Nice point about the pop-mo bands. Every show at the Crawl is rife with that stuff...<shudder>

The Eyedrum was opening when I left the ATL...several new clubs have popped up since I left, including the Drunken Unicorn and Eyedrum. The EARL and Echo Lounge were fairly new when I left...a friend told me that the Echo has lost its liquor license recently. My friend is thinking of starting a new club in East Atlanta or Little Five Points (to replace the late, lamented Point)...

Small update: I think Josh Rouse - Nashville will probably make my year end top ten.

quote:

Originally posted by Bobthespirit:
Small update: I think Josh Rouse - Nashville will probably make my year end top ten.

Amen. A damn fine record. It plays great, from start to finish.

2005 has been a let-down thus-far.

"Dead Cities &c." is a classic, "Before the Dawn Heals Us" is mediocre.

"Source Tags and Codes" is a classic, "Worlds Apart" is awful.

LCD Soundsystem's sound is inconsistent...

Well: at least Bonnie Prince Billy has put out something mature.

I have a feeling the Decemberists, and Daft Punk will only perpetuate the problem.

What do you fellows think?

I can't comment on the records you cite here, Sprawl, but I've been happy with the things that I've picked up thus far in 2005. Nothing's been a total let down, and several of the things I've gotten have been downright great. The stuff I've liked the least (Bright Eyes, Doves) has had solid moments, and the stuff I've liked the most (Ben Lee, Josh Rouse, Clem Snide, Archer Prewitt) has been excellent.
So far, I'm all for 2005 as a stand alone year (I'm not comparing it to 2004, or any other year)!

quote:

Originally posted by The_Sprawl:
2005 has been a let-down thus-far.

"Dead Cities &c." is a classic, "Before the Dawn Heals Us" is mediocre.

"Source Tags and Codes" is a classic, "Worlds Apart" is awful.

LCD Soundsystem's sound is inconsistent...

Well: at least Bonnie Prince Billy has put out something mature.

I have a feeling the Decemberists, and Daft Punk will only perpetuate the problem.

What do you fellows think?

Agreed on the Bonnie 'Prince' Billy. I listened to the new M83 for the first time about an hour before sunrise — it was cold, snowing, and the streets were surprisingly empty — and I was definitely "into it," I guess you might say. But I haven't reached for it since. There's something vapid and uninteresting about it as a whole I can't put my finger on.

We're barely into March, so it's a little early to write the year off as a failure. It doesn't look like any of my revised top 10 from 2004 came out before June, and already I can say with some certainty that Archer Prewitt, Antony and the Johnsons, and Josh Rouse will all be on my year-end list. Superwolf also hasn't fallen out of favor with me, and has actually gone so far as to get me listening to some older Oldham discs again. I listen to Bright Eyes' I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning reasonably often, and still throw the new M. Ward in every now and again.

I'm much more impressed this year than I was at this point in 2004.

I've made it past ten albums. Now it's time to rank.

01 Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die - haven't actually heard it yet, but since this band kicks unlimited ass and since "Do The Whirlwind" and "It'5" are both awesome songs, I will just assume that they've got album of the year coming.
02 Dalek - Absence
03 LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
04 Hood - Outside Closer
05 Caribou - The Milk Of Human Kindness
06 Daft Punk - Human After All
07 Spoon - Gimme Fiction
08 Black Mountain - Black Mountain
09 m83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us
10 Enon - Lost Marbles and Exploded Evidence
11 Out Hud - Let Us Never Speak of it Again

Obviously, the top ten will have shifted dramatically by the end of the year. Hopefully with the exception of In Case We Die, since I want that album to kick as much ass as I think it will.

quote:

Originally posted by Buck "Sweetie" McGuck:
01 Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die - haven't actually heard it yet, but since this band kicks unlimited ass and since "Do The Whirlwind" and "It'5" are both awesome songs, I will just assume that they've got album of the year coming.

We're all going to hold you to that.

Thus far two of my favorites from 2005 have been EP's, in the Fiery Furnaces and Iron and Wine. Bonnie Prince Billy's Superwolf ranks very high as well.
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm was a nice surprise and gets lots of play time along with Archer Prewitt.

Although I like both of the Bright Eyes albums I rarely return to them and I found Josh Rouse to be boring and irritating.

A top 10 might be a little way off yet but here are 5 favorites in no particular order:
Bonnie Prince Billy - Superwolf
Iron and Wine - Woman King
Fiery Furnaces - EP
M.Ward - Transister Radio
Bloc Part - Silent Alarm

Dear Scotia:

Although we share the same home-town, which I would like to add paranthetically, happens to be the unofficial home-town of the now dispersed band entitled the Unicorns; we do not share the same taste in music.

