PLAN A: Bowerbirds, Julie Doiron @ The Loft. Playing emollient and foreboding folk, North Carolina’s Bowerbirds should pacify anyone desperately awaiting the new Bon Iver and Fleet Foxes albums. BACKUP PLAN: Family Wagon, Ox Eyes @ Soda Bar. 

OTHER COOL STUFF:

Ryan Tannascoli @ Gelato Vera. The local artist displays oil paintings and watercolors of San Diego musicians. There will also be live performances by Golden Red, Paper Forest and J Rodriguez & the Brothers and Sisters.

Greg Watson @ Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. 

Blackout Party @ Riviera Supper Club.

The Styletones @ Bar Pink.

Lady Dottie and The Diamonds, DJ Jason Weedon @ U-31.

Supervillains, Mike Pinto @ The Casbah. 

I was excited to give the Bowerbirds a second chance live.  I saw them at the Pitchfork Music Festival and the mixing was terrible and the wide open spaces seemed to eat up all their sound.  With a venue and city change would there be a difference?The setting this time around was The Mill restaurant/bar and right away I could see this place would become one of my favorite venues to see music.  You first walk in to the bar part then as you go into the back there is another bar and seated venue area with a stage and stage floor front.  Cozy booth seats surround the stage and a bar at the back with a large fish tank provided the intimacy an outdoor area cannot.  As I expected the acoustics were leaps and bounds better and really catered more to the folk groups sound.  I didn’t arrive early enough to sit at a booth and watch the show from there, but next time I won’t make that mistake.  Dimmed lights and a cozy seated wooded enclosure provided the perfect backdrop for a band like the Bowerbirds.  The Bowerbirds aren’t going to blow you away with there sonic musings, but they will sweep you off to a beautiful place if you get lost in their music.

The band was touring as a 4 piece with the help of their road manager Will.  They played one of the most cohesive and sweeping sets I’ve listened to live.  I don’t mean that in terms of transitioning between songs or stupid tuning during which the crowd always gets bored- I mean in terms of the songs flowing from one to another and getting better and better.  It seemed that each song had its own graceful place in their set.  This time around I could more easily get caught up in the lyrics or the subtleties of their sound and that is what I really enjoy about live music.  Getting lost in the band’s music is the very reason everyone huddles into a small setting to get a more intimate take of the band.  It was good for the band too as lead singer Phil Moore is from Iowa and had his mother at the show.  He even highlighted the local references in the songs such as a nearby park and the Iowa River.  One thing I like about the Bowerbirds is that individually each member has its strengths and they all cater to them and highlight them in their music.  Not too often do they have Beth sing alone, but the rarerity of the event makes it even greater and beautiful.  Her higher soft voice creates a great folk dynamic, that shouldn’t be overused, but is perfectly complimentary to lead singer Phil’s vocals.  The drumming is often an underappreciated element in folk bands because the sound is so soft and it seems that if the drummer isn’t on a manic crazed drum solo he isn’t very good.  The opposite couldn’t be more true.  The other time you notice the drummer is during mistakes,  so when you have a steady handed drummer who can accompany the band nicely and occasionally provide delicate drum fills then you have a gem.  The Bowerbirds have found that diamond in the rough.  For the first show of 2010, I’m already thinking it might be one of the best.  I’m excited for what is to come from the Bowerbirds and the rest of 2010.

Posted by Mike Harper

A Bower from the January Rain

Laying your head down on a pillow of cool grass with the warm wind tickling your ears might be the cheesiest and most Thoreauesque way to describe North Carolina’s Bowerbirds – but it fits. The calm wave of Beth Tacular’s accordion meshing with the water droplet nylon plink of Phil Moore’s guitar soothes the ear like a record turning the room into a field of folk. Warm vocals brimming with melancholy wrap around sincere lyrics that can hush a harmony into a teardrop smile.

Bowerbirds newest release Upper Air (released on Dead Oceans) follows in the calm footsteps of Hymns for a Dark Horse but does not waver in a well-rounded improvement. Upper Air breathes like an open lung on the first day of Spring, clear and vibrant a harp made of grass blades and 1,000 year old trees.

Twelve dollars and a visit to Mississippi Studios gets you a live look at this trio, along with the help of Canada’s Julia Doiron (myspace.com/juliedoiron)

January 26
Bowerbirds & Julie Doiron
Mississippi Studios
$12 8pm
www.bowerbirds.org

http://myspace.com/bowerbirds/

I had to post this because I’m excited about it! Today was like Christmas.  I woke up with an email from Steph containing our newest collaboration – a poster for the Bowerbirds.

It will be up on God Bless the Tiger’s website soon.

Sharon Van Etten opened the night, but I missed her performance.

Everyone was sitting down when I walked up to the stage at Varsity. I don’t know if they all dropped acid together or what, but I haven’t seen that happen ever. Then Bowerbirds came out. Everyone remained seated so it confirmed that they had been drugged (maybe in a trance from Sharon’s performance).

After a song from Bowerbirds, I too felt drugged (in a good way). They sounded sincere and honest as they passed each melody through the air.

