BG's Top Ten Albums of 2004 - Number Six
TV on the Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
These days, with every other band trying to do there best Wire/Gang of Four impersonation, it's always refreshing to encounter someone doing something different, or at the very least cribbing from a different cheat sheet. TV on the Radio is such a group, serving up their post-punk with a side order of doo-wop, among other things. Lead vocalist Tunde Adibumpe continues his one man mission to remind the indie rock world that a strong voice is nothing to be ashamed of. His urgent, bluesy vocals are the pillar the dense instrumentation is built around. And throughout the album, especially with songs like "The Wrong Way" and "Dreams", the band shows that their lyrics can stand toe to toe with the soundscapes they’ve created. Some critics have said that this album isn’t as focused as their debut release, Young Liars, and while this is true to a certain extent, whatever lack of focus there may be can be attributed to the fact that this is a full length and Young Liars was an EP. Either way, TV on the Radio has delivered a fantastic record full of interesting ideas and great songs.
Friday, December 10, 2004
BG's Top Ten Albums of 2004 - Number Seven
Jason Forrest - The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash
The easiest way I've found to describe this album to others is to drop an analogy on `em, SAT style. It goes like this: Jason Forrest IS TO cock rock & disco AS Prefuse 73 IS TO hip hop. A little simplistic, to be sure, but it gets the point across. And so does Mr. Forrest, who operates on the premise of taking the best part of your favorite songs and cramming them into one unbeatable creation. He wastes no time bringing in the disco hooks and guitar solos, giving them their moment in the sun and then moving on to something else, leaving the listener wanting more of what they just heard but interested in the new shiny object being waved in front of them. "A Spectacle to Refute All Judgments", with it's amazing use of samples from Jefferson Starship's "Jane", opens the album and sets the pace: frantic. Forrest only lets up every now and then, like with the "Benny and the Jets" infused track "Big Obnoxious Sound Club", to give you just enough time to catch your breath before pushing you into something just else just as intense, like the closing track "10 Amazing Years", where Forrest’s use of The Who’s "Who Are you" should almost make you forget any lame CSI associations you may have previously had with the song. This album is loud, ADD, noisy, brash, hectic and totally amazing. It’s sure to knock your socks on you ass.
Jason Forrest - The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post Disco Crash
The easiest way I've found to describe this album to others is to drop an analogy on `em, SAT style. It goes like this: Jason Forrest IS TO cock rock & disco AS Prefuse 73 IS TO hip hop. A little simplistic, to be sure, but it gets the point across. And so does Mr. Forrest, who operates on the premise of taking the best part of your favorite songs and cramming them into one unbeatable creation. He wastes no time bringing in the disco hooks and guitar solos, giving them their moment in the sun and then moving on to something else, leaving the listener wanting more of what they just heard but interested in the new shiny object being waved in front of them. "A Spectacle to Refute All Judgments", with it's amazing use of samples from Jefferson Starship's "Jane", opens the album and sets the pace: frantic. Forrest only lets up every now and then, like with the "Benny and the Jets" infused track "Big Obnoxious Sound Club", to give you just enough time to catch your breath before pushing you into something just else just as intense, like the closing track "10 Amazing Years", where Forrest’s use of The Who’s "Who Are you" should almost make you forget any lame CSI associations you may have previously had with the song. This album is loud, ADD, noisy, brash, hectic and totally amazing. It’s sure to knock your socks on you ass.
BG's Top Ten Albums of 2004 - Number Eight
Rouge Wave - Out of the Shadow
With the Shins too busy making appearances on the "Gilmore Girls" and contributing to the Spongebob Squarepants soundtrack, someone had to step up and fill the quality indie pop void they left. Luckily Rouge Wave answered the call. Out of the Shadow is a little gem, packed with catchy, beautiful melodies and subtle details that reward multiple listens. This is no easy feat. In spite of what most people might tell you, putting out quality indie pop takes some skill, walking that fine line between being teeth-rottingly twee or just flat out annoying (ie The Unicorns). Rouge Wave manage this through deceptively simple, yet highly effective, song writing. The gorgeous opener "Every Moment" lets you know that, though you may not be hearing anything revolutionary, what you will hear is quality tunes. And let me go ahead and save you the trouble of searching for the years best indie pop tune. You'll find it right here with the folksy "Be Kind + Rewind" Though not as solid, Out of the Shadow is certainly the best indie pop debut to come along since Oh, Inverted World. And that should tell you all you need to know.
Rouge Wave - Out of the Shadow
With the Shins too busy making appearances on the "Gilmore Girls" and contributing to the Spongebob Squarepants soundtrack, someone had to step up and fill the quality indie pop void they left. Luckily Rouge Wave answered the call. Out of the Shadow is a little gem, packed with catchy, beautiful melodies and subtle details that reward multiple listens. This is no easy feat. In spite of what most people might tell you, putting out quality indie pop takes some skill, walking that fine line between being teeth-rottingly twee or just flat out annoying (ie The Unicorns). Rouge Wave manage this through deceptively simple, yet highly effective, song writing. The gorgeous opener "Every Moment" lets you know that, though you may not be hearing anything revolutionary, what you will hear is quality tunes. And let me go ahead and save you the trouble of searching for the years best indie pop tune. You'll find it right here with the folksy "Be Kind + Rewind" Though not as solid, Out of the Shadow is certainly the best indie pop debut to come along since Oh, Inverted World. And that should tell you all you need to know.
