The Eclectic Eight

This list is more on the rock, emo, pop side. Check them all out and let me know what you think!

1) AIR – “Sexy Boy” This group has been around since 1998. I’m mad I’m just now hearing about them. But better late than never. They are french, they use synthesizers and they got fun lyrics. This song is off their Moon Safari album that came out in 1998. A remixed version of same album was released in 2008. You can listen to that here

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2) Coconut Records – Nighttiming Whose behind this project? Ever heard of Actor Jason Schwartzman? (part of Coppola-clan, was in several Wes Anderson flicks such as The Darjeerling Limited and Rushmore…among many other films) Well, he has apparently been dabbling in music for years, even has his own indie record label. This 2007 album was his first under this band name. This is a pretty moody and wistful album but hopeful…Like how you feel when you just start liking someone and you are both running toward that cliff in pseudo-agreement, but you aren’t sure if its good idea…but you are excited by it all so you decide..yea yea yea..I’m going to  jump the cliff and so you do..then you look over and see…i’m the only one who jumped! then BOOM you slam head first into the crashing waves. yup, that’s what this album is like. (perhaps that description was a bit of an exaggeration…but listen and you’ll see).

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3) The Ethiopians – Everything Crash: The Best of the Ethiopians Yea I know you are thinking…of course she’d add this group named after her peoples…nope.not even really. Just came across it while looking for Ethiopian music. Besides they are Jamaicans. But I guess that doesn’t really matter in the grander scheme of things, as one friend reminded me We all are the people of Kush. The band does 1960-70’s ska; Listening to them makes you wish you had a guaro y fresca in your hand (yea I’m nostalgic for my Costa Rica days.) while you danced the night away with everyone you loved and knew, in an open veranda steps away from the Caribbean Sea. See it? Yea, now play the songs.

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4) The Black Keys - Attack & Release These two Ohio boys are really onto something. Trippy, folksy, rock-n-roll, 70s-ish…but more. Led Zepplin meets White Stripes meets…The Roots? Look, you just gotta listen to see what I mean. The album has songs about men dealing with crazy bitches, being love-sick, cold-hearted, down-trodden and on-top of the world.Initially, it may sound a bit depressing and confusing but it makes me wanna have a good ass night. The album’s got a pretty good build. Sounds like  it could be a really great soundtrack too. They have caught alotta folks attention from all different genres…even from couple hip-hop heads. So much so, there’s a huge project in the works, with the likes of Q-tip, Mos Def, Jim Jones, Pharoach Monch, Raekwon and more involved. If all goes right, I feel like this project could be just as exciting as when Run-DMC and Aerosmith collaborated back in the day. Yes, I am going out on a limb and saying that. These sortsa projects and artists make me excited about the direction the relationship hip-hop and rock-n-roll is going in..albeit tumultuous one at that…. Check out official site on the project: http://blakroc.com/

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5) Serge Gainsbourg – “Sea Sex and Sun” He may no longer be alive, but his music definitely is and will continue to do so. He’s french, he’s raunchy, speaks to you exclusively in french (for the most part) and his music epitomizes that early euro jazzy cafe music. Though I don’t understand what he is saying, I imagine a scene out of some foreign love triangle film. Sounds really odd I know, but I imagine scenes in my mind when I hear music.I like to try to visualize sound, if that makes any sense. I digress, you can and should listen to a nice compilation of his work here

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6) Nico Vega “Nico Vega” Yes another rock group. Definitely on pop-side and the lead has quite a nice voice. Catchy songs. By the sound of her voice and the lyrics she does not sound like a woman to fuck with. Enjoy and tell me what you think!

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7) Phil Ade- Wow. I have seen mention of his name at various local events and have for some reason or another been unable to see him live. But after hearing his music I have realized, I really should have gone to see him. Confident, Fun, and Witty lyrics over some pretty nice beats. AND he’s a fellow DMVer. I doubt you will be disappointed. Check out his music here.

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8)  Carolyn Malachi- The woman who started the Revenge of the Smart Chicks. Jazzy voice. Witty lyrics. AND from the DMV. Carolyn has been on mission to make smart chicks cooler than ever before. She’s been doing music and incorporated that into her community work by starting the Smart Chicks, Inc. After seeing her speak at hip/hop cinema event at the historical society several months ago, I realized this chick is onto something…definitely refreshing to say the least. Listen for yourself! She’s got new album that just came out too called Revenge of the Smart Chicks II: Ambitious Gods. Check out her music here.

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I hope you enjoyed this month’s Third Mondays, 11/16: THE ECLECTIC EIGHT . Expect the unexpected each time. Also, I want to hear what you think!

One Last thing:
By TwitterButtons.com

-Selamawit

by The Black Keys is a song that must be heard.

The band consist of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney, both originally from Ohio and the song Psychotic Girl is from their 2008 album Attack & Release.

There was some trepidation in my world when I heard the Akron twosome had hooked up with superhip producer Dangermouse.  Would he turn them into some sort of disco outfit?  Would they move too far away from their roots?

There was no need to fear.  The Risky Rodent did not push them into completely uncharted waters.  The album does sound noticeably different from their earlier works, but in a logical and exciting manner.  Instead of stridently sticking to the guitar and drums combo, there are some new sounds on here – an organ, bells and other tinkly things. The core dynamic is still the rise and fall of the guitar and drums, but the new sounds  do add some refreshing variety.

This album could a load of critics excited when it came out.  It is good to see the lads having fun and making new friends.  It would be even better if they delivered some super catchy tracks.  A few approach single-like status, such as I Got Mine, Strange Times and the closing Things Aint Like They Used To Be, but it does appear that the bigger picture of a coherent soundscape took precedent.

File Under: Mousy rock

In the midst of dealing with personal shit, I hadn’t made time to see the last episode of Summer Heights High, which is the sleeper hit of the winter. Now with On Demand, they got those stupid ads before the show. Why do they even bother? I have a fast forward button for a reason.

While I was fumbling to find the remote to flip through all that crap, my gaze left the TV. Then I heard The Black Keys’ “Lies” in the background. I look up and it’s the preview for the upcoming season of “Big Love”.  I will watch that show because anything The Black Keys would lend their music has gotta be good because I don’t think they would be the guys to get bought out for tons of money. I mean they sell out venues across the country and go back to Akron, Ohio. They’re very humble guys.

Anyways, given the subject matter of the song and the scenes added to the preview, it should make for an interesting season…and I’ve never even seen the show before (note: something about the car salesman from “True Lies” being married to three woman is a little unsettling).

10. The Black Keys – Attack & Release

Dan Auerbach is the year’s worthiest bluesman, having proved his mettle time and time again with a slew of sleeper blues albums over the past seven years. Along with drummer/producer extraordinaire Patrick Carney, he is a consistent source of noteworthy rock and roll.

There’s a touch of ambition evident here: hearing the acoustic slow-burn start to “All You Ever Wanted,” one can’t help but recall Zeppelin when the swell finally comes, and the fuzzed out guitar makes space for a righteous blast of the organ. The bluesy banjo and old-timey piano cameos, along with the ghostly harmony parts in “Psychotic Girl” are spot-on, providing that much needed atmosphere to paint the miasmatic scenes. There’s even some Tull-esque flute featured in “Same Old Thing.”

Though Attack and Release is by far the most instrumentally resourceful album from the band yet, it doesn’t cease to impress with more traditional tracks like “I Got Mine,” the guitars grinding it out with growls and howls aplenty. It’s certainly not an unwelcome change, nor a terribly dicey one; after all, the star of the show is still Auerbach’s ragged wail.

If the first four tracks of this album don’t boil your blue blood, it’s time to give the genre up.

Recommended tracks: “I Got Mine;” “Strange Times;” “Psychotic Girl”

9. The Walkmen – You & Me

You & Me bounces along on a deft bassline at the start of “Dondé está la Playa” and doesn’t stop impressing until the abrupt ending of “If Only It Were True,” rambling through 51 minutes of jangly, sweet indie rock with style abounding. Lead singer Hamilton Leithauser even channels a bit of Frankie Valli on “Canadian Girl.” To seemingly contradict this, he grips his microphone as if it could fly from his grasp at any moment, cocking his head and baring teeth to eke out the high notes. For a voice that intones a certain stately composure, his presentation is patently unaffected.

Listening to The Walkmen is enjoyable partly because they write great pop music, but more so because they play it with such care. Their harmonies and horns are never gratuitous, and the band orchestrates its stops with the song’s best interest at heart (“Red Moon”).

Take “In The New Year,” for example: the ringing and breaking chorus is a lulling delight; the agogic tension between the drums and the rest of the band is truly masterful. While the band is basically working variations on a theme, they’ve more than proven that they are capable and hardy balladeers. They’ve bested A Hundred Miles Off and given Bows + Arrows a run for its money, if not surpassing it altogether, with this excellently mature album.

Recommended tracks: “Dondé está la Playa;” “In The New Year;” “Red Moon”

8. Eagles of Death Metal – Heart On

The Eagles of Death Metal’s third album is by far their slickest, but with their over-serious approach to making funny and catchy rock and roll, it fits the bill better than expected. Tracks like “Secret Plans” and “Prissy Prancing” reflect the band’s first record in a glammier sense, but thankfully the band wisely strays from overdosing on ProTools. Jessie Hughes and Josh Homme ironically shoot from the hip concerning their silver tongues: “ask me if I can be true / ask me where I’m going to / I say I love you but you ought to know / I only love the night and I’m always on the go / I’ll tell you anything, baby, except the truth.”

