You knew this was coming, right?
I have listened to MANY CDs this year. Or rather, last year. Purely to entertain and to indulge myself, I've compiled a collection of favorites. Not necessarily the best, mind you, but cds that get played repeatedly.
Destroyer's Rubies--Destroyer. Dan Bejar was, I believe, a member of the New Pornographers (which I know you are all familiar with). With his crazy lyrics and phrasings, he is both emotional and intelligent, eschewing standard song forms most of the time.
Knives Don't Have Your Back--Emily Haines. This could easily have shared the top spot with Dan Bejar. I was obsessed with this cd for a long time. Stylistically quite a departure from Metric, her voice unfolds engagingly and intimately in the spare arrangements.
Be He Me--Annuals. This could fit nicely within the indie rock framework, I suppose. Quirkly and charmingly so. But they're hard to define, really. Refreshing? Definitely.
Centuries Before Love And War--Stars of Track and Field. What is it about them that I like? Perhaps it's the combination of digital/electronic sound on some tracks, and analog/acoustic on others.
Z--My Morning Jacket. If I had gotten this cd for nothing else but Dondante, it would've been worth it. It is almost, almost, a Pink Floyd experience with an intense guitar solo and a soaring falsetto. The only song that doesn't seem to belong has a Hawaii 5-0 -like intro. Weird. Yeah.
The Eraser--Thom Yorke. Well, it's Thom Yorke. What more can I say. It's predestined that this would be one of my favs. And I've talked about it in previous posts, I'm sure.
Burn The Maps--Frames. I much prefer this Irish rock band to that other Irish rock band (whose front man is addicted to causes, and who recently went on a Shopping Spree with Oprah). Musically, the songs are mostly ballads, with string inspired arrangements that start quietly, and then builds to a satisfying crescendo. For The Birds is another beautiful album.
The Information--Beck. Interesting, eclectic, undefinable. And like most Beck's cds, I keep going back to it.
Live It Out--Metric. Other than Emily Haines' presence, they have a driving, post-punkish energy. Whatever that means. But Glass Ceiling, Too Little Too Late, and The Police And The Private are songs I listen to over and over.
The Crane Wife--Decemberists. I'm trying to limit the list to cds that came out within the last year or so. Otherwise, all the Decemberists albums may end up here.
So This Is Goodbye--The Junior Boys. Why? Because.
Some sample tracks in the zip file:
Annuals--Brother, Dry Clothes
Stars of Track and Field--Centuries, Lullabye For A Gi
Frames--Caution To The Birds, Keepsake
My Morning Jacket--It Beats 4 U, Dondante
Thom Yorke-- And It Rained All Night, Analyse
Beck--Nausea, New Round
The Junior Boys--Count Souvenirs and In The Morning
Happy New Year.
Destroyer's Rubies--Destroyer. Dan Bejar was, I believe, a member of the New Pornographers (which I know you are all familiar with). With his crazy lyrics and phrasings, he is both emotional and intelligent, eschewing standard song forms most of the time.
Knives Don't Have Your Back--Emily Haines. This could easily have shared the top spot with Dan Bejar. I was obsessed with this cd for a long time. Stylistically quite a departure from Metric, her voice unfolds engagingly and intimately in the spare arrangements.
Be He Me--Annuals. This could fit nicely within the indie rock framework, I suppose. Quirkly and charmingly so. But they're hard to define, really. Refreshing? Definitely.
Centuries Before Love And War--Stars of Track and Field. What is it about them that I like? Perhaps it's the combination of digital/electronic sound on some tracks, and analog/acoustic on others.
Z--My Morning Jacket. If I had gotten this cd for nothing else but Dondante, it would've been worth it. It is almost, almost, a Pink Floyd experience with an intense guitar solo and a soaring falsetto. The only song that doesn't seem to belong has a Hawaii 5-0 -like intro. Weird. Yeah.
The Eraser--Thom Yorke. Well, it's Thom Yorke. What more can I say. It's predestined that this would be one of my favs. And I've talked about it in previous posts, I'm sure.
Burn The Maps--Frames. I much prefer this Irish rock band to that other Irish rock band (whose front man is addicted to causes, and who recently went on a Shopping Spree with Oprah). Musically, the songs are mostly ballads, with string inspired arrangements that start quietly, and then builds to a satisfying crescendo. For The Birds is another beautiful album.
The Information--Beck. Interesting, eclectic, undefinable. And like most Beck's cds, I keep going back to it.
Live It Out--Metric. Other than Emily Haines' presence, they have a driving, post-punkish energy. Whatever that means. But Glass Ceiling, Too Little Too Late, and The Police And The Private are songs I listen to over and over.
The Crane Wife--Decemberists. I'm trying to limit the list to cds that came out within the last year or so. Otherwise, all the Decemberists albums may end up here.
So This Is Goodbye--The Junior Boys. Why? Because.
Some sample tracks in the zip file:
Annuals--Brother, Dry Clothes
Stars of Track and Field--Centuries, Lullabye For A Gi
Frames--Caution To The Birds, Keepsake
My Morning Jacket--It Beats 4 U, Dondante
Thom Yorke-- And It Rained All Night, Analyse
Beck--Nausea, New Round
The Junior Boys--Count Souvenirs and In The Morning
Happy New Year.