1/20/15
1/17/15
What I am most excited for in 2015
Good stuff starts pouring in only a few days from now. Here are the (known) releases of 2015 I absolutely can't wait to hear
Erase Errata: Lost Weekend (January 20) - I forget what internet outlet I was using at the moment, but I was once saying (to no one, as usual) that Erase Errata and Enon are two bands I'd love to see get back together. Well, one of those wishes has come true. Lost Weekend will be the no-wave trio's first album in 8 and a half years. As soon as I publish this post, I'm listening to a stream of the full album!
Swami John Reis & The Blind Shake: Modern Surf Classics (January 27)
Rock and roll superhero, John Reis lends his superpowers to a psychedelic garage band who will most likely make my "What I missed in 2014" list in 12 months: The Blind Shake. I've been listening to Breakfast of Failures non stop for the past few days, so I am all about The Swami getting on on this mess.
capsule - Wave Runner (February 18)
This is the most interested I've ever been for an upcoming capsule release. Yasutaka Nakata broke free of his typical mainstream electro-pop cliches, and released a wonderful piece of independent minded art in 2013's CAPS LOCK. I'm holding my breath waiting to see if he continues on this path or falls back into his old ways.
Jeff Rosenstock - We Cool? (March 3)
One of my favorite songwriters and podcasters of today followed up another 2013 favorite of mine; the self produced I Look Like Shit. With the power of a funded record studio behind him (not that he needs it), I'm very much looking forward to to see how he fares with a follow-up.
Jens Lekmen - [TBA]
Currently, the Swedish hopeless romantic is journaling his progress on album number 4 with what he's calling "Post Cards". They're short and quickly improvised songs that won't be included on the album; just what's floating around in his head each week throughout the recording process.
Erase Errata: Lost Weekend (January 20) - I forget what internet outlet I was using at the moment, but I was once saying (to no one, as usual) that Erase Errata and Enon are two bands I'd love to see get back together. Well, one of those wishes has come true. Lost Weekend will be the no-wave trio's first album in 8 and a half years. As soon as I publish this post, I'm listening to a stream of the full album!
Swami John Reis & The Blind Shake: Modern Surf Classics (January 27)
Rock and roll superhero, John Reis lends his superpowers to a psychedelic garage band who will most likely make my "What I missed in 2014" list in 12 months: The Blind Shake. I've been listening to Breakfast of Failures non stop for the past few days, so I am all about The Swami getting on on this mess.
capsule - Wave Runner (February 18)
This is the most interested I've ever been for an upcoming capsule release. Yasutaka Nakata broke free of his typical mainstream electro-pop cliches, and released a wonderful piece of independent minded art in 2013's CAPS LOCK. I'm holding my breath waiting to see if he continues on this path or falls back into his old ways.
Jeff Rosenstock - We Cool? (March 3)
One of my favorite songwriters and podcasters of today followed up another 2013 favorite of mine; the self produced I Look Like Shit. With the power of a funded record studio behind him (not that he needs it), I'm very much looking forward to to see how he fares with a follow-up.
Jens Lekmen - [TBA]
Currently, the Swedish hopeless romantic is journaling his progress on album number 4 with what he's calling "Post Cards". They're short and quickly improvised songs that won't be included on the album; just what's floating around in his head each week throughout the recording process.
1/16/15
2014 in music roundup thread
Here are all my "____ of The Year: 2014" lists and posts in one quick and easy to find space.
Remember GeoCities webrings? They're back, in blog form.
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2014 Mixtape
A Look Back At 2004
What I missed in 2013
My favorite cover art of 2014
My favorite music videos of 2014
My favorite EP of 2014
Biggest Bummers of 2014
2014 Album of The Year
These were all fun to make, but sure were time consuming; so a big thank you to anyone who actually took the time to read any of them.
xoxo
Remember GeoCities webrings? They're back, in blog form.
