tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-90434405868999175452024-02-02T10:56:56.181-08:00Radio Sweetheart IndieThe chatty cousin of my <a href="http://www.live365.com/stations/mikijourdan">online radio station</a>.Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.comBlogger811125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-44021302563582450302014-12-30T19:48:00.001-08:002014-12-30T20:08:35.209-08:00Best Albums of 2014Buzzfeed has this quiz, <a href="http://www.buzzfeed.com/perpetua/how-much-of-a-music-nerd-are-you#.hbKMMmkQ3m" target="_blank">How Much of a Music Snob Are You?</a>, and I scored pretty high. The quiz asks... Have you ever:<br />
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<i>Been a DJ?</i> Check. <br />
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<i>Complained about something being "overproduced"?</i> Check.<br />
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<i>Bought an album on import?</i> Check<br />
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<i>Ordered from indie mail order catalogs? Spent hours alphabetizing CDs? Had elaborate rules for sequencing mix tapes?</i> Check, check, check.<br />
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But, the number one item on Buzzfeed's list is this: <i>Have you ever felt like ranking your favorite music of the year was a necessary thing to do? </i>In order to remain a card carrying music snob in good standing, I submit this list for 2014:<br />
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<b>Courtney Barnett: The Double EP: A Sea of Split Peas</b><br />
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<b>Benjamin Booker: s/t</b><br />
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<b>Deerhoof: La Isla Bonita</b><br />
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<b>Sylvan Esso: s/t</b><br />
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<b>Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings: Give the People What They Want </b><br />
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<b>Nude Beach: 77</b><br />
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<b>Sabina: Toujours</b> <br />
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<b>St. Paul & The Broken Bones: Half The City</b><br />
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<b>Ty Segall: Manipulator</b><br />
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<b>Nick Waterhouse: Holly</b></div>
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If you Spotify, you can listen to a <a href="https://play.spotify.com/user/mikijourdan/playlist/15A727fMDpH8pxI2CaLUZj" target="_blank">playlist of the best of 2014 here</a>.<br />
<br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-29768950389017288682014-04-16T11:21:00.000-07:002014-04-16T11:21:21.712-07:00Song of the day: "Meadow Mines (Fort Polio)" by Dylan ShearerHash tags that the record company supplied for its artist, Dylan Shearer include:<b> #syd barrett</b> and <b>#kevin ayers</b>. While I can definitely hear that, I'll add another: <b>#ray davies</b>. Shearer's almost-lethargic vocals sound like something pulled off of a great lost Kinks album. Where the California-born-and-bred singer-songwriter got a British accent, I'll never know.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/136704263&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-51494128358627731252014-04-07T09:48:00.002-07:002014-04-07T09:48:25.501-07:00Song of the day: "So Blonde" by EMAEricka Anderson's roots are showing a bit on this track, with its affection for the noisy, yet melodic, '80s indie rock of Sonic Youth, the Pixies, and Aimee Mann, among others. Her new album drops tomorrow.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/GvyUN0P6yvk" width="560"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-20671126609659223872014-04-05T16:28:00.003-07:002014-04-05T16:28:52.995-07:00Song of the day: "Allergies" by PONDSpring days like today are gorgeous, but they have their unpleasant side effects. Claritin take me away!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/idnDZfi_Uso" width="420"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-69309764554897373642014-03-31T10:47:00.001-07:002014-03-31T10:47:55.095-07:00Song of the day: "Salad Days" by Mac DemarcoI swear...all of the music reviewers are cribbing notes off of all the other music reviewers. For example, everyone says the band War on Drugs sounds like Bruce Springsteen, so it must sound like Bruce right? (Not necessarily.) And now, more than a few reviewers say that Mac Demarco took a page from the Kinks on his new album, Salad Days. Well, I don't entirely buy that either, though I will admit that the nonsense syllables on the title track bear a passing resemblance to the <a href="http://youtu.be/jg3oDSyBBi8" target="_blank">Kinks' "Picture Book."</a> Regardless of who Mac sounds like, he's worth a listen.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/0HQqXllXpfQ" width="420"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-2820680781543390372014-03-30T14:59:00.003-07:002014-03-30T14:59:55.505-07:00Pulling the Plug on Radio SweetheartAfter six years, I'll be pulling down my station on April 26th. Until then, I'll be posting new play lists. Thanks for listening!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/mmex2w_fDPU" width="420"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-16059592097228269422014-03-28T10:06:00.001-07:002014-03-28T10:06:25.136-07:00Song of the day: "Nowhere To Go" by Tony MolinaThere's an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8YaaZZN9VYs" target="_blank">old Seinfeld bit</a> where George decides to leave a meeting on a high note rather than wear out his welcome (http://youtu.be/8YaaZZN9VYs). Tony Molina seems to have taken George's lesson to heart. His new album, "Dissed and Dismissed," features 12 songs but is only 12 minutes long. It may seem like a gimmick, but it works--you're always left wanting more. Here is the opening track, which clocks in at an epic 48 seconds.<br />
