#50 to 41                   #40 to 31                   #30 to 21                   #20 to 11                   #10 to 01

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50. Dirty Beaches – Badlands

If you were to play Dirty Beaches’ debut full-length, Badlands, loudly in your apartment, the neighbors would likely suspect one of two things: either you pulled out an old-fashioned phonograph and started playing cracked vinyl records of early-era rockabilly, or you were blasting a documentary focused around Beat Generation novels like On the Road and Naked Lunch. The reason I picture a narrative character in place of songwriter Alex Hungtai is a complement to Dirty Beaches’ distinctive display of stylistic nostalgia and the contemporary lo-fi movement. Badlands finds many comparisons to Springsteen’s cult-favorite album Nebraska, where he would alternate sparsely haunting folk music with glimpses of rockabilly aided by the occasional Elvis-like yelp. If the album title was extracted from the Springsteen song of the same name I wouldn’t be surprised. The outstanding narrative power of Nebraska is undeniable, and Dirty Beaches follow a similar path in a concise 27-minute release built on nostalgia, imagery, but most importantly great songwriting that finds perfect accommodation in its unconventional lo-fi production. Review>>>

Dirty Beaches – True Blue

Dirty Beaches – Sweet 17

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49. Moonface – Organ Music Not Vibraphone Like I’d Hoped

Spencer Krug is wise enough to categorize his lofty ambitions in the form of various projects. Wolf Parade and Sunset Rubdown are his best known ventures for good reason. The former is more willing to ride on hooks and with tight art-rock savvy production, while Sunset Rubdown is a more unrestrained version of Krug that produces epic rock operas (“The Men Are Called Horsemen There“) as often as it does soaring and infectious power ballads (“Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!“). Keys and guitars are Krug’s forte, though with his solo project Moonface he experiments with just the keys — marimbas to be specific, with key-based loops and drum machines. Krug’s previous release under the moniker, Marimba and Shit-Drums in 2010, was the first indication of Krug’s most recent project. He named it Moonface, so no one was surprised when it sounded like a mixture of chiptune and anxious prog-rock. Organ Music refines the sound of Moonface’s first endeavor, even if it comes across as more self-indulgent in the process. But with gems like “Return to the Violence of the Ocean Floor” and “Fast Peter”, both of which showcase Krug’s knack for atmospheric build-ups and swift hooks, Organ Music is worthwhile despite being generally inferior to Krug’s other offerings. Moonface is an experiment for sure, but with results that are positive more often than mixed.

MP3: Moonface – Return to the Violence of the Ocean Floor

MP3: Moonface – Fast Peter

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48. Quichenight – Quichenight I

Quichenight I, the first album by Boston native Brett Rosenberg’s band Quichenight, features nostalgic components of classic rock, namely the excitable guitar twang, bustling keyboard accompaniments, and quirky yet unpretentious lyrics reminiscent of other revivalists like Dr. Dog and Ariel Pink. Quichenight’s sound is comparatively lo-fi, and though the album was recorded “in a Nashville Tennessee basement”, there is little of the traditional Nashville sound at work here apart from country-pop exercise 615. There are a couple excellent songs on the album which point the way toward some future iteration of Quichenight, which leans less on the specter of Dr. Dog (“Stuck Here” could’ve been taken right off Easy Beat) and The Minus 5. These moments come largely when a variation in rhythm lends definition to Rosenberg’s plentiful hooks, such as on “The Sober Ones”, where the guitars stab with each strum, punctuating the nasally angst of Rosenberg’s struggle with a sober society which he doesn’t take part in. The other major standout track, and subject of the band’s first music video, is “L.A. Time”. This song is just a wash of hooks and wonderful vocal harmonies; it gives Caribou a run for his money. Rosenberg may sound like he’s imitating his heroes at some points, but there’s no denying he has many similar melodic gifts. Review>>>

MP3: Quichenight – L.A. Time

MP3: Quichenight – The Sober Ones

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47. Matthew Herbert – One Pig

You never know what you’re going to get with Matthew Herbert, a true musical chameleon that could write a full orchestra Broadway hit (see Scale) in the same day as a droning electronic experiment. Listening to the harsh One Pig will catch anyone off guard with its idiosyncratic delivery, a collection of field recordings that confidently sound like a farm under attack from a horde of flesh-eating demons. Take “November, for instance. It evolves from the quaint sounds of a pink oinking and snorting, seemingly at peace, to a harsh discordant whirring with hectic rhythm and lead buzzing reminiscent of a dentist’s drill. Too bad for Babe the Pig that Thanksgiving arrives in November. We trace back to Herbert’s dispute with PETA over the concept of One Pig, which was to audibly document the life and death of a pig — from its birth to butchering. On that front, it’s a job well done. I’m sure Morrissey appreciates it too. Beyond the novelty factor , One Pig is a bold venture that proves unforgettable to anyone with the patience to sift through it. Herbert’s subtle touches, like the stricken tremolo in the far background of “October” or the poignant ode-to-pig acoustic charmer “May 2011”, provide plenty of melody and color to an experimental set of field recordings.

Matthew Herbert – September

Matthew Herbert – November

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46. Gang Gang Dance – Eye Contact

Gang Gang Dance are becoming increasingly difficult to classify. Each of their albums deal in different stylistic realms and structural tendencies, their ambition seemingly growing with each successive release. Their newest, Eye Contact, is a wonderful fusion of both their pop and ambient smarts, sounding like a disciple of Brian Eno and Talk Talk more than past rampant dubstep comparisons. “Glass Jar” is a gorgeous opener resembling the pinnacle of a futuristic sound, best accompanied by a vast array of stars and lucid planets with blue and green pastels. Wispy synths dart across the track like shooting stars, guided by the dexterous drumming of new addition Jesse Lee, whose added jazz and Latin rhythmic flair helps steer what GGD consider their first true pop album. The lofty association of rhythmic styles like jazz into an electronic soundscape reminiscent of both ambient sci-fi film scoring and glittery Italo-disco. One reference point is to Talk Talk’s later career, when Mark Hollis produced Spirit of Eden and Laughing Stock with the simultaneous virtuosity of a pop songwriter and jazz ringleader. “Chinese High” is more accessible with similar high-pitched synths and synth solo scatterings. Lizzi Bougatsos’ voice is just as high here, both in terms of actual pitch and excitement within, stretching her voice to the limits like Carey Mercer or Karin Dreijer Andersson. Few acts can capture both the atmosphere and pure visceral emotion of experimental pop music like Gang Gang Dance. Eye Contact shows some of their best songwriting to date.

Gang Gang Dance – Glass Jar

Gang Gang Dance – Mindkilla (Blackbird Blackbird remix)

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45. John Maus – We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves

Between his new album and 2007’s Love is Real, John Maus worked as a philosophy professor at the University of Hawaii. It’s an unlikely role for someone with a cult following since his teens, but Maus is like past collaborator and classmate Ariel Pink in many ways. His sound is eerily unique despite owing much to the nostalgic tones of warm ’80s synths, mainly because his structures are as flexible as his moody delivery without sacrificing space for hooks. At times, Pitiless Censors of Ourselves is so eerily complacent that it resembles a hypnotized church procession. “…And the Rain” resembles a cathedral organ in its ascending pitch tendencies and hypnotic lull, while the subsequent “Hey Moon” takes the form of a ballad with its angelic twinkle and gentle murmur. Opener “Believer” enjoyably picks up right where Maus left off with the more accessible yet equally moody Love is Real. Variation was never Maus’ forte, so he instead relies on gorgeous layers of synth-laden melodies that achieve an anthemic quality through subtle structural shifts and frequencies. Throughout the album, Maus’ voice is forever entrenched in a nonchalant reverb akin to acts like Bauhaus and Felt, which over stiff drum machines and wavering synth tones makes for a very intimate sound. Leave it to a philosopher to craft perfect music for studying, driving, or any other tedious necessity that demands an interesting soundtrack.

John Maus – Hey Moon

MP3: John Maus – Believer

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44. Bill Callahan – Apocalypse

Bill Callahan has a voice like no other man on earth; it’s haunting, intimate, spontaneous and passionate. The first thing heard on Apocalypse is Callahan singing a single line, unaccompanied: “The real people went away.” His beautiful voice lures the listener into the dark world of Apocalypse, which is darker than his previous material. The rolling drum beat of the album’s opener, “Drover”, brings the album to life, immediately transporting the listener to a darker and more solitary place. One highlight, “Riding for the Feeling”, leaks pure passion; it’s clear that Callahan put every last drop of sentiment into it. It enforces an odd attachment from the listener to Callahan, in a personal and sympathetic light that makes one want to comfort him. “Riding for the Feeling” seems as if it’s sung in a reflective state, looking back on the last part of his life in sadness and wondering if things could have been different. Maybe it’s about his long-term relationship with Joanna Newsom. Maybe not. Regardless, the album works beautifully. It is driven by Callahan’s two-piece band, but led heroically by his phenomenal voice. He chooses each word carefully and intricately lays them over his touching compositions with precise timing. Apocalypse provides the listener with a unique and abstract view of not only how Callahan feels about himself and his plights, but also about the world as a whole. Review>>>

Bill Callahan – Riding for the Feeling

Bill Callahan – Drover

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43. Man Man – Life Fantastic

Life Fantastic is more of what we love from Man Man and their creative blending of pop music. Except this time, it gets slightly darker. “Knuckle Down” is an excellent album opener that reminds the listener of why they fell in love with Man Man in the first place: jangly, exotic instrumentation and band leader Honus Honus’ signature vocal style. The disturbingly dark lyrics play well off the more lighthearted beat. With true-to-form Man Man flair, “Piranha’s Club” is the band’s take on ‘50s doo-wop and boogie music, some of the earliest roots of rock and roll. Keeping to the theme, the lyrics state that “the world is a shit show, as bad as the sequel.” Shameless” might be the best song on Life Fantastic. Its piano opener is a fusion of Far Eastern-influenced chord progressions combined with a classical Western symphony-style composition. It’s a daring and rewarding mix that makes for an absolutely stunning track. Not since “Ice Dogs” has a song so wholly represented Man Man’s unique sound, a sound that could be defined as its own genre, a genre that only Honus and his wacky friends can tap into. Call it drunken pirating tunes, or simply creative pop music. While “Shameless” doesn’t feature funny voices, kazoos, or other tiny screwball idiosyncrasies, it feels more complete and straightforward than much of the band’s previous material. The same can be said for the bulk of Life Fantastic. Review>>>

Man Man – Knuckle Down

MP3: Man Man – Haute Tropique

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42. Neon Indian – Era Extraña

The likes of Washed Out, Toro y Moi, and Neon Indian were understandably weary of the ‘chillwave’ tag, or anything that lazily grouped them together for that matter. For some artists it would have been tempting to continue developing a small niche out of gauzy synth loops and reflective reverb, with superficiality and nostalgia reigning over any semblance of a structural innovation. Neon Indian’s Alan Palomo firmly rejects that notion with Era Extraña, a very pleasing album that infuses Palomo’s hang-loose sentiments with a variety of composite adjustments and long-reaching comparisons; “The Blindside Kiss” rides on heavy drum distortion and a faint guitar roar, its halt-go patterns emphasized by sticky layers of reverb that My Bloody Valentine and Low would approve of. The starry-eyed “Fallout” sounds like a lost cut from a John Hughes film, relocating the ’80s new wave/electro-thriller vibe M83 mastered with his newest. “Should Have Taken Acid With You” and several other cuts on Psychic Chasms were more revealing of Palomo’s occasional tongue-in-cheek demeanor; he’s more of a distantly mysterious figure on Era Extraña. The polished production brings Neon Indian’s sound to a more grandiose place with loftier ambitions, most of which are fulfilled on this defiant accomplishment. It’s very easy to get excited about Palomo’s next release.

