Elln's Top Ten July '09

Well, it was tough this week because Dashboard's The Shade of Poison Trees cover is very pleasing to the eye. But I think The Thrill's Teenager cover is so classic, I couldn't resist. So there it is in all its honest, hormone-crazed glory.


1. "Modern Love"/David Bowie-Admittedly, I've never been a huge Bowie fan, but I've been listening to the Adventureland soundtrack a lot lately. His glam rock is powerfully addictive and sort of commercial, while also being musically clever, respectable, and viable. He also incorporates jazz into his rock, evidenced by the saxophones. His lyrics are nonsensical, but somehow make sense. So what I'm saying is that he's essentially a walking, singing paradox. Yeah, I dig those.

2. "Ain't No Rest for the Wicked"/Cage the Elephant-Ah, thank you, something straight-forward. While Cage the Elephant betrays southern roots here with a little country and folk twang, this song is purely mesmerizing rock and roll. The saga-like story-telling lyrics are all folk, but the acoustic guitar hook is 100% clever, polished rock.

3. "Don't Dream It's Over"/Crowded House-Another gem from the Adventureland soundtrack, Crowded House sounds like a band that was an '80's one-hit-wonder, though they actually went platinum in their native Australia for the release of their fifth album, Time on Earth. The song is relaxed with an undeniably mellow, catchy hook, and a sort of melancholy main-stream appeal--like a pared-down, much shallower version of a Smiths song. Which doesn't make it any less good.

4. "The Midnight Choir"/The Thrills-Teenager, Dublin rockers The Thrills' third album, signifies a break from their usual California-inspired classic surfer music love affair to more morose, carefully crafted alternative stuff. While the California guitars are still there, the vocals have become significantly more stylized. "The Midnight Choir" is surprisingly fast-paced for a song playing with nostalgic sadness, but the odd combination works in interesting ways.

5. "Gold Lion"/Yeah Yeah Yeahs-I'll be the first to admit I've never understood the buzz around the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Perhaps with time my opinion will differ, but for now "Gold Lion" remains my favorite offering of their range of spare garage rock revival offerings. The rawness of Karen O's vocals and the meanness and simplicity of the guitars make the beat of the song easily accessible so that it becomes, almost against the listener's will, addictive.

6. "Our Lips Are Sealed"/The Go-Go's-Another band I'm not such a fan of, the Go-Go's are undeniably one of the quintessential bands of the '80's, and "Our Lips Are Sealed" makes it apparent why. Using clever and direct arrangement and instrumentation, the Go-Go's power-pop sound is well-honed and well-crafted for easy listening.

7. "Swollen Summer"/The Bravery-Okay, it's one of the dumbest songs ever from an album which is stunningly mediocre. But I still love it. I can't really justify it, except that those siren-like guitars and the lyrics "looks like a swollen summer/what if I'm getting dumber?" have wormed their way into my heart over the years. Hey, I'm allowed a guilty pleasure, aren't I? Besides, it's a perfect summer song to obnoxiously blare out the car windows.

8. "Moment"/Gran Bel Fisher-You have to at least give him credit for not singing about love, drugs, depression, or surfing. Instead, GBF sings about being in the moment, and music. So yeah, not terribly original, but not generic, either. This is pretty standard college rock, but it helps that his voice is smoky and rather sexy, and it has a nice southerny tinge to it.

9. "Diamond Hoo Ha Man"/Supergrass-Supergrass is kind of an interesting band; they're classified as alternative, though they kind of steal superficial genre styles from all over the place. Anyway, this strange gem is a catchy song about a thief...who is either personifying his diamonds in an extended metaphor ("I gotta get you in my suitcase"), or is a serial killer putting women in his suitcase after he "love[s] [them] all night long." What I was talking about with the superficiality is that though the guitars are unnaturally heavy and low in the song, the song itself isn't particularly weighty.

10. "Fever Dreams"/Dashboard Confessional-Ah, why can't you put out more delightfully compact pop songs like this, Dashboard? Why do you have to walk the fine line of emodome all the time? This is one of the rare Dashboard songs I actually like, probably because it stays on the acoustic side of things, Chris Carraba manages to sing mostly from the chest and not the nose, and the lyrics are sweet and honest.

