Sunday, December 30, 2007

Tunes

30 great songs of 2oo7

30. The Bird and the Bee / How Deep is Your Love (unreleased)
Covering the Beegees, the bird and the bee really allow you to absorb the lyrics instead of the shrill harmonies of "how deep is your love." It's also nice when she goes into her lower register instead of in the rafters.
29. Beck / Soldier Jane (The Information)
It's always nice to hear Beck - this is the best song off of this album, which in my opinion, kindof sank.
28. Battles / Atlas (Mirrored)
Reminds me a lot of the guards' chant in the Wizard of Oz. I like that.
27. Animal Collective / Fireworks (Strawberry Jam)
Loud and amusing - this song is an epiphany of some sort.
26. Panda Bear / Ponytail (Person Pitch)
The Beach Boys' echoes once they have all passed, and their music travels through the realm of death into the realm of reality. A ghostly tune.
25. Britney Spears / Radar (Blackout)
There's some Goldfrapp in here, yet it is mostly Britney and her big old computer voice running the show. It's great.

24. The Arcade Fire / The Well and the Lighthouse (Neon Bible)
I didn't care for this album too much, but this song is reminiscent of the Funeral days more than any of the others.
23. The Rakes / When Tom Cruise Cries (Ten New Messages)
Melodic, Dancey, and British. Perfect.
22. The Shins / Australia (Wincing the Night Away)
Makes You Happy.

21. Bat for Lashes / What's a Girl to Do? (Fur & Gold)
I just can't help but love this song...reminiscent of Jane Birkin in "Je t'aime moi non plus"
20. The Cribs / Men's Needs (Men's Needs, Woman's Needs...)
Frontman Ryan Jarman's screech is endearing in this catchy dance rock song.
19. The Apples in Stereo / Same Old Drag (New Magnetic Wonder)
Trippy harmonies, 90s beat, hot all around.
18. Liars / Freak Out (Liars)
You have to have some noise on a best single list. While this latest Liars album was certainly their most mainstream, and this song is still slightly more melodic then their past hits, it delves back into the roots Liars fans love [i think.]
17. Spoon / My Little Japanese Cigarette Case (Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)
An all around adorable song.
16. The White Stripes / Conquest (Icky Thump)
What an awesome Patti Page cover! What an awesome song!
15. Film School / Compare (Hideout)
Great stuff from the surfacing Film School. This second album Hideout proves the bad second album curse to be incorrect.




14. Rihanna ft. Jay-Z / Umbrella (Good Girl Gone Bad)
Song of the Summer. Period.
13. Britney Spears / Piece of Me (Blackout)
We might wish that Britney wrote this herself, but a team of 10,000 people helped her - and her voice is slowed down, sped up, and utterly manipulated by a machine. It's SO GOOD
12. LCD Soundsystem / All My Friends (Sound of Silver)
This song is so much fun - and it's nice when a dance/electronic song has a good beat but is also pretty.
11. Deerhoof / The Galaxist (Friend Opportunity)
Inventive, incorporates many a' genre, and is both silly and profound.
10. The National / Mistaken for Strangers (Boxer)
Really great song - I just heard them for the first time a couple of days ago, and this song, with all of its acclaim, has landed the number 10 spot on this list.
9. Blonde Redhead - Dr. Strangeluv (23)
Incredible.
8. Of Montreal / Gronlandic Edit (Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?)
I put this on my Mom's exercise mix, and it was her favorite song. It's a lot of fun.
7. Deerhunter / Strange Lights (Cryptograms)
A really strong song from a really strong album. How vague of me.
6. Daft Punk / Harder Better Faster Stronger LIVE (Alive 2007)
One of the best live tracks I've ever heard.
5. Radiohead / Nude (In Rainbows)
Originally recorded in '93, ghostly vocals, and a beautifully produced level of atmosphere comprises "nude." Tom Yorke, at precisely 3 minutes into the song, holds a note that is so beautiful, it makes you want to cry.