MORE PHOTOS HERE

The show took a tragic turn when the lead singer grabbed a child out of the audience and threw him back at other audience members yelling, “Akon aint got nothin on me!!” I think he was referring to that viral vid from years back. See for yourself.

First he grabs the victim…

Then he throws him back.

KIDDING!!!!!!!

This was his nephew, and there was a real tender moment when the kid walked up and gave him some pictures he painted. Awwwww.

One might say these cats gave a bower-ful performance…but then that just makes me confused and think about Kiefer Sutherland.

If you don’t already own their album, Upper Air, I suggest you go here and get it.

To say $10 was a bargain for the 3-band bill at the High Noon Saloon last night would be a tremendous understatement.  I was looking forward to all 3 and am happy to report that not only did each exceed expectations: they each found their own way to get it done.

I had not heard Peter Wolf Crier (stream the new album here) until looking him up in the days leading up to the show.  Really like the recorded disc but the live show brought a lot more to the table.  The duo employed some live-looping and other pedal work to add a lot to the performance.

Sharon Van Etten appeared quietly, armed only with her bright red guitar.  She began singing under the crowds conversations that had started after Peter Wolf Crier had left the stage.  After a few seconds, the conversations reluctantly gave way and her incredible voice was allowed to carry over the crowd.  The lyrics were sometimes hard to pick up (our fault for sitting up top for this type of show) — but that voice and presence definitely carried through.

The Bowerbirds had their work cut out for them at that point and came through with flying colors.  Phil Moore really impressed me live – He took over the stage with powerful vocals on top of the groups slow melodies – Beth Tactular’s vocals were the perfect compliment.  The set included much of (the recently released) Upper Air as well as many “older tracks” – I only know the most recent disc, so I can’t place where the others were from, but I can tell you that they were at least as good as the more recent work.

A really great show for (fellow concertgoer) JNo’s birthday!

…other than Orlando. Orlando has a horrendous music scene. I think its extreme southern locality is a deterrent for most touring bands. Anyways here is the concert lineup for this semester.

The Expendables, Passafire, Iration, Pour Habit, Roots Down Below. House of Blues. Orlando. “Ladera Skateboard Winter 2010 Tour” House of Blues. Orlando. Saturday 6 February.

Bowerbirds. Will’s Pub. Orlando. Thursday 11 February.

Supervillains. Club Firestone. Orlando. Saturday 13 February.

Rebelution with SOJA and Zion I. House of Blues. Orlando. Friday 19 February.

Portugal. The Man. The Social. Orlando. Thursday 11 March.

Fruit Bats plus guests. The Social. Orlando. Friday 12 March.

Harvest of Hope Fest. St. John’s County Fairgrounds. Jacksonville. Friday 12 March – Sunday 14 March.

Slightly Stoopid. Flavet Field (University of Florida). Gainesville. Saturday 25 March. FREE!!**

As you can see a lot of reggae/dub/ska will be passing through Central Florida. I’m excited!

5 Questions is a new regular feature we’re going to start here at FOH.  The new segment will serve as a quick way to get to know the bands you love and see what there upcoming plans are.  We are more than happy to announce our first interview is with Bowerbirds. They will also being playing in Iowa City at The Mill on January 18 and I’ll post a review up after the show.

FOH — If you had to be on a reality TV show, which one and why?

BB — Kate plus Eight. Is that what it’s called? John and Kate plus Eight? Anyway, we would be some more of their children. Or, even better, we would steal their children and raise them in the woods.

FOH — What other occupation would you rather do if money and qualifications were not a factor?

BB — Hunter/ Gatherer.

FOH — What is your favorite song to play live?

BB — Crooked Lust.

FOH — If you were making a mix tape for a friend what is one song that you’d HAVE to have on there?

BB — Northern Lights, by the Bowerbirds. Just kidding. Probably La Macarena. No, seriously, “Unbelievable,” by EMF.

FOH — What can we expect from Bowerbirds in 2010?

BB — Well, we will be relaxing a lot, because we have been touring for a year almost nonstop and will be home for a while after SXSW, working on our cabin in the woods. We will finish the cabin this year, and then we will spend a lot of time living in the cabin and being very happy. We will also play some shows here and there, maybe some festivals. Once we are all settled into the cabin, we will start working on new music, and Beth will spend some time on her art, which has been sort of left behind during all the Bowerbirds touring.

Now that we think about it, it won’t really be much of a relaxing time, but just a productive home time, back on the land we love most. Touring is great, and we get to see so many people and places, but it is also nice to plant our feet again after being nomadic for a while. So that’s our plan for 2010. This winter and early spring will be our last real tours for a while.

