Perşembe 6 Oca 2011, 18:25
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Well, it’s been a heck of a year for music both on and off the mainstream. With the 53rd Annual Grammys on the Horizon and Last.fm having just wrapped up their own Best of 2010 , I figured for fun I’d throw down my own ‘loose-knit’ end of the season wrap up. We’ll take a look and listen at a few of my personal favs from both in and out of our little studio.
First up I want to highlight a band that I’ve fallen for like a sack of bricks. Even though I was late to the party (only introduced via 2007′s Planet Of Ice) Minus the Bear has become an essential mainstay as part of my regular soundtrack. You can only imagine my excitement when we learned about the forthcoming album artist=Minus The Bear]Omni record and furthermore the instant I heard that we were going to have them in studio for a Summer Sessions feature? Yeah, lets just say I needed a change of pants. I have retroactively appreciated every little sound this band has been able to produce and that goes double for the warm & upbeat jive of the very ‘summery’ Omni. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: ‘Minus the Bear are the next Tears for Fears‘. You can watch their live/acoustic gig with us here and as awesome as that was, it pails in comparison to the epic fun of the official video for “My Time”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAoVj0-bZkI
Next up a special shout to a lady I may or may not have fallen a little bit in love with. I feel often times it’s few and far-between that we (or at least I) can really dig on a seriously talented female singer. I say this in full anticipation of intense criticism but you can’t deny that much of the limelight is given to the ‘Britneys’, ‘Christinas,’ ‘Gagas’ & *shudder*… ‘Ke$has’ and lets face facts… they are all a dime-a-dozen. Gaga MIGHT be an exception but only time will tell. The true talent resides in contemporary artists the likes of Florence + the Machine, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, Lissie and of course Ellie Goulding. I knew nothing of her when we invited her to the studio but she had such a uniqueness to her overall sound & presentation, not to mention a genuine knack for writing I was instantly sold. After making it all the way through Lights as well as the EP Bright Lights, I cannot wait for more from Ellie. Check out her day in our studio
And rounding out my Top 3 we have We Are Scientists. To say the least it was a very good summer for music in 2010, as these guys were another featured artist as part of the Energizer Summer Sessions on Last.fm Discover. To elaborate: these guys were a lot of fun; plain and simple. The dudes (Keith & Chris) are true entertainers probably just as much fun to watch as personalities themselves, joking & goofing around. Not to mention that they are extremely well versed in their post-punk vibe and can crank out a hell of a powerful sound with their little 3 piece. I was particularly diggin’ on the single “Nice Guys” from the album Barbara and they did a killer live rendition in the Last.fm Discover studios. See the gig here
Overall I was pleasantly surprise/impressed with 2010. I was blown away by the sophomore effort Modern Rituals by a true blues-rock appeal like Chief (whom have the best vocal harmony work I have ever heard); As well as the folk-sy/pop capabilities and originality of Dr. Dog & their latest & biggest release Shame, Shame. 22-20s had been around a while but I was truly privileged to encounter them for the first time and loved how well they could translate their versatile brand of music between a full blown rock & very intimate stripped-down/acoustic setting…ESPECIALLY the song Shake Shiver & Moan. I also recently re-discovered Two Door Cinema Club who’s jam-able/drive-able/dance-able premiere Tourist History has been buzzing around the office again thanks to preparation for the upcoming Last.fm Festival.
Off the record: I have been a long time fan of Andrew W.K. so with the grand return of the “Master of the Party” I was undoubtedly STOKED. After keeping his musical career relatively quiet in the states for a few years, we were finally blessed with a massive collection of lost tracks titled Mother of Mankind, as well as the full record that was only available overseas called Close Calls With Brick Walls.
Most recently we saw the unearthing of a heavy metal supergroup decades in the making: The Damned Things who came out of the swirly generic mass of generic alternative/loud rock and promptly kicked all their asses with Ironiclast. The sound is vintage but the principles are modern. It’s just the kick the scene needed and I for one am thankful.
And while I’m at it I will proclaim my undying love for Coheed and Cambria because… well just because. Upstate NY pride coupled with geeky sci-fi prog-rock & and overall epic-ness is sheer perfection to me. Year of the Black Rainbow was just more fuel for this fire and a much welcome return of that sound we hardcore fans first fell in love with.
Well if you made it this far I thank you for your patience and welcome any & all arguments and comments to follow. This to me was a solid year for discovery & I hope you enjoyed my brief list. Feel free to mess this countdown up, bully me for having ‘no taste’ or pass along who you think the Best of 2010 was. And stick around for an awesome lineup for 2011 on Last.fm Discover!