Here be my 10 favourite albums of the year:
1. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by Kanye West
All those crazy, musically-diverse layers - beats, lyrics, themes, ego and doubts - through the album.
watch: the trailer (or "moving portrait" as Kanye called it) for the video for 'Power' (which is rumoured to be 40+ minutes long), my favourite song along with 'Monster' (but I love Monster more for Nicki Minaj's verse - she steals the song out from everyone)
2. The Suburbs by Arcade Fire
The album did not grab me on first listen, but it was definitely a grower - just like previous album Neon Bible - and by the end of the year I had completely fallen in love with the storytelling, the atmosphere. The music is lighter, but the claustrophobia of the Suburbs is clear still within, the dark heart under the beautiful, peaceful surface.
Listen: 'The Suburbs' / 'Month of May'
3. All Days are Night: Songs for Lulu by Rufus Wainwright.
I love that Rufus Wainwright's idea of“stripped back”still includes gorgeously lush piano-driven heartbreaking paens to grief and love.
Download: 'Who are you, New York?'
4. Everything Under the Sun by Jukebox the Ghost
So many fine, catchy pop songs, so much intelligent thought behind it. Great follow-up album.
Watch: the band being interviewed at the 'Bean' in Chicago, where they talk about Ben Folds Five comparisons and why they have such a weird band name.
5. Mines by Menomena
I love the musical layers in the songs, from the different qualities of the voices to the fuzzy bass to the beat to those great horns.
Download: 'TAOS'
6. Danger Days by My Chemical Romance
Anthemic and built to be played loud - it's not rocket science, but it is damn catchy and fun.
Watch: Art is the Weapon - a trailer of sorts for the first single, the intro for the thru-story and palette and concept for their whole album.
7. Life is Sweet! Pleased to Meet You by Lightspeed Champion
Great songs that are more complex than they seem at first, with lush orchestral arrangements, clever lyrics, and diverse musical styles.
8. Steel Train by Steel Train
Sweet, fun indie pop that I've had on repeat constantly this year.
Listen: 'Turnpike Ghost'
9. The Age of Adz by Sufjan Stevens
I'm still not sure I entirely like this album end-to-end though that might be my reflex reaction to at times deliberately harsh electronica mix through his trademark his beautiful, floaty music. But the album does have some absolutely terrific moments, such as I Walked and the 25 minute standout, Impossible Soul.
Download: 'I Walked'
10. The ArchAndroid by Janelle Monae
I love her voice, and the ambitious mishmash of genres and styles all through her music, while remaining catchy as hell.
Watch: the video for 'Tightrope' - great song, great storytelling, creepy video with some mesmerising footwork. What's not to like?
Honourable Mentions
Bad Books – Bad Books
Belle and Sebastian - Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
Annuals – Sweet Sister EP
Boy & Bear – With Emperor Antarctic EP
Looking forward to new releases in 2011 from:
Patrick Wolf (Lupercalia)
Panic! at the Disco (Vices and Virtues)
The Decemberists (The King is Dead is out now)
Bright Eyes (The People's Key)
Okkervil River (I am Very Far)
Manchester Orchestra (Simple Math)
Taking Back Sunday
also rumoured to release new albums are:
fun.
Radiohead
Blink-182
It's looking to be an exciting new year of music! And hopefully some of these guys tour, which brings me to...
live music from 2010!
I saw a total of 19 bands at 16 shows. This included seeing Kevin Devine 3 times and Brand New twice in the space of five days and I don't regret any of that at all (as you will see from the list of best shows below).
Nine Favourite Performances
1. Kevin Devine @ East Brunswick Club, 29 Mar
2. Brand New @ Enmore Theatre, 25 Mar
3. The Decemberists @ The Metro, 19 Jan
4. The Pixies @ Hordern Pavilion, 14 Mar
5. Delta Spirit @ Factory Theatre, 3 Oct
6. Band of Horses @ Enmore Theatre, 29 July
7. Spoon @ The Forum, 7 May
8. Sunny Day Real Estate @ UNSW Roundhouse, 23 Feb
9. Neko Case @ City Recital Hall, 12 Jan
Upcoming Shows:
Sufjan Stevens, Menomena, Andrew McMahon, Belle and Sebastian
Showing posts with label arcade fire. Show all posts
Showing posts with label arcade fire. Show all posts
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Mixtape (Sad Bear, October 2010)
Long time no mixtape, eh? Let's revive an old tradition around these parts...
