Commercial Watch: New Pornographers, Caribou, Best Coast, Those Darlins + more

It’s time for the annual Summer Edition of Commercial Watch, where I again highlight some of the songs that those marketing folks are harvesting for mass consumption. Since I realize most of you are the Hulu / DVR / next-day-on-youtube type, you’ve probably been blissfully unaware of the indie-savvy beer, car, and shoe ads that have been lighting up TV screens, so I’ve dug up some of the best ones for you. Lucky for you, there’s been a surplus in the past few months of indie music in commercials and it doesn’t look like the trend is going to stop anytime soon. The ads are all embedded below with MP3s included. Make sure to click the continue reading link to see the full post (it’s good till the last drop).

Amazon Kindle: The Book Lives On

MP3 The New Pornographers – Sweet Talk, Sweet Talk

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Molson Canadian: Reward Us

MP3: The Rural Alberta Advantage – Stamp

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2011 Lexus CT200h: Moment of Pure Discovery

MP3 Caribou – Odessa

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Bud Light Lime: Store

MP3 Peter, Bjorn and John – Second Chance

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2012 Kia Sorento: Joyride II

MP3 Those Darlins – Red Light Love

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Continue reading “Commercial Watch: New Pornographers, Caribou, Best Coast, Those Darlins + more”

musicforants.com's Best Albums of 2010


(photo by cubagallery)

In a few days 2010 will come to a close and as I look back, I really must say this has been one of my favorite years to cover since I started writing about music. I don’t know how the rest of the decade will keep up the pace, because this year has set the standards extremely high. I’ve commented before that it seems almost all of my favorite artists (Arcade Fire, Sufjan Stevens, Belle & Sebastian, The National, of Montreal, etc) released albums in 2010, and fortunately most of them were magnificent. There was also terrific debut albums (Janelle, Monae, Local Natives, Twin Shadow), sophomore successes (Tallest Man on Earth, Titus Andronicus, Morning Benders) and established artists gone solo (Jonsi, Owen Pallett) that filled our ears with lovely music this year.

This year myself and the other two other brilliant writers on this blog, Matt and Cheryse, voted (very democratically, I may add) on our favorite albums of the year to make one definitive, collaborative list. Below is our Best Albums of 2010 and since there so many albums we loved that couldn’t quite fit on the list, we each have Honorable Mention sections where listed a few of our other favorites. As always, make sure to leave a comment if you like what you see or have your own favorite albums to add. To the readers, thank you for continuing to support this blog year after year and reading what we have to say. Have a wonderful new year!

25. Caribou – Swim

Dan Snaith’s release as Caribous is perhaps the most cleverly named album of the year. From start to finish Swim plays with absolute fluidity like some sort of dance music album marked by the mischievery of skinny-dipping. Each track picturizes the algorithm of oceanic behavior with wavelike breakbeats sequious to life and never really assuming an end. If it not watery and textured, it is a swimmingy rhythmic album that leaves all of the others drowning in sound. –Cheryse

MP3 Odessa
MP3 Kaili

24. Owen Pallett – Heartland

Owen Pallett has already created an impressive body of work at his young age whether it’s the wonderful albums he created under his previous moniker, Final Fantasy or the lovely string arrangements he composes for Arcade Fire. Heartland is his magnum opus though, mixing grandiose, classically-inspired instrumentation and addictive melodies to create thrilling pop gems like “Midnight Directives”, “E Is For Estranged” and “Lewis Takes Off His Shirt”. –Taylor

MP3 Midnight Directives
MP3 Lewis Takes Off His Shirt

23. The Black Keys – Brothers

The Black Keys have gone back to the basics with their six-full length release to date. Dan Aurbech and Patrick Carney have taken the dove-colored intentions of Attack & Release and stolen the spotlight of bluesy rock with riffs of contemptuous optimism. Brothers is an album of pure heart, one I’d like to consider the unofficial confession of a good man weighted with ugly truths yet empowered by his loyalty to the matter at hand. –Cheryse

MP3 Tighten Up

22. Twin Shadow – Forget

Twin Shadow simply appeared earlier this year, fully formed and with a debut album that sounded completely sure of its intentions. With Forget, George Lewis Jr. has made a record that hearkens back to archaic techniques while simultaneously sounding fresh and original. It’s as if these songs have been in the back of your mind for years and you’re just now remembering them. Call it immediate nostalgia. — Matt

MP3 I Can’t Wait
MP3 Castles in the Snow

21. Wolf Parade – Expo 86

You can usually tell a lot about a record in the opening seconds. Wolf Parade’s third the record begins with a relentless guitar riff, piercing synths, and Spencer Krug yelping about hammocks, dream-catchers, and minivans, and the album doesn’t ever let up after that. Both Krug and Dan Boeckner have grown monumentally as artists and the tunes found on this album like “Little Golden Age”, “What Would Your Lover Say”, and “Yulia” stand among the most electrifying and passionate rock anthems these intensely creative songwriters have crafted. –Taylor

MP3 What Did My Lover Say
MP3 Yulia

20. Gorillaz Plastic Beach

For all his world travel and style-dipping, Damon Albarn has ultimately decided he just wants to make great pop music. Eschewing the rigid concepts of the first two records and adopting a loose theme, Plastic Beach is free to sample and explore at will. Albarn recruited his best cast of guests yet, each adding their unique touch in wonderful, and sometimes surprising, ways. Who knew Lou Reed could sound so at home on an electro beat? — Matt

