My Top Five Albums of the Moment
1. Cloud Cult - The Meaning of 8
There’s really been no doubt this whole year as to which album I’ve liked the most. I came across the album in early January and was blown away. Cloud Cult won me over completely with their previous album, Advice from the Happy Hippo, and I didn’t expect them to be able to match it with this new album, but thankfully I was proven wrong. The Meaning of 8 features more of the clever lyrics found throughout their previous four albums, and blends organic with electronic seamlessly. If anything, this new album finds Cloud Cult further perfecting their subtle use of electronic drums and synths to add to their songs. Stand-outs include “Take Your Medicine”, “Alien Christ”, and the incredibly danceable “Please Remain Calm”. Of course, I’d recommend every song on the album, but if you had to have a place to start, those would be it. You can buy the album in digital format or have an actual cd mailed to you though their website. They’ve got five nifty packages to choose from too. The album will be officially released in stores April 10th.
2. Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha
My love for Andrew Bird’s music is only second to that of Sufjan’s when it comes to one man bands. Since Sufjan’s been relatively quiet lately, I’m giving the edge to Bird at the moment. I honestly didn’t want to listen to Armchair Apocrypha when I came across it a while ago. The songs sat on my computer screaming to be listened to, but I didn’t want to ruin everything I loved about Andrew Bird had his new album been lackluster. Well, I finally gave in, and while I’m still figuring out if it’s on par with Mysterious Production of Eggs, one thing I can say for sure is that it’s spectacular the whole way through. I may be feeling slightly apprehensive towards this album because songs like “Fake Plaindromes” and “Nervous Tic Motion…” are so engrained into my head with their brilliance, but come March 10th, you can be sure I’ll be first in line at my local record store to pick this beauty up. Plus, how great is that album cover? Stand-outs include the Mysterious Productions sounding “Imitosis”, the apocalyptic “Scythian Empire”, and the wonderfully simple “Simple X”.
3. Menomena - Friend and Foe
This album surprised me quite a bit when I first listened to it. I expected the usual Menomena disoriented soundscapes, but this time around they’ve added a touch of cohesiveness to their songs that found me being able to sing along to a lot of their songs. Their previous album was great, but always one I found hard to digest as a whole. Friend and Foe does for Menomena what Lost and Safe did for The Books. It’s more of the same style that got the band where they are now, but with much more accessibility in the new songs that should gain them far more fans than before. Of course, only time will tell if that happens, but I went from a fan of the album I Am the Fun Blame Monster, to a fan of Menomena as a band with this new album and am looking forward to everything they create from here on out.
4. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Of all the huge releases in 2007, Arcade Fire’s new one wasn’t really even on my radar. I loved Funeral, but for some reason I wasn’t excited to hear more. Call me crazy, but when someone told me the album leaked, I didn’t even look for it. Well, word spread among the few of my friends who have basically the same music taste as me, and I couldn’t go without listening to it any more. My initial listen found me shrugging and saying, “Eh, that was pretty good. No Funeral though.” Since then I’ve listened to it at least 20 times through and notice something new every time around. Due to the simple fact that I love anything with strings in it, I feel slightly like a fool now having ignored this album for so long. But rest assured, here’s me giving my highest recommendation for you to pre-order this beauty or pick it up when it’s released March 6th. I didn’t think they could live up to Funeral standards, but I’m glad to see they very nearly did. That album’s a classic in my mind, so even getting close to it with a follow up is a big deal.
- Pre-Order the album (with fancy 30 page book)
- Some mp3’s
- NPR’s live NYC concert
- Their Site
5. The Shins - Wincing the Night Away
I’d forgotten about this album until this week when I was sick and listening to crazy amounts of music. I barely missed the promos for this album while interning at Sub Pop, but got one sent to me shortly after I left Seattle, so it feels like I’ve been listening to this album forever even though it’s barely been released for a month. I was initially turned off by the mellowness of the album, but in the end that’s what I ended up loving most. It’s more of the same Shins style, but no one’s complaining. If you haven’t listened to this album yet for whatever reason, make sure to give it a listen. I know some people that refuse to listen to the Shins since their Garden State caused popularity made them more mainstream and that’s a shame. They deserve all the good press they can get and the only thing I’m sad about is the fact that there won’t be any new Shins music for quite a while.
Phantom Limb
Links
- Jack Bauer interrogates the Aquateen trio about their recent bomb scare
- Carlos Mencia is put in his place by Joe Rogan during one of his shows for stealing basically most of the jokes he does.
Oh yeah, I changed the theme of the site. I think it looks pretty good and is a clean design. Plus, it lets me do a lot more with the sidebars. Makes me look like I’m some big blogger or something, which I’m not. Let me know what you think of the new look.