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<iframe frameborder="no" height="450" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/131854490&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&visual=true" width="100%"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-50567205164423996882014-03-17T15:01:00.003-07:002014-03-17T15:01:59.326-07:00Song of the day: "Snowman" by XTC"A song about a frosty love affair," explains XTC's Andy Partridge. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/cOXJTqCNWbE" width="420"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-85101407284475676262014-02-27T09:50:00.002-08:002014-02-27T09:50:18.910-08:00Song of the day: "Quinzhee" by The Voluntary Butler SchemeI have a weakness for singer-songwriters who record cute, engaging pop ditties. Here is an excellent example. Makes me think of early Jens Lekman. (Don't know who Jens Lekman is? If that's the case you should really just buy <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/album/oh-youre-so-silent-jens-mw0000349047" target="_blank">Oh You're So Silent Jens</a> right this instant.)<br />
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<br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-15741000368322089702014-02-22T09:23:00.004-08:002014-02-22T09:23:24.395-08:00Song of the day: "Up On High" by Daniel RossenI hate it when critics write that such-and-such a musician sounds "like Nick Drake." There was only one Nick Drake and we'll never see his like again. And yet, this track from Grizzly Bear's Daniel Rossen puts me in a "Five Leaves Left" state of mind. Rossen's style is more assertive, but I wasn't surprised to hear that as a young man, he had what he calls "an angsty obsession with Nick Drake."<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/L9ExU3WAi0Y" width="420"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-84427716328234726792014-02-11T09:49:00.003-08:002014-02-11T09:49:40.542-08:00Song of the day: "Shelter Song" by TemplesAll of the cheesy kaleidoscope effects seem a bit superfluous here, as the music places this contemporary band firmly in 1967. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vs4i41cOv0s" width="560"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-39916358002918264552014-02-10T09:49:00.000-08:002014-02-10T09:49:05.974-08:00Song of the day: "Hotel Valentine" by Cibo Matto <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Fifteen years since Stereo Type A, I'd pretty much given up hope in ever hearing a new Cibo Matto album. It appears that this eccentric duo is still full of surprises. Check out the hypnotic title track, and the rest of the album as well, <a href="http://www.npr.org/2014/02/02/267029140/first-listen-cibo-matto-hotel-valentine" target="_blank">on NPR</a>.Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-86087958351261566092014-02-05T09:38:00.002-08:002014-02-05T09:38:46.564-08:00Song of the day: "I Know It's Over" by The Smiths According to a <a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/02/05/study_listening_to_morrissey_can_brighten_your_mood_partner/" target="_blank">new study</a>, listening to sad music can actually lift you out of a funk as long as you can focus on experiencing the work’s inherent beauty. I'm in a perfectly fine mood today, but the next time I'm down, I'll try this theory out with one of the saddest songs I know...<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bAJ_74tDZzU" width="560"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-42766150199205533132014-01-31T09:56:00.001-08:002014-01-31T09:56:55.943-08:00Song of the day: "Drowning" by Tara Jane O'Neil For some of the less-heralded artists I listen to, I tell myself, "If only more people knew about her, she'd be huge." I have no such illusions where Tara Jane O'Neil is concerned. While she has been an important part of the indie scene since the early '90s, her moody, introspective style isn't the kind of thing to set Grammy judges (or even Stereogum readers) hearts aflutter, and so much the better. Still, if Cat Power can manage a substantial following, there's no reason why TJO couldn't as well.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/dE1l2w3cMN8" width="420"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-48438049059614624122014-01-28T09:52:00.001-08:002014-01-28T09:52:34.594-08:00Song of the day: "Going Out" by Hospitality A couple years back, this Brooklyn-based indie band did a <a href="http://www.avclub.com/video/hospitality-covers-steely-dan-70705" target="_blank">cover of Steely Dan's</a> "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" for AV Undercover. Now, Hospitality has a new album out and "Going Out" shares some of the Dan's appealing moodiness.<br />
