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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Oct 8, 2007 15:02:13 GMT -5
Indeed, White Chalk has entered my list as well. Too early to say how high it ranks for me, but I really can't think of an album I have enjoyed more this year.
Has an artist ever made such a drastic change to their sound, with this successful of a result? I can't think of another example.
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Oct 1, 2007 12:29:40 GMT -5
Go to see Sufjan Stevens? What are you waiting for! Go! Go now! *pushes matt off his computer chair* Oh, it wouldn't even be a decision except I live in a little cow town that NOBODY comes to (except Andrew Bird, and I'm going to see him tonight woohoo!!). I'm already traveling to major cities for two concerts this month: Springsteen and this crazy red haired woman from Maryland you probably haven't heard of. I'll have to see if I can fit another road trip in. And while I'm in this thread I'll add to my list of this years best albums: Big Eye, Little Eye by The Golden Dogs
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Sept 24, 2007 22:41:14 GMT -5
OK, St. Vincent is so on my list now. Debut of the year by far! Isn't it amazing?! I love it! Yep, Yep--amazing stuff, and what a surprise I heard nothing about that record, and then it hit hard and fast. I really need to get out and see one of her double combo shows with Sufjan, she is going to play a solo set, and still be in his band.
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Sept 23, 2007 22:29:00 GMT -5
OK, St. Vincent is so on my list now. Debut of the year by far!
The new records by Caribou and Eluvium are also first rate!
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Aug 31, 2007 9:30:09 GMT -5
Marry Me by St.Vincent I'm obsessed with right now This one snuck by me when it came out. I downloaded it from emusic a couple days ago. Very interesting sound, and I'm really starting to dig it. It's a strangely subtle record.
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Aug 30, 2007 16:42:11 GMT -5
So far? Joanna Newsom. She is amazing. I am not sure tho. Maybe her album was released in December 06 ;-D And yeah, let's wait for PJ. Yup, that one was late '06. I can still remember the controversy when all the best of lists started rolling in. For most people Ys was either the best or worst album of the year. I honestly had no opinion. I really tried to get into Milk Eyed Mender and couldn't connect with it, so I decided to pass on her second work since I heard it was even more difficult. I know very little about what Polly Jean has been up to after Stories from the City, Stories from the Sea. I really dug that disc though, why I didn't stick with her is completely unclear to me. I try to follow too many artists really. I loose track of people, thats what happens when you buy like 40-50 new albums every year .
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Aug 30, 2007 15:28:37 GMT -5
But for now....I'm completely enamored with Feist's "The Reminder". It's definitely in my top 5 of the year so far. Oh yeah, it was tough for me to leave that off the list. Amazing record. How I love the Women of Broken Social Scene. Sexiest voice in music today, period! Did you see her on Letterman this week? She had a huge chorus of indie notables like AC Newman from the New Pornographers, the Mates of State, and a bunch of the BSS crowd. They did 1234. It was an awesome performance.
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Aug 30, 2007 14:09:19 GMT -5
This is generally the time of the year when those like me, the music nerds, find it necessary to start having grandiose, long winded conversations about what the best albums of the year have been, and picking our initial candidate for "Album of the Year." I noticed that even NPR (American public radio station) has held a radio program doing exactly this same thing, we record geeks seem to all be on the same schedule.
My Album of the Year (So Far) The Good, The Bad, and the Queen - self titled
In my opinion the most effective protest record of the current generation. It works so well because it focuses on the day to day human repercussions of the war. The way that the current state of affairs is destroying the spirit of people (specifically concerning 21st century London).
My other top discs:
LCD soundsystem - Sound of Silver Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are you the Destroyer? Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Porcupine Tree - Fear of a Blank Planet
ADP makes the list as well. A major step up from The Beekeeper, I still wish that Tori would bring in an assistant producer to help out. No dig on her skills as a producer, but most artists have a really hard time making objective decisions about their own work.
What do you all think is tops so far?
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Sept 14, 2007 17:26:01 GMT -5
The first record just came out in the states. I had a chance to give it a listen and it shows a lot of promise. IMO the songwriting is a bit inconsistent, but she is so young and this seems like one of those tip of the iceburg records.
I really like her very strong english accent....too cute.
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Aug 30, 2007 1:16:57 GMT -5
OK Kelli, I saw your thread right after you posted it, but was never able to commit to posting a playlist, I take the whole music mix-making process way too seriously. In the end I decided not to stress over all the choices (I find that so hard to do), and throw something together quickly with a bunch of my favorite stuff. Not everything, but a nice little cross section. I made it the length of a regular CD (80 mins) and didn't do any sequencing work or anything, so the flow wouldn't work as a mix CD. Let's call this "Flavors of Matt."
The Kinks - Waterloo Sunset: Probably my favorite song ever. When I went to London for the first time, I took the tube to Waterloo station for no other reason that this song. I almost expected to see Terry and Julie waiting for the bus over the river Thames.
Belle & Sebastian - The State I am In: The version from the "Dog on Wheels" single, not the one from Tigermilk. How can anyone not love the lyrics to this song?
