AWmusic

5. Old Prince Still Lives At Home by Shad

What more can I say about this video? Instead of Fresh Prince of Bel Air, you have the Old Prince of London, Ontario. It’s a funny parody that comes from a simple idea yet highly effective.
The Old Prince Still Lives At Home by Shad

4. Stress by Justice

This video some people like, some people hate. Yes, it does glorify violence but it does capture the volatile nature of the song as well as capture the true nature of youth violence. Youth gangs, don’t usually have a motive, they just want to wreck havoc and from my point of view, it’s power in numbers where only a select few who do object to their violent and douchebag ways get their ass kicked. It feels like a real video in that sense is that the video glorifies this group of boys while they seem to be playing up to the camera.
Stress by Justice

#3 House of Cards by Radiohead

In Radiohead’s new video for “House of Cards”, no cameras or lights were used. Instead, 3D plotting technologies collected information about the shapes and relative distances of objects. The video was created entirely with visualizations of that data

Two words: Freakin’ cool.

#2 New Violence by White Williams vs TV Carnage

This video is fun to watch and to try to figure out which clips come from which movie. Probably my favorite track off White Williams’ Smoke, this video is fun to follow along
New Violence by White Williams

#1 Toe Jam by The Brighton Port Authority

What better way to start a music video with people taking off their clothes? You don’t really have an answer for that. While it’s not all about naked people, it’s really just a collaboration of using the censored section of the human body to create some pretty cool art, from various letters of the alphabet, to a recreation of the game pong. Can you tell me that this video is not worthy? Pretty cool stuff.
Toe Jam by the Brighton Port Authority

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.

I’m a big fan of these two music videos and while I normally hate music videos and would very much rather listen to the song itself…these two videos do have something to offer as it’s not the band simply playing the song.

The first music video is Justice’s Stress which involves a camera and a sound guy following youth gang in jackets with Justice’s album cover or the Cross (a controversial figure). They walk around the streets of France on a violent tear doing as many as illegal crimes from assault, sexual assault, aggravated assault, vandalism to grand theft auto. The action is set perfectly to the music and there’s more to this video that meets the eye. This is definitely a controversial music video with many hating it and citing racism and being offended due to the graphic violence. However, I must say there are a few things this video captures perfectly around the “youth gang culture”. First off, they are just putting on a show trying to be cool by smoking, walking the walk and overall doing anything that will piss someone off usually without reason. A lot of the time you see people not reacting at all and just standing there and taking it where once inawhile you find an individually standing up to challenge the gang to only be outnumbered and beat up. You see a lot of people standing around doing nothing and watching while this happens (this is EXACTLY what happens in real life…people just watch these people do a number of asshole things). I really like this video not because of my experience with “youth gangs” in Jane and Finch of Toronto but a lot of children do want to just do things without a purpose and painting them in a poor light seems like the exact purpose of the video. The ending where the youths turn on the camera man and the sound guy may be what they deserve as gangs are glorified these days.

A great great video for one of my favorite singles off Cross. In the end its just violence but there’s much more that meets the eye and I’m sure it would be a hot topic if this was a more “mainstream” artist.

Download: Stress by Justice

Speaking of violence. White William’s New Violence is more of a less controversial nature and just rounds up random clips of guns and other various things. It’s supposed to a shot at the USA for their fascination with guns but I just like looking at the random clips. Props for including my man Steven Segal (not really my man but I do like him for his horrible acting). Why no Arnold though?

Download: New Violence by White Williams

I did hate uploading tracks though and the linking stuff (takes forever). I also had to re-upload some tracks after annoying my friend Jack with bandwidth usage. Look out for the rest tomorrow.

50. A Girl in Port by Okkervil River
49. Shirin by Jens Lekman (link)
48. I Know I’ll See You by A Place To Bury Strangers (link)
47. For Science Fiction by Maritime (link)
46. Freak Out by Liars (link)
45. Phantom by Justice (link)
44. Sleep Deprivation by Simian Mobile Disco
43. Take Me To the Ballroom by the Moonbabies
42. Tthhee Ppaarrttyy by Justice (link)
41. Myriad Harbour by The New Pornographers (link)
40. Objects of My Affection by Peter, Bjorn and John
39. Blue Headlights by The Shout Out Louds (link)
38. No I in Threesome by Interpol
37. My Moon, My Man by Feist
36. Kookaburra by John Vanderslice
35. Paper Birds by Siberian (link)
34. Make A Plan To Love Me by the Bright Eyes
33. Philadelphia Grand Jury by the Fiery Furnaces
32. I Believe by Simian Mobile Disco
31. You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb by Spoon
30. I’m Not Going to Teach Your Boyfriend How To Dance With You by the Black Kids
29. You Can’t Hold the Hand of the Rock and Roll Man by Okkervil River
28. Airship by Siberian (link)
27. Turn On Me by The Shins (link)
26. White Winter Hymnal by the Fleet Foxes (link)

Click->>> For Top Albums of ‘07: #10-1<-----------

#20 Feist – The Reminder
Original Rating: 5/5
This album was on rotation for about two weeks then I just totally forgot about it. I personally didn’t like “The Reminder” as much as her previous effort “Let It Die”. Feist has seen some mainstream success with that iPod commercial but I still love her.
I Feel It All by Feist

