Indie Actuary

Best of 2016: 20-6 (Tier 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Wed, 04 Jan 2017 20:07:00 +0000

2016. At the beginning, I would like to say that this was not a great year for me for music. I checked out 108 albums(!!) this year, and will give you the ones that I found to be top notch.

In past years, I've broken my top 25 albums into 5 album increments. For this year, I struggled with this paradigm because there were albums that felt like Tier 1 albums and albums that belonged in a lesser tier, even though they were in the top 20. So, I propose the following for this year's best of for 2016:
Tier 1 - This album/these albums are solid throughout, highly worth your time
Tier 2 - Overall, a good album.
Tier 3 - A couple of good songs.
Tier 4 - 50 (I'll post the albums I reviewed later)

TIER 3

When comparing these albums to past years, these scores wold not have put them in the top 20. So, with that caveat:

20 The 1975 I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it

Hometown: Manchester, UK
Standout Tracks: She Lays Down, Please Be Naked

19 Leonard Cohen If You Want It Darker

Hometown: Montreal, Canada
Standout Tracks: You Want It Darker

18 William Fitzsimmons Charleroi: Pittsburgh, Vol. 2
Hometown: Pittsburgh, PA

Standout Tracks: Fare Thee Weel, Hear Your Heart

17 Matthew and the Atlas Temple (Acoustic Version)
Hometown: London, UK
Standout Tracks: Elijah, On A Midnight Street
While their plugged in release didn't make the list, their acoustic EP version of the big album definitely did.

16 Beach Slang Here, I Made This For You (EP)
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Standout Tracks: A Million Miles Away, Anything Anything
For an EP of covers, I was into it.

15 Chance the Rapper Coloring Book
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Standout Tracks: Blessings, Same Drugs, Summer Friends
Some of these tracks can stay with me for days. Really great.

14 Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats
Hometown: Hermann, MO
Standout Tracks: S.O.B., I Need Never Get Old, Wasting Time

13 Nada Surf You Know Who You Are
Hometown: New York, NY
Standout Tracks: Rushing, Cold to See Clear, Believe You're Mine

I really wanted more from this album.

12 Whitney Light Upon the Lake
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Standout Tracks: Light Upon the Lake, Red Moon, Dave's Song

11 Band of Horses Why Are You OK
Hometown: Charleston, SC
Standout Tracks: Casual Party, Even Still

These are some of the only tracks that could immediately calm down new baby Charles.

10 Miike Snow iii
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Standout Tracks: Genghis Khan, I Feel the Weight
Johnny would often request Genghis Khan when we were in the car. Funny stuff.

9 Bon Iver 22, A Million
Hometown: Eau Claire, WI
Standout Tracks: 715 - cr∑∑ks, 22 (over s∞∞n)
I feel like he's fallen off his game with this album. And I get it. He also found the insert symbol thing in Windows.

8 Kyle Morton What Will Destroy You
Hometown: Portland, OR
Standout Tracks: Water Torture, Gestalt of Original Pain, Poor Bastard

7 The World Is a Beautiful Place and I am No Longer Afraid to Die Harmlessness
Hometown: Willimatic, CT
Standout Tracks: January 10th, 2014, I Can Be Afraid of Anything
This is a studio band. That being said, January 10th, 2014 is really amazing. And be sure to read the real life story the song was written about.

6 Pete Yorn ArrangingTime
Hometown: Montville, NJ
Standout Tracks: Lost Weekend, Walking Up
Good old smooth Pete Yorn.

Best of 2015: Recap and Spotify Playlist

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 17:22:00 +0000

Here's the top 20 albums again:

Mew +-
Ryan Adams 1989
Sufjan Stevens Carrie & Lowell
Twin Shadow Eclipse
Beach Slang The Things We Do To Find People Who Like Us
Until the Ribbon Breaks A Lesson Unlearnt
Mikal Cronin MCIII
Modest Mouse Strangers to Ourselves
Stromae Racine Carrée
Young Guv Ripe 4 Luv
Florence + The Machine How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful
The Districts A Flourish and a Spoil
Death Cab for Cutie Kintsugi
Tobias Jesso Jr. Goon
Carly Rae Jepsen Emotion
Miguel Wildheart
Brandon Flowers The Desired Effect
Ben Folds So There
Ratatat Magnifique
Joey Bada$$ B4.DA.$$

Beyond that, I listened to a lot of albums this year. 83 from the "IN" list. Here's a full, alphabetized list of the albums that had at least one track on the Best of 2015 list:

A$AP Rocky - AT.LONG.LAST.A$AP

Alabama Shakes - Sound and Colour

Alpine - A is for Alpine

BC Camplight - How to Die in the North

Beach House - Thank Your Lucky Stars

Beach Slang - The Things We Do To Find People Who Feel Like Us\

Belle & Sebastian - Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance

Ben Folds - So There

Best Coast - California Nights

Bjork - Vulnicura

Braids - Deep in the Iris

Brandon Flowers - The Desired Effect

Built to Spill - Untethered Moon

Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion

CHVRCHES - Every Open Eye

Cold Fronts - Forever Whatever

Dan Mangan + Blacksmith - Club Meds

Deafheaven - New Bermuda

Death Cab for Cutie - Kintsugi

The Decemberists - What a Terrible World

The Districts - A Flourish and a Spoil

Django Django - First Light

Drake - If You're Reading This It's Too Late

EL VY - Return to the Moon

Evans the Death - Expect Delays

Father John Misty - I Love You, Honeybear

Florence + The Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

George Ezra - Wanted on Voyage

Ghostpoet - Shedding Skin

GREYCOATS - Adrift

Hop Along - Painted Shut

Husky - Ruckers Hill

I LOVE MAKKONEN - I LOVE MAKKONEN

James Davis - James Davis

Jamie xx - In Colour

Joey Bada$$ - B4.DA.$$

Jose Gonzalez - Vestiges & Claws

Kate Tempest - Everybody Down

Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly

The Knocks - So Classic EP

Kurt Vile - b'lieve i'm going down...

Kyle - Smyle

Lauryn Peacock - Euphonia

Leon Bridges - Coming Home

Lianne La Havas - Blood

Lord Huron - Strange Trails

Low - Ones and Sixes

Maritime - Magnetic Bodies/Map of Bones

Mew - +-

mewithoutYou - Pale Horses

Miguel - Wildheart

Mikal Cronin - MCIII

Mimicking Birds - Eons

Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves

Mogwai - Music Industry 3. Fitness Industry 1.

Nadine Shah - Fast Food

Natalie Prass - Natalie Prass

Punch Brothers - The Phosphorescent Blues

Purity Ring - another eternity

Ratatat - Magnifique

Rolo Tomassi - Grievances

Royal Headache - High

Ryan Adams - 1989

Seth Avett & Jessica Lee Mayfield - Elliott Smith Covers

Sleater-Kinney - No Cities to Love

The Staves - If I Was

Stromae - Racine Carree

Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell

The Tallest Man on Earth - Dark Bird is Home

Tame Impala - Currents

Tanlines Highlightes

Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon

Torres - Sprinter

Twerps - Range Anxiety

Twin Shadow - Eclipse

Until the Ribbon Breaks - A Lesson Unlearnt

Viet Cong - Viet Cong

We Were Promised Jetpacks - Unravelling

The Weeknd - Beauty Behind the Madness

Yo La Tengo - Stuff Like That There

Young Fathers - White Men Are Black Too

Young Guv - Ripe 4 Luv

Young Thug - Barter 6

And here is the list of albums that I checked out that didn't even have one track that I got into, 24 albums represented here:

Above & Beyond - We Are All We Need

Ariel Pink - pom pom

The Avener - The Avener EP

Beirut - No No No

Blur - The Magic Whip

Chastity Belt - Time to Go Home

Courtney Barnett - Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit

Dwight Yoakam - Second Hand Heart

East India Youth - Culture of Volume

Future - DS2

The Game - The Documentary 2

Girl Band - The Early Years

Godspeed You Black Emperor - Asunder, Sweet and Other Distress

High on Fire - Luminiferous

Justin Townes Earle - Single Mothers and Absent Fathers

The Libertines - Anthems For Doomed Youth

Lightning Bolt - Fantasy EMpire

Lonelady - Hinterland

Panda Bear - Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper

Pinkshinyultrablast - Everything Else Matters

Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Multi-Love

The Vaccines - English Graffiti

The Weather Station - What Am I Going to Do with Everything I know

Wilco - Star Wars

So, I listened to 107 albums this past year. That feels like a lot. In order to share the fruits of this, here is a spotify playlist you can follow/embed/check out:

Best of 2015 Spotify Playlist

Out of that playlist, there were a few tracks I would seek out to listen to over and over. Those are as follows:

Clinging to a Bad Dream - Mew
Kelly, I'm Not a Creep - Young Guv
Style - Ryan Adams
Formidable - Stromae
Young & Alive - Beach Slang
Dirty Cigarettes - Beach Slang
Blank Space - Ryan Adams
Run Away With Me - Carly Rae Jepsen
Suburban Smell - The Districts
Coffee - Miguel
Slipping Away - Tanlines
I've Been Loved - Mikal Cronin
Bloodlines - Mimicking Birds
Teenage Exorcists - Mogwai
My Oh My - Punch Brothers
Should Have Known Better - Sufjan Stevens
I'm Ready - Twin Shadow
Romeo - Until the Ribbon Breaks
Nest - Young Fathers
Ship to Wreck - Florence + The Machine

Best of 2015: 1 Mew + -

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Fri, 01 Jan 2016 15:51:00 +0000

1 Mew + -

Hometown: Copenhagen, Denmark
Standout Tracks: Clinging to a Bad Dream, Satellites, Water Slides
Mew makes cerebral rock. These Danes hole up for several years, make beautiful, emotive songs and then continue fine-tuning them into individual, nuanced masterpieces. Much like Radiohead's OK Computer, this album took a few listens until it started hitting and sticking. But when it did, man, it just stayed there and kept beckoning me back to listen to it, try to find another nuance. I have really liked their previous albums and was anxious about this album. Not only did this album not disappoint. It is my number one album of 2015. Here's the official video for "Satellites" where he intones, "My life is my own, and now I'm always home":

And here's the official video for "Water Slides", another jam from the album:

And here's the audio for my favorite track off of the album, "Clinging to a Bad Dream". There are several sections to the song, and they are all essential and excellent:

Best of 2015: 2 Ryan Adams - 1989

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Sat, 26 Dec 2015 21:02:00 +0000

2 Ryan Adams 1989

Hometown: Jacksonville, NC
Standout Tracks: Blank Space, Style, Shake it Off, All You Had to do was Stay
It's Ryan Adams covering Taylor Swift's 1989 album in entirety. It should feel contrived and like those Nirvana lullaby albums that somehow exist, but it doesn't. It feels honest and earnest. It almost took #1. Here's Ryan interviewing Taylor about it.:

And here's my favorite track from the album, "Blank Space":

Best of 2015: 3 Sufjan Stevens - Carrie & Lowell

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Sat, 26 Dec 2015 20:50:00 +0000

3 Sufjan Stevens Carrie & Lowell

Hometown: Grand Rapids, MI
Standout Tracks: Should've known better, Drawn to the Blood, No Shade in the Shadow of the Cross
Sufjan, the guy my dad said gave him hope for modern music. Sufjan, the multi-instrumentalist genius behind a bunch of albums these last few years, gives us Carrie & Lowell, an album about his mother delivers a sweet and intimate look into his life. Enjoy this fan video for "Should've known better":