Of their three albums, Heart On shows the most evidence of Homme’s touch. You’ll hear his ghostly background harmonies haunting the intro of “WannaBe in L.A.,” but the songs are all still Jesse’s, with his simple trademark blues guitar forming the backbone of nearly every tune here. It speaks volumes that the songs can all be stripped down to guitar and drums alone, and therein lies the beauty of the Eagles: these are two guys who know how to play off each other’s strengths. With every record, the Eagles threaten Homme’s day job in Queens of the Stone Age; Josh’s enjoyment of Heart On is unmistakable, and he doesn’t even really sing lead or play guitar in the studio. Even wife Brody Dalle cameos haggardly on “Cheap Thrills.”

Though nothing may surpass Death By Sexy, the Eagles are still in fine form. And while they may not be the original Eagles, they write dirty rock and roll like they invented it. Heart On is gleefully peppered with antics that would make Glenn Frey blush. You know where to go to get your buzz.

“Anything ‘Cept The Truth;” “(I Used To Couldn’t Dance) Tight Pants;” “Secret Plans”

7. TV on the Radio – Dear Science

He’s a what, now? Well, he’s a newspaper man, to be sure. That seemingly off-the-cuff lyric from “Dancing Choose” seems somehow to typify TV on the Radio; their constant struggle as New Yorkers is to echo the front-page atmosphere of dissent in our present political climate. This, of course, is supplemented with more standard fare (“Make Love All Night Love”).

There’s always a mixed bag of blips and bleeps on any TV on the Radio track, but the markedly mature thing about Dear Science is its evident pop sensibility (“Dancing Choose,” “Golden Age,”). To qualify that: Tunde Adebimpe’s vocals take some unpacking, but frankly the arrangements are a strict (and stark) improvement over Return to Cookie Mountain. That is not an altogether simple achievement, granted the hard-earned critical reception to their 2006 release.

Whether or not TV on the Radio has seen their magnum opus in 2008 is certainly a point of contention. One point that can’t be disputed, however, is that this is their first non-hideous album cover, a fact the indie music scene celebrates with palpable vigor. Although its terse electronics and seemingly heavy-handed facade make Dear Science a challenge, the parental wisdom you have stored in the recesses of your brain finally resounds all-too clearly: nothing good ever comes easy.

Recommended tracks: “Halfway Home;” “Dancing Choose;” “Stork & Owl”

6. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend

Rather unceremoniously crowned “the whitest band” by blogosphere socialite and author Christian Lander, it’s easy to see how a newcomer might be hesitant to dip their toes. In reality, however, Vampire Weekend have penned and plunked out some of the most markedly black (well, that is to say, “African,”) music of the year. With its layered polyrhythms (“Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”), and call-and-answer harmonies (“One (Blake’s Got A New Face)”), it’s almost a spiritual successor to Graceland.

Weekend’s members having met while studying at Columbia University, their lyrics and music exude youth and the carefree university conduct, going so far as, tellingly, to have named a song “Campus.” But all this is lost on the 34 minutes of jangle-pop bliss that is Vampire Weekend, because in truth, the audience cares less about how they did it, as long as they keep doing it. The media, as well: even for one of 2008’s most feted debuts, a number of TV spots and a movie soundtrack feature is not a bad dash of press.

“Mansard Roof” is a deceptively fitting opener, starting with naught but a modest key intro and Ezra Koenig’s agile baritone. Soon the string arrangement gives way to a rambunctious drummer and skittering guitar tremolos, succinctly and perfectly expressing Vampire Weekend in a single track. They’re seeing the tops of those houses now, unquestionably.

Recommended tracks: “Oxford Comma;” “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa;” “One (Blake’s Got A New Face)”

5. Portishead – Third

Portishead are quite plainly masters of atmosphere, relentlessly crafting arresting constructs of electronic wonder and looped guitar until Third’s intermission, “Deep Water,” offers some stripped-down antique flavor. As with Portishead’s every go, the band has proved themselves capable of getting their hooks into the listener simply by drawing the tension out. Adding bit by bit, they tease and tack on weight until the mammoth tunes appear ready to collapse under their own weight.

One of them does, in fact – “Silence” merely cuts off just before the five minute mark, ostensibly to keep it from spiraling right into oblivion. Beth Gibbons’ fragile lament enters a full two minutes after the band has wound the song into a tight, dark, coil. Just as the opener for Third threatens to run out of steam, a new descending guitar line breathes aching life into a plaintive mass of torment. It may not exactly be a trailblazer of an album, but as we’ve seen that in the past, some of the best albums are perfecting, not pioneering.

Emotive and evocative, Third was worth the decade wait.

Recommended tracks: “Silence;” “Hunter;” “Magic Doors”

4. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

Every year, we get some folk gem of an album that promises to be the new folk bible for the next ten years. Iron and Wine, Kings of Convenience, Andrew Bird, Joanna Newsom, Devendra Banhart — all have come in and quietly shaken things up just the past five years. The latest product of our pressing times is Bon Iver, the pseudonym for Justin Vernon, a pretty unassuming-looking twenty-seven-year-old from Wisconsin.

The recordings on Emma may be rudimentary in spots, but that’s certainly part of its charm. The buzzing sympathetic string in “Flume” and the flimsy Silvertone guitar timbre throughout may suggest an amateur, but Vernon writes and arranges like a pro, and his unique vocal manner can rouse the listener gently even at a fast clip (“Lump Sum”). And although the trappings are rural and the subject interpersonal, the rambling “For Emma” is startlingly theatrical, with its cryptic narrative detailing tender heartache. To the careless listener, “Re: Stacks” won’t betray its true meaning, but when introducing the song, Vernon is more than forthright concerning his destitute dealings: “There’s a black crow sitting across from me / his wiry legs are crossed / and he’s dangling my keys, he even fakes a toss / whatever could it be / that has brought me to this loss?”

Even the setting is picturesque: the entire album was recorded in a small cabin in the sticks of Wisconsin. This is surely one of the finest folk albums of the year, boasting more than just the soul-baring lyrics and smooth crooning we’ve come to take for granted of late. If you’re at home amidst the distant swirls of chimney smoke and falling snow, For Emma, Forever Ago is your instant folk classic.

Recommended tracks: “Flume;” “The Wolves (Act I and II);” “Re: Stacks”

3. M83 – Saturdays = Youth

Nouveau 80s has taken a lot of interesting forms in the last year, but nobody channels the era of cultured pop electronica quite like M83. Still, this is no rehash of Mr. Mister and Depeche Mode, and with the band still being the work of Anthony Gonzalez alone, it’s downright impressive.

“You Appearing” is a wistful and weighty opener, setting the mood with an airy vocal refrain before giving way to the triumphant anthem “Kim & Jessie.” The textures at work in these two tracks alone are trembling with energy and ardor, and take listens upon listens to fully uncover. At this point, however, the album is really only warming up. By the time Saturdays approaches the revolving instrumental epic “Midnight Souls Still Remain,” the eleven minutes of calm it provides are the only way to wind the record down properly. For a Frenchman, this album was crafted inside a bubble of a surprisingly American aesthetic: “death is her boyfriend / she spits on summers and smiles to the night / she collects crowns made of black roses / but her heart is made of bubble gum.”

The really spectacular thing about M83 is that Gonzalez sees tone as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. This allows him to paint some terrific songs using his arrangements as a hue on his palette rather than as the medium itself, as so many of the post-rock and indie bands nowadays do. The result is a staggering, surprisingly hopeful album that positively shimmers with grandeur.

Recommended tracks: “You Appearing;” “Skin Of The Night;” “Graveyard Girl”

2. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

While this may be the most overhyped album this year, Fleet Foxes is certainly no slouch. Given its rather pastoral setting — look at the cover, for Pete’s sake — this album looks as if it’s cut from folk cloth and ready to give Sam Beam a thrashing. In the end, however, this humble giant is unfiltered pop, with its gorgeous harmonies and fetching choruses — a true sing-along album from a prodigiously talented group.

To date, Fleet Foxes has sold over 200,000 copies, which is nothing short of an indie music miracle, but also speaks to the universal allure of the music. It’s quite a benchmark for a band of their appeal, and certainly a record for their label Bella Union.

Although the album is as cohesive as any of those listed here, the strength of its individual tracks is impossible to deny. “White Winter Hymnal” is an instant classic, with its pleasant gospel sway and 60s-era guitar riff; it’s a full-fledged pop-folk gem. “Oliver James,” a gentle acoustic ballad, is one of the superior album closers of the year.

What’s good in 2008? A band that plays music for the love of music, releasing a killer debut that can’t possibly be surpassed with a sophomore effort. What’s better? God bless them, they do it justice on stage. The inescapable downside? As mentioned, they are in their honeymoon. Here’s hoping their dedication to the craft doesn’t take a nosedive when the garbage has to go out.

Recommended tracks: “White Winter Hymnal;” “Ragged Wood;” “Oliver James”

1. Shearwater – Rook

Not everyone in the music business is trying too hard. At the end of the day, there are loads of people who want to make beautiful, creative music, but with the lengths that “indie” music has stretched the past few years, in some cases it’s been a race to see who’s going to hit the next gold mine. Refreshingly, Rook shivers with the fervor and panache of an imaginary world, rather than the deepest exploits and sullies of our own.

