31 days of good 2010, music

(31) Days of Good: Day 20

Leave a comment

Blue Hawaii tells the story of a lush paradise. The way begins ambient and uncertain, but beautiful white shell beaches and carefree sunshine parties await and nourish those travelers with love in their hearts; their peace thus raised above the arguments found along the rocky road. The duo consists of Raph and Agor; they use voice, guitars, synths, drum machines, and other electronics to create a kind of tropical-pop with love ache melodies and experimental club rhythms. (courtesy of Arbutus Records)





Brooklyn-based duo, Matt & Kim, released their third full length this year. Like the past two albums, Sidewalks is complete with simplistic lyrics, synth melodies, shouty singing, and the band’s gleefully spazzy sound…everything we love about Matt & Kim.



Even more GOOD over at 35mmBeats
31 days of good 2010, music

(31) Days of Good: Day 19

Leave a comment

It’s pretty much raining all over California for the next couple of days and while I thoroughly enjoy this weather, I know a lot of people can’t stand it. I say, take this time to sit in, relax, and listen to today’s GOOD — the perfect additions for any lazy Sunday soundtrack.

…and since my beautiful, incredibly fantastic, and perfect in every way wife surprised me with a birthday/graduation/ugly Christmas sweater party last night, today’s post is short and sweet.
Enjoy!
(be sure to check out 35mmBeats for more GOOD)

More Blackbird Blackbird here.
Purchase Blackbird Blackbird via Bandcamp or iTunes.
More Tennis here.
Purchase Tennis via Amazon or iTunes.
More Warpaint here.
Purchase Warpaint via Amazon or iTunes.
31 days of good 2010, music

(31) Days of Good: Day 18

Leave a comment
Baths is LA music-maker Will Wiesenfeld — a eclectic combination of lush melodies, ghostly choirs, playful instrumentation, and stuttering beats.
Over the last six years, Wiesenfeld has gainfully explored the intersections and out reachers of both electronic and acoustic music. Baths had a big 2010. The debut album, Cerulean, was released in July, the blogosphere couldn’t stop talking about Bath’s appearance at this year’s CMJ, and being featured on The Hype Machine Radio Show is never a bad thing.
Bikini is Nigel Diamond and Olivier Olivier and not since The Postal Service, have I heard of a more interesting way to produce a record.
Olivier composes all the melodies in the fall of each year, drawing his inspiration from the poetry he writes during the summer. He records vocals, exports all his drafts without titles of form to Diamond, and Diamond spends the following spring arranging Olivier’s melodies, rhythm sequences, and vocal treatments — adding his own lines. The result is a finished record. Nothing is sent back to Olivier. The songs are sent from Diamond to be mastered and released. (courtesy of RCRD LBL)

More at biikiinii.com.

And as always, there’s even more GOOD, courtesy of 35mmBeats
31 days of good 2010, music

(31) Days of Good: Day 17

Leave a comment

I’ve been a big fan of movie soundtracks and scores since I first saw Edward Scissorhands back in 1990 (still my favorite movie score…and probably my favorite album overall) and in honor of today’s highly anticipated and hyped release of TRON: Legacy, i’m proud to present my favorite movie tunes of 2010.

(be sure to check out the soundtrack edition over at 35mmBeats for more good cinema tunes)
First up, one of the best comic book adaptations and probably the most underrated movie of 2010—Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World.
Radiohead producer Nigle Godrich, Beck, Metric, Broken Social Scene, Cornelius, Dan the Automator, Kid Koala, and David Campbell all contributed to the film’s soundtrack. Not bad, right? But even better, Beck composed the music played by Sex Bob-omb (Scott Pilgrim’s band in the film) and Broken Social Scene wrote all the songs for another one of the film’s bands.
This next film was anything but underrated. Inception will most likely end up being my favorite film of 2010 and the score is equally impressive.
Once again, Hans Zimmer proves why he is one of the most sought after and best film composers of all time. His score to Inception is the perfect companion to Chris Nolan’s dream caper and I instantly fell in love with today’s featured track when I first heard it the film.
(As a little bonus, i’ve also included the We Plants Are Happy Plants remix)
I don’t even think living under a rock could keep you from knowing that Disney has finally resurrected TRON.
I haven’t seen a movie hyped this much since Lord of the Rings. It seems like everywhere you look is another TRON: Legacy poster, the TV commercials are a plenty, and Disney’s Calfiornia Adventure even turns into ElecTRONica—a nighttime dance party with live DJs, dancing, sneak peaks of the new film, a recreation of Flynn’s Arcade, and TRON even takes over the new light show, World of Color.
But it’s not just the film that’s getting all the hype. When word spread that Daft Punk would be composing the film’s score, music blogs blew up. I’ve been listening to the duo’s score a lot since it was released earlier this month and it definitely lives up to the hype. The balance of electronica and orchestra works perfectly and proves there’s more to these French boys than synths and beats (had to post two tracks so you could see the range).
And real quick, I haven’t had a chance to listen to any of Clint Mansell’s score for Black Swan, but if it’s anything like his previous works (Pi, Requiem For a Dream, The Fountain, The Wrestler), i’m sure it will be fantastic and end up on my iPod. Check it out if you get the chance.
best of 2010

Top 10 Albums of 2010

Leave a comment

I’ve said it a million times, and i’ll say it once more, 2010 was an impressive year for music. But as much as enjoyed all the good music, trying to narrow down my favorite albums of the year to only 10 was quite the task. I went back and forth on some of these, but I eventually came to a decision and i’ll stand by these picks. So without further ado, i’m very pleased to present my top 10 albums of 2010. Enjoy!

