Sorry, I’ve been a terrible blogger. I will remedy that with a post that will include music you should buy and will blow your mind….
At the time, I considered 2007 to be the best year for music in my lifetime. Maybe it was or maybe it wasn’t. It was the year indie rock exploded but also the year I got burned out with music. However, 2008 proved to reinstate my faith in music. From M83 to Deerhunter to Vampire Weekend, my musical tastes were expanded and stretched to different genres and a more experimental sound. Some music I rediscovered (such as Portishead), others I appreciated their artistic direction (DJ/Rupture) and some I can just rock out to (Cut Copy). To make a long story short, this is what I’ve been listening to in ’09 which I have high hopes of topping ’07 and ’08 as the greatest year in music since ’69.
Top Five Albums of ’09 (so far):
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion 2009
1.Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion:
This could be the best album since Kid A, I kid you not. The old Animal Collective = chaos. The new Animal Collective = controlled chaos that will rock your face off. This album is one that will only get better with age. Merriweather Post Pavilion will more than likely be part of my collection for years to come, as it should be in yours.
Dark Was The Night 2009
2. Dark Was the Night:
My favorite bands all on one album and with new music that doesn’t suck. It thrills me to no end that many of these artists might be coming out with new material in ’09. I am especially looking forward to Sufjan’s no.3 of 50 albums about the United States.
Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light -2009
3. Antony and the Johnsons – The Crying Light:
Let me first say, I’m a huge fan of Hercules and Love affair and I love what Antony Hegarty brought to the table to the latest Hercules album in ’08. Now fast forward to 2009 to the other end of the spectrum for Antony… When I first saw this album cover and before I even heard the album, I envisioned what I thought this album sounded like. I was dead on the mark. If God made a human with the persona of Boy George, the writing ability of Rufus Wainwright (albeit a depressed Rufus), the artistic vision of David Bowie and a voice like no other, it might turn out to be someone with a severe gender identity issue or it might Antony.
Dan Deacon - Bromst - 2009
4. Dan Deacon – Bromst:
Would it be wrong of me to put this in the same genre as Animal Collective? Well I’m doing it but there is definitely something that this album offers that Animal Collective doesn’t. Not to say it is a better album by any means. Just about any mood I’m in, I could easily put this album and it instantaneously transforms me to a different world. I’d imagine this is what an LSD trip is like. Each song has a rich architecture that is unparalleled in the music industry today.
Bat For Lashes - Two Suns - 2009
5. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns:
When I heard Bat For Lashes was coming out with a new album, all I could think was, "Don’t let me down". Quite honestly, I expected a rehash of their first album. I did not expect this. I was pleasantly surprised to find elements of their previous sound but taken to new heights. Following up Fur and Gold is no easy task. They made a great first album and I should have realized that they certainly could do it again.
We’ll see what the future holds for 2009 and hope that the rest of the year produces as good of music as the past four months has.
I stumbled on this video somewhere on the interweb. We’ve all heard about Kanye and Robert Smith dissing radiohead (people I actually respect) but Miley Cyrus?!?!? Apparently, Miley claims that Radiohead is one of her favorite bands and they are “the reason I love music” and the only band she’d “cry over”. I really find it hard to believe she even knew who Radiohead was before two months ago. Of course most people in the music industry respect Radiohead because they create music that most would never dare create. It was only time before Miley would jump on the band wagon as she tries to garner more respect beyond her Disney career. It was also only a matter of time until Cyrus jumped on the dissing Radiohead club as well. I can hear it now, “Kanye and whoever Robert Smith is, are totally cool right?”
Miley had asked her people to arrange a meeting with Radiohead during the Grammys and according to Greenplastic.com, Radiohead’s people told Cyrus, “we don’t really do that”. I couldn’t have said it better myself. However, this didn’t sit well with Cyrus and her self absorbed teenybop Disneymania crew. She proceeded to say, “stinkin Radiohead, I will ruin them”.
How about a meeting with the Jonas Bros. instead?
For a little bonus, listen to the whole interview here:
Last Drop Coffee Shop 13th and Pine Street Philadelphia
I love this month’s art work at Last Drop Coffee. Yes, Last Drop can be sometimes pretentious, but you won’t find a place in Philly where you’ll meet a wide array of writers, musicians, and emerging artist like you will at Last Drop. Recently, Last Drop has been showcasing Barack Obama Paintings from Jayson Scott Musson. The art portrays Barack Obama from a child-like perspective and as a messianic character in various states. The works have stirred some controversy from Obama supporters and the black community in Philadelphia. I myself have high aspirations for the Obama presidency. There are plenty of good attributes about him and I believe in the long run, he may turn out to be a good president. However, I also believe it is dangerous to put him in a place where he should not be and expect him to fix things that cannot be fixed. I laughed at the irony of these paintings because it is true that Obama has some good ideas, but the savior of the world he is more than likely not. Here is a small sampling of some of Musson’s work:
The best part is that Cramer, known for his over-the-top and bullish personality, looks more like a timid school boy taking a beating from Principal Stewart. I don’t know if we can put all the blame of the Bear Stearns fallout on Cramer, but it makes for good entertainment none the less and exposes some of the backroom dealings and corruption of our current financial system. Maybe Stewart should hold a similar interview with Bush and Greenspan on why they kept interest rates so low which ultimately led to consumers and business making riskier decisions than they normally would – hence leading to financial melt down. But whatevs!
Whatever happened to the good old days of moms just getting on facebook and striking up an old high school fling while daddy’s at work? I hear rumors of adding shooting scopes. That’ll teach them.
