CONTRA

Best Album Of 2009: Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

I lied, i do have a number one album of the year, it's called Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix and its by a little French band called Phoenix. Perhaps you've heard of them.
Before 2009 I'd never heard of Phoenix before in my life but they have released 3 albums previous to this one. Here are the 10 reasons why this album is my favorite:
1. Lizstomania
This is no doubt the catchiest song of the year. The lyrics make no sense whatsoever but its still great. Before buying the album I was singing most of the words all wrong. Thomas Mars vocals are a bit hard to understand.
2. 1901
This one is right behind as the second catchiest song of the year. I love fuzzy keys. They pulled this one off really well live on Jimmy Kimmel.
3. Fences
These are just all catchy tracks huh? This one takes you back to the 80's a bit and is slower than the first 2 album tracks. I'm confused as to the meaning of the song. what does "Fences in a row" supposed to mean?
4. Love Like A Sunset Part I
This is probably the most ignored song on the album for those who don't enjoy instrumentals. This one sounds like they ripped off Foals. Especially with the guitar tone. It's still nice. If you haven't given this one a listen, do its really great.
5. Love Like A Sunset Part II
After the longest song on the album comes the shortest. This one is just beautiful. It's pretty easy to understand the meaning unlike most songs on the album.
6. Lasso
The best bass line of 2008 was in Vampire Weekend's "Campus." This year Lasso has a great one. Check it out.
7. Rome
This one has some elements of Foals in the guitar as well. It's more poppy than any of Foals' stuff though
8. Countdown
It took me sometime to get into this one. I like the line "True, true and everlasting love, that's what you want."
9. Girlfriend
This one is my favorite from the album. Mostly because it's fun to play drums too. It's also a break up song thats really happy sounding, which is nice for a change.
10. Armistice
This one is the darkest sounding song on the album. It's still great.
This album is solid from track 1 to 10. I've never heard any of the earlier stuff from Phoenix but it might be interesting to check out. I can't wait to see what the do next. Do yourself a favor and buy this album. It's awesome.

Top Films

This year was a great year for music but it was also a good year for movies as well. Here are my favorites:

1. (500) Days Of Summer
This is maybe my favorite movie ever. The story line is just great as well as the acting, music and ending. I was the most excited I've ever been for a movie when this came out. I don't know any guys who enjoyed this movie, only girls. If you liked this movie and your a guy let me know!

2. Paper Heart
I wish this movie was a real documentary. Nonetheless, it's very well done. This also changed my mind about Michael Cera. He's pretty rad. Original music for this film is great.

3. Where The Wild Things Are
This was another anticipated film. Not as good as I thought it was going to be though. Too Violent. Karen O and the Kids did a great job doing the music. "All Is Love"

4. Cold Souls
This was just hilarious. Paul Giamatti is such a funny man. The whole plot is super funny. See it.

5. UP
I love Pixar films. This one was just as good as the last one which was just as good as all of them. They're all great.

6. Star Trek
They did a really nice job with this one. I'm not much for these types of movies but I loved it. If they ever do a sequel there will be a smile on my face.

7. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Just when I thought Harry Potter movie were gonna suck forever this one came out and blew me away.

8. The Invention Of Lying
Ricky Gervais has a weird sense of humor.

-Eliot Larson, Decmeber 29th, 2009

The top albums of 2009, sort of.

For anyone who has tried to compile a list of their favorite albums of a certain year when so much great music has been made, you may find it to be one of the most difficult jobs in the world. I can't seem to pick a certain album to be number 1 or even a top 10 list so here are my favorite albums of the year in no particular order along with my favorite songs from each album:

P.O.S./Never Better/"Savion Glover"
The best rapper in the Twin Cites no doubt. My favorite rapper ever. This album is so creative and fun.

Death Cab For Cutie/The Open Door E.P/"My Mirror Speaks"
Death Cab never disappoints. A solid 5 song E.P before the next album comes out is very much needed.

Passion Pit/Manners/"Little Secrets"
This is one great album. I have had different thoughts than when I first reviewed this. Little Secrets is fun to blast really loud.

Animal Collective/Merriweather Post Pavillion/"Brother Sport"
I was a little hesitant about this album at first. Brother Sport is such an amazing song though. I'm new to AC but I love this.

Julian Casablancas/Phrazes For The Young/"Glass"
Actually, I was suprised that i even liked this. It's so different than the Strokes stuff. Its so fun to listen to. So catchy.

No Age/Losing Feeling E.P/"Genie"
I really enjoyed this short little E.P from No Age. Its a bit different from Nouns. Regardless, it's great.

Brand New/Daisy/"You Stole"
BN continues to get stranger and stranger as the years go on and the albums come. This one is pretty hardcore and raw.

Japandroids/Post-Nothing/"Young Hearts Spark Fire"
These guys are the most underrated drums and guitar band. Their music is so fun to listen and rock out to.

HEALTH/Get Color/"Die Slow"
A late favorite for me. I bought this album on a suggestion from Gareth Campesinos! Strange music but dancy and fun!

Mastodon/Crack The Skye/"The Last Baron"
This changed my mind about metal music. Every track blows my mind. These guys really make something special.

Dirty Projectors/Bitte Orca/"Stillness Is The Move"
This band/album/song never gets old. The girls' voices are beautiful and Dave's guitar playing is simply amazing.

The Bad Plus/For All I Care/"Barracuda"
What can I say? Adding Wendy Lewis for this album makes them even better. Amazing music.

The Dodos/Time To Die/"Fables"
Two person music has never ever been this good. Vibraphones rock.

