An absolute epic on a record that could've used a few more of them, to be honest. Big, rolling drums and chiming acoustic guitar sound like a statement of intent from From Finn Andrews and Co. Myspace
2. Pete Doherty - Arcady Ever since Up the Bracket, Pete has dealt with high expectations. His failure to meet them means that even his good records get overlooked. Myspace
3. Mew - Beach Mew recaptures the magic of Frengers on this and most of the other tracks on No More Stories... Myspace
4. Animal Kingdom - Signs and Wonders
Although it falls squarely in the guilty pleasure category, this is still a top tune. Myspace
5. Foreign Born - Early Warnings
The high point of an otherwise spotty sophomore effort. Myspace
Still gets my vote for song of the year. It will open up new musical worlds you didn't know existed. Myspace
Honorable Mention: The Ruling Class - Sleeping Beauty A little too early 90s Britrock for its own good, this was still an intriguing track in a year with precious few of them.
1. Ida Maria: "Oh My God" If I were to create something as wretchedly passe as a best album list, Ida Maria's Fortress Round My Heart would probably sit atop of it. Here's what I said in my review:
Instead, think about the good things here: the way "Queen of the World" sounds like "Vertigo" by The Libertines, or "Stella" rips off an old Motown track, or how "Oh My God" is an absolute classic brimming with barely concealed sexual energy. Ida Maria's got charisma, man, and if you can't handle that, then take your Vampire Weekend and Yeasayer records and fuck off.
2. Supergrass: "Diamond Hoo Ha Man" In all honesty, I haven't had much time for Supergrass albums since 2000's uneven self-titled effort. In 2008, however, I did have time for this infectious riff-based rocker and its hilarious accompanying video.
3. Mystery Jets--Half in Love with Elizabeth 21 was one of the albums I played to death earlier in the year but sort of forgot about as time went on. Returning to it now, I think it holds up. Here's what I said in my original review:
To be sure, on "Twenty One", the Mystery Jets have developed both as songwriters and musicians. The question is whether they're quite done evolving. Lead-off single "Young Love" has all the makings of a classic, an odd jangly little tune that's so simple even a child could sing it: 'One night of love, nothing more nothing less; one night of love left my bed in a mess. Is that you on the bus? Is that you on the train? You wrote your number on my hand and it came off in the rain.' Yes, guest singer Laura Marling's reformed Eliza Doolittle crooning seems a bit overdone, but that's a small complaint. Elsewhere, 80s homage "Two Doors Down" has a chorus that's pure Whitney Houston (pre-Bobby Brown) and a closing sax solo that Huey Lewis would trade his best beige blazer for.
"Flakes", given away as free download at the end of 2007, is "Earth Angel" on acid. It's a genuinely affecting ode to lost love and misspent youth. "Behind the Bunhouse" makes fine use of techniques perfected by The Smiths like arpeggiated guitar and that incessant shuffling beat. There's a distinct indie-disco vibe to "Half In Love with Elizabeth", the album's highlight
4. Mike Bones--What I Have Left I don't know much about Mike Bones, and to be honest, I'm not entirely sure I want to know more. Some artists are best presented in single servings, and I get the feeling that if I heard tracks besides "What I Have Left" I might be disappointed. Over the course of the song, the hopeful, rollicking music builds to a powerful crescendo, overtaking Bones' guilt-wracked lyrics and weary vocals. Powerful stuff.
5. The Veils--The House She Lived In (Live)Ok, I'll admit to a bit of cheating here. This is a 2007 live version of a song that will most likely be released in 2009. Split the difference and you get 2008, right? I had to include this if only because this was my most played track of the year. And because I interviewed Finn:
DF: Nux Vomica had some of the poppiest music you've ever produced ("Advice"), while at the same time containing some of the darkest ("Jesus for the Jugular"). How do you reconcile those two moods?
F: We put them on the same album, that's about as much reconciling as was necessary. Too many records just sounds like 10 slightly different versions of the same song to me, I'm a strong believer in The Album. You have such opportunity to bring together all the greatest elements of film and art and literature and it seems a shame to waste that - a great album can be Kubrick, Hemingway, Carravagio, The Wire and The Stones all at once and that is such an extraordinary thing.
