Fishboy returns after giving us Classic Creeps with a new video from “Aspen2k” off the album and a tour, which includes a number of performances around the Seattle area. “Aspen2k” is one of the more upbeat tracks off Classic Creeps and it features Fishboy main man Eric Michener, a look-a-like hand puppet, and some fun indie pop art.

To celebrate the album’s release, Fishboy is going on tour!

And that tour hits the Seattle area in early-mid September. On the 10th, you can catch Fishboy at Columbia Theater with Aqueduct and BOAT, and on the 11th on Vashon Isalnd with Red Pony Clock, iji, and Terrordactyls. There’s also a secret show, so you’re one of the select few if you know about that one…

There’s more. States Eric Edward Fishboy: Also, this is going to be a unique acoustic Fishboy tour. It will be me on acoustic guitar, our bass player Ryan Williams (who’s also in Baptist Generals, Boxcar Bandits and a million great Denton bands) will be playing Guitarron or as I call it “mariachi bass” and then Mustard Rob aka St. Louis’s Googolpleixa on accordion and percussion.

Here’s the video for “Aspen2k”:

Oh Fishboy, you never fail to amuse. We interviewed Fishboy’s Eric Michener a few months back about his new LP, Classic Creeps, which finally came out this week. Yeah, we’ve been rocking to it since January and can contest to its total awesomeness. Well, in celebration of the release, Michener, aka Fishboy, put together a video for the album’s fifth song, “Alyson Revere”, and it goes a little something like this…

Eric, dancing awkwardly like the dork he (err… we) is (are), while cute animals fake sing along. Awesome, right? He even drops in a fake singing Celene Dion. Even more awesome.

So Classic Creeps follows a similar path to that Michener created with Albatross (his last LP) in that it’s a bit of a concept album. It follows a story from beginning to end, and he’s got the comics to prove it. Always one to find sarcasm and wit in practically every situation, Fishboy knows how to craft a pretty fun album.

Classic Creeps is OUT NOW!!! You can pick it up digitally or on superior vinyl (via HHBTM Records).

Download: “Aaron the Afterthought Astronaut” by Fishboy

Alyson Revere from Eric Edward Fishboy on Vimeo.

The paths of Erich Michener (the man behind Fishboy) and myself (Andrew Fenstermaker) crossed in October of 2007 at a little dive somewhere on the south end of Manhattan. It was the annual College Music Journal festival and HHBTM was having an event. They crossed again sometime later in Seattle, a visit that, oddly enough, included a troll, fish sticks and Gassworks Park. That is, unless I’m joining two trips together, which is entirely possible; there was that show at Comet Tavern which may or may not have been at the same time. I digress.

In 2008, Fishboy released Albatross, which they proclaimed a “Rock Opera.” The album came in at #2 then overtook Lekman a year later in my Retrospective Best Of list. The band is now prepared to drop Classic Creeps, which also comes with an interesting theme. Rather than delve into the inner workings of the album and the band, I figured I’d chat with the man behind Fishboy himself: Eric Michener of Denton, TX. We begin…

…but first, here is the opening track off Classic Creeps:

Download: “Aaron The Afterthought Astronaut” by Fishboy

Fense: What’s the general concept around Classic Creeps?

EM: The general concept of the record is that each song is a self-contained story about a different fictional character and within the lyrics there is a connection linking that character to the character featured in the next track. So person/song number one is connected to person/song number two is connected to person/song three..etc. Over the course of the record a larger narrative forms out of the smaller stories. It’s a pattern that’s been done several times in books and movies but I personally haven’t heard an album that does it (although I’m sure there are plenty out there for me to discover).

Fense: Why aren’t there any songs about an Andy?

EM: Ah yeah, I forgot to mention all the songs are titled after the characters whose names begin with the letter A and they are also in alphabetical order. So I already had an Andre and an Andy is just short for Andrew which seemed too close. Plus there wasn’t time to introduce a new character in between Andre and Archibald. Maybe you can make it on a b-side.

