This song is one of their best. Fleet Foxes has a new video for “Mykonos”, off the Sun Giant EP. Because I worship their skin flakies, here’s the video:
Lead singer Robin Pecknold has started a new small side project for covers and acoustic tunes. In past interviews he mocks his own band name due to the high number of indie animal band names. So onward and downward with his new project, White Antelope.
I feel like this band has been able to spiritually connect with many people’s hearts, especially Robin. They get the hippie tag a lot (he cut off his hair ok?!), and that’s cool by me. One of the things I love about Robin’s lyrics are his earnest sentiments of familial love. Loving your brother isn’t cool in rock and roll, but it goddamn should be. Dave and Caaaammmm!
After seeing interviews and wallowing in their songs, Robin needs a nice and good brotherly hug from Mike C. But I’d wait to talk to him first and we’d talk about Nick Drake, how crazy Crazy Horse actually is, and how much Tacoma sucks. You know, just in case.
Sweet harms always win. Out of any live performances I’ve seen from them, these were two of their strongest. A whole year of touring will make many bands tight as hell. And Robin Pecknold’s voice still takes you on a wondrous coniferous journey.
Seattle’s Fleet Foxes, my favourite band of 2008 (as well as many many others’ favourites) will be performing on SNL this Saturday with host Rosario Dawson. I think I will just YouTube the performances, because I foresee a pretty weak comedic performance.
They are performing Blue Ridge Mountains (f yes!!) and debut EP single “Mykonos”.
Let my list add to the online listnoise, it makes my opinion feel important. So score one for egotime.
Overall I feel like 2008 wasn’t a major year for life-altering music, but some solid offerings nonetheless.
10. Shearwater – Rook – Belle and Sebastian meets The National meets Elbow with a Morrissey-derived vocal. Melancholy, intelligent, some slightly diversified arrangements and dynamics, and a great amount of intensity weaved into many of the tracks. Closing track “The Snow Leopard” is a definite tip of the hat to Radiohead’s “You and Whose Army”.
9. Mogwai – Hawk is Howling – Who doesn’t love a good British post-rock instrumental once in ahwile? Not a lot of critical acclaim for this one, but it was one of my favourite Mogwai records for sure. Some classic sounds – nice grand piano, analog delays, tasteful reverb. A great moody record.
8. Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid – perhaps my favourite Elbow record. Simple yet dark, what Elbow does best. Vocals are British lullabies, beautiful production (especially drum sounds, wow). A lot of strong songs that will grow on me even more than they already have.
7. Vacuity – At the Command of the Blanket Sky- Kitchener friends Vacuity have really made a strong, thought provoking record. Definitely for fans of OK Computer, No Logo, 1984, V for Vendetta, and self-awareness. Intense and solid vocals, beautiful and intelligent arrangements, welcomed unique lyrical style, great drumming, classic Fender tones. To exemplify a progressive and experimental business model, they have decided to put up their album online for all. Download the album for FREE here.
6.Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust – Perhaps more of an honorary mention, this band could very well be my favourite band ever. I prefer 2005′s Takk and 2002′s ( ), but this offering is a welcomed new direction for the band – happy! Single Gobbledigook is a truly great song, while others are more reminiscent of their earlier stuff.
5. Deerhunter - Microcastle – I got to this band/album quite late, only a few months ago. But they’ve been able to successfully do what I’ve always wanted to do in a band – create a great Radiohead influenced sound that doesn’t sound like Radiohead. They combine my love of post-rock with many fuzzy/shoegazy instrumentals, my love of 60s melodies with clear Brian Wilson/Beatles nods paired with solid Radiohead/NY rock guitars.
4. Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs- This record proves that this band can go broader, deeper, and at the same time get the #1 billboard debut upon release. If you want to hear one of the best drummers in rock music, listen to this record for Jason McGerr. If you want to hear one of the best indie producers, listen to this record for Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla. A band worthy of popularity. Pop with brains.
3. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago – If TV on the Radio made a heartfelt acoustic record, this would still be better. The indie-cred backstory is perfect (he spent a winter isolated in a cabin in the midwest and made a record) and his songs have soul and real feeling, it’s clearly felt. The clear winners are the opening and closing tracks in “Flume” and “re: stacks”. The opening lyric of the album (“I am my mother’s only one / it’s enough“) and closing lyric of the album (“This is not the sound of a new man or crispy realization / It’s the sound of the unlocking and the lift away / Your love will be safe with me“) are perfect bookends for this intimate and melodic record.
2. Mardeen– Read Less Minds – A great current twist on classic 90s Halifax Pop Explosion powerpop. So so hooky, every track is a true gem. These guys will make waves very shortly, or at least they deserve to. I get a mix of The Stills, The Super Friendz, males singing good 90s Liz Phair, Interpol, and Sloan.
1. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes - It’s on a lot of top lists, and this is my true winner for the year. This album hit me more than any album has in a couple of years. It’s undeniably melodic, cathedral, soulful, genuine music. People overcompare with Jim James references, mainly because JJ and Robin Pecknold from Fleet Foxes have the two strongest voices in American rock today. The spotlight of this album is clearly vocal – 4 part harmonies and not just root-3rd-5th-octave. Some real haunting harmonies. Winners include “White Winter Hymnal”, “Blue Ridge Mountains”, and “Quiet Houses”.
Some of the moments in this Fleet Foxes video, c/o indie staple Blogotheque are my favourite of the year:
I guess the best way to start is to let you know what I’m listening to and what I’m reading.
I’ve been spinning these tracks for the last month, and they both keep getting better and better.
The National‘s Boxer is about a year old and on virtually every rock critic’s top 10 list of 2007, deservedly so. The bandwagon is warm. Matt Berninger’s vocal delivery is something very special. Don’t let the baritone get you down – it grows on you like Chia.
I think of (good intersection mellow) Bruce Springsteen, Arcade Fire, Interpol, Leonard Cohen. They are notoriously known for being a “grower” band. Remember when you and your friends always say “My favourite albums are the ones that grow on me. You have to earn it.”? Yes, it’s how we all feel, it’s probably the most important sign of a good song, at least to me. This is how the National frames their writing, and this record completely displays it. Not too many bands have this as their mandate, and I have no reasonable idea as to how Matt Berninger writes with that in mind, it’s boggling. Give it a small period of time, you’ll find Waldo.
Fleet Foxes is another deserved bandwagon jump. Say what you want about the almighty Pitchforkmedia.com, they are responsible for distinguishing this band for me, and I appreciated their promotion of Fleet Foxes. Think old Jim James from My Morning Jacket (one of my heroes) goes Great Lake Swimmers. The late bloomer “Blue Ridge Mountains” has really solidified this band as a group who really gets great melody and moody/intelligent arrangements.
” In the quivering forest / Where the shivering dog rests // I will do it grandfather / Wilt to wood and end”
” I was following the pack all swallowed in their coats / with scarves of red tied ’round their throats //
to keep their little heads from fallin’ in the snow / And I turned ’round and there you go”
Check out 4 awesome tracks on their MySpizz. Their songs are so good, it’s actually worth going to their MySpace and tolerating the most blood-boilingly annoying talking emoticon banner ads, trust me.
SAY SOMETHING.
Ok. I’ve also been reading a not-so-new book, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon. My mumsy was the main reason why I decided to read it.
Really cool narratives, sporadic, train of thought style dialogue. Fun and complex and disturbing. A cool read so far.
More personal updates will follow soon, but this is more important. Right?
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