Top 10 EPs of 2010

Ahhhh yes, lists.  People love them, and people hate them.  The greatest thing about creating a list is that it's extremely rare for any two people to agree on the exact same one, they're all unique.  This is demonstrated by some of the comments I see directed towards some "Top 10" rankings on sites like Pitchfork or Drowned In Sound.  They can be so hateful and so seething; readers literally become offended when their choices aren't picked.  Someone's picks can become so personal that their list, in a sense, becomes a representation of their musical self...and any disagreement cuts to their core.  At first, I'll admit, I was worried about getting caught up in all of the "end of the year" hoopla, but with some encouragement from readers to deviate my mind from potential controversy, I decided to just go through with it.  So alas, today I will post my favorite EPs from 2010.  At some point in the upcoming days I will also post my favorite albums, as well as a collection of my favorite songs to wind down a great music year. Some may like it, and others will disagree.  Either way, I hope you take some entertainment in reading it.  So without further ado, here is my top 10 EPs of this past year...

Honorable Mentions
Broken Dreams Club by Girls
North Dorm by Evenings
Young by Summer Camp
Beach Dreams by Teen Daze
Horse Power by Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.

10.  With Emperor Antarctica by Boy & Bear

When I was first turned on to Boy & Bear, I heard constant comparisons to Fleet Foxes. This association is definitely appropriate; both have an airy folk ambiance and utilize ethereal vocal harmonies, which at some points sound identical.  The one major distinction I see between the two is that there are segments of Boy & Bear tracks that are edgier and more electric than Fleet Foxes.  Overall, it's a great debut, and I can't wait to see what happens when they release a full album.

9.  Settings by Tanlines

When I interviewed NazcarNation earlier this year, one of their band members mentioned that they're all about the "donut holes rather than donuts" approach.  What this signifies is that as a band, they'd rather release their songs in small doses; this includes EPs, singles, and remixes....but not a full album.  Tanlines follows this methodology.  Settings is another EP in a group of remixes, compilations, and singles from the group, and it's a damn good one.  I first heard about it in the summer, which was perfect timing since the whole EP is an uplifting synth collection of tropical pop beats.  When I first heard it, my mind headed straight toward the Caribbean.  Now, whenever I decide to re-listen, I am put into one of my happy places.  So for that, I thank you Tanlines.

 Policy Of Trust by Tanlines

8.  Surf Noir by Beat Connection

How could I not be tempted to listen to an EP that combines the title of Surf Noir with cover that looks as summery and beautiful as the picture above?  Throughout the year I had been drawn into listening to the EP, having seen it pop up here and there on multiple sites to good reviews.  What I found was a band that sounded a lot like Air France, an electropop outfit complete with lush melodies and the idea of sand underneath their feet.  Perhaps the EP can best be described as if Air France decided to take a more...dare I say it..."chillwave" approach?  I'll take it.

 In the Water by Beat Connection

7.  The Years by Memoryhouse

The Years was a bit of a late-bloomer for me.  Released in early January of 2010, I actually didn't hear any of it until early November.  So if my calculus class taught me anything this year, that's about 10 months late.  Just a litttllee tardy.  It didn't take me long at all to get into their dreamy haze, though, and "Sleep Patterns" quickly became a consistent late-night jam.  It all comes together very well; ethereal synths, fuzzy guitars, and the beautiful angelic voice of Denise Nouvion.

 Sleep Patterns by Memoryhouse

6.  Color Your Life by Twin Sister

Color Your Life can be a little tough to categorize since they play such a broad spectrum.  A lot of the tracks have a lo-fi tinged sound to them, and at parts can be classified as psychedelic.  Some people would probably just be content with calling it indie pop.  But perhaps their diversity is best exemplified in their song "Galaxy Plateau", which is a long 6-minute ambient drone ballad that is decked out in crazy reverb. Someone who first recommended it told me I'd like the EP if I wanted "to hear what Stereolab would be like if they were more soothing", which may just be my favorite way of hearing it described.

 Lady Daydream by Twin Sister

5.  Static On the Wire by Holy Ghost!

I absolutely love it when a band chooses a great opening act.  In all honesty, I owe my awesome introduction to Holy Ghost! to the one and only LCD Soundsystem.  When I saw LCD at Terminal 5 this May, Holy Ghost! was their chosen opener.  It was love at first site, and a perfect choice.  The heavily layered and disco-injected EP has some of the catchiest hooks and best dance beats of the year.  They were a great warm up to LCD, putting on a wonderfully energetic show.  It was also a great warm up to Static On the Wire, which promptly became a favorite.

