This year, for me, was the year of "not downloading music illegally". I credit Spotify for this. This, and other streaming sites, have made checking out new music much simpler, cheaper, and less shifty.
I personally like sites like Spotify better than sites like Pandora because I enjoy discovering new music on my own terms. Also, I am an "album guy" and do not like that Pandora only lets you hear a few songs from the artist you chose and then starts flipping around to "related artists". I realize a lot of people like this radio-feel and discover bands that way. But, for me, I want to hear a whole album from front to back and I also research music enough on my own that I don't need a computer to guess at what I might like.
I also chilled on the vinyl a bit. Last year, I was obsessed and got a lot of great records. However, it is both expensive and takes up a lot of space. I have tried to pare down my collection to just the essentials. This will probably be a continued trend for me. However, I will still buy some of my favorites on vinyl. Perhaps I will wait until the end of each year and then just buy my top ten. Hm.
I think in the near-future I will lean towards paying for a streaming site. This way, my music is stored on a cloud and most every album in the world is assessable to me. IF I love an album, I can always buy it. But the monthly bill will easily be less than my current habit and, once I get a smart phone, I can still listen to my chosen playlists in the car or while exercising.
Finally, I have chosen a handful of music critique sites to filter out the many albums that come out each year. Pitchfork has always been my favorite but sometimes steers me wrong or does not spotlight certain albums. I have begun following Consequence of Sound and Stereogum, as well. I might add a few more in the mix but I check these every morning and don't want to spend too much time on music research. It has become important to me, though, to expand my critical horizon.
Okay, that's my report. Here's my fav's. I do the "top ten" thing just to make it more dramatic. Depending on my mood, this order shifts frequently.
TOP TEN ALBUMS 2012
10. Spirtitualized - Huh?
A sister album to their classic "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN..." in every respect. There is a hypnotizing effect to this album that is experienced when listened to from front to back. A true album; not a collection of songs to be cherry-picked.
09. Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music / El-P - Cure For Cancer
I like to jog and exercise to hardcore rap. There is a flow and usually an agressive undertone that helps me push myself. I love these two albums (both produced by El-P, both came out just weeks apart) and I have created a playlist using the best of both. So, I kinda see them as one big album. Good, old-skool rap!
08. Liars - WIXIW
If Radiohead's KID-A and AMNESIAC were a trilogy, this album could be the third in the series. The Liars vocalist doesn't have the range of Yorke but still sings with plenty of passion and energy and the music is cinematic, moody, and dance-inspiring.
07. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave
I got into this album just last month. Late in the game of top tens. However, it is already at #7 and climbing! The vocalist sounds like a nasely Elmer Fudd or Adam Sandler at his silliest but hits every note just right and his personality and style can not be ignored. This is Alt-J's first album and I think we are in for a long relationship together.
06. Cat Power - Sun
Never listened to Cat Power much before this. Chan Marshall "re-invents herself" with Sun and I am extremely happy with the results. I've read that she home-recorded the album and learned as she went. Some of the sounds are muddy, but the song-writing shines through. Electronica and Cat Power - who knew?
05. Animal Collective - Centipede Hz
This album is not accessible and is so dense with production that the songs almost get lost in the chaos. It's time signatures are complex and abrasive. Panda Bear takes a back seat, leaving Avey Tare to mostly fend for himself on vocals. I love Avey, but I confess that the absence of Panda's voice hurts - his smooth, Beach Boys-esque vocal style is what made A.C. a household name. But Animal Collective re-invent themselves with every album and it wouldn't be like them to pander to the audience. After some heavy rotation, the song-writing steps out from behind these flaws and Centipede Hz proves itself to be another great A.C. album. Most people won't be so patient, though.
04. Future of the Left - The Plot Against Common Sense
This is not an album's album. This is an album that you listen to, figure out what songs you like best, and then listen to those songs a million times. An extreme example of a great band that doesn't know how to differentiate between their own good and bad material. But, man, do I love their good stuff!! And if you see them live, look out!!