In October I saw the Veils perform at Chicago's Lakeshore Theater. It was a fun show, and I've never seen Finn so loose with the crowd, but really it felt like more of a formal rehearsal of new material than a proper concert. Their third album should finally establish them as a top-tier group, so keep an eye out for them.
6. Glasvegas--Please Come Back Home As an early advocate for Glasvegas, I have to say that I was a bit disappointed by their self-titled debut. Whereas their early recordings had a sort of rough beauty to them, possessing the sort of sound you get when big ambitions collide with modest means, I felt the record was over-produced. My review of the LP, which never saw the light of day, even compared the album version of "It's My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry" to a power ballad by Poison. The whole thing felt short on tunes and long on major-label sonic affectations.
Over time though, my disillusionment slowly eroded, and I found myself reevaluating the album on its merits. Their recently released Christmas album, from which "Please Come Back Home" is taken, scored a few points in my book as well.
7. Sune Rose Wagner--Hvad Der Sker Better known as one half of The Raveonettes, Sune Rose Wagner quietly released his Danish-language solo album Sune Rose Wagner in December. It seems like he's perfectly content to let it fly under the radar, which is shame, because it's really, really good. Coming off like a less kitschy Raveonettes, it wears its influences (50's music, Sonic Youth, The Smiths) on its sleeve. In a year when The Raveonettes released a series of largely forgettable EPs, those looking for a Wagner fix would be wise to seek this out.
8. The Radio Dept.--Freddie and the Trojan Horse At the risk of this turning into one long mea culpa, Radio Dept. were another band that disappointed me with a record, their sophomore effort Pet Grief, but then slowly worked their way back into my good graces. This comeback single certainly didn't hurt. Returning to some of the guitar work that made debut Lesser Matters such a success, but with their fondness for drum machines and The Pet Shop Boys firmly intact, the Radio Dept. gang raised hopes for their third album.
9. The Notwist--Good Lies Although it's true that The Notwist's The Devil, You + Me never captivated me like Neon Golden did, it's still true that this it was a fine record. Here's what I said in my review:
Listeners have waited six years for "The Devil, You + Me", and although it's not entirely clear what took them so long, there are plenty of fine moments on this record. Maybe expectations were simply too high, but what they've basically given us is "Neon Golden 2". Opener "Good Lies" is fantastic, with a circular melody repeating and reinforcing the key lyric: "Let's just imitate the real until we find a better one". Being German, Acker's unusual delivery gives lyrics that might sound cliche coming from a native speaker a decidedly uncanny quality . "Good Lies" also reveals the band's new secret weapon: the acoustic guitar. Whether it's the descending chords in that track, the Teutonic Bossa Nova of "Gloomy Planets", or the space-age blues of "Gone Gone Gone", this post-modern band using the most traditional of instruments results in added warmth and texture.
10. Sigur Ros--Med Sud I Eyrum Sigur Ros are a perennial favorite for me, and this year was no exception. Here's a bit from my review of Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust:
Sigur Ros' music was always a distillation of more complicated acts: Radiohead, Godspeed You Black Emperor, The Cocteau Twins, et al. "Hljómalind" and much of Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust are a distillation of that distillation. Straight-forward arrangements, pretty melodies, luscious string tones. Nothing jarring. Perfectly pleasant...
Opener and preview track "Gobbledigook" is a bit of a red herring--it's leaden acoustics and dull melody don't really do justice to the rest of the album. Tracks 2 and 4 ("Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur" and "Vid Spilum Endalaust") are like the best moments of Takk edited down to four and 3 and a half minutes respectively. Elsewhere on the record, Sigur Ros tread familiar ground. A widescreen epic like "Festival" would not feel out of place on previous records.
So try as I might to disown them for cozying up to the Starbucks/Banana Republic set, I have to admit that I still love Sigur Ros' music. Rumors of a drastic change in sound have been greatly exaggerated; what we're presented with is the essence of the band's music and the continuation of an already impressive winning streak.
