Good day friends. Today I wanted to share a couple nominations for "Best albums of the second half of 2009" . . .
The first is Hospice by The Antlers, a heartbreaking, delicate and altogether beautiful concept album about a woman named Sylvia on her death bed with the narrator by her side. Sure, the themes of desperation and impending death are a bit gloomy but they are the heart and soul of the album. The songs and melodies themselves are intriguing, but without the despair in Peter Silbman's voice and the sorrowful lyrics, it's a good album. With them, it's a great album.
The other is XXby The XX. Who would've thought music this simple could be so beautiful and captivating? The album's elegance lies in it's understatement. In the current environment of noise pop and overproduction, this album is an oasis of simplicity. An amazing debut.
People of the blogosphere, Carl is back again. Apologies for the time lapse since the last post. Shame on me. I'll make it up to you, I swear. With that in mind, I have for you today, a concoction of awesomeness for your ears and eyes. And another thing before I forget, join Lala if you haven't already. It's the best music service out there. Enjoy. . .
1. Kid Chocolat - "The Secret of the Zombies": I'm not sure where I heard this song or when, but somehow it ended up in my collection, and man, I'm glad it did. A little digging uncovered the fact that the song is not a flash-in-the-pan. Kid Chocolat is legit and his Zombiparti! album is Carl-Approved. Flowing verses about zombies and horror flick samples over flowing beats. Good shit. 2. Metric - "Twilight Galaxy": The standout track from Fantasies. It is moody and sparse, but I'll be damned if it's not beautiful. 3. The Very Best - "Warm Heart of Africa": These guys make some great ass-shaking, feel-good tunes, here is yet another off their soon-to-be-released LP. It's named after Malawi's tourist slogan and features Vampire Weekend's Ezra Koenig. Not that that's a selling point, it's a great song with or without him.
4. Lightning Dust - "Never Seen": Lightning Dust is a newer band on the scene with a shitload of promise. This song is one of their most intriguing efforts off Infinite Light. The song is minimalist, highlighting Amber Webber's ghostly voice, and builds a tension that never quite breaks. It leaves you wanting more. In a good way.
5. Neon Indian - "Should've Taken Acid With You": No album from these guys yet, but Carl will be first in line when it's released. Dizzy, chilled-out pop melodies seem to be their M.O., and I love it. With song titles like "Deadbeat Summer", "Terminally Chill", and "Should've Taken Acid With You" I don't think we're gonna hear any foot-stompers from them anytime soon. 6. Neon Indian - "Deadbeat Summer": See Above. 7. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - "40 Day Dream": This is an interesting band. It's made up of 12 people who dress like it's 1970 and drive around together in a converted school bus. They make some good tunes though, including this one, complete with punchy drums and a catchy chorus. Their self-titled album Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros is definitely worth a listen. I'm still trying to decide if it's good or great. I'll get back to you when I figure it out. 8. Antlers - "Kettering": Speaking of great, this song/album from the Antlers is undeniably so. Carl-Approved Hospice in an incredible album start to finish. The theme of Hospice is Centered around a relationship with a terminally ill child. Whether it's autobiographical or not, it certainly feels like it could be. A chillingly beautiful album. 9. Rex The Dog - "Bubblicious": Switching gears a bit here. I posted the awesome video for this awhile ago and may just do it again for those of you that missed it last time. While the video caught my attention first, I realized later that the song was almost as awesome. Dance bitches.
10. Beirut - "Concubine": Beirut aka Zach Condon is an endless source of solid tunes, this is yet another off his March of the Zapotec & Realpeople: Holland double album. 11. Washed Out - "Feel It All Around": From what I've heard, Washed Out (aka Ernest Greene) has a knack for making lazy, dreamy summer soundscapes such as this one. No albums yet, but someone to watch.
12. Theophilus London - "Sabali (Remix)": The UK DJ is hit or miss when it comes to some of his remixes, but he gets it right on this rehash of Amadou and Mariam's "Sabali".
13. The Big Pink - "Velvet": The London-based duo comin' at you with some big-ass guitars. This song just kicks you in the nuts, calls your mom a bitch and doesn't even feel bad about it.
14. The Dodos - "Fables": The Dodos follow up the excellent Visiter with the equally excellent Time To Die. This song stands out as one of the best on the album. Great foot-stomping percussion in this one.
15. Futurecop! - "Tonight's Hero": I know I've sang the praises of Futurecop! here previously, but I'm doing it again. Wanna fight about it? He puts on a great live show, heavily 80's influenced. Synthtastic. Check out his Carl-Approved EP The Unicorn and the Lost City of Alvograth. Beat that name.
16. Freur - "Doot Doot": I heard this bit of hotness from the 80s for the first time the other day and was flabbergasted that I hadn't heard it before. Then I realized it was by a group named Freur and immediately understood why.
Gossip - "Love Long Distance" A disco-pop gem, complete with spandex, keytars and huge balloon heads.
Miike Snow - "Animal" Good track, decent video.
Banjo or Freakout - Upside Down Makes you feel like your dreaming. Great tune too to match. Also, a reminder that the last days of summer are upon us, so go enjoy the beach with the grim reaper, policemen, chickens and a huge purple guy.
Brule's Rules Dr. Brule offers up valuable tips on living alone.
Fellow music lovers, we've come a long way from mixtapes but I still look back on those days with fond memories. In this age of information overload, Carl Winslow vs. Science is an attempt to cut through the crap and recapture that simplicity and magic of hitting the record button and handing the tape off to your friend at recess.
Every week(ish), I'll share songs, albums and videos across multiple genres -- sans fluff -- Carl believes music speaks loudest when it speaks for itself. And please, if you like what you hear, support the artists by purchasing their music, attending their shows and most importantly, sharing it with others.
Thoughts, comments, suggestions? Are you listening to something cool that I don't even know about? Drop me an email.
by The XX. Who would've thought music this simple could be so beautiful and captivating? The album's elegance lies in it's understatement. In the current environment of noise pop and overproduction, this album is an oasis of simplicity. An amazing debut.
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