AWmusic

The best thing about this (or that, depending on where you’re reading this… not that these other sites aren’t good) here blog is that people send me music (for free!), which incidentally is also the worst thing about this (not that) blog. As I discussed with Jonathan of Ketch Harbour Wolves, this internet thing has allowed just about everyone and their grandmother to make their music available, and as you may have guessed not all of them are good (but a good number of them get sent to me!). But, thankfully, one in every, I don’t know, hundred is like the Liptonians: pretty awesome.

Why do I like the Liptonians? Well, because they sound like Ben Folds. Not shitty I’m-a-dad-and-I-write-about-my-kids Ben Folds, but awesome I-write-fun-songs-about-interesting-people Ben Folds. So, Ben Folds circa Ben Folds Five, Rockin’ the Suburbs, Ben Folds Live (although after bagging on Ben Folds, his latest a capella project looks pretty kick ass).

Their energy is apparent from the beginning of the album with “Charlie’s Back!”, which I was expecting to be eeriely similar to “Stephen’s Last Night in Town“, but is actually more a pleasant story about someone coming back – rather than a friend outstaying their welcome. This kind of difference b/w CB! and SLNiT kind of exemplifies the core difference between Ben Folds and the Liptonians. Where Ben Folds tends to be a little edgier, more sarcasitic, and more bent out of shape about the world; the Liptonians tend to be more laid back, more at ease, and just more generally well adjusted.

And, although you’re probably all sick of me closing just about every pick of the week by saying that the album I’ve just reviewed is probably going to be a top-10er at the end of the year, here’s what The Liptonians have got going for them:

• A killer single in “Charlie’s Back”
• An album with no weak spots and no songs that I skip over
• I find more to like each time I listen to it
• It was a complete surprise
• And, the chance that I’ll probably catch them live once, maybe twice in the next week (they’re playing Rancho Relaxo, Thursday May 7; and the Black Shire Pub in London Saturday the 9th), which usually helps.
• A bunch of dates coming up across Canada.
• A tour blog, which, should be viewed if you (according to Matt in the band) are: “bored and want to watch harry guys setting up tents”… SOLD!

[mp3] The Liptonians – Charlie’s Back!
[mp3] The Liptonians – Got Me in the Bag
See my other picks of the week at the Burgeoning Metropolis blog.

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)

Lost Coastlines features the use of TV’s for heads (another use of TV’s like in their video for Our Life Is Not A Movie or Maybe) which turns out to be some workers. Probably because Meiburg couldn’t actually be there? Not the great music video but a great song nonetheless.

Lost Coastlines by Okkervil River

He Doesn’t Know Why is an alright music video featuring the use of fade outs and goats… why are they not called the Fleet Goats? I enjoyed this song a lot though off their album.


He Doesn’t Know Why by Fleet Foxes

Eagles of Death Metal, I’ve only heard about since it was one of Josh Homme’s side projects. Nancy sent me a few tracks and they were pretty likable but surprisingly not death metal. Anyway the Wannabe in LA is a great video, it reminds of the Queens of The Stone Age style videos that are fun to watch whether or not you like the music (which is catchy).
Wannabe In LA by Eagles of Death Metal:
Some very cool

P.S. here’s an awesome performance of Dance, Dance, Dance with Lykke Li and Bon Iver:

This album was meant to be a 2nd disc of a double disc feature but instead we get a album roughly a year later but this time sans Jonathan Meiburg. He did however lend his hand to one of the better tracks I’ve heard this year in “Lost Coastlines”.

One thing I’d like to mention that I hated off the bat was the 30 second interludes (fine one is an intro). They usually strike as either filler or an uncompleted song (in which case I feel sad for not getting more). This album contains 3 interludes almost inexplicably and I really felt the need to skip them. This roughly makes this album just 8 songs. With Okkervil River though, 8 songs is often more then enough.

