are we not entertained?
come one, come all, hear my asanine tope records of the year list!!!
TOP FIFTEEN ALBUMS OF THE YEAR IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER(why 15? cause 10 just ain't enough):
+ !!! - Louden Up Now: this shit is dancey as shit. and about as eloquent as that last sentence. but it is clever and full of fun beats. and plus, there are like seven or ten guys in this band...imagine how fun must the van ride have been?!?!
+ david cross - it's not funny: ok, so this isn't music...however, it IS the funniest 70 minutes i have heard all year. it even out funnys all the comedies i've seen this year. this man, is a genious.
+ The Decemberists - Her Majesty/The Tain: alright, another technicality...this is two releases. however, they are two excellent releases. the full length Her Majesty encapsulates their weird sense of 19th century-dom, and has a lot of great catchy shit. The Tain however, is like a strange filtering of Metal through colin meloy's skewed glasses...and is based on a celtic myth and is one 18 minute long song. both are essential.
+ Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine: ohmy has it been a wait for this record. was calculating infinity great? yes. was it listenable? hardly. this new record took all the sensibilities they learned from Irony Is a Dead Scene and magnified it. their new singer sounds quite Pattony at times, which ain't bad. moreover, these songs are just highly listenable, without losing the weird time signitures and math riffage that makes DEP.
+ The Faint - Wet From Birth: who didn't think this would be good? i wasn't suprised. lots of strings and a weird interpolation of what sounds like the inspector gadget song(on two songs!) makes this as dancey as ever! also, at one point todd gets all falsetto just to say "what the fuck is this?" sweet.
+ The Good Life - Album of the Year: worst title of the year, hands down. it's still good though. all the divorce/revenge fucking lyrics of Domestica/ugly organ, three times the emo acousticness! catchy as shit, and has that tim kasher drunken patheticness. a worthy followup to the ep they released earlier this year. (ps. i think this is definately better than Black Out)
+ Head Automatica - Decadence: do you like the way the guy from Glassjaw's voice sounds? if so, check this out, it's a pretty awesomely rocking side project. if not....well....i've got bad news for you.
+ The Hives - Tyrannasauras Hives: best album title of the year, hands down. this album is fast and fun. if you like the hives, you'll love it. if you dont, you wont. it's that simple.
+ Interpol - Antics: you remember "turn on the bright lights"? well...this is pretty much the same thing. not that that's a bad thing, TOTBL was awesome. i will say though, this album's basslines don't really compare...
+ ISIS - Panopticon: this album is epic. but then again, it's ISIS. no shock there. however, it gets a boost due to the fact that i read about the panopticon in class this semester, and it is an intriguing concept for a record. it's no Oceanic, but it ain't no goddamn son of a bitch either.
+ Lansing-Dreiden - The Incomplete Triangle: first of all, ups to anders and vishnu for turning me onto this band that i never would have heard of. second, this album from the wacky new york "corporate media collective" is a mixed bag of awesome. it feels like three seperate genre-d eps, glam metal, atmospheric indie, and miami style dancebeat awesome. sure the hype behind this band is lame, and their image is pretentious a hifalutin, but if you drop all the bullshit and just listen, you won't be disappointed.
+ Morrissey - You Are the Quarry: Sure its no Your Arsenal. hell, it's really not even Southpaw Grammar. Actually, many of the B-sides from this album are actually better than the record itself (see "dont make fun of daddys voice", "its hard to walk tall when you're small", and "mexico"). but it's still Moz, and despite not being his best, its still better than any Brand New album will EVER be (fuck you jesse lacey you rip off motherfucker)
+ Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans: whoever would have guessed that i would love an album about jesus and god SO MUCH. however, i do. this album is sparse and beautiful, the end. i cried the whole time he was playing in april, i mean, it was mostly because i had damn near blinded myself with hair dye that evening, but still...it was great.
+ TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes: good god it took me forever to come around on this band, but goddamn am i glad i did. one of the most original sounds i've heard in a while. for sure the best brooklyn indie band, liars and YYYs be damned. these guys are the real thing. also worth mentioning is the ONE new song on the New Health Rock ep. it is awesome and they use the phrase "drop it like its hot"
+ Tom Waits - Real Gone: this album carries the same ideas as the morrissey post. Real Gone is no Rain Dogs (nothing is) or even Mule Variations (even though it shares much more in common with Mule than Rain Dogs.) But anything Tom does is way better than most other things. however, i was mad that even though les claypool is on this record, you really don't hear him much. this album is like 90% barroom surly, very fun, very raspy, very good (despite his annoying son playing *shudder* turntables on like 4 songs)
HONORABLE MENTION:
+Alexisonfire - Watch Out! (generic, in that sweet sweet way)
+Beastie Boys - To the Five Boroughs (aka, old jews say curse words again!! and say "what the ____" all the time!)
+Blood Brothers - Crimes (crazy skinny bastards....continue doing the same thing)
+Converge - You Fail Me (its about fucking time guys...)
+The Cure - S/T (is it just me, or is mr. smith VERY ANGRY)
+Northen State - All City (lots of people hate these girls, i dont care. rhymes about skorts!)
+Pelican - Australasia (who needs words to be metal as fuck? not these men. epic in the fullest)
+Planes Mistaken For Stars - Up In Them Guts (great title...and they put on a good live show.)
DISHONORABLE MENTION:
+The Arcade Fire - Funeral (if i hear one more word about this band i swear. all hype, no substance)
+Liars - They Were Wrong So We Drowned (all but two songs are unlistenable crap. and even those two songs are pushing it.)
oh, and p.s. i know many of you will disagree....but i did this cause i was bored. so no need for shitty comments about how great jesse lacey is, or how i left off your favorite album. and not a word about the arcade fire.
