Song: The Nights of Wine and Roses
Album: Celebration Rock ***
An album of fantastic sun bleached rock anthems.Cannot believe they're not playing Osheaga. Long live.
Song: Hungry Like the Wolf
Album: POP ETC (Mixtape)***
POP ETC used to be the Morning Benders, a ... sort of... promising chamber pop trio whoe first record was produced by Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear (who also produced the excellent Twin Shadow debut, and his won, less fantastic solo debut). They changed their name and sound, and as a fan of iconoclasm in just about any form, I was looking forward to their promise of embracing straight up Boz-II-Men flavour. This advance mixtape was supposed to give you an idea of what to expect. Unfortunately both the mixtape and album are a minefield of gems amongst the ... mines. Cheesemines. Nasty. I say it's worth... mining... through the cheeseminefield. But that's me. I'm getting more into singles, and being bothered less about whether the rest of the record is a cheeseminefield. Check this mixtape and the new LP out. Between the two you have a short album's worth of catchy tracks comparable to Vampire Weekend's Discovery side-project. I'll give you track numbers if I have to.
Song: Still
Album: Kills (Mixtape)*****
I didn't get jj until I heard it in drunken haze in a hotel room in Montreal. Context is everything. I love this mixtape. Not everything about jj is about undermining hip hop ego with Balearic bliss, but my favorite stuff is - and this mixtape is all about it. For all I know, die hards might claim that I still don't get jj. (Bunsen?)
Song: I Wanted You to Feel the Same
Album: Pet Grief *****
Such a great record. Need this on vinyl. Best The Radio Dept. record. Icey, frosty, chilly, lovely, melancholy, shoegazey. The best, best, best. If you don't get anything else out of this episode, play this front to back in your living room some night. Also a favorite of the Junior Boys, if that helps.
Song: The Noose of Jah City
Album: Self Titled EP ***
If you're going to be English, be English then. Could use an LP of this soon, please.
Song: A.D.H.D
Album: Section 80 ***
Cough syrup in the cup. Best of the based. I didn't like this when I first heard it. Now I do. Don't be like me. Like it now. Solid, Dre-affilliated modern hip hop record. Found in the Modern Hip Hop section of your local modern music outlet or retailer. Looking forward to the next one. Appreciating everything coming from the Black Hippy collective.
Song: It All Feels the Same
Album: Young & Old
I stand by Tennis as an aesthetic, and as the creators of the Marathon EP. It's hard to go wrong with this sped-up record vocal and broke-ass guitar sound. Unfortunately they do... but otherwise some undeniably essential sailing music for the ironic yachting crowd.
Song: Replicate
Album: Pre Language
I said it in season two, and will again: this would be a very fun band to be in. Consistant and well executed post-punk-muscle-guitar-'n'-bile.
Song: L.O.V.E.
Album: Deep in the Night EP
This EP seems to pick up right after Onra's previously Snobcasted Long Distance LP, and completely forgets about that completely forgettable Viet-beats sequel.More LPs, please!
Song: Surgeon
Album: Strange Mercy
I didn't like this at first either. Now: in THIS case - I was repping St. Vincent on her FIRST album. All that matters is that I finished my breakfast eventually, and I'm now repping her third. Best thing that happened this year at Coachella was any instance of her touch a guitar... and most of the instances of her in the mosh pit.... I change channels for like 2 minutes!
Song: Harlequin
Album Self Titled
One member of The Books (Nick Zammuto) is giving us more of his song writing and lyricism, less of the tape editing, and the same amount of twerky found-sound beats, and mind melting cleverness. I don't want to say this, because I like the Books a whole lot, but... I liked this record a whole lot too.
Song: High Summer
Album: High Summer EP
More of what I think is so great about jj. Essential track. Seriously - if you're listening to this in any sort of summer, then you know what I mean. Gonna be fucking some segregation till September at least.