MP3 Superfast Jellyfish (ft. Gruff Rhys and De La Soul)

19. of Montreal False Priest

After the bizarre, kaleidoscopic Skeletal Lamping, it’s great to see Kevin Barnes embracing some more straightforward pop songwriting without losing his proclivity for stylistic experimentation. From the explosive electro-funk opening of “I Feel Ya Strutter” to the magnificent psych-pop of Janelle Monae-featuring “Enemy Gene” and playful, humorous synth-pop of “Famine Affair” and “Our Riotous Defects”, False Priest is a phenomenal addition to an already outstanding catalogue. — Taylor

MP3 Coquet Coquette
MP3 Enemy Gene (ft. Janelle Monae)

18. The Morning Benders Big Echo

The Morning Benders have come a long way since their 2008 release Talking Through Tin Cans. Although they have always been lyrically sound and collectively cool, Big Echo hit the shelves with alarming growth, mostly instrumental which has directly brought Chris Chu’s vocal ability to life. This record is full of beautiful arrangements and harmonies so romantic you might actually just misinterpret the meaning of the song. I’m still trying to figure out how they’ve taken such an innovative direction with their sound and yet have produced something that is unexpectedly nostalgic. –Cheryse

MP3 Excuses
MP3 Promises

17. Belle & Sebastian Write About Love

As has been well-documented on this blog, Belle & Sebastian are one of my favorite bands in the universe and through eight albums, the Scottish collective has become one of the most prolific and consistently wonderful pop bands in recent history. Though their latest album Write About Love doesn’t quite reach the heights of past masterpieces it’s such an immensely enjoyable album that it hardly matters. Energetic, sunny pop numbers that have defined the band for the last decade are mixed in with wispy, twee-pop reminiscent of early B&S, all making for a captivating and highly satisfying listen. –Taylor

MP3 I Want The World To Stop
MP3 Write About Love

16. Deerhunter Halycon Digest

It is as though a year cannot come to an end without hearing something brilliant from the genius that is Bradley Cox. Halcyon Digest is undoubtedly Deerhunter’s most accessible album to date. Their once isolated and dissonant sound has evolved into something cohesive on this record and believe me when I say that it hits the stage at best as their most attention-getting, especially for those hearing them for the first time. Despite some overly reverbed vocals, each track transitions to the next with palatable instrumentation and the album as a whole brings a refreshing perspective to the table. –Cheryse

MP3 Revival
MP3 Memory Boy

15. Jonsi – Go

As the lead singer of Sigur Ros, Jonsi helped produce some of the most beautiful, ethereal music of the past decade, and his first solo album, Go showcases the artist at his most exuberant and accessible. These songs are overflowing with glorious, flourishing instrumentation of piccolos, strings, trumpets and piano. With help from some fabulous collaborators, composer Nico Muhly’s phenomenal compositions, producer Peter Katis’ dense soundscapes, and drummer Samuli’s powerful percussion, Jonsi has made an album that is both triumphant and awe-inspiring. –Taylor

MP3 Go Do
MP3 Boy Lilikoi

14. The Tallest Man on Earth The Wild Hunt

Trying to capture this album with words is mostly pointless. Description doesn’t do it justice; it’s impossible to catalog the intensity and emotion contained within The Wild Hunt. Kristian Matsson is more shaman than musician; he conjures tales and sounds that exist outside of time. Even with its spare pallet, The Wild Hunt invites and rewards exploration. Eventually, the only word needed to describe it is “home”. — Matt

MP3 King of Spain
MP3 Troubles Will Be Gone

13. Foals Total Life Forever

At any given time I begin to question the depth of Oxford Rock, I am instantly put into place by the Foals. Total Life Forever was an album I literally stumbled upon–and by that I mean it rendered me completely speechless. The frenetic temperament of their previous record Antidotes seemingly consumed itself and completely sedated their sound, creating a very docile sophomore release that has their likability factor hitting its peak. This album is their most consistent to date and without any hesitation is a step in the right direction. –Cheryse

MP3 Spanish Sahara

12. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor

I don’t know if there’s been a more hate-it-or-love-it album this year then New Jersey rockers, Titus Andronicus’ sophomore album, The Monitor. Of course, I am firmly in the “love it” category of this sprawling Civil War-themed album , which SPIN magazine aptly described as “Born to Run’s pissed stepchild on an epic spree”. This is an album that is oozing with fiery, youthful abandon which it channels through a barrage of piano, trumpets, violins, vehemently-played guitars and anthemic, sing-a-long choruses at every turn. It’s a fully immersive listening experience that leaves a lasting impression, taking you through breathtaking highs and crushing lows. –Taylor

MP3 A More Perfect Union
MP3 A Pot In Which To Piss

11. Hot Chip – One Life Stand

With One Life Stand, Hot Chip have succeeded in becoming more heartfelt and musically accomplished then ever before without losing any of their dance-floor appeal. The London electro-pop quintet’s focus here is on straightforward pop songwriting without losing those huge, club-banging climaxes of cascading synths and frenzied disco beats. From the explosive synth / guitar attack of opening jam, “Thieves In The Night” to the irresistibly catchy closer “Take It In”, the band provides one spectacular song after another, resulting in their most consistent and overall best album yet. –Taylor