 Static On The Wire by Holy Ghost!

One of my good friends recently asked me what I do after I get home from a night out. She texted me saying that she "knew I couldn't be with my friends hanging in the treehouse relaxing and listening to rock 'n' roll music" because it was too cold outside.  Before I could respond, she sent me a text saying "...or chillwave music in your case".  It's not a tag I'm offended by, but it's a distinction that can't come without a mention of Teen Daze.  Four More Years first helped me realize the growing chillwave movement that happened this year, and quite honestly may have been the release that launched my own personal enjoyment of chillwave (and spawned my love for artists like Washed Out and Toro Y Moi).  In the end, many of the songs on the 8-track EP became anthems for many of my best summer moments this year.  And the more I think of it...wasn't that the goal?  Didn't he want to engulf me in a comforting blanket of hazy nostalgia?  I certainly like to think so.

 Neon by Teen Daze

3.  Golden Haze by Wild Nothing

Anyone who has been reading this site frequently probably gets the friggen point already: the kid who keeps up this blog really likes Wild Nothing.  I have already written about them specifically, as well as referring to him regularly on a variety of other posts. Yet, here Jack Tatum of Wild Nothing gets another call out with his Golden Haze.  Upon listening to his debut album, one of my favorites of the year (which you will probably be hearing about in the upcoming days...hint hint), I was craving more of what he had to offer.  I found Golden Haze to be the perfect dessert to Tatum's main course.  His mix of dream and jangle pop became a perfect channel to his '80s influence, where he also found ways to dabble in his knowledge of "new wave" music.  So do I like Wild Nothing? Yes.  I love it.

 Golden Haze by Wild Nothing

2.  Sometimes the Blues Is Just a Passing Bird by The Tallest Man on Earth

Kristian Matsson had a pretty great year.  Starting with the critically acclaimed album The Wild Hunt in April, he followed up with this fantastic EP in September.  To my surprise, I actually enjoyed this EP more than the album.  On this release, I feel like Matsson really shows off his raw talent as a magnificent songwriter.  His honest lyrics and Dylan-esque voice call out to the listener, reel you in, and aid in evoking some sort of subconscious emotions.  His guitar work is also fabulous; at times he is just picking away to the point that it sounds like an orchestra of three or four guitars instead of one lone musician.  At other times his poor guitar is strummed so vigorously and with such passion.  I also love Matsson's experiment with "The Dreamer", the only electric song in his set.

 The Dreamer by The Tallest Man on Earth

1.  RIPJDS by Bikini

Bikini is a group that came out of no where for me.  It was the most random of finds on the most random of websites, a band I figured I'd give a listen to for shits and giggles.  I couldn't be more happy that I haphazardly wandered into them, for my kryptonite is bands just like Bikini; present day uptempo electro/synth pop (hence my love of Crystal Castles, Passion Pit, and the holy grail Cut Copy).  Bikini has beautifully contrived beats with some of the most addicting riffs and melodies I've listened to in a long time.  I also feel like Bikini is a great representation of where the music scene is today.  There are a few bands that just seem to "get it", who really have an idea of what people want. Judging by how quickly Bikini exploded onto the scene, I like to think that they're an example of one of those bands.  Catchy, refreshing, and experimental all at the same time.  Just brilliant.

 American Mourning by Bikini

More to come soon!  Thanks for tuning in.

Merry Christmas!

I just wanted to wish everyone out there on the internet and blogosphere a very merry Christmas and a very happy holidays.  I hope everyone is enjoying their time off, eating well, and relaxing.  I absolutely love this time of year, and with snow forecast to pile on a couple of inches in my hometown, it'll be (even if a tad late) my first white Christmas in a while...the cherry on the sundae.  Forgive me for the lack of posts in the recent days, I've been much busier than I expected since finals have winded down, but I am making an effort to get another few posts in between now and New Years.  Since it is Christmas, though, and spirit of giving is high, my gift to the world wide web is a YouTube video of a song from my favorite Christmas album A Charlie Brown Christmas presented by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.  Perhaps one of the reasons why this collection of songs has so much sticking power to me is the fact that my parents have played it since I was a toddler.  I've heard the entire thing dozens and dozens of times. Nostalgia runs high in it, which is an important factor for me during the Christmas holiday, when I tend to feel like an innocent little rug rat all over again.  Anyway, here is the song "Linus and Lucy" from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Best of wishes to everyone out there.  Be safe and have the merriest of Christmases!

