Now, I know it's almost February but I'd like to make one more post about last year. Here albums that I feel deserve some recognition that may have been overshadowed by the Fleet Foxes and TV On The Radio etc. So here they are (in no particular order).
Son Lux - At War With Walls & MysticsWith At War With Walls & Mystics, Ryan Lott, the man behind Son Lux has been able to produce a debut album that encompasses the raw emotion that Bon Iver used to captivate the world, but in the trip-hop genre. Son Lux's songs may start of soft and intimate, but eventually they just erupt and if you weren't paying attention at the beginning Lott will have capture your attention like that girl you met at the bar last week. I will admit that I am not an avid listener od trip-hop, but this is a major exception because the songs are written and produced so amazingly. So, even if you're a non believer Son Lux will make you one.
Son Lux - Betray
Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds And A Sound
At this point in musical history there are more bands that consist of acoustic guitar, drums and vocals than ever before, but something about Blind Pilot is different. It could be their witty, and at times Andrew Bird-like lyrics, the riffs and chord progressions that guitarist Israel Nebeker produces, or the perfectly placed horn interludes that they introduce into their songs. I must admit that the first I heard of Blind Pilot wasn't because of their music of their debut album, but because they were touring the West Coast with nothing but their instruments and a sweet set of wheels - bicycles. That's right, bikes, but don't let this cool little fact take away from the beautiful music that they are making.
Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds And A Sound
Grand Archives - Grand Archives
Grand Archives' self-titled debut album has to be one of my favorites of the year. The band has produced an album that flawlessly combines the vocal harmonies that gave Fleet Foxes an edge in the musical world and the simple yet genius guitar driven guitar sound that defined Band of
Horses' Everything All the Time (maybe because front man Mat Brooke was also a driving force behind that album). Not only does every song on the album bring something new to the table, but the whole album listens beautifully which shows how mature this band really is.
Grand Archives - Torn Blue Foam Couch
The Dears - Missiles
I have previously posted about The Dears and talked about how they had their problems last year. Despite these difficulties, having lost the majority of their band, the core of The Dears, the husband/wife duo of Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak still stays strong and with the help of some friends they have been able to produce a fairly strong album. When listening to Missiles you can hear the similarities to bands such as Radiohead, TV On The Radio and Joy Division. Despite mixed reviews for the new album I feel it is a strong effort considering. If you don't get to listen to the entire album be sure to check out "Disclaimer" and "Meltdown In A Major".
The Dears - Disclaimer
Eureka Birds - Eureka Birds
The Eureka Birds are a modest little band from Baltimore who have been able to accomplish what most bands fail to to on their first album. They have created an album that has such a marvelous linear continuity it's hard to believe, and the best part is that it doesn't take away from the individual songs, which each have their own eloquent personality. The only thing that I regret about this album is not listening to it sooner because these birds, whose interests are power lines, tall buildings, roofs, and parks according to their website, have made a smashing album.
Eureka Birds - The Still Life
Forest Fire - Survival
This is just one of the many phenomenal debut albums that was released in 2008. This another album that I previously posted about, and for good reasons. The band based out of Brooklyn is a perfect example that you don't need perfect production for music to sound great. Now don't get me wrong it does add a whole other element to the music if it you have a quality recording engineer on-board, but in Forest Fire's case I feel like it gives us a more intimate look at the band. My favorite part about Survival is the purposely off-kilter, infectious percussion that drives every song. That and the simple, yet raw acoustic guitar parts are what make this album a great listen. And be sure to check out my previous post on Forest Fire's Survival.
Forest Fire - Fortune Teller
Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
Although Notwist has been together for almost two decades, they have just just broken through the ticker-tape and made their way into the indie scene. The band from outside Munich, GR originally dabbled in the heavy metal scene before moving into onto indie music and more recently the ever-growing electronic scene. Notwist has been slowly but surely gaining play counts in my iTunes due to their very accessible compositions and I don't anticipate that going away anytime in the near future.
Notwist - Boneless
Point Juncture, WA - Heart To Elk
Vibraphone rock, plain and simple. The band from Portland, OR, not Point Juncture, WA seeing as it's a fictional location, has slowly been making a name for themselves and Heart To Elk is definitely a step in the right direction. Their songs are composed with a variety of instruments, and most of them lull you into a stupor before launching you into their own sonic stratosphere. I ssuspect that some of the band members will soon be quitting their day jobs so they can bless Planet Earth with their lovely music.