Neon Indian – Polish Girl

Neon Indian – Fallout

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41. Beirut – The Rip Tide

Zach Condon makes music that sounds bigger than it truly is. This fact is made apparent throughout The Rip Tide, Beirut’s first new LP in four years. And while the band’s previous works have had a ‘world music’ quality to them, the new album is focused on American locales (see “East Harlem”, “Goshen”, and “Santa Fe”) and could even be considered to be a “Zach Condon album” more than anything else. By consciously choosing to keep this album free of overt cultural themes, Condon was free to explore his own style that wasn’t necessarily dependent on an international influence. The end result is The Rip Tide, a jaunt, fun, and straightforward album that skips the pomp and delivers quality songs from one of the most under-appreciated bands recording today. And though it clocks in just a hair under the run time of 2009s March of the Zapotec/Realpeople Holland EPs (combined), it feels more conscious, structured and fleshed out. On opener “A Candle’s Fire”, signature horns are front and center ready to grab the audience before the large, introductory crash of instruments that leads into the track’s summer day buoyancy. Like much of the album, this opening song includes classic Beirut tendencies, but removes all the frill; it leaves a more minimal song, but one that is more focused and brilliant. “Santa Fe” acts in a similar fashion, using sweeping horns to create the grandiose mood Condon envisions. Review>>>

Beirut – The Rip Tide

Beirut – Port of Call

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The post Best Albums of 2011: #50 to #41 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Mike Mineo

For the average music fan, it would be easy to say Damon Albarn is cheating. His Gorillaz project has been one of the best-selling groups of the past decade for several reasons. While Gorillaz is certainly aided by a PR-friendly campaign of engrossing visuals courtesy of Jamie Hewlett, Albarn’s success is indebted largely to his inarguable talent as an alarmingly consistent songwriter and producer. As one of the most melodically gifted pop songwriters of the past several decades, his consistencies defy expectations for any songwriter prominent since the early ‘90s. For over twenty years, he has been producing stellar material, with each of his most popular projects – Blur and Gorillaz – becoming some of the most popular acts of their respective decades. Blur, in my opinion, was the best Brit-pop act of the ’90s. We see this now more clearly as groups like Oasis and Suede dissolved into nothingness, shortly prior to Albarn disbanding of Blur on amicable terms before they released even one flop. Albarn’s prevalent ambition has always suggested a discontent with treading in one stylistic spot too long, as even with Blur one can see obvious differences between the catchy pop of Parklife and more atmospheric-driven works on 13. That he would pursue a commercial-friendly blend of ominous pop and infectious trip-hop after Blur was not at all surprising, nor was the massive success of Gorillaz that followed.

Plastic Beach, to put it bluntly, is the most selfless album Albarn has ever done. Even looking at the tracklisting of Gorillaz’s third album can be daunting. The sixteen tracks, only four of which appear to have no collaborators, make it bear an initial resemblance to a hip-hop mixtape. After all, can anyone even envision Lou Reed, Mos Def, Snoop Dogg, and Bobby Womack working on the same album together? Perhaps this sounds odd, but like a quality mixtape Plastic Beach is bound to introduce listeners to new artists using a concept and artist they are already familiar with. From cult staples of classic-rock like Reed and Mark E. Smith to relevant staples of contemporary hip-hop culture like Snoop Dogg and Mos Def, Albarn is somehow able to pull off an experiment of epic proportions that finds amazing consistency in his ability to revel in other’s supplemental talents. Other more low-key collaborators, like Little Dragon and Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, are going to achieve substantial recognition on account of Albarn’s cleverness and, in some cases, actually prevail over the bigger names. Albarn writes and produces all the tracks here, using these collaborators as instruments of sorts to fulfill visions of stylistic defiance. By all accounts, Plastic Beach may end up being a timeless album for one specific reason: Albarn has taken timeless performers themselves, those that have developed a certain stylistic movement, and adjusts his songwriting formula for them specifically. This is the same type of songwriting that, after over twenty years, has proved timeless itself.

Stemming from this timeless quality is an album that is stunningly cohesive despite running nearly an hour. On 2005’s Demon Days, Gorillaz employed Danger Mouse to produce a more vivid form of their dark, brooding, but often infectious blend of pop trip-hop. The album was certainly a large success, but at times felt constrained to one technique of production that relied on Danger Mouse’s slight linearity. Despite having several other producers at hand, the final vision felt constricted and too uniform. This is corrected somewhat immediately on Plastic Beach, where “Orchestral Intro” clashes with ocean sounds and a climactic string accompaniment. Think Philip Glass meets Gustavo Santaolalla. Only a minute long, it merely sets up “Welcome to the World of Plastic Beach”, which is basically an extended introduction in itself. Even if its purpose is more atmospheric than hook-driven, hearing Snoop Dogg as the first voice on a Gorillaz album brought a grin and, later, a surprising sense of satisfaction. Albarn caters to Snoop’s signature calmness with slowly vibrating synth arpeggios and a cooing vocoder in the background. Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, which is also outstanding during the Mos Def-featured “Sweepstakes”, provides plenty of orchestral elements that give the song a fantastic sense of fluidity. Leave it to Albarn to make vocoders actually sound good (even if Snoop helps out). If there is a production technique with a bad reputation, then Albarn practically considers it a challenge to make it sound good. As usual, he succeeds here.

One of the album’s brightest moments is “Rhinestone Eyes”, a track that sounds like classic Gorillaz in its minimalistic, sample-led resemblance to efforts like “DARE” and “Clint Eastwood”. This is one of the few efforts with no collaborators, which is practical because even one may have diluted Albarn’s sole presence. This is an utterly infectious, nearly flawless work that stands alongside “Feel Good Inc.” as a readily accessible gem that capitalizes upon Gorillaz’s uniqueness. The Noodle-like audio sample during the chorus of shrill synths, the sample of a woman’s “oh!” during a serene escape from percussion and bass, and the main organ lead are a few examples of ingeniously concocted placements of hook-driven madness that reminds us why Albarn relishes in critical acclaim with each album. I cannot get enough of this song, and I doubt it will get sickening by the time radios are blasting it this summer. The only effort that comes close in downright infectiousness is “Pirate Jet”, a teaser of sorts that concludes the album. With a pulsating shrill of an organ directing itself over a kangaroo bounce sort of percussion, it is a somewhat apt way to close off the album considering Albarn’s next foray will be with the re-formed Blur. This is vintage Albarn pop, with few electronic modifications creating either an ominous or soothing atmosphere. In the vein of “Boys & Girls”, it drives home an insanely catchy melody and has no faults in presentation or demeanor, its lead melody carrying everything. Here, it basks in exuberance again. “Still connected to the moment it begun,” he sings, almost ironically in the sense that this is most certainly a throwback to his younger days as a songwriter.

“Superfast Jellyfish” is intended to be radio-friendly like “Stylo” and “Rhinestone Eyes”, but its lack of expansion makes more novelty than quality. De La Soul really does a great job of delivering verse-per-verse, but Gruff Rhys feels sort of wasted in his short cameo during the chorus. The melody here is way too simplistic and underwhelming in comparison to what is presented later, mainly because the last minute or so goes into an addictive array of escalating synths that tends to magnify the earlier . This section resembles the hurried music to Super Mario Bros. and it could not have been done better. Enough has been made of “Stylo” by now, as it is one of the strongest singles of 2010 thus far. It is the quintessential example of Albarn’s collaborative genius, which finds him juggling Bobby Womack’s soulful howl with Mos Def’s rhythmically inclined spurs to produce a riveting accomplishment. Its dark, synth-y vibe along with Womack’s trademark croon makes it sounds like an early ‘80s lovechild of disco, soul, and recently emerging synth-pop. The song gives nothing to complain about, and continues an amazing stretch of songs that begins at “Rhinestone Eyes”. Among these is “Some Kind of Monster”, a head-scratching sort of track that makes you ask how Albarn made electro-pop and Lou Reed mix cohesively. I have to say, one of the most rewarding moments on the album is when Reed plays along with Albarn during the song’s latter two choruses. It is effective because it surprisingly works, but mainly because it is impossible to resist Reed when he stutters “some kind of nature, some kind of soul” at the song’s final moments. His accompaniment is not just novelty either… listening to this song, his parts seems absolutely essential to its success.

One of the unexpected stars on an album full of them is Sweden’s Little Dragon. They appear on two tracks, “Empire Ants” and “To Binge”, which both serve as accomplished standouts. Vocalist Yukimi Nagano is utterly consuming with an obvious background in jazz, experience that works incredibly well for musicians in the vein of Albarn or Matthew Herbert that employ rhythmically-based electronic-pop. “To Binge” sounds like a tropical treat with its high-pitched keys and soft cooing vocals, the style retaining a psychedelia influnece with flourishes of reverbed guitar and vocals. The duet here between Albarn and Nagano is quite nice too, as her beautiful voice interweaves well with Albarn’s distinctive voice. “Empire Ants” is already a fan favorite for good reason. It generally exists in two parts: one where we find Albarn singing softly over a beautiful accompaniment of acoustic guitars and pianos, the other where Nagano takes control of pulse-charging synths that resemble material on Röyksopp’s Junior. Both sections are outstanding and the transition from one into another is seamless. “Cloud of Unknowning” is also a nice addition for its subtle beauty; when the woodwinds and strings finally converge, Womack is going to send chills up your spine just like he did in 1972 when he released “Across 110th Street”. I stand by this: Damon Albarn seems nearly equivalent to Quentin Tarantino when it comes to unexpected revivals. It also helps that neither of their résumés show a decrease in quality, giving artists like Reed and Womack comfort in knowing their legacies are in good hands.

Another recommendation is “Sweepstakes”, an overlooked gem featuring Mos Def that packs the build-up that most hip-hop tracks envy. I dare you to sit still once the brass kicks in. It is not a downright accessible effort like the extremely conventional but very pleasant “Melancholy Hill”, but as Mos Def eases the listener into his area of rhythmic comfort there is nothing that can deny the energy of his delivery when the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble provide their irresistible orchestral additions. The only two tracks I take issue with on the entire album are “Broken” and “White Flag” not American flag, both of which stumble out of the gate and never pick up the pace. If both of these tracks were omitted then the album would approach a rare instance of cumulative perfection. Spotty decisions and forced stylistic fixtures are faulty components of these two efforts, but the rest of Plastic Beach is just the opposite. From Little Dragon’s melodic synth-pop efforts to the wonderfully spontaneous additions of Mos Def and Lou Reed, this is one of the few collaborative albums that actually works. Easily one of the best albums of 2010, Plastic Beach is also one of the grandest musical accomplishments of the past decade. While most albums reliant on collaboration are commercial flops intending to cash in on popular names, this is an album where enjoyment will come in both the amazing quality of the songs and the talent that perfectly encompasses them. Rarely is an artist like Albarn willing to become so selfless to the point where listeners are finding other artists by listening to his music. When you have songs as great as those on Plastic Beach, I suppose there is nothing to lose.

9.5/10.0

RIYL: Blur, The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Daft Punk, Team Sleep, Radiohead, The Chemical Brothers, Soulwax, Massive Attack, Death in Vegas, Ratatat, The Prodigy, Röyksopp, Moby, Björk, MGMT, Cibo Matto, Goldfrapp

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Gorillaz – Rhinestone Eyes

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Gorillaz – Empire Ants (featuring Little Dragon)

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Gorillaz – Some Kind of Nature (featuring Lou Reed)

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The post Gorillaz – Plastic Beach (2010) appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

by Mike Mineo

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10. Super Furry Animals – Dark Days/Light Years

Try and think of a band that has released 10 albums over the past 13 years, all of them attaining acclaim and stylistic diversity in a uniquely identifiable manner. Maybe if Super Furry Animals existed a few decades ago a few contemporaries could have shared this honor with them, but in an age where both the number and progressive quality of albums continues to decrease the Welsh collective remain one of the few. Super Furry Animals is quite an easy band to be a fan of. You never want your favorite band to change, but at the same time you realize that exploring new territory could be beneficial. The Gruff Rhys-fronted group kicked off their career with two classics in Fuzzy Logic and Radiator. Since then there has been no drop in quality, only fluctuations in stylistic maneuvers. Following the hook-filled and shimmering pop of the outstanding Hey Venus!, Dark Days/Light Years is a return to the experimentation that albums like Phantom Power and Mwng were renowned for. Super Furry Animals will always produce infectious songs by nature, and it rarely depends on Rhys’ style whether it is the electro-pop of his other project (Neon Neon) or the guitar-based rock of Super Furry Animals’ earlier material. Dark Days/Light Years takes full advantage by being spread out all over the place. Punchy electro-funk in “Inaugural Trams” and sitar-aided psychedelic pop bliss in “The Very Best of Neil Diamond” are a few instances of lovable experimentation, as is the excellent opening “Crazy Naked Girls” (which borrows both the electro-funk and sweet psychedelia of the two aforementioned tracks). As a whole, the album is a continuation of material that is simply fun for Super Furry Animals. They have always enjoyed experimentation without sacrificing their audience’s well-being, which is especially respectable for a group of their ambitious nature. Dark Days/Light Years is one of those rare achievements for a band with plenty of them already. Few can be so simultaneously eclectic and accessibly infectious, but with Super Furry Animals we have come to expect it by now.

