The importance of a first impression is something that has been stressed since humanity’s inception, with philosophers as early as Socrates noting its role in developing biases. Subsequent eras such as the Tudor period, Enlightenment, and others focused on the importance of social class emphasized the importance in keeping with appearances. This prompted a development of high culture that tended to rely on class distinctions instead of one’s origin or set of beliefs. First impressions were encouraged as a means to maintain this specific class, as the elite class tended to classify themselves not according to ideologies but instead more material things. An instance would be how salon culture during the Enlightenment practically mocked the importance of philosophers, as the upper class invited these prominent thinkers not to converse with them but rather to show off their capability in attaining them for leisure. This all relates to the importance of a first impression, as a system without hierarchy would have no need for such superficial requests. Our contemporary society remains similarly superficial, but its difference now is in how technology has made us become accustomed to instantaneous automation, leaving little room for individuals to reason beyond their first impression when discovering something new.

With this, the difficulty for an artist to differentiate their work becomes even more apparent. You can listen to hundreds of artists on this site and others, so how much time does an artist truly have to grab your attention before you move on? We now have such a broad output of available information and media that becoming more specific in our tastes is merely to be expected. But honestly, are we demanding accessibility over intricacy as a result? I hold the belief that the majority of art requires time and patience to truly appreciate, and I could not tell you how many classic albums I could have missed out on if I turned it off after the first listen. When we look at the most successful independent artists of the past decade, names like The Strokes, Arcade Fire, TV on the Radio, and Animal Collective come to mind. On the surface their styles do not possess many similarities, but they are all synonymous in creating stylistically distinctive material that packs just the right amount of accessibility to hook the listener and lure them in. Their mastery of their genres is led by the recognition of their audience, wisely seeing that their attention span in regard to new music is severely limited due to the rampant automation within our culture.

Their great songwriting and level of performance is likely enough to propel the Minnesota-based Total Babe to soaring heights. But what really alerts me about their potential is that Total Babe’s accessible frame of mind correlates with this decade’s biggest indie-rock successes in infusing innovation and accessibility. Gentle acoustic strums and hazy keys comprise the majority of this trio’s sound, establishing a breezy type of indie-pop that clashes with the grittiness of early ’90s alternative-rock to produce what sounds like a mix of lighthearted exuberance and tested experience. What brings much of this contemporary liking is Total Babe’s main vocalist, Clara Salyer. Her voice is a knockout force that maintains extreme ferocity throughout the six tracks on their debut EP, Heatwave. Think perhaps a more toned-down version of Neko Case or Karen O, as these vocalists also make extraordinary use of their femininely high-pitched vocal chords without resorting to the obnoxious twee-pop that many similar vocalists due undertake for its sheer ease. They are able to sound like a glowing angel at some points with a coo that demands affection, while also showing a transitional dependency to resort to yelps and screams in case the guitar amp is turned up a few notches. Salyer’s slurs and whispers make her delivery sound stream-of-conscious, which she uses to her advantage through invoking a sense of melodic wizardry that relies on word delivery and tone instead of its actual content.

The generally indistinguishable lyrical content could only exist in few genres while retaining success. Luckily, Total Babe’s lovely form of chamber-pop relies so much on sweeping arrangements and voracious hooks that Salyer’s incoherency actually adds some allure and mystery to the sound. Her most distinguishable phrases are often muttered in short bursts, varying from situations that are both cute and eerie. When she hums “oh me, oh my!” on “Short Stories”, it is hard not to succumb to the oh-so-cute vibe that the acoustics and subtle strings establish. The melody almost sounds like a medieval dance-about, with the ceaseless rush of alternating chords and accompanying strings providing excitement that most indie-rock rookies fail to even touch upon. “Bearbones” is more conventional in its indie-pop workings, introducing an array of twinkling organs over a basic acoustic guitar whose benefits are provided by Salyer’s reflective whimper. It is a sure winner though and I would be surprised if it is not their first single. Its main competition for that title is “Gary Coleman”, another strong effort lavished in delicate strings and strongly presented keyboard chords. The latter provide a sort of layer supplementation, making the area between acoustics and keyboard notes fuller and more satisfying. German readers may find that it sounds familiar, which is because it was featured in a German candy commercial. Tracks like these are indicative of Total Babe’s evident ability to produce top-notch indie-pop, finding a safe haven between chamber-pop and indie-rock to produce work that is strikingly memorable through its lavish hooks and outstanding vocal work.

RIYL: Field Music, Stereolab, Neko Case, Saint Etienne, Beth Orton, Pizzicato Five, The High Llamas

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Total Babe – Bearbones

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Total Babe – Short Stories

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Total Babe – Gary Coleman

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I can only imagine the diverse array of characters that encompass the set of a porno. Bubbly starlets who are either sexually conflicted or financially desperate, 55-year-old cameramen who consider their work to be an “art”, and a crew of makeup artists who have the goal of minimizing superficial faults and maximizing robustness are just a few of the hired individuals in the quest for erotic stardom. I could be entirely erroneous in my judgment, as I have unfortunately never stepped foot in such an amusingly humorous atmosphere, but I am sure that most of the people involved get considerably annoyed when someone looks at their occupation with disdain. The stars and starlets of the picture are easy to criticize, but most of the cameramen, writers, makeup artists, and producers are just trying to earn an income. And hey, like all jobs, they may end up meeting people that will end up being future business partners, occupational connections, or even best friends. Many people would assume that the only thing that would originate at a porno is a misconceived child, but as the duo of Mr. Gnome have proven, prosperous relationships with no sexual relevancy whatsoever can sometimes originate in the most unexpected of places.

Since I tend to be interested in how bands form and whatnot, I have read a variety of accounts over the past few years by band members who explain how their project came to be. And to be honest, I do not think I have ever stumbled across a story as unique and humorously vivid as Mr. Gnome. Guitarist Nicole Barille and drummer Sam Meister originally went to high school together in Ohio, though they had no familiarity with one another during that time. As it ends up, the two truly met on the set of a porno, where Meister was a camera operator and Barille was a makeup artist. During a brief break, Meister was working with his camera equipment when he was suddenly drawn to the enthralling smell of pot. He also took notice of some very enjoyable music that he had never heard before emitting from a tape deck, a location that he concluded with his sense of smell was coming from the same direction. He happened to come across Barille smoking a joint, conversing with starlet, and listening to Björk, an artist who Meister had not yet acquainted himself in full to yet. He instantly fell in love with the sound. “Normally when I have a group of naked women standing in front of me, that would be my main focus, but I couldn’t believe my ears,” he recollects. “Before I knew it, I was getting high with porn stars and talking to Nicole about Björk and our musical influences.”

