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Whew, just made it in before midnight! Here’s my list of favorites of 2010. It’s been a helluva year, I’m very much looking forward to 2011 and what it might bring. It’s all up from here, baby!
In no particular order, they’re all my favorites, and I’ve not got through most of anything past September. So apologies to all you wonderful musical folk who have sent me stuff. I’ll slowly crawling out from under my rock. These few albums are very near and very dear to my heart. I couldn’t have got through the year without them.
Crank Resolutions mp3 All Creatures Will Make Merry – Meursault …. buy it!
This hit me at the beginning of the year and knocked me away with it’s ability to just reach in and grab the right phrase, the right note. When people talk about musicians “crafting” a song or an album, All Creatures Will Make Merry is what they mean. Meursault are coming into their own on this record, taking a seat on a rising ferris wheel and you’d best get to know All Creatures Will Make Merry before their next one hits the public.
You (Understood) - Samantha Crain …. buy it!
Yes, I was waiting by the inbox for this one. Samantha Crain is maybe one of the first artists I went to see and fell in love with as I was first beginning to write about music for this blog. I’ll let you in on a little secret. It was sorta difficult to get out there and go to shows and talk to musicians. More than difficult. I was terrified. But I loved her EP “The Confiscation” so much that nothing was going to stop me. So I just closed my eyes and threw myself outside and onto the bus and did it. And as she played to a very polite crowd at the Old Town School of Folk Music, I sat up in the balcony and just fell for it, for her music. This album had the same effect on me. And seeing her a few more times over the years has done nothing to turn me from her. She gets under your skin with these songs, these words and the way she puts them out there in the ether to chords and notes for you. Go listen. Fall for it, like I did. This album takes her in some new directions, well… a couple blocks down some roads not far from where she’s been before. And I like that.
islands mp3Circles Circles – Fisherking …. buy it!
I’ve been a fan of Fisherking for awhile now. They sent me their new, debut LP record, Circles, straight from Sydney. I had high hopes. I was more than relieved when it began to play. Sometimes I wish I could really have that teleporter now please. The songwriting is first-class, the instrumentation is simply beautiful and current and lovely. But it’s the delivery that dragged me in and kept me listening through the 15th and 30th repetitions. You might not get to hear Fisherking this year, I’m not sure when they’ll be touring, (gosh, make it soon guys!) but you really ought to get to hear this album.
Crystal Castles – s/t …. buy it!
What? You didn’t think I listened to quiet, tinkly, indie folk all day long did you? This Crystal Castles record is awesome! I highly recommend “Celestia” or “Baptism” and if those aren’t somebody’s songs for 2010 then there’s something seriously wrong with the world. Electronica is a genre that will never, ever die for one simple reason: you can fuck to it.
A Thousand Voices - My Gold Mask …. buy it!
This is it, darlings. Gretta and Jack have made it with this one and if you’ve not heard it yet, well then… you’re simply nobody. I put my hand over my mouth every time they play because I’m constantly astounded that I could possibly know anyone as talented as these two wonderful people. Full of bravado and teeming with absolute sincerity, My Gold Mask is a phenomenon that only Chicago could produce and the world is a better place for it. Get a copy of this now if you can. It’s gorgeous.
Deadmalls and Nightfalls – Frontier Ruckus …. buy it!
Probably one of my favorite lyricists of the year is Matthew Milia. Frontier Ruckus came through Chicago and sang most of the songs off Deadmalls and Nightfalls and just took my breath away. This album is Americana and nostalgia and longing and heartache. Spend a rainy night, wrapped in a blanket by the warm glow of the TV static with this on.
I wish I had spent more time with Elephee, but I’ve spent more than enough to know that it will feature highly in 2011′s listening pile. Moth in the Motor got plenty of rotation. Rachael Dadd has that ethereal quality in her voice that makes her a Joni Mitchell and a Tori Amos too. And her lyrics are poetry and her guitar is a magical harp. Listening to Elephee makes you believe in something again, something that you believed in back in the 70s when it was cool and you know it’s going to be cool again, thankfully. Moth in the Motor is eerie and intriguing. I’m just so glad people are making music like this again/still – that people are producing music like this (Thank you Broken Sound!!!). Go buy it, go to their gigs. This woman is beautiful, I can’t say much more.
Elf Power – s/t … buy it!
I was giddy to hear that Elf Power had a new album coming out in 2010. I was also not disappointed. It was the best I’ve heard them sound, the best of the sound of their old material put to new form, to my ears. This tenth (!) LP, simply self-titled Elf Power is something I turn to again and again, kinda my comfort album. I hope it becomes yours too. Elf Power were equally awesome when they came here and played much of it live for us. What. A. Band.
