Posts Tagged ‘Bon Iver’
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
You may notice a few differences between this list and the album list. I don’t feel I need to justify that due to the distinct difference between a song and a full album. These are the songs that I still listen to on repeat; they made me laugh, tear up, dance, think, and morph my own tastes into what they are today. So here in no particular order is my Favorite Songs of the Decade. Picking a favorite song is like picking a favorite child, it changes depending on your mood…
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Max Richter – The Trees from The Blue Notebooks (2004)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Interpol – Obstacle 1 from Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Bon Iver – For Emma from For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Phoenix – Fences from Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Stars – Your Ex-Lover Is Dead from Set Yourself On Fire (2005)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Shearwater – Rooks from Rook (2008)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Minus the Bear – Pachuca Sunrise from Menos el Oso (2005)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Radiohead – Reckoner from In Rainbows (2007)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] The One AM Radio – A Ghost On The East Coast from A Cloud’s Fear Of Kites (2006)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Jonah Matranga – Learning from All Of Always New (2000-2001)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Justice – Genesis from † (2007)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Daft Punk – Robot Rock from Human After All (2005)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Explosions in the Sky – Your Hand in Mine from The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place (2003)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
MGMT – Of Moons, Birds & Monsters from Oracular Spectacular (2008)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Decemberists – The Crane Wife 1 and 2 from The Crane Wife (2007)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Sufjan Stevens – Holland from Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State (2003)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Russian Circles – Death Rides a Horse from Enter (2006)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Cut Chemist – The Garden from The Audience’s Listening (2006)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] The Notwist – Consequence from Neon Golden (2003)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
dredg – The Canyon Behind Her from El Cielo (2002)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Arcade Fire – Wake Up from Funeral (2004)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Aphex Twin – Windowlicker from Windowlicker [Single] (2000)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Björk – Desired Constellation from Medúlla (2004)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Iron & Wine – Fever Dream from Our Endless Numbered Days (2004)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains from Fleet Foxes (2008)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
M.I.A. – Paper Planes from Kala (2007)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The Swell Season – When Your Mind’s Made Up from Once (Original Soundtrack) (2007)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Wintersleep – Jaws of Life from Wintersleep (2005)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs – Date With the Night from Fever to Tell (2003)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
The White Stripes – Hotel Yorba from White Blood Cells (2001)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Stars of the Lid – Humectez La Mouture from And Their Refinement of the Decline [CD2] (2007)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Sigur Rós – Untitled IV from ( ) (2002)
___
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Battles – Atlas from Mirrored (2007)
___
Tags: Aphex Twin, Battles, Björk, Bon Iver, Cut Chemist, Daft Punk, dredg, Explosions in the Sky, Fleet Foxes, Interpol, iron & wine, Jeremy Enigk, Jonah Matranga, Justice, M.I.A., max richter, MGMT, minus the bear, Phoenix, radiohead, Russian Circles, Shearwater, sigur rós, spoon, stars, stars of the lid, sufjan stevens, The Arcade Fire, the decemberists, The Notwist, The One AM Radio, The Swell Season, The White Stripes, wintersleep, Yeah Yeah Yeahs
Posted in Favorite Songs of the Decade, Music | No Comments »
Thursday, December 31st, 2009
Like most people, I didn’t exactly have the best taste of music right away. In fact it took a better part of this decade to figure out I needed to re-evaluate my tastes. I had to let go of my safety harnesses and start listening to music that wasn’t in my comfort zone. A decade ago I was 16 yrs old…so back then I was listening to angry rock music and angry techno music. Basically I was listening to nothing but Deftones and Aphex Twin. While both amazing, no one can live solely on cheeseburgers and fries (as much as we’d like to). Once I moved from my suburban hometown, I was introduced to artists and bands that spoke to me in ways I had never imagined. I bought endless back catalogs, practically lived in used CD stores, and discovered the joy of listening to music on vinyl. I found that the internet is an equally amazing tool to discover music as going to shows on a regular basis (also cheaper). This decade I found that I loved music so much that I wanted to tell everyone in world about what I had found. I created a website for friends to read, so that when they asked me about a band I liked I could refer them to it. The website turned into something way bigger than I ever expected. I’ve interviewed heroes of mine, gotten on guest lists of concert I would have payed twice the amount for, and more importantly, I’ve made good friends with people with amazing tastes in music. So here I am, telling you the albums that shaped my tastes over the years. I hope you enjoy and listen to these if you can. Lets hope for another amazing decade in music….
