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Sunday, December 16, 2007

metababble '07...

I've been busy this week compiling and creating the 2007 almanacs. I'm real happy with how it's all coming together. This year's playlist is a bit less eclectic than previous years, a bit more guitar driven. But that's not a bad thing.

Here are two tracks that I think are splendid (yeah, splendid), but didn't end up on the almanac as they didn't fit the flow of playlist:

Axwell - I Found You [mp3]

Pharoahe Monk - Welcome To The Terrordome [mp3]

The Axwell track sounds like parts of every electronic song ever released between 1987 - 1997 (but melted together and released in 2007) . The Pharoahe Monk track is sharp and a contemporary hyper-political take on the original Public Enemy track (he even updates the opening MLK sample!)

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Favorite gig in 2007: Hands down, Daft Punk in Seattle. But 6 billion other people might have already told you that. The New Porno's show with Dan and Niko performing as a full team was gorgeous (in some sort of sweaty, loud, beer soaked sort of way). St Vincent was my favorite "discovery".

The most painful crowd I dealt with this year was at the LCD Soundsystem show at the Commodore. Just because the floor naturally bounces it doesn't mean you're entitled to be a pushy/punchy douche bag... does it?

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Favorite album in 2007: The Apples In Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder.

New Magnetic Wonder is the perfect pop album. The normally obvious 60's influences found on Apples In Stereo tracks are dialed way down and the fuzz is turned up. Everything sounds optimistic, tight, and punchy. Oh and for me, the instances of vocoder, Mellotron, and Hilarie Sidney randomly on lead vocals are just extra gravy.

elsewhere

this is just offensive to lobsters and to rolls

Labels: daft punk, mp3, new pornographers, st vincent, vancouver

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Sunday, September 30, 2007

reviewed: the new pornographers at the commodore ballroom...

To state that the New Porno's Friday night performance was good would be selling things a bit short. The band delivered and destroyed... not sure if it was because it was the end of the tour, not sure if it was because of the fuller band roster (Neko Case! Dan Bejar!), but it worked. The entire set was a perfect balance of jangley rock and flawless harmonies (well, in that Stella's on the stage sorta way). A lot of write ups about the band make reference to their music as "power pop" - and I really don't like that term - but dammit, in the live environment that's what it felt like... bright, punchy, polished songs, all of which were completely compelling.

I recall the set list digging into their entire body of work. The stuff from Electric Version felt almost classic. The new stuff from Challengers sounds better live than on the album. With that said, I'm revisiting it and giving the new disk heavier rotation over the next while.

Other things:

Neko Case can sing the hell out of anything. I realize that's common knowledge, but the way her voice soared above the rest of the band was fantastic

Vancouverites love Dan Bejar. Dudes go nuts... like boy band crazy.

"Use It" sounds completely different to me now that I associate it with George Stroumboulopoulos & The Hour

elsewhere

i love sandwiches | house of the rising cosbys

Labels: commodore ballroom, new pornographers, reviewed

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