The Last 25 Albums I listened to

My Album Ratings

When I started this blog in November I made a goal to listen to albums. I think I've been too into my iPod lately and needed to get back to hearing albums and bands the way they are intended to be heard - in a full-length, non-shuffle format. I made up a rating system to keep track of them, with ##### being the best. I've decided to share my list to-date for a few reasons:

1. Hopefully you'll find good music
2. Hopefully you'll give me new good music
3. Hopefully since I'm sharing such intimacies with you, our bond will grow stronger

First sorted by rating, then chronologically because if you're an analytical freak like me you might enjoy seeing my sequence of discovery.

Enjoy!

Tracy :)


By Rating

#.5
Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust

##
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
The Hold Steady - Stay Positive

##.5
Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
Lucinda Williams - Little Honey

###.5
She & Him - Volume One
Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend

####
Dr. Dog - Fate
I'm From Barcelona - Who Killed Harry Houdini?

####.5
Battles - Race In
Foals - Antidots
Greg Wood - Vibrating Glass
Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins
Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk it Off

#####
The Blow - Paper Television
Calvin Harris - I Created Disco
Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini
The Faint - Fasciinatiion
The Faint - Wet From Birth
Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim
MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Moving Units - Dangerous Dreams
Mugison - Mugiboogie
Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping


Total List Chronologically

1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago ##.5
2. Dr. Dog - Fate ####
3. The Faint - Fasciinatiion #####
4. The Faint - Wet From Birth #####
5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes ##
6. Girl Talk - Feed the Animals ##.5
7. Greg Wood - Vibrating Glass ####.5
8. I'm From Barcelona - Who Killed Harry Houdini? ####
9. MGMT, Oracular Spectacular #####
10. Moving Units - Dangerous Dreams #####
11. Sigur Rós - Med sud i eyrum vid spilum endalaust #.5
12. She & Him - Volume One ###.5
13. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend ###.5
14. Calvin Harris - I Created Disco #####
15. Of Montreal - The Sunlandic Twins ####.5
16. The Blow - Paper Television #####
17. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga ####.5
18. Langhorne Slim - Langhorne Slim #####
19. Battles - Race In ####.5
20. Emiliana Torrini - Me and Armini #####
21. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping #####
22. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive ##
23. Foals - Antidots ####.5
24. Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk it Off ####.5
25. Mugison - Mugiboogie ######

Best Album Finds of 2009

I'm not going to do a "Top 10 albums of 2009" list because I listened to a LOT of really good albums throughout the year, but most of them only once or twice due to my crazy don't-have-time-to-listen-to-full-albums-enough-to-fall-in-love-with-them lifestyle. Since many of these albums COULD have made my top 10, and since I didn't even get to listen to all the albums I wanted to, I simply will not rank them. I'd hate to look back later this year, after I fall in love with an album that was made in 2009, and know that I didn't included it in my "Top 10 albums of 2009." So, I officially declare that I will author an annual "Best Album Finds of YEAR" list. Enjoy!

WARNING: Some of my favorite album finds of 2009 weren't made in 2009. I'm ok with that; just happy I finally found them.

Mugison's Mugiboogie is my favorite find of 2009 (even though it was released in 2008). This album is AMAZING. I discovered my love for this album on January 9, 2009, when I featured his song Mugiboogie. It was then that I first declared him a "versatile, boundary-less, unpredictable, master of sound." I encourage you to stop reading this post, click HERE, and listen to this album now (you can also download it for FREE!). This blog post will be here when you're done.


The Blow's Paper Television is chuck full of fun. Another album I highly recommend. I'm pretty late to the Paper Television party, since this album came out in 2006, but again - better late than never. You can listen to it HERE.


Although I discovered Of Montreal's Skeletal Lamping on December 27, 2008, it was still one of my absolute top albums of 2009, so I'm including it. F.A.B.ulous. Also one of my absolute favorite live shows of 2009. Listen to it HERE.


Ok, so I now realize that most of my favorite albums of 2009 were birthed earlier than 2009, so in order to get to some more current albums, I'm going to list a few more personal classics that I found-and-loved last year.

