Friday evening was a mad house. Getting into the station wasn’t the issue, as I expect it will be in the coming weeks now that winter is upon us; it was the transition. Transitioning from one on-air personality to another is a bit nerve-wracking. The quarters are cramped, the mic is hot, and you have to do your best not to step on their toes as they wrap their show and you begin yours. And when it’s time to fly, you have to remember which buttons should be lit and which ones shouldn’t.

After the first song, things are fine. It’s just that initial track that likes to pose issue. It did it in late October, and it did it again on Friday. The song eventually hit the airwaves, and we were rolling.

November 4 was all about pop music. Some loud, some soft, some orchestral, some experimental. All good. No surprise, many songs came from overseas — Sweden (an obvious favorite) and Denmark being the most prevalent.

Here’s something a little new for these features. At bottom, I’ll make note of a few tracks, bands and albums from the playlist and include an mp3 for your enjoyment, when available. Typically these will be ones not yet covered on the site.

On to last Friday’s playlist:

“Do What You Wanna Do” by Acid House Kings off Sing Along With The Acid House Kings

“Reaching Through To The Other Side” by My Brightest Diamond off All Things Will Unwind
“The Strangers” by St. Vincent off Actor
“Adelai” by Lohio off Family Tree

“New Colors” by Figurines off Figurines
“Time Stretcher” by Treefight For Sunlight off A Collection of Vibrations for Your Skull
“We Were Wild” by Today The Moon, Tomorrow The Sun off W I L D F I R E

“Wake Up” by Arcade Fire off Funeral
“Echoes” by I Was A King off Old Friends
“Ran Into A Coroner” by Built Like Alaska off Autumnland

“By The Sea” by Summer Fiction off By The Sea (Digital Single)
“Worry A Lot” by The Zebras off Worry A Lot

“Where Have We Been?” by Acid House Kings off Music Sounds Better With You
“Slippery Slope” by The Dø off Both Ways Open Jaws

“To Depart” by Suturee off Among Friends EP
“Welcome Here” by Jeff Hanson off Jeff Hanson

“All This World” by Arco off Driving At Night (7-inch Single)
“The Images We Get” by Sugarplum Fairies off The Images We Get
“Lazy Line Painter Jane” by Belle & Sebastian off Lazy Line Painter Jain (Single)

“A Good Thing” by Saint Etienne off Boxette (Disc 4: Eric Random)
“Western Hospitality” by Club 8 off The People’s Record

“How Come” by Avi Buffalo off How Come (7-inch Single)

End playlist. On to a few feature tracks. The first is from Suturee, a male-female bedroom pop duo out of New York. “To Depart” is off their recent five-song EP Among Friends and it features a little more volume than I remember from their earlier work. It still fits the bedroom pop mold; though, if you have a chance, check out the final track on the EP, “Name Remains”, as it employs a volume more in tune with shoegaze than bedroom pop. Listen to “To Depart” below…

Listen: “To Depart” by Suturee

The second and last song I’ll feature this week is a brand new one by up-and-coming French band The Dø. “Slippery Slope” is off the band’s second release to hit the states, Both Ways Open Jaws. While not all songs are as punchy and, well, almost indicative of the over-blasted pop side of mainstream music as that of “Slippery Slope”, they’re all very good. This song reminds me of the realm MGMT fit into upon their release of Oracular Spectacular (or maybe The Ting Tings’ 2008 track “That’s Not My Name”). This song could make The Dø blow up. It’s that good, and it’s that accessible to the greater population.

Download: “Slippery Slope” by The Dø

Acid House Kings are a favorite in the indie pop world. Their songs are some of the most upbeat, perfect pop you can find anywhere. To continue their excellence in everything pop, the band has teamed up with Television Personalities’ front-man Dan Treacy who lends vocals on Music Sound Better With You track “Heaven Knows I Miss Him Now”. Texas Bob of TV Personalities also lends his expertise on guitar.

The song can be found on a new Acid House Kings single, out on vinyl and digital formats October 18 courtesy Labrador Records. Grab the song below, but don’t forget to keep an eye out for the single — in also features two new songs!

