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

[Mr Evil Guy]

Matt and Kim, The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Coconut Records(all new) and The Unicorns have been getting a majority of listens this week for me. (Y)

I never realized The Unicorns were this good.

[probablyoliver]

The new Whitest Boy Alive album is our first candidate for Album of the Year, that's for sure.

[probablyoliver]

I'm half way through track one of the new Aidan Moffat album, and my God it's good. Stars off a-capella, then goes all cowboyish, then turns into this big fuck off beatbox choon. Malcolm Middleton ain't got shit of Moffat.

[METALMAN]

I can't wait for it to download. It's taking ages though.

Thanks again!

[METALMAN]

The street where the garage in which Aidan Moffat sings about sitting in in "Big Blonde" is literally like five minutes walk from my uni halls. That is cool.

[probablyoliver]

Okay, Tommy Reilly is wonderful. He was on the whole Orange Unsigned Act thingy. Sounds a bit like an acoustic version of Clap Your Hands. Sounds drunk as fuck.

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=BecAdYGGLC0&...feature=related

wonderful, wonderful.

[YI]

Dead Swans have signed to Bridge 9, which is epic news. I mean, it's far from the biggest punk-rock label, but they do have great stuff like H2O, Crime In Stereo and Polar Bear Club on their roster, and have put out stuff by New Found Glory and Sick Of It All. But yeah, awesome news for Dead Swans who are probably the best UK hardcore band going at the minute.

Speaking of Polar Bear Club, after their UK/European tour with The Gaslight Anthem and Frank Turner they're doing a handful of solo shows;

5 Mar 2009 Barfly **Headlining Show** Cardiff, Wales

6 Mar 2009 Park **Headlining Show** Peterborough, United Kingdom

7 Mar 2009 Cavern **Headlining Show** Exeter, United Kingdom

8 Mar 2009 Cockpit **Headlining Show** Leeds, United Kingdom

9 Mar 2009 Joiners **Headlining Show** Southampton, United Kingdom

Depending on whether I get my 'fill' at the support shows or not, I might hit up the Leeds date. Awesome band.

Edited January 20, 2009 by YI

[Steeb]

Tommy Reilly is full on fucking great. I love common sounding vocalists, and I love 'real' lyrics. Therefore, I love him.

[YI]

....holy fuck....that Tommy Reilly "Mr Brightside" is fucking INSANE...I thought it was shite until it got to like 20 seconds and the "and now I'm falling asleep" bit and then...WOW! When people say cover songs tend to 'lack passion'...thrust this fucker in their face.

Edited January 21, 2009 by YI

[IAceI]

Oh him. I saw him when that aired on TV, that exact song and that. Everyone was gushing over it.

[Hellfire]

I don't know if I like it as much as that other Mr Brightside cover a page back but this one sent a shiver down my back. This seems to be a popular acoustic song though, is there a better acoustic version of it?

Edited January 21, 2009 by Hellfire

[YI]

...this is the most fabulous bit of music related news I have ever seen;

Bomb the Music Industry! has delayed the release of their new album, Scrambles. The record is now due for release on February 15, 2009:

"All of Scrambles was recorded and sequenced using a lot of demo versions of plug-ins/programs. This meant that once the final mix got started, it had to be finished within 14 days no matter what. It also meant that once I had sequenced the final master, I could burn a CD of it but I could not SAVE that sequence. Only burn it. So the MP3's I had burnt for the band, right? Well those were of the older master that I didn't notice a few mistakes in. And then I ran out of CD-R's so there is only one good copy. So, long story short the only people who actually have the album are the fine people who are pressing it."

The band released Get Warmer in 2007.

...that is wonderful...so it was delayed because;

1) They use demo versions of programs and can't save stuff properly

2) He ran out of CD's to burn finished tracks onto

...my faith in music is restored...epic hardcore/ska/electro/any fucking thing they can think of band though. You can get all their stuff for free too;

http://bombthemusicindustry.com/

Edited January 21, 2009 by YI

[RPS]

I've been absolutely addicted to the new Antony and the Johnsons. If you are a fan of his, pick it up. Really good.

[probablyoliver]

http://rapidshare.com/files/187093067/IYWGTLTA...2009.rar

If You Were Going To Listen To Anything... 2009

So folks, as I'm deep at work on the acoustic side of what you should listen to, I figure I should set you guys up for the year ahead, and tell you just exactly what I'll be listening to in the next 12 months, and then when we get down and dirty for the best of come December, we can all look back and just see how much of this actually makes it through the wall and remains on the best of '09. To think that 3 weeks into 2009 and there's already enough material for a whole playlist dedicated to the year ahead makes me think that we're in for an awesome year of music. So as per usual, sit back, plug in and play. It's gonna be a wild ride, you might laugh, you might cry, you might even get up and dance, but you'll definitely tap your foot a fair few times.