This interesting meeting eventually led to the group’s first and now demised project, Draw Down The Moon, which never really saw the light of day. Next, the duo began experimenting with sound techniques that were unconventional in the realm of typical indie-rock, incorporating minimalist instrumentation with a plethora of transitional tendencies that included alterations in regard to volume, tone, and audible dichotomy in general. Calling themselves Mr. Gnome with their inception in 2005, their first EP, Echoes on the Ground, was released the same year. A self-titled EP followed up in 2006, guiding the duo on a newly originated national tour. Though the EPs sounded promising and they gained a bit of a following, they still classified themselves as a “homeless band” at the time, living in a van and sleeping on an occasional couch from time to time. However, with the release of their excellent full-length debut, Deliver This Creature, being May 6th, it looks as if the homeless days are long behind Meister and Barille. Like their sources of origination, it is one of the most interesting debuts I have heard all year. Their fusion of post-punk, alternative, and progressive metal provides for a sound that remains memorably dark in tone.

As I continue to listen to Deliver This Creature, it becomes increasingly prevalent that Meister and Barille are the type of songwriters who able to craft fluid hooks amidst a flurry of instrumental chaos, using stop-start guitar progressions and chaotic rhythmic supplementations as the primary devices of audible play. They have a tendency to go from heart-thumping velocity to a serenely invigorating soundscape in a matter of a seconds, usually resulting in enjoyable success. In addition to being the guitarist, Barille also serves commendably as the group’s vocalist, providing a sensually enthralling type of flair that improves upon the originality of an already impressive style. Their diverse array of styles have drawn comparisons ranging from Death From Above 1979 to the White Stripes, even if the latter seems mainly initiated because of the male-female duo arrangement. The ardency is certainly there though, as displayed on tracks like “Deliver This Creature” and “Night of the Crickets”. “Deliver This Creature” serves as a perfect example of the band’s gritty sound. Barille’s guitar and vocal usage go hand-in-hand, matching the intensity of one another with apparent ease. When the track shifts into a serene outro aided by keys and organs, the transition provides for a remarkable display of emotional variation. The opening “Pirates” sees a similar form of success, employing a variety of keys over Meister’s steady percussion until Barille erupts into a vocalized yelp of sorts upon the sporadic entries of her electric guitar. I am personally most impressed with the group’s grasp of emotional intensity on Deliver This Creature, making it a debut that is certainly worthwhile.

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Mr. Gnome – Deliver This Creature

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Mr. Gnome – Night of the Crickets

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Mr. Gnome – Pirates

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30. Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge

As a longtime (and near obsessive) fan of Pulp, I suppose it is only natural that I admire Richard Hawley’s songwriting prowess with great veneration. Though many have surely known him as the guitarist for Pulp during their most successful years, Hawley has slowly but steadily unattached himself from the mere label of “backing instrumentalist” for The Longpips and Pulp. Instead, he has become recognized as an exquisitely talented solo artist in his own right, with releases like Coles Corner and Lowedges depicting a style that falls somewhere in between folk-rock, rockabilly, and Brit-pop. Appropriately enough, Hawley seems to be getting better with every release. Though it serves as a continuation of a style that capitalizes on the pride of working class British life, Lady’s Bridge is Hawley’s best effort to date. “Tonight the Streets Are Ours” sparkles in elegance under layers of keys, strings, and Hawley’s deeply luxurious vocals, while the excellent “Lady’s Bridge” is an masterfully crafted version of twinkling, key-aided folk. “Take me with you when you go, it’s the only place I know,” Hawley speaks of the landmark bridge, symbolizing the crossing between childish dreams and imminent realism. “We lost the dreams that we once had, how did our lives turn out so bad?” he questions emphatically, crafting a devastatingly emotional hook over the drowsy groundwork of keys and reverbed guitars. Like Bruce Springsteen or even the occasional musings of close friend Jarvis Cocker, it is wholly rewarding to see an artist hang on to his original ties despite becoming a prominent figure in the music industry. Hawley shows his admiration for his hometown of Sheffield, England in a beautiful manner, demonstrating a form of respect that most contemporary artists seem to foolishly forget.

Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge

Richard Hawley – Tonight the Streets Are Ours

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29. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver

It says a lot when an artist picks up a Grammy nomination for a debut album, just like James Murphy did with LCD Soundsystem’s self-titled debut in 2005. The two-disc album was critically acclaimed, dishing out supremely successful singles like “Daft Punk Is Playing at My House” and “Losing My Edge” in the process. Murphy’s sophomore follow-up, Sound of Silver, is merely a continuation of what made the debut so fantastic. Like its predecessor, Sound of Silver sees Murphy build his hooks in a meticulous manner, often relying on droning mixtures of guitars, synths, and percussion to create a tightly knit melodic force. The compositions are often repetitively epic in nature, relying on interchanging instrumentation and concisely memorable vocal performances in an effort to provide successful electronic differentiation. He juggles the varying styles well, with the anthemic “North American Scum” being one of Murphy’s most rock-centric tracks of his career, while the standout “All My Friends” is driven by a series of pulsating keys that is richly supplemented by a powerful bass line. It serves as a momentous build-up, with snippets of guitars and whirring synths preceding the rising emotion of Murphy’s crisp voice. One of the most melodic tracks in “Someone Great” is taken from the infamous LCD Soundsystem-Nike collaborative promotion of ’45:33′, an entirely instrumental song of its self-titled length. This time around, Murphy adds some reflective vocals on top of matching keys to make the section even more engaging. Oh yeah, and though it almost seems like an annual event for him by now, Sound of Silver recently awarded Murphy his second Grammy nomination in just as many attempts. For Murphy, the term “sophomore slump” is seemingly nonexistent.

LCD Soundsystem – All My Friends

LCD Soundsystem – Someone Great

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28. The Go! Team – Proof of Youth

Even if you consider the rampant comparisons to cheerleader chants and retro television theme songs in relation to The Go! Team to be a desperate journalistic reach, there is no denying the unique pop flair that lead songwriter Ian Parton has the ability to convey. With a multifarious approach that touches on variations of throwback funk, electro-tinged hip-hop, and sample-led pop, the six-piece from Brighton appears to be in a league of their own when it comes to crafting a sound that would be suitably classified as ineffable. Proof of Youth marks the group’s second album, with styles ranging from star-studded hip-hop to cutesy indie-pop being seamlessly incorporated. Ninja, the group’s leading rapper, takes control in the infectious “Grip Like a Vice”. Though drizzling guitars and trademark horns make their entry during the infectious chorus, the majority of the track sees its strength in the form of Ninja’s ceaselessly energetic verse; it is lengthy and repetitive, but also actively engaging. “Fake ID” is an absolute pleasure of a song that uses an amiable vocal delivery that maintains a tinge of youthful innocence, all while maintaining credibility. While immediate comparisons will likely arise to an in-key version of Deerhoof’s Satomi Matsuzaki, the track remains equally, if not more, reminiscent of Cibo Matto’s more accessible tracks. The Shibuya-Kei influence is very prevalent — and enjoyably so. That the vocals sound like they could be delivered by a child is part of the charm in “Fake ID”. Between that and the masterfully executed trumpet solo found after the notably gripping chorus, it is hard to pick a favorite track from the album. Having the perfectly casted Chuck D. lend guest vocals on the zestful “Flashlight Fight” does not hurt their cause either. Who would have thought that Chuck D., rousing horns, and cheerleader chants would have gone so well together?