26. Minus The Bear – Highly Refined Pirates
- Release Date: November 19, 2002
- Label: Suicide Squeeze
“And then we all bought yachts!” That’s what this album opens with; a hope for adventure and probably and endless income. I’ve always been a fan of math rock and perfected time signatures but I never thought it would morph into something as fun as this. If I could pick one album to be the soundtrack of a roadtrip it would be Highly Refined Pirates. Minus the Bear have since been perfecting that danceable and unique atmospheric rock sound their known for, but they have yet to even come close to the blue sky soundscapes and joyful lyrics (not to mention their ridiculously awesome track titles) of Highly Refined Pirates.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Minus The Bear– Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse from Highly Refined Pirates (2002)
25. Stars of the Lid – And Their Refinement of the Decline
- Release Date: April 7, 2007
- Number of Discs: 2
- Label: Kranky
I love film soundtracks and have since started listening to them again (Vangelis’ Bladerunner Soundtrack = amazing). So when I finally picked up Stars of the Lid’s And Their Refinement of the Decline, I was drowned in ambient movements that were the musical equivalent of trekking through a snow capped mountain side. The music is epic yet relaxing and requires the listener to release themselves from the world around them. However, the one track that really stuck out for me was Humectez La Mouture. The track samples from the 1986 French film Betty Blue (37°2 le matin) set a creepy atmosphere and it drones on like a foggy afternoon in a post apocalyptic landscape. It’s very moving and releases so many emotions in five minutes and thirty one seconds. Ambient music is very difficult to perfect and I think Stars of the Lid have gone beyond that and have become the genre’s Miles Davis.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Stars of the Lid – Dungtitled (In A Major) from And Their Refinement of the Decline Disc 1 (2007)
24. Cage – Hell’s Winter
- Release Date: September 20, 2005
- Label: Definitive Jux
Of all the hip-hop albums released this year, Cage’s Hell’s Winter was not the best, it was however, my favorite hip-hop album of the decade. It’s mainly because this album is very personal and does not hold anything back. With production by mentor El-P, RJD2 and Blockhead and guest appearances by Jello Biafra, DJ Shadow, Aesop Rock, Daryl Palumbo (Glassjaw), James McNew (Yo La Tengo) and the late great Camu Tao, the album is a star studded and disturbing view into a man that has been through some pretty tough shit. While the album is lyrically troubling, it is equally fun to listen to.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Cage – Perfect World from Hell’s Winter (2005)
23. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago
- Release Date: February 19, 2008
- Label: Jagjaguwar
I threw this album up as #10 on my Best Albums of 2008 last year. In retrospect, it should have been #2 (you’ll see what should have been #1). After carefully listening to this one for the past two years, For Emma has become one of the most important albums of not only the decade, but for me as well. It’s fragile nature and depth of loneliness was easy to relate to and reminded me of those cold New England nights I missed so much. Justin Veron’s voice represents what I love about emotionally charged solo musicians; it’s raw and a heart-achingly gorgeous record that sets the standard for delicate acoustic music.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Bon Iver – Skinny Love from For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)
22. The Decemberists – Her Majesty
- Release Date: September 9, 2003
- Label: Kill Rock Stars
This album was the soundtrack to my long drive to work in Maine. It’s whimsical lyrics and charming folk rock arrangements still make Her Majesty my favorite Decemberists album. While it was hard to pick a favorite Decemberists album (I love them all), this one holds a special place in my heart. When I tried to name off my favorite Decemberist songs (The Gymnast, High Above the Ground, The Soldiering Life, I Was Meant for the Stage), it became clear that Her Majesty was number one. It speaks off camaraderie, leaving someplace you love, and discovering exotic territory; lead singer Colin Meloy describes it all with intricate detail and soothing delivery.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] The Decemberists – The Gymnast, High Above the Ground from Her Majesty (2003)
21. M.I.A. – Arular
- Release Date: May 17, 2005
- Label: Interscope Records
Hated and loved by many, M.I.A. is undeniably talented. Before the Boyz and the Paper Planes, there was the masterpiece that is Arular. I can safely say that urban beats and politically charged lyrics never sounded so good. Arular is as ridiculously fun as it is ridiculously weird, but that’s why it’s such a perfect dance record. It was different from anything I had ever heard and I found joy in looking at people’s faces when I forced them listen to it. Arular is now the blueprint for 21st century hip-hop and will be constantly referenced as an influence throughout the genres exciting evolution.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] M.I.A. – Fire Fire from Arular (2005)