Rook embarks with an apropos crash from “On The Death Of The Waters,” and the avian drama “Rooks” is likewise crackling with energy. It’s when the album first pauses in the repose of “Leviathan, Bound,” however, that it is so firmly established as the finest album of 2009; it’s the best song released this year. Accompanied by the artful hammered dulcimer drone, the melody of “Leviathan” is a vitreous aperture into the deep of vocalist Jonathan Meiburg’s theatre. The magic and myth spoken of here — and indeed, throughout the album — immediately abstracts Shearwater: this kind of material would utterly reek of camp and bombast coming from any other artist; Meiburg’s voice empowers the theme rather than parodying it.

What separates Shearwater from all others this year is their magnificent and effortless capture of poetry within paean: “my winged children, all / will fly over the mountain wall / to the lid of the sky / and slice its belly full wide / with their warm knives.” Rarely do you see any artist so seamlessly blend their songwriting with their medium. The pacing, too, is noteworthy: by the time the album approaches the steaming and fang-ridden centerpiece “Century Eyes,” a full five tracks of cat-and-mouse dynamics have drifted by like ships in the night, and the sudden change is at once both unexpected and welcome. The sole voice resounding, “tear it off!/tear it off!” easily outshines the thick vocal arrangements of the neo-Wilson era, at least in 2008.

It was once said that writing about music is like dancing about architecture. When one hears Rook and is enveloped by its subtle craft and careful arrangement, they encounter a consonance with the distant haze of this other world, and are ineffably satisfied.

Recommended tracks: “Leviathan, Bound;” “Century Eyes;” “The Snow Leopard”

Honorable Mentions:

Mogwai – The Hawk is Howling

More classic, spacey tension from some of the best in their field. Mogwai continue to impress with impassioned performances and thundering dynamics. If instrumental music continues to push boundaries the way bands like this one (and Sigur Ros, Eluvium, Ratatat, Lightning Bolt, Explosions In The Sky, etc.) have, we have a lot to look forward to.

Recommended tracks: “I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead;” “I Love You, I’m Going To Blow Up Your School;” “The Precipice”

Wolf Parade – At Mount Zoomer

Much as the cover of this album is a collaboration between two artists, Wolf Parade’s songwriting and singing are shared duties, which brings a refreshing duality to their albums; Krug’s reverbbed voice and tinkling keys (“Bang Your Drum”) against Boeckner’s unfettered vocals and riffy strummings (“The Grey Estates”) make for an album that doesn’t overstay its welcome in any one area.

At Mount Zoomer is hardly a sophomore slump to Apologies to the Queen Mary, and “Soldier’s Grin” is among the best songs released in 2008.

Recommended tracks: “Soldier’s Grin;” “Call It A Ritual;” “Bang Your Drum”

Shugo Tokomaru – Exit

Dense and layered, Exit is a great pop album that certainly bears the marks of a Japanese pop artist, with its wide spectrum of instrumentation, peppered English phrases, and tight production. This album doesn’t smack of J-Pop, however, and shouldn’t just appeal to that crowd. It falls closer to the production style of Quruli or Kazuyoshi Saito, in that it’s best described as great music that’s simply sung in Japanese.

Recommended tracks: “Parachute;” “Green Rain;” “Wedding”

Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid

Elbow have a great record on their hands. It’s not only got really great songcraft and tremendous vocal work from bandleader Guy Garvey, but it’s got — for a late-career pop record — some of the most unusual and creative timbres in terms of accompaniment; it’s a heartening thing to witness when so many groups attempt to compensate for a lack of clear artistic direction with “heart” and “maturity.” This smart Britpop album is virtually brimming with romance and heartache, and is well worth a listen or two.

Recommended tracks: “Mirrorball;” “An Audience With The Pope;” “Friend of Ours”

Ratatat – LP3

LP3 is somewhat less wide-appeal than Ratatat and Classics, which feature a lot of straight-ahead layered guitar parts with some truly stunning harmonies. Instead, the Brookyln-based duo has opted to plant one foot firmly in some experimental polyrhythms and tones (“Mumtaz Khan,” “Mirando”) before tearing the guitars out and shredding. Notably, “Imperials” has some beautiful key pyrotechnics not previously seen on any Ratatat record.

As a result of these things, the album might perhaps be less danceable as their previous two, but certainly not any less rich. The tracks also tend to be shorter, which is an improvement, being that some of the four- and five-minute tracks on early songs started to lose steam on those late-breaking choruses. LP3, by comparison, doesn’t linger too long; it’s an album of evident maturation for Ratatat.

Recommended tracks: “Falcon Jab;” “Mirando;” “Imperials”

The Week That Was – The Week That Was

A thoroughly ambitious and raucous debut from a great band. There’s a lot of great cohesive energy on The Week That Was that flows in abundance from their live shows, as well. Sharp call-and-answer and intertwining strains of shadowy harmony characterize the entirety of the album; it’s a horror-tunnel of rich textural interplay. Although sadly it appears to have been overlooked by the greater critical community, you’re better informed than they are, aren’t you?

Recommended tracks: “Learn to Learn;” “The Good Life;” “Scratch The Surface”

The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely

The Raconteurs are among the best remaining rock and roll bands in America. Songwriting duo Brendan Benson and Jack White are steeped in talent, penning straight ahead rockers (“Salute Your Solution,” “Attention”), bluesy jaunts (“Top Yourself,” “Rich Kid Blues”), and even a six-minute rural southern epic (“Carolina Drama”). The visceral punch lacking in Broken Boy Soldiers is found here, as the Greenhornes’ rhythm section is better-represented. It really gives the music some meat to back up the screeching wail of the guitar solos. While this group may echo Stripesman White more than anyone else, it feels like the muscular work of a band having fun as the great songwriters that they are.

Recommended tracks: “Consoler Of The Lonely;” “Salute Your Solution;” “Attention”

The Black Keys - Attack & Release

This is one of my favorite tracks from the #7 album on my Best of 2008 year-end list: “I Got Mine” by The Black Keys…

It’s that time of year again when everyone looks back at what was and what could have been. It’s no different for me and The Black Keys. Here’s a few observations about the band in 2008. And some crystal ball gazing about 2009.

2008

The Black Keys (almost) became part of a mainstream consciousness.From Letterman to Lollapalooza the band must have played more shows in 2008 than any other year. It seems Dan and Pat have been on the road constantly. Across the States, Europe, Australia (twice) and elsewhere.

They are certainly getting themselves out there but I for one fear burn out. Geez, they both have wives who I’m sure would love to see them more.

The new Attack & Release album came out to almost universal praise. It was a landmark in that it was so strong and diverse after the ‘OK but  more of the same’ nature of Magic Potion. It’s opened more ears than any other. All the DIY recording over the years seemed to be expressed so well in th is big studio sound album.

Attack and Release seems to be on so many peoples ‘Top Albums of 2008′ lists. Everyone also talks about the hip hop production connection of Danger Mouse on the album yet The Black  Keys have always loved hip hop and the Wu-Tang Clan specifically. And, correct me if I’m wrong, but their first album The Big Come Up remains the only album to feature samples.

Busy as they are the band has still found time to variously start their own label, found their own recording studio and help produce numerous up and coming bands we’ll no doubt hear alot more from in 2009.

The year was neatly wrapped and packaged by the new Crystal Ballroom Live DVD. It really showcased the breadth of sound, confidence and musical command of the band.

The band has always had a respect for grass roots poster art and publicity and we’ve covered this quite a bit this year. The new Black Keys official website leveraged off their album artwork and provided a strong identity.

As popular as they get Dan and Pat still have a real approachable quality to their personalities, wear Converse, and talk about fast food in more interviews than all other bands combined.

2009?

I’m still hopeful The RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan will produce the next album.

Who knows where Dan’s solo project will lead.  I can only think it will be positive for the band to take a break. But then again it seems when the creative juices are flowing you’ve got to bottle them as fast as possible before the mojo vanishes as fast as it could previously be pumped.

Prediction: Dan will shave his beard off. Just like Liam Finn did after my post about their hairy visage.

Hopefully someone will answer my question about who is The Black Keys Roadie?

Hopefully all these questions and more will be answered if I can get an interview with the band when they arrive in Australia in early 2009. Come what may I’ll still be jibbering on about them in 2009.

Have a safe and prosperous Festive Season.

Alright, originally I was only going to to my favorite album of the year, but first it got hard, then it got blown all out of proportion (that’s what she said) and–unable to scratch a single album off my list–grew to a top ten list. This post will be the first five, then I think I’ll do a separate post for albums five through one. It’s a pretty great list, and I’ll say right off that there are some notable records that seem to be on a lot of critics’ top tens that didn’t make the cut. Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III is absent, as is No Age’s Nouns, Deerhunter’s Microcastle, and TV on the Radio’s Dear Science. Anyway here are the first 6 (with a tie for 10th place).

