Now That's What I Call A Music Thread: 2009

[METALMAN]

I don't dislike it or anything.

They just could have finished on a better song.

[Dan]

Flux is lovely

Flux is fucking outstanding.

One of my favourite songs of all time (Y)

[Tarheels.]

Hell yes! I might be going to see Gaslight Anthem in May.

[METALMAN]

Does anyone know that amazing Bloc Party B-side the Once and Future King? Well, it's better than a lot of their album songs.

I just remembered they played it live last week. Awesome.

[YI]

:::THE WEEK:::

TOP 5 ALBUMS:

1. "FEVER RAY" by FEVER RAY ( n/a | 1st week)

http://www.myspace.com/feverray

An album from the bird from The Knife, that just keeps growing and growing on me. It's dark and brooding, but the soundscapes are so perfectly put together. Absolutely gorgeous album, a perfect chillout listen.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Seven", "Keep The Streets Empty For Me", "Dry And Dusty" and "Triangle Walks".

IF YOU LIKE: "Thom Yorke", "The Knife", "Talk Less, Say More", Royksopp", "Electric President" etc.

2. "RULES" by THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE (n/a | 1st week)

http://www.myspace.com/thewhitestboyalive

HOLY FUNK!!! HOLY!! HOLY!!! HOLY!!! FUNK!!! Mixing the danceability and sexed up basslines and keys from early Jamiroquai and the laid back, cool indie-pop vibe of The Sea And Cake, this German band have produced an absolutely fucking insane album. I believe it was in here Ollie said it was an early album of the year candidate, it most definitely is.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "1517", "High On The Heels", "Courage" and "Island".

IF YOU LIKE: "Jamiroquai", "The Brand New Heavies", "The Sea And Cake", "Hot Chip" etc.

3. "DEAR JOHN" by LONEY, DEAR ( v:1 | 2nd week)

http://www.myspace.com/loneydear

Loney, Dear is a Swedish indie-pop artist. His tunes are beautiful atmospheric pop songs mixing together acoustic instrumentation, electronics and string sections. It's all very beautiful on the ear, I could definitely see this being one of my favourite albums of the entire year.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Summers", "Everything Turns To You", "Harm" and "Airport Surroundings".

IF YOU LIKE: "Jens Lekman", "I'm From Barcelona", "Jose Gonzalez", "Arcade Fire" etc.

4. "STAY HOME" by TRANSIT ( v:3 | 3rd week)

http://www.myspace.com/transitma

Despite there being a two week gap between updates, this rocking EP once again manages to stay on the list. Amazing selection of songs, a must for fans of this kind of punk-rock.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Stay Home", "Riverside", "Nameless (Songs To Static)" and "Stays The Same".

IF YOU LIKE: "Polar Bear Club", "A Wilhelm Scream", "Lipona", "The Swellers", "Hot Water Music" etc.

5. "GRAMMATICS" by GRAMMATICS ( n/a | 1st week)

http://www.myspace.com/grammatics

Debut album from an amazing indie-prog band from Leeds. Complex instrumentation, masses of strings, thick guitars, it's gorgeous stuff, the kind of album that if you weren't expecting it would really knock your socks off. A band I've been pimping for quite some time now, they've also been tipped as one of the 10 artists to watch in 2009 by Virgin Media (Alongside Little Boots, Florence & The Machine, Frankmusik, Kid Cudi etc.), I really hope it works out for them.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "D.I.L.L.E.M.A", "Relentless Fours", "Inkjet Lakes" and "The Vague Archive".

IF YOU LIKE: "Aereogramme", "Muse", "Cooper Temple Clause", "Arcade Fire" and "Los Campesinos!".

OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR THE (PAST TWO) WEEK(S):

"Two Tongues" by Two Tongues

"All Is Wild, All Is Silent" by Balmorhea

"Distractions" by The Loved Ones [EP]

"The Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart" by The Pains Of Being Pure Of Heart

"The Fray" by The Fray

"Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future" by The Bird & The Bee

"March Of The Zapotec/Holland" by Beirut [Double EP]

"Das Pop" by Das Pop

-------------------------------

"Working On A Dream by Bruce Springsteen (v:from #3)

"Reformation" by Lucca (v:from #4)

"Go Lucky" by Talk Less, Say More (v:from #5)

TOP 'SINGLES' OF THE WEEK:

1. "Dear Coaches Corner" by Propagandhi

2. "Day N Nite" by Kid Cudi

3. "Our Summer Kiss" by Moira Stewart

4. "Sleepyhead" by Passion Pit

5. "Blood Bank" by Bon Iver (which is somehow fucking #37 in the UK singles chart)

BEST 'OLD' ALBUMS OF THE WEEK:

1. "Imagine Our Love" by Lavender Diamond [2007 - Female fronted Indie-Pop/Folk]

2. "Paul Baribeau" by Paul Baribeau [2005 - Heartbreaking 'angry' folk]

3. "The Long Walk" by Whippersnapper [1999 - Epic tech-punk, while bands like this/AWS are dime a dozen these days, this is the band that really began to start it all]

4. "Near Life Experience" by Break The Silence [2004 - Fucking amazing band they were, their only album, I'm really happy I actually caught these guys live, and had a brief banter on with Dan Precision, who is one of my punk-rock idols]

5. "Paper Ships Under A Burning Bridge" by Last Of The Believers [2008 - Catchy punk-rock EP from ex-Rise Against/Ignite members]

RECORDS I CAN'T WAIT FOR:

1. "Supporting Caste" by Propagandhi

2. "Grace/Wastelands" by Pete Doherty

3. "???" by Mike Hale

4. "Slaughterhouse On The Prairie" by Buckethead

5. "???" by Cassie

GIGS NEWS:

3rd February - The Thermals w/Jack Lewis and Love Bites & Bruises @ The Cluny [only a maybe at the minute]

8th February - The Gaslight Anthem w/Frank Turner and Polar Bear Club @ Shepherds Bush Empire

9th February - Alkaline Trio w/The Audition and Broadway Calls @ Academy [again, only a maybe]

18th February - Das Pop w/Absent Elk @ The End

19th March - Pulled Apart By Horses @ The End

25th March - Paige and Me Vs Hero @ Academy 2

26th March - Pete Doherty @ Academy

6th April - The Prodigy w/Dizzee Rascal @ Metro Radio Arena

6th May - This Is A Standoff w/Laughing In The Face of..., Newbridge Downfall and Tripdash @ Independent

FITTY OF THE WEEK:

Nat (of "Showdown City")

Edited February 5, 2009 by YI

[RPS]

The Prodigy and Dizzee Rascal is both the greatest and most confusing pairing in a while.

I've heard great buzz about The Whitest Boy Alive, so I am downloading them as we speak.

[The Chief]

Am currently downloading The Kills - Midnight Boom, based on Cheap and CHeerful on the NHL soundtrack.

That and the fact that URA Fever is a mind boggling brain fuck of epic proportions.

Edit>

Was catching up on the previous page and YI - is that a new album from loney dear? i can't find it on iTunes. The fist album - Lonely Noir was awesome. I' cant tell if its this album your talking about, as theres a track called "I Am John" on that album. Is dear john the same song?

Can't find the grammatics either, but the vague archive is pretty good.

Edited February 1, 2009 by The Chief

[METALMAN]

I went to see the Kills last year. They were alright. "Last Day of Magic" is far and away their best song.

Oh and there was a free Sigur Ros cd with the Independent yesterday. That's cool.

[YI]

Was catching up on the previous page and YI - is that a new album from loney dear? i can't find it on iTunes. The fist album - Lonely Noir was awesome. I' cant tell if its this album your talking about, as theres a track called "I Am John" on that album. Is dear john the same song?

Can't find the grammatics either, but the vague archive is pretty good.

Yes, NEW ALBUM. And Grammatics isn't out yet, but it's leaked, and not that particularly difficult to find (as I've seen it about 3/4 different places).

