tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52887599779813735842024-02-18T19:48:13.871-06:00The Lighthouse FlashingThere's something in this deal for everyone.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-77463254632775092652012-12-27T20:55:00.001-06:002012-12-30T14:25:18.871-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2012<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I agree with Erik's previous post about 2012 being a rather down year (album-wise) without a stand-out classic record, and I really can't think of 25 albums that I thought were remarkable all the way through and would warrant being included on a list (despite diligently keeping track on a spreadsheet all year long). So, with that in mind, I present the 10 albums that either intrigued me the most or hit the spot in a consistent manner. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite tracks: <i>Apocalypse Dreams, Why Won't They Talk To Me, Feels Like We Only Go Backwards</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>9. Campfires -<i> Mystery Scapes</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZ4ItIsKRkxGfNEbrG52pjhqjjuAmMuxRn4o2cdOzVvdDsh5MEvUL7tJHIi7M-UkqdNK7mAvRwylDj0vWMH4GxcVqK9QLIoS4cGNzYU9G9-CesssIB7sYjNy-jWcunZSn8jTItjfwrkM/s1600/campfires.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmZ4ItIsKRkxGfNEbrG52pjhqjjuAmMuxRn4o2cdOzVvdDsh5MEvUL7tJHIi7M-UkqdNK7mAvRwylDj0vWMH4GxcVqK9QLIoS4cGNzYU9G9-CesssIB7sYjNy-jWcunZSn8jTItjfwrkM/s200/campfires.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite tracks: <i>In Year 90,000, Nine Lives, Red Five and Dime</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Stream <i><b>Mystery Scapes</b></i> <a href="http://campfires.bandcamp.com/album/mystery-scapes" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>8. Beach House - <i>Bloom</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite tracks: <i>Wild, On The Sea, Irene</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>7. Magic Trick - <i>Ruler of the Night</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWub4v-vV4TwmgT_LPOMf3uhOjsEmQ-BR1-nxrHnBuCDPaX-u70avebANhH_TAtT104kHOEOCbAwYI5jaotHZbExdHaiwUGxwoHW1d4AiBDhwSpPjxUJO7ln2BzFMezVxxCeBQAQ2V8w/s1600/magictrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoWub4v-vV4TwmgT_LPOMf3uhOjsEmQ-BR1-nxrHnBuCDPaX-u70avebANhH_TAtT104kHOEOCbAwYI5jaotHZbExdHaiwUGxwoHW1d4AiBDhwSpPjxUJO7ln2BzFMezVxxCeBQAQ2V8w/s200/magictrick.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite tracks: <i>Invisible at Midnight, Sunny, Same People</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>6. A.C. Newman -<i> Shut Down the Streets</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpwhQ7QTD0Ic93B6pqk5ZgbSatrWMRDMNMtL0uRA1lU51Z-KviWoSEZM3-GcJLCdRBL2alFkZAT4mgC8sZNXWReJOCXz0mWt0VfH8bXJAIwSER8XLn9IqU5ZV793f4OSj3KEOsob8Gq4/s1600/acnewman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHpwhQ7QTD0Ic93B6pqk5ZgbSatrWMRDMNMtL0uRA1lU51Z-KviWoSEZM3-GcJLCdRBL2alFkZAT4mgC8sZNXWReJOCXz0mWt0VfH8bXJAIwSER8XLn9IqU5ZV793f4OSj3KEOsob8Gq4/s200/acnewman.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite tracks: <i>You Could Get Lost Out Here, Encyclopedia of Classic Takedowns, There's Money in New Wave</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>5. </i>Damien Jurado - <i>Maraqopa</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwzRJIoiwGQ8oEqqQCLa7XRRPk7vKL3m9tAhCztEy3PE8Vw3ny-QI-NSbA57beumqekRRtcsh7O47hTIGcWB6a1RTN2HNc6q2V2y8qANCUHRQxZKxMkAkQnx7ZL01Pad1UKK6G1In2t4/s1600/damien.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicwzRJIoiwGQ8oEqqQCLa7XRRPk7vKL3m9tAhCztEy3PE8Vw3ny-QI-NSbA57beumqekRRtcsh7O47hTIGcWB6a1RTN2HNc6q2V2y8qANCUHRQxZKxMkAkQnx7ZL01Pad1UKK6G1In2t4/s200/damien.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite tracks: <i>Reel to Reel, Working Titles, Museum of Flight, Mountains Still Asleep</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. Sonny and the Sunsets - <i>Longtime Companion</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHY8wRzUCSFqWs5C8pw8qnXB8tG0fkdyRiqexYLkhk0hIrZ-ze-c7puygheDznIqMGgMO_s5pG49aYpPy5iTIsrS418-0W0PxThowfaywPUlPI_CKQbmnHbzJzivvAtoLoHvyO5mOwME0/s1600/sonny.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHY8wRzUCSFqWs5C8pw8qnXB8tG0fkdyRiqexYLkhk0hIrZ-ze-c7puygheDznIqMGgMO_s5pG49aYpPy5iTIsrS418-0W0PxThowfaywPUlPI_CKQbmnHbzJzivvAtoLoHvyO5mOwME0/s200/sonny.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite tracks: <i>Dried Blood, Children of the Beehive, Pretend You Love Me, Year of the Cock, Longtime Companion</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Guided By Voices - <i>The Bears For Lunch</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmpMQdfXwRofg9P-PHclQxNKhJ4lBJISLSgGct1HR7YQbJhsFMqWfvSr3uV_e7cFuRPlRJNmRM0IgXKhPAnMwZ5cfz3HLLtCqF4O86c-Z0xy6nVUuK-XwOY8eSLEUcbExp19Pw7kF8oo/s1600/gbv.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTmpMQdfXwRofg9P-PHclQxNKhJ4lBJISLSgGct1HR7YQbJhsFMqWfvSr3uV_e7cFuRPlRJNmRM0IgXKhPAnMwZ5cfz3HLLtCqF4O86c-Z0xy6nVUuK-XwOY8eSLEUcbExp19Pw7kF8oo/s200/gbv.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite tracks: <i>Hangover Child, Waving at Airplanes, White Flag, Skin to Skin Combat, She Lives In An Airport</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Woods - <i>Bend Beyond</i></b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxV3qGJ53UKc_DTSongwhYtgwgtfMyVQlNFXX5LTWzQorXq9e8FgWR3mVaQgu6MjyeucJq7-iYKErWh_tCWyfShfUT2wvX5RQ_hV16tI4UHld-0T7KCH2QdaB2V_tSqZw8aW8HQIOm73k/s1600/woods.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxV3qGJ53UKc_DTSongwhYtgwgtfMyVQlNFXX5LTWzQorXq9e8FgWR3mVaQgu6MjyeucJq7-iYKErWh_tCWyfShfUT2wvX5RQ_hV16tI4UHld-0T7KCH2QdaB2V_tSqZw8aW8HQIOm73k/s200/woods.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Favorite tracks:<i> Cali in a Cup, Is It Honest?, It Ain't Easy, Wind Was the Wine, Lily</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Foxygen - <i>Take the Kids Off Broadway</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Favorite tracks: <i>Abandon My Toys, Make It Known, Teenage Alien Blues, Middle School Dance</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Stream <i><b>Take the Kids Off Broadway</b></i> <a href="http://foxygen.bandcamp.com/album/take-the-kids-off-broadway-jagjaguwar" target="_blank">here</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you haven't seen <a href="http://www.thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2012/12/eriks-top-25-albums-of-2012.html" target="_blank">Erik's Top 25 list</a>, do yourself a favor and <a href="http://www.thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2012/12/eriks-top-25-albums-of-2012.html" target="_blank">check it out now</a>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here's to 2013!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">- TK</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-84144647072737724752012-12-20T13:57:00.000-06:002012-12-20T14:28:54.105-06:00Erik's Top 25 Albums of 2012<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So if you were to contextualize this year, it would be average to above average (the last 10 years best to worst on an album scale would be: 2007, 2009, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2010, 2006, 2008, 2003, 2004, in my opinion of course). There were some slumps and some highs, but generally speaking it was a good year. Unlike last year, there wasn’t a certifiable classic like <i>Kaputt</i>, but there were some excellent time and place albums, and some great grower albums that are going to get better with time. For honorable mention albums 50-25, click <a href="http://bit.ly/TGHlTj" target="_blank">here</a>. Without further ado, here’s my top 25:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>Stream this mix for tracks from albums 25-10:</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin/best-albums-of-2012-25-10">Best Albums of 2012 (25-10)</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin">ErikFHelin</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks Radio</a>.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuPHIyNtXMD6PFzoNZ-K9Z2TXDR4Mwov1ByT87Wlpq0v7bU9JijmCyHqZuwxKofQXrVdJ-x2pY8oXNC0JlKDy2U5ACWWUGYWrMB-jp_hq7S8BJPIISC6QMpRJ_rXnYrW_gVIbS1zLTbI/s1600/open+your+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYuPHIyNtXMD6PFzoNZ-K9Z2TXDR4Mwov1ByT87Wlpq0v7bU9JijmCyHqZuwxKofQXrVdJ-x2pY8oXNC0JlKDy2U5ACWWUGYWrMB-jp_hq7S8BJPIISC6QMpRJ_rXnYrW_gVIbS1zLTbI/s200/open+your+heart.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This was a solid year for the return of rock’s potential in the indie world after a few years of synth-driven feel-goodery. The Men were one of the bands leading the charge (though true honors need to be given to Ty Segall who was unrelenting with not only the quantity but the quality of his albums). <i>Open Your Heart</i> threw everything at the wall, from long, jammy Krautrock, to country, to quick-hit fuck-yeah rock and roll. It could be a bit disjointed, but the one thruline on the album was that you always got a sense that it was just a bunch of dudes having fun playing music that rocked.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfZbhftPielof9tgYxfSrsaHEvPXfcXcow3LcotEsCL9OwbDcGxVxR4uRhFo2nxX4LVT8DUj16nBKxCB1i9NWxktJKFECDrm7U4bL2bEfdGoj0iVUMitf_kEa2lZ5HEzLFIYoSGvfp1M/s1600/ekstasis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfZbhftPielof9tgYxfSrsaHEvPXfcXcow3LcotEsCL9OwbDcGxVxR4uRhFo2nxX4LVT8DUj16nBKxCB1i9NWxktJKFECDrm7U4bL2bEfdGoj0iVUMitf_kEa2lZ5HEzLFIYoSGvfp1M/s200/ekstasis.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the opposite end of the spectrum from the glut of wrecking ball rock albums, there appeared a few solo female artists pushing the boundaries of the previous years’ electro-pop albums into a more ethereal, experimental realm. Julia Holter, Holly Herndon, Frankie Rose to a lesser extent, and Grimes to an even lesser extent, really delved into soundscapes and textures in electronic music. Julia Holter accomplished this style in the most artful, thoughtful, and beautiful way on <i>Ekstasis</i>. What I love most about this album is you can be as active or passive with it as you’d like; if you’re listening actively, you can follow the rich theatricality of her songs, or if you want to simply let the sounds wash over you, you will still get plenty out of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Back to the rock. 2012 was also a year of beat-you-over-the-head nostalgia. Maybe it’s me getting older, but bands nowadays are starting to show reference points that I had as a teenager. PAWS and Japandroids probably exemplified it best, but the bratty whine and charismatic care-free garage pop on <i>King Tuff</i> really brought out the inner 17 year old in me. There were few albums made this year that I’d want to flip on on a summer day and crack open some beers with friends to than <i>King Tuff</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve referred to The New Pornographers as our generations Fleetwood Mac before; and that would make Carl Newman Lindsey Buckingham. The comparison isn’t too far off. <i>Shut Down The Streets</i> is full of excellent hooks and melodies on wonderfully written, mature songs. It’s also one of those albums where you’re blown away by a few songs that you continually go back to; but then you give the album another listen and you find an entirely different song that you love that you’d previously skipped over. It also helps that Neko Case pops in from time to time to take already-great songs to another level.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s funny, if you go back and look at all the best-of lists for years when Dinosaur Jr. has released an album, they’re always there (they also tend to release albums on great music years, the last of which being in 2007 and 2009, respectively). And every year that album has seemed to fly under the radar, as if it’s just expected that they’re going to release a great record. This year was no exception. J Mascis once again delivers a set of well-crafted, wounded melodies punctuated with expansive solos that tear the walls down. This album feels professional; a group of grown ups that are still in the game, showing the younger generation how it’s done.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This album almost feels lazy because of how effortlessly great it is. Everything about Campfires feels effortless, in fact: the output (he had 2-3 albums this year), the format (send him a few bucks, he’ll send you a tape), and the mere fact that all of his songs are brilliantly written and then obscured by so much clang and hiss that they’re almost unrecognizable as pop songs. But pop songs they are. Fantastically written pop songs. This album is best enjoyed cranked up to 11.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The same criticisms that can be levied at Moon Duo’s <i>Circles</i> are also it’s greatest assets. The songs sound similar, the songs themselves are repetitive, etc. Sure, but through repetition and slight variances in song structure it makes A) Getting lost in the album incredibly easy and B) Picking up on subtle changes in guitar tone, melody, and rhythms that much more rewarding. Much like the Julia Holter album, this album can be enjoyed on multiple levels for both active and passive listeners. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No hip-hop producer had a better year than El-P. Between Killer Mike’s brilliant <i>R.A.P. Music</i> and his solo project <i>Cancer4Cure</i>, two of the top 5 hip-hop albums of the year, his bizarre brand of glitchy electro became fully realized. Lyrically dense, sonically adventurous and constantly engaging, this gem of an album is full of individual jams that come together to be larger as a whole. The features are generally strong from some of the best rappers in the game right now. And, though it clocks in at ~50 mins, it doesn’t feel like a moment is superfluous.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>17. Divine Fits - <i>A Thing Called Divine Fits</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does Britt Daniel have the best voice in rock? It could definitely be argued. While this album keeps Britt’s winning streak alive (which started in the early 2000s and never stopped), I find myself liking Dan Boeckner’s songs almost as much. There’s a casual cool about everything these guys do. <i>A Thing Called Divine Fits</i> has excellent ballads, great mid-tempo tracks, and then upbeat rock haymakers like “What Gets You Alone,” all perfectly sequenced to always keep you guessing and entertained throughout.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>16. Melody's Echo Chamber - <i>Melody's Echo Chamber</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This has been a great year for Kevin Parker. Obviously, Tame Impala came in with a lot of buzz and Lonerism delivered pretty spectacularly, but his best work this year was <i>Melody’s Echo Chamber</i>. Teaming up with Melody Prochet and producing psychedelic dream pop, it really brought out a different, more synth-driven and ethereal side of his work. The sounds on this thing are fantastic; drums, keys, guitars, everything is sounding great. Melody’s melodies (sorry) and her voice really play nicely with even the more stark sounds that Parker is bringing here. Overall this thing is an ambitious exercise in what both psychedelic and pop music can be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>15. White Rabbits - <i>Milk Famous</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Much like Spoon and Divine Fits, White Rabbits operate in an atmosphere of cool. But unlike Spoon (whom White Rabbits are often accused of artlessly replicating), White Rabbits bombard the listener with an entire palette of sonics and studio experimentation that the typically stripped-down and reserved Spoon wouldn’t think of. The result is an endlessly surprising experimental rock record loaded with excellent melodies, clever production choices, and outstanding musicianship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>14. The Babies - <i>Our House On The Hill</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It could because of how disappointing I found their debut album, and how much of a vast improvement <i>Our House On The Hill</i> is, but The Babies were the best surprise this year. Aside from some of the weaker songs at the hands of Cassie Ramone, the Kevin Morby tracks really shine. Starting with “Alligator,” which may be the best opening track of the year, the tone is set that you’re going to be hit with an excellent collection of garage-influenced pop tunes. The songs take turns in unexpected directions, always for the better. Just great songwriting instincts on this thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>13. Hospitality - <i>Hospitality</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a sucker for this kind of music: jangly, Camera Obscura/Belle & Sebastian-esque jangle pop. The songwriting is clever, and cultivates the same Columbia undergrad, buttoned-up aesthetic as Vampire Weekend's debut. While all of these elements aren't especially original on their own, the combination coupled with Amber Papini's unique voice and unique songwriting point of view make this an altogether breezy, enjoyably listen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>12. Nude Beach - II</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Listening to Nude Beach is like taking a heartland rock history course. All of the touchstones and easily identifiable reference points from that era are honed, and then filtered through a modern garage rock aesthetic. You get your Petty, your Springsteen, even some Replacements. The songs are perfectly crafted with awesome songwriting, great melodies, harmonies, and energy. This album, much like <i>Hospitality</i> and a couple others on this list, isn't necessarily essential in the grand scheme of music, but it's one of those albums that I'll continually go back to because it's just what I like listening to.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>11. Perfume Genius - <i>Put Your Back N 2 It</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unlike the last 2 albums on this list, Perfume Genius' <i>Put Your Back N 2 It</i> is not something I go back to often. It's bleak, emotionally dense, haunting, and more than any of those things, beautiful. It's not an easy album to listen to, but it may be one of the most rewarding listerns of this year. Mike Hadreas brings a Seven Swans-era Sufjan level of sincerity and vunerability to his songwriting that few songwriters this year could rival. If you were so inclined, you could see this album as a triumph in gay songwriting in a year where LGBT rights came to the forefront of public dialogue. The album, while universally relatable to anyone dealing with love or loss, can be seen as essential to the particular brand of conflicted emotions dealt with every day by (specifically young) gay men.</span><br />
