Seance we more or less decided to stop doing monthly top 10s I've decided to try a new segment out on the blog so we can still talk about music and spread it without having to be restrained to new, classic, or specific, material. In this segment I'll just tell you guys what albums I've been listening to in the past week(s), in order.
1. Drive Like Jehu - Yank Crime
Thanks to theneedledrop/Anthony Fantano for getting me back into listening to this album, in his poor lily contest video. Drive Like Jehu is more or less a punk band that started leading the genre into something "more creative", not unlike Fugazi or La Dispute. It's understandable that most people would call them a "post-hardcore" band but they hearken back to so much classic 80s punk that I would just call them "progressive punk". It's just to bad they broke up after 5 years and two albums.
(Don't blame me if you hate Rick Froberg'svoice that's your problem ;) )
2. MGMT- Oracular Spectacular
Say what you want about MGMT but they can wright some catchy songs and weather you like them or not you can defiantly hear some classic influence from bands like New Order in the prominent bass, synthesizer and keyboards. Even though I do prefer their second album because of how experimental it is their first album has some of their catchiest and simplest songs on it; that might be because they used to be a singles band but that doesn't change how well written and produced their special brand of "psychedelic electro pop/rock" really is on this album. I do have to give a lot of credit for this music video though ;).
(btw can someone tell me why people think Andrew VanWyngarden looks like a fat Frodo Baggans?)
3. Blind Pilot - We are the Tide
I'm not sure how I missed this album when it came out, September 2011, because it just might have made it to the top 25 list and because I loved their first album. I can't start to talk about this album without talking about the vocals; I would probably go gay for Israel Nebeker's voice (just his voice forget about him) and I don't need to defend my masculinity to say why. They are well known for catchy folk tunes, rising cords, abstract lyrics and unbelievable vocal melodies but even without their incredible writing talent his beautiful voice is enough to keep me listening. As much as I praise the vocals I do have to give humongous credit to their extremely talented drummer who's fills can "fill" a track by them selves if they wanted to. This album doesn't quite dethrone "3 Rounds and a Sound" but if that albums a 10 (which it is to me) than this album is a 9.
4. The Black Keys - Brothers
If you know me, you know that I'm a huge fan of The Black Keys and classic blues rock from the early 2000s but you might also know that I hate talking about this album. I know it's hard to say I'm a big fan when my first exposure to the band was "Tighten Up" but my love for their first 4 albums are what make me think they are so classic in the first place. I used to think "Tighten Up" was the best song ever but than I heard "All Hands Against His Own", "Girl is On my Mind", "Midnight in Her Eyes", "Have Love Will Travel", "Just Got to Be", "Strange Desire".....; anyway I can't really get into this album but it's not because it's bad, it's because I was just not into the sound they were going for here. I do still like "Tighten Up" and "Next Girl" + a few solo's her and there but other wise this was just an average album I keep coming back to just to see if I'll like it. I would much rather listen to any of there other albums, including "El Camino", except "Attack & Release" ( which I think is on the same level).
Besides having one of the best ,artistic, album covers I have ever seen this is also my favorite "New Order" album. With almost no dispute this band is the King/Queen or "Ruling Transvestite" of post punk. Your free to laugh at that statement if you like but this album was that weird when it came out (I issue a formal apology to any transvestites who take insult to being called weird). I swear the production sounds like something ripped right from a Quentin Tarantino film; you can't tell me the intro to "Fine Time" doesn't sound like the beginning of a fight sequence from "Kill Bill". Peter Hook's bass gives their music gives the album so much rhythmic value while Bernard Sumner's riffs and vocals just spew out a depressingly sunny attitude that even singers like Robert Smith couldn't show off on their own. This will always we a perfect 80s album to me.
Hey everybody, with this being my first post on the blog, I thought id do something that was relatively opinionated and simple, just so that everyone can get a hold of my type of music. So here we go!
10. Megadeth's "Th1rt3en"
I thought megadeth's new album thirteen was a great improvement upon the last release. The guitar solo's and Dave Mustaine's very recognizable vocals have made yet another wonderful metal record by this member of the big four.
9. All that remains "For we are many"
All that remains has created another metal masterpiece. With solid riffs throughout and gravely, deep-voiced vocals, All that remains has created another chart-topping beast.