Fossils and Other Phantoms - Peggy Sue … buy it Peggy Sue came to Schubas last summer and I was lucky to be there and hear them. This trio from Brighton won me over for good the moment I heard them play live. Harmonies that chill you coupled with a kind of dramatic (but not over the top) instrumentation that is coming out of the UK at the moment is just perfected in this band. Other groups try to do this, Peggy Sue excel at it and push it beyond the cliche back again to what is meaningful about folk music. This was a breath of fresh air, go get the album and see what I mean.
Hammer and Anvil - Pure Reason Revolution … buy it!
Perhaps one of my most anticipated albums of 2010, Pure Reason Revolution’sHammer and Anvil was a complete and total smash! I adored it at first listen and it seems so did so many others. It was a real joy to share this with you and to follow along as the excitement built around the album. If you’ve not gotten to know this band, you’d best start now. So absolutely on point with what’s going on in a number of genres, PRR have captured fans from Europe, the US and around the world with incredible stage shows and most importantly, intricately, talented instrumentation and vocal talent. Hammer and Anvil show how much they continue to evolve. And yet, for as huge a band as they have become, they continue to be involved on a very personal level with their fans. This is what rock and roll should really be.
Solid Ground mp3 Perch Patchwork – Maps & Atlases …. buy it!
Well I can’t say enough about this Chicago band. I’ve loved them for awhile now and this was another really highly anticipated album for me for the year. It verged slightly to the right of the rest of their body of work and that was just fine with me. I love, love, love Perch Patchwork and couldn’t be more pleased for Maps & Atlases’ success. Watching these guys play, feeling their enthusiasm for their work, you can’t help but be sucked into it all. Their positivity comes across in the songwriting but the performance is really where it’s at, darlins. Go get this. Go see them.
Narrow With The Hall mp3 Public Strain – Women … buy it! Women are a band (were a band?) that I’m not sure everyone “got.” And that’s a shame because there is so much going on in this music that I find to be incredibly interesting and stimulating. You don’t have to overthink it. I still listen to this album, it’s really cool how the repetitive, unexpectedness of it lets you think. Give this a try and if you didn’t get to see them live, I’m so sorry. They were incredible. Whatever they move on to next, go catch it!
Good Morning mp3 Shouting at Wildlife – buy it!
This Edinburgh band just has me wrapped around their little finger. Catchy, quirky, and at the same time, so accomplished and so just plain GOOD. I am smitten. One listen and you might be too. Kid Canaveral are a favorite of BBC radio’s Vic Galloway and for good reason. This is the new Britpop, kids. And coming from someone like me, that’s no insult.
Sugar – Dead Confederate … buy it!
While my friend Steve, of the great blog Baby You Got A Stew Goin’! might really like their older stuff, I think Dead Confederate’s new album, Sugar, just fine. And even if they didn’t play the title track at their show here in Chicago last winter, I forgive them. Honest, I do. Seriously, Dead Confederate are an amazing band to see live. Turn this up, put the headphones and let the noise just soak in. The emo-ish lyrics and sawing guitars will completely offer you an escape. Go there.
Suspicious Package – Earl Greyhound …. buy it!
I ran into Earl Greyhound as they opened for OK Go! this summer. They astounded me on a couple of levels: the combination of musical talent was boggling; the sex appeal was palatable, and I’ve not heard a drummer like that since… since, I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a drummer like that live, to be honest. Their self-released debut LP, Suspicious Package is full of bluesy, rocking, hard-hitting songs that feature hard guitar solos and beautiful vocals. Did I mention the drummer? Wow. You gotta hear this shit. Seriously.
And a few more that I didn’t have time to write more about but wish I did (might add more later, but alas, have to be at work in a few short hours!)
Two cool things happened this week: I got a job (well, two jobs really) and this little blog got recognized by some really cool people in the music blogging world. Well, this was a really lovely surprise! Love Shack, Baby has been made SoundCloud’s Blog of the Week over on their Tumblr. I had exchanged a few emails with Michelle, describing how I used the free service and how bands had reached out to me with their music using SoundCloud. Little did I know that I was in the running for their Blog of the Week feature! Hop on over there to read me blathering on about my blogging history and why I chose the type of music I do and how I think artists should promote themselves. I talk a little about the following: my special internet friends, one to whom I owe the very origins of this blog (Puppet Show), some Scottish bloggers who I didn’t mention by name either, but should have, The Waiting Room (source of all good music), some tunes I’m currently listening to from abroad, and a few Chicago bands I love. Not all of my submitted SoundCloud links made it to their blog (I’m sure they were limited by space, my damn answers were long enough!) So I’ve included them all here for you And thank you, SoundCloud people, that’s a lovely honor to be included! xoxo
(The kind folks at SoundCloud were also kind enough to upgrade me for a bit to test out their cool widgety players, what do you think of them? Oh and scroll all the way down to that last player, I didn’t include this track in my email to Michelle, but I so should have! This one is for you, Colin! xo)
(edit: oops, the track I pick has been removed! sorry! well, it was tUnE-yArDs’ “Sunlight” from her 2009 LP Bird-Brains. buy it here.)