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<i style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Stream this mix for tracks from albums 10-1:</b></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin/best-albums-of-2012-10-1">Best Albums of 2012 (10-1)</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin">ErikFHelin</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks Radio</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>10. Japandroids - <i>Celebration Rock</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In my comment in the spreadsheet, I made the note that “rock and roll is bigger than us all and make us all better people.” This album goes beyond the nostalgia of rock and roll’s history to speak to the power of music, and particularly how music defines our youth, on a primal level. The music is obvious in the best way; every chord progression feels like the first power chord you ever played on a guitar, and the loudness of the album feels like being at the first concert you ever attended. The lyrics are uplifting, not only recalling moments in your life, but reminding you of how you’ve overcome one thing or another (heartbreak, feelings of insignificance, lack of direction, etc). <i>Celebration Rock</i> feels like it sticks a bike pump into your heart and expands the size of it, leaving you feeling empowered, invincible, and overwhelmed by all the love you’ve ever felt in your life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>9. Frank Ocean - <i>channel ORANGE</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wish this album hadn’t been ascribed so much significance. Not that it isn’t deserving, but with all of the off-stage hype, celebrity, sexual orientation, collaboration, conversation, you name it, it’s hard to give <i>channel ORANGE</i> a fair and unbaised listen. As with any hyped album, the good in it is inflated by its lovers and the bad is inflated by its detractors. For me, the highs are incredibly high, and the lows are just average, making this album an incredible accomplishment in pop music in the vein of Stevie Wonder’s Innervisions era reimagined. The vocals and production are top-notch, the kind of stuff you’d expect from the modern era of studio musicians. The songwriting is smart, calling out the bullshit of what our culture values; what you wouldn’t expect from the modern music industry. Aside from some obvious turns and some general editing issues (I personally feel like you could lose “Pyramids” for a much leaner, stronger album) <i>channel ORANGE</i> is the most accomplished pop album of the year, and should be treated as such.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>8. Dirty Projectors - <i>Swing Lo Magellan</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While Bitte Orca (probably my favorite album of the past decade) was nearly impenetrable and altogether rewarding, <i>Swing Lo</i> shows that Dirty Projectors can be both challenging and accessible at the same time. Some of the tracks on here are classic DP, with incredibly bizarre guitar, vocal tricks and David Longstreth’s warped vocals; others take the band into stripped down, powerful jams in their simplicity. Overall, their sound is more tangible, while still proving that they’re functioning on a different plane as everybody else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>7. Chris Cohen - <i>Overgrown Path</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Captured Tracks introduced two of the best left-field, consistently listenable albums from this year, between <i>Overgrown Path</i> and my number 5 album. I didn’t see this one coming, and it was an incredibly welcome surprise. This album is full of mellow songs with impeccable craftsmanship and sequencing. Nothing on this album is going to challenge you, and that’s the point. It’s an album in which to immerse yourself, finding comfort in not only Cohen’s lovely voice and uncommon melodies, but his dulcet guitar tones, pacing, and lush instrumentation.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>6. Sonny & The Sunsets - <i>Longtime Companion</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will always have a soft spot for breakup records. <i>Longtime Companion</i> exists in a weird space occupied by the likes of 1970-1975 Bob Dylan (New Morning-Blood on the Tracks), bringing a classic confessional blues approach to songwriting to a modern take on old country music. The orchestration manages to be warming despite its minimalism, with flutes and strings popping up at the just right time, giving the album an altogether full sound. Sonny’s songwriting is wounded and endearing without being too on the nose. The album is brilliant in its restraint; it shows you enough to truly engage with the sound and subject matter without resorting to gimmick; a true accomplishment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>5. Mac DeMarco - <i>2</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like Chris Cohen’s Overgrown Path, Mac DeMarco’s <i>2</i> is a Captured Tracks release, and easily one of the most listenable albums of the year. With twangy, bizarre guitar lines constantly rolling throughout, the album is reminiscent of Real Estate, without the glossy perfectionism. The songwriting extrapolates meaning from the mundane, allowing DeMarco’s reassuring voice to guide you through his thoughts of cigarettes, boredom, love, and loneliness. What I love about the album most is DeMarco’s almost Jonathan Richman-level sense of humor; the ability to laugh at life and laugh at pain is a rare commodity, and DeMarco has the ability in abundance.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>4. Beach House - <i>Bloom</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve always thought Beach House’s sound has been misunderstood. While their name and album titles suggest a bright, sunny atmosphere, their execution evokes shutting out the cold decay of the world and wrapping yourself in the comfort and love you feel in your own home; much like you would with a good book. Victoria Legrand’s voice is as smoky, sultry, inflected with longing, and calming as it always has been, and the synths and guitars are hazy yet shining like headlights cutting through fog. <i>Bloom</i> is a beautiful album to lose yourself in; with no sound out of place, creating an immaculate tapestry of atmospheric pop music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>3. Foxygen - <i>Take The Kids Off Broadway</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foxygen goes through more ideas in 36 minutes than most bands fathom across a decade’s worth of albums. <i>Take The Kids Off Broadway</i> is a schizophrenic, meticulously disjointed masterpiece that cherry picks the highlights from 60s and 70s giants like the Rolling Stones, Lou Reed, T. Rex, etc., etc. and brings it into a modern, lo-fi bedroom context a la earlier Ariel Pink. This year saw a lot of bands looking to the past, and classic rock in particular (as you’ve seen with my list) for easily identifiable touchstones; but no band reimagined the past as well as Foxygen. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>2. Woods - <i>Bend Beyond</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Every year there seem to be two camps of albums: albums that warrant merit and admiration, and albums that are endlessly listenable. Last year, Destroyer’s <i>Kaputt</i> managed to be both. This year, there was a definite chasm between the two. Woods’ <i>Bend Beyond</i> was the album I wanted to listen to more than anything. A lean half hour of psychedelic pop songs full of flawless melodies, excellent jams, and not a wasted moment, the album is playable in almost any situation. The songs carry an added weight because of the passing of Jeremy Earl’s father, which informs a lot of the more heartbreaking moments on the album (I’ve teared up to “It Ain’t Easy” on multiple occasions). In all, the album is a triumph in editing and song craftsmanship.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>1. Death Grips - <i>The Money Store</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While Woods is my go-to listening favorite of this year, I think the most significant album that challenged me and blew me away by its inventiveness was <i>The Money Store</i>. Contextually, I think this album spoke to something larger in terms of underclass anger, the systematic stripping of rights from our citizens, how we view commercialism, etc. If the #Occupy movement was an album, this would be it. But as with all subjugated people, a certain resourcefulness grows therefrom. On <i>The Money Store</i>, Grips took a true survivalist mentality to making a record: ripping samples off of YouTube videos, found sounds, and putting it all together with old instruments on old machinery. The drumming on the album is unbelievable, the lyrics dark and disturbing, the energy almost terrifying. Yet somehow, <i>The Money Store</i> figures out a way to be a pop album in a way. Tracks like “Hacker” and “I’ve Seen Footage” would seem appropriate in both a dance club or a mosh pit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The Money Store</i> takes punk, rap, and electronic to their logical next steps. It’s forward-thinking while being rooted in contemporary struggles, intricate while also primal, and a true experience to listen to. If you can sit through this album without feeling anything, whether it be anger, catharsis, or some sort of morbid joy, you may want to get your pulse checked.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks for reading. I'll see you all next year. Follow us on Facebook <a href="http://on.fb.me/WVIPNE" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">-<a href="http://twitter.com/erikfhelin" target="_blank">e</a>.</span>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-53814719030627463242012-12-19T10:29:00.003-06:002012-12-20T14:22:50.722-06:00Erik's Top 100 Songs of 2012<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span></b><br />
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not a huge fan of top 100 song lists, just because it's much harder to be definitive than it is with albums (not that album lists are ever definitive, but they're a bit closer). As you saw with my <a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2012/12/eriks-best-of-2012-mixes-i-iv.html" target="_blank">last post</a>, I've already made <a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin" target="_blank">mixes</a>. But on <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AmVEBk4iftH2dEJxNmRvRHVBcWtZVFFQOWY3d01EOWc&output=html" target="_blank">our spreadsheet</a>, throughout the year I had been keeping a top 100 essential tracks, so I decided to formalize it into a list. These are my favorite songs of the year. Did I miss something? Let me know. This list is available on Spotify <a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/bubblewolf/playlist/3y0zSAEEcu5oYft8qpYikU" target="_blank">here</a>. All songs with asterisks are not available on Spotify. Like us on Facebook here: <a href="http://on.fb.me/WVIPNE">http://on.fb.me/WVIPNE</a>. </span></b></div>
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<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74NA48f66kk" target="_blank">Death Grips - Hacker</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwK32IuseGM" target="_blank">Foxygen - Make It Known</a></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJBOR9el3d4" target="_blank">Here We Go Magic - How Do I Know</a></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzYSwNvB8Yk" target="_blank">Damien Jurado - Working Titles</a></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXxS9XtC48I" target="_blank">King Krule - Rock Bottom</a>*</span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8SuI7BqKP0" target="_blank">Woods - Cali In A Cup</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD8nAt2xJZM" target="_blank">Frank Ocean - Thinkin Bout You</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WcRXJ4piHg" target="_blank">Chief Keef - I Don't Like</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QqK1OK2ILo" target="_blank">The Babies - Alligator</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ncEr8MPzbck" target="_blank">White Rabbits - I Had It Coming</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nei8PmVTQWM" target="_blank">Andrew Bird - Danse Carribe</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-Dk_pkkubU" target="_blank">Holograms - Fever</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sticXkHxZC4" target="_blank">Death Grips - I've Seen Footage</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb0Rs_-Hsjo" target="_blank">Beach House - On The Sea</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB0prce4eDA" target="_blank">Ty Segall & White Fence - Scissor People</a>*</span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6RQwx3r1BU" target="_blank">The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2ed5osQYvU" target="_blank">El-P - Oh Hail No</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AztLPSGcow" target="_blank">Japandroids - Continuous Thunder</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV70ZV0bX1w" target="_blank">Sonny & The Sunsets - Pretend You Love Me</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlvKLNghq6Y" target="_blank">Dirty Projectors - About to Die</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNVylZak0ew" target="_blank">Lambchop - Never My Love</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlXjqKpF7GI" target="_blank">Theophilus London & A$AP Rocky - Big Spender</a>*</span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/urinalcakerecords/protomartyr-bubba-helms-urinal" target="_blank">Protomartyr - Bubba Helms</a>*</span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-A0NdCq8KQ" target="_blank">Spiritualized - Hey Jane</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNFXi0RU3Ms" target="_blank">Hospitality - All Day Today</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/ciaciod/woods-it-aint-easy" target="_blank">Woods - It Ain't Easy</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5HwxhHrmTM" target="_blank">Perfume Genius - Take Me Home</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MeRIAew8eXc" target="_blank">Mac DeMarco - Freaking Out The Neighborhood</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urejmTqmfZY" target="_blank">Chris Cohen - Rollercoaster Rider</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL9jtjJ3zv0" target="_blank">Liars - Brats</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r30oin4zpO0" target="_blank">White Fence - A Hermes Blues</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kev2S1C3CiU" target="_blank">Melody's Echo Chamber - Some Time Alone, Alone</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjLGlG68oh8" target="_blank">TEEN - Better</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqw4wo8vdY8" target="_blank">Purity Ring - Fineshrine</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://erikhelin.tumblr.com/post/35206180454/casket-girls" target="_blank">The Casket Girls - You Never Know</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRNdcBwo8B8" target="_blank">White Rabbits - I'm Not Me</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iSyCNGfj22E" target="_blank">Grass Widow - Disappearing Industries</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sZIwhx5ntM" target="_blank">Father John Misty - Only Son of the Ladiesman</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh9lif_0jeQ" target="_blank">Fang Island - Never Understand</a></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7Ye7KB5jxY" target="_blank">Divine Fits - Shivers</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKd-KJ0mdQw" target="_blank">Opossom - Getaway Tonight</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gbpa0ELtYk" target="_blank">Kendrick Lamar - Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=36DCuT1KxM4" target="_blank">Gorillaz, James Murphy, Andre 3000 - DoYaThing</a>*</span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEezekc2mVg" target="_blank">Dinosaur Jr. - Watch The Corners</a></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVF_q1ZbU-4" target="_blank">Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots a UFO</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyo2-pf9Bwo" target="_blank">The Tallest Man On Earth - Leading Me Now</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://erikhelin.tumblr.com/post/35290088957/julie-doiron-our-love" target="_blank">Julie Doiron - Our Love</a>*</span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ije8iL7Ga0" target="_blank">Sonny & The Sunsets - I See The Void</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNMn8IGqW3I" target="_blank">Nude Beach - Cathedral Echoes</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7uFynCbDxo" target="_blank">Big K.R.I.T. - 4EvaNaDay (Theme)</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxCIjAZ8K6g" target="_blank">Divine Fits - What Gets You Alone</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbd4h1kaFlY" target="_blank">Aesop Rock - Zero Dark Thirty</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4qbno5L2K9c" target="_blank">Action Bronson & Alchemist - Randy The Musical</a>*</span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2UsSwQCAoE" target="_blank">The Men - Ex-Dreams</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIJDFgj3phI" target="_blank">Mind Spiders - On The Radio</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQZgQ0hIPNc" target="_blank">Nada Surf - Looking Through</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_JerSZ5aXw" target="_blank">Grizzly Bear - A Simple Answer</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnAXHLWXsG8" target="_blank">Royal Headache - Surprise</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJqtmt2_5IY" target="_blank">Whirr - Toss</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtsPfrQKuQg" target="_blank">Django Django - Default</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuV9hCYzzTg" target="_blank">Killer Mike - Go!