03. David Byrne & St Vincent - Love This Giant
Saw this team of two great musicians perform together at the Tower Theater in PA. Soooooo good! Horns, horns, horns! And the song-writing puts an ear-worm in every nook. I love David Byrne. Possibly my favorite musician. He has had some bad side projects (see Fatboy Slim) and some great ones (see Brian Eno). This will go down in rock history as a classic. Good job, Annie (St. Vincent), for keeping up with a true giant.
02. Micachu and the Shapes - Never
Okay, like Animal Collective's newest, this album is not accessible whatsoever. It is harsh, atonal, wobbly, muddy, and almost seems broken. Mica Levi (Micahu) makes a lot of her own instruments, uses strange recording techniques, and likes to include vacuums and other weird objects to help create her sound. It took me a lot of listens to even begin to appreciate this piece of work. My patience was born from a deep respect of her first album, JEWELLERY. Once the fog cleared, though, I fell in love. If this album came out last month, it may not even made this list.
01. Tindersticks - The Something Rain
The fact that I don't see this on critics' year-end lists blows me away! I had to double-check to make sure it came out this year. The first song on this album starts things off slow with a long-winded story about a confused lover or something. I often skip it. I wonder if that hurt the album for new listeners giving it a shot on Spotify and other streaming sites. Tindersticks has a huge back-catalogue of consistent work that I have been slowly working my way through. It is a band that I just found this year but will probably listen to the rest of my life.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Friday, December 23, 2011
Favorite Albums of 2011
2011 IN MUSIC: OBSERVATIONS
I bought no CDs for the first time ever this year. For me, that silver disc has officially died in 2011. The only physical copies of music I bought were on vinyl and all others were digital.
Maybe as a consequence of not buying CDs, I purchased no music from BEST BUY, TARGET, BARNES & NOBLE, or any of the large chains. This was something I normally did. Do these stores even sell vinyl? The vinyl I did buy was through Mom & Pop style record shops.
When purchasing digital downloads, I learned to shop between Amazon and Itunes to figure out which one had it cheaper instead of just downloading from Itunes. Every dollar adds up. I pretty much only purchased through those two large corporations (except for a small handful of mp3s purchased right from the record label itself). I want to search out other options for digital downloads.
Three of my close friends put out great albums this year but I decided to not include them in my top ten so there would be no "beef". Those three albums are LIQUID ECLIPSE's A DRIFT, THE ELEVENTH HOUR INITIATIVE's ESCAPISM and MICODIN AND DYNAMO P's LET THE SLEEPERS SLEEP.
My friend, Kristie, and I shared a DROPBOX account this year and that has provided hours of entertainment via sharing good music. I think that will stick and would love to develop more Dropbox relationships.
I tried to download illegally much less this year. It is tough, though.
Here are ten albums I really enjoyed. I listened to a ton more but these are the ones that simply got the most play or inspired me the most. Hope you find something you like in here...
01. tUnE-yArDs, w h o k i l l
tUnE-yArDs inspired me the most. I saw them live with some friends and the entire club had to pick up their jaws at the end of the show. Amazing! She does a lot of live sampling with drums and I really dig that!
02. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
PJ Harvey's album is so timeless and she really re-invented her sound in a surprising way. Funny, this is the first PJ album I've ever owned!
03. Tom Waits, Bad As Me
I am so glad that Tom Waits new album is fantastic! He didn't tread new ground but stood proudly on the structure he had already spent years building.
04. Destroyer, Kaputt!
Destroyer's album is so sticky! It feels like broken elevator music and I am surprised how much I loved it! On first listen, I almost wrote it off!
05. TV On The Radio, Nine Types of Light
TV ON THE RADIO's new album is all about great song-writing and I have always loved their unique sound. Saw them at the Mann this year and it was amazing!
06. Wavves, Life Sux EP
I never listened to WAVVES before this EP but downloaded the EP for the hell of it and absolutely love it! Surf-punk type stuff. I went back and grabbed their first album and really like that, as well. The EP is more punky, though.
07. Panda Bear, Tomboy
Panda Bear's new album wasn't quite as strong as his last but was still an amazing piece of work. I think the overhype was tough on us all because Person Pitch was such a game-changer. Like Radiohead, we can't expect a musician to reinvent the wheel every time they step out onto the stage.