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Tour Dates:

Jan 16 2010 9:00P | Lincoln Hall | Chicago, Illinois

Jan 17 2010 8:00P | High Noon Saloon | Madison, Wisconsin

Jan 18 2010 8:00P | The Mill | Iowa City, Iowa

Jan 19 2010 8:00P | Varsity Theater | Minneapolis, Minnesota

Jan 22 2010 8:00P | Empyrean Coffee House | Spokane, Washington

Jan 23 2010 8:00P | The Biltmore Cabaret | Vancouver, British Columbia

Jan 24 2010 8:00P | Northern | Olympia, Washington

Jan 25 2010 8:00P | Triple Door | Seattle, Washington

Jan 26 2010 8:00P | Mississippi Studios | Portland, Oregon

Jan 28 2010 7:30P | The Independent | San Francisco, California

Jan 29 2010 8:00P | Historic Brookdale Lodge | Brookdale, California

Jan 30 2010 7:00P | The Echo | Los Angeles, California

Jan 31 2010 8:00P | Muddy Waters | Santa Barbara, California

Feb 1 2010 8:00P | UCSD – The Loft | La Jolla, California

Feb 2 2010 8:00P | Rhythm Room | Phoenix, Arizona

Feb 3 2010 8:00P | Club Congress | Tucson, Arizona

Feb 5 2010 8:00P | House of Blues – Pontiac Garage | Dallas, Texas

Feb 6 2010 8:00P | The Mohawk | Austin, Texas

Feb 8 2010 9:00P | Spanish Moon | Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Feb 9 2010 9:00P | The Engine Room | Tallahassee, Florida

Feb 10 2010 9:00P | New World Brewery | Tampa, Florida

Feb 11 2010 8:00P | Will’s Pub | Orlando, Florida

Feb 12 2010 9:00P | The Earl | Atlanta, Georgia

Living in Chicago, the choices for live shows in January can be pretty bleak. Which is why it’s exciting that Schubas and its new sibling Lincoln Hall are staging a five-day fest, Tomorrow Never Knows, starting Wednesday.

Among the headliners: Surfer Blood, Neon Indian, Atlas Sound, Voxtrot, Bowerbirds and Clues. There are strong supporting acts, too, including Bear in Heaven (opening for Surfer Blood at Schubas Thursday) and the Dead Trees (opening for the Cribs Wednesday at Lincoln Hall).

At least a couple of the shows are sold out. Look here for the full schedule.

Deadbeat Summer – Neon Indian

Swim – Surfer Blood

Wholehearted Mess – Bear in Heaven

An Orchid – Atlas Sound

The Bowerbirds will grace us with their presences again this evening, when they play The Grey Eagle with Julie Doiron.

Here are some shots from their very intimate show at the Rocket Club last May.. the last few songs were played on the floor in front of the stage with the audience circled around singing along. It was beautiful.

I’m gonna keep it as short as the previous ones, just because it’s already the 7th of January. I should be listening to 500 2010 records right now! I promised myself I’d provide more regular updates, maybe in a different form than I used to. Oh, and I’ll finish my unknown bands from last decade list. Eventually.

20. La Strada – La Strada (EP) (Ernest Jenning Recording Company)

What? The New New Folk movement, 2011 (mark my words)

La Strada – The Sun Song

19. Bowerbirds – Upper Air (Dead Oceans)

What? Woman + Man = Music with a Romantic Folk-feel

Bowerbirds – Teeth

18.  Adam Lipman – From Your Mouth To God’s Ears (Shrimper Records)

What? Mumble like a singer and make the best mumble-record of the year. Thanksgiving, anyone? (Does Shrimper Records even have a website?)

Adam Lipman – Both Sundays

17. Adrian Crowley – Season Of The Sparks (Chemikal Underground)

What? No Leonard Cohen for me, I want Adrian Crowley! (that rhymes!)

Damn, his songs aren’t on my hard disk. Soooooo, you’ll have to do with a movieclip for now (maybe I’ll replace it later this week)

16. Le Loup – Family (Hardly Art)

What? Little Brothey of Animal Collective goes from childhood to puberty and get high on tranquilizers.

SONG REMOVED BY REQUEST

15. Alela Diane - To Be Still (Rough Trade)

What? Folk singer girl sings girl folk songs.

Alela Diane – White As Diamonds

14. Timber Timbre – Timber Timbre (Arts & Crafts)

What? Finally recognition for this wooden cabin blues

Timber Timbre – Demon Host

13. Jordaan Mason & The Horse Museum - Divorce Lawyers I Shaved My Head (Oh! Map records)

What? What? again Wooden CAbin Blues?! God you have a boring, non-diverse taste!

Jordaan Mason & The Horse Museum – Oh Jarhead! Oh Wife!

(PS: you can download his earlier albums for free on the collective family )

12. Alexi Murdoch – Towards The Sun (EP) (Zero Summer Records or Self-released?)

What? The only real bastard child of Nick Drake

Alexi Murdoch – Some Day Soon

11. Dan Mangan –  Nice, Nice, Very Nice (Some Major Label?)

What? Well, we all know you love singer-songwriters, but why another one? answer: because this one goes straight to the heart.

Dan Mangan – Robots

10. Chris Garneau – El Radio (Absolutely Kosher Records)

What? Cry-baby makes cry-babyalbum. We’re emotional kids. And we love songs about pirates.

Chris Garneau – No More Pirates

9. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion (Domino Records)

What? No number 1, but it bounces and it’s Beach Boys and it’s Funky, and it’s wooooohooee acid!