</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdNC9FVWdBk" target="_blank">The Maccabees - Pelican</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OO2fKwaCo2k" target="_blank">Dirty Projectors - Just From Chevron</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_5jyK29VaY" target="_blank">Mac DeMarco - Cookin’ Up Something Good</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxnGZPy99Vk" target="_blank">The Walkmen - Song For Leigh</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-BaBITdRVo" target="_blank">Dr. Dog - Do The Trick</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/deimlingingfm/08-manhattan" target="_blank">Cat Power - Manhattan</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzQs550NLcc" target="_blank">Japandroids - The Nights of Wine and Roses</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5crIDUyoKI" target="_blank">Fang Island - Asunder</a></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXezRitYvxE" target="_blank">Zammuto - Too Late to Topologize</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T9DfQembak" target="_blank">Passion Pit - Love Is Greed</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SgiRCs0VTQ0" target="_blank">Craft Spells - Sun Trails</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeVqMHg2WKw" target="_blank">Frankie Rose - Had We Had It</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjByx-eMVe8" target="_blank">The Mountain Goats - Cry For Judas</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kPicOWItq8" target="_blank">Holograms - Chasing My Mind</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKyNGSPX_8g" target="_blank">Grimes - Genesis</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P4zdeGdHYNk" target="_blank">Jens Lekman - The End of the World Is Bigger Than Love</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zInf-88f0Hs" target="_blank">Frank Ocean - Sweet Life</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNaCqhXSNE0" target="_blank">Beachwood Sparks - Earl Jean</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWIjxwi1mo8" target="_blank">Shearwater - Immaculate</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hyDD-LhpgBc" target="_blank">Beach House - Wishes</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://dulltools.bandcamp.com/track/n-dakota" target="_blank">Parquet Courts - N Dakota</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iup_IQLsuJE" target="_blank">Craig Finn - Balcony</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrUunhlaFMk" target="_blank">Parquet Courts - Borrowed Time</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/subpop/king-tuff-screaming-skull" target="_blank">King Tuff - Screaming Skull</a>*</span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOpkr8uNWpk" target="_blank">Perfume Genius - Hood</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQH2Kq1QXaI" target="_blank">Tame Impala - Apocalypse Dreams</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5d_J3CPeiI" target="_blank">Julia Holter - Goddess Eyes I</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://campfires.bandcamp.com/track/theyll-seem-like-castles" target="_blank">Campfires - They'll Seem Like Castles</a>*</span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eL9zi5yO00k" target="_blank">The Soft Pack - Bobby Brown</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KS7kiS5oZpA" target="_blank">Deerhoof - The Trouble With Candyhands</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/selftitledmag/the-fresh-onlys-do-what-i-came" target="_blank">The Fresh & Onlys - Do What I Came to Do</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9Gi5nZQuVg" target="_blank">Fiona Apple - Periphery</a></span><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C67IuGyFe5M" target="_blank">La Sera - Please Be My Third Eye</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruHzYtq0oRU" target="_blank">Twin Shadow - Five Seconds</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/prefixmag/13-an-easy-place-pt-2" target="_blank">Liam The Younger - An Easy Place Pt. 2</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNa5M3hOYfw" target="_blank">AU - Solid Gold</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWlYnd02mj4" target="_blank">Daughn Gibson - In The Beginning</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FefWaX2s4MI" target="_blank">Thee Oh Sees - Flood's New Light</a></span></span></b></li>
<li dir="ltr" style="list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mns9VeRguys" target="_blank">Bob Dylan - Duquesne Whistle</a></span></span></b></span></b></li>
</ol>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<b id="internal-source-marker_0.6506330210249871" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<a href="http://twitter.com/erikfhelin" target="_blank">e</a>.</span></b></div>
Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-76433454830504408332012-12-17T15:19:00.000-06:002012-12-20T14:24:44.442-06:00Erik's Best of 2012 Mixes I-IV (+)<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here we are again. This year's year-end mixes total 6 in all. Four of the mixes are official, one for each seasonal mood, and two are bonus mixes: one features odds and ends and the other is the rap addendum. All mixes can be downloaded <a href="http://ge.tt/4iX1NVT/v/0?c" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Official Mixes</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mix I (Spring): Conversations With Your Car Alarm</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><iframe height="250" src="http://8tracks.com/mixes/1229020/player_v3_universal" style="border: 0px none;" width="300"></iframe> </span><br />
<div class="_8t_embed_p" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin/conversations-with-your-car-alarm">Conversations With Your Car Alarm</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin">ErikFHelin</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks Radio</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">01. Opossom - Getaway Tonight</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">02. The Maccabes - Pelican</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">03. Django Django - Default</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">04. Liars - Brats</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">05. Purity Ring - Fineshrine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">06. Killer Mike - Go!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">07. Death Grips - Hacker</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">08. El-P - Oh Hail No</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">09. Dirty Projectors - About to Die</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">10. King Krule - Rock Bottom</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">11. TEEN - Better</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">12. The Casket Girls - You Never Know</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mix II (Summer): Dead To The Scene</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><iframe height="250" src="http://8tracks.com/mixes/1229041/player_v3_universal" style="border: 0px none;" width="300"></iframe> </span><br />
<div class="_8t_embed_p" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin/dead-to-the-scene">Dead To The Scene</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin">ErikFHelin</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks Radio</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">01. Campfires - They'll Seem Like Castles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">02. Nude Beach - Cathedral Echoes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">03. Royal Headache - Surprise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">04. Whirr - Toss</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">05. Grass Widow - Disappearing Industries</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">06. Ty Segall & White Fence - Scissor People</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">07. Foxygen - Make It Known</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">08. Protomartyr - Bubba Helms</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">09. The Men - Ex-Dreams</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">10. Holograms - Fever</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mix III (Fall): Mistaking Clouds For Mountains</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><iframe height="250" src="http://8tracks.com/mixes/1229059/player_v3_universal" style="border: 0px none;" width="300"></iframe> </span><br />
<div class="_8t_embed_p" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin/mistaking-clouds-for-mountains">Mistaking Clouds For Mountains</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin">ErikFHelin</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks Radio</a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">01. Andrew Bird - Danse Carribe</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">02. Sonny & The Sunsets - I See The Void</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">03. Beachwood Sparks - Earl Jean</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">04. Ryan Stively - We Forget Everything</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">05. The Tallest Man On Earth - Leading Me Now</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">06. Craig Finn - Balcony</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">07. Julie Doiron - Our Love</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">08. Calexico - Fortune Teller</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">09. Parquet Courts - N Dakota</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">10. Mac DeMarco - Freaking Out The Neighborhood</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">11. Chris Cohen - Rollercoaster Rider</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">12. Grizzly Bear - A Simple Answer</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mix IV (Winter): Dusky Diamonds Shining</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><iframe height="250" src="http://8tracks.com/mixes/1229077/player_v3_universal" style="border: 0px none;" width="300"></iframe> </span><br />
<div class="_8t_embed_p" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin/dusky-diamonds-shining">Dusky Diamonds Shining</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin">ErikFHelin</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks Radio</a>.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">01. Damien Jurado - Working Titles</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">02. Beach House - On The Sea</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">03. Divine Fits - Shivers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">04. Cat Power - Manhattan</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">05. The Babies - Alligator</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">06. Here We Go Magic - How Do I Know</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">07. White Fence - A Hermes Blues</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">08. Hospitality - All Day Today</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">09. The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">10. Woods - It Ain't Easy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">11. Lambchop - Never My Love</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">12. Perfume Genius - Take Me Home</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Bonus Mixes</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mix V (Outliers, Odds & Ends): Everybody Should Be Touching The Sky</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><iframe height="250" src="http://8tracks.com/mixes/1229091/player_v3_universal" style="border: 0px none;" width="300"></iframe> </span><br />
<div class="_8t_embed_p" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin/everybody-should-be-touching-the-sky">Everybody Should Be Touching The Sky</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin">ErikFHelin</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks Radio</a>.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">01. Father John Misty - Only Son Of The Ladies Man</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">02. Guided By Voices - Class Clown Spots A UFO</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">03. King Tuff - Anthem</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">04. Japandroids - Continuous Thunder</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">05. Spiritualized - Hey Jane</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">06. Melody's Echo Chamber - Some Time Alone, Alone</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">07. Frank Ocean - Thinkin' Bout You</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">08. White Rabbits - I Had It Coming</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">09. Mind Spiders - On The Radio</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">10. Shearwater - Immaculate</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">11. Nada Surf - Looking Through</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">12. The Walkmen - Song For Leigh</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">13. Jens Lekman - The End Of The World Is Bigger Than Love</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Mix VI (2012 Rap Addendum): That's A Cool Accomplishment</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><iframe height="250" src="http://8tracks.com/mixes/1229109/player_v3_universal" style="border: 0px none;" width="300"></iframe> </span><br />
<div class="_8t_embed_p" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin/that-s-a-cool-accomplishment">That's A Cool Accomplishment</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/erikfhelin">ErikFHelin</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks Radio</a>.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">
</span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">01. Big K.R.I.T. - 4EvaNaDay (Theme)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">02. Action Bronson & Alchemist - Randy The Musical</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">03. Theophilus London & A$AP Rocky - Big Spender</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">04. Chief Keef - I Don't Like (feat. Lil Reese)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">05. Death Grips - I've Seen Footage</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">06. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">07. Kendrick Lamar - Good Kid</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">08. Aesop Rock - Zero Dark Thirty</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">09. El-P - The Full Retard</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">10. Captain Murphy - The Ritual</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">11. Frank Ocean - Super Rich Kids (feat. Earl Sweatshirt)</span>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-21227569990920280382012-10-01T10:24:00.001-05:002012-10-02T17:45:18.566-05:00Spreadsheets Are The New BlogIt started off as a simple way for Erik and me to keep track of new releases we were interested in listening to, but it has evolved into something much more.<br />
<br />