Vessels: "Walking Through Walls" Vessels' "Yuki" made my Best of 2007 list for good reason: their immaculate sense of texture and atmosphere was pretty much the only game in town. The same goes for "Walking Through Walls", taken from the band's debut album White Fields and Open Devices. In a transition year for mainstream rock, this sounded like nothing else.
Set List: 01 15 Step 02 Airbag 03 There There 04 All I Need 05 Nude 06 Weird Fishes/Arpeggi 07 The Gloaming 08 The National Anthem 09 Faust Arp 10 No Surprises 11 Jigsaw Falling Into Place 12 Reckoner 13 Lucky 14 The Bends 15 Everything In Its Right Place 16 Fake Plastic Trees 17 Bodysnatchers
18 Videotape 19 Paranoid Android 20 Dollars & Cents 21 House Of Cards 22 Optimistic
Download Special: Radiohead Live in Berlin, 7.4.2000
As a special treat for Dead Flowers visitors, I've put up one of Radiohead's very best live shows. Recorded in Berlin on July 4, 2000, this bootleg quickly attained legendary status because it was mixed by none other than Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.
Like many people who got into Radiohead because of OK Computer, I was initially puzzled by Kid A. Hearing this show was the first time the material really 'clicked' for me. Turns out that when they're injected with a bit of live energy, the Kid A tracks reveal themselves as some of the best Radiohead have ever composed.
Look out for a couple other surprises--The Bends era b-side "Bishop's Robes", for example, as well as a little snippet of "Big Ideas", which wouldn't properly be released until 2007's "In Rainbows". Enjoy and let me know what you think.
Setlist:
01. Optimistic 02. Morning Bell 03. Karma Police 04. The National Anthem 05. In Limbo 06. No Surprises 07. My Iron Lung 08. Dollars and Cents 09. Bishop's Robes 10. Talk Show Host 11. Kid A 12. You And Whose Army 13. Airbag 14. Lucky 15. How To Disappear Completely 16. Paranoid Android 17. Everything In Its Right Place 18. Pyramid Song 19. Exit Music 20. Knives Out 21. Big Ideas 22. Nice Dream
Lou Reed, Nico, and John Cale: Live at Le Bataclan '72
With the enormous interest generated by the Velvet Underground bootleg I posted a few weeks ago, "Live at the Gymnasium 1967" (Link), I thought I would post another show. This one isn't quite as rare, but it's just as interesting. In it, Lou Reed, John Cale, and Nico have a semi-reunion and play VU songs alongside their own solo work. You could kind of say it's the VU "unplugged". Here's the tracklist:
1 I'm Waiting for the Man 2 Berlin 3 The Black Angel's Death Song (Reed, Cale) 4 Wild Child 5 Heroin 6 Ghost Story (Cale) 7 The Biggest, Loudest, Hairiest Group of All (Cale) 8 Empty Bottles (Cale) 9 Femme Fatale 10 No One Is There (Nico) 11 Frozen Warnings (Nico) 12 Janitor of Lunacy (Nico) 13 I'll Be Your Mirror 14 All Tomorrow's Parties (encore)
I'm not into VU bootlegs really, but apparently this is a big deal. It's the ONLY available live stuff from 1967 and has only become available in literally the last two days. Recorded just after the release of The Velvet Underground And Nico and featuring the debut performance of Sister Ray (19 mins long) and the *previously unheard* song I'm Not A Young Man Any More. That's right, A NEW VELVET UNDERGROUND SONG. And it's fucking good too. This version of Sister Ray absolutely shreds and is what the Velvet Underground are all about.
I'm just listening now and i can already say that, in addition to the historical importance of these five recordings, this thing rocks like a motherfucker.
(feel free to pass this link around all you like - i think a lot of people are gonna be excited to hear this)
Repost/Update 8/7/08: Since there's still a lot of traffic to this post, I've put up individual mp3s of all the tracks for your listening pleasure. Enjoy.
Putting together a year-end 'Best Of' list is always a tricky proposition. An album might have been on constant rotation at the beginning of the year, only to fall off one's musical map by the time December rolls around. With that in mind, here was the music that most impressed me during the year, and the music that got the most plays.
