2008: The Year in Music

[Gary Floyd 0]

The new album from The Bug called London Zoo is great. The new album from The Faint-not so much.

[Mik 0]

The torrent is out for the new Okkervil River, "The Stand Ins"... I'm only through a few songs but I'm really liking what I hear so far.

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0]

The new album from The Bug called London Zoo is great.

 

Hell yeah it is. A bunch of rude boys spittin nasty over apocalyptic, trunk rattling dubstep. What more could you possibly ask for?

[C Dubya 04 0]

Has Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket been mentioned? Killer album, though I think I still like Z better overall.

 

"Highly Suspicious" is the jam this summer, man.

 

I'm really digging this album too. The title track or Highly Suspicious are my favorites.

 

I've been listening to the new Dr. Dog a lot as well. Very enjoyable.

[Mik 0]

The torrent is out for the new Okkervil River, "The Stand Ins"... I'm only through a few songs but I'm really liking what I hear so far.

 

Follow up to this... there's nothing on this album as good as "Unless It's Kicks" but I think it's a better album overall.

[Guest Cal Moriarty]

The new album from The Bug called London Zoo is great.

 

Hell yeah it is. A bunch of rude boys spittin nasty over apocalyptic, trunk rattling dubstep. What more could you possibly ask for?

I'm downloading this right now!! I might have to take a break from my Weezer thing but "rude boys spittin nasty over apocalyptic, trunk rattling dubstep" was too much for me not to examine.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line leaked. I really like it, no surprise. I'll still purchase it on Tuesday when it comes out though, I feel obligated. My only quibble is that the new mix of "Dying is Fine" sucks. On the EP, there was that fantastic string breakdown thing, whatever the hell you want to call that. It was the best part pf the song. They removed it completely. Oh well. The "Suspended in Gaffa" cover is wonderful.

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0]

You won't regret your choice, Czech. Shit's bangin. Def. better than Weezer

 

Also bangin/better than Weezer: That Diplo/Santogold mixtape that came out like a month ago. Every descriptor that stupid critics throw at Girl Talk (eg "eargasm," "a kaleidoscopic pop culture explosion," "FUNtastic" etc) can be applied doubleplus to this thing. As an added bonus, Diplo actually knows how to structure a dynamic mix, and so despite jumping all over the musical map ("Posse on Broadway" into "Comfy in Nautica" into Aretha Franklin and so on) it feels totally cohesive. Highlights include but are not limited to: Amanda Blank doing a jammin rendition of "I Need Love"; XXXChange's soaring remix of L.E.S Artists; a pretty hilarious, self-effacing cameo from Mark Ronson; "Dey Know" over dubstep; &c. I could really give a fuck less about Santogold herself, but this mix is pretty much end-to-end hot fire. Get familiar: hxxp://www.megaupload.com/?d=1UC2YOHU

 

Bonus beat: "I'm a Lady (Diplo Mix feat. Amanda Blank)"

 

[Guest Cal Moriarty]

There's new Randy Newman. I know we don't like him around these parts, but this is some pretty good stuff, a throwback to the pre-rock arrangements from Sail Away rather than Little Criminals where you had Don Henley and friends sitting in. "Piece of the Pie" has a great arrangement. I love it! It's so madcap and blustery, and it makes fun of THIS IS OURRRR COUNTRY right in the middle of it, too. Obviously Randy watches baseball on Fox. "A Few Words in Defense of Our Country" is the new "Political Science," but actually kinda sad and depressing up front rather than depressing via ridiculousness. It's really strong until it gets to the verse about the Supreme Court, where it sort of loses its way. Still, beats the shit out of that horrible horrible Neil Young song from a year or two ago. Also, Randy now sounds like an old black man doing an impression of Randy Newman, which adds an interesting dimension to the music.

 

There's a famous saying someone famous said

As General Motors goes, so go we all

Johnny Cougar's singing "it's their country," man

He'll be singing for Toyota by the fall

 

"That's not true! John's a patriot! He's not like you! He's a--"

 

Jesus Christ, it stinks here low and high

 

haha. Also, "Korean Parents" is brilliant. He'd get so much shit for this if this album were to sell more than a thousand copies.

[Annabelle 0]

santogold, diplo, and randy newman all rule. these have been the best two posts in awhile.

[Guest WhackingCockDick]

A pair of electronic albums I listened to today:

 

Move D and Benjamin Brunn - Songs from the Beehive

Morphonix - Off the Grid

 

They just sorta go on and on without being particularly memorable. Not quite ambient, not quite IDM (stupid term), not quite dance, I don't know what they are, but the tracks are all like 9 to 14 minutes and never really accomplish anything. I like the cover of the Move D album in the same way that I like other covers that use that coloful collage-y style that's so in vogue--

--but the music is mehhhh.

 

From a review:

The album opens with ‘Love the One You’re With’, which sounds like the sun emerging from behind spring clouds, pouring twinkling light onto rain-washed concrete. Straight away, all the elements of the album are evident: layer upon layer of cycling

I didn't hear this the first time, and now bearing this in mine, I still don't. I don't think it really conveys anything. I'll give these albums one more try, then

 

I'm so sorry. I just wanted to use that picture.

 

London Zoo is pretty cool. It has an anxious feel to it. I don't know what "rude boys spitting nasty" means, but this was fun.

[Matt Young 0]

santogold, diplo, and randy newman all rule. these have been the best two posts in awhile.

 

Santogold is the shit. On a totally different note, I heard a song by rapper Immortal Technique the other day via a friend of mine. Dude kills.

[Nighthawk 0]

I know a guy who swears by Immortal Technique, I think he hangs out with him or something.

[Matt Young 0]

I am likely one of the least qualified posters here to talk about rap/hip-hop, but from my limited exposure to that sort of music, that guy is one of the best I have heard.

