Normally, I make a big deal about compiling my year-end list but frankly this year I just haven't been keeping up on music at all. [so who is this Adele person people keep speaking of?] I think when one is going through some health issues, in general just feeling lousy, one tends to listen to comfort music. At least that's how I felt most of this year. It can take a bit of effort to get into new stuff, so I would choose things that have been staples for me for years, and on the mellower side.
But the last few months I have been catching up more and more with the albums I missed, and the albums I bought, but didn't listen to much, and 2011 was an excellent year for music. I wouldn't say there's one album that just blew away the rest, but more like there were a lot of strong releases by band I enjoy, as well as some good new stuff too. So here's a brief, dirty list of my favorite albums of 2011. Likely I'll feel very different about this list in 6 months.
You know what? I'm going to have to invoke "in no particular order" for a change. Here's my favorite 10 albums I have been exposed to that were released in 2011:
Showing posts with label Molo on Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Molo on Music. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Sunday, September 4, 2011
Bumbershoot 2011 - Music
Astronautalis played a great set with a full band on the fountain lawn stage
Shabazz Palaces sounded way better than they did at the block party last year, I'm sure this had everything
to do with acoustics and the set-up.
Vetiver was lovely, but started to lull me to sleep...
Monday, December 6, 2010
Molo's Top 10 songs of 2010
These are the top 10 new songs that got stuck in my head in 2010. I figure that makes 'em the best.
#10 Fuck You - Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer I suspect everyone's heard this brazen song by now, but if now, check it out.
#9 Home - Villagers - Becoming A Jackal I was very charmed by hearing this young singer-songwriter perform "Home" live.
#8 Ambling Alp - Yeasayer - Odd Blood This track is the archetype of infectious young indie rock. Its great but after a while it will drive you mad.
#7 Best Friend - The Drums - The Drums This one is for Jared. Hard not to love this band if you like English pop beach rock that sounds like it was made in 1983.
#6 I Don't Know What To Say - The Magnetic Fields - Realism Only the Magnetic Fields can make lines like "I could say I want you, that would be a bore, maybe in a font you haven't seen before" and "I could try and shove you off the nearest cliff..." "I could say sound so sincerely beautiful.
#5 Alley Cats - Hot Chip - One Life Stand Great song from a great album.
#4 Runaway - Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy "Let's give a toast to the douche-bags"
#3 I Can Change - LCD Sound System - This Is Happening "Drunk Girls" may have been a hella good single, but I prefer LCD's more beautiful sensitive songs like this lovely one.
#2 Cave-O-Sapien - Wolf Parade - Expo 86 This song may be pure nonsense but my god, it is so damn fun! ("I had a vision, of a Gorilla, he was a killer, a killer...")
#1: Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell - Das Racist's - Shut Up Dude! Mixtape
I don't see you here dog?!
#10 Fuck You - Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer I suspect everyone's heard this brazen song by now, but if now, check it out.
#9 Home - Villagers - Becoming A Jackal I was very charmed by hearing this young singer-songwriter perform "Home" live.
#8 Ambling Alp - Yeasayer - Odd Blood This track is the archetype of infectious young indie rock. Its great but after a while it will drive you mad.
#7 Best Friend - The Drums - The Drums This one is for Jared. Hard not to love this band if you like English pop beach rock that sounds like it was made in 1983.
#6 I Don't Know What To Say - The Magnetic Fields - Realism Only the Magnetic Fields can make lines like "I could say I want you, that would be a bore, maybe in a font you haven't seen before" and "I could try and shove you off the nearest cliff..." "I could say sound so sincerely beautiful.
#5 Alley Cats - Hot Chip - One Life Stand Great song from a great album.
#4 Runaway - Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy "Let's give a toast to the douche-bags"
#3 I Can Change - LCD Sound System - This Is Happening "Drunk Girls" may have been a hella good single, but I prefer LCD's more beautiful sensitive songs like this lovely one.
#2 Cave-O-Sapien - Wolf Parade - Expo 86 This song may be pure nonsense but my god, it is so damn fun! ("I had a vision, of a Gorilla, he was a killer, a killer...")
#1: Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell - Das Racist's - Shut Up Dude! Mixtape
I don't see you here dog?!
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Blue Scholars, Brother Ali and the City Arts Fest
Hey y'all. In case you haven't heard, I'm going to see like 7 events at the City Arts Fest and I will be bringing you and the world live coverage on my brand spankin' new Twitter here. You should like totally folly me, yah dig? I know you can't resist witty language like that. (see: sarcasm) Seriously, though, check it out. I'm a tweet newbie, so please bear with me.
Meanwhile, here are 2 pics from the excellent Blue Scholars and Brother Ali show. I won't go into too many details about the show at this time, other than to say that it was great to see such an energetic hip hop show at the Paramount and a huge, enthusiastic crowd! Brother Ali was the shit. Oh, and check out the City Arts Fest Pool for far better pictures than these.
Meanwhile, here are 2 pics from the excellent Blue Scholars and Brother Ali show. I won't go into too many details about the show at this time, other than to say that it was great to see such an energetic hip hop show at the Paramount and a huge, enthusiastic crowd! Brother Ali was the shit. Oh, and check out the City Arts Fest Pool for far better pictures than these.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
"CAVE-O-SAPIAN" - best rock song of 2010!
