Hey homies. Here's a roundup of five of my favourite tracks from the past few weeks.
Why? - Fatalist Palmistry I reckon that it's close enough to December 31st for me to say with almost total certainty that Alopecia by Why? will be in my top ten albums of 2008 list. And most likely in the top five rather than the bottom.
The Walkmen - The Blue Route Another classic track from another superb album. If you haven't given You & Me by the Walkmen a thorough listen, do it now. Now!
Amadou & Mariam - Sabali I've been a big fan of the magical Malian duo Amadou & Mariam for several years now and couldn't be more excited about their new album, Welcome to Mali, which was released on Monday. 'Sabali' features production by Damon Albarn and is so good it's almost unreal.
Deerhunter - Nothing Ever Happened On this track Atlanta's Deerhunter really remind me of Guided by Voices circa Universal Truths & Cycles, and that's a very good thing. The forementioned band's critically acclaimed album Microcastle was officially released late last month, but leaked online way back in May. Head Deerhunter Bradford Cox names David Bowie, Brian Eno, Echo & The Bunnymen and My Bloody Valentine among his influences so if you like any of those bands, chances are you'll dig Microcastle.
Love Is All - Wishing Well bonus: Crystal Stilts - Shattered Shine The Swedish band Love Is All released their first proper album last week (2005's Nine Times That Same Song was really just a compilation of the group's earlier singles) and it's a doozy. Lucky Canadians will be able to check them out live as they'll soon be making stops in Vancouver (Nov 24), Montreal (Dec 10) and Toronto (Dec 11) with Brooklyn's Crystal Stilts. That's a swell double bill.
Atlas Sound is the solo project from Deerhunter frontman Bradford James Cox. To be honest, I don't know a lot about Deerhunter but positive responses seem to be pretty common with most listeners. What caught my attention with this project is the intriguing album title, Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel. The sound is understated but heavily layered, a bit in the vein of Panda Bear, but judge for yourself. "Quarantined" is the standout track, one of many on the album worth hearing.
Nico's "These Days" remains one of my favorite movie songs of all time, as it fit brilliantly within the distinctive confines of The Royal Tenenbaums. Band of Horses opener Tyler Ramsey has his own crack at it, slowing the tempo and singing with a contemplative croon that's quite akin to Neil Young. The song is the eighth track on Ramsey's album A Long Dream About Swimming Across the Sea, which may put you to sleep, but should not be slept on...
Here are some playlist boosters from across the board, highlighted by The Radio Dept.'s new song from their "Never Follow Suit" single. Other songs below from accomplished producer Ski Beatz's 24 Hour Karate School album, as well as lesser known Newcastle trio Polarsets. I threw in The Vaccines' "Wreckin' Bar" as well, it deserves all the attention it's been getting. Hard to get enough of it clocking in at just 1:25.
