Alec and Kyle's Discoveries of the Year

First of all I would like to wish all of our readers (you 4 rock) a Happy New Year, and I hope that you all wear red underwear tonight (for good luck) and eat lots of lentil beans (for getting rich) up through the stroke of midnight. Since it is the end of the calendar year, some prestigious year end awards can be handed out. For this first award Alec and I sit down at the end of every year and ask ourselves....what band did we not know about before this year that kicks serious ass. We rank our top 5 favs with an inverted point system, and the winner gets the high distinction of Alec and Kyle's discovery of the year.

Past winners are:
2003: Armor for Sleep
2004: The Format
2005: Say Anything

This year...as you may have noticed in the title...we have 2. This is the first ever split decision, but I honestly think it's a good decision...because both of these bands shred.

The early favorite to take the award were these guys...Westbound Train. Alec wrote about them earler here, check that out. Westbound creates a fun blend of ska, reggae, soul, and dub which is perfect for almost any chill party. They are incredibly talented musicians, which makes their live show absolutely incredible with the members soloing off of each other and grooving like no other. Alec posted a tune off their old album Five to Two, so I'll give you a couple off of their 2006 release, Transitions.

Westbound Train - Please Forgive Me
Westbound Train - I'm no Different


The second winner is an alt-country band called the Band of Annuals out of Salt Lake City. When you listen to them it feels like they should be from the plains of Oklahoma rather than the mountains of Salt Lake. They manage to write absolutely beautiful songs, some of which incorporate guy/girl harmonies that get your heart beating. Some of the songs are very relaxed with some acoustic and slide guitars or harmonicas, and others throw in a drumset and pick up the tempo a bit. When I listen to the Band of Annuals, I want to grab a rocking chair, some whiskey, a cigar, a good old dog, and a sweet ranch-style home and chill.

The three songs below show some of the various styles that the Band of Annuals really shine at creating. "Lower" is a song that carries you with a soft singing voice, and then lifts you up with some emotional harmonies and poignant lyrics. "Something True" is a song off of their Live EP that was just released, and it also makes use of the harmonies with some slide guitar thrown in there. I don't exactly know why, but this song always makes me pause for a minute every time I hear it. The last selection "Constant Stride" is a short tune that makes one long for the countryside. It drives a little bit more than the other tunes, and definitely keeps the alt-country feel which I love so much.

Band of Annuals - Lower
Band of Annuals - Something True
Band of Annuals - Constant Stride

Enjoy!

-Kyle

A Few Favorites of 2006

As I sit here not able to sleep anxiously awaiting the arrival of Santa down the chimney, I decided to give a few gifts of my own. I have put a little list together of nine songs, which were released in 2006, that I immensely enjoyed. None of these bands will win any of my other end of the year awards (Top 5 CD's of 2006 and Alec and Kyle's discovery of the year)....but they all put out some incredible songs, and I definitely didn't want to let some of my favorite songs of the year go unrecognized.

Midlake - Roscoe
This song is actually my song of the year. I don't exactly know what it is that hooked me. Maybe it is the old-school feel, maybe it's the way the guitar line is strummed in the chorus, maybe it's the piano break, or maybe it's the way the lyrics are sung. I swear if this song had come out in the 70's, it would be a chart-topper.

Moneen - If Tragedy's Appealing, Then Disaster's an Addiction
This is a band that you MUST see live once in your life. They will roll all over the stage, dive off of speaker towers, crash into drumsets, and throw their guitars 20 feet in the air....all while rocking out like crazy. Have fun playing air guitar with this one.

Hot Chip - A Glue Too Thick
This song is actually a B-side from their 2006 release The Warning, but I was addicted immediately. I love the eurotrash beat, the electronic feel, and the vocal-synth interplay.

Hotel Lights - A.M. Slow Golden Hit
This is a band fronted by the former drummer of Ben Folds Five. Their self-titled cd is a super mellow collection of tunes that are great for the winter. This one grabbed me with the seemingly contrasting light vocals and pushing beat. The synth is also a nice touch, and definitely not overdone.

The New Amsterdams - Turn Out the Light
These guys are my favorite band. This is one of my favorite NewAms songs. It's too bad that this album ended up being my biggest dissapointment of the year, with only 2 listenable tunes. It makes me sad because their last two albums are absolutely genius. This is a softer tune with a great vocal line, especially in the chorus. Check it out.

Park - Who is Aliandra?
Park is one of my guilty pleasures. Super emo (see song titles "Which Wrist First" and "Your Latest Victim"), fairly technical with their guitar work, and definitely a bit dancey nonetheless. This song is the epitome of guilty pleasure...bad lyrics, real pop-punky, and a catchy-as-hell chorus...I love it.

Ratatat - Wildcat
I still don't quite get Ratatat. I'm not convinced that anybody does. An electronic feel, some spacey guitars, layers upon layers of sound that really play well off of each other, and in this song...a sweet wildcat.