MP3 One Life Stand
MP3 Take It In

10. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor

I can’t think of an Artist Spotlight that I was more excited to write this year than that of Local Natives. Gorilla Manor earned, and rather comfortably, an infectious debut–and that stretches beyond any bias I have towards the Silverlake music scene. There isn’t a single filler on this record and is probably one of the few that harnesses its artful density even when played acoustically. From the leaks until the actual release, almost every song that has made its way to the blogosphere still continues to dominate the hype machine. –Cheryse

MP3 Camera Talk
MP3 Sun Hands

9. Janelle Monae The Archandroid

What makes Janelle Monae’s Archandroid such a magnificent album is it’s tenacious creativity and unconventionality. A sci-fi concept album about a time-traveling dancing android that combines funk, pop, R&B, hip-hop, classical, indie and soul (to name a few) sounds like it would be a complete mess, but Monae succeeds tremendously at just about everything she tries. With her effervescent charisma, killer hooks, and out-of-this-world vocals, she’s made an album which should be considered a pop music classic. — Taylor

MP3 Tightrope (ft. Big Boi)
MP3 Cold War

8. Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me

Have One On Me is an overwhelming album in scope, length, and ambition, filled with beautifully woven and masterfully performed songs such as “Good Intentions Paving Company” and “Baby Birch”. It’s an album you feel that Newsom worked every waking second perfecting since the masterful Ys was released in 2006. An rich and plentiful listening experience, it will astound you the first time you hear it but requires multiple listens to unlock all of it’s lavish beauty. — Taylor

MP3 Good Intentions Paving Company
MP3 ’81

7. Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty

Sir Lucious Left Foot… is a fundamentally weird album. It’s hip-hop from another galaxy, one where Big Boi’s lightspeed flow and black hole lyrics are as common as two purple suns. The beats are supernovae, consuming everything in their path. It’s an amalgam of styles that could only come from out there, the place few dare to travel but Big Boi calls home. — Matt

MP3 Shutterbugg (ft. Cutty)
MP3 Shine Blockas (ft. Gucci Mane)

6. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

It’s almost hard to imagine that at one time, Arcade Fire were just another obscure band from Canada, releasing music that reached very few ears and playing shows in half-empty bars. What’s amazing though, is through their journey from mildly successful underground band to Grammy-nominated chart-toppers, they haven’t lost touch of what makes them great, their life-affirming, overwhelmingly beautiful music.

The band expands their palette on this album, adding surging disco beats and euphoric synths to their exhilarating rock anthems, all while taking their overarching themes of innocence, rebellion, escapism, the universal human struggle, and looking at it from a new, wiser perspective. The album may be their most rewarding listen yet, complex, and fully immersive, delivering songs like “We Used To Wait” and “Sprawl II”, that stand among the most powerful of their career. Most of all, The Suburbs confirms Arcade Fire’s status as the best rock band in the world. — Taylor

MP3 We Used To Wait
MP3 Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)

5. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening

This is a not a record, it’s an event of the style 40 years gone. Rent a mansion across the country. Build your own studio. Strict dress code. Labor over every minute detail. Do the drums sound perfect? Is the bass fuzzy enough? How many people do we need shouting on this chorus? After everything, it sounds completely effortless, as if the songs just formed as they went along. No one makes albums like James Murphy, because no one else can. –Matt

MP3 Dance Yrself Clean
MP3 All I Want

4. Beach House Teen Dream

Maybe it is unfair that I was allowed to speak on this album… considering how bat-shit crazy I am about this band, but dream-pop duo, Beach House, truly proved that third time’s a charm and again, I sit here grinning as a fan from the start. Teen Dream waltzed into the new year with its breathtaking composition, subtletly demonstrating a sense of confidence wrapped lyrical romanticism. This is an album of real grace and power the variety found within the song collection is truly endless. Perhaps credit is due to producer Chris Cowady, but in contrast to their previous releases, this record is incredibly tangible and punctuates on any infatuation you’ve might have the band prior. –Cheryse

MP3 Zebra (UK Edit)
MP3 10 Mile Stereo

3. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Kanye West will not settle for being anything but the greatest, and he makes his case with this album. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is an amalgamation of everything so far, the perfect summation of West-to-now. He has created a hydra, a siren, a phoenix, eternal and relentless, simultaneously beautiful, dark, and twisted. It is perfect and flawed, consummate and incomplete, alpha and omega. It is an album that could only be made right now and could only be made by him. — Matt

MP3 Runaway (ft. Pusha T)

2. Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz

Sufjan Stevens makes intimate music. Even when tackling subjects like entire states or serial killers, he has always found a way to turn his focus inward, hoping to illuminate some hidden truth about himself. But with The Age of Adz, Sufjan Stevens has created his darkest and most personal album yet. The oppressive atmosphere, the despondent lyrics, the apocalyptic artwork: this is the product of someone working through some serious issues and letting us witness the process. The results are entirely uplifting, resulting in the kind of true catharsis few get to experience, even vicariously. We are all lucky Stevens let us face this with him. — Matt

MP3 I Walked
MP3 Impossible Soul

1. The National – High Violet

The National were once pegged as a perpetual underdog, but now with three genuine masterpieces under their belt, the Brooklyn-via-Ohio quintet have become a band that’s impossible to ignore. High Violet may just take the prize for their most exceptional album yet. The album is their most captivating, gorgeous creation as well as being the most staggeringly emotional. The band has taken their orchestral arrangement prowess to the next level with a breathtaking symphonic concoction of guitars, strings, horns, vocals and those oh so, important drum fills.