20. Shearwater – Rook
Remember when I said Bon Iver should have been #2 on my Best of 2008 list? Well, meet #1. If this year could highlight one band that I was unabashedly obsessed with, it was Shearwater. Rook’s heavy atmosphere and crushing instrumentation makes the record such an onslaught on the senses and a viciously haunting journey. Thanks to singer/ornithologist/ex-Okkervil River keyboard player Jonathan Meiburg, the album’s bleak visuals come alive with his crooning and Nick Cave-influenced bellow. Rook is a cinematic masterpiece that is hypnotizing on execution.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Shearwater – Leviathan, Bound from Rook (2008)
19. DJ Shadow – Private Press
- Release Date: June 4, 2002
- Label: MCA
From what I know, this supposedly angered people being that it wasn’t Entroducing 2. It isn’t exactly influential or remotely groundbreaking for electronic music. It is also easily his most accessible record. However, Private Press is massive, gorgeous, and humorous record. This record for me was a stress reliever and a relaxing yet fun work of art from one of the most respected and loved electronic artists. His imagination is translated onto the turntables and fiercely rocketed back to the listener.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Dj Shadow - Giving Up The Ghost from Private Press (2002)
18. At The Drive-In – Relationship of Command
- Release Date: September 12, 2000
- Label: Virgin Records US
Once I hit the age of 18, I was done with punk music and disgusted with the mediocrity of what eventually became a plague of nu-metal bands. I needed something angry and revolutionary. I needed Relationship of Command. This flying side-kick to the throat of a record was worn out my the end of my senior year of high school and I had to eventually buy it again just to keep up with my high demand of pulsating post-hardcore punk rock. The song One Armed Scissor became the theme of my departure from adolescence and the will forever be known as the record that lifted me out of the boring genre of modern rock.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] At The Drive-In – Sleepwalk Capsules from Relationship of Command (2000)
17. Saul Williams – Saul Williams
- Release Date: September 21, 2004
- Label: Fader Label
You can try to classify his music but you’ll just end up in circle. Each album he creates is a vicious attack on system and our sad state of entertainment and his self titled sophomore effort is no exception. With borderline industrial beats, a Prince-like confidence, and a razer sharp delivery of Chuck D from Public Enemy, Saul Williams instantly became not only one of my favorite musicians but a personal hero of mine. Whether it was speaking about the current state of hip-hop, sexual awakening, or the our inevitable self destruction, Saul made an album that is both inspiring and entertaining.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Saul Williams – African Student Movement from Saul Williams (2004)
16. The Album Leaf – In A Safe Place
- Release Date: June 22, 2004
- Label: Sub Pop
The chilling and beautiful work of The Album Leaf is flawlessly displayed on his 2004 album, In A Safe Place. With the addition of vocals, In A Safe Place became a more personal record than previous efforts. Featuring vocals by The Black Heart Procession’s Paul Jenkins, Sigur Ros’ Jon Thor Birgisson, and Jimmy LaValle himself, tracks like Over the Pond and On Your Way come alive. In A Safe Place is meant to be listened to in a window seat on a plane hovering over the morphing Mid-West landscape. What are you waiting for? Get your ticket!
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] The Album Leaf – Over The Pond from In A Safe Place (2004)
15. Cursive – The Ugly Organ
The brilliant concept and utter intensity of this record have been constantly referenced and replicated yet no one has even come close to it. Tim Kasher’s self-loathing, tortured artist persona (?) on Ugly Organ mirrored the sacrifices that so many artists have gone through and still battle. The crushing guitars, moving cello (a welcome and missed addition), and fragile melodies went past their typical emo tag and transcended into an album that became the traveling artist’s guide to “be careful what you wish for.” I still like to rock out to this album and will continue to return to it’s magic for a long time coming.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Cursive – The Recluse from The Ugly Organ (2004)
14. Jeremy Enigk – World Waits
- Release Date: October 16, 2006
- Label: Reincarnate Music
This may confuse anyone that has been a fan of Sunny Day Real Estate and Jeremy Enigk. Mainly because this album at times seems overly dramatic and meaningful. Funny; because that may be why I like it. The album speaks of forgiveness, rebirth, and letting go so eloquently and effortlessly all thanks to the Peter Gabriel/Phil Collins vocal style of Enigk and it’s chamber pop atmospheric instrumentation. This album entered my life in a time where I needed guidance and a voice to assist me in surviving the day-to-day. The very sound of World Waits still chokes me up and the crushing piano in Canons still reminds me of the feelings I felt when I was at my lowest. The is Enigk’s masterpiece in my eyes and I can’t thank him enough.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Jeremy Enigk – World Waits from World Waits (2006)
