of the year.’ Who am I to say what is the ‘best’ album? What makes an album better than the other? You’ve probably already figured out that I’m trying to say that music taste is subjective. The past 12 months have probably been one of the better years in music in a while. There were albums that defined genres (Merriweather Post Pavilion), albums that reinvented the bands sound (The Hazards of Love), albums that majorly disappointed (Mama, I’m Swollen), and albums that became a sign of what’s to come with ‘popular’ music (Twilight New Moon: Soundtrack).It’s time to break down the albums that rocked me this fine year.
Click on the album art to purchase the album:
50. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz!
They have redeemed themselves and returned with a more fun vibe that we all knew was coming.
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Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Dull Life from It’s Blitz! (2009)
49. J. Tillman – Vacilando Territory Blues
The sounds of a wet and foggy forest were perfectly captured and projected with J. Tillman’s most vulnerable record to date. Country-side driving will never be the same.
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[mp3] J. Tillman – Vessels from Vacilando Territory Blues (2009)
48. Band of Skulls – Baby Darling Doll Face Honey
I found myself rocking pretty hard in the car alone to this amazing rock and roll record. Oozing sexuality and a pent-up frustration to destroy. One the most fun records of the year.
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[mp3] Band of Skulls – Blood from Baby Darling Doll Face Honey (2009)
47. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Besides having one of the most bad-ass covers of all time, Neko Case created a hurricane of an album that will carry you away in her embrace. Let her take you.
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Neko Case – This Tornado Loves You from Middle Cyclone (2009)
46. The Mars Volta – Octahedron
Could it be that I have a hard-on for The Mars Volta? Probably. But after a handful of songs and records that made me wonder what the fuck they were doing, finally The Mars Volta mixes their bizarre nature and progressive sound and makes something substantial. A grower, but boy does it grow into something amazing.
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The Mars Volta - Teflon from Octahedron (2009)
45. Iron & Wine – Around the Well
Sure most of these songs were recorded years ago, but this compilation from Sam Beam were meant to be released this way. It flows just like a normal Iron & Wine album should…subtle and sweet.
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BOOM! This album made remixers piss themselves in delight and put Boston back on the map as one of the premiere spots for good music that gets you moving.
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Passion Pit – Moth’s Wings from Manners (2009)
43. Foreign Born – Person To Person
If my drive along the Northern Pacific Coastline had an official soundtrack, Person To Person would be it. The harmonies and swirling guitars along with the Walkmen-like vocals and lyrics is just a taste of what this brilliant album has to offer.
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[mp3] Foreign Born – Early Warningsfrom Person to Person (2009)
42. Raekwon – Only Built For Cuban Linx, Pt. II
Turn it up and make the world know that we all need is more Wu. Flows like this haven’t been heard in years, it’s been a long time coming.
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Raekwon – New Wu Ft Ghostface Method Man from Only Built 4 Cuban Linx PT II (2009)
41. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
I hated this record to no end when I first heard it. I missed my Decemberists. It was only after a few more full listens that I realized that they belong to no one and that this may be the Decemberists that was meant to be. You know what? I’m fine with that.
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[mp3] The Decemberists - The Rake’s Song from The Hazards of Love (2009)
40. Message to Bears – Departures
Multi-instrumentalist Jerome Alexander’s Departures is a series of bittersweet articulations that seem suspended somewhere between a certain dreamy sense of wonder and awe and a heavy melancholia. It’s a haunting piece of work. Listen carefully.
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This actually might be their best and most accessible record to date. The experimental folk group brought in all the stops and made the feel-good record of the year.
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[mp3] Akron/Family – River from Set’em Wild, Set’em Free (2009)
38. Russian Circles – Geneva
Someone told me, “You won’t see it coming, this record melts your face and freaks you out all within an hour.” He couldn’t be more right. It goes from hauntingly intense to magnificent beauty to uncharted territory for a group known to shred your ears to pieces.
