Favorite Live Shows of 2011

We’re still working on the Best Albums of 2011 list, but in the meantime here’s my annual recap of my favorite live shows + concert photos of the year. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to catch as many shows in 2011 (getting old I guess?), but I still managed to see quite a bunch of bands I love play on some very memorable sets. Below are my 15 favorite. Make sure to visit the musicforants.com flickr page to view all my concert pictures from the year.

15. Youth Lagoon @ Canopy Club (Urbana)

MP3 Youth Lagoon – July

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14. Neko Case @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)

(Side note: I met Danny Pudi from Community at this show. Photo proof!)

MP3 Neko Case – People Got A Lotta Nerve

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13. Girl Talk / Max Tundra @ Aragon Ballroom (Chicago)

MP3 Girl Talk – Jump On Stage

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12. Unknown Mortal Orchestra @ Canopy Club (Urbana)

MP3 Unknown Mortal Orchestra – How Can U Luv Me

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11. Bright Eyes / The Mynabirds @ Foellinger Auditorium (Urbana)

MP3 Bright Eyes – Shell Games

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10. The Dodos @ Channing-Murray Foundation (Urbana)

MP3 The Dodos – Don’t Stop

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9. Mates of State / Suckers @ The Metro (Chicago)

MP3 Mates of State – Sway

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8. Robyn / Diamond Rings @ Canopy Club (Urbana)

MP3 Robyn – Call Your Girlfriend

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7. Destroyer @ Pitchfork Festival (Pitchfork Festival)

MP3 Destroyer – Suicide Demo For Kara Walker

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6. TV on the Radio @ Pitchfork Festival (Chicago)

MP3 TV on the Radio – Wolf Like Me

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5. Explosions in the Sky / Viva Voce @ Pygmalion Festival (Urbana)

MP3 Explosions in the Sky – Your Hand In Mine

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4. Cut Copy @ Pitchfork (Chicago)

MP3 Cut Copy – Need You Now

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3. Wilco @ Riviera Theatre (Chicago)

MP3 Wilco – Dawned On Me

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2. Fleet Foxes @ Pitchfork Festival Chicago)

MP3 Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

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1. Arcade Fire w/ The National @ UIC Pavillion (Chicago)

MP3 Arcade Fire – We Used To Wait
MP3 The National – Bloodbuzz Ohio

Neko Case @ Pitchfork (7/15)

This was my first time seeing Neko Case live so after I took my photos I made sure to find a place to let the gorgeous alt-country tunes emanating from the stage wash over me. Case’s voice is one of the most beautiful instruments you’re ever bound to hear and in a live setting, her vocals are even more powerful and mesmerizing then on record. She was backed by a group of skilled musicians that embellished the graceful songs with banjo, steel-pedal guitar and cello.

Case opened with a trio of exquisite ballads (“Favorite”, “Maybe Sparrow”, “The Pharoahs”) that perfectly showcased her stunning vocals before picking it up with one my favorites “Hold On, Hold On”. The striking gothic country track features Neko singing “Now it’s the devil I love / And that’s as funny as real love” over chiming guitar arpeggios and Kelly Hogan’s haunting backing vocals. The best moment for me came towards the end of the set when they played exuberant single “People Got A Lotta Nerve”, the profoundly catchy melody sparking a mass sing-a-long against the setting sun.

MP3 People Got A Lot Of Nerve
MP3 Hold On, Hold On

Follow the jump for more Neko Case pictures. Click here to see the full set.

MP3: The Dodos – Don't Stop

The Dodos delivered an extremely promising album in 2008 with Visiter and even though their follow-up Time To Die didn’t quite live up to expectations (“The Strums” and “Longform” excepted), I’m still very eager to hear whatever the Bay Area psych-folk duo release next. With the two spectacular tracks out so far for their new album, not to mention the record’s colloboration with indie folk heroine Neko Case, my anticipation level for No Color has been steadily rising. The latest track to be released (leaked by Ms. Case herself) features the type of rapid-paced guitar plucking and spirited drumming that hooked me on the band from the beginning, now interjected with twitchy electric guitar stabs and laced with their always-lovely vocal harmonies. An exceptional track from start to finish. Download below.