The Go! Team – Grip Like a Vice

The Go! Team – Fake ID

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27. White Rabbits – Fort Nightly

It appears as if much of today’s youth has a clear misconception in regard to ska music. Many assume that some offshoot of emo with a few brass instruments here or there equates to a quality ska sound. In such a scenario, I want to throw them an album from Madness or The English Beat, artists who replicated the original Jamaican-led form of R&B with enormous success. While attempting to sound like early ska greats Madness would sound somewhat outdated, White Rabbits certainly had the right idea with their exceptional debut, Fort Nightly. Instead of tackling the genre head-on, they chose to incorporate classic ska with contemporary aspects of indie-rock. The result is one of the finest debuts of the year, with the shuffling swagger of “Take a Walk Around the Table” and “Dinner Party” being heavily reliant on a bustling rhythm section, with the tinges of ska coming in the rhythmic guitar patterns and smatterings of brass. “Dinner Party” is particularly impressive, as the six-piece’s potential is on full display. The correspondence between the guitars and horns are top-notch, with a series of grim keys gliding underneath the robust vocals in a subtly ingenious manner. Fort Nightly defies expectations of conventional indie-rock, incorporating a true style of ska that is wrongly beginning to feel forgotten.

White Rabbits – Dinner Party

White Rabbits – Take a Walk Around the Table

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26. Private – My Secret Lover

By the end of next year, I would not be surprised if Thomas Troelsen practically owns the music scene in his native Denmark. Over the past year, the producer/songwriter’s new project, Private, has taken the country’s charts by storm with a form of dance-pop that appears seemingly untouchable in terms of initial catchiness and radio-friendly appeal. Though his style translates to a high level of flamboyancy that will likely turn off those who yearn for a more original style of electronica and dance, there is certainly nothing wrong with conventionalism if it is pulled off properly. Private’s debut, My Secret Lover, sees its appeal in such commendable execution by offering a plethoria of dance-oriented hooks that are executed flawlessly over crip production and infectious songwriting. Troelsen is an all-in-one package; his vocals are a ranging replica of pop perfection, his songwriting is enduringly sharp, and he appears to have mastered a style in which clichés seem to dominate. The album’s self-titled track is truly descriptive of that, being one of the catchiest singles of the year despite its structural simplicity and general predictability. As in most of the album, the song relies on sheer execution for success. Troelsen just seems to pull it off every time. Private is not just a sensation in Denmark either. They are rightfully beginning to get noticed overseas and, with an album like My Secret Lover hitting shores, I expect the reception to be much of the same.

Private – My Secret Lover

Private – I Can’t Wait

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25. John Vanderslice – Emerald City

John Vanderslice has a knack for writing about the bizarre, the politically invigorating, and the emotionally challenging. Indisputably one of the “nicest guys in indie-rock”, the “nice guy” tag certainly does not stop him from holding back his intelligent thoughts, even if they are wildly as areu ambiguous in nature. Though often cloaked behind instances of metaphors, his usage of poetic diction and melodic captivation has earned him the title as one of the most consistent songwriters of the past several years, with albums like Cellar Door and Pixel Revolt earning him cult followings as a result. Throughout his career, Vanderslice’s lyrical content has often been political in tone and his newest album, Emerald City, is no different. His sixth solo album, Vanderslice named Emerald City after the controversial “Green Zone” in Baghdad, a 4-mile area where American forces are in heavy control. The stabs at Bush in the excellent “Tablespoon of Codeine” are interesting to say the least, whether one is in political disagreement or not. Also, for once, the lyrical content is hardly ambiguous. “And what happened in September was a fake,” he sings over echoed keys and shifting percussion, “But they’re chasing demolition or remote control planes.” The gruesome realities of war (murder, rape, and destruction) are also depicted in the chilling “The Minaret”, a gruesomely realistic tale aided by the surprisingly suitable factor of highly pitched, chirping keys. For those who could care less about politics, Vanderslice’s more conventional musings of childhood nostalgia in the breezy “The Parade” should serve as relief, though I am sure one would be able to transform it into a politically active song if they put their mind to work. Though Emerald City is largely a thought-provoking political album, there are plenty of moments for varying fans of Vanderslice.

John Vanderslice – Tablespoon of Codeine

John Vanderslice – The Minaret

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24. Panda Bear – Person Pitch

Every year, there always seems to be one album on this list that results in a dozen or so disgruntled readers taking their frustration out in e-mails or comments directed toward me. Last year, several people were surprised enough that I placed Joanna Newsom’s Ys at #31 that some of them went as far to be in “shock and awe”, simply because seemingly every other publication had it in the top 5. I am expecting a similar situation with Panda Bear’s second album, Person Pitch. Before you start the backlash, let’s get one thing straight: I think Person Pitch is one hell of an album. Perfect? No, a repetitive latter part prevents that. But Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) reaches rare stylistic territory in one of the bravest efforts of 2007; Person Pitch is at a stylistic flux where many other artists merely fear to tread. While it can easily be classified as a summery album, influences to Brian Wilson and Bill Holt’s “Dreamies” are abound, especially in Lennox’s ability to implement a variety of unconventional samples into a serenely beauteous soundscape. Whether it is something startlingly simple like wind chimes and bells or an aspect more irrelevantly laced like profuse sobbing, Lennox’s admirable level of unpredictability allows for songs like “Bros” and “Good Girl/Carrots” to be some of the year’s best. Though both are over 12 minutes long, Lennox makes every second count. With his vocals soaked in reverb over instrumentation that is both originally implemented and abundantly sampled, Lennox’s ability to transform sounds that are naturally disregarded daily by the human ear into a musical element is true art in its own right.

