Begin’s Top Ten
< author: hsd > |
1. Joanna Newsom Ys MP3 | Myspace |
| One of the songs that struck me the most off of Joanna Newsom’s previous album Milk-Eyed Mender, was the song Sadie. One line in particular always stayed with me, “This is an old song, these are old blues. This is not my tune, but it’s mine to use.” This definitely sums up many of my feelings on Folk and Blues. The magic is in the adaptation of other people’s words and songs, finding what you find true and beautiful in them, and adding your own personality to the song. However, on her new album Ys, Miss Newsom has abandoned the folk/blues of others and embraced her own sound. While she was already unique before, her songs where still based off older styles of music. All the songs on Ys flow forward pouring out melodies into the air, never repeating themselves. The album sounds unforced and beautiful, it is the first record in a long time that the song writing blew me away, and not just the textures and melodies. The last time I was this blown away this much I was listening to Grace for the first time, which says something. I think I like this album too much. |
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2. Growing Color Wheel MP3 | Green Pasture |
| I owned His Return (Growing’s previous release) and had heard their previous two albums once through, before I headed down to Chapel Hill, to seeing Growing opening up for one of my favorite bands Mogwai. So, before the show started I headed over to Growing’s merch table to buy the rest of the vinyl I didn’t own. I saw the two older albums that I had already heard and enjoyed, and immediately grabbed them to buy, and to my surprise I saw the new album too. I had not heard the new album so in my dorkiness I made the comment I saw going to buy the new album without hearing it first, so it better be good. The guy from Growing kind of laughed and said that I’d get a good idea of what it sounds like tonight, and that he didn’t think I’d be disappointed. Growing proceeded to play maybe the best live set I have ever seen. I may have been only one of the few who felt this that night, but Growing blew my mind. As I got home I immediately put on the new album and listened with eager anticipation to see if the record lived up to the live performance. To my surprise, they actually played the whole album that night. I wasn’t disappointed with the live to record conversion. The only complaint is that I can never get the record loud enough, which is the best complaint you can possibly have I think. |
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3. Envy Insomniac Doze MP3 | Further Ahead of Warp |
| Envy’s singer sounds like he’s drowning under waves of distortion and epicness, only to finally emerge to a shining sun and a calm sea for a moment before once again being swallowed by the swell of the heavy sea. |
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4. Mind Eraser Glacial Reign MP3 | Manhood |
| Everything I like in heavy music, slow mountain moving sludge, whiplash start and stops, and vein popping vocals. |
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5. Sparrowes, Swarm and Sing O’Shenandoah, Mighty Death Will Find Me MP3 | Warm Blood Within |
| This is the album where Sparrows, Swarm and Sing finally come into their own. The sound of the Shenandoah mixed with the Post-Rock sound I love, make an album that sounds fresh and timeless at the same time. |
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6. Final Fantasy He Poos Clouds MP3 | If I Were A Carp |
| Final Fantasy sounds perfect to my ears, that’s all I can think to say.
Sidenote: Owen Pallet plays all the strings on Fucked Up’s Hidden World, which just got knocked off my list (not that it matters being that I’m sure it will make everyone else’s top ten). |
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7. Lanterna Desert Ocean MP3 | Luminous |
| I love to take long road trips, even if they are to nowhere in particular. This is the perfect soundtrack to sun drenched adventures to just get away. If that isn’t enough, when I first heard them first impression was a country-influenced version of Explosions In The Sky. I still believe what I wrote back in July “This is the sound the Mountains sing on a warm summers day.” |
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8. Om Conference of the Birds MP3 | To The Shrinebuilder (live) |
| I love Sleep, but sad to say, I just can’t get to into Matt Pike’s post-Sleep bands (High on Fire, Kalas), to me it just sounds like the corner’s are cut off. Om, which is the other two thirds of Sleep leans the opposite way of their former bandmates. Where, Matt leads more to the rock side, Om tends to follow to the Doomier more Psychedelic side…..my favorite side. Two songs of trance inducing doom, that what they lack in distortion they make up for in groove. |
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9. Witch S/T MP3 | Myspace |
| J Mascis on Drums, and the nastiest and fuzziest guitar tone in years = a formula for amazing Stoner Rock. |
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10. Boris w/ Michio Kurihara Rainbow Website | Boris |
| Sorry Pitchfork, I don’t care when Pink came out domestically, it came out in 2005. So why don’t you stick to what you know, boring “indie rock” and whatever Vice releases. Leave the doom and stoner music, to people whom actually like and listen to it. With that rant out of way, Boris managed to squeeze this release right at the end of the year, this time collaborating with Japan’s Ghost’s Michio Kurihara. Lazy Psychedelia with soft vocals, Glockenspiel and fuzzy speaker blown guitars. A real loose and relaxed album. It Sounds like floating on a cloud. |
January 7th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
The only thing that surprised me on here was Newsom. Not because it’s not good, it was on my 10, just didn’t expect it on yours. Word up to joanna.
the best description i’ve heard of her voice is from my friend ian:
“you know that sound it makes when you rub a dry finger across a balloon? She kinda sounds like that, but in a good way.”
January 7th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
i was gonna tell you how amazing Fucked Up’s Hidden World was, glad you knew that already. owen gets bonus points for that.
January 8th, 2007 at 12:46 am
Why wouldn’t it be on mine? I loved the first, and love that kind of music.
Am I not allowed to like it because it isn’t drugged-out stoner music, or epic post-rock? I ain’t gonna live in your box james!
January 10th, 2007 at 8:46 am
hi hsd! i miss u.