10. (tie)Black Keys – Attack & Release

Various Artists – The Last Kind Words (1926-1953)

I spent a good two months of the year listening almost exclusively to old music (my cut off years were 1910 and 1947). This means I spent a lot of time listening to old blues songs and some pretty interesting compilations. Looking back on it, I’m not sure that it was totally worthwhile. As in “Do I really need to listen to songs about drugs, sex, and novelty subjects made in the 1930s?” The answer is yes. I found a few gems, but a lot of those comps have a ton of crappy license-free songs as well. Fortunately, I also found the Last Kind Words compilation, which is just what I was looking for. There’s a lot of stuff that’s like the early Carter Family records, but there’s a lot of really good blues, like “Death is Only a Dream” and “I’m Going to Germany.” This album, paired with the Black Keys’ Attack & Release (as well as Fat Possum Records’ Not the Same Old Blues Crap Vol. 3) kept me going for quite awhile. The Keys’ album is one of their best, and I’ll take Dangermouse pretty much any way I can get him. His work here, some of his most subtle, gives the album the space that a lot of their earlier stuff  didn’t have. Good job Black Keys! Good job old people!

9. The Clipse – Road to Till the Casket Drops

It’s pretty amazing that The Clipse can put out a clothing promo mixtape and pretty much blow everyone out of the water. Pusha T and Malice are hypnotizing. I can put this on (or any of their stuff really) and it’s just as absorbing as watching Al Pacino lose himself in the last half of Scarface. The rhymes on Road to Till the Casket Drops are The Clipse at their best: calm, collected, and stunningly calculated. There are a couple things that kept this album out of the top five: A. Constant name-dropping of their terribly-named clothing line Play Cloths (the “o” in Cloths is long, apparently). And B. No Neptunes. The Clipse and the Neptunes bring out the best in each other, and while I wouldn’t expect the ‘Tunes to produce for a mixtape and the selection of beats is pretty good, Road to… just doesn’t feel as locked-in without Chad Hugo and Pharrell. Curiously, as with their last LP, Hell Hath No Fury, my favorite song happens to be the album intro, which is incredible. Looking forward to their next LP proper, Till the Casket Drops, which should be (fingers-crossed) on next year’s list, if all goes according to plan.

8. The Dodos – Visiter

This is a special album because my band opened for them just after this album dropped, and it was probably our most high profile show, which is always nice but that doesn’t mean that it’s a shoo-in for the top ten list simply for sentimentality. The Dodos are pretty much the most rocking acoustic two-piece band that performs sitting down. Visiter captures the Dodos’ incredible energy, along with some wicked chops. What kind of chops? Drum chops. Guitar chops. Singing chops. Songwriting Chops.

7. Okkervil River – The Stand-Ins

As with any band that I keep a pretty close eye on, everything Okkervil River puts out immediately gets compared to their previous releases. The Stand-Ins is one of those “better than x but not as good as y” albums, as in: it’s not as good as Black Sheep Boy, it’s still a great album and a better album than last year’s The Stage Names. Every Okkervil River album is full of great songs and some of the best pop music writing being set to tape these days. This is no exception–which is why this album was lodged in my car all summer long.

6. Fleet Foxes – S/T

What can I say? Like just about everyone else, I thought this was pretty much the best sounding record of the year, but best sounding doesn’t mean best, so that’s why it’s not numero uno. As much as I loved the record, I didn’t see much beyond the gorgeous vocal harmonies and the nod back to groups from the 70’s like the Byrds or Seals & Crofts. That being said, songs like “White Winter Hymnal” and “Your Protector” are incredible performances and great pieces of art.

For albums 5 through 1 click here.

THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2008 (and other things)

So, like any music-related blog, here’s a listing of my top albums this year. Some of it may seem a bit odd and arbitrary, but there’s some backings to my orderings. But, it’s all merely numbers – I’ve enjoyed all these albums throughout the year, and completely numberless. However, for the sake of order, here’s the list…

35. AmpLive – Rainydayz Remixes

Here’s a great album remix concept that works out all the way through. Rather than simply mashing up In Rainbows with another album, AmpLive rearranges the Radiohead tracks into completely new and downright great hip-hop songs. Del’s track (“Videotapez”) is one of the best hip-hop songs of the year.

34. High Places – 03/07 – 09/07

It’s a bit random, but this selection of songs recorded by High Places made from March to September of last year is, if anything, a mark at how great this band can be. “Head Spins” and “Jump In” offer up some fantastic experimental pop songs, bringing some heft to the album of mostly-studio experimentations.

33. Future Islands – Wave Like Home

Comparisons are pretty easy, but in this case, it’s impossible to ignore. Baltimore’s Future Islands sound a little something like if New Order used cheap laptop technology for their electronics and were fronted by a slightly subdued Iggy Pop. “Old Friend” is perhpas one of the most endearing beginnings to any album this year.

32. Fuck Buttons - Street Horrsing

Listen to the first two tracks and just try not getting hypnotized. Experimental-art-whatever-kind-of-rock that’s quite pallatable.

31. Lil Wayne – Tha Carter III

I’m not sure what convinced me about this record. Oh wait, it could be the brilliant minimalism of “A Milli” and Wayne dropping rhymes like “you drop em cuz we pop em like Orville Redenbacher.” Now that’s an imaginative and oddball line for you.

30. Atmosphere – When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold/Strictly Leakage

Sure, Slug’s fit of anger may have become… well, sluggish. But he’s surely got more to offer, as seen on When Life Gives You Lemons. Although there are some rough patches here and there, Slug melts his tales of woe and wisdom of everyday folks with Ant’s increasingly experimental neo-soul. Guest spots from TVOTR’s Tunde Adebimpe and Tom Waits sure do add to the mix. The free Strictly Leackage is a bit of a toss-away in comparison to the large amount of Atmosphere material out there, but pump those beats and you really can’t go wrong.

29. The Very Best – The Very Best Mixtape

This mixtape might be a little higher to the top if it weren’t for the fact that many of its best tracks are simply recylced instrumentals that are quite recognizable… then again, that is part of the appeal of most mixtapes. Even so, Esau Mwamwaya’s skillful flow brings a newfound musicality to the over-used Clash sample on “Paper Planes”… now, if I only new what he was saying…

28. Foals – Antidotes

When I saw Foals in a tiny club in London back in 2007, I was sold. But when Antidotes was released, I didn’t pick it up. Actually, I still haven’t. However, I’ve heard plenty of the album, and after having a sizeable amount of distance from the material and the British hype machine, I must say the things that brought me to the band are still there. There’s the quirky math-minimalist streak, combined with an ambience I originally pushed off in search of more post-punk punch but does the trick. If only some of the songs stood out a little more on their own, or rather, didn’t appear to repeate the tropes of other tracks, this album would have been in the top ten.

27. Pattern Is Movement – All Together

Punk drums and church-like organs with operatic singing, and tons of positive feedback. How can you go wrong?

26. Hercules and Love Affair – Hercules and Love Affair

The sound of Hercules and Love Affair breathes disco, but it seems to be missing part of the free-for-all effervescence that fills the best tracks of that era. But considering that the large majority of songs from that era get increasingly hard to listen to, consider HALA a neo-disco best of. Some of these songs are that great. Hats off to Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons, who’s trumpet-like warble makes the albums best songs.

25. Apollo Sunshine - Shall Noise Upon

Like the Beatles? Like classic rock? Anti-folk? Country? Jam? “Indie?” Well, it’d be best to run out and pick up this record immediately. It’s great to see Apollo Sunshine constantly producing great music, and their work in the studio has certainly begun to equal their live presence. What’s the worst thing about the record? The fact that it hasn’t been getting its proper due.

24. Kanye West – 808s and Heartbreak

Here’s what my friend had to say to me about this album while arguing about it the other day:

“He doesn’t rap!”

“It’s all electronics!”

Now, on paper/screen image, it’s impossible to register the confused disgust in my friends voice. That’s because he was just making statements, though ones marked with hatred towards the album. For a person who isn’t neccesarily looking for a formula, 808s and Heartbreaks is a solid pop record. The beats are, if anything, still fresh, “despite” the electronics of it. And the auto-tone? Well, it’s better than T-Pain. Moreover, songs like “Say You Will” and “Coldest Winter” seem to stick to the inside of your head no matter what the ratio of electronic singing to rapping may be.

23. Hot Chip – Made In The Dark

It’s got some of the best dance tunes of the year, and some of the oddest slow dance songs of the year. You have to give it a hand to Hot Chip to keep on revitalizing their sound and style and interspersing it with effects from reggaeton to two-step to old school soul.

22. The Black Keys – Attack & Release

Danger Mouse. Danger Mouse is like cowbell for those musicians who aren’t Blue Oyster Cult. With Attack & Release, DM revitalizes The Black Keys tired and true approach and certainly makes it less tired, working in to fill in the blanks that come with only having a guitar and drum. The funky bump of “Strange Times” and wistful ballad of “Psychotic Girl” have helped revitalize my own faith in this band.

21. Marnie Stern – This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That

Here’s a record for folks who think that the world of the guitar virtuoso is gender oriented. Marnie Stern can shred faster than most of those old phallic hair metal acts, and she does it well to boot. AC/DC-styled riffs at chipmunk paces, math-stylized song structures, and Zach Hill make for pop-fueled fun.

20. Wilderness – (k)no(w)here

When the vocals on “High Nero” kick in halfway through the song, it’s as if Wilderness grabs you and goes, “where have you been?” I can’t believe it took me until this band’s 3rd album to discover them, and what a treat it is. Stormy, ambient psych-folk combined with brutally haunting vocals that don’t so much scare as orate tales of loss and redemption. Too bad it’s over far too quickly.

19. Dr. Dog - Fate

Another band that took me far too long to discover, but this was purely out of my musical filtering mechanism: the name Dr. Dog just has no appeal. Fortunately, their music is an entirely different beast, a wonderful combination of Beatles melodies, country-fried guitar rants by The Band, and who-knows-where-we’ll-go-with-this-song of good ole’ indie rock. These guys might actually turn me on to classic rock instead of the other way around.