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A charming record that may not get the appreciation it deserves. The songwriting is as solid as it usually is from Tweedy and the tongue-in-check manner of delivery remains intact. This was just their ‘entertainment’ record and boy did they hit their mark.
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Wilco – Deeper Down from Wilco (The Album) (2009)
36. Dan Deacon – Bromst
A strobe light of colors and manic sound that solidifies Dan Deacon as the king of spastic, high energy dance music. Hidden in this insane finger-painting of a record gone mad, is a layered and perfected album. All hail the king!
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Dan Deacon – Woof Woof from Bromst (2009)
35. Cymbals Eat Guitars – Why There Are Mountains
Oh yes, I was so happy to hear that beautiful 90s alt-punk throwback sound. If they had come out a decade an a half earlier, they would be know as genre defining geniuses. However, they are stuck here in the 21st century and forced to remind us that simple and loud music used to be enough for us. [See early Modest Mouse / Diary-era Sunny Day Real Estate]
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Cymbals Eat Guitars – And the Hazy Sea from Why There Are Mountains (2009)
34. The Swell Season – Strict Joy
I was afraid they were going to piss this album away into Once Part II. Phhhh, I should have known better, These people know what they’re doing. Strict Joy is just as touching as their last, but in a different sense.
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The Swell Season – The Rain from Strict Joy (2009)
33. Irepress – Sol Eye Sea I
Okay, bizarre artwork aside [four armed purple ping-pong monster?], this record is the shit. Heavy and drastically unique, Sol Eye Sea I is a brutal rocket launch on the senses. Pushing and pulling with pure metal complexity. So awesome.
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Probably the one of the most overhyped records of the year. Although, this is all for good reason. The intro to the record is actually my favorite of all time. Yes, of all time. The chill atmosphere with male/female vocals in this R&B / new wave manner caught me off guard. Thank God for that.
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Yoni Wolf goes Americana psych-folk? Sure! Why not? Everything this guy touches is gold anyway. Each song is a detailed story that doesn’t leave the listener one bit disappointed. While not a good ‘entry’ album, Eskimo Snow might be Yoni’s greatest songwriting achievement.
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Fans of the band were divided and I’m still not totally sure what happened with this album. However, dredg is undeniably comfortable with this new direction they’re heading toward. I had to step back a few times and realize that one needs to let go in order to enjoy this album. PPD is a long, intricate and personal record; listen carefully.
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dredg – Pariah from The Pariah, The Parrot, The Delusion (2009)
29. Volcano Choir – Unmap
I did not see this coming from Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. Layered with painstaking detail and emotional prowess, Unmap may be too much for some people. For me, it was just right.
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I love how colorful and blinding this album gets at times. I am immediately reminded of Boards of Canada, but more upbeat and cartoonish. I thought I knew this record before I wore some nice headphones…boy was I wrong.
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Bibio – Fire Ant from Ambivalence Avenue (2009)
27. Noah And The Whale – The First Days Of Spring
I usually dislike ‘break-up’ records when I’m no longer going through times like that. But this is beyond your normal story of woe-is-me heartbreak sob story. This an entertaining story that forces the listener to care about the ‘character’ involved in this story. The lush percussion, carefully picked guitars, and string arrangements briskly guide the listener to feel loneliness, hope, and rebirth. An amazing achievement of a record.
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[mp3] Noah And The Whale – Blue Skiesfrom The First Days Of Spring (2009)
26. Various Artists – Dark Was The Night
Dark Was The Night, the best indie music compilation ever, was produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National and founder of the Red Hot Organization John Carlin. 31 exclusive tracks graces this record from Bon Iver to Spoon, Sufjan Stevens to Arcade Fire. In addition, the double cd/triple viny helped benefit the Red Hot Organization – an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS.
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Grizzly Bear and Feist – Service Bell from Dark Was The Night (Disc 1) (2009)
BIG week in the Bay. With several Outside Lands After-parties and the festival itself, there is no shortage of things to do here. Also a visit from Ted Leo, a record release party, and a country music legend stops by an unlikely venue.