Passion Pit's Chunk of Change
Friendly Fires' Friendly Fires
Langhorne Slim's Langhorne Slim
Foals' Antidotes
Elbow's The Seldom Seen Kid
Lykke Li's Youth Novels

I love Animal Collective's Merriweather Pavilion from beginning to end. This made a lot of folks' top album lists, and for good reason. My goodness, if you haven't heard it yet, click HERE and get started!


Absolutely LOVE Golden Silver's True Romance. Kind of surprised I haven't heard more about them yet, but I'm ok assuming I'm an early adapter. :) Listen to them HERE and see if you agree.


Liam Finn and Eliza Jane's Champagne in Seashells is a love-at-first-listen album. I'm a big fan of Liam Finn's I'll Be Lightning, and this EP just confirmed that I'm a big Liam Finn fan in general. Check it out HERE.


Florence and the Machine's Lungs - Love her voice, her energy, her enthusiasm, and most importantly - her music! I'm a fan :) Listen to the album HERE.


I'd heard for-EVER about the supposed greatness of The Decemberists, and it wasn't until I listened to The Decemberists' Hazards of Love in that I understood why. AMAZING. Definitely a top find of 2009. I suggest you listen all the way through, which you can do HERE.


Other albums that maybe should be on here, but I haven't listened to enough to fully endorse include:

Muse's The Resistance
Girls' Album
Bat for Lashes' Two Suns

I can imagine your internal dialogue at this point might look something like this:

"Jiminy Cricket Tracy, you're obsessed with music and listen to it constantly,
how can this be it?! wtf"

It saddens me that my stupid life got in the way of actually listening, reviewing and becoming obsessed with a LOT more albums from 2009, but do not fear for 2010. I have aggressive goals to not only stay on top of all the fabulous 2010 releases, but to also catch up on all the great stuff I missed in 2009. Therefore, plan to see more old stuff on the list next year, and hopefully a shit more albums too.


Until then, thanks for reading and please feel encouraged to send me whatever album recommendations you have.

Q&A with Detroit's Zoos of Berlin, Creators of Good Music

I first heard about Zoos of Berlin from Zoos of Berlin. Keyboardist Will Yates emailed me through this blog with some music on their newest release, Taxis. I was typically behind and it took me a while to play it through, but I'm really glad I did! Their music is very upbeat and slightly chaotic in structure (which is nice for my A.D.D.) and the rounded, laid-back vocals pull everything together just perfectly. It's a polished and sophisticated sound, and I am a fan. Head to their MySpace page HERE to check them out.

Have a read below to learn more about their DIY production and release methods, childhood influences, their take on today's music industry, some of their favorite bands in Detroit, and more.

This classy, lounge-pop act is heading to the Empty Bottle on Thursday, March 25. Hopefully I will see you there!

Music Per Diem: Zoos of Berlin have a uniquely familiar sound. There's no one direction I could point someone when trying to describe your music; however, I believe mentioning the likes of Bowie, Jens Lekman, Sufjan Stevens and Of Montreal should give someone a relatively close place to start. It's a big-band, lounge-pop sound that feels like receiving a long hug in the warm sun while slightly intoxicated. In an interview with Motor City Rocks, keyboardist Will Yates mentioned that ZOB tries to keep the sound "weird and fresh without getting too far away from being a pop band." Who did you all listen to growing up that likely influenced today's ZOB sound? I love that there's a trumpet in your songs, how did that instrument get involved? I hear you're writing new music, how different is the sound you're making now from Taxis?

COLLIN: (drums) I grew up on the classic and prog rock of the 60s, 70s and 80s since I had a mother who was quite young when she had me and loved to listen to rock and roll loud and dance around. Stuff like Led Zeppelin, Hendrix, The Beatles, Elton John, The Who, Bowie. Then when I got older I got into crazy metal bands like Slayer and hardcore punk like the Dead Kennedys and Bad Brains. But over the last twenty years my tastes have evolved from working on many records with a diverse range of artists, including Carl Craig, Denaun Porter and Erase Errata.

DANIEL: (vocals, bass) My taste in music was formed by listening to my father's record collection, which ranged from the familiar to the obscure. As a kid I listened most to the Beatles and classical recordings. The decision to start making my own music was made chiefly under the influence of Guided by Voices, however much my methods now differ from Robert Pollard's. His example showed me where to start.