Check it out <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/pub?key=0AmVEBk4iftH2dEJxNmRvRHVBcWtZVFFQOWY3d01EOWc&output=html" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Feedback is welcome and feel free to pass along the link to others.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-19670563695477056012012-02-09T22:26:00.000-06:002012-02-09T22:30:18.028-06:00January 2012: A RetrospectiveWoah. 2012 has gotten off to a rocky start. Usually, in every month there is at least one album that warrants attention, but January 2012 was an incredible disappointment. It should be noted that early in any year there tends to be an absence of high-quality releases (last year being an exception [<i>Kaputt</i>]), but this year it's been especially bad. Not only were there few albums that piqued interest, but there were few tracks that even blipped the radar. Of the full-legnth albums that came out, I can count on one hand ones that I would consider "good." And those are:<br />
<br />
<b>Porcelain Raft</b>, <i>Strange Weekend</i><br />
<b>Craig Finn</b>, <i>Clear Heart Full Eyes</i><br />
<b>Nada Surf</b>, <i>The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy</i><br />
<b>Hospitality</b>, <i>Hospitality</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
That's about all for albums in January. As far as tracks are concerned, it took some struggling and slogging to assemble a presentable mix. I actually had to dig back into some 2011 overlooked tracks to make it work (Mikal Cronin!). Here is that mix.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">She Dreams in Color All the Time</span></b><br />
<br />
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<div class="_8t_embed_p" style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 12px;">
<a href="http://8tracks.com/bubblewolf/she-dreams-in-color-all-the-time">She Dreams in Color All the Time</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/bubblewolf">BubbleWolf</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks</a>.</div>
<br />
01. Zammuto - Too Late To Topologize (Album due out 4/3/2012)<br />
02. Django Django - Default (2012)<br />
03. The Maccabees - Pelican (2012)<br />
04. Nada Surf - Looking Through (2012)<br />
05. Ku Klux Glam - Come My Way (2011)<br />
06. Hospitality - Eighth Avenue (2012)<br />
07. Young Governor - Where It's Quiet (2011)<br />
08. Campfires - Melted Rubber Soul (2012)<br />
09. Mikal Cronin - Is It Alright? (2011)<br />
<br />
Enjoy! And let's look forward to the future.<br />
<br>
-<a href="http://twitter.com/bubblewolf" target="_blank">e</a>.Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-63663608890969335182012-01-23T13:55:00.001-06:002012-01-23T13:55:18.560-06:00Ceiling Fan In My Spoon: A Lemonheads Concert ReviewThe first concert I ever attended was The Lemonheads at Summerfest back in 1994. Even though they didn't go on until 10PM, I recall arriving at the stage around 3PM with my friend Silas to stake out a good location, and then suffering through whatever crap bands played before them. I also recall spending all $20 I brought on a <i>Come On Feel The Lemonheads</i> concert t-shirt and having to beg for spare change from strangers in order to catch the bus back to the Park 'n Ride after the show. Ah, youth.<br />
<br />
So when it was announced back in November that The Lemonheads would be coming to Turner Hall to play their classic album<i> It's a Shame About Ray</i>, I secured tickets immediately. I had already seen them perform the album at SXSW in 2008 (<a href="http://youtu.be/x7jHmAtqb84" target="_blank">fwd to about 1:00</a>), but given that<i> IaSAR</i> is one of my Top 10 Albums Of All-Time, I will never turn down a chance to see it performed.<br />
<br />
Evan Dando opened the set with some solo acoustic guitar numbers, including <i>Being Around</i> - a personal fav of mine. He was wearing the same striped shirt everyone always pictures in him and appears to be aging as much as <a href="http://lostpedia.wikia.com/wiki/Richard_Alpert" target="_blank">Richard Alpert</a>. After six or so songs, the rest of band came out and launched into <i>Rockin' Stroll</i>, with Evan now on electric guitar. Near the end of the song his amp blew, so he followed <i>Rockin' Stroll </i>with an impromptu acoustic number while it was being repaired. After a second attempt to play his electric (to no avail), he told the crowd that this would be a "different kind of show" and proceeded to play <i>Confetti</i> and <i>It's a Shame About Ray</i> on his acoustic, which was actually really nice.<br />
<br />
His electric guitar returned for <i>Rudderless</i>, which set off a round of cheers from the audience. They tore through the rest of the album, and I pointed and shouted when appropriate (and sometimes when not appropriate). He switched back to his acoustic for <i>Frank Mills</i>, which was my second-favorite Turner Hall sing-along ever (first place belonging to TMBG's <i>Dead</i> sing-along at my wedding). There was no <i>Mrs. Robinson</i>, much to the chagrin of the majority of the crowd, but we <i>were</i> treated to some other great songs from <i>Come On Feel The Lemonheads (Great Big No, Big Gay Heart, I'll Do It Anyway)</i>, which, in my mind, is just as great of an album as <i>Ray</i>.<br />
<br />
All-in-all, it was a solid show from an iconic band. And here's some fan footage from the show:<br />
<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8Ap5GFRhBCc" width="560"></iframe>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-58766408311371580102012-01-17T18:24:00.002-06:002012-01-17T22:22:52.695-06:00Erik's January 2012 Mix - God Only Likes Those Who Stay High Enough on Him<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://8tracks.com/mixes/531095/player_v3">
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<div class="_8t_embed_p" style="line-height: 12px;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><a href="http://8tracks.com/bubblewolf/god-only-likes-those-who-stay-high-enough-on-him">God Only Likes Those Who Stay High Enough on Him</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/bubblewolf">BubbleWolf</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks</a>.</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm not exactly sure where this mix came from. I think it came on the heels of streaming Craig Finn's new country-tinged solo album <i>Clear Heart Full Eyes</i>, going back through Pitchfork's Best of 2000s albums list and hearing Ryan Adams' <i>Heartbreaker</i>, and rekindling my love of Milwaukee band The Championship's <i>Midnight Golden</i>. All of these elements came together, and I found myself assembling a country-ish playlist. I like it. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>God Only Likes Those Who Stay High Enough on Him</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>01. Bob Dylan - Sarah Jane</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a track of of the much-maligned <i>Dylan </i>album. Not especially country, but it takes on new meaning when you realize that you're essentially listening to "I Want You Back" by Jackson 5.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>02. Fleetwood Mac - That's Enough for Me</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As always, my <i>Tusk </i>phase continues. This is another one of Lindsay Buckingham's coke-fueled anger songs.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>03. Ryan Adams - My Winding Wheel</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As stated, I recently heard <i>Heartbreaker </i>and fell for it. This and Old 97's <i>Too Far to Care </i>are great gems in indie-pop-alt-whatever-fuck-labels country. And this song in particular is fantastic.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>04. The Clientele - Saturday</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Also going through Pitchfork's 2000s list I heard The Clientele's <i>Suburban Light</i> and was totally taken by it. This was actually the first song I put on this list.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>05. The Hold Steady - 212 Margarita</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This track is a B-side or something. I saw <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6F2d1PatJw" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">this video</span></a> a few years ago and it re-convinced me that Craig Finn is a genius. There are a lot of great lines in this one.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #20124d;">06. The Championship - Christian Man / I'd Rather Be Truckin'</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Championship was a Milwaukee band that I think is now defunct. All I know is that <i>Midnight Golden </i>is one of my favorite winter albums (check it out on <a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/midnight-golden/id274998087" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">iTunes</span></a>. Buy it). Yes, he sounds like Springsteen or Johnny Cash. But it's not a bad thing. And the second half of this track is some great drivin' music.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><b>07. Neko Case - Stinging Velvet</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm super-predictable when I think of "country" music, because my mind immediately goes to about 4 bands. Neko Case, Drive-By Truckers, Old 97's, and Lucinda Williams. I love how all of these artists take standard country and southern rock conventions and make them a unique and heartfelt listening experience. Neko Case is so brilliant and emotive with her voice. She can pretty much do no wrong in my eyes. And she's funny as hell. This track is off of <i>Blacklisted</i>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>08. Old 97's - Big Brown Eyes</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Too Far to Care</i> is one of the best albums of the 90s, in my humble opinion, and the opinion of this blog. I remember seeing The Old 97s in <i>The Break-Up </i>and liking "Melt Show" a lot. I then looked into a greatest hits album, and I loved a few choice tracks. Years later, I ended up listening to <i>TFtC</i> and realizing that every song I had previously liked was on it. And, I liked every other song on it. "Big Brown Eyes" is great in the way it builds, has fantastic lyrics, and a phenomenal hook.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>09. Elliott Smith - I Don't Think I'm Ever Gonna Figure it Out</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm pretty sure this track is a demo from the <i>Basement on a Hill </i>sessions. Elliott Smith had a rich <a href="http://cdn.pigeonsandplanes.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/elliott-smith.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">appreciation for country music</span></a>, and you can hear a lot of that influence in his music. This is a folk, song as is customary for him, but it really has country undertones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Lucinda Williams - Mama You Sweet</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lucinda Williams is a throwback to the old traditions of Tammy Wynette and Patsy Cline of writing from a really sentimental and oftentimes wounded place. "Mama You Sweet" is a beautiful track. I get a little edgy and breathless as that last verse trails on and on and on, but as soon as it comes full circle it's one of my favorite musical moments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>11. Drive-By Truckers - Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This song is devastating. If you don't know the subject matter, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2006_Richmond_spree_murders#The_Harvey_Family" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">read into it</span></a>. A heartbreaking story and a gut-wrenching way to tell it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>12. Bright Eyes - Devil Town</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I watch <i>Friday Night Lights.</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Until Next Time,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<a href="http://twitter.com/bubblewolf" target="_blank"><span style="color: orange;">e</span></a>.</span>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-84700986704594714332012-01-16T10:54:00.001-06:002012-01-16T10:54:25.881-06:00TK's January 2012 Mix - Keep Your Feet Warm<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=9,0,28,0" height="250" width="300"><param name="movie" value="http://8tracks.com/mixes/517686/player_v3">
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<a href="http://8tracks.com/lighthouseflash/keep-your-feet-warm">Keep Your Feet Warm</a> from <a href="http://8tracks.com/lighthouseflash">lighthouseflash</a> on <a href="http://8tracks.com/">8tracks</a>.</div>
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I recently posted a new mix on 8tracks...some notes:<br />
<br />
<b>Keep Your Feet Warm</b><br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">01. The Walkmen - Don't Forget Me</span></b><br />
This is a cover of a Harry Nilsson song, which Neko Case also covered. There is some intense debate amongst the LHF staff as to which is superior. This one gets my vote, if only because they covered the entire <i>Pussy Cats</i> album, which is hilarious and incredible.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">02. Liam The Younger - Beneath The Weeping Willow Tree</span></b><br />
Liam recorded two albums a few years ago that will soon be available on vinyl (<a href="http://underwaterpeoples.com/2012/01/11/two-full-records-of-pure-tranquil-folk-from-liam-the-younger/" target="_blank">order them</a>!). This song reminds me of really falling for Iron and Wine's <i>The Creek Drank The Cradle</i> back in 2002, mainly because of the slide guitar at the end. Can't believe that album is 10 years old.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">03. Bobby Charles - Small Town Talk</span></b><br />
I've been in an early 70's mood lately here at LHF HQ. Smooth and calm, keeps me focused. I have found <a href="http://8tracks.com/tightsweater" target="_blank">tightsweater's mixes on 8tracks</a> (especially from The Crate series) to be a great resource in my quest to unearth a lot of gems that had previously eluded me (Bobby Fay, Shuggie Otis, etc).<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">04. Guided By Voices - Tell Me</span></b><br />
As most of you will hopefully figure out, this is a very early version of what eventually became <i>Tractor Rape Chain</i> (most definitely in my Top 10 songs of all time) off the album <i>Bee Thousand</i>. I wish this REM-inspired era of GBV lasted longer; you don't get to hear Bob sing lines like "tell me how you feel about me" enough these days.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">05. The Double - Soul Cougar</span></b><br />
I listened to this CD the other day. I bought it on my first trip to NYC in 2004 (at Other Music, of course), and listened to it while walking around the city on my discman, which is kind of crazy to think about. It makes me glad that I have kept my CD collection in tact (and organized chronologically, based on release date), even though I pretty much stopped buying CDs in 2009.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">06. Django Django - Default</span></b><br />
This is a GM find. Part of a <a href="http://ge.tt/8TK7gnB/v/0" target="_blank">super secret collab mix</a> constructed on 12.31.11. Don't tell anyone.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">07. Mikal Cronin - Apathy</span></b><br />
LHF likes to believe we don't overlook any great albums, but we whiffed on Mikal Cronin's s/t release last year. Thankfully Seizure Chicken didn't make the same mistake, naming his album #5 on <a href="http://www.seizurechicken.com/2011/12/best-albums-of-2011/" target="_blank">their year-end list</a>, and it's been on steady rotation for the past 2 weeks. Had I heard it in time, this one probably would've cracked my Top 10.<br />
<br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #073763;">08. Hospital Ships - Dani, Love Of Mine (live)</span></b><br />
Some day I'll probably shut up about this band, but they just released some live recordings from France that you should check out <a href="http://hospitalships.bandcamp.com/album/hospital-ships-in-france" target="_blank">here</a>. Included in the set is this alternative version of <i>Reprise</i>, a slowed-down and tender take that also appears on the vinyl. Also, all of the proceeds from the purchase of these live recordings go towards helping a sick cat get surgery. For real.<br />
<br />
January on.<br />
<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-12026623384652563042011-12-29T22:00:00.001-06:002011-12-29T22:01:14.618-06:00Erik's Best of 2011 Mixes I-IV<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year, as is custom, I made year-end mixes of tracks I enjoyed throughout the year. There are 4 mixes, which are available for download <a href="http://ge.tt/8l28tEB?c" target="_blank">here</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mix I: Too Much Culcha</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This mix is primarily garage and more uptempo rock music.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">01. Woods - Any Other Day</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">02. Black Lips - New Direction</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">03. Motel Beds - Go Go Make Yourself</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">04. The UV Race - Inner North</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">05. Mind Spiders - No. 3</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">06. Campfires - Chasing Planets</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">07. Hospital Ships - Reprise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">08. Natural Child - Dogbite</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">09. Thee Oh Sees - I Need Seed</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Those Darlins - Screws Get Loose</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. ART MUSEUMS - Dancning with a Hole in Your Heart</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12. Crystal Stilts - Dark Eyes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13. Akron/Family - So It Goes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14. WATERS - For The One</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">15. Lavalier - Santa Claus Ain't Comin'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">16. Kids On A Crime Spree - John Paul Sartre II</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">17. Fergus & Geronimo - Baby Don't You Cry</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">18. Sleeping in the Aviary - Someone Loves You</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">19. Girls - Honey Bunny</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">20. The Vaccines - Nørgaard </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Mix II: Hope Is For Presidents</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This mix is mostly rock, once again, but overall it's more polished, cleaner, and happier.</span><br />
