When We Were Young

Three Hundred Thirty-Nine

Artist - Wolf Parade
Album - Expo 86
Released - 2010
Label - Sub Pop
Genre - Indie Rock

Tracks:
Cloud Shadow on the Mountain
Palm Road
What Did My Lover Say? (It Always Had to Go This Way)
Little Golden Age
In The Direction of the Moon
Ghost Pressure
Pobody's Nerfect
Two Men in New Tuxedos
Oh You, Old Thing
Yulia
Cave-O-Sapien

Enjoy!

Now For a Little Color

Three Hundred Thirty-Five

Artist - Maps & Atlases
Album - Perch Patchwork
Released - 2010
Label - Barsuk Records
Genre - Indie Rock

Tracks:
Will
The Charm
Living Decorations
Solid Ground
Is
Israeli Caves
Banished Be Cavalier
Carrying the Wet Wood
Pigeon
If This Is
Was
Perch Patchwork

Enjoy!

Babies with Laser Eyes

Three Hundred Thirty-Four

Artist - The Flaming Lips & Stardeath and White Dwarfs, Henry Rollins and Peaches
Album - The Dark Side of the Moon
Released - 2010
Label - Warner Bros.
Genre - Rock/Psychedelic Rock/Alternative Rock

Tracks:
Speak to Me
Breathe
On the Run
Time
Breathe Reprise
The Great Gig in the Sky
Money
Us and Them
Any Colour You Like
Brain Damage
Eclipse

Just a short blurb I wanted to write about before getting into this album, which by the way is magnificent.  Today, as I was roaming around the streets of Austin, I realized I have ONE MORE MONTH left if this year long expedition.  To think that it almost seemed like yesterday that I started this and realized it was going to be such an enjoyable trek.  THREE HUNDRED THIRTY-FOUR albums I've listened to from April 20th, 2012 until today.  I can honestly say that this has been a commitment I've enjoyed and I will be sad when it comes to an end.  But don't cry tears of joy now because we have thirty-one records left to enjoy together.

I can't take all the credit for today's choice since it came from the immaculate collection of my roommates.  He gave me a few records to pick from and when I started flipping through them, this one caught my eye.  One, being The Flaming Lips and two, the cover tripped me out because there is a baby on it holding the guitar with laser eyes in the colors of the rainbow.  For those of you who do not know much of who The Flaming Lips are, they are such a fun, trippy, psychedelic and unpredictable band.  For a band as experimental as The Flaming Lips to cover Pink Floyd's 1973 masterpiece The Dark Side of the Moon, you have to tip your hat to them.  I say that because I believe, Pink Floyd's rendition of The Dark Side of the Moon is so perfect and amazing and for a band like The Flaming Lips to cover it, they did a spectacular job.  Incorporating acts like Henry Rollins and Peaches (who is a favorite of mine) with Stardeath and White Dwarfs, this album is a great cover.  Every song, from the first to the last, puts a perfect pitch on each song.  From the trippy sounds to the clear vinyl it came on.

Enjoy!

The BOMB

Two Hundred Eighty-Five

Artist - Menomena
Album - Mines
Released - 2010
Label - Barsuk/City Slang
Genre - Indie Rock

Tracks:
Queen Black Acid
TAOS
Killemall
Dirty Cartoons
Tithe
BOTE
Lunchmeat
Oh Pretty Boy, You're Such a Big Boy
Five Little Rooms
Sleeping Beauty
INTIL

The self-produced, self-recorded fourth album by Menomena, Mines is it!  An album that I consider to be one of the top albums of 2010, it was on heavy rotation in my car for quite some time.  For me, when an album is on heavy rotation for me, that means every single song on the record is AMAZING!  So here, as I state (in my opinion of course) the awesomeness of this record, I'm glad my roommate let me spin it this evening.  It brought back a lot of memories of the what was going on at the time this album was in my life.  Something about the way this album is put together, it just flows nicely and perfectly.  There are not a lot of records out there that can pull that off, but this one is definitely one of them. Ahhhhh, yes....the vocals alone are mesmerizing.  

Enjoy!

Life...Forever

Two Hundred Seventy-Nine

Artist - Foals
Album - Total Life Forever
Released - 2010
Label - Transgressive
Genre - Post/Indie Rock

Tracks:
A
Blue Blood
Miami
Total Life Forever
B
Black Gold
Spanish Sahara
C
This Orient
Fugue
After Glow
D
Alabaster
2 Trees
What Remains

Enjoy!

Local is Good

Two Hundred Thirty-Six

Artist - The Strange Boys
Album - Be Brave
Released - 2010
Label - In The Red Records
Genre - Garage Rock

Tracks:
I See
A Walk On The Beach
Be Brave
Between Us
Da Da
Night Might
Dare I Say
Laugh At Sex, Not Her
All You Can Hide Inside
The Unsent Letter
You Can't Only Love When You Want

Enjoy!