Point Juncture, WA - Sick On Sugar
Chad VanGaalen - The Soft Airplane
VanGaalen has quietly made his way onto the music scene with his laid back feel. The first song of his that I heard was "City of Electric Light" which starts of with his guitar and vocals in unison but then grows into the chorus which will burn into your conscience for days to come until you revisit the song. Upon further investigation, I discovered that the entire album has its own unique, weary ambiance like an unsung hero. "Willow Tree" has grow to be my favorite song off the VanGaalen's debut album that features the young man on banjo with lyrics that relax the body into a trance while delivering a dark message. The album as a whole is quite the accomplishment for this musician/illustrator/animator/producer.
Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree
Women - Women
I love Women! Okay, bad joke. But seriously, this band is great and everyone should know that. Women, the band's debut album, was recorded in Chad VanGaalen's basement which explains the tape hiss that the band ended up utilizing as a compositional technique. Besides the obviously correlation between VanGaalen being Women's recording engineer you can hear similarities in the music, from the "open" sounding songs to the simple yet catchy hooks that this album depends on. In any case Women deserve your attention, and if they don't get it now, they will in years to come.
Women - Black Rice
Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream About Swimming Across The Sea
I must admit that if it weren't for Band of Horses discovering Mr. Ramsey then I probably would have never heard of this lanky man. His music isn't ground-breaking in any sense of the word, but Tyler utilizes his guitar, drum machine - which serves the purpose of keeping the beat at his live shows - like no other. His compositions remind me of some of Phish's songs that just feature Trey Anastasio on vocals and acoustic guitar, with many ideas that may not seem like they could mold so well into one song. Whatever the reason, be sure to check out this modern day BFG's debut album any way that you can. You can also check out my previous post on Ravishing Ramsey.
Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
Slappy White (Chandler), my friend and fellow music lover over at fork/knife, introduced me to this playful little band from Syracuse, NY a few months back by sending me their cover of Kate Bush's "Suspended In Gaffa" (which many people think is a Ra Ra original). I was hooked immediately. Riot flawlessly combines everything that has ever been right with music in one album, including the perfect doses of cello and violin. Oh, and did I mention that this is another debut album?
Son Lux - Betray
Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds And A SoundAt this point in musical history there are more bands that consist of acoustic guitar, drums and vocals than ever before, but something about Blind Pilot is different. It could be their witty, and at times Andrew Bird-like lyrics, the riffs and chord progressions that guitarist Israel Nebeker produces, or the perfectly placed horn interludes that they introduce into their songs. I must admit that the first I heard of Blind Pilot wasn't because of their music of their debut album, but because they were touring the West Coast with nothing but their instruments and a sweet set of wheels - bicycles. That's right, bikes, but don't let this cool little fact take away from the beautiful music that they are making.
Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds And A Sound
Grand Archives - Grand ArchivesGrand Archives' self-titled debut album has to be one of my favorites of the year. The band has produced an album that flawlessly combines the vocal harmonies that gave Fleet Foxes an edge in the musical world and the simple yet genius guitar driven guitar sound that defined Band of
Horses' Everything All the Time (maybe because front man Mat Brooke was also a driving force behind that album). Not only does every song on the album bring something new to the table, but the whole album listens beautifully which shows how mature this band really is.
Grand Archives - Torn Blue Foam Couch
The Dears - MissilesI have previously posted about The Dears and talked about how they had their problems last year. Despite these difficulties, having lost the majority of their band, the core of The Dears, the husband/wife duo of Murray Lightburn and Natalia Yanchak still stays strong and with the help of some friends they have been able to produce a fairly strong album. When listening to Missiles you can hear the similarities to bands such as Radiohead, TV On The Radio and Joy Division. Despite mixed reviews for the new album I feel it is a strong effort considering. If you don't get to listen to the entire album be sure to check out "Disclaimer" and "Meltdown In A Major".