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">01. The Strokes - Taken For A Fool</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">02. Generationals - Ten-Twenty-Ten</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">03. Dent May - Fun</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">04. Andrew Jackson Jihad - People II: Still Peoplin'</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">05. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks - Tune Grief</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">06. BOAT - Frank Black Says (No. 14 Baby)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">07. Yuck - Milkshake</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">08. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Definite Darkness</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">09. The War On Drugs - Your Love Is Calling My Name</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Dum Dum Girls - Caught In One</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. Chelsea Wolfe- Demons</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12. Wye Oak - Holy Holy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13. Kurt Vile - Jesus Fever</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14. Real Estate - It's Real</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">15. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Yesterday, Never</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">16. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Heaven's Gonna Happen Now</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">17. Fucked Up - Under My Nose</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Mix III: We Built This City On Ruins</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This third mix has a mellower tone than the other two, and features more electronic elements. Kind of a wind-down and ethereal mix.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">01. The Decemberists - June Hymn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">02. Fleet Foxes - Lorelai</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">03. Eleanor Friedberger - My Mistakes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">04. St. Vincent - Cruel</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">05. tUnE-yArDs - You Yes You</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">06. Jens Lekman - New Directions</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">07. Destroyer - Poor In Love</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">08. Panda Bear - Surfer's Hymn</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">09. Ford & Lopatin - Emergency Room</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Craft Spells - Scandinavian Crush</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. Beirut - The Peacock</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12. James Blake - Give Me My Month</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13. Atlas Sound - Te Amo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14. Bon Iver - Holocene</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Mix IV: Go Meet Aaliyah</b></span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fourth mix is a rap addendum. Rap never finds a natural flow into any mixes, and rap had a really great year this year, so so I figured I would make one hip-hop-only mix.</span><br />
<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Track List:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">01. Beastie Boys - Make Some Noise</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">02. Danny Brown - Detroit 187 (feat. Chip$)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">03. Tyler The Creator - Tron Cat</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">04. Death Grips - Guillotine</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">05. Murs - Animal Style</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">06. Reks - This or That</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">07. Kanye West & Jay-Z - Otis (feat. Otis Redding)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">08. Big K.R.I.T. - R4 Theme Song</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">09. Phonte - We Go Off (feat. Pharoahe Monch)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Freddie Gibbs - Natural High (Even Higher Learning)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. Elzhi - The World Is Yours</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12. Kendrick Lamar - Rigamortus</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13. Shabazz Palaces - Swerve the Reeping of All that is Worthwhile (Noir Not Withstanding)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14. Frank Ocean - Novacane</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you have it! That was 2011 for me, musically. Enjoy, and I'll see you in 2012.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">-<a href="http://twitter.com/bubblewolf" target="_blank">e</a>.</span>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-17128139386280732402011-12-16T01:00:00.000-06:002011-12-22T14:11:08.825-06:00Erik's Top Albums of 2011: 5-1<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For those of you just tuning in, here's where we've been:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Honorable Mentions:</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Danny Brown - XXX</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Jamie xx & Gil Scott-Heron - We're New Here</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Panda Bear - Tomboy</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ford & Lopatin - Channel Pressure</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Havok - Time Is Up</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PJ Harvey - Let England Shake</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Big K.R.I.T. - Returnof4eva</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">25. Thee Oh Sees - Castlemania + Carrion Crawler/The Dream</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">24. Real Estate - Days</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">23. Craft Spells - Idle Labor</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">22. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">21. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">20. OFF! - First Four EPs</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">19. Liturgy - Aesthetica </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">18. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Tune Grief</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">17. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">16. Woods - Sun & Shade</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">15. Elzhi - Elmatic</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">14. The UV Race - Homo</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">13. Chelsea Wolfe - Ἀποκάλυψις</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">12. Hospital Ships - Lonely Twin</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">11. Kendrick Lamar - Section.80</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">10. Motel Beds - Sunfried Dreams</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">09. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">08. The Vaccines - What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">07. Beirut - The Rip Tide</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">06. Yuck - Yuck (Deluxe Edition)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>And now we have the top 5:</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="text-align: left;">Let me preface this by saying, I </span><i style="text-align: left;">totally </i><span style="text-align: left;">understand why people don't like Fucked Up. Pink Eyes' voice is trying, especially for 78 minutes. But, I can't deny the fact that I'm endlessly impressed with the energy and ambition and execution of this thing. Look at a song like "Serve Me Right," buried at the end of the second act. Even though I'm over a half-hour into the album, I still find myself being excited and surprised by the choices they made in making this thing. A lot has been written about, oh, this is a "Hardcore Concept Album." To me, the fact that it's a hardcore album is ancillary. It's just a flat-out great guitar rock record that happens to have a guy screaming the life out of his lungs.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>04. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I just mentioned "choices" a few seconds ago. <i>Strange Mercy </i>is the perfect example of how odd sonic and production choices completely impact an album. I love this album because I don't know any other band who would think to do any of the stuff on it. People bringing up this album cite the guitar solo in "Cruel" as such an intense juxtaposition of Annie Clark's natural grace and the hideous nature of the music. But all of <i>Strange Mercy </i>is littered with these gross flourishes. "Dilettante" blasts with these nasty electronic hits, "Surgeon" has an incredibly alien-sounding guitar solo, etc, etc. The point is this, every time I listen to this album I find myself not only finding something new, but I find myself thinking about the choices that led to what I'm listening to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">St. Vincent - Dilettante</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>03. Andrew Jackson Jihad - Knife Man</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I'm a cynical asshole. I know it. I'm okay with it at this point. Tim talked about when listening to <i>Lonely Twin</i>, he felt personal connections to lots of lyrics. This is how I felt about <i>Knife Man</i>. Is this album especially innovative, or musically great? Nope. It's a standard folk-punk album. But the lyrics are so funny, and cynical, and dark, and brilliant. And every song (with the exception of "Backpack") has at least one line where I hear it and laugh as I nod my head. As soon as I listened to <i>Knife Man</i>, I started it over and listened to it again. It felt good to be obsessed with a new album.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">"Zombies By The Cranberries By Andrew Jackson Jihad"</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>02. The War on Drugs - Slave Ambient
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I still don't know if I'm 100% sure about my decision here. I am a huge fan of both <i>Slave Ambient </i>and <i>Kaputt</i>, but try and bear with me here. <i>Slave Ambient </i>is the best album in the context of all the albums made this year. I feel like every other album on my list was building towards this. It's as much <i>Strange Mercy </i>as it is <i>Smoke Ring For My Halo</i>. Everything those 23 albums did well: strong transitions, cultivating an aesthetic, songwriting, production risks, rhythm, etc. <i>Slave Ambient </i>did as well or better. Tim highlighted the three-track suite of "Your Love Is Calling My Name/The Animator/Come To The City," and he's right. In my opinion it's is the best ~13 minutes in music this year. Like I said, this is the <b>best </b>album of this year, in the context of this year.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>01. Destroyer - Kaputt
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Having said all that; every few years an album comes along that feels like it exists outside of the influence of the rest of music released that year. The last album I can think of that felt this way was <i>Bitte Orca </i>in 2009. <i>Kaputt </i>felt like Dan Bejar was functioning on completely different wavelength as everybody else. The musical influences are obscure and and the lyrical references even more obscure. It's lush, bizarre, pensive, and wholeheartedly unique. I can't really expand much on Tim's write-up of this. All I know is that every time I walk around New York City in the rain, and I see neon lights reflected off dirty curbside puddles, I think of this album, and the songs play over and over again in my mind.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So there you have it. I hope you enjoyed this list. Check back soon for best of 2011 track mixes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-<a href="http://twitter.com/bubblewolf">e</a>.</span>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-55638664995223839032011-12-14T21:08:00.003-06:002011-12-15T20:47:33.634-06:00Erik's Top Albums of 2011: 10-6<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>10. Motel Beds - Sunfried Dreams</b></span><br />
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<a href="http://www.turntablekitchen.com/_uploads/SunfriedDreams.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.turntablekitchen.com/_uploads/SunfriedDreams.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 313px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 313px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This album, once again, was recommended to me by TK, which is a recurring trend in almost everything I listen to (especially this year). Motel Beds is a band from Dayton, OH. And no, that's not funny. But they are. Visit their website at <a href="http://www.brotelbeds.com/" target="_blank">http://brotelbeds.com</a>. That kinda funny. That humor runs through this fun, free LP. These songs are lighthearted, catchy, just a pleasure to listen to. What I like most about <i>Sunfried Dreams</i> is their song structure. Usually really straight-forward, but they have this way of one-upping themselves within songs. They'll start with a really infectious riff, and they'll play it for just long enough that you'll get into a groove, and then they'll come in with an outstanding melody that makes you almost forget how much you loved the riff in the first place. There isn't a bad song on this thing, and it's a wonderful summer album.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>09. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year was full of great guitar records. Five of my top ten are albums that really innovated or perfected what can be done with how the guitar sounds. Now, I'm not saying </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Belong</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is the most innovative record, it mines heavily from the giant, cacophonous shoegaze pioneered by bands like My Bloody Valentine and Cocteau Twins in the 80s. What I love about </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Belong</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> is that it took these inspiration points and really turned them into pop gems. When I listen to this album I just find myself getting lost in the guitar sounds, for minutes sometimes, before I even realize that there's a fantastic pop song happening at the same time. It's really an achievement.</span><br />