Tori Amos - Doughnut Song: So beautiful, so moving, so creative, so wonderfully strange, so much in one song. I really think this sums up everything I adore about the woman.
The Jam - That's Entertainment: I really like the way Paul Weller puts a song together. Nothing fancy about the music or the lyrics, but it comes together so well. One of the greatest British singles ever!
David Bowie - We are the Dead: I love Bowie, but a lot of his songs do not hold up to repeated listens. He has always been more of an album artist. This is one of the few songs that I can put on repeat and enjoy again and again. The lyrics are quite good, but a good portion of them were stole right out of the book nineteen eighty-four.
Of Montreal - I Can't Stop Your Memory:At this point in his career, Kevin Barnes was hellbent on making music that sounded right out of the late 60s, and created a wonderful mix of modern lo-fi indie pop and classic psych rock The hook in this song is amazing.
Love- Andmoreagain: So creepy but so pretty. That pretty much sums up what made Love great
Pink Floyd - Comfortably Numb: I've had moments in my life when I felt like I was living the words of this song (without the heroin use part). Always made me feel better about things.
Porcupine Tree - Piano Lessons: The simple story of this song is essentially a mean old piano teacher telling their young student that they are nothing special, and just another cog in the machine, who will never amount to anything. The student grows up and realizes that it is very true, but doesn't really matter. What really means something are the personal connections with their closest companions. That's a really healthy outlook I think.
The Ronnettes - Be My Baby: I love girl group music, and this is an absolutely essential specimen of the genre.
Squeeze - Up the Junction: Another simple story song, but one of the great lyrical left turns ever. Seems like a nice story about a young family until you get about 2.5 minutes in and you realize it is deadbeat father lamenting the estrangement from his lover and child.
Tom Waits - Ol' 55: (Demo version from Early Years vol. 2) Why did he stop making music like this? I could listen to this kind of music for like 25 albums worth of stuff.
The Velvet Underground & Nico- Femme Fatale: If you ever want to piss me off, play the Duran Duran cover of this classic song. How did that travesty ever see release?
Joy Division - New Dawn Fades: Has darkness ever been more beautiful?
Nine Inch Nails - Wish: Listening to this song is an amazing emotional refresher. Possibly the most angry song ever recorded.
Depeche Mode- Home: I hope someday to have a place in my life that I feel this way about.
Elliott Smith - Needle in the Hay: Oh, Elliott--I miss you so much...
Update: it's only been 12 hours an I already think this mix is crap:
1) Why is "Life on Mars" not on this - should have been my Bowie inclusion
2) How could I not include XTC, they are like...my super-favorite 80s band.
3) The whole thing is way too homogeneous. Too many dudes, too many mid-tempo rock ballads. If this was all I had to listen to on a desert Island I would intentionally drown or hang myself from a palm tree.
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Aug 21, 2007 16:55:06 GMT -5
i really dig knives don't have your back She just put out an EP the other week that collected all the songs that didn't make the album. It is super good as well!!!
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Aug 9, 2007 14:44:46 GMT -5
Hi there, Anyone listen to Emily Haines? She is the frontwoman for the Canadian band Metric. She describes the band as "sweaty f*cking", but her solo stuff has much more of a girl with a piano approach. I'm not sure if anyone here is into that kind of thing. She used to be virtually unknown outside of North America, but I have heard that continental Europe (France, Belgium) was really catching on to her lately. Anyway, she is not our Tori by any means, but her material has a nice quality to it. Here is a little youtube link if you want to check out a creepy low budget Canadian music video. (and Canadians make the best creepy low-budget music videos by the way). www.youtube.com/v/e8ixpuUpJAk
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Aug 8, 2007 21:33:15 GMT -5
Wow...thanks for sharing, I so need that record. I'm such a big fan of 99.9 F deg, I've heard that the follow up blows it away, its shamefull that I don't have that one yet!
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Aug 2, 2007 22:37:45 GMT -5
Know this post wasn't for me, but as a huge fan of Bella Union artists I had to comment...
Did you happen to see Beach House's performance at the Bella Union show? I had seen them at Social (block off Oxford Street just west of Soho) the night before, and Victoria had a complete disaster with her keyboard. I know they wanted to have a big night for their UK debut, but it was a bit rough with only vocals and guitar. I was really hoping their BU show went better...
Paul freaking Weller, are you kidding me! I almost went to that show but I decided to fly back on the 10th, now I want to cry...
Bella Union has some absolutely awesome bands--they remind me of a modern day 4AD. I grabbed a copy of Howling Bells to take back to the states with me, they are never going to release that over here
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Post by Happy_Chartreuse_Fog (Matt) on Nov 19, 2007 22:58:21 GMT -5
8) Let it Be from the Beatles Yay! so under appreciated (when compared to the other Beatles records I mean). Have you heard the new de-Spectorized version? It is so weird after having grown up on the original. Two of Us is one of my all time favorite songs...and I did like the Aimee Mann and Michael Penn cover on the I am Sam soundtrack. Of Montreal is amazing, but I wish they played their old stuff live. Back in 97-01 there was no one better...
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