Babyshambles: "Shotters Nation" (Album) Finally, the people who only got interested because of Kate Moss had some evidence of what it was all about in the first place. This wasn't a perfect record, but when it worked it was laugh-out-loud funny and undeniably catchy. Maybe the handful of rubbish choruses ("You Talk", "French Dog Blues") wouldn't have been so bad with Carl Barat singing them? One will never know...
The Good The Bad and The Queen (Album) In the end, many listeners seemed surprised by how subdued this record was. Live performances (where the band usually played the album in its entirety) are worth looking into, because they display the sort of raw energy that was a bit smothered by Danger Mouse's muted production. Still, it's hard to deny that Damon has a way with melody and a gift for evoking a certain time and place--the record sounds like 2007 felt: weary, melancholy, yet, if only in the slightest way, ultimately hopeful.
The Veils: "Nux Vomica" (Album) Sure, no self-respecting Anglophile would put a 2006 UK release on his best of 2007 list, but come on, it wasn't exactly a banner year for music. Finn Andrews and Co. dramatically upped their game on this release, which showed a sharpening of focus after their at-times uninspired debut. As far as up-and-coming groups go, this listener would bet on The Veils to make the first truly great record of the decade.
Tunng: "Take" (Song) Sounding like The Beta Band gone off their meds, this had all the makings of a campfire sing-a-long (if said campfire was a burning car).
Foreign Born: "In the Shape" (Song) Probably this reviewer's single most-played track this year. This definitely had something to do with the song's phenomenal second-half, which is brimming with percussion, acoustic guitar, and well-timed squawks from singer Matt P. Absolutely infectious and a sign of great things to come from this young LA group.
Tokyo Police Club: "Your English is Good" (Song) Maybe it's nostalgia for the rural Ontario of my youth, but this song evokes lazy summer days and youthful ignorance/stupidity. This band's first two singles have been rather brilliant; it remains to be seen, however, if they can maintain such incredible momentum over the course of an album.
The Raveonettes: "Lust Lust Lust" (Album) The Raveonettes pretty much do one thing, but they do it very well. This was their strongest album yet. Maybe they could give their Danish compatriots Mew lessons on how not to become shit.
Vessels: "Yuki" (Song) Crafting a mood of icy desolation, this post-rock act from Leeds raised expectations for their first full-length album. If it follows this blueprint: scattershot percussion, delayed keyboard, and subtle mastery of dynamics, it will be one of the best things in 2008.
Mystery Jets: "Flakes" (Song) On this track, this unruly band of misfits (and the singer's dad) traded gimmicky for maturity, reclaiming the Buckley legacy from a million hapless bedwetters. While it was a late entry, this was a serious candidate for song of the year.
Let's face it: any jerk can put some Pulp and Elastica on a CD and call it a Britpop mix. The recent Brit Box? Good intentions, but kind of boring. In the end, only one person could put you inside the head of a University of Michigan sophomore studying abroad in London in '96. Only one person could pick the music that would evoke day trips to Manchester on Smiths pilgrimages, or evenings spent sipping Newcastle and watching the band whose first release just got Melody Maker's "Single of the Week". That person is Dead Flowers' resident Britpop expert, Phil. For a year I've been pestering him to put together a mix like this, and he's finally delivered. Here's a track-by-track rundown:
1. Echobelly - Insomniac Phil's Comment: Sept. 1994, Echobelly and Oasis both sell out the same venue, same capacity on different days in ny (wetlands). alas, quite different paths after that.
2. Gene - London, Can You Wait? P: Never given their due/respect! Mike (Dead Flowers)'s comment: I agree. Taken in small doses, Gene were quite good.
3. Blur - Chemical World M: One of my favorite Blur tracks. Amazing guitar, and the lyrics would set the template for Britpop songs to come.
4. Oasis - Whatever M: There's nothing better than a great non-album single. Sure, this apes The Beatles, but it does it in a classy way. Liam's voice would never sound better.
