Thursday, December 25, 2014

OPINION: Most Anticipated Albums of 2015

As I reflect on the year in my best of post, I also think about what I'm looking forward to next year. Here are the ten albums I'm most looking forward to in 2015.

1.   The Wrens – TBA


This album has been a long time coming. Since they haven't released any new material since their masterpiece The Meadowlands, this will be their first output in a dozen years. All signs point to this being a great album; the numerous hours of work being put in, unexpectedly hilarious and candid social media, and a single fantastic snippet they released in July. The Wrens' output has been remarkably consistent throughout their career and they left on a high note, so I'm expecting a great release from the veteran indie band.

2.   Sleater-Kinney – No Cities To Love

The legendary riot-grrrl band are releasing their first album in over ten years in a month. Anyone with any internet savvy can find the album now, but I'm personally waiting for an official release for some reason. The singles they have released are both fantastic and I'm sure the rest of the album will follow suit.

3.   Run the Jewels - RTJ3

Even though Run the Jewels released their incredible sophomore effort, RTJ2, only a few short months ago, the duo have announced that their third album is on the way. If they can top their past work (which seems likely because RTJ2 was much better than their already great debut) they've got a masterpiece on their hands.

4.   Chromatics – Dear Tommy

Every album the Chromatics has been better than the last. While they haven't released anything official since 2012's fantastic Kill For Love, I can't imagine the band putting out something less than great.

5.    Panda Bear – Panda Bear Meets The Grim Reaper

Whether he is working with Animal Collective or by himself, Noah Lennox (Panda Bear) is one of the most unique musicians working today. The lead single from his newest album, "Boys Latin" and the recent EP, Mr Noah, indicate that this will be another great release from Panda Bear.

6.   Kanye West – TBA

No one except Kayne, Seth Rogen, and probably Kim, knows what Kanye's new album will sound like. All I know is I'm excited to hear the result.

7.    Radiohead – TBA

Indie rock's most famous band recently announced they're working on a follow up to 2011's King Of Limb. Despite Thom Yorke's slightly disappointing side projects, I'm excited to hear where the band goes.

8.    Modest Mouse – Strangers To Ourselves

It's been awhile since Modest Mouse has made anything truly great, but with the recent reissues of their classic albums and a good single, the band seems primed to release another classic, or at least something good.

9.    Savages - TBA

I adored Savages debut when it came out, but the band has been silent since then (not counting the recent bizzare release with Bo Ningen). The band is supposedly returning with a new album next year, and hopefully the band will release another great album

10.    Joey Bada$$ – B4.DA.$$

Joey's work in and out of Pro Era has been great, so he is primed to release a great debut album. If the rest of the album is as good as the singles he's released so far, then it will be a great album.

OPINION: Ten Best Albums of 2014

As the year comes to end, people are starting to reflect It's been a hard year for the world, but some great music came out of it. Here are my top ten albums of 2014.

1.    Run The Jewels - Run The Jewels 2

If you had asked me what my top album of 2014 would be in 2013, I would have probably said RTJ2. It's funny how things sometimes actually work out. Killer Mike and El-P have been proving that their worth listening to since the beginning of their respective careers, but people were too stupid to listen. With their debut as a duo, they proved they were a force to reckoned with. With the sequel to that album, they prove they are the force to be reckoned with. No one else came close to them this year. Both El-P and Killer Mike are formidable rappers separately, but together they complement each other so well. Killer Mike's brutal Southern flow meshes amazingly with El-P's technical New York sound. And holy hell, El-P's production is miles ahead of what anyone else is doing. For many people like me who needed a release with the hell of a year we had, this album did exactly that without letting down for a moment.

2.    Open Mike Eagle - Dark Comedy

I feel like I have to justify this album being so close to the top of my list for some reason, which is ridiculous. It's on almost no one else's lists I've read, which is insane because this album is amazing. I have listened to this record probably more than any other album this year, even more than my number one pick. Open Mike Eagle has been consistently fantastic throughout his career, but this release goes light years beyond where he had been previously. The album switches between devastatingly funny to devastatingly sad in moments. Mike's delivery has intimate urgency that I just don't hear from other rappers. The production is as nuanced as Mike's rapping, which is saying something because Mike proves himself to be a fantastic rapper on this album yet again.