The band is ceaseless with their near-hysteric melodrama (equating marriage to cannibalism, fatherhood with paranoia, family reunions to a swarm of bees) but I don’t think that there’s anyone describing the American experience better in this day and age. And even in their somber ruminations, there’s dynamic performances and massive choruses to lift your spirits. I think Peter Silberman of The Antlers described it best when he said “The National isn’t so much ‘a band’ as it’s a piece of another person’s life that helps yours make sense.” By matching the sensational emotions that we all feel with delicately epic music, the band embraces the melancholy of society and makes our world that much more colorful. –Taylor

MP3 Bloodbuzz Ohio
MP3 Conversation 16

Taylor’s Honorable Mention:

Spoon – Transference
Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
Tokyo Police Club – Champ
The New Pornographers – Together
Laura Veirs – July Flame
Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
Shearwater – Golden Archipelago
Delorean – Subiza
Suckers – Wild Smile

Matt’s Honorable Mention

How To Dress Well – Love Remains
Gil Scott Heron – I’m Still Here
Robyn – Body Talk
Chromeo – Business Casual
Clive Tanaka y su orquesta – Jet Set Siempre 1°
The-Dream – Love King
James Blake – CMYK / Bell’s Sketch / Klavierwerke
Vampire Weekend – Contra
Sleigh Bells – Treats

Cheryse’s Honorable Mention:

Yeasayer – Odd Blood
Phantogram – Eyelid Movies
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
Dr. Dog – Shame
Love Language – Libraries
Toro y Moi – Causers of This
The Walkmen – Lisbon
Ra Ra Riot – Orchid
Born Ruffians – Say It

Thanks again to everyone for reading! We will be back in 2011…

musicforants.com's Best Songs of 2010


(photo by cubagallery)

Best songs of the year is typically the most difficult list to make but also the most rewarding. There’s nothing more indicative of a year in music then it’s greatest songs, and evident from the tracks listed below, I’d venture to say 2010 was a pretty great year.

To add some perspective and keep my head from exploding due to too much writing (it could happen), I asked Matt to help with the list this year. We combined our favorite songs (carefully removing any artist overlaps) and came up with a definitive 50 best songs of 2010, presented in highly unscientific ordered list form. My songs have a “-TJ” next to them and Matt’s are marked with a “-MG”. Simple enough, right?

There’s a link by each song choice where you can download/hear the song, and you can download complete zip of all the songs listed below by clicking this link. If you like a song, do the right thing and go buy music by that artist. I hope you enjoy these 50 songs just as much as we do!

50. Pure Ecstasy – Easy MP3
“Easy” is some perfect pop melancholy wrapped in a blanket of fuzz. That might make Pure Ecstasy sound like hundreds of other bands right now, but these guys have it down better than just about everyone else. Now if only we could get a full-length, or at least a singles collection. -MG

49. Phantogram – Mouthful of Diamonds MP3

“Mouthful of Diamonds” hooks you in immediately with it’s old-school drum loops, irresistibly buzzy synths, and Sarah Barthel’s seductive vocals. The duo specializes in addicting, well-crafted electro pop and there’s no better example then this exquisite tune. – TJ

48. Lindstrom & Christabelle – Lovesick MP3

Lindstrøm dropped this song early in the year, but it stayed in heavy rotation for the next 11 months. “Lovesick” sounds like some alternate universe future disco, complete with piano stabs Christabelle cooing over everything. Also, it sounds like she’s saying “caramel empanada”. -MG

47. Japandroids – Younger Us MP3

One of my favorite tracks last year was Japandroids thrilling garage-punk anthem “Young Hearts Spark Fire” and this year’s single, “Younger Us” is a perfect continuation of the song’s passionate, nostalgic lyrics and explosive, fuzzed-out guitar riffs. -TJ

46. Gorillaz – Some Kind of Nature (ft. Lou Reed) Y2B

Picking just one song from Plastic Beach was hard, but I found myself going back to this one featuring Lou Reed rather than something more obvious. I don’t know how Damon Albarn managed to make the wily Reed sound at home so far out of his comfort zone, but it totally works. -MG

45. Cults – Go Outside MP3

Cults splashed onto the indie scene this year with nary more than a random press photo and a couple of exuberant throwback pop songs and now look how far they’ve come. I said: It really shows how far an infectious sing-a-long chorus and some glockenspiel will go when put in the right hands. The band has used some simple elements and made one of the most charming, joyous tracks of the year. – TJ

44. Gil Scott-Heron – Your Soul and Mine MP3

I’m New Here has no shortage of great tracks, but they’re all good for different reasons. “Your Soul and Mine” encapsulates the entire album, the sparse production providing accompaniment to Scott-Heron’s despondent prose but still somehow coming off as completely beautiful. -MG

43. Delorean – Real Love MP3

“Real Love” is one of the most cathartic tracks of the year and, as evidenced by their live show, also one of the funnest to dance along with. Mixing fluttering vocals with swirling bursts of synths and a vibrant house beat, the song is one breathtaking high after another. – TJ

42. Matthew Dear – You Put A Smell On Me MP3

Was there a song this year that sounded as filthy? You can almost taste the sweat dripping off of this jam. The songs blasts with the right kind of dark bombast to turn it into the soundtrack to any number of lascivious behaviors. -MG

41. Fang Island – Daisy MP3

I said: “Daisy” is an incredibly dense, nosiefest of a song that beats even Los Campesinos! in it’s excess and musical unrestraint. Comparisons are really mute though, because in all honestly this doesn’t sound like anything I’ve heard before, all I know for sure is that I really like it. Prepare for yourself for time-signature changes, outrageous guitar solos, and finely-tuned vocal harmonies. – TJ

Follow the jump below to see the rest of the list!