No songs, cause you can find them at mullllltiple other places. (and I’m tired of uploading songs)

8. Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More ( Island Records)

What? Not as good as the EP’s – too well-produced and less intense – but still one of the big bands of 2009.

No song either, becuase big label and we hate them. booooh!

7. Knots - The Blistering Sun, The Pale Moon, Hahahahaha ( Self-released)

What? Guy makes album in his bedroom and makes emotional emotions singable

Knots – Boulder Lies

6. Stuart And Caan – The Mayfly Dance (Knw-Yr- Own Records)

What? soundtrack for the Wickerman (scary pagan folk)

Stuart And Caan – Rosemary

5. Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer (Jagjaguwar)

What? Man with weird voice does it again. (and will keep on doing it for next 23 years)

Sunset Rubdown – Black Swan

4. Sarcastic Dharma Society – Other People’s Songs, vol. 1 (Self-released, through The Collective Family and Less than  Three Records)

What? Cover album with a great feel. And you don’t have to learn the lyrics, cause you already know them!

(is there anyone who can tell me who Meyercord is? Very curious to the original)

Sarcastic Dharma Society – Shit on My Heart

The Album is free to download on Collective Family

3. Bill Callahan – Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle (Drag City)

What? Break-up albums tend to be the beginning of the end. Let’s hope not (though this puts the standard quite high)

Bill Callahan – Jim Cain

2. Jeffrey Lewis & The Junkyard – Em Are I (Rough Trade)

What? The album that gave me the best summer feel this year, and made me singalong the most

Jeffrey Lewis – Broken, Broken, Broken Heart

1.  Navigator – Bad Children (Magic Goat Music)

What? Neutral Milk Hotel, No Age and Chad Vangaalen made a baby, and the baby was butt-ugly and totally free.

Navigator – Blood

The Emotional Record of the year. In 2009 we got hit by 100.000 of indie noise pop things, and quite franktly we grew tired of it. But then there was Bradne J. McKenna. He happened to be on my hard drive for a couple of years, but this stuff is muchos grandos compared to the early songs I have. This hit me in the stomach, left me bleeding to death and then reanimated me. You can download Navigator’s album totally for free through their label, which makes this year the total fuck you to major labels. Thank you Braden J. McKenna.

Hi there. Outside my door, a firefight is happening. Or at least it sounds like Fallujah. Not sure if the neighborhood kids are killing each other or just letting off some steam. Either way, sounds like they’re having a blast. The New Year will be here in five hours. Crazy to think. In honor of the New Year, I decided to rank my favorite songs of the year. 2009 was loaded with invigorating music. My goal was to pick my 20 favorite songs. This is not a “best of” list. REPEAT: This is not a “best of” list. Just songs — some mainstream, some obscure — that pleased my eardrums and captured my attention. Hope you enjoy!

20. “Party in the USA/Party and Bullshit” mash-up by Hathbanger. On paper this shouldn’t work. Notorious B.I.G.’s gruff delivery of street tales has next to nothing in common with Miley Cyrus’ mall pop. But, this is a case where convention must be rolled up and tossed into the trash can. This not only works, but is a banger of the highest order. B.I.G. has plenty of space within the confines of “Party in the USA”’s sonic landscape to weave his tales of gunplay, hookers and blunts. No, I am not a Miley Cyrus disciple after this mash-up, but I must admit now I nodded my head to one of her songs.

19. “Northern Lights” by Bowerbirds. All you need to know about Bowerbirds frontman Phil Moore is revealed in the first line of this gorgeous love song. “I don’t need a waterfall of careless praise,” he sings, while gently strumming an acoustic guitar. In a generation where 15 minutes of fame overruns dignity, Moore writes off superficial things for a chance at something more substantial. Namely, the chance to stare into his lover’s eyes in the morning. This is direct, this is raw, this is lovely.

18. “11th Dimenson” by Julian Casablancas. Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas exemplified detached NYC cool in the early 2000’s, with his eternally glassy eyes, greasy hair and WTF? ramblings about heroin to magazines. But time moved on and Casablancas and the Strokes became an uninspiring take on their former selves. With Phrazes For The Young, his solo debut, Casablancas made the risky decision to forego the Strokes’ messy, garage sound for synths. On the lead single he swings and sways through four minutes of deadpan observations that I’d like to believe were written on paper napkins in 24-hour diners. Maybe there is a glimmer of hope for the long delayed Strokes album No. 4 after all.

17.  “Knock You Down” by Keri Hilson (featuring Ne-Yo and Kanye West). The song’s message — get back up when love knocks you down — is as ancient as record label honcho Clive Davis. But, the starpower here breathes life into it. Hilson is an up-and-coming star, equal parts stunning beauty and talent. She has a smooth voice, as she displays on the first verse and chorus. Speaking of smooth, Ne-Yo applies his smoothest guy in the room act here to great effect. Last but certainly not least, West rips through his verse. Favorite line: “This is bad, real bad, Michael Jackson. Now, I’m mad, real mad, Joe Jackson.” Amazing that this was written before Jacko’s death and the bizarre Joe Jackson interviews that followed.