13. Explosions in the Sky – The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place
- Release Date: November 4, 2003
- Label: Temporary Residence
The grandeur of this record is undeniable. No wonder the filmmakers of Friday Night Lights wanted to feature the very music from Earth Is Not A Cold Dead Place to represent the weight and atmosphere of a West Texan high school football team’s journey to state champion. Consisting of only 5-tracks, Explosions’ second album is nothing short of breathtaking. With bands like Mogwai and Godspeed You Black Emperor! dominating the instrumental music genre, this album came along and crushed everything anyone ever knew about orchestrated rock music. There are two kinds of instrumental music right now. Instrumental music before this record and instrumental music after this record. It will take a lot to change that.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Explosions in the Sky – Your Hand in Mine from The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Place (2003)
12. dredg – Leitmotif
- Release Date: September 11, 2001
- Label: Interscope Records
While people were gushing over how much Tool was changing the landscape of modern rock music, dredg already had them beat. Instead of mastering their masculinity, dredg built their debut record from the ground up with layer upon layer of full out tribal progressive rock music. Subtle, thoughtful, sober, they’re a far cry from anything that had come out at the time. The concept is equally fascinating; the story focuses on a man visited by a spirit who tells him he has a moral disease and must travel the world on a quest for higher spirituality. If he succeeds, he will evolve; if he fails, he will die. Ultimately, the character learns to put faith in the religion found in the spiritual awakening of humankind, rather than buy into the religion of commerce and greed. The result of Leitmotif’s exploratory, experimental union of music and text is a mystical sound odyssey [1].
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] dredg – Traversing Through the Arctic Cold We Search for the Spirit of Yuta from Leitmotif (2001)
11. Radiohead – Kid A
- Release Date: October 3, 2000
- Label: Capitol
Where to begin? If any record could represent the progression of all types of intelligent and sophisticated music in the beginning the new millennium, it is Radiohead’s Kid A. Thom Yorke was no longer known as the band’s tortured soul of a frontman, but as an instrument in a whirlwind of electronic soundscapes and mountain size songs. How can a band reinvent themselves so eloquently and drastically over and over and still remain one of the best bands in the world? When this album was released, nothing even remotely sounded like it, forcing listeners to surrender to it’s genius. It still stands as one of the most influential records of all time and one I will admire forever.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Radiohead – How to Disappear Completely from Kid A (2000)
10. The Arcade Fire – Funeral
- Release Date: September 14, 2004
- Label: Merge Records
I feel like a kid again whenever I hear this record. It’s innocence and blind love for adventure is as admirable as the album’s lush dreamscapes and romantic arrangements. Listening to Funeral is like entering another realm where freedom of expression is not an idealistic fantasy, but a sweet reality. If I ever feel pessimistic or depressed, this record is like a best friend telling me exactly what I need to hear. Plus they created the blueprint to ‘popular indie music’ and everyone else is trying to catch up.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] The Arcade Fire – Une Annee Sans Lumiere from Funeral (2004)
9. Radiohead – In Rainbows
- Release Date: January 1, 2008
- Label: Ato Records / Red
Not only will the distribution method go down in history, but the record is proof that bands cannot be washed up as long as they never lose the spirit of why they love playing music in the first place. Just as Kid A was a revolutionary step toward modern experimental electronic music, In Rainbows was a step toward accessibly creating moving and inviting electronic rock music. While less experimental than previous records and more daring than some predicated, the album was simple and haunting in execution. Tracks like Reckoner, House of Cards, and All I Need remain some of my favorite songs of all time and reach a level of artistic perfection that will be difficult to match in the coming future.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Radiohead – All I Need from In Rainbows (2008)
8. Sean Hayes – Alabama Chicken
- Release Date: September 8, 2003
- Label: Self Released