3.    Swans - To Be Kind

I have a confession to make, I haven't actually listened to this whole album. Yes, it's my third favorite album of the year and I haven't actually listened to the whole thing. Sure, I've heard the whole thing in bits and pieces, but I haven't just sat down and listened to it. I made it through the first disc, but that's it. I'm going to put it on this list because it's an amazing album and just because I can't sit through two hours of ear-breaking music doesn't mean that I don't absolutely love this album.

4.    Aphex Twin - Syro

Syro is not the best thing Aphex Twin has ever put out, but it's definitely up there. With so much hype behind this album, it's amazing it lived up to any of it. This is the kind of album an artist should release after a hiatus if they don't have an m b v  in them. This album didn't break any new ground like other Aphex Twin releases, but that doesn't mean it isn't great.

5.    Weezer - Everything Will Be Alright In The End

It's a weird feeling to have a Weezer album in my top ten list. I'm one of those Weezer fans; I haven't liked anything since Pinkerton, but I sure love those first two albums. I liked this album when I first listened to it, but since then it's grown on me more and more. It's really nice to have a good Weezer album in the world that's between Pinkerton and Maladroit in terms of quality, and actually gets closer to Pinkerton with each listen.

6.    Clark - Clark

I have a lot of trouble putting this album into words, which is bad when you need to put an album into words for a blog post. This album goes into so many directions at once, but it doesn't feel crowded in the least, every moment feels tightly orchestrated. Clark manages to blend IDM, pop, and so much more into this one album. And holy hell, is it catchy. These songs will be stuck in your head for days and the best part is, you'll be happy they're there.

7.    Priests - Bodies and Control and Money and Power

DC's Priests debut album is deceptively simple, but there is so much more than just what appears on the surface. The band blends punk, post-punk, and surprisingly shoegaze at moments to create an album that sounds like nothing else. Every instrument blends together beautifully, but still manage to heard by their self. I could write a whole blog post about Katy's amazingly strong voice and lyrics, but this one blurb about this fantastic debut will have to do.

8.    Protomartyr - Under Color Of Official Right

If I had to describe Protomatyr's official debut in one sentence, it would be if the album that Interpol would have released if they had formed in 2008, but there's so much more to this record than that description provides. Joe Casey's vocals are devastatingly beautiful and come close to matching the magnificence of Ian Curtis. The instrumentation is surprisingly catchy under this brooding voice, but that risk works out fantastically.

9.    Perfect Pussy - Say Yes To Love

Perfect Pussy deliver an absolutely brutal noise punk record in a year clouded by softness in music (War On Drugs, Grouper, Sharon Van Etten, etc.), but still manage to sound more beautiful than most of those artists. Pounding drums and Meredith Graves percussive voice blend perfectly with screeching guitars. Even if you can't tell what Meredith Graves is saying all of the time, it's clear that it's important.

10.   tUnE-yArDs - nikki nack

Merrill Garbus's third record proves to be her best. Dense both musically and lyrically, this album turns pop music upside down and inside out through interesting rhythms and instrumentation. The record manages to be both accessible and complex, which makes for a great listen.

Sunday, December 14, 2014

NEWS: Modest Mouse Announce New Album

http://www.interstate-8.com/images/news_icons/strangers_to_ourselves_release_note.jpg
Modest Mouse have announced that their new album. entitled Strangers To Ourselves, will be released March 5th, 2015. The first single, "Lampshades On Fire" will be released tomorrow. Hopefully reissuing their classic early albums has inspired the band to go back to their roots. Based on the title of the album alone, it looks like they might be trying to do just that.

Thursday, December 4, 2014

NEWS: Chromatics Announce New Album


Chromatics, everybody's favorite formally post-punk, now synth-pop, group, have announced a new album. The record is entitled Dear Tommy, and will be out "in time for Valentine's Day" according to Pitchfork. Supposed the band will tour in the summer of 2015. Check out the tracklist or stream their absolutely beautiful cover of "Into The Black" below!



Friday, October 24, 2014

MUSIC: Run The Jewels Release RTJ2!


Run The Jewels, the awesome rap duo of Killer Mike and El-P, did a surprise release of their a new album, Run The Jewels 2. You can download the album here.

Monday, October 20, 2014

NEWS/MUSIC: Sleater-Kinney Reunite For New Album, Release New Single


Legendary riot grrrl band, Sleater-Kinney, announced earlier today that they are indeed reuniting and releasing new music. Rumors of a reunion emerged over the weekend with video of a mysterious seven-inch containing new music by the band. The band will release their first record in ten years on January 20. The record will be entitled No Cities to Love and be released on Sub Pop. The first single, which is extremely good and called Bury Our Friends, is linked below. Below the lyric video are tour dates which span across the globe. I'm extremely excited for the return of this fantastic band!