Best of 2015: 4 Twin Shadow - Eclipse

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 04:46:00 +0000

4 Twin Shadow Eclipse

Hometown: Dominican Republic/Florida
Standout Tracks: Flatliners, When the Lights Turn Out, I'm Ready, Half Life
Twin Shadow at its heart is George Lewis Jr., and this is his 3rd release he keeps his synths and adds even tighter pop hooks than his previous album. This has irked some, but finds me continually bobbing my head when his music starts playing. Here's a live performance of "I'm Ready" where he intones, "Hey, hold on to me, Don't say it's the end of me, I'm right here, I'm ready, I need this love.":

Best of 2015: 5 Beach Slang - The Things We Do To Find People Who Like Us

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Tue, 22 Dec 2015 03:22:00 +0000

5 Beach Slang The Things We Do To Find People Who Like Us

Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Standout Tracks: Young & Alive, Dirty Cigarettes, Bad Art & Weirdo Ideas
This album exudes punk rock ethos. It's anthemic. You can view the official video for "Bad Art and Weirdo Ideas" here:

And you can listen to "Dirty Cigarettes" here:

Best of 2015: 6 Until the Ribbon Breaks - A Lesson Unlearnt

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Sun, 20 Dec 2015 16:08:00 +0000

6 Until the Ribbon Breaks A Lesson Unlearnt

Hometown: Cardiff, Wales
Standout Tracks: Romeo, Persia, Pressure
This album is a jam. It's lightly processed vocals are excellent, it's lyrical narratives, especially on songs like "Romeo" where the Pete Lawrie-Winfield intimates that he "...would've killed Romeo to save Juliet" is poignant, thoughtful and super catchy. Here's an official lyric video for "Romeo":

And here's the official video for "Pressure":

Best of 2015: 7 Mikal Cronin - MCIII

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 16:33:00 +0000

8 Mikal Cronin MCIII

Hometown: Los Angeles, California
Standout Tracks: iv) ready, I've Been Loved
Mikal Cronin was shared with me two years ago. He's been in a bunch of bands, but is 3 albums into his solo career, and I really love his ability to compose songs that resonate with melodic hooks and poignant lyrics. And his song "i) ready" with the lyrics, "I'm not ready for December..." could be my life's anthem. Here's a live performance of "I've Been Loved" from Amsterdam played on a really nice 12-string Gibson:

Best of 2015: 8 Modest Mouse - Strangers to Ourselves

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 16:17:00 +0000

8 Modest Mouse Strangers to Ourselves

Hometown: Seattle, Washington
Standout Tracks: Coyotes, Ansel, Wicked Campaign
Modest Mouse is one of my bands I've carried with me since high school. They have a soft spot in my heart because they've been present for many of my memories. I was amped for this album to be the best album ever. So, when it was just excellent, I might admit I was let down. But stood up next to the other albums this year, it's still very solid. Please enjoy this awesome official video for "Coyotes" (based on a true story):
:

Best of 2015: 9 Stromae Racine Carrée

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 03:37:00 +0000

9 Stromae Racine Carrée

Hometown: Brussels, Belgium
Standout Tracks: Formidable, Papaoutai, sommeil
I heard about Stromae from a Belgian co-worker when he showed me a video called "Stromae Takes America: New York". He's bendy keyboard music sung in French and fairly artsy. Start here:

From there, you can watch Stromae's musical handicam-esque video for my favorite Stromae song, "Formidable", where he pretends to be drunk in the middle of a Brussels bus station singing his song. Pretty great stuff (it also has 130MM views on YouTube):

And finally, he partnered with comedian Jamel to show the writing of "Alors on danse". It's funny even if you don't speak French:

And before all you American time cops come after me for putting a 2013 album in my top 10, you have to somehow convince me that you totally knew about him already. In other words, I'm asking for forgiveness later. Onward!

