AWmusic

Numbers 1 through 25:
#1 Ready For The Floor by Hot Chip (myspace/video)
Best dance song of the year? Best song too.
#2 Crimewave – Crystal Castles vs Health (Crystal Castles’ myspace/Health’s Myspace/video)
This version is miles better then the original.
#3 Little Bit by Lykke Li (myspace/live)
I’m not only a little bit in love with this.
#4 L.E.S. Artists by Santogold (myspace/video)
Santogold’s least creative but most accessible track.
#5 Hearts On Fire by Cut Copy (myspace/video)
Cut Copy has a ton of great tracks.
#6 Head Rolls Off by Frightened Rabbit (myspace/video)
“Jesus is just a Spanish boy’s name”
#7 White Winter Hymnal by The Fleet Foxes (myspace/video)
#26 on my top songs of 2007 list.
#8 M79 by Vampire Weekend(myspace/live)
The better of the two new songs.
#9 Graveyard Girl by M83 (myspace/video)
Without the poem, this could very well be #1.
#10 Unforgettable Season by Cut Copy (live)
Not the most danceable but my favorite.
#11 You Me Dancing by Los Campesinos! (myspace/video -ep version)
It takes long to get started but worth the wait.
#12 Magic Spells by Crystal Castles
This song is their most artistic/creative venture.
#13 Kim & Jessie by M83 (video)
Another great track off Saturdays=Youth.
#14 Skeng by The Bug ft. Killa P and Flowdan(myspace/video)
Best track off the amazing London Zoo.
#15 Machine Gun by Portishead (homepage/video)
Even if the song is simple, Beth Gibbons does wonders.
#16 Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend (video)
Number 4 of my 2007 list.
#17 These Few Presidents by Why? (myspace/live)
“Even if I haven’t seen you in years, yours is a funeral I’d fly to from anywhere” – had to break my rule for that line.
#18 Time To Pretend by MGMT (myspace/video)
It’ll be ironic if they have a coke habit.
#19 Kids by MGMT (video)
They do know how to make a decent pop song.
#20 The Twist by Frightened Rabbit (live)
Emotions of a simple dance, captured perfectly.
#21 Everyone I Know Is Listening To Crunk by Lightspeed Champion (myspace/live)
Everybody I know IS listening to crunk.
#22 Teenagers by Department of Eagles (myspace)
My favorite song off In Ear Park.
#23 Furr by Blitzen Trapper (myspace/live)
One of the better folk songs of the year.
#24 Lost Coastlines by Okkervil River (myspace/video)
Jonathan Meiburg vocals puts on the perfect touch.
#25 Street Flash by Animal Collective (myspace)
Anyone excited for Merriweather Post Pavilion? (We’ve heard the leaks)

Blitzen Trapper is a sextet that is usually classified under experimental folk, but really they are genre-less taking influences from a variety of sources and not really having that one true sound (at least that’s my experience so far). In that sense when a band is all over the place, it’s usually to their disadvantage however for Blitzen Trapper, they do everything so well that they can get away with random experimentation. I can’t dock points for not being a cohesive unit or an album as it’s part of the novelty when looking at a Blitzen Trapper album. The real thing to look forward to is to see what they are trying to do now and how it works, they’re really a bag full of surprises and can leave me guessing as to what is coming next.

Since it’s not really an album but more of a collection of random songs, there are some stand outs. My favorite is the title track, “Furr” which is more simplistic track musically with the use of a harmonica within the chorus and a simple drum beat to some great metaphorical lyrics:

You can wear your fur
Like a river on fire
But you’d better be sure
If you’re making God a liar
I’m a rattlesnake, babe,
I’m like fuel on fire
So if you’re gonna get made
Don’t be afraid of what you’ve learned

For Blitzen Trapper, it’s really about experimentation without overdoing it, it usually either has your heart melting or your toes tapping (or both). They do have fun with their songs like on “Love U’ where Earley is screaming on the top of his lungs, sounding like Chris Rock contrasting with the light piano based “Not Your Lover”. They know how to make a great pop song with bluesy guitar riffs and a variety of instruments. The number of members gives them a flexible sound where boredom never comes into the equation.

