musicleech » Deerhunter http://musicleech.com Tue, 27 Jul 2010 03:38:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 My Top Albums 2009 http://musicleech.com/2010/01/17/my-top-albums-2009/ http://musicleech.com/2010/01/17/my-top-albums-2009/#comments Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:40:41 +0000 Rad Parker http://musicleech.com/?p=3141 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> I realize I am putting this out really late. I always put this off until winter break, thinking I'll have tons of time to listen to the albums, but always underestimate how much I actually need to listen to. But honestly, that isn't a bad thing. I think we are living in a time where there is a lot more new and interesting stuff coming out than ever before. Last year, I probably listened to about 75 albums for my top albums article. Some of them only half way through (because I could tell they wouldn't make the cut) and some in excess of 20 times. I don't feel like doing the math on that, but it takes an incredible amount of time. This year I stepped my game up and literally wrote down every album that made it on at least a few top lists from around the music blog, newspaper, magazine community, including the big wigs: pitchfork, sterogum, prefix, spin, etc.

I think most top lists aren't really substantial if they don't talk about what makes albums 'top albums'. I want to let you know what helped me decide. Basically, I listened to albums all the way through and gave each song a rating (1-5). A 3 being a song that is good, but nothing special. A 4 being a song that is something special, but you can get tired of it. 5s are songs that never get old and never get skipped. I once heard someone say that if you could only keep 1000 songs from your library, they would be all of the 4s and 5s.  Then I check out what each album averages, giving extra points for originality, interesting overall themes, track cohesion, genre mixing, or basically anything that makes it more of an album than a bunch of songs.

Now, once I have a list of albums that are generally agreed upon to be good by the blog community, I go through and weed out bands with sounds that I know I won't find appealing. Albums that are automatically omitted include basically anyone who doesn't make their own music or write their own lyrics, anything considered pop punk, alternative metal, or anything termed just rock or pop, because frankly, I'm not interested. Does that make me seem like a music snob? Kinda. Do I try to be unbiased when the headphones are on? You bet.

This year I at least tried out about 100 albums. If you have any comments, questions, or albums you think should have been considered, drop me a line below.

1. Phoenix -

Wolfgang

Amadeus

Phoenix

Phoenix - "1901"

2. Grizzly

Bear -

Veckatimest

Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"

3. The

xx -

xx

The xx - "Crystalised"

4. Animal Collective -

Merriweather

Post

Pavilion

Animal Collective - "Summertime Clothes"

5. Real

Estate -

Real

Estate

Real Estate - "Beach Comber"


6. The

Flaming

Lips -

Embryonic

The Flaming Lips - "Watching the Planets"

7. Girls -

Album

Girls - "Laura"

8. The Smith Westerns -

The

Smith

Westerns

The Smith Westerns - "Tonight"

9. Neon

Indian -

Psychic

Chasms

Neon Indian - "Deadbeat Summer"

10. Cymbals Eat Guitars -

Why There

Are

Mountains

Cymbals Eat Guitars - "And the Hazy Sea"

2009 Honorable Mentions (in no particular order):

Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Passion Pit – Manners
Drummer - Feel Good Together
Atlas Sound – Logos
The Antlers – Hospice
Blakroc – Blakroc
Woods - Songs of Shame
10 ft. Ganja Plant - Bushrock
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
Bibio – Ambivalence Avenue
The Strange Boys – The Strange Boys and Girls Club
Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… Pt. II
Miike Snow - Miike Snow
Kid Cudi - Man on the Moon: The End of Day
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!

EP, Mixtape, Compilation, and other non-album Mentions:
Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
Kid Cudi - Dat Kid From Cleveland Mixtape
Drake - So Far Gone Mixtape
Wale - Back to the Feature Mixtape
Toro Y Moi - My Touch EP
The Flaming Lips and Stardeath and White Dwarfs with Henry Rollins and Peaches - The Dark Side of the Moon (Cover Album)
Various Artists - Dark Was the Night Compilation
Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP
Modest Mouse - No Ones First and Your Next EP
Washed Out – Life of Leisure EP
Deerhunter - Rainwater Casette Exchange EP
Various Artists – Underwater Peoples Summertime Showcase 2009

For comparison's sake, here is my list from 2008:

  1. deerhunter - microcastle
  2. little joy - little joy
  3. plants and animals - parc avenue
  4. mgmt - oracular spectacular
  5. los campesinos! - hold on now, youngster
  6. vampire weekend - vampire weekend
  7. the dodos - visiter
  8. bon iver - for emma, forever ago
  9. the sea and cake - car alarm
  10. starfucker - starfucker

2008 honorable mentions (in no particular order):

lil' wayne - tha carter III
white denim - white denim
atlas sound - let the blind lead those who can see but cannot feel
the ruby suns - sea lion
women - women
beach house - devotion
q-tip - renaissance
albert hammond, jr. - ¿como te llama?
dr dog - fate
girl talk - feed the animals
hot chip - made in the dark
french kicks - swimming
passion pit - chunk of change ep
cut copy - in ghost colours
black keys - attack & release



No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2010/01/17/my-top-albums-2009/feed/ 3 Beak> http://musicleech.com/2009/11/18/beak/ http://musicleech.com/2009/11/18/beak/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 22:36:53 +0000 Mark Jackson ]]> http://musicleech.com/?p=2790 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> After it took Portishead ten years to make their third album, their output is picking up at a rapidly. Geoff Barrow hooked up with Billy Fuller and Matt Williams to form the band Beak>, and their debut album is pretty awesome. It's got some Deerhunter aesthetic to it in the drums and bass ("I Know" especially), which is why I said I'd call it Atlas Sound day... well, I guess Deerhunter day would make more sense. Whatevs.

I'd label the album as progressive rock, but it has a lot of slower moments, so maybe just rock fits better. Regardless, it's one of my favorite albums of the year.  Such great cohesiveness and listenability.

Stream or download it at bandcamp.

And as always, friend them on MySpace where you can check out their December European tour dates and a couple live videos.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2009/11/18/beak/feed/ 0 Interview: Atlas Sound http://musicleech.com/2009/11/18/interview-atlas-sound/ http://musicleech.com/2009/11/18/interview-atlas-sound/#comments Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:20:51 +0000 Mark Jackson http://musicleech.com/?p=2784 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> If you're curious about the man behind the music (Deerhunter/Atlas Sound), Pitchfork just did a really comprehensive interview. He said he wasn't planning on doing that many interviews so that he would just go ahead and open himself up to a lot of questions.

Check it out here.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2009/11/18/interview-atlas-sound/feed/ 0 Rumor Slash: Deerhunter Hiatus http://musicleech.com/2009/10/18/rumor-slash-deerhunter-hiatus/ http://musicleech.com/2009/10/18/rumor-slash-deerhunter-hiatus/#comments Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:06:04 +0000 Mark Jackson http://musicleech.com/?p=2539 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> One of my friends spoke to Bradford Cox (aka Atlas Sound) during that Kia Soul Collective weekend (pics here), and the hiatus Cox spoke of at ATP shouldn't be too frustrating if you're a Deerhunter fan. Yes, they are taking a break right now, but he said you could compare it to a "winter vacation". No word on when they plan on getting new material together or heading to the studio, but at least we know it shouldn't be too long till we get some more amazing jams from these guys.

p.s. Logos is out officially in one hour!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2009/10/18/rumor-slash-deerhunter-hiatus/feed/ 0 Narrows / Mixleech 0 Tracklist http://musicleech.com/2009/10/18/narrows-mixleech-0-tracklist/ http://musicleech.com/2009/10/18/narrows-mixleech-0-tracklist/#comments Sun, 18 Oct 2009 06:20:45 +0000 Mark Jackson http://musicleech.com/?p=2521 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> So I'm going to start promoting a lot more lesser known bands. Major labels are just pissing me off. I was ready to post the first musicleech playlist like two weeks ago (tracklist below), but a bunch of the songs on there were from major label bands and I'm not trying to get sued so I asked them if I could include their songs on my mix and like none of them responded (it's been two weeks)...