18. Chad VanGaalen – Soft Airplane

VanGaalen’s third album is also his best (so far at least), and a complete picture as well; previous records sounded like a mess of VanGaalen screwing around in his basement with random instruments he created and a few good tunes surviving. Well, here that process has paid off, with some of his most mind-gnawing work to date: death, freak-folk, and oftly odd melodies crash and collide to make a great listen all the way through.

17. Alias – Resurgam

It’s been a banner year for Anticon, and Resurgam is just one of many great records to come out of this Oakland collective over the last couple of years. Almost entirely composed of instrumental work, it’s an ambient take on old school hip-hop that will put you in a state of relaxation for hours on end. It even seems a bit unpleasant when the two vocal songs kick in, at least until you recognize that the same music sits at the foreground of the album.

16. Beach House – Devotion

I was itrigued to see how Beach House, a band who’s music could easily lull one to sleep, would perform under the insurmountable pressure that comes with taking the stage at Siren Music Festival. Facing the grueling heat, packed crowds of hipsters, and set time near the end of a long, long day, Beach House performed as beautifully as their melodies. Devotion is a spellbinding, ambient mess of tunes that work under any weather or state of emotion. Victoria Legrand’s voice is as soothing as it is soulful, and it carries the entire album to its sleepy-headed end.

15. No Age – Nouns

No Age’s Nouns is filled with the kind of songs you seem to know before you even hear them. They’re packed with anthemic punk-rock riffs and bursts, yet remain emotionally perplexing and experimentally arousing. And it’s loud as hell. It’s hardcore for the arty crowd, art for the little punks in us all, and something for everyone.

14. Wale – Mixtape About Nothing

Here’s a hip-hop artist with a good head on his shoulders and an ego that’s perfectly comfortable in a realm where folks have to defend theirs at every turn. That could be because Wale can crank out dozens of tunes about something as archaic to hip-hop as Seinfeld can be… and it’s great too. Infuse sick rhyming and lyrical foreplay with old school hip-hop meets go-go (and perhaps that genre’s ticket out of D.C.) and tons of rap’s biggest names and you wouldn’t feel the need to defend one’s ego either.

13. The Bug – London Zoo

In an odds-and-ends collection of articles, a close friend of Lester Bangs’ describes PiL’s Metal Box as a musical accompanyment to his depression. In many ways, London Zoo feels like an equally derranged equivalent; the record is so dark, intense, and angry, I’ve yet to listen to the entire album in one sitting. But its intensity displays its musical muscle, as deep-in-your-chest bass grinds with glitchy grime and head-banging dancehall to create one intensely personal meditation on the nadir of society. Not for the weak, but definitely for the musically ambitious.

12. Forest Fire – Survival

Here’s a summer record for you – sprawling lo-fi folk that mixes with Velvet Underground-style proto-punk and garage rock done on spare acoustic instruments. It’s enchanting and oft-aggressive, and man does it get in your head and stay there. And to think, they gave this gem away for free…

11. Subtle – Exiting Arm

The impact of collaborations with members of TV on the Radio bear their mark on Subtle, who’s Exiting Arm takes their sound and turns it to the noises in between. Whereas on earlier recordings Doseone could often be heard spitting rhymes at 100 mph, here his vocals are subdued and sink into the tapestry, which taverses across an odd array of sounds and vibrations, but is a whole product throughout. The minute I heard this thing in an ice cream place over the summer I knew it was stuck to me; months later it’s yet to leave my head.

10. Food For Animals – Belly

Noise and hip-hop? Whodathunkit? Food For Animals, that’s who. And that’s why Belly, the long-delayed first album from the DC/Baltimore group, is in the top 10. It’s hard to find an album more ambitious in its sound and execution than FFA’s, and it’s as accessible as any other hip-hop blaring on mainstream radio today. It’s glitchy, bass heavy, and dark as hell, but this trio certainly spins some sick off-beats and rhymes that are more shout-along-chorus-friendly than anything else.

9. Friendly Fires – Friendly Fires

This is what the Foals record could have been, and what I originally wished it was: a great post-punk dance piece. Infusing that genre with strains of disco, salsa, and Brit pop, Friendly Fires’ debut defines irresistible. The music is taught and catchy, the sound gets in your head and shakes your hips, and the hits keep coming. Friendly Fires sounds like a singles collection, with each track as pop-friendly as the last – funny to think this is the band’s first record.

8. The Dodos - Visiter

It may be due to the fact that I had this album on repeat for most of the spring, but Visiter seems to uphold a sense of rebirth and newborn energy that’s often so hard for musicians to capture. Some folks cast the band off as acoustic Animal Collective wannabes, but the album is a beast unto its creators, filled with child-like enthusiasm and sincerity that makes them altogether unique.

7. The Mae Shi – HLLLYH

2008 could be the year of concept albums, or, more correctly, the year that produced a handful of great concept albums. The Mae Shi’s tribute to the end of the world sounds positively, well, great. It’s scary, but the band’s mix of agit-punk, twee, and art pop have an endearing effect that carry through the morbid lyrics of “Run To Your Grave” (and that title to boot). It’s got energy and vigor that blasts through the entire album, one concept to the last. For such a depressing topic to tackle, these guys sure make it sound fun.

6. Neon Neon – Stainless Style

Nostalgia can be a killer, and it’s flogged the 80s past the state of decay, but man oh man do Neon Neon know how to make a bad thing sound great. To call it nostalgia however is making the great concept of Stainless Style seem passe, when in fact it’s a record more “with it” than countless other albums released this year. Much as Gnarls Barkley emphasized “neo” in their neo-soul mix debut two years ago, Neon Neon take the aesthetic tics of 80s pop and place it into an entirely new landscape. It makes it so that the chincy-sounding synth sounds altogether refreshing on tracks like “Dream Cars” or “I Told Her On Alderaan.” It also helps that this project came from the meeting between oddball producer Boom Bip and even-odderball Super Furry Animal Gruff Rhys, and they certainly saved their pop-tooth for this record.

5. Ponytail – Ice Cream Spiritual

Ponytail put on one of the best shows I’ve seen this year – so good, I saw them thrice. So I was immediately drawn to the record after grabbing an early release copy after seeing them, doing nothing but playing it for weeks straight. After my mania over the album subsided, I can safely say it’s still a fantastic record. It’s a swirling mess of punk-art-rawk, one that caterwauls off of every surface and smoothly glides through the down-tempos and down singer Molly Siegel’s over-worked larynx to create a record that seethes with passion and power. Kudos to producer J. Robbins for wrestling their great live sound into a well-preserved recording.

4. Sun Kil Moon - April

April opens with a song that nearly hits the 10 minute mark, and could have sustained my rapt attention tenfold. “Lost Verses” sweeps along like any Mark Kozelek song, yet there’s something profoundly new and slightly different than the frontman’s previous efforts. It could be his meditation over the death of a former muse, who’s image is never quite literally addressed, but who’s absence hangs over the entire record. Whatever it is, Kozelek delivers every last line with undue sincerity, and it’s probably because they are his own; in retrospect, the biggest problem with Tiny Cities, the last Sun Kil Moon album made entirely of Modest Mouse covers, is that the music wasn’t created by Kozelek himself (although he does a great job of re-imagining most of the songs on the album). But here, you get the sense that Kozelek’s body struggles with every pick at his guitar, even though all you’re left is with that voice and no image behind it. But what a voice it is.

3. Parts & Labor – Receivers/Escapers Two

For a band that makes a lot of noise, Parts & Labor have made music for just about everyone. Receivers is a fantastic opus of noise juxtaposed against anthemic, stadium-sized pop rock. The electronic bursts and blips are still there, but they’ve become a fixture of a larger pattern; noise doesn’t give way to bubblegum hooks and back again, but it’s all intertwined throughout the album. From “Satellites” to “Solemn Show World,” there’s a song for the punk in everyone (and every punk who submitted sound samples is in a song). For those who don’t like getting too close to accessiblity, Escapers Two offers 50+ “grind pop” songs, most of which barely hit the minute mark and have the mark of dark metal and hardcore punk bursting from the seems… at times, it’s quite beautiful to boot.

2. Why? – Alopecia

What a pleasant surprise Alopecia turned out to be. Why?’s previous work always had some inadvertantly beautiful quality to it, but it’d always been battling a range of sounds and ideas passed out by Yoni Wolf. On Alopecia it comes together in a brilliant and cohesive work, with Wolf’s lyrics and stories spilling into one another, but neither clouding up the music or his often enticing nasaly rasp. And, much like most of the top albums of the year, it is a whole product instead of a combination of some good songs repackaged for consumption.

1. TV On The Radio – Dear Science,

Numbers or not, there was no question this would be my number one album of the year. From the opening moments of “Halfway Home,” I knew this would be a fantastic album. Unlike Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes and Return To Cookie Mountain, Dear Science, is a fully fleshed-out album from beginning to end as each track seemlessly gluides from one to the next. The band’s turn to a poppier and all together accessable sound is just as natural as their work as a band in and of itself; they’re still pushing musical boundaries, using a wide array of feedback and avant-guard noises, but it’s an altogether cohesive and beautiful mess.