08. Nicolas Jaar, Space Is Only Noise If You Can See / Darkside EP
Nicolas Jaar has enough atmosphere to make David Lynch blush yet knows how to get a hook stuck in your ear, too. Digging it! Reminds me of Matthew Dear, a bit. Darkside EP features a guitarist who really adds to the sound.
09. Iron and Wine, Kiss Each Other Clean
I fell head over heels for THE SHEPARD'S DOG, their last album. This one continues with that sound and has some of my favorite songs.
10. Radiohead, King Of Limbs
I came to realize that even Radiohead's album with the least hooks still has such great playing, lyrics, atmosphere, and style that it deserved to land on this list. It has become an understood that the live versions of these songs are even better than the studio versions. Here is a live one for ya...
I bought no CDs for the first time ever this year. For me, that silver disc has officially died in 2011. The only physical copies of music I bought were on vinyl and all others were digital.
Maybe as a consequence of not buying CDs, I purchased no music from BEST BUY, TARGET, BARNES & NOBLE, or any of the large chains. This was something I normally did. Do these stores even sell vinyl? The vinyl I did buy was through Mom & Pop style record shops.
When purchasing digital downloads, I learned to shop between Amazon and Itunes to figure out which one had it cheaper instead of just downloading from Itunes. Every dollar adds up. I pretty much only purchased through those two large corporations (except for a small handful of mp3s purchased right from the record label itself). I want to search out other options for digital downloads.
Three of my close friends put out great albums this year but I decided to not include them in my top ten so there would be no "beef". Those three albums are LIQUID ECLIPSE's A DRIFT, THE ELEVENTH HOUR INITIATIVE's ESCAPISM and MICODIN AND DYNAMO P's LET THE SLEEPERS SLEEP.
My friend, Kristie, and I shared a DROPBOX account this year and that has provided hours of entertainment via sharing good music. I think that will stick and would love to develop more Dropbox relationships.
I tried to download illegally much less this year. It is tough, though.
Here are ten albums I really enjoyed. I listened to a ton more but these are the ones that simply got the most play or inspired me the most. Hope you find something you like in here...
01. tUnE-yArDs, w h o k i l l
tUnE-yArDs inspired me the most. I saw them live with some friends and the entire club had to pick up their jaws at the end of the show. Amazing! She does a lot of live sampling with drums and I really dig that!
02. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake
PJ Harvey's album is so timeless and she really re-invented her sound in a surprising way. Funny, this is the first PJ album I've ever owned!
03. Tom Waits, Bad As Me
I am so glad that Tom Waits new album is fantastic! He didn't tread new ground but stood proudly on the structure he had already spent years building.
04. Destroyer, Kaputt!
Destroyer's album is so sticky! It feels like broken elevator music and I am surprised how much I loved it! On first listen, I almost wrote it off!
05. TV On The Radio, Nine Types of Light
TV ON THE RADIO's new album is all about great song-writing and I have always loved their unique sound. Saw them at the Mann this year and it was amazing!
06. Wavves, Life Sux EP
I never listened to WAVVES before this EP but downloaded the EP for the hell of it and absolutely love it! Surf-punk type stuff. I went back and grabbed their first album and really like that, as well. The EP is more punky, though.
07. Panda Bear, Tomboy
Panda Bear's new album wasn't quite as strong as his last but was still an amazing piece of work. I think the overhype was tough on us all because Person Pitch was such a game-changer. Like Radiohead, we can't expect a musician to reinvent the wheel every time they step out onto the stage.
08. Nicolas Jaar, Space Is Only Noise If You Can See / Darkside EP
Nicolas Jaar has enough atmosphere to make David Lynch blush yet knows how to get a hook stuck in your ear, too. Digging it! Reminds me of Matthew Dear, a bit. Darkside EP features a guitarist who really adds to the sound.
09. Iron and Wine, Kiss Each Other Clean
I fell head over heels for THE SHEPARD'S DOG, their last album. This one continues with that sound and has some of my favorite songs.
10. Radiohead, King Of Limbs
I came to realize that even Radiohead's album with the least hooks still has such great playing, lyrics, atmosphere, and style that it deserved to land on this list. It has become an understood that the live versions of these songs are even better than the studio versions. Here is a live one for ya...
