Just For C-Note!

Saw an old friend of mine the other day and we were commiserating over the fact that we are both totally out of the loop on music these days. However, I've thought of some stuff that maybe she hasn't heard of (or heard enough of) and thought I'd post it here so it is all in one place. Everyone else is welcome to look too! Plus, it's a good excuse for me to rock out for a bit! (ps-C-Note, if you hate all of it, no worries, just thought I'd give it a shot!)

Matt & Kim
I'd say start with the album "Grand", graduate to "Sidewalks" if you like it (and go from there..."Lightning" is good but too new for me to have a real big opinion on). They're even from NYC too so you can go say hi!

Kids of 88
Another indie/pop/electronic band, this time from New Zealand. A little more emphasis on the electronic this time. They JUST released their second album "Modern Love", which I'm digging so far, but you can't go wrong with their first one "Sugarpills".

Fight Like Apes
I'm sure you've heard me mention these guys, but they are still amazing. Yes, they are completely filthy, but that's part of the charm! Hahaha Seriously though, I just picked 3 songs at random, I could fill this whole page with FLA songs!

Vacationer
While I really enjoy their album (and I do!), these guys are great live (and they are from back east and seem to play NYC a lot)! They only have the one album, so that makes life easier. Very chill, almost island/beach vibe type music.

The Naked & Famous
I'm sure you have heard these guys even if you don't realize it. Another NZ band (but I didn't find them on my trip unlike Kids of 88). These two songs have been EVERYWHERE.

The Black Seeds
Don't know if this is really up your alley, C-Note, but if you want a good reggae band, check these guys out. Another band from NZ; I'd heard of them before I went over there since Bret from Flight of the Conchords was in this band at one time, but I didn't really get into them until after my trip.

That's probably enough for now. Maybe I'll make a second post with some random songs or stuff later... Enjoy!

Best Albums of 2011

After a few years with very little (in my eyes) in the way of great, or even good, music, I was pleasantly surprised with all the great stuff that came out in 2011. There was great stuff from The Naked & Famous (yay for Kiwis!), The Aquabats! (they require exclamation points!), Childish Gambino, The Roots, The Bosstones, Screeching Weasel (yes, BW is a douche, he still makes great music though), Tune-Yards, and many more. However, there are 2 that come to the top of my mind as my favorites from the year. I present them in no particular order:

Kanye West & Jay-Z - Watch The Throne

Kanye and Jay's wonderful tribute to narcissism. I have never heard anything so self-absorbed in my life and it is tremendous. I think a lot of my enjoyment of this stems from the pure (unintentional?) comedy of the whole affair. If you can listen to "H.A.M." and not laugh you are an odd individual, that's all I can say. But beyond that, Ye's production here is nearly impeccable. He truly is at the top of his game with samples and beats and all. In most people's hands "Otis" would be a complete mess, but here it is one of the best tracks on the album. Plus, you need to watch the video just for Aziz Ansari's dance moves (at about 2:30). This needs to turn into the next "Macarena" or something. I still think Jay-Z is overrated as a rapper (sacrelige to rap fans, I know, but it's true), but his shortcomings seem to be minimized here. As most people know, I'm not a big rap guy to begin with, but this album is fantastic.




The Get Up Kids - There Are Rules

After a few years off (hiatus/breakup), the Get Up Kids are back and as good as ever! If you are looking for "On A Wire"-style campfire singalongs, look elsewhere. This is TGUK at their most vibrant, energetic, and experimental. If Matt Pryor's voice weren't so distinctive, you'd almost swear that this couldn't be the Get Up Kids. The biggest difference between this and the last few TGUK albums, though, is that it sounds like they are excited to be a band again. Towards the end of their first go-round, it almost seemed like they were going through the motions. Case in point, in the "On A Wire" days I saw them live and they were ok, but nothing special. Caught them again a year or two ago (after the reformation) and it was like a whole other band. Energetic, excited, and engaging - and this album is an extension of that. This is a truly great album, right up there with "Something To Write Home About". Check it, yo. Now if we can only talk James into a new Reggie or Fluxuation album...



I almost forgot! I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention the plethora of great comedy albums that came out in 2011. My runners up for Comedy Album of the Year are "Hendersons and Daughters" by the Sklar Bros. and "Potty Mouth" by Doug Benson. Both hilarious and highly recommended. They also both do great podcasts (Sklarbro Country and Doug Loves Movies respectively). But comedy in 2011 really belonged to Louis C.K. (and if you haven't gone to his website and bought his new special for $5 you are missing out). "Hilarious" is just that. Certainly not for kids, but Louis is certainly on the top of his game. If you need a laugh, this should be your first stop.