The following are albums that I've been listening to a lot this year, and thoroughly enjoying. Most of these artists I hadn't even heard of before this year.
Battles - Mirrored
I knew nothing about this band or any of the band members' other projects until a friend of mine played me a song from this album in March (thanks Billy!). The song was "Ddiamondd", and at first I started laughing out loud because I was totally unprepared for what I was hearing. The song starts with really fast vocals, but they're just gibberish (as far as i know). I wouldn't consider myself a person who really gets into experimental music, but this album definitely rocks out enough for me to get my feet moving. The song "Atlas", which is my favorite song on the album, apparently contains the following lyrics at some point during the song:
"singer is a crook, whoa-ey-oh
singer is a crook, whoa-ey-oh
singer is a crook, whoa-ey-oh
kitchen is for cook, whoa-ey-oh
sissors at the barber, whoa-ey-oh
The Chorus Doesn't matter" [source]
haha, I love Battles.
download "Atlas"
download "Ddiamondd"
Jeremy Messersmith - The Alcatraz Kid
Jeremy Messersmith is just a down to earth dude from Minneapolis. He played at my school this year, and he was a super cool guy. He took time to talk to the crowd, tell some short stories, and he even played bowling with some people before he took the stage for his set. I have a soft spot for singer/songwriters. If you can create a song with just an acoustic guitar, and it's good, then you have my respect. Jeremy takes it to a higher level at his shows, trying to imitate a full band experience, I guess you could say, by looping other instruments and vocals. However, what matters to me most is his lyrics and the stories he tells through his songs.
download "Novocain"
download "Beautiful Children"
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
Okay, so the only other LCD Soundsystem I've ever heard is "Daft Punk is Playing at My House", even to this day. I really think I should check out some older material of theirs, but I'm a bit nervous that it will not live up to my expectations after listening to 'Sound of Silver' many, many times this year. From start to finish this album is solid. "Someone Great" is one of the best songs of the year as far as I'm concerned. I have nothing but positive things to say about this album, and I have nothing to compare it to, so I guess I've said all that I need to say.
download "Someone Great"
YACHT - I Believe In You. Your Magic Is Real.
Holy crap this album came out of nowhere and made me really happy really fast. I precisely remember my first time listening to this album. I couldn't stop raving about it. A lot of the album is just silly, but it's so much fun. Once I got to the song "I Believe in You" I was taken aback at one particular moment. That moment comes at about the 1:56 mark, when Jona sings "Why is there a picture of a penis on your fridge door/it makes me feel awkward." I wasn't sure if I heard that lyric right, so I did a "wait, what?" and replayed it. Sure enough, that's exactly what he said. It was then that I knew I was a YACHT fan for life.
download "I Believe In You"
Brother Ali - The Undisputed Truth
I'm not the biggest hip-hop fan in the world, but I really appreciate good hip-hop. Brother Ali is another Minneapolis artist that played a show at my school this year. The show was one of the best shows I've ever experienced as a fan of music. It was all about involving the audience and everyone uniting as one and saying "fuck the man". There was so much energy, and Brother Ali performed some very moving a cappella renditions of songs from 'The Undisputed Truth'. He demanded the crowd's respect for these songs, by not singing unless everyone was completely silent. I loved this for two reasons. One reason being that there is just something special and eerie about a large group of people standing around in nearly complete silence, and the other reason being that absolutely all of your attention was directed to his lyrics, which are sensational, by the way.
download "Truth Is"
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Oh, I forgot to mention Bloc Party
Somehow, I managed to leave them out of my 'disappointing albums of 2007' list. This was easily the most disappointing album of the year for me. In fact, I don't even think it's remotely good. It sucks, because I absolutely love 'Silent Alarm'. I guess I'll just have to hope for a rebound whenever they release their next album.
I do have some good Bloc Party related news, however. Smoosh has been covering "This Modern Love" on their current tour, and you can grab an mp3 from their San Francisco show from Spinner.com.
I do have some good Bloc Party related news, however. Smoosh has been covering "This Modern Love" on their current tour, and you can grab an mp3 from their San Francisco show from Spinner.com.
Friday, June 22, 2007
5 Disappointing Albums of 2007
Unfortunately, every year has at least a few disappointing albums. Please don't confuse "disappointing" with "bad" though. The majority of the albums that I find disappointing this year aren't bad albums at all. However, you have to take into account the previous work of these artists. In my opinion, I find the following artists' previous work to be superior to the albums they released in 2007.
here they are (in no particular order)
Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This
First I didn't like it, then I did, then I didn't. This album is just not what I want to hear from AIH. I don't want to hear Little Miss Piggy shouting out vocals. I just want my old AIH back. The AIH I used to know and love. :'(
Ted Leo - Living With the Living
This has been the biggest disappointment for me so far this year. My expectations were too high, and the album was not at all what I wanted to hear from my favorite rocker. Some songs are good, yes, but overall I just don't dig this album.
