Listening Habits 01-02.12

For the first installment of Listening Habits for 2012 we have compiled two neat Top 20 lists with our favorite albums and tracks for the first couple of months of the year as well as a few selections from 2011 that took us a while to get into. Let’s take a closer look at some of the highlights of our Top 20 Albums list:

The two most impressive albums we’ve listened to lately come from a decorated veteran of the grunge years and a fresh-faced, new band that clearly wishes for the return of the late ’80s - early ’90s glorious indie rock sound.

Back in those days, Mark Lanegan was the distinctive voice of Screaming Trees, one of the great bands of the American underground rock scene that had been around making awesome records long before anyone thought of using the term "grunge" to describe rock music. On the other hand, Dylan Baldi, the driving force behind Cloud Nothings, was not even born yet. Fast-forward to 2012, and these two characters are responsible for two of the best rock records around at the moment.

Dylan Baldi first caught our attention (check out here our Listening Habits from December 2010) with the track "Hey Cool Kid", one of the recordings he made alone on his home computer using the name Cloud Nothings. The self-titled low-fi debut LP that came at the start of last year was promising enough but far from impressive. But what a change a year can bring! For the writing and recording of "Attack On Memory" Baldi got the help of the members of his touring band, making Cloud Nothings a group in the true sense of the word. The heavier and more aggressive new tracks were recorded by the great Steve Albini, who certainly knows how to bring out the best in a band without much interference. The intense, hard-hitting sound of "Attack On Memory" is inspired by groups like Wipers or Husker Du and this young band’s true achievement here is that they are able to follow in the footsteps of such legends without missing a beat, producing a record that feels vital for the future of guitar music.

Mark Lanegan has been very busy in the seven years since his last solo record, collaborating with diverse artists like Greg Dulli, Isobel Campbell or Soulsavers. All the different musical elements from those collaborations are weaved together in "Blues Funeral", his seventh solo work, making it one of the most diverse sounding records of his career. Intense guitar rock, blues ballads, electronic influenced jams, all come together under the supervision of Alain Johannes who has done a great job as a producer here, creating the perfect accompaniment for one of the greatest voices in rock music today. A superb work from Mark Lanegan and his Band that we’re looking forward to enjoying live in less than a month’s time.

Another notable release of the January - February period was "Reign Of Terror", Sleigh Bells’ sophomore work, a record supposedly more pop influenced due to Alexis Krauss’ more active involvement in the songwriting process. Despite this fact, I thought this record is less immediate than "Treats", their debut album which didn’t take too long to sink under my skin. However the exquisite guitar noise and cheerleader chants are still ubiquitous and a few spins later "Reign Of Terror" proves to be just as addictive. It remains to be seen if this addictiveness will be as long lasting this time as it was the first time around.

Top 20 Albums

1.   Attack On Memory - CLOUD NOTHINGS
2.   Blues Funeral - MARK LANEGAN BAND
3.   Reign Of Terror - SLEIGH BELLS
4.   Tramp - SHARON VAN ETTEN
5.   Let's Go Eat The Factory - GUIDED BY VOICES
6.   Future This - THE BIG PINK
7.   Something - CHAIRLIFT
8.   Onwards To The Wall EP - A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
9.   With Love from the Men’s Room EP - 50 FOOT WAVE
10. Rough Trade Shops Electronic 11 - VARIOUS ARTISTS
11. Rough Trade Shops Counter Culture 11 - VARIOUS ARTISTS
12. Parallax - ATLAS SOUND
13. The English Riviera - METRONOMY
14. Feel It Break - AUSTRA
15. Dedication - ZOMBY
16. Exmilitary - DEATH GRIPS
17. Arabia Mountain - BLACK LIPS
18. Hysterical - CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
19. Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will - MOGWAI
20. Gravity The Seducer - LADYTRON