TREVOR: (vocals, guitar) My father used to sing me to sleep by playing Cat Stevens songs on an acoustic guitar. My parents had a record collection stacked tightly on a low shelf and I remember having access to Mason Williams, Fleetwood Mac, ABBA, the 2001: A Space Odyssey soundtrack. TV music was a big influence as well. My father loved PBS and science fiction and I'd get a thrill from the intro to "Doctor Who." I think it's still one of my all-time favorite pieces of music. "Magic Shadows" was another one. (Along with the music, the artwork in the intro was visually influential for me.)

WILL: (keyboards) I grew up playing classical piano. As a young child I absolutely loved (still do) Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker ballet, and then later on I got heavily into playing Debussy on the piano. I got into rock listening to the radio in middle school, and I fell head over heels in love with Smashing Pumpkins' "Siamese Dream" album, and then Radiohead's "OK Computer". Some other major influences for me were the pop-rock of Sloan, Elliott Smith and Ben Folds Five, and some abstract electronic stuff like Autechre and Plastikman.

DANIEL: I might hazard the guess that our new material will be somewhat sparser and darker, but it's hard to say how it will all turn out. We spent many years tightening our playing before we recorded "Taxis." Our new studio allows us to be more spontaneous, and I think the songs will sound much fresher, more cohesive. We won't be covering the same ground again.

TREVOR: The new record... there's a feeling of confidence and joy that's going into the music.

MPD: I really admire the effort put into self-recording and releasing your album, Taxis. The album sounds amazing, and the promotional support has certainly captured people’s attention. It obviously helps having a recording engineer in the band, drummer Collin Dupuis, but I’d like to understand more of how the self-recording process went. Did Collin manage all the recording process, or did other members contribute specific skills? What were the band’s priorities in terms of sound quality? I read in a previous interview with Real Detroit Weekly that some of these songs originated six years ago – how much did the songs change from creation to recording? How much are you able to replicate your recorded sound in your live performances?

COLLIN: Yes, I did most of the engineering. Since I have been making records professionally for a while, it made sense to delegate the engineering stuff to me. Plus we used all of my equipment so I know it better than anyone. Sound quality is always important to us but not to the point where it gets in the way of experimentation. I do like lo-fi sounds used in the middle of really good sounding recordings. I love distortion but blended in so that it is not completely obvious that you are listening to a distorted sound.

DAN: Collin deserves much of the credit for the recordings, but we're all detail-oriented, perfectionist types with a surplus of opinions - finding a way to incorporate the input of every member has sometimes slowed us down, but that has always been the aim of the band. With "Taxis," we strove for a sound that was both polished and natural, but the performances were those we'd spent years honing in concert. With our new record, we may find ourselves learning to play songs after having written and recorded them.

MPD: I understand that Zoos of Berlin also took a DIY strategy to releasing the music. As someone who sends and receives a good deal of press releases and music samples, I can understand the amount of work sometimes required to get attention. In an interview with Motor City Rocks, Will mentions he actually enjoys the work involved in releasing and promoting the music. What types of things do Will and the band do themselves to spread the music? Are there any aspects of the release process you outsourced? Your efforts successfully attracted the attention of Pitchfork and Brooklyn Vegan, what promotion would you consider the most influential to date? Your upcoming Chicago show is part of tour covering 18 cities, was the tour logistics handled in-house by Zoos of Berlin too? Lastly, you released a music video for “Black in the Sun Room,” what role did the band play in the concept and visual creation?

WILL: I started working on promoting this band a couple years ago, when we released our first EP. I had never tried doing promo before, but I've been really enjoying it. I started just with our Detroit networks, talking to musicians we knew and writers who had covered them, and I've built up my Rolodex from there. We've done almost everything ourselves, but we did use the promo company AAM for mailing "Taxis" CDs out to college radio, just to get our foot in some doors. They mailed the CDs, and I did all the follow-ups.

Our upcoming tour is with another Detroit band called Child Bite. Shawn from Child Bite and I put together this tour for the most part, but Shawn gets most of the credit.

