Monday, August 27, 2007

Zack Harrison Memorial Music Monday: Best of 07 to date.

So it's a little more than halfway through the year. Or a little more than a little more. Whatever. I'm not really into "dates" and "calendars." Because I've been a busy bee and haven't listened through my cache of new stuff, I assembled a list of what I would consider the year's essentials thus far. I don't feel like digging up links, and I've posted most before, so the burden's on you. Or you can send me a SASE and I'll burn Now That's Indie! Vols. I & II for you.

In no particular order:

Now. Now. - St. Vincent
Fake Empire - The National
Intelligentactile 101 - Jesca Hoop
Golden Skans - Klaxons
Nighttiming - Coconut Records
Heart It Races - Architecture In Helsinki
I Was A Daughter - Basia Bulat
Kid On My Shoulders - White Rabbits
The Magic Position - Patrick Wolf
Four Winds - Bright Eyes
Sea Lion Woman - Feist
What Light - Wilco
Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse - Of Montreal
These Girls - Ryan Adams
Open Your Heart - Lavendar Diamond
Instead - Ola Podrida
Icky Thump - White Stripes
Comfy In Nautica - Panda Bear
My Rights Versus Yours - The New Pornographers
Sight Lines - Rogue Wave
Die. Die. Die. - Avett Brothers
Elephant Gun - Beirut
Steven - Voxtrot
Heart It Races - Dr. Dog
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa - Vampire Weekend
Time Bomb - The Format
Heretics - Andrew Bird
The Underdog - Spoon

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Silence?

13 comments:

Unknown said...

This is some good stuff. I'm not really that happy with the new Wilco Album. Not really sure what Jeff Tweedy's problem is. It's like Wilco is a Porsche that never gets driven above 25mph-whatever end of rant. You should check out Tegan and Sare "The Con" , The Rosebuds " Night of the Furies", Tokyo Police Club "Smith" and my personal fav...The Sea and Cake "Everybody". What can I say I'm a music junkie.

Jeannetto said...

if you made a paypal account i'd totally buy blythe's "now that's indie" and i'd talk about how indie it is that i get my music from a blogger in oklahoma. the anti-scene scene.

blythe said...

i'm serious when i say i'll burn it for you, if that's legal. i mean, i already paid for it, so can i do what i want? is there a copyright lawyer in the house? i love to spread the love.

blythe said...

oh, and exile_grrl, you're totally right about your wilco analysis. however, i really like what light. i think a lot of bands these days aren't into the singalong quality of music. that sounds dumb, but i know what i mean. i like its folkishness.

Unknown said...

blythe-
there is nothing i like more than a great singalong tune. i just can't believe that wilco has strayed so far away from the initial rock quality of am and summerteeth. "box full of letters" is a great song. plus, what are you doing with nils cline if you're not going to let him rock? who knows maybe i'm just burnt out from ryan adams' obsession with american beauty and the grateful dead. clearly, i'm obsessing.

Anonymous said...

I think the highlight on "Challengers" is "Myriad Harbor." Dan Bejar's stuff with the Pornographers always sounds better than his Destroyer work to me. I know that's a minority position, but I think that Bejar plays off Carl Newman and that it keeps his work nimbler. The Bejar tracks on "Challengers" are the album's highlights for me; and while it isn't as fun as the previous three, "Challengers" is the most listenable as a start-to-finish album.

d said...

um. ok. i don't think we can be friends anymore. don't like 'sky blue sky'? what? did i read that right? yes. sadly. yes. IT'S THEIR BEST ALBUM SINCE BEING THERE. seriously, dude. wtf?

honestly though, i've totally made pretty much this same mix. minus dr. dog whom i haven't ever listened to. isn't panda bear the bomb dot com?

keep on rockin'.

Anonymous said...

My sophisticated and thorough analysis: Sky Blue Sky is the boring suck.

blythe said...

ok, secret time: i kinda think the rest of the new porno's album is sky blue sky. but, that's the great thing about america. agree to disagree. also, sometimes, albums just don't come together as a whole.

question for you all: favorite wilco song?

mine is she's a jar.

d said...

jesus, etc. or heavy metal drummer

Unknown said...

hmmm....Box Full Of Letters or Theologians....tough call for me

blythe said...

ooh. good choices. i feel a mix cd coming on...

Anonymous said...

Heavy Metal Drummer.

She's a Jar is also excellent. Spiders (Kidsmoke) has something weird and special, like the longer songs Neil has done with Crazy Horse.