ROCK IS GOOD AGAIN
I have never really been much of a Wolf Parade fan. I enjoyed their first acclaimed release, Apologies to the Queen Mary, but I didn't really get too much from it. It felt like there were going for a raw, kind of early Modest Mouse-rough but poppy-vibe and trying too hard. The had an unsettled sound, an unsure sound. It didn't help any that they took an animal name like every other mid '00s indie rock band. Subsequently I never checked out their second album. But for some reason, the other day I decided to pick up a copy Expo '86 and boy am I glad I did!
Wolf Parade has released one of the best rock albums I've heard in years. Poppy, energetic, clever, and delightful. Driving melodies, super tight drumming, and clean guitars guide these songs. The damn thing hooked me from the start. You can certainly hear bits of other rock titans in the music, but they own this album. The difference is they homage and building on the music and the past.
The songs on this release are top-to bottom excellent! It's the kind of album that any given track could get stuck in your head. I haven't been so enamored immediately by a release in a long time. The highlight, though, has got to be the closing track "Cave-O-Sapien". That song overcomes it's silly title (and lyrics) to be one of the best rock songs I've heard in a while. Damn if there isn't some "oh oh oh oh ooohs" and such on it! Great stuff 4.5 Molos!
Everyone has been waiting for the new Arcade Fire to come out; well it's here and it's really good. The Suburbs. Arcade Fire is a great band, one of the best live bands of the decade, and you have to see them if you have not.
I doubt they will ever write an album as ground-breaking and universally loved as Funeral (nor should they try). The Suburbs is not attempting to be another Funeral. It feels like the next chapter in the story, though, especially lyrically. More mature? Yes. And the tracks are more consistent front to back than either of their first 2 albums - there are no duds on The Suburbs.
That being said, there's something missing - this album is excellent, but it feels too easy. There is beauty and some great songs. But maybe they are just almost too good for their own good. That doesn't make sense, and I don't have time to elaborate on it...but maybe this album is just one more strong step on some kind of amazing musical journey. If any contemporary band can take us on such a journey, The Arcade Fire is the one. 4 Molos
School of Seven Bells released an album Disconnect from Desire a couple weeks ago that might be in danger of getting ignored in the wave of Arcade Fire love, but I hope that is not the case. I love this band! But it's not the kind of music you can listen to all the time, there's a lot of repetitiveness in their music, heightened by the twin Deheza sister's lovely harmonizing - really all they music is built around the vocals, to create stunning atmosphere. Disconnect is a stronger, more diverse and better-written follow up to the very good Alpinisms and in spots it moves their sound a little further away from the shoegazer to pop to good effect. You should check it out!. By the way, Wikipedia says their name comes from "a mythical South American pickpocket training academy" 3.5 Molos
I have never really been much of a Wolf Parade fan. I enjoyed their first acclaimed release, Apologies to the Queen Mary, but I didn't really get too much from it. It felt like there were going for a raw, kind of early Modest Mouse-rough but poppy-vibe and trying too hard. The had an unsettled sound, an unsure sound. It didn't help any that they took an animal name like every other mid '00s indie rock band. Subsequently I never checked out their second album. But for some reason, the other day I decided to pick up a copy Expo '86 and boy am I glad I did!
The songs on this release are top-to bottom excellent! It's the kind of album that any given track could get stuck in your head. I haven't been so enamored immediately by a release in a long time. The highlight, though, has got to be the closing track "Cave-O-Sapien". That song overcomes it's silly title (and lyrics) to be one of the best rock songs I've heard in a while. Damn if there isn't some "oh oh oh oh ooohs" and such on it! Great stuff 4.5 Molos!
Everyone has been waiting for the new Arcade Fire to come out; well it's here and it's really good. The Suburbs. Arcade Fire is a great band, one of the best live bands of the decade, and you have to see them if you have not.
That being said, there's something missing - this album is excellent, but it feels too easy. There is beauty and some great songs. But maybe they are just almost too good for their own good. That doesn't make sense, and I don't have time to elaborate on it...but maybe this album is just one more strong step on some kind of amazing musical journey. If any contemporary band can take us on such a journey, The Arcade Fire is the one. 4 Molos
School of Seven Bells released an album Disconnect from Desire a couple weeks ago that might be in danger of getting ignored in the wave of Arcade Fire love, but I hope that is not the case. I love this band! But it's not the kind of music you can listen to all the time, there's a lot of repetitiveness in their music, heightened by the twin Deheza sister's lovely harmonizing - really all they music is built around the vocals, to create stunning atmosphere. Disconnect is a stronger, more diverse and better-written follow up to the very good Alpinisms and in spots it moves their sound a little further away from the shoegazer to pop to good effect. You should check it out!. By the way, Wikipedia says their name comes from "a mythical South American pickpocket training academy" 3.5 Molos
Saturday, July 24, 2010
MOLORAZZI @ Capitol Hill Block Party - Friday night
Damn that will-call line was long! Thankfully I ran into my friend Kara and cut in halfway up. Block Party...wow. I didn't go last year, and I had for gotten how sardine-like the event was. Even with a better layout this year, it was still insanely cramped to try to get up to the main stage at all. Oh well, it's a concert, right? Highlights for me were Shabazz Palaces and Champagne Champagne. I really didn't get much out of seeing Yeasayer or even MGMT live, but then again, by the time MGMT came on, all the kids were freaking out and the crowd felt agressive - so I bailed. Funny thing though, the sound from the 76 station on the back of the stage wasn't half-bad, and completely free. So long as you didn't mind standing next to some cops.
Here's a couple pics from the event -
This is what all the bands looked like till the sun went behind the buildings
Shabazz Palaces! Highlight was Butterfly's purple get-up
Champagne Champagne put on a great show
Everyone was envious of these guys.