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2014 Mixtape
A Look Back At 2004
What I missed in 2013
My favorite cover art of 2014
My favorite music videos of 2014
My favorite EP of 2014
Biggest Bummers of 2014
2014 Album of The Year
These were all fun to make, but sure were time consuming; so a big thank you to anyone who actually took the time to read any of them.
xoxo
1/15/15
2014 Album of The Year
The most positive thing I can say about 2014 in music was how much of it seemingly came out of the blue. About half of the following list are releases I had no knowledge of when starting 2014. Some were from acts that I had no idea were even in operation anymore. It's a trend already bleeding into 2015 (more on that in the next post), and I can only hope continues throughout the new year.
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For a Rx Bandits album, this wasn't much of a mind-blower. A wonderful surprise in 2014 though; and some impressive / original stuff. The Fugazi inspired "1995" is a real highlight.
Here's what this album just managed to push off the list: Cibo Matto, The Menzingers, and Jamie T.
I'm always looking forward to new stuff by this simple, yet charming, Krautrock outfit; and I'm never let down. Despite that, they've never done anything attention grabbing to make it into my top ten. The injection of sharp and rattling synthesizers finally did the trick. I knew from the moment I heard "Tetrahydrofolic Acid" leak, this album would be something special.
While there are a few clunkers on here, what remains is some of the god damned catchiest work Spoon has ever done. I wish they were a more experimental band, but making the most irresistible tunes of the year is a pretty good talent as well.
Somehow Polysics still keeps doing it. My favorite band in the world has been through a rough transition for the last few years, and just now starting to make the most of it. Some of their best vocoding work is in Action!!!. Most importantly, they manage to write a bunch of fun and unique new-wave hits without stooping to pop music clichés. A good mix of electronic sounds as well. The crunch and tear of "Sparky" is like delicious candy to my ears.
Hang ROCKS like nothing else in 2014. Lagwagon dug deep down to unearth their original early 90's sound, stuck Joey Cape's busted up heart in there, and gave it a serious volt of electricity. Cape is painfully relevant, with introspective truth as harsh as the hard hitting speed-metal punk sound that rips through most of this album. I still miss Bad Astronaut, but this is Joey Cape's best work since.
The weirdest thing about Konjac-Tion being my favorite album of the year is that there are no specific standout tracks on it. It's entirely reliant on the product as a whole to win you over. Buffalo Daughter fixed what they did wrong in their last release, and just stopped trying to outdo themselves in the Krautrock department. Konjac-Tion is Buffalo Daughter expressing their freedom to just make fun music, but with enough musical experience to sound mature and artistic. It's a well paced, groovy block party that can be enjoyed by both pop music fans and the "art school" crowd alike.
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| NUMBER 10 Rx Bandits Gemini, Her Majesty |
For a Rx Bandits album, this wasn't much of a mind-blower. A wonderful surprise in 2014 though; and some impressive / original stuff. The Fugazi inspired "1995" is a real highlight.
Here's what this album just managed to push off the list: Cibo Matto, The Menzingers, and Jamie T.
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| NUMBER 9 Hello Saferide The Fox, The Hunter And Hello Saferide |
The music of Hello Saferide's third album is nothing special. The fact that this is even in my top ten says how brilliant Annika Norlin's songwriting is right now. Dark, insightful, charming, cute, heartwarming, and heartbreaking. She does it all here. "The Crawler" has got to be the most original concept for a song I've heard all year.
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| NUMBER 8 Fujiya & Miyagi Artificial Sweeteners |
I'm always looking forward to new stuff by this simple, yet charming, Krautrock outfit; and I'm never let down. Despite that, they've never done anything attention grabbing to make it into my top ten. The injection of sharp and rattling synthesizers finally did the trick. I knew from the moment I heard "Tetrahydrofolic Acid" leak, this album would be something special.
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| NUMBER 7 Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra SKA ME FOREVER |
Another fantastic band that I sing the praises of year after year, but hardly ever seems to make the cut when it comes time for a top ten. TSPO is as talented as ever here, but have managed to put out a more consistent release than usual. This is thanks in part to a bunch of guest appearances, making the whole package feel more fresh and vibrant.
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| NUMBER 6 Spoon They Want My Soul |
While there are a few clunkers on here, what remains is some of the god damned catchiest work Spoon has ever done. I wish they were a more experimental band, but making the most irresistible tunes of the year is a pretty good talent as well.