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F11829815" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/user4512847/the-pains-of-being-pure-at-1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - Even in Dreams</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>08. The Vaccines - What Did You Expect from the Vaccines?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once again, this was another TK call. I didn't like it at first. I didn't dislike it. I just didn't see why it was so good. But it definitely won me over, and I've found myself listening to it with great frequency over the past 6 months. There's nothing especially innovative here. It's just straight-up, catchy rock and roll, with a lot of swagger. Tracks like "If You Wanna," "Wreckin' Bar (Ra Ra Ra)," and "Norgaard" just hit like a ton of bricks. Like the Motel Beds album, everything on this album is a winner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>07. Beirut - The Rip Tide</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I remember after listening to this album the first time saying, "It was good, but it felt incomplete." Now, after repeated listens, my mind has been changed. It feels incomplete for a Beirut album, in the sense that his albums tend to have a lot of bloated tracks, and skip-over filler tracks. Not this one. He doesn't reinvent the wheel with his style, he still cultivates a sophisticated, luxurious aesthetic, but he's become much more refined. The album runs at just over a half hour, but not a moment is wasted. Sure, there are awesome pop flourishes like "East Harlem" and "Santa Fe," but there are also soaring, marvelous tracks like "Vagabond" and "The Peacock." It's really a stunner.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>06. Yuck - Yuck (Deluxe Edition)</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I will be the first to admit that my age affected my love of </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yuck</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. I didn't grow up listening to "Sugarcube," so when I first heard </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yuck</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, it sounded fresh and original. And then this year, I went back and did some digging on all the sounds that Yuck mined from. To be honest, I like Yuck as much, or more than some of the source material. They took those sounds and songs, upped the production value, and tightened the songwriting on the majority of the A side. This album does tend to drag on the second half, but the first half is so damn good that I found myself going back to it as much or more than any other side this year. I specifically put the Deluxe Edition on this list, because, and I know this is cheating, but I took some of the bonus tracks (some of which are better than the album tracks), and replaced the dull tracks on the second half. The resulting album is much more concise, and overall way better than the original.</span><br />
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10280152" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/yuck/yuck-georgia">Georgia</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/yuck">Yuck</a></span>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-23436346751956927652011-12-13T23:12:00.003-06:002011-12-14T21:06:10.755-06:00Erik's Top Albums of 2011: 15-11<span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>15. Elzhi - Elmatic</b></span><br /><br /><a href="http://thelifelike.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/elmatic.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://thelifelike.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/elmatic.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >Elmatic is one of those times when you realize that innovation doesn't necessarily mean good. On this album, producer Will Sessions took a hip-hop classic, Nas' Illmatic, and updated it with better recording quality, and embellished the jazz under (and over) tones to create something that is simultaneously infectious and impressive. Elzhi builds upon Nas' original flow and lyrics and expands upon it. Elmatic's not so much a covers album as it is a jumping off point.</span><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F27548386"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F27548386" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span ><a href="http://soundcloud.com/elzhi/the-world-is-yours">The World Is Yours (Represent Intro)</a> by eLzhi</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>14. The UV Race - Homo</b></span><br /><br /><a href="http://s3.amazonaws.com/delivery.midheaven.com/h/115846/images/759718520521_main.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://s3.amazonaws.com/delivery.midheaven.com/h/115846/images/759718520521_main.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div><span class="Apple-style-span" >Druuuuuuugsssssssssss. This album sounds like a few Australians holed themselved up in a basement with 5 kegs and a few kilos and said, "Let's make an album." It's ugly, imperfect, bizarre, and fun as hell.<br /><br />"Burn That Cat"</span><br /><br /><iframe width="100%" height="24" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zePMk1PHulE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>13. Chelsea Wolfe - Ἀποκάλυψις</b></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.pendusound.com/releases/images/psr0045.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.pendusound.com/releases/images/psr0045.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >This album has been described as "Doom Folk." On paper, that sounds like a recipe for A) Pretention B) Bullshit or C) Pretentious Bullshit. Oddly, though, Ἀποκάλυψις (Greek for Apolcalypse) is a unique piece of sincere, dark, and beatiful music. Tracks like "Demons," "Mer" and especially "Pale On Pale" channel some of the mood of metal, but repackage it into something much more pallatable. Overall it's a really dense and fantastic listen.</span><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F29529575"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F29529575" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/wonderlandmag/chelsea-wolfe-mer"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Chelsea Wolfe - Mer</span></a><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>12. Hospital Ships - Lonely Twin</b></span><br /><br /><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514wAgb1ruL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/514wAgb1ruL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >I concur with Tim's bafflement at how unheard of this album was this year. Aside from him, really nobody I knew even mentioned this thing. And that's a damn shame. If there's one thing this past year should teach anybody, it's that sincerity reigns in music. If you look at albums like Bon Iver, Bon Iver, Girls' Father, Son, Holy Ghost, and Atlas Sound's Parallax, people respond to sincerity. Don't get me wrong, Lonely Twin isn't in the same league at those other albums. It's actually well produced, catchy, concise, and un-repetive (burn!). The closest analog I have to this album is Windmill's Puddle City Racing Lights; a heartbreaking and beautiful album that grows on you over time, and one that you find yourself immersed in, picking out specific lines that speak to you in a given moment, like that song was only written for you.</span><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16424491"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16424491" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span ><a href="http://soundcloud.com/hospital-ships/reprise">Reprise</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/hospital-ships">Hospital Ships</a></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>11. Kendrick Lamar - Section.80</b></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.dopefix.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KendrickLamarSection80-600x6001.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.dopefix.net/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/KendrickLamarSection80-600x6001.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >Kendrick Lamar is younger than I am. And that pisses me off. Section.80 is the hip-hop album of the year, in my opinion. KL's technical ability is unparalled, even in spite of the fact that his voice is sort of drab. Look at a track like "Rigamortis," where he starts in a dull-ish monotone, then as the song progresses, he gets more and more enthusiastic to the point where he has more words than he has air in his lungs. The album is wise beyond it's years, commenting on modern feminism, over-medication, general malaise, urban issues, etc. Sonically, this album has more in common with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy than anything else. I feel like KL heard that album and said, "I can do this, but actually put effort into lyrics and flow." And he did. In a year of hip-hop that has been defined by #SWAG, excess, homophobia, misogny, and violence (not necessarily bad things), Section.80 really stood out as a masterpiece with a message.</span><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F17335338"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F17335338" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span ><a href="http://soundcloud.com/cooldelamagazine/kendrick-lamar-ronald-reagan">Kendrick Lamar - Ronald Reagan Era</a></span><br /></div><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >Getting close,<br />-e.</span>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-26057531615982023492011-12-13T00:35:00.009-06:002011-12-13T23:03:50.545-06:00Erik's Top Albums of 2011: 20-16<b><span class="Apple-style-span" >20. OFF! - First Four EPs</span></b><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1E0qzVnwT3bjDYEgXZwq3kHf8jaMpRwwm0_2ECXQpDkJ1rLmIv5omFf8tPNcbvCMYugusqZ8ZAyxC8rvE7LmXXm_z0Fd_C0GsjVgWltZdXLeDICs2SS5O4OD9DuP2OB1Tybwi4FYi8I/s1600/OFF%2521+-+First+Four+EPs+%25282010%2529.jpg" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ1E0qzVnwT3bjDYEgXZwq3kHf8jaMpRwwm0_2ECXQpDkJ1rLmIv5omFf8tPNcbvCMYugusqZ8ZAyxC8rvE7LmXXm_z0Fd_C0GsjVgWltZdXLeDICs2SS5O4OD9DuP2OB1Tybwi4FYi8I/s1600/OFF%2521+-+First+Four+EPs+%25282010%2529.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" >Technically, this album came out really late last year, but I didn't discover it until early 2011. This album has really been a grower for me. After seeing a few punk shows this year from the likes of Trash Talk and Poor Lily, you really learn to appreciate the gravitas of a minute-long chunk of energy. OFF! does just that. The 16-track album runs a whopping 16-minutes long. And every track is just a blast of throwback hardcore energy.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><object height="81" width="100%" style="font-size: small; "> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F23281959"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F23281959" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span class="Apple-style-span" ><span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/jongilbertsound/poison-city-off">Poison City- OFF!</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/jongilbertsound">Jongilbertsound</a></span> </span></span><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>19. Liturgy - Aesthethica</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><a href="http://frontpsych.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/liturgy_aesthetica_400x368.jpeg" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://frontpsych.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/liturgy_aesthetica_400x368.jpeg" border="0" alt="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMqx_kOMD_o" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" >Metal had a really interesting year. With the throwback thrash of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=5288759977981373584&postID=2605753161598202349" target="”_blank”">Havok</a>, to the insane technical and innovative work of <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%E2%80%9Dhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tAbcWrrIQU%E2%80%9D" target="”_blank”">Vektor</a>, metal ran as nearly as wide of a range as hip-hop in its diversity. While the aforementioned groups really honed old pre-existing styles, Liturgy built on the idea of black metal and transformed it into something fresh and innovative. On <i>Aesthethica</i>, Liturgy found ways to meld black metal with elements of post-rock, progressive rock, and experimental music to really push the envelope. Oh, and it's fucking brutal.</span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><object height="81" width="100%" style="font-size: small; "> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13255954"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13255954" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span class="Apple-style-span" ><span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/muntersinger/liturgy-generation">Liturgy - Generation</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/muntersinger">muntersinger</a></span> </span></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>18. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><a href="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2011/05/Stephen-Malkmus-And-The-Jicks-Mirror-Traffic.jpg" style="font-size: small; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2011/05/Stephen-Malkmus-And-The-Jicks-Mirror-Traffic.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">Classic Malkmus. Listening to this album rekindles what I imagine it was like hearing alternative and indie rock bands like Fountains of Wayne or Superchunk or, um, Pavement, for the first time at their peak in the 90s. Irreverent, fun, catchy, occasionally pointed, this album is far from perfect, but flashes of brilliance exist in those imperfections.<br /></span><br /><object height="81" width="100%" style="font-size: small; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21169033"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21169033" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object><span class="Apple-style-span"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/artsandcraftsmx/08-spazz">Stephen Malkmus And The Jicks - Spazz</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/artsandcraftsmx">artsandcraftsmx</a></span> </span></span><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"><b style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); "><span class="Apple-style-span" >17. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical</span></b><br /><br /><a href="http://pitchfork-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/albums/16931/cover-homepage_large.jpg" style="font-size: small; color: rgb(34, 34, 34); " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://pitchfork-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/albums/16931/cover-homepage_large.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; ">On most of the overlap albums, I'm mainly going to refer to Tim's previous analysis. <i>Hysterical </i>was unjustifiably overlooked this year. But if you go into it without prejudice, you'd have to be crazy not to find it catchy and enjoyable.</span><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%" style="font-size: small; "> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F19782172"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F19782172" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span ><a href="http://soundcloud.com/filflackson/clap-your-hands-say-yeah">Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Maniac</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/filflackson">pillowjungle</a></span> <span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); "></span></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="color: rgb(34, 34, 34); text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); "><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>16. Woods - Sun and Shade</b></span></span></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><a href="http://cdn.alteredzones.com/post_art/woodsSunshade.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://cdn.alteredzones.com/post_art/woodsSunshade.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >I remember after <i>At Echo Lake</i> making the drunken claim that Woods was on pace to be the best band in existence based on a string of solid releases that showed nothing but progress. I retract that claim. Woods is on pace to become the next Spoon (in my opinion, of course). That claim is pretty much just an augmentation on my first claim, but bear with me. Right now Spoon has a few certified classic albums, a few unappreciated gems, and consistently release albums that try something new and inspire the listener to want more. <i>Sun and Shade </i>does just that by perfecting the jammy freak-folk and the jangly pop gems that defined their previous releases.</span></span><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15866401"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15866401" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span ><a href="http://soundcloud.com/alteredzones/woods-be-all-be-easy">Woods: "Be All Be Easy"</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/alteredzones">alteredzones</a></span>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-68238152751379350222011-12-12T18:05:00.005-06:002011-12-13T00:08:56.840-06:00Erik's Top Albums of 2011: 25-21<div style="text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: left; "><span class="Apple-style-span">25. Thee Oh Sees - Castlemania + Carrion Crawler/The Dream</span></b></div><span><div><br /><a href="http://www.polychronic.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Castlemania.jpg.jpg" style="font-weight: bold; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.polychronic.us/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Castlemania.jpg.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Thee Oh Sees is the consistently weird band that I love to love. It's a little bit unfair to put their two solid releases into one spot, but I'm going to anyway. Though I preferred <span style="font-style: italic; ">Castlemania</span>, <span style="font-style: italic; ">Carrion Crawler/The Dream</span> pushed their jammy garage bizarre-ness to new extremes. And, between the two albums, you have 1.5-2 hours of music. Some of it's sprawling, some of it's focused, some of it's just plain strange. But it's all worth a listen.</span><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%" style="font-weight: bold; "> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F29701991"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F29701991" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://soundcloud.com/gimmetinnitus/the-dream-by-thee-oh-sees">The Dream by Thee Oh Sees</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/gimmetinnitus">GIMMETINNITUS</a></span><br /><br /><span><div style="font-weight: bold; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span">24. Real Estate - Days</span></div><div><br /><a href="http://quitmumbling.