TOP FIFTEEN ALBUMS OF THE YEAR IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER(why 15? cause 10 just ain't enough):
+ !!! - Louden Up Now: this shit is dancey as shit. and about as eloquent as that last sentence. but it is clever and full of fun beats. and plus, there are like seven or ten guys in this band...imagine how fun must the van ride have been?!?!
+ david cross - it's not funny: ok, so this isn't music...however, it IS the funniest 70 minutes i have heard all year. it even out funnys all the comedies i've seen this year. this man, is a genious.
+ The Decemberists - Her Majesty/The Tain: alright, another technicality...this is two releases. however, they are two excellent releases. the full length Her Majesty encapsulates their weird sense of 19th century-dom, and has a lot of great catchy shit. The Tain however, is like a strange filtering of Metal through colin meloy's skewed glasses...and is based on a celtic myth and is one 18 minute long song. both are essential.
+ Dillinger Escape Plan - Miss Machine: ohmy has it been a wait for this record. was calculating infinity great? yes. was it listenable? hardly. this new record took all the sensibilities they learned from Irony Is a Dead Scene and magnified it. their new singer sounds quite Pattony at times, which ain't bad. moreover, these songs are just highly listenable, without losing the weird time signitures and math riffage that makes DEP.
+ The Faint - Wet From Birth: who didn't think this would be good? i wasn't suprised. lots of strings and a weird interpolation of what sounds like the inspector gadget song(on two songs!) makes this as dancey as ever! also, at one point todd gets all falsetto just to say "what the fuck is this?" sweet.
+ The Good Life - Album of the Year: worst title of the year, hands down. it's still good though. all the divorce/revenge fucking lyrics of Domestica/ugly organ, three times the emo acousticness! catchy as shit, and has that tim kasher drunken patheticness. a worthy followup to the ep they released earlier this year. (ps. i think this is definately better than Black Out)
+ Head Automatica - Decadence: do you like the way the guy from Glassjaw's voice sounds? if so, check this out, it's a pretty awesomely rocking side project. if not....well....i've got bad news for you.
+ The Hives - Tyrannasauras Hives: best album title of the year, hands down. this album is fast and fun. if you like the hives, you'll love it. if you dont, you wont. it's that simple.
+ Interpol - Antics: you remember "turn on the bright lights"? well...this is pretty much the same thing. not that that's a bad thing, TOTBL was awesome. i will say though, this album's basslines don't really compare...
+ ISIS - Panopticon: this album is epic. but then again, it's ISIS. no shock there. however, it gets a boost due to the fact that i read about the panopticon in class this semester, and it is an intriguing concept for a record. it's no Oceanic, but it ain't no goddamn son of a bitch either.
+ Lansing-Dreiden - The Incomplete Triangle: first of all, ups to anders and vishnu for turning me onto this band that i never would have heard of. second, this album from the wacky new york "corporate media collective" is a mixed bag of awesome. it feels like three seperate genre-d eps, glam metal, atmospheric indie, and miami style dancebeat awesome. sure the hype behind this band is lame, and their image is pretentious a hifalutin, but if you drop all the bullshit and just listen, you won't be disappointed.
+ Morrissey - You Are the Quarry: Sure its no Your Arsenal. hell, it's really not even Southpaw Grammar. Actually, many of the B-sides from this album are actually better than the record itself (see "dont make fun of daddys voice", "its hard to walk tall when you're small", and "mexico"). but it's still Moz, and despite not being his best, its still better than any Brand New album will EVER be (fuck you jesse lacey you rip off motherfucker)
+ Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans: whoever would have guessed that i would love an album about jesus and god SO MUCH. however, i do. this album is sparse and beautiful, the end. i cried the whole time he was playing in april, i mean, it was mostly because i had damn near blinded myself with hair dye that evening, but still...it was great.
+ TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes: good god it took me forever to come around on this band, but goddamn am i glad i did. one of the most original sounds i've heard in a while. for sure the best brooklyn indie band, liars and YYYs be damned. these guys are the real thing. also worth mentioning is the ONE new song on the New Health Rock ep. it is awesome and they use the phrase "drop it like its hot"
+ Tom Waits - Real Gone: this album carries the same ideas as the morrissey post. Real Gone is no Rain Dogs (nothing is) or even Mule Variations (even though it shares much more in common with Mule than Rain Dogs.) But anything Tom does is way better than most other things. however, i was mad that even though les claypool is on this record, you really don't hear him much. this album is like 90% barroom surly, very fun, very raspy, very good (despite his annoying son playing *shudder* turntables on like 4 songs)
HONORABLE MENTION:
+Alexisonfire - Watch Out! (generic, in that sweet sweet way)
+Beastie Boys - To the Five Boroughs (aka, old jews say curse words again!! and say "what the ____" all the time!)
+Blood Brothers - Crimes (crazy skinny bastards....continue doing the same thing)
+Converge - You Fail Me (its about fucking time guys...)
+The Cure - S/T (is it just me, or is mr. smith VERY ANGRY)
+Northen State - All City (lots of people hate these girls, i dont care. rhymes about skorts!)
+Pelican - Australasia (who needs words to be metal as fuck? not these men. epic in the fullest)
+Planes Mistaken For Stars - Up In Them Guts (great title...and they put on a good live show.)
DISHONORABLE MENTION:
+The Arcade Fire - Funeral (if i hear one more word about this band i swear. all hype, no substance)
+Liars - They Were Wrong So We Drowned (all but two songs are unlistenable crap. and even those two songs are pushing it.)
oh, and p.s. i know many of you will disagree....but i did this cause i was bored. so no need for shitty comments about how great jesse lacey is, or how i left off your favorite album. and not a word about the arcade fire.