Fense: Sweet! As far as you can tell, will all your future albums follow a story from beginning to end?

EM: I don’t think so, but I like the format for sure. I consider all my songs to take place in the same fictional universe similar to a comic book world that I am just slowly expanding on with every song. It’s definitely easier for me to write story songs when I address certain points that I want to hit before I start coming up with melody and lyrics but there is always room for more abstract lyrics that don’t always tell stories.

Fense: Will you continue the alphabet and write an album with songs that begin with B next?

EM: I do plan to continue this series of character albums but I probably won’t do B next and I might not stick to one letter per album.

Fense: What inspires you to write music?

EM: I really love the challenge of the pop song. It’s like a puzzle to me. Writing any sort of pop music comes with a huge amount of restrictions; there are only X amount of tricks you can use melodically and they have been used several times over, but trying to come up with creative arrangements and lyrics is so fun especially when I add more restrictions to myself.

Fense: How would you describe your sound?

(Note: For more great comics, visit Fishboy on Blogspot. Check out this comic on Fishboy’s site as well.)

Fense: Who are your top 3 influences?

EM: Like the comic says, I love the British Invasion and all the bands involved but more in a songwriting sense than a production sense. I’m always afraid of name dropping these huge amazing bands as my influences only to let someone down when we haven’t captured the perfect sonic feel of the 60′s with our recordings.

My older brother and his songwriting under the name Cavedweller has also made a huge impact on my own song writing. (Here’s one of his albums on bandcamp.)

Fense: What are your top 5 favorite albums (at this moment or all-time, doesn’t matter)?

EM: This is almost like a go to list of all time favorites:
• Beatles’ Abby Road (if I could include the whole catalog I would)
• Beck’s Odelay
• Belle and Sebastian’s Tigermilk
• The Kinks’ Arthur (if I could could include everything that came before Arthur by the Kinks I would)
• Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

This is the stuff that never gets old to me.

Within the past five years I’ve really gotten into new and old albums by: BOAT, The Thermals, Apples in Stereo, Tullycraft, Jonathan Richman and a few more, all of which have shaped how I currently make music.

Fense: Will you ever join the stories in your albums with a comic — a so-called graphic-music novel?

EM: I made a short 11 page comic (one for each song) for Albatross that saw a couple of physical copies initially and it has been reprinted on the sleeve of the new vinyl reissue out on Fishstick Records. The Classic Creeps insert will have the same set up. I haven’t ventured into long form graphic novel format yet but I can see myself doing it eventually once I’m confident enough with my art and have a story to tell that fits the format. Oh also, you can read those two comics at classiccreeps.com and farewellalbatross.com!

Fense: What inspires you to write comics and does that play a factor in the music you create?

EM: My daily comics which I started about a year ago serve a lot of purpose for me. Here are some bullet points as to why I draw them:
• I am slowly learning how to draw by practice (look at the archives and you will see some rough early stuff).
• It gives me a daily mind boost of creativity and tiny sense of accomplishment.
• It helps me stay updated with friends and fans with what’s happening with the band, even if its very little.
• It has taken the place of any sort of Tweets or Facebook updates I might be dropping into the void of the internet otherwise.
• I might someday be able to collect them all in some sort of physical or digital format and either be proud of myself or disgusted with the old ugly comics.
• I am not a songwriter that writes personal introspective songs about my life and the drama I’ve gone through. I’ve never identified with bands like that but appreciate the fact that they can preserve memories within their (usually boring) songs. This is my way of preserving fun memories I probably would have forgotten otherwise. I think its a good match: Songs about fake people, comics about my life.
• Also, my wife thinks they are cute and I like seeing her smile.

