quote:

That said, what is so wrong with writing songs or lyrics about something powerful that has happened to you? To me, if you avoid issues that you feel strongly about and that are affecting you, you're being fake.

Yo! I LOVE emotional songs! Music is all about emotional connections! I just don't particularly like it when emotions are overwrought. I will admit to hyperbole about AF, I really don't think they're that bad, but throughout the whole album I feel as though the emotional representation is a bit forced, a bit too much like they're the ones feeling the emotions simply because they've had the necessary experiences to feel them. Don't diminish my emotions with your self-healing melodrama! It's just a personal feeling.

Yo man, you're preaching to the choir about NMH and Mangum. All Mangum interviews I've read are charged with supreme emotion and sincere intensity. That's why In the Aeroplane...ranks among my very favorite albums of all time! He successfully and masterfully channeled his emotions without trivializing or negating their value. That's a difficult thing to do. As AF have proved.

However, I'll agree with you, tentatively, on the open admission of inspiration. It's not a constant cases for me. In some cases, divluging sources of inspiration will ruin a work; in other cases, divulging sources of inspiration will add poignancy. It really depends. But, seriously, think with me here. If we already knew the contextual and subtextual connections with the creation of the work, do we really, truly need a big fat title, Funeral, along with pictures to emphasize the fact that everyone has died??? It seems like big, visual backhands to remind you what the deal is (to go along with the big, exaggerated arrangements). I don't agree with that. There is such a thing as subtlety, you know. But then again, you're talking to someone who loves SOAD...

eels blinking lights and other revelations---best album of the year. Even if you don't understand the motivations, you WILL eventually.

Ok, one last portion to my pro-AF rant and I'm done with it. It's clear you don't like them, that's fine. But how can you justify not giving them any credit at all. They make honest music, which is more than you can say for a whole lot of very popular artists out there. They put a lot of emotion into their music, and don't hold anything back. You view it as over the top, I view it as passionate.

I don't think they're trying to be overally dramatic, it's just the way they express how they feel. If you watch their live shows, you get a better idea of that. They're not up there being serious and look-at-how-deep-we-are, they goof around, banging on ceilings, walls, each other, tieing people up, stealing instruments, kicking shins, and having a good time.

I'm fighting a losing battle here anyways, since you're certainly not going to change your mind about them. But, there's my feelings, for what it's worth.

quote:

In some cases, divluging sources of inspiration will ruin a work; in other cases, divulging sources of inspiration will add poignancy.

I think you're probably right there. Also, there is a lot of crap out there that seems way overwrought and whiny. I never got that impression with the Arcade Fire, but, then again, it's been months since I've listened to them.

quote:

eels blinking lights and other revelations---best album of the year. Even if you don't understand the motivations, you WILL eventually.

Yeah, I've really come around on this one. I doubt if it will be my album of the year (the Fiery Furnaces EP is probably higher right now), but it's right up there. I appreciate E's autobiographical approach to a lot of the songs, but sometimes I think he reached a bit too far, like the lyrics on "Things the Grandchildren Should Know." At one point he says, "I get up early in the morning / no matter how disappointed I was with the day before it feels new." He is forcing way too many syllables into that spot. It really breaks up the flow of the song. Something more concise would've been much more powerful. Some of the other lyrics on that song are really corny as well. I think more subtelty is called for here.

I have to add one of the two new tracks from the Fountains of Wayne rarities collection, "The Girl I Can't Forget." It gets a lot of play, along with "I Predict A Riot" and "Banquet" when I'm jogging.

My votes so far go to:

Okkervil River - "Black"
The Decemberists - "The Engine Driver"/"On the Buss Mall"

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Okkervil River - "Black"

"Black" is great, but how can you beat "For Real" from that record?

A few more standout tracks from this year:

Out Hud - "The Song So Good They Named It Thrice"
Four Tet - "Sleep Eat Food Have Visions"
Sleater-Kinney - "Jumpers"
Architecture In Helsinki - "It'5"
Sufjan Stevens - "Casimir Pulaski Day"
Andrew Bird - "A Nervous Tic Motion of the Head to the Left"

You beat For Real with The Latest Toughs, of course.

