Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Top 30 Albums of 2009

I'll spare you the usual paragraph at the beginning of my posts and just say here are my 30 personal favorite albums of what I thought was one of the best years for music in a long, long time.

30. The xx - xx



This band of childhood friends came out of left field this year. The first time I heard a description of them, the term R&B was brought up so I just passed them off. A few months later, after Jonathan was obsessing over them, I decided to give them a shot. The first three songs are incredible and although their routine slightly tires after the halfway mark, it's still an amazing feat for a first album.

29. Volcano Choir - Unmap



I'm sure quite a few of you know who Justin Vernon is, or at least are aware of his band Bon Iver. This side-project teams up Vernon with the Wisconsin-based Math Rock band Collections Of Colonies Of Bees. Although loops and noises replace the acoustic guitars and simple drums of his previous work, there's still the sense of isolation and cabin fever.

28. Beirut - March Of The Zapotec/Realpeople Holland



Zach Condon released these two very different EP's as one album. March Of The Zapotec is influenced by a trip Condon took to Mexico, and fittingly consists of horns, accordions and crash cymbals. Realpeople Holland has layers of synth and pulsing drums and must have been influenced by a trip to outer space.

27. Castanets - Texas Rose, The Beasts And The Thaw



Castanets is Raymond Raposa. One of the pioneers of the freak folk movement. A mountain man (probably not) with a deep, unnerving voice and songs about snow, churches and countless other things. I love folk music but there reaches a point when it all starts to sound the same. Well, not here.

26. The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart



The first album from this New York City band was one of the many albums to come out in 2009 that sounded like it belonged to 1986. With heavy snare hits, poppy synths and vocals about teenagers falling in love, it sounds like I'm describing the soundtrack to Sixteen Candles. Get out your neon pink headbands.

25. Fever Ray - Fever Ray



Fever Ray is the solo project of The Knife's Karen Dreijer Andersson. Almost every song was released as a single, and that perfectly sums up how good it actually is. There's rarely a low point here. Using synths (not in the traditional sense) and dark, creepy vibes, she created a mysterious album that I don't recommend listening to alone at night.

24. Casiotone For The Painfully Alone - Vs. Children



Equipped with a rough, low voice and old school electronics, Owen Ashworth explores the concept of children. Bearing them, raising them, aborting them and leaving them and your wife home alone on Christmas while you make a living as a traveling salesman. With catchy, sometimes humorous lyrics one moment and heart-wrenching confessions the next.

23. Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light



Three girls who would look fitting behind a desk at a library, vintage synthesizers, film director David Lynch's favorite band, beautifully woven music with many textures of smooth synths and angelic voices. The best album so far from one of the better up and coming bands of late.

22. David Bazan - Curse Your Branches



The first full-length from David Bazan since he broke up his Pedro The Lion moniker. He's always been a religious man and has expressed that in his previous releases, well I don't know what happened but his opinions have changed. "Wait just a minute/You expect me to believe/That all this misbehaving/Grew from one enchanted tree?" Over the past few years Bazan battled alcoholism and after breaking free from that, he released one of his best albums to date and definitely his most controversial. Whether you agree with what he sings about or not, it's a man being honest with what he is going through and it's more intimate than most other musicians would dare to get.

21. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic



For a band who has been around for more than twenty five years, it's incredible that they can still release an album that feels different and fresh. They scrapped the over-production that plagued At War With The Mystics and approached a more simple technique to recording these songs. It almost feels as if you are standing with them in a worn basement as they run though these loud tracks. It's a perfect blend of the sonic psychedelia of their recent releases and the raw power of their early work. One of my favorite albums is The Soft Bulletin by The Flaming Lips and I came to the realization that they would never top it. No, they still haven't but they got pretty damn close.

20. Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Summer Of Fear



Miles Robinson released his first, self-titled album as a CD-R to distribute amongst friends and family. It was produced by Kyp Malone of TV on the Radio and Chris Taylor of Grizzly Bear and it must have gotten in the right hands at some point because it became pretty well known in the indie market. His second album Summer of Fear produced by Malone again, plays out as a screenplay, shuffling between scenes depicting hard times, broken hearts and skinned knees. The title describes the vibe of the album very well. It's not a happy one folks, but it's an amazing sophomore album nonetheless.

19. J. Tillman - Vacilando Territory Blues



Usually when members of bands release solo albums, they aren't very good. Especially if they're the drummer. Well J. Tillman, who provides drums for the amazing Fleet Foxes is the exception, and this is the first of two albums he released this year alone. Almost anyone can pick up an acoustic guitar, learn a few chords and sing a song. It takes more than that to create something worthwhile. This batch of songs, as simple as they are, contains whatever that is.

18. The Dodos - Time To Die



This duo blew my mind with their previous album Visiter and although Time To Die isn't as good, it's still a great album and if they keep releasing catchy folk songs with ridonkulous percussion and well written melodies like these, they'll stay ahead of the game.

17. Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms



There have been a lot of electronic albums this year and a lot of them have been beautifully produced with layers and layers of synths, new and interesting ideas, incredible loops etc. Well Alan Palomo turned that shit around and released a bunch of lo-fi songs using old synthesizers I'm sure no one would dare to even play. No, it's not groundbreaking or fresh and they aren't particularly amazing tracks but it's fun damn it and that's why it's so charming.

16. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!



Karen O has had a great year. With a guest appearance on The Flaming Lips Embryonic, the score for Where The Wild Things Are and this amazing third album from her band Yeah Yeah Yeahs. There was talk of a style change with It's Blitz! and that had me worried. It's Blitz! is more approachable than their previous releases and focuses more on perfectly produced electronics and layers than their raw vibes of Fever To Tell. Such significant changes aren't usually a good thing but even though they completely abandoned the sound they were known for, it actually worked and succeeded most people's expectations.