The main difference between Wild Mountain Nation and Furr is that WMN had a greater variety of experimentation but Furr is the more immediate and more much likable album. There are some songs that are great and it’s ultimately a more serious album instead of playfully experimenting.

Rating: 4.75 out of 5
I am regretting not reviewing this album in time, it definitely belongs in my top 10, maybe even top 5.

Furr by Blitzen Trapper
Not Your Lover by Blitzen Trapper

The Pineapple Express soundtrack which can be found here, I found sort of disappointing. For one the trailer which featured MIA’s Paper Planes is seemingly left off from the soundtrack and is no where to be found in the movie. Generally the use of the songs from the movie are background fodder. It also doesn’t help that I know very few of the tracks myself and a lot of them seem to be for the older crowd as well.

Here’s my own playlist for the movie instead:

Paper Planes by MIA
How I Became Paranoid by CSS
Stress by Justice
Freak Out by Liars
Midnight Runner by Cut Copy
D is for Dangerous by The Arctic Monkeys
Start A War by The National
The Green King Sings by Blitzen Trapper
My Girl Is Calling Me (A Liar) by Chromeo
Highway of Endless Dreams by M83

As for the movie, it was funny but it definitely wasn’t on the same level of funniness as the other films we’ve been accustomed to. I would say not to have your expectations too high because you are probably bound to be disappointed. It’s a solid film that doesn’t get too ridiculous with the marijuana jokes. It plays a factor in the movie but the action is actually pretty solid and most of the time it’s funny. Some things are a little bit over the top and recounting of events is a bit unnecessary and seems like filler script at best.

An alright summer movie to enjoy with some friends. Potentially better to go under of influence of some “help”. 3.5 out of 5.

There are probably 50 or so bands I’d like to see and while it feels dumb to list them in between the middle of the festival, a lot of blogs have taken a backburner and the promotional companies all seem to be quiet (times like these I miss the spamming).

Here the bands I’ve would’ve liked to see:
Simian Mobile Disco, Lightspeed Champion, White Williams, Okkervil River, Division Day, Shearwater, Peter Moren, A Place To Bury Strangers, Kate Tucker & The Sons of Sweden, Die! Die! Die!, Jens Lekman, Islands, J. Tillman, Emmy The Great, Evangelicals, Black Mountain, Holy Fuck, Vampire Weekend, Shapes Have Fangs, Fleet Foxes, Blitzen Trapper, Handsome Furs, Crystal Castles, Headlights, Shout Out Louds, The Raveonettes, Why?, Los Campesinos! and more I’d be iffy about.

Here’s my playlist:

Crimewave by Crystal Castles
Hearts of Iron by The Handsome Furs
Two Step Forwards by Emmy The Great
Innocent Son by The Fleet Foxes
Unless It Kicks by Okkervil River
Stormy High by Black Mountain
Streams of Whiskey by The Shout Out Louds feat. The Essex Green
That Great Love Sound by The Raveonettes
The Pulse by Holy Fuck
Country Caravan by Blitzen Trapper
2007, The Year Punk Rock Broke (My Heart) by Los Campesinos!

Blitzen Trapper is an experimental folk/country band which seems weird saying. Experimental folk/country? I found it hard one imagining what they would sound like or picturing myself liking them.

Putting on Wild Mountain Nation was pretty good from the start. I easily found things I liked and they have a pretty hard style in contrast to some soft/country moments. Unlike Black Mountain’s In The Future, this album actually proved to be very good as an album. There aren’t any major tracks on high repeat but I can sit through this one from start to end and say that was both pretty good and diverse without taking much away from from the transitioning of the album. I wouldn’t say I’m quite high on this album but it’s an amazing effort when looking deeper. There are tracks that has me tapping my feet and some great guitar riffs that makes this album rock.

I am having trouble writing this review but the basic jyst of this post is to say that Blitzen Trapper’s Wild Mountain Nation is great if you are looking for bands that are stepping outside boundaries but do it an effect where they aren’t overdoing it. A great great effort that deserves a 4.5 out of 5.

Here are some tracks I dug (even though I don’t enjoy them THAT much):

Futures & Folly by Blitzen Trapper

Wild Mountain Nation by Blitzen Trapper

Buy Wild Mountain Nation at: Insound/CD Universe/Amazon