Leftover crack at Tower | Main | Subinev.com Holiday Party - 12/22 @ Union Hall
12:59 AM - 2006 music, short form.
There are a lot of lists floating around these days. My favorite so far is Soviet Panda's. Let's start easy - here are my 5 favorite EPs from 2006. 1. Professor Murder - Rides The Subway 2. The Black Swans - Sex Brain 3. Be Your Own Pet - Summer Sensation 4. Tim Williams - Merchant Heart 5. Colourmusic - Yellow I'll probably get around to a full top something or other list of albums, but it's going to be rough - most of my favorite bands put out albums this year, not to mention tons of new bands that I've come to like quite a bit in the past 12 months. Check back soon!
This was one of the most satisfying records of the year, EP, LP, anything in between. I can't even tell how many times I played this in the record shop and sent people home with a copy. It does that - it just grabs you. It's a lot closer to dance music than I normally get but the beats and effects are just so tasty that even I can't help it. There are some longer stretches of downtime that I could do without, but "Champion" and the brief accapella track, "Pedigree," makes it all much more than worth it. I can't wait for a full length from these guys and I just hope it doesn't take anywhere near as long as it did to get this out. Interesting note: I always mistake "Cameron's New Color" for a track by fellow dance-loving Brooklynites Radio 4.
Dirty dirty sweet sweet songs to make you sweat on a balmy night in the back of your uncle's pickup truck. Drinkin', women, and bad bad things that happen (or don't - I.D.W.T.F., for example). There's something so perfectly awkward in this music that though at first you might not know what to make of it, after a few listens you'll find the hushed Johnny Cash-esque vocals seeping into your brain and you know exactly what he means when he says "I get weird just thinking about it." Fun find: Jerry of The Black Swans contributed his Favorite Albums of the year to Donewaiting.com.
I think this hit me at just the right moment. It was time for some fun and exciting new music that didn't sound too clean, and hey why couldn't it come from a bunch of kids? I think it's supposed to not be cool to like them or something but I played these songs all summer long, that's for sure. "Girls on TV" had me fooled for a Futureheads cover for minute there but nevermind that, nobody ever said they were all that original. Turn it up and go jump on your bed. It works in winter too, on a sunny day.
I usally feel like live tracks are a bit of a let down on an album, but the two included here are not even close to being haphazardly recorded club tracks - they sound just as pristine as the three studio takes (I Am Wearing It, for example). It's always so unassuming when an album comes out with the primary songwriter/musician's name on it and the sound inside is full of layers and textures that flesh out the songs in a way that you didn't expect at all. These songs have a simple feel - and they'd be just as great spoken plainly over a drink, but it's nice to hear them with all the fancy trimmings. Great indie pop songwriting to rival Death Cab For Cutie or the Decemberists without the inevitable whininess or self-congratulatory embelishments. Be warned - these songs are on the longer side and you will get lost in them. I liked this ep so much that I asked Tim to play my Holiday party (12/22 @ Union Hall... more info on that very soon!).
Quirky. Oklahoma. Very exciting live, very weird on record. All the tweedle-diddle-diddle-deeing and creepy whispers can get a little uncomfortable depending on how you're listening to the record, but it sounds incredible with much better production than most indie records - in fact a lot like the latest from their musical kin the Flaming Lips (it's an undeniable comparison). Though these guys got some small amounts of attention this year, I think they've got a good shot at getting much love in the coming year (and PLEASE, New York, next time they come around don't miss out again).
Comments