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:
I have to add one of the two new tracks from the Fountains of Wayne rarities collection, "The Girl I Can't Forget." It gets a lot of play, along with "I Predict A Riot" and "Banquet" when I'm jogging.

I'm with ya on the Kaiser Chiefs...that's a great song.

quote:

Originally posted by Daddyboy:

quote:

Originally posted by philosopherEric:
I have to add one of the two new tracks from the Fountains of Wayne rarities collection, "The Girl I Can't Forget." It gets a lot of play, along with "I Predict A Riot" and "Banquet" when I'm jogging.

I'm with ya on the Kaiser Chiefs...that's a great song.

What I REALLY like about it is that cool, droney intro that sounds like a distant cousin to the intro of "Shot By Both Sides."

I also really like "Every Day I Love You Less and Less" from that record. The Chiefs are quite good, even if they're lumped into a post-Franz Ferdinand second wave that they don't quite fit into.

Anthony and the Johnsons-'Hope There's Someone'
It's hard to pick only one, but the ending of this is titanic.

Doves-'Almost Forgot Myself'
The lyrics are forgettable, but the music is gorgeous (hate that word, but that's what the music is)

The Decemberists-'Mariner's Revenge Song'
This is so dramatic...I love the lyrics, Colin Meloy's vocals are even better than usual...the instrumentation is wonderful...it's structured brilliantly...I love everything about it...

Spoon-'I Turn My Camera On'
How a band this could could have passed me by for so long I honestly don't know. But this got me into them, and I haven't looked back since.

Black Mountain-'Set Us Free'
I particularly love the eerie vocals in the background, like ghouls on a cold, snowy mountain path...

The Arcade Fire-'Neighbourhood No.2'
Even though I got this on import in 2004, it was released over here this year, and I can't get enough of it.

I'm sure there are many more/will be many more, but that's all for now.

So Far:

"Banquet", "Helicopter", or "So Here We Are" - Bloc Party
"Bed is for Sleeping" - Bonnie Prince Billy and Matt Sweeney
"Landlocked Blues" - Bright Eyes
"Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme" - Edan
"Evergreen" - the Fiery Furnaces
"Hate it or Love it" - the Game
"The Bucket" - Kings of Leon
"Give it Up" - LCD Soundsystem
"Don't Save Us From the Flames" - M83
"Galang" - M.I.A.
"Twin Cinema" - New Pornographers
"I Turn My Camera On" - Spoon (This song especially rules.)
"Baby C'mon" - Stephen Malkmus
"Walking with a Ghost"- Tegan and Sara
"Forever for Her (Is Over For Me) - The White Stripes.
"Night Light" or "Entertain" - Sleater-Kinney

Twin Cinema is a great song, I'm listening to that album right now actually, it's good stuff.

"Sister Jack" - Spoon
"Banquet" - Bloc Party
"Paul Simon" - The Russian Futurists
"The Latest Toughs" - Okkervil River
"Way of the Sun" - Archer Prewitt
"Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away" - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
"16 Military Wives" - The Decemberists
"Moon Over Shark City" - Devin Davis
"Carolina" - Josh Rouse
"Mr. November" - The National
"The Bleeding Heart Show" - The New Pornographers
"Chicago" - Sufjan Stevens
"This World is Made of Paper" - Thunderbirds Are Now!
"The Denial Twist" - The White Stripes
"Entertain" - Sleater-Kinney

A few more contenders...

"A Nervous Tic of Motion of the Head to the Left" Andrew Bird It took me a while to come around the album as a whole, but persistance and consistent recommendations around here paid off (thanks, mark!). My favorite track from one of the year's best albums.

"Cutting Daisies" butterCUP I have my sister-in-law to thank for this one. A great lead-off track from an album that will probably go woefully overlooked this year.

"Please Stand Up" British Sea Power Along with Ben Lee, an album for which the widespread panning just baffles me. Thanks to pE for the suggestion. It's retro love for me. It would be at home rolling under the final scene of a John Hughes movie.