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| NUMBER 5 Liars Mess |
While Liars have sacrificed some of what has made them such an attraction in the past, these weirdos bring you do the dance floor in the first half of Mess. It's something I would have never expected them to try, let alone pull off. Not everything on this album hits the mark, but stuff like "I'm no Gold" is absolute death-by-disco.
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| NUMBER 4 Polysics Action!!! |
Somehow Polysics still keeps doing it. My favorite band in the world has been through a rough transition for the last few years, and just now starting to make the most of it. Some of their best vocoding work is in Action!!!. Most importantly, they manage to write a bunch of fun and unique new-wave hits without stooping to pop music clichés. A good mix of electronic sounds as well. The crunch and tear of "Sparky" is like delicious candy to my ears.
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| NUMBER 3 Kenichi Asai Nancy |
When Kenichi Asai clicks, he's one of the most resonant rock and roll musicians out there today. You don't need a translator to be swept away by "Paper Plane". There's power behind the songs of Nancy, even at its sauntering pace. Every guitar solo has impact, and the emotional vocal performance transcends language barriers.
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| NUMBER 2 Lagwagon Hang |
Hang ROCKS like nothing else in 2014. Lagwagon dug deep down to unearth their original early 90's sound, stuck Joey Cape's busted up heart in there, and gave it a serious volt of electricity. Cape is painfully relevant, with introspective truth as harsh as the hard hitting speed-metal punk sound that rips through most of this album. I still miss Bad Astronaut, but this is Joey Cape's best work since.
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| NUMBER 1 Buffalo Daughter Konjac-Tion |
The weirdest thing about Konjac-Tion being my favorite album of the year is that there are no specific standout tracks on it. It's entirely reliant on the product as a whole to win you over. Buffalo Daughter fixed what they did wrong in their last release, and just stopped trying to outdo themselves in the Krautrock department. Konjac-Tion is Buffalo Daughter expressing their freedom to just make fun music, but with enough musical experience to sound mature and artistic. It's a well paced, groovy block party that can be enjoyed by both pop music fans and the "art school" crowd alike.
1/14/15
Biggest Bummers of 2014
I'm adding little pictures of The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth items to these entires, because it cheers me up.
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| NUMBER 5 Beck Morning Phase |
With a bite of the tongue, Beck just makes this list. It's a bit unfair, because Morning Phase is a competent album. It has good production, and follows through on its intent. What that doesn't change is how terribly BORING it is. An extra notch of disappointment goes to no "Odelay style" follow-up album in the fall. I read that on the internet, it must be true! Beck lied, funk died.
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| NUMBER 4 the telephones SUPER HIGH TENSION!!! |
It's a thin tightrope the telephones walk. They've been miraculously squeaking by with "so stupid, it's good" music for years, but SUPER HIGH TENSION!!! is so stupid, it's stupid. The broken English is just embarrassing ("I'm in Love You" - actual song title). Even the better songs, like "Hyper Jump" have a flat and uninspired delivery. I've got to say, they really phoned this one in! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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| NUMBER 3 Foo Fighters Sonic Highways |
A few tracks off 2011's Wasting Light left me with warm and fuzzy feelings about Foo Fighters. The 00' years of this band average out to middling, but maybe they're just doing whatever they want now. Nope. Sonic Highways reeks of "commercial album" from top to bottom. No personality whatsoever.
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| NUMBER 2 The Birthday Come Together |
This one stings the most. If this blog is good for anything, it's to proselytize the good works of one Chiba Yusuke: Rock music's best kept secret. The past three Birthday albums have been top ten material, but Come Together sounds like an amateur mess. The slower songs are worth hearing, but most teeter on the edge of butt-rock, and that is not a sentence I'm happy to type.
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| NUMBER 1 TV on The Radio Seeds |
If there was one thing I could have told you was a guaranteed lock in 2014, it would have been TV on The Radio's follow up to Nine Types of Light. Everything seems to have gone wrong with this release. Poor lyrics, boring instrumentation, no convincing emotion... at least that cover art is cool.
My favorite EP of 2014!
Hmm, let me look at my EP library of 2014... ok, I have four. Four EPs, huh? Well this should be an easy choice, because the only one I really liked was:
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One of my favorite things of 2014 has been the Back To The Island podcast. This is where Jeff Rosenstock and Chris Farren pick a random episode of Lost every week and talk about it. Thankfully, they spend little time talking about Lost; a show that I have never watched, nor do I ever intend to. What they mainly do is talk nonsense and pepper nearly ever topic with ridiculous theme songs.