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<br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-65919159204630342812014-01-21T15:55:00.000-08:002014-01-21T15:55:00.485-08:00Song of the day: "Unknown Brother" by The Black KeysFor its non-holiday-song use of sleigh bells starting at 2:32.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/qHBEpDj82a0" width="420"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-85722161897705951232014-01-15T10:19:00.000-08:002014-01-15T10:19:19.960-08:00Cover version of the week: "Till the End of the Day" by FuzzI don't know that there has ever been a band with a more appropriately onomatopoeic name that Fuzz. Here is their noisy, fuzzy take on a Kinks classic.<br />
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<iframe seamless="" src="http://bandcamp.com/EmbeddedPlayer/album=589614936/size=large/bgcol=ffffff/linkcol=0687f5/tracklist=false/t=1/transparent=true/" style="border: 0; height: 470px; width: 350px;"><a href="http://famousclass.bandcamp.com/album/lamc-no-10">LAMC No. 10 by Fuzz / CCR Headcleaner</a></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-39236260659290313232014-01-14T10:08:00.003-08:002014-01-14T10:08:23.092-08:00Song of the day: "Talking Backwards" by Real Estate An inability to connect. It's well-trod pop music territory, but Real Estate's gentle, introspective take is delightful nonetheless. The New Jersey band's new album, Atlas, comes out in March. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MgsdblVq8wo" width="560"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-31902779012450491682014-01-08T09:54:00.002-08:002014-01-08T09:54:38.674-08:00Song of the day: "Planetary Motion" by Stephen Malkmus & The JicksMalkmus participated in the 2010 Pavement reunion (I still think a reunion is a decidedly non-Pavement thing to do), but this is his first album of new material with the Jicks in years, and it sounds like it was worth the wait.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gvl5MVIBQaA" width="560"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-75313921147338333532013-12-31T17:23:00.002-08:002013-12-31T17:23:56.304-08:00Song of the day: "Happy New Year" by Camera Obscura<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/O9NjNuM4omA" width="420"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-33191143441213081552013-12-30T09:51:00.002-08:002013-12-30T09:51:17.679-08:00Song of the day: "Honey" by Torres I've been having fun sorting through various blogs "best of 2013" lists. Here's one on <a href="http://www.aquariumdrunkard.com/2013/12/17/aquarium-drunkard-2013-year-in-review/" target="_blank">Aquarium Drunkard's year in review</a> that bowled me over. As AD puts it: "Mackenzie Scott’s first album as Torres is a remarkably assured debut for a 22 year-old songwriter. The Georgia native spent her college years in Nashville, but neither geographical locale would prepare you for the stark sound of the record – think PJ Harvey, not D.R. Parton."<br />
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<br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-11851164947714621872013-12-21T18:32:00.000-08:002013-12-21T18:32:13.615-08:00Favorite Albums of 2013Have you ever noticed how much all of the "best of the year" lists resemble one another? This year, any critic worth his or her salt picked either Kanye West's <i>Yeesus</i> or Vampire Weekend's <i>Modern Vampires in the City</i> as the #1 album of the year. (<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/feature/critics-pick-top-ten-albums-of-2013" target="_blank">Click here</a> if you don't believe me.) <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/feature/top-ten-lists-best-albums-of-2012" target="_blank">Last year</a>, Frank Ocean's <i>Planet Orange</i> was the only acceptable choice. <a href="http://www.metacritic.com/feature/music-critic-top-ten-lists-best-albums-of-2011" target="_blank">In 2011</a>, the taste makers were split between PJ Harvey and Adele. And, in 2010, it was...<a href="http://www.metacritic.com/feature/music-critic-top-ten-lists-best-of-2010" target="_blank">Kanye West</a> once more.<br />
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I'm not knocking these artists but it seems to me, given the incredible variety of music created each year, you might expect the year-end lists to be more varied as well.<br />
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And, with that, here is my top 10, featuring some fantastic--if less highly touted--albums from the past year.<br />
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<i>("Miki, I'm really happy for you. I'ma let you finish. But Kanye had one of the best albums of all time!") </i><br />
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It's in alphabetical order because I hate picking favorite favorites.<br />
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<b>Boogarins: As Plantas Que Curam</b><br />
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This Brazilian four-piece revisits Tropicalismo, the psychedelic pop played by the likes of Os Mutantes, Caetano Veloso, and Gal Costa back in the '60s. And, the sound is as invigorating now as it was four decades ago. <br />
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<b>Valerie June: Pushin' Against a Stone</b><br />
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June's debut covers a lot of bases, everything from girl group pop to twangy folk. Is she the second coming of Amy Winehouse? Or the next Dolly Parton? No. In embracing the old, she's found something new--something she calls "organic moonshine roots music." <br />
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<b>King Krule: 6 Feet Beneath the Moon</b><br />