16. “While You Wait For the Others” by Grizzly Bear. Singer/guitarist Daniel Rossen is the nicest pissed off person you’ll ever meet. You know, asking the object of his inaffection to “kindly make their way,” instead of kicking them out of the door. But, even, he hopes for the night to end, or better yet his guest to get the hint and leave. The song’s tension builds until release is found, in the form of Ed Droste’s singular voice soaring to the rafters at the 3:22 mark. Then again, this song is so well-crafted and the harmonies are so well-layered that if you played it for annoying person, they might ask you to play it again.

15. “Frank, AB” by Rural Alberta Advantage. Hometowns, Rural Alberta’s debut full-length, is a collection of stories about near collapse and re-birth, as much as it’s about hometowns. It’s when things are on edge that Rural Alberta singer Nils Edenloff is at his best, as evidenced by “Frank, AB”, a song reportedly based off a true story. The music builds a minute in, as the keyboard creates a rising wave and the rhythmic tapping of the hi-hat is like a timer set to explode any second. And out of this, Edenloff’s nasally voice grows stronger and clearer, promising his love, “I’ll hold on to your touch till they find the bones of us.” It’s hard to make tragedy — whether the end of a relationship or loss of life — sound so poignant or timeless. But Edenloff does it so often and so effortlessly on Hometowns that you almost forget how hard it is.

14. “Mouthful of Diamonds” by Phantogram. After a bit of a slumber, the NYC music scene looks to be reviving again with heavily hyped two-piece bands like Sleigh Bells and Phantogram primed for big things in 2010. “Mouthful of Diamonds” sinks its teeth into your eardrums from the start with a twitchy siren of a sample, a swirling guitar number and one of the finest opening lines all year: “Wake up, you’re getting high off your own supply.” Sarah Barthel delivers the jolt with a quiet confidence. She’s not Karen O., not by a long shot. But, with words like these in her artillery, she doesn’t have to be.

13. “109″ by Toro Y Moi. I read one blogger this year who said Columbia, S.C., was the new Williamsburg (N.Y.). Seemed absurd. Has he ever been to Columbia, I thought. Then, I heard this song by Toro Y Moi, not to mention fellow Columbia band Washed Out, and was forced to re-evaluate my bias toward South Carolina’s indie crop. Toro Y Moi, aka one-man band Chas Bundick, captures a little slice of summer with “109.” The opening guitar notes and accompanying “ahh ahh ahhs” scream sunshine, the beach and babes. Bundick’s breezy falsetto during the chorus only furthers that image. Whether Columbia is the new Williamsburg is still up for debate. My guess is it’s not. But, if this song is any indication, it sure seems a hell of a lot more carefree and less image conscious.

12. “Heartbreaker” by MSTRKRFT (featuring John Legend). There’s not many people who sing about heartbreak better than R&B crooner John Legend. His voice is silky smooth. And over pulsing piano, synths and drum machines here, Legend lays his relationship, full of highs and lows, out for everyone to see. Yes, he should have listened to his friends, but his heart told him there was a chance. C’est la vie. The “You’re in my mind, you’re in my heart” chorus is simple but catchy as hell. Legend doesn’t try to dress it up with vocal calisthenics. No need. In pining for the girl he can’t let go, Legend creates one of the great earworm songs of the year.

11. “Impressions of the Past” by Megafaun. The three bearded lads from Megafaun stuff several songs worth of ideas into this one mostly instrumental song. And somehow, it works … works fabulously, in fact. “Impressions of the Past” stops and starts, rises and falls almost like a post-rock song, except one made by a band with a folk/bluegrass pedigree featuring a banjo, accordian and upright bass violin. The song shifts dramatically at around the 4:40 mark when the trio joins in a stunning acapella verse that finds them shunning nostalgia for a new outlook. “The truth is not found in the hue, it’s in my perspective anew,” they sing. It’s especially apropos now as we start a new decade brimming with uncertainty.

10. “Keep It Goin’ Louder” by Major Lazer (featuring Ricky Blaze and Nina Sky). In a perfect world, this would be blaring from every club in the country right now. The driving beat is sick, the Caribbean twins from Nina Sky are great on the hook and, most of all, the song is just really fun. Nina Sky implores the DJ to play their song, and keep it goin’ louder. And Diplo, the dj who helmed M.I.A.’s international smash “Paper Planes, obliges. Regardless of whether other DJs heed their call, this is one of the best dance tracks of the year and further enhances Diplo’s place among today’s most innovative producers.

9. “Feel It All Around” by Washed Out. A lazy summer’s breeze of a tune, “Feel It All Around” is the work of Ernest Greene, a 20-something living in South Carolina. You see? South Carolina is running this indie shit this year. I digress. Greene takes a sample from an unremarkable 80’s song and turns it into something relaxing, pretty and chill, hence his association with the chillwave movement. His vocals are like a sigh, his music like waves content to roll aimlessly to the shore. I’m pretty sure I’ll be listening to this in the summer of 2010, too.