-elln

Elln's Top Ten June '09

Hands down Death in Vegas' Scorpio Rising cover wins this month.

1. "Amber"/311-Can't say I'm a big fan of the punk-reggae-crossover 311 usually is (which means they failed as a Ska band) but damn this song is real pretty for stoner music. It has an addictive, luscious beat and chill lyrics, if you get my drift. They're also strangely poetic.
2. "There's No Other Way"/Blur-Yay, more '90's British grunge rock, although I often hesitate to put these guys in with Oasis since they're generally more upbeat than the gritty Gallagher brothers. "There's No Other Way" is mellow and laid-back and perfect for summer driving.
3. "Girl"/Beck-Another perfect summer song with Beck's usually cryptic lyrics although the gist of this song is actually understandable-the guy in Beck's song has his eye on a girl and he knows he's going to nail her. This is a pretty classic summer song, low-key and relaxed (when is Beck not low-key and relaxed?).
4. "So You Say You Lost Your Baby"/Death in Vegas-DiV has got to be one of the most eclectic bands I've ever heard, ranging from rootsy rock to weird electronica to grunge rock. "So You Say" is pretty standard rock fare with lyrics and vocals reminiscent of Southern roots rock or even country. It's also mellow summer music-fans of, say, Kings of Leon would probably enjoy this song.
5. "Ramble On"/Led Zeppelin-Before now, I really haven't put much stock in Led Zeppelin. I viewed them as a less talented, less musical version of the Grateful Dead. Plus they technically started the Heavy Metal movement (although if Heavy Metal had stayed the way they played it, I'd have less to complain about). Listening now, though, I can see why they're so addictive. The music has such a wide range of influence and the simple melodies end up pulling you in. I maintain that they're probably more fun to play than to listen to, but I'm thoroughly impressed with the Lord of the Rings references in this song.
6. "Sun Children"/Nickodemus-They're classified as alternative when they really should be world, but Nickodemus produces a solid effort here. "Sun Children" is addictive with a distinct latin flair and actually good rapping.
7. "Karma Police"/Radiohead-This isn't a summer song, but it's still damn good. Reminiscent of a darker, more spare Coldplay, Radiohead will never share Coldplay's widespread commerical success but I think I like them better than Coldplay. It's slow but it doesn't plod in any way, and the piano is the real powerhouse of the song.
8. "Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun Remix)"/Coldplay-Did I just say something bad about Coldplay? I take it back. "Lovers in Japan," at least this remix, proves once again that they are the masters of universally sweeping, beautiful confections. And don't get the original, get the remix.
9. "Jerk It Out"/The Caesars-Despite the questionable subject matter, the catchiness of this song is unquestionable. The fast tempo in this undeniably alternative, light-weight tune has been featured in numerous commercials.
10. "The Guitar Man"/Cake-A long-time favorite of mine, Cake rarely, if ever, gets this serious. This song is a perfect laid-back melody for summer, complete with light-as-a-feather guitars and infused with melancholy. The best part of the song is the wistful lyrics which are both clever and poignant.

Well that's it for this month. I'll try to keep it a little more upbeat and summery next month.

-elln

Elln's Top Ten May '09

This month's cover is from Partie Traumatic although Brain Heart Guitar was a close second. They were just too cute to not do. I'm a sucker for unicorns.

1. "Tina"/Louis XIV-these modern glam rockers are back, and they seem to have grown up. They've progressed from lyrics like "I said hey short girl you're like a midget/You can turn a phone cord into a widget/She said you son of a bitch you little bitch" to "well I saw you leaving the other night/with a dark haired guy on a motorbike/and all my friends say they saw you drunk in the clubs/talking really loud about how you're in love." They're one of David Bowie's favorite modern bands, and Bowie might as well be singing (although maybe he actually is since he has guested with them before). The tune is highly infectious, however, so I'd suggest talking it out.

2. "Impossible Germany"/Wilco-to switch gears entirely we have the most laid-back modern and somewhat popular folk-rock act of the era. Wilco delivers the comfortably mellow tones they're known for, and the lyrics are deliciously cryptic.