And The Beat Goes...

Two Hundred Thirty-Three

Artist - Quasi
Album - American Gong
Released - 2010
Label - Kill Rock Stars
Genre - Indie Rock

Tracks:
A
Repulsion
Little White Horse
Everything & Nothing At All
Bye Bye Blackbird
The Jig Is Up
B
Black Dog & Bubbles
Death Is Not The End
Rockabilly Party
Now What
Laissez Les Bon Temps Rouler

Enjoy!

Excitement to my Ears

Two Hundred Ten

Artist - Tame Impala
Album - Innerspeaker
Released - 2010
Label - Modular Recordings
Genre - Psychedelic Rock

Tracks:
Side A
It Is Not Meant To Be
Desire Be Desire Go
Alter Ego
Side B
Lucidity
Why Won't You Make Up Your Mind
Solitude Is Bliss
Side C
Jeremy's Storm
Expectation
The Bold Arrow of Time
Side D
Runway, Houses, City, Clouds
I Don't Really Mind

There is no better feeling than walking into a record store to find an only copy of a record you ordered from an online record store and it was out of print.  The sheer excitement and joy on my face could not be put into words as I was flipping through the "T" tab in the rock section when I stumbled upon Tame Impala's Innerspeaker.  The debut album by Australian rockers, not only is this probably one of the best accidents I stumbled upon, but this album is really amazing.  The first song I ever heard was Solitude is Bliss and at the time I was content with solitude in my life, so when I read the lyrics it made perfect sense.  Also, it helped that the video was  very well done!!  The psychedelic rock aspect is definitely heard in their sound, but my roommate also said that it seems like they are heavily influenced by The Beatles, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.  All in all, this record is so great that I've played it twice and that is pretty rare!!  Also another great track is Jeremy's Storm, which is more of an instrumental song.

Enjoy!

Rest In Peace

One Hundred Ninety-Six

Artist - Maserati
Album - Pyramid Of The Sun
Released - 2010
Label - Temporary Residence
Genre - Post Rock

Tracks:
Side A
Who Can Find The Beast?
Pyramid of the Sun
We Got The System to Fight The System
They'll No More Suffer From Thirst
Ruins
Side B
They'll No More Suffer from Hunger
Oaxaca
Bye M' Friend, Goodbye

To think of such a great post rock band without their legendary drummer goes without saying.  Jerry Fuchs, a machine in his own right, was such an amazing drummer.  Maserati's fourth album, Pyramid Of The Sun was intended to celebrate Jerry's life after his death, since the drums on this album were recorded prior to his death.  Maserati is a band from Athens, Georgia and I always feel like some great, underrated bands come from that area.  You also have some very famous bands that have come from that area too.  Nonetheless, Maserati is one band that I was introduced to late in the game, but never to late to enjoy such great music.  R.I.P. Jerry Fuchs!!  Till this time next year when we will continue to play the music you have graced us with.

Enjoy!

Long Awaited Play

One Hundred Sixty-Second

Artist - Screaming Females
Album - Castle Talk
Released- 2010
Label - Don Giovanni Record
Genre - Indie Rock, Punk

Tracks:
Laura & Marty
I Don't Mind It
Boss
Normal
A New Kid
Fall Asleep
Wild
Nothing At Alll
Sheep
Deluxe
Ghost Solo

So I've had this record in my possession since SXSW 2012, so about 6 months, still in the wrapper and all.  I've had mixed feelings about playing this because I was a little burned by the fact that they canceled their Austin show due to illness.  Regardless of that fact, I still do enjoy this band and, again, another band that I discovered through turntable.fm.  What better set during SXSW 2012 to play than with Andrew WK!!  Yes, I repeat, Andrew WK!!  Screaming Females played first and as they were setting up, I was surprised to see that Marissa (the lead singer/guitarist) was so pint size.  Oh, but don't let that size fool you because she can't belt out her sound ten fold.  Castle Talk is Screaming Females' fourth full-length album and it amazes me how I have never come across their music at all.  You have to love the power of the internet for making things like this happen.  Anyway -- the fourth record by this New Jersey native band, I Don't Mind It was the first song I heard by the group.  Very much a respectable trio in a sense that their sound is very powerful with each verse, Screaming Females will rock your face off live.  Despite the mixed feelings I have about them, due to my own personal judgment, I would love to see them again.

Enjoy!

Of Special Interest

There are some bands/artists that I discover a little late and my one hundred forty-ninth pick is one of those.  I almost want to say that I either heard her songs on Spotify or maybe Turntable.fm, but when I heard her voice and the lyrics, I became hooked.  I was on a mission to find her music on vinyl, so when I went to the record store on Saturday, as I was checking out, I asked the clerk if they had any Sharon Van Etten.  She checked the computer and walked me to where it was.  For some odd reason, I was looking under E for Etten and not V for Van Etten.