Tonight we have The Matches playing the final date off their tour with Judgement Day and Dizzy Balloon at the Fillmore, Six Organs of Admittance and Master Musicians of Bukkake rock The Independent, Fleet Foxes drummer and creator of one of the best albums of 2009, J. Tillman stops by Café du Nord, Jay Reatard does a set at Berkeley’s Amoeba Records at 6pm.
Monday, Ted Leo and The Pharmacists hit up the Bottom of the Hill instead of Treasure Island which they originally intended.
Tuesday features Fruit Bats riding on their new record with Death Vessel at The Independent. The Ruminant Band is a beautiful record full of sweet harmonies and lovely song-writing. Pick it up when you get a chance. Also the amazing Ramona Falls play Café du Nord.
Wednesday will find me at The Fillmore watching dredg, Rx Bandits and As Tall as Lions. All of which have released some pretty impressive albums this year. Also going on is The Dodos and Spencey Dude & the Doodles playing the Rickshaw Stop to kick off Outside Lands fever. Oh yeah and it’s sold out. Bummer.
More Outside Landish shows on Thursday; Akron/Family and Howlin’ Rain crash the Rickshaw Stop and Holy Fuck plays The Independent. In addition, we have The Famous‘ Record Release Party at Café du Nord with 20 Minute Loop and Billy & Dolly.
If you’re not going to Outside Lands this weekend, we have the Outside Lands Afterparty with San Francisco local acts Goodbye Nautilus, The Working Title and Wave Array at Café du Nord.
On Saturday we have hip-hoppers Blue Sky Black Death, Boy in Static and Boy Eats Drum Machine at the Bottom of the Hill, Calexico at The Independent, The Pretenders and Cat Power at Mountain Winery in Saratoga, and country legend David Allan Coe at Petaluma’s Phoenix Theater.
Being joked as this year’s ‘Bro-chella’,Outside LandsFestivalhas many unimpressive acts but a lot of overlooked impressive acts. This year’s line-up includes; Incubus, Modest Mouse, Pearl Jam, Black Eyed Peas, Thievery Corporation, Tenacious D, Jason Mraz, Dave Matthews Band, TV on the Radio, The Mars Volta, M.I.A., Band of Horses, The National, Built to Spill, Bat for Lashes, Calexico, Tom Jones, Mastodon, Silversun Pickups, Los Campesinos!, Ween, Atmosphere, Brett Dennen, Deerhunter, Lucinda Williams, Os Mutantes, Q-Tip, John Vanderslice, Conor Oberst, Akron/Family, Portugal. The Man, Cage the Elephant, Alpha Blondy, Raphael Saadiq, Groundation, Kinky, Lenka, The Duke Spirit, Matt & Kim, Lila Downs, Autolux, The Avett Brothers, Robert Randolph & The Family Band, Dengue Fever, The Dirtbombs, The Dead Weather, Heartless Bastards, Midnite, Blind Pilot, Bettye LaVette, Tea Leaf Green, The Morning Benders, West Indian Girl, Darondo, Ryan Bingham, Zee Avi, Street Sweeper Social Club, Rosin Coven, Extra Golden, JJ Grey & Mofro, Nino Moschella, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Sambada, Reggie Watts, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Big Light, Eric McFadden Trio, Loop!Station, Yard Dogs Road Show, Infantree, Vau De Vire and madd vibe orchestra. A lot to digest. Well I’ll be doing my best to report on everything I see every night when I return from the festival. Photos, mp3s, and everything else I did last year (if you caught that, if not, whatever).
This week is Outside Lands Week here at Kata Rokkar. So we’ll have Kuestionnaires with OLF bands and reports on local acts making their festival debuts. Hope to see you out there!