You all know of my love for The Antlers, right? I had such a blast chatting with them last year, just as their album Hospice was climbing the charts and getting known across the blogosphere. I told them then, back in September, that they would be on many, many year end lists that mattered. And they, whether in false modesty, or in honest uncertainty, shook their heads at me and just couldn’t see it happening. Darlings…. I have never been happier to be right.
Get out and see these two great bands on tour together: US TOUR DATES
1/29/10 – Legends of Notre Dame – Notre Dame, IN
1/30/10 – Musica – Akron, OH
2/05/10 – Brooklyn Academy of Music Opera – Brooklyn, NY*
2/08/10 – Teh Warfield – San Francisco, CA#
2/09/10 – House of Blues – San Diego, CA#
2/11/10 – Wiltern Theatre – Los Angeles, CA#
2/13/10 – Ogden Theatre – Denver, CO#
2/15/10 – Vic Theatre – Chicago, IL#
2/16/10 – Phoenix Concert Theatre – Toronto, ON#
2/17 – Il Motore – Montreal, QB
2/18/10 – House of Blues Boston – Boston, MA#
2/19/10 – Terminal 5 – New York, NY#
2/20/10 – Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA#
2/21/10 – 9:30 CLub – Washington, DC#
What songs did you listen to last year? Sandy over at Slowcoustic took my year end list quite seriously and listed his top listened to songs of 2009. I was curious, I just looked up albums and did a calculation in my head of what I listened to and put them in order when I made my year end list. Sandy actually got technical and got down to individual songs! So here’s my version of Sandy’s version of my …. oh you know what I mean, right?
Itunes reveals:
Amanda Zelina, “Love Leads The Way”
Aspe, “Blown Doors”
Aspe, “Rook”
Jogger, “Napping Captain”
Pure Reason Revolution, “AVO”
Still Life Still, “Planets”
Amanda Zelina, “Obsessed”
Ice Palace, “Devils Tower”
Meursault, “Red Candle Bulb”
One Hundred Hurricanes, “Sixty Years Under The Stars”
Ice Palace, “Just Wait”
One Hundred Hurricanes, “Be That Way”
One Hundred Hurricanes, “Back On Your Own”
Withered Hand, “Love In The Time of Ecstasy”
Amanda Zelina, “My Version of It”
Amanda Zelina, “Here I Am Again”
The Antlers, “Kettering”
Brakes, “Red Rag”
J. Tillman, “Year In The Kingdom”
In Motion, “Until My Dreams Come True”
Jadiid, “Africa”
One Hundred Hurricanes, “Snake”
School of Seven Bells, “Iamunderdisguise”
The Twilight Sad, “I Became A Prostitute”
We Were Promised Jetpacks, “Roll Up Your Sleeves”
geeze, I didn’t realize I was such a sap! shhh don’t tell Lee over at Knox Rd, I’ll never hear the end of it! xoxo
P.S. I really fucking hate itunes, and I never, ever, link this blog up to the itunes store directly because I hate the way it automatically opens the program on your computer. It’s such a behemoth of a monster of a piece of software and if you’re on anything but the most modern and cutting edge piece of machinery it fouls up your whole day just opening the piece of shit crap software. So… with great reluctance I use it to do this post. And truth be told, until I got an iphone I used other programs to organize and listen to my music (actually until apple put out the 3gs or whatever it was that MediaMonkey hasn’t caught up to yet)… so, that’s my rant on itunes and my explanation on why I never link to it. If you use it you know perfectly well how to find music on it. And if not, then good for you! xo
Hard On mp3Withered Hand Good News …. buy it! (I just checked, it’s fucking SOLD OUT!! so check back, they’ll have more. Way to fucking GO, DAN!!!!!)
The time has finally come. The pushin has come to shove…And I’m going against my own word and making a numbered list. And here’s why: The Hype Machine is compiling lists as they did last year, for a big, gigantic, general list of favorite music of 2009. Now being an educated woman, I know that data is useless if it is not ordered and placed in an hierarchical fashion. So, know that theoretically I am not in favor of placing any one artist or album above another. That’s just ridiculous. How could I possibly say that I love Ice Palace slightly more than Pure Reason Revolution? Those two albums are like apples and oranges. I listen to far too wide a spectrum of music to make a comprehensive list in any sensible order, really. But, it is necessary in the name of science. So…. here is my list. And it is generally ordered as to how much I listened to these fantastic records. Now that says a lot more about me than about them, doesn’t it? xoxo
Withered HandGood News … buy it There’s a very simple reason I love this album and listen to it again and again. I fell in love with the honesty of it, the way it speaks to exactly where I am and where I’ve been and maybe even where I’m going. Dan Willson just does something that very few other singer/songwriters can do and that something is to simply lay bare what is not easy to tell. See my more thorough review here (scroll down).