Super Furry Animals – The Very Best of Neil Diamond

Super Furry Animals – Inaugural Trams

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09. Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer

Sunset Rubdown have always been flexible. Shut Up I Am Dreaming toyed with minimalistic electronica and rock, while Random Spirit Lover was a showcase of multi-layered art-rock expansiveness. Both albums had their stylistic exceptions that did not serve as stylistic disruptions due to their cohesiveness, but the difference in songs between the two albums was clear. For their fourth LP Dragonslayer, Krug resorts to his hardest-rocking repertoire yet and it results in eight very infectious tracks that maintain their flexibility and separable qualities throughout. Contrary to the abundant use of varying effects throughout Random Spirit Lover, Dragonslayer utilizes little in terms of studio additives. In regard to the instrumentation and content, this is one of Krug’s rawest albums yet. “Idiot Heart” evolves from the rhythmic strum of muted guitars to an anthemic sort of disposition with roaring guitars, chanting xylophones, and a build-up that rivals the likes of “The Men Are Called Horsemen There” (which Krug reminds listeners of before heading into the chorus). The lyrical-musical juxtaposition is excellent as usual, especially when Krug proclaims the following: “Now I was never much of a dancer, but I know enough to know you gotta move your idiot body around.” Immediately after speaking of an inability to dance, percussion appears for the first time and the track reclaims the rhythmic infectiousness that the introduction did not initially emphasize. The line seems ironic at the time since the progression that follows is irresistibly danceable like few Krug efforts before it, just going to show how thought-out and thematically effective the tracks on Dragonslayer really are. “Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Oh!” is also one of the album’s brightest moments, whether one looks to its irresistible chorus or the outro where Krug presents a series of slick guitar progressions and catchy chants. Like most Krug efforts, the song is fun to analyze and the ambiguity simply adds to the allure. He can create vivid folk like “Nightingale / December Song”, nostalgic arena-rock like “Idiot Heart” and “Dragon’s Lair”, and fist-pumping anthems like “Black Swan”, but stylistic multifariousness is not the sole reason for Dragonslayer’s apparent success. It is the consistency, thematic focus, and sheer ability throughout the album that makes this one a potential classic.

Sunset Rubdown – Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!

Sunset Rubdown – Silver Moons

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08. Salem – Astronaut

Salem Al Fakir’s debut full-length, This Is Who I Am, was one of the most enjoyable albums of 2007. It was a debut that sounded like it was crafted with decade’s worth of experience, staying true to the clever vein of Swedish pop that the native Al Fakir appeared to flawlessly grasp. Even in that accessible realm though, the album showcased a wonderful display of worldly influences as Al Fakir successfully integrated soul, blues, and psychedelic-pop into a sound that could be most aptly described as orchestral chamber-pop with dabs of nostalgic throwbacks. Retro-y synths and showtune-like orchestral accompaniments often set the stage for large presentations that Al Fakir’s soaring voice and confident presence fit perfectly in. Al Fakir has cut off his last name from the release, but Salem’s new album, Astronaut, is unmistakably from the same talented artist that put out one of 2007’s best. The narrative allure of “Astronaut” and “Black Sun Black Moon” retell similar stories of orchestral heartbreak, but apart from that Astronaut is a pretty excitable release that is dominanted by pulses of synths, heavy percussion, and even glam-rockers. “Twelve Fingers” mixes arena-rock with synth-pop, sporting an excellent bridge where an exotic synth line cohesively ushers in the subsequent guitars. “One of the Others” and “Bluest Eyes” both succeed in the realm of blue-eyed soul tremendously, with the latter’s country-ish twang being one instance of Salem’s tendencies to unconventionally mix and match different genres. Unlike most of the other tracks on the album, “Cold Shower” has no counterpart in its piano-pop. The dominance of keys and Salem’s flamboyant demeanor awakens comparisons to Elton John, and Salem’s undeniable ability causes “Cold Shower” to sound like a lost hit from the ‘70s. Just try and listen to the reggae-inspired chorus without grinning in delight. Another interestingly rewarding track is the phenomenal “Purple Lady”, a sprawling beauty of an effort that is also the most downtrodden on the album. Al Fakir has followed up one of the best debuts of 2007 with an album that is undoubtedly one of 2009’s best. This is a must-buy for any fan of pop music; there is something on here for everyone.

Salem – Cold Shower

Salem – Twelve Fingers

Salem – It’s Only You (Part II)

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07. St. Vincent – Actor

Despite naming her first album after an Arrested Development quote, Annie Clark’s debut was not something I could get into. The potential of Marry Me was evident but there was still something missing. Classified as a guitar prodigy by some, the brains behind St. Vincent delivered pleasant pop songs with a nice punch but not enough depth. Perhaps it was her immense talent overshadowing a rookie effort, but there was something missing. The Oklahoma native has taken momentous strides with her follow-up, Actor, in all aspects, especially in regard to increased focus, stylistic capacities, and overall confidence. Marry Me had a nice mix of bright and quirky songs and darker ballads, suggesting a hesitance to stick with one thematic mood. Doing so would also require sticking with the same musical arsenal, and restriction is never good for a talent like Clark. So, on Actor she does something very wise. She focuses on darker subject matter, both in an attempt to diversify her material and create a steady flow that results in Actor‘s greatness. The result is something largely melodic and reflective, one that shows Clark as more than a pretty voice. The songwriting here is quite special, never restrained by any electronic or world influence that may seep in. The brooding “Save Me From What I Want” has a chilly electronic vibe to it, its sparkling synth pad glittering over sputtering percussion as Clark pleads the listener for salvation from her desires. Unlike Marry Me, her sentiments on Actor are unbelievably convincing in her whimsical and naturally melodic approach. The track is filled to the brim with imagery that contrasts with the music quite nicely, and when the various guitar progressions and samples conclude the track it reinforces Clark’s maturing songwriting very nicely. This is also demonstrated through, “Laughing With a Mouth of Blood”, which is lighter with its acoustic guitars, gentle bass lines, and twinkles of strings and keys. Clark echoing her own thoughts with a distant reverb is reminiscent of ’60s pop, as is a fantastic chorus that uses build-ups of strings and swift guitar progressions. Flourishes of jazz are found throughout the track, but by this mid-point of the album listeners are accustomed to such variation. I was one of the few not entirely convinced by Marry Me but this has done it. Actor is a true triumph. There is no other album this year that accomplishes this sound with such precision.

St. Vincent – Laughing With a Mouth of Blood

St. Vincent – Save Me From What I Want

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06. The Veils – Sun Gangs

On The Veils’ third album, Sun Gangs, Finn Andrews offers the audience his most diverse vocal showing to date. He tackles everything from piano-led balladry to heavily distorted alternative-rock, doing so in an effectively cohesive manner that proves reflective of the group’s contrasting array of moods. This should be nothing entirely new for listeners though, as both preceding Veils albums were impressively eclectic in their own right. The excellent placement of “Sit Down By the Fire” as the opening tack of Sun Gangs has rewarding intentions, greeting listeners with an effort that shows most of The Veils’ strengths in four minutes. With its fluttering acoustics, driving keys, delightful melody, and strongly poetic lyrics, it serves as a nice introduction for new listeners and a refresher for the many fans that have been waiting patiently since the release of Nux Vomica. “Sun Gangs” finds itself placed between two tracks that seem to be at least moderately intricate in instrumentation, providing a breather between “Sit Down By the Fire” and the brilliantly consuming “The Letter”. Andrews has placed tracks accordingly in order to manage the variety of moods cohesively on all of The Veils’ past releases, but the structural organization throughout Sun Gangs is his best work in this department yet. As far as “The Letter” goes, it is one of Andrews’ finest efforts to date and should make as a hugely successful single. Like “Advice for Young Mothers to Be” and “One Night on Earth”, Andrews’ alt-rock leanings are present, although one could say that this is arguably the most definitive representation of it. Guitars are most prominent here, especially after the chorus where several guitar progressions clash to produce a sound somewhat reminiscent of The Arcade Fire. Andrews’ voice and lyrics, though, make this entirely his own. After the heavy industrial-rock of “Killed by the Boom” and Celtic folk-influenced “Three Sisters”, “The House She Lives In” returns the album to somewhat more conventional territory, offering a nostalgic mixture of keys and guitars to craft a verse that is depictive of ‘60s pop. The slick chorus and accompaniment of strings is classic Veils though, and it results in being one of the best songs on the album because of it. Although the last three songs lack in the focus of other songs on the album, the moody “Larkspur” and soft-spoken “Scarecrow” and “Begin Again” are still too memorable to be classified as filler. Even stacked up against The Veils’ other albums, Sun Gangs is simply another step in the right direction.

The Veils – The Letter

The Veils – The House She Lives In

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05. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

Sometimes it sounds like Dirty Projectors are showing off. More often than not actually, throughout their new album Bitte Orca, the Brooklyn-based quartet make success sound so effortless. I have always envisioned David Longstreth as a young Matthew Herbert of sorts, embedded with a more pop-oriented ideology that benefits from his interest in a wide variety of styles. The production on Bitte Orca is outstanding mainly because it holds together Longstreth’s ridiculously hefty ambition, which for the first time sees complete cohesiveness. As expected, this translates to brilliance. Bitte Orca plays like an adventure novel of sorts in its variety of themes, the constant variation almost sounding like a rock musical with some R&B and soul addeded to it. There are tracks like “Cannibal Resource” that work with orchestras as they integrate themselves within wildly accessible indie-rock, while other efforts like “Temecula Sunrise” start with lo-fi pieces of acoustical passion and grow into epic, stylistically multifarious accomplishments. Whichever way the structure seems to move, Dirty Projectors unveil something worthwhile in every song on Bitte Orca. Many songs like “Cannibal Resource” and “Temecula Sunrise” benefit from an assortment of layer and contrasting harmonies, but those skeptical of the group’s raw abilities should check out the intro to “The Bride”. Little more than a beautiful voice and acoustic guitar accompaniment forms a sound similar to traditional folk. Dirty Projectors conquer nearly every genre that has influenced indie-rock throughout the album and this is just one instance of it. It then grows into a heavier, more distorted sound to make things interesting, but the stunning verses that precede it are indicative of Dirty Projectors’ ability. Some of the tracks on the album are filled with so much variation to the point where they may be intimidating, so a track like “No Intention” really fits nicely with its joyously accessible vibe. It is really the only “feel-good” song on the album, but Bitte Orca stirs up plenty of emotions with its riveting material. This is exactly where the Herbet comparison comes in for me; Longstreth is showcasing an astute ability for several genres and mastery in production has now led him to great things. Now that his talents are showcased in such a polished and genuine way, it is incredibly easy to enjoy.