8. “What Would I Want? Sky.” by Animal Collective. Much of the attention devoted to this song is placed on Animal Collective’s use of a Grateful Dead sample, the first one to be used with the band’s permission. It makes sense, but I see the looping, slightly off-time sample as a sort of dividing line. While the first three minutes of this song are certainly enjoyable, they pale in comparison to what unfolds once the sample kicks in. I’d liken it to the portion of  The Wizard of Oz in color versus the one in black and white. A new world awaits. But with it comes uncertainty. Avey Tare captures said uncertainty with one of his finest vocal performances, one where it seems like he will burst but he manages to restrain himself.”I should be floating but I’m weighted by thinking,” he sings. Interesting, because when I think of this song musically, I think of floating — either lazily down a river or in the clouds.  Take your pick. This song is a dream to admire.

7. “Lisztomania” by Phoenix. I feel cooler by association when I hear this song. Like somehow I am Thomas Mars, Phoenix frontman and husband of director Sofia Coppola, and am ready to conquer the world with ultra-catchy soft rock. The music swings and bobs, but it is clear Mars is the star. “So sentimental, not sentimental no, romantic not disgusting yet,” Mars begins with a detached cool that would make Casablancas circa 2001 jealous. The song’s title refers to Franz Liszt, a 19th century Hungarian composer who drew a crowd wherever he went because of his music. A curious choice because Phoenix’s music had long been criminally underrated. That’s in the past, though. Funny what a car commerical, an SNL appearance and an album of catchy tunes can do for you.

6. “When I’m With You” by Best Coast. Like traveling back in time on a surfboard, “When I’m With You” is one of the catchiest three minutes of music I heard all year. Cali native Bethany Cosentino records under the name Best Coast, and makes 60’s girl group music with heartfelt lyrics that conjure up images of cloudless skies at the beach. Cosentino drones the words “When I’m with you I have fun” several times at the start of the song. Not necessarily the embodiment of fun. But, the song really opens up 45 seconds in when the music builds and Cosentino throws her cares to the wind. From there, the song is a picnic on the beach and a joy to behold.

5. “Empire State of Mind” by Jay-Z (featuring Alicia Keys). “I’m the new Sinatra,” Jay-Z raps so matter-of-factly on “Empire State of Mind” that it must be true. An argument can certainly be made. His style, his words, his girl. They all scream “wow.” But what jumps off the track here is Alicia Keys’ vocals, which effortlessly scale Manhattan’s tallest building. Her voice is a wonder, her words are a welcome mat. “These streets will make you feel brand new, big lights will inspire you,” she sings. While Jay is coronating himself the King of NYC, Keys is illuminating the kingdom around him. It doesn’t get much brighter than this.

4. “Cosmic Love” by Florence+The Machine. That voice, that voice leaves my mouth agape everytime. I’m talking about Florence Welch, the fiery redhead (is there any other kind?) from England, who was my favorite singer of 2009. “Cosmic Love” finds Florence in full-on Stevie Nicks mode, bemoaning a lost love. “The stars, the moon, they have all been blown out, you left me in the dark,” she belts. Her voice is a dove, a thunderbolt, a wonder. And she showcases it here in all its glory. Pounding drums add to the drama. The anticipation builds and builds. Maybe she’ll leave the twilight; maybe she’ll stay, choosing the shadows. Questions abound, but it is clear after Florence’s debut album Lungs that she is destined to be a star.

3. “My Girls” by Animal Collective. The longtime Animal Collective diehards view this as a cash-in, a sellout. Which is counterintuitive, if you listen to the chorus. “I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things like my social status/I just want four walls and adobe slabs for my girls,” Avey Tare and Panda Bear sing in unison. It’s a credo that many in the over-indulgent, me-first times that we live in could stand to embrace. It’s basic needs stripped to the bone. For a band that often appeared to be noodling for their own enjoyment, their new Beach Boys-tinged approach to pop music is a welcome departure from their early days. And it doesn’t hurt that the beat they constructed is guaranteed to get asses moving. All in all, this one is a bonafide smash.

2. “Lust for Life” by Girls. Throw out the backstory of escapes from cults and relentless pill popping because it doesn’t matter. What matters is that Christopher Owens, lead conspirator of San Fransisco’s Girls, captured bliss in a bottle with this tight rumination about his wishes and desires in the aptly titled “Lust for Life.” This is what the Beach Boys would have sounded like if they could have recorded in their bedroom. “Lust for Life” is full of “la-la-la’s” and “bop-bop-bops” begging for the listener to sing along. Owens’ voice has always faintly reminded me of a sadder, more wistful Perry Ferrell. And that’s true here. He’s young, he doesn’t have anything figured out and he’s alone. Plus, he’s “crazy, totally mad.” But he still has a glimmer of hope.  “Maybe If I really try with all my heart then I can make a brand new start in love with you,” Owens sings in the chorus, as if wiping tears from his eyes. Yes, this could be a train wreck. But’s he taking a chance, and it’s hard not to root for him with the way he lays it all out is so timeless.