5. Suede - We are the Pigs P: Best song intro in the britpop era. M: While most latter-period Britpop bands would draw on mundane events like soccer championships and elections to find inspiration for their anthems, Suede had it right from the beginning: bad drugs and JG Ballard novels.
6. Tricky - brand new you're retro P: I guess some trip-hop needs to be thrown in. M: Sure, it sounds really dated. But it's interesting to hear what passed for 'cutting-edge' back then.
7. Salad - Granite Statue P: Even the lesser players at the time were still quality M: At first I thought this song was crap, but I've had it stuck in my head for the past few days and I can assure you it's top-notch. The girl can't sing, but only half of the Britpop singers could anyways.
8. The Auteurs - Lenny Valentino P: Also criminally underrated, Luke Haines' post-auteurs stuff was never topped. M: Haines really looks like Paul Banks in this video. Brilliant track.
9. Morrissey - Hated for Loving P: Still the godfather of british pop
10. Marion - Time P: Obligatory Manchester-based, smiths-heirs-to-the-throne-but-never-were band.
11. Sultans of Ping - Where's me Jumper? P: The unofficial anthem of britpop.. bar-none M: I think Art Brut heard these guys.
"The Freewheelin' Pete Doherty" is a compilation I put together using the best bits of the "Shaken and Withdrawn Megamix". My goal was to create a genuine Pete Doherty folk record. I think it turned out pretty well, so I thought I would repost it (it was originally featured on Timeforheroes.net in 2004).
Here's the tracklisting: Albion Can't Stand Me Now Killamangiro Back from the Dead Don't Look Back into the Sun Ha Ha Wall Blackboy Lane Hooray for the 21st Century Conversation Diva Pipey McGraw East of Eden The Whole World is our Playground Darling Clementine The Ballad of Grimaldi There She Goes (A Little Heartache)
Dead Flowers Now Hosting Pete's Latest Acoustic Session (Repost)
Dead Flowers, blessed with gigabytes to burn, is pleased to offer Pete Doherty's latest acoustic session, the "Stookie + Jim Bumfest Demos". Terrible name, great collection of songs.
Tracklist: 1.There she goes (a little Heartache) 2.Crumb begging baghead 3.New love grows on trees 4.Unbilotitled 5.Unstookietitled 6.Carry on up the morning 7.Cuckoo 1440 8.Delivery 9.A fool there was
When a year proves to be rather lackluster for new music, as 2006 no doubt did, it's a good excuse to explore the musical archives. With so much music out there, one is always discovering songs 5 years (and in some cases 30 years) too late. Here are 10 songs that I came to appreciate over the course of the year:
1. The Rolling Stones: "Bitch" 2. The Rolling Stones: "Loving Cup" 3. The Rolling Stones: "Love in Vain" I know, I know: having a self-proclaimed music "expert" like myself tell you that he just discovered The Rolling Stones is a little like your doctor admitting he failed freshman Biology. Nevertheless, for the sake of full disclosure, 2006 was the year I went from Stones fan to full-on obsessive. 4. Blur: "Gene by Gene" 5. Blur: "Mellow Song" I can't escape my past when it comes to Blur--I'm on record criticizing their last two albums, "13" and "Think Tank," as aimless nonsense. Turns out I was completely wrong. They're brilliant--maybe even their best albums. With these albums, Damon traded cheekiness for soul, buried his still-brilliant melodies so that only dedicated listeners could find them, and turned up Alex James. In doing so, he showed why he's the premier talent in music today. 6. Ash: "A Life Less Ordinary" Ash's grunge-y anthem is infinitely better than the movie of the same name. An essential summer tune. 7. Bang Gang: "Find What You Get" 8. Mum: "Green Grass of Tunnel" Taken from the "Screaming Masterpiece" soundtrack, these songs by Icelandic groups successfully walk the line between experimentation and melodicism. 9. Amiina: Blaskjar 10. Sigur Ros: Se Lest Despite being one of the first people in America to own their debut single "Svefn g englar" and despite playing their album "( )" to death, I got off to a rocky start with "Takk." Sure, I understood the singles, but the quieter moments had me stumped. After I watched some live shows and gave the songs time to seep in, "Takk" quickly became my favorite Sigur Ros effort. Because the quieter songs are heavily influenced by collaborators Amiina, once I appreciated tunes like "Se Lest," Amiina's singles became an essential purchase as well.