Dirty Projectors – Stillness is the Move

Dirty Projectors – Cannibal Resource

Domino Records

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04. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest

I remember fondly that Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House was one of the first features on this site. It was pretty clear that it was going to bring them considerable attention, which was shown through their enduring relevance throughout the past three years. It is hard to believe that Yellow House was released over three years ago, especially considering how great songs like “Knife” and “Marla” sound. It will likely be looked back upon as one of the better psychedelic-folk albums of the decade, which makes the equally respectable success of its follow-up Veckatimest important. While retaining the great songwriting and harmoniously serene nature of Yellow House, Veckatimest sees the group expand their horizons in terms of production and sound. A string quartet and even more interweaving vocal melodies are abundant, but they are not the only reasons for the stunning melodic repertoire of Grizzly Bear’s third album. Droste and company have crafted a beautiful pop album by any stretch of the imagination, evolving from the singular folk of their early material into a band that touches upon everything from psychedelic jazz to traditional folk. The former is immediate from the opener, “Southern Point”, which uses a brisk acoustic shuffle over a fuzzy bass through serene interludes and brilliant percussive breaks. It is a great opener in establishing an enjoyably complex sound, even if the stunning “Two Weeks” following it returns listeners to the delightfully harmonic roots of Grizzly Bear. Keyboards, various layers of choir boy-like vocals, and a placid bass line combine for a very ethereal experience that is both infectious and nostalgically touching. It presents old-fashioned pop in the best sense possible. “Cheerleader” follows in that same throwback sense, sounding like a lost ’60s gem with the glittering reverb of reverbs and doo-wop vocal accompaniments . The production on this track is stunning particularly because Grizzly Bear opted not to go the gimmick-y, lo-fi route in terms of nostalic ’60s pop. This is crisply produced bliss and it touts its strengths. By now, Droste is a natural at crafting emotionally driven gems like these. There is no need to cloak things in extraneous arrangements and, with the coherently stunning Veckatimest, this much is clear.

Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks

Grizzly Bear – Cheerleader

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03. Wild Beasts – Two Dancers

Distinction will never be an issue for Wild Beasts. With a voice like Hayden Thorpe’s, it almost seems as if the English four-piece could put any arrangement under his dramatic delivery and the result would sound great. The most quirkily enjoyable thing about Wild Beasts is the juxtaposition of their varying influences. Thorpe’s lead vocals are strongly reminiscent of the quivering cries for help that Billy Mackenzie made famous in the realm of post-punk, but their music often hints at lights of optimism that are rare in a genre that encompasses such an enjoyably sullen haze. But while Thorpe makes post-punk the most oblivious practice on their second album, Two Dancers, but their tendency to use unconventional practices like chirpy guitar progressions or exhilarating choruses is what creates their signature sound. They are able to reach into the depths of melancholy without coming across as melodramatic, just as they are able to scale the dizzying heights of pop elegance without coming across as too desperate for fame and fortune. These tendencies result in a sound that borrows neither too much from the past nor excess from the present, resulting in a sound that is fresh and engaging without being classified into the ridiculously flexible genre of art-rock. Two standouts, “When I’m Sleepy” and “All the King’s Men”, are direct in their respective descriptions of death and desperation. Mumbled vocals that weep over reverbed guitar tremolos are present, of course. The bass lines are subtler than typical post-punk, but the dramatics of the distorted guitars and emotive vocals are still there, stuffed with pop-oriented theatrics that make the style more accessible for those somewhat opposed to the dramatics of Joy Division or The Cure. “We Still Got the Taste Dancing on Our Tongues” finds Thorpe’s most theatrical crooning uplifted by guitar tremolos and sprinkles of haunting keys that coincide with his vocals to craft a sound that is as elegantly uplifting as it is haunting and serene. And this is what Two Dancers is; it serves as phenomenal album that quickly follows up a debut to prove that Wild Beasts are more than clever stylistic imitators. Most importantly, it shows that they are great songwriters and producers in their own right, leading to the credibility of all forthcoming recognition.

Wild Beasts – Hooting & Howling (video)

Wild Beasts – All the King’s Men

Wild Beasts – We Still Got the Taste Dancing on Our Tongues

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02. The Flaming Lips – Embryonic

It would be easy to give the Flaming Lips a free pass at this point since they have yet to release a lackluster album in their 26-year career. Their releases are also often such a mind-consuming experience that it becomes impossible not to criticize or complement. Their twelfth studio album, Embryonic, is particularly true of this. There has been no other Flaming Lips album that is strongly comparable to this one, both in thematic effort and general style. Structurally, it is a mess when compared to the ethereal works of Yoshimi or The Soft Bulletin, where laid-back anthems like “Do You Realize??” and “Race for the Prize” were Lips standards. On Embryonic, there are no heartwarming singles like “Free Radicals” that casual fans will adore, nor overly fluttery examples of bubblegum-pop like “Yeah Yeah Yeah Song” that provide some ease to the always-present level of experimentation. So, with this in mind, why exactly is Embryonic one of their best releases to date? Like many Flaming Lips releases, the reason becomes apparent after a full listen. Like most Flaming Lips albums, Embryonic begins with a kick-in-the-face sort of track. Guitar distortions whimper in disarray, the reverb-heavy percussion plays with a sense of unpredictable fury, and Coyne delivers an eerie croon that finds itself reminiscent of Joy Division’s Ian Curtis in its drolly robotic allure. In doing so, “Convinced of the Hex” is a clear ode to both Kraut-rock and post-punk. The layers of sound build up until the rhythm section becomes the showstopper, gradually introducing bursts of bass as the percussion intensifies with heavy hi-hats. It nearly makes the listener picture an automation line, one superb addition after another. The different keyboard chord that appears after every other measure also does a great job of keeping this one in place in adding subtly invigorating forms of melodic variation in addition to Coyne’s vocals.

“Powerless” is indeed the biggest achievement on an album full of many, combining evolutionary post-rock with the touch of sparkling keys and unconventionally boisterous guitar solos, the latter of which sounds more like impulsive chordal strikes than melodic construction. There are several guitars to accompany keys which glitter gracefully throughout, the most prominent emitting a single chord that abrasively leads the effort with heavy distortion and hand swipes. It is a wonderful technique, mainly because the subtle and less audible guitar accompaniments provide beautiful additions thanks purely to the group’s songwriting skills. The only major variation occurs when the western-y bass line suddenly drops a few pitches with each succession, the lead guitar remaining steadily boisterous as the others emit stunning melodic whispers that will send chills down under listener’s spine. The way these instruments and melodies combine to create this epic force is absolutely stunning, making this one of the best Flaming Lips tracks released. The second disc begins with another knockout force in “The Ego’s Last Stand”, an effort that shows off the rhythmic precision of this album beautifully. Percussion has never before been so prominent for the Flaming Lips, so it is nice to see a diversified amount of efforts in regard to all sorts of instruments being the beneficiary in leading tracks. Percussion and bass appear to converse here by rarely coexisting, instead taking turns speaking before guitars and brass-like mute effects concoct a truly spectacular and anthemic chorus. Embryonic is hardly the most beautiful album to the Flaming Lips’ name, but its rough edges are so defined that the result is more engrossing than any of their albums from the past decade. Like any double-album there are a handful of tracks whose absence would not be missed, but the highlights are so memorable and purely fascinating in approach that it propels Embryonic to the echelon of 2009’s best releases.

The Flaming Lips – Powerless

The Flaming Lips – Convinced of the Hex

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01. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

The rise of Animal Collective has been one of the most enjoyable stories of the year, particularly because they actually deserve the acclaim. Merriweather Post Pavilion, their eighth studio album, was arguably their most anticipated release for a reason. For nearly a decade they have ignored any slight conception of contemporary pop music, taking note of both classical and worldly influences in addition to relevant sample-based technology to form a style that is literally incomparable to anything before them. They write pop songs with hooks so strong and prevalent that admirers of all genres are stimulated by it, whether through the breezy psychedelia on Feels or the choppy electro-experiments of Strawberry Jam. Those with knowledge of their ambitious discography are aware of various stylistic experiments the band has undertaken,  some being failures and others succeeding immensely. The issue with previous Animal Collective albums were that bursts of brilliance seemed to be subdued by occasional clutter, which was often little more than extraneous over-experimentation. Still, with each successive release they took new strides with more cohesive ideas and less clutter. Fans had anticipated an album as cumulatively successful as Merriweather Post Pavilion for some while as a result. 2009 finally fulfilled their expectations.

Merriweather Post Pavilion begins in grand style with “In the Flowers”, perhaps the best opening track of the year in its developmental brilliance alone. Its subtle growth in percussion signals an imminent rhythmic explosion that the trickling minor guitar arpeggios portray early on. Fuzzy bass, accelerated percussion, and a repeated synth effect enter during the exhilarating and lengthily foreshadowed chorus. Building up hype and then satisfying listeners entirely is just what this album does from start to finish, so “In the Flowers” is nice introductory analogy for this album’s vast scope of pleaure. Enough has been said of infectiously repetitive tracks like “My Girls” and “Summertime Clothes”, but the most durable tracks on Merriweather Post Pavilion are gems like “Bluish” and “Also Frightened” that show the band’s more expansive side rather than their sample-based, repetitive ones (which can be just as great). “Also Frightened” sounds like the majestic psychedelic-pop work the band has always aimed for in their majestic ambition, restrained previously only by a lack of structural coherency. This effort is clearly from due experience because it achieves remarkable sereneness and accessibility while retaining traditional components of psychedelia. Like “In the Flowers” and “Bluish”, it is pretty much perfect. “Daily Routine” is an enjoyable novelty in its transitioning from messy organs to lush shoegaze-y synth pads, while the soft twinkle of the pop-lullaby “No More Runnin” provides for some relaxing reprieve before the hectically fulfilling “Brother Sport”. The lush throwback pop of “Bluish” is perhaps the most surprisingly rewarding track on the album though, showing a side of Animal Collective that is not hesitant to write a song not invested in innovative recording techniques or stylistic achievements. Sometimes moderation can be a good thing, and Merriweather Post Pavilion shows this perfectly by blending its styles with groundbreaking precision.

The most remarkable thing about Merriweather Post Pavilion is that it already appears timeless less than a year after its release. Although some tracks like “My Girls” boast synthesizers and sampling, the hooks and structure of the songs are relative to any period in pop music past the 1950s. Trying to spot Animal Collective’s influences is looking for a needle in a haystack since they hide them so well; their own creativity takes over in ways other bands could only dream of. Merriweather Post Pavilion is the best album of 2009 because it represents both the creativity and eclectic capacity of a band whose recognition is preceded by years of various experimentation. It will be considered a classic for years to come not because it broke out a a great band though. Instead, its legacy will live on as an influential stylistic achievement with prevalent impact on the decades of music to come.

Animal Collective – In the Flowers

Animal Collective – Bluish

Animal Collective – My Girls

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The post Best Albums of 2009: #10 to #01 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

In an age where audible masculinity is often associated with loud guitars and aggressive screaming, you are really putting yourself out in the open (and taking a few commercial risks) by shaping your vinyl records in the shape of a heart. Sociological standards have changed just as much, if not more, than music in the past seven decades, and to associate hearts with music nowadays seems to either involve Disney’s latest abstaining sensations or overly adorable indie-pop. Thus, to expect something modern-sounding out of Drew Cohen, better known Mayer Hawthorne, might be premature. After all, this is the same guy who asked his label, Stones Throw, if they could press his debut single like Bobby Caldwell did in the early ’80s, when his vinyl was pressed into the shape of a heart. The reason? Simply because the songs dealt with love. Taking a cue from a blue-eyed soul songwriter like Caldwell seems apt for Cohen, even if his his primary influences are actually scattered throughout the ’50s and ’60s. What is amicable among these soul songwriters, though, regardless of whether they originated in the ’50s or ’80s is the prevalence of ardency, even if it takes away a lot of the masculinity that rock ‘n’ roll instills. But for those music fans that are truly fans, this should be irrelevant. In the case of Cohen, the lack of self-concern is a breath of fresh air.

Detroit’s prominence nowadays mainly arises from high crime rates, but anyone without knowledge of the city’s illustrious musical history has a lot of great acts waiting for them (most of which they probably know). In that sense, it is one of the richest cities in the nation. The city has seen plenty of great rock acts – from Iggy & the Stooges to The White Stripes – emerge over the past couple decades, but perhaps Detroit’s most embodied sense of musical history was its role during the explosion of R&B and soul in the ’50s. Motown Records, important for both its role in racial desegregation and massive corporate success, is home to Detroit, as were artists like Smokey Robinson and The Temptations. The role of Detroit in building a foundation for future soul artists was integral. As a result, you can imagine the influence it had on the Detroit kids that were growing up in the ’50s and ’60s. Being surrounded by such a stylistically invigorating phase must have been invigorating and utterly memorable. For the artistically inclined growing up in Detroit, seeing the simultaneous abundance of rock ‘n’ roll, R&B, and soul from the early ’50s toward the late ’70s must have left a unique impression, one that perhaps made their future endeavors considerably more eclectic and nostalgic than their peers.