1. “Young Hearts Spark Fire” by Japandroids. Quarter-life crisis, be damned, this song was the most exhilirating listen of the year for me. Just two guys from Vancouver, with effects-heavy guitar and cymbal-crashing drums, finding their way. “We used to dream, now we worry about dying,” Brian King sings/shouts on the chorus. At that point, it could have been this year’s saddest song about growing up. But, King won’t let himself wallow in regret, pity or nostalgia. “I don’t wanna worry about dying, I just wanna worry about those sunshine girls,” he continues with all the punk spirit he can muster. The drums and guitars, which had sped up during the chorus, slow to a crawl. Life is meant to be lived. Not watched as it passes you by. “Young Hearts Spark Fire” flawlessly captures this ethos. This is triumph in the face of fear, disappointment and anything else that would keep one for shooting for their dreams. This is a shot of kinetic energy straight into the listeners’ veins, and a reminder that 25 is not as old as it seems.

Hello and Happy New Year!  I apologize for not posting my top 5 albums of the decade in sequence with my fellow writers.  But, now we can make up for lost time.  Below are my top 5 albums from the past decade (In no specific order).  Don’t forget to check out the show dates below!  Also, leave a little feedback in the comments section, should you feel so inclined…

~Wil

1. Iron & Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days

This is the second LP from Sam Beam, and (in my opinion) it marks the peak of his original southern gothic/folk sound before departing into more experimental folk with ‘The Shepherd’s Dog’.  It takes the same earthy elements from his first album ‘The Creek Drank the Cradle’, and polishes them to a smooth shine….

2. Sufjan Stevens – Illinois

Part of me feels obligated to include this.  No matter how you slice it, Illinois was both a defining album for the past decade and for Sufjan as an artist.  So much has been written about it, that it’s really not worth me commenting on (I wouldn’t add anything worth reading anyway)…

3. Seabear – The Ghost That Carried Us Away

Iceland has a knack for producing fantastic musicians (Sigur Ros, etc).  Seabear is an Icelandic folk outfit with a lead singer who has an uncanny ability to sing with an American accent.  I guess I would describe it as ‘fun’ folk with a definite pop-lofi edge.

4. The Six Parts Seven – Things Shaped in Passing

Ok, I realize that there are a lot of folks out there who have dedicated their sole post-rock allegiance to Explosions in the Sky and pioneers of the like.  They also will claim that any other ‘post-rock’ band is some kind of johnny-come-lately impostor who is unworthy of acknowledgment.   To these people, I apologize.  The Six Parts Seven just feels right, and this album ‘Things Shaped in Passing’ is a great starting place to get a feel for their signature.  (Had a hard time finding a youtube video for any tracks.  Some googling might lead you to various samples).

5. Bowerbirds – Hymns for a Dark Horse

Bowerbirds is a little more rootsy/classic in terms of folk.  They had a lot of success on the ‘indie’ scene with the above album ‘Hymns for a Dark Horse’.  Unfortunately, their follow up LP hasn’t gained the same acclaim.

If you made it down this far (or if you didn’t), then thanks for reading!  There are masses of other albums from this decade that should be mentioned, but these are the ones that came to mind at the time of writing.   Let us know about some of your picks from the past decade!

NPR has a pretty cool video segment on their website called Tiny Desk Concert. This program brings a band into the NPR offices and has them play an acoustic set amongst sprawled papers and books. Recently, indie/folk band Bowerbirds were featured on Tiny Desk Concert. Check it out at NPR.

The Wait is Over:

1. John Vanderslice – Romanian Names

2. Owen – New Leaves

3. Julie Doiron – I Can Wonder What You Did With Your Day

4. Cats on Fire – Our Temperance Movement

5. Mono – Hymn to the Immortal Wind

6. Magnolia Electric Co. – Josephine

7. God Help the Girl – God Help the Girl

8. David Bazan – Curse Your Branches

9. Bowerbirds – Upper Air

10. Ben Barnett – Songs About Zombies and Trust Issues (tour CD-R)

The Almost Made-Its:

1. So Cow – So Cow

2. John Vanderslice & The Mountain Goats – Moon Colony Bloodbath

3. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – Beware

4. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

5. Cursive – Mama I’m Swollen

6. Between the Buried and Me – The Great Misdirect

7.  Real Estate – Real Estate

It was a bountiful year for finding good new bands. Rather than doing a traditional top 10 or 20 songs of the year, I’m going to devote at least a couple of posts this week to tracks that made my playlists.

For this first post, I’ll focus on bands I discovered for the first time in 2009. Portugal. The Man made a great retro-sounding song in People Say. I like almost everything the Builders and the Butchers put out (same goes for the Pains of Being Pure at Heart). Girls, The xx and Sin Fang Bous were pleasant surprises.

Here’s some of the year’s best.