Top 20 Tracks

1.   The Gravedigger’s Song - MARK LANEGAN BAND
2.   Serpents - SHARON VAN ETTEN
3.   Chocolate Boy - GUIDED BY VOICES
4.   Wasted Days - CLOUD NOTHINGS
5.   Comeback Kid - SLEIGH BELLS
6.   Genesis - GRIMES
7.   Know Me - FRANKIE ROSE
8.   Off The Wall - LEE RANALDO
9.   Lafaye - SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
10. Jump Music - THE BIG PINK
11. Amanaemonesia - CHAIRLIFT
12. Betty Wang - HOSPITALITY
13. Teary Eyes And Bloody Lips - MOONFACE
14. Mona Lisa - ATLAS SOUND
15. Everything Goes My Way - METRONOMY
16. Beat and the Pulse - AUSTRA
17. Natalia’s Song - ZOMBY
18. San Pedro - MOGWAI
19. Shallow - BEACH FOSSILS
20. Nowhere - WILD NOTHING

Mark Lanegan Band - The Gravedigger’s Song

(mp3s via Stereogum, Fader)
  

CMC Radio: Under Your Spell

Our latest midweek playlist is finally here! It's punky, it's folky, it's psychedelic and it definitely rocks in an eclectic manner (or, at least, that's what I think). Click below to get into the slaying grooves of Sleigh Bells, Dum Dum Girls, Follow That Bird, The Duke Spirit, Smoke Fairies, Esben And The Witch, Cold War Kids, Prinzhorn Dance School, Liars, The Black Angels, Social Distortion and The Distillers:

CMC Radio 3: Under Your Spell

Here's the details of the 35:35, 12-track mixtape we have put together for your listening pleasure:

1. Tell 'Em - Sleigh Bells 

From "Treats", one of the debuts of the year!

2.  Bhang Bhang, I'm a Burnout - Dum Dum Girls

Same here - "I Will Be" is a magnificent debut and this is their latest single.

3.  Antlers - (Live Session on WOXY) - Follow That Bird

Session track from the band that was the star of Matador's ace compilation "Casual Victim Pile". Can't wait for their debut full-length!

4.  Everybody's Under Your Spell - The Duke Spirit

Great new track from a band that deserves huge success - It's from the forthcoming EP "Kusama" and you can get it here for free!

5. Hotel Room (Radio Edit) - Smoke Fairies

New single from the well-received debut album "Through Low Light And Trees"

6. Marching Song - Esben And The Witch

 It's a Danish fairy tale and a new Matador signing as well. This is the new single from their forthcoming debut album "Violet Cries", expected 31st January 2011.

7. Royal Blue - Cold War Kids

Another 2011 preview. The Kids third album "Mine Is Yours" is coming January 24th.

8. Seed, Crop, Harvest - Prinzhorn Dance School

I have a soft spot for bands that remind me of The Fall. Get their brand new single for free here.

9. Proud Evolution - Liars

Latest single off the rocking "Sisterworld" - one of the tracks and albums of the year!

10. Bad Vibrations - The Black Angels

Standout track off the psychedelically groovy "Phosphene Dream".

11. Through These Eyes - Social Distortion

This is punk rock, baby! The SoCal legends are on the way back with a new album in 2011 titled "Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes". Our selection is off 1996's "White Light, White Heat, White Trash".

12. I Understand - The Distillers

Another short, sharp punk rock shock for the finale from The Distillers' 2002 album "Sing Sing Death House".

Until the next C.M.C. Radio transmission, sometime next week (hopefully Wednesday), I leave you under the spell of Leila Moss and The Duke Spirit. Their new album is expected February 2011!

 

The Duke Spirit - Everybody's Under Your Spell

Sleigh Bells - Infinity Guitars

Here's the official video for one of the highlights of "Treats", Sleigh Bells' deliciously noisy debut album. Watch the duo setting their "Infinity Guitars" on fire:

Sleigh Bells - Infinity Guitars

Listening Habits 05-06.2010

We had plenty of excellent releases in the last couple of months and before we proceed to our customary assessment of the best music that the first half of the year had to offer, let’s take a look at the albums and tracks that got the most spins at Cool Music Central’s busy cd/mp3 players.

Out of the 15 most played albums of May - June 2010, there are at least 6 that fight it out for our "Album of the Month" title and up to this point I cannot declare an undisputed winner. Jack White’s super-prolific super-group, The Dead Weather, have returned with another blazing rock record, their second in less than a year, that makes it look completely effortless for them to spit out cool music. It certainly took considerably more effort for Foals to come up with their sophomore LP “Total Life Forever”, a record that sees Yannis Philippakis’ ambitious group breaking new ground and expanding its musical horizons towards funkier and more melodic pop forms. Flying Lotus (i.e. laptop wizard Steven Ellison) gave us “Cosmogramma”, a record that certainly makes an early bid for "Electronic Album of the Year" with its heady, mesmerizing mix of hip-hop influenced dance beats, tropical melodies and jazzy forms.