For the "Black in the Sun Room" video, Trevor (our de facto art director) found a video director (Chicago-based Adam Lonczynski) he liked whose style meshes well with ours, and we let Adam take it from there.

MPD: Something I love hearing from artists is their opinion on how to best release new music in today’s environment. There are so many variables to consider, and I don’t think we’ve discovered the hands-down best strategy yet. What are your thoughts on releasing music for free, versus for a price? As a physical CD or digital format? Should music be released in a full-length, EP or single format? On a label or independently distributed? Personally, I believe in general that releasing free content regularly is one of the best things an artist can do – whether it be blog posts, video diaries, pictures, tweets or new music. As an artist, where do you see the industry heading?

TREVOR: Art, on the internet, is like sand. It slips so easily through the hands of those that try to control it. It's an infinite place and there are always people who will find a way to be smarter and faster than the corporations/controllers... they'll get what they want for free and with no hassle. There's a beauty to that kind of freedom and access. On the other hand, I am a major fan of album art and I am concerned that it could go away. I need that physical object. But ultimately, I just want people to hear everything without a limit or a price tag. Truthfully, I was really happy to see "Taxis" leak on Rapidshare and Megaupload.

WILL: There's no question that to be a musician these days you've got to be OK with giving your music away for free. It's not the 90s anymore. On the other hand, we do actually see sales on online services like iTunes, despite the fact that you could find our album for free somewhere if you tried hard enough, so that's heartening.

Now that cassettes have become cool again I think it's only a matter of time before the CD gets an ironic revival, haha. But seriously, we have CDs because people still buy them, and they seem to still be the standard when it comes to doing promo. Personally I still buy CDs because the quality is still better than your average download.

I think indie bands are best served by releasing full-lengths, since that's what their fans are generally most interested in. For mainstream pop though, I think it would be awesome if they just gave up on albums and switched back to the business model where artists had to have a hit single every month instead of a hit album every four years.

I think no one is really sure where the music industry is headed, but personally I'm excited about what the future holds for Zoos of Berlin. We're happy to just hang out in our studio and record ourselves, so anything else that comes along -- e.g., a tour, this interview -- is just icing on the cake.

MPD: For everyone who has yet to experience a Zoos of Berlin show, including myself, how would you describe the live experience? Do you have any superstitions or routines before each show? How different is the crowd reaction in Detroit versus when you’re on the road? What is your favorite part of your live show?

DAN: The rare moments when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

TREVOR: When I see us smiling, when I hear us really clicking, then I know it's all worth it. Will does some great headbanging during one song.

MPD: Name three things you’re loyal to (i.e. a brand of vodka, a coffee shop, a sports team, recycling, etc)

COLLIN: Family, friends, and music.

MPD: Let’s play word association.

DAN:
Broken: String
Spring:Tiger
Chicago: Wind Hand
Sleep: Blue Hotel
The Beatles: Alpha and Omega

MPD: Tell me about the Detroit music scene. What bands do you recommend checking out? What are your favorite venues to play? To see a live show? How has the Detroit scene changed since when you first started writing Taxis songs six years ago? Outside of Detroit, what are some of your favorite cities to play in?

TREVOR: Bands or artists to see: Aran Ruth, Outrageous Cherry, Oscillating Fan Club, Computer Perfection. Venues: CAID, Crofoot, Majestic Cafe. Detroit is a freer spirit now, less bogged down by the garage fever. NYC is a favorite city.

WILL: I agree with Trevor. My favorite Detroit acts are Great Lakes Myth Society, Lightning Love, Javelins and Child Bite.

MPD: If you could build your dream line-up, who would be on it and at what venue?

WILL: We opened for Field Music in Ann Arbor last week, and I'd say they were definitely on our short list of bands to play with. We'd love to open for Broadcast someday. Longer shots would include Radiohead, Portishead, and Stereolab.

Zoos of Berlin are playing at Chicago's Empty Bottle on Thursday, 3/25, with Child Bite, Old Fake, and Dylan Posa & Three Cheers for One Dead Man.
I will be there.