So... I'm not going to waste my time. I'm going to start posting mixes on here, with bands that actually need promotion, and that want it. Give me a week or so to put another one together, but here's the tracklist to what was going to be the first mixleech (with links to the bands that actually took the two seconds it takes to respond):

1. Here We Go Magic - Ghost List
2. Mount Kimbie - Maybes
3. Organ Morgan - Broken Heart
4. Flying Lotus - Breathe Something/Stellar Star
5. Four Tet - And Then Patterns
6. Nine Inch Nails - 21 Ghosts III (live from Another Version of the Truth [Las Vegas])
7. Cut Copy - Glittering Clouds
8. Brightblack Morning Light - Hologram Buffalo
9. Boards Of Canada - Dandelion
10. Amon Tobin - Get Your Snack On
11. tiny feathers - happy hands
12. Deerhunter - Red Ink
13. Atlas Sound - Winter Vacation
14. The Present - Shapeshifter
15. Pterodactyl - Rising & Shining

I spent a decent amount of time on this mix, so as is implied I highly recommend it. So if you have the time/money to download/buy the tracks and play them in order, do it! Shit is off the hook imo.

On a more relaxed note, check out this band Narrows I came across interestingly from one of the band member's Flickr. They have four songs up on their MySpace, and they're all pretty good. Rag on me for saying this, but they are pretty standard indie rock-- I don't know how else to quickly describe it!

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2009/10/18/narrows-mixleech-0-tracklist/feed/ 0 Download New Atlas Sound feat. Panda Bear http://musicleech.com/2009/07/17/download-new-atlas-sound-feat-panda-bear/ http://musicleech.com/2009/07/17/download-new-atlas-sound-feat-panda-bear/#comments Fri, 17 Jul 2009 17:19:22 +0000 Rad Parker http://musicleech.com/?p=2027 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> bradford-coxSo, Logos, the 2nd LP from Deerhunter lead singer Bradford Cox, is coming out on October 20th. There was a big deal last year when an unfinished version of Logos was accidentally leaked at the Deerhunter blog. Here we have the download for what seems to be the first leaked song that is in actual finished form, "Walkabout". Head on over to Prefix to check out the origins of the song. Head over to Stereogum to read Bradford's thoughts on the upcoming release. As always, you can download the song below:

Atlas Sound - Walkabout feat. Panda Bear

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2009/07/17/download-new-atlas-sound-feat-panda-bear/feed/ 4 WFMU Streams from Primavera Sound Festival http://musicleech.com/2009/06/25/wfmu-streams-from-primavera-sound-festival/ http://musicleech.com/2009/06/25/wfmu-streams-from-primavera-sound-festival/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:45:55 +0000 Rad Parker http://musicleech.com/?p=1905 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> primaveraThe peeps over at WFMU are streaming a bunch of the sets from the 2009 Primavera Sound Festival that occured at the about a month ago in Barcelona. The list includes Deerhunter, Dan Deacon, Fucked Up, Saint Etienne, Crystal Stilts, Ponytail, Vivian Girls, Jesus Lizard, and Vaselines. You can even download the live sets at 128 kbps. Here is the link.

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2009/06/25/wfmu-streams-from-primavera-sound-festival/feed/ 0 Video: Deerhunter live at Noise Pop 2009 (incl. four new songs) http://musicleech.com/2009/03/03/video-deerhunter-live-at-noise-pop-2009-four-new-songs/ http://musicleech.com/2009/03/03/video-deerhunter-live-at-noise-pop-2009-four-new-songs/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2009 07:11:19 +0000 Mark Jackson http://musicleech.com/?p=1472 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> The San Francisco-based Noise Pop festival concluded yesterday, and among the many recordings from Wolfgang's Vault is the Deerhunter show, packed with four brand new songs. Whitney Penny was a no show this weekend, but the normal four (Bradford Cox, Lockett Pundt, Moses Archuleta, Josh Fauver) hold it down, playing and jamming to all post-Cryptograms material.

As far as the new songs go, they are all unique. The first one moves quickly through it's lurking melody, complementing Bradford's hazy vocals: "I forget tomorrow / All the sickness and sorrow / Disappearing, but the words still sting". The second one brings an interesting twist to the usual Deerhunter sound that you can hear for yourself. "Famous Last Words" is much like the second in that it wouldn't fit on the band's previous two albums Cryptograms or Microcastle musically or lyrically. Closing out the set is an 8-minute shoegazey jam that walks on very familiar musical ground for the band. Like "Saved By Old Times" in this performance and "Calvary Stars II/Aux Out" on Weird Era, it has that never-ending wall of sound, building tension and carelessness at the same time.