Grizzly Bear/Veckatimist/"Two Weeks"
just give it a listen and read my review. GREAT

Wavves/Wavvves/"No Hope Kids"
I never get tired of distorted pop songs. Do you?

-Eliot Larson, December 29, 2009

VOTE FOR YOUR TOP 89!

We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed 1

About a year i got the second Los Campesinos! album or their first "mini-album" in the mail. This past Sunday, I bought it on vinyl. Although I have not been listening to it all the times for a full year, once in a while its nice to listen to a couple tracks from the album. In short, the album is a masterpiece and definitely the better of the first 2 LC! records that came out in 2008. If I were to go back in time and re-do my best of list for 2008, "WAB, WAD" would be right up there with Death Cab's "Narrow Stairs." After another couple listens to the album on vinyl I feel no different than I previously had. To me, I think it's so interesting as to what they decided to do with the record. First of all, it's not an official album according to the band. It was advertised as a "mini-album," despite containing 10 tracks. They also invited some friends from other bands and some other artists to interpret their meaning of We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, including drawings, poems and stories. That's a pretty ambitious thing to do for a band that only 7 months before released their debut album. There were no singles released from the album.
Here are my 10 Highlights of the album:
-Ways To Make It Through The Wall is possibly the best track on the album, but don't hold me to that. It was my favorite for weeks when I first heard it. The line "A room full of vacuum and a room full of air look the same" made me think: "No there not!"
-Miserabilia is another fun track. My favorite part is at the beginning when Aleks says "No one matters" and Gareth echoes her saying the same thing in a muffled tone.
-The title track is just as good as it sounds like it would be. The keyboard melody played over and over again is so catchy and fun, it's hard not to like this one.
-The one weird song on the album is "Between An Erupting Earth And An Exploding Sky" Lasting just over a minute, its pleasant to hear something different than normal Campesinos! music and listen to and instrumental.
-You'll Need Those Fingers For Crossing is the second longest LC! song ever and is certainly single worthy. It's a shame they didn't put it out on 7 inch.
SIDE 2
-It's Never That Easy Though, Is It? (For The Other Kurt) is the only LC! song I don't associate with a name. Walking into a room to see your ex making out with someone else with your favorite band's most popular song in the background would be awful.
-The End Of The Asterisk is a song I had trouble with when I first bought the album. It has now turned into one of my favorites. I think of it as the "My Year In Lists" of WAB, WAD, mostly because of how long it is.
-Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown #1 is my favorite one from the album. From the oo's and aah's to the super catchy guitar riff to almost a minute of feedback and randomness, it's just so perfect.
-Heart Swells/Pacific Daylight Time is one of the prettiest songs done by Team Campesinos! It's also one of the only acoustic songs done by them and it's the easiest song to understand in terms of lyrics.
-All Your Kayfabe Friends is another favorite of mine. The opening line is hilarious: " Word is you slept in a weird position and your back and your shoulders are aching/ I said my stomach's chewing it's way out from the inside 'cause I've gone 3 days now without eating." Great stuff.
This is one of my favorite albums of all time and buying it again re-assured that. Do yourself a favor and take a listen to a track or two that I've posted a link for. Who knows, maybe it'll change your life like it did mine. If you already own it take another listen or buy it on vinyl. If you don't buy it or I'll burn you a copy, just ask. This is the work of a masterpiece. Absolutely fantastic.

We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltUSKuBK-j0
Documented Minor Emotional Breakdown: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8tIkZ0jcBD4 (Sorry, not too exciting videos)

-Eliot Larson, 12/3/09

Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest

Grizzly Bear-Veckatimest
[9.8, Warp, 2009]

I bought "Veckatimest" back in July at Amoeba Records in San Francisco. I had heard "Two Weeks" on The Current many times and decided to check out the entire album,I had no previous knowledge of who Grizzly Bear was or what their music sounded like. Until now (October) I hadn't gotten into the album at all.
And What a fantastic album it is. "Veckatimest" (For those wondering what the title refers too, its an island off the coast of Massachusetts.) starts off with the pleasant "Southern Point" which is like multiple songs in one. It starts off with a jazzy beat and then starts a big sounding chorus with lots of harmonies, finishing with a happy piano sound. "Two Weeks" is the obvious single off the album and is the most accessible to more casual fans. Even after countless listens it never gets old. "All We Ask" is a very march-y sounding tune with drumrolls, and dynamics. (For fans with short attention spans this is not the song for you, it may seem boring at first.)
"Cheerleader" is one of the most experimental songs on the album full of bass and vocal effects, echoey backing vocals and sampled handclaps. Nico Muhly does the choral arrangements on this and lends a hand doing string arrangements "Southern Point," "Ready, Able," and "Foreground." The next track "Dory" sounds like a musical song about a boat. The Beginning really shows Grizzly Bear's singing capabilities. (This may sound like a choir to some and The Brookly Youth Choir appears on a couple of songs but not this one.)
"While You Wait For The Others" is the 2nd single off the album and is certainly as good if not better than lead single "Two Weeks." It is certainly the most rock sounding song on the album. I hear a bit of The Beatles in the guitar parts. "I Live With You" is another faster paced song with stomping rhythms, dynamics and horns. "Foreground" is a beautiful piano piece that ends the album on a peaceful note. This is one interesting album filled with many different instruments, sounds and effects that expand Grizzly Bear's sound. A solid. 9.8. We'll see where this one ends up in my top 10. I bet it'll be in the top 5.

-Eliot Larson, October 14th, 2009.