When I saw there was a new compilation devoted to hailing one of the greatest northwest bands of all time (yes, Tullycraft), I got pretty excited. When I saw that the tracklist included bands from famed labels like Tullycraft’s very own Magic Marker Records, as well as HHBTM, Matinee, and even recent favorite weePOP, my excitement blew through the roof. Look down the track list (it’s at the end of this review… I’ll forgive you for pausing to check it out) and you’ll see some of the greatest indie pop and modern twee bands around today. Fishboy. Iji. Casper & The Cookies. Galactic Heroes. Math & Physics Club. The Besties. Hot Lava. Oh man, this is gonna be good.

Even if you’re not familiar with the Tullycraft originals (side note: shame on you!) you can enjoy this mix. It all kicks off with Hot Lava doing a fuzz rendition of “Pink Lemonade” before Bunnygrunt lays down a great drum track for “Not Quite Burning Bridges”. And then Seattle’s very own Iji takes a stab at the epic “Josie” with their off-kilter massive group sound. Oh man, and The Besties ROCK “Our Days In Kansas”! There, that’s the first four tracks and I’m already blown away.

Among the more unique covers are “Sweet” by The Smittens, who lend their bubblegum pop fronted by deep male vocals to the song, and “Superboy Supergirl” by Seattle’s soft indie pop group Math & Physics Club. It’s great to hear some of the best indie pop bands from the Northwest and beyond paying tribute to their kin, each lending their own unique style to remake one of that band’s originals. They’re all Tullycraft, but they all possess the traits common to each individual band. And that’s what makes a tribute album great. Wish I’d Kept A Scrapbook, if anything, is great.

Download: “Pink Lemonade” by Hot Lava

Download: “Every Little Thing” by The Medusa Snare

Unchikun Records

1. Hot Lava: Pink Lemonade
2. Bunnygrunt: Not Quite Burning Bridges
3. Iji: Josie
4. The Besties: Our Days In Kansas
5. The Medusa Snare: Every Little Thing
6. Hotpance Romance: Wild Bikini
7. The Smittens: Sweet
8. Math & Physics Club: Superboy & Supergirl
9. LA Tool & Die: If You Take Away the Make Up Then the Vampires They Will Die
10. Fishboy: Rumble With The Gang Debs
11. Folklore: Look How We Killed The Riot Grrrls
12. Galactic Heroes: Pop Songs Your New Boyfriend’s Too Stupid To Know About
13. Gold Bears: Skyway
14. Master Track: DIY Queen
15. The Awesomelies: Godspeed
16. Moustache of Insanity: The Punks Are Writing Love Songs
17. Poison Control Center: The Last Song
18. Casper & The Cookies: Who Needs What
19. Darren Hanlon & Rose Melberg: Our Days In Kansas
20. The Special Places: Fall 4 U

Tonight I hit the kitchen to compile the second FensePost podcast, or FenseCast, while cooking up one of my signature dishes: spicy steak enchiladas with homemade sauce. For desert, a delicious slice of gluten free cake courtesy Andi (the girlfriend), whose cake photo you can see in this post. Unlike the first podcast, this one had a range of bands that stemmed into several genres rather than focusing on garage rock and pop. Within I reminisce on one of my favorite bands of all time, occasionally hover around bedroom pop, and pass along one imperative ingredient in my homemade enchilada sauce.

Download: FenseCast Volume #1 Issue #2: Cooking With Fense

Here’s the track list:

1. “All For Me” by Furcast from Together EP
2. “Western Hospitality” by Club 8 from The People’s Record
3. “Elinor With The Golden Hair” by Grand Hallway from Promenade
4. “All Apologies And Smiles, Yours Truly, Ugly Valentine” by Carissa’s Wierd from You Should Be At Home Here
5. “Falls City” by Venice Is Sinking from Sand & Lines
6. “Modern Drift” by Efterklang from Magic Chairs
7. “Vendela Vida” by Dinosaur Feathers from Fantasy Memorial
8. “Disappear” by Crayon Fields from All The Pleasures Of The World
9. “Night Train” by Brown Recluse from The Soft Skin
10. “The Winter Stories” by World Atlas from Bonaventure EP
11. “Paper Crane” by Fireflies from Autumn Almanac
12. “That’s A… Jellyfish!” by Fishboy from Little D
13. “Giver’s Reply” by Ramona Córdova from The Boy Who Floated Freely
14. “23 Oktober” by Musette from Datum
15. “Afraid Of Hands” by Suturee from Suturee
16. “Third Of Life” by A Weather from Everyday Balloons
17. “One Hundred” by Cock And Swan from Unrecognize

Let me tell you a story. In 2007 some notable things happened. I attended the annual music festival SXSW (the image above is of myself and The Lovely Sparrows’ Shawn Jones, taken by Abandoned Love Records/Virgin Of The Birds’ Jon Rooney), I grew a mustache, and I met a beautiful girl named Andi at the Capitol Hill Block Party. We hit it off and ditched the after-party to get a sprite (her) and coffee (me) at Denny’s in Ballard (sadly no longer there) at 1:30am. I still have the mustache and I’m still dating Andi. A lot of pretty notable things happened that year, and a lot of great releases came out…

* * * * *

Ooops: Pulling Up Floors, Pouring On New Paint by The Lovely Sparrows

We begin tonight with an error, an accidental and tragic omission from 2006 as it was ultimately one of my favorites from the year; that being The Lovely Sparrows’ phenomenal EP Pulling Up Floors, Pouring On New Paint. 2007 was the first time I heard it live and it absolutely blew me away, just as the EP had many times over. Here it is, a track from my favorite show from 2007 (well, from their EP that is):

The Lovely Sparrows: Chemicals Change [mp3]

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1/3. Wizards Of Ahhhs by Black Kids

Black Kids were my #1 hype band of 2007. Shunning label and any released material, with exception to this here digital EP, the group took off with astounding force. Their debut LP didn’t quite live up to the hype, but was still pretty good. This year (2009) the album finally got a physical release, and it happened during the famed Record Store Day. The 10″ EP is sitting in my collection right now.

Black Kids: I’m Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You [mp3]

* * * * *

33. The Bird Of Music by Au Revoir Simone

You can view this band in two ways. At first glance, Au Revoir Simone’s make up is of three attractive nerdy women with Casio keyboards and an affection toward Pee Wee Herman’s Big Adventure. But the deeper you look into their music, the more you find that these three women are sirens and muses ready to swallow your soul in the most delightful of ways. You’ll practically beg for them to take it.

* * * * *

32. The Stage Names by Okkervil River

I really love how The Stage Names concludes with “John Allyn Smith Sails”, a song that channels The Beach Boys’ classic “Sloop John B”. The Stage Names was part one of a conceptual pair of albums, the second of which, The Stand Ins was released in 2008.

Okkervil River: Our Life Is Not A Movie Or Maybe [mp3]

* * * * *

31. In Stormy Nights by Ghost

The experimental Japanese classical group Ghost is an interesting collective of artists. In Stormy Nights is, without question, among their more accessible releases. With sole exception to the 28 minute “Hemicyclic Anthelion”, the album was pretty cohesive in its piecing together of full songs. It wasn’t a musical rant of avant garde as found in that lone lengthy track. “Motherly Bluster” and “Gareki No Toshi” and “Caledonia” were actually catchy, a term not likely included in any prior mention of the band.

You can stream the entire album over at Drag City.

* * * * *

30. For Emma, Forever Ago by Bon Iver

Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago is an album of insurmountable beauty. Soft acoustics fronted by Justin Vernon’s pleasant falsetto made tunes like “For Emma” and “Flume” stand out. While not necessarily bedroom pop, the album included many of that subgenre’s sensibilities yet defied its true nature. Bon Iver is much too folky to be that.