3. "Look At Me (When I Rock Wichoo)"/Black Kids-I'll end up reveiwing Partie Traumatic at some point, but for now I'll do the song that's been stuck in my head for five days straight. Black Kids have been nothing but wild, nostalgic fun throughout their short career. This song is no different, mixing lyrics which aren't particularly clever (or make much sense) but they're freakin' catchy for some reason (such as the girls singing "you say baby, we say bump it, all you wanna hear is Gabriel's trumpet). Dance beats are liberally layered over electronic guitars and sliding basslines for a very shiny, polished sound.

4. "Add It Up"/Violent Femmes-Here we have the exact opposite, a totally unpolished sound from a group that's been around forever but hardly gets recognized outside of Wendy's commercials. This garage-band misanthrope rite-of-passage music is lots of fun if you can get past the incestual themes.

5. "Cannibal Queen"/Miniature Tigers- They're back with a much pop-oriented sound than their earlier EPs, and I must say I'm not sure how much I dig it. But "Cannibal Queen" has clever enough, strange enough lyrics to merit a listen.

6. "Dropkick Queen of the Weekend"/The Dudes-They're as strangely addictive as ever with this alt rock confection. I mean, for starters what the hell is a "Dropkick Queen of the Weekend"? But it's still a damn good song with interspersion of some heavy guitars.

7. "Train in Vain (Stand by Me)"/The Clash-Ah yes, The Clash, one of the only survivors from the early Punk movement and just about the only band from that time period to produce songs with meaningful, political messages...except not this one. "Train in Vain" is just frickin' catchy, and it's about the same-old-same-old love and betrayal. I think it might be Strummer's howling vocals which actually lend qualification to the heartbreak, and I do love that harmonica.

8. "Dreaming of You"/The Coral-The Coral's music is anything but traditional; in fact, this song is a mixture between a kooky circus band and folk with doo-wop chorusing vocals. They had massive hype at one point, although that died away fairly quickly as they're not prolific by any means. Anyway, "Dreaming of You" is a gem of a song, with a range of eclectic influences packaged together neatly and beautifully.

9. "Talk Amongst Yourselves"/Grand National-From the sparse, pared down sound of The Coral we migrate to lush electronic collaborations. "Talk Amongst Yourselves" is a wildly addictive sort-of dance number which screams mellow but catchy. It's completely synth except for delicious strumming guitars, also electronic and not in the least bit acoustic. This is a very shiny song, and I wish I had better words to describe it.

10. "California (All the Way)"/Luna- It may take a while for "California" to grow on you, but it's a real treat once it does. Luna mixes classic california rock with a tinge of pop, and lyrically folksical words (I love making up words). The song is a slow build-up to the main guitar line, but seriously worth the wait.

-elln

Elln's Top Ten April '09

There's a ton of fun stuff in the mix for April and probably a little bit of something for everyone. There's also a tie this month for best album cover. On one hand we've got the wonderfully trippy Peplab Drive cover, and on the other the fantastically sexual Louis XIV's The Best Little Secrets Are Kept (I could have posted the toned-down cover, which basically cuts off the lady's butt...but come on. We all have butts. It's not anything new.)


1. "Beautiful People"/Peplab- this song is purely addictive fun. It's electronic with some sunny guitars and a little latin flavor provided by shakers, not to mention a touch of acid. The refrain is simple and easy with thinly-veiled drug references; this is the perfect song for a day in the sun.

2. "The Way She Said"/Velour-This is pop music at its best. The words may not be amazing, but the rhymes flow so nicely that, well, whatever. The tight rhythms and pared-down melody are catchy-it's a laid-back tune perfect for a lazy day.

3. "Skinny Love"/Bon Iver-There's a special place in my heart for melancholy acoustic folk, but it's hard to reach. Bon Iver does it perfectly here, with sparse instrumentation and words that could be straight from a poem. The effect resonates powerfully.

4. "Staring at the Sun"/TV on the Radio-TVotR is one of the most diverse groups around, so it's hard to pin them as one thing or another. "Staring at the Sun" is a catchy little gem, with their typical howling lyrics, buzzing guitars, and minimalist snare.