02-08-15 Spokane, WA  @ Knitting Factory - Spokane                
02-09-15 Boise, ID  @ Knitting Factory - Boise                  
02-10-15 Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot                               
02-12-15 Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater                            
02-13-15 Omaha, NE @ Slowdown                             
02-14-15 Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue                            
02-15-15 Milwaukee, WI @ Turner Hall                             
02-17-15  Chicago, IL @ Riviera                                   
02-22-15 Boston, MA @ House of Blues                          
02-24-15  Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club                            
02-26-15 New York, NY @ Terminal 5                                
02-28-15  Philadelphia, PA@ Union Transfer
 03-18-15 Berlin, Germany @ Postbahnhof
03-19-15 Amsterdam, The Netherlands @ Paradiso
03-20-15 Paris, France @ Cigale
03-21-15 Antwerp, Belgium @ Trix
03-23-15 London, UK @ Roundhouse
03-24-15 Manchester, UK @ Albert Hall
03-25-15 Glasgow, UK @ O2 ABC
03-26-15 Dublin, Ireland @ Vicar Street

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

NEWS: Driven Like Jehu Reunite!

The legendary post-hardcore band, Drive Like Jehu, are reuniting for a free, all-ages show at Balbao Park in their hometown of San Diego. This is the first time the band has played since 1995. When the band split up, some of the members band went on form the great bands Rocket From The Crypt and Hot Snakes. Hopefully this just isn't a one off thing and will lead to a tour. 

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

NEWS: TV On The Radio Announce New Album!

TV On The Radio have announced that their new album, entitled Seeds, will be released in the fall on Harvest Records. Watch the album teaser below.

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

MUSIC/NEWS: King Tuff Announces New Album, Releases New Single, And Reveals Tour Dates!


King Tuff's new album, Black Moon Spell, will be released by Sub Pop on September 23. Check out the track list, check the tour dates, and stream the new single "Eye of the Muse" below.



Tracklist:
  1. Black Moon Spell
  2. Sick Mind
  3. Rainbow's Run
  4. Headbanger
  5. Beautiful Thing
  6. I Love You Ugly
  7. Magic Mirror
  8. Madness
  9. Demon From Hell
  10. Black Holes in Stereo
  11. Radiation
  12. Eyes of the Muse
  13. Staircase of Diamonds
  14. Eddie's Song
Tour Dates:
  • 09/25 San Diego, CA - Irenic
  • 09/26 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
  • 09/27 Tucson, AZ - 191 Toole
  • 09/29 Dallas, TX - Club Dada
  • 09/30 Oxford, MS - Proud Larry’s
  • 10/01 Nashville, TN - Mercy Lounge
  • 10/02 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
  • 10/03 Raleigh, NC - Kings Barricade
  • 10/04 Washington, DC - Black Cat
  • 10/07 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
  • 10/08 Brooklyn, NY - Baby’s All Right
  • 10/09 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
  • 10/10 Cambridge, MA - The Sinclair
  • 10/11 Easthampton, MA - Flywheel
  • 10/12 Montreal, Quebec - Il Motore
  • 10/14 Toronto, Ontario - Horeshoe Tavern
  • 10/15 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick Lounge
  • 10/16 Chicago, IL - Subterranean
  • 10/17 Milwaukee, WI - Cactus Club
  • 10/18 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
  • 10/20 Missoula, MT - Stage 112
  • 10/22 Seattle, WA - Neumo’s
  • 10/23 Vancouver, British Columbia - Fortune Sound Club
  • 10/25 Portland, OR - Lola’s
  • 10/28 Sacramento, CA - Witch Room
  • 10/29 San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
  • 11/06 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theatre
  • 11/08 Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Fest

MUSIC/NEWS: More Death From Above 1979 News!

death from above 1979

Death From Above 1979 have released the tracklist for their new album, plus have announced a huge world tour. They have also posted the new single, "Trainwreck 1979", in more easy to access places, such as Youtube (linked below) and Spotify. All off this I will post below.