Side A
Ezra Furman and the Harpoons - We Should Fight
(indie rock)
I wrote this song inside a paper bag
Dr. Dog - Heart it Races
(indie rock-pop)
And we go back to where we moved out
to the places
heart it races
Jukebox the Ghost - Hold It In
(indie rock pop)
Baby I'm in love and maybe it's not to tell
Only thing that I can do is hold it in, hold it in
Delta Spirit - Children
(indie rock, Americana)
Children shut your eyes
we'll tell you what to see
this world is burnin' down
and you're the ones to lead
Lackthereof - Last November
(lo-fi, experimental)
I'm arriving in style
More importantly, alive
And there's something
To be said for
Surviving
Side B
Arcade Fire - Black Mirror
(indie rock, baroque pop)
Black mirror knows no reflection, knows not pride or vanity
Cares not about your dreams, cares not for your pyramid schemes
Shearwater - Red Sea, Black Sea*
(indie folk-rock)
In place of the sun
In place of the moon
A terrible light
Will flood every room
* The link takes you to the artist page on their label. I would download not just Red Sea, Black Sea, but everything on this page. The songs are all really good.
Boy & Bear - Mexican Mavis
(indie folk-rock)
'Cos my love's not a limit
Minus the Bear - Guns & Ammo
(indie, experimental, math rock)
Skip the "you don't understand"
Skip the "you're such a petty man"
Skip the way you'll never listen
You never listen
Annuals - Brother
(indie rock, experimental)
I fell down in a creek bed
Brother wept
In his face I met fear
That I could die right there
Side A
Ezra Furman and the Harpoons - We Should Fight
(indie rock)
I wrote this song inside a paper bag
Dr. Dog - Heart it Races
(indie rock-pop)
And we go back to where we moved out
to the places
heart it races
Jukebox the Ghost - Hold It In
(indie rock pop)
Baby I'm in love and maybe it's not to tell
Only thing that I can do is hold it in, hold it in
Delta Spirit - Children
(indie rock, Americana)
Children shut your eyes
we'll tell you what to see
this world is burnin' down
and you're the ones to lead
Lackthereof - Last November
(lo-fi, experimental)
I'm arriving in style
More importantly, alive
And there's something
To be said for
Surviving
Side B
Arcade Fire - Black Mirror
(indie rock, baroque pop)
Black mirror knows no reflection, knows not pride or vanity
Cares not about your dreams, cares not for your pyramid schemes
Shearwater - Red Sea, Black Sea*
(indie folk-rock)
In place of the sun
In place of the moon
A terrible light
Will flood every room
* The link takes you to the artist page on their label. I would download not just Red Sea, Black Sea, but everything on this page. The songs are all really good.
Boy & Bear - Mexican Mavis
(indie folk-rock)
'Cos my love's not a limit
Minus the Bear - Guns & Ammo
(indie, experimental, math rock)
Skip the "you don't understand"
Skip the "you're such a petty man"
Skip the way you'll never listen
You never listen
Annuals - Brother
(indie rock, experimental)
I fell down in a creek bed
Brother wept
In his face I met fear
That I could die right there
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Arcade Fire / Spoon - 23 Jan 2008 - Enmore Theatre
My expectations for this gig were stratospheric - both bands produced albums last year that made my top 10 list - and Arcade Fire have been on my list of must-see bands since I heard Funeral for the first time and fell in love. That's a lot of years of pent-up anticipation, plus they have a great reputation as a live band, so I was resigned to either being disappointed, or just satisfied. But do you know what? THEY BLEW ME AWAY. Last night's concert has gone straight into being one of the top two gigs I've ever seen in my life, for amazing musicality, exuberance, enjoyability and the utter satisfaction of knowing that everything you've ever dreamed about a concert experience has pretty much materialised before your eyes.