The Working Title– The Crashfrom About-Face (2006)
Boy in Static– Young San Franciscofrom Young San Francisco (2009)
Fruit Bats – The Ruminant Bandfrom The Ruminant Band (2009)
As Tall As Lions – Sleepyhead (Acoustic Version)from You Can’t Take It With You (Bonus Track) (2009)
J. Tillman– Steel on Steelfrom Vacilando Territory Blues (2009)
Click the picture for the full list of Night Shows
Hate this years line-up for Outside LandsFestival? Well the fine folks that organized the monster festival have lined up a few Outside Lands Night Shows in San Francisco at the Mezzanine, The Independent, Rickshaw Stop and Poleng Lounge.
The following artists will be performing at Outside Lands Night Shows:
Akron/Family, ALO, Amanda Blank, Ariel Pink, Beats Antique, Calexico, Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band, Counter Clarkwise (Josh Clark and Steve Molitz), Extra Golden, Gang Gang Dance, Howlin’ Rain, Lebo of ALO, Motion Potion, Newfangled Wasteland, Os Mutantes, Pleasuremaker (Live & DJ sets), Senor Oz, Sergio Mendoza y La Orkesta, Spencey Dude & the Doodles, Street Sweeper Social Club, The Dirtbombs, The Dodos, The Sermon and Ty Segall
I couldn’t have crafted a more bizarre yet inspiring playlist myself. Psychedelic folk heroes Akron/Family are sharing their extensive music tastes with all of you by offering this jam packed 71-minute long playlist including some folk classics, blues jams, soulful songstresses, and Ice Cube? Hey I never said it was your average playlist! After all, this is Akron/Family we’re talking about. Enjoy!
“Last year was a hard for such a long time, this year is going to be ours.”
You know when a huge movie blockbuster comes out the same weekend as a little no-name film? Like when Star Trek came out the same day as Next Day Air? Well that’s not a perfect example at what I thought of Akron/Family’s latest album, “Set’em Wild, Set’em Free,” but it’s close. When it comes to making free spirited folk-rock accessible, no one is doing it better than Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear right now.
Enter the well-respected and always diverse Akron/Family. If you’ve listened to 2007’s “Love Is Simple,” you know that this band is up there with the giants when it comes to experimental folk music. However this year’s “Set’em Wild, Set’em Free” seem to try to ride the accessible experimental folk train but end up barely hanging on. This does not mean it’s a bad album in the least bit. In fact that album is a blast with a host of unlikely instruments. The results are stunning, the complete antithesis of modern folk rock. Even that understates the depths of the now trio’s effortless vocal harmonies and gently woozy, dream-like feel. Of their contemporaries only the enigmatic Midlake and My Morning Jacket at their most rocking come close, but neither could have cooked up the Zeppelin-esqe spiritual of “Everyone Is Guilty” or its more emotionally epic companion “Gravelly Mountains of the Moon”. In fact Akron/Family’s “Set’em Wild, Set’em Free” is not about trying to be the “best indie folk band of 2008,” they’re more or so doing their own thing despite this influx of experimental folk coming down the pipe. It’s a dedication to ancient English folk songs and their later American descendants as well as 70s balls-out classic rock. They might get swept under the rug this year, but don’t let that stear you away.
Kata Rokkar is a place where you can download free mp3 from artists and bands that I currently love and listen to. They are only for sampling purposes and to influence you to go out and support these artists by purchasing their records and going to their concerts. If you are a record company or an artist that is displeased with a song being displayed, feel free to contact me and I will remove it ASAP. Thank you and enjoy!
There’s a distinct difference between ‘best albums of the year’ and ‘favorite albums of the year.’ Who am I to say what is the ‘best’ album? What makes an album better than the other? You’ve probably already figured out that I’m trying to say that music taste is subjective. The past 12 months have probably been one of the better years in music in a while. There were albums that defined genres (Merriweather Post Pavilion), albums that reinvented the bands sound (The Hazards of Love), albums that majorly disappointed (Mama, I’m Swollen), and albums that became a sign of what’s to come with ‘popular’ music (Twilight New Moon: Soundtrack).It’s time to break down the albums that rocked me this fine year.