Artist - Sharon Van Etten

Album - Epic

Released - 2010

Label - Ba Da Bing

Genre - Folk Rock, Indie Folk, Indie Rock

Tracks:

Side One

A Crime

Peace Signs

Save Yourself

Dsharpg

Side Two

Don't Do It

One Day

Love More

Sharon Van Etten's second album, Epic was also produced by the lovely songstress herself.  I can't put into words, or maybe I can, how beautiful this album is.  Mainly the lyrics, since they consist of love and heartbreak, but it literally had me at first chord.  To start with, A Crime, is sung so beautifully you can feel the pain behind the lyrics.  With each word that comes out of Van Etten's mouth, you almost feel like you've been there before, through the heartache and pain and then you realize it makes you feel at ease.  I honestly think that Van Etten's guitar playing and songwriting is the best I've heard in a long time.  Another fantastic song on this record is One Day.  When I first heard that song, I immediately looked up the lyrics and heard it about 10xs.  It's so great and of course, another song about love.  I'm a hopeless romantic, what can I say.  Nevertheless, this is a great album and I cannot wait to check her out life.  She will be performing at Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas November 2nd.  I'm going to try my hardest and make it out there this year for all three days.

Enjoy!

Production, Seduction

I'm taking this back a few years to when I first heard this song, thanks to a great friend who dumped all his music on me before he left to the UK.  For my one hundred twenty-sixth pick.

Artist - Hot Chip

Album - One Life Stand

Released - 2010

Label - Parlophone

Genre - Electropop, Synthpop, Indietronica

Tracks:

Thieves in the Night

Hand Me Down Your Love

I Feel Better

One Life Stand

Brothers

Slush

Alley Cats

We Have Love

Keep Quiet

Take It In

What I would do to see Hot Chip LIVE!!  I absolutely fell in love with this band years ago, probably midway through their life span as a band, but I have to say that this album, next to their newly released album, is the BEES KNEES.  One Life Stand is their fourth album and I remember listening to this album when the sound first cruised through my ears.  I don't know if it's Alexis Taylor's voice or a combination of his voice with the music, but it is just amazing.  Listening to this record in its entirety makes me realize how great this record is and how much I love this band.  Thieves in the Night is such a great song to start off with too because the tempo, sound and voice make it so.  One of my favorites, of course, is One Life Stand.  I make sure that I try to at least put it on every mix cd I made because it's the perfect song.

Enjoy!

Powerful Women

I have a lot of respect for powerful women in life, for I sometimes feel I am a powerful woman.  To celebrate the fierce in independent women, here is my seventy-fourth pick.

Artist - Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings
Album - I Learned The Hard Way
Released - 2010
Label - Daptone
Genre - Soul, Funk


Tracks:
Side One
The Game Gets Old
I Learned The Hard Way
Better Things
Give It Back
Money
The Reason
Side Two
Window Shopping
She Ain't A Child No More
I'll Still Be True
Without a Heart
If You Call
Mama Don't Like My Man

The fourth album by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, I Learned The Hard Way is fantastic.  You have the beats and sound of soul/funk mixed in with the emotional lyrics PLUS the sound of Sharon Jones' voice.  This is perfection at it's best.  I have to admit that Window Shopping is my favorite song on this record next to I'll Still Be True.  I love love love this album and I remember when I first heard it, I had it on repeat for a while.  It's not necessarily easy for me to fall in love with music like I have with this album, but when it touches my soul, it's definitely a keeper.  Let's just say I have a passion for music and just great things, but when an album has such amazing tracks that compliment each other to give a message, it is worth purchasing and owning.

Enjoy!

Formerly, Now Known As

We all know the ever evolving door of the music industry and how bands break up and reform to become what they always wanted to be.  Here, my sixty-ninth pick, is one I've grown to love.  A local Austin, Texas band, they are indeed divine.

Artist - TV Torso
Album - Status Quo Vadis
Released - 2010
Label -
Genre - Rock


Tracks:
Side A
Nobodies
Slanderer's Stew
Two Glass Eyes
Side B
Slouch Hat City
Far Enough Away
Elegy

Status Quo Vadis is TV Torso's debut EP and despite not seeing them in almost a year, my friend and I have had the pleasure of seeing them about 5 times before that.  A local band from Austin, Texas and two of the members were formerly in Sound Team (another Austin, Texas based band), Matt Oliver, Jordan Johns and Austin Jones really put together the great sound.  Such a great sound, they are worthy enough to be included in my list of 365 days of vinyl.  Definitely check out this album and listen to Nobodies and Two Glass Eyes, two of my favorite songs on this album.   

Enjoy!