15. Memory Tapes - Seek Magic



The Neon Indian album was a lot of fun, but when I talked about albums with beautiful synth textures and layers, I had Seek Magic in mind. The production is amazing enough to send chills down your back. There are so many gorgeous parts and perfectly planned out chords and moments that make up this album. It's by far the best full blown electronic album of the year.

14. Foreign Born - Person To Person



Grizzly Bear front man Ed Droste raved about these guys a lot so I decided to give them a listen and was more than impressed. What could have been your average run of the mill rock album, turned out to be something much more due to brilliant song writing and great production. The standout track Vacationing People isn't very long but it feels like fifteen minutes because it's packed with great verses choruses and bridges, like most of the tracks on the album. Very few tracks fall short of amazing.

13. St. Vincent - Actor



I didn't think Annie Clark, a one woman band would appeal to me. After the second or third track I was completely hooked. The wide array of instruments and the delicate approach to recording them is what makes the album so unique and fresh. It's pop music at it's best.

12. Woods - Songs Of Shame



I guarantee most of you would probably hate Woods. It sounds as if it was recorded...well...in the woods, the singer has a high-pitched wailing voice, it's just not appealing for most ears I'm sure. I on the other hand, fell in love with the bareness of it. If you strip away good production and the safety net of normal vocals, you're left with just the music and the point is, it's incredible here. The melodies and minimalist song structures are what make this album. I'm sure if these same songs were recorded by a different (and more approachable) band, then everybody would love them. I'm glad they weren't though.

11. Real Estate - Real Estate



I don't know if it's because I first heard this album in the middle of a terrible winter storm or what but I already feel nostalgic about it. I can already tell that in a few years when I listen to it again, I'm going to get a certain feeling. I can't put my finger on what that feeling is but it'll be there. Like Woods, this album was produced on a very low budget and it's the songwriting that really stands out. It's a batch of great songs and that's simply all you need sometimes.

10. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix



I'll keep it simple. A perfect blend of rock, pop and electronic music. It's the catchiest album of the year and if you don't believe me just watch the Cadillac SRX car commercial.

9. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion



This is pretty much every one's favorite album of the year. If you look at any music magazine or blogs year end list I'm positive this is at the top. It's an incredible album and definitely their most accessible. It would have broken the top five for me if they had replaced a few songs which I just couldn't get into. There are more than a handful of amazing songs though and if you're looking for a band that creates their own genre and is unlike anything else you've heard, I suggest you check them out if you haven't already.

8. Antlers - Hospice



Concept albums are hard to get right. The Decemberists tried it earlier this year with Hazards Of Love and failed (sorry Jonathan and Michael), it's hard to keep the listener interested in the same idea or story for forty plus minutes. I don't know, maybe I have a short attention span. Well Antlers have not only succeeded in creating one of the best concept albums, but one of the most heartbreaking albums I have had the privilege to hear. The story is simple. A man who works at the hospice wing of a hospital falls in love with a beautiful patient who has cancer. He's cursed to watch her die in front him. Add beautiful music produced with a unique approach and you have Hospice. I'll be back later, I'm going to adapt this into a film (can you say Academy Awards?)

7. Atlas Sound - Logos



I reviewed this album in depth below so I won't dive too deep into it again. There's usually an isolated lo-fi feel to Bradford Cox's music which is fitting considering he records it mostly in his bedroom on a laptop. Logos, his sophomore album features a few guest musicians yet still maintains that vibe. The songs range from hauntingly creepy to exciting. Sometimes at the same time.

6. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer



Spencer Krug has well over five bands at the moment. He's an entrepreneur. I'm sure that will be his next bands name. Sunset Rubdown holds a candle close to Krugs original band Wolf Parade. For having only eight songs, this album is epic. It's called Dragonslayer for fucks sake. And do you want to know the fun of it? I'm not sure if he means Dragon Slayer or Dragons Layer. Pretty deep hmm?

5. Cass McCombs - Catacombs



Gotta love wordplay right? McCombs is clever with writing his lyrics, composition and naming his albums. Catacombs is a very American album. It's folk, classic rock, piano ballads, everything. Cass McCombs is who Ryan Adams wishes he could be. I think Pitchfork said that. It doesn't matter. It's a great album. Listen to it.

4. Bowerbirds - Upper Air



Upper Air is getting panned by critics and I can't even begin to understand why. Maybe because they all live in cities and can't comprehend the connection Bowerbirds make to nature. They sing songs about the woods, birds and trees yet they don't push it in our faces. They aren't tree hugging hippies that blame other people. They just acknowledge the fact nature exists and that it's a beautiful thing. Perfect harmonies, folky guitars, old pianos and minimal drums make up the majority of these songs from one of the purest bands out there today.

3. Papercuts - You Can Have What You Want



Every song on You Can Have What You Want is nostalgic in both lyrics and instrumentation. The guitars are vintage, the organs are fuzzy and dreamlike and the lyrics are mostly about the past and regret. It sounds like the 60's music I remember my dad listening to when I was a kid yet it sounds brand new. It's another album that wasn't well received and that's fine with me because it's more personal that way.

2. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca



Dirty Projectors are weird. Think Talking Heads on peyote. Band leader Dave Longstreth, a Yale dropout, creates very unique music I'll describe as Abstract African Psychedelic Pop Folk Rock. It's not for everyone, hell I didn't love it at first but it grew on me. A lot. This isn't just your normal guitar chords and 4/4 drum beats. There's parts in Bitte Orca I didn't think were possible live. I thought they were studio tricks but then I watched some live videos and it's for real. I'm sure the band has to practice at least four hours every day to accomplish whatever it is that's going through Longstreth's crazy mind. The man is a musical genius, even if it's not apparent to everyone just yet.

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest



I love Grizzly Bear. I praise them a lot and I'm sure it's starting to get on every ones nerves. I was actually hoping for there to be a better album than Veckatimest so it didn't look like they're all I care about. Unfortunately that prayer wasn't answered. Too bad! The song About Face is my least favorite track and it's better than most songs released this year. I've been following them for a few years now and have had the chance to see them live and they are simply just a group of nice, modest, talented guys. I've already expressed my love for them thousands of times before and if you haven't listened to me and checked them out yet, you probably won't so I'm not going to waste our time anymore. Veckatimest is my favorite album of 2009 and luckily for you guys, they probably won't be releasing anything in 2010 so I'll put them back on the shelf for a year.

Thanks a lot for listening. It was a fantastic year for music. I'm already twenty plus albums deep in 2010 and it's shaping up to be just as good if not better. Some friends were kind enough to write up their favorite albums of the year as well and they are posted below.

Thanks again!

Jonathan Ioviero:

10. Volcano Choir - Unmap
9. Passion Pit - Manners
8. The xx - xx
7. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
6. Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light
5. Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
4. Antlers - Hospice
3. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
2. Mew - No More Stories...
1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Kyra Clark:

5. Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King
4. Regina Spektor - Far
3. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
2. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
1. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Tyler Fox:

5. Converge - Axe to Fall

This album was one of the best hardcore/metal albums I have heard in a long fucking time. I always thought Converge was a typical noise hardcore band, but this proved that they are extremely talented. Some songs are fairly simple, but the guitarist has taken on more responsibilities for singing, adding another dimension to their sounds.

4. Hammer No More The Fingers - Looking for Bruce

I heard this CD when it came through the radio station last semester and I reviewed it. For my first spin, I didn't think this album was fantastic. But boy, I was wrong. They take indie/alt in the vain of The Casket Lottery and Jawbox, but apply a 90's alternative spin to it (Mushrooms). Songs like "Radiation" and "Fall Down, Play Dead" are musically moving and extremely fun.

3. Small Brown Bike - Composite, Vol. 1

This one is a no brainer for me. Small Brown Bike is in my top 5 for favorite bands of all time, and they got back together in early October and by the end of October, they had already written, recorded and released a 2 song 7" on No Idea records. I think that is all I really need to say. Classic Small Brown Bike.

2. Two Tongues - Two Tongues

Another CD I got and reviewed for the station. The lead singer of Say Anything and lead singer of Saves The Day, this is an emo kids dream! But for real, it wasn't an emo album for the most part (musically that is). Really cool, straight forward rock with the beautiful dual vocals battling. I was really happy to see that Max Bemis of Say Anything hasn't completely lost his musical talent.

1. Cursive - Mama, I'm Swollen

This may seem like another bias pick because they are another favorite, but this was a fantastic album. Their last album, "Happy Hollow" SUCKED! So to see this CD was actually good gave it that many more brownie points. But this was proof of how the band matured but was still able to have fun with writing and recording. I was lucky enough to sit down with Tim Kasher this summer and he explained that writing and recording has become second nature to them, so this album they decided to take a little bit longer in order to make it perfect. And I think it's pretty damn close.

Adam Wakefield:

In no particular order.

Propagandhi – Supporting Caste
Flaming Lips – Embryonic
John Frusciante – The Empyrean
Silversun Pickups – Swoon
Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – Outer South
Coworkers – S/T Demo (www.myspace.com/coworkersrights)
Sonorous Gale – Two’s a Crowd (www.myspace.com/sonorousgale)
The Mars Volta – Octahedron
Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – S/T

Pete Zamniak:

Wilco - Wilco (The Album) and Flaming Lips - Embryonic. Bam!

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Top 20 Songs of 2009

I love lists and ranking things. I don't know why, I just do. I understand my opinions are different than everyone else's but I love doing it anyways. So here are my personal top 20 favorite songs that were released this year. I thought it was a fantastic year for independent music and the sub-genres it consists of. You'll find everything from haunting piano music to epic 13-minute long synth jams here. I only put one song per band on here, although a lot of bands had more than a few amazing tracks, I just put what I thought was their best. The list is followed by a playlist with all of the songs on it. Enjoy!

20. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - A Teenager In Love

This song would fit in the films of the late, great John Hughes. Although it was written in 2009, it doesn't sound a thing like it. For anyone that enjoys 80's songs that will break your heart, give this one a listen.

19. Destroyer - Bay Of Pigs

I don't know where to begin with this track. It's some of the most unusual music I've ever heard. Consisting of eerie synths, ambiance and vocals by Dan Bejar which borders more on narration than actual singing. It almost seems boring at first, but when the drums and pulsing keyboards kick in you realize that the beginning is just the calm before the storm. At 13 minutes, not one second is wasted.

18. Girls - Laura

This band came out of nowhere a few months ago with a back story that is almost unbelievable (check it out on your own, it would take awhile to describe here). Laura is one of the better tracks on the album (fittingly named Album) Their sound can only be described as 60's sunshine pop/punk? I think? Just take my word for it. Oh, and they released one of the most controversial music videos I've ever seen for their song Lust For Life. It's definitely not safe for work so check it out at your own risk. You were warned!