[probablyoliver]

Pffft, I was pimping Whitest Boy Alive when you were still in the womb. >_>

[The Chief]

Was catching up on the previous page and YI - is that a new album from loney dear? i can't find it on iTunes. The fist album - Lonely Noir was awesome. I' cant tell if its this album your talking about, as theres a track called "I Am John" on that album. Is dear john the same song?

Can't find the grammatics either, but the vague archive is pretty good.

Yes, NEW ALBUM. And Grammatics isn't out yet, but it's leaked, and not that particularly difficult to find (as I've seen it about 3/4 different places).

obtaining loney dear now and i'll keep a lookout for grammatics

[badotori]

I've heard great buzz about The Whitest Boy Alive, so I am downloading them as we speak.

The Whitest Boy Alive...wow...probably the only group I like on the merit of two songs (Golden Cage and Fireworks) and a trippy video involving illusions. If you're into the idea of chilled out Euro-indie then you'll love 'em, I reckon.

One of these days I will get round to downloading/buying "Dreams" too...then again, I said that about the Reel Big Fish back catalogue and that still hasn't bloody happened. Curse my flightiness! >_<

Edited February 4, 2009 by badotori

[Tarheels.]

Manchester Orchestra released a new single from their album due out in April. The single is called "I've Got Friends". I can't decide whether or not I think it's awesome or sub-par compared to "Like A Virgin Losing A Child" and it's style.

[YI]

It's a canny epic tune. Seems like they're going further down the Brand New route, which I kind of like. Tarheels, if you haven't already, you should check out "Balance And Composure" and a band from 'over here' called "Bayonets.", both are good, "Bayonets." especially, I cannot wait for them to whack out their EP.

Also...LIGHTS!!!! is coming to the UK...

VersaEmerge, Lights, Whole Wheat Bread and In This Moment tour together in April:

04/09/2009 VersaEmerge Islington Academy

London, UK w/ Lights, Whole Wheat Bread, In This Moment

04/10/2009 VersaEmerge Clwb Ifor Bach

Cardiff, UK w/ Lights, Whole Wheat Bread, In This Moment

04/11/2009 VersaEmerge Academy 2

Sheffield, UK w/ Lights, Whole Wheat Bread, In This Moment

04/12/2009 VersaEmerge King Tuts

Glasgow, UK w/ Lights, Whole Wheat Bread, In This Moment

04/14/2009 VersaEmerge Academy 2

Newcastle, UK w/ Lights, Whole Wheat Bread, In This Moment

04/15/2009 VersaEmerge Academy 3

Manchester, UK w/ Lights, Whole Wheat Bread, In This Moment

04/16/2009 VersaEmerge Academy 2

Birmingham, UK w/ Lights, Whole Wheat Bread, In This Moment

VersaEmerge are a tonne of fun. Female fronted stuff (and the singer is FIIIIT!!). Seem to be pushing more towards earlier P!ATD! style than a straight up Paramore rip, will be checking their stuff out. Lights is well, LIGHTS!!! Whole Wheat Bread are a band I knew of as well, and by virtue of me not knowing of any others off the top of my head, I will christen them the '2nd best black man based punk band going' (a LONG WAY behind Pour Habit), mix a bit of 'rap' vibe and stuff in there, it's okay party music, but you really have to be in the mood for it. In This Moment are seemingly heavier than the rest, still catchy as fuck...and fuck...they're quite good...singer is banging, which helps. I'm there. Might need to take the lass, actually fuck it, any lass, so I don't feel weird at being there, too many female bands.

All in all, it seems like the most randomly as fuck put together tour ever;

Pop-Rock -> Electro-Cheesiness -> Pop-Punk-Rap -> Metalcore...epic.

Also, apparently, after wrapping up the tour with Frank Turner and Gaslight Anthem, Polar Bear Club are apparently self-confirmed to be coming back in Spring/Summer with Crime In Stereo. SO FUCKING ON THAT SHIT!!!!

Edited February 5, 2009 by YI

[ROC]

YI, I hope you didn't listen to the Fray record.