Cemeteries

Kyle Reigle of Cemeteries has been climbing the charts over at Bandcamp the past couple of months, and as of a few weeks ago, he can officially say that he is the most popular band/musician in the Buffalo area.  This is an impressive feat, especially considering that Reigle has done it all on his own; the percussion, guitars, keyboard, and vocals....the entire production....is done entirely by himself.  Yet, it also shouldn't be too big of a surprise, because when you deliver a good product, it sells.  Cemeteries is just that, a fantastic collection of work that is starting to get discovered.  His debut LP entitled Speaking Horrors applies a range of elements spanning from folk to dream pop, complete with melodies that border on ambience that play softly on the listener.  On his newly released single, Reigle increases his electronic use, incorporating more synth into his songs.  His spectrum of play is large, his ambitions are high, and the talents are there. It'll be exciting to see where he ends up going with his music.  If you're interested, I was lucky enough to have an interview with Cemeteries.  Have a read below:

What's the background story behind Cemeteries?  When did you decide

you wanted to pursue music?

Well I learned how to play piano and guitar at a really early age, so I guess a small part of me always enjoyed music and wanted to pursue it. It wasn't until a few years ago that I started my first band (Mutiny on the Belafonte). We actually played a few songs that are on Speaking Horrors. That was fun but due to some differences and a lack of equipment/practices we kind of fell apart. I tried playing with a few more people but that didn't work out either. Early this year I realized I'm probably better off alone, at least during the recording aspect of it all so I just kind of went for it and ended up with enough material to put something out.

Which past artists/bands inspire you most when it comes to making music?

I grew up with a wide variety of music. My mom worked a later shift when I was young so my dad, my sister and I would just lay on the floor and listen to a ton of albums until she got home. Neither of my parents are musically talented but they are definitely responsible for getting me interested in it. I think I was just inspired by music as a whole since some of the music we listened to was pretty bad. It wasn't until about five years ago that I got into independent music and my tastes and influences started to shape.

What are some of your favorite releases to come out in 2010?

My favorite was probably Teen Dream by Beach House, I just love the direction they're going with their sound. High Violet by The National, Halcyon Digest by Deerhunter and Heartland by Owen Pallett are all great. Some artists really came out of nowhere and blew me away like Avi Buffalo, Future Islands and Twin Shadow. It was a great year.

The entire production of your music releases is done by you; guitar,

percussion, vocals, mixing, etc.  Do you find it difficult producing as a

solo artist without having band mates to bounce ideas off of or record

with?

I definitely find it easier to work alone but I really want to get a band together so I can play some shows. I think it would be fine working with band mates if I found the right people, it's just pretty hard to find them.

Since you do the entire production, I suppose I should congratulate

you on the sound quality.  The production value is extremely good, where

do you do the majority of your recording?

Haha thanks, I actually did it all in my spare room. I used a Tascam DP-004 four track and Garageband to mix. Nothing special at all. I love the whole bedroom recording movement that's blown up lately, it really proves that you can create something worthwhile without spending a ton of money to do so.

On your album Speaking Horrors, I noticed you incorporated a lot of

folk influences into your tracks.  Yet on your newly released single,

which sounds great by the way, you seem to have put less emphasis on

acoustic.  Is this a new direction you're trying out?

Yes and no. I spent awhile on Speaking Horrors so I just wanted to do something fun for a change. I wrote both the songs acoustically and they kind of turned into upbeat synth songs. I'm not sure if I'll keep pursuing that direction or not, I just figured it would be a nice change of pace for the time being.

So...you go by the name of Cemeteries, you say that your album is "a

collection of ten songs about ghosts", and your newly released single is

slightly based off the 1977 Italian film Suspiria, which is widely

considered one of the scariest movies of all-time.  What is it about the

horror or supernatural theme that inspires you so much?