8. Metallica's "Beyond Magnetic"
Metallica has made a large improvement upon their rep. After the last disaster with lou reed, this small four song EP has greatly improved my outlook on how Metallica's future in music could be. Granted in my opinion Metallica should end on this EP and from now on just remaster their old albums, im just a kid with an opinion.
From Austin: "If they can keep writing stuff like this, that sounds like their old stuff with a new spin on it, than I see no reason to have them stay together *shrugs*"
7. Skrillex's "Bangarang"
Skrillex's new Bangarang EP has made a great effort and the addition of some lyrics by Sirah and his small style change from dubstep a mixture of dubstep and electro-house has made his music that much more appealing to me.
6. Disturbed's "Asylum"
Disturbed has done it again. the album Asylum is still the same sound, but has a bit less of a kick to me than "Indestructible" a couple years ago. However, this is once again very opinionated based on my taste in music.
5. UKF's "Dubstep 2011"
UKF has done it again, providing the general public with some of the best dubstep I have ever heard. Three pluses to this album are 1. The price tag on this album is 5.99 on itunes. 2. The producers really deserve the money 3. Im still picking up bits of brain off the wall and ground after my head EXPLODED!!!!
4. Five Finger Death Punch's "American Capitalist"
The third album from five finger death punch left me dazed and confused after their deep guitar riffs and fantastic vocals knocked me a cold one right in my face. Absolutely AMAZING.
3. Avenged Sevenfold's "Nightmare"
Once again my favorite metal band of all time delivers. After the sudden death of The Rev and the halt in the making of this album, it was finished by the band and all-star drummer Mike Portnoy. I love this album overall, Matt's vocals are back to the way they once were, and their attitude is once again slapping punk-bitches like Justin Bieber in the face.
From Austin: "lets just make sure we know punk-bitches has nothing to do with punk"
2. Blackguards "Firefight"
While i only discovered this band after my purchase and play of the video game NHL 12, i have fallen in love with Blackguard. the screaming vocals and guitar riffs and solos are just amazing. I definitely recommend this album.
1. Trivium's "In Waves"
This album was in my opinion, the best metal album in 2011. Trivium's guitar riffs and vocals are landmark and I just love this band in general.
Well guys there ya go. let me know what you think in the comments below. Thanks!
A very special thanks to Austin for introducing me this amazing album. I feel much more confortable and close with this band now that I have listened to this album. If you’re thinking that you don’t like hip-hop so you won’t like this album, please think again. This album is strongly suggested to anyone wo likes «music».
8.4/10
9. Mutemath - Odd Soul
I think its the perfection of this album... I don’t know what makes me listen to this album over and over, but whatever they did, it’s creative and fun. I remember seeing a commercial on youtube about Odd Soul and I thought it sounded nice, so I just typed «Mutemath» in youtube and... well... W-O-W. These guys have a bunch of fun music videos, you have to check it out. Anyways, great album, special band and addictive songs.
8.4/10
8. tUnE-yArDs - W H O K I L L
Never thought that experimental R&B would sound so refreshing! A girl from New England bassicaly just popped out of nowhere and exploded our minds with her music. I really like what I hear from this album; layering of tracks, warm percussions, african texure, a bit pop but doesn’t effect the originality... I’m looking forward to hear some more of this band.
8.5/10
7. St. Vincent - Strange Mercy
So I don’t have lots to say about this album, but I’ll just use this excuse to thicken my paragraph. I’m hearing indie, but at the same time, I’m hearing demolished math rock. Witch sounds perfect, and the mix of that style with her vocals is very powerful. Awesome album.
8.6/10
6. Florence + The Machine - Ceremonials
First of all, Florence *is the Machine. Just these expressions coming out of the album like that is so strong, I really felt like something was lifting me up as listening to it. Very indie pop, amazing vocals, catchy rhythms... It has it all to be a valuable album. I’m really impressed of this album, and think I will still remember it in 20, 30, 40 years from now.
8.6/10
5. M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming
An album to remember, remarkable sounds, and these vocals floating around my head repeating itself makes it very easy to fall in (instead of using instruments) because it never gets anoying. /mu/ seemed to love this album and thats where my love for it began, so thanks /mu/!
8.8/10
4. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
Marvelous album with breath taking songs. Very solid songs, easy to jump in, extremely personal lyrics, and about five cups of wonderful. Every song on this album is fantastic to the point it made me cry. All in all, tremendous album, very satisfying.