So when Rosenstock and Farren wrote an EP together and took it on tour, I felt I owed it to go see them. What began as charitable obligation became a willing pleasure. I enjoy this EP a heck of a lot. Even if the songs have a "just thrown together" feel to them, it goes to show the kind of knack these guys have for songwriting. All four songs are catchy, and flow together in such a pleasing way.
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| Antarctigo Vespucci I'm So Tethered |
One of my favorite things of 2014 has been the Back To The Island podcast. This is where Jeff Rosenstock and Chris Farren pick a random episode of Lost every week and talk about it. Thankfully, they spend little time talking about Lost; a show that I have never watched, nor do I ever intend to. What they mainly do is talk nonsense and pepper nearly ever topic with ridiculous theme songs.
So when Rosenstock and Farren wrote an EP together and took it on tour, I felt I owed it to go see them. What began as charitable obligation became a willing pleasure. I enjoy this EP a heck of a lot. Even if the songs have a "just thrown together" feel to them, it goes to show the kind of knack these guys have for songwriting. All four songs are catchy, and flow together in such a pleasing way.
1/12/15
My favorite music videos of 2014
It's always around the music video part of my end of the year lists that I start to worry about the depth of my selection. Four out of the following five videos are of bands in my top ten albums, three bands are on my mixtape, and two are in the cover art section... Enjoy these five rad music videos, while I sit in a darkened room, wide-eyed, in terrified introspection.
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| NUMBER 5 Spoon "Inside Out" |
There is a certain sense of creepiness to They Want My Soul; or maybe it's spirituality. Both concepts manage to be captured in the video for "Inside Out". Only nine images with ghostly transitions and photoshop effects added to them. Your imagination does the rest.
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| NUMBER 4 Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra "Wake Up" |
It's an easy temptation in ska videos to include a lot of action shots of the band throwing their instruments around. To use a lot of quick close ups, and tracking shots, and mugging for the camera. The restraint of "Wake Up" only reinforces Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra as the classiest band in ska. Sharing the screen with Asian Kung-Fu Generation puts over a dozen people in one room. Instead of being a big dancing mess, the entire video is a collection of static shots, as performers pose in living paintings; all depicting various mafia/yakuza scenarios on sets that range from lavish to destitute.
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| NUMBER 3 Buffalo Daughter "Oui Oui" |
While the animation of "Oui Oui" is a bit too on the nose for my liking, its cuteness cannot be turned down. A cute little buffalo bobs its head in a cute way, plays little cute instruments, encounters many cute two frame animated animals, gets abducted by a cute alien who plays its own cute instruments....
CUTE!
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| NUMBER 2 Deerhoof "Exit Only" |
Michael Shannon gets to play his two best emotions as an actor: tortured and enraged. This is also a fitting expression of what most people feel when listening to Deerhoof. Throw in a few wacky cameos by the band. This is everything a music video should be.
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| NUMBER 1 Liars "Mess on A Mission" |
The most innovative concept for a music video in years. "Too Many Cooks"? pssh. Earlier in 2014, "Mess on A Mission" took only four minutes to go through the same exact range of emotions. "What a mess" indeed.
My favorite cover art of 2014
Putting together lists this year got me to appreciate the music of 2014 more. I didn't really expect much, but some pretty heartbreaking cuts were made. One category I can't share the same sentiment for was album art. Nothing really struck me this year. The following list ended up being album art that best represented its material; not what was just plain appealing.
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Warpaint's music flows like smoke filmed in slow motion, and drifts through your mind like a dream.
Yup, this seems about right.
Essentially just a band promo shot, but this is an image that suits The Menzingers well. Simple, and with very little flair.
The cheap RENTED WORLD sign is a bit humorous. Rented World is a more polished sound, but that content is still dark and cynical. While The Menzingers can get lyrically grim at times, they are clearly using their heartache and frustration to fuel exciting music.
An appropriate juxtaposition.