Best of 2015: 10 Young Guv - Ripe 4 Luv

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Thu, 17 Dec 2015 03:22:00 +0000

Here it is folks. My top 10 albums of 2015. There's an absolute break point between albums 20 - 11 and 10 - 1. These next albums for me were totally next level. Enjoy!

10 Young Guv - Ripe 4 Luv

Hometown: Toronto, Montreal, Canada
Standout Tracks: Kelly, I'm Not a Creep, Ripe 4 Luv, Livin' the Dream
Young Guv (aka Young Governor) is a side project from Ben Cook's other band Fucked Up. This album is shimmery indie pop and contains one of my favorite singles of the year so far, "Kelly, I'm Not A Creep". So full of hooks. Here's the song being played to a grainy cell phone video of a guy reading a book at a coffee shop:

Best of 2015: 11 Florence + The Machine - How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 16:02:00 +0000

11 Florence + The Machine How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful

Hometown: London, England
Standout Tracks: Ship to Wreck, St. Jude, What Kind of Man
Big, Blue and Booming. That is Florence Welch on her latest effort. I haven't always been a fan, but this album is great! From the soothing "St. Jude, patron saint of the lost causes" refrain on "St. Jude" to the bombastic "Ship to Wreck" Florence's vocals carry it all excellently. Not wanting to be out-arted (real term), she's created a movie based on the album. Here's Chapters 1 & 3:

Best of 2015: 12 The Districts - A Flourish and a Spoil

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Sat, 12 Dec 2015 15:00:00 +0000

12 The Districts A Flourish and a Spoil

Hometown: Lititz, PA
Standout Tracks: 6 AM, Suburban Smell, Bold
The voice is harassed, hoarse; laced with compression and a twinge of earnestness. The music is supportive, resonant, reverb-y. There's something subtle I really like about these guys. Here they are performing "Suburban Smell & 4th and Roebling" on one of my favorite performance formats, La Blogotheque:

Best of 2015: 13 Death Cab For Cutie - Kintsugi

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 13:00:00 +0000

13 Death Cab For Cutie Kintsugi

Hometown: Seattle, WA
Standout Tracks: Black Sun, The Ghosts of Beverly Drive, Binary Sea
Death Cab for Cutie led by Ben Gibbard and no longer including guitarist turned producer Chris Walla is known for weaving lyrical excellence combined with head-bobbing tunes. This album isn't their best effort, but it's still pretty great. It seems to focus largely on the end of Ben Gibbard's relationship with Zoe Deschanel and as a result his disillusionment with Hollywood. It's a good record overall. Very listenable. Here's the official video for "The Ghosts of Beverly Hills":

Best of 2015: 14 Tobias Jesso Jr. - Goon

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Fri, 11 Dec 2015 04:44:00 +0000

14 Tobias Jesso Jr. Goon

Hometown: Vancouver, BC
Standout Tracks: Can't Stop Thinking About You, Leaving LA, How Could You Babe
Think simple melody-driven piano songs. Really excellent, lilting stuff; sad whiskey-drinking, make-you-feel-better stuff. Like this, "Marianne, I lost you in a dream, and then the dream came true...I can't stop thinking about you." Here's the video for "How Could You Babe":

Best of 2015: 15 Carly Rae Jepsen - Emotion

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Thu, 10 Dec 2015 16:21:00 +0000

15 Carly Rae Jepsen Emotion

Hometown: Vancouver, BC
Standout Tracks: Run Away With Me, Long Way Home
Carly Rae Jepsen is most famous for her "Call Me Maybe" song. As a follow-up, she has come out swinging with an album of really well-crafted pop songs. I'm even happy to endorse her latest album, Emotion. Here's the official video for "Run Away With Me". I dare you not to bob your head:

Best of 2015: 20 - 16

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Wed, 09 Dec 2015 05:17:00 +0000

I doubled down on rigor in 2015. Taking my systemic approach from 2014 coupled with the key learning from 2013 to be a little more choosy, I've come to my Best of 2015. While the algorithm is secret, the inputs are not. In getting to my best of 2015, I reviewed 1,125 songs and just shy of 80 hours of music.