Download: “Heaven knows I miss him now” by Acid House Kings feat. Dan Treacy

“Under Water” is one of my favorite tracks off Acid House Kings‘ new LP, Music Sounds Better With You, out now on Labrador Records. So it’s exciting to hear the band and label are giving it single status (just released via Labrador on June 28) and a new video!

The video features old family footage and was, according to the vimeo description, “filmed on Super 8 in the 70′s by Kent Angergård and Britt-Marie Angergård.” However, the footage itself was edited and produced by band member Niklas Angergård, who lends his vocals on the song.

Check out the video below and head over to Labrador Records to grab the new single!

Download: “Under Water” by Acid House Kings

Acid House Kings “Under water” from Labrador Records on Vimeo.

Acid House Kings is back next month with a new album, their first in about six years. As the previous, Sing Along With The Acid House Kings, has been a favorite of mine since its release, their new one is easily my most anticipated album of 2011. Last weekend, I pre-ordered Music Sounds Better With You on vinyl; the anticipation continues. Thankfully, Acid House Kings have given us another song to bide the time. The song is “Would You Say Stop?” and it will be released as the band’s first single off Music Sounds Better With You on March 3.

On “Would You Say Stop?”, we find Julia Lannerheim at the helm on vocals, backed by super upbeat melodies and playful, bouncy percussion. There’s good reason many (myself included) consider AHK Sweden’s number-one pop band.

“Would You Say Stop?” was the song selected by fans to be the first single. The band posted snippets of four songs off Music Sounds Better With You on their website, also including “Under Water” (originally my selection), “I’m In A Chorus Line” and “Waterfall”. All four were delightfully happy tunes and, quite possibly, the most infectious pop heard in quite some time. The band is calling it their finest work, and you can already hear the truth in that statement with “Would You Say Stop?”

Music Sounds Better With You is available for pre-order now from Labrador Records.

Above photo by Henrik Halvarsson.

Download: “Would You Say Stop?” by Acid House King

Of Johan Angergård’s three bands, only Acid House Kings stays fixed within its prior works’ roots. This band has always created lovable pop music and that hasn’t changed one bit in their first single in five to six years, “Are We Lovers Or Are We Friends?”

With what sounds like a bass clarinet (or maybe just a regular clarinet – my ears are a bit rusty on some of the more non-traditional woodwind instruments) stealing some of the melody, and a signature indie-pop guitar riff, brother Niklas Angergård takes the vocal lead. Behind him, you’ll hear some light orchestration courtesy Johan and backup vocals by Julia Lannerheim.

Acid House Kings is a band that dominates in their ability to create some of the best indie pop music in the world. Thankfully, this too is a trait Acid House Kings retain in their latest offering.

Download: “Are We Lovers Or Are We Friends?” by Acid House Kings

2005 opened my eyes to a world of new music. I joined the crew at KZUU over the summer, my first summer back in Pullman working toward my Masters in Business. I’d spend my two-hour show pouring over thousands of obscure albums, looking for anything that might spark my interest. While music had always been a borderline obsession, until now it was just that – borderline. In the days that passed, it became a full-fledged consumption of everything me. There are turning points in all of our lives, and DJing at KZUU was absolutely one of mine.

I’ve once again expanded the list, this time to 25. Eventually we’ll get to the top 33 and 1/3 albums, which debuted on FensePost in 2008. Will it be 2006 or 2007? Who knows? Certainly not me at this point in time. My focus right now is 2005. Here are my favorites…

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UPDATE: 2009.12.15

It was bound to happen – I’d forget an album somewhere on this list and unfortunately it was one that would have not only made the top 10, but should have chimed in at around #3 or #4. Here’s a retrospective for my A Retrospective…

A Late #3 or #4. Public Radio by The Legends
Their debut album, Up Against The Legends, was my top album of 2003 so it’s only natural for this one to come close. It was a change from that first album, which was ahead of its time with the fuzzy pop that’s become so popular this year (2009). Instead, Public Radio was dark and filled with reverb. Still, it was no less mesmerizing. Listen and hear for yourself:

The Legends: He Knows The Sun [mp3]

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25. Silent Alarm by Bloc Party
A hype band of a more mainstream sort, Bloc Party‘s Silent Alarm was, in its day, quite good… and it remains so to this day. Songs like “Helicopter”, “Banquet” and “Blue Light” are what carried this album, and this band, to the mainstream. And it was worth it – these songs are catchy, and full of a powerful punch.