17. The Dodos - The Strums

The Dodos consist of two members, a guitarist/vocalist and drummer who goes to extreme lengths to get certain sounds and beats produced (like taping tambourines to his feet). Although their album Visiter was better than this years Time To Die, there are a few songs that really stick out. The Strums is very catchy and simple and sometimes that's all you need.

16. Peter Bjorn and John - Nothing To Worry About

I had a lot of trouble deciding which song was better, this or Lay It Down. I recommend both but this song has been around since late 2008 and is still stuck in my head. They have a habit of doing that (Young Folks anybody?).

15. Sunset Rubdown - Apollo And The Buffalo And Anna Anna Anaa Oh!

Sunset Rubdown is one of Spencer Krugs side-projects. For a man who has at least 4 different bands, he never runs out of great songs or ideas. Not only do I highly recommend listening to Dragonslayer by Sunset Rubdown but listen to his other bands Wolf Parade and Swan Lake. Apollo... is one of the highlights of one of my favorite albums of the year.

14. Woods - Rain On

Some of you will like Woods and most of you will hate them. Their album Songs of Shame was simple, produced with poor equipment and the singer has a very distinct high pitched voice which would make a lot of you cringe, but there's something about them that I love. Rain On is a well written song and that's all it comes down to.

13. Neon Indian - Terminally Chill

Jon hates Neon Indian. Neon Indian is a guy who uses old school synths and makes poppy, trippy music that you can dance to. Only cool people can enjoy Neon Indian so I guess that explains why he doesn't. You better listen to it below if you don't want to be a loser like Jon.

12. Foreign Born - Vacationing People

Grizzly Bear front man Ed Droste praised Foreign Born a lot earlier in the year and when I got around to listening to their album Person To Person, I was impressed. Vacationing People consists of a great verse with fuzzy bass, a call and response chorus and an incredible bridge with beautiful slide guitar. I never get tired of listening to it from start to finish.

11. Papercuts - The Machine Will Tell Us So

I'm not going to lie. I love every song on this album equally. It came down to what ones were available for me to use on the playlist below. Their music relies on organ, simple but effective drums and is drenched with nostalgia. Listening to Papercuts is like looking at an old photo you are in, but you can't quite remember it being taken.

10. Bear In Heaven - Lovesick Teenagers

Another song about teenagers that sounds like it was written in 1986? Well, okay!

9. Bowerbirds - Crooked Lust

Bowerbirds are usually associated with nature. Their songs are mostly about trees and animals. The two vocalists are a couple, and their songs reflect the love for nature and each other. Crooked Lust is full of plucking acoustic guitars, out of tune pianos and beautiful harmonies. So basically every Bowerbirds song.

8. Cass McCombs - Lionkiller Got Married

I had heard a lot about McCombs the past few years and finally decided to check him out. His album Catacombs (gotta love wordplay) is one of the better I've heard this year and although it holds a few great tracks that were released as singles, it's Lionkiller that stuck out for me most. It has the same chords and melodies throughout it's whole running time and is incredibly repetitive but there's something about it that I love. It's one of the only tracks this year where the words jumped out and grabbed my attention. His style is simple but unique and he approaches his lyrics in a humorous way like no one else I've ever heard.

7. Bat For Lashes - Daniel

A fun, but dark love song about Daniel LaRusso from Karate Kid. Do I have to say anything else?

6. The Antlers - Kettering

Kettering is one of the most heart wrenching songs I have ever heard. The Antlers Hospice is an album about a hospice worker who falls in love with one of his patients who is dying of bone cancer. Needless to say, it's dark. It's sad. It's one of the best concept albums I've heard. At the same time though, it's brilliant and beautiful.

5. Here We Go Magic - Fangela

I had the privilege to see these guys (and girls) open for Grizzly Bear in June, and I was blown away. They are one of the better opening acts I've seen and they released a great first album this year. Fangela is a fantastic song that sounds as though it was produced on an old computer in a shady basement. I heard it's about a baby vampire but I don't quite get that from the lyrics. Anyways, it's a lot of fun and will be stuck in your head for an uncomfortable amount of time.

4. Animal Collective - My Girls

If you've been following other music sites and blogs as much as I have (you haven't) then you should know that Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion is towards the top of everyones list this year. And for a good reason. After years of experimentation they've finally made an album that's approachable for most audiences. My Girls is a fun song with great call and response from singers Avey Tare and Panda Bear, great harmonies and amazing production (make sure you listen to it with the bass turned up). I first heard it well over a year ago and I still find little things I love about it, and it still feels fresh to me.

3. Atlas Sound - Shelia

Bradford Cox is the front man of the band Deerhunter and Atlas Sound is his solo project. His first album consisted of a lot of noise and ambiance which divided people in half as to whether they liked it or not. His followup Logos was put together much better and is more accessible. There are three standout tracks. Walkabout, Quick Canal and Shelia. Shelia is very simple with a loop of the same three chords, sloppy percussion and a repetitive chorus but it gets under your skin. It's a love story, sort of, about being with someone because it's better than dying alone. "Shelia, we'll die alone together." is what Cox expresses as the song fades to nothing.

2. Dirty Projectors - Useful Chamber

My favorite Beatles song is Happiness Is A Warm Gun. There are very few songs that consist of different segments, tempos and feels, and even fewer that succeed. Useful Chamber is one of those songs. It has a hypnotic verse with shifting oohs by the girls in the group while Dave Longstreth bears his soul. The first chorus consists of beautiful acoustic guitar and perfect, minimal drums. The bridge has an electronic drum loop while Longstreth speaks/raps. Then everything explodes into the second chorus as he shouts BITTE ORCA ORCA BITTE! Don't ask me what it means, something about whales. There's another bridge of amazing harmonies from the girls, then back to the beautiful acoustic guitar part and finally it wraps up with the Bitte Orca part again. It's a perfect song? No. Crazy? Yes. Listen to it.

1. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others

If you know me, you know that I praise and love Grizzly Bear. And for a good reason. They are one of the better bands out there today and people are starting to catch on to them due to the amazing song Two Weeks being plastered everywhere. I first heard While You Wait For The Others live on Conan Obrien a year and a half ago and I'll always remember it. I had heard them a few times at that point but never really sat down and paid much attention. I re-listened to their first few albums and instantly fell in love with them. Their 2006 album Yellow House is my favorite of the decade and their new album Veckatimest is incredible. While You Wait For The Others has Daniel Rossen on lead vocals with his rough vocals. He sings over simple toms and reverb drenched guitar throughout the verse. It's soothing, and relaxing but then the chorus comes in. Exploding three part harmonies over Daniel's questioning "And what was left? / The perfect cleft / We all fall through." At that point I didn't think it could get much better but the bridge holds incredible harmonies and a great build up to Ed Droste's oohs. The chorus comes in again and fades out on a beautiful note. It's a powerful song and the highlight of their already amazing career.

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Fantastic Mr. Fox



"Why a fox? Why not a horse, or a beetle, or a bald eagle? I'm saying this more as, like, existentialism, you know? Who am I? And how can a fox ever be happy without, you'll forgive the expression, a chicken in its teeth?"

Wes Anderson has a way of making you feel like a kid. Although his films deal with serious topics such as teenage boys in love with their 30-something teachers, dysfunctional families and coming to terms with what your life has become, he creates these playful and interesting worlds that you can't help but want to be a part of.

His signature consists of a certain color scheme, 60's British invasion music, perfectly awkward dialogue and countless other things. You'd be able to spot one of his films a mile away because they're unlike anything else. When I heard that his next feature was to be an animated film based on the book by Roald Dahl, I was disappointed because I felt that he would get rid of his certain weirdness and charm. Well like usual, I was completely wrong.

Fantastic Mr. Fox is entirely a Wes Anderson film. Maybe more so than his previous efforts. Instead of using computers and expensive technology, he resorted to stop motion animation which allowed him to be as unique as he wanted to be. Pixar movies have taken the Best Animated Feature award for the past few years but I think Up better watch it's back.

Anderson's usual cast is present. Bill Murray, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson and more, but it's the addition of George Clooney that makes this movie. Let's face it, Clooney is pretty fucking suave. He brings his usual charm and then some. In most animated films it's hard to relate to the characters because they are pretty two dimensional (HA!), but every major character is well developed here. There were many instances where I completely forgot that I was watching an animated film. I'll also mention Schwartzman who played Mr. Fox's son. His lines were spot on and had me laughing extremely loud which was quite embarrassing because I was surrounded by five year olds.

Let me touch on that for a minute here, this is definitely a film for adults. I think the humor would just confuse most kids as it's very dry. Most of the children in the theater looked pretty bored, yet it made me feel like a kid again. I don't know. Forget this paragraph even exists.

The animation also provides a lot of laughs. It's just so different than everything else that's been out lately. There's a sequence at the beginning of Mr. and Mrs. Fox running through a farm and it's simply amazing. Within the first few minutes I already had a huge smile plastered on my face.

The story is very well written. I haven't read the book, but I'm assuming Anderson added a lot of material which works very well. The few subplots keep you interested and like I mentioned earlier, the dialogue is perfect. His usual choice of music is present with tracks by The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones and a hilarious cameo by Jarvis Cocker.

I'm not a huge fan of animated films but this is definitely one of the best movies of the year. I recommend seeing it if you want a feel-good comedy and especially if you liked any of his other films.

9.5/10

Thursday, December 3, 2009

Top Ten Christmas Movies

Oh, hello. I didn't see you there. It's that special time of the year again, so I think it's about time to put together a list of my personal favorite Christmas movies. I try to watch these ten films every year, I usually don't succeed but irregardless. Here they are. Enjoy!

10. A Christmas Story



I wasn't going to put this on here, because it's overplayed to the point of being annoying, but every time I actually watch it I am not disappointed. I can see why it holds the status that it does.

9. Silent Night Deadly Night



Yeah yeah, I'm a horror fan so expect a few on this list. It's my list not yours, remember! Anyway, this movie is hilarious and fun and even though there's a lot of blood and killing, it is in fact a full blown Christmas movie and you can't help but enjoy it.

8. Home Alone/Home Alone 2



These movies hold a special place in my heart and probably anyone's heart who grew up with them. I can't even begin to guess the number of times I have watched them. It's rare to find movies that you loved as a kid and still love to this day whenever they are on.

7. Puppet Master vs. The Demonic Toys



Christmas is a time of sharing and friendship. So what's better than a couple of friends getting together and sharing a few laughs at one of the most ridiculous Christmas movies ever made? I watched this on TV a few years ago with a group of people and we had a great time. It's terrible and hilarious and I'll delve into it much deeper later on in the month as it's the first movie to be featured in our Terribly Great section.

6. Elf



What can I say? It's one of the only modern Christmas movies that I think already holds a classic status. One that children and adults can enjoy every year.

5. It's A Wonderful Life



I don't think I need to really say much about this one. If you haven't seen it, then you're wrong and if you won't because it's old and black and white then you're also stupid.