Here's a couple pics from the event -
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Final The Abodox show
Last Friday, at the Comet Tavern The Abodox played their final show. I wrote about it on the CAB here.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
50 BEST DAMN ALBUMS OF '00-'09
KEXP is asking listeners to vote for their favorite albums of the 00s. So, of course I participated, but the minute I started scanning the list, and realizing that I could only choose 5, my brain just started laughing at itself! Only 5 for 10 years of great music? And even if I could magically come up with 5 records, how could I ever possibly rank those 5.
Well, as a response to the KEXP list, and as a cathartic exercise, I present to you, my top 50 albums of 2000-2009, in ranked by “blew me away” factor combined with overall staying power and top-to-bottom strength. There are many other songs, or tracks, or downloads as they say, that I love, but we are looking at entire albums here. The only rule being, only one album per artist.
I’m sure in another ten years, if I go back and rank these same albums, the list will look very different. Hell it would look different tomorrow, but this is all just in good fun, so here you go
1. The Wrens The Meadowlands - Still blows me away.
2. Sigur Ros () - Still their best, most affecting work, listening to this album is truly a gorgeous experience
3. Carissa’s Wierd I before e - I'm cheating here, in a sense, since this is a live album, but it's so darkly lovely, so full of pain and beauty, and such wonderful, simple elegant and surprising songs
4. Cold War Kids Robbers & Cowards - my favorite rock album of the decade
5. Rainer Maria Long Knives Drawn - my second favorite rock album of the decade
6. Sun Kil Moon Ghosts of a Great Highway - I never get tired of this album
7. Interpol Antics - Turn off the Bright lights almost beat out Antics, but basically they are both amazing
8. Radiohead Hail to the Thief - the most influencial band of the last 15 years.
9. Nada Surf Let Go - Fruit Fly is one of my all-time favorite songs...a great pop rock album
10. Devotchka How It Ends - suffered from being overplayed but still fantastic music
11. Modest Mouse The Moon and Antartica - the last great Mouse album
12. And You Will Know Us By The Trail of The Dead Sources, Tags & Codes
13. Danger Doom The Mouse and the Mask
14. Mclusky Mclusky do Dallas - My love is better than your love we take more drugs than a touring Funk band, SING IT!
15. The Walkman Bows + Arrows
16. Sonic Youth Murray Street
17. Explosions in the Sky The Earth is not a Cold Dead Place
18. Mates of State Our Constant Concern
19. LCD Sound System Sound of Silver - "Someone Great" top 5 songs of the decade
20. Deltron 3030 - I nearly forgot this came out in the 00s!
21. Spoon Girls Can Tell
22. The Postal Service Give Up
23. Stars Heart
24. The Doves The Last Broadcast - probably i'd rank it higher in the list if i felt like editing this thing more
25. Bjork Vespertine -
26. The New Pornographers Electric Version
27. Mogwai Happy Songs for Happy People
28. 764-HERO Weekends of Sound - how did i not know about this band when they were actually still a band? Unsung heros of PNW rock
29. At The Drive-in Relationship of command - one armed scissor
30. Sleater-Kinney All Hands on the Bad One
31. Silver Jews Bright Flight - fucking brilliant
32. M83 Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
33. The Dirty Three Whatever You love, You Are
34. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
35. Beck Sea Change
36. The Streets a grand don’t come for free - This is one of the most underrated hip-hop albums ever, but maybe that's because its not really a hip-hop album but something else entirely. I love it.
37. PJ Harvey Songs from the City, Songs From the Sea
38. Sufjan Stevens Illinois - Oh, Sufjan, will the hipsters ever let you back into the cool club?
39. Busdriver Roadkillovercoat - what did he just say??
40. Ghostland Observatory paparazzi Lightening - beloved by many but now in danger of being forgotten about, can they ever get the energy back of their first two albums?
41. The Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
42. Mark Lanegan Field Songs
43. Red House Painters Old Ramon
44. Death Cab For Cutie We Have the Facts and We are Voting Yes
45. Dan Deacon Bromst
46. Ulirch Schnauss A Strangely Isolate Place
47. Tapes ‘n Tapes The Loon
48. The Rosebuds Birds Make Good Neighbors - all their records are equally sweet and nice
49. Aloha Some Echos - probably the band you have not heard of on this list. You should.
50. TV On The Radio Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes - the first 6 songs of this album are the best thing that band has ever done
50.5 (Tie) Astronautalis Pomegranate, Shenandoah Davis We Camera, Huma We Are Here For You
Monday, October 19, 2009
ElectroPopShoeGazerIndieHipHopRock 1
Am I dying a blogger death by only updating every 3 weeks? Probably. Oh well, who cares.
I keep wanting to steer this blog towards art related subjects only, but I just don't think it will happen, and for now, I'm going to stick with my random eclectic musings on music, film, "culture" and occasionally art. Which pretty much means lots of reviews of music and film. Sorry if that bores y'all! I'll try to get stronger content on here in the future.
Speaking of stronger content, have you seen the latest City Arts Magazine? There's a nice piece in there on Sunny Day Real Estate by yours truly.
One more thing, before I get to my reviews "ElectroPopShoeGazerIndieHipHopRock" is going to be the name of all my music posts, joining Art Quickies and The Current Cinema as repeating columns.