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24. The Wedding by Oneida
Boy do I love “Lavender”, the second track on this album. In their extensive time as a group, Oneida come to define experimental rock, slipping ever further into its abyss. The Wedding was by no means their first foray into experimentation, and it was far from their last (see their most recent works for that), but it did find a comfortable balance between a sound somewhat accessible and enveloped in avant garde.

Oneida: Run Through My Hair [mp3]

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23. Strange Geometry by The Clientele
The opening track, “Since K Got Over Me”, was by far the most powerful on The Clientele‘s Strange Geometry. When I think of this album, I always go straight to that song, but others hold weight as well, like “My Own Face Inside The Trees” and “Geometry Of Lawns”.

The Clientele: E.M.P.T.Y. [mp3]

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22. The Mysterious Production Of Eggs by Andrew Bird
Two words, one song: “Fake Palindromes”. I never really thought much of Andrew Bird until I heard this song, mainly because I hadn’t really spent the time to listen to his post Squirrel Nut Zippers solo work. This song alone was impressive enough to spark my interest and make me seek out his back catalog. Again, the rest of the album was pretty good as well.

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21. Tales From The Turnpike House by Saint Etienne
Still a far cry from their glorious 1991 release Foxbase Alpha, 2005 saw Saint Etienne giving us Tales From The Turnpike House, their best album in a very long time. Other releases were pretty good, but they outdid them with tracks like “A Good Thing” and “Slow Down At The Castle”. Blending their signature 60s pop sound with more modern electronic dance, Saint Etienne once again succeeded at producing excellence.

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20. Cripple Crow by Devendra Banhart
Devendra Banhart‘s Cripple Crow has become the ideal album when it comes to the clash of modern folk with world music. It found Banhart collaborating with countless musicians across many lands, and it became a masterpiece in its own right. At times a bit strange, with 22 tracks in total, there were plenty of songs to make up for those that were a bit too far out there.

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19. The Exquisite Death Of Saxon Shore by Saxon Shore
With epic, screaming heights and soft dulcet lows, Saxon Shore is instrumental post-rock at its best. Following the path of artists like Explosions In The Sky, this band has a full and dreamy sound, whether loud or soft, that is impossible to ignore.

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18. Disaffected by Piano Magic
The music Piano Magic creates is part dream, part uncanny and supernatural. The guitars echo shoegaze, while the vocals in songs like “Your Ghost” find a comfort in their similarity to masters like Leonard Cohen. “Deleted Scenes” and “Disaffected” give the album an electronic presence, also dark, mysterious and hypnotic. Disaffected is truly a beautiful album.

Piano Magic: Disaffected [mp3]

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17. LCD Soundsystem by LCD Soundsystem
I’d always thought the hype surrounding LCD Soundsystem was a bit of an overkill. Then select songs like “Tribulations” and “Great Release” would pop up on my iPod and I began to realize that it was I that couldn’t see beyond my own pretentiousness. There’s plenty of merit here. Plenty.

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16. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Alec Ounsworth’s vocal whine is instantly recognizable and quite unique. Paired with the poppy beats that back Clap Your Hands Say Yeah on their self-titled debut, and it’s a match fit for success. “Let The Cool Goddess Rust Away” and “The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth” have once again entered my playlist; like Give Up, I’d forgotten how great these songs were.

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15. Hello, Dear Wind by Page France
Before Page France released Hello, Dear Wind, the name Michael Nau likely meant little to anyone outside friends and acquiantances of the man himself, but upon its release began a trail to Nau’s installment as one of indie-pop’s most promising individuals. His ability to craft the most lovable of melodies is, in terms of the pairing of psychedelic-folk and indie-pop, virtually par none, as demonstrated in “Chariot” and “Windy” and “Elephant”.

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14. Gimme Fiction by Spoon
Yet again, Spoon achieves. With each new release, the band gains more attraction from the masses and Gimme Fiction was no exception. The funky beats in “I Turn My Camera On” and the catchy swagger in “I Summon You” near pop-rock perfection.

