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Silversun Pickups dropped their second great album in a row this year [edit: That is to say, this is the second great album for the band, not in '09 itself]. They’re a compelling live act, and even Brian Aubert on his own with an acoustic guitar is a pleasure to watch and listen to. I [...]

This little gem of an album is short (under 25 minutes), but it’s got some of the best loop-based tracks I’ve heard this year. That said, I don’t know how much of it is truly looped, since the band members are competent musicians, clearly steeped in the jazz tradition, and plenty capable of playing out [...]

I acquired less music this year than in years previous by quite a lot. I spent considerable time listening to stuff I’d stockpiled but never played in an attempt to weed out bands and albums I’d had a passing interest in hearing due to somebody’s recommendation or critical acclaim, but that I didn’t like well [...]

I’m a bit late to the game with this, but Two Weeks is a great song off a terrific album. And this cute animated video is a nice companion to the wistful nature of the music. I don’t even take points off for its being used in an ad.

Best Madonna cover ever:

2009 Borderline from George Salisbury on Vimeo.

Well, they have the word “Lion” in the title, anyway.
Bishop Allen – The Lion & the Teacup

Animal Collective – Lion in a Coma

Sam Roberts – Lions of the Kalahari

Sam Roberts was back on NPR this morning, talking about his new record. Yay, Canadians!

Yeah, twice in three days I made it over to The Troubadour. The previous post gushed plenty about Roberts’s amazing stage presence, but the photos I took are pretty and they need to go up. For a tiny club, the lighting was beautiful.
The band started off the set with Love at the End of the [...]

And ZOMG was he good. No time to post a full review, but I’ll get back to it. He’s like a Canadian Bruce Springsteen on stage, working the audience with confidence and the easygoing manner that comes with an endless touring schedule. He kept us all enthralled and moving throughout the set and drenched the [...]

Monday night! The sound at The Troubadour is terrible, but it’s such an intimate venue, I’ll put up with it to see a band I really like. There aren’t any bad spots unless you’re short. Even standing at the back wall, you’re only yards from the stage. I rather like the stage left side.

They ran [...]