01 - Aidan Moffat & The Best Ofs - "Lover's Song", from the album "How To Get To Heaven From Scotland"

It starts off a capella before going into a cowboy style whistle solo, then it explodes with a beatbox background and one of the angriest bass lines I've heard since the birth of music. It's dirty and violent, and it's purely amazing. Lover's Song just goes on to prove that it's not only Middleton that gets the post-Arab Strap glory, and Moffat's proper debut album may actually be better than anything Malcolm's ever done since the break-up of one of the best bands of recent memory. The lyrics are amazing, the instrumentals are beautiful, and the beatbox and whistling in the background turn this into one of the greatest prospects of 2009.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Malcolm Middleton, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club.

02 - The Whitest Boy Alive - "Keep A Secret" from the album "Rules"

It should be law that every year has one album that's impossible not to dance to. Last year had Hercules & Love Affair's debut, a rip-roaring hour of foot-tapping, head-bounding, breakbeat tunes that could light a fire under any indy starlets shoes. This year has Germany's The Whitest Boy Alive, and this, the opening track to their second album is everything that dance-floors across the world are calling for. It's bass-heavy, retro-tastic and smooth as fuck. The guitar loops make for great jiving music, and the vocals are just insanely suave. I'm going to make you a guarantee to everyone; if this song is playing, you'll pull. Simple as that.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Hercules & Love Affair.

03 - Bruce Peninsula - "Steamroller" from the album "A Mountain Is A Mouth"

I'm still not sure what to make of Bruce Peninsula. This track has been on full rotation for a few weeks now, and I still have no idea how to pigeonhole it. The backing vocals sound like something from an urban gospel choir, the bass and guitar are somewhere between This Town Needs Guns and The Whitest Boy Alive and the vocals sound as though Thom Waits got the 10 years younger treatment. It's just pure, unadulterated funk, complete with handclaps, crooning and what sounds like a hell of a lot of whiskey. It's another dancey track, but it has a sinister edge, I just can't quite put my finger on where that sinister edge is.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Sufjan Stevens.

04 - Algernon Cadwallader - "Spit Fountain" from the EP "Hot Green"

I'm going all out with the hyperbole right here, this is the best post-hardcore I've heard in years, and it's right out of the Sunny Day Real Estate songbook. Distorted vocals, distorted guitars, distorted bass and a pounding drum loop, it's just all round glorious. It's not as heavy as the likes of Million Dead, Reuben or Bear vs. Shark, and it's a lot messier than the likes of Cursive and Hell Is For Heroes, but that all adds together to the whole charm of it. It sounds gritty, and it sounds fun. By no means are the best musicians in the genre, but they just sound like a few friends who have found instruments and are having a hell of a lot of fun with them, and this is what this is, it's short, it's quirky, it's cool and it's fun as fuck.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Fugazi, Bear Vs. Shark, Sunny Day Real Estate.

05 - Tera Melos - "Hey Sandy" from the EP "Idioms Vol. 1"

If someone had told me that one of my picks for this playlist would be a cover version of the theme tune of one of the most awesome nickelodeon shows of all time ever (that being The Adventures of Pete and Pete, which wiki tells me had guest appearances from LL Cool J, Steve Buscemi, Debbie Harry and Michael Stipe), I'd probably spit in your face and call you insane, but then Tera Melos came along with an EP that also features cover versions of Pixies' 'Tame' and The Clash's 'Koka Kola'. It's another slice of post-hardcore wonderfulness, but is world's away from Algernon. It's dirty, it's gritty, it's fast and everything in there clashes so much that on first listen it sounds like a hemorrhage. It's awesome, I promise you.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... be your own PET, Pixies, Desaprecidos.

06 - The Boots - "I Need Your Voice" from the album "This Is Not A Test"

Some old fashioned rock'n'roll for you right now, as The Boots channel the spirits of early Pumpkins to create a thumping slice of rock thunder. It's not for everyone, and there are times when the album seems to dip into a radio rock frenzy, but this stands out as one of the best songs on there. The drum's sound like war drums, and the vocals are scathing and desperate, giving it an element of Hope of the States. There's not been a decent grunge album in a long time, but this comes closer than anything has to recapturing the spirit of the early 90s, and what's more, it's completely free and legal to download on http://www.airbagpromo.com/records/apr001

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Hope of the States, Smashing Pumpkins.

07 - Handsome Furs - "Legal Tender" from the album "Face Control"

And now for something completely different as we go back to that funky white boy dance parade of tracks 2 and 3. This is Handsome Furs, a side-project of the wonderful Wolf Parade, and what a side-project it is. Handclaps come in abounds as our vocalist croons out some gorgeous lyrics with a beautiful electronic backdrop. Very funky, and with a rhythm that reminds me of early LCD. This is how indie music should sound, bands put too much stock on guitars and drum loops these days, and there just doesn't seem to be enough indie bands out there who are interested in tackling the electric side of music. This breaks that barrier, and it breaks it with style.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Beck, LCD Soundsystem.