There is a strange electronic warble dumped all over the music of Seeds. This image subtly reflects the experimentation that went into the album.
The light radioactive ghost trail coming off what looks like the mysterious geode from The Gate is just plain cool looking.
Also, I never realized how cool the abbreviation TVOTR looks.
SKA ME FOREVER feels like a momentous TSPO release. The giant cornerstone is a fitting image worthy of such a boisterous title, and epic collection of songs.
It took many views before I realized all the instruments etched into the rock as well. Nice touch.
I sometimes expect that wig of wires to turn around and reveal a terrifying T-800 like facial structure.
Mess takes Liars' signature tone and gives it an electronic blast of color.
A mess of wires configured into a creepy head, infecting an otherwise sterile environment; that's our Liars!
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| NUMBER 5 Warpaint |
Warpaint's music flows like smoke filmed in slow motion, and drifts through your mind like a dream.
Yup, this seems about right.
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| NUMBER 4 The Menzingers Rented World |
Essentially just a band promo shot, but this is an image that suits The Menzingers well. Simple, and with very little flair.
The cheap RENTED WORLD sign is a bit humorous. Rented World is a more polished sound, but that content is still dark and cynical. While The Menzingers can get lyrically grim at times, they are clearly using their heartache and frustration to fuel exciting music.
An appropriate juxtaposition.
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| NUMBER 3 TV on The Radio Seeds |
There is a strange electronic warble dumped all over the music of Seeds. This image subtly reflects the experimentation that went into the album.
The light radioactive ghost trail coming off what looks like the mysterious geode from The Gate is just plain cool looking.
Also, I never realized how cool the abbreviation TVOTR looks.
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| NUMBER 2 Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra SKA ME FOREVER |
SKA ME FOREVER feels like a momentous TSPO release. The giant cornerstone is a fitting image worthy of such a boisterous title, and epic collection of songs.
It took many views before I realized all the instruments etched into the rock as well. Nice touch.
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| NUMBER 1 Liars Mess |
I sometimes expect that wig of wires to turn around and reveal a terrifying T-800 like facial structure.
Mess takes Liars' signature tone and gives it an electronic blast of color.
A mess of wires configured into a creepy head, infecting an otherwise sterile environment; that's our Liars!
1/10/15
What I missed in 2013!
Sometimes really cool stuff just passes me by. Here are a few releases that had snuck past me in 2013, almost certainly would have ended up in my top 10 last year:
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So, I was bored one day, deciding it would be a good idea to look up ミドリ on last.fm. They're a short lived bonkers punk band, and I figured I'd at least read a few amusing comments about them. There on the band's page was the keyboard player, plugging his EP. It's a completely different style than ミドリ, but a very nice surprise. Top shelf synthpop. "Last Violence" should be in the sequel to Killer7 that Suda51 will never make.
A friend of mine shared this with me when we were talking about our 2013 favs around this time last year. I love instrumental music, especially in the catchy + technical vein (think Battles). Yup, Enemies has this down pat. Some great head-bobbing driving tunes here. First few seconds of "Executive Cut" had me hooked all the way through the rest of the album.
Despite all the praise I laid at the feet of Kenichi Asai for this year's Nancy, it never occurred to me in 2013 to check in on what he was up to. PIL happened to be one of Asai's most catchy albums. That's including all of his bands. Just listen to the swagger of "Old Punx Video". The man is ageless.
Okay, now this is just getting embarrassing. Listen; you may think I'm some kind of Japanese rock music megafan or something. I'm not. I just like the bands I like. The ones I like that arent covered on most music sites (like bands Chiba fucking Yusuke are in!!!) kind of slip by me. Especially if they have a really gross and stupid name like The Golden Wet Fingers. Typical Yusuke band name. Their sleazy rock and roll style in songs like "Chicks" live up to their name. It's Yusuke. It rocks.
I love Kathleen Hanna. Not as much as I want to love her, mind you. The first Le Tigre album is the only thing I can honestly say I 100% enjoy. She's cut from my kind of punk-rock cloth though. The Julie Ruin is the perfect little bow to wrap around her bratty spitfire delivery. This album could have just been 10 takes of "Cookie Rd." and I still would have been through the roof over it.
