EPISODE 9

EPISODE 9: Twenty Seconds Till Last Call

Song: 'Ghostwriter'
Artist: RJD2
Album: Deadringer (2002)
Label: XL Recordings

Yea this song is 8 years old.... what of it?!? I dare you to not fall in love with the hooks in this tune. Its near impossible. Undeniably one of the catchiest instrumental jams that has come from the past decade.

Song: 'O.N.E'
Artist: Yeasayer
Album: Odd Blood (2010)
Label: Secretly Canadian 

“Move Over Veckatimest”. – My Facebook status a day into owning the new album from Yeasayer. If asked if I still thought that was an appropriate reaction, I’d probably admit that it was just the incredibly awesome music talking… which means sort of ‘Definitely’ and sort of ‘The two records have almost nothing to do with each other except that both are ingeniously executed indie-pop explosion payoffs that benefit from the years of experimentation of the Brooklyn bands that produced them, immediately attaining the same year/decade precedent setting status, and remaining an album that I will make sure everyone hears for at least the next 10 months.’ In other words… musically the albums are different. And musically, I can’t imagine a better galvanization of the now sound. Brilliant. 

Song: '1901 (Alan Wilkis Remix)'

Artist: Phoenix
Album: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (2009)
Label: V2 

Thought we better give Phoenix a mention before we wrapped the season. This is a tasteful remix of 1901, one of the many infectiously bouncy, yet still grounded in that older-world-Parisian-mod-flavor tunes from their 2009 Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (a record counted in my 2009 top 3 with AC and the Grizz). Something about this record rocks like Phoenix look like they should, but also bumps like a disco record, probably owing to the sort of ubiquitous French dance music sensibility. Love it. Another incredible 2009 payoff from a band with a sound a long time in the works. Check the vid for the original: 

Song: 'SLUTS!'

Artist: Woodhands

Album: Remorsecapade (2010)

Label: Paperbag

Can we get that album art up there for a sec? Is it up? Ok – can we just look at that for a second? What do we have here… looks like that’s a few horses, a prairie horizon, a mechanical doomsday device laser squid destroying everything in its path… there’s a rainbow over there… If you liked the first one, you’ll probably like this one. Badder, bigger, harder, and that’s just the key-tar licks.

Song: 'Wide Eyes'
Artist: Local Natives
Album: Gorilla Manor (2010)
Label: French Kiss

Think we’ll be keeping an eye on Frenchkiss in the future. Seems like they have something in mind for where they want to take the state of electronics-light rock organia. Dodos records and these Local Natives guys alone and they’ve got a decent rally going. There’ve been comparisons here between Local Natives and… well, everyone. Grizzly Bear’s fastidious arrangements and musicality, Fleet Foxes’ vocals and harmonies, VW’s frenetic enthusiasm… alright, we won’t ruin it with any more ugly name dropping – just want to make the point that these supposed debts of inspiration are completely besides the point, and the point that this is a rewarding, melodically innovative record that needs a listen. Gonna be a favorite for many. Already finds me addictedly coming back for more in the midst of a pretty musically generous spring release season. Hope you enjoy the opening track – had me buying at the first shifting choral harmony.

Song: Lovesick Teenagers

Artist: Bear In Heaven
Album: Beast Rest Forth Mouth (2009)
Label: Hometapes 

Next time you need something dry, and by dry I mean that dark atonal apocalypse that bands like Neu, Suicide and Joy Division fill our no-wave shaped holes in our souls – check this out. A record that drives on trancey, plodding roomy drums and dark glowing synth arpeggios like a disillusioned android on his way home from a long night at the plant – Beast Rest Forth Mouth was an unpredictable, but instant and lasting favorite from late ’09. Truly another instance of having way too many incredible options to play from this record. Next there’s just been too much colour and extravagance in your music, and you need a warm, chrome palette cleanser, check it out. Also, is it just us, or is that one of the best album covers ever designed?

