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She won't be my number one--probably top ten--but I feel she is far more deserving than the other two aforementioned albums.

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Originally posted by ericg75:
I think Phoenix's It's Never Been Like That wins as the best album to come out of France this year.

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Originally posted by Dumbangel:
Comment décrire Barth ? Euh...
Je dirai pour faire un simple raccourci que c'est un croisement entre John Lennon et Beck. Y a le côté songwriter à la voix légèrement nasaillarde de l'un mélangé avec le côté bricolo de l'autre. Bref c'est très bon à mon goût, et faute d'être un chef-d'oeuvre c'est néanmoins un disque qui gagne à être connu. Quant à M83, je ne suis d'accord avec toi, je trouve ça excellent. Par contre, le dernier Daft Punk = caca.
Ginger Frolic, je connais pas. Quel genre ?

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Originally posted by ezkcdude:
2. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
5. Mastodon - Blood Mountain

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Dork
Enthusiast
Posted 15 December 2006 05:50 PM Hide Post
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Originally posted by ezkcdude:
2. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
5. Mastodon - Blood Mountain

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Originally posted by jonathanbrisby:
Here goes:
1. The Knife - Silent Shout

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Originally posted by Dork:

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Originally posted by ezkcdude:
2. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
5. Mastodon - Blood Mountain

I don't understand your tastes.

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Originally posted by jonathanbrisby:
4. Keith Fullerton Whitman - Lisbon

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Originally posted by goathouse:
Sorry about the descriptions, but I had already written them prior to finding this thread. Don't know if it's appropriate or not.

1. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

The singers' voices are inimitable, indie, and appealling. Texturally interesting without sounding fiddled-with. Lot's of interesting vocal and musical dynamics that come together nicely after a few listens. Understated yet propulsive.

2. Bob Dylan - Modern Times

Lyrically hypnotic, extremely derivative, and completely sublime. Dylan's latest album has him revisiting the same extremely ingrained classic themes that he always has, but his circular rhymes, and his choice jazzy folk-rock backing band will have your head swimming and your mouth cracking a smile.

3. Islands - Return to the Sea

There's a fairly intelligible dark thesis interwoven with these diverse tracks. With the exception, perhaps, of a few less-than-exciting passages, this is a sonically adventurous, insidiously catchy album that comes together very nicely as a whole dispite it's veering amongst styles.

4. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood

The songs end abruptly. It's not jarring. Neko's voice has as soul of it's own, and her lyrics, while somewhat stream-of-conscious, coalesce into fractured, ditch-running fever dreams. A country album that isn't really country. A good-sounding album that's easy to come back to once it has your attention.

5. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming

A shambling, rusty-hinged masterpiece full of buzzing, creaking beauty and barely controlled neurosis. There's a caged animal in this music that is sometimes angrily pacing the confines of it's prison and sometimes slumped in the corner in a deteriorating state.

6. Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That

Soulfully performed, dancey, indie rock that does in fact sound a bit like The Strokes minus the New York. The singer has some of the same vocal ticks as Britt Daniels (Spoon) and in the same vein, has a shmoozy, wet-mouthed delivery that thankfully doesn't splatter. Tuneful, catchy, with a sliver of extra depth right where it needed it.

7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones

While it may not have the unbridled energy and sponteneity of it predecesor, Show Your Bones manages to bring its songs to satisfying peaks and remains lyrically involving and charismatic all the way through. Too solid, and too knowing to be dismissed.

8. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever They Say I Am That's What I'm Not

Over-hyped? Yes, certainly. Devoid of merit? No way. These songs, while strangely un-tuneful at times, drum up a lot of enthusiasm in a game listener, with their fast clip and virtuoso mid-flight changes. The lyrics paint really convincing portraits of after-dark exploits and the singer has a little bit of whatever Bradly Noel (Sublime) had. The smattering of slower songs surprise by not being filler.

9. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time

Mid-tempo indie rock with a southern glow, Everything All The Time is actually quite unique in the current musical landscape. Yes, these songs do have wide open spaces, but beyond that, they are artfully cunstructed and convincing with subtle hooks and solemn energy.

10. Yo La Tengo - I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Kick Your Ass

Hilarious title aside, this band actually seems to take their music pretty seriously. Between Grateful Dead space-jams and one not-too-innocuous ambient track they hunker down and craft sharp classic rock... indie style. Has the ability to transport the listener.

11. Danielson - Ships

This is one of those albums that you'll never get your friends at the bar to listen to. The vocals are high-pitched, nasally, and wierd man. The lyrics are completely bereft of self-deprecating Cobainisms and vaguely preachy. The band is shizophrenic, packed with instruments, and just all over the place. In other words: it rocks.

12. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies

A mature slab of impressionistic, stream-of-conscious folk-rock that, while a bit on the freaky side, ultimately comes off as classic and even classy. The abundant lyrics are definately the main actor here, but the music has star-power too. Dylan should be proud, because he definately paved the way for this success.

13. The Knife - Silent Shout

Quite frankly, this album doesn't scare me one bit. What it does do is give me a rollicking good time by treating me to a macabre, pitch-adjusted female vocalist howling demonically over fun-house computer beats and broken-spring synthesizers. I finally have something to listen to while I nestle in to knit a black and red scarf for my niece.

14. Tapes n' Tapes - The Loon

The thing about these guys is their handle on their mildly derivative feelings. A thousand other bands could probably play these same songs without much success, but these fellas sound comfortable in their skin throughout this album. Their mature approach to music in general ensures that it sounds organic and alive, with plenty of natural space inside.

15. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit

While these songs may initially seem like nothing more than a trite distraction, especially to someone unfamiliar with the band, they have a sly wit and a lot of musicality that reveals itself after a few listens. Belle & Sebastian rely on a lot of well-known song-writing and classic-rock musical tricks, but they sound so good, and come off so intelligent that it's easy to forgive.

So, to summerize:

1. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
2. Bob Dylan - Modern Times
3. Islands - Return to the Sea
4. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
5. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
6. Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That
7. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Show Your Bones
8. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever They Say I Am That's what I'm Not
9. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
10. Yo La Tengo - IANAOYAIWKYA
11. Danielson - Ships
12. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
13. The Knife - Silent Shout
14. Tapes n' Tapes - The Loon
15. Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit


Have a good time. Have a bad time.

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I really enjoyed the Multiples album from last year. How would you compare it to Lisbon?

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15. Converge - No Heroes