Continue reading “musicforants.com's Best Songs of 2010”

Favorite Live Shows of 2010

It’s time for more end-of-year lists! It’s been another busy year for me, but I’ve managed to see lots of great live shows. I figured out that well over half of the artists that made it onto my favorite albums of the year list I saw in concert, which I suppose is a pretty good thing. I chose the 15 shows of 2010 that I loved the most for this list. Make sure to visit the musicforants.com flickr page to check out all my concert pictures from this year.

15. Tokyo Police Club @ Castle Theater (Bloomington)

I just saw Tokyo Police Club last weekend and haven’t had time to do a proper show review, but the band put on a brilliant show. “Bambi”, “Wait Up (Boots of Danger”, and “Favorite Food” are some of my favorite tracks of the year and they all sounded great live. Plus, the Castle Theater, a newly opened venue in downtown Bloomington, was superb, I’m hoping to see many more shows there.

MP3 Toyko Police Club – Wait Up (Boots of Danger)

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14. Big Boi @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)

Big Boi is responsible for some of my favorite hip-hop ever and he played all my favorites at his Pitchfork Festival set from his amazing solo work like “Shutterbugg”, “General Patton” and “Shine Blockas” to classic Outkast jams like “B.O.B.” and “Ms Jackson”.

MP3 Big Boi – Shine Blockas

***

13. Fang Island @ Canopy Club (Urbana)

Fang Island put on an outstanding performance during their Canopy Club set as a part of Pygmalion festival. The band’s fist-pumping party anthems are meant to be heard live and the destroyed, song after song.

MP3 Fang Island – Daisy

***

12. Wolf Parade @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)

This year was my first time seeing Wolf Parade, one of my long favorite bands, and they did not disappoint. The Expo 86 songs sounded fantastic live and the one-two punch of “This Heart’s on Fire” and “I’ll Believe In Anything” blew my mind.

MP3 Wolf Parade – Cave-O-Sapien

***

11. Guided By Voices @ Riviera Theatre (Chicago)

Guided By Voices’ reunion show was one of the most boisterously fun rock shows I’ve seen. The legendary band played a set of all-classic tunes and favorites like “Echos Myron”, “Game of Pricks”, and “I Am A Scientist” were all played to perfection.

MP3 Guided By Voices – I Am A Scientist

***

10. Local Natives @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)

Local Natives intricate, multi-layered songs are a joy to hear on record, but they are even better to see live. The band performs like a well-oiled machine, from the aggressively energetic percussion to the gorgeous multi-part harmonies, every aspect of their performance was incredible.

MP3 Local Natives – Wide Eyes

***

9. Caribou @ Canopy Club (Urbana)

Caribou provided a phenomenal closing set to Pygmalion Festival this year. It was non-stop dance party from the trancey, synth-soaked opener “Kaili” to euphoric, puslating closer, “Sun”.

MP3 Caribou – Sun

***

8. Spoon / Deerhunter @ Aragon Ballroom (Chicago)

Spoon are as reliably great live band as they are on record, and they put on an electrifying performance. I’ll never tire of hearing amazing songs like “Jonathon Fisk”, “I Summon You” and “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” played live and the band had great opening support from Deerhunter.

MP3 Spoon – Mystery Zone

***

7. Janelle Monae / of Montreal @ Canopy Club (Urbana)

I was simply blown away by Janelle Monae’s opening performance at Pygmalion Festival. I was won over immediately by her magnetic stage presence, infectious energy, electrifying dance moves and absolutely spectacular vocals. Of Montreal had a difficult job following Monae’s sensational show, but their bizarre performance art and glam-dance-pop tunes are always entertaining to see live.

MP3 Janelle Monae – Tightrope

***

6. LCD Soundsystem @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)

LCD Soundsystem provided a masterful headlining set to day two of Pitchfork Festival. The band’s thrilling dance-rock anthems like “Losing My Edge” and “Daft Punk Is Playing At My House” stirred the crowd into a sweaty, dance frenzy and singing along to “All My Friends” with 15,000 people was an incredible experience.

MP3 LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends

***

5. The National / Owen Pallet @ The Pageant (St. Louis)

The three times I had seen The National before this had all been in outdoor festival settings, and this concert at The Pageant theater in St. Louis was by far my favorite. The band’s frenetic chamber rock is meant to be heard in this type of environment they put on a powerful and engaging live performance. Whether it was fist-pumping rockers like “Bloodbuzz Ohio” and “Abel” or intimate ballads like “Slow Show” and “Afraid of Everyone” all the songs hit their mark. Owen Pallet also put on an extremely impressive set with violin plucking and looping that rivals even Andrew Bird.