Growing up just outside of Detroit in Ann Arbor, Cohen’s childhood was surrounded by music. And although he was born too late for Detroit’s legendary era of rock and soul (he grew up in the ’80s), his father was not. A full-time owner of an auto-parts store and part-time musician, Cohen’s father introduced Motown to him at a young age. They would listen to Motown together on his way to work, with the younger Cohen asking his father dozens of questions for each song that came on the radio. The father would gladly respond with all the answers, igniting his son’s passion for music in the process. The ’80s was not an era when Motown was being played continuously on the radio, but we can all thank Mr. Cohen for being a bit behind the times and exposing his son to music that would eventually separate him from his peers in his musical career. It is ironic how something deemed as “outdated” can lead to freshly concocted ideas years afterward, perhaps showing that influences are never really outdated at all. Cohen’s father still unsurprisingly plays in a band back in Detroit, while he has been turning heads with his Mayer Hawthorne project. Originally started for pure fun, playing soul favorites for family and friends evolved into something more for Cohen. Considering Cohen had spent most of his time prior working as a DJ for underground hip-hop group Now On, some could say that his foray into soul music was like discovering a latent talent for the first time.

A fan of everything from hip-hop to grunge, Cohen’s interpretation of neo-soul on his debut A Strange Arrangement borrows both modernistic and retro components of pop and Motown to establish a release that separates itself from contemporaries like Raphael Saadiq and Lee Fields. The self-titled track is one of the album’s most stunning, taking the signature layers of Motown orchestration to produce a smooth and heavily seductive mixture of brass, piano, and guitars incorporated into a stunning rhythm section. The rhythm sounds casual and slowly paced, but the way it leads and develops the track’s peaks under Cohen’s absolutely stunning vocals is unforgettable. The main hook, signaled by the abrupt descending of bass notes, recalls The Stylistics and other Philly soul groups that treated listeners with smooth subtleties and lavish orchestration. “But I can’t stand by while you break my heart in two,” he laments during the hook, solidifying the timeless and old-fashioned gripes of unrequited love in ways so sincere that today’s youth is hardly familiar with it. This track is extremely reminiscent of the past, but many others on the album do assume a more contemporary standing.

“Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out” was the first song completed for the album and the one that prompted Stones Throw to commission Cohen for a full album. This one applies more swiftness and gradual guitar work, with the falsetto and backing vocals being more up-to-date with modern blue-eyed soul artists like Jamie Lidell. Meanwhile, “Maybe So, Maybe No” utilizes some crisp brass incorporated with funk (à la Matthew Herbert) to showcase some very intelligent songwriting. “Green Eyed Love” is quite fascinating for its hazy keyboard lead and updated production, sounding more along the lines of a stripped-down Gnarls Barkley than a ’60s soul artist. It always works though regardless of contemporary standing, and that in itself justifiably shows why A Strange Arrangement is one of the most enjoyably accessible debuts of the year.

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Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement

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Mayer Hawthorne – Just Ain’t Gonna Work Out

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Mayer Hawthorne – Green Eyed Love

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Stones Throw Records

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In one room sits a huddled group of professionals, ranging from for-pay songwriters to conniving promoters. Their eyes are all on a whiteboard that lists several opportunities for their fledging client on this starry Friday night. Should he show up at a star’s birthday party, present at an awards show, or attend a charity dinner? It must be such a hassle to be forced to choose just one. Most of the independent groups featured here would probably laugh at such a scenario, either shocked or appalled at the fact that publicity is more important than the music itself these days. But can you really blame those who take advantage of it? When you have a travelling circus of songwriters, performers, and executives by your side throughout the touring and studio sessions, is there really anything else to do apart from flaunting a pretty face and throwing some vocals into an auto-tuner? Artists often struggle to resist the allure of automated production like this, with the major labels hot after a certain talent or superficial component that they can manipulate and promote to produce millions. You are guaranteed a house in Malibu and a new collection of sports cars, but your artistic integrity will be forever plagued, even if the PR firm expertly crafts the image that YOU are the songwriter and not some struggling professional with a knack for melody. Some artists hardly have a choice in the matter, but others are able to find the perfect divide between polished, accessible production and DIY ethics.

The XX playfully list their influences in regard to opposite spectrums, commercial success and cult success. It is not so much dependent on style, but instead how similar approaches can end up differing dramatically based on the pressures of derivative automation. They like everything from Aaliyah to CocoRosie, Rihanna to The Cure, and Missy Elliott to Chromatics. Some sharp contrasts, sure, but their message is clear in describing their influences this way. This London-based quartet is the antithesis of independent elitism, showing both their adoration for mainstream pop music and independent stylistic mash-ups with a sound that contains the commercially receptive allure of acts like Rihanna and Aaliyah but without the repetitive, industrialized facades that tarnish their images. Perhaps this applies not so much in teen America or MTV’s headquarters, but more in regard to readers of this site. You obviously come here to discover bands that have little to no recognition as of its publishing date, and to produce something that I and others deem quality without substantial recognition usually means that ambition and/or innovation has prevented the act from scaling the dizzying heights of national recognition. I do know that many listeners of these acts strive to be “ironic” for the hell of it, but it is hard to imagine anything more ironic than innovation and ambition serving as detriments to an artist’s career opportunities.

In another ironic twist of sorts, perhaps The XX’s maturity can be attributed to their young age. It sounds nearly contradictory, but these four schoolyard friends from southwest London clearly embody a new musical philosophy that seems completely aware of the fact that pop music does not need to be overproduced, stylistically derivative, or full of Hollywood cameos in order to manufacture great hooks. It is a rare and admirable sight to behold, especially when art-rock natives like the Arctic Monkeys lately appear more focused on whether their songs are good enough for radio airplay than the album itself. Unlike most of their contemporaries, The XX have crafted an album, not a collection of songs that they jumbled together for purposes of exposure. The desperation is clearly not prevalent for the four-piece, which is all the more admirable when one considers that they are barely out of their teens. For their debut album, 2.0, it is audibly indicative that the members stayed up well past their bedtimes. Like Junior Boys or early Air, 2.0 possesses a late-night feel that can be attributed to serene soundscapes, mostly led by a rumbling rhythm section that paces itself perfectly. It complements chilly synths and husky vocals with absolute precision, alternating between concise bass lines and highly rhythmic propulsions when the song calls for it. It helps that, like many musicians, The XX seem to work almost exclusively at night. The quality shows.

Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft are responsible for these aforementioned vocals, showing their beautiful abilities in the form of both duets and solo accompaniments. Their voices often sound trapped in an icicle-laden cave, the reflection of reverb becoming apparent due to the minimalistic arrangements. Synthesizers and guitars collide in the beautiful “Infinity” as both interchangeably emit a soulful croon, with a slight tinge of Afro-pop being evident in the spright keys of the similarly presented “Basic Space”. This track reminds me of a Matthew Herbert effort; the arrangement evolves into an absolutely brilliant progression as Croft’s angelic vocals become complemented by Sim’s low, grizzly croon. He himself sounds a bit like Rufus Wainwright, perhaps driven by the seductive mixture of icy keys and slick guitar tremolos. “Crystalised” is another standout, opening with two simultaneous guitar progressions before unfolding into a largely bass-driven gem. The vocals of Sim and Croft do an exceptional job of building into the chorus, first delving into a duet before the explosive chorus of guitars, bass, and subtle samples that illustrate a sense of urgency with a distantly operatic synth pad. “We just keep on getting closer,” they sing before this moment occurs, once again showing that irresistible pop hooks can unfold from even the simplest of circumstances. 2.0 may be deemed minimalistic by casual admirers of pop music, but the fact is that The XX’s debut is more intricate and involved than most releases you are bound to pick up this year. All 11 tracks unfold with beauty, elegance, and precision, never hesitant to surprise a listener with innovation enclosed in an atmosphere of slight familiarity. 2.0 needs to be heard, as it is easily one of the best debuts of 2009.

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The XX – Basic Space

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The XX – Crystalised

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The XX – Infinity

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The post The XX appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Eccentric personality traits can be quite glaring upon meeting a new person. For me, whether they are artistically focused with a plethora of innovative ideas or radically opinionated to an intolerable extent is often what separates creativity from pretentiousness. Similar qualities can be found in music, a field where success is often driven by these original ideas that may be considered eccentric or bizarre. The same can be said for the majority of arts, as few can find success with entirely conventional ideas after a type of art form has existed for over hundreds of years. Upon listening to her music, it is prevalent that Mica Levi values unconventional ideologies to an audibly unavoidable accent. Her musical interests have always been geared toward pop music for the most part, but the eccentric nature of her songwriting and personality has made for an odd pairing with perhaps the most straightforward genre in popular music. Like experimentally pop-minded contemporaries in the vein of Xiu Xiu or Animal Collective, Levi’s specialty lies in crafting songs that are unpredictable and unconventional without being overly inaccessible. When experimentation goes awry and inventiveness begins to border on pretentiousness, the lack of substance in a song can make it unlistenable. Levi does more than just make it listenable; she makes her one-of-a-kind style fun and constantly engrossing.

Now under the alias of Micachu, Levi has been building up buzz ever since her teens. She was acquainted with music early on, as her place in a musically adept family saw her writing songs before age ten. Her scholastic career was rooted in several distinguished art schools in her native UK, primarily dealing with the study of composition at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Around this period of study, she began to take the fast track to acquiring experience after she was commissioned to write a composition for the London Philharmonic Orchestra (which they played last April). She was not just honing her songwriting skills either, as Levi was also gaining recognition throughout London as a DJ and creator of a prominent mixtape, Filthy Friends. Looking to pursue the oddball variety of pop music that she had always envisioned, she proceeded to form a backing band called The Shapes before signing to Accidental Records. “Lone Ranger” was her debut single upon its release in May, while “Golden Phone” shortly followed in August. The singles achieved glowing reviews from local publications like The Guardian and Time Out, both lauding Levi for her elaborate ability to utilize unorthodox methods of production, instrumentation, and structural presentation while remaining instantaneously enjoyable.

When one can make the irritating sound of a vacuum sound fresh and engaging, you know there is a talent to be found. It is not the most startling thing in the world to find music comprised of field recordings or everyday sounds, but when an artist is able to transform the generic sound of a household appliance into something melodic and pop-oriented, it is something special. It does not stop there, as in addition to vacuums and household appliances, Levi has toyed with everything from glass bottles to homemade concoctions like the “chu”, a modified guitar that is played with “hammer action”, and a bowed instrument that she made out of a CD rack. Her debut full-length, Jewellery, contains 13 tracks that demonstrate Levi’s ability to juggle different homemade instruments with guitars, an assortment of synths, and a variety of inventive rhythm sections. Sure, anyone could throw a bunch of weird instruments on top of one another, but what makes Levi’s debut so special is her ability to infuse them so cohesively that the sounds of the “chu” or household appliances sound like they belong exclusively in her unique style of pop music. It also helps that the album is produced by Matthew Herbert, someone with few contemporaries ahead of him in the world of successful music experimentalism and top-notch production. When combined with little structural consistency, the sharp production and factor of unpredictability make Jewellery a unique ride that most open-minded listeners will never wish to end.

To get someone interested in an artist, I often find that showing them the artist’s most accessible song is usually effective, even if it is not their best. In the case of Micachu, there is no specific song that one may call her most accessible, as Levi’s focus is clearly and enjoyably that of crafting songs that appeal to both innovation and DIY dexterity, even if it sacrifices conventionalism in the process. “Golden Phone”, though, is a nice representation of Levi at her best. While the variety of synths, guitars, and percussion make this one of her more instrumentally conventional efforts, her vocal and structural approach is just as ambitious as experiments like the squeakily engaging “Just in Case” or the No Age-like appeal of the jagged guitars in “Lips”. She has a tendency of placing warbled guitar progressions under a plethora of twinkling synth lines, chopped up vocal samples, and sound effects; tracks like “Golden Phone” and “Just in Case” are both straightforward representations of this that should ease the listener into Levi’s stylistic realm.

