another year over, and a new one’s just begun

Posted on January 2, 2011 by admin

2010 has slipped away and here we are in a new year. It’s time for resolutions and promises that will be kept for a month or so, time for hope and optimism that the next 365-ish days will bring better things, time to wave goodbye to the last 365, whether fondly or with great relief.

It would be fitting to do a “best of 2010” type of post here, maybe with a top ten list, but there are already so many of those out there. Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy won the hearts of most of the big music bloggers, and some of us here would agree. There were a ton of great albums released this year and I could throw down a top ten, though it would be hard to choose. Instead I’d like to revisit just a few albums I didn’t get the chance to write up since I joined the staff here late in the year.

In the spring a collaboration between Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse was released. Dark Night Of The Soul featured a bevy of guest singers, including the always unique David Lynch. It was the last work of Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous, who committed suicide this year. I’ve always loved the band’s subdued sound and delicate approach. Sparklehorse will be missed.

Sparklehorse

Click to play Insane Lullaby – Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse (Featuring James Mercer)

The Books released their fourth full-length album, The Way Out in the spring as well. If you’re unfamiliar with The Books, they’re a duo who use found art to create lush soundscapes. With the number of samples they blend it should be a mess, but they put it all together in a remarkably listenable way. This was one of the most interesting albums of the year, by far.

Click to play The Books – Group Autogenics I

M.I.A.’s Maya hit the charts and helped cement her position as a challenging, brilliant, artist. She’s political, throws tons of different genres into the mix, and still makes it groovy and danceable.

Click to play M.I.A. – Space

M.I.A.

Man, there were just so many more. Broken Bells, The Black Keys, The Arcade Fire, you’ll see them all on the lists out there. This is a great time to go back and listen to anything you may have missed along the way.

I’m looking forward to what 2011 has in store. At the very least we should get new releases from Veto and Elbow, which will be enough for me.

I hope the new year treats everyone well.

Auld Lang Syne!

Posted on December 29, 2010 by admin

Ever wondered what that song was that peeps played when the New Year rang in? It’s called “Auld Lang Syne” and translated from Scottish, it means “old long since” if very literally. Basically, it means “days long past”. A way of remembering the year that we just finished. Well, house music producer Slow Hands has made a really cool jam that can bring the new year in in such fitting fashion. It’s a remix of the traditional track you hear that was recorded in this instance by Guy Lombardo.

Anyhow, do check this one out. The original is there for you all, also. I hope all of you have a happy and safe New Year!

Click to Play Guy Lombardo and the Royal Canadians – Auld Lang Syne

Click to Play Slow Hands – Auld Lang Syne

I broke free on a Saturday morning…

Posted on December 29, 2008 by georgediab

I put the pedal to the floor…

At the moment, I am sitting on a king size bed at Quality Inn of beautiful Glendale, AZ. I am here with my brother to watch the Cardinals play NFL regular season tomorrow. I just got back from an Irish pub named Tim Finnegans. I got a nice buzz, got beat 2 to 3 in a game of cricket, but I feel ok about it since I kept it very competitive.

I have been thinking about writing this post for weeks, but as of a few minutes ago, I had not written a word.

I wanted to talk about the end of the year. It’s nearly time for us to change our calendars. There is a song that I always consider an anthem of mine as we get close to NYE. It’s the song This Year by the indie band The Mountain Goats. Well, the song’s title might give it away a little bit, but the song is about getting through the year.

Even if it kills you.

Well, the meaning of the song is probably a tad deeper than that. I mean, Scotch on your tongue or not, seventeen is a long year if you are desperate to legally get the fuck out of the house of an abusive parent. The scene ends badly as you might imagine…

It’s a great song to scream/sing in your car as you are thinking of just how shitty the economy is and how your house has lost tens of thousands of dollars in just a few months.

I’m just saying.

[Download The Mountain Goats – This Year (Live)]

I also wanted to tell you a story about my blue Gap shirt with the yellow stripe, that I always wear on the holidays. It’s beat up and well worn, but it fits so well! The best part might be that every year, in every photo, I am in that shirt! Makes me giggle everytime I see myself in those pictures. The only way you might know which year that xmas picture was taken, is by the configuration of my facial hair in the photo.

But you don’t care about that do you? You would rather hear more about The Mountain Goats. Maybe I could tell you about how John Darnielle, the lead singer and songwriter, just wrote a book called Black Sabbath: Master of Reality for the 33⅓ book series. I could even tell you about the 33⅓ series and why you should really check it out.