Panda Bear – Comfy in Nautica

Panda Bear – I’m Not

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23. Marissa Nadler – Songs III: Bird on the Water

Regardless of how the talented Marissa Nadler demonstrates such practical skill, incorporating a sense of fragile beauty into songwriting is not as easy as she makes it seem on her stunning third album, Songs III: Bird on the Water. Classified appropriately as a dream-folk artist, her arrangements and vocal accompaniments are a haunting spectacle. Often shrouded in heavy doses of reverb, her spine-tingling vocals provide for a singularly identifiable listening experience. She quivers her way through delicate arrangements consisting of acoustic guitars, strings, and harps, luring the listener into an otherworldly listening environment with tales that trace back to chronological eras of medieval relevance where love seemed more courteously adaptable. Nadler has the ability to craft extremely intricate characters, like the alluring vision of desperately vanishing widows in “Rachel” or the contemplating lady in the heartbreaking “Thinking of You”, where a wife is in deep contemplation of leaving a supportive lord who seems cold and barren. “You never gave me nothing that I could hold on to,” she sings tenderly, yet still dreaming of the elusive character that she left for a more advantageous life far away. Nadler’s genius of a folk album pulls this card well — it engages the listener in tales of tragedy and triumph, with stunning instrumentation and vocal accompaniments aiding such virtues with tragic force.

Marissa Nadler – Thinking of You

Marissa Nadler – Rachel

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22. The National – Boxer

There are several logical reasons explaining why The National are one of the most revered indie-rock bands of the past 7 years. Matt Berninger’s uniquely identifiable baritone vocals could be one explanation. The words flying out do not hurt either; he is widely considered to be one of the greatest lyricists in contemporary indie-rock. The spoken content releases a feeling of genuine acrimoniousness over sociologically analytical lyrics that are often metaphorically derived, providing for a tireless listening experience that depicts emotions that many other songwriters would simply push aside and call indescribable. Though The National’s moroseness and pessimism may be too overwrought with grief for some to handle, those who appreciate the beauty of perspective analysis have fallen in love time after time with the Brooklyn-based five-piece. The remarkable quality about The National’s fourth album, Boxer, is its ability to transition between tempo and instrumental style on a whim. “Oh, you wouldn’t want an angel watching over you,” Berninger sings in his trademark baritone, “Surprise, surprise, they wouldn’t wanna watch.” In summation, Berninger is depicting “another uninnocent, elegant fall into the unmagnificent lives of adults”, a tale he has certainly tackled many times before. The mood of sullenness is much of the same throughout the album, notably on the Sufjan Stevens-aided “Racing Like a Pro”, an excellent track in which Berninger depicts the effect that corporate pressure can have on an individual. Societal pressures, lost loves, and sullen regret… yeah, it sounds like another quality album from The National to me.

The National – Mistaken for Strangers

The National – Racing Like a Pro

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21. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

After releasing one of the greatest debuts of the decade in Funeral, Arcade Fire had quite a bit of pressure on their shoulders. Funeral was considered an epic achievement by many, a monumental mark in indie-rock in which a rookie artist decided to focus on actual familial-based emotional baggage instead of producing weightless words over a generic melody. Though such a stance is purely opinionated, one thing is for certain: Arcade Fire has emerged successfully with Neon Bible, their sophomore follow-up to the acclaimed Funeral. Though it does not boast the emotional depth of its predecessor, Neon Bible remains generally more accessible with fervent tracks like “No Cars Go”, “Keep the Car Running”, and “Black Wave – Bad Vibrations” providing as relief for more intensely brooding tracks in the vein of the organ-led “Intervention”, the symphonic string-induced cries of “Ocean of Noise”, and the rapturing closer in “My Body is a Cage”. The band even earned some complementary Springsteen comparisons on excellent tracks like “(Antichrist Television Blues)” and the epic build-up in “Windowsill”, with the likeness lying primarily in Win Butler’s ardent vocal delivery. The transitional vocal attempt it not consistent from track-to-track, but the diversity allows for exhilarating captivation. Though the album’s best track (“No Cars Go”) was already released prior to the album, Neon Bible provides plenty of worthwhile and original moments for intense replay value.

Arcade Fire – No Cars Go

Arcade Fire – Windowsill

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The post Best Albums of 2007: #30 to #21 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Ah, guilty pleasures. It is an aspect of life where the specifications are usually determined by the demographic in which it is presented to. For instance, take a look at chocolate. In Belgium, it is eaten morning, noon, and night with delight and little worry. In the United States? Well, it is just a temptation that adds some cushion to your midsection. A guilty pleasure overseas indeed, but here it is merely a staple of weight gain and guilty contemplation. I always thought it was just a self-control issue with some people. Anyway, music tends to be less culturally bounded. No matter where someone was born, they develop music tastes at their own pace and leisure, with it being their choice to embrace the social norms or go out on a whim and discover their own. The certain types can certainly be fun to poke fun at too, from the the baggy-shirt wearing hip-hop wannabes to everyone’s favorite fashion gurus: hipsters. Honestly, I usually try to avoid using the the word “hipster” at all costs. Being a web site covering independent music, the absence can sometimes be glaring. Even so, I am sure you have met at least one person in the last few years who has subtly mocked your artistic taste because it does not resound similarly to theirs. They do this while on their sixth day of non-religious fasting (to fit into those jeans!), generally contradicting any baseless stylistic opinions they throw at you. So, you know, when I heard someone like this attempt to bash Girls Aloud, I just had to prove them wrong…

Without a doubt, Girls Aloud is the most critically successful group to originate from a formulated television show. While the profitable candidates of American Idol have had their share of success due to the show’s heavily commercialization and widespread popularity, the five talented gals in Girls Aloud have an even more notable penchant for consistency and rousing success. Ever since they won the popular British television show, Popstars: The Rivals, in 2002, they have been going nowhere but up. Only three albums into their promising careers, Girls Aloud have already made the record books. They basically did the unspeakable in amassing sixteen consecutive Top 10 singles, a record-breaking effort that earned them a spot in Guinness World Records. Destiny’s Child and The Spice Girls could not even touch that. Hell, no British pop band ever could. So, this likely leads to one question you are asking yourself: Why the hell would I feature Girls Aloud if this site focuses on independent artists? Well, I truly believe that Girls Aloud is one of the few mainstream acts that deserve all the success they can get. They remain fairly unnoticed in the USA as well. Though the five girls are not participants in the songwriting aspect of their craft, only a fool would call them strictly eye-candy. They deliver a melodic comprehensibility that is difficult to compare within contemporary pop music, a dying genre that breathes a big sigh of relief when a group like Girls Aloud comes along.