Bon Iver: Skinny Love [mp3]

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29. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga by Spoon

Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is my favorite Spoon album since Kill The Moonlight. “Don’t Make Me A Target” and “You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb” hinted at that earlier album’s greatness yet took the band’s progression of the years between into account. Absolutely wonderful!

* * * * *

28. Cold City by Eux Autres

Their sophomore release, Eux Autres continued to pump out quality lo-fi, French-influenced pop music. Raw and at times minimal, the brother-sister duo began to expand into a trio and add keys to the guitar/drums/vocals mix. “Molly”, “When I’m Up” and “Anne Boleyn” were early favorites, but “The City All To Himself” topped them all.

Eux Autres: When I’m Up [mp3]

* * * * *

27. In Camera by Arthur & Yu

Hardly Art’s first release as a label, In Camera is an album that references Summer of Love and a decade’s old style of San Francisco folk-pop. There’s plenty here to love.

Arthur & Yu: Come To View (Song For Neil Young) [mp3]

* * * * *

26. Red Bloom Of The Boom by Bear In Heaven

With Red Bloom Of The Boom, Bear In Heaven followed in the footsteps of freak-folk and pop artists such as Animal Collective, but their music is also likely to find itself in the crowd with AC spinoff Panda Bear. For fans of more avant-garde indie, Red Bloom Of The Boom is a must have for your collection.

Bear In Heaven: Bag Of Bags [mp3]

* * * * *

25. The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations’ Millennium General Assembly by Le Loup

When I saw Le Loup live at CMJ in 2007, I knew I needed their debut album from Hardly Art. Somewhat of a concept album, The Throne delves into the psyche and psychosis of Sam Simkoff. Spirits are at work here—light versus dark—and the result is a miraculous journey into a brilliant mind.

Le Loup: We Are Gods! We Are Wolves! [mp3]

* * * * *

24. Autumn Of The Seraphs by Pinback

Slightly more rock-centric with a bit higher production value and a little less orchestration is how Autumn Of The Seraphs came to us. Pinback continued their pointed and oft angular sounds that has always made them a wholly unique band. I’ve been kicking myself for not picking up their albums before this one, as Seraphs was ultimately my introduction to the band.

* * * * *

23. No Shouts No Calls by Electrelane

The last Electrelane album before their (hopefully not) eternal hiatus is without a doubt my favorite. From the singles “The Greater Times” and “To The East” to the epic post-rock “Saturday” and “Cut And Run”, No Shouts No Calls is truly a remarkable album.

* * * * *

22. The Flying Club Cup by Beirut

Condon’s voice continues to mature, though one would think it impossible. Deep and rich, his vocals and trumpet alike fill the air with boisterous glee. The album also found Condon relinquishing some of his domination on the album (as Beirut’s entire debut was put together by Condon himself) to other artists, which was a welcome feature. The Flying Club Cup is a definite must-have from 2007.

* * * * *

21. The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse by The Besnard Lakes

…Are The Dark Horse eluded me in 2007; I listened to it for the first time within 24 hours of publishing my original Best of 2007 list and was devastated I wouldn’t be able to include it. There are infectious pop moments thanks to Beach Boys-like harmonies, but the instrumentation is thick and atmospheric. This band is one of a kind.

The Besnard Lakes: And You Lied To Me [mp3]

* * * * *

20. Parades by Efterklang

Parades blends the orchestrated pop sensibilities of Sigur Ros with a massive experimental orchestral pop sound. With emphasis on multiple vocal parts, immense percussion, and an intense horn section, Efterklang’s Parades took a sound similar to that of Anathallo and expanded it to epic proportions.

Efterklang: Cutting Ice To Snow [mp3]

* * * * *

19. Everything Is A Miracle Nothing Is A Miracle Everything Is by Kickball

This pristine 10″ LP found Kickball outdoing themselves. Previously, ABCDEFGHIJ saw them capitalizing on a math-y, in-your-face style of lo-fi gritty emotive puck rock. Everything Is A Miracle Nothing Is A Miracle Everything Is took this sound to the next level, from opener “Underground Husbands” to epics like “Hotelsmotels” and “Sometimes”. It’s a truly beautiful piece of work, this album.