4. Die Hard



Yes. Bruce Willis kicking ass and taking names and Carl Winslow from Family Matters eating a bunch of donuts. All in the spirit of Christmas.

3. Black Christmas



One of the only horror films that is truly well-made. It avoids bad acting, terrible effects and stupid plot. Instead it's full of suspense and realistic danger. I'm obviously talking about the original, not the remake.

2. Christmas Vacation



I watch this every year, and am never disappointed. Chevy Chase is perfect as Clark "Sparky" Griswold in the best installment of the Vacation series, and one of the best comedies of all time.

1. Gremlins



This film has everything you need. It's a truly heartwarming Christmas movie, it's hilarious, sometimes scary, the characters are surprisingly relatable and it has one of the greatest and most adorable creatures I've ever seen. I'm obviously talking about Corey Feldman. It's one of my favorite movies of all time and definitely my favorite Christmas movie.

Honorable Mention: The Star Wars Holiday Special. It's almost impossible to get your hands on it but I hear it's horrible!

I recommend checking out any of these if you aren't a heartless jerk who hates joy, because joy is what all of these films will bring you. Except the ones about murder. So about half of these. Thanks!

Merry Christmas!

Friday, November 20, 2009

THIS JUST IN

If you were wondering what to get me for my birthday (November 29) or Christmas (December 25), just send me a few of your old ugly Christmas sweaters! It's for my Ugly Christmas Sweater Collection...not to wear... I promise.





Thursday, November 19, 2009

Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP



"...and I should be floating but I'm weighted by thinking..."

I was pretty late joining the Animal Collective party. Pitchfork and countless other music blogs praised the majority of their albums but every time I tried listening to them I just couldn't get into it. When Merriweather Post Pavilion came out, it blew me away. I went back and gave the other albums another try and although some are flawed, they are all charming and unique and there's no album of theirs that doesn't have at least a few amazing tracks. So to hear that they were releasing an EP only ten months after Merriweather, left me very surprised and excited.

I got the chance to see Animal Collective at the ATP NY Festival in September and although their show was deafeningly loud, it was a lot of fun and one of the better performances that weekend. The first song they played was this fantastic two part track consisting of a beautiful first half with amazing vocals by Avey Tare which soon breaks into a flute looped ritual dance jam that sounds like a Hobbit party on acid. I couldn't get this song out of my head for days and franticly tried to find out what it was. After much research I found that it was called "Grace" and that they had been playing it for awhile now but it was never released on an album. Then they announced the Fall Be Kind EP and the first song is the one and only "Grace" (now titled "Graze"). This = Me ecstatic.

Not much changed from the live version to the EP version, only a new (beautiful) cello part during the first half and a few lyric changes. It's a fantastic opener and one of the better tracks in Animal Collectives catalogue.

"Graze" transitions perfectly into "What Would I Want? Sky" with eerie ambiance and melting vocals. Then the slamming drum loop starts and leaves you extremely satisfied throughout the three minute intro. The song really starts when a sampled Grateful Dead track kicks in and constructs the background to Avey Tares flawless melodies. Panda Bear delivers some light harmonies and with the help of some female vocal oohs and ahhs, this track is successful in being nothing short of heavenly.

Satanic voices introduce "Bleed", a muddy song where Panda Bear and Avey Tares vocals melt together creating a slow churning track focusing more on ambiance and noise than structure. It doesn't really go anywhere but it doesn't really have to. It serves it's purpose in being the middle track, and beats most of the filler songs that other bands use to fill the gaps between their stronger songs.

"On A Highway" is exactly what it sounds like. A dreamy track the builds to a flawless chorus with abstract percussion and stick clicks and back down again. It leaves you with a floating feeling, the feeling you get when you look out at all of the buildings and cars as you drive by, and realize exactly how small you really are compared to everything.

Fall Be Kind ends with "I Think I Can". It wraps up the album perfectly, completing the circle that "Graze" started. Consisting of ritualistic harmonies and chants and pounding drums, it's a lot of fun and ends with a beautiful back and forth vocal exchange between Avey and Panda. Eerie looping synths and ambiance fade out, and the EP is done.

A lot of these tracks were written during the Merriweather period, but they felt that there was a darker vibe to them and that they wouldn't fit in with the sunny, poppy feeling of the album. These five tracks belong here and work well together to create an unsettling and eerie EP while still consisting of their signature loops, harmonies and weirdness. Animal Collective have been around for ten years and are still creating some of the most unique and original music that I'm positive will stand the test of time.

9.6/10

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Devendra Banhart - What Will We Be



When I got into the indie music scene, Devendra Banhart was one of the first musicians I listened to. In 2004 he released both Rejoicing in the Hands and NiƱo Rojo, which are fantastic albums. A year later he released the magnificent Cripple Crow which is my personal favorite of his and one of my favorite albums of all time. Then came Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. It wasn't terrible, but didn't match up to his previous efforts. Then Devendra started dating Natalie Portman, made a cameo in a Hollywood film and signed to a major label, Warner, for his next release What Will We Be. Needless to say, I was a little frightened to see what would happen next.

What Will We Be starts with "Can't Help But Smiling", a catchy song that unfortunately doesn't go anywhere. With one verse, the same chord progression and it's short running time, it's a pretty weak opener. Thankfully, "Angelika" brings something to the table. A sunny track consisting of a bright acoustic guitar, a shaker and a catchy melody. While it's not an amazing song, it at least brings up the pace of the album.

"Baby" is the first single of the album. It's a groovy (yeah, it's the only way to describe it) track with about four clean electric guitar parts plucking and strumming in every direction. We're finally getting somewhere. It's still a flawed song which borders on cheesy but it's an understandable first single."Goin Back" is a Cat Stevens sounding folk song that finally channels the old Devendra.