Behind the pretty faces and powerful voices of Girls Aloud sits a songwriting team that could easily be classified as the most successful of the decade. Formed by writer and producer Brian Higgins, the UK-based songwriting team of Xenomania is comprised of Higgins, Miranda Cooper, Nick Coler, Niara Scarlett, Lisa Cowling, and Tim Powell. They are responsible for the majority of Girls Aloud’s tracks, notably all 16 singles that reached the Top 10. The Xenomania team first jumped on board with Sound of the Underground, Girls Aloud’s debut in 2003. Though it ran 20 weeks on the charts, it was marginal compared to the great things to come for the group. Expectedly, their next two albums, What Will the Neighbours Say? and Chemistry, were the ones that brought Girls Aloud glorified fame in the UK. With both finding rampant success in Europe by reaching a variety of Top 10 charts and end-of-year lists, massively popular singles like “The Show” and “Biology” validated Girls Aloud’s presence as a domineering force in the dance-pop industry. The Xenomania worked flawlessly with the five-piece’s melodic capabilities, churning out hits in a seemingly effortless manner. 16 Top 10 singles in less than 4 years? That speaks for itself.

As Girls Aloud seems to improve upon each release, I remain very excited for the release of their fourth album, Tangled Up, on November 19th. With the group’s sixteenth single, “Sexy! No No No…” being the first single from Tangled Up, the second was chosen wisely to be the album’s exciting opener, “Call the Shots”. With impeccable dance arrangements peaking through with synths and eruptious rhythm sections, such styles remain an enjoyable trademark of the Xenomania team. You are always likely to find an outstanding chorus supplemented by a verse and bridge that appears just as effectively. As simple as these 3 to 4 minute songs are, they are resoundingly memorable in being a few of the best pop songs of the year. Though my words may sound giddy, calling “Girl Overboard” the best pop song of the year would not be much of an exaggeration. With a series of arps and pulsating synths flowing over the steady pace of bass and percussion, the vocal work is outstanding in addition to the expertly crafted arrangement. “Girl overboard! I thought I had it but I tumbled,” the girls sing in near unison, capitalizing on an absolutely stunning chorus. Keeping in mind the extensively impressive back catalog of Girls Aloud, “Girl Overboard” is the catchiest song I have ever heard from either Xenomania or Girls Aloud. “Can’t Speak French” is up there as well, being an absolutely irresistible track that is sure to shake up the European dance floors. But hey, maybe American will start . If you are going to listen to modern pop music’s “guilty pleasures”, at least listen to the best of the best. In that particular field, there are not many better than Girls Aloud.

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Girls Aloud – Girl Overboard

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Girls Aloud – Can’t Speak French

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Girls Aloud – Call the Shots

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It must be a convenient experience to be in a band with a bunch of trustworthy individuals, particularly ones that you grew up being friends with. I imagine that squabbles concerning finances and personal differences are either minimized or nonexistent, putting a determined focus on what should matter most: the actual music. While it is never advisable to mix friends or family with business, there is certainly no harm in playing music with them. In fact, the convivial environment can often provide appropriately for an output of pleasurably genuine music. For one of the most obvious examples, take a look at Arcade Fire. Not many complaints there. The collective led by husband, wife, and a bunch of close friends even incorporate a familial theme into their deep lyrical focus, using their chemistry as a means for elaborately compelling production. Murder Mystery finds much of the same comfort in their own lineup. Lead vocalist and guitarist Jeremy Coleman is backed by his two best friends and his sister; three people that provide much more than instrumentation to the band’s creations. The songwriting is a joint effort and, though Coleman remains the lead vocalist, each member ultimately makes their presence known.

Apart from Coleman, Murder Mystery consists of lead guitarist Kevin Jaszek, bassist Adam Fels, and drummer Laura Coleman. The group began when Jeremy Coleman demonstrated a few of his written songs to Fels, gaining a sense of familiarity with possible direction their new project would take. Nearly immediately, Jeremy’s sister saw it as a hopeful opportunity and capitalized on it. Apparently a prominent tap-dancer, Laura Coleman found drumming to be second nature. After all, tap dancers and rhythm go together like peanut butter and jelly. After jamming out for a bit, they easily persuaded their mutual friend Kevin Jaszek to join the band. If their initial jam sessions sounded anything like their songs today, I am sure it did not take much convincing. Once the four-piece was solidified, they began to build up momentum in their native New York before touring with the respectable likes of The Wrens, Fields, and Sondre Lerche. With widespread critical praise likening Murder Mystery to nearly a centuries worth of influences, from Buddy Holly and Tom Verlaine to Television and The Strokes, the news caught on fast that listening to Murder Mystery is far from a culpable crime. Though they are still new to the industry, Murder Scene’s impressively wide array of influences and stylistic preferences have already allowed the band to grow away from the likes of typical indie-rock clichés.

Murder Mystery’s debut album, Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here it Comes, recently was released in August. Being a short and snappily enjoyable debut, the twelve tracks stretch just over a half hour. Though some may consider the fleeting time frame to be unusually short, Murder Mystery certainly makes good use of every sparing moment. Jeremy Coleman’s vocals are written from the point-of-view of a longingly desperate romantic, incorporating ironic one-liners and dry humor into songs laced with throwback guitar riffs and rapturous melodies. His wry delivery is intentionally monotonous, much in the form of Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt or The National’s Matt Berninger. Considering the entertaining style of his despondently morose lyrical output, the result is just as effective as the similar style find in the vocal delivery of both Merritt and Berninger. However, unlike either artist, the tempo on Murder Mystery’s debut is generally consistent with little experimentation and outward risks. With the guitars on “Cold, Hard Workin’ Man” reflecting ’50s rockabilly and and the throbbing keyboards on the opening “Who Doesn’t Wanna Give Me Love?” relaying shades of classic Motown, Murder Mystery are not a band that forgets their pure musical roots. Though the slight incorporation of blues and rockabilly on several tracks provide for an uptempo progression and a hint of optimism, Coleman’s bleakly pessimistic vocals suggest otherwise during the opening track “Who Doesn’t Wanna Give Me Love?” He answers the question in the song’s name with a bleak reply: “everyone”. Funny – he echoes the album’s title less than one minute into Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here it Comes. Considering the hapless tone lyrical tone in the majority of songs featured on the album, I doubt that they could have named it more suitably.

With much of their guitar work rooted in the past, I was somewhat surprised when I heard the sound of electronic arps filling the introduction of “Love Astronaut”. Though Murder Mystery’s rock ‘n’ roll groundwork is merely planted under the throbbing of synths in this one track, it is also a display of their best melodic work. “But every day I find somebody who looks like she may be that one,” Coleman blurts out before a series of hypothetical questions, all designed to tug at the heart. “I’ve been searching for you, have you been searching for me? I go looking for love, but is it looking for me?” Though much of my raving so far has been largely accredited to Coleman’s vocal/lyrical delivery and Jaszek’s dexterous guitar work, the rhythm section consisting of Adam Fels and Laura Coleman is just as impressive. Fels appears to be the prime manufacturer of hooks throughout the album (one with plenty of them), most evident on bouncy pop tracks like “Think of Me” and the exceptional “What My Baby Said”; an simplistically charming brother-sister duet with a gripping chorus and short-but-sweet mentality that represents the album quite well. The excitable conclusion of “Think of Me” sees Coleman in rare vocal form where he sounds eerily similar to The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas; a coincidental liking considering their debut was co-produced by J.P. Bowersock (of Ryan Adams and Strokes fame). Though the title is gruelingly long, Are You Ready for the Heartache Cause Here it Comes is a concisely enjoyable debut that was most certainly worth 32 minutes of my time.

