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A Retrospective Top 15: Best Albums Of 2001

The second installment of A Retrospective, in which I recap my favorite albums released from 2000 to 2008, this time: 2001. Wrought with turmoil and watching a life fall apart as so many others were having similar experiences but in a different manner; that was 2001 for you. The year I turned 21. A year that lives in infamy. Young or old, we all seemed to grow up that year. Music, too seemed to progress in ways unthought, even before that fateful day.

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Robot Koch feat. Grace: People Are Strange [Video]

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This takes me back. Way back. Back to the early to mid 90s, when as an early teen I was a camper at a little place called Camp Orkila. My counselor was an eccentric and short fellow, whose initials were E.L.F. and that’s what he went by. Each morning we woke up to “People Are Strange” by The Doors. I haven’t thought about it in years. Robot Koch gives the song a complete overhaul, treating the instrumental elements with various electronic loops and the vocals go to Grace. The result is an electro-trip-hop rendition of one of The Doors greatest achievements. Robot Koch dubs the genre a blend of hip-hop, ghettotech, and death metal. Sounds about right to me. The video is by Volker Heisterberg and Cornelia-Anca Paulnici, and was filmed live at Berlin’s Bar25 this past summer. Read More »Robot Koch feat. Grace: People Are Strange [Video]

Social Studies [Feature]

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Imagine the pre-Islands band The Unicorns in all their glory; that album, Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone. Now think of their triumphant return, matured a decade and now female-fronted. The songs are no longer bizarre and there’s been a complete turnaround when it comes to their accessibility to the general public. Imagine that, added with a newfound influence by, say, Fiery Furnaces, and you’ll have Social Studies. It’s somewhere in that general realm, with casio keyboards backed by bouncy pop bass – all of it, enjoyable. Read More »Social Studies [Feature]

Alan Semerdjian: The Big Beauty [Album Review]

alan_semerdjian

Have you ever wondered what Joe Walsh would have sounded like if he came out in 2005? Or if he was actually any good at any time? Well, wonder no more! Alan Semerdijan and his sophomore release The Big Beauty has brought to light an accessible and bouncy pop/rock album so many artists have attempted to do in the past. But, this guy got it right. With a collection of heartfelt lyrics and a spectacular set of vocals, this is exactly the sort of singer/songwriter we need right now. Read More »Alan Semerdjian: The Big Beauty [Album Review]

Four Tet Announce First Album In Over Four Years!

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The last Four Tet album was released well over four years ago, so it’s a bit surprising to hear Kiernan Hebden has a new one on the horizon. That new one has a name: There Is Love In You. And it has a release date: January 26, 2010. Expect good things from the Domino Records release; we’ll all be treated with a two-track 12″ single early next month for the a-side track “Love Cry” and a b-side dubbed “Our Bells”. There Is Love In You will be released via CD, LP, and mp3. Read More »Four Tet Announce First Album In Over Four Years!

People Eating People: All The Hospitals [Track]

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Here’s a name we (or, at least, I) haven’t heard in a while: Nouela Johnston. The former front-woman of Mon Frere gives us her self-titled solo debut under the moniker People Eating People this week and it includes the joyous pop romp “All The Hospitals”. The track finds People Eating People dishing out precocious percussion, hints of bouncy jazz piano, and vocals slightly reminiscent of something between Regina Spektor, and… err… a better version Regina Spektor. And yeah, there’s probably hints of Annie Clark (St. Vincent) in there as well; after all Clark is known for throwing in elements of jazz, and “All The Hospitals” definitely has that. It’s entirely upbeat, something you wouldn’t expect from a song whose lyrics include All the hospitals are closed tonight, but it works and does so quite well. Read More »People Eating People: All The Hospitals [Track]

Washed Out [Feature]

Washed Out

Washed Out channels an 80s-style synth pop and hones the influence into a soft, electro-atmospheric calm. There’s this airy quality about the songs, from the more electronic “You’ll See It” and “Hold Out” to the softer, laid-back “Feel It All Around”. Washed Out is on par with The Radio Dept. circa “Against The Tide”. It has that chill downbeat sound, what some dub as chillwave and others as bedroom synth-pop. Both are adequate, though I’d say it’s more fit for the living room. Read More »Washed Out [Feature]

Fieldhead: They Shook Hands For Hours [Album Review]

Fieldhead

Fieldhead‘s They Shook Hands For Hours is that midnight hour electronica album anyone can enjoy. It is a true aural ambiance filled experience. As well as a digitalized scratch to the face. P. Elam (of The Declining Winter notoriety) has successfully broken out on his own with this fine first full-length solo release. At times it is very easy to criticize the instrumental electronica artist (a.k.a. laptop jockeys) for lack of vocals, but this album can easily rid these stereotypes by basically being plain directive and superior to others. Read More »Fieldhead: They Shook Hands For Hours [Album Review]

Weezer Snuggies: Cute + Adorable Alert!

weezer-snuggie

Yesterday Weezer (yes, that dorky band we all fell in love with upon the release of their debut LP way back in the 90s, and that has since gone on to be quite popular in the world of music) introduced to the world their very own Weezer-branded Snuggie. And yes, that’s the ridiculously popular sleeved blanket (the most genius product idea since bottled water). You can get your very own Weezer Snuggie for only 30 bucks. Also in the mix is the band’s new album, Raditude, a title that meshes radical with attitude. How very 90s. Read More »Weezer Snuggies: Cute + Adorable Alert!

Capybara: Try Brother [Album Review]

capybara

Like any genre, folk has artists that are true to the origins of its particular style of music. And, like any genre, it has artists that push the boundaries. Capybara is of the latter classification. Try Brother sees the group expanding into new arenas, mashing pop and freak-folk, and sure, let’s throw in a splash of psychedelic as well. That being said, Capybara’s relation to folk is one that can be listed as partial – it is and it isn’t. It is the root, but there’s much more behind Try Brother to limit it to merely folk. Read More »Capybara: Try Brother [Album Review]

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