My Up and Coming Music List. Updated 3/30/11
>> Wednesday, March 30, 2011
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Eisley - "The Valley" ----- Not loving it. Some songs are just too radio friendly versions of Paramore. And, I am not a fan of Paramore.
Florence + The Machine - "Lungs: The B-Sides" ----- Just picked it up. Have not given it a spin. Will update later. Excited to hear it.
Grouplove - "Grouplove" ----- My favorite "EP" (Not identified as an "ep" but with only 6 tracks, it is not a full length) of the year. Every track is keeper. This record makes me want summer to be here now. Listen and you will understand.
Hercules & Love Affair - "Blue Songs" ----- Not memorable, but not forgettable. Some great tracks. Some awful ones.
J Mascis - "Several Shades of Why" ----- I have started to describe this Dinosaur JR frontman's solo release as a beautiful hybrid of Tallest Man On Earth and Solo Eddie Vedder. I hate making such bold comparisons, but it suits.
The Joy Formidable - "The Big Roar" ----- This is the kind of band that can only be played loud. Right now, one of my favorites, but I can see how it could become grating.
The Mountain Goats - "All Eternals Deck" ----- Just picked it up. Have not given it a spin. Will update later. Excited to hear it. Hoping to be converted into a fan.
Noah & The Whale - "Last Night On Earth" ----- Ditto, word for word, my review of The Mountain Goats.
The Oh Wells - "The EP that We Love" ----- This little Canadian band has made me realize that I cannot just blanketly decide to shun all things from a country. Great EP. Cannot wait to see what they can do with a full length.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "Belong" ----- Just purchased, but after two spins, I am in love.
Inspired by Stevie's Up And Coming Book List, I am going to start the same thing with my music purchased for the year. I found this to be really useful in 2010, that I am starting even earlier for 2011.
My favorite blog to write is my year end music review. And it be honest, I start it in January of each year. I start collecting music as soon as possible, and use a smart playlist to amass them all in one place for easy listening and examining.
Below you will see a quick list of the albums I have picked up so far this year. I will try to update them every month or so. If I have an opinion of the record, will post a quick note, but keep in mind, I may change mine.
For now, just alphabetical order, until I collect enough and start forming concrete opinions, rather then the snap judgments I currently possess. (Italics = albums that were included in previous update)
Adele - "21" ----- So far, easily one of my favorites. I am not sure how long it will stick with me. It is so emotionally ripe, that it wears me out to listen too it. For now, that is a great ride, but it might get tiresome.
Angus & Julia Stone - "Down The Way" ----- Yes, this was released in 2010. But I consider the last quarter of last year, a part of this one. It is too hard to fall in love with a record in 3 months, let alone, digest it enough to know if its crap or not. But, so far, this one is NOT crap. It is mellow and breezy and wonderful.
BOAT - "Dress Like Your Idols" ----- One of my favorite NW bands, and former inhabitant of my best records of 2009 list, does it again. Raucous rock and roll. Good times record.
Bow Ribbons - "Bow Ribbons" ----- If in the right mood, this record can be perfect. Super melancholy, moody, Janis sounding, folk rocking, creative record. Again, only fits one mood, but that mood needs a soundtrack.
The Boxer Rebellion - "The Cold Still" ----- I have only had this for a few days, but so far, I am becoming a fan.
The Cave Singers - "No Witch" ----- I was so excited for this record release, a northwest band that I expect to do major things. I have not given it the listen it deserves yet (blame Adele), but form what I have heard, it is a stout record.
The Civil Wars - "Barton Hollow" ----- I love this band. This record, their first full length, is exactly as it should be. Is it for everyone? No, probably not. But, for a folk/blues/singersongwriter hound like me, it is wonderful.
Cold War Kids - "Mine Is Yours" ----- Easily the most disappointing record of the year. Still does not come within an iota of this bands debut. They lost their way. They went from sounding distinctly like COLD WAR KIDS, to trying to sound like a radio friendly, borderline KINGS OF LEON tribute band. I have nothing against the Kings, but they could not hold a candle to Kids "Robbers & Cowards."
The Dodos - "No Color" ----- This is the record I have been waiting for from the band. As I wrote on my recent Song Of The Day, "The band learned from their mistakes, simplified, honed into what made them stand out in the first place, and embraced it. So many bands think they need to evolve so much that they force it and fall short of themselves, most never recover from this mistake, but not the dodos."
Eisley - "The Valley" ----- Not loving it. Some songs are just too radio friendly versions of Paramore. And, I am not a fan of Paramore.