"Landed" Ben Folds I'm a bit indifferent to the album as a whole, but "Landed" ranks with any of Folds' best.

"Dance Music" The Mountain Goats I liked last year's We Shall All Be Healed. I love The Sunset Tree. I've said before that I'm a sucker for dark lyrics over a bouncy melody, so this one's a natural for me. "While my stepfather yells at my mother/Launches a glass across the room straight at her head/And I dash upstairs to take cover/Lean in close to my little record player on the floor/So, this is what the volume knob's for/I listen to dance music, dance music" may be my favorite lyric of the year.

"Born to a Family" The Go-Betweens Oceans Apart will easily yield another couple of contenders for my favorite individual track before year's end, but for now, this is the one.

"Your Little Hoodrat Friend" The Hold Steady They killed this one live in Bloomington a week ago, but I missed the backing vocal, which absolutely makes the track.

"Ode to L.A." The Raveonettes Pretty in Black has been one of the more pleasant surprises of the year for me, not having really liked any other Ravenottes album start to finish until now. This one's currently edging out "Love in a Trashcan," but that may just be because I would happily listen to Ronnie Spector sing the phone book.

"Play the Hits" Hal As lyrically vapid as Okkervil River and The Mountain Goats are lyrically rich and thank goodness. It would be a shame to get in the way of such a great hook.

Now Playing: "Let's Kiss" Bullette The Secrets

quote:

Originally posted by ericg75:
So Far:

"Banquet", "Helicopter", or "So Here We Are" - Bloc Party
"Bed is for Sleeping" - Bonnie Prince Billy and Matt Sweeney
"Landlocked Blues" - Bright Eyes
"Fumbling Over Words That Rhyme" - Edan
"Evergreen" - the Fiery Furnaces
"Hate it or Love it" - the Game
"The Bucket" - Kings of Leon
"Give it Up" - LCD Soundsystem
"Don't Save Us From the Flames" - M83
"Galang" - M.I.A.
"Twin Cinema" - New Pornographers
"I Turn My Camera On" - Spoon (This song especially rules.)
"Baby C'mon" - Stephen Malkmus
"Walking with a Ghost"- Tegan and Sara
"Forever for Her (Is Over For Me) - The White Stripes.
"Night Light" or "Entertain" - Sleater-Kinney

I'm adding "The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth" by Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! Anyone who likes the nerdy vocal stylings of the Violent Femmes, They Might Be Giants, or the Dead Milkmen should definitely check this band out.

"Wishbone" - Architecture In Helsinki
"Tribulations" - LCD Soundsystem
"10 Dollar" - MIA
"Farewell/Goodbye" - m83
"The Two Sides Of Monsieur Valentine" - Spoon
"When I Come Back Around" - Jamie Lidell
"Jumpers" - Sleater Kinney
"Do the Whirlwind" - Architecture In Helsinki
"Stereo Music for Acoustic Guitar, Buchla Music Box 100, Hewlett Packard Model 236 Oscillator, Electric Guitar and Computer Part Two" - Keith Fullerton Whitman
"Twin Cinema" - The New Pornographers
"Drugonaut" - Black Mountain

This is the definitive list:
Where's Your Girlfriend At?- Blueprint
The Denial Twist- The White Stripes
Cygnus... Vismund Cygnus- Mars Volta
The World's Gone Mad- Handsome Boy Modeling School
Love Letters- The Perceptionists
Feel Good Inc.- Gorillaz
Banquet- Bloc Party
Early Morning Tony- Felt(Murs & Slug)
Violent Pornagraphy- System Of A Down
Livin' For The City- Dirtbombs
Making Planets- Edan

I should probably post this in the "Who do you just not...get?" thread, but I don't get the appeal of System of a Down. Their brand of metal seems so over the top and cartoony at times.

Some more tracks:
Imogen Heap - Hide And Seek
Wolf Parade - I'll Believe In Anything
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - In This Home On Ice
Supergrass - St. Petersburg
Super Furry Animals - Lazer Beam

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