This dude is relatively prolific and pretty damn reliable, I actually like this one more than I did the last LP...I prefer when he's not singing on the tracks, cuz then it's kinda like second-rate PandaBear but the girls on this are good, and the beats seem to be a little dancier good ish all-around.
As a self-identified "Barbarian clawing at the walls of Western Civilization" I naturally am fully supportive of Piracy and Pilfering. Duh. However, that doesn't mean I don't think KAPITALIZM can be a uesful tool here and there. But honestly, most of the bands getting bummed out over the illegal availability of their music need to sack the fuck up and make better music. If anything the whole internet has re-introduced a realness or sincerity to an industry(when did music become industry?)that was lacking both. With music being so available, whenever you buy some it means a whole lot more. Nowadays I buy music as a sign of respect, and to align myself with things that I feel are important. Yeah it's a bummer that your shit could get leaked the weekend before and you can see you record sales disappear-BUT! It should make musicians feel all the more stoked when those same people STILL buy their record. Anyways that's the way I see it.
I've gotten a whooole lottta music the free-way, but this year I've tried to get back on my vinyl game, and I will directly attribute that to the kind of exposure the internet can offer.
My pick for SINGLE OF THE YEAR. Just that perfect nexus of shit that people nowadays wanna hear(i.e Twee-ish, jangly, Three-part harmonies.....yaddayaddayadda). Myself definitely included. PLUS you've got a Roky Erickson B-side. That is ON-POINT!!! I guess this is a fairly hip record, butt fuck it. Captured Tracks is one solid ass label.
Seeing Ian Svenonious in the flesh was definitely a highlight in my career as a punk. This record is so on-point and relevant, and seeing these songs live was tight. I had to wonder what people thought of it who didn't know what to expect. Preaching about reparations and spilling the beans on Government orchestrated assassinations can really go either way as far a crowd receptiveness. Chain and the Gang pulled it off, good for them and you too. Down With The Liberty
I must give props to The Holland Project for setting up some righteous ass shows so far this year. I can foresee Rainshadow being a very cool and important part of Reno. If my teachers taught skateboarding and sang for hardcore bands, and I could go watch the latest Captured Tracks artist in the front room of my high school, I just might've stuck around for all four years....not likely, but it wouldn't have hurt. But anyways Grass Widow was off the richter, you should probably already know....
These dudes opened up for Chain and The Gang, I didn't see the whole set but what I saw really impressed me. I never saw them before so I can't say for sure, but the guitarist from Mika Miko totally made them more interesting.
RAH! RAH! This is some super stoney shit. Reverb-drenched sassy, loosey-goosey funky ass soul typed chit. Downloaded this last year, and when I went vinyl-hunting in the bay this February this was one of my most sought. Super stoked I got it too.....the best bars would have dj's who played this and kept the lights down low. Anyone looking to hire?
I really wanted to hate on this band. But I can't. They are fucking rad, and every move they made last year they continued on ruling. At first I thought that they were a fluke until this EP came out, and they proved they had some depth. Their live performance floating around the internet kind of solidified their goodness for me. But that song Higher than the Stars fucking does it for me, and especially the Saint Etienne remix, makes me wish people did as many Quaaludes as they say they they did back in the day...
Now if only my Best Coast seven inch would arrive, and all these assholes would stop picking up five million copies and selling them on ebay for a hundred times the cover price. ARGH!!!
Sure it's February, but Ive blown classes all morning so why not a recap on 2009? Best-of lists are impossible for me, I can barely remember what came out last year, plus I usually give shit a year or two of "maturing" time till I give it a proper listen...so this is in no way definitive, only indicative of this particular day.