Voxtrot - Voxtrot
I like the EPs so much more than their first full-length album, and that's really a shame. This album, like Ted's, has some standout tracks, but overall it falls short of what I was hoping to get.
The New Pornographers - Challengers
I really don't want to knock this album. It's not a bad album. It's just....boring. People are saying it's more complex than their previous work, and it takes some getting used to. However, I've tried "getting used to it" about 6 times now, and for the most part I'm not hearing anything new. I predict that this will be an album that sits in my collection for a long time, but rarely gets listened to.
Pinback - Autumn Of The Seraphs
Okay, this one is still fresh, so these are first impressions that I'm writing. I've actually been listening to this a fair amount, and I like it, but when I compare it to Pinback's entire catalog, I can't help but be disappointed. Basically, this album just sounds like 'Summer in Abaddon', so if you like that you'll probably like this.
here they are (in no particular order)
Architecture in Helsinki - Places Like This
First I didn't like it, then I did, then I didn't. This album is just not what I want to hear from AIH. I don't want to hear Little Miss Piggy shouting out vocals. I just want my old AIH back. The AIH I used to know and love. :'(
Ted Leo - Living With the Living
This has been the biggest disappointment for me so far this year. My expectations were too high, and the album was not at all what I wanted to hear from my favorite rocker. Some songs are good, yes, but overall I just don't dig this album.
Voxtrot - Voxtrot
I like the EPs so much more than their first full-length album, and that's really a shame. This album, like Ted's, has some standout tracks, but overall it falls short of what I was hoping to get.
The New Pornographers - Challengers
I really don't want to knock this album. It's not a bad album. It's just....boring. People are saying it's more complex than their previous work, and it takes some getting used to. However, I've tried "getting used to it" about 6 times now, and for the most part I'm not hearing anything new. I predict that this will be an album that sits in my collection for a long time, but rarely gets listened to.
Pinback - Autumn Of The Seraphs
Okay, this one is still fresh, so these are first impressions that I'm writing. I've actually been listening to this a fair amount, and I like it, but when I compare it to Pinback's entire catalog, I can't help but be disappointed. Basically, this album just sounds like 'Summer in Abaddon', so if you like that you'll probably like this.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
My Favorite Albums of 2007 (so far)
Normally I don't do these middle-of-the-year-favorites lists, but 2007 has been such an incredible year. It has undoubtedly been the best year for music since I started caring and actively seeking out new music on a daily basis. So I'm just gonna do a little 'Top 10' list of the albums that I have enjoyed the most this year.
I should point out that I'm not going to include Elliott Smith's 'New Moon' in my list, simply because I had already heard most of the songs prior to its release, and it isn't really a new album. That said, I'll probably listen to it more than any of the albums on my list, in the long run.
Alright, here we go. I'm making this list as I write this entry, so I'm not entirely sure how the final list will look.
My Favorite Albums of 2007 (so far)
10. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
I didn't think there was any way he could top '...Mysterious Production of Eggs', and I don't believe he did with 'Armchair Apocrypha', but it's a hell of an album, and it's much better than I had anticipated. The standout track for me is the wonderful collaboration between Mr. Bird and Mr. Dosh, entitled "Simple X"
download "Simple X"
9. Caribou - Andorra
Last year I remember listening to 'The Milk of Human Kindness', Caribou's previous album, and thinking "this is pretty good. I could get into this." Well this year I checked out his new album, and throughout my first listen I thought, "holy shit, this is really good!" I discover more things to like about this album with each listen. It's a very 60s-inspired pop album, but in kind of a psychedelic way.
download "Melody Day"
8. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
To be honest, I didn't like this album for a while. It had to grow on me a lot, but now I love it. Nels Cline absolutely rips it up with his guitar work. Although Jeff Tweedy's vocals are certainly present, the band has chosen to let the instruments do a lot of talking on 'Sky Blue Sky', and that's what I had a hard time getting used to at first. I'm so thankful I gave it some more time though, as I absolutely adore everything about this album now.
download "What Light" (the song this blog is named after!)
7. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
I couldn't realistically expect to get an album better than 'Funeral' from these guys. I was right in expecting that, but that's not to say I'm disappointed with their second effort. This album somehow managed to live up to the hype (I honestly wonder how that's possible). From start to finish, everything get at least 4/5 stars in my book (with the exception of "ocean of noise". not a huge fan of that song for some reason).
download "No Cars Go"
6. Feist - The Reminder
This, along with Wilco's new album, was pushed to the back burner after my first listen. For whatever reason though, I gave it a second chance and it was pure bliss. I don't even care what words Feist chooses to sing in her songs, or if her words even make sense. As long as she's singing something, I'll be happy. Man, if only I could marry a voice...
