Christa Palazzolo and Sarah Brown really dig the The Cocteau Twins. The duo, who record and perform as Boy Friend, released an EP earlier this month that's practically four tracks of "Lorelei" homage. That's okay though, because I'm totally digging the shoegaze and 80's chic allusions.
If I was DJing a high school dance in a John Hughes movie, I'd put on some Boy Friend, and watch some serious slow dancing break out.
"Lazy Hunter" is personal highlight and the whole EP can be found here.
I've never been huge on James Pants' brand of genre-jumping electro-boogie, but "Alone" gets so many things right, the new track deserves some love.
Sounding like The Commodores, The Cramps, Gloria Gaynor, and Mick Jagger thrown in a blender, "Alone" is this oddly danceble, fuzzed-out collage that wouldn't work in less capable hands. Kudos Pants, kudos.
Memory Tapes' latest is like a little shot of caffeine in MP3 form.
Not as chill as earlier efforts, "Today Is Your Life" is the first taste off a forthcoming LP and finds Dayve Hawk (the man behind the band) ramping up the BPM, electric guitar solos, handclaps, and pop energy.
Honestly, by the time the track hits the one minute mark, I want to film a slapstick montage of me and my friends painting a house together. Oh no, you accidentally painted on my face and then I threw a full bucket at you and now our white overalls look like Jackson Pollocks, LOLZ.
Cass McCombs knows heartbreak and his latest is all the proof you need: "County Line" practically defines unrequited love. Man, I just wanna give this guy a hug.
Not only does McCombs sound so devastated, his mellowed warble and e. piano are so damn beautiful. The combination of 70's FM radio, folk subtly, and sober soul seems to go on forever, sticking with you even after its five minutes is up.
You never even / Tried to love me / What did I have to do / To make you want me?
Ducktail's Arcade Dynamics is only ten days old and it's already a contender for my 'Best Albums of 2011' list.
As if you needed a reason to seek out this album other than its jangly, lo-fi pop stylings and homemade charms, Panda Bear hopped on the LP's "Killin' the Vibe" and the results are sublime.
So, you thought you were done with 2010 lists? Well, if The Village Voice can post their's at the end of Janurary, then I'm totally safe. Just think of it like saving the best for last...
I collected and kept over 200 hours of music from the year 2010. I listened to over 150 albums multiple times. Every free moment I had was spent stuffing my ears with albums, EPs, and singles. Although things like grad school, friends, vacations, bars, road trips, family, playoff hockey, Kalamazoo, and the holidays sometimes got in the way, I'd say I spent my 2010 listening.
So, you thought you were done with 2010 lists? Well, if The Village Voice can post their's at the end of Janurary, then I'm totally safe. Just think of it like saving the best for last...
Before I get to my favourite records list, I'm hosting part two of my 50 favourite tracks of the year (click here for part one). Enjoy a 1.5 hour Soundcloud mix (that you can download directly) and, after falling in love with what you hear, grab the second batch of 25 jams via the link below the laundry list.
25. First Rate People - Girls Night
24. Lloyd Banks - Beamer, Benz, and Bentley
23. Cults - Go Outside
22. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
21. Flying Lotus - Do the Astral Plane
20. Delorean - Real Love
19. Wild Nothing - Chinatown
18. Best Coast - When I'm With You
17. Caribou - Kaili
16. Big Boi - Shine Blockas (feat. Gucci Mane)
15. Tallest Man on Earth - Troubles Will Be Gone
14. James Blake - CMYK
13. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Bright Lit Blue Sky
12. Robyn - Indestructible
11. How to Dress Well - Decisions
10. Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
09. Sleigh Bells - Crown on the Ground
08. James Blake - I Only Know (What I Know Now)
07. Crystal Castles - Not in Love (feat. Robert Smith)
06. Kanye West - Runaway (feat. Pusha T)
05. Tennis - Marathon
04. Azari & III - Reckless With Your Love (Tensnake Remix)
03. LCD Soundsystem - All I Want
02. Gold Panda - You
01. Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Like the list? Download all top 25 cuts in one handy-dandy ZIP file by clicking right here.
So, you thought you were done with 2010 lists? Well, if The Village Voice can post their's at the end of Janurary, then I'm totally safe. Just think of it like saving the best for last...
Before I finish up my favourite track list, I want to drop the spotlight on 20 excellent, EPs from 2010.
I spent so much of the year listening to big albums by big bands, but a lot of smalltime, indie acts put out some great, underrated work (most of the time for free). Plus, you've got acts like Sufjan Stevens and Girls and Freddie Gibbs delivering the goodness.
It can be hard keeping track of all the fresh faces and mini-records, but the 20 EPs below deserve a second -- or third, or forth -- listen and you can download 'em all via that link below the laundry list...
- 2010's Top 20 EPs -
20. Sufjan Stevens - All Delighted People
19. Dom - Sun Bronzed Greek Gods
18. Teen Daze - Beach Dreams
17. Ramadanman - Ramadanman
16. Tanlines - Settings
15. Teams - Catch Pool
14. Freddie Gibbs - Str8 Killa
13. Slow Animal - Slow Animal
12. Golden Ages - Africa
11. Tensnake - Coma Cat
10. TV Girl - TV Girl
09. Summer Camp - Young
08. Highlife - Best Bless
07. Twin Sister - Color Your Life
06. Gold Panda - You
05. Girls - Broken Dreams Club
04. Total Warr - Cascades
03. Active Child - Curtis Lane
02. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Horse Power
01. Games - That We Can Play
Like the list? Download your choice of the 20 EPs by clicking here.
So, you thought you were done with 2010 lists? Well, if The Village Voice can post their's at the end of Janurary, then I'm totally safe. Just think of it like saving the best for last...
Let's take a brief break from my favourite track list to highlight the coolest album artwork of 2010.
Interested in what I picked? Click 'read more' to view 25 beautiful jpegs...
So, you thought you were done with 2010 lists? Well, if The Village Voice can post their's at the end of Janurary, then I'm totally safe. Just think of it like saving the best for last...
First things first, I'm hosting my 50 favourite tracks of the year, part one. Enjoy a 1.5 hour Soundcloud mix (that you can download directly) and, if you like what you hear (you will), grab the first batch of 25 jams via the link below the laundry list.
50. Lil Wayne - 6'7" (feat. Cory Gunz)
49. Charlotte Gainsbourg - Heaven Can Wait
48. Duck Sauce - Barbra Streisand
47. Vampire Weekend - Giving Up the Gun
46. Surfer Blood - Floating Vibes
45. Big K.R.I.T. - Country Shit
44. The-Dream - Yamaha
43. Highlife - F Kenya RIP
42. Harlem - Friendly Ghost
41. The Radio Dept. - Heaven's on Fire
40. Lindstrøm & Christabelle - Lovesick
39. Wavves - Post Acid
38. The Cool Kids - Gettin' Flicked
37. Spoon - I Saw the Light
36. jj - Let Them
35. Tanlines - Real Life (Memory Tapes Remix)
34. Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. - Vocal Chords
33. Drake - Over (dJ eSenTRiK Remix)
32. Burnt Ones - Gonna Listen to T. Rex (All Night Long)
31. Golden Ages - Africa (Toto)
30. Total Warr - Gangsta Rap
29. Ducktails - Hamilton Road
28. Bird Peterson - For That Drama
27. Ty Segall - Girlfriend
26. Smith Westerns - Weekend
Like the list? Download all 25 cuts in one handy-dandy ZIP file by clicking right here (link fixed).