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13. Tanglewood Numbers by Silver Jews
I didn’t really get into Silver Jews until late last year, but since then they’ve become quite regular in my playlist. Thanks to tracks like “Punks In The Beerlight” and “Sleeping Is The Only Love”, David Berman has shown here that he’s capable of being one of modern-day’s most appreciated and praise-worthy folk-rockers.

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12. Picaresque by The Decemberists
I thought for sure that The Decemberists wouldn’t remain in these lists past those first few albums, but revisiting Picaresque, I knew I was kidding myself. I remember watching the band play “The Infanta” and seeing Chris Funk run through the crowd with a large pair of cardboard whale jaws in “The Mariner’s Revenge”. This album is packed with excellent tunes in the vein of The Decemberists’ signature educated, melodic nerdy theme.

The Decemberists: The Engine Driver [mp3]

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11. Illinoise by Sufjan Stevens
Nontraditional instruments, full orchestration, and a blend of folk and pop sensibilities, Sufjan Stevens has made a name for himself as one of indie’s most appreciated and unique modern artists. Illinoise was the album that truly ballooned his trajectory to independent music fame with songs like “Concerning The UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL” and “Chicago”.

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10. Feels by Animal Collective
Yet another strong release by Animal Collective, with each new release the band gets better despite insurmountable prior greatness. “Grass” was an early favorite, as well as “Bees”. Feels opens strong with “Did You See The Words” and continues as such through “Turn Into Something”, what remains their most gripping closing track yet.

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9. Horses In The Sky by A Silver Mt. Zion
Opening opus “God Bless Our Dead Marines” is an ode to the anti-war movement – an exposé to the horrors of post-war personalities, the harm that comes from witnessing and committing atrocities. And Silver Mt. Zion conveys it with heavy post-rock orchestration in the vein of their brothers and sisters Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

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8. Before The Dawn Heals Us by M83
There’s something entirely great about the spooky track “Car Chase Terror” that I absolutely love. M83‘s Before The Dawn Heals Us differed from that which came after (Saturdays=Youth) in that it’s not an album concerned about generating hype. It’s mysterious and really quite good, but it’s not one that will ultimately get overplayed by the masses; and that’s what makes it better than Saturdays=Youth. Before The Dawn Heals Us is almost a concept album, flowing from beginning to end with an electro-version of a horror movie soundtrack. It has staying power outside of the hipstery ballyhoo, and you can hear it throughout the album, from the mostly instrumental opener “Moon Child” to the lengthy epic closing track “Lower Your Eyelids To Die With The Sun”.

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7. And The Glass Handed Kites by Mew
Mew‘s Frengers didn’t really do anything for me, but boy did my opinion of these guys change when they released And The Glass Handed Kites! Such an interesting album, filled with epic rock that strays between prog, psych and art. The album works well as a whole, from the flawless transition from “Circuitry Of The Wolf” into “Chinaberry Tree” to the catchy “Special” and the amazing “The Zookeeper’s Boy”.

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6. Max Léon by The Lovekevins
Max Léon is one of two EPs to make the top ten. Sure, an EP isn’t necessarily an album, per se, but both warrant their inclusion in this list. In Max Léon, The Lovekevins (who after this release shortened their name to The LK) pulled together four exceptional tracks.

The Lovekevins: Soviet.se [mp3]

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5. Apologies To The Queen Mary by Wolf Parade
God, when I first heard “You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son”, the opening track off Wolf Parade‘s Apologies To The Queen Mary, I was absolutely floored. And then the album continued… “Modern World”, “Grounds For Divorce” – these are tracks that continue to possess a special power. And it just moved forward from there, with greats like “Fancy Claps”, “Same Ghost Every Night” and on through “This Heart’s On Fire”.

Wolf Parade: You Are A Runner And I Am My Father’s Son [mp3]

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4. The Loon by Tapes N Tapes
Whenever I hear select tracks off The Loon by Tapes ‘N Tapes, I can’t help but think of Clell Tickle, the fictitious record promoter played by Aziz Ansari, the pretentious French blogger played by Paul Scheer, and the bouncer played by Rob Riggle. All have gone on to fame, and Tapes N Tapes continues to pump out great music. Still, it’s a tough one to beat with tracks like “The Insistor” and “Jakov’s Suite”.