New Built To Spill?!!! How come I didn't know this was happening until I saw the record in the store? Have I lost touch completely? Wait, don't answer that. There is No Enemy is excellent. Easily their best album since Keep It Like A Secret. Doug and the guys seem to have settled comfortable into the organic jam session song writing style that they used exclusively on the last release. This album brings more flowing, nice pretty songs with that strongly familiar BTS sound, but it's tight and strong front to back. It's a mature work from one of the most honest bands working today. 4 Molos
I have to admit that I don't really understand what Islands are all about but they have released one of the catchiest pop indie rock albums of recent memory. I had some of these songs rolling around in my noggin almost immediately after first lesson. The album, in question, is called Vapours and it is very good. It's a bit glam, almost silly, but somehow smart and sentimental too. A couple of misses on the record (like the song with the voice-effect that as Nicole says, only belongs on Daft Punk records) but even the misses are really damn catchy. Something must be in the water in Quebec because Montreal has been one of the best music scenes in the world over the last few years. 3.5 Molos
Local darlings Grand Hallway released their second album Promenade not long ago. Tomo Nakayama is one hell of a song writer. There's no getting around it. Sometimes listening to this band makes me think of a more humble Elton John with quirky orchestral elements. All indie pop sweetness. Love songs. Will bands ever tire of writing love songs? Would any one want them to stop? Likely the answer is no. 3.5 Molos
Kittens and puppies.
I keep wanting to steer this blog towards art related subjects only, but I just don't think it will happen, and for now, I'm going to stick with my random eclectic musings on music, film, "culture" and occasionally art. Which pretty much means lots of reviews of music and film. Sorry if that bores y'all! I'll try to get stronger content on here in the future.
Speaking of stronger content, have you seen the latest City Arts Magazine? There's a nice piece in there on Sunny Day Real Estate by yours truly.
One more thing, before I get to my reviews "ElectroPopShoeGazerIndieHipHopRock" is going to be the name of all my music posts, joining Art Quickies and The Current Cinema as repeating columns.
New Built To Spill?!!! How come I didn't know this was happening until I saw the record in the store? Have I lost touch completely? Wait, don't answer that. There is No Enemy is excellent. Easily their best album since Keep It Like A Secret. Doug and the guys seem to have settled comfortable into the organic jam session song writing style that they used exclusively on the last release. This album brings more flowing, nice pretty songs with that strongly familiar BTS sound, but it's tight and strong front to back. It's a mature work from one of the most honest bands working today. 4 Molos
I have to admit that I don't really understand what Islands are all about but they have released one of the catchiest pop indie rock albums of recent memory. I had some of these songs rolling around in my noggin almost immediately after first lesson. The album, in question, is called Vapours and it is very good. It's a bit glam, almost silly, but somehow smart and sentimental too. A couple of misses on the record (like the song with the voice-effect that as Nicole says, only belongs on Daft Punk records) but even the misses are really damn catchy. Something must be in the water in Quebec because Montreal has been one of the best music scenes in the world over the last few years. 3.5 Molos
Local darlings Grand Hallway released their second album Promenade not long ago. Tomo Nakayama is one hell of a song writer. There's no getting around it. Sometimes listening to this band makes me think of a more humble Elton John with quirky orchestral elements. All indie pop sweetness. Love songs. Will bands ever tire of writing love songs? Would any one want them to stop? Likely the answer is no. 3.5 Molos
Kittens and puppies.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Godzilla has been waiting for a Sunny Day to wake up
I haven't been bloggin' much. To be honest, I'm not sure if my blog will continue to be a big part of my web presence. With facebook, flickr, and plain-old email taking up so much time, and with my occasional writing assignments for actual print (you know, like words on paper and stuff, you might remember them), this here little blog is taking a back seat. Plus, you know there's the art, the job, the lovely Nicole, the friends and the family to spend time with (not necessarily in that order).
But I will do more, I promise.
It will just be in the sputtering installments that by now you all should be used to. And if you ain't having it, then stop reading, nimrod!
Still with me? Okay, here's a few things I have encountered:
You have only till Oct 3rd to see a lazy-ass GODZILLA sleeping between, well around really, Open Satellite's giant pillars. Go East. The artists in SIMPARCH have created a delightfully snoozy monster well worth the trip. Art can still be fun and actually create child-like responses that are honest, on occasion. 3.5 Molos.
Go see Sunny Day Real Estate's reunion tour! They are bringing it like they did in 1994, except with less hair. Or maybe that is just me who has less hair. I have seen them twice in the last 2 weeks and the first show, at Tacoma's Hell's Kitchen no less, was a spine-tingling, amazing experience. Plus, it got so loud i had to wear earplugs for the next show 2 days later, in Portland. So I didn't really get to hear the Portland show, but i briefly listened to their new song, that's right, they have a new song, and it was tight. Plus, you can get Diary and LP2 on Vinyl! Sing it! SDRE Tacoma Show: 5 Molos. SDRE Portland show 4.5 Molos. Diary reissue 5 Molos. LP2 reissue 5 Molos
Grand Archives released Keep in Mind Frankenstein which follows up last year's self-titled Subpop debut with another batch of happy/sad slightly folky mellow moody indie rock songs. This one is slower, darker, and a lot less eccentric than the debut. A far more enjoyable listen overall, everything on it just feels much more considered. Although it is lacking the punchy delights of songs like Torn Blue Foam Couch and Southern Glass Home. Still, like everything that is remotely connected to Carissa's Weird, from Grand Archives, to S, to Sera Cahoone and of course even Band of Horses it is full of sad, wonderful beauty. Even the failures that this group of artists have done are still better than most of the crap out there. Keep in Mind Frankenstein is no failure, it's a mature, record from a prolific songwriter searching for a new post Carissa's Wierd world to play in. 4 Molos
Time to break out the scarves people, winter's a coming!
thank you to slog/open satellite and the flickr photographer that i borrowed these images from. feel free to steal any of my pics from the web, anytime.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Pop-gazer
Hello dear readers, it has been a while! This post is all about music, and I'll try to keep it brief. Well, no promises on that. After all, I just turned in 1500 words for an article I'm writing on Sunny Day Real Estate's reunion tour, and it was supposed to be 1200, which, frankly, isn't so bad, only 300 words over. But I'll tell you, at one point that piece was at like 2600 words...any who, I'm rambling and you all don't give a damn.