5. "Maybe Tomorrow"/Stereophonics-I love Stereophonics to death, but apart from Kelly Jones' vocals nothing in this song is very grungy. Their usual raw power has been exchanged for a much smoother, laid-back, pop-rock sound, and I really dig it. The lyrics are simple but piercing, the way Oasis' lyrics usually are.

6. "Where Is My Mind?"/Pixies-The Pixies are hit-or-miss with me since I don't always enjoy Black Francis' screaming or off-kilter lyrics. But here the Pixies really sound like Radiohead; they open with an acoustic guitar and then add heavy, buzzing guitars. I like the lyrics, too, they're spacey; "Where Is My Mind" could be a modern indie rock song.

7. "When Did Your Heart Go Missing?"/Rooney-they've become very popular very fast, the reason being that Rooney produces addictive throw-back rock. When I first heard this song, I thought it was from the 80's. Anyway, Robert Schwartzman's (he's the guy from The Princess Diaries) LA roots come through very clearly in a song that's less about (shallow) heartbreak and more about an uber-catchy rhythm.

8. "Superstylin'"/Groove Armada- Reggae meets dance-floor electronica in this infectious mix by the masters of such style. Groove Aramada has been around forever, and has been experimenting forever, and they hit the mark more often than not.

9. "Streetlights"/Bloomsday Rising-They'll never be great unless they mature or do something a little more creative, but "Streetlights" is a catchy enough and nice enough rock effort to be worth mentioning (since most mainstream rock sucks now-a-days). I personally think they're too melancholy and should write more upbeat stuff, but the balance of heavy power-chords and Phil Lang's rich vocals which walk the fine line of grating but manage to eke out on the side of pleasant come together nicely.

10. "Paper Doll"/Louis XIV-If you can abide very, very dirty and explicit lyrics (dirtier, in some ways, than rap, which at least gives us the courtesy of euphemisms) then you're in for a real treat. Louis XIV creates absolutely addictive glam rock; they're even one of David Bowie's favorite modern bands.

-elln

Elln's Top Ten Songs for March '09

So since I buy music like an addict, I decided to do my top ten of every month, which will probably be an eclectic compilation of everything indie, alternative, electronic, etc. The picture I choose will be of my favorite cover of all the selections.


1. "How Soon Is Now?"/The Smiths: whoa, poetry much? I can understand now why they were so revolutionary. The Smiths took melancholic, poetic, and deep and meaningful lyrics and made them accessible and (marginally) commercial and oddly satisfying. Honestly, they're so famous I feel stupid saying anything else.

2. "Float On"/Modest Mouse: Interestingly, guitarist Marr of the Smiths guested We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, which probably explains the best part of the song: the freakin' guitar. Just listen to that thing, it's so addictive and laid-back yet amazing at the same time. Coupled with the lyrics and unmistakable vocals by Isaac Brock, it's one of the catchiest things I've heard all year. Seriously, I don't know why I was so resistant to Modest Mouse for so long.

3. "We Can No Longer Cheat You"/The Cribs: Wait, Johnny Marr's in The Cribs, too? He's everywhere, he's like God, I swear I didn't know Marr was clairvoyant and all-powerful until I started this review.

Okay, it's now time to acknowledge Johnny Marr's Omnipotence.








Obviously my personal preference becomes obvious when I pick three random bands and they all have a guitarist in common. Anyway, onto the song.

50% of the time, The Cribs sound like Franz Ferdinand-wannabes, and the other 50% they strike it rich with a nice sound that lands between lush and tight garage rock. They have respectable, catchy tunes without being meaningless (Franz) or deep and pretentiously apathetic (The Strokes). I particularly enjoy the tight harmonies of the chorus, and the often-trod but still compelling subject matter. Really, just a good solid melody.



4. "Do the Right Thing"/The Dudes: What a heart-felt little gem; I must say I hadn't heard of the The Dudes before now so I don't have a wide frame of reference, but this is a smart piece of indie rock infused with pop sensibility. It really shines on the production end, and the lyrics are endearing and smart. Also gotta hand it to Dan Vacon for having a truly wonderful voice; you can hear him pushing himself, especially on the chorus, and yet there's no breaking and it sounds smooth as honey.