Tapes ‘N Tapes: Insistor [mp3]

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3. The Sunlandic Twins by Of Montreal
Capturing yet another top five spot, Of Montreal matched Satanic Panic with their 2005 release The Sunlandic Twins. I remember the first time I heard “The Party’s Crashing Us” and despite nearly five years between then and now, the song still wows me. And despite the Bonus EP’s understandable folly (“Everyday Feels Like Sunday” being lent to Outback Steakhouse ruined the song for me, but ultimately helped out the band – I’m not above giving them the nod for that), it has the excellent “Art Snob Solutions”. And the rest of the album is just as great, with tracks like “Oslo In Summertime” and “I Was Never Young” to name a few.

Of Montreal: So Begins Our Alabee [mp3]

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2. Raised By Wolves by Voxtrot
True this is an EP, but it warrants the number 2 spot. “The Start Of Something” by Voxtrot is my second favorite track of 2005, coming very close to topping a track off my #1 album of this year. Songs like title track “Raised by Wolves” and the band’s first (and quite rare in 7″ form) single “The Start Of Something” have come to be givens in my continuing playlist of best songs. Rounding out the EP are “Missing Pieces”, “Long Haul” and “Wrecking Force”, all viable tracks.

Voxtrot: The Start Of Something [mp3]

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1. Sing Along With The Acid House Kings by Acid House Kings
A hair’s difference is what splits Acid House Kings‘ “Do What You Wanna Do” and Voxtrot’s “The Start Of Something” as my favorite song of the year. Easily one of my favorite songs of the decade, in Sing Along With… Acid House Kings created an album packed with pure pop genius. As the band prepares their follow up to this album, they’ve been critiquing their past songs on Twitter. In my opinion, “Do What You Wanna Do” get a full five stars, as do “7 Days”, “Tonight Is Forever” and “Will You Love Me In The Morning”. The remaining songs are close behind.

Acid House Kings: Do What You Wanna Do [mp3]

The third installment of A Retrospective, this time the focus is on 2002. The year of rebuilding, so to speak. It was the year I discovered Cider Jack (and did so plentifully) at the local Pullman bar Rico’s, and we all would rehearse Bill Brasky skits (from the SNL spots, and made up on the spot) as twenty feet away the university jazz combo performed excellent renditions of Van Morrison’s “Moondance” and various Motown favorites. As we see every year, 2002 saw several real great releases. Here are my favorites.

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15. Tallahassee by The Mountain Goats
Tallahassee is a concept album of sorts, devoted to the fictional married couple always leaning toward divorce. The recurring characters receive tribute throughout the album, which sees The Mountain Goats‘ front-man John Darnielle further defining his pointed vocals and powerful acoustic folk melodies.

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14. Spring Came, Rain Fell by Club 8
A diversion from their prior self-titled record which found the band dropping in more electronics and bordering on dance tracks, Spring Came, Rain Fell split the band’s loyalties between that sound and one much more along the lines of the indie-pop created by Acid House Kings, another of Johan Angergård’s groups. Club 8 does a good job bridging the two sounds in this viable follow-up. The album went out of print but was reissued last year on Labrador Records.

Club 8: Spring Came, Rain Fell [mp3]

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13. Read Music/Speak Spanish by Desaparecidos
After several mopey records from Conor Oberst under the name Bright Eyes, it was good to hear him take on something more societal and political under Desaparecidos. Songs like the “Man & Wife” pair and “Mall Of America” fit well with the times. And backing the highly emotive social commentary which made up much of the subject matter of Read Music/Speak Spanish was loud distorted guitars that seemed more fit for Cursive than Bright Eyes. To this day, Read Music/Speak Spanish is, in my opinion, one of Oberst’s greatest works.

Desaparecidos: The Happiest Place On Earth [mp3]

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12. The Execution Of All Things by Rilo Kiley
Like many, when I hear reference to Rilo Kiley‘s The Execution Of All Things, I immediately think of that one track – the stunning “With Arms Outstretched”. It found a welcome home on the first episode of Weeds: Season 1. On the album, Jenny Lewis strays between storytelling and folk-worthy narratives backed by pleasant folk-pop melodies that wouldn’t seem too out-of-place were they to be released this year. And that’s something that won’t likely change for years to come.