Albums I wish I had more time with, because they probably would have made this list:

For those of us who can’t get our hands on every available album to come out this year, it certainly made the “best of” list process a bit more difficult because, having heard at least snipets of the following albums, I wish I’d gotten them all. But, there is always time for more new music. Anyway, here are the ones I would have liked to have on my list:

High Places – High Places

Extra Life – Secular Works

Fall Out Boy – Folie á Deux

Beck – Modern Guilt

The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me

HEALTH – HEALTH/DISCO

Eddy Current Suppression Ring – Primary Colours

Lykke Li - Youth Novels

Dan Friel – Ghost Town

Eagles of Death Metal - Heart On

Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes

Edie Sedgwick - Things Are Getting Sinister And Sinisterer

Heavy Heavy Low Low – Turtle Nipple and the Toxic Shock

Spiritualized – Songs in A&E

Death Vessel – Nothing Is Precious Enough For Us

Doomtree – Doomtree

Milosh – iii

El Ten Eleven – These Promises Are Being Videotaped

School of Seven Bells – Alpinisms

Fucked Up – The Chemistry of Common Life

Dananananaykroyd – Sissy Hits

Hot Club de Paris – Live at Dead Lake

Best of 2008 from 2007:

The albums from last year that made a lasting impact this year.

The Dillinger Escape Plan – Ire Works

Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

Double Dagger – Ragged Rubble

Videohippos – Unbeast The Leash

Muscles – Guns Babes Lemonade

And here it is.  My top 20 albums for 2008.  This list represents the music that inspired me throughout the year and the albums that I kept coming back to again and again.  I’ve tried to put the critic hat aside to be very honest in my ranking.  What you see here, in order of appearance, are the albums I listened to the most throughout the year.  In order of heavy rotation, so to speak.

So while some of you may judge my harshly for listing bands like The Raconteurs in the top 10, the truth of the matter is I listened to that album a lot this year and it got me off every time. It’s a great rock album. Plus they were one of my favorite live performances of the year.  And hey, if they’re good enough to make Nic Harcourt’s top 10 list, it’s good enough for me.

Enjoy!

1.  Deerhunter, Microcastle

This album blew me away from the first listen and put Bradford Cox into the genius category for me. I really and truly can’t stop listening to this album. It’s brilliant start to finish and much more melodic and song-oriented than other Deerhunter albums. A classic for sure.

Listen to Agrophobia.  

2.  White Denim, Exposion

I’m truly obsessed with this Austin-based band. I listen to this album, without fail, every single day.  I start with the Let’s Talk About It EP followed by Exposion. It’s my go-to,  late night, ‘gotta wake my ass up to get some work done’ combo.  I just love their stripped down Stooges/White Stripes vibe. Feels really good. And seriously rocks! 

Listen to Shake, Shake, Shake

3.  Black Keys, Attack & Release

What a sexy album this is.  And their collaboration with Danger Mouse on this album adds subtle layers of complexity to give it a more ethereal and eerie sound than their prior releases. Sooo good.

Listen to Psychotic Girl:

4.  Elbow, Seldom Seen Kid

“I’ve been working on a cocktail called Grounds for Divorce…,” is the opening line from the rockin’ single, ‘Grounds for Divorce,’ off Elbow’s fourth and best release to date, The Seldom Seen Kid.  The song is immense, snarling with emotion and emblematic of the theme of the album – the joys and sorrows of everyday life.

Listen to Grounds for Divorce.  

5.  The Raconteurs, Conselors of the Lonely

‘The Rockintours’ as my 3 year old son calls them, this album was most definitely on heavy rotation throughout 2008.  To the point where he has developed an obsession with Jack White and tries to emulate his moves on his toy guitar.  Could Jack White be the rock god of his generation?  Very well could be.  He made demi-rock god status in my book after seeing them play at Bimbos earlier this year, one of my concert highlights of the year.  A relentless assault of rock and roll I haven’t seen the likes of in quite some time.

Listen to ‘Rich Kid Blues’

6.  The Duke Spirit, Neptune

I’ve been a fan of The Duke Spirit since their first album, Cuts Across the Land, hit the US in 2005.  With their second release, Neptune, the band has clearly come of age.  The album is a seductive blend of lead singer Leila Moss’s bluesy-rock vocals and ferocious guitar riffs.   The songs, evoking images of sea gods and ships, are a journey of brooding intensity that, in the end, leaves me only to say… “All Hail The Duke Spirit.”  

Listen to ‘This Ship Was Built To Last’

7.  School of Language, Sea from Shore

This album is almost entirely a solo project showcasing the genius of David Brewis, member of the on-hiatus group Field Music, and is a true album experience.  Like a mini rock symphony, the album starts and ends with a series of songs called ‘Rockists Part 1 and 2’ and ‘Rockists Part 3 and 4’.  Parts 1 and 4 are different versions of the same song but strung together and listened to in it’s entirety, is a stunning arrangement. The songs are exquisitely constructed and I love the way he plays with structures and sounds.  

Listen to ‘Extended Holiday’

8.  Beach House, Devotion

My biggest regret of the year?  Having to miss Beach House play The Swedish American Music Hall.  Grr. It’s such a lovely, lovely, album.  I love their etherial, haunting, lovelorn music and Devotion was a late night favorite on my headphones all year long.

Listen to ‘Gila‘

 
9.  Department of Eagles, In Ear Park

Department of Eagles is essentially a side-project of Grizzly Bear singer-songwriter Daniel Rossen, who developed its dreamy, autobiographical songs with college friend and cohort, Fred Nicolaus. Their latest album, In Ear Park, was developed over the years between the two, stealing time on weekends and between tours. 

This is the kind of album that grows on you over time. As you dig deeper through the album, you’ll start to appreciate the complexities and amazing orchestral arrangements that continue to unfold listen after listen.

Listen to ‘Phantom Other’

10. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes

Have you heard the one about this girl who walks into a bar in Austin, TX and sees Fleet Foxes for the first time?  Call it serendipity, call it love at first sight – er, listen – she’s smitten.  And so is the rest of the indie rock world.  With good reason.  Another one of my top live performances of 2008

Listen to ‘Sun it Rises’

 
11. Sam Champion, Heavenly Bender

Are you a Pavement fan? If you are, you’re gonna like the latest release, Heavenly Bender, from the Brooklyn-based quartet, Sam Champion.  Steeped in lo-fi, garage-rock jams, their sound may be a little too Wowee Zowee for the non-Pavement aficionado, but for me it’s the perfect combination as bands like Pavement /Stephen Malkmus represent everything I like in Indie Rock music – crunchy guitar jams sandwiched between sweet harmonies.  My indie rock PB&J. 

Listen to ‘Dead Moon’

12. Bon Iver, For Emma Forever Ago

Remember when this band was fresh on the scene and how great it was, for that brief moment, to have them all to yourself? Then suddenly they were everywhere and even your non-music friends started talking about them.  ’Have you heard of this band called Bon IVER?’ At least we had the satisfaction to smugly correct them on their mispronunciation.  ”It’s pronounced Bon Hiver – like good winter in French? Phht.”  Okay, maybe that was just me.  All kidding aside, this is such a beautiful album and truly one of my favorite live performances of the year.  It gave me goosebumps.

Listen to ‘Flume‘

 
13. Helio Sequence, Keep Your Eyes Ahead

The Portland-based duo, The Helio Sequence, released their third album ‘Keep Your Eyes Ahead’ in January of this year; but it’s one of those records I just keep coming back to again and again.  It makes me feel so nostalgic. Perhaps it’s because there are moments on the record that sound so early U2/Joshua Tree I can’t help but feel that way.  

Listen to ‘Lately’

 
14. Dodos, Visiter

This stripped down, two-man San Francisco band consists of Meric Long on guitar and vocals and Logan Kroeber on percussion.  Both are feature performers  - on the recording and live.  Their simplicity has drawn comparisons to a crop of new-primitivist bands like Yeasayer and High Places.  Whatever the case, you should listen to this album and make a point to see them live.  They’re mesmerizing.

Listen to Fools

 
15. Wintersleep, Welcome to the Night Sky

Welcome to the Night Sky is the third album for the Halifax-based Wintersleep, and one that seems destined for success in the US. Already quite popular in Canada, the band recently received the 2008 Juno award for ‘New Group of the Year’. Their sound is expansive with heavy, smashing guitars combined with delicate, heartbreaking vocals. A sound so well represented in the track ‘Drunk on Aluminum’.

Listen to Drunk on Aluminum:

16. Women, Women

Women are a Canadian group (two of them brothers, actually) with their self-titled debut released July 8 on Flemish Eye Records.  I was very pleased to learn that Chad VanGaalen produced this album, of whom I’m a big fan.  He recorded the album in his basement on old tape machines and ghettoblasters.  To say their sound is lo-fi is an understatement. My guess is you’ll be hearing a lot more from this band.

Listen to ‘Black Rice’

17. Chad VanGaalen, Soft Airplane

I adore this guy.  He’s a wonderful and interesting artist, a virtual one-man band who’s notoriously very reclusive and apparently obsessed with death and other morbid topics. I find a stark beauty in the basement-recorded ‘Soft Airplane’ (as well as a nice cover of The Shins ‘City of Electric Light’). And while it’s true that the basement can be a dark and scary place at times, it can also be filled with wonder and surprise.

Listen to ‘Willow Tree’

18. The Kills, Midnight Boom

Tape ain’t gonna fix it/ Honey, it ain’t gonna stick/ Six kinds of glue/ Won’t hold you! / You’ve got to, you’ve got to, you’ve got to go straight ahead!  