Sleigh Bells were one of the sensations of the recent Primavera Sound festival and the more I listen to the thrilling 30-minute ride of their amazing debut “Treats”, the more I am convinced that it is one of the revelations of the year. Imagine a record where Kathleen Hanna plays Bikini Kill and Le Tigre tracks simultaneously, M.I.A. drops by to drop a few rhymes while Public Enemy provide the beats and you’ll start to get an idea of the volatile electro-punk concoction cooked up by Derek Miller and Alexis Krauss. The ingredients of their “Treats” may be old and frequently recycled in recent years, but the end result is a fresh and totally invigorating aural delight.

As for the latest albums by The National and Broken Social Scene, there are not too many surprises to be found here. Just two of the best bands of the last decade delivering their latest collections of excellent new songs, many of which will have no trouble standing next to their old classics. Business as usual then…Some examples of brand new career highlights for The National to be found in “High Violet” are “Bloodbuzz Ohio” (one of the singles of the year so far - check out this post as well), “Anyone's Ghost” and “Conversation 16”, while “Forgiveness Rock Record” adds to Broken Social Scene’s arsenal of hits “Forced To Love”, “All To All” and “Chase Scene” among others.

Top 15 Albums

1.  Forgiveness Rock Record - BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
2.  High Violet - THE NATIONAL
3.  Treats - SLEIGH BELLS
4.  Cosmogramma - FLYING LOTUS
5.  Total Life Forever - FOALS
6.  Sea Of Cowards - THE DEAD WEATHER
7.  Coconut - ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT
8.  No 2: Abyss In B Minor - SERENA MANEESH
9.  Amsterdam Throwdown King Street Showdown! - SOLEX VS. CRISTINA MARTINEZ + JON SPENCER
10. Together - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
11. Heaven Is Whenever - THE HOLD STEADY
12. Grey Oceans - COCOROSIE
13. Have One On Me - JOANNA NEWSOM
14. Infinite Arms - BAND OF HORSES
15. Nobody's Daughter - HOLE

Top 20 Tracks

1.  Tell’em - SLEIGH BELLS
2.  All To All - BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE
3.  Mexico Wax Solvent - THE FALL
4.  Magnetic Warrior - ARCHIE BRONSON OUTFIT
5.  Miami - FOALS
6.  Anyone's Ghost - THE NATIONAL
7.  Blue Blood Blues - THE DEAD WEATHER
8.  Samantha - HOLE
9.  Month Of May - ARCADE FIRE
10. Bhang, Bhang, I’m A Burnout - DUM DUM GIRLS
11. Babelonia - SCHOOL OF SEVEN BELLS
12. Nose Art - FLYING LOTUS
13. The Uppercut - SOLEX VS. CRISTINA MARTINEZ + JON SPENCER
14. I Just Want To See Your Face - SERENA MANEESH
15. Crash Years - THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS
16. Barely Breathing - THE HOLD STEADY
17. Compliments - BAND OF HORSES
18. Natural Selection - UNKLE
19. It's A Fast Driving Raveup With A Place To Bury Strangers - A PLACE TO BURY STRANGERS
20. The Moon Asked The Crow - COCOROSIE

Sleigh Bells - Tell'em (live @ SXSW)

Primavera Sound ’10: Day One Review (May 27, 2010)

For a second time in a row Cool Music Central was in Barcelona for the Primavera Sound festival, undoubtedly one of the best festivals in the alternative music world. In previous posts we have already given you a brief taste of what went on during the four days we were there, now it’s time to go into details.

Launch Party: Wichita Records 10 Year Anniversary Show (Apolo, May 26, 2010)

Just a couple of hours after getting off the plane I was on my way to the Apolo club for the Wichita Records 10 Year Anniversary Show, Primavera’s launch party. Unfortunately I just missed Peggy Sue, one of the label’s latest signings, but I was there on time for First Aid Kit’s performance. The band consists of the very young and beautifully voiced sisters Klara & Johanna Söderberg from Sweden, who play country tinged folk music with strong melodies. The band performed as a trio with the addition of a drummer and presented their recently released debut album “The Big Black & The Blue”. First Aid Kit’s strong point is the way the two sisters, who play acoustic guitar and keyboards, combine their voices to create beautiful harmonies. This was demonstrated when they demanded and achieved the complete silence of the crowd to sing a song without the help of a microphone - one of the highlights of their performance, along with their excellent cover of Fleet Foxes’ “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song”.