Okkervil River and Will Sheff seem to be quite angry at other musicians. A song like Singer Songwriter is an angry rant against either singer songwriters or the pretentious/indie culture in general. It uses more of a blues style hook and you can really feel Will Sheff’s general anger “You’ve got taste, what a waste that’s all you have”. It’s a cool song to discuss because the message is clear and while Sheff does do a great job of expressing himself, I still desire a little more quality of singing. The song is alright but it’s more or less a rant then a song. Nothing specifically wrong with the track but nothing amazing. Props for the line “You shot some reversal film in Angkor Wat” (I have tons of artwork because my parents are Khmer).

Starry Stairs is a much better song in my opinion, it’s a bit of a slow-paced song but I think the song writing is better but the probably reason it’s not as popular is that I’m unsure of what it’s about. It sounds like a story of being a boyfriend/significant other to a movie star of some sort.

My favorite song (other then Lost Coastlines) is Calling and Not Calling My Ex, it starts like a pop song which seems like a continuation of Starry Stairs, basically about the same topic. Seeing someone you love that has left to become famous. My next favorite song is On Tour With Zykos, Zykos is apparently a band out of Austin, Texas.

I can’t do a review without mentioning the track Pop Lie, like Singer Songwriter where he discusses music song writers who write lies in their pop songs and the fans who are fooled by it (Sheff doesn’t differentiate). It’s another angry rant, it seems as if Okkervil River is really pissed off.

Musically, I definitely think this is an inferior release to Black Sheep Boy and The Stage Names. There’s something missing on a lot of these songs (maybe it’s Meiburg), it just lacks some sort of edge, or raw emotion you can feel from the start. Lyrically it’s brilliant like Okkervil River is supposed to. I guess the album works thematically but I rarely noticed until looking afterward on the song lyrics.

It comes in as satisfactory but not to high astronomical level that I expected. Just an alright album maybe even lackluster.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

The album in its entirety is streaming on their myspace.

Starry Stairs by Okkervil River

Calling and Not Calling My Ex by Okkervil River

It got rave reviews but otherwise a lot of people weren’t too excited to see it. I went to see it as my friend leaves town for university (boo school is starting already). Anyway the movie itself isn’t what you expect it, at least the concept is given away with the trailers adding an increased level of hilarity.

The movie does have stupid humor but it pulls it off well though it is very offensive. I heard quite a lot about CNN saying something about the racial matter of this movie which there is none. However it is quite offensive towards the mental challenged or “retards – such as Ben Stiller’s character Tugg Speedman in the fake film “Simple Jack”. Now I must say I laughed but it crossed the line… if there is one downside to the film, it’s that.

Tom Cruise’s role in the film is downright hilarious. I hadn’t known he was in the film as he didn’t do any of the promotion and my friend didn’t even notice him in the film. He pulls off the fat, balding movie executive. You don’t really know it’s him unless you notice his eyes even then I still had my doubts until the final credits were rolling.

Pineapple Express was admittedly not as good as this film by a big margin as this movie actually had you laughing out loud, whether or not you tried to hold it in during those offensive moments. That’s the real importance of it, it makes you laugh hysterically without being too ridiculous. The concept of the movie saves it from being just your average comedy.

Rating: 4.25/5

As for the soundtrack, it was a very mainstream soundtrack and I guess it wasn’t too bad, the use of Flo Rida’s Low was hilarious but I’m too lazy to download that track. Click for the soundtrack here.

The playlist is after the jump (I’m evil)
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The Stage Names was barely a country album, with it being more straight up alternative rock mixed in a few acoustic tracks then Black Sheep Boy, which displayed Okkervil River’s seemingly folk/alt-country roots. Definitely a big difference between both albums.

The Stand Ins was meant to be a double disc accompanying The Stage Names (it’s not hard to the see the relevance in names). Like good bloggers, it’s better to split up your work into pieces provided you are giving enough in each post (in this case Okkervil is giving more then their fair share) yet you can bring that much more attention instead of jamming too much into one article.