So beautiful, this album is.
download "One Two Three Four"
5. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
This album will rank high on at least two of my lists this year. One being this list here, and another being my 'Worst Album Titles of 2007' list. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that it will come in at #1 on the other list. Album title joking aside, 'Ga x5' is a groovy collection featuring some of Spoon's best work. It's so good to know that Spoon hasn't lost a beat, because I had high expectations for this album, and after Gimme Fiction (which I wasn't a fan of), I didn't know what I was going to get from these guys. Well, what I did get was an album that forcefully grabbed my invisible glass pane of expectations and dropped it from a 40-story building, completely shattering the dang thing.
download "Don't You Evah"
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
When the title track of this album leaked onto the internet a couples months ago, I was blown away. I was ready to hear what I hoped would be an album full of "Icky Thump"-like tracks. What I got was even better. Jack White kind of goes all over the place on this album, but it works. While listening, it's very evident that you're hearing a White Stripes song, whether it be a blues-y "300MPH Torrential Outpour Blues", a Tenacious-D-like "Conquest" (seriously, I always think about Jack Black singing this song when I hear it), or the odd, Celtic folk style "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn". I'll take this album over 'Get Behind Me Satan' any day (and I wasn't a hater of that album).
download "Catch Hell Blues"
3. The National - Boxer
This album slowly won me over, and it won me over in a big way. I was a casual fan of 'Alligator', their last album, but something about the new album is just a little bit more captivating and intimate to me. Matt Berninge's lyrics are the thing that makes The National so interesting and wonderful. It's as if he puts himself and/or others into hypothetical situations, of the littlest importance sometimes, and writes songs out of said situations. There are characters who the listener isn't introduced to, and these characters do things that don't necessarily make sense, but once the songs continue the listener can make some sense of them, or they can make something up to satisfy their own idea of what is happening in the song. It's an interesting take on songwriting, and Matt's vocals do nothing but enhance the words that he writes, by adding a level of richness to the bands' sound that makes the experience of listening to them extremely engrossing.
download "Mistaken For Strangers"
2. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
I don't feel that there's a lot I can say about this album that hasn't already been said. It's been out since January, so if you're reading this you're most likely well aware and familiar with it. It's my favorite Shins album for sure, but all of their albums are very important to me. 'Wincing the Night Away' feels like a much bigger deal than the last two albums. Everything about it indicates that the band is more mature, and that's neither good nor bad in my opinion. It just so happens that the increased maturity paid off greatly on this album. It feels like an album as opposed to just a collection of songs compiled onto a disc, and that's great. There's a wonderful flow to 'Wincing the Night Away'. Fortunately I was able to catch them on their first tour for the new album, and all of the new songs sounded fantastic live. It really is a great time to be a Shins fan.
(if you want a song, ask me)
1. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Another early 2007 release takes its place as my favorite album this year (so far). Again, I don't think I can say much about this album that you don't already know. I suppose I should make it known that I'm a huge Of Montreal fan, so I'm sure that played a part in this being my #1 album through the first half of the year. Kevin Barnes is at his best when his lyrics are personal, and this album is a clear example of that.
download "No Conclusion" (from the 'Icons, Abstract Thee' EP, released after the album)
I should point out that I'm not going to include Elliott Smith's 'New Moon' in my list, simply because I had already heard most of the songs prior to its release, and it isn't really a new album. That said, I'll probably listen to it more than any of the albums on my list, in the long run.
Alright, here we go. I'm making this list as I write this entry, so I'm not entirely sure how the final list will look.
My Favorite Albums of 2007 (so far)
10. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
I didn't think there was any way he could top '...Mysterious Production of Eggs', and I don't believe he did with 'Armchair Apocrypha', but it's a hell of an album, and it's much better than I had anticipated. The standout track for me is the wonderful collaboration between Mr. Bird and Mr. Dosh, entitled "Simple X"
download "Simple X"
9. Caribou - Andorra
Last year I remember listening to 'The Milk of Human Kindness', Caribou's previous album, and thinking "this is pretty good. I could get into this." Well this year I checked out his new album, and throughout my first listen I thought, "holy shit, this is really good!" I discover more things to like about this album with each listen. It's a very 60s-inspired pop album, but in kind of a psychedelic way.
download "Melody Day"
8. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
To be honest, I didn't like this album for a while. It had to grow on me a lot, but now I love it. Nels Cline absolutely rips it up with his guitar work. Although Jeff Tweedy's vocals are certainly present, the band has chosen to let the instruments do a lot of talking on 'Sky Blue Sky', and that's what I had a hard time getting used to at first. I'm so thankful I gave it some more time though, as I absolutely adore everything about this album now.
download "What Light" (the song this blog is named after!)
7. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
I couldn't realistically expect to get an album better than 'Funeral' from these guys. I was right in expecting that, but that's not to say I'm disappointed with their second effort. This album somehow managed to live up to the hype (I honestly wonder how that's possible). From start to finish, everything get at least 4/5 stars in my book (with the exception of "ocean of noise". not a huge fan of that song for some reason).
download "No Cars Go"
6. Feist - The Reminder
This, along with Wilco's new album, was pushed to the back burner after my first listen. For whatever reason though, I gave it a second chance and it was pure bliss. I don't even care what words Feist chooses to sing in her songs, or if her words even make sense. As long as she's singing something, I'll be happy. Man, if only I could marry a voice...
So beautiful, this album is.
download "One Two Three Four"
5. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
This album will rank high on at least two of my lists this year. One being this list here, and another being my 'Worst Album Titles of 2007' list. In fact, I'd be willing to bet that it will come in at #1 on the other list. Album title joking aside, 'Ga x5' is a groovy collection featuring some of Spoon's best work. It's so good to know that Spoon hasn't lost a beat, because I had high expectations for this album, and after Gimme Fiction (which I wasn't a fan of), I didn't know what I was going to get from these guys. Well, what I did get was an album that forcefully grabbed my invisible glass pane of expectations and dropped it from a 40-story building, completely shattering the dang thing.
download "Don't You Evah"
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
When the title track of this album leaked onto the internet a couples months ago, I was blown away. I was ready to hear what I hoped would be an album full of "Icky Thump"-like tracks. What I got was even better. Jack White kind of goes all over the place on this album, but it works. While listening, it's very evident that you're hearing a White Stripes song, whether it be a blues-y "300MPH Torrential Outpour Blues", a Tenacious-D-like "Conquest" (seriously, I always think about Jack Black singing this song when I hear it), or the odd, Celtic folk style "Prickly Thorn, But Sweetly Worn". I'll take this album over 'Get Behind Me Satan' any day (and I wasn't a hater of that album).
download "Catch Hell Blues"
3. The National - Boxer
This album slowly won me over, and it won me over in a big way. I was a casual fan of 'Alligator', their last album, but something about the new album is just a little bit more captivating and intimate to me. Matt Berninge's lyrics are the thing that makes The National so interesting and wonderful. It's as if he puts himself and/or others into hypothetical situations, of the littlest importance sometimes, and writes songs out of said situations. There are characters who the listener isn't introduced to, and these characters do things that don't necessarily make sense, but once the songs continue the listener can make some sense of them, or they can make something up to satisfy their own idea of what is happening in the song. It's an interesting take on songwriting, and Matt's vocals do nothing but enhance the words that he writes, by adding a level of richness to the bands' sound that makes the experience of listening to them extremely engrossing.
download "Mistaken For Strangers"
2. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
I don't feel that there's a lot I can say about this album that hasn't already been said. It's been out since January, so if you're reading this you're most likely well aware and familiar with it. It's my favorite Shins album for sure, but all of their albums are very important to me. 'Wincing the Night Away' feels like a much bigger deal than the last two albums. Everything about it indicates that the band is more mature, and that's neither good nor bad in my opinion. It just so happens that the increased maturity paid off greatly on this album. It feels like an album as opposed to just a collection of songs compiled onto a disc, and that's great. There's a wonderful flow to 'Wincing the Night Away'. Fortunately I was able to catch them on their first tour for the new album, and all of the new songs sounded fantastic live. It really is a great time to be a Shins fan.
(if you want a song, ask me)
1. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Another early 2007 release takes its place as my favorite album this year (so far). Again, I don't think I can say much about this album that you don't already know. I suppose I should make it known that I'm a huge Of Montreal fan, so I'm sure that played a part in this being my #1 album through the first half of the year. Kevin Barnes is at his best when his lyrics are personal, and this album is a clear example of that.
download "No Conclusion" (from the 'Icons, Abstract Thee' EP, released after the album)
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
New Blog
I have created a new music blog in hopes of actually blogging about music on a frequent basis. After I abandoned whereisyourmind.com, I was experiencing blogging withdrawals, so I'm back. My former Pixies-inspired title has been replaced with a Wilco-inspired title (the new Wilco album rocks, btw, so be sure to check it out).
My first order of business is deciding what method I will use to share songs. I believe I have about 20MB of space to upload to, but that won't get me very far. I may resort to sendspace/yousendit/etc., but if I can find a cheap hosting plan somewhere, I'd like to go that route.
I will keep you all updated. I hope to get this thing going soon.
My first order of business is deciding what method I will use to share songs. I believe I have about 20MB of space to upload to, but that won't get me very far. I may resort to sendspace/yousendit/etc., but if I can find a cheap hosting plan somewhere, I'd like to go that route.
I will keep you all updated. I hope to get this thing going soon.
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