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| NUMBER 5 Hajimetal Super Solo - EP |
So, I was bored one day, deciding it would be a good idea to look up ミドリ on last.fm. They're a short lived bonkers punk band, and I figured I'd at least read a few amusing comments about them. There on the band's page was the keyboard player, plugging his EP. It's a completely different style than ミドリ, but a very nice surprise. Top shelf synthpop. "Last Violence" should be in the sequel to Killer7 that Suda51 will never make.
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| NUMBER 4 Enemies Embark, Embrace |
A friend of mine shared this with me when we were talking about our 2013 favs around this time last year. I love instrumental music, especially in the catchy + technical vein (think Battles). Yup, Enemies has this down pat. Some great head-bobbing driving tunes here. First few seconds of "Executive Cut" had me hooked all the way through the rest of the album.
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| NUMBER 3 Kenichi Asai PIL |
Despite all the praise I laid at the feet of Kenichi Asai for this year's Nancy, it never occurred to me in 2013 to check in on what he was up to. PIL happened to be one of Asai's most catchy albums. That's including all of his bands. Just listen to the swagger of "Old Punx Video". The man is ageless.
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| NUMBER 2 The Golden Wet Fingers Kill After Kiss |
Okay, now this is just getting embarrassing. Listen; you may think I'm some kind of Japanese rock music megafan or something. I'm not. I just like the bands I like. The ones I like that arent covered on most music sites (like bands Chiba fucking Yusuke are in!!!) kind of slip by me. Especially if they have a really gross and stupid name like The Golden Wet Fingers. Typical Yusuke band name. Their sleazy rock and roll style in songs like "Chicks" live up to their name. It's Yusuke. It rocks.
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| NUMBER 1 The Julie Ruin Run Fast |
I love Kathleen Hanna. Not as much as I want to love her, mind you. The first Le Tigre album is the only thing I can honestly say I 100% enjoy. She's cut from my kind of punk-rock cloth though. The Julie Ruin is the perfect little bow to wrap around her bratty spitfire delivery. This album could have just been 10 takes of "Cookie Rd." and I still would have been through the roof over it.
A Look Back At 2004
As in every year, I like to look back at the releases of ten years ago. I was still in college in 2004, and finally developing a more personal taste. This isn't a list of what my top ten was ten years ago (I'm not sure if I could remember that). This is looking back at 2004 releases, and applying the knowledge and personal taste I have today. There may be some crossover though. I certainly remember being into Ted Leo and Big D back then...
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I've gone on about the wonderful subversiveness that comes with certain pop bands (plus or minus the punk). Love Everybody has always been a prime example. Some are quick to lump (no pun intended) this group in with laughable 90's flash-in-the-pan acts, like Hanson. I've always seen The Presidents as against the grain, considering what the tone of alternative rock was in the Seattle area. Love Everybody is not only the most consistent Presidents album, but full of clever dark-humored gems like the perverse "Drool At You".
Around this time, I was calling Big D the best thing to happen to ska-punk since The Suicide Machines, thanks to songs like "Cutshow". While they've never quite been a total package band, in 2004, Big D was 80% there, and that's pretty damn good. How it Goes is an ambitious record. It's long as hell, with lots of well flowing interludes, and runs up and down all of their talents as a band. The sophomoric lyrics don't stop me from enjoying the energy and love Big D put into what is far and away, their best release.
With GlassJAw entering what would be a massive hiatus, Daryl Palumbo used what star power he had to somehow cut a record with the legendary Dan The Automator (Gorillaz, Deltron 3030). What resulted was a gaudy, hedonistic, cocaine frosted, future-disco fever dream. Dan's fun-loving flair is the perfect chaser to Palumbo's bite. Decadence proved to be lighting in a bottle, as Palumbo went on to nerf Head Automatica with a poor sophomore effort. At least we'll always have "I Shot William H. Macy".
I don't remember how I discovered John Frusciante's solo career. I was never a Red Hot Chili Peppers Fan. Inside of Emptiness just ended up on my computer one day. What I do know is ever since then, I've been following his career. Always looking for something quite like this record, and never finding it. Inside of Emptiness is one of the most perfect combinations of hard hitting no nonsense rock, and dark heartbreaking introspection. Few rock songwriters get as naked as Frusciante does with "Look on".