Okkervil River had a lineup change with Jonathan Meiburg leaving for Shearwater (in which lead singer Will Sheff is a member of). There’s not much change with their first single off the Stand Ins as “Lost Coastlines” is an awesome track. It’s reminiscent of Okkervil River, 5 minutes long and as dense as you can get. It starts off with some banjo strumming to introduce the track and there is some random picking across the entire song. Will Scheff is up to same old thing with his lyrical genius and his semi-wailing voice. The latter being just at the start of course, it hits true greatness when (I believe) Jonathan Meiburg guests and adds his vocals taking a deeper voice than what is typically found on Shearwater. I think at this point, I start feeling sad…Okkervil River could be that much more amazing with Meiburg still in the band. Meiburg and Sheff play off each other perfectly which we really haven’t seen on previous singles. Add in random pianoing and trumpets toward the 4 minute, you’ve got icing on the cake. A lot of the song is “la la la la la” but I don’t mind nor find myself wanting it to end.

I don’t review MP3s but it’s one worth listening to.

Check it out:
Lost Coastlines by Okkervil River

The Dark Knight has been a huge critical and financial success, grossing just under $160 million in an opening weekend, critical praise of 95% and becoming the #1 movie on IMDB. So better late then never with my review and playlist?

My playlist tried to involve some key quotes surrounding the movie. Granted the real soundtrack is great but let’s give the movie a good playlist anyway.

1. The Thieves They Are Everywhere by Bridges and Powerlines
2. Pencil Rot by Stephen Malkmus
3. Only Clowns Are Scary by I Love Math
4. Boy With A Coin by Iron & Wine
5. Smile Like You Mean It by The Killers
6. Knights of Cydonia by Muse
7. I’m Your Villain by Franz Ferdinand
8. The Angry Mob by Kaiser Chiefs
9. Psycho Killer by The Talking Heads
10. No Key, No Plan by Okkervil River
11. Black Heroes by Ratatat

Here’s the movie review below (CONTAINS SPOILERS!!!!!!)
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1. Queens Will Play by Black Mountain
2. Queen of The Nile by Dragged by Horses
3. Squalor Victoria by The National
4. A King and A Queen By Okkervil River
5. Some Things Last A Long Time by Beach House (long reign as Queen)
6. Fast Blood by Frightened Rabbit (first known carrier of hemophilia in the royal family)
7. Monarch by Feist
8. Song of The Sad Assassin by Why? (numerous assassination attempts)

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!

I actually hated doing this list…not that it was subpar but I think I would’ve felt better doing a review today. Just no writing quality in putting out this list though it’s great for traffic bait.

25. She’s a Rejector by Of Montreal (link)
24. Patty Lee by Les Savy Fav (link)
23. Open Doors by Josh Ritter (link)
22. White Dove by John Vanderslice (link)
21. Handsome Furs Hate This City by The Handsome Furs
20. Weekend Without Makeup by The Long Blondes (link)
19. Meat Market by Everybody Else (link)
18. 1234 by Feist
17. Wolf and Crane by Siberian (link)
16. Walcott by Vampire Weekend
15. Fluorescent Adolescent by The Arctic Monkeys
14. Apartment Story by The National (link)
13. Red Rabbits by The Shins
12. Impossible by The Shout Out Louds
11. Right Moves by Josh Ritter (link)
10. Up On Your Leopard, Upon The End of Your Feral Days by Sunset Rubdown (link)
9. (Antichrist) Television Blues by The Arcade Fire (link)
8. Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider by Of Montreal (link)
7. Unless It Kicks by Okkervil River (link)
6. Back in Your Head by Tegan & Sara
5. The Mending of the Gown by Sunset Rubdown
4. Oxford Comma by Vampire Weekend
3. Once and Never Again by The Long Blondes (link)
2. Mistaken For Strangers by The National
1. Our Life Is Not a Movie or Maybe by Okkervil River (link)