Recommended Song AND Lollapalooza Day 1 Recap

Brooklyn,NY

8/7/09: Colors, by April Smith

Listen to it HERE

So, I was chosen to be an "official fan correspondent" this year at Lollapalooza for LP33.tv (I did it, it was fun, I wasn't great) and I got lost trying to find the media tend Friday morning. I ended up tagging alongside another person searching for the media tent, and they recommended I check out April Smith. I decided I'd look her up online later instead, as I was determined to see Hockey, but when I heard her music walking by I had to stop in. She was fabulous! She has a great voice, and randomly her song lyrics caught my attention ("When it comes to my man, I will fight like a boy.") BIG fan. Click her pic to hear more music.

She also introduced me to the website Kickstarter, which claims to be "a funding platform for artists, designers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists, inventors, explorers..." I LOVE this. Check it out. Some of the many cool projects featured on there include:

• Helping Polyvinyl Records save 10,000 records from destruction
• Helping the first unassisted paraplegic to summit Mt Kilimanjaro
• Funding April Smith's next album

They have a really cool philosophy around payment, click HERE to check it out.

Enjoy!


Lollapalooza, Day 1 :)

Despite the fact that at one point in the day both of my thumbs were numb from being so cold, it was phenomenal. LOVED it, of course. Here's a recap of my day, and feel free to check out my twitter feed, as I also "tweeted my Lolla experience."

I stopped by April Smith (Brooklyn, NY) first, and they busted out an old Samsonite suitcase as an instrument. I really liked her show, hence today's recommendation.

Then I headded to Hockey (Portland, OR). I don't remember what put such a positive impression in my head about them, but I was really excited to see them. When I got there they were riled up with energy, but then suddenly all the music stopped. I'm assuming the rain messed something up, but it took awhile for sound to come back. The band passed the time by throwing cans of beer into the crowd. :) When the sound finally did come back, the band quickly line-checked and jumped right back into another song, only for the sound to go out again before the song was over. It really sucks for them, and for us. But mostly for them.

From Hockey I checked out Manchester Orchestra (Atlanta, GA). I just recommended them, so I was excited to see them live. They sounded really good, but I felt inspired to make the hike from the Budweiser stage on the north side to the 2016 stage on the south side to see Rockford's Hey Champ. Apparently Lupe thinks they're a big deal, and I thought they were pretty cool. Nothing FABulous in my book though. Check out some of Hey Champ on my YouTube channel HERE.

I stopped at Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears (Austin, TX) next. They were awesome. Check out this clip I took during their show:

I did pause as I passed The Knux (Hollywood/New Orleans), because they sounded pretty good, but I didn't get to really check them out. I had to run to my "fan correspondent" gig w/LP33.tv. I taped a segment in Q101's Hammock Haven. Let's just say, if I ever become famous or run for office, I'm sure - somehow - that tape will appear. That will be awesome...

I stopped by Amazing Baby (Brooklyn, NY) next, and while I liked what I heard, I didn't fall in love. We left after a few songs and got some food and prepared to make our way over to Bon Iver (Northwestern, WI). I would have certainly enjoyed Bon Iver more had I not been freezing. Really, the cold distracted me during Bon Iver, Ben Folds, (Nashville, TN) and Fleet Foxes (Seattle, WA). I was determined to enjoy Of Montreal (Sunlandia/Athens, GA), which is where I headed after Fleet Foxes, so I grabbed a bottle of wine to warm up with. It helped. :)

OF MONTREAL was, is and forever-shall-be, FABULOUS. I'm in love with Kevin Barnes, and their music. I was SOOOO excited for this moment since the day I saw the line-up. It. Was. Awesome. :)

After Of Montreal I could barely walk... stumbled over to watch a bit of Depeche Mode, but can't say I was able to soak any of it in. We headed out early to catch Lykke Li (Stockholm, Sweden) at Bottom Lounge. Here's a clip from that show:

Here are some random pictures I took throughout the day. It's not creepy, just capturing the environment...


It was a FABulous Day 1 :) I hope you all had an equally rewarding day, if not more! Day 2's recap is up next...

Tracy :)

To visit MY blog postings for the artists that played on Day 1, check out these links:

Of Montreal1
Of Montreal2
Fleet Foxes
Bon Iver
Manchester Orchestra
Andrew Bird
Peter, Bjorn and John
Depeche Mode
White Lies