#19 BSS Presents Kevin Drew – Spirit If…
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5.
Was this effort a little bit like Broken Social Scene and didn’t really distinguish Kevin Drew as a solo artist? Sure but who cares?! Still a great album and if it’s being compared to BSS you know it’s good. This album usually doesn’t come to mind when thinking of the top albums of 2007 but after going back to it…I have to agree with myself…lol
Gang Bang Suicide by Kevin Drew

#18. Justice – Cross (too lazy to find the cross image)
Original Score: 4.75 out of 5
This album just makes me want to dance. Annoying at times but overall something different than what I would normally listen to. I almost didn’t even bother to try to check out Justice but I’m glad I gave it a chance.
Let There Be Light by Justice

#17 Simian Mobile Disco – Attack Decay Sustain Release
Original Score: Forgot (Should be 4.75 out of 5)
Simian Mobile Disco are basically tied in my book when it comes to the score. The tie-breaker may be that I like SMD a little more as it suits what I look in a electronic bands. To think this liking to SMD started with that Hustler video with girls making out. This album makes me want to dance or go on drugs. Either way I feel like I’d be having a good time putting on this record.
Sleep Deprivation by Simian Mobile Disco

#16 Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Original Score: 4.5 out of 5
To be perfectly honest I barely gave this album ANY time before and after reviewing it. One thing for sure though, it didn’t need any effort to begin liking. It probably doesn’t get any higher on this list for being rather simple and I’d agree that artistically it probably doesn’t have the same quality as those ahead of it. To me anyway this album has one of the better first halves of an album then any other album of 2007. The second half was decent but it’s hard to match up to Don’t Make Me A Target, You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb and Rhthm and Soul.
You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb by Spoon

#15 The National – Boxer
Original Score: 4 out of 5
It felt like forever when I originally tried to listen to “Boxer” and had such a tough time and I finally reviewed it after struggling with it for a few months. “Boxer” is definitely a grower and you will have to give a LOT of time I would say before it creeps up on you and reels you in. If you asked me when I did the review the only two songs I liked were “Mistaken For Strangers” and “Start A War” you can probably add most of the album now. If it was the perfect album it wouldn’t be called a “grower” and it takes my 15 spot.
Apartment Story by The National

#14 Josh Ritter – Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
Original Rating: 4.25 out of 5
This album was easy to like from the beginning. I seem to have an affinity for folk songs that I never knew I had and despite I find this album rather “simplistic” compared to the other albums on here, it’s overall just great music and something that had more playing time then The National and Spoon and thus the higher ranking.
To The Dogs or Whoever by Josh Ritter

#13 Arctic Monkeys -Favourite Worst Nightmare
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5
This is another one that I barely recall giving a lot of effort in listening and critiquing (you could probably tell with the sub-par review). I go back to this album once in awhile but I find myself intrigued more by their previous effort “Whatever People Say I am…”. Very solid everywhere and produced one of my favorite songs of the year “Fluorescent Adolescent”.
Fluorescent Adolescent by The Arctic Monkeys

#12 Moonbabies – Moonbabies At the Ballroom
Original Rating: 5 out of 5
I remember listening to this album for a good month straight earlier this year. I sure do love “dream pop”. The Moonbabies probably won’t be on many other lists this year but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t check out their album. I just haven’t seen a ton of exposure but from top to bottom this album had me singing along. I actually haven’t seen one entirely bad review for this album…but who knows why? If you have similar tastes as I do then you will like this album.
Take Me To The Ballroom by The Moonbabies
Cocobelle by The Moonbabies

#11 The Shins – Wincing The Night Away
Original Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The Shins were already one of my favorite bands before they released Wincing The Night Away. I was a fan of indie rock but I didn’t pursue it like I do now. I’m scared to read my review in March because it is so long ago and I arguably was not the same blogger as I am now. Anyway is this album as good as their previous works? No but this album is solid top to bottom and I’m not complaining. This album I believe really appeases already Shins fans without going “too” mainstream and they have become a very popular band now. I’m having trouble picking a song right now that would be called my favorite…too many to choose from. I feel kind of “iffy” putting this just outside my top 10 (it was originally but Okkervil River booted them out).
Turn On Me by The Shins
Red Rabbits by The Shins

Look Out for #10-#1 either tomorrow or Thursday

I’m don’t care about being late while doing reviews because there are always times where people as fans get into something later then others. It happens. Anyway, I am not on the Justice band wagon just yet but admittedly they’ve done pretty good remixes that I happened to stumble upon.

Anyway concentrating on “Cross”. This ends up being a pretty electronic album. Basically they offer a variety of sounds, tunes you can dance to like D.A.N.C.E and “Tthhee Ppaarrttyy”. The latter being a favorite. You have other songs like “Phantom” that are without vocals and shows their ability as a electronic group.

This is album is pretty good, some addictive sounds mixed in with things that make you want to bust a move, the latter I hold as a strong point for any electronic album as what’s it good for if it doesn’t get you on your feet?

To me it’s equal to Simian Mobile Disco’s Attack Decay Sustain Release. I just realized I didn’t put a score on that… but it gets a 4.75 from me.

Here are some of tracks that may give you a feel of what to expect.

Tthhee Ppaarrttyy by Justice
Phantom by Justice.