When you listen to the first track off Alabama Chicken, it is required that you close your eyes and imagine a moonlit field with fireflies swarming around you. For the next track, a sunrise drive in the back of an old truck with an overweight dog and a few fishing poles. You get the idea. Each track from Sean Hayes’ Alabama Chicken is an accurate soundtrack to laid back country life and Northern California landscapes. My discovery of Sean came through a late Jolie Holland (a guest on the album) show in mid-2005 at the Great American Music Hall. I was mesmerized by his naturally earthy voice and his closeness with rhythm and melody. From the sunny slow drive of Diamond in the Sun to the outdoor dance tune Rattlesnake Charm (Dream Machine), Alabama Chicken is a record that relaxes the soul. Let go and listen.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Sean Hayes – Diamond in the Sun from Alabama Chicken (2003)
7. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois
- Release Date: July 5, 2005
- Label: Asthmatic Kitty
This enormous record is an exhausting listen and even frightening that one person could create such a monumental album. The unmistakable instrumentation, charming choruses, fragile voice, and immensely complex arrangements surround Illinois and make it one of the most admirable records of the decade. It was a symbol of the lack of limitations you had to make an addictive record. Cynics called the album gimmicky, utter hipster trash, long, weird, and kind of wussy. But it is without a doubt one of the most gorgeous records of all time.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Sufjan Stevens – Chicago from Illinois (2005)
6. The Mars Volta – De-Loused in the Comatorium
- Release Date: June 24, 2003
- Label: Umvd Labels
As an obvious fan of At The Drive-In, I was devastated when the band called it quits and went their separate ways. So when I found myself at a special listening party at the Museum of Science in Boston, seated in their famous Charles Hayden Planetarium to hear De-Loused in the Comatorium a week before it’s release, I honestly had doubts. Until the lights dimmed and the music started. I left the building that day a changed man. I felt every Bad Brains, Floyd and Zeppelin album I loved destroyed and molded into a juggernaut of a record. The monstrous drums, the perfected time signatures, and it’s universe of jagged funk intensity still lives as fresh as it did the day I first listened to it. I don’t have many records I can listen to on repeat for months on end. They have yet to replicate the epic nature of this record (probably because they stopped doing drugs), but at least it still translates well live.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] The Mars Volta – Drunkship of Lanterns from De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003)
5. onelinedrawing – Visitor
- Release Date: May 14, 2002
- Label: Jade Tree
Jonah Matranga is a complex human being. That may be quite an understatement but with dozens of bands, records, and brilliant and inane ideas, Jonah seems to never stop moving. However, of all his projects though, Jonah struck gold with his most personal and free spirited record of his seemingly endless career. Visitor tugs at the heart and at the same time lifts you up all with a short 40 minutes. The is heartfelt songwriting at it’s best; aerial, graceful, and intensely emotional. His voice echoes across bedroom walls and into ears that know betrayal, loss, lust, and joy in something as simple as a smile.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] onelinedrawing– Softbelly from Visitor (2002)
4. The One AM Radio – A Name Writ In Water
- Release Date: April 19, 2004
- Label: Level Plane
I found out about One AM Radio in a pretty interesting way. It was a cold day at a Boston University coffee-shop and this skinny jeaned hipster-zilla making cappuccinos put on A Name Writ In Water and I did something I hadn’t normally done at that time, I asked him who he was playing. Since then, the album has become one of my favorites, due to it’s melancholy and gray atmospheric beats. Hrishikesh Hirway knows he emotion of leave-less trees and abandoned buildings. He knows how to represent tranquility with vocal harmonies, carefully plucked guitars, and Brain Eno simplicity. This album is must be heard during a rainy drive through forests of New Hampshire or on a deck watching a passing thunderstorm. Nice headphones required.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] The One AM Radio – Untied from A Name Writ In Water (2004)
3. Sigur Rós – Ágætis Byrjun
- Release Date: May 22, 2000 (Reissued)
- Label: Play It Again Sam
Think about it, have you ever heard anything like this album? Ágætis Byrjun is like some sort of alien-like transmission to Earth, letting us know they come in peace. It’s disarming and otherworldly sound blooms with full orchestras, deeply ambient soundscapes and angelic vocals from frontman Jon Por Birgisson singing in a language that Sigur Rós dub “Hopelandic”–an otherworldly mutation of Icelandic. When playing guitar with a violin bow was out of this world and groundbreaking, Sigur Rós captured the hearts of legions of music lovers with this majestic and hope filled album.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Sigur Rós – Starálfur from Ágætis Byrjun (2000)
2. dredg – El Cielo
- Release Date: October 8, 2002
- Label: Interscope Records
