9.26.2006

Sorry I waited so long

I've been meaning to post my top albums of the year for awhile but I'm so bombarded these days with school and other activities I'm involved in (not to mention the LSAT this weekend).

But here is a quick rundown--music later (I promise).

Three way tie for first:
Bouncing Souls: The Gold Record--Lean on Sheena is my favorite, but pretty much every song on this album is pure gold. No pun intended. The Souls are one of the most energetic bands you'll ever seen live, and this album is certainly no exception.

Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope. I've reviewed this album on the blog twice. Hated it the first time, but fell in love with it (and fell pretty hard, might I add).

Band of Horses: Everything All the Time. I have been haunted by this album for the last three weeks or so, probably because I listen to it so much. But I literally cannot get it out of my head when I am sleeping and it drives me insane.

Two-way for second:
Kimya Dawson: Remember That I Love You. So classicly Kimya. Definitely the catchiest album I've heard this year.

Ratatat: Classics. Ratatat is my all-time most listened to band (on last.fm anyway. I'm sure I've listened to the Magnetic Fields a lot more, and probably listened to Nirvana way more than that in the ten years or so that I was really into them. Wow that makes me sound really old.

3. Ghost Mice/Pretty Hot split. The Ghost Mice side is a lot better but the Pretty Hot part is good too. Both amazing.

4. The Submarines: Declare a New State. Kind of a guilty pleasure because part of me is in denial about my Postal Service and Mates of State days. I discovered them on Threadless, where I buy a lot of t-shirts. Maybe I should stop trying to be such an anarchopunk kid (although I'm clearly not from the looks of this list). Probably my second most listened to ipod band of this year (besides Ratatat of course).

5. Less Than Jake: In With the Out Crowd. I kind of love this album although it makes me guilty as well. Not as catchy as the 'Souls, but a lot of fun on long road trips.

9.01.2006

love will tear us apart again

Nouvelles Vagues is...well... an experiment. Basically, these two French dudes decided to start a band with some kids from my generation who were somehow completely removed from everything wonderful about 80's new wave, and remake songs from Joy Division, Echo and the Bunnymen, Bauhaus, etc. etc. The songs are sweet and quiet. They are often heavily accented. There are touches of the Carribean and Brazil. The idea was to delve into the connectedness of 80's punk and new wave with its (seemingly unrelated) predecessors. There are reggae beats, blues rhythms, there is calypso and quiet guitar. The various songs feature various french female singers, and they are quiet exquisite. Who knew?

Even better, they'll be touring the U.S. soon (and playing in my town with a band I've been waiting to see all year).