MP3 The National – Abel

***

4. Titus Andronicus @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)

Nothing could have prepared me for the glorious insanity of Titus Andronicus’ Pitchfork Festival set. The intensity and reckless abandon that these guys and gal play with is mindblowing. The band demolished everything in their path on songs like the uplifting “Four Score and Seven” and the near-15 minute triumphant epic “Battle of Hampton Roads”. One of the most captivating and passionated performances I’ve seen.

MP3 A More Perfect Union

***

3. Hot Chip / The xx @ Riviera Theatre (Chicago)

Hot Chip’s show was undeniably the funnest show I attended all year. The xx opened the show superbly with their hypnotic dream-pop and then came the outburst of glee that was Hot Chip’s sweaty, dance-crazed set. The band’s hits like “Ready For The Floor”, “Take It In” and “Boy From School” were phenomenal and the synth / guitar attack of Thieves in the Night” absolutely tore the place apart.

MP3 Hot Chip – One Life Stand

***

2. Jonsi @ The Vic (Chicago)

Jonsi’s concert was a completely immersive experience like nothing I’ve witnessed before. The Icelandic artist’s gorgeous songs were accompanied by an incredible array of visuals projected on the stage from snowstorms, rippling water, to leaping wolves. The intricate arrangements on tracks like “Tornado”, “Sinking Friendships” and the exuberant “Go Do”  were all performed magnificently by the band and Jonsi’s otherworldy falsetto was as beautiful as ever. Everything came together to make this a stunning, extraordinary concert.

MP3 Jonsi – Go Do

***

1. Sufjan Stevens @ Hilbert Circle Theatre (Indianapolis)

There was never really even a contest for this number one spot. Sufjan Stevens magnificent return to music this year was topped off by his unbelievably great live show. Sufjan toned down the rippling, glitchy noises from Age of Adz for the live performances turning them into ambitious, imaginative, yet highly-accessible pop songs. And while I was blown away by the electronica portions of the set (especially the 25 minute magnum opus “Impossible Soul”) it was the all-acoustic encore of “Concerning The UFOs” “Casimire Pulaski Day”, “Dress Looks Nice On You” and “John Wayne Gacy Jr.” that truly left me speechless. Hearing some of my favorite songs ever performed by my favorite artists in such an intimate and emotional fashion was truly awe-inspiring and something I’ll never forget.

MP3 Sufjan Stevens – Age of Adz

Honorable Mentions:

Robyn – Live @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)
The Antlers / Phantogram – Live @ Canopy Club (Urbana)
Cults – Live @ Canopy Club (Urbana)
Major Lazer – Live @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)
Cap’n Jazz – Live @ Krannert Center (Urbana)
St. Vincent – Live @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)
Candy Claws – Live @ The Art Theater (Champaign)

Pygmalion Festival: Roky Erickson w/ Okkervil River, Caribou, Ted Leo, Cap'n Jazz

The last time I saw Ted Leo was at Pitchfork Fest, where he swung a microphone into his forehead and had blood streaming down his face for the last song. There wasn’t any bleeding this time around, but Ted Leo did put on a solid opening set to the last day of Pygmalion Festival. The Krannert Center seems like a strange place for the punk rocker to play, given that all the other days of the year the venue plays host to classical and jazz orchestras, but the crowd had no problem in moving away from the seats to the front of the stage to rock out. 

Ted is always a joy to watch on stage, jamming on his guitar and jumping around like someone half his age. The Pharmacists and him stormed through a short set of mostly new material with a couple of older gems like “Timorous Me” and “The Angel’s Share” thrown in to appease the long-time fans. His new album hasn’t gotten as many plays from me as his earlier stuff, but I did I enjoy hearing a number of the songs live, like “The Mighty Sparrow” and the ultra-catchy “Bottled in Cork”.

MP3 Ted Leo – The Mighty Sparrow
MP3 Ted Leo – Timorous Me

I admit I’m not really familiar with any of Roky Erickson‘s work and have only heard one or two songs from his highly influencial psychedelic-rock band, 13th Floor Elevators, so I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this show. I am a big fan of Okkervil River though, so their involvement definitely peaked my interest. I was impressed by the variety of the show. Some songs were hard rock, even approaching metal, some were acoustic and folky. Some were very catchy (like my favorite song of the night “I Walked With A Zombie”) and some had no real discernible melody at all.

Okkervil River are all extremely accomplished musicians so even when a song didn’t suit my fancy, I enjoyed seeing Will Sheff and the gang rocking out on stage. Since I’ve last seen the band last, they’ve added an awesome lead guitarist named Lauren Gurgiolo who killed it the entire set. I think it speaks a lot to Roky’s significance as rock icon that a band as talented as Okkervil River would put their career on hold to become his backing band for a year. I can’t say I enjoyed everything that I heard but for what it’s worth, it was a very entertaining show.

MP3 Roky Erickson w/ Okkervil River – Goodbye Sweet Dreams
MP3 Roky Erickson & the Aliens – I Walked With A Zombie

I’ve never listened to much Cap’n Jazz, but but I grew up listening to their style of music: loud, passionate, melodic emo-rock and I’m pretty well-versed in some of the bands that spouted from Cap’n Jazz like American Football, The Promise Ring, Joan of Arc, and Owen. After their set at Pygmalion Festival, I’m kicking myself for not checking out these guys earlier because they were absolutely incredible live. They sound excactly like something that would have rocked my 16-year old self’s world.