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Archie Marshall is 19, looks about 12, and has weathered vocals that might convince you that he was 30 if you kept your eyes closed. But, whatever you do, keep your ears open. "Easy Easy" rough cut troubadour vibe makes me think of those first Billy Bragg EPs, at least until the last 30 seconds when he lets his jazz flag fly. <br />
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<b>Mikal Cronin: MCII</b><br />
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Do you believe in a love at first sight? How about at first listen? The first time Mikal Cronin's MCII, I was hooked. Big verses, bigger choruses, great harmonies and bridges, laid back production--this stuff was made for me. And, maybe you to.<br />
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<b>Juana Molina: Wed 21</b><br />
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Molina started out as a TV comedienne in Argentina before making a sharp right turn into the realm of experimental pop. She mixes the beautiful with the jarring as on "<a href="http://youtu.be/88_UDkPdVww" target="_blank">Lo decidi yo</a>," where her airy, melodic vocals compete against buzzing electronics. Beauty wins out in the end.<br />
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<b>of Montreal: Lousy With Sylvianbriar</b><br />
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Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes returns to '70s inflected guitar pop on <i>Lousy with Sylvianbriar</i>, after a couple of albums worth of oddball funk that left me a bit cold. Listen to "Belle Glade Missionaries," and see how he prances from Bowie to Bolan to Dylan without ever losing the plot.<br />
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<b>Parquet Courts: Light Up Gold</b><br />
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On Jan. 18th of the year, I posted: "2013's music scene gets off to a fantastic start by aping (or, perhaps,
offering tribute to) 1992's music scene. Short, sharp, irony-inflected
tunes that pack a punch. Is it too soon to start my best-of-the-year
list?"<b> </b>This very Pavementesque album still ranks in my Top Ten eleven months later.<br />
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<b>Saturday Looks Good To Me: One Kiss Ends It All</b><br />
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The term "twee" is often considered an insult, but Saturday Looks Good To Me is twee in the best sense of the word. Yes they're cute-verging-on-adorable, but not saccharine. Think of them as Stephin Merritt's less arch younger sister.<br />
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<b>Sonny and the Sunsets: Antenna To The Afterworld</b><br />
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The '60s are still alive and well in Sonny Smith's garage. Drive on in.<br />
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<b>Yo La Tengo: Fade</b><br />
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There is a reserved spot on all of my top ten lists for Yo La Tengo, the beloved Hoboken trio, who've been making great consistently great music for 27 years now. Even by their high standards, <i>Fade</i> is a barnburner--the best album they've recorded since 1997's <i>I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One</i>.<br />
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Some other albums that almost made the list: Deerhunter's <i>Monomania</i>; Foxygen's <i>We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic</i>; The Men's <i>New Moon</i>; Speedy Ortiz's <i>Major Arcana</i>; Thee Oh Sees' <i>Floating Coffin</i>; and Ty Segall's <i>Sleeper</i>. <br />
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What made your list this year?<br />
<br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-42544799353250599972013-12-04T10:59:00.002-08:002013-12-04T10:59:49.027-08:00Song of the day: "Wet Salt" by PsappBritish duo Psapp have an enduring affection for children's instruments and cats. While this might suggest a terminal case of the cutes, somehow they make it work. <br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/KqoFOYk_7JI" width="420"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-75263517445431739742013-12-03T18:16:00.002-08:002013-12-03T18:16:14.136-08:00Song of the day: "We Come in the Sunshine" by The DirtbombsIs it just me or does the verse to this song sound just like the Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations?" The chorus is something else altogether--not a theremin to be heard. <a href="https://myspace.com/dirtbombs/music/song/we-come-in-the-sunshine-94064160-104659543" target="_blank">Listen here.</a> <br />
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<br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9043440586899917545.post-7222237309141645802013-11-20T10:03:00.001-08:002013-11-20T10:03:40.194-08:00Song of the day: "Mirrorless" by Magik MarkersLou Reed's recent passing brought with it not just a reminder of how great the Velvet Underground was but also recollection of how much the Velvets' influence lives on. This track, off the new Magik Markers album, is a case in point. With its quiet and unprofessional (in the best sense of the word) groove, "Mirrorless" has the same quiet shambolic grace that made "<a href="http://youtu.be/--cSzOAx99w" target="_blank">Here She Comes Now</a>" so striking 45 years ago.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/pAaq2_PkypY" width="560"></iframe><br />Mikihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13209400918234980893noreply@blogger.com0