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Real-Estate-Days-630x630_jpeg_630x630_q85.jpg" style="font-weight: bold; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://quitmumbling.com/public_html/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/Real-Estate-Days-630x630_jpeg_630x630_q85.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">I gave this album some guff on first listen. I thought Real Estate got a bit too polished, too repetitive, too obvious. But, when it came down to it, after repeat listens, I'm OK with what passes as obvious and repetitive for them. Tracks like "It's Real" and "Green Aisles" encapsulate the carefree, mellow-but-catchy style they're especially good at. Summer music.</span><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%" style="font-weight: bold; "> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F22293839"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F22293839" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco/real-estate-its-real">Real Estate - It's Real</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/dominorecordco">DominoRecordCo</a></span><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span">23. Craft Spells - Idle Labor</span></div><div><br /><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wWrgtDCmL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" style="font-weight: bold; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wWrgtDCmL._SL500_AA280_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">Craft Spells impresses me. And that's saying something for a group that does throwback 80s electronic music (though with a bit more guitar power). The sound quality and general song craftsmanship from ostensibly a bedroom project just blows me away. It's beautifully melodic, rhythmic, and heartbreaking. In addition, this is my favorite album art of the year.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12555001"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12555001" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/craftspells/from-the-morning-heat">From the Morning Heat</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/craftspells">CraftSpells</a></span> </span><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><br /></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span">22. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes</span></div><div><br /><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b0/Lykke_Li_-_Wounded_Rhymes_album_cover.jpg/220px-Lykke_Li_-_Wounded_Rhymes_album_cover.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b0/Lykke_Li_-_Wounded_Rhymes_album_cover.jpg/220px-Lykke_Li_-_Wounded_Rhymes_album_cover.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">I did <b>not </b>want to like this album. I resisted Lykke Li's rabid, "Have you heard <i>Wounded Rhymes</i>?" fans. And her indie eccentric persona. And I wanted to hate this. I wanted to sit back and say, "Oh you <i>suckers</i>. You'll like <i>anything</i>." And then I liked it. Like, a lot. Much like the Craft Spells album, Lykke Li put together an intensely rhythmic album with incredible melodies. Tracks like "Love Out Of Lust" are as wrenching as anything released this year. Honestly, when I hear some of the tracks on this album, I hear melodic, soaring structures that hearken bands like The National.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><i><div>We will live longer than I will</div><div>We will be better than I was</div><div>We can cross rivers with our will</div><div>We can do better than I can</div></i></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10739679"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10739679" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/lykkeli/lykke-li-love-out-of-lust">Lykke Li - Love Out Of Lust</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/lykkeli">LykkeLi</a></span> </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span">21. Kurt Vile - Smoke Ring For My Halo</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; "><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://www.buzzlegoose.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/kurt-vile-smoke-ring-for-my-halo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.buzzlegoose.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/kurt-vile-smoke-ring-for-my-halo.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />I'm enthralled by Kurt Vile in the same way I'm enthralled by Bob Dylan. Not in the sense that they sound or do anything especially the same. I am just taken by the fact that they can sing such embarrassingly good songs with near nonchalance. This album has peaks and troughs, sure, but the moments when it strikes, it's breathtaking.</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">"Peeping Tomboy"</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><iframe width="100%" height="24" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ZBFm5TFWT0Q" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">To be continued...</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span">-e.</span></div></span></div></span>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-15744419303135731192011-12-11T20:26:00.003-06:002011-12-11T22:33:40.236-06:00Erik's Top Albums of 2011: Honorable Mentions<iframe width="520" height="365" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/gvZvmvxBCag" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" >This was a good year for music, despite what other year-end lists may lead you to believe. (Drake? Bon Iver? Justify yourself!) Parsing through some of these lists has given me perspective on the fact that I have wildly different tastes from most people. Except TK, of course. Though he and I sometimes differ. For example, my list features rap and metal; both of which had some exciting releases this year. Regardless; here are 10 albums (in no particular order) that I liked this year, but not enough to make my official Top 25.<br /><br /><b>Danny Brown - XXX</b></span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.frank151.com/files/danny-brown-xxx-full-album-stream-1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 520px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.frank151.com/files/danny-brown-xxx-full-album-stream-1.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21162361"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F21162361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/foolsgoldrecs/14-nosebleeds">14 - Nosebleeds</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/foolsgoldrecs">foolsgoldrecs</a></span><br /><br /><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b>Jamie xx & Gil Scott-Heron - We're New Here</b><br /><br /><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/We%27re_New_Here_cover.svg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/We%27re_New_Here_cover.svg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10452994"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10452994" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/beatpie/05-my-cloud">Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx – My Cloud</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/beatpie">@beatpie@</a></span><br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Panda Bear - Tomboy</span></b><br /><br /><a href="http://prettymuchamazing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/PANDA-BEAR-TOMBOY.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://prettymuchamazing.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/PANDA-BEAR-TOMBOY.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13030673"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F13030673" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/niklas-7/panda-bear-surfers-hymn">Panda Bear - Surfer's Hymn</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/niklas-7">NIKLAS</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Ford & Lopatin - Channel Pressure</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.mexicansummer.com/shop/images/372/MEX091-%20Cover%20500.jpg?500,500,-1937689953" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.mexicansummer.com/shop/images/372/MEX091-%20Cover%20500.jpg?500,500,-1937689953" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12523696"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F12523696" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/cosmosmusicdk/ford-lopatin-emergency-room">Ford & Lopatin 'Emergency Room'</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/cosmosmusicdk">CosmosMusicDK</a></span><br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Havok - Time Is Up</span></b></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><br /><a href="http://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Havok-TimeIsUp.jpg" style="font-weight: bold; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.angrymetalguy.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/Havok-TimeIsUp.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span">"Prepare For Attack"</span><br /><br /><b><iframe width="100%" height="24" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/W7pRpnO3Jw4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></b><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; ">PJ Harvey - Let England Shake</span><br /><br /><a href="http://www.popmatters.com/images/news_art/l/let_england_shake.jpg" style="font-weight: bold; " onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://www.popmatters.com/images/news_art/l/let_england_shake.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%" style="font-weight: bold; "> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10415330"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10415330" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span style="font-weight: bold; "><a href="http://soundcloud.com/vagrantrecords/pj-harvey-the-words-that">PJ Harvey - The Words That Maketh Murder</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/vagrantrecords">Vagrant Records</a></span><br /><br /><b>Big K.R.I.T. - Returnof4eva</b></span></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><br /><br /><a href="http://edge-img.datpiff.com/mc8fbab3/Big_KRIT_Return_Of_4eva-front-large.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://edge-img.datpiff.com/mc8fbab3/Big_KRIT_Return_Of_4eva-front-large.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /></span></b></div><div><b><span class="Apple-style-span" ><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F19047230"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F19047230" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/steveygeez/big-krit-r4-theme-song">Big KRIT - R4 Theme Song</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/steveygeez">SteveyGeez</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Mountain Goats - All Eternals Deck</span><br /><br /><a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31z1mlsHDEL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31z1mlsHDEL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9351555"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9351555" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/indiespot/the-mountain-goats-damn-these-vampires">The Mountain Goats - Damn These Vampires</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/indiespot">Indiespot</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues</span><br /><br /><a href="http://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000004505455-u23ggy-crop.jpg?a073db2" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://i1.sndcdn.com/artworks-000004505455-u23ggy-crop.jpg?a073db2" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9872558"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9872558" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/subpop/fleet-foxes-helplessness-blues">Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/subpop">subpop</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l</span><br /><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5r6f2fR0QiA/Tar-x_jJnhI/AAAAAAAABjo/03inGycvDRA/s1600/tune+yards+whokill.jpeg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 313px; height: 313px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5r6f2fR0QiA/Tar-x_jJnhI/AAAAAAAABjo/03inGycvDRA/s1600/tune+yards+whokill.jpeg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10688101"> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10688101" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/snipelondon/tune-yards-bizness">Tune-Yards - Bizness</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/snipelondon">snipelondon</a></span><br /><br /><br />Until next time...<br /><br />-e.</span></b></div>Erikhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05005748900608474352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-31183962036037805632011-12-09T21:11:00.001-06:002011-12-13T10:58:33.129-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2011: Recap and #1<br />Recap (click on any # below to open new window with full review):<br /><br /><b><a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2011/12/tks-top-10-albums-of-2011-10.html">#10</a>: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical<br /><br /><a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2011/12/tks-top-10-albums-of-2011-9.html">#9</a>: The Vaccines - What Did You Expect From The Vaccines?<br /><br /><a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2011/12/tks-top-10-albums-of-2011-8.html">#8</a>: The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World<br /><br /><a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2011/12/tks-top-10-albums-of-2011-7.html">#7</a>: Emperor X - Western Teleport<br /><br /><a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2011/12/tks-top-10-albums-of-2011-6.html">#6</a>: Beirut - The Rip Tide<br /><br /><a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2011/12/tks-top-10-albums-of-2011-5.html">#5</a>: Woods - Sun and Shade<br /><br /><a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2011/12/tks-top-albums-of-2011-4.html">#4</a>: Caveman - Coco Beware<br /><br /><a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2011/12/tks-top-albums-of-2011-3.html">#3</a>: The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient<br /><br /><a href="http://thelighthouseflashing.blogspot.com/2011/12/tks-top-10-albums-of-2011-2.html">#2</a>: Destroyer - Kaputt</b><br /><br />.... and ...<br /><br /><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">#1 - Hospital Ships - Lonely Twin</span></b><br />
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Maybe it was just a case of right place, right time, but this was the album that made the biggest impression on me in 2011. I met this album on a solo road trip from Milwaukee to Athens (via Dayton) in July. I had already fallen for its cousins (the Minus Story albums released between 2003-2006), so I wasn't exactly surprised when it hijacked my being for a short time and sticks with me to this day.<br />
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It was the first thing I listened to when I settled into my hotel room in Dayton on a Friday afternoon, the first album I played upon departing Dayton on a bright Sunday morning, and the album I listened to as I approached Athens later that day. I had the majority of my music library at my disposal at the time, but nothing else sounded as intriguing, or real, or appropriate to me at the time. I just wanted to keep listening, wanted to make myself more familiar with the songs.<br />
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Of the 11 tracks on <i>Lonely Twin</i>, 8 of them have been my favorite on the album at some point. And they all revealed themselves to me at different times, during different plays - the true sign of a great album.<br />
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<i>Carry On</i> was the first to strike. I had to replay it (and then re-replay it) immediately. This:<br />
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<i><b>Well, the world doesn't care if you're in it or not. </b></i><br />
<i><b>Just a little point of steel into the beast you were shot.</b></i><br />
<i><b>But the whale's going to dive, he will pull the lines taut.</b></i><br />
<i><b>And when you're gone, carry on, carry on.</b></i><br />
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I could go more into why the other songs are all great, but I feel like everyone just needs to hear this album. Jordan Geiger poured his heart out into this one, and it's a bit discouraging to see the lack of its presence on year-end lists. Since you have been gracious enough to read my ramblings, I would like nothing more than to buy this record for you. I suggest the vinyl (beautiful packaging, free mp3 download, plus a gorgeous vinyl-only song called <i>Dani, Love Of Mine</i>), but I can buy you the mp3 download too, if you'd prefer. Just let me know. Leave a comment or email me. I just want people to hear this one. Seriously. It'll make me happier than you'll know.<br />
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15254838" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/izzybusybee17/hospital-ships-galaxies">HOSPITAL SHIPS Galaxies</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/izzybusybee17">isa_menon@yahoo.fr</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-32047488100080536072011-12-09T20:48:00.001-06:002011-12-13T10:24:45.812-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2011: Honorable Mentions<b>Honorable Mentions</b><br />