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Favorite Albums of 2010
My favorite albums of 2010...
10. The Black Keys - Brothers
I have a few of The Black Keys earlier albums and liked them but never loved them. I was going to just skip this one but when I went to see a lecture manned by rock critic Tom Moon, he name dropped this new album as a "classic". I gave it a shot and it is, in my opinion, their best work yet.
09. Avey Tare - Down There
This is an album's album. The song progression and production progression (I know, what the hell is that?!) takes you through a trip from out of the southern swamps to an old cemetery to, alas, a sick sister who is fighting for her life. The saddest and most personal dance album I've ever heard. The production sounds, at times, like they had to purchase waterproof mixers.
08. Steve Mason - Boys Outside
Steve Mason was the lead singer of Beta Band. He has done a handful of projects since and this is the first under his given name. It is also the best songwriting he's done since his Beta days. A slow burner.
07. Matthew Dear - Black City
Matthew has been around for awhile but this is my first venture into his world. This album is like an early Peter Gabriel album made for the dance floor. Very dark and funky.
06. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
LCD's third album is as strong as the others, assuming you like the others. James Murphy, their leader, describes his music as modern disco with punk roots. He also tends to turn the clock back to the 80's, a music period I usually do not like, but Murphy sucks out the melodrama and adds some balls to the often retread retro sound.
05. Spoon - Transference
Spoon is starting to get taken advantage of. They put out slim pop gems so consistently that it sometimes feels like the band's well is bottomless. We almost expect them, at this point, to put out another killer album. The funny thing is, they do.
04. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
This album is insane. Listen to Rome. The song sounds like an alien swing party. Each track is so ridiculous (but catchy), I thought the record might wreck their career. Even I still can't explain why their campy electric sound worked so well. But it does.
03. Vampire Weekend - Contra
These guys put out their version of "Graceland". This album is as tight and catchy as they come and it showed evolution in Vampire Weekend's sound that somehow made it more unique and universal at the same time.
02. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
This song doesn't best represent how complex this album is. But if you take the time to listen to this whole tune, the last couple minutes will make you want to break things. Sufjan used to be a singer/songwriter guy with cute gimmics like doing an album for every state in America or a tribute album to the BQE. Suddenly, he puts out Age of Adz. Orchestral, electronic, epic. An MPC Beat Machine had dirty sex with the London Symphony Orchestra and had this bastard child. Literally a breakthrough in music, if you ask me.
01. Grinderman - Grinderman II
Funny, evil, strange, abrasive, loud, and my album of the year. I never listened to much Nick Cave. My friend Dale bought this album at AKA Records in Philly on Record Store Day 2010 and, when we got back to my place, we ripped each others albums. I threw this on my ipod expecting to take it off a few days later. Now, I listen to it religiously, I bought Grindermand I, and I started to purchase Nick Cave's amazingly vast back catalogue. Wow! Not as brave as Sufjan's album, but a classic that will be around for years to come.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
MIA - MAYA
Everyone dissed this album. I think it's good. Maybe even great. It's just too uneven to put in the top ten. Noisy sucker.
JAMIE LIDELL - COMPASS
Easily could have been in the top ten, but his last album (JIM) is one of my absolute favorite records and is nearly flawless, where as this one disappoints at times.
FRIGHTENED RABBIT - WINTER OF MIXED DRINKS
This album is excellent, but lacks the teeth they bared on their first two records. I appreciate it's beautiful sadness and thirst for life - I just miss that manic feeling their earlier work had in spades.
NO AGE - EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
Some great songs on here, but starts to fall apart for me towards the end.
JUNIP - FIELDS
I listen to this one a lot, but it has a mellow mood that just won't break. Wish this one would channel some more emotions.
SLEIGH BELLS - TREATS
Same thing here. Sleigh Bells are loud and abrasive and will make your head nod. They just never break their one emotional plain.
OFF! First Four EPs
This probably should be in my top ten but I haven't heard it all yet because it is a Christmas present. Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag) leads a band that sounds just like Circle Jerks and Black Flag. The difference is it's been twenty years since those bands were at their height and no one has captured that type of energy since. In walks OFF!