I feel really good about what remains. So, without further ado, here are my Best Albums of 2015 from 20th place to 16th place:

20 Joey Bada$$ B4.DA.$$

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Standout Tracks: Belly of the Beast, Paper Trail$
Joey Bada$$ came out this year with a really decent hip hop album that reminded me of some sort of less political chilled out Aesop Rock. I found myself humming the hooks and enjoying the jams to this Brooklyn DJ's tunes. So take a second to sit back and enjoy "Belly of the Beast":

19 Ratatat Magnifique

Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
Standout Tracks: Drift, Primetime, Abrasive
Ratatat makes slidey keyboard jams with nice synth beats. And five albums in, they've locked into their niche and although some may get bored hearing five albums of similarly styled music, Ratatat somehow manages to not get old. Here's a handdrawn video for their song, "Abrasive":

18 Ben Folds So There

Hometown: Nashville, TN
Standout Tracks: Long Way to Go
Ben Folds has been around for quite a while. He's piano rock at its finest. And this latest album from Ben Folds splits time between straight-forward and mostly brilliant songs like "Long Way to Go" and a full concerto. The concerto is quite good and worth checking out, but while you are looking it up, please enjoy this video for "Long Way to Go" live from Bonnaroo:

17 Brandon Flowers The Desired Effect

Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Standout Tracks: Never Get You Right, The Way It's Always Been, Lonely Town

Brandon Flowers is best known by his other job as the frontman for the Killers. His voice is excellent and he is becoming quite the troubadour these days. This album shows him eschewing the swirling guitars in favor of vocal-forward ballads, and it suits him well. Here's a really great live performance of "Lonely Town":

16 Miguel Wildheart

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Standout Tracks: a beautiful exit, coffee, the valley
Miguel brings the guitars to his sweet R&B tones on this album and it is a welcome addition. He retains the style he developed on his debut album and seems to really push out the walls on his follow-up, Wildheart. Check out this performance of "coffee" for BBC:

Stay tuned. The 15th - the 11th best albums are coming soon.

Song of the Day: "I've been tired" by the Pixies

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Fri, 10 Jul 2015 15:19:00 +0000

Released in 1987 as part of the Come On Pilgrim EP, this song is just it's own thing entirely. It drifts in unannounced and makes you listen. It's one of those songs that you don't realize the lyrics beyond, "I've been tired" exist until you read them.

And when you read them... well, lets just say they pack a wallop.

Here's a live performance of "I've Been Tired" from Dutch TV in 1988:

And here's the lyrics:
One two three
She’s a real left winger ‘cause she been down south
And held peasants in her arms
She said I could tell you a story that could make you cry
What about you?
I said Me too
I could tell you a story that will make you cry
And she sighed Ah
I said I wanna be a singer like Lou Reed
I like Lou Reed she said sticking her tongue in my ear
Let’s go, let’s sit, let’s talk
Politics go so good with beer
And while we’re at it baby, why don’t you tell me one of your biggest fears?
I said Losing my penis to a whore with disease
Just kidding I said
Losing my life to a whore with disease
She said Excuse me please?
I said Losing my life to a whore with disease
I said Please... I’m a humble guy with a healthy desire
Don’t give me no shit because...
I’ve been tired
I tell a tale of a girl, but I call her a woman
She’s a little bit older than me
Strong legs, strong face, voice like milk, breasts like a cluster of grapes
I can’t escape the ways she raise me
She’ll make you feel like Solomon
Be one of your babies even if you have no one
(And while we’re at it baby, why don’t you tell me one of your biggest fears?)
Took my sleep after setting my loins on fire
But that’s OK because...
I’ve been tired
I’ve been tired
T-i-r-e-d spells it
Spells it

Ch-Check it Out: Modest Mouse "Coyotes"

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 11:34:00 +0000

The 2nd single off of Modest Mouse's forthcoming album Strangers to Ourselves is "Coyotes".