Unfairly underrated, El Cielo is a moving masterpiece that flows together gracefully and takes off with epic grandeur. Repeatedly layered with a plethora of instruments and jazz-like drumming, El Cielo accurately presents the soundtrack to sleep paralysis and lucid dreaming. The concept of the album follows the theory of dreaming and the subconscious; like what is more real? Our dream-state or when we are ‘awake’? Inspired by the Salvador Dali painting, Dream Caused By The Flight Of A Bee Around A Pomegranate One Second Before Awakening, the album does an excellent job at representing the chaos and confusion of the piece. It’s whirling guitar work mixed with organs, crackling tape, echoing vocals, and calming instrumental interludes, dredg’s sophomore effort is by far their best work yet and a chillingly beautiful record.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] dredg – Whoa Is Me from El Cielo (2002)
1. Björk – Vespertine
- Release Date: August 28, 2001
- Label: Elektra
What did you expect? The freaking website is named after a Björk song! This album completely threw me off and became the only record to ever get me choked up. Björk herself is already an elemental being in the world of music, so when she decided to make her most personal record to date, it was no surprise that what came out of it was an album alive with emotion and deep intimacy. Enlisting the work of the likes of Matmos, jazz composer/arranger Vince Mendoza, and harp virtuoso Zeena Parkins, Vespertine became a rich and oceanic record that pushed the boundaries of both electronic and pop music. You can feel the snow blowing through your clothes with Aurora, the unconditional love of Harm Of Will, and the will to sacrifice with my favorite love song (EVER!) Unison. Björk showed me another world of music that I never knew existed. Her voice carried me out off my little bubble of a mind and showed me how passionate a musician can be and what it’s like to translate that flawlessly on a record. I love this album so much and it is my favorite of the decade.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
[mp3] Björk – Sun In My Mouth from Vespertine (2001)
Tags: 2000-2009, Album Leaf, At The Drive-In, best albums of the decade, Björk, Bon Iver, cage, Cursive, Dj Shadow, dredg, Explosions in the Sky, Favorite Albums of the Decade, Jeremy Enigk, M.I.A., minus the bear, onelinedrawing, radiohead, Saul Williams, sean hayes, Shearwater, sigur rós, stars of the lid, sufjan stevens, The Arcade Fire, the decemberists, The Mars Volta, The One AM Radio
Posted in Favorite Albums of the Decade, Music | 5 Comments »
Monday, September 21st, 2009
We’re hosting another show and this time it’s going to HUGE! We have yet to announce our special guest headliner who will blow your mind! Anyway, the line-up alone already is wicked awesome. Oso is a one of a kind math rock/folk act from Santa Barbara with one of the most overlooked albums of 2008, Kuno Esama. Benjamin Henderson is kind of a local South Bay rock hero with bands like Delta Activity and The Good Hustle under his belt and his own solo act which will be featured at the Flux 53 on Oakland at 8pm. Do whatever it takes to come out and OH!…I almost forgot, BYOB! So swing by and rock the fuck out with us. More info about the show will arise during the week. I am very excited about this.
Tonight we have an awesome line-up with The Gaslight Anthem, Murder by Death, and Frank Turner at The Fillmore, and Grouper, Christina Carter, Barn Owl, Ilyas Ahmed, Common Eider, King Eider, Sun Circle and Brendon Murray at Cafe Du Nord.
Monday finds the newly re-united The Get Up Kids, Youth Group and Pretty & Nice at The Fillmore and the face melting line-up with In Flames and Between the Buried and Me rocks The Grand Ballroom At the Regency Center.
Tuesday has the sold out Bon Iver and Megafaun at The Fillmore (busy week for The Fillmore, eh?), Pet Shop Boys at The Warfield, and The Most Serene Republic and Grand Archives at the Bottom of the Hill.
Wednesday we have Rodrigo y Gabriela at Oakland’s The Fox Theater and the amazing Portugal. The Man performs with Drug Rug and Robert Francis at The Independent.
Thursday, Bon Iver and Megafaun do The Fox Theater in Oakland, OM and Lichens soothe The Independent, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia: The Nightman Cometh Live will be at Nob Hill Masonic Center, and Manic Street Preachers does The Fillmore.
Friday we have Kid Koala, Dynomite D, and The Slew at The Independent and Billy Talent and Poison the Well rips up Slim’s. Oh yeah and our show at Flux 53 with Oso and Ben Henderson is going on (GO TO THAT!).
Lastly, Saturday hosts !!! and Indian Jewelry rocking out at The Independent.
See you out there!
Murder by Death – 
Boy Decide from In Bocca Al Lupo (2006)
Bon Iver – Skinny Love from For Emma, Forever Ago (2008)
Kid Koala – Fender Bender from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (2000)
Indian Jewelry – Hello! Africa from Free Gold (2008)
Oso – The War Years from Kuno Esama (2008)
Drug Rug – Coffee In The Morning from Paint The Fence Invisible (2009)
Tags: !!!, Benjamin Henderson, Bon Iver, Drug Rug, Flux 53, Indian Jewelry, kata rokkar presents, Kid Koala, Megafaun, Murder by Death, Oso, The Fillmore, The Get Up Kids, The Good Hustle
Posted in Concerts, Music, News, This Week In Bay Area Live Shows | 1 Comment »
Saturday, July 11th, 2009
So far this year has been quite musically mindblowing. But wasn’t that kind of expected? With even more anticipated albums, songs, and tours on the horizon, 2009 is shaping up to be one of the better years on the decade.