Spoon came out dressed in requisite hipster musician wear - black shirts, black jeans - except for the keyboardist, who seemed majorly dressed down in flannies in comparison. Britt Daniel is strangely magnetic on stage - Kevin admired him for "having style" - he really threw himself into playing and singing, and pulls the performance together. It was a very solid set, amazing for a support slot, and they played for around a hour, fifteen songs all up, the bulk from latest album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It was a shame that the audience at this point wasn't very responsive, but Spoon still gave it their all, and were well worth seeing.
We watched in wonder as the roadies tried as quickly as they could to clear the stage and put out the gazillion instruments that Arcade Fire need, including odd and amazing things like a twelve-string guitar, a hurdy-gurdy, a silver/gold double bass, a small pipe organ, and an accordion. When the band finally came out, at least seven members lined up along the front of the stage, instruments at the ready, and launched into the glorious Wake Up; and from the first word, the adoring audience sang along strongly, and it was amazing, hearing one of my favourite songs played live while watching the interplay of musicians and instruments (Regine played the hurdy-gurdy!) and their captivated audience.
After a few very well-received songs from their first album, Funeral, they took a dip into their early EP for I'm Sleeping in a Submarine to lead into a slightly more sombre but still wonderful section of Neon Bible songs. The dark undertone to the seemingly sweet sounding Black Wave merged into the more ominous Bad Vibrations, the grandeur of My Body is a Cage with the crashing organ chords, the protest of Windowsill, and the lovely interchange from the racing pace into the slower, prettier end of The Well and the Lighthouse, all these were fantastic in live performance. I think the ultimate highlight though, in a night full of amazing musical moments, was the back-to-back pair of Power Out and Rebellion (Lies). It was a beautiful, wonderful, all dancing and singing affair to end the main set, and even as the band left the stage, Richard and Will each carried off a megaphone, singing the outro refrain and keeping the audience echoing them as the stage lights dimmed.
The encore began with, to be absolute delight, No Cars Go. It was awesome to hear it live, to see it performed beautifully and with so much energy. That was followed by a really fun performance of Haiti, sweet and sexy at the same time, after which the band looked like they were really done for the night, saying their goodbyes and basking in the thunderous applause. However, as the light stayed dim, the audience cheers rose until the band trickled back on stage, starting with just Win on an acoustic guitar, and followed by the rest either singing or playing the hell out of their instruments (the double bass took a real beating at this point), to do an impromptu, rocking cover of the Violent Femmes' Kiss Off.
If there were any complaints to be had, and I'm clutching at straws here, it would be that the vocals were a bit low in the mix, so sometimes it could be hard to hear Win or Regine over the rest of the music. But I don't think the exuberant atmosphere dropped at any point during the night, on stage or off. The band were obviously having a great time, and they were so playful in performance - Win had a big grin on his faces as he played to his band, whether it was Regine having her turn on the drums, or with the duo of violinists, or towards the crowd before him; Richard and Will (most out of all the band) running around the stage playing anything and everything with gusto; Regine dancing as she sang with her pretty voice, and making accordion-playing sexy; Win venturing onto the barrier twice and INTO the crowd once towards the end, while the crowd surged towards him in delight. The crowd response was amazing too, a room full of clearly loving and enthusiastic fans, who sang and yelled and clapped along, who danced and raised their hands to the music like they were caught up in an almost religious fervour. It was beautiful evening to be a part of, because it was so joyous and incredible, and it just felt perfect for the music.