In the same year as their debut, Zazen Boys completely flips the script on who they are and what they can do. I rarely ever take the time to review old albums, but always wanted to write one about Zazen Boys II in the form of a FAQ or an operations manual. At first, Mukai Shutoku's outlandish funk and hip-hop affections may make you laugh. His unflinching vocal aggressiveness may grate on your ears. Despite all that, it's some of the tightest jams of 2004. Stick with it long enough and you may even appreciate its surface-level absurdity.
This is the album that redefined Blonde Redhead. Their sound was once a bitter pill to swallow. On Misery is A Butterfly, it's a handful of pills with a bottle of hard liquor. A beautiful and oppressive sadness that never lets go until the very end. "Falling Man" is Blonde Redhead's second best song ever. Since Misery... Blonde Redhead has never even attempted to make music that doesn't have a certain tranquility to it.
In 2003, Ted Leo was an act that my friends would suddenly develop better things to do whenever he came to my town. The week Shake The Sheets were released, those same friends were practically banging down my door to inform me how amazing Ted Leo is. I'm not trying to tell a "...before it was cool" anecdote, I'm praising Shake The Sheets for being Ted's "breakout" album. He simplified his influences just enough to get attention, and spoke to people on a whole new personal level. I've seen people come to TL/Rx shows just to hear "Me And Mia", then leave.
Anyone who knows me in real life usually first identifies me with video games. It's not a personality trait I try to show as an adult, but I guess I'm not so good at that. It wouldn't be that way though if not for one game - Katamari Damacy. That was the game that pushed me from just grabbing the 2 or 3 blockbuster titles a year, into hunting down rare indie art project games and joining online communities. A big part in falling in love with Katamari Damacy had to do with its soundtrack, which in itself catapulted me into Shibuya-kei fandom, and a whole new appreciation for bubblegum pop music in general.
Hot Snakes is my favorite punk band of all time. Audit in Progress somehow manages to be their most accessible album while also being the hardest-hitting. Its simplicity is some sort of mad genius. The first three songs are like being punched in the face, grabbed by the collar and shaken silly, and thrown down a flight of stairs (in that order). I'd love to go on about the next 9 tracks, but I'd totally break the nice clean formatting I have for this list.
Like many, I followed Mukai Skutoku from his legendary punk-emo act, Number Girl. Zazen Boys is a much less straightforward affair, fully infusing itself with a traditional Japanese sound that Number Girl had only flirted with. On top of that is a whole lot of jazz and hip-hop influence. It's ambitious to the point of lunacy, and they still pull it off. Everything in this album is so special, as abrasive as it may sound. Even those two opening bass notes of "Si・Ge・Ki" give me goosebumps today. Like ZBII, this is a hard one to get into at first; but the point at which you "click" with it should come much sooner, by being a more serious sounding album. Make no mistake though, it's a stubborn one. So confident and deliberate in all of its rough edges. So unique that I can't think of anything more deserving of number one.
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| NUMBER 10 The Presidents of The United States of America Love Everybody |
I've gone on about the wonderful subversiveness that comes with certain pop bands (plus or minus the punk). Love Everybody has always been a prime example. Some are quick to lump (no pun intended) this group in with laughable 90's flash-in-the-pan acts, like Hanson. I've always seen The Presidents as against the grain, considering what the tone of alternative rock was in the Seattle area. Love Everybody is not only the most consistent Presidents album, but full of clever dark-humored gems like the perverse "Drool At You".
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| NUMBER 9 Big D And The Kids Table How it Goes |
Around this time, I was calling Big D the best thing to happen to ska-punk since The Suicide Machines, thanks to songs like "Cutshow". While they've never quite been a total package band, in 2004, Big D was 80% there, and that's pretty damn good. How it Goes is an ambitious record. It's long as hell, with lots of well flowing interludes, and runs up and down all of their talents as a band. The sophomoric lyrics don't stop me from enjoying the energy and love Big D put into what is far and away, their best release.