I love this album.  It’s just downright fun.

Listen to ‘Tape Song’

19. The Sea and Cake, Car Alarm

This Chicago quartet has been around for quite a while and there’s a comfort in the familiarity and consistency of their music.  Their latest release, Car Alarm, is no exception.  One of their best albums in over a decade.  I’ve been listening to their electronic grooves a lot. Mellow yet powerful at the same time, they are firmly rooted in Indie rock with a splash of that electronica sound I like so much. It’s smooth, well balanced, easy on the ears and layered with just enough complexity to keep it interesting listen after listen.  Like a fine wine.

Listen to ‘On a Letter’

20. Juana Molina, Un Dia

Last, but certainly not least, is Juana Molina’s, Un Dia. This Argentinean singer /songwriter is an amazing interpreter of sound. I discovered her by chance many years ago opening for a band I can’t even remember now because her performance was so compelling and mesmerizing I’ve forgotten everything else about that night.  I’ve been an ardent fan of her dreamlike, hypnotic music ever since.  Her fifth full length album, Un Dia, is her most adventurous, upbeat and rhythmic release to date.  

Listen to ‘Los Hongos de Marosa’

Get these albums free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo

buy it at insound!

Well, today is Wednesday and you should really take some time today to stop and think about one thing: we’re four days away from the release of Chinese Democracy.  Reread that last sentence.  You may not care about Guns N’ Roses or be in a rush to buy the album, but the fact that it’s actually coming out deserves at least a moment of your brain’s attention.  It’s one of the most unlikely pop culture events of the decade, right up there with the death of Heath Ledger, the election of Barack Obama, and the careers of the Geico cavemen.  Want to hear the new single “Better”?  Sure you do.  Click right here.

In other news, our pals in Thursday have announced a Feb. 17th release date for their next album, Common Existence on new label Epitaph.  You can read and see more about that by clicking here.  Very exciting.

Now then, onto some music.  I like the Black Keys.  Nothing bold about that.  They’ve put out a handfull of albums since the early 2000s and if you’re somewhat up to date with what’s going on in indie rock then you know who they are.  Two dudes from Ohio who make really good blues-rock, which is quite an accomplishment considering you can probably walk into at least one bar wherever you live on any given night and find a band doing the blues-rock thing without having nearly the same level of success.  What makes the Keys stand out?  Dan Auerbach’s voice and fuzzed out guitars, surely, but I also think the band has done a great job of repeating a common structure without sounding repetitive.  One of the ways they do this is also something I don’t think they really get enough credit for: kicking out the slow jams.  Listen to “Things Ain’t Like They Used to Be” from this year’s Attack & Release for example:

See? Good stuff.  For more slow jam goodness, check out “Everywhere I Go” off of 2003’s Thickfreakness.  It’s great.  So great that I couldn’t find a live video on YouTube to satisfy my appreciation of the tune.  Instead, I’m leaving you with a tune from another Ohio band that I keep listening to lately.  The band is the Heartless Bastards, the song is “All this Time,” and the album’s got the same name.  Dig the little American Gothic homage at the end:

Stay sweaty.  More tomorrow…

Gavin Murray recently won a double pass in a competition on this website to see The Black Keys and Dr. Dog at the Converse Century Concert Series show in San Francisco on 30 October 2008.

Gavin got to meet Dan and Pat before the show. At the show he got a custom poster designed by Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists shoe collaborator Meghan Berckes which was given to all concert-goers.

Gavin got his poster signed by Dan and Pat and you can see Pat has done a good job at defacing his likeness on the poster.

Gavin has been kind enough to do a review of the show for The Black Keys Fan Lounge:

“After the release of Attack and Release, I wasn’t sure what to expect from a Black Keys live performance. Luckily for me, it was the classic two man distortion injected blues I’ve come to know and love, but until now had never had the privilege of seeing in person.

Dan and Pat took the stage humbly, as if they didn’t know they possessed the talent and raw rocktastic (its a word, look it up!) abilities to draw in a sold out show to the Fillmore, and with few words commenced the show. Dan’s Rickenbacker beautiful white against his humble attire sounded magnificent through his unique amp set up. Pat’s furious drumming and Dan’s moaning guitar created the energetic, soulful blues that the band is known for, getting more out of a two man group than many can get out of a trio or even a quartet.

It was a treat to see the Black Keys pull off their new songs in the tradition of their earlier albums, Strange Times sounded magnificent, and my personal favorite song from Attack and Release, Psychotic Girl, opened up their encore with an intensity I’d never heard in the song before (I’ll admit a part of me did miss the banjo though.) Their visitations to their old work were astounding, bringing the Sonics’ classic Have Love Will Travel to life and their hit Set You Free to live ferocity as the fans sang along. From beginning to end the show rocked.

The opening band, Dr. Dog, held their own as well, creating blues-stomping infused indie-rock sound in the a somewhat soulful folky vain, an apt opening to an amazing show.

Meeting the Black Keys was only overshadowed by the opportunity to see them live. To anyone who has the chance to see either of these great bands, do so, and don?t think twice about it.”

Gavin’s photos below, that’s him next to Dan. See more in the Flickr stream on the side of this post including some other professional images taken on the night:

I realized after obsessing this week over Beck’s new album, ‘Modern Guilt‘, that I was listening to yet another Danger Mouse production. What is this guy up to and what else is he working on? A lot, so it seems.

Danger Mouse (aka Brian Burton) is famously known for remixing Jay Z’s ‘Black Album‘ over samples from The Beatles ‘White Album’ to create, ‘The Grey Album.’ From there he collaborated with Cee-Lo (as half of Gnarls Barkley) to release the hugely popular ‘St. Elsewhere’. He’s also produced the debut album from The Good, The Bad and The Queen, and the latest releases of Sparklehorse, The Rapture and Gorillaz.

This year he’s in top form with producer title for the following releases:

Martina Topley-Bird (from Tricky), ‘The Blue God’; Featured Track: Phoenix

The Black Keys, ‘Attack and Release’; Featured Track: Same Old Thing

The Shortwave Set, ‘Replica Sun Machine‘; Featured Track: Harmonia

Beck, ‘Modern Guilt’; Featured Track: Modern Guilt

With his influences firmly rooted in electronica/trip-hop, I’ll definitely be tracking his next move.

Get this album free via eMusic’s 50 Free MP3 Promo

buy it at insound!

A band I have become obsessed with as of late is the Akron, Ohio bred duo The Black Keys. Not sure what it is about two man groups like The Black Keys and the now defunct Death From Above 1979 that get me. I made a mix of some of my favorite songs off of the band’s new album Attack & Release (which incidentally was recorded in my hometown of Cleveland) and their previous release The Big Come Up. The entire Attack & Release record is excellent and I have to recommend that you purchase it. You won’t be disappointed —it is solid from start to finish.

Listen to the mixtape here. Then go buy the album.

Photos by Jason Bergman.

photo©chiarameattelli2009

Sono in due, si chiamano Black Keys e suonano rock… blues-rock per essere precisi. Se ancora non sapete chi sono,  il nuovo e quinto album Attack & Release si presenta come il momento perfetto per conoscerli. Sono cresciuti, hanno avuto qualche soldo da investire in un produttore (nientemeno che Mr. Danger Mouse), hanno esplorato nuove strumentazioni come organo, piano e sintetizzatori ma sono rimasti fedeli al loro primordiale e minimalista rock abrasivo. Ieri sera li ho visti e fotografati al teatro dell’Astoria ed è successo l’incredibile: mi si è stappato l’orecchio che per 10 giorni era rimasto sordo per via di una infezione malvagia. Poi però, dopo un assolo di chitarra di Dan Auerbach, mi è partito un effetto digital delay un po’ distorto tuttora accesso. Mi pesterei da sola nella speranza di spegnermi, se solo fossi più convinta di essere una pedaliera. Detto ciò, non mi metterò ora a fare un’accurata recensione dello show perché l’ho appena fatto per il Buscadero (uscirà sul numero di luglio) ma posso garantirvi che è stata una spremuta di rock fantastico.

Se siete dei romanticoni nostalgici del sound anni 70, se impazzite per la chitarra di Jimmy Page e la batteria di John Bonham, se avete sempre lo sguardo proteso verso il passato e un riff bastardo dentro la testa, allora amerete i Black Keys alla follia. A vederli sul palco sembrano due tranquilli ragazzi di Akron – Culonia – Ohio, neanche 30 anni ma già la fede al dito, come ogni giovane americano che si rispetti e l’aspetto di chi se ne fotte di qualsiasi moda. Poi quando attaccano a suonare fanno talmente casino da rovesciarti i pensieri sottosopra. La voce di Dan sembra quella di un bluesman sessantenne che cammina ubriaco per Beale Street mentre con la chitarra segue la melodia della voce e allo stesso tempo tiene insieme tutte le fila del groove. Poi c’è la batteria di Patrick Carney che esplode all’improvviso ma sa anche quando abbassare i toni: l’intesa tra i due è pressoché perfetta. Ieri sera hanno suonato pochi pezzi dal nuovo album purtroppo, (speravo tanto in una verisone live di “Psychotic Girl” o ”Lies”) però ci hanno regalato una bellissima cover di “I’m Glad” di Captain Beefheart, del tutto rivisitata. Insomma, uno di quei concerti che quando finisce ti guardi attorno ed esclami “fucking brilliant!” cercando l’approvazione di chi ti sta accanto (che però non ti ascolta: sta chinato per terra a cercare il cellulare perso durante il pezzo prima del bis) . Ma sapete che tra poco l’Astoria chiuderà del tutto?Che amarezza.. una delle poche venue col pavimento che balla insieme al pubblico… 

What a great way to start the week this is. Having been working hard all weekend, I woke up this morning to find (through Heather at the excellent Fuelfriends) that The Black Keys are offering up a free download on their Myspace.

