marcusharwell.net » Music

Favorite Music of 2009, pt. 02: Silversun Pickups

Marcus — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 07:53:26 +0000

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 thought the opener was appropriate to New Year’s Eve.

Silversun Pickups – There’s No Secrets This Year

I don’t really need to say much about the band, I suppose, since they blew up all over the talk show circuit earlier in the year. The band knows how to work a groove, and Aubert’s lyrics are supple. The whole album works exceptionally well as a whole, a rarity these days. It flows, it’s dynamic, it’s thunderous and quiet. There’s not a bad track on it, but my favorite’s the closer.

Silversun Pickups – Surrounded (or Spiraling)

Happy New Year!

UPDATE 2010-01-01: I just noticed the .mp3s aren’t showing up in Google Reader, so I’m guessing that’s true of other RSS aggregators. Check my blog to hear the songs shown in bold, or better yet, buy the albums directly from the band. Most or all of them have their own stores.

Favorite Music of 2009, pt. 01: The Years – Mixtape

Marcus — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 05:52:04 +0000

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 the songs as if they were just cut up by somebody in Pro Tools.

The thing has soul. Makes me imagine what would happen if Sesame Street fell through a wormhole, was pulverized, then discovered by Cut Chemist in the 90s and reassembled.

The Years – Basura

It’s never boring, but works as background music, too. The Years aren’t big on endless repetition. They want to hit you with their tunes, make you nod your head for a bit, and before you know it, they’ve moved on to the next song.

The Years – I Are

The best part is that the album is available for free download. Go. Enjoy.

Favorite Music of 2009 (Prelude)

Marcus — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 07:47:52 +0000

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 enough to play a second time. There is, of course, far more to consume than there are hours in which to consume it, so choices must be made.

According to my last.fm profile, here are the top 10 most listened to artists of the past 12 months (podcasts not included):

10. Eagles of Death Metal
09. The Years
08. Animal Collective
07. Self
06. Said the Whale
05. Joel Plaskett
04. Mother Mother
03. Silversun Pickups
02. The Beatles
01. Parry Gripp

That list is a bit skewed by failing to account for what I listen to on mp3 CDs ensconced in my car’s CD changer, which I’ve been too lazy to change all year. Self should probably still be at the top, along with Wired All Wrong. Queens of the Stone Age don’t make the list and should, and Cut Copy should, as well. I have no direct input for the iPod or iPhone, and the auto adapter that plays over FM is barely acceptable quality, so I still fall back on those old(er) CDs when I want to hear really clean sound. Also, Parry Gripp’s songs are rarely over two minutes, often under one, and he released piles of them on his blog this year; 41 of which I’ve put in iTunes.

But all that aside, I discovered Mother Mother late in the year, and although they didn’t release an album in 2009, I haven’t been able to put it aside for long in the past month or two. Hence, an honorable mention goes to the band, particularly songwriter/frontman Ryan Guldemond, for crafting a terrific album before I start blogging the stuff I liked that came out this year.

Mother Mother – O My Heart

Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks

Marcus — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 05:55:14 +0000

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.

Flaming Lips, Stardeath, White Dwarfs do Borderline

Marcus — Sat, 23 May 2009 05:55:43 +0000

Best Madonna cover ever:

2009 Borderline from George Salisbury on Vimeo.

Three New Songs About Lions

Marcus — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 22:26:49 +0000

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 on Weekend Edition

Marcus — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 16:04:57 +0000

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

Sam Roberts Band

Marcus — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:28:13 +0000

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 World, and never let up until the end of the encore. I wish bands would stop doing automatic encores. Why not just tell the audience they’re going offstage for a tiny break, but they’ll be back in a minute to play one or two more? Let’s drop the charade. Or, as Bad Religion does, say good night and have the roadies run out and immediately break down the setup, letting everyone know it’s over.

Sam doffed his denim jacket after a few songs and played the rest of the night in a white t-shirt (Springsteen parallel again). How does a Canadian musician stay so tan?

And then Matt Mays came out to sit in on one song.

If these guys are playing anywhere near you, go see them. The music is fun, heartfelt, and just a general good time.

Sam Roberts at The Troubadour

Marcus — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 06:17:12 +0000

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 place with his boundless energy. It’s such a pleasure to go see musicians who love their songs and believe in their lyrics.

Bishop Allen at The Troubadour

Marcus — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 06:50:31 +0000

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 through a few new songs, several hits, which many in the crowd knew, and sang along to. Darbie Nowatka, part of the touring band, made her way up front to sing a couple, while Chris Rudder played the uke and Justin Rice manned the marimba.

Justin and Chris carried the set well, with enthusiasm and presence. A good trick, since the music can be so cute it can tend toward the twee. But I haven’t been to see another band whose output is so consistently fun since They Might Be Giants played Vroman’s in Pasadena. Good, fun show, even though I forgot my earplugs and had to used half a receipt I had in the car.