So let's get to the music reviews:
Really, what is the big deal with Yacht? Sure they have a couple really catchy songs, but they are pretty much just standard pop-indie danceable rock songs. Okay, yes the guy is from Portland...well Astoria really. And the stuff sounds like it comes out of NY, so that ins kind of interesting. Are there a lot of Yachts in Astoria? I imagine more sea-going vessels in those waters, after all the entrance to the Columbia river, with it's currents and sand bars, is one of the most dangerous waterways in the world. This is true. There's an army of tug boats and such whose job it is to guide ships through the mouth. Any who, wasn't I going to talk about music or something? Yacht, oh yeah. See Mystery Lights. Okay it's a pretty fun album. I'm equally delighted and annoyed by this music. Couple of stellar tracks though and it's pretty cool that it's from Astoria. In short, it is excellent indie dance rock pop so if that is your thing you will not be disappointed. 3 Molos
John in the Morning is probably responsible, personally for like 36% of all album sales decisions in Seattle, that is, all those people out there at Easy Street, Sonic Boom, Everyday Music sitting there thinking, "I'd like to get some new music, but I just don't know what I want..." Well they remember that song that John has been playing lately, or that album that he recommends and pick it up. Nothing wrong with that, John has great taste. The man has turned me on to so many bands that I can't hardly imagine living without...bands that I might never have heard otherwise. KEXP in general is a godsend.
So upon john's recommendation and having never listened to it at all, I picked up the new album by The Horrors Primary Colors. And it's pretty damn good. The good people at Sonic Boom had left a label on the album, that read"Moody Brit goths overcome their awkward stage of being lame and concocted an excellent follow-up that is pretty awesome actually" I can basically agree with that. The lyrics are mostly standard love songs, juvenile even, but for what is lacking in the words, the band makes up for in the driving music. I hear a lot of Film School, The Doves, and My Bloody Album amongst others in the guitar and rhythm and if you like those bands, and can imagine a sort of lighter blended version of all those influences, you will enjoy this album. Definitely a surprisingly strong release, thanks John! 4 Molos
Combine Yacht with The Horrors, add a female singer/songwriter, and make it a bit more earnest in its pop-gazing rock (I totally just invented that term-pop-gazing. like shoe-gazer but your head is up and your foot is tapping...right?) and you have Metric's Fantasies. I enjoy this album. I've never paid any attention to the band before, so I'm wondering now what I have been missing out on, as this is ther 4th album. Probably more sweet, tight sing-able rock music. Okay, good stuff, not groundbreaking, but good. 3.5 Molos
What about the new Cave Singers album? It will surely be on top of a lot of lists at the end of 2009, especially around the PNW. Yeah it's good, real good. It's a more rock version of their stellar first album. Turned up the rock, and turned down the folk, but they still do keep it folky, so all you beards out there wont be disappointed. 4 Molos
Okay folks, all for now, although let me add that the live album by K'naan Dusty Foot on the Road is very well done. It does a great job of capturing what surely must a be a stellar live performance. Having never seen him live, nor being very familiar with the music I find myself very much enjoying this performance. 3.5 Molos
Later y'all.
So let's get to the music reviews:
Really, what is the big deal with Yacht? Sure they have a couple really catchy songs, but they are pretty much just standard pop-indie danceable rock songs. Okay, yes the guy is from Portland...well Astoria really. And the stuff sounds like it comes out of NY, so that ins kind of interesting. Are there a lot of Yachts in Astoria? I imagine more sea-going vessels in those waters, after all the entrance to the Columbia river, with it's currents and sand bars, is one of the most dangerous waterways in the world. This is true. There's an army of tug boats and such whose job it is to guide ships through the mouth. Any who, wasn't I going to talk about music or something? Yacht, oh yeah. See Mystery Lights. Okay it's a pretty fun album. I'm equally delighted and annoyed by this music. Couple of stellar tracks though and it's pretty cool that it's from Astoria. In short, it is excellent indie dance rock pop so if that is your thing you will not be disappointed. 3 Molos
John in the Morning is probably responsible, personally for like 36% of all album sales decisions in Seattle, that is, all those people out there at Easy Street, Sonic Boom, Everyday Music sitting there thinking, "I'd like to get some new music, but I just don't know what I want..." Well they remember that song that John has been playing lately, or that album that he recommends and pick it up. Nothing wrong with that, John has great taste. The man has turned me on to so many bands that I can't hardly imagine living without...bands that I might never have heard otherwise. KEXP in general is a godsend.