"Trainwreck 1979":




Tracklist for "The Physical World":
  1. Cheap Talk
  2. Right On, Frankenstein!
  3. Virgins
  4. Always On
  5. Crystal Ball
  6. White Is Red
  7. Trainwreck 1979
  8. Nothin’ Left
  9. Government Trash
  10. Gemini
  11. The Physical World
TOUR:

  • 10/07 – Koln, DE @ Luxor
  • 10/08 – Paris, FR @ Badaboum
  • 10/09 – Brussels, BE @ Botanique
  • 10/11 – Amsterdam, NL @ Melkweg
  • 10/12 – Hamburg, DE @ Hafenklang
  • 10/13 – Berlin, DE @ Cassiopeia
  • 10/15 – Vienna, AT @ Flex
  • 10/16 – Munich, DE @ Orangehouse
  • 10/18 – Zurich, CH @ Mascotte
  • 10/20 – London, UK @ Electric Ballroom
  • 10/21 – Manchester, UK @ Gorilla
  • 10/22 – Glasgow, UK @ The Garage
  • 09/06-07 – Toronto, ON @ Riot Fest Toronto
  • 11/01 – New Orleans, LA @ Voodoo Music + Arts Experience
  • 11/03 – Atlanta, GA @ Buckhead Theatre
  • 11/04 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works
  • 11/06 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
  • 11/07 – Austin, TX @ Fun Fun Fun Fest
  • 11/08 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater
  • 11/10 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre
  • 11/12 – San Diego, CA @ House of Blues
  • 11/13 – Santa Ana, CA @ Observatory
  • 11/15 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
  • 11/17 – San Francisco, CA @ The Independent
  • 11/18 – Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
  • 11/19 – Seattle, WA @ Neumos
  • 11/21 – Salt Lake City, UT @ In The Venue
  • 11/22 – Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
  • 11/24 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
  • 11/25 – Chicago, IL @ Rivera Theatre
  • 11/26 – Detroit, MI @ Crofoot
  • 11/28 – New York, NY @ Terminal 5
  • 11/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
  • 12/01 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
  • 12/02 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues

Monday, July 7, 2014

MUSIC: NEW DEATH FROM ABOVE 1979


Death From Above 1979 have released the first single from their new record, their first new music in a decade. The song is entitled "Trainwreck 1979". The full record, Physical World, is due out September 3rd. The song is definitely worth the wait, the track absolutely kills. Listen to it here at about the 1:52 mark.

Thursday, June 19, 2014

MUSIC: Anamanaguchi Release New Song

Chiptune pop-punk band, Anamanaguchi, have released a surprise new single, entitled "Pop It". It's very different than the group has released before, its much more poppy and has actually singing. At first I didn't like it, but it's growing on me. Check it out for yourself here for an interactive verision of the song, below with the traditional Soundcloud widget, or download it here.

Friday, June 6, 2014

NEWS/SONG: The Rentals Release Album Details and Single


The Rentals, Matt Sharp's band (former bassist for Weezer), announced their first "true" new album in 15 years back in December, but details have been scarce since then. Today, they have officially announced the album, entitled "Lost In Alphaville", will be released August 26th through Polyvinyl Records. The albums was recorded with the help of Jess Wolfe, Holly Laessig, Ryen Slegr, Lauren Chipman, and Patrick Carney (!) and mixed by D. Sardy. You can pre-order it here. Along with the album announcement, the band has released the first single. The single definitely sounds different from their earlier stuff, but it definitely still feels like a Rentals song. Listen to it below!


Thursday, June 5, 2014

NEWS: Interpol Finally Announce New Album!

El Pintor
Interpol's New Album Cover
Interpol is releasing a new album, entitled "El Pintor" ("the painter" in Spanish and an anagram of Interpol), arrive September 8th in the States via Matador. You can preorder it here if you so desire. Watch a preview of the album below!



Wednesday, April 9, 2014

NEWS: Ex-Mars Volta Members and Flea Form Supergroup

Former Mars Volta members, Omar Rodríguez-López, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, and Dave Elitch, and FLEA (?!?!?!) have become the supergroup Antemasque. They have released two videos and a single. Check the videos out below and the single here!





Wednesday, February 19, 2014

SONG: Teenage Dirtbag Song!!!

The ever so great Matt Farley (interview) was kind enough to write a song about the blog! Check out a sample of the song here and buy it to support him! It also should be streaming on Spotify shortly. Enjoy!