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Murder Mystery – Who Doesn’t Wanna Give Me Love?

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Murder Mystery – What My Baby Said

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Murder Mystery – Love Astronaut

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The post A Bleakly Enjoyable Murder Mystery appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Collecting every morsel of musical output from a band can be a particularly grueling, though often rewarding, task. While I am not referencing a fandom quite as severe as the “Deadheads” or any other group of aged souls lost in a certain time period, there comes an artist every so often in where I find myself in a state of complete infatuation. Since I was too young in the ’80s to even know what music was, my first traces of obsessive fanfare came in the mid ’90s when Jarvis Cocker’s Pulp broke out. Even as they continued to release albums, I was so enthused with the group’s ability that I felt the need to tame my hunger for material of any kind. Considering that I desperately collected every a-side, b-side, live set, or unreleased material in reachable existence from the Pulp’s expanding catalog, it was predictable that I became interested in the solo output of Pulp’s former guitarist, Richard Hawley. Always an enigmatic presence both in studio and on stage, I knew it would not be unrealistic to expect quality from the Sheffield native. Hawley’s first solo album, a self-titled release on Setanta Records, was released in 2000 after Pulp had already achieved the status in England as one of the greatest acts of the ’90s. Though Cocker’s form of songwriting and delivery was too distinctively British to ever chart highly in the USA, both Different Class and This is Hardcore reached the #1 spot in the UK on separate occasions.

As Pulp began to prepare their seventh (and perhaps final) album, We Love Live, for release the following year, Hawley had a substantive fan base of sorts anticipating his solo material even before his first release. With Jarvis urging him to release the debut, Hawley’s self-titled debut was released in 2000 with minimal sales but warm applause. His next two albums, Late Night Final and Lowedges, saw the same sort of odd behavior. Though his material had been praised by the likes of Thom Yorke and R.E.M., it had yet to find a larger audience apart from the masses of Pulp fans who had maintained an interest. When Setanta dissolved in 2004, Hawley signed to the larger Mute Records, a subdivision of EMI. His first release on Mute was Coles Corner in 2005, an album that finally saw Hawley’s exposure gaining more momentum. In addition to being nominated for the 2006 Mercury Music Prize, it sold fairly well compared to his past releases and garnered six successful singles, including the exceptional “The Ocean” and “Hotel Room”. Produced in a joint effort by Hawley and Colin Elliot, the impressive Coles Corner remains my favorite release from Hawley. With such a high standard in place, it set up great anticipation for Hawley’s next release.

When Hawley’s fifth album, Lady’s Bridge, drops on August 20th in the UK, fans are expecting to be embraced with the same sort of quality that Hawley has demonstrated in the past several years. After all, he has yet to release one dud in his seven-year solo career, with even his earlier albums containing the mark of a distinguished songwriter. Already scoring great reviews from the likes of NME and BBC, hopefully some American outlets can pick him up soon enough. However, though Lady’s Bridge is arguably the embodiment of Hawley’s finest material to date, I doubt that his reputation in the States will be more prominent when it releases overseas on October 9th. Like his close friend and collaborator Jarvis Cocker, Hawley’s work remains most appealing to an English audience. His lyrics reflect the English lifestyle to a sympathetically engaging effect, often using native landmarks of Sheffield in naming his album and song titles. Like Coles Corner borrowed from the the corner of Fargate and Church Street in Sheffield, the title of Lady’s Bridge is similarly in form of a tribute to Hawley’s native city; Lady’s Bridge is one of the oldest bridges in Sheffield. While calling him the British version of Springsteen would be too desperately linear, Hawley reflects the same working class atmosphere while simultaneously retaining a sense of pride. Despite how famous or profitable he may eventually become, it is inherently respectable that Hawley will always maintain a sense of acknowledgment to his originative roots.

Though I have yet to listen to Lady’s Bridge in complete detail, it is rather blatant that it is one of Hawley’s best. The first single, “Tonight the Streets Are Ours”, is one of the most enchanting tracks Hawley has written, sparkling in elegance under layers of keys, strings, and Hawley’s deeply luxurious vocals. While most of the album is majestically restful in pace, “Tonight the Streets Are Ours” is more characteristic of Hawley’s catchier, faster-paced side. Though such songs are impressive in their own right, I have always been a sucker for Hawley’s classier ballads. The self-titled track, “Lady’s Bridge”, nears absolute perfection. Both epitomizing Hawley’s genuine lyrics and somberly heartbreaking instrumental prowess, it my favorite track on the album. “Take me with you when you go, it’s the only place I know,” Hawley speaks of the infamous bridge, symbolizing the crossing between childish dreams and realistic opportunities. “We lost the dreams that we once had, how did our lives turn out so bad?” he questions emphatically, crafting a devastatingly emotional hook over the drowsy groundwork of keys and reverbed guitars. In the similarly adjusted “Roll River Roll”, Hawley establishes an impeccable relationship between strings and keys, a compatible collaboration that is repeated with joy throughout the album. Such moments serve as justification in Hawley’s standing as one of the most consistent musicians of the decade. Though he often goes overlooked as a proficient solo artist in favor of “that guitarist in Pulp”, Hawley’s Lady Bridge is an elegantly crafted effort that proves to be his finest yet.

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Richard Hawley – Lady’s Bridge

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Richard Hawley – Tonight the Streets Are Ours

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Richard Hawley – Roll River Roll