So upon john's recommendation and having never listened to it at all, I picked up the new album by The Horrors Primary Colors. And it's pretty damn good. The good people at Sonic Boom had left a label on the album, that read"Moody Brit goths overcome their awkward stage of being lame and concocted an excellent follow-up that is pretty awesome actually" I can basically agree with that. The lyrics are mostly standard love songs, juvenile even, but for what is lacking in the words, the band makes up for in the driving music. I hear a lot of Film School, The Doves, and My Bloody Album amongst others in the guitar and rhythm and if you like those bands, and can imagine a sort of lighter blended version of all those influences, you will enjoy this album. Definitely a surprisingly strong release, thanks John! 4 Molos
Combine Yacht with The Horrors, add a female singer/songwriter, and make it a bit more earnest in its pop-gazing rock (I totally just invented that term-pop-gazing. like shoe-gazer but your head is up and your foot is tapping...right?) and you have Metric's Fantasies. I enjoy this album. I've never paid any attention to the band before, so I'm wondering now what I have been missing out on, as this is ther 4th album. Probably more sweet, tight sing-able rock music. Okay, good stuff, not groundbreaking, but good. 3.5 Molos
What about the new Cave Singers album? It will surely be on top of a lot of lists at the end of 2009, especially around the PNW. Yeah it's good, real good. It's a more rock version of their stellar first album. Turned up the rock, and turned down the folk, but they still do keep it folky, so all you beards out there wont be disappointed. 4 Molos
Okay folks, all for now, although let me add that the live album by K'naan Dusty Foot on the Road is very well done. It does a great job of capturing what surely must a be a stellar live performance. Having never seen him live, nor being very familiar with the music I find myself very much enjoying this performance. 3.5 Molos
Later y'all.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Sounds of 2009
Hello everyone! Sorry for the absence, but I had surgery on my sinuses and have been out of commission. Subsequently I haven't been out to see a lot of art around town, or movies for that matter. I have lost track of all the art, music, culture, and films happening around town-basically all the things that I am supposed to be reporting on in this forum to you all. Sorry about that, I hope you have managed to entertain yourselves without my advice these last few weeks!
I did watch a ton of DVDs during my recovery, movies like Defiance, or James Bond vs the Nazis, which was a perfectly mildly entertaining and somewhat interesting film. 2.5 Molos Oh, and I saw the first season of Mad Men, which more than lives up to it's reputation as a extremely well-written, intriguing show. Mad men is fascinating. It's not exactly a happy show, in fact it always left me in a kind of perplexing, slightly sour mood, but it's just so damn well done and mysterious I could never stop watching.
Moving on, I wanted to catch you all up on music in 2009. To be honest I really can't keep up with new music in any sort of comprehensive way anymore. There is just too much out there, on the web and at the stores. But here are a few short reviews of things that have fallen into my world of late:
Perhaps the most fun record I have heard in a while is Major Lazer's Guns Don't Kill People...Lazers Do.. It's a delight. Fully of dance hall and sort of reggae/hip hop/ experimental dance fusion songs. But in a kind of mainstream-accessible sort of way. It's fun and has good beats. Plus, you really really must find the video for Pon de Floor online-it will floor you. Features of lot of "passa passa" style dancing. After you watch that video, research passa passa. Kids these days. 3.5 Molos
There is a local rapper Shabazz who is a bit of a mystery. I'm not eve certain that he is local, but that is what I heard. Shabazz released a really good record, Palaces of light, that i picked up a few weeks ago and it's a really tight bunch of dark, clean, slightly thuggish but smooth rap. If that makes sense. Thuggish is probably the wrong word. Tough might be more accurate. I think it's a good evolution of local hip hop, but I'm not at all an expert on the scene, even if i am friends with a white rapper. If you are a fan of hip-hop get the record, that's all I'm going to say about it. 3.5 Molos
Sonic Youth keeps making albums, and I keep buying them. But it's getting a little old. Or they are getting a little old. Although the title of their new album, The Eternal, speaks to this rather directly!
Don't get me wrong, it's good, very good. The band really can do no wrong. But I think they have fallen into a realm of just making music for their fans. Their music is becoming very much variations-on-a-theme, when it used to be they were always pushing boundaries and exploring new unknown sounds. So they aren't innovators anymore, they wont blow your mind with this album. But if you are into their sound, you wont be disappointed. 3 Molos
Busdriver, on the other hand, has still got some innovation going. Although at times it is starting to feel ever so slightly formulaic...but just slightly. His new album, Jhelli Beam, really encompasses what I trying to say here...songs alternate from blowing your mind, to being more like here's another classic Busdriver-sounding song. Although for such a weird, experimental hip hop artist like him, that's a funny thing to say. If you have never heard of Busdriver, you need to. He's really quite amazing, and this album is tight and delightful despite what I have said above-I think my only issue with him is he's just kind of hard to take a lot of. He's a hard artist to listen to his records front-to-back. Too much Busdriver is a bad thing, a little Busdriver is fucking amazing. 4 Molos
Alright kids, off to your record stores! And if anyone has any great musical suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them.
I did watch a ton of DVDs during my recovery, movies like Defiance, or James Bond vs the Nazis, which was a perfectly mildly entertaining and somewhat interesting film. 2.5 Molos Oh, and I saw the first season of Mad Men, which more than lives up to it's reputation as a extremely well-written, intriguing show. Mad men is fascinating. It's not exactly a happy show, in fact it always left me in a kind of perplexing, slightly sour mood, but it's just so damn well done and mysterious I could never stop watching.
