Last Week in Music | 03/09/08 - 03/16/08
March 17, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music

I’m having a pretty busy morning so this is going to be kind kind of brief.

These New Puritans led the pack again, so I may as well talk about them now because I doubt I’ll get around to writing them their own post. TNP are an English quartet who sound somewhere between electro or punk or, hell, I really don’t know. It’s been tough for me to try and put them in a category. So when I started listening to the, I wasn’t quite sure if I liked them, but they’ve really grown on me.
They are also favorites of Mr. Hedi Slimane who had them create the music for the Dior Homme Show 2007, so that might give a few of you and idea of their freshness. Their album Beat Pyramid came out in January in the UK and comes out tomorrow here in the States.

After that was the Illinois sweethearts Headlights again, then came Jason Collett and his new album Here’s to Being Here, which sounds a whole lot like Jeff Tweedy from Wilco. Then there was The Books, which I think are on here because I fell asleep while listening to them. After that is Gnarls Barkley who’s new album The Odd Couple is light years better than St. Elsewhere. Cee-Lo’s voice is way less annoying and Danger Mouse’s production has never sounded more crisp and awesome. It also has a great soul/60’s/70’s sound this time around, which I’m much happier with. Definitely check it out even if you didn’t liek the last one.

On a sidenote I’ve started linking to Last.fm pages so that if you click any of the links you’ll be able to hear what the artists sound like. This makes way more sense, and hopefully you guys can see if you like a band easier.

Bobby

Last Week in Music | 03/02/08 - 03/09/08
March 12, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music


Market Girl by Headlights

Last Week in Music there were definitely some new entries in my musical line up. First up was Samamidon, an awesome musician from Vermont. His style is very mellow and folk-y and I ended up listening to him a ton. He also ended up being on Sunshine Sometime, the mix I made a few days ago. Next up was These Young Puritans, who I don’t really want to talk about because I’d rather give them their own post.

After that was Erick Messler, who I can’t find anything about. NOTHING. Usually I can dig something up about people on Google but I know nothing about this chap. His record is called Dreaming in the Royale Oaks, and I think it was released a couple years ago, but that’s all I’ve got. If anyone knows anymore about him or how to get in touch with him please let me know.

Then came Headlights, who’s new album Some Racing, Some Stopping is really good, especially the intro song ‘Get Your Head Around It’> But my favorite on the album is hands down ‘Market Girl’, which I’ve posted above so you can see what I mean.

Finshing off this round of new music is MGMT, who make ridiculous music, though it’s kind of fun. The rest you guys see pretty much every week, so that’s that!

Bobby

Last Week in Music | 02/24/08 - 03/02/08
March 6, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music


Boy with a Coin by Iron & Wine

I’m yet again having problems with my tracks getting recorded… I swear I can’t win, haha.
Anyway, last week I did listen to a lot of Iron & Wine, which is something that’s been growing on my for a while now. I was a big fan of Our Endless Numbered Days, but when the new album came out I really wasn’t a big fan at all. But that completely went away and I now love this new album and his older work seems to pale in comparison. The Shepherd’s Dog is amazingly rich and detailed and shows just what a musical genius Sam Beam is. I think his beard might have magical properties as well, but don’t quote me on that.

After that was a lot of Gorillaz, listening to their ‘D-Sides’ as they’re now being called. Radiohead came next, and then Jon Brion and the Punch Drunk Love soundtrack. The Jon Brion comes in because I was listening to the Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind soundtrack as well, so he got some extra loving.
The only other band on the list that was a stand out for me was Cut Copy, who’s So Cosmic mix I’ve been listening to non-stop. It’s so damn good.

Bobby

P.S. I also meant