[METALMAN]

I kind of wish I went to see Gaslight Anthem again. Especially as they are with Frank Turner. I mean, I'm not greatly into Polar Bear Club but they're hardly doing any harm by being there.

Edited February 5, 2009 by metalman

[TheRossWalker]

I was going to go to Manchester last night, but I had no money.

Gonna try and catch one of the March dates if I can get some money together.

[METALMAN]

I was about to say I might actually get some tickets too. However I don't think I will anymore as I don't fancy going to Brighton, London, Dublin, Nottingham or Norwich.

[Tarheels.]

I've decided that I love the new Manchester Orchestra song after a 2nd listening. I've not listened to those bands yet though, I'll definitely check them out. You should check out All Get Out, they're a band signed to Manchester Orchestra's label and they've got an amazing live show. I've seen them 4 times already. Their EP's don't do them justice so check out this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhhdYdVhUvc. Part Two is the title deemed from the fans but the guitarist told me the song wasn't really titled yet.

[YI]

:::THE WEEK:::

TOP 5 ALBUMS:

1. "AURORA" by THE DEER TRACKS ( n/a | 1st week)

http://www.myspace.com/thedeertracks

There is something about Scandinavians and their voices that are so beautiful and relaxing. The Deer Tracks are a brother/sister (although the brother is either dressing like a transgender/member of Aiden or some shit, but don't let that put you off) duo that blends gorgeous instrumentation and electronics with their beautiful, airy vocals. Comparisons can be drawn all across the board, from the chic-pop style of Bim, to the lofi electronic sound of early Styrofoam, all the way to the post-rock arrangements of Kyte and the glorious, over the top, dream pop niceties of Sigur Ros. One of the best chillout albums I can remember in a long time. I am confident this will be high up my year end list.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Christmas Fire", "127 Sex Fyra", "World of Abel" and "The Puzzled Piece".

IF YOU LIKE: "Mew", "Bim", "Kyte", "Stryofoam", "Sigur Ros" etc.

2. "NOT WITHOUT A FIGHT" by NEW FOUND GLORY ( n/a | 1st week)

http://www.myspace.com/newfoundglory

When a band leaves a 'major' it's very much a sink or swim moment for them. New Foung Glory have most certainly swam. The best part of a year ago, still with the sour taste of the abortion of an album that was "Coming Home" in my mouth, I bought tickets to go see New Found Glory. I did this for a couple of reasons. Firstly they were a band fairly important in my youth and for my musical development, but it was mostly because they were being supported by Four Year Strong and Crime In Stereo, two bands I love dearly. However, as this past year has went on they've made me do a complete 180 on them. After the 'hardcore-tastic' "Tip Of The Iceberg" EP, their live show was one of the most fun I've ever had the priveledge to see. And now, they're putting out "Not Without A Fight", which would fit snuggly alongside their self-titled album and "Sticks & Stones". Will probably be a while before I can gauge how good this actually is, but on first couple of listens it is most definitely a return to form.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "47", "Such A Mess", "Truck Stop Blues" and "Listen To Your Friends".

IF YOU LIKE: "New Found Glory" (duh), (early) "Fall Out Boy", "The Wonder Years", "Set Your Goals" etc.

3. "RULES" by THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE (v:1 | 2nd week)

http://www.myspace.com/thewhitestboyalive

This German band once again command a place in the top five for the week, with their funky as hell take on indie-pop, blending together chilled out keys and sexed up basslines to produce one of the aesthetically coolest albums I have heard in some time. Much like early Jamiroquai, it's gorgeous as it doubles up as both the album that makes you want to dance early in the night, but also the album you want to chillout to later on. Epic stuff.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "1517", "High On The Heels", "Courage" and "Island".

IF YOU LIKE: "Jamiroquai", "The Brand New Heavies", "The Sea And Cake", "Hot Chip" etc.