A lot of bands and artists are influenced by nostalgia and that's exactly what it is for me. I love film and I'm a huge fan of the horror genre. There's something about old grainy horror movies that makes me feel like a kid again and I feel my most creative when I get those feelings. Someone reviewed Speaking Horrors and complained that it wasn't scary at all but I wasn't trying to make it scary. A lot of recent albums have 80's or 50's influences and I guess hazy slasher movies are just one of my bigger influences.

Which modern music website (like Myspace or Bandcamp for example) has

helped you the most in getting your name recognized and why?

Bandcamp hands down. They just get it and their formula is perfect. Music Is Amazing is a great site that put my album up with a link to my Bandcamp page and my downloads just blew up, they helped out a lot. Tumblr is nice because I can talk about any random thing I want but Bandcamp is definitely the best.

If you could play in any city in the world, where would it be and why?

It's going to sound lame but probably Buffalo. My album is the most popular in Buffalo on Bandcamp which is amazing and I haven't even played a single show. I should probably start with with my home town haha. Besides that, probably anywhere. I rarely get out of the city let alone the state.

Lastly, what can fans expect from Cemeteries in the future?

If more people catch on to the virtual 7" I'll probably do those frequently. Right now I really want to get out there and play, that's my biggest goal. I just need to figure out if I want to get a band or go at it alone with electronics, loop pedals etc. but who knows?


Below I have posted the song "Living Alone" from his new single as well as "Fires In Your Cities" from his debut album Speaking Horrors.


 Living Alone


 Fires In Your Cities


You can download all of his stuff over at his Bandcamp, so be sure to check it out.  Enjoy!

Birthday Girls

Ottawa's dance-punk band Birthday Girls are loud, rambunctious, and in your face.  When you throw on a track from their Birthday Girls EP, they want you to stand up and cause a raucous.  It's a relatively short debut, lasting just over 15 minutes, but it is packed to the brim with heavy distortion, screaming, and head-banging punk influence...cramming all the static and intensity they can manage within that brief time span. Normally, I would be weary of such heavy, pulsating music.  In fact, I usually become intimated whenever something is labeled as "punk".  Although there are a few bands or songs I find myself enjoying, recordings like the Dead Kennedy and Black Flag albums tend to scare me more than anything else.  Yet, when I was sent their EP, they had to throw that damned word "dance" in there.  After all, LCD Soundsystem is one of my favorite acts, and I've heard them labeled as "dance-punk" before...so why not?  I found them to have a pretty unique sound, establishing a niche for themselves somewhere between The Strokes and Bloc Party. Much like Bloc Party, they toy around with explosive guitars and drowning synths; and relative to The Strokes, lead-singer Kyle Kilbride isn't afraid to use his harsh, screeching vocals to challenge you into waking the hell up and partying...no, raging.  It's like a caffeine shot straight to your eardrums.  With finals finally over and the weekend only hours away, it's time to make up for all the lost time and release all the built-up stress. It's okay, go ahead and flip over a table or smash your crappy printer to bits....after all, it's probably what Birthday Girls would want.

"Teenagers" and "Balcony" from Birthday Girls below.

 Teenagers

 Balcony

If you're interested, you can listen to the rest of the EP (or find out more info) at either their SoundCloud, MySpace, or Facebook.  Happy weekends everyone!  Don't do anything Mick Mars wouldn't do.

Polarsets

Upon first listen of the synth-rocking British trio Polarsets, you can tell they are earnest and enthusiastic.  It's noticeable that they're excited, revved up, and ready to go, which is represented through a sense of their energy, which appears to be honest and genuine.  Perhaps they have good reason to be so amped, maybe it's the fact they've shared a stage with Ellie Goulding and De La Soul after only one year of being together?  Or is it possible that it's because they've received praise from British record producer Paul Oakenfold (Beastie Boys, Run D.M.C.)?  Their highly touted live shows and fast-growing following in Northern Europe could also be a factor. Whatever it may be, when they sent me their two singles I couldn't help but get absorbed into the danceable beats and captivating melodies.  They show good variation in their tracks as well; some of the materials sounds like it could be classified as house music, even borderline trance.  Tie this all together with some catchy guitar hooks and Rob Howe's higher pitched vocals, and you get the singles "Leave Argentina" and "Morning", electro-pop anthems that grow on you and grow on you.  I almost forgot to mention, they're not afraid of using those cowbells to the max, either.  Below I've posted "Leave Argentina" and an equally as awesome revamped club remix of the same song.  Give 'em a try.