From the very first song, lead singer Tim Kinsella spent the majority of the time howling into the mic while crowd-surfing. All the while, the band assaulted the crowd with Davey von Bohlen’s tight, blaring guitars and Mike Kinsella’s rapid-fire drumming. I’ve rarely seen such an energetic and devoted audience, with the rambunctious crowd members shouting out every lyric. Tim even handed over the mic to fans a few times and let them sing. Even though I didn’t recognize the songs, I absolutely loved Cap’n Jazz’s gloriously chaotic performance.

MP3 Cap’n Jazz – Oh, Messy Life
MP3 Cap’n Jazz – Little League

Even though I was exhausted from all the good shows I’d seen over the weekend, there’s was no way I was going to miss Caribou‘s late night set. Since the last time I saw the band, I’ve become a much bigger fan and a big part of that was due to their amazing live show. Since I’ve seen the band last though, they’ve released a great album called Swim where Dan Snaith ventures into the electro/dance realm. The majority of set (“Melody Day” and “Every Time She Turns Round It’s Her Birthday” being the exceptions) were songs from the new record, and it was altogether phenomenal. Snaith usually begins the songs setting up various loops, before moving over to the mic and the songs ended with himself and drummer Brad Weber pounding their dual kits into submission, emphasizing the percussive qualities of the music. 

Opener “Kali” is one of my favorite songs of the year and set the precendent with it’s trancey, synth-soaked, beat-induced wall of sound for the dance-fest that followed.  It was non-stop jams from that point on, with even the more subdued songs on record coming alive when you got the sweeping instrumentation and the drum blitzkrieg going on. The set ended with the two best songs of the night. “Odessa”, the first single on Swim, was played to perfection and then after a brief encore, the band knocked everyone’s socks off with a mind-blowing performance of “Sun”. The song’s pulsating beat built into euphoric ending which had everyone in the room jumping up and down in absolute bliss. Now THAT’S how you end a festival.

MP3 Odessa
MP3 Sun

Follow the jump to see more pictures of each band. Click here for all my Pygmalion Festival Day 4 pictures.

Continue reading “Pygmalion Festival: Roky Erickson w/ Okkervil River, Caribou, Ted Leo, Cap'n Jazz”

Album Art Lover: Circular covers

I’m a big fan of album art (one of the reasons I collect vinyl) and occasionally I thought I’d talk about album covers that I like on here. A while back I did a post on album cover look-a-likes that people seemed to enjoy, so I thought I’d start off this feature with a post in a similar vein. This is a mix of 10 albums that feature a large circle prominently on the cover.

Looking through my collection, I was amazed at how many LPs (including two from this year) share this and the many variations of the circle cover, perhaps due to the simplicity and cleanness of the design and the shape which evokes the LP inside the sleeve. View the cover art and download an MP3 from each album below.

MP3 Caribou – Odessa


MP3 Wilco – A Shot In The Arm

MP3 Owen Pallett – Lewis Takes Off His Shirt


(vinyl only artwork)

MP3 of Montreal – Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse

MP3 R.E.M. – At My Most Beautiful

MP3 Muse – Guiding Light

MP3 Tokyo Police Club – 2 In A Cave

MP3 Loney, Dear – I Was Only Going Out

MP3 Busdriver – Kill Your Employer

MP3 Hot Chip – Ready For The Floor

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Let me know if you have any more ideas for album cover posts!

Favorite Live Shows of 2008

With everything that’s been going on in my life this year, graduating college, getting married, starting a new job, I didn’t make it out to as many concerts as I have in the past.  The shows I did see this year though, stand among the music experiences I’ve ever had. These are the 15 performances I loved the most in 2008. Make to sure to follow the read more… link to see the whole list, and visit Pictures For Kids Who Can’t Read Good to check out all my concert pictures from this year. Have a very festive Christmas season!

15. Caribou Courtyard Café (Urbana)

Caribou completely jammed the Courtyard Cafe with their bright, psychedelic sound and trippy lights.  Sinkane, who now plays for Of Montreal, made a special guest appearance on the drums at this show.

MP3 Caribou – Melody Day

14. British Sea Power / 1900’s Canopy Club: Void Room (Urbana)

British Sea Power tore up the stage at the Canopy Club Void Room with some wonderful opening support from folk-collective 1990s.

MP3 British Sea Power – Waving Flags

13. Kanye West Lollapalooza (Chicago)

Kanye West’s homecoming performance at Lollapalooza was an extremely enjoyable and memorable show. He performed all his greatest hits and had a spectacular stage presence.  We even got a speech that compared his music to making an iPhones.

12. The Roots Summer Camp (Chillicothe)

The Roots are talented performers and fantastic musicians.  ?uestlove’s drum solo during their 10 minute version of “Masters of War” was unforgettable.

MP3 The Roots – The Seed

11. Yo La Tengo Krannert Center (Urbana)

Yo La Tengo headlined Pygmalion Festival with a performance at the Krannert Museum Theatre. From classics like “Autumn Sweater” and “Tom Courtenay” to the extended jamming sessions of their latest album, they put on an awesome show.

MP3 Yo La Tengo – Autumn Sweater

Click the below link to see my top ten!

Continue reading “Favorite Live Shows of 2008”

2007: Revisited!