Mix Tracklist: 1. Primal Scream-Country Girl 2. Belle and Sebastian-Another Sunny Day 3. Mojave 3-Breaking the Ice 4. Babyshambles-Beg, Steal or Borrow 5. Gruff Rhys ft. Lisa Jen-Candylion 6. Cat Power-Living Proof 7. Asobi Seksu-Thursday 8. Vietnam-Welcome to my Room 9. The Delta Spirit-Crippler King 10. Primal Scream-When the Bomb Drops 11. Serena Maneesh-Drain Cosmetics
Primal Scream: Riot City Blues (Album) The Scream now know that it's not enough to emulate the sound of your heroes. You have to emulate their spirit as well. So while "Give out But Don't Give Up" failed as an ode to "Exile," "Riot City Blues" is an outright success. And the Maggie-May aping "Country Girl" was single of the year.
Belle and Sebastian: Another Sunny Day (Song) When Stuart Murdoch and Co. traded in twee for camp, they pretty much lost this reviewer. But this is a bit of a return to form: pretty harmonies on top of some quality jingle-jangle. Throw in some Burrito-Brothers guitar work and a ridiculous middle-8, and it all adds up to one of the year's best songs.
Mojave 3: Puzzles Like You (Album) There's not much not to like on this record, in which former Slowdivers make an album like Belle and Sebastian used to make. If straight up guitar pop is your thing, then you'll probably love this one.
Babyshambles: The Blinding (EP) Definitely a step in the right direction from Pete and Co. Discovering the virtues of a little production and backing off the jarring desperation of "Down in Albion," this EP provides some memorable melodic moments.
Gruff Rhys: Candylion (Song) Super Furry frontman wins big with this acoustic gem and accompanying hilarious video.
Cat Power: Living Proof (Song) While the album was a bit of snooze-fest, this Dylan-esque single was one of the year's indisuptable highlights. Chan Marshall's voice has never sounded sexier, and Harmony Korine's absurd video spared us from her new-found dancing "talents."
Asobi Seksu: Thursday (Song) While slumming it in Brooklyn, Julee Cruise writes the theme song to an anime movie. At least, that's what it sounds like to me.
Vietnam: Welcome to my Room (Song) An old-fashioned barn burner from the up-and-coming retro rockers.
The Morning After Girls: Shadows Evolve (Album) This is the album for those who: Like the Brian Jonestown Massacre in theory, but find their albums boring. Hate the Dandy Warhols, but like that "Brown Sugar" rip-off they sold to a cell-phone company. Ok, I'm being hard on The Morning After Girls. Even if their album sounds like the best "Rock Hits of the '90s" compilation you've never heard, they've put together a fine collection of songs.
The Delta Spirit: I Think I've Found It (EP) San Diego rockers take the Libertines/Strokes blueprint and make it their own.
Serena Maneesh: Drain Cosmetics (Song) This is the song Andy Bell of Ride should've made when he became obsessed with The Rolling Stones.
Biggest Disappointment: DJ Shadow: The Outsider Most respected artists become more difficult as time goes by. Shadow goes in the opposite direction, making an album of trip-hop lite and pointless collaborations. Reinvention never sounded so bland.
Collective Shrug: Thom Yorke: The Eraser It seems that Thom needs Jonny more than he realizes. There was nothing wrong with this album, but there was nothing to recommend it either. The live performances are worth seeking out though.
Thanks for being around for the birth of Dead Flowers! You can expect much more in the months and years to come.. -Mick, December 2006
Disclaimer:
Commercially available MP3s are 64 kbps and for word-of-mouth purposes only. If you like any of the music featured here, please purchase it to support the artist and enjoy higher quality audio. If you are an artist or represent an artist and would like a file removed, please contact me. If you are a website owner, please link to posts, not MP3s. All written material Copyright 2006-2009 Mike Kegler, unless otherwise noted.
