What I'm excited about in 2010

Without looking at any sites (I can't function on other people's laptops properly / I miss my desktop), I'm going to try and recall what I'm excited about in 2010. Then I will update this when I realize that there is more.


First of all, Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring. This leaked, and while I didn't download it, I did hear most of it in someone's car. This made it harder to pay attention, but sounded good to me (horns!?). My want to hear the new album led me to relisten to the first two albums (I've really liked ...Youngster, but never gave We Are Beautiful too many listens). Let's just say I am kicking myself for not buying the CD edition of We Are Beautiful with the zine and all that. What a fantastic album and what sounds to be wonderful packaging. After seeing the band in August for the first time, I was blown away. What a terrific band. I don't understand how they aren't huge. I mean, they are in a way, but they're so good and deserve any and all attention they receive. Can't wait. Comes out January 26th in the U.S. and February 1st in the U.K. I'm tempted to preorder, but there aren't any special vinyl packages, so I'm just going to buy it in person. But if you preorder it here, you get an mp3 from it to hear now!


jj - jj n° 3. I still don't have jj n° 2 on vinyl because, I guess, it was recently released and relatively rare (only place that I've found to have it is the Sincerely Yours website, which is asking quite a large price, or at least I'm afraid that's what it will be to ship to America). But that album is great. So I can only imagine what the third album will sound like. If I had to guess, it'd sound really good. Fair judgment, right?

you can find the CD and their first release here


LCD Soundsystem!!! I don't know what it's called, or when it's coming out, but it's coming. And that, my friends, is a reason for celebration. Sound of Silver is one of my favorite albums of the decade (perhaps of all time, we'll see next time I make that list), and for good reason. On top of the great singles, the entire thing flows so well. I listened to that album nearly every night for almost a year. Because of this, I am very excited for the new album. Also, I really hope they tour, because I am an idiot and missed them when they played with the Arcade Fire in Columbus.

If you haven't heard or own Sound of Silver, please buy it. I can't stress listening to this album enough.



Did you hear about Rivers Cuomo's upcoming Japanese debut? I have no idea what that'll sound like. Or well, I assume it'll sound like The Underdogs or Meri Kuri and be ten songs long. But I suppose that's a bit of a stretch to assume anybody who might read this would know those two Weezer tracks. One's a song written with a Japanese composer who might make video game music (can't remember), the other is a J-pop cover. Neither are on standard albums. But yeah, that's happening supposedly. The two demos Rivers posted online sounded really good, but had no lyrics. Either way, that's good news.

But on the reissue front, Pinkerton is being released in a deluxe edition. I'm not sure when, as the date has been pushed back multiple times. And I don't know what will be on it, but I don't see how it will be a disappointment (set your sights low, never be disappointed) as I already love the original and all the other tracks from that era. Now I'll just have them all in one collection instead of spread around on singles and mp3s. And if that isn't enough Weezer for you, there's also a rarities/demo/etc. collection called Odds and Ends that is supposedly on the way (been on the way for years now, I believe). So yeah, great year for that.


That's all I feel like writing about now.


remember to support your favorite bands. buy vinyl.

2009 in Review

I was going to make a Best of 2009 and the '00s post, but my computer crashed last week and I haven't been able to get it back up and running. Of course, this was just as I was listening to all the albums I missed that have shown up on lists all over. Out of the few I listened to, the ones that stood out were the Big Pink, jj, and the xx. So, I guess this means I'll just have to go by memory. Also, take note: no surprises here.

Top Five Albums
5. Yo La Tengo - "Popular Songs"
4. Let's Wrestle - "In the Court of the Wrestling Let's..."
3. Girls - "Album"
2. Dinosaur Jr - "Farm"
1. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - "s/t"

PoBPaH are easily my new favorite band. I've seen all these people acting like they aren't supposed to like them because they sound just like older music, but I think their songs are downright fantastic and the sound is exactly the kind of music I like. While the album grabbed me right away, the Higher Than the Stars EP blew me away even more. "Falling Over" was a grower, but "Twins" is everything I could ever want in a guitar-based song. It is perfect.

Top Five Songs (not including anything from the Top Five Albums)
5. Thom Yorke - "All for the Best" (Miracle Legion cover)
4. Japandroids - "The Boys Are Leaving Town"
3. Hunx and His Punx - "You Don't Like Rock and Roll"
2. Jason Lytle - "The Ghost of My Old Dog"
1. Weezer - "The Prettiest Girl in the Whole Wide World"

Now, as you may have noticed by looking at this blog, I am a Weezer fan. I don't necessarily hate everything post-Pinkerton, but it's just not the same. You all know that, obviously. The band is basically a part of my life, probably to an unhealthy degree (I am on at least three boards and have at least two versions of every album, even ones I don't particularly care for). "Prettiest Girl..." is an older song, from around 1998 when Rivers Cuomo was playing in Boston with his band Homie. The live version that I grew accustomed to has an excellent bass line and was, for a long time, my favorite Weezer-related bootlegged track. When I heard the song was going to be brought back for Raditude, I was a bit worried as to what might happen to it. But alas, it was wonderful. While it didn't have the heavy bass line, the second verse which is just the vocals (lead and harmonies) with an organ brings so much joy to me. It reminds me why I am so obsessed with the band (just as the last segment of The Greatest Man... did in 2008).

Top Five Shows
5. Built to Spill / Beaten Awake
4. Yo La Tengo / Cheap Time
3. Dinosaur Jr / Lou Barlow and the Missingmen
2. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart / Girls / Champagne Socialists
1. Los Campesinos! / Girls / The Smith Westerns

The only thing I was expecting at the LC! show was an annoying crowd. I had seen Girls in Portland a few weeks earlier, and they were fantastic then, so there was that to look forward to. I didn't even know who the Smith Westerns were (I guess their album was released the next day?), but was intrigued when the lead guitarist hit a pedal that made confetti pop out all over him as he played a solo while making the most Bolan-esque movements he could. They were pretty good, and I ended up really liking their album. I now hope to see them around here again sometime. Girls were excellent, again. As usual, I was annoyed with the crowd; this time, because a group of kids were acting out all the lyrics and talking loud enough where I had trouble hearing the band, even with earplugs in. Then LC! came on and blew me away. Before this, I had only really listened to their first album and EP, and my favorite song was their cover of "Frontwards". And throughout the set, I was only sure of which song was being played a few times (one of which was "Box Elder", so that barely counts), but I didn't care because it was so much fun. And while I usually hate fun and excitement and all that, this was an exception. Gareth and Tom or Neil (I'm sorry, I don't remember who) came out into the crowd, with the guitarist ending up on top of the bar at the Grog Shop.
It was wonderful.

Anyway, I'll post my Best of '00s eventually, maybe.

And of course, I recommend you support all of these artists (on vinyl, if at all possible).

So buy some records!