10. Yann Tiersen – Dust Lane

Grief channeled brilliance from one of the all-around most talented musicians out there.

Purchase Dust Lane via Amazon or iTunes.

9. Los Campesinos! – Romance is Boring

Noise-pop at its best!

Purchase Romance is Boring via Amazon or iTunes.

8. Cee Lo Green – The Lady Killer

Contemporary, confident conception of soul music, with one of the best cover songs of the last 10 years (if not more).

Purchase The Lady Killer via Amazon or iTunes.

7. Freelance Whales – Weathervanes

Odd collection of instruments + bandmates found on Craigslist + a quality rarely found on debut albums = one damn good record!

Purchase Weathervanes via Amazon or iTunes.

6. Beach House – Teen Dream

Dream pop gem from a duo that should be a household name among music fans.

Purchase Teen Dream via Amazon or iTunes.

5. Sonos – December Songs

Talent wise, this a cappella sextet is number one. It’s absolutely amazing what they do with nothing but their voices. More at sonosings.com.

Purchase December Songs via Amazon or iTunes.

4. Jónsi – Go

Sigur Rós frontman proves once again that his vocals and production quality are one-of-a-kind.

Purchase Go via Amazon or iTunes.

3. LCD Soundsystem – This is Happening

Synth-pop, new wave, punk-funk at it’s best!

Purchase This is Happening via Amazon or iTunes.

2. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs

Best live show I went to this year…and maybe ever. Not a bad song on this ambitious, and pretty much perfect, album.

Purchase The Suburbs via Amazon or iTunes.

1. Sleigh Bells – Treats

I’ve been in love with these noise rock newcomers since the first time I heard the demo for Crown on the Ground. Treats is the perfect combination of synth-rock, lo-fi, power chords, and visceral pop.

Purchase Treats via Amazon or iTunes.

The rest of my 2010 favorites (11 — 100, but in alphabetical order):

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti – Before Today
Avi Buffalo – Avi Buffalo
Band of Horses – Infinite Arms
Baths – Cerulean
Belle And Sebastian – Write About Love
Best Coast – Crazy For You
Big Boi – Sir Luscious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty
Blackbird Blackbird – Summer Heart
The Black Keys – Brothers
Broken Bells – Broken Bells
Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record
Caribou – Swim
Carla Morrison – Mientras Tu Dormias
Charlotte Gainsbourg – IRM
Chiddy Bang – The Preview
Childish Gambino – I Am Not A Rapper (1 & 2)
Chromeo – Business Casual
Clint Mansell – Black Swan (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
CocoRosie – Grey Oceans
Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles (II)
Daft Punk – TRON: Legacy
Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
Delorean – Subiza
The Drums – The Drums
Dum Dum Girls – I Will Be
The Fall – Your Future, Our Clutter
Field Music – Measure
Flying Lotus – Cosmogramma
Foals – Total Life Forever
Four Tet – There Is Love In You
Frankie Rose and the Outs – Frankie Rose & the Outs
Future Islands – In Evening Air
Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks
Games – That We Can Play
Girls – Broken Dreams Club
Girl Talk – All Day
Glasser – Ring
Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
Grinderman – Grinderman 2
Hans Zimmer – Inception (Music from the Motion Picture)
Hoodie Allen – Pep Rally
Hot Chip – One Life Stand
Hurts – Happiness
Janelle Monae – Archandroid
Jenny and Johnny – I’m Having Fun Now
Joanna Newsom – Have One On Me
Kate Nash – My Best Friend is You
Kele – Boxer
Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon Part 2
Klaxons – Surfing The Void
Laura Marling – I Speak Because I Can
Les Savy Fav – Root For Ruin
Liars – Sisterworld
Local Natives – Gorilla Manner
Magnetic Man – Magnetic Man
Marina & the Diamonds – The Family Jewels
Matt & Kim – Sidewalks
Magic Kids – Memphis
Manic Street Preachers – Postcards From A Young Man
Massive Attack – Heligoland
Maximum Balloon – Maximum Balloon
MGMT – Congratulations
Miami Horror – Illumination
Mumford & Sons – Sigh No More
The Mynabirds – What We Lose In the Fire We Gain In the Flood
Mystery Jets – Serotonin
The National – High Violet
The New Pornographers – Together
New Young Pony Club – The Optimist
The Radio Dept. – Clinging to a Scheme
Rapdragons – Featuring Baltimore
Ratatat – Lp4
Rjd2 – The Colossus
Robyn – Body Talk Pt 1
Royksopp – Senior
She & Him – Volume Two
Snow & Voices – Anything That Moves
Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz
Surfer Blood – Astro Coast
Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky
Teen Daze – Four More Years
Theophilus London – I Want You
These New Puritans – Hidden
Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History
Underworld – Barking
Vampire Weekend – Contra
Warpaint – The Fool
Wavves – King of the Beach
Yeasayer – Odd Blood
You Say Party – XXXX

Expert Music Lover//Amateur Music Blogger