Rilo Kiley: With Arms Outstretched [mp3]

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11. Don’t Fall In Love With Everyone You See by Okkervil River
Okkervil River always seemed a bit odd. At times barely in tune vocals were borderline awkward yet it has worked so well throughout the band’s library of work. With the power of folk-pop sensibilities behind them, and the powerful ability to write stellar lyrics, Okkervil River created an album with easy showstoppers like “Kansas City” and “Red”. And while the first two songs on Don’t Fall In Love With Everyone You See are the best, most recognized songs on the album, with repeat listens others effortlessly follow suit.

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10. Songs About Leaving by Carissa’s Wierd
Songs About Leaving didn’t quite live up to its two predecessors as a whole. Instead, select tracks like “September Come Take This Heart Away” and “Sofisticated Fuck Princess Please Leave Me Alone” did with ease while other fell slightly flat. Here, Carissa’s Wierd shined brightest when they added the full instrumentation (in other words, ripe with strings) that made You Should Be At Home Here great.

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9. Highly Refined Pirates by Minus The Bear
Highly Refined Pirates was a great album circa 2002 and 2003, and even beyond that. But even so, it paled in comparison to seeing Minus The Bear perform these songs live during the same time period. The band had yet to grow into their current fan-base and that being as it was, they created a masterpiece ahead of its time.

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8. Mondays Are Like Tuesdays and Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays by Acid House Kings
I didn’t discover Acid House Kings until the release of their 2005 pop epic Sing Along With The Acid House Kings, but in the brief four years since finding them they’ve become one of my most listened-to bands. Mondays Are Like Tuesdays was an album filled with soft Swedish pop songs like “Sunday Morning” and “Brown And Beige Are My Favorite Colors”. And who could forget “Say Yes If You Love Me”? The band is currently working on their follow up to Sing Along With, claiming they’re working toward creating the perfect pop album. However, in their prior records, they’ve already accomplished that feat several times over, one of them being Mondays Are Like Tuesdays And Tuesdays Are Like Wednesdays.

Acid House Kings: Say Yes If You Love Me [mp3]

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7. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco
Wilco, for me, is a band that makes an immense impression and then disappears for one, sometimes two years at a time. Returning to the Wilco of old, I’m struck by the senselessness of that statement, especially as it pertains to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. This is an album that should have continuous mainstay capabilities; one that should never really leave. I guess that’s why it’s #7 and not higher. Still, when it does return, it wows at full force.

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6. The Beginning Stages Of… by The Polyphonic Spree
One of my all-time favorite movies is Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind. It is beautiful in every way possible, from Joel and Clementine’s odd little quirks to unique use of minimal special effects (watch the commentary). It was with great excitement that I heard The Polyphonic Spree while watching this movie in the theater. Not often do you find a band that could very well be a cult, full with flowing colorful robes and an effervescent leader. Other bands have come close, but in numbers only (I’m From Barcelona, Dark Meat…). These songs all have a joyousness to them, a sunny demeanor. Haha, right? …many are about sun, love, happiness, and light.

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5. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips
The Flaming Lips are a band capable of releasing one great album after another, and Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots is just that. “Fight Test” and “Do You Realize??” had the ability to be album toppers, but that pinnacle spot was reserved for “Yoshimi Battles Pink Robots Pt. 1″. Two words to describe the power of this album? Very strong.

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4. Neon Golden by The Notwist
Meshing electro-pop and a shoegaze-style hypnotism is nothing new; in Neon Golden, however, The Notwist gave it a refreshing makeover. Dark and mysterious, Neon Golden is an album that packs an emotional punch from the opening moments of “One Step Inside Doesn’t Mean You Understand” and on throughout. Even in the more upbeat of moments, The Notwist maintain a mesmerizing and entrancing style. Yet unlike a large chunk of music that fits the description, Neon Golden is also catchy and fully contagious.

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3. You Forgot It In People by Broken Social Scene
Oh man, listening again to “KC Accidental”, it becomes immediately clear why this band is so great. One moment they rock your nuts off with legendary noise and the next it drops into beautiful and romantic lyrical poetry. The songs on You Forgot It In People are at times hardly cohesive, yet there’s an undeniable power behind the tracklist. “Anthems For A Seventeen Year-Old Girl” may remain the showstopper with its peaceful infectious melody, but each song Broken Social Scene writes holds weight.