Moving on, I wanted to catch you all up on music in 2009. To be honest I really can't keep up with new music in any sort of comprehensive way anymore. There is just too much out there, on the web and at the stores. But here are a few short reviews of things that have fallen into my world of late:
Perhaps the most fun record I have heard in a while is Major Lazer's Guns Don't Kill People...Lazers Do.. It's a delight. Fully of dance hall and sort of reggae/hip hop/ experimental dance fusion songs. But in a kind of mainstream-accessible sort of way. It's fun and has good beats. Plus, you really really must find the video for Pon de Floor online-it will floor you. Features of lot of "passa passa" style dancing. After you watch that video, research passa passa. Kids these days. 3.5 Molos
There is a local rapper Shabazz who is a bit of a mystery. I'm not eve certain that he is local, but that is what I heard. Shabazz released a really good record, Palaces of light, that i picked up a few weeks ago and it's a really tight bunch of dark, clean, slightly thuggish but smooth rap. If that makes sense. Thuggish is probably the wrong word. Tough might be more accurate. I think it's a good evolution of local hip hop, but I'm not at all an expert on the scene, even if i am friends with a white rapper. If you are a fan of hip-hop get the record, that's all I'm going to say about it. 3.5 Molos
Sonic Youth keeps making albums, and I keep buying them. But it's getting a little old. Or they are getting a little old. Although the title of their new album, The Eternal, speaks to this rather directly!
Don't get me wrong, it's good, very good. The band really can do no wrong. But I think they have fallen into a realm of just making music for their fans. Their music is becoming very much variations-on-a-theme, when it used to be they were always pushing boundaries and exploring new unknown sounds. So they aren't innovators anymore, they wont blow your mind with this album. But if you are into their sound, you wont be disappointed. 3 Molos
Busdriver, on the other hand, has still got some innovation going. Although at times it is starting to feel ever so slightly formulaic...but just slightly. His new album, Jhelli Beam, really encompasses what I trying to say here...songs alternate from blowing your mind, to being more like here's another classic Busdriver-sounding song. Although for such a weird, experimental hip hop artist like him, that's a funny thing to say. If you have never heard of Busdriver, you need to. He's really quite amazing, and this album is tight and delightful despite what I have said above-I think my only issue with him is he's just kind of hard to take a lot of. He's a hard artist to listen to his records front-to-back. Too much Busdriver is a bad thing, a little Busdriver is fucking amazing. 4 Molos
Alright kids, off to your record stores! And if anyone has any great musical suggestions for me, I'd love to hear them.
Monday, November 26, 2007
The Kit 'N Caboodles
REVIEWS (as always 1-5 Molos):
There have been 2 big shake ups in the lists this time around-2 new #1s…I like to think of my top 10 lists being not unlike the college football BCS ranking system. There are 17 computers compiling loads of data and statistics to achieve an undisputable ranking system. Strength of schedule is always considered.
Course it's just one Molo's opinion, and subject to change at my whim.
The film that knocked off "Grindhouse" (no less) from #1 10 is No Country For Old Men. I thought I might be let down going into the picture…expectations were very high-Coen Brothers, the venerable Cormac McCarthy…but they managed to create a beautiful, haunting picture. Images from the movie have floated around my noggin' the last few days. Hats off to the brothers for letting the novel speak for itself and not putting a big Coen Style stamp over the material. Not a happy film, but a great one none-the-less. Expect an Oscar nomination for Javier Bardin (sp?) and maybe supporting for Tommy Lee Jones, as well as Best Picture, best Director, and Best adapted Script. 4.5 Molos
Speaking of Oscars, the Academy could pass out a bunch to the cast of Before the Devil Knows you are Dead and feel pretty good about their choices. This is not a happy film, let me warn you. Do you remember that movie, In the Bedroom? This movie is far less happy than that. Frankly, it's quite depressing. But one of the best works the great Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Network, etc) has crafted. Phillip Seymour Hoffman deserves another acting nod, Marissa Tomei another supporting nod, and even Ethan Hawke is great in this picture. Albert Finney (reminiscent of Peter Finches Howard Beale in Network-in look) is almost assured a supporting nod. Not that I give a rats ass who wins/is nominated for Oscars, but I'm just pointing out, if you love great acting, see this movie. If you love great filmmaking, see this movie, if you hate depressing movies, do NOT see this movie. 4 Molos
Not Speaking of the Oscars-I admit to renting Fantastic Four 2, on Netflix. It's terrible. I'm addicted to comic-book movies…that's my excuse. 1 Molo
MUSIC-Well, they did it again. Radiohead's In Rainbows is probably the finest album that will be released this year, even though it really wont be released until next year. Wait, so where do I rank it? Hmmm…well, lets just keep it this year. I only have a burned copy, and I'm sure the song order is all fucked up, but it's damn good stuff. I can't wait to get the actual album. I hate to be so unoriginal-I mean I wish I could have some unknown band be the tops of the list-that somehow the Sketchbook Project's blog broke this unreleased album the now huge band, "The Kit 'n Caboodles", which is sweeping the nation….but I'm afraid that's just not going to happen. Radiohead is too good. Incidentally, the guitarist has done the soundtrack for the upcoming Daniel Day Lewis film "There will be Blood". 4.5 Molos
Well, at least The Cave Singers are a little big unknown. I might be enlightening you a bit on this band. That is unless you live in Seattle, or listen to KEXP, or read Pitchfork, or generally are hip to the new sound. Course they and their album "Invitation Songs" aren't so much new/innovative as they are new takes on a bit of that folky, but heavyish rock…it's got some of that early 70s sound in it. And done very very well. Turns out this band comes from the ashes of the great Seattle bands Pretty Girls Make Graves and the Hint Hint. So there is plenty of talent at play, and they are on Matador, so I think they just might make a splash. But then again who can say. They are kind of part of that sound that Black Mountain and Whalebones are doing up here in the PNW. Contemporary throwback psychedelic indie folk rock. Yeah. 3.5 Molos (maybe a little higher)
Top 10 Flicks that I have seen, 2007:
1. No Country for Old Men
2. Grindhouse
3. Superbad
4. Eastern Promises
5. Before the Devil Knows You are Dead
6. American Gangster
7. ZODIAC
8. 300
9. The Host
10. Shoot 'em Up
Top Musical releases that I have heard, 2007:
1. Radiohead In Rainbows
2. Kings of Leon Because of the Times
3. The White Stripes Icky Thump
4. LCD Sound System Sound of Silver
5. Imperial Teen The Hair, the TV, the Baby, the Band
6. Silversun Pickups Carnavas
7. Busdriver Road Kill Overcoat
8. Interpol Our Love to Admire
9. The Arcade Fire Neon Bible
10. Grinderman Grinderman
10. Explosions in the Sky All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
11. Two Gallants Two Gallants
12. The Cave Singers Invitation Songs
13. Albert Hammond Jr. Yours To Keep
14. Film School Hideout
15. Talib Kweli Eardrum
16. Devandra Banhart Smoke Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
There have been 2 big shake ups in the lists this time around-2 new #1s…I like to think of my top 10 lists being not unlike the college football BCS ranking system. There are 17 computers compiling loads of data and statistics to achieve an undisputable ranking system. Strength of schedule is always considered.