I've seen Bright Eyes in concert. Maybe if you had too, you would have a finer appreciation for our generation's faux-Bobby D!

Listen Scotia, I've seen you riding around London on your bike, let's cut a deal.

The Trail of the Dead concert is mine. You can have Death from Above 1979. I refuse to be in the same bar as someone who actually listens to the Bloc Party. Why don't you eat some glass!

Currently listening to: Talking Heads: Psycho Killer

I'll leave the policing to the Mods, but I'd be remiss if I didn't point out the following:

You misused the semicolon.

Now Playing: Man Man, "Gold Teeth"

I'm not sure what's worse; the misuse of the semicolon; or the edict that Scotia should; "eat glass." That's; not; very; nice; at; all;.

Seriously, here's an update of my current Top 10 for 2005:

1. Josh Rouse: Nashville
2. Clem Snide: The End of Love
3. Archer Prewitt: Wilderness
4. Ben Lee: Awake Is the New Sleep
5. Eric Matthews: Six Kinds of Passion Looking for an Exit
6. Graham Coxon: Happiness in Magazines
7. Ed Harcourt: Strangers
8. Low: The Great Destroyer
9. Doves: Some Cities
10. Iron & Wine: Woman King

Well, I don't think there have been any real standout records in 2005 yet, but...how many standout records are there any year? We haven't even gotten to Beck, White Stripes, or Flaming Lips yet. And the track I heard of Moby's new one sounds like it could be as good as Play.

There are a few very *good* albums in 2005 which I've already listed in previous posts.

The_Sprawl:

Since you are a fellow Londonite I can only assume that the bright eyes concert you attended took place in Toronto, where I heard the average age was 12. Judging from your childish comments I see you would have fit in nicely.

I also find it hard to believe that someone who presumes to have good taste in music could compare Conner Oberst to the great "Bobby D".

As for your deal, I reject it. The concerts must be split into shifts so that we may both see parts of each. For I cannot be in the same bar as someone who listens to the Unicorns.

Now Playing: A.C. Newman - Drink to me, Babe, Then

HA!

Go eat glass....that's classic.
Note to all our good american friends London, Ontario is the most dangerous town in Canada.

But seriously i do concur that bright eyes is so painfully overrated that i could cry for all the obscure great records that im missing because critics won't stop talking about him.

I downloaded both his new albums listened, listened again....wrote off my time and deleted.

I love electronica tinged rock and folk but not >>>>> lameness.

Ahhh i feel so much better
everyone have a good day

Got the new doves album and it is really nice.I think it is kind of a "durr" album...just extending where they left off of on the last album.But it is good none the less.


Also got the new daedelus and it is sweeeet.Right up there with invention and of snowdinia.I think daedelus is making some of the best sample based music today.Very good.Especially if u are a previous fan.

Gotta give a mention to the new Chemical Bros. (Push The Button)

Definitely a good all round album.

LCD Soundsystem is a great debut, didn't expect it to receive so much praise though.

I have to say Daft Punk 'Human After All' is very disappointing, i'll have to give it another couple of listens but it didn't jump out at me like their previous releases. Look out for the Soulwax remix of Robot Rock ;o)

I can understand the disappointment surrounding the new Daft Punk. It's quite possibly the least "deep" album of all time. In terms of how many ideas it contains, it's barely an EP.

In terms of listenability, though, it easily fills its 45+ minutes. It's also great for the car and on a massive stereo, especially "Robot Rock" and "Television Rules the Nation". I know I shouldn't like this as much as I do, but I do.

An example in the other direction would be the Futureheads. I noticed their creative structures and inability to let an idea go stale. But, I just was utterly bored by the whole thing.

It's things like these that make me think hard about what precisely I look for in music. I thought more ideas necessarily makes better music, but then why is Human After All better than The Futureheads?

DURNT! WE-WE-WE-WA-WO!
DURNT! WE-WA-WE-WO-WE-WO!
ROCK! ROBOT ROCK!

I heard a track off the new Daft Punk....gives new meaning to the word 'monotonous'.

Fog - 10th Avenue Freakout (Lex, 02.28.2005)
Rubin Steiner - Drum Major (Platinum, 02.09.2005)
Venetian Snares - Rossz Csillag Alatt Született (Planet Mu, 03.14.2005)
This is surely the most sophisticated relase by Aaron Funk (Snares) to date. Totally my favorite producer.