The first new one starts at 9:00 and the second immediately follows. "Famous Last Words" starts at 30:00 and that 8-minute jam closes it out starting at 48:45. Enjoy!

Deerhunter's rescheduled European tour:

Mar 5 2009 9:30P
Ford Court Auburn, Alabama
Mar 6 2009 8:00P
Club Downunder Tallahassee, Florida
Mar 7 2009 11:00A
Harvest Of Hope Festival @ St. Johns Fairground Elkton, Florida
Mar 8 2009 8:00P
Culture Room w/ Girl Talk Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Mar 9 2009 8:00P
Czar Tampa, Florida
Mar 10 2009 9:00P
Backbooth Orlando, Florida
May 16 2009 8:00P
All Tomorrows Parties Minehead, Southwest
May 18 2009 8:00P
The Scala London
May 19 2009 8:00P
Deaf Institute - 2 performances, matinee & evening show! Manchester
May 20 2009 8:00P
Stereo Glasgow
May 21 2009 8:00P
The Black Box Belfast
May 22 2009 8:00P
Andrews Lane Dublin
May 23 2009 8:00P
City Sound Festival Liverpool, Northwest
May 24 2009 8:00P
Brudunell Social Club Leeds
May 25 2009 8:00P
Concorde 2 Brighton, South
May 26 2009 8:00P
Nouveau Casino Paris
May 27 2009 8:00P
Paradiso Amsterdam
May 28 2009 8:00P
Botanique Brussels
Jun 1 2009 8:00P
Lux Fragil Lisboa
Jun 2 2009 8:00P
Tavasita Helsinki

[Microcastle/Weird Era Cont. is out via Kranky]

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2009/03/03/video-deerhunter-live-at-noise-pop-2009-four-new-songs/feed/ 0 MP3: Lotus Plaza: “Whiteout” (LP Version) http://musicleech.com/2009/02/11/mp3-lotus-plaza-whiteout-lp-version/ http://musicleech.com/2009/02/11/mp3-lotus-plaza-whiteout-lp-version/#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 20:11:42 +0000 Mark Jackson http://musicleech.com/?p=1391 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> "Red Oak Way" gave us a taste of Lockett Pundt's new solo album The Floodlight Collective about a week ago, and now another new song has popped up: "Whiteout". Well, a new version of it. An early demo of "Whiteout" was posted on the Deerhunter blog way back in August 2007.

It's really spaced out (surprising, right?), with Lockett delivering wary echoing vocals atop smooth guitar chords and shimmering tambourine. That description remind you of anything? *Atlas Sound, cough* Yeah, Lockett and bandmate Bradford Cox have verrryyy similar musical taste (Deerhunter = cohesiveness), and if you ever thought otherwise, here's your proof:

mp3: Lotus Plaza: "Whiteout" (right click to save, left click to stream) (via The Fader)

Lockett Pundt of Deerhunter

The Floodlight Collective is out 3/23 via Kranky

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2009/02/11/mp3-lotus-plaza-whiteout-lp-version/feed/ 0 MP3: Lotus Plaza (Lockett Pundt of Deerhunter): “Red Oak Way” http://musicleech.com/2009/01/31/mp3-lotus-plaza-lockett-pundt-of-deerhunter-red-oak-way/ http://musicleech.com/2009/01/31/mp3-lotus-plaza-lockett-pundt-of-deerhunter-red-oak-way/#comments Sun, 01 Feb 2009 02:59:15 +0000 Mark Jackson http://musicleech.com/?p=1325 Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.]]> lotus_plaza-red_oak

The moment Deerhunter fans have been waiting for: the first track off Lotus Plaza's debut album The Floodlight Collective.

"Red Oak Way" has a very "River Card"-y drum beat, layered with a simple but beautiful guitar melody, flowing  tambourine, and some ambient precussion effects. Lockett's voice echoes plenty throughout the song to give it the dreamy feel that some Microcastle songs have. If you like Deerhunter, if you like Atlas Sound, you should adore this song.

Lotus Plaza - "Red Oak Way" (MP3)

The Floodlight Collective is out 3/23 via Kranky.

[via Stereogum]

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

]]> http://musicleech.com/2009/01/31/mp3-lotus-plaza-lockett-pundt-of-deerhunter-red-oak-way/feed/ 1