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| NUMBER 8 Head Automatica Decadence |
With GlassJAw entering what would be a massive hiatus, Daryl Palumbo used what star power he had to somehow cut a record with the legendary Dan The Automator (Gorillaz, Deltron 3030). What resulted was a gaudy, hedonistic, cocaine frosted, future-disco fever dream. Dan's fun-loving flair is the perfect chaser to Palumbo's bite. Decadence proved to be lighting in a bottle, as Palumbo went on to nerf Head Automatica with a poor sophomore effort. At least we'll always have "I Shot William H. Macy".
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| NUMBER 7 John Frusciante Inside of Emptiness |
I don't remember how I discovered John Frusciante's solo career. I was never a Red Hot Chili Peppers Fan. Inside of Emptiness just ended up on my computer one day. What I do know is ever since then, I've been following his career. Always looking for something quite like this record, and never finding it. Inside of Emptiness is one of the most perfect combinations of hard hitting no nonsense rock, and dark heartbreaking introspection. Few rock songwriters get as naked as Frusciante does with "Look on".
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| NUMBER 6 Zazen Boys II |
In the same year as their debut, Zazen Boys completely flips the script on who they are and what they can do. I rarely ever take the time to review old albums, but always wanted to write one about Zazen Boys II in the form of a FAQ or an operations manual. At first, Mukai Shutoku's outlandish funk and hip-hop affections may make you laugh. His unflinching vocal aggressiveness may grate on your ears. Despite all that, it's some of the tightest jams of 2004. Stick with it long enough and you may even appreciate its surface-level absurdity.
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| NUMBER 5 Blonde Redhead Misery is A Butterfly |
This is the album that redefined Blonde Redhead. Their sound was once a bitter pill to swallow. On Misery is A Butterfly, it's a handful of pills with a bottle of hard liquor. A beautiful and oppressive sadness that never lets go until the very end. "Falling Man" is Blonde Redhead's second best song ever. Since Misery... Blonde Redhead has never even attempted to make music that doesn't have a certain tranquility to it.
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| NUMBER 4 Ted Leo And The Pharmacists Shake The Sheets |
In 2003, Ted Leo was an act that my friends would suddenly develop better things to do whenever he came to my town. The week Shake The Sheets were released, those same friends were practically banging down my door to inform me how amazing Ted Leo is. I'm not trying to tell a "...before it was cool" anecdote, I'm praising Shake The Sheets for being Ted's "breakout" album. He simplified his influences just enough to get attention, and spoke to people on a whole new personal level. I've seen people come to TL/Rx shows just to hear "Me And Mia", then leave.
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| NUMBER 3 塊Fortissimo魂 |
Anyone who knows me in real life usually first identifies me with video games. It's not a personality trait I try to show as an adult, but I guess I'm not so good at that. It wouldn't be that way though if not for one game - Katamari Damacy. That was the game that pushed me from just grabbing the 2 or 3 blockbuster titles a year, into hunting down rare indie art project games and joining online communities. A big part in falling in love with Katamari Damacy had to do with its soundtrack, which in itself catapulted me into Shibuya-kei fandom, and a whole new appreciation for bubblegum pop music in general.
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| NUMBER 2 Hot Snakes Audit in Progress |
Hot Snakes is my favorite punk band of all time. Audit in Progress somehow manages to be their most accessible album while also being the hardest-hitting. Its simplicity is some sort of mad genius. The first three songs are like being punched in the face, grabbed by the collar and shaken silly, and thrown down a flight of stairs (in that order). I'd love to go on about the next 9 tracks, but I'd totally break the nice clean formatting I have for this list.
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| NUMBER 1 Zazen Boys |
Like many, I followed Mukai Skutoku from his legendary punk-emo act, Number Girl. Zazen Boys is a much less straightforward affair, fully infusing itself with a traditional Japanese sound that Number Girl had only flirted with. On top of that is a whole lot of jazz and hip-hop influence. It's ambitious to the point of lunacy, and they still pull it off. Everything in this album is so special, as abrasive as it may sound. Even those two opening bass notes of "Si・Ge・Ki" give me goosebumps today. Like ZBII, this is a hard one to get into at first; but the point at which you "click" with it should come much sooner, by being a more serious sounding album. Make no mistake though, it's a stubborn one. So confident and deliberate in all of its rough edges. So unique that I can't think of anything more deserving of number one.
1/9/15
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