9/10
From Austin: "Didn't get it, at all"
3. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
«open your mouth wide» said the dentist, well Radiohead blasting with another album, and as we know, always staying true to its sound. One rule we need to know about them and their albums is to never repeat the same style. They always have changed and as they grow older, I feel like they’re concentrating more and more on the instruments and how it could sound in so many other ways. Like the beat in «Good Morning Mr. Magpie» that is pretty much the same thing all the way, but you can take the beat in so many different ways because the guitars are pushing it forward and always repeating itself... Now remember, «The King of Limbs» is an album following «In Rainbows» witch is still very alternative rock, so this doesn’t mean they can’t put the «r» in «rock» anymore. It just means that they have matured and so does every sound they used on this album. Very Promising album.
9.3/10
From Austin: "Yeah you guys can say what ever this isn't on my list because I thought it was disappointing :("
2. Bon Iver - Self Titled
It really bothers me when people just listen to this album and say its not like the albums before because the instrumentation is much more complex, thats not a valuable reason to hate on an album. This self-titled album is their true masterpiece and it has such a deep meaning that no other album this year can possibly match it. If Justin Vernon wanted to sing all of them alone with his guitar, he could, but he decided not to, and that decision leads us to this. The instrumentation in it just makes me want to cry (good thing). Well first of all, most of the instruments are out of their nature, like the sliding guitars sounds like saxophones, and the violins are not really in place, and whammy pedals on trumpets and all these instruments that just ends up sounding like gadgets witch makes it sound more lively really... who wants to sound perfect when you can just make things different and still sound beautiful? Its closer to reality anyways. But even all of that doesn’t stop Bon Iver from sounding like themselves. They still keep their terrific indie sound. Exciting album, I hope you’ll show it to your friends too, don’t keep all the magic for yourself!
9.7/10
From Austin: "Lets not fight but I hated this thing"
1. James Blake - Self Titled
I am sure that this album is worth more than being #1 here. As I listen to this album, everything around me disappears. So much is placed into this album that it hurts, not that theres too much things going on, just that I never even thought something could replace a way someone feels. When we’re listening to James Blake’s self-titled album, we’re feeling what he’s feeling so much he puts life in there. It’s just a brilliant album from a brilliant guy. I, as a musician, was trying to understand the album, and I did these studies on his songs and I just could not figure out what was happening, but I just knew it was so beautiful and true. I spotted that the song «I Mind» sounded like The Beatles’s «A Day in the Life» at the part where lennon says «turn you on» and where james says «I Mind» at the very start... Just a quick remark. The guy just bassicaly told us through his album that there was electronic music and his music. I know his album is electronic, but COME ON, he invented a brand new style... he did his thing and his only, there is nothing or no one that can possibly do that, because he has the future of music in his hands. Pure genius album by an intellectual man who performs just amazingly with his unbelievably brilliant musicians!
take note of the drummer’s clappy finger thingy... Took me a while to figure out that one.
"When you make a top 25 list the albums you end up choosing end up being so good that you might as well not number them but I did anyway. (I wrote this just so I would have something to quote on the blog BTW)"
Say what you want about MGMT but they can wright some catchy songs and weather you like them or not you can defiantly hear some classic influence from bands like New Order in the prominent bass, synthesizer and keyboards. Even though I do prefer their second album because of how experimental it is their first album has some of their catchiest and simplest songs on it; that might be because they used to be a singles band but that doesn't change how well written and produced their special brand of "psychedelic electro pop/rock" really is on this album. I do have to give a lot of credit for this music video though ;).
I'm not sure how I missed this album when it came out, September 2011, because it just might have made it to the top 25 list and because I loved their first album. I can't start to talk about this album without talking about the vocals; I would probably go gay for Israel Nebeker's voice (just his voice forget about him) and I don't need to defend my masculinity to say why. They are well known for catchy folk tunes, rising cords, abstract lyrics and unbelievable vocal melodies but even without their incredible writing talent his beautiful voice is enough to keep me listening. As much as I praise the vocals I do have to give humongous credit to their extremely talented drummer who's fills can "fill" a track by them selves if they wanted to. This album doesn't quite dethrone "3 Rounds and a Sound" but if that albums a 10 (which it is to me) than this album is a 9. 