Top 5 Albums That Met/Surpassed My Expectations
Simplistic and a combination of years of timeless work.
Meticulously crafted and easy to get obsessed with. An instant classic.
Too easy? STFU! This album will forever be an example of when everything we knew about experimental pop changed.
Sunlight and skill in a 12-track album. Way better than expected.
Took some time to love but there is something special going on here that is beyond a simple rock album…
Top 5 Songs That Caught Me Off Guard (in a good way)
Sleepy Sun – White Dove
St. Vincent – Save Me From What I Want
Bat for Lashes – Glass
Mos Def – Auditorium – Mos Def,
Clues – Remember Severed Head
Best Compilation For Anyone With Good Taste
The Grizzly Bear and Feist song alone is worth purchasing this perfectly crafted comp.
Top 5 EPs That Teased Me To The Point Of Joyous Anger
The amount of imagination and playfulness is undeniable. I can’t wait to see what they do next.
They never cease to amaze and pull at the heart strings.
This is the evolution of true rock music in the making. I can’t wait until August 25th for the full product.
Spoon at the their most dramatic and dreamy. An interesting listen.
Is he seriously of this world?
Top 5 Instrumental/Ambient Album That I’ve Been Reading To
This is a monster that has been awakened to destroy your eardrums.
A moving debut masterpiece.
Refusing to be pigeon-holed or classified. Gifts delivers their most personal record yet.
I am so happy this finally got a proper release. An emotionally effusive debut.
Calming and disarming for anyone with a heart.
More Albums That Are Blowing My Mind This Year
Tags: Animal Collective, Bat For Lashes, Bon Iver, Clues, dark was the night, dredg, Gifts From Enola, Goonies Never Say Die, Grizzly Bear, irepress, Jeremy Enigk, jonsi & alex, mew, mewi, mewithoutyou, Mos Def, pan-american, Portugal. The Man, sleepy sun, spoon, St. Vincent, SUNBEARS!, The mary onettes
Posted in Favorites of 2009, Music | No Comments »
Friday, January 16th, 2009
If you’re looking at this picture and going, “uhh…and?” That thing in the top right hand corner is the final moments of the Airbus 320 as it descends towards the Hudson River yesterday. A miracle indeed. I try to imagine exactly what would be going through my mind as my plane descends to what seems like sudden death, “…that was the best ice-cream soda I ever tasted!”
Thing-To-Keep-You-Busy-At-Work: Type in ODB lyrics into Microsoft Sam. Let the hilarity ensue.
This mix of songs is for anyone who has to work the weekend (like me). None of the songs have anything to do with work (as far as I know) or weekends. I just thought I’d like to listen to this music while I’m typing in ODB lyrics into Microsoft Sam…uh, I mean, working.
Deefhoof – Offend Maggie
Little Joy – No One’s Better Sake
DeVotchka – How It Ends
Bon Iver – Blood Bank
AC Newman – Submarines of Stockholm
The Legends – Seconds Away
Broken Spindles – Inward
Death Cab For Cutie – Champagne From a Paper Cup
The One AM Radio – Ninety-Nine, One Hundred
Women – Group Transport Hall
Tags: AC Newman, Bon Iver, Broken Spindles, Death Cab For Cutie, Deefhoof, DeVotchka, Little Joy, ODB, The Legends, The One AM Radio, women
Posted in Music | 3 Comments »
Sunday, December 14th, 2008
Here it is. Click on the album covers to purchase the album and keep reading, I have a few more surprises up my sleeve before this year ends.
20. Woven – Designer Codes: Listening to this album was like watching Alien for the first time. Terrifying, moving and pieced together with Goth -like architecture and supernatural sounds.
Woven – Fragments
19. Nada Surf – Lucky: What makes me love Nada Surf is that poetry + pop mix that they mash so well. Lucky is not as abstruse as Let Go, but it’s certainly a straight up fun rock record.
Nada Surf – These Bones
18. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes: Indie rock’s version of the Byrds arrived this year with this gently harmonic record debut that warms the heart and sooths the soul. It’s the kind of record that rewards with every listen.