4. M.I.A. / 20 Dollar (Kala)
I love the sampling of Pixies' "where is my mind" - the arrangement is so creative - how could the United States not let M.I.A. in??
3. Animal Collective / Unsolved Mysteries (Strawberry Jam)
I saw this song live, and it was incredible too. Yet another innovative track of the year. Really something.
2. Frankpollis / Malk (FPEP)
Frankpollis, a new band that just recorded their EP in Detroit, (its also being remixed right now for official release,) are going to blow up. I've been fortunate enough to see them live quite a few times, and its mesmerizing. They're playing at Piano's soon, and then they're off to Japan in April.
1. Blonde Redhead / Spring and by Summer Fall (23)
This song changed my life. Not only seeing them do this live, but the vocals, the delicious guitar yelps, the passion emitted from Amedeo, Simone, and Kazu - everything just comes together. The resulting sound is brilliant. The sexuality of Blonde Redhead is also so forthright in this particular song. The melody crawls up your body.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

I'm a Jonas Brother now

Today my friends and I were recognized as the Jonas Brothers, the Disney-manufactured boy group sensation in McDonalds on 57th street.
As of now, Miley Cyrus has chlamydia, and we're our next 5 shows are in New Jersey. Yeaaaah
The Jonas Brothers:



Us:


Yeah.

Wednesday, December 26, 2007

guitar hero III


tonights festivities included - "walk hard: the dewey cox story" and guitar heroIII
my favorite to play:
Barracuda - Heart
my biggest failure:



and in honor of Eddie Vedder's comic talent and participation in Walk Hard, here are some Pearl Jam tunes, also from 1993-
try talking to someone and playing guitar hero at the same time

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

One last Christmas message from Liam, Stella, and Mom

Ebenezer: What is your business here?
Spirit of Christmas Past: Your welfare.
Ebenezer: My welfare?
Spirit of Christmas Past: Your reclamation, then. Take heed, rise, and walk with me.
Ebenezer: Are you the spirit whose coming was foretold to me?
Spirit of Christmas Past: I am.
Ebenezer: Who and what are you?
Spirit of Christmas Past: I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.
Ebenezer: Long past?
Spirit of Christmas Past: No, your past.
-Scrooge (1951)
Merry Christmas
Happy Belated Chanukah
From Liam the human being

2oo7 Rewind

Top Albums of 2007

1. Blonde Redhead - 23
key tracks: "spring by summer and fall" / "dr. strangeluv"
2. Radiohead - In Rainbows
key tracks: "nude" / "videotape" / "bodysnatchers"
3. M.I.A. - Kala
key tracks: "20 dollar" / "hussel" / "paper planes"
4. Deerhunter - Cryptograms
key tracks: "strange lights" / "heatherwood"
5. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
key tracks: "unsolved mysteries" / "fireworks" / "#1"
6. Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
key tracks: "the galaxist" / "matchbook seeks maniac" / "believe e.s.p."
7. Aretha Franklin - Rare and Unreleased Recordings from the Golden Reign of the Queen of Soul
key track: "dr. feelgood [demo]"
8. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
key tracks: "ponytail" / "bros" / "take pills"
9. Daft Punk - Alive 2007
key track: "harder better faster stronger"
10. Britney Spears - Blackout
key tracks: "piece of me" / "heaven on earth" / "radar"


11. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
key tracks: "north american scum" / "all my friends"
12. The National - Boxer
key tracks: "mistaken for strangers" "apartment story"
13. Sharon Jones and the Dapkings - 100 Days, 100 Nights
key track: "tell me"
14. Albert Hammond Jr. - Yours to Keep
key tracks: "in transit" - which i will say came from The Strokes' original release of Albert's song, "obstinate"/ "bright young thing"
15. The Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder
key tracks: "same old drag" / "energy"
16. Battles - Mirrored
key tracks: "atlas" / tonto"
17. Kanye West - Graduation
key track: "stronger"
18. The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs...Whatever
key tracks: "men's needs" / "i'm a realist"
19. The Bird and the Bee - The Bird and the Bee
key tracks: "again and again" / "i'm a broken heart"
20. The Darjeeling Limited - Soundtrack
key tracks: "this time tomorrow - the kinks" / "play with fire" - rolling stones


flower and ice rink pictures by Google / others by me - i thought i'd add some flavor to this list.

Sunday, December 2, 2007

Techno's newest veteran

Our beloved Goldfrapp has turned to her roots.



Similar to her first album, Felt Mountain, Her newest album Seventh Tree mirrors her original slow pop style. The great thing about it is that we can really hear her beautiful voice - it maintains more than ooh-la-las - but I'm gonna miss the tip toes, trains, twists...number ones. Goldfrapp: go through your Celine Dion phase quickly please. We want more than woman-Barry White.

Listen to "Cologne Cerrone Houdini"...and theres about one thing you should be doing as this song plays, that is, if Burt Reynolds hasn't already played it in Boogie Nights.

Key Track:

Goldfrapp - Cologne Cerrone Houdini

Key Nostalgia:

Goldfrapp - Strict Machine (We Are Glitter Mix)