BG's Top Ten Albums of 2004 - Number Nine
The Walkmen – Bow + Arrows
Let’s get one thing straight: "The Rat" is the best song of the year (not my favorite, but the best). The Walkmen managed to fill this one song with more energy and intensity than some bands can put into an entire album. Because of this, it’s no wonder that a lot of people overlook just how good the rest of Bows + Arrows really is. These guys have put together one of the strongest, most confident indie rock records of the year. The jangly guitar work and carnival-like organs give many of the songs a grandiose feel, yet the band still sounds amazingly tight, if anything they’ve gotten tighter since they debut, Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone. But The Walkmen bring more to the table than just a mastery of their craft; something that is sorely lacking from the music world in general and the indie scene in particular: passion. This is easy to spot on tracks like "The Rat" and the almost-as-good "Little House of Savages", but even on the less forceful songs, like "The North Pole" or "New Year’s Eve", lead singer Hamilton Leithauser gives it everything he’s got without taking away from the rest of the band. Bows + Arrows doesn’t call a lot of attention to itself. It probably won’t stay in your CD player for months on end. But every time you do decide to give it a spin, you’ll be rewarded with a great album and probably ask yourself why you don’t listen to it more often.
The Walkmen – Bow + Arrows
Let’s get one thing straight: "The Rat" is the best song of the year (not my favorite, but the best). The Walkmen managed to fill this one song with more energy and intensity than some bands can put into an entire album. Because of this, it’s no wonder that a lot of people overlook just how good the rest of Bows + Arrows really is. These guys have put together one of the strongest, most confident indie rock records of the year. The jangly guitar work and carnival-like organs give many of the songs a grandiose feel, yet the band still sounds amazingly tight, if anything they’ve gotten tighter since they debut, Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me Is Gone. But The Walkmen bring more to the table than just a mastery of their craft; something that is sorely lacking from the music world in general and the indie scene in particular: passion. This is easy to spot on tracks like "The Rat" and the almost-as-good "Little House of Savages", but even on the less forceful songs, like "The North Pole" or "New Year’s Eve", lead singer Hamilton Leithauser gives it everything he’s got without taking away from the rest of the band. Bows + Arrows doesn’t call a lot of attention to itself. It probably won’t stay in your CD player for months on end. But every time you do decide to give it a spin, you’ll be rewarded with a great album and probably ask yourself why you don’t listen to it more often.
BG's Top Ten Albums of 2004 - Number Ten
Kanye West – The College Dropout
As hard as it may be to believe, this album came out officially in February, which means I’ve had a lot of time with it and it’s flaws. Make no mistake, this is a flawed album. It’s overloaded with skits, the juvenile antics of "The New Workout Plan" weren’t all that funny the first time I heard and have only gotten more annoying, many of the guest spots leave much to be desired and Kanye’s constant "you don’t need college" advice is somewhat irresponsible. However, in spite of all these problems, The College Dropout is one of the best hip hop debuts to come out in a long time. Though he’ll never make it onto a list of the top ten MCs of all time, West’s use of cleaver wordplay and humor help to smooth over whatever weakness there might be with his flow. It also goes without saying that his beats are in a class by themselves. But what really makes this album shine is the subject matter of his songs. Kanye talks about issues no one else is concerned with, like religion and self consciousness (not self hatred like Eminem). And even though it has been completely run into the ground thanks to commercial radio, the unrestrained joy of being alive found in "Through the Wire" is unlike anything I’ve ever heard in all my years of listening to hip hop. Chi-town’s finest has certainly raised the bar for any other producer looking to crossover to the other side of the boards.
Kanye West – The College Dropout
As hard as it may be to believe, this album came out officially in February, which means I’ve had a lot of time with it and it’s flaws. Make no mistake, this is a flawed album. It’s overloaded with skits, the juvenile antics of "The New Workout Plan" weren’t all that funny the first time I heard and have only gotten more annoying, many of the guest spots leave much to be desired and Kanye’s constant "you don’t need college" advice is somewhat irresponsible. However, in spite of all these problems, The College Dropout is one of the best hip hop debuts to come out in a long time. Though he’ll never make it onto a list of the top ten MCs of all time, West’s use of cleaver wordplay and humor help to smooth over whatever weakness there might be with his flow. It also goes without saying that his beats are in a class by themselves. But what really makes this album shine is the subject matter of his songs. Kanye talks about issues no one else is concerned with, like religion and self consciousness (not self hatred like Eminem). And even though it has been completely run into the ground thanks to commercial radio, the unrestrained joy of being alive found in "Through the Wire" is unlike anything I’ve ever heard in all my years of listening to hip hop. Chi-town’s finest has certainly raised the bar for any other producer looking to crossover to the other side of the boards.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)