Hot on the trail of last month’s Attack & Release, the Danger Mouse produced album that is garnering no end of critical acclaim, the Keys decided that as they had nothing better to do last Thursday they would record a cover of Captain Beefheart’s I’m Glad.

I’m Glad

This dusty cover suits the Keys’ fuzzed out southern rock style perfectly, it could easily have fit anywhere on the last album, or 2006’s Magic Potion.

Go check it out, you won’t regret it, I promise!

Purchase: The Black Keys - Attack And Release here

Photo Credit: James Carney

Feedback: What did you think of the article? Did you agree with what was said, or do you take a different view? Does this make you want to listen to Attack & Release? Leave a comment and share your views…

at the risk of angering much of their fan base, the black keys’ newest release deviates significantly from the band’s self-imposed reliance on drums, guitar and vocals as they attempt to expand their sound. here producer danger mouse provides a bevy of ideas and instruments that help the keys trump the notion that they are one trick pony. their previous albums have been very insular affairs, with both members doing all of the writing, performing, recording and producing themselves; however, as solid as a foundation that is, 2006’s magic potion was a sign that perhaps they needed a change. the songs of attack and release build on that trusted foundation and attempt to augment it with other textures, making danger mouse’s presence noticeable but still subtle. a flute acting as a counterpoint to auerbach’s guitar is what keeps “same old thing” from being exactly what its title suggests. there are moments though, where their approach seems superficial, as though the keys haven’t committed themselves to change and instead opt for large doses of reverb to hide it. while attack and release isn’t everything that it promises, it delivers something new and unexpected from the band and demonstrates their willingness to experiment, perhaps a sign of what’s to come from these blues-fanatics.

Woah. Cryptic post title. Yeah. I think it’s time to add a few more albums to my running list of 2008 highlights.

Hercules and Love Affair (self-titled)

There was a time when I hated Antony and the Johnsons. Hated. My mind was completely unaccepting of Antony’s vocals and bewildered at the praise their last album received. Then I started to soften, I gave the album a few chances (Antony and The Johnsons’ I am a bird now). I don’t know why, but over a period of at least twelve months I grew from disgust into utter infatuation. It is a masterpiece. And I finally appreciated Antony Hegardy’s style for the genius that it is. Which is why I was so surprised that I didn’t notice this album until it was out. Antony appearing on a dance album? Released by DFA (record label with a golden touch, and the American home of my beloved Hot Chip). The album is the work of a DJ named Andrew Butler, who I’d never heard of, and features Antony on literally every second track. And it is fucking brilliant. The most apt way to describe it would be to invoke the usually unmentionable ‘disco’ moniker. But musically, it’s quite varied. Opener Time Will sets the scene early, with Antony’s wail dominating by the end of the song. As my girlfriend’s housemate Kiki exclaimed to me when I said I was putting on some ‘disco’… “This isn’t disco… it’s afrobeat stuff!”. Perhaps, but then the guitars seem almost flamenco. And Antony’s presence indescribable. The next track is the real pleaser though. Hercule’s Theme being one of the albums five (out of ten) songs not featuring Antony. Yet, it manages to be one of my favourite on the album. Amazingly punchy and upbeat, with a female vocalist and amazing sax work. The saxophone makes many welcome appearances on this album. It shows the album isn’t dependent on Antony, and futher tracks only cement this point. It’s just great music all ’round. The album peaks at single Blind. Which is oh so good. If the public had any sense this track would be the mainstream breakthrough that Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy was last year. I could die.

DeVotchKa – A Mad and Faithful Telling

If you watched the wonderful movie Little Miss Sunshine (and lord knows i have several times) then you’ve already been introduced to this band, as they did the majority of the soundtrack. Musically, in my mind they’re some glorious blend of Arcade Fire, Gorgol Bordello, Sufjan Stevens, and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah. But entirely unique in their own way. It’s sort of gypsie meets indie rock meets something else. The vibrato heavy vocals are very very distinctive, and the instrumentation is lush and varied. In fact, I was laying in bed listening to this album a few nights ago when it dawned on me that the bass lines are almost entirely performed by what I assume is a fucking bassoon. Correct me if I’m wrong. All in all, a very heartfelt album with amazing amazing instrumentation. Totally in it’s own league musically.

The Raconteurs – Consolers of the Lonely

I can say without any hesitation Jack White is my favourite guitarist. He’s forced me to change underpants more times than anyone else. Orgasmic. This album came out of nowhere. And this time not because I was out of the loop, but because allegedly they gave no word to their label about its creation… just slapped it down one day and said ‘oh we made an album. release this bitch in a week’. Ok, maybe not an exact quote. But it was a nice surprise. Jack White is again joined by Brian Benson, and the rhythm section of The Greenhornes (who are a great blues band in their own right, check them out), but this is far far from a side project. It’s well and truly it’s own entity now. And it fucking rocks. If you can listen to the first two tracks without needing a change of pants than you are incontinent. As a bass player I may be biased, but holy zombie christ the bass tones on this album are so god damn ballsy. Gritty, dirty bass. Just how it should be. And with Jack’s amazing guitar, precise and crunchy drums, and the one-two vocal attack of Jack and Brian (who in my opinion actually seem to be sounding more like each other these days). Musically, it branches out too. Not just dirty blues-rock, but with many surprises along the way. The highlight for me being the amazing fiddle parts in Old Enough. And there’s plenty of great keyboard/organ parts throughout, also. And the fucking guitar, man.

Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple

And now the first of two albums produced by Danger Mouse. The man with the golden touch. Anyone responsible for the musical brilliance of Demon Days (by Gorillaz), The Grey Album (the Beatles v Jay-Z mash-up album that first brought him attention, both from music listeners and copyright lawyers), The Good, The Bad, and The Queen (by the Damon Albarn led band of the same name), and The Mask and The Mouse (his collaboration with one of my favourite rappers, MF Doom) deserves all your attention. But it’s his collaboration with Cee-Lo as Gnarls Barkley that unexpectedly defined his career. Cee-Lo Green (the soul machine) has been around for quite a while, but never gained the mainstream attention that the musically similar Outkast did. Just a tad too weird, perhaps. But together, they are an unstoppable force. And this album is no different. Musically, it is still quite similar to their debut St Elsewhere. It is however lyrically darker (and I already loved their ability to bring self-deprecation into the mainstream music community littered with egos and aggressive masturbation over the microphone), at times more stripped back (such as on the standout track Who’s Gonna Save My Soul?), yet at times way more busy (such as during bizzarre first single Run), and there are enough surprises to keep you hanging (the seemingly Celtic music inspired Going On, for example). In true DM style, the drums are amazing, the music is polished, and his trademarks are everywhere. If you liked their first, I can’t see any reason you would love this.

The Black Keys – Attack & Release

The Black Keys have always been a great blues-rock band ripping it apart in the mid-fi arena. Not quite lo-fi, but way too gritty to be considered anywhere near the mainstream as far as production value is concerned. A guitar & drums band. Which is why it was so surprising to hear that the aforementioned Danger Mouse had been roped into producing this album. It’s world colliding stuff here. The crisp, often simplistic style of DM clashing into the pure grit and gravel-rash of The Black Keys. But it WORKS. So well. I think the real key is that DM’s presence is distinct, but still subtle. It’s definitely the most polished sounding album of their career, but the dirt still remains. The gorgeous touches of DM do it wonders and expand their palette. His keyboard parts not overtaking, but wonderfully complimentary. See Psychotic Girl, for example. And the trademark vocal ‘oohs’ he seems to love. Basically, this unexpected collaboration seems to reflect amazingly well on both parties… two worlds working very well with each other. Far and away my favourite Black Keys release. And in true DM style, the drums seem crunchier too. If you’re a fan of either, I would not miss this one. Now if only we can get him to produce a fucking Hives album. Oh yes please.

So…I managed to piss a hell of a lot of people off with a Black Keys album review I wrote in NME last week.

Hands up – I had no idea that giving it 5/10 would cause such grief. I even went down to church this morning, chanted a couple of hail marys and flailed myself with some rosary beads.

Did I really mean the things I said? Yes. Does the entire publishing world really disagree with the things I said? Yes. Do I now take back the things I said? No.

I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again: whilst I applaud their raw magic on the live stage, I really feel that ‘Attack & Release’ is a fairly mainstream contribution to the blues/rock canon. Dangermouse is a tour de force. I salute him on this record, but to be frank, if I’m going to listen to 70s prog rock I’ll whack on some Free.

I find it interesting that the only two slightly critical reviews for this record were by two women. Maybe I’m wrong, but I think it bears some influence on things. Who knows.

What I do know is that I got my Lost La’s ‘Breakloose’ CD in the post today and if you want to hear the sound of true blues with a quietly subtle twist, I suggest you give ‘Night Walk’ a spin. I couldn’t find this on YouTube, but I did find a wicked rendition of ‘Feelin’. Any excuse, eh?