08 - Barzin - "Soft Summer Girls" from the album "Notes To An Absent Lover"

Barzin new album is a familiar one, it's one of those albums where the songs all kinda sound the same, but for some reason they all sound wonderful. It's nothing outstanding, but it's extremely pretty, and "Notes To An Absent Lover" sounds like it's going to be this year's 'acoustic' album. It's slow and it's chilling, and unlike a lot of bands who go for the acoustic side of things in the last couple years, it's totally sincere. There's no sinister edge to it, there's no angsty bite to it, it's just a set of love songs that sound beautiful, and sometimes (not often, but sometimes), simplicity is key to making a brilliant album.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Iron & Wine, Manchester Orchestra.

09 - John Frusicante - "Song To The Siren" from the album "The Empryean"

I'm a firm believer that the Red Hot Chili Peppers aren't worth a shit, and they haven't been for a hell of a long time. There's no question that the likes of 'Can't Stop', 'Californication', 'Aeroplane' and 'Otherside' are all great tracks, but when it comes to making an album, they're all filled with so much filler that it amazes me to think they're one of the biggest bands in the world. However, guitarist John Frusciante is a different kettle of fish, and his solo work far outshines anything that RHCP have done as a group. This, the cripplingly depressing track 2 from the new album is a perfect example of how amazing he can be. It tugs on the heart-strings and it doesn't let go, it's just purely euphoric.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... your head in an oven, because that's where it'll end up after this.

10 - Coconut Records - "Wandering Around" from the album "Davy"

I have to give a big big big thankyou to Chris for recommending Coconut Records, because they're absolutely glorious. Very folky, but with a big side-order of plain faced indie-pop, this may be the stand-out track from their second album. It's also amazing because the band is led by Jason Schwartzman, the star of I Heart Huckabees. It doesn't make the music any better to know that it's sung by him, but it does make me love it more, because I'm horrendously bias towards that film. This is definitely one for the springtime, and I wouldn't be surprised to see Coconut Records get a lot of airtime in the next few months.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Blitzen Trapper, Little Joy, The Shins.

11 - Loney, Dear - "Harm" from the album "Dear John"

I'm not gonna lie, this song terrifies me to my very core. It's just dark as all hell, and it just goes to prove that if you want to find the best music, you need to look to the Scando's. Sweedish singer-songwriter Emil Svanängen has created a record so cutting and cold that it's hard to take down in one listen. It's beautiful in its empty hatred of the world and his self-deprecating voice and minimalist instrumentals are just gorgeous. It's not for the feint of heart, but it is definitely one of the best that the first quarter of 2009 has to offer.

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Radiohead, Dark Captain Light Captain.

12 - Peter Adams - "Into The Mist" from the album "I Woke With Planets In My Face"

The last band I'll be keeping an eye on over the next few months is Canada's Peter Adams, with their synthesizers in full swing and dangerously familiar vocals (seriously, someone tells me who the guy sounds like because it's really beginning to piss me off), it puts a huge smile on my face, it's a perfect example of how indie-pop should be served up. Warm, fuzzy and covered in cool. It just a nice song, and that's what these days are calling for, because with all the anger and aggression the recession's causing, it'd just be nice if we could all sit down, throw in I Woke Up With Planets In My Face and get along with each other. Yes, my friends, you heard it here first, I believe this song could end wars!

If you were going to listen to this, you should also check out... Sunset Rubdown, I'm From Barcelona, John Frusciante.

[Skummy]

Is that Tim Buckley's "Song To The Siren"? Because if so, I imagine it'd be bloody excellent.

[Iain76er]

Is that Tim Buckley's "Song To The Siren"? Because if so, I imagine it'd be bloody excellent.

It is.

[probablyoliver]

I have no idea how I didn't notice that. My god, I grew up with my Dad pumping that into my head on a daily basis, and I didn't even realize. And yet I still recognized that Adventures of Pete & Pete song. Blimey.

[Cactus Drags]

There needs to be a database of popular songs covered by emo/screamo/post-hardcore/pop-punk bands.

I downloaded Alakrity's album the other day, shitty pop-punk outfit, but the bonus track was a cover of the Power Rangers theme, which was alright.

Edited January 21, 2009 by Dragsy

[YI]

DON@T BE GONE WHEN I GET HOME!!! II NEED YIOU THERE!!!!

IF I HAD TO EXPLAIN IT I WOUDLNT KNOW WHERE TO START!

IT@S LIKE YOU'RE FALLING IN OVE WHILE I'M JUST FALLING APART!!

Apprently Me Vs Hero/Paige tourn dates are announced alter todya...WHOOO!!!

WHO WANTS TO GFO TO GROEZROCK!!! EVERN IF THE LIENUP IS SHIT!!! GET UP KIDS!!! I WANT!!!

Edited January 22, 2009 by YI

[IAceI]

I didn't tap my foot once to If You're Going To Listen To Anything.... Not once. I want my money back.

It is good though.