Kickball: Pocketknife [mp3]

* * * * *

18. Eulogy For Evolution by Ólafur Arnalds

One wouldn’t expect classical music to make a list like this, but here it is, Ólafur Arnalds’ outstanding Eulogy For Evolution. As the album builds from the pleasantries of “3055″ into “3326″, it goes from a calm hypnosis into tense strings. Then the album bows out with “3704/3837″ hitting hard with an anthemic electric guitar. Arnalds is truly the modern king of classical composition.

* * * * *

17. In Our Bedroom After The War by Stars

Stars always lag a bit when it comes to me. There’s a progression here that’s a bit strange, yet it’s consistent with all of their recent releases. At first, I’ll dislike the album completely. It’ll sit on my shelf for some time, possibly as long as a year or more. Then I’ll pick it up and it’ll blow me away. In Our Bedroom After The War was nowhere to be found on my original 2007 list, and I mistakenly added it toward the end of my 2008 list (oops!) and was called on the error. Yet here it is, now within the top 20. It makes me wonder what one, maybe two more years will do to it.

* * * * *

16. Let’s Drag Our Feet by BOAT

D. Crane will likely remain at the forefront of my list of friendliest musicians. There’s something about his demeanor, party enhanced by his continual slight smile, that makes you simply know he’s a fun guy. It’s like he finds the world and life in general flat out amusing. And he injects that outlook on life directly into the heart of his music. “Period. Colon. Backslash” from this album was once dedicated to my mustache at a show in Seattle. Totally awesome.

BOAT: (I’m A) Donkey For Your Love [mp3]

* * * * *

15. Voxtrot by Voxtrot

I often say that nothing will top Voxtrot’s debut EP and so far nothing has, simply because of the power behind the two singles, “The Start Of Something” and “Raised By Wolves”. Their debut self-titled LP is a lovable album that includes many single-worthy tracks, bringing the band forward in indiepop with a broader, slightly more produced sound.

* * * * *

14. Fleeting Frequencies by Patience Please

I love these guys; it’s no secret. Their songs fill me with joy, whether it’s the tribute to your parents’ sale of your childhood home in “Exclusively Windermere” or the choo-choo drums by Chris at the beginning and end of “Coal Enough For Steam”. Jordan and Ray’s lyrics are thoughtful and clever, and Keegan’s work on keys and backup vocals round out the quartet perfectly. It was sad they disbanded a few months after Fleeting Frequencies hit stores.

Patience Please: If You’re Sure [mp3]

* * * * *

13. Challengers by The New Pornographers

Twin Cinema never caught on for me. Neither did Mass Romantic. There were several tracks off Electric Version that I fell in love with, but the album was never on constant repeat. Challengers changed all that. God this is a great album!

The New Pornographers: Myriad Harbour [mp3]

* * * * *

12. Andorra by Caribou

“Melody Day” continues to be one of the top songs from 2007. Andorra was somewhat of a gracious tribute to 30th anniversary of The Summer Of Love, and it fits the 70s sound of psychedelic folk-pop beautifully. Fronted by Dan Snaith, who has a Ph.D. in mathematics, it’s obvious that this album is quite a trip!

* * * * *

11. In Rainbows by Radiohead

The hottest of hot bands and most hype-driven and noteworthy artist of the past decade is Radiohead. Snubbing their record label and the following hurrah’s of a pay-what-you-want model, the band knowingly found themselves in the eye of a faltering industry. They shunned all ties to create a pave their own path with In Rainbows, favoring the aforementioned consumer friendly model with added promotional elements in various web-casts. In Rainbows was, obviously, like virtually the entire Radiohead library: an instant classic.