People Say – Portugal. The Man

Short Way Home – The Builders and the Butchers

Melt Down The Knives – Sin Fang Bous

A Violent Translation of the Concordia Headscarp – Emperor X

Beneath Your Tree – Bowerbirds

Lust For Life – Girls

Let’s Go Surfing – The Drums

Crystalised – The xx

Come Saturday – The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Eid Ma Clack Shaw – Bill Callahan

Overnite Religion – Kurt Vile

Black & Blue – Miike Snow

Sleepyhead – Passion Pit

Lakeside – BLK JKS

Priestess – Imaad Wasif

So the big day is finally here. Since I’m writing this on the eve of Christmas Eve, I can’t honestly say exactly what I’ve done today but if the past few years are anything to go by, I’ve received my gifts by now and I’m busy helping my mum and my sisters make good food in the kitchen. Every now and then I’ll nick outside to field a ball or two during our neverending game of backyard cricket while the fellas hover around the barbeque checking the lamb and putting together various toys/bikes/swingsets.

I make mixtapes for my sisters each Christmas. Here’s one of the mixes that Elspeth will be receiving. Make sure you grab the links while you can – I have a major cleanup planned after all this Christmas hoopla is behind us!

Girl In The War – Josh Ritter
Castaways – Shearwater (download here)
Madame Shocking – The Silent Years (download here)
Northern Lights – Bowerbirds (download here)
The Colour That Your Eyes Changed With The Colour Of Your Hair – Carissa’s Wierd (download here)
Oslo Novelist – Grand Archives (download here)
East – The Weather Station (download here)
Alter Ego – Jean-Louis Aubert
Bad Diary Days – Pedro The Lion
Now You Are Pregnant – The Wave Pictures
Charlie Darwin – The Low Anthem
Wax and Wire – Loch Lomond (download here)
Familiar Light – Asobi Seksu
In Excelsis Deo – There Will Be Fireworks (download here)
Black Ice – Ohbijou
Folding Chair – Regina Spektor
With This Ship – The Basics
When You Walk In The Room – Fyfe Dangerfield (download here)

Here’s hoping you’ve had a safe and happy Christmas!

Here.

Sorry for the Hit and Run, but not so sorry to say much other than, “gotta run.”

I brought a baby accordion yesterday from Camden market. It was a bit of an impulse buy but it’s my new years resolution to learn to play it properly. I have been doing some looking around youtube for songs I can learn to play and I have put together a little collection of videos which highlight why accordions are so good. So here they are!

Yay! I went to see Paul McCartney at the O2 on Tuesday (amazingggg), which was why I was in London, so a big review should be up either tonight or boxing day! Happy Christmas!

The end of the year is creeping up on us all, so I thought that I’d take a little time and share my ten favorite albums of 2009.  I think that this year was a particularly good year for me with music – Neko Case had a new album out and I found some new bands that I really fell in love with. (These aren’t really in any particular order, although Neko Case’s album was my favorite of this year).

1. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone – Neko Case has long been a favorite of mine, and this was the first album she had released since I had started listening to her.  The buzz around it was exciting to follow and listen to her interviews while making the album.  Although probably not my favorite album of hers writing wise, it is definitely the most interesting for me to listen to.  Favorite track: Middle Cyclone

2. The Dodos – Time to Die – The Dodos were a band introduced to me through my ex-boyfriend.  Once I started raving about them, it turns out that some of my friends already knew about them – including my friend who went to school with one of the musicians in the band!  Steph and I did a band poster for the Dodos (which I have neglected to post).  Favorite track: Fables

3. Bowerbirds – Upper Air – Also a new band, but one that I have quickly fallen in love with.  I really enjoy their whole package – sweet lyrics with a certain amount of quiet and introspect to them.  Favorite track: Northern Lights

4. Wilco – Wilco (the album) – Before this album, I had never really listened to Wilco.  I had heard so many great things about them, but never gave it a listen.  I finally got around to listening to this album and don’t regret it.  Favorite track: You and I

5. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion – The art school kid in me (and the Baltimorean) started listening to Animal Collective a couple of years ago.  This album was a real refinement to what they had been doing previously, which I think turned some listeners off (like their tendency to scream).  Favorite track: Summertime Clothes

6. Passion Pit – Manners – I avoided Passion Pit for a long time this year, even though I liked every single that I heard.   After finally getting the album, I wondered what took me so long!  This album is the perfect album for a party.  Sleepyhead is one of my jams of the year.  What a fun album.  Favorite track: Sleepyhead

7. Lady Gaga – Fame Monster – If you’ve read this blog from the beginning, you know I’m not shy about my love for Lady Gaga.  I think she is so interesting and such a well-informed pop artist.  This album is another feel-good album for me.  Favorite track: Telephone (feat. Beyonce)

8. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix – Another band I sort of avoided for quite some time.  My roommate and other friends were really into them, but somehow I just didn’t see it.  It took a few singles to get me listening to the entire album but eventually it found its place with me.  Favorite track: Rome

9. St. Vincent – Actor – Also known as Annie Clark, I instantly fell in love with her beautiful voice and experimentation on this album.  It’s no surprise that I became fond of her – she’s worked with Sufjan Stevens.  Favorite track: Actor Out of Work

10. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca – I saw the Dirty Projectors this fall in concert, which was a lot of fun.  I love the use of the voice as an instrument, and how it’s projected on this album.  Favorite track: Stillness is the Move

What am I missing?  Is there something I should have listened to?