Things got certainly louder and amplified when Los Campesinos! took over the stage of the Sala Apolo. The eight piece Cardiff indie-popsters played a hyper energetic set with plenty of tracks from this year’s “Romance Is Boring” album, with the same-titled single as well as “There Are Listed Buildings” and “Straight in at 101” being my favorites. They also included several of their older hits with perennial indie-disco smash “You! Me! Dancing!” being the crowd-pleaser of the evening, provoking all sorts of dancing across the club and even on the tables! Certainly an entertaining start to our Primavera Sound festival expedition (more photos and video here).

Day 1 (Parc Del Forum, May 27, 2010)

After a morning raid to Barcelona’s record shops (you’ll find out the results in our up-coming Listening Habits post), I was at Parc Del Forum, the festival’s site by the Mediterranean Sea, at exactly 6 in the afternoon for the start of the first day of Primavera Sound ’10 with a performance by Sic Alps at the Pitchfork Stage, one of the nine stages of the festival. For a band that was chosen to open gigs for the likes of Sonic Youth or Pavement recently, they weren’t particularly impressive on this occasion. Maybe it was just too early in the day, but their low speed and heavy garage and blues rock influenced sound just didn’t do it for me. On the plus side they do have unusually melodic vocals for a band with such a grungy sound creating an interesting antithesis, so I do feel that I have to give them another chance and have a listen to their records.

After catching a glimpse of Bis at the San Miguel Stage (the main stage of the festival) and wondering what they are still doing here, I made my way to the Vice Stage, at the opposite side of Parc Del Forum, to see a bit of the mad performance of Israeli garage rockers Monotonix. The band didn’t play on stage at all but performed all their set (at least the part that I saw) among the crowd with singer Ami Shalev spending most of the time crowd surfing. The first day of the festival certainly started to get more weird and interesting.

Monotonix

My next choice from Primavera’s rich line up was Florida’s up-and-coming Surfer Blood at the Pitchfork Stage. “Astro Coast”’s melodic guitar rock went down well with the audience and, as expected, the catchy “Swim” was the hit of their 40-minute set, a track which they presented as “our very own Poker Face”. And as the time approached 20:10 pm, it was time to make my way to the nearby San Miguel Stage for the highly anticipated (at least by me) performance of The Fall.

 Surfer Blood

The band’s musicians led by Eleni Poulou took to the stage as the sun was setting and started to play, preparing us for the royal entrance of Mark E. Smith. They kicked off their tight and powerful 50-minute set with “O.F.Y.C. Showcase”, a fitting choice as this performance was exactly that, a showcase for The Fall’s latest creation “Your Future Our Clutter”. Smith appeared to be in high spirits, perhaps pleased with the fact that so many people turned up to see his band at Primavera’s main stage. At some point he even showcased a few rare dance moves during “I’ve Been Duped”, a song that his wife Eleni sings lead vocals, while he rarely messed with his musicians’ amplifiers, a sign that he was pleased with what he was hearing. The set was dominated by the band’s more recent material and the only time they chose to acknowledge their rich history was when they revisited their classic cover of “Strychnine”. Undoubtedly one of the best performances of the festival.

The Fall

After watching the closing minutes of what appeared to be a highly energetic and loud set by Titus Andronicus at the Pitchfork Stage, I visited the amphitheatric Ray-Ban Stage where a large crowd had gathered for the Primavera Sound debut of The XX. The slow burning, atmospheric sounds of the London band are perhaps better suited for a more intimate indoor venue but the quality of their music and the imposing light show helped to keep the majority of the audience captivated.

The XX

The next great performance of the first day also took place at the San Miguel Stage, where Superchunk followed The Fall with an hour long super energetic set. The band is gearing up to release their first new album in more than a decade and they took this opportunity to present few of their new songs alongside old favorites like “Throwing Things”, “The First Part”, “Slack Motherfucker” and “Hyper Enough”. The highlight of their set was a killer rendition of “Precision Auto” with vocals from Tim Harrington from Les Savy Fav, a huge fan of the band.

