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 ######

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

An Extra Gift for You :)

1/5/09: Beyonce + Fleet Foxes = Enjoyable Beyonce (you can download for free if you so desire)

Recommended Song and Lollapalooza Day 3 Recap

England, UK

8/9/09: You Want History, by Kaiser Chiefs

Listen to it HERE

I'm a really big fan of Kaiser Chiefs' album Employment, and the only reason I haven't featured a song from it yet is because I can't decide on which song. Well, after seeing Kaiser Chiefs at Lollapalooza, I knew I had to feature them. Their live show was surprisingly fantastic. Their newest album, Off With Their Heads, has been on my list of records I intend to check out since before it was released. I haven't gotten to it just yet, but I have heard several tracks off the album via Pandora or Napster, and today's song caught my attention a while ago.

**Side note - I very honestly, 100% seriously, have no idea what's on the radio right now. I know Lady Gaga, and that's it. I mention this because I have no idea if a recommended song was completely overplayed at some point and everyone's mother knows it, or if it's some random track off an unknown album. I could google it, but I kind of like the objective opinion that not knowing the song's success allows me to have.


Lollapalooza Day 3

I got to the grounds on time to hear most of Sam Roberts Band's (Montreal, Canada) set, but like Day 2 I heard my first band from the side putting on sunscreen in the shade. I liked it, but headed straight to Friendly Fires (St. Albans, UK) after sunscreen to get a good spot. Probably the #4 band on my list of "bands to see at Lolla 09," I previously saw Friendly Fires with White Lies at Double Door this spring. I liked that show and I love their self-titled album, so I was really excited to start Sunday with some dancing at their stage.

Well, dance I did. And so did lead singer Ed Macfarlane, despite the high 90s temperatures during their 12:30 set. I thought he was going to die. Thankfully, he didn't, and the show was one of my top Lolla shows fo sho. Here's a clip:

At this point in my Lollapalooza experience, I have survived nearly freezing to death during Fleet Foxes and nearly being rocked to death in the front rows of Tool. I admit I got lazy on day 3 and easily started settling for "hearing" a band from a distance versus "experiencing" their live show. I half-assed it for such fine artists as Portugal. The Man (Wasilla, AK), Gang Gang Dance (NY, NY), Cold War Kids (Long Beach, CA), Snoop Dogg (Long Beach, CA), and Band of Horses (the Carolinas). I feel OK about "missing" all these shows, because the three shows I DID see were awesome!

(PS Band of Horses, I don't care if the "legend" Lou Reed (Brooklyn, NY) played late into your set all but 3 minutes (much less only 10!), you do not play a second over Jane's Addiction's set! (much less 3 songs!) Booooo. I'm mad at you.)

So the first show I went to after Friendly Fires was Kaiser Chiefs. As I mentioned before, it was awesome. I was very much surprised to see their front man in action. He did a really good job of getting a crowd the size of Lollapalooza's involved. And, they were fun musicians to see live!

(The lead singer is singing in the crowd. And I totally thought that chick in the pink shirt was a fan that got on stage that no one was going after. I then realized she was signing the show...)

Immediately following Kaiser Chiefs I headed to the Citi stage to get good spots for Passion Pit (Cambridge, MA). I got as close to the front as I could and it was PACKED. I had high expectations for their show, as I saw them in January at Schubas in Chicago and it was BEYOND FABULOUS. As soon as they stated playing, everyone went crazy and people were falling over and crowd surfing. I nearly died trying to dance at Passion Pit! So, I moved towards the rear of the crowd and danced with other non-crazies. Nonetheless, Passion Pit was amazing. I love their music, but I REALLY love how much everyone in the crowd dances. I taped a quick 360 view during their set, which you can see below.

Also, I didn't get a good clip of the craziness at Passion Pit, but this person did. I'm for serious people; paramedics were shoving their way through the crowd at one point. Check it out:

Last stand-out act of the night was Jane's Addiction (LA,CA). I can honestly say that I don't think I know a single one of their songs. I have no idea how so many artists can completely slip by me, but Jane's Addiction was one of them. And even so, I thought their live show was FABulous! I suspected I might like it because Perry Ferrall is kind of my hero, with the whole "creating Lollapalooza" thing. And because I love Semi Precious Weapons, who one of my friends used to describe Jane's asthetic. Well, after seeing the show I can say I loved it! Perry's still my hero, and I even liked their music. :) I was able to use my last bit of memory to film the opening few moments of their show.

Here are some random moments of Lollapalooza Day 3:

I would LOVED to have seen Neko Case (Virginia/Canada?), Dan Auerbach (Akron, OH), Cage the Elephant (Bowling Green, KY), and Deerhunter (Atlanta, GA) as well, but that's what makes Lollapalooza bittersweet.

SO- that's my Lollapalooza 2009 recap. I already CAN'T WAIT for 2010. :D

Tracy :)

To hear the artists that played Lollapalooza day 3 that were featured on MY blog, click the links:

Friendly Fires
Ra Ra Riot
Portugal. The Man
Neko Case
Dan Auerbach
Vampire Weekend
Passion Pit