And, albums/bands that I sooooo wish I had spent more, and had more time for this year! There’s always those few that slip through your fingertips, you never get to them fast enough nor spend enough time on them. But these are all wonderful and I know I’ll be listening to them well into 2010.
Oh, so many lists this time of year! One of my favorite ones is over at the Contrast Podcast and you all should go check it out because it truly does reflect a very wide array of opinions from all over the bloggersphere and beyond. There were scores of folk who cast their votes, not just bloggers, listeners too. And Tim, our fearless leader, has compiled it all and collected intros for each and every song on the list. I doubt you’ll find a more diverse one out there, honestly. (and in the coming weeks you’ll soon hear my introduction for a special track that I love) xoxo
[This is the first in a series of guest reviews by my good friend Puppet Show, who has thankfully given in to my begging and agreed to help me out. I've passed on to him a great record that I knew he'd love and that is definitely one of my favorites of 2009]
Pure Reason Revolution is a band out of University of Westminster and is comprised of:
• Jon Courtney – vocals, guitars, keyboards
• Chloë Alper – vocals, bass guitars, keyboard
• Jamie Willcox – vocals, guitars
• Paul Glover – drums
Some time ago Tart turned me onto this band, and when I first listened to this album I was not sure how to describe where to put it in terms of genre. They meld together a bit of Electronica, Progressive Rock, and Indie. If I were to ask 12 people I’m sure I would get 10 new genres to put it in, a move which I find to be smart because of the capacity to open up your fan base. This may not work for all bands but for some reason it works for PRR. The vocal ability of Chloe Alpers balances Jon Courtney and in conjunction with the instrumental ability of Jamie Wicox and Paul Glover, it all works in such a manner that the harmonies are almost orchestral in nature.
The opening track “Les Malheurs” lets you know what you’re in for with the next 46 minutes. With melodies that rival most birds and choirs, PRR has somehow spliced together a harmonious union between voice and instrument that is extremely pleasant to listen to. Moving on through the album, the track “Disconnect” gives a very electronic, chill sound which was all too soon countered with the track, “Deus Ex Machina.” This song can take you from a dance floor to a mosh pit in a matter of moments. I did find at times that the lyrics can be a bit simplistic, but it was always accompanied with a great melody and phrasing that allowed the song to come together in a manner that made you forget anything you didn’t like.
In my many years being involved in music, from time to time I will be struck with phrasing or tones that will dredge up another song that I have heard before. Though I’m sure most people will curse at me for saying this, “Victorious Cupid” struck me with a feeling, in the rhythm, voice, music and words that I had heard it all somewhere before. I was amazed after racking my brain, that the phrasing turned out to be similar to Jesus Christ Superstar’s “The Temple.” I have always been a fan of Jesus Christ Superstar and remember watching it with my father as a kid, and after hearing that rhythm it brought back so many memories. For me, at this moment, I think both “Victorious Cupid” and “The Temple” are equally brilliant songs.
AVO (Amor Vincit Omnia or love conquers all) is the absolute highlight of the album. It is a song I consider the beginning, ending, and encore, not that I think this song overshadows the album, but it is the cornerstone that keeps it in place. The music coupled with lyrics like – “Did you feel loved? You’re dead like one of us, It kills real love, Like one of us” is one of the most brilliant lines I have heard in some time. Building itself from a small particle in space to its own galaxy in a manner of 4 minutes 47 seconds, AVO is amazing. The best way I could conceive of describing this song is as layers of a cake: the piano begins, sounding as raindrops – the base layer. Moving up through the cake you make the Pinbot layer where the midi sounds like an 80’s pinball legend. As we work higher I am reminded of Close Encounters of the Third Kind as the next synth begins to play, I begin to want to shape my mashed potatoes into a mountain somewhere in Colorado. The final instrumental level is Philharmonic strike, as it is drizzled with vocals of cotton balls and razorblades, and ending in a riot that disperses in a orderly fashion, an amazing feet to say the least.
This album has actually made my heavy rotation list. I am amazed, awed, and looking forward to Pure Reason Revolution and recommend it for anyone looking for a breath of fresh air in their collection of music.
[Tart says: There's an interesting interview with Jon Courtney over at Avant-garde Metal]
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