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2. Kill The Moonlight by Spoon
Kill The Moonlight by Spoon was a bit of a sleeper for me. It wasn’t until shortly after Gimme Fiction that it came to be my favorite album by the famed Austin band. Then again, several artists have fit the description, like Stars. Upon release they don’t necessarily hold the weight you expected, or just didn’t catch on right away. But a year, maybe two down the road, and suddenly … BAM … they strike. And the result is phenomenal.

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1. Castaways & Cutouts by The Decemberists
Before all the theatrics and flare came to dominate and embellish The Decemberists music (which has ultimately allowed them to create and produce a unique and wonderful show), there was just a highly educated, smart folk album called Castaways & Cutouts. Sure, hints of the future dramatic stage presence existed in tracks like “California One / Youth And Beauty Brigade” and “A Cautionary Tale”, and even “The Legionnaire’s Lament” but it was also wholesome and, to an extent, the educated innocent. Their follow-up albums saw the band expanding into (more) bizarre tales of ghosts and lyrics seemingly pulled from book-like plots and expanding the instrumentation and group size in general, all of which has been great. But Castaways & Cutouts was not only an introduction, but an introduction to a band on the rise to fame and glory.

The Decemberists: Here I Dreamt I Was An Architect [mp3]

As I’ve noted countless times in my reviews, I am a firm believer that the sweetest and best of indie-pop from around the world comes from Sweden. While The Legends kicked off this phase, my attention was not focused on that country until I discovered label mates Acid House Kings. With the success of their cherished Sing Along With The Acid House Kings (2005, Labrador) comes the smash hit single “Do What You Wanna Do” in a Single/EP of the same name, this time on the Florida label TwentySeven Records with four exclusive tracks—one of which is exclusive to the US release of the single.

I list Johan Angergård as someone I would like to meet, and it is true. His music strikes a chord with me, whether he’s recording with Club 8, Acid House Kings or The Legends. He is, in my opinion, one of the most creative musicians around. But with the Acid House Kings comes something more: a quartet of talented indie-pop musicians who can easily be listed among greats like Belle & Sebastian and Morrissey. Why Sweden doesn’t have the pop stigma of Glasgow, I am sure that it is coming.

The first time I heard “Do What You Wanna Do”, I thought it was the latest single by The Legends. The song features hand claps and a consistent tambourine—you can almost hear the producer telling the group I gotta have more hand claps like Bruce Dickinson to Gene Frenkle with the cowbell. While the Bruce and Gene sketch warrants a laugh, “Do What You Wanna Do” warrants applause as I gave it the runner-up position to “Best Song of 2005”, second only to Voxtrot’s “The Start of Something.”

“Come Josephine” features Julia Lannerheim’s sweet vocal stylings while “Drama Aside” adds the vocals of Angergård brothers Johan and Niklas. “The Camera” features piano and Julia on vocals for one of the softest, most beautiful songs Acid House Kings has recorded to date. In many ways, it has hints of the softer side of Saint Etienne’s latest album. “This Heart is a Stone” is the other track from Sing Along With… and, in many ways, is single worthy itself. “Keep Your Love” is exclusive to the US release of the EP/Single and is the most up-tempo of those found on Do What You Wanna Do with exception of the title track. The exclusives, with exception of “Keep Your Love,” are slower and softer than most tracks on Sing Along With, but do not detract from the overall power of the album.

Against Sing Along With…, the Do What You Wanna Do Single/EP holds steady the course of not only one of the most prominent bands in Europe, but one of the greatest bands worldwide. Props to the Kings!

This review was originally published July 25, 2006 on the old version of FensePost. Acid House Kings are currently working on their follow-up to Sing Along With; follow Acid House Kings on Twitter, and you may hear more as the currently unknown/unannounced release date approaches.

Acid House Kings: Do What You Wanna Do [mp3]

TwentySeven Records [CDEP, 2005]

1. Do What You Wanna Do
2. Come Josephine
3. This Heart Is A Stone
4. Drama Inside
5. This Camera
6. Keep Your Love