Posts Tagged ‘The Sound of Animals Fighting’

Kata’s Best of 2008: The Leftovers

Friday, December 26th, 2008

Best EPs of 2008:

  • One Day As A Lion - One Day As A Lion: The Rage isn’t back, but the passion of Zach is.
  • Cool Kids – The Bake Sale: Hip-hop is not dead, it’s alive and well with The Cool Kids.
  • The Decemberists – Always a Bridesmaid: One song bugs me, but the rest is lovely.
  • Animal Collective – Water Curses: An exciting view into what’s in store for 2009.
  • Air France – No Way Down: I don’t need a new Avalanches record, all I need is this EP…and this lamp.

Best Gadget I Couldn’t Live Without:

Best Music Blogs of 2008 (aside from Gorilla vs. Bear and Brooklyn Vegan):

  • Motel De Moka: Stunning artwork mixed with the best minimalistic, experimental, and ambient music I’ve never heard of.
  • ipickmynose: His weekly song obsessions quickly become my song obsessions. Plus his view into the Bay Area indie scene helps me understand this strange new land I’ve found myself in.
  • Captain Obvious: His library of covers is unrivaled as well as his detailed and spot-on album reviews.

Best Books I Read This Year:

Biggest Musical Disappointments:

  • The Ben Folds album…blows
  • Kanye West experiements…fails
  • No Portishead US tour
  • Foo Fighters just can’t rock like they used to
  • Scarlett Johansson covers Tom Waits, nuff said

Most Anticipated in 2009:

  • Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion
  • Dan Deacon – Bromst
  • Mastodon – Crack The Skye
  • dredg – tba
  • M. Ward – Hold Time
  • Division Day – tba
  • Jeremy Enigk – Ok Bear
  • Cage – Depart From Me
  • Weatherman Album?
  • The One AM Radio – tba
  • The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
  • Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
  • Rival Schools – tba
  • Kiss Kiss – The Meek Shall Inherit What’s Left
  • The Arcade Fire – tba
  • Battles – tba
  • Manchester Orchestra – Mean Everything To Nothing
  • mewithoutyou – tba
  • Cursive – tba
  • Burial – tba
  • Wilco – tba
  • Menomena – tba
  • The Album Leaf – tba

Other Songs That I Loved This Year

Click to Download Astro Raw – I’m The One With A Smile

Click to Download Beach House – Gila

Click to Download Bill O’Reilly – Bill O’Reilly Flips Out (Dance Remix)

Click to Download Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – So Everyone

Click to Download Chairlift – Evident Utensil

Click to Download Cloud Cult – Everybody here is a Cloud

Click to Download The Cool Kids – A Party (For Everyone) (Logarhythmik remix)

Click to Download The Dear Hunter – Battesimo del Fuoco

Click to Download Delta Spirit – Trashcan

Click to Download Department Of Eagles – No One Does It Like You

Click to Download The Dodos – Fools

Click to Download Entire Cities – Talkers

Click to Download Facing New York – Cops On Bikes (WP PM5K RMX)

Click to Download Frightened Rabbit – Fast Blood

Click to Download God Is An Astronaut – Remaining Light

Click to Download Grizzly Bear – While You Wait For The Others

Click to Download The Hold Steady – Stay Positive

Click to Download Jolie Holland – Mexico City

Click to Download The Limousines – Very Busy People

Click to Download Little Joy – Brand New Start

Click to Download Lykke Li – I’m Good, I’m Gone

Click to Download Mason Proper – Friendship

Click to Download Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – Jesus Of The Moon

Click to Download Port O’Brien – Fisherman’s Son

Click to Download Portugal. The Man – Lay Me Back Down

Click to Download R.E.M. – Supernatural Superserious

Click to Download Rye Rye – Tic Toc (ft. M.I.A.)

Click to Download Sennen – Your Hand In Mine

Click to Download The Sound Of Animals Fighting – The Ocean And The Sun

Click to Download Vampire Weekend – Ottoman

Click to Download White Denim – Sitting

A Few Songs For People That Want To Beat Up Retards That Take Pictures With Their Cell Phone At Shows

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008

Okay, okay, I’m guilty of it as well. But seriously, it’s getting kind of out of hand. Are you seriously going to look at the highly pixilated picture and go, “Yeah…I was there.” Just savior the moment for Christ’s sake. The iPhones in particular are getting on my nerves. When you hold it up to take a picture it’s almost like you’re showing everyone in the crowd how cool you are. This may not be intentional, but boy does it seem like it. Also, I kind of chuckle to myself when some hipster trust-fund baby is talking about how he/she doesn’t own a TV but then whips out an iPhone. Fucking hypocrites.

Rant over.

I’m off to NY via Boston today. Wish me safe travels as I shall be wishing the same for you.

  Fucked Up – Twice Born

  Refused – New Noise

  These Arms Are Snakes – Horse Girl

  United Nations – The Spinning Heart Of The Yo-Yo Lobby

 The Sound of Animals Fighting – Act IV: You Don’t Need a Witness

Smile, It’s Still September

Monday, September 15th, 2008

i haz a happy

 This month has proven itself to be an interesting enough month for new releases. You have the new Apollo Sunshine, Damien Jurado, Jesu, Mitch Hedburg, Tricky, Jem, TV on the Radio, and some band called Metallica. However, two in particular have caught me by the ear. Portugal. The Man’s “Censored Colors” and The Sound of Animals Fighting’s The Ocean and The Sun.” Both albums show significant growth from their original material while staying true to the individual sound they have established over the years.

Portugal’s new album could easily mistaken for TV on the Radio b-sides, but don’t let that scare you away as a copy cat band. Censored Colors is able to keep your attention with it’s Beatles influenced hooks and King Crimson-like psychodelia. This is a record to be proud of.

TSOAF’s new record, The Ocean and The Sun, seems like a return to the “kick-you-in-the-teeth” progressive rock they are famous for. Some critics refer to them as a Mars Volta clone, but this record may silence them. It is experimental without being unlistenable and is creative without sounding pretentious. It is may not be their best work (look for Tiger and The Duke EP), it is still worth a respectable listen.

  Portugal. The Man – And I

  Portugal. The Man – Out and In and In and Out

  The Sound of Animals Fighting – The Heraldic Beak of the Manufacturer’s Medallion