Starlight Mints - Seventeen Devils
I played this song one day, and didn't play it again for two weeks. Then one day I was raiding my computer for this song because it was stuck in my head. That's how quickly this one can get you. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Under the Influence of Giants - Mama's Room
This song was my summer anthem. Play it...roll down the windows...cruise. A sick bass line to start, some disco stylings during the chorus, and falsetto singing about makin love. It doesn't get too much better.


Hopefully all of you enjoy some of these tunes....and if you missed them, some of my other favorites from this year are here and here. Leave some comments...let me know what you liked, what you didn't...you dont have to be registered to leave comments! I hope that all of you are having a great Christmas break, and God bless!

-Kyle

Girl Talk

I was reading some weekly music recommendations from a website the other day and was surprised when 2 of the first 4 people recommended the same band. Then another person stated that they would've recommended the same band but since it had already been done they were going to rec something else. Damn I thought. Must be pretty good. The band? Girl Talk

I must admit that I wanted to pass on this right away when I first saw the name. But thankfully I didn't, because I would've missed something pretty amazing. Girl Talk is the stage name of Pittsburg electronic producer Greg Gillis, who makes his living creating songs that are a mix of parts of many popular songs put together. And by many I mean approximately 10 to 20 which is quite a bit for one song.. The songs sample a wide range of materials, and Gillis combines them somehow into individual songs, often with great results.

I've seen his 2006 release Night Ripper listed on several "Best Of" lists for this year. I don't know if it is really one of the best albums of the year, but it's quite good in its own way. Why am I writing about it? Because it's fun. Really fun. Listening to this album you can't help but be drawn in by the catchy beats...and soon you find yourself saying "hey I know that song" every 30 seconds.

Hell you could even make a game of it. Play the album and see who can write down the most number of songs they recognize. Or not. But you should listen to it, because I can't think of a single person who wouldn't enjoy it. It's not going to revolutionize everything you used to listen to, but it sure will make you enjoy all of your old favorite music in a new way. I mean where else can you hear Notorious B.I.G. rapping over Tiny Dancer and Ying Yang Twins rhyming over Bittersweet Symphony? It's a trip down memory lane.....and some nice beats to go with.

Girl Talk - Once Again

Girl Talk - Bounce That


Merry Christmas to everyone
-Alec

Clarity for the Winter

amazon.com

As I was driving up to Eau Claire today, one of the CD's that I put on in the car was Jimmy Eat World's Clarity. Released in 1998 and considered by most JEW fans to be their best, listening to the CD on the ride made me realize how incredible it is as an entire CD. There are no tracks that can hold the same effect when taken out of the context of Clarity. I honestly think that it is in my top 5 CD's of all time because of how whole it is. It's also a great CD for the winter because it just envelops you from start to finish in all of its musical folds and soundscapes. With Clarity you can just zone out, watch the snow fall, and think about whatever you want.

Clarity holds a truly indie/emo rock feel and takes you from some powerful songs with dual vocal choruses and driving drums such as "Lucky Denver Mint" and "Believe in What You Want" to harmonizing ballads that make you want to stare off into the distance such as "For Me This is Heaven" and "Ten". It is an incredibly beautiful CD, and I would definitely recommend anyone to check it out. And please, please, please if you do check it out....listen to the entire CD through once..trust me, it's worth it. I'm sure that many of you have heard JEW before (The Middle was a huge MTV hit off of their CD Bleed American), but I think you should forget all you know about JEW if it is your first time checking out Clarity. Give it a shot I think you will enjoy it. Two tracks off of JEW's newest CD Futures that have a Clarity-esque feel are posted below...this is because I really think that you should listen to Clarity as a whole CD. Ask me for it if you want it, I'll gladly lend it to you.

Oh, and Meg, you were right about Clarity.

Jimmy Eat World - The World You Love

Jimmy Eat World - Drugs or Me

www.musicstack.com

After reading Kyle's last post I realized there was an easy extension that would combine both his and my last posts - Christmas soul music. Many great soul artists and groups have released Christmas music over the years (not all of it living up to the group's reputation). These songs have been featured on albums and also in many Christmas soul compilations that are available.

I decided to put together a little Christmas soul sampler of some of the better songs. Some of the them are old Christmas standards redone in a soulful way (see The Temptations) and others are original holiday songs (see Clarence Carter, though it barely qualifies as a Christmas song). Please enjoy this little compilation as a way to put a little soul into your Christmas and get your body and soul moving.

1. Otis Redding - Merry Christmas Baby

2. Clarence Carter - Back Door Santa

3. Smokey Robinson & The Miracles - Jingle Bells

4. Donny Hathaway - This Christmas

5. The Temptations - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer

6. James Brown - Funky Christmas

7. Charles Brown - Please Come Home For Christmas

8. Stevie Wonder - What Christmas Means To Me

9. The Temptations - Silver Bells


As always, right click and choose "save link as" to download. And of course these songs are for sampling purposes and will be removed at request.