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Woman sure know how to break, create, and occupy the minds of young men everywhere. The four members of The Attachments have all been through their share of messy relationships, but fortunately, all four are obsessed musicians. Those who wrap themselves in any form of art often use it as a way to cope and express inner feelings, whether it’s humorously, emotionally, or satirically. The Attachments use a bit of each in their self-titled debut EP, which consists of six songs with lyrical content focused on six different girls, all of which at least one of the members have dated or had an infatuation with. The beginnings of the band started to form in 2005 when chief songwriter Ben Urwand met Michael Coleman on the campus in Berkeley, California. Upon learning that Urwand was a songwriter who spent an average eight hours a day writing songs and Coleman was a highly touted keyboardist, the decision to form The Attachments came shortly after. In January 2006, their plans finally took began to take form when Urwand recruited bassist Mark Allen-Piccolo and Michael brought in drummer Rob Schwartz. Aside from their shared interests in music, they all each learned of their own problems with women. This included Ben Urwand (blue shirt) once being in love with Mark Allen-Piccolo’s (red shirt) girlfriend, a tall brunette named Karla. That was actually how they both met, as Urwand gave up on Karla after meeting Allen-Piccolo and learning of their relationship, though the fact that he found him to be a great guy made Urwand feel a bit better. Urwand then started dating Jessica to ease his pain, a girl who apparently “got around”. Jessica was also dating Michael Coleman (green shirt) at the time, eventually leading to the two meeting. Coleman also had his share of previous girl trouble, earlier moving from New York after getting slapped by a girl he had been “stalking” on the F-train. Last but not least, Rob Schwartz’s (yellow shirt) ex-girlfriend once ridiculed him in publc about his beloved yellow sheets, which was an indication to Schwartz that this one was certainly not a keeper. Man, it all sounds like some indie sitcom, doesn’t it? Either way, it gave the band plenty of material to write about on their debut EP. The Attachments are quite a collective band, with each member contributing vitally. During the usual live show, each member sings as each one to express the group’s versatility and passion. When labels started to take notice of the band’s catchy pop sound, The Attachments received several offers but turned them all down because Allen-Piccolo assured the members he had the chops to record them on their own. As the son of a sound engineer, he had always wanted to experience what his father had in recording music. What better place to start than by recording his own band?

With the soap opera above described in detail, the EP’s lyrical content should certainly be clearer to those listening. “Jessica” is about the girl who loved to get busy with many (including Urwand and Coleman), “F-Train Girl” describes the feelings of Coleman when thinking about the girl who apparently stalked in New York, “Ha Ha Ha” mocks Schwartz’s insensitive ex-girlfriend, and the closer “Karla-la” is about the infamous brunette, Karla, who was at one point loved by Allen-Piccolo and Urwand. “Jenny” appears to be about an unfortunate homely girl who wanted to be more than friends with one of the four and “Come To My Home Town” appears to be too vague to interpret. Urwand wrote all six songs, with Coleman contributing naturally to “F-Train Girl”. As far as the four-piece’s musical style goes, it is in a similar mold to that of artists in their local Bay Area scene, being acts such as The Morning Benders, The Makes Nice, and Push To Talk. Like their local contemporaries, it is not uncharacteristic to call on influences of the 60s with a keen focus on simplistically catchy guitar riffs, essential organs, and a balanced rhythm section. The vocals of Ben Urwand may appear to sound shaky at some points during “Karla-la” and the key-led “Jenny” but they are generally satisfiable at the conclusion of each song. They consider “Karla-la” to be one of their best songs and it’s easy to see why. Their lyrics of desperate romanticism is both expected and diverting. “Every single guy is trying hard to have a talk with her,” Urwand strains out, “but only one could love her and he can’t get in a word”. How delightfully tragic. Like the rest of you, I know exactly how Mr. Urwand feels. Well, to a certain extent. The chorus is lifted by a pair of backing vocals in falsetto, with all instrumental accompaniments being backed by the strongly diversifying organs of Michael Coleman. “Jessica” shows us more of those alluring keys, which hand-in-hand with Urwand’s extremely capable melodies create something generally agreeable to listen to. “F-Train Girl” is the most emotionally intensive on the album, beginning with a set of keys eventually picked up by all four members lending their appropriate instruments and vocals. The lyrical content reminds me of The Divine Comedy’s “Commuter Love”, telling the story of a man in love with a girl on the train who would never give him a second glance. “I saw you just the other night on the train,” the song begins, “You didn’t see me, read your magazine, it didn’t matter much it seemed”. The song ends with a play on Coleman’s “stalking” expenditure, remarking solemnly, “And I said I knew you from the train, but you didn’t know me, said to let you be… oh my baby, we will see”. Oh well, as Morrissey once said, “Rejection is one thing, but rejection from a fool is cruel”. You’ve likely heard numerous bands like The Attachments before but the California foursome’s debut is more consistent than most, producing six songs that are memorable, genuine, and substantial. As selfish as it may sound, if flawed relationships cause The Attachments to write songs as enjoyable as these, I hope they find the most superficially ignorant girls on the planet.

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The Attachments – Jessica

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The Attachments – Karla-la

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The Attachments – F-Train Girl

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also: Ha ha ha

The post The Attachments and Their Bizarre Love Triangles! appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

The oddly titled 00 The Rabbit (Double Zero: The Rabbit) is the musical project of Russell Brooks, a native of Morgantown, Kentucky who was formerly the guitarist and singer for Cheap Fireworks. Even in the sense that his musical style is typically alternative pop, his variation in song structures and DIY production style provides for a fresh and innovative sound. While Brooks wrote all the songs on his debut album Boom Ching on his own, he enlisted the help of a few friends. On several tracks, Brad Annis plays drums, Ryan Doughty plays trombone and trumpet, and Cole Porter, Shawn Coots, and Adam Williams lend their guitar playing. Brooks is a skilled multi-instrumentalist himself but the collaborative efforts from the five additional musicians provide for a sound that feels more well-rounded and less effortless. The production, as I said, is done with DIY in mind. All songs were recorded in a lo-fi studio on a computer, though the presentation in most songs stand to be very presentable. Brooks admits that the production is far from perfect due to the use of several inexpensive microphones and studio equipment, though the sound quality is certainly generous enough to provide a great sense of enjoyment. Talented and original artists in the vain of Brooks usually only need mediocre sound quality at best to gain a receptive fanbase anyways. Usually, debut albums struggle with repetition in mind, as many tracks repeat themselves in form of structure, production, and general feel. Boom Ching avoids that generalization completely, offering twelve tracks that vary dramatically from each other, with each demonstrating a whole new sense of enjoyment.

This variation is most recognizable in “Headphones On”, a track with an electronic edge that borders the tastes of Junior Boys. Working around various samples (mainly grunts adding to the rhythm) and Brad Annis’ reverbed percussion, Brooks creates another world with this very dark track that relays it’s own purpose off of Brooks’ fitting vocals, fitting somewhere between Justin Timberlake (eh?) and Jeremy Greenspan. Don’t be thrown off by the Timberlake comparison, it’s just an example of a certain voice that sounds well over the dark ambient effects of electronica. “Filling in the Blanks” is one of the most expansive tracks on the album, with percussion work by Brad Annis complemented by Ryan Doughty on trombone and trumpet, truly giving the track a feeling of constructive isolation from the rest of the album, for which the majority is a one-man band consisting of Brooks (besides the explosive opener “Monster (Boom Ching)”, which uses the same collaborators). Brooks’ repetitious guitar riffs are noticeable under the midst of his own collaborators in “Filling in the Blanks”, though his quivering vocals tend to have the right touch in mind. Doughty’s trumpet additions after each chorus is certainly memorable, as are the backing vocals supplied by Brooks and his friends during each bridge. The song appears to be a different version than the one on his site, so it may be that this is an early version. It could be final as well. After some straightforwardly enjoyable acoustic songs, Brooks surprised me with the creative “6 Feet Under”. The gritty track is a dramatic shift from his usual alternative sound, this time dwelling on gritty blues, funk, and hip-hop. If anything, the production is surprisingly enjoyable. With his limited resources, he created a song that is both catchy and creatively tactful during it’s short but memorable two minutes. These three tracks offer something different in each of them, whether it’s dark electronica, straightforward alternative pop with touches of brass, or gritty funk. Such is the case with Boom Ching, a debut album whose cleverness and ambition exceeds it’s own flaws. Though Boom Ching was released last year, Brooks is already planning to release his sophomore album later this year, an album that he describes as “much cleaner”. You can purchase Boom Ching on iTunes.