4. "FEVER RAY" by FEVER RAY ( v:3 | 2nd week)

http://www.myspace.com/feverray

Fever Ray takes a bit of a drop this week, however it's mostly due to The Deer Tracks. I mean, there's only so much chilled out Scandinavian music one man can take, and this week, "Aurora" has taken pride of place over Fever Ray. I still couldn't drop it from the top 5 this week despite not giving it much play, purely because it is so fucking good. I enjoy The Knife, but I do find them a little overrated and inconsistent, this is hands down the best material she has put together.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Seven", "Keep The Streets Empty For Me", "Dry And Dusty" and "Triangle Walks".

IF YOU LIKE: "Thom Yorke", "The Knife", "Talk Less, Say More", Royksopp", "Electric President" etc.

5. "MAKING BETS IN A BURNING HOUSE" by UNION SQUARE ( n/a | 1st week)

http://www.myspace.com/unionsquare

It's been a great week for Sweden, with Fever Ray remaining on the charts and The Deer Tracks storming in at #1, this album is by another Swedish artist, but is a million miles away from the two previous mentioned. Union Square are a punk-rock band, who are actually, technically on a major label, signed to the Swedish outpost of Warner Records. The album is nothing groundbreaking, and at the end of the day I feel they do kind of benefit from me having no expectations of them, as even stuff like the over the top rock-ballad like "Goodbye", which if on a Rise Against album, I'd despise, I don't particularly mind. Nothing groundbreaking, just some good tunes.

STANDOUT TRACKS: "Break Out!", "Two Lives Wasted", "A Part Of Me" and "A Sudden Change Of Heart".

IF YOU LIKE: "Rise Against", "Taking Back Sunday", "Death By Stereo", "Millencolin" etc.

OTHER NOTABLE RELEASES FOR THE WEEK/SHIT I NOTICED THIS WEEK:

"Advance Base Battery Life" by Casiotone For The Painfully Alone

"Mad Kit" by DAT Politics

"Begone Dull Care" by Junior Boys

"Close Down The Woods" by Robotantists [EP]

"XO" by LeATHERMOUTH

"November Birthday" by Lightning Love

"Notes From The Treehouse" by Alessi's Ark

"I Think We're Gonna Need A Bigger Boat" by The Brighton Port Authority

"It's Not Me, It's You" by Lily Allen

"Hymn To The Immortal Wind" by Mono

"Shrag" by Shrag

"Inhale/Exhale" by Random Hand

"Maserati/Zombi Split" by 'Maserati' and 'Zombi'

-------------------------------

"Dear John" by Loney, Dear (v:from #3)

"Stay Home" by Transit (v:from #4)

"Grammatics" by Grammatics (v:from #5)

TOP 'SINGLES' OF THE WEEK:

1. "We All Sing Along" by The Bouncing Souls ( n/a | 1st Week)

2. "Fire Fire" by Jamie T ( n/a | 1st Week)

3. "Dear Coaches Corner" by Propagandhi ( v:2 | 2nd Week)

4. "Obsessions" by Marina & The Diamonds ( n/a | 1st Week)

5. "Day N Nite" by Kid Cudi ( v:3 | 2nd Week)

6. "Mind Ur Manners" by Patients (aka. Ben Cooper of Radical Face/Electric President) ( n/a | 1st Week)

7. "Our Summer Kiss" by Moira Stewart ( v:4 | 2nd Week)

8. "The Light Is Still On In Broadmoor" by This Is A Standoff ( n/a | 1st Week)

9. "Happy Up Here" by Royksopp ( n/a | 1st Week)

10. "Sleepyhead" by Passion Pit ( v:6 | 2nd Week)

BEST 'OLD' ALBUMS OF THE WEEK:

1. "Be Excited" by This Is A Standoff [2007 - Ex-Belvedere, one of the catchiest, most insane tech-punk albums I've ever heard. A Definite pick-up for A Wilhelm Scream fans. I'm pushed to think of an ending tune as good as "Dream Beater", recently]

2. "Casually Dressed And Deep In Conversation" by Funeral For A Friend [2003 - Absolutely epic album, one that defined a genre. Was shocked/upset to go into HMV earlier in the week and find out they didn't have this on their shelves, disgrace]