Sweet Soul Music

Hey everybody...so today was great. I finished the hardest quarter of school in my entire life, and have a month of vacation to look forward to. Because of this, I will try and broaden some music horizons by putting a couple soul tunes up. This music is so happy. This music makes me want to dance around my room in my boxers. This music just has some serious soul. When you think about it, soul music really influenced a lot of the music that is on the radio and in cd players now. Powerful singing, powerful drums, powerful choruses, moving bass-lines...all things that are prevalent in many of todays best songs from hip-hop to pop to R&B to Indie...you name it.

The first song is by the Chairmen of the Board, who are well known for their hit "Give Me Just a Little More Time." They were a 1970's soul band based out of Detroit, and they recorded a decent amount of charted hits. The posted song gets you moving right from the beginning with some punchy guitar and truly convincing singing, and breaks into a horn-mediated chorus with some back up soul harmonies. I loved it the first time I heard it...I hope you do too.

The second song is by a 1970's soul/R&B group called the Fifth Dimension. It begins with some light singing and conga drums before a building drum fill leads into everybody feelin all right. Play this one at a party and watch how many people start to slightly dance when filling their beer, when talking to someone else, or even when sitting in a couch. It's a tune that will get people subconsciously addicted to dance. It's great.

Chairmen of the Board - From the Days of Pigtails

The Fifth Dimension - Feelin' Alright


I hope you enjoy the soul tunes, and I hope that they help get you through exams if you still have them....but more importantly celebrate if you don't.

-Kyle

Winter is here

I really think this blog is a musical good luck charm, because both of the concerts that I have gone to since we started have been amazing. Sunday night at The Slackers show was another great experience. The opening band, Todd Hembrook & The Hemispheres, was a pleasant surprise. As they took the stage looking like the nerdy members of some indy band I thought for sure I knew what we were in for. But the goofy-looking lead singer stood up and said, "Tonight we're gonna play a little soul music for you all", and with that they proceeded to rock the place with some classic soul tunes. The strength of the band was definitely Todd Hembrook, who has a very strong voice that works well with soul music. Musically the rest of the band wasn't anything special, but they were solid enough to put on a good show. These guys are a fun, and while I wouldn't say you need to make any special trips to see them, if you ever have the opportunity, I recommend taking it for a good time.

The Slackers played a great set as well, and their live showed their experience of 10 years on the road, as they really knew how to entertain the crowd with both their music and antics. They had probably the tightest vocal harmonies of any group I've seen, and some great horn solos to go with.

So now that we've got some snow on the ground and it really feels like winter, it's time for a little Christmas music. My recs for Christmas music are two cds that have been staples of my family for as long as I can remember.


The first one is A Charlie Brown Christmas by The Vince Guaraldi Trio. A famous jazz pianist in his own right, Guaraldi lent a hand in the composition of the music for the legendary animated special featuring the one and only Charlie Brown. I highly recommend the Christmas special itself, but also suggest taking a listen to the soundtrack composed by Guaraldi. The album features both famous Charlie Brown tracks that everyone will recognize, but also some great jazz trio renditions of some Christmas classics. Guaraldi is an extremely talented pianist, and his simple arrangements give a nice jazzy touch to the songs.

Vince Guaraldi Trio - O Tannenbaum



My second rec is a little classier and traditional. The Christmas Song, by Nat "King" Cole is a collection of Christmas songs sung with his silky-smooth voice. This album is a classic, and there's nothing too complicated about it, just a chance for Nat to impress you with the shear quality of his singing.

Nat King Cole - The Christmas Song

Of course there is plenty of other good Christmas music out there (and plenty of terrible music as well). Check out some Christmas releases from classic singers like Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Elvis, and Ella Fitzgerald as well. It's all jolly and all good.

Show announcement: The Slackers @ Abbey Pub

Since Kyle was a bitch and posted twice before I got a chance, I'm going to post right after him to make a show announcement. The Slackers are playing this Sunday night at the Abbey Pub in beautiful Chicago, and I invite all of you to come to the show with us.

Don't know the Slackers? Not a problem. These guys play a very chill style of reggae/ska with blues and jazz influences that anyone can enjoy. This is not a thrash around concert like the last one. This is a sit/stand with a brew in your hand while grooving to some great tunes kind of concert. So here's your notice, let us know if you want to come, it would be great to get a big group of people out to support live music.

And if you're still not convinced, check'em out right here first -

The Slackers - Bin Waiting

The Slackers - Easy

Show starts at 8 pm, price is $14. Come out, it'll be a good time and a nice diversion from studying for finals.

And don't forget to read Kyle's review of the newest Brand New, it's quite good.....the review that is