* * * * *

10. Sound Of Silver by LCD Soundsystem

Sound of Silver is a more than viable follow-up to the self-titled release from a few years ago. This is obvious thanks to one of the best songs of the decade, “All My Friends”, as well as opening power trio “Get Innocuous”, “Time To Get Away” and “North American Scum”. Even the slower, more emotive tracks like closing tune “New York, I Love You But You’re Bringing Me Down” were awe-inspiring.

* * * * *

9. Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? by Of Montreal

I remember first hearing “The Past Is A Grotesque Animal” – at a hair under 12 minutes, it was hard to miss. The song is one of Kevin Barnes’s most introspective and personal tracks yet, and the rest of the album compliments it well. “Suffer For Fashion” and “Cato As Pun” and “She’s A Rejecter” remain among of my favorites by the band. This furthered Barnes along the path toward icon status.

Of Montreal: Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse [mp3]

* * * * *

8. Person Pitch by Panda Bear

Panda Bear’s relation to Animal Collective is obvious beyond the group’s makeup. Added to the bizarre nature of AC’s eclectic experimental folk sounds are Beach Boys-esque vocal patterns that make Person Pitch that much more unique. “Bros”, “Comfy In Nautica”: beautiful.

* * * * *

7. Cryptograms by Deerhunter

It’s amazing to think how far Deerhunter has come since Flourescent Grey. Cryptograms found the experimental band solidifying their sound with some of the year’s best tracks, including the title track, “Lake Somerset”, and “Strange Lights”.

Deerhunter: Cryptograms [mp3]

* * * * *

6. 23 by Blonde Redhead

23 is a tight-knit album, but it’s to be expected from a band as solid as Blonde Redhead. It works both as a cohesive unit and as individual songs. From “The Dress” to the title-track “23” to the album favorite “Publisher”, with 23, Blonde Redhead put yet another phenomenal album under their collective belts.

Blonde Redhead: 23 [mp3]

* * * * *

5. Invitation Songs by The Cave Singers

Discovering great music is a wonderful feeling, but doing so by mistake is even better. I wanted to be in the front row for Grand Archives’ Capitol Hill Block Party performance so I showed up a performance early. And that’s when I was introduced to The Cave Singers. Invitation Songs is a glorious album of semi-religious folk tunes, dusty and gritty like a dust bowl-era wanderer.

The Cave Singers: Helen [mp3]

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4. All Hour Cymbals by Yeasayer

Likened to a barbershop quartet gone eclectic indie rock, Yeasayer’s All Hour Cymbals drew a lot of hype upon its release at the tail end of 2007. “Sunrise” and “2020″ were instant favorites. Word on the street is that they’ve got a new one slated for early 2010; it’ll be interesting to see how the two albums stack up. All Hour Cymbals will be a very difficult one to top.

Yeasayer: 2080 [mp3]

* * * * *

3. Friend And Foe by Menomena

I didn’t understand what was so fascinating about Menomena until I saw them live at Bumbershoot in 2007. The group added a choir in their backline, and the songs that made up Friend And Foe became instantly recognizable as awe-inspiring anthems. After that, I was absolutely hooked and I have been ever since.

Menomena: Wet And Rusting [mp3]

* * * * *

2. Night Falls Over Kortedala by Jens Lekman

Night Falls On Kortedala took me by surprise. Lekman’s prior albums were strong with tunes about getting arrested, naughty words that begin with F, a few spanning a movie featuring Cher and Eric Stoltz, and the cool taxis of London. But none are as powerful as a whole as that of Night Falls On Kortedala. “Postcard to Nina” and “And I Remember Every Kiss” and “Sipping On The Sweet Nectar” and “Friday Night At The Drive-In Bingo” are all vastly memorable tunes. Add to it plush orchestration and you have Fense’s top album of 2007.