3. "Hopes & Fears" by Keane [2004 - One of my favourite albums ever, and I'm not afraid to admit it. I hate people that basically compared them to another Coldplay at this time, I mean, I guess it was probably true to a certain extent, but fuck, Keane were at least exciting]

4. "Blackhawks Over Los Angeles" by Strung Out [2007 - The band at arguably their musical best. It's rare to find an uplifting album in punk-rock these days. "Mission Statement" and "Diver" continue to trend of epic Strung Out closers, and really put a smile on your face]

5. "Say Hello To Sunshine" by Finch [2005 - I used to hate this, definite change in vibe, but fuck, some awesome tunes on here. Still not a patch on "What It Is To Burn" though, happy that they're back]

RECORDS I CAN'T WAIT FOR:

1. "Supporting Caste" by Propagandhi

2. "Grace/Wastelands" by Pete Doherty

3. "Be Disappointed" by This Is A Standoff

4. "???" by Little Boots

5. "Junior" by Royksopp

ARTISTS TO KEEP YOUR EYE ON:

1. Little Boots (DUH!)

2. Marina & The Diamonds (getting Zane Lowe backing apparently. FUCK YOU! THERE FIRST! FUCK YEAH!)

3. Slow Club (lovely boy/girl twee outfit)

4. Grammatics (got Virgin Media backing and their album is brilliant)

5. Two Door Cinema Club (getting Zane Lowe backing apparently. FUCK YOU! THERE FIRST! FUCK YEAH!)

GIGS NEWS (Looking like a few may be shafted due to lack of funds, but fuck, keeping options open):

8th February - The Gaslight Anthem w/Frank Turner and Polar Bear Club @ Shepherds Bush Empire

9th February - Alkaline Trio w/The Audition and Broadway Calls @ Academy

18th February - Das Pop w/Absent Elk @ The End

7th March - Electric Six @ Academy

19th March - Pulled Apart By Horses w/We Versus The Shark @ The End

25th March - Paige and Me Vs Hero @ Academy 2

26th March - Pete Doherty @ Academy

5th April - Dananananaykroyd w/Dutch Uncles @ The End

6th April - The Prodigy w/Dizzee Rascal @ Metro Radio Arena

14th April - Versa Emerge w/Lights, Whole Wheat Bread and In This Moment @ Academy 2

20th April - Agent Orange @ Trillians -OR- The Virgins @ The Cluny ( :( )

21st April - In Flames w/Cancer Bats @ Academy 2

24th April - Shadows Chasing Ghosts @ Academy 2

27th April - Jeniferever @ The Cluny

6th May - This Is A Standoff w/Laughing In The Face of..., Newbridge Downfall and Tripdash @ Independent

GIG REVIEWS:

JACK LEWIS (February 3rd @ The Cluny) - Some American fella, his stuff was some quite quirky pop music, had a bit of a Kate Nash, but a bloke vibe to some of it. Didn't really interest me all that much though, in fact had real trouble connecting with a lot of people. To be fair I honestly had no idea what he actually sounded like as of today, I had to go check his myspace to refresh my memory. MEH!

LOVE BITES AND BRUISES (February 3rd @ The Cluny) - Hands down the best band on the bill, and a local band. Strange I'd never heard of them before, and I'd like to think I'm quite dialled up on the good indie bands in the area. Quite easily to file next to The Futureheads and that. Really catchy tunes, really fun too, got people tapping their feet and bobbing their heads. It's strange that this was a sideshow for American artists The Thermals and Jack Lewis on their tour supporting The Cribs, and the best band on the bill was a local band. GOOD!

THE THERMALS (February 3rd @ The Cluny) - The Thermals are a band I think I should love, but I just can't get into them. Outside of "Pillar Of Salt", none of their other songs really made an impression on me. I mean, they're not terrible, but are a little dull. Live, they are brimming with confidence and style, and they really turn it up a notch, but the substance to the songs was still missing and after a while I found myself getting easily distracted. I still know I will be checking out the new album that drops in a couple of months, once again hoping to connect with the band. MEH!

FITTY OF THE WEEK:

Maria (of "In This Moment")

Edited February 7, 2009 by YI