"First Song For B" is a ballad stripped down to just piano and vocals. Using a melody straight out of an older song of his (it's okay, i'll let it slide), this is one of the highlights of the album. It leads into "Last Song For B", a slow acoustic song with birds in the distance and Devendras strongest lyrics on the album. Both of these tracks are great and make up the high point of What Will We Be.

"Chin Chin & Muck Muck" starts out as a jazz song that sounds right out of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The music is beautiful and the lyrics are decent but then the song changes completely into something else. It's a three part song which is an idea he mastered with the old track "Seahorse" but didn't here. It's still an alright track that has it's moments. "16th and Valencia Roxy Music" is another highlight, with a very catchy chorus of Devendra and friends shouting "Tonight, we're gonna find our lover / Tonight, we're gonna find our man" while the drums slam out sixteenth notes. The sound is one of the many new directions for Devendra, and it's a successful one.

The rest of the album contains a few bland tracks that don't really stand out. So overall it's an attempt at a new sound that proved somewhat successful but fell short overall. Compared to some of his previous releases, this album is only okay.

I know this review was also only okay but I couldn't gather the strength to delve deep into this album. Sorry babycakes!

7.5/10

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Ballyhoo #1: Beach House - Teen Dream

This is the official cover.



Zebras...delicious.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

THIS JUST IN



This is Kyle reporting from our Werewolf Bar Mitzvahcopter.

We're still foggy on the details, but it seems that the mass murdering in Hollywood today has been caused be someone who is dressed up as Michael Jackson circa Thriller. Witnesses have seen this man biting people and eating their remains without any hesitation. I'm not sure if this is just a ploy to advertise the new Michael Jackson documentary This Is It, or if it is indeed for real.

Not only has he been terrorizing the city, but the people have taken the law into their own hands. One of the most popular Halloween costumes this year was Michael Jackson so not only is this man murdering innocent bystanders, but many teenagers and drunken college students have been shot dead by their neighbors who thought they were the crazed lunatic. It's like a scene out of a bad horror movie.

Police are investigating further. They have called all of the jails and mental hospitals within a 200 mile radius trying to figure out if there have been any escapees. I just got word that the gravesite of the pop musician has been dug up with no traces of the body.

One thing is for sure, if this is just a marketing scheme it is a sick one.

I'll turn things over to Michael.

Thanks Kyle.

What seemed to be a cruel and murderous practical joke centered around a recently deceased pop-star has spun even more wildly out of control. Friends and family of the late Michael Jackson have flown to the area in light speed jets, which us poor people didn't know existed until now, in order to identify the now re-animated body. They have confirmed our deepest fears: Michael Jackson HAS come back to life and appears to be murdering hundreds.

When Diana Ross approached Jackson to beg for him to stop the madness, Jackson reportedly grabbed her and started gnawing ferociously at her flesh. When asked to put Ross down, a monstrous Michael Jackson replied "The Girl is Mine!" It was then that the local police force, without any other options, opened fire on the decaying music legend. Completely unharmed, Jackson shouted "Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'?" to which the chief of police responded "Beat it!" It would seem that this madness would be enough, but the horror continued.

The victims of the late pop idol have begun coming back to life, and are following Jackson down the streets, marauding for the flesh of the living. When a future victim of the zombie-like mob dropped to his knees and asked Mr. Jackson why this was happening, the cold, lifeless words of Michael were all too clear: "'Cause this is thriller! Thiller night!" It seems we have certainly been struck by a smooth criminal. I can't stay in this scene of unimaginable horror any longer, I need to help get people to safety, and I'm starting with the man in the mirror.

I'll pass this over to Jon in the studio. Jon?

Thanks Michael.

Things have only gotten worse since our last update, folks. Zombie Michael Jackson has been continuing his rampage in Hollywood, and has gathered a massive zombie army. Eye witness reports say a large group of especially big MJ-fans-turned-zombies have formed a grand throne for ZMJ out of their own bodies, and are using it to transport him east, followed by the thousands that have been zombified. For the last half hour they have been moonwalking at incredible speed toward the east coast, and at this point they are already entering Missouri. No one knows what their true target is, but my guess is we'll find out soon.

This just in! The zombie army had entered Washington, D.C. and immediately turned toward the White House. Despite the Secret Service's best attempts, including an experimental zombie shield they had been researching for this exact situation, ZMJ was able to break into the White House, and I fear we have terrible news: President Obama is a zombie. Zombie Obama has called a national press conference in ZMJ's behalf, and we will be transcribing the conference live.

The conference is starting. ZMJ is at the podium.

ZMJ: "People of America, and of all countries. I am the deceased corpse of the once loved Michael Jackson. I have risen from the dead and zombified thousands to deliver this message to you all: My new movie, a compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of myself as I prepared for my series of sold-out shows in London, titled Michael Jackson's This Is It, is now in theaters worldwide. The Wall Street Journal calls it a "brilliantly packaged... phantasmagoria", and the Los Angeles Times says it's "dazzling and strange". Order your tickets on Fandango today!"

After delivering his message, ZMJ fell to the ground, dead. Again. Everyone who has been zombified now appears to be acting normal again, mentally. Physically they're still missing large amounts of flesh, though it doesn't seem to be bothering anyone. We are moving in for some interviews.

WBM: "Tell me Janet, what just happened?"
Janet Jackson: "Oh, well me and the rest of our family wanted to help support Michael's new movie, so we bought a reanimater from an evil scientist on Evil Island and brought Michael back. And it seems to have worked!"