The Dears - Disclaimer
Eureka Birds - Eureka BirdsThe Eureka Birds are a modest little band from Baltimore who have been able to accomplish what most bands fail to to on their first album. They have created an album that has such a marvelous linear continuity it's hard to believe, and the best part is that it doesn't take away from the individual songs, which each have their own eloquent personality. The only thing that I regret about this album is not listening to it sooner because these birds, whose interests are power lines, tall buildings, roofs, and parks according to their website, have made a smashing album.
Eureka Birds - The Still Life
Forest Fire - SurvivalThis is just one of the many phenomenal debut albums that was released in 2008. This another album that I previously posted about, and for good reasons. The band based out of Brooklyn is a perfect example that you don't need perfect production for music to sound great. Now don't get me wrong it does add a whole other element to the music if it you have a quality recording engineer on-board, but in Forest Fire's case I feel like it gives us a more intimate look at the band. My favorite part about Survival is the purposely off-kilter, infectious percussion that drives every song. That and the simple, yet raw acoustic guitar parts are what make this album a great listen. And be sure to check out my previous post on Forest Fire's Survival.
Forest Fire - Fortune Teller
Notwist - The Devil, You + MeAlthough Notwist has been together for almost two decades, they have just just broken through the ticker-tape and made their way into the indie scene. The band from outside Munich, GR originally dabbled in the heavy metal scene before moving into onto indie music and more recently the ever-growing electronic scene. Notwist has been slowly but surely gaining play counts in my iTunes due to their very accessible compositions and I don't anticipate that going away anytime in the near future.
Notwist - Boneless
Point Juncture, WA - Heart To ElkVibraphone rock, plain and simple. The band from Portland, OR, not Point Juncture, WA seeing as it's a fictional location, has slowly been making a name for themselves and Heart To Elk is definitely a step in the right direction. Their songs are composed with a variety of instruments, and most of them lull you into a stupor before launching you into their own sonic stratosphere. I ssuspect that some of the band members will soon be quitting their day jobs so they can bless Planet Earth with their lovely music.
Point Juncture, WA - Sick On Sugar
Chad VanGaalen - The Soft AirplaneVanGaalen has quietly made his way onto the music scene with his laid back feel. The first song of his that I heard was "City of Electric Light" which starts of with his guitar and vocals in unison but then grows into the chorus which will burn into your conscience for days to come until you revisit the song. Upon further investigation, I discovered that the entire album has its own unique, weary ambiance like an unsung hero. "Willow Tree" has grow to be my favorite song off the VanGaalen's debut album that features the young man on banjo with lyrics that relax the body into a trance while delivering a dark message. The album as a whole is quite the accomplishment for this musician/illustrator/animator/producer.
Chad VanGaalen - Willow Tree
Women - WomenI love Women! Okay, bad joke. But seriously, this band is great and everyone should know that. Women, the band's debut album, was recorded in Chad VanGaalen's basement which explains the tape hiss that the band ended up utilizing as a compositional technique. Besides the obviously correlation between VanGaalen being Women's recording engineer you can hear similarities in the music, from the "open" sounding songs to the simple yet catchy hooks that this album depends on. In any case Women deserve your attention, and if they don't get it now, they will in years to come.
Women - Black Rice
Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream About Swimming Across The SeaI must admit that if it weren't for Band of Horses discovering Mr. Ramsey then I probably would have never heard of this lanky man. His music isn't ground-breaking in any sense of the word, but Tyler utilizes his guitar, drum machine - which serves the purpose of keeping the beat at his live shows - like no other. His compositions remind me of some of Phish's songs that just feature Trey Anastasio on vocals and acoustic guitar, with many ideas that may not seem like they could mold so well into one song. Whatever the reason, be sure to check out this modern day BFG's debut album any way that you can. You can also check out my previous post on Ravishing Ramsey.
Tyler Ramsey - A Long Dream
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb LineSlappy White (Chandler), my friend and fellow music lover over at fork/knife, introduced me to this playful little band from Syracuse, NY a few months back by sending me their cover of Kate Bush's "Suspended In Gaffa" (which many people think is a Ra Ra original). I was hooked immediately. Riot flawlessly combines everything that has ever been right with music in one album, including the perfect doses of cello and violin. Oh, and did I mention that this is another debut album?
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