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Before I reveal my choice for top album of the year, here are some other ones that I enjoyed listening to, in no particular order:<br />
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<b>* Real Estate</b> - Days<br />
<b>* Kurt Vile </b>- Smoke Ring For My Halo<br />
<b>* The Beets </b>- Let The Poison Out<br />
<b>* Fleet Foxes</b> - Helplessness Blues<br />
<b>* Yuck </b>- Yuck<br />
<b>* Black Lips</b> - Arabia Mountain<br />
<b>* Mars Classroom</b> - New Theory of Everything<br />
<b>* Wooden Shjips</b> - West<br />
<b>* Chad VanGaalen</b> - Diaper Island<br />
<b>* BOAT</b> - Dress Like Your Idols<br />
<b>* Motel Beds</b> - Sunfried Dreams<br />
<b>* Moon Duo</b> - Mazes<br />
<b>* Tim Cohen</b> - Magic Trick<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-32934412281034393042011-12-09T14:59:00.001-06:002011-12-13T10:24:54.682-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2011: #2<b>#2 - Destroyer - Kaputt</b><br />
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It's no secret that I'm a huge fan of Destroyer. When I was thinking of names for this blog, it came down to lyrics from either a Destroyer song (there are about 10 great blog names in <i>The Bad Arts</i> alone - "Horizontal Myth", "Feel Medium", "Twin Prizes Waiting For The Sun", "Another Word For Sacrament", "Taking Notes For A Crooked Underground", etc.) or a Guided By Voices song (which ultimately won out). But I have to admit, I was completely taken aback when I first heard <i>Chinatown</i>, the first song released from Kaputt, back in January. The saxophone is, without question, my least favorite horn instrument. And here was this song, with saxophone spilling from its ears.<br />
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It wasn't until the third or fourth listen (and then hearing the next single, <i>Kaputt)</i> that I started to see what Dan Bejar was doing: creating an album within a very specific construct that had been relegated to music that people generally had previously despised. This is an album that looks terrible on paper but somehow sounds like a masterpiece in reality. I like what my friend Nathan had to say about the album earlier this year:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666;">"I have been rocking this album when I walk around on my bustle. I stay super cool and relaxed in an amazing pre-apocalyptic space disco world. Such a good time."</span></div>
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That pretty much nails it for me. It's so much fun to listen to this album, really <i>listen</i> to it, immerse yourself in it, get lost in it, and do so while strolling amongst all the other people who aren't in that same mind-space. This is a record that affects your whole constitution, if you let it. </div>
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...and yet it's not my #1 album of the year...<br />
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I leave you with a great snippet from a <a href="http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2011/01/17/destroyer-the-ad-interview/" target="_blank">Bejar interview on Aquarium Drunkard</a>:<br />
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<b>AD:</b> Goals change during the course of an artistic career, so where do you see yourself in five to ten years? How have your motives and ideas about your art changed from the earlier days to now?<br />
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<b>DB:</b> I don’t understand the world of goals. Goals is a numbers game. I never had a goal, let alone goals, when I started making records. And now I have even less. I am at peace with way more things, which is standard operating procedure for aging. And way more confused and terrified by the world, and even more at peace with that than with the other stuff. I am grounded by things outside the world of artmaking, not true 10 years ago. I am less polemic, more thoughtless. More like a windchime these days. I’m not sure I’m suited to what it is that I am doing, I guess that hasn’t changed…</div>
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<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15474932">
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</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-32946365852848344612011-12-09T10:01:00.001-06:002011-12-13T10:25:04.785-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2011: #3<b>#3 - The War On Drugs - Slave Ambient</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYDKpbud-2RvL9z1G61hZtlax6hVJ2PUOiq5jl0glk_qhUqrWtlHPGmulbZMlFwSNR_Ipq3jxH-QNlXghYUimDDFhx4l_PPfBG1CKzr5rkcH7XQy54JeoM8fVLYPbVtcWlBAXi9vJFyc/s1600/twod.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDYDKpbud-2RvL9z1G61hZtlax6hVJ2PUOiq5jl0glk_qhUqrWtlHPGmulbZMlFwSNR_Ipq3jxH-QNlXghYUimDDFhx4l_PPfBG1CKzr5rkcH7XQy54JeoM8fVLYPbVtcWlBAXi9vJFyc/s320/twod.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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"if i start my day w/ Best Night for the rest of my life i won't be unhappy." - Graham<br />
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Besides having one of the best band names I've ever heard, The War On Drugs have figured out how to properly update classic guitar rock. The songs (and non-songs) on Slave Ambient all have plenty of room to breathe and sprawl. There's no urgency, save for a couple of well-placed panic attacks that spring the listener back to attention. <br />
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Much like Caveman's Coco Beware, Slave Ambient draws you in immediately with opener Best Night and doesn't let go. The three song suite of Your Love Is Calling My Name / The Animator / Come To The City is the centerpiece of the album and should really be listened to as a complete piece. Late-album track Baby Missiles channels The Boss is exactly the right ways, even throwing in some harmonica right where it needs to be.<br />
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This is a sincere and hard-working band that deserves all the accolades they have received. I was fortunate enough to see them play twice this year - once with Caveman (see #4), and once with Destroyer (*spoiler alert*, wait for #2) - and cannot wait to hear how this album sounds in the dead of winter. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16502920">
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16502920" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/tlobf/the-war-on-drugs-baby-missiles">The War On Drugs - Baby Missiles</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/tlobf">The Line Of Best Fit</a> </span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-67869093064805458372011-12-08T17:24:00.001-06:002011-12-13T10:25:15.843-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2011: #4<b>#4 - Caveman - Coco Beware</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO0zDK0HyfwZHFTAFYkNy1yOMVG-SO57ZUJvNURurMejZZ0GDzcAvoxnpKh9z0innNFFha6F-Cq9di84la30brIbu7iB2tQuYLk_fBJzVma43cGE0ThXFdgyDKUrSSKgmIwybIR8AetQ/s1600/caveman_cocobeware_cover_lo_11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxO0zDK0HyfwZHFTAFYkNy1yOMVG-SO57ZUJvNURurMejZZ0GDzcAvoxnpKh9z0innNFFha6F-Cq9di84la30brIbu7iB2tQuYLk_fBJzVma43cGE0ThXFdgyDKUrSSKgmIwybIR8AetQ/s320/caveman_cocobeware_cover_lo_11.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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This album came out of nowhere. I saw Caveman (along with the 3rd best band in Milwaukee, Surgeons In Heat) open for The War On Drugs at Club Garibaldi in late August. My first impression was not great - I thought they were some sort of glorified drum circle, out of their element by being thrust on stage. But as soon as I heard the harmonies cut through the audience chatter, I knew that this was a band worth exploring further.<br />
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<i>Coco Beware</i> is one of the strongest debut albums I have ever heard. As a whole, it's fluid, eerie, and strangely calming. Caveman recalls Grizzly Bear (without the pretention), Nada Surf (without the over-sentimentality), and Real Estate (without the noodling). Unlike most of the other albums in my Top 10, there aren't really any standout tracks. <i>My Time</i> is probably the closest thing to a "single", but I've honestly only ever listened to the album as a whole, never cherry-picking songs. The opener, <i>A Country's King of Dreams</i>, draws me in whenever I put it on, and I just <i>need</i> to listen until the end.<br />
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Not that I put much stake in music critics, but it boggles my mind that <a href="http://www.avclub.com/articles/caveman-coco-beware,65039/" target="_blank">AVClub gave this album a C</a>, and Pitchfork didn't even review it, although it's seemingly right up their alley. I guess that makes <i>Coco Beware</i> one of the best-kept secrets of 2011.<br />
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<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F22238290">
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F22238290" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/thediscoverialist/caveman-a-countrys-king-of">Caveman - A Country's King of Dreams</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/thediscoverialist">TheDiscoverialist</a><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-25024182892494455462011-12-08T16:12:00.001-06:002011-12-13T10:25:31.156-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2011: #5<b>#5 - Woods - Sun And Shade</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyYSdqtlNoObJEkckFpGeHUcvo4fTeQdjOjQWB_AOng2E50698XHZhHKi8TBEFrwtjd9cxSvufNMyDjWaKPQ6_HbPCtWDixQCl37y7xr-3WGjjYQ2FnPq5jRnCq-Kmua7rjmA5t7f_tk/s1600/WOODS-SUN-SHADE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUyYSdqtlNoObJEkckFpGeHUcvo4fTeQdjOjQWB_AOng2E50698XHZhHKi8TBEFrwtjd9cxSvufNMyDjWaKPQ6_HbPCtWDixQCl37y7xr-3WGjjYQ2FnPq5jRnCq-Kmua7rjmA5t7f_tk/s320/WOODS-SUN-SHADE.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The very first time I heard the opening song on <i>Sun And Shade</i>, <i>Pushing Onlys</i>, I knew it was going to be my song of the year. It didn't stray much from the Woods-formula, three chords and a simple melody sung in one of the highest male voices you'll ever hear, but it sounded so fresh and earnest, almost anthemic. Woods has been known (by me, anyways) to put their best foot forward, opening with <i>To Clean</i> on 2009's <i>Songs Of Shame</i>, and <i>Blood Dries Darker</i> on last year's <i>At Echo Lake</i>. But <i>Pushing Onlys</i> took things to a new level, and set the tone for what is my favorite Woods album.<br />
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<i>Sun And Shade</i> contains some great 2.5-minute pop songs (<i>To Have In The Home</i>, <i>Any Other Day</i>, <i>Who Do I Think I Am</i>), but the key to enjoying the album as a whole is to embrace the two 7-minute+ songs. Of the two, <i>Out Of The Eye</i> is the easier to stick with. Appearing early in the album (only 8 minutes in), it's a major departure from the pop ditties you'd been used to, but it's a great jam that also serves as a nice precursor to the two shorter songs that follow. The nearly 10-minute <i>Sol Y Sombra</i> will be a stumbling block for a lot of listeners, but it sets up a stellar 5-song run that closes out the album.<br />
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One more thing: if Woods comes to your town, make an effort to see them play. The juxtaposition of the pop song / space jam is one thing on a record but a whole other (better) animal in a live setting. <br />
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<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15866398">
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F15866398" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/alteredzones/woods-any-other-day">Woods: "Any Other Day"</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/alteredzones">alteredzones</a><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-53852839358410498732011-12-07T21:17:00.001-06:002011-12-13T10:25:39.490-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2011: #6<b>#6 - Beirut - The Rip Tide</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay2PioSjur1KNiv01ahpDy5tQIQnOjlPOIWomeAq7C9vbbNaV_xIHnvL8t4CFexdvbhy_1qUOM7IOWlJctz-RjyWKRX33SxmRv1rOiAqp_bTlZZi-m3DAsv6f4AH6brlxS-bTLjfsbsQ/s1600/Beirut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhay2PioSjur1KNiv01ahpDy5tQIQnOjlPOIWomeAq7C9vbbNaV_xIHnvL8t4CFexdvbhy_1qUOM7IOWlJctz-RjyWKRX33SxmRv1rOiAqp_bTlZZi-m3DAsv6f4AH6brlxS-bTLjfsbsQ/s320/Beirut.jpg" width="319" /></a></div>
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This is the record I've been waiting Beirut to make since I first heard them in 2005. After a Balkan-influenced debut album, a French-tinged sophomore album, and a Mexican/Electronic double EP, I was curious to see which direction the band was headed in. Turns out that pop music trumps all. Pop w/ horns, that is.<br />
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The album opens with a solid 1-2-3 punch, including the standout track <i>East Harlem</i>. It might be the finest song Zach Condon has ever composed (with the possible exception of <i>After The Curtain</i>). Late album track <i>Vagabond</i> seems instantly recognizable - and instantly likable. Closer <i>Port of Call </i>is rather brutal in the way that it leaves the listener wanting more. And after only nine songs in 33 minutes, I've often found myself relighting the candle's fire right away.<br />
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The Rip Tide is, by far, Beirut's most consistent and polished record to date. They are quickly becoming the next Spoon, a band so talented and solid that their releases tend to get overlooked by critics and taste-makers. Don't make the mistake of missing out on this gem.<br />
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<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F16673473">
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-91335887851649900242011-12-07T15:59:00.001-06:002011-12-13T10:25:49.351-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2011: #7<b>#7 - Emperor X - Western Teleport</b><br />
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Much like the album in my #8 slot, <i>Western Teleport</i> is very much a headphone album, meant to be listened to in solitude. The songs are dense and damaged and offer more with each listen. Opener <i>Erica Western Teleport </i>encompasses the feeling and aesthetic of the entire album - glitchy beeps, acoustic guitar, panned drumming (this is where the headphones come in handy), tech lyrics ("accessing her COMSAT", "...with the USB port fried", "jerking at the firewire"), and layers of tape manipulations, all wrapped in a pop package. The song has a basic verse-chorus-verse-chorus-etc structure, but the lyrics to the chorus change each time, a great trick applied to other tracks on the album, keeping the listener engaged in the song.<br />
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Other album highlights include the lovely <i>Canada Day</i>, <i>A Violent Translation Of The Concordia Headscarp</i> (which appeared on my Best of 2009 compilation), <i>Defiance</i> (which almost appeared on my Best of 2010 compilation), and <i>Allahu Akbar</i>. These songs have clearly been kicked around for a while, just waiting for the right context (I would imagine). Well, it all comes together wonderfully on <i>Western Teleport</i>, a compelling listen that goes by quickly and will, hopefully, inspire you to revisit it often.<br />
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F23960775" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/goldminesacks/emperor-x-erica-western">Emperor X "Erica Western Teleport"</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/goldminesacks">goldminesacks</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5288759977981373584.post-79453006813982683732011-12-07T13:41:00.001-06:002011-12-13T10:25:59.860-06:00TK's Top 10 Albums of 2011: #8<b>#8 - The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqJEVWc8F5pSJ-kfUrQE2DXkKYKSnEfLzl_HcoP9Tl5YFyecAFA_p-OYRy8bIxAlKzQEYtCx0jG2dw7lSagNGJ_1YGsFqALHm-NqUvcFwSIf5rGFDXClA6a9iBzN7kpvBrLG-we-VvEE/s1600/the_caretaker_an_empty_bliss_beyond_this_world.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeqJEVWc8F5pSJ-kfUrQE2DXkKYKSnEfLzl_HcoP9Tl5YFyecAFA_p-OYRy8bIxAlKzQEYtCx0jG2dw7lSagNGJ_1YGsFqALHm-NqUvcFwSIf5rGFDXClA6a9iBzN7kpvBrLG-we-VvEE/s320/the_caretaker_an_empty_bliss_beyond_this_world.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The less you know about this album the better. You just might want to think twice about playing it at a party though.<br />
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<object height="360" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F858824">
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<embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="360" src="https://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Fplaylists%2F858824" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/alteredzones/sets/the-caretaker-an-empty-bliss">The Caretaker: An Empty Bliss Beyond This World</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/alteredzones">alteredzones</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11863539900763283501noreply@blogger.com0