And she's right! There seems to be pretty big buzz going around right now. Let's talk to some of the post-zombies.

WBM: "Sir, will you be seeing This Is It in theaters this weekend?"
Sir: "I gotta tell ya, I wasn't, but this marketing campaign has really impressed me. I'll probably see it at least six times now."
WBM: "But tell me, was this all planned? I mean, you guys were all acting, right? And this is just make-up?"
Sir: "No, that was really Michael Jackson, and we were really zombified. I mean, I'm missing a large amount of flesh right now, as you can see. But man, right now I'm just cannot wait to see this movie!"
WBM: "Thank you for your time."

Well folks, this seems to be the end of the Halloween Zombie Michael Jackson story. Who would have guessed it would turn out like this. Great marketing campaign, or greatest marketing campaign? Well that's all we have time for tonight, remember to tune into Werewolf Bar Mitzvah for up to the minute news.

Back to you, Kyle.

Well, this has definitely made America's Halloween more interesting this year.

Thank you Michael and Jonathan for your top notch reporter work!

And kids remember, don't get into any strange vehicles and check your candy for razor blades and your bananas for acid!

Happy Halloween!

Friday, October 30, 2009

Top Ten Movies That Take Place On Halloween

Welcome to our first Top Ten list! It's a pretty simple concept. In lieu of it being Halloween, I've gathered my personal top ten favorite movies that either take place on Halloween or a part of it does and the whole movie fits the Halloween mood. These are movies I try to watch every October.

10. Jack-O



This is one of the worst films ever made. That's why it's so great! It's about a warlock who sends a pumpkin headed demon to terrorize a family and murder everyone in it's path. I know, sounds fantastic right?! It has some of the worst acting, funniest dialogue and hilarious murders ever conceived. It's a perfect film to watch with your friends, and even better if you're drinking hard cider.

9. The Exorcist



I know I know, only about 5 minutes actually take place on Halloween but the whole movie has an eerie autumn feel to it. Not to mention it's one of the only movies that legitimately scares me. It's a classic and I'm sure I don't have to explain why. I'm assuming if you are a fan of the horror genre, you've already seen this masterpiece.

8. Arsenic and Old Lace



We watched this in my film class in high school. I was in a room full of kids that didn't like the idea of an old black and white comedy about a bunch of old ladies, but by the first quarter we were all laughing out loud hysterically. One of Frank Capra's best films in my opinion, and a definite classic. (It's also noteworthy to mention I played the character Teddy in a high school production of this... until I quit).

7. Ginger Snaps



This is an indie film about a girl who becomes a werewolf, only it's all a big metaphor for when a girl reaches her... ummm... "womanhood". It's beautifully shot and well done for such an independent feature, and it's one of my favorite werewolf films. It's bound to show up on my top ten werewolf movies list that I write when the remake of Wolf Man comes out.

6. House of 1000 Corpses



This is Rob Zombies first attempt at film making, and while it isn't nearly as good as his followup The Devil's Rejects, it's a fun little movie. It all takes place on Halloween night in a creepy house in the middle of nowhere, and it features Rainn Wilson (Dwight from The Office) in one of his first roles. What more could you want, right? Throw in a creepy family, some pretty disgusting death scenes and a murderous clown and you have a great film to watch around Halloween time.

5. Donnie Darko



This might be my personal favorite movie of all time. It's one I can watch over and over again, and never get bored. A great first film from Richard Kelly with amazing performances from Jake Gyllenhaal and Jena Malone. It's either a love it or hate it film which can get you in many long arguments with people. With subjects such as time travel, religion and a giant scary bunny which all leads to a climax on Halloween night. If you haven't seen it yet, please, check it out.

4. Ernest Scared Stupid



Do I even have to explain why? If you haven't seen this movie, then I don't know why I'm associated with you at all.

3. Night of the Demons



A bunch of horny high school kids have a party in an old, creepy mortuary on Halloween night. They attempt to communicate with spirits and are very successful as a demon is released amongst them. It's cheesy, bloody and full of sex! It's the 80's at it's best and is a cult classic among many horror fans. Unfortunately, it is being remade but I guess I can't judge it until I see it.

2. Trick 'r Treat



This was made a few years ago, but wasn't released until just a few weeks ago due to Warner Bros. delaying it further and further. I couldn't wait to get my hands on it and when I finally did, I was not disappointed. Like Creepshow, it's a made up of a few stories which are all tied together on Halloween night. A murderous high school principal, a ghost story about a haunted school bus, a girl is being stalked by a vampire, a grumpy old man who hates Halloween is being terrorized by something and a small, mysterious trick or treater by the name of Sam. It's the most fun I've had watching a movie in a long time and I recommend it to anyone who loves the holiday.

1. The Halloween Series



Come on, what else did you expect? I'm mostly talking about the first one, John Carpenter's classic. Michael Myers is one of the greatest characters in film history and the original Halloween is a masterpiece. I watched it for the first time on Halloween night when I was eight and have watched it every year since then. Granted, the series has declined a lot over the years due to some questionable sequels and remakes, but parts two, four and seven are all great, and the rest are decent and worth watching. It captures the eerie feeling that the holiday has, and although it's about a bunch of high schoolers being murdered, it strangely makes me feel warm and happy inside.

Honorable Mentions: George Romero's Dead Series, Creepshow, Idle Hands, E.T. Hocus Pocus, Ed Wood, Behind the Mask, Halloweentown (your welcome), Mr. Mom and Jack the Bear. Which totally doesn't make me cry.

Happy Halloween!