Florence + The Machine - "Lungs: The B-Sides" ----- Just picked it up. Have not given it a spin. Will update later. Excited to hear it.
Grouplove - "Grouplove" ----- My favorite "EP" (Not identified as an "ep" but with only 6 tracks, it is not a full length) of the year. Every track is keeper. This record makes me want summer to be here now. Listen and you will understand.
Hercules & Love Affair - "Blue Songs" ----- Not memorable, but not forgettable. Some great tracks. Some awful ones.
J Mascis - "Several Shades of Why" ----- I have started to describe this Dinosaur JR frontman's solo release as a beautiful hybrid of Tallest Man On Earth and Solo Eddie Vedder. I hate making such bold comparisons, but it suits.
Jessica Lea Mayfield - "Tell Me" ----- I didn't know apathetic could be sexy. But someone. Jessica Lea Mayfield makes it happen. Her voice has an "I have feelings, but I don't give a shit" vibe to it that is impossible to describe until you hear it. Now, does that voice make this a good record? I think it might.
The Joy Formidable - "The Big Roar" ----- This is the kind of band that can only be played loud. Right now, one of my favorites, but I can see how it could become grating.
Lulu & The Lampshades - "Cold Water EP" ----- Quirky and great. I wish there were more.
Lykee Li - "Wounded Rhymes" ----- Best of the year so far.
The Mountain Goats - "All Eternals Deck" ----- Just picked it up. Have not given it a spin. Will update later. Excited to hear it. Hoping to be converted into a fan.
Noah & The Whale - "Last Night On Earth" ----- Ditto, word for word, my review of The Mountain Goats.
The Oh Wells - "The EP that We Love" ----- This little Canadian band has made me realize that I cannot just blanketly decide to shun all things from a country. Great EP. Cannot wait to see what they can do with a full length.
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - "Belong" ----- Just purchased, but after two spins, I am in love.
Rural Alberta Advantage - "Departing" ----- This record makes me mad. Like I REALLY want to like it, but something is off. It's like a different voice all together from their previous release that I fell in love with. I am not saying it's out of the running, if I let go of my expectations, I may find a very nice record.
Seryn - "This Is Where We Are" ----- The Head and the Heart told me to buy this record. And since they are one of my favorite bands, I figured their advice in music could not be far off, so I picked it up. And, lucky for me, they were very very right. One of those bands that you take mental note of, so you can come back and enjoy more later.
Talib Kweli - "Gutter Rainbows" ----- Couple great tracks on a mediocre album.
We F.A.M. - "Reality Check" ------ NW Hip-Hop group that at times is spectacular, and at times has too many cooks in the kitchen. But unlike most hip-hop records the good far out ways the bad on this self produced album. Some tracks stand so far out, that I am sure the will pepper this website by years end.
Wye Oak - "Civilian" ----- One of my favorite records right now. I just sings to me. I am not going to get all over wordy for once. It's just super good.
Youth Rescue Mission - "Youth Rescue Mission" ---- This Seattle band, by way of Montana, has me all in a tizzy. This group of siblings make noises to die for. I keep trying to string together other artists to give you a good description/comparison of style/sound, but all combo's fall short. Yes, you can hear a bit of The Head and the Heart, a dollop of Blind Pilot, a tad of Hey Marseilles, and a smidge of Choir of Young Believers, but in only the littlest of amounts. They are distinctly their own. And I am loving it.
Seryn - "This Is Where We Are" ----- The Head and the Heart told me to buy this record. And since they are one of my favorite bands, I figured their advice in music could not be far off, so I picked it up. And, lucky for me, they were very very right. One of those bands that you take mental note of, so you can come back and enjoy more later.
Talib Kweli - "Gutter Rainbows" ----- Couple great tracks on a mediocre album.
We F.A.M. - "Reality Check" ------ NW Hip-Hop group that at times is spectacular, and at times has too many cooks in the kitchen. But unlike most hip-hop records the good far out ways the bad on this self produced album. Some tracks stand so far out, that I am sure the will pepper this website by years end.
Wye Oak - "Civilian" ----- One of my favorite records right now. I just sings to me. I am not going to get all over wordy for once. It's just super good.
Youth Rescue Mission - "Youth Rescue Mission" ---- This Seattle band, by way of Montana, has me all in a tizzy. This group of siblings make noises to die for. I keep trying to string together other artists to give you a good description/comparison of style/sound, but all combo's fall short. Yes, you can hear a bit of The Head and the Heart, a dollop of Blind Pilot, a tad of Hey Marseilles, and a smidge of Choir of Young Believers, but in only the littlest of amounts. They are distinctly their own. And I am loving it.
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