In Levi’s case, it also helps that her vocals are quirky enough to make it seem as if she was born to experiment. Like a cross between Karen O and Mirah, she makes the best of her unconventional tendencies by encompassing a voice that feels right at home under a bustling array of otherworldly instrumentation. Check out “Eat Your Heart” for Levi’s vocal delivery alone. When she reaches a near-yodel when proclaiming, “’Cause I could eat your heart,” over a multitude of guitar progressions and sporadic synth lines, the importance of Levi’s uniqueness is prominent. So many pop artists tackle their songs with a radio-friendly approach that makes their material tiring. After listening to Jewellery, it seems as if the world could benefit from a few more songwriters like Levi, whose aim is not to climb the charts but rather to create something that has truly never been done before.

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Micachu – Golden Phone

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Micachu – Just in Case

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Micachu – Eat Your Heart

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by Mike Mineo

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50. Hot Chip – Made in the Dark

Before they earned a Grammy nod or topped the UK singles charts, Hot Chip had a considerable amount of doubt surrounding them. Their 2005 full-length debut, Coming on Strong, showed signs of potential here and there with a few stellar hooks, but many found the London-based group to be lacking in three things that are often vital in electronic pop: energy, wit, and consistent infectiousness. They answered the criticism resoundingly with their second album, The Warning, a year later and have not looked back. It somehow found the perfect divide between creativity and accessibility, proving more accessible than Coming on Strong while also suggesting that the group was steadily evolving into something that could be easily separated from the hordes of generic synth-pop acts. The songs were bouncier, more energetic, and – most importantly – more fun. That being said, it was hardly a surprise when their follow-up, Made in the Dark, proved just as successful and arguably even more so when considering how remarkably consistent the album’s quality is. The budding catchiness of “Ready for the Floor” may very well be the best song of their short career so far, while even the more emotionally demanding pieces like the seductive “We’re Looking for a Lot of Love” and the swanky “Don’t Dance” prove wildly successful, providing a fair amount of diversity to an album whose genre usually does not demand it. It simply proves that Hot Chip are beginning to think outside of the box and, in doing so, are succeeding dramatically.

Hot Chip – Ready for the Floor

Hot Chip – We’re Looking for a Lot of Love

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49.Little Joy – Little Joy

When you are a member like an internationally renowned band like The Strokes, it can be difficult when attempting to separate yourself from your past projects in order to form a new one. These initial thoughts may have ran through Fabrizio Moretti’s head when he first formed Little Joy, but after the widespread acclaim of their self-titled debut album, the association appears nearly obsolete. Never mind the fact that lead vocalist Rodrigo Amarante can sound eerily like Julian Casablancas on tracks like the tropical “No One’s Better Sake” and the rockabilly-tinged “How to Hang a Warhol”. Little Joy is ultimately the product of a compelling stylistic focus, resulting in carefree and extremely accessible effort that allows simplicity to flourish in the most complementary way possible. Beautifully interweaved backing vocal harmonies, subdued rhythm sections, and the gentle twang of acoustic and electric guitars are a few of the components at work throughout the album, as is the powerful usage of Amarante’s breezy vocals. Though Little Joy was released a month or two after the warm days of summer, it is inarguably a perfect album for the season. Additionally, even though Amarante is the lead vocalist throughout the majority of the album, Moretti’s girlfriend, Binki Shaprio, shines brightly with her backing vocals and on “Unattainable”, an unrequited love ballad that blends gentle acoustical melodies and hushed vocal harmonies. This track, in addition to irresistibly luxurious efforts like “The Next Time Around”, makes Little Joy a sure winner.

Little Joy – The Next Time Around

Little Joy – Unattainable

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48. Phoebe Killdeer and the Short Straws – Weather’s Coming

At one time in her life, Phoebe Killdeer was an eight-year-old who admired few people more than her musical hero, Tom Waits. As a college student, such a fact was quite alarming to me. After all, I have some friends my age who STILL are not mature enough to even respect Waits as a songwriter. For an eight-year-old to recognize such prevalent talent, it can perhaps prove to be an indicator of their future musical endeavors. Well, this was at least true in Killdeer’s case. Now a renowned songwriter who, like Waits, continues to defy stylistic and methodical norms, her solo debut, Weather’s Coming, exhibited both a raw display of talent and a veneration for artists of the past and present with a swirling stylistic fusion of jazz, Afro-pop, blues, and folk. The audibly emotional fury of “Big Fight” plays with a form of vocalized free-jazz that sees a variety of woodwinds and brass combine with the constant use of an upright bass to create a purely enthralling sense of tension. It sounds like something Matthew Herbert would have crafted, but the credit here goes to Killdeer and her noted producer Marc Collin. “Let Me” sees her pop approach in more conventional form, using elements of Afro-pop in the echoey keys and supplementing electric guitar. Combined with the serene elegance of Killdeer’s voice, it creates a resoundingly successful atmosphere that contributes to an album that has been criminally overlooked this year.

Phoebe Killdeer & The Short Straws – Let Me

Phoebe Killdeer & The Short Straws – Big Fight

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47. Firekites – The Bowery

Speaking of criminally overlooked albums, Firekites’ The Bowery has subtly emerged as one of this year’s finest folk-oriented efforts. The focus throughout the release is folk music, but the subtle implementation of jazz and even electronica is executed flawlessly by this Australian collective. Some tracks like “Same Suburb Different Park” tend to have more emphasis on electronica, while the beautiful “New Year Has Spoken” seems more inclined to tread in folkier and jazzier waters. Regardless though, every track on The Bowery flourishes with exceptional songwriting and instrumentation that gives the group more depth than the majority of their contemporaries, a complement that also weighs heavily on their ability to multifariously emit a selection of styles. Two tracks in particular, “Autumn Story” and “Paris”, are particularly indicative of this wildly successful fusion of folk and electronica. “Autumn Story” gradually shifts from a sole acoustical melody to one that is accompanied by tragically empowering strings and steady percussion, eventually supplemented by a gurgling synth pad that echoes the initial guitar melody elegantly. The usage here is subtle underneath the strings and intricate guitar progression, but it adds to the atmosphere of the track even more so. The instrumental “Paris” utilizes synth pads in similar form, throwing it under a variety of simultaneous guitar progressions. When the distant use of an upright bass is heard, the percussion picks up and introduces the listener to a more vigorous instrumental approach. The introduction, like every stylistic preface on this beautiful album, is one that proves highly rewarding and consistently satisfying.

Firekites – Autumn Story

Firekites – Paris

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46. Destroyer – Trouble in Dreams

Dan Bejar, better known under his Destroyer alias, has made a name for himself as one of the most consistent songwriters in contemporary indie-rock ever since the 1996 release of his debut, We’ll Build Them a Golden Bridge. He is also known as one of the most prolific, releasing eight LPs in a span of eleven years and appearing on a countless number of year-end lists because of it. Well, here he is again with Trouble in Dreams, an effort that sees him continuing with his uniquely invigorating delivery and continuously impressive songwriting. Whether you happen to be a fan of The New Pornographers, Swan Lake, or Destroyer itself, Bejar’s vocals has become one of the most recognizable in contemporary indie-rock for good reason. Trouble in Dreams, his eighth LP, finds . Debating which Destroyer album is the most worthwhile can be a trivial affair, as it is a widely accepted opinion that he has yet to release an album under the alias that lacks his usual vigor and strengths as a songwriter. That being said, Trouble in Dreams is simply like his other albums: engrossing and melodically rewarding, both in ways that improve with each successive listen. The eight-minute “Shooting Rockets (From the Desk of Night’s Ape)” proves to be one the album’s best efforts, throwing in plenty of Bejar’s expected metaphors over a forceful display of swift keys and roaring guitars to create something that is epic and masterfully constructed. The same can be said for the majority of the album, as Bejar has once again crafted something worth contributing to his status as one of the most consistent songwriters in indie-rock.

Destroyer – Shooting Rockets (From the Desk of Night’s Ape)

Destroyer – My Favorite Year

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45. White Denim – Workout Holiday

The Austin-based White Denim hold more importance than being identified as one of the first groups to embrace netlabels as a source of distribution. They also are showing that the quality of music does not have to be poor or even mediocre for this type of distribution. In fact, the material can be quite excellent, as their debut album, Workout Holiday, quite perfectly demonstrates. The first version of the album (the “Tour EP”) was released in 2007 under the digitalized RCRD LBL, resulting in a considerable amount of attention for a group who had always been a live favorite in their native Texas. The EP version of Workout Holiday was then re-released in 2008 under the same name, featuring several new tracks and re-recorded versions of older ones. “Sitting” and “I Can Tell You” are two examples of their newer material, being two of the more gratifying displays of the group’s gritty mixture of blues and garage-rock. “Sitting” is an outstanding display of the trio’s youthful energy, as vocalist James Petralli indicates immediately with his quivering croon over a slick piano progression. The remainder of the group – bassist Steve Terebecki and drummer Joshua Block – then come in with a very lively rhythm section, an aspect of the band’s repertoire that proves to be one of their major strengths throughout the release. “I Can Tell You” also proves worthwhile as an ode of sorts to early punk, using a repetitive structure over aggressive guitars, a bustling rhythm section, and – the best component – a small sprinkling of keys at the end of each verse. Their methods may have changed from self-distributing CD-Rs at shows to signing with a netlabel and then signing with an actual label, but the newest release of Workout Holiday proves vastly enjoyable regardless of the release format.

White Denim – Sitting

White Denim – I Can Tell You

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44. Benoît Pioulard – Temper

The concept of lo-fi music can occasionally end up being too pretentiously overbearing for some. It can be used as an attempt to cloak a songwriter’s inabilities or a producer’s lack of grandiosity, but there is little doubt surrounding a select group of artists who embrace the style and use it masterfully. Benoît Pioulard is one of them. He recorded his debut EP, Enge, on a built-in computer, an early indication of his lo-fi endeavors. Listening to his second full-length, Temper, though, I start to wonder whether that “lo-fi” tag can even apply any more. Pioulard has hardly changed, with his interests in tape decay and field recordings fusing together to create a sound that uses elements of folk, pop, and electronic in a delicately consuming form. However, the amount of intricacies that lie in any one of the album’s 16 songs makes it seem like it is from another world; it is usually not an aspect of so-called “lo-fi”. Often using ambiance in the background of tracks, whether it be natural elements like rain falling in “The Loom Pedal” or melodic attributes like the eerie bells on “Ardoise”, Pioulard’s success derives primarily from an impressive amount of well-executed ideas. “Idyll”, one of the album’s more accessible efforts, sees a very simplistic acoustic guitar progression being repeated throughout the entire duration of the track. Adding on numerous complementary instrumental layers is what to be expected and he does so here, but when combined with his caressing, lyrically indistinguishable voice, the result is anything but predictable. The same can be said for a track like “The Loom Pedal”, where a repeating acoustic guitar progression is warmly embraced by a synth pad that alters the barren atmosphere into something resoundingly effective. While Temper is perfect for a late-night listen with its gently plucked progressions and use of desolate electronica, the cumulative innovational success engineered by Pioulard makes it more than a nightly affair.