As I’m continuing working on my lists, I decided to revisit my Favorite Albums of 2007 list.  There’s a few new albums I’d add (hello Kanye, Caribou, M.I.A., Justice) a few that got sadly had to be bumped (sorry Bloc Party, Klaxons, Shout Out Louds, Office).  Radiohead, Panda Bear, Of Montreal, and LCD Soundsystem leaped up a bit as well.

() notes previous rank

1. Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? / Icons Abstract Thee EP (#3)
2. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (#4)
3. Cloud Cult – The Meaning of 8 (#1)
4. Iron & Wine – The Shepherds Dog (#3)
5. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver (#7)
6. Okkervil River – The Stage Names (#5)
7. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible (#8)
8. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha (#6)
9. The National – Boxer (#9)
10. Radiohead – In Rainbows (#13)
11. Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover (#11)
12. Panda Bear – Person Pitch (#21)
13. Bodies of Water – Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink (#10)
14. Kanye West – Graduation (New!)
15. Windmill – Puddle City Racing Lights (#12)
16. Caribou – Andorra (New!)
17. Dear and the Headlights – Small Steps, Heavy Hooves (#14)
18. Beirut – The Flying Club Cup (#16)
19. Patrick Wolf – The Magic Position (#15)
20. Battles – Mirrored (#17)
21. MIA – Kala (New!)
22. Broken Social Scene presents Kevin Drew: Spirit If… (#23)
23. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky (#18)
24.Justice – † (New!)
25. The White Stripes – Icky Thump (#20)

I’m not planning on revisiting my Top 50 Songs of 2007 list,  but if I had to do a re-do I would have “Paper Planes” in my top 10.  Totally dropped the ball on that song.

MP3 M.I.A. – Paper Planes
MP3 Of Montreal – Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse
MP3 Caribou – Melody Day
MP3 Spoon – You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb
MP3 Cloud Cult – Take Your Medicine

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The Music For Kids Who Can’t Read Good group wall has been a bit feeling a bit lonely since about August of this year, so why don’t you shake things up a little by posting your top 5 albums of the 2008 for everyone to see.

El Ten Eleven

I’ve had a friend who has been telling me for about a year now that I need to start listening to El Ten Eleven.  I got a feel for their music from the soundtracking they did to the typeface documentary, Helvetica, but just in the last week I finally gave in and listened to their most recent album, These Promises Are Being Videotaped.  I have to admit he was right, this band is pretty damn good.  I’ve seen a lot of descriptions of their sound such as “post rock disco”, “Justice Meets Tortoise”, or “Kraftwerk in the Sky”, but really all you need to know is that the band makes tight, beautiful-sounding instrumental jams.

One track I’m completely impressed with is “I Like Van Halen Because My Sister Says They Are Cool”.  Not only are Van Halen undeniably cool (Roth all the way! Screw Hagar!), but the song has a playful and spontaneous feel to it that is rare with instrumentals.  All of the band’s songs have a wonderful sense of movement, and the quick pacing keeps the music interesting and connectable.  “Chino” is a great example, which also highlights the band’s techinical bravado as well as their lively melodies.

MP3 El Ten Eleven – I Like Van Halen Because My Sister Says They Are Cool
MP3 El Ten Eleven – Chino

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Frank at Chromewaves gives an insider look at this year’s Polaris Music Prize. Congrats to Caribou, the much deserved winner!

Oh hell yea! The Boss aka Bruce Springsteen is playing the Super Bowl this year. The good news comes via Rawkblog.

If you haven’t seen TV on the Radio‘s Late Night performance of “Dancing Choose” on NY Fire Escape yet, head over to Culture Bully and do so.

Is anyone watching Fringe?  I’ve watched all three episodes so far and it’s not too bad.  A little formulaic yes, and not nearly as good as JJ Abram’s other show, but it’s tiding me over till that aformentioned other show begins (Februrary, please come soon)

Caribou – Live @ Courtyard Café

I had little experience with Caribou going into last week’s show at the University of Illinois Courtyard Café and didn’t quite know what to expect from the band. I decided to head on up to Urbana with a few friends anyway and I’m extremely glad that I did. They band put on a hell of a show and made me an instant convert. Even though I got to the show late and missed F**k Buttons I was able to get a pretty decent spot in the overcrowded room for the very enjoyable evening.

Caribou used an array of psychedelic images that were projected onto stage and themselves (they all wore white clothing). The colorful patterns were synched with the music and were just ridiculously cool. The band put two drum sets front and center on the stage and the biggest highlights with the bass and guitar players in the back. There was also a laptop which played loops that filled out the band’s sound. The the drumming for this show was completely insane. I had heard that the drummer playing was a last-minute replacement, but you would never be able to tell by listening. He was completely solid, as was Dan Snaith, the lead singer who would often sit at the second drum set and join him in creating the frenzied percussion.

While I’m unsure of the titles of most of the songs they played I was told that they played a good variety from both of their albums and even some old stuff when they went by Manitoba. The songs were all full of sunny Beach Boys-like melodies and harmonies, with loops and grooves not unsimilar to Panda Bear (just much more structured). The music translated extremely well live partially due to crazy jamming that ended many of the songs. I ended up buying Andorra on vinyl after the show and have been thoroughly enjoying it. Check here to see if they’re coming to a town near you.

MP3 Melody Day
MP3 After Hours

Head over to Pictures For Kids Who Can’t Read Good to see all my pictures from the show.