Superchunk

With ears still buzzing from Superchunk’s amazing set and without any time to recover I somehow found the energy to rush back to the Ray-Ban Stage where Broken Social Scene were about to start. The Canadian collective played more than half of their excellent new album “Forgiveness Rock Record” with “All To All”, “Forced To Love”, “Texico Bitches” with Pavement’s Spiral Stairs and set closer “Meet Me In The Basement” being the most memorable. There was still room in their strong 75-minute set for some classics including “Cause = Time”, “7/4 (Shoreline)”and “Fire Eye'd Boy” while their guest list also included John McEntire from Tortoise and Owen Pallett. Unfortunately they didn’t have Emily Haines, Amy Millan or Feist with them, but Lisa Lobsinger, the sole female of the 11-strong crew (if I counted correctly), did a remarkable job with her vocal contributions.

Broken Social Scene

About half hour past midnight I was back to the Pitchfork Stage to catch a part of The Big Pink’s set. The band performing as a quartet (guitar, bass, drums and a huge synthesizer being their weapons of choice) did a good job presenting their superb debut “A Brief History Of Love” and closed with an ace rendition of their hit “Dominos”. And as The Big Pink were finishing up their show at 1:00 am, it was time for the performance that most festival goers were expecting, the triumphant return of Pavement. Indeed, the main stage and the surrounding area was packed as the indie-rock heroes started their headlining set with “Cut Your Hair” and proceeded to present a big chunk of their recent greatest hits compilation “Quarantine the Past”. Personally, having seen the band live several times during its heyday, I wasn’t motivated enough to fight for a good viewing spot near the stage and after watching a few tracks from afar, including my all-time favorite “In The Mouth A Desert” and “Kennel District” with the participation of Kevin Drew from Broken Social Scene, I went back to the Pitchfork Stage for what turned out to be one of the revelations of the festival for me, Sleigh Bells.

Pavement

I’ve recently listened to Sleigh Bells’ debut album “Treats” and although I was pretty impressed by it, I certainly didn’t expect such a mind-blowing performance by the duo. Although there’s only two people in the band, guitarist Derek Miller with a hardcore past (ex-Poison The Well) and vocalist Alexis Krauss with a teen-pop background (Ruby Blue), they do an excellent job filling the stage with their unstoppable energy, while their bass heavy sound pummels you into submission. Their dance-floor ready tunes combine aggressive punk guitars with hip hop and electro beats while Alexis singing and dancing is simply captivating. While most people were celebrating Pavement’s glorious past at Primavera, I think I was able to catch a glimpse of the future thanks to the glorious beats of Sleigh Bells!

Sleigh Bells

The amazing first night of Primavera Sound ’10 was concluded with Chrome Hoof at the Vice Stage with an imaginative set that mixed glam, psychedelic and space rock with death metal and with a brief taste of the noise and dance combination of Fuck Buttons at the Ray-Ban Stage, complete with a trippy light show. After more than nine hours filled with some of the finest music I could hope for, it was time to head back to the hotel and have some much needed rest before doing it all over again the next day.

Live action from Primavera Sound '10 - Day One (May 27): Broken Social Scene ("Meet Me In The Basement"), The Big Pink ("Dominos"), Sleigh Bells ("Rill Rill"), The Fall ("Strychnine"), Pavement ("Conduit For Sale!") and Superchunk ("Learned To Surf")

Our reports from the second and third day of the festival coming soon..

Postcards from Primavera Sound 10: Highlights from the first day (Barcelona, May 27, 2010)

Sleigh Bells were the revelation of the first day of Primavera Sound 10. Amazing energy on stage and a huge sound that combines dance and hip hop beats with punk rock aggression. The best performance we saw during the first two days of the festival by a new band.

Sleigh Bells, live@Primavera Sound 10 (Barcelona, May 27, 2010)

Among the highlights of the first day of Primavera Sound 10 were also the performances of Superchunk, Broken Social Scene and The Fall:

Superchunk, live@Primavera Sound 10

Broken Social Scene, live@Primavera Sound 10

 The Fall, live@Primavera Sound 10

Better quality photos and videos plus detailed reports coming soon...