Wake Up
Keep the Car Running
Black Mirror
Neighbourhood #2 (Laika)
I'm Sleeping in a Submarine
Black Wave / Bad Vibrations
My Body Is a Cage
Windowsill
The Well and the Lighthouse
Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)
Intervention
(Antichrist Television Blues)
Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
No Cars Go
Haiti
Kiss Off (video)
Spoon came out dressed in requisite hipster musician wear - black shirts, black jeans - except for the keyboardist, who seemed majorly dressed down in flannies in comparison. Britt Daniel is strangely magnetic on stage - Kevin admired him for "having style" - he really threw himself into playing and singing, and pulls the performance together. It was a very solid set, amazing for a support slot, and they played for around a hour, fifteen songs all up, the bulk from latest album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga. It was a shame that the audience at this point wasn't very responsive, but Spoon still gave it their all, and were well worth seeing.
We watched in wonder as the roadies tried as quickly as they could to clear the stage and put out the gazillion instruments that Arcade Fire need, including odd and amazing things like a twelve-string guitar, a hurdy-gurdy, a silver/gold double bass, a small pipe organ, and an accordion. When the band finally came out, at least seven members lined up along the front of the stage, instruments at the ready, and launched into the glorious Wake Up; and from the first word, the adoring audience sang along strongly, and it was amazing, hearing one of my favourite songs played live while watching the interplay of musicians and instruments (Regine played the hurdy-gurdy!) and their captivated audience.
After a few very well-received songs from their first album, Funeral, they took a dip into their early EP for I'm Sleeping in a Submarine to lead into a slightly more sombre but still wonderful section of Neon Bible songs. The dark undertone to the seemingly sweet sounding Black Wave merged into the more ominous Bad Vibrations, the grandeur of My Body is a Cage with the crashing organ chords, the protest of Windowsill, and the lovely interchange from the racing pace into the slower, prettier end of The Well and the Lighthouse, all these were fantastic in live performance. I think the ultimate highlight though, in a night full of amazing musical moments, was the back-to-back pair of Power Out and Rebellion (Lies). It was a beautiful, wonderful, all dancing and singing affair to end the main set, and even as the band left the stage, Richard and Will each carried off a megaphone, singing the outro refrain and keeping the audience echoing them as the stage lights dimmed.
The encore began with, to be absolute delight, No Cars Go. It was awesome to hear it live, to see it performed beautifully and with so much energy. That was followed by a really fun performance of Haiti, sweet and sexy at the same time, after which the band looked like they were really done for the night, saying their goodbyes and basking in the thunderous applause. However, as the light stayed dim, the audience cheers rose until the band trickled back on stage, starting with just Win on an acoustic guitar, and followed by the rest either singing or playing the hell out of their instruments (the double bass took a real beating at this point), to do an impromptu, rocking cover of the Violent Femmes' Kiss Off.
If there were any complaints to be had, and I'm clutching at straws here, it would be that the vocals were a bit low in the mix, so sometimes it could be hard to hear Win or Regine over the rest of the music. But I don't think the exuberant atmosphere dropped at any point during the night, on stage or off. The band were obviously having a great time, and they were so playful in performance - Win had a big grin on his faces as he played to his band, whether it was Regine having her turn on the drums, or with the duo of violinists, or towards the crowd before him; Richard and Will (most out of all the band) running around the stage playing anything and everything with gusto; Regine dancing as she sang with her pretty voice, and making accordion-playing sexy; Win venturing onto the barrier twice and INTO the crowd once towards the end, while the crowd surged towards him in delight. The crowd response was amazing too, a room full of clearly loving and enthusiastic fans, who sang and yelled and clapped along, who danced and raised their hands to the music like they were caught up in an almost religious fervour. It was beautiful evening to be a part of, because it was so joyous and incredible, and it just felt perfect for the music.
Wake Up
Keep the Car Running
Black Mirror
Neighbourhood #2 (Laika)
I'm Sleeping in a Submarine
Black Wave / Bad Vibrations
My Body Is a Cage
Windowsill
The Well and the Lighthouse
Neighbourhood #1 (Tunnels)
Intervention
(Antichrist Television Blues)
Neighbourhood #3 (Power Out)
Rebellion (Lies)
No Cars Go
Haiti
Kiss Off (video)
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