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00 The Rabbit – Headphones On

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00 The Rabbit – Filling in the Blanks

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00 The Rabbit – 6 Feet Under

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Official Web Site

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The Besnard Lakes are more than just another hyped rookie band from Montreal. Most of the musicians involved have been in the industry for years, so “rookie” would certainly not be a term to describe them. This applies particulary to frontman Jace Lasek, who contributed vital production work to Wolf Parade’s Apologies to the Queen Mary and Sunset Rubdown’s Shut Up I Am Dreaming. Those are two albums that could be considered some of the best for their year of release (2005 and 2006). With those two under his belt, Lasek is hoping to make another splash in 2007. In the line of acclaimed producers releasing debut albums (à la Rusty Santos), Lasek’s The Besnard Lakes is the latest. Along with his wife and fellow band member Olga Goreas, they both recorded their debut album The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse in their owned small studio in Montreal. Though they have an additional cast of talented band members, the two decided to just record the album themselves, playing every instrument between the two of them. Olga Goreas saw it as a positive experience. “Oh gosh, the decision to record the album was the easiest one we ever made,” Goreas says. “Yes we lost our bandmates, but it was all good. We wiped the slate clean and Jace and I really got to know each other as songwriting partners. Plus, it definitely helped that we have our own studio. It’s just such a nice thing when you don’t have that nagging ‘we’re on the clock’ feeling. We could do whatever the hell we pleased. If a song wants four drum parts overlapped on it, it’s going to get it.” Other members of the band, such as Steve Raegele, Nicole Lizée, and Kevin Laing contributed different written parts as well. Raegle wrote the guitar solos, Lizée arranged the string and horn sections, and Laing shared some percussion tips. The album also boasts some help from familiar faces, such as George Donoso III from The Dears and Chris Seligman from Stars.

The Besnard Lakes sound like an odd cross between Brian Wilson, Ride, Spiritualized, and Pink Floyd. Lasek has a falsetto that is highly reminiscent of Wilson’s, with loving vocal melodies that craft imaginable hookss similar to those Wilson employed in his earlier years. While the vocal comparisons are spot on, the musical influence is more varied and experimental. Shoegaze elements are present, with guitars and keys often set on a haunting reverb, only enhanced by Lasek’s experienced production skills. Though ‘Disaster’ starts off as any Wilson ballad would, it eventually folds into a dark journey that few artists wish to travel. After a few minutes of uneasiness and melancholy, a collection of guitars is launched in combination with some fantastic strings, somewhat musically remindable of The Verve. Being the opener to The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse, it is certainly one of the most accessible along with ‘And You Lied To Me’, which contains some of that great neo-psychedelia that acts such as My Morning Jacket and Mercury Rev are known for. It is also concluded by a great guitar solo written by Steve Raegele, who shows off his guitar chops quite well. Though they are both fun in their own way, my favorite track on the album, by far, is ‘For Agent 13’. Here, Lasek seems to be combine all his influences into one fusion of success. With a taste for shoegaze, alternative, and pop, Lasek has created something extremely memorable. For the first three minutes or so, the song takes the route of repetition, instilling the listener with a certain focus and memory for the melody at hand. The verse is eventually unveiled as nothing more than buildup, as the last two minutes of the song is a pure explosion of guitars, keys, bass, and distortion that is executed nearly flawlessly. Throughout the entire song, Lasek’s joyous falsetto rings with pride and emotion, demonstrating the rare occurrence by remaining entirely in key. When The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse is released on February 20th, there is no doubt that similar comparisons will be publically echoed. Despite the obvious, The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse will be remembered as a considerably creative debut, one that contains a collection of memorable songs pushed to their full potential with the aid of great production. If Lasek’s goal remains to produce an outstanding album every year, he may have accomplished it already only two months into 2007.

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The Besnard Lakes – Disaster

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The Besnard Lakes – For Agent 13

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The Besnard Lakes – And You Lied To Me

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Official Web Site

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It seems rather traditional to do a Christmas compilation, so I don’t like to be one who breaks the tradition. Usually, when people think of quality Christmas music they think back to the days of Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin when strong vocals and orchestral accompaniments defined the greatest. Perhaps it was back then when the words “Christmas” and “commercialized” were never uttered in the same sentence. The allure of Christmas is always brighter when just focusing on family though, so more commercials does not mean that contemporary Christmas music is not as heartwarming. While this year’s compilation mainly features the Sinatra’s and Martin’s of the past, several current artists like Sufjan and Snowden have provided covers, that while often unoriginal, bring the Christmas spirit that those who celebrate often search for. Christmas songs also originate from all over the world… from Siberia’s favorite orchestra to Japan’s popular B’z and Ryuichi Sakamoto, it is a holiday that is cherished by even those who are not particulary religious.

So, despite any religious views, I wish everyone a safe and merry Christmas. Just sit back and relax. For those unfortunate souls who have to work, hopefully these songs will bring some cheer. Have a good one. These type of songs are divided into two, from occasionally original and contemporary songs you may not be aware of to the classics that you have known since childhood.

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Ryuichi Sakamoto – Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence

Sufjan Stevens – O Holy Night

Sufjan Stevens – It’s Christmas! Let’s Be Glad

Trans-Siberian Orchestra – Carol of the Bells

Trans-Siberian Orchestra – The Ghosts of Christmas Eve

John Cale – Child’s Christmas In Wales

B’z – Itsuka no Merry Christmas

Snowden – White Christmas

Some By Sea – The Saddest Christmas

Sparks – Thank God It’s Not Christmas

Joy Electric – Winter Wonderland

Pet Shop Boys – Jingle Bells

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Frank Sinatra – Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!

Dean Martin – Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer

Nat King Cole – Deck The Halls

Johnny Mathis – Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas

Tony Bennett – Deck The Halls

The post Merry Christmas… appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.