Jens Lekman: The Opposite Of Hallelujah [mp3]

* * * * *

1. Albatross by Fishboy

Theif! Fishboy stole best album of 2007 from Jens Lekman. It was close to begin with, but it’s really no contest. Concept albums can be brilliant and Albatross is a prime example, perhaps the optimum example. The album tells the story of how the protagonist “failed to save the lone star state with the power of rock and roll.” Touring the country, Fishboy plays their so-called Rock Opera in its entirety from start to finish in what I hail as one phenomenal phucking performance! The story is fodder for a low-budget indie film. The day that film is made will be the day my life is complete.

Fishboy: Half Time At The Proper Name Spelling Bee [mp3]

In retrospect, Fishboy‘s Albatross should have garnered my #1 album slot for 2007. Seriously: the album remains one of the most-listened-to albums even today. The oft dubbed Twee Rock Opera was a truly brilliant concoction. And, as front-man Eric Michener quietly hints at a follow-up, he releases Nom, a nine-song EP consisting of rejects from the original concept album.

If you find Albatross to be an interesting concept, Nom will follow suit. Fishboy sent the songs to a band of friends (the band: Om Nom Noms) who put the words music. For the next phase, it is worth noting the band’s words sans any paraphrasing or other crap like slicing and dicing:

Nugget #1: The writing process of Albatross was 95% linear, in that nearly every track was written in the order it appears on the album. After the first song was completed, some thought was put into where to take the storyline and the musical flow of the album. Oftentimes full songs were completed and then scrapped because one of these two things wasn’t working out — either the plot came to a dead end or the flow of the album didn’t work. When it was time to start the follow up to Albatross, it became clear that any attempt to use these songs would result in a lyrically confused mess of an album. Not that the songs weren’t good; they were just abandoned plot lines to an alternate rock opera reality. And so a plan was hatched.

Nugget #2: Instead of gathering the band together to spend precious writing and arranging hours on these songs, the decision was made to blindly put them in the hands of a group of musicians with nothing to lose. Michener decided to hand over all musical duties and decisions to a local Denton, TX group of super-producers known as the Om Nom Noms. Michener took one trip into the studio, recorded vocals and scratch guitar, the guitar was deleted, and the Noms reconstructed the songs however they saw fit. Some upbeat songs became ambient, some hushed finger picked songs became rockers, and anything was possible in between.

Fishboy proved with Albatross that they were a forward-thinking, state-of-the-art type of band. And with Nom they continue to prove to the world that Fishboy is one of the most awesome, totally spectacular and unparalleledly phenomenal bands in the whole freakin’ world.

Fishboy: Tired Tried [mp3]

HHBTM [12" EP, 2009]

1. Bricks Part 1
2. Bricks Part 2
3. Cobra Cobra
4. Gabe Saucedo Hates My Guts
5. Broken Bones
6. Hovercraft
7. Accidents
8. Larger Than Before
9. Tired Tried

I’ve made a decision: come end of year 2009, I’m going to re-visit my 2008 best of list and repopulate the list based on a year with what I’ve deemed the top albums. Why? Simple, Albatross by Fishboy should not have been my number 2 album of 2007. No, it should have been number 1.

The crew, fronted by Eric Michener, recently played a show under a new moniker: Fishbot. It was a robotic show, not an electronic one, and the group added a few complimentary members, dressed in tinfoil, and played some new songs as well as a mess off their prior releases. They also filmed a video, which you can see below.

It’s a bit long, coming in at a little over 13 minutes, but it’s worth it. Eric is a funny guy, and fans of Fishboy will enjoy the brief clips of live footage. I’ve included two great songs from Albatross for your enjoyment. Also, the above picture was taken by yours truly at CMJ 2007.

Fishboy: Half Time At The Proper Name Spelling Bee [mp3]

Fishboy: Parachute (Using Buddy Holly’s Ghost As) [mp3]

The Making of Fishbot from Eric Edward Fishboy on Vimeo.