Tuesday, January 23, 2007

it's fantastic... to be back

Hello all! It’s been a while (okay, a month) since I’ve posted anything due to… really extenuating, yet unavoidable suburban circumstances (Gamecube marathons and uh….Gamecube marathons). Honestly, though, I was pretty busy over break and have a lot of catching up to do, but I'm ver. excited because 1. I love these bands and 2. I love you.
So anyway, a lot of people complained that 2006 was a year of not-so-impressive album releases, and that 2007 isn’t looking much better. Please. Last year was awesome, and to prove that, here’s a recap of some of the best (and my official, very unmonumental list of ten great albums from the past year):

10-Emily Haines, Knives Don’t Have Your Back
9 -The Islands, Return to the Sea
8-Danielson, Ships
7- Tilly and the Wall, Bottoms of Barrels
6- Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
5-Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat
4-Regina Spektor, Begin to Hope
3-The Decemberists, The Crane Wife
2-Sufjan Stevens, The Avalanche
1-Joanna Newsom, Ys

Since we said Auld Lang Syne almost a month ago, I’m not going to get into my reasons for that list, but if there are questions, comments, concerns, we can def. talk later. Anyway. So if you’re a Doubting Thomas of the greatness that will be 2007 music, see and believe: Tuesday, January 23 (Today! Surprise!) and the week to follow are some important days for music indeed. Let’s have a little looksy:

The Shins: Wincing the Night Away - It’s been three years since Chutes Too Narrow, but The Shins prove that they’ve still got it with one of the most anticipated albums of 2007. Noted as a more experimental, calculated step (The record is rumored to be a concept album following one central character, a jaded boy who could be an indie Holden Caulfield), the group maintains their standard sound while branching out into some new concepts. Though their experimental tracks may be controversial to some fans, they’re definitely moving in an innovative direction (let’s just hope Zach Braff thinks so).

Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? – Some people say Kevin Barnes has gone completely crazy. I say…possibly, but he still writes some damn good lyrics. The band also gets kinda funky on this release, utilizing everything from a melodic piano to a screaming synth, making Hissing Fauna one of their trippiest albums yet.

Deerhoof: Friend Opportunity-The quirky little quartet (I just realized that I originally wrote "trio"..duh.. anyway, and Sufjan Stevens’ self-proclaimed favorite band...sorry, needed to throw that in) is back with their eighth album, recorded in John Dieterich’s bedroom, no less. Percussion heavy and synth happy, Opportunity is slated to be the group’s “tightest” album to date, though there are circling arguments over it becoming “too mainstream.” Oh, you wily musicians, you.

Also more fun albums to look forward to:
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Living With The Living
Rufus Wainwright: Release the Stars
Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
Animal Collective: Okay, so it isn’t technically a new album, but the band is releasing their People EP (originally released in Australia) to the states sometime soon. Also, keep an ear out for member Noah Lennox’s solo project, Person Pitch, due out later this year.

Even more lovely bands to expect lovely things from:
Wilco
The Postal Service
Spoon
Duran Duran

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home