Course it's just one Molo's opinion, and subject to change at my whim.
The film that knocked off "Grindhouse" (no less) from #1 10 is No Country For Old Men. I thought I might be let down going into the picture…expectations were very high-Coen Brothers, the venerable Cormac McCarthy…but they managed to create a beautiful, haunting picture. Images from the movie have floated around my noggin' the last few days. Hats off to the brothers for letting the novel speak for itself and not putting a big Coen Style stamp over the material. Not a happy film, but a great one none-the-less. Expect an Oscar nomination for Javier Bardin (sp?) and maybe supporting for Tommy Lee Jones, as well as Best Picture, best Director, and Best adapted Script. 4.5 Molos
Speaking of Oscars, the Academy could pass out a bunch to the cast of Before the Devil Knows you are Dead and feel pretty good about their choices. This is not a happy film, let me warn you. Do you remember that movie, In the Bedroom? This movie is far less happy than that. Frankly, it's quite depressing. But one of the best works the great Sidney Lumet (Dog Day Afternoon, Network, etc) has crafted. Phillip Seymour Hoffman deserves another acting nod, Marissa Tomei another supporting nod, and even Ethan Hawke is great in this picture. Albert Finney (reminiscent of Peter Finches Howard Beale in Network-in look) is almost assured a supporting nod. Not that I give a rats ass who wins/is nominated for Oscars, but I'm just pointing out, if you love great acting, see this movie. If you love great filmmaking, see this movie, if you hate depressing movies, do NOT see this movie. 4 Molos
Not Speaking of the Oscars-I admit to renting Fantastic Four 2, on Netflix. It's terrible. I'm addicted to comic-book movies…that's my excuse. 1 Molo
MUSIC-Well, they did it again. Radiohead's In Rainbows is probably the finest album that will be released this year, even though it really wont be released until next year. Wait, so where do I rank it? Hmmm…well, lets just keep it this year. I only have a burned copy, and I'm sure the song order is all fucked up, but it's damn good stuff. I can't wait to get the actual album. I hate to be so unoriginal-I mean I wish I could have some unknown band be the tops of the list-that somehow the Sketchbook Project's blog broke this unreleased album the now huge band, "The Kit 'n Caboodles", which is sweeping the nation….but I'm afraid that's just not going to happen. Radiohead is too good. Incidentally, the guitarist has done the soundtrack for the upcoming Daniel Day Lewis film "There will be Blood". 4.5 Molos
Well, at least The Cave Singers are a little big unknown. I might be enlightening you a bit on this band. That is unless you live in Seattle, or listen to KEXP, or read Pitchfork, or generally are hip to the new sound. Course they and their album "Invitation Songs" aren't so much new/innovative as they are new takes on a bit of that folky, but heavyish rock…it's got some of that early 70s sound in it. And done very very well. Turns out this band comes from the ashes of the great Seattle bands Pretty Girls Make Graves and the Hint Hint. So there is plenty of talent at play, and they are on Matador, so I think they just might make a splash. But then again who can say. They are kind of part of that sound that Black Mountain and Whalebones are doing up here in the PNW. Contemporary throwback psychedelic indie folk rock. Yeah. 3.5 Molos (maybe a little higher)
Top 10 Flicks that I have seen, 2007:
1. No Country for Old Men
2. Grindhouse
3. Superbad
4. Eastern Promises
5. Before the Devil Knows You are Dead
6. American Gangster
7. ZODIAC
8. 300
9. The Host
10. Shoot 'em Up
Top Musical releases that I have heard, 2007:
1. Radiohead In Rainbows
2. Kings of Leon Because of the Times
3. The White Stripes Icky Thump
4. LCD Sound System Sound of Silver
5. Imperial Teen The Hair, the TV, the Baby, the Band
6. Silversun Pickups Carnavas
7. Busdriver Road Kill Overcoat
8. Interpol Our Love to Admire
9. The Arcade Fire Neon Bible
10. Grinderman Grinderman
10. Explosions in the Sky All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone
11. Two Gallants Two Gallants
12. The Cave Singers Invitation Songs
13. Albert Hammond Jr. Yours To Keep
14. Film School Hideout
15. Talib Kweli Eardrum
16. Devandra Banhart Smoke Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
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