10. The Black Keys - Brothers
I have a few of The Black Keys earlier albums and liked them but never loved them. I was going to just skip this one but when I went to see a lecture manned by rock critic Tom Moon, he name dropped this new album as a "classic". I gave it a shot and it is, in my opinion, their best work yet.
09. Avey Tare - Down There
This is an album's album. The song progression and production progression (I know, what the hell is that?!) takes you through a trip from out of the southern swamps to an old cemetery to, alas, a sick sister who is fighting for her life. The saddest and most personal dance album I've ever heard. The production sounds, at times, like they had to purchase waterproof mixers.
08. Steve Mason - Boys Outside
Steve Mason was the lead singer of Beta Band. He has done a handful of projects since and this is the first under his given name. It is also the best songwriting he's done since his Beta days. A slow burner.
07. Matthew Dear - Black City
Matthew has been around for awhile but this is my first venture into his world. This album is like an early Peter Gabriel album made for the dance floor. Very dark and funky.
06. LCD Soundsystem - This Is Happening
LCD's third album is as strong as the others, assuming you like the others. James Murphy, their leader, describes his music as modern disco with punk roots. He also tends to turn the clock back to the 80's, a music period I usually do not like, but Murphy sucks out the melodrama and adds some balls to the often retread retro sound.
05. Spoon - Transference
Spoon is starting to get taken advantage of. They put out slim pop gems so consistently that it sometimes feels like the band's well is bottomless. We almost expect them, at this point, to put out another killer album. The funny thing is, they do.
04. Yeasayer - Odd Blood
This album is insane. Listen to Rome. The song sounds like an alien swing party. Each track is so ridiculous (but catchy), I thought the record might wreck their career. Even I still can't explain why their campy electric sound worked so well. But it does.
03. Vampire Weekend - Contra
These guys put out their version of "Graceland". This album is as tight and catchy as they come and it showed evolution in Vampire Weekend's sound that somehow made it more unique and universal at the same time.
02. Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
This song doesn't best represent how complex this album is. But if you take the time to listen to this whole tune, the last couple minutes will make you want to break things. Sufjan used to be a singer/songwriter guy with cute gimmics like doing an album for every state in America or a tribute album to the BQE. Suddenly, he puts out Age of Adz. Orchestral, electronic, epic. An MPC Beat Machine had dirty sex with the London Symphony Orchestra and had this bastard child. Literally a breakthrough in music, if you ask me.
01. Grinderman - Grinderman II
Funny, evil, strange, abrasive, loud, and my album of the year. I never listened to much Nick Cave. My friend Dale bought this album at AKA Records in Philly on Record Store Day 2010 and, when we got back to my place, we ripped each others albums. I threw this on my ipod expecting to take it off a few days later. Now, I listen to it religiously, I bought Grindermand I, and I started to purchase Nick Cave's amazingly vast back catalogue. Wow! Not as brave as Sufjan's album, but a classic that will be around for years to come.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
MIA - MAYA
Everyone dissed this album. I think it's good. Maybe even great. It's just too uneven to put in the top ten. Noisy sucker.
JAMIE LIDELL - COMPASS
Easily could have been in the top ten, but his last album (JIM) is one of my absolute favorite records and is nearly flawless, where as this one disappoints at times.
FRIGHTENED RABBIT - WINTER OF MIXED DRINKS
This album is excellent, but lacks the teeth they bared on their first two records. I appreciate it's beautiful sadness and thirst for life - I just miss that manic feeling their earlier work had in spades.
NO AGE - EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN
Some great songs on here, but starts to fall apart for me towards the end.
JUNIP - FIELDS
I listen to this one a lot, but it has a mellow mood that just won't break. Wish this one would channel some more emotions.
SLEIGH BELLS - TREATS
Same thing here. Sleigh Bells are loud and abrasive and will make your head nod. They just never break their one emotional plain.
OFF! First Four EPs
This probably should be in my top ten but I haven't heard it all yet because it is a Christmas present. Keith Morris (Circle Jerks, Black Flag) leads a band that sounds just like Circle Jerks and Black Flag. The difference is it's been twenty years since those bands were at their height and no one has captured that type of energy since. In walks OFF!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)