Benoît Pioulard – Idyll

Benoît Pioulard – The Loom Pedal

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43. Howlin Rain – Magnificent Fiend

Back in the day when groups like The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers reigned supreme, live performances were just as valued, if not more than, the albums themselves. Even if one was able to acquire the show’s setlist beforehand, it would likely prove absolutely irrelevant in determining the content of the performance. The musicians in each group altered their initial songs drastically, throwing in a variety of musical styles over structural dissimilarities in a form that sounded ingeniously cohesive and somehow reminiscent of the original song at hand. When listening to Howlin Rain’s second album, Magnificent Fiend, it is quite conspicuous that the Oakland-based collective lean towards a similar school of thought. Appropriately meshed in with the “jam band” standards of blues, rock, psychedelia, and folk, Howlin Rain have crafted an album full of unpredictable hooks that are highly indicative of a group with a studied vision of their stylistic roots. “El Rey” is an excellent example of the grup’s multi-instrumental prowess, utilizing a variety of keys and organs over a prominent brass section. The chorus is the biggest treat here, where a series of brass clashes with Ethan Miller’s wailing vocals to show just how perfectly implemented his soulful presence is. Miller’s howl during “Dancers at the End of Time” sounds like some sort of possessed preacher, with a backdrop of vigorous guitar progressions and straining organs acting as the composed followers. The main lyrical focus of “El Rey” describes this group best: “You don’t have to change; you don’t have to hold onto your past.” A similar musical style has been evident for several decades, but the unpredictably enjoyable way that Howlin Rain present their outstanding songwriting and integration of influences is what separates them from the rest.

Howlin Rain – El Rey

Howlin Rain – Dancers at the End of Time

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42. Hilotrons – Happymatic

Relying heavily on a genre that fans and critics alike generally tend to call “outdated” can prove to be a risky venture. That is, unless it is performed in such a unique way that it instead appears as an updated memento rather than an outdated . With a clever mixture of humor, wit, and stylistic accuracy, Hilotrons have released one of the surprise successes of 2008 with their third album, Happymatic. Whether Happymatic finds the Canadian five-piece tackling synth-pop on “Emergency Street” and “Streets of Science”, new-wave on “Love Suit” and “Caught on Video”, or odes to the spaghetti westerns of Ennio Morricone on the instrumental “Feet First”, there is something for everyone with at least a slight hunger for everything good that came out of the ‘80s. That is not to say the album is entirely a trip to the past though, as tracks like “Deep River” and “Big Plans” provide an inventive edge to contemporary indie-rock with snappy guitar progressions and superbly vigorous rhythm sections that allow such efforts to stay within the cohesive range of successful attempts at synth-pop and new-wave. “Big Plans”, while not the most intricately impressive effort on the album, proves to be one of the most fun with a chorus that borders on ska and reggae. Mix in a bit of Hilotrons’ trademark new-wave and you have yourself an extremely appetizing style to gravitate toward. For a more proficient example of their songwriting, the intense build-up toward the chorus in “Big River” is hard to beat. For an album that contains so many styles (many of which are blasts to the past), it is extraordinary how cohesive Happymatic. For a group who has been flying under the radar for over six years now, this is a fantastic effort that should give them some well-deserved recognition.

Hilotrons – Deep River

Hilotrons – Big Plans

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41. Cineplexx – Picnic

After the sleepless city life of New York City prompted Sebastian Litmanovich to pursue music as a producer and songwriter, he did something slightly unexpected: he returned home to Argentina. You would figure that with all the connections, sights, and opportunities that New York City has to offer, an up-and-coming artist would be at least skeptical of leaving. Not Litmanovich though, as he valued comfort to . This wise decision allowed him to flourish as an artist, playing with the post-rock group Amarena Incident and co-founding a design studio before Cineplexx was even orchestrated. Now, after ten years and five full-length albums, he is widely accredited as being one of the most talented Argentinian musicians of the decade. For his fifth album, the masterful Picnic finds Litmanovich at his absolute finest in crafting an album that defies all atmospheric expectations. Using a variety of twinkling keys, placid guitar progressions, and synthesizers, he has created an extremely lush arena for his beautiful songs to play out in. The standout “Droga Paliativa” fuses together electronic and acoustical aspects of pop music to result in something that proves quite extraordinary. The varying use of reverb on Litmanovich’s hushed vocals adds to the atmospheric brilliance, with the infectiousness of the track also being an unavoidable characteristic of the overall success found on “Droga Paliativa”. For a more poised representation of Litmanovich’s skills as a pop songwriter and perhaps future composer of film scores, the beautiful “Humedad” reaps benefits from twinkling keys and sweepingly somber string arrangements. The same can be said for “Novatone 500mg”, an instrumental effort that sees a highly ardent melody flourish with the appropriate touches of synthesizers, samplers, and automated percussion. Whether he is using dozens and dozens of synthetically engineered samples or a single acoustic guitar, the lushly invigorating atmosphere that Litmanovich stirs up on Picnic is nothing short of breathtaking.

Cineplexx – Droga Paliativa

Cineplexx – Humedad


[audio:http://mineorecords.com/mp3/cplexx-hum.mp3]

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The post Best Albums of 2008: #50 to #41 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

When I was 8 years old, my taste of music was generally limited to conventionally accessible acts in the vein of The Beatles, Radiohead, and Zeppelin. True, no one will deny the significance of any of those artists, but my taste had clearly not yet reached a level where people would respond with “who the hell is that?” after asking who my favorite new artists were. That being said, if an 8 year old trotted into their 2nd grade with a presentation assignment to share with the class their favorite artist, there is a chance that even teacher would be startled if the answer was someone like Tom Waits. Waits, as most of us know, is one of the most enigmatically successful songwriters of the past 30 years. Still though, how his ingenious lyrical intellect and blending of various – and often inaccessible – musical styles could capture the usually inattentive ears of an 8 year old is beyond me. Well, as it was easily apparent at an early age, Phoebe Killdeer had a natural tendency to stray outside the artistic norms. “Tom Waits got to me at the age of 8 and I’ve been a constant listener ever since,” the aspiring songwriter explains, effusively confident in her unconventionally fulfilling ways. It is easy to believe that songwriters are most efficiently groomed by stylistically analogous influences they discovered as a child. In Killdeer’s case, she was and still appears to be ahead of the pack.

Even before she became enamored with the individualistic audacities of Tom Waits, Killdeer also proved mature beyond her years when she expressed an interest in the choreography of dance. “I was fascinated with the relationship between movements and sounds and always felt that they communicated through a language I could understand,” she says. This sparked interest later prepared Killdeer for her current occupation as a talented songwriter with a potential that remains as high as the sky. Like Waits, she continues to disregard any stylistic norms in favor for her own tendencies. Is she a beatnik at heart? Sure, I guess you could call her that if the term fails to bother you, but Killdeer’s embrace of stylistic philosophies both old and new provides for an experience that is freshly stimulating. As for her influences apart from Waits, Killdeer believes that her most important influence derives from a broad level of sociology that we can all relate to. “People are my inspiration,” Killdeer says, referencing civilization as a whole instead of through specific individuals. “They are a never-ending source of emotions, feelings, reactions, disturbances, and surprises. If you sit long enough you will always catch a moment, just like a photographer who has caught a story, a thought in a snapshot.” For Killdeer, her first snapshot in the world of songwriting happens to be one of the most enjoyable debuts of 2008.

Like many young artists looking to get their share of experience, Killdeer began her musical career collaborating with artists who had been around long enough to know a helpful thing or two about the industry. Basement Jaxx, Bang Gang, and Nouvelle Vague were a few of these names, with the latter providing a surreal experience for the young Killdeer. After contributing to Nouvelle Vague’s second album, Bande à Part, she participated in a world tour with the French duo, apparently lasting 3 years. Knowing Nouvelle Vague’s leading man, Marc Collin, also helped out to a large extent in the long run; he went on to produce Killdeer’s solo debut, Weather’s Coming. To be released on April 1st, it is truly one of the most impressive debuts of the year so far. “It dramatizes the elements I love most about our little world; people and what makes us so undeniably us,” Killdeer says. “I wanted the sound of the album to be dirty enough to represent the quirkiness of these characteristics, so with Marc Collin we got some crazy horns, ghostly vibraphones, edgy guitars, and tribal drums together to capture the necessary mood.” And after six weeks of working with producer Marc Collin and mixer Oz Fritz in the city of San Francisco, Killdeer realized just as much as her listeners that her debut has the capability to be something special.

Alongside an extremely capable backing band that goes by The Short Straws, Killdeer’s outstanding debut tackles a variety of genres that include hints of rockabilly, blues, and folk. With tinges of surf, punk, and even funk also being evident, her ability to write addictive pop songs with such underlying stylistic leanings is extremely impressive. With Killdeer’s seductively swanky vocals complementing her eclectic stylistic approach, it proves to be a lethal combo. The lush “Let Me” utilizes forms of folk, soul, and even Afro-pop as Killdeer breezily glides over a twinkling set of keys. The keys have the simple job of providing chordal whole notes, with the single-handed spur of percussion supplementing the rhythm. Separate keys in a deeper tone appear after each verse, establishing a hook that mainly relies on the melodic similarities to nostalgic soul-like ballads. “He’s Gone” sees Killdeer playing more with elements of R&B and vocal jazz; the brass section provides for a refreshing alternative to guitars and keys. And for kicks and giggles, many will find the brass to be particularly reminiscent of… Tom Waits, of course.

For vocal jazz, however, nothing on the album can come close to comparing to “Big Fight”. Killdeer vocally reflects the melodic arrangements of each brass instrument, providing a “bang!” for every note during the bridge. She whispers seductively and croons like a jazz bar veteran throughout the entire track, backed by a devastatingly infectious instrumental section; the music is compliments of the outstanding The Short Straws. “I Get Nervous” is one of the most devastatingly haunting tracks I have heard so far this year. An organ leads this minimalist gem as the reverb-soaked Killdeer asks, “Why can’t love be a little easier on me? Scratch me, pinch me,” before the brooding rush of guitars and percussion. Almond also provides outstanding production, using techniques of implementing orchestral elements into pop music somewhat similarly to Matthew Herbert. Even tracks in the vein of traditional Americana and rockabilly, like “Paranoia” and “How Far” respectively, bode well. However, it is in avant-garde gems like “I Get Nervous” and “Big Fight” providing the best examples of Killdeer’s outstanding songwriting, even if “Let Me” remains the most instantaneously infectious. If you fail to pick up Weather’s Coming on April Fools’ Day, the joke is simply is on you.

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Phoebe Killdeer & The Short Straws – Let Me

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Phoebe Killdeer & The Short Straws – Big Fight

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Phoebe Killdeer & The Short Straws – I Get Nervous

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20. Band of Horses – Everything All the Time

The first time I heard Band of Horses, there was one immediate comparison that rang in my head. Vocalist Ben Bridwell sounds strikingly alike to My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, which I recognized as nothing less than a good thing. Everything All the Time is a solid debut built around a core group of songs, most reliant on heavy chord progressions that tend to reflect a sporadic movement. Bridwell’s soaring vocals carry the tracks often times, almost making the musical component sound more complex than it actually is. For example, the wicked great ‘Wicked Gil’ really is only built around a handful of chords and a simplistic song structure, but Bridwell manages to take the song and make it one of the most alluring of the album. When the musical inclimation reaches a peak in ‘The Great Salt Lake’, Bridwell just enhances what greatness is already there. Another fantastic debut.

Band of Horses – Wicked Gil

Band of Horses – The Great Salt Lake

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19. Scritti Politti – White Bread, Black Beer

This one took me by surprise. Decidedly, I’m not surprised that Green Gartside is still making music. The aspect of White Bread, Black Beer that shocks me is the general presentation. Gartside’s Scritti Politti has long generated songs expressive of hip-hop, dance, and stereotypical 80s corniness. What comes out of White Bread, Black Beer is a collection of relaxing songs that range from the light synth accessibility of ‘Throw’ to the low-tempo power pop of the XTC-influenced ‘Dr. Abernathy’. That being said, Gartside’s songwriting still is entirely original and in touch with human traits. Rather than staying stuck in the 80s, Gartside has fortunately moved on and is still creating some very enjoyable music, as displayed in the Mercury Prize nominee, White Bread, Black Beer. The nomination and album alone present a good image of Gartside’s durability.

