10 For 2010

I like music. I like lists. Here we go.
10. Surfer Blood--Astro Coast
A very hooky, easy to like surf album (sounds like a young Weezer.) The lyrics are ok if lacking substance, but the songs don't call for poetry. The melodies are familiarly memorable, and the sweet strat riffs though simple, are solid. From a band that existed for barely a year at the time of this release, Astro Coast screams confidence without a whisper of arrogance.
9. Caribou--Swim
Dan Snaith (Caribou) wanted to make music that sounded like water, so he did, and as it turns out, water sounds a little depressed. The record has a melancholy feel to it, like a James Murphy album, and the rhythm/production are extremely super great, like a James Murphy album. The vocals take a back seat to clever mixtures of house, disco, & techno grooves, and the influence of Junior Boys' Jeremy Greenspan is clear. For a dance record, this album seems like it would be kind of hard to dance to, but what do I know about the disco?
8. Of Montreal--False Priest
Of Montreal has been transsexual front man Georgie Fruit's band for years now, and it's feeling a bit dated on the dance floor. The production is great on this record, the sound is awesome, but a lot of the songs are about weird sex crap (still), and Kevin Barnes is still singing in that she-male falsetto he loves so much. Although the record starts off bright & quick and gay, it grows darker by the end (still gay), and the songs quickly improve. I hope Of Montreal's direction changes soon, but I'll be just fine if they don't.
7. Field Music--Measure
This record is too sweet. Progressive rock at its crisp, clean best. The album feels strange at first because the songs are a bit bare-boned (no musical hills or valleys, no bells or whistles,) but the rhythms and changes keep the listener entertained. I can't wait to see their live show.
6. Tame Impala--Innerspeaker
These stadium rock revivalists would certainly blend into the crowd, since every Australian band since AC/DC is jumping on the classic rock bandwagon (Jet Wolfmother Vines) these days. What most separates Tame Impala is their singer, who floats his John Lennon-like melodies over pounding drums, effected guitars, and running bass. The music is simple enough, but that sprinkle of psychedelia fits perfectly with his voice, and the package is a success. Not a lot of lyrical substance, but a solid album none the less.
5. Beach House--Teen Dream
One of my most listened-to albums of the year. Beach House has crafted their sound to perfection: Shimmering guitar lines, cymbal waves, and the smoky vocals of Victoria Legrand, floating effortlessly in a dreamy haze. This is their best work to date. Instant classics pop out, but the whole record is equally inviting and rewarding. No missteps here.
4. Deerhunter--Halcyon Digest
With so many projects at once, Deerhunter's front man Bradford Cox should be unconscious by now. A non-stop recording machine, Cox fiddles with song structures, instruments, and musical styles, under either his solo name Atlas Sound, or with Deerhunter (his day job). This time around he broke into the instrument closet, using banjo, auto-harp, electronic percussion, and harmonicas, to name a few. Unlike before, the vocals take center stage, and the result is a masterpiece.
3. Local Natives--Gorilla Manor
The first thing that drew me to this group was their ability to sing. They are the best possible version of a boy band, with all the harmonies and none of the dancing, and their vocals are outdone only by their songwriting. The lyrics and changes seem expertly considered, and there is a maturity to their music that impresses me a lot. The Talking Heads cover was unnecessary, but the record leaves me wanting more.
2. Sufjan Stevens--The Age of Adz
The 25-minute closer "Impossible Soul," from The Age of Adz is better than most of the albums of 2010, and it's not even the best song on a record about a paranoid schizophrenic (and self proclaimed profit) from Louisiana. Even with the era of the CD passed, Stevens sticks to the formula of telling a great story over the course of an entire album, requiring time and focus from the listener. Acoustic picking has been replaced with space noises and electro-drum beats, and Stevens' whispering vocals seem louder than ever, though he does revert back to his quieter sound a few times during the record. In a year full of big name disappointments (Band of Horses, Broken Bells, School of Seven Bells, etc.), Stevens exceeds even the highest of expectations.
1. LCD Soundsystem-- This Is Happening
It's fun to witness to the evolution of James Murphy. He is beginning to take the whole superstar thing seriously, though his music has always been great. As usual, the new record is a bleeding heart waiting to explode, and his regret is our delight. Who knew that someone could grow so wise eating E and dancing for 20 years? He teaches us life lessons while staying lovable with self deprecation, and don't forget about the monstrous beats and pristine production that Murphy has perfected over the years. On TIH Murphy proves himself as a top-level vocalist, a brilliant composer, and one hell of a philosopher. More please.

Blog Post

Here is something funny that happened to me today. I am at work by myself, and I haven't seen anyone in hours (we are extremely slow.) Pretty funny huh? No wait there's more, but first some background:
At work, I often play the Iphone game "Angry Birds"...While sitting on the toilet. I don't make trips to the bathroom for phone games, but I take any opportunity to maximize my time. I only do it when we are slow, and I'm never in there for more than 5 or 10 minutes.
OK so I'm in the bathroom playing my game, and I'm having trouble with a certain level. I can't beat it, and I am getting angry about it. I'm yelling, "Shit! Come on! Damn! How is that possible? What the hell?"-stuff like that. I finally walk out of the bathroom, and there's an old Asian man standing there, looking horrified.
The front door at my work has a bell on the handle, so I usually can hear when someone enters, but this guy was so old & small that he probably crept in too slowly to disturb the alarm. Not until after he was gone did I realize what he heard, and what he must've thought was going on in there.