 Leave Argentina

 Leave Argentina (Thomas Sagstad & Mike Hawkins Remix)

If you like these, I highly recommend you check out their other single "Morning".  You can do that at their MySpace, or you can check it at their SoundCloud for some free downloadddzzzzzz.

Shake the Baron

As the rumor goes, in 2007 first day college students Andrew Oedel, Matt Addison, and Max Currier bonded and became friends over a "common love of good music and bad beer"...something I'm sure we can all relate to (must've been Keystone or Natty).  They chilled, they raged, they played awesome music.  Over time, the "acoustic jam sessions" and "impromptu sing-a-longs" that occurred amongst themselves became "collaborative songwriting sit-downs" and "electrified noisefests"; but it wasn't until this year that the three of them added a second guitarist, Jon Markson, to complete their outfit.  A few months following the addition, they signed with Super Duper Records, recorded their debut album Shake the Baron, and then received help with mixing from engineer Justin Gerrish, who has also worked with bands like Ra Ra Riot, Vampire Weekend, and Weezer.  That is certainly not a bad resume to be working with....and it's only befitting that Shake the Baron should work with someone like Gerrish, for their sound does bear a close resemblance to a mix of Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend, combined with a touch of power pop...like Weezer perhaps?   I was very impressed with the debut Shake the Baron, a 10-song assembly of fast-paced, fun, and refreshing indie pop tracks that call you back for multiple listens.  It's definitely worth acquiring the album and giving it a listen or two, and I'm excited to see what they have to offer in future efforts.  Below I have posted two songs from the album; one is their single "Zodiac Name", where you can clearly hear the Vampire Weekend influences, and the other being "Seafoam Sofa", which has distinct comparisons to Ra Ra Riot.  Have a listen:

 Zodiac Name

 Seafoam Sofa

For more info you can visit their MySpace here or their homepage, which is located here.

MIRS

Continuing on from the chillwave-ish, easy listening theme I had yesterday with Work Drugs, I would like to present to you Amir Motlagh, born and raised in Los Angeles, who goes by the name of MIRS.  On November 2nd, 2010, MIRS released his debut EP entitled Spin Cycle on Bandcamp, and was kind enough to send me over a few links to have a listen to.  I was immediately drawn into not only the sound of the EP, but also the concept behind it.  Spin Cycle consists of four songs, each one named after a season, following a fictional character "through the changing seasons, cycling through a trans-figurative metamorphosis".  On top of this, what's also cool is that the recordings "coincided in real time with the changing of the seasons", the song "Spring (Bombs)" being written during spring, "Summer (Farahavar)" in summer, etc.  I love that kind of shit.  In an odd way, I feel like creative projects such as this open a window into the mind of the composer.  Not only do you follow a story through your listening, but in a way you get an exclusive perspective of a certain event or time period through the eyes of someone else.  If I'm listening to "Fall (Birds)", I'm getting a sense of what MIRS was experiencing at that time, which is pretty neat.

Although this is MIRS's first solo endeavor, he certainly isn't new to music.  He is a an American Independent Film Maker and multi-media artist who has scored multiple movie soundtracks.  Furthermore, he has fronted two albums with his previous band called Shanks and the Dreamers, which has released some pretty fantastic material as well, spanning from genres like "electro hip-hop", to "post-rock", to "instrumental ambient" music.  MIRS carries a lot of this experimental drive onto his Spin Cycle EP, but at the same time seems to be trying to create a more concise tone for himself.  While "Spring (Bombs)" channels a more chillwave atmosphere, "Winter (Little Tokyo)" tries something new with heavily distorted guitars, focuses more on instrumentation, and drowns out the vocals slightly.  Yet, they both sound like they belong to be on the same release.  What I also like about the EP is the thought out layering of guitars, which MIRS really seems to like playing around with.  I feel like this is exemplified in "Fall (Birds)", where I fell in love with the background acoustic riff, which surreptitiously aids in driving the track forward.  Below I've posted what I think may be my favorite two songs off Spin Cycle, "Fall (Birds)" and "Spring (Bombs)".  Hope ya'll dig it!

 Fall (birds)

 Spring (bombs)

You can check out these and the rest of Spin Cycle at his SoundCloud here.  To download, check out his Bandcamp page here, and for more information in general, MIRS has a new homepage located here.