Scritti Politti – Throw

Scritti Politti – Dr. Abernathy

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18. The Knife – Silent Shout

It is not be premature at this point to consider The Knife “the next big thing”. After all, it seems that almost every major music publication has Silent Shout listed as the best album of 2006. Just like the Arcade Fire and Sufjan Stevens in the previous years, The Knife should be expecting a major reputational boost for 2007 thanks in part to infamous online media “end of the year lists”. I’m not going to disagree that Silent Shout is a great album; it’s the sort of album that creates memories due to the wildly imaginative and unique sound. Silent Shout is subtle pop music, disguising choruses and rather straightforward song structures with atmospheric tones such as backing synth pads, vibrant rhythm sections, and in-key synth variations. ‘We Share Our Mother’s Health’ sounds like it comes from another world, with bouncing synthetic percussion that balances the song flawlessly. On first listen, one may question the choice of making it a single. Speculation will be proved wrong after several more listens, as patience is key to discovering each and every hidden component of The Knife’s lustful songs. The brother and sister duo from Sweden show perhaps their best work in ‘One Hit’, managing to create an anthemic style built around oddball vocal effects that circulate around sonorous production. The throbbing nature of Silent Shout comes off freely, establishing the album as one of great variety and passion.

The Knife – We Share Our Mother’s Health

The Knife – One Hit

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17. Herbert – Scale

These days, it’s hard to hand out a tag promoting anyone as a musical “innovator” or “genius”, largely due to the fact that music is so widely available through internet and media, thus creating a source for gathering and half-duplicating influences. Matthew Herbert is certainly one of the most original and skilled producers in music today. Perhaps he doesn’t have the organic sound skills that Steve Albini does or the mainstream credibility of Timbaland, but there is no point in arguing Herbert’s talent, whether it’s producing his wife and occasional vocal puppet Dani Siciliano or himself. Scale really is just what Herbert has done best in his previous albums. He has created a tour-de-force consisting of electronic dance elements that flow smoothly, ready for any type of listening whether it’s the early morning or late at night. It comes as no surprise that Scale is his most commercially successful, with 70s-vibe gems such as ‘Moving Like A Train’ that capitalizes on Herbert’s already masterful comprehension of contemporary production.

Herbert – Moving Like a Train

Herbert – The Movers and the Shakers

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16. Grizzly Bear – Yellow House

Grizzly Bear’s debut album, Horn of Plenty, was not bad at all. In fact, it was one of the more enjoyable releases of 2004. It’s just that the follow-up makes it look elementary. Yellow House will be looked on several years from now as the album that propelled Grizzly Bear to a new formed status. The avidity that surrounds the whole album is enchanting, with the 60s-tinged love song ‘Knife’ taking its worth to a new level. Ed Drost leads the band through a series of triumphs, adding a variation of dramatics from hazy backing vocals to the haunting strings and Tom Waits-esque feel of the marvelous ‘Marla’. Yellow House moves slowly, there is no doubt, but each and every moment sounds fresh as the band has now abandoned all stereotypes of average performers. At this point, they’re something special.

Grizzly Bear – Knife

Grizzly Bear – Marla

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15. Love Is All – Nine Times That Same Song

Is love all? The explosive five-piece from Sweden seems to think so. In an explosively original debut, Love Is All’s combination of art-rock, jazz, punk, and soul brought them headlines throughout the musical community. Singer Josephine Olausson has quite a range in vocal emotion, as her demeanor in songs such as ‘Busy Doing Nothing’ and ‘Used Goods’ are essential, even with the band’s expanded musical intellect. In a briskly effective Swedish accent, she blends in well with the popular involvement of Fredrik Eriksson’s saxophone and the assorted rhythm section. ‘Felt Tip’ is born off of that aforementioned rhythm section, as Johan Lindwall’s bass line builds an unbreakable wall throughout the entire song. Just like love, the song reaches the climax towards the end as Olausson lifts the song from a whisper to a shout with the signal of Eriksson’s brass. The anti-NME folks who are labeling Love Is All as nothing more than a singles band are doing it quite prematurely, as the album is one of those that many don’t grow out of.

Love Is All – Felt Tip

Love Is All – Busy Doing Nothing

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14. Pet Shop Boys – Fundamental

Pet Shop Boys and producer Trevor Horn seem to go like magic together. When the cult duo and Horn last worked together about ten years ago, the Pet Shop Boys were in their prime as the darlings of British pop. Throughout the 90s, the Pet Shop Boys have been surprisingly consistent though any form of large commercial following has all but left them. Their fanbase remains strong though and that appears to be all the motivation they require. Fundamental is the Boys’ most technologically advanced of their career, utilizing countless numbers of layers and still managing to craft insanely addictive pop songs like ‘Integral’, which is one of the best songs of their respectable career. While not exactly recalling their earlier days of simplicity, Horn takes the band to a new level with Fundamental that is highly influenced by the political events concerning George Bush and Tony Blair. The aptly titled ‘Twentieth Century’ is a brilliant stab at the administration, as Neil Tennant sounds somewhat prophetic declaring that “sometimes the solution is worse than the problem” in a convincing mindset. While political views certainly vary from person to person, the general consensus of Fundamental is that Pet Shop Boys have crafted their greatest album in over a decade.

Pet Shop Boys – Integral

Pet Shop Boys – Twentieth Century

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13. Morrissey – Ringleader of the Tormentors

I suppose an argument could be made that Morrissey is spoiled in one way or another. In a sense, working with the likes of Ennio Morricone, Tony Visconti, a full orchestra, and the most reputable children’s choir in Italy would only be provided to someone with the status of Moz himself. You could argue that Ringleader of the Tormentors deserves a lower placement under the lesser known artists just because of Morrissey has so much to work with, while other artists are living on one meal a day in their basement. While it’s true that the days of glorified amateur production are long gone for Morrissey, I am judging on the actual album. The circumstances could mean less to me. What I find is a collection of brilliantly produced songs, each representitive of amiable songwriting and dedicated effort. The album takes an unusual direction for Morrissey, resulting in an edgier, more rock-oriented sound. Despite the arrangements, Morrissey’s most prominent aspect to me has always been his lyrical intellect. Ringleader of the Tormentors marks a new era for the man: happiness. Yes, it seems that the majority of this album is actually filled with optimism and triumph as Morrissey declares his discovery of happiness from the ruins of Rome. I was a bit disheartned about this, as his sadness (satirical or not) was admittedly something I always took for granted. Luckily, he sprinkles a few dramatic ones in there as well, with the best song on the album being the epic ‘Life Is A Pigsty’. From the moment I could hear the raindrops in the intro, I knew it was going to be a memorable one. The songs reminds me of his classic ‘Late Night, Maudlin Street’ based on the general structure and usual atmosphere of loss and misfortune. The excellent ‘On The Streets I Ran’ is a reminder that Morrissey can contribute to a great song, lyrically uplifting or not. In one of his best vocal performances, Morrissey demonstrates that he can still perform as one of the best after twenty-five years.

Morrissey – Life Is A Pigsty

Morrissey – On The Streets I Ran

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12. Belle & Sebastian – The Life Pursuit

It seems that very few people despise Belle & Sebastian. Stuart Murdoch’s project has always been the epitome of “indie success”, never quite reaching the mainstream but still maintaining to be wildly successful in the small market. Like the Pet Shop Boys a few spots up, Murdoch enlisted the help of producer Trevor Horn for The Life Pursuit, a collection of jangly effective pop songs that deliver in several forms. While I was no fan of Motown attempts like ‘Song for Sunshine’, the rest of the album flows with sparkling specialties, whether it’s the insanely catchy single ‘Funny Little Frog’ or the upbeat melodics of ‘We Are The Sleepyheads’. The Life Pursuit is the band’s most resounding and fast-paced album yet, abandoning the usual acoustics and soft-spoken ballads. While most of their previous albums were great accomplishments, The Life Pursuit represents an even larger step forward for a band who has already established themselves as one of the distinguishable figures of indie pop.

Belle & Sebastian – Funny Little Frog

Belle & Sebastian – We Are The Sleepyheads

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11. Magenta Skycode – IIIII

Besides already established artists who released debuts under a new project this year, Magenta Skycode’s IIIII is the best debut album of 2006. The group from Finland stunned me on first listen, with a unique sound that borders between eerie and mystical. It’s ironic that the band has an interest in monochromatic photography, as their music is anything but colorless. In fact, it’s incredibly vibrant and colorful, all while maintaining to be serene and enjoyably atmospheric. With an assortment of synths and gentle guitars, Magenta Skycode utilizes the “clapping method” as percussion whenever they can. It’s in perfect form for IIIII, not being overused or underestimated. ‘Go Outside Again’ is a good example of the execution, being my favorite on the album and one of my favorites for the entire year. The song initially works around a building guitar-led verse, as some beautiful synth complements the surroundings before the fall into a enigmatically catchy chorus. Many of the songs on IIIII work in a similar fashion, with other highlights being ‘People’ and ‘Luvher Oh Hater’. Though they have yet to reach any state of popularity, if Magenta Skycode continues to write songs in the mold of IIIII it will only be a matter of time.

Magenta Skycode – Go Outside Again

Magenta Skycode – People

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The post Best Albums of 2006: #20 to #11 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.

Most well known as the romantic and musical companion to Matthew Herbert, Dani Siciliano will be adding even more to her resumé as she will be releasing her second solo album, Slappers, this month. The album is in succession to her underrated debut, Likes…, which boasted some brilliant production from Siciliano and Herbet. One of the standout songs on her new album is ‘They Can Wait’, which delves into beeps, bops, flutes and even classical guitar to help classify a very interesting tune. As Siciliano was a Jazz singer, her vocals are impressive as usual, though the song is more focused on the rhythm than the repeatitive vocal pattern.

Dani Siciliano – They Can Wait

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Saturna is another band embracing the elusive genre of shoegaze, except they actually pull it off. From Oregon, Saturna has three members who each lend equally graceful parts, with Ryan Carroll’s spacey vocals and Eric Block’s tantalizing guitar corresponding to each other while Steve Anderson handles the entire rhythm section of drums and bass. ‘Blanket of Stars’ focuses much on the blend of Carroll’s impressive vocal length and Anderson’s tight and diverse drumming ability, while ‘Springboard’ showcases Block’s contributions while contending to be a mixture of several influences. Echos of Spiritualized can be heard during the first few instrumental minutes, and when the faint high backing vocals hit in, My Bloody Valentine is an obvious mentor to refer to. I recommend their impressive debut EP …All Night. Check their site out for more.

Saturna – Blanket of Stars

Saturna – Springboard

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Children’s Masterpiece Theatre have a bit of an ironic name, as their lyrics are suitable for anyone but children. Descriptive phrases concering libidos breaking glass and special jobs in the restroom would have Joseph Lieberman shaking his head, though we rightfully consider it entertainment. ‘Lorelei’ is a catchy little single from the Chicago-based band with obvious influences in Nine Inch Nails and Placebo. Timothy O’Connell has the appropriate common vocals for their drowned mixture of grunge and punk, with the fitting snarl here and there. ‘Lorelei’ caught my eye with the use of synths, which is used in the right spots at the right times. I’m also enjoying their poke of fun at the fashion trend of guys weaking emo makeup. The song is their newest and is quite a big improvement from their previous efforts, where they seem to be a bit unsure of themselves and their sound. They have five years worth of material on their site for free, with a few songs worth checking out. I’ll be keeping an eye on their new material if it’s as catchy and original as ‘Lorelei’. It’s a bit controversial, but it’s quite fun.

Children’s Masterpiece Theatre – Lorelei

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During her diverse career as a film producer, actress, bookworm, and musician, Lisa Papineau has lended her talents to such acts as Air, Mars Volta, and M83. Recently after moving to Paris, she completed her solo album Night Moves. The album saw quiet success in Paris and will shortly see a release in the USA. ‘Shucking, Jiving’ will catch your attention with its quietly infectious thump, while Papineau’s vocals shift from distorted murmurs to lovely “ooh”-ing in a matter of seconds, diversifying the verse and chorus. ‘Diamonds And Pearls’ and ‘Out To You’ are more examples of Papineau’s minimalist approach, which turns out to be widely effective.

Lisa Papineau – Shucking, Jiving

Lisa Papineau – Diamonds And Pearls

Lisa Papineau – Out To You

The post Short Bits – 9/2/06 appeared first on Obscure Sound: Indie Music Blog.