December 2010
21 posts
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Slept on records of 2010
So many records came out this year. These are the guys that I have either had sitting in my iTunes but not given enough love to, or people have been talking about them and I was just sleeping, or took a few extra listens to get me in the strictest groove zone. But they all rule and will make 2011 super rad to start off with.
Warpaint - Warpaint
Zs - New Slaves
Earl Sweatshirt - EARL
...
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Music video: Kanye West "Monster"
My thoughts on the “Monster” video are the same as my thoughts on the song overall: The Nicki Minaj part is the only part that’s doing something interesting. The rest is just OK. Seriously, those faces she makes when rapping are one of the best things about music in 2010.
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Rivers Cuomo covering "God Only Knows"
This video is breaking my heart all over the place.
(In a good way.)
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¡TOP RECORDS OF 2010!
Lists! Tops! These are my favorite musical releases of the year. See y’all in 2011!
10. Arcade Fire The Suburbs
9. Magic Kids Memphis
8. Fang Island Fang Island
7. No Age Everything in Between
6. Owen Pallett Heartland
5. Das Racist Sit Down, Man
4. Aloha Home Acres
3. Sufjan Stevens The Age of Adz
2. Flying Lotus Cosmogramma
1. Sam Amidon I See The...
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Some top stuff of 2010
Here you go, everyone! Top records will probably come tomorrow. Merry end-of-year-mas!
Top shows I saw in 2010
10. Matmos with So Percussion and Lichens at Le Poisson Rouge
9. Aloha at Knitting Factory
8. High Places at Shea Stadium
7. Dirty Projectors and Owen Pallett at Terminal 5
6. Dan Deacon at Red Hook Park
5. WHY? and Fang Island at Williamsburg Waterfront
4. Sam Amidon with Shazad...
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Track review: Sondre Lerche "Lewis Takes off his...
My immediate reaction: Meh. But then again, how can an acoustic guitar-slinging singer covering an Owen Pallett song reach the huge orchestral swell that the original song reaches? Can’t. So maybe it is a good thing to appreciate a stripped-down homage to an amazing track.
Plus, remember last year when Lerche covered Animal Collective’s “Bluish” from the Merriweather?...
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Merry Christmas from Spank Rock and the Death Set
Umm… Who knew Spank Rock and Johnny Siera could act? (They can’t.) But this throwback to Christmas specials, covering Bing Crosby and David Bowie’s rendition of “Little Drummer Boy,” and a bunch of winking references to “white Christmas” (get it!?) make this pretty great. Super weird, but pretty great.
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New Sufjan Stevens Christmas songs
This is maybe the least surprising contribution to the list of 2011 indie holiday tunes. Sufjan has been putting out Christmas music for as long as I can remember. (I can’t remember back to pre-Sufjan times…)
But knowing thatsomething is going to happen and actually hearing the results are completely different. The two tracks feature Aaron and Bryce Dressner from The National and...
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Show review: Real Estate at Brooklyn Bowl
Up over at FREEwilliamsburg. It’s kinda got some swirly language in it, but I like it. Enjoy!
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Record review: Owen Pallett "Export" EP
What a nice little topping on a year of great music! Friday night, while we were all out enjoying ourselves in our various ways, Owen Pallett tweeted “Uploading a new EP for you, stay awake a while.” What a guy! This coming from someone who put out one of the best records of the year (Heartland) two other EPs (A Swedish Love Story and Lewis Takes off His Shirt), scored a New York...
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New Danielson song "Grow Up"
I pretty much only get excited about Daniel Smith (Danielson Famile, Br. Danielson, Danielson, et. al.) when he’s coming out with a new record. But guess what!? He is! In February the new record Best of Gloucester County will be released on Sounds Familyre. Lucky us!
This first single “Grow Up,” is standard Danielson fare: heavy on the pop, high-pitche don the vocals,...
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Music video: Broken Social Scene "Texico Bitches"
This video stresses me out. And I can’t really put my finger on exactly which part of it is causing the anxiety. Face paint doesn’t normally stress me out. Gross oil-covered people don’t necessarily stress me out. Wrestling doesn’t normally stress me out. But all of these things together placed over Forgiveness Rock Record’s jam “Texico Bitches” cause one...
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More blogging about Total Ghost
I’m doing my part to help Total Ghost take over the internet. Also, I’m going to start blogging at Popstache now. Check it out!!!
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Music video: Games "Strawberry Skies"
I’m a little late to the Games game. But their EP That We Can Play is some serious rad synth jams. And this seems like the perfect video for their album opener and killer jam “Strawberry Skies.” Dated technology, sort of shitty video quality, 80s nostalgia and overall weirdness. Perfect!
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Neon Indian covers T. Rex
When I was in college, I sat around listening to T. Rex a lot. Like, a lot. I have never listened to as much Neon Indian as the amount of T. Rex I listened to my sophomore year at MSU. That being said, I’m kind of into this Neon Indian cover of “Children of the Revolution.” It’s a little more Neon Indian than it is T. Rex. But I’m OK with that. You can check it out...
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Christmas tunes from She and Him and Conan O'Brien
I was gonna say this is the last Christmas music-related post I’m going to make this year. But let’s be real, that’s a promise that I can’t keep. What I can say, though, is this performance of “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” is great. I’m not a huge She and Him fan (they’re just a little bit too cute, you know?), but in the spirit of the...
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Music video: Flying Lotus "Zodiac Shit"
Sorry for being a couple days late on this, internet. But better late than never. And I never want to not see this video for Flying Lotus’s “Zodiac Shit.” It’s so rad! And I know a lot of people have been comparing it to those early ’90s MTV animation shows (I’m looking at you Liquid Television, The Head, Cartoon Sushi, The Maxx!). And so what? Those shows...
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Andrew WK playing "Silent Night"
I’ve been pretty much only listening to Christmas music lately. And throughout the year I think Andrew WK is the coolest person there is. Motivational speaker, rock-and-roller, musical badass and bringer of great times. Check him out singing “Silent Night” for A.V. Club’s Holiday Undercover and killing it. Think he’ll want to go caroling with me? Andrew W.K. covers...
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Music video: Neon Indian "Mind Drips"
We made it, guys. We survived a day on the internet together without Tumblr. I hope everyone read a book, called a friend or partied and ate latkes (I did the last one).
But in the midst of a technological breakdown, something new and revolutionary came through. It’s some kind of video synth that makes trippy colors. Makes sense that this would be a Neon Indian video. Just about every blog...
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Deer Tick "Christmas All Summer Long"
I’ll probably get sick of listening to holiday music before the Holiday actually comes. But for now, I love hearing the sounds of wintertime jolliness transformed by bands I know and love.
Plus, this Deer Tick song, from their EP Holy Shit It’s Christmas rocks. It’s like having a Christmas tree left out in the garage well past the holiday season and your band is practicing out...
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Suburban Sprawl Music Holiday Compilation!!
Christmas time is here! I love the time of year when Suburban Sprawl releases their collection of seasonal songs. It’s friends coming together to make something sweet - sweet in both in the “shit, brah, that’s sweet!” way, and also sweet in the “aww…that’s sweeeet…” way.
This year there is, again, collaborations between friends and members...