To sum up my thoughts, eff yes.

This is the sparseness of Long Drive with the polish of Moon & Antarctica. I've always loved Modest Mouse, ever since my friend Linnea was in art school and I asked her who I should listen to, and she said, "I heard Modest Mouse is pretty cool."

I picked up This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About shortly thereafter.

If you have thoughts about the song or video's meaning, I'd love to hear it. Such a good song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW5Or7bIVJk

Ch-check it out: Mew "Satellites" & Modest Mouse "

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 13:00:00 +0000

There are a few albums coming in March/April that are really exciting. Here's a preview:

Modest Mouse
Album: Strangers to Ourselves
Release Date: March 5, 2015
Lead Song: "Lampshades on Fire"
Listen here:

Death Cab for Cutie

Album: Kintsugi
Release Date: March 31, 2015

Mew

Album: + -
Release Date: April 27, 2015
Lead Song: "Satellites"
Listen here:

Sia on SNL was incredibly beautiful.

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Mon, 19 Jan 2015 07:24:00 +0000

There is a tension in the modern dance accompanied with this performance that incredibly moved me. The song talks about an inner struggle to make/be something, and after ruminating for the day, I'm still not sure how it resolves.

It's times like this where I try to remember Louis CK's interview with Conan O'Brien, and not distract myself. Just let life consume me for a minute. Thank you, Sia. I appreciate you immensely.

As an added bonus, here is Sia's also incredible performance of "Chandelier":

Best of 2014: 1 James Vincent McMorrow - Post Tropical

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Tue, 06 Jan 2015 03:09:00 +0000

1 James Vincent McMorrow Post Tropical

Hometown: Dublin, Ireland
Standout Tracks: Cavalier, Gold, Repeating, Post Tropical, Outside, Digging
Here we are. My number 1 ranked album for 2014. This album is beautiful, poignant and not unlike Wisconsin's own Bon Iver. Every song is decent and many are great. I love the heartsick on Cavalier when he sings, "I remember my first love". And the desolation on Outside, Digging when he sings, "There is so little light from the warmth of the sun". Cavalier first:

And as an added bonus, here's "Outside, Digging", an incredibly good song:

And that's it!

Here's a Spotify playlist of my favorite tracks from 2014:

Enjoy!

Best of 2014: 2 Pixies Indie Cindy

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Tue, 30 Dec 2014 15:43:00 +0000

2 The Pixies Indie Cindy

Hometown: Boston, MA
Standout Tracks: Bagboy, Magdalena, Snakes
It's the Pixies. They have been one of my top bands for years. So, when they released their first record as the Pixies in years, I was excited. And it's a great Pixies album. The tracks are raucous, the solos are perfectly dissonant and Frank Black can still wail. Just try not to sing-a-long as Frank sings, "Magdalena, just between us. You're the meanest":

And as an added bonus, here's their official video for "Bagboy", an incredibly good song about a grocers bad breath:

Best of 2014: 3 A Silvert Mt. Zion - Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything

noreply@blogger.com (Matt Glatzel) — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 13:00:00 +0000

3 Silver Mt. Zion Fuck Off Get Free We Pour Light On Everything

Hometown: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Standout Tracks: Little Ones Run, What We Loved Was Not Enough
This is one of my favorite album titles of all time. Hands down. It's right up there with NOFX's Punk in Drublic. Efrim Muneck has always been anti-establishment. That doesn't change with this record. What does change is how the establishment affects him now that he has a son. He is mournful, morose, haunting and beautiful. If you aren't familiar with Silver Mt. Zion, then think GYBE!/Mogwai/Explosions in the Sky with words. It's epic and beautiful stuff. Here's a video made using my favorite song off the album, "What we loved was not enough":