Fleet Foxes – White Winter Hymnal
17. Facing New York – Get Hot: Balls out entertaining rock music is hard to come by these days. But lucky for our benefit Facing New York decided to overcome some changes in line-up and enhanced their style to this clap-demanding super catchy rock & roll with Get Hot.
Facing New York – Me N My Friendz
16. Girl Talk – Feed the Animals: Whether you consider this an album for A.D.D. indie brats or a genius mish-mash that is a view in the future of party music, you can not deny that Feed the Animals is a shining star in today’s sky of pop culture.
15. Beck – Modern Guilt: Beck paired with DJ Danger Mouse seemed like a good idea on paper, but no one really knew what to expect. What we got was Beach Boys-like surf music with that special Beck tweak. This record was made for convertible cars.
14. The Walkmen – You & Me: This disarming and dramatic record was slow to grow on me. However, after a few more listens, I was marveled by its well structured songs and throwback to classic rock ‘n’ roll.
The Walkmen – The Blue Route
13. The Mae Shi – Hllyh: There aren’t that many bands out there like The Mae Shi and there wasn’t any album like Hllyh this year. This spastic yet charming record screamed in my face yet for some strange reason…I enjoyed it.
12. Man Man – Rabbit Habits: Man Man can’t exactly bring their famous frenzied live show to your living room, but listening to Rabbit Habits is the closest you’ll come to it. The gypsy psycho freak band has probably made their finest record to date.
11. Foals - Antodotes: Sounding like Bloc Party’s evil twin, Foals entered the scene with their swarming guitars and sketchy vocals and left me in awe. Songs like Two Steps Twice and Hummer are electrifying in execution and make this record a perfect driving soundtrack.
Foals – Balloons
10. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago: This is not your average folk record. Bon Iver’s emotional record paints pictures of snowy pine trees and the pain of a guilty man. This record must be handled with care and loved for its delicacy.
Bon Iver – Skinny Love
9. Quiet Village – Silent Movie: Like some kind of 70s soundtrack mixed with RJD2-like sampling, Silent Movie is what I miss from proper easy listening music. Be careful though, your mom might like this too.
Quiet Village – Circus of Horror
8. Santogold/Diplo – Top Ranking: There is so much going on in this masterfully manufactured mix tape. Mashing dub-step, reggae, dancehall, and the extremely talented Santogold is an ideal equation for the perfect party music.
Santogold – Creator (Mumdance Mix)
7. Q-Tip – The Renaissance: No hip-hop artist came close to even evening out to this masterfully constructed album. Q-Tip has more than proven that he can hold his own as a solo artist with a little help from the late, great J Dilla.
Q-Tip – Life Is Better (ft. Norah Jones)
6. Max Richter – 24 Postcards in Full Colour: The concept is almost laughable but this Berlin based 21st century composer brings on the emotion by showing that love and loss can happen in small increments of time.
Max Richter – H in New England
5. Black Mountain – In The Future: Rough, wicked, and wailing with desert rock brutality; In The Future is a Frankenstein-monster built from the best aspects of classic rock and prog-metal.
Black Mountain – Tyrants
4. The Notwist – The Devil, You + Me: Gracefully trekking musical ground that has been graced a million times over; The Notwist somehow make electronic rock music interesting and touching again.
The Notwist – Good Lies
3. TV on the Radio – Dear Science: If you list out all the elements that make up Dear Science, you’ll wonder how an album stock pilled with so much could be so amazingly catchy. This album is a grand picture of what to expect in coming future of rock music.
TV on the Radio – Red Dress
2. Portishead – Third: I can’t tell you how much a loved this record the day it came out. I don’t normally listen to a record on repeat in fear that I may ring it dry of all its magic, but that is not the case with Third. It’s yet another masterpiece from this deeply mysterious band.
1. Sigur Rós – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust: Along with one of my favorite live shows of the year, Sigur Rós also made my favorite album of the year. I guess you could say that they were my favorite band of the year? Maybe. But I can without a doubt say that this album is a flawless piece of work. How could a band so epic in execution take on a more upbeat direction? This album is the answer to that question. It struck me in a time of my life that involved a lot of changes and therefore will always have a special place in my heart.
Sigur Rós – Gobbledigook
Tags: beck, best album of 2008, best albums of 2008, black mountain, Bon Iver, facing new york, Fleet Foxes, foals, girl talk, Man Man, max richter, nada surf, Portishead, Q-Tip, Quiet Village, Santogold/Diplo, sigur rós, The Mae Shi, The Notwist, The Walkmen, tv on the radio, woven
Posted in Favorites of 2008, Music | 5 Comments »
