Wednesday, January 19, 2011

"SPEAKERS GOING HAMMER!": The Albums: 2010.


02/Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today

Tuning, Volume, Knobs. AM/FM, Knobs. Childhood, Youth, Adolescence, Knobs. Basement scenes, 8-Tracks, Cassettes, Knobs. Frequencies, Soundwaves, Alone, Together, Knobs. Fiddling with the knobs, searching. Fiddling with the knobs, hunting. Fiddling with the knobs, landed. Fiddled with the knobs, Perfect.

(Steps away from the dial)

When I give Before Today my full and undivided attention, I'm taken back to those pre MP3/I can’t yet afford to purchase my own CDs days. Fiddling with the knobs and turning that dial til I hit that one station that just brings it on the music and satisfaction tip track after track after track. I get that with Before Today. A trip down Memory Lane, rockin’ robin with the historicals: Disco/Lo-Fi/post punk/soul. A man and his band: smooth, polished, and accessible, them too familiar with those glorious AM/FM days of yore. I’m glued to this here station. I hang on to every word. The sounds/genres/and bits & pieces so familiar, both singularly and together as one, gelled, flowing seamlessly. A 12 song, 45 minute block of musical exploration/trip down memory lane like no other. Cool, calm, collected, firmly planted in the present. Press play, volume up, and step away from the dials. Landed. We good.
KEY TRACKS: Bright Lit Blue Skies /Round & Round/Can’t Hear My Eyes

  • 03/Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz


  • 04/MGMT - Congratulations


  • 05/Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy


  • 06/LCD SOUNDSYSTEM - This is Happening


  • 07/Sleigh Bells - Treats


  • 08/Caribou - Swim & Robyn - Body Talk Pt. 1


  • 09/Wavves - King of the Beach


  • 10/Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest


  • 11/Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record


  • 12/Big Boi - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty


  • 13/Freeway & Jake One - The Stimulus Package


  • 14/Of Montreal - False Priest


  • 15/Drake - Thank Me Later


  • 16/Spoon - Transference


  • 17/The Dream - Love King


  • 18/Scissor Sisters - Night Work


  • 19/Vampire Weekend - Contra


  • 20/Erykah Badu - New Amerykah Part Two (Return of the Ankh)


  • 21/Gorillaz - Plastic Beach


  • 22/Janelle Monae - The Archandroid


  • 23/Cee-Lo Green - The Lady Killer & Jazmine Sullivan - Love Me Back


  • 24/Jenny & Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now


  • 25/The Black Keys - Brothers
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