Song: 'Young Bride'
Artist: Midlake
Album: The Trials of Van Occupanter (2006)
Label: Bella Union 

 

Oh, Midlake. Say it ain’t so. This is the second of two ‘New Release Protest Plays’ (looking at you, RJ) a new feature on the cast that gives us an opportunity to showcase a band at their height, before they achieved their new… depth? Trials of Van Occupanther was INCREDIBLE. Recently released disaster (Courage of Others) or not, this record is worth mentioning and hearing. So very, very good that people who are only getting hip to Midlake on the basis of the new record probably think I’m being unnecessarily critical. Well… so did I when after a week of forced access into the hymnal dirge of Courage of Others, I threw ‘Young Bride’ on for comparison. Nope. No good. Let’s take it back to Van Occupanther, or didn’t they supposedly ditch a whole record’s worth of material before they went this direction? Let’s try that.

Song: 'A Kick In The Teeth'

Artist: Fischerspooner

Album: Odyssey (2005)

Label: Capitol

Having only heard the name FischerSpooner and nothing in the way of their music, I had some weird pre-conceived notion that they were some sort of Eastern Europeon industrial rock outfit (a la Rammstein) Wow. Could I have BEEN more wrong?? Probably not. This duo is in fact the polar opposite of that comparison, throwing down some of the tastiest Electroclash / Electropop jams that my ears have been provided with in quite sometime. This track was pulled from their 2nd album, Odyssey, which more or less 'broke' them to the masses and raked in critical acclaim all around the boards.

Song: 'Beach Party'

Artist: Air France
Album: On Trade Winds (2006)
Label: Sincerely Yours 

Hold on a sec....ANOTHER band from Sweden makes the snobcast?! Are you guys trying to tell us something??..... Yep. like we said a coupla casts back, 'Sweden is the new Icleand.' and we're stickin' to it. Signed to The Tough Alliance's Sincerely Yours label, I could not possibly say enough good things about their two EP's to do them justice. From descriptions ranging from 'post-rave bliss' to 'beach foam pop', they provide the perfect soundtrack to escaping those dreary late winter blues, and come summer, it'll be the perfect soundtrack to soaking up some sun. A total all-year-rounder album.

Song: 'Yoga Fire'

Artist: Free The Robots 

Album: Free The Robots EP (2007)
Label: Pepper & Butter 

Chris Alfaro, the man behind it all, pulls together heavy doses of traditional jazz, psych, electronica and hip hop complete with progressive melodies and devastating drum lines to mold together what is known as Free The Robots. With a description like that, and a song named after a Street Fighter finishing move, try and tell me you don't wanna check em out. Try.

Song: 'Keep The Lights On'

Artist: Wavemachines
Album: Wave If You're Really Up There (2009)
Label: Neopolitan 

We usually make an effort to feature cuts from whole records we can fully endorse. But in the rare case, we need to massage the mix a little with a late night Bee-Gee(k)s pastiche. In this case, we’re selling a single. A single easily worth double the cost of your average single, mind. That’s right y’all.
$1.98.
Nah… triple..
$2.97.
No doubt.
Pump your brakes on dis.

Song: '10 Mile Stereo'

Artist: Beach House
Album: Teen Dream (2010)
Label: Sub Pop 

Fresh off the press, the newest offering from Baltimore, Maryland's Beach House is only a month old and being spoken very highly of among many of the snobbiest sites/zines out there. Their sound is coined as 'American Dream Pop' and that pretty much perfectly describes what they bring to the table. This disc comes stocked with chilly organ lines, hardley-there guitar riffs and french-born Victoria LeGrand's brassy showtimey vocal stylings. A must have album, in my books.

Song: 'One Life Stand'

Artist: Hot Chip

Album: One Life Stand (2010)

Label: EMI/ DFA

Another hot off the press disc and a suprise closer for this edition. Bet you didn't see that coming huh?? Well, there was no way we couldn't include the latest release from these grammy nominated electropop Brits. One could say, Hot Chip draw comparisons to a real nice desert wine; they just get better with age. And nothing is more true as they come through with their fourth full length. You may already be accustomed to it if you watch Much Music, MTV etc. as the video has been on their rotations for quite a few weeks now. If you're on old Hot Chip fan, you'll wanna get this one. If you're a new Hot Chip fan, you'll wanna get this one. Even if you're not a Hot Chip fan, you'll wanna get this one. Trust us. That's why we're here.