And how can you not love these purely slam opening lines?

my bedroom's worse than the Catholic Church, I let anyone in
and now my carnal sins have gotten to be so boring.
my heart's wide open, I sure was hoping you could close it down,
now it seems I'm finding out that loving you girl can be so frightening,
you strike me, like gas and lightning, love me, don't just spend the night,
you can count on me to do the right thing
You steal my nerve and you strike me
Love like lightning

5. "Northwestern Girls"/Say Hi: Well, after a disappointing name change, Say Hi to Your Mom has matured significantly since I listened to '06's Impeccable Blahs. That EP suffered from lyrical content (it was basically all very creepy songs about vampires), and I'm glad to say that if, at least not terribly sophisticated, "Northern Girls" is at least about a neutral and tolerable subject (that is, the female gender in reference to geographic positions, ala Beach Boys). It's catchy, low-key indie with appropriately wounded lyrics and a pounding drum and bassline; they're busy finding their sound, and making good progress along the way (I haven't had a chance to listen to Oohs & Ahhs yet). One thing they do need to learn is how to let the guitar rip; the last thirty seconds of the song have had such a buildup, and then they rely on percussion and bass and it doesn't do their vision justice, I can tell. I'm looking forward to how Say Hi (LAME name change) is going to mature.

6. "About to Walk"/Throw Me the Statue-Throw Me the Statue has certainly grabbed attention with Moonbeams; they're mainly impressive because of such a wide range of instruments and experimental sounds, put together into melodies that are both aesthetically pleasing and catchy. It's no wonder, then that they've opened for Cake, a band both plagued and renowned for a funkiness that never seems to evolve at all. Throw Me the Statue has already proved their worth beyond a band like Cake by demonstrating a creative versatility, poetic lyracism, and talent for mixed melodies.

Oh yeah, the song? I enjoy the ukulele-like sound that plays. I said everything else up ^ there

7. "No You Girls"/Franz Ferdinand: Yay, another solid effort from my favorite party-boy bisexual junkies! Franz Ferdinand just knows how to rock them melodies; if I ever hear any type of serious effort from them on the part of lyrics, I'll fall over in surprise, and I probably won't be impressed. The whole point of Franz is utter cockiness combined with a tinge of insecurity- and of course where would they be without their incessant party-worshipping?. It's the same buzzy guitars, the late nights where you forget yourself and then wake up and feel your youth sapping away and then go out to party again to forget that fact, and jarring and clever tempo-changes we've come to know and love. "No You Girls" is a seriously catchy effort from their newest album.

8. "Elevation"/Television: More early punk movement, except listening to this song is like listening to a more sophisticated, decommercialized version of the Eagles. Reminsicent of Echo & the Bunnymen, "Elevation" is a haunting effort in guitar line melody changes, and for the better. For all that the song seems to lack a pattern, it's less punk more rock as the guitars are skillfully layered on, and it's captivating. There's no shiny, spiffy production- this sound is raw and satisfying.

9. "Summer Romance"/The Redwalls: Guilty pleasure of the month, this song's simplicity reeled me in. I'm a sucker for well-done romantic confessions, and that's exactly what cutie-pie Logan Baren does as he yells out, "Darling, please don't let me say goodbye!"

Yes, they're shameless whores for '60's and '70's rock, but hey they started as a cover band of that exact time period (as British invasion specialists). Just because they're recycled material doesn't mean they're not good. I like recycling if it's done with some talent. Besides, I have a feeling that they're branching out slowly, slowly into their own territory.

10. "Confines of Gravity"/PlayRadioPlay!: Yup, another semi-guilty pleasure. But it's been a while since I've heard such a good drug song (and such an obvious one-jeez, it practically hammers you over the head), and in this case the analogy actually works and turns out to be sufficiently disorienting and powerful at the same time.

I wanna be an astronaut and get high
break the barriers of sound into the sky
Just wanna be free
from the confines of gravity

Daniel Hunter's voice walks the fine line between soothing and grating, but I think it comes out for the better, especially layered over his synth/electronic beats that are both inviting and clever. There's talent in this simplicity, and the basic message comes through unhindered and with clarity.


Well, that's it. Have a good month. And remember:

JOHNNY MARR IS WATCHING YOU

-elln