Tame One-Acid Tab Vocab This was probably my favorite thing released this year. At first his flow got on my nerves, but after a minute it all makes sense, and you realize he's just a mush-brained genius. But the absolute deal sealer on this one is the BEATS whoa doggy! Where in the hell did these come from? Highlight tracks-Molly, Ooops, and Suede Adidas. Still haven't picked up the Tame/Del release from last year, but if it's half as good as their collaboration on this, then it's gonna be a doozy.Get Wet
El Perro Del Mar-S/T Every once and a while Starbucks will turn me on to a band that ends up being one of my favorites at the time. El Perro Del Mar was that band last year. We play that song "Coming Down The Hill" and I would always wonder to myself who the hell it was. After a couple of weeks I checked her out. She has a new ep out, and an album after this one, but for me this album just straight does it. One of the best breakup albums ever. Her voice is super haunting and full of emotion. She is what I hoped Bat For Lashes would sound like.
Vivian Girls-Everything Goes Wrong What's worse than when an undeserving band get's over-hyped? When a fully deserving band gets slighted for not meeting an impossible mark. Case in point: The Vivian Girls. In 2008 they couldn't be touched, people treated them like The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost were chicks. But when they dropped this album everyone was like, "eh, it's good" it's nothing mind blowing. Well they were never mind blowing to begin with. They are a minimalist outfit who deliver a very specific product. And they delivered the goods goddamn it! Everyone digs how Ramones albums all have a different angle. That's what sets "albums" apart from "a good collection of songs". Albums in some way have a cohesiveness, and they created a singular album, while maintaining their identity.....and besides it fucking rocks!Everything Goes Wrong
Prefuse 73-Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian Guilermo Scott-Herren is one of my picks for musician of the decade(Im not the only one who thinks so). More so than any other artist I think he represents what music should sound like in the future. That's why it took me a minute to get on the Flying Loutus train. Prefuse has been doing him better than himself for waaaay longer. This isn't my favorite Prefuse record, that would be Sercuirity Screenings. But it is pretty damn far up there on the list. Any of his albums are perfect starting off points, but I might even say this would be the best to start out with just because all of his styles are on display here, fully realized. Although it would have been nice to have a collaboration like the one with Kazu from Blonde Redhead, or his work with School of Seven Bells. But I'll live. Touch Midas
Broadcast & The Focus Group-Investigates Witchcults of the Radio Age When I first heard the title to the new Broadcast record I thought to myself, "these dudes must be taking the same shit i'm taking....Ive been meaning to investigate witch cults for a minute now....maybe this cd will help." I don't have any pertinent information to share on the subject, but I will say that this album is the shit. I love to watch bands grow and become whole other beasts than they were before. Broadcast had retro-hip, synth-pop, electro-joy, whatever-hyphen down on lock. And then they say to themselves, "let's totally alienate all our too cool for schooler's and drop some occult drenched seance shit. with totally relevant allusions to the current state of Consciousness expansion." Effectual music for the Unaffected.Wee G'z Bored
Herbie Hancock-Maiden Voyage Maiden Voyage was probably the first jazz song I could pick out and distinguish from the rest. And over the years this album just doesn't lose any punch, you've got some of the most important jazz musicians ever laying it down for Blue Note, with that signature Blue Note sound. Surely music to quell the tempest.
Band of the Year Best Coast!!!!!! Lazy westcoast potheads. Yup, sums it up right there. Simply put, the absolute crystallization of the coolest chick ever, and the coolest band. So good I went back and gave Pocahaunted another try. So good, im going to see them twice next week.....once at a Creperie(is it a word? a place to get crepes). All year they would just hit you with a tape here, seven inch there. Made the year fulfilling. A lil' taste ThereSpace
Favorite Movie of the Year
I can't really think of a movie that has impacted me this hard. It just tore my head off as far as making a movie that could stand up next to Rembrandt's as far as artistic weight. I don't know the words to describe this movie....maybe they are in French, anyways this is the only movie that even crosses my mind anymore. Well this and Gummo, but that's a given.
Favorite Weed Strain of the Year This ones hard cuz I didn't really pay too much attention, plus if it's really good then you definitely can't remember. I think we smoked a lot of Trainwreck? But who really knows? It's still a purdy picture.
ps-I pilfered all of the links used above.....SQUATTER'S RIGHTS!