[Guest WhackingCockDick]

I always confuse Immortal Technique with Dead Prez just because they're talked about by the same people in the same way. Stylistically, they could be as different as night and day. I don't know. It's not important to me.

 

Hey all, new Mercury Rev album out, it's called Snowflake Midnight and it sounds pretty much like you'd expect Mercury Rev to sound these days. Kinda ambient, dark, dancey, mature in a way is what I guess I'm getting at. A few of the songs reminds me of Secret of Mana. Go sharemine it, it's pretty good, but I hope you don't mind a lack of traditional song structures.

[Ketamine Disaster 0]

Whoah, has anyone heard Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket? What...the....fuck. They ruined the only really interesting thing about themselves on that one.

[Guest WhackingCockDick]

I haven't yet. I don't really have a lot of My Morning Jacket in my life. I'll keep avoiding and look elsewhere to get into them.

 

New TV on the Radio at the end of next month. If it stays focused and builds on the cool parts of Cookie Mountain, like "Things You Can Do," "Wolf Like Me," "Hours," "I Was a Lover," and "Province," this could be really good. If it's just overwhelming noise like "Playhouses" and, well, pretty much the rest of the album, look out below. Dave Sitek can get a little carried away at times, I feel: look no further than Celebration's The Modern Tribe barring "Evergreen" and "Heartbreak," or that Scarlett Johansson album.

[Ketamine Disaster 0]

If you want to listen to them, start with It Still Moves. I could post it in the RAR, Wanna Make Out thread if you'd like.

[Nighthawk 0]

I always confuse Immortal Technique with Dead Prez just because they're talked about by the same people in the same way. Stylistically, they could be as different as night and day. I don't know. It's not important to me.

 

Wrong as always, Dan, and a very inappropriate statement.

 

[The Flamboyance 0]

Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line leaked. I really like it, no surprise. I'll still purchase it on Tuesday when it comes out though, I feel obligated. My only quibble is that the new mix of "Dying is Fine" sucks. On the EP, there was that fantastic string breakdown thing, whatever the hell you want to call that. It was the best part pf the song. They removed it completely. Oh well. The "Suspended in Gaffa" cover is wonderful.

 

I think all of the EP songs are better than the rerecorded ones, and that's mostly due to the vocals. Still though, it's a really good album.

[Guest WhackingCockDick]

I always confuse Immortal Technique with Dead Prez just because they're talked about by the same people in the same way. Stylistically, they could be as different as night and day. I don't know. It's not important to me.

 

Wrong as always, Dan, and a very inappropriate statement.

Wrong about what? I didn't even commit to anything.

[Smartly Pretty 0]

Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line leaked. I really like it, no surprise. I'll still purchase it on Tuesday when it comes out though, I feel obligated. My only quibble is that the new mix of "Dying is Fine" sucks. On the EP, there was that fantastic string breakdown thing, whatever the hell you want to call that. It was the best part pf the song. They removed it completely. Oh well. The "Suspended in Gaffa" cover is wonderful.

 

I think all of the EP songs are better than the rerecorded ones, and that's mostly due to the vocals. Still though, it's a really good album.

 

Nah. Ghosts Under Rocks turned out great. Can You Tell did too. Can You Tell sounds like it did live. and Wes' voice is fine, they just went overboard on that weirdo echo effect.

[Nighthawk 0]

I always confuse Immortal Technique with Dead Prez just because they're talked about by the same people in the same way. Stylistically, they could be as different as night and day. I don't know. It's not important to me.

 

Wrong as always, Dan, and a very inappropriate statement.

Wrong about what? I didn't even commit to anything.

 

Well, I suppose it's subjective, but I've never once heard Immortal Technique and Dead Prez discussed by the same people, much less in the same way.

[The Truthiness 0]

2008: Year of the Wave and the Manilli Vanilli killer.

 

[Gary Floyd 0]

Depeche Mode is supposed to have a new album out by December. Granted, I'm probably the only guy who cares, but oh well.

 

Also, after hearing the new Re-Up Gang album, I'm convinced that Re-Up should stick to mixtapes. Hopefully, the upcoming new Clipse album will make up for it.

[The Truthiness 0]

Depeche Mode is supposed to have a new album out by December. Granted, I'm probably the only guy who cares, but oh well.

 

Also, after hearing the new Re-Up Gang album, I'm convinced that Re-Up should stick to mixtapes. Hopefully, the upcoming new Clipse album will make up for it.

 

Million Dollar Corner is the best song on that album.

 

[PUT THAT DICK IN MY MOUTH! 0]

Also, after hearing the new Re-Up Gang album, I'm convinced that Re-Up should stick to mixtapes.

 

Haha yeah. That shit was pretty obv. thrown together with minimal effort. I mean, half of its recycled We Got it 4 Cheap Vol 3 verses put over new, shittier beats and the other half is generic floss-rap (cf. "Fast Life," aka the worst Clipse song ever released). But then again, who expects real quality from a Koch release. The thing's pretty clearly just a stopgap until Till The Casket Drops, uhm, drops in January (or whenever the release gets inevitably pushed back to).

[Edwin MacPhisto 0]

New TV on the Radio at the end of next month.

There's a pleasant surprise. I haven't been following music and album timelines much lately and had no idea they had something else in the works for so soon. Still my favorite album of that year.

[Hank Kingsley 0]

Whoah, has anyone heard Evil Urges by My Morning Jacket? What...the....fuck. They ruined the only really interesting thing about themselves on that one.

 

Do elaborate.

[Mik 0]

In news that came out of nowhere, Bloc Party apparently decided to say, "Hey surprise, our 3rd album is out digitally in 3 days."

 

8/21. Hopefully it's more Silent Alarm-ish.