MP3 The Dodos – Don’t Stop

Pre-order No Color from The Dodo’s website (and listen to first single, “Black Night”)

50 Songs of 2009 (2 of 2)

Here is the much-anticipated conclusion to my top 50 songs of 2009 list (if you haven’t already, take a look at the first 25 and read the foreword/ground rules). These are my favorite 25 songs of the year. As before, there’s a link by each song where you can download/hear the song or you can get all the tracks in a handy zip file by clicking this link. Let me know your favorite songs of the year in the comments. Thanks for reading!

25. Harlem Shakes – Sunlight MP3

Harlem Shakes’ Technicolor Health is full of guitar pop gems, but this one is the most magnetic and irresistible. The bright, radiant guitar / keys combo sprinkles on top of a pulsating beat and an absurdly catchy hook. You almost need to make up a new word for this song, because “catchy” just don’t cut it in describing how freakin’ addicting the song is.

24. Passion Pit – Moth’s Wings MP3

Passion Pit have a wealth of booty-shaking dance-pop tunes, but as seen on this track they can be just as potent with emotionally-resonating power pop. I said: “Moth’s Wings shows that Passion Pit aren’t content to just be that band you hear at hipster dance parties. The song is quite ambitious, the opening melody is played on dulcimer before a huge instrumental swell with expansive synths and jubilant piano. By the end of the song you’ve got pounding drums and chorus of “la la las” filling the sonic landscape. The band pulls off anthemic pop very impressively.

23. A.C. Newman – The Heartbreak Rides Y2B

A.C. Newman puts all of his songwriting craft and pop sensibilities built up from his day job (which is being the primary songwriter of New Pornogoraphers) and delivers one of his most devastatingly beautiful songs ever with “The Heartbreak Rides”. This song slowly unveils itself utilizing a dynamic build-and-release, but once that rousing chorus hits, the song shoots towards the stratosphere and doesn’t look back. It’s a gorgeous song and one that’s infinitely rewarding.

22. Slow Club – It Doesn’t Have To Be Beautiful MP3

Slow Club’s whimsical, Southern-fried folk-pop songs are rollickin’ good-natured celebrations, played with enthusiasm and a good dose of youthful vigor. I said of the band’s first single, “It Doesn’t Have To Be Beautiful”: Charles Watson and Rebecca Taylor call-and-response vocals play off each other perfectly and the chorus of this song is one of the most infectious things I’ve heard all year. By the end of the song, the band is in full out old-fashioned hoe-down mode (complete with a choir of yelping vocals) and it’s damn-near impossible not to be caught up in the pure jubilance of their sound.

21. God Help The Girl – God Help The Girl MP3

Stuart Murdoch took a break this year from his main gig as the singer/songwriter force behind Belle & Sebastian and worked on a collection of songs for an imaginary (or possibly real) film all sung by girls that he chose from a talent contest. While in theory, this would be nothing more than a frivolous vanity project, it actually produced quite a few amazing pop songs, most notably the title track which stands among Stuart’s finest pop compositions. Catherine Ireton’s upbeat vocals are delightfully alluring, the lovestruck lyrics are funny and charming (“I’ll play his messages / Analyze his intonation / Please stop me there, I’m even boring myself”) and the soaring strings arrangement is absolutely lovely.

The "Go Planet!" Earth Day Mix

Today is Earth Day and in honor of nature and the environment and taking pollution down to zero, here’s a mix of some of my favorite eco-friendly songs. Do your part in saving the world the today by planting a tree or converting your car to run on vegetable oil.  Remember, THE POWER IS YOURS!

MP3 Captain Planet Theme Song
MP3 Neko Case – Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
MP3 Sufjan Stevens – All the Trees of the Field Will Clap Their Hands
MP3 Sea Wolf – The Garden That You Planted
MP3 Fleet Foxes – Blue Ridge Mountains
MP3 Jeremy Enigk – River to Sea
MP3 U2 – Tryin’ To Throw Your Arms Around The World
MP3 Cloud Cult – Everybody Here Is A Cloud
MP3 Beirut – Scenic World (New Version)