Big Night

Downtempo

Sit back and relax.

Cake- Prolonging the Magic

I'm going out to see some old friends in Atlanta tonight. Cake reminds me of an old friend, you may not listen or talk to them every single day, but when you hear Cake on the radio or get a call from your friend you pick up right where you left off and are immediately reminded why you were such good friends in the first place. I'm also putting this album up because Cake is slated to release their first studio album in seven years on January 11th. Here is Prolonging the Magic.

Wool Socks

Wool socks are awesome.  I received a few pairs for Christmas. French House is also awesome.

My Bloody Valentine- Loveless

I'm not a huge fan of My Bloody Valentine, but I do enjoy Loveless and think of it as one of the best albums of the 90's. Others such as Billy Corgan, Robert Smith, and Trey have hailed the album as well (Trey having said it was the best album of the 90's). The album is filled with rushing and swirling guitars. If you enjoy Brian Eno, you will probably enjoy Loveless

Merry Christmas

Thom Yorke actually hated this song for a while after he thought fans were just coming to shows to hear "Creep."  The band did not perform the song live for a long stretch of time, however they busted the song out in 2009 after a long hiatus. I'm not a huge Radiohead fan, but this is one of my favorite songs of theirs.



This song is an excellent example of what a devoted and powerful fanbase Pearl Jam has. "Yellow Ledbetter" was a B-side fom Ten (which is one of the best albums of all time imo),but became a radio hit because of fan requests.











some of the best one liners ever in these lyrics.

Ghostface Killah- Apollo Kids

Sometimes Christmas comes early, and sometimes I give you albums before they are released.


Apollo Kids

Phosphorescent- Here's To Taking It Easy

Finally back in Chicago and on Christmas break.  Here's a great album from Phosphorescent, a folk singer and songwriter from Athens, GA but now based out of Brooklyn.  I actually just stumbled upon him while I was studying for finals so I don't know too much about him or listened to all of his music, but he has been releasing music since 2003.  Here is his most recent album Here's To Taking It Easy released earlier this year.

Pitchfork Staff Lists

Pitchfork has an excellent section on their site called Staff Lists.  These are more  or less  rankings over songs, albums, music videos, etc. picked by Pitchfork writers, usually broken down by year or decade.  I just read this blurb about 1979 and thought it was a perfect description of the song and video.

21. The Smashing Pumpkins
"1979"
[Virgin; 1996]

It seems very wrong to reduce an important band's highest-charting single to one sound, but sorry, that whooshing progression that repeats through "1979" is amazing enough to hang a whole career on. That floating guitar figure seems to hold all the wistfulness, sadness, hope, and redemption that the Smashing Pumpkins wanted to get across in the 1990s, and everything else-- and they released a ton of great music then, don't let the last 10 years obscure that-- was pretty much gravy. Somehow that riff and the song's title-- '79 was a pivotal year for Corgan's generation, signaling the end of the last decade that would be spent only in childhood-- must have motivated Billy Corgan to speak in straightforward and human terms. Here he wasn't whining, he wasn't throwing a tantrum, he didn't want to be the voice of a generation or be someone's therapist. Instead, he put together a cluster of images that was more about an undefined feeling than a message, and it happened to be the most universal sentiment he'd ever manage. "1979" was Billy Corgan asking, "You know this feeling?" and the second you heard that guitar line the immediate answer was, "I do-- tell me more." --Mark Richardson

Daft Punk- Tron Legacy

As promised here is Daft Punk's Tron Legacy Soundtrack

Calverton & Tim Healey- Back to the Ghetto (Kraft Kuts remix)-  great song and kudos to Rand on the find.

Top 5 Albums of the Year

Alright I know the year is not over yet and some albums have yet to be released, but right now these are my favorite albums of 2010.  Without further ado I will channel my inner John Cusack to present my first top 5 list:

Arcade Fire- The Suburbs:  You can find this album in my last post, which is what actually inspired me to create this list because The Suburbs is such an amazing album.  If you didn't read the last post, go back and download this album immediately.

The Chemical Brothers- Further:  Ed and Tim are back with this one.  I would compare Further to Robot Rock in terms that it is repetitive and not necessarily as good as the classic albums such as Exit Planet Dust and Dig Your Own Hole, but it still quality. Check out Snow, Escape Velocity, and Dissolve.

LCD Soundsystem- This is Happening: Supposedly the last LCD Soundsystem album as James Murphy has stated that he wishes to no longer create music under the LCD Soundsystem moniker.  If this is true, then what a shame for music.  Like Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem has  only released 3 albums, but each has been a significant contribution to music.  While my personal favorite All My Friends is not on this album, this is the best LCD Soundsystem album from top to bottom.  Way to go out with a bang James.

The Black Keys- Brothers:  The Black Keys are blowing up this year and I have heard them on about 3 different commercials (which I have mixed feelings about).  While in my opinion Brothers is not as good as Chulahoma, Thickfreakness, of Rubber Factory, it is still a great album and probably one of their more accessible albums.  Case in point Everlasting Light (Brothers) vs. Thickfreakness (Thickfreakness).

Fang Island- Fang Island:  I posted this album a few months ago and I still find myself enjoying this album

Honorable Mention:

Daft Punk-Tron Legacy Soundtrack:  I'll be honest, I have only listened to it once and I wasn't blown away,  but  I am just excited that they have put out some new music.  Plus, it's not even available yet, I'll throw it up here tomorrow, but I have to get back to this paper.

Arcade Fire

Sorry I have not been updating the site, no excuses, I have been just been lazy.  So to make up for my lack of interest in the site lately I present the entire Arcade Fire catalog.  Arcade Fire is a band out of Montreal led by a husband and wife.  They have only released 3 albums, but I would argue that they are three of the most important albums of the last 20 years.  Most recently they released The Suburbs this summer and it is one of my top 5 albums of the year.  In addition to creating phenomenal music in the studio Arcade Fire put on a fantastic, spirited live show.  I saw them this past summer at Lollapalooza and I must say that it was a transcendental experience.

Arcade Fire & David Bowie- Wake Up

Intervention

Neighborhoods #3 (Power Out)

Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)