EDIT: While this blog is no longer called Teenage Dirtbag, this is still a great song.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

INTERVIEW: Matt Farley

Hi guys, it's been awhile. Glad to be back though. Today's interview is with prolific and hilarious genius Matt Farley of Pappa Razzi and The Photogs, The Passionate & Objective Jokerfan, The Toilet Bowl Cleaners, and many, many more. Enjoy!

1. To introduce you to people who aren't familiar with you, where are you from and what is your style of music?
My name is Matt Farley.  I'm from Danvers, Massachusetts.  For more than 5 years, I've been relentlessly recording songs about every topic I can think of.  The songs are short and catchy.

2. How did you come up with the idea to do what you do today (being a prolific and hilarious songwriter with many different personas)?
I used to be part of a songwriting duo called Moes Haven.  We released 25 albums between 2004-2010.  We put lots of work into creating some fantastic, Dylan-esque masterpieces.  But we also had an inclination to write some silly songs.  I started to notice that the silly songs were the only ones making money (about $2 per song per year).  So I figured if I recorded thousands of songs like these, it might earn me thousands of dollars.  So far, it's working.I came up with all the personas because I thought it would be too complicated for there to be one artist with so many songs.  Also, it's just easier if all the food songs are by The Hungry Food Band, and all the prom songs are by The Prom Song Singers, etc.  And, I figured I'd be creating a fun mystery for people to solve when they recognize that the voice of The Toilet Bowl Cleaners is the same as the voice of The Passionate & Objective Jokerfan.

3. Who are your influences and idols in the music you play and in your style of comedy?
My musical influences aren't known for comedy songs: Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Van Morrison, Billy Joel, etc. In the world of comedy, I like Brendon Walsh and Randy Liedtke. 

4. What kind of humor do you associate your music with; satire, parody, or something completely different?
I'm not sure.  My basic approach would be to say, "Wouldn't it be funny if there was an artist that just sang about _________?"  And then I create that artist.  

5. How does it feel that a song that you made which has you repeatedly singing the word "poop" has over a hundred thousand listens on Spotify?
It feels good, of course.  But I'd be more proud if songs like "Poop Into a Wormhole" or "Bristol Stool Chart" were that successful.  I actually put some work into those two songs.  "The Poop Song" took me two minutes to write and record.  But I won't complain about it!

6. What is your favorite part about being a musician?
I just enjoy recording songs.  It's fun to be creative and to have a finished product that you can share with people.  I've enjoyed recording stuff since I was a teenager. 

8. Which is your favorite persona of yours and why?
The Toilet Bowl Cleaners are great.  It's wonderful to know that there are nine albums devoted to poop songs.  Lately, I've really liked The Very Nice Interesting Singer Man who just released two albums: one about things in his house, the other about transportation.  He'll be doing albums about clothes and body parts in the next few months.

9.  From your music, it's easy to tell you're a huge fan of a lot things such as books, movies, sports, and obviously music. How do you find time to take all of these things in while writing all of the music you do? 
My day job only takes up three days out of the week.  That means I have the rest of the week to spend on music.  I rarely do more than 8 hours of recording in a day.  So that leaves plenty of time to listen to podcasts, watch movies, read books, etc.  I just need to fight the part of me that wants to lounge around and do nothing.  

9. How would describe your writing process?
For the improvised piano songs of Papa Razzi and The Photogs or The Passionate & Objective Jokerfan, I'll quickly make up a chord progression on the piano, then hit record and make up the lyrics for a minute or two.  Then it's on to the next song, unless things went really wrong.
For more involved songs, I almost always record the music first.  Then I'll often make up the lyrics as I go.  But I'll go back and rerecord certain lines to make it better.

10. What is the plan for this year and beyond? 
Albums about clothing, body parts, and household products. More celebrity songs. A new Toilet Bowl Cleaners album.A new album by The Odd Man Who Sings About Poop Puke and Pee (he's in competition with The Toilet Bowl Cleaners).  The album will be called "Diarrhea Diary," with each song being an entry in the diary of a man who has been suffering from sever diarrhea for several months.

11. Would you rather fight a horse-sized duck or 100 duck-sized horses?100 duck-sized horses.

12. Can you write a song about this interview/blog? No problem if you're too busy, because you are obviously busyOf course!  It'll be on the next Papa Razzi and The Photogs album.

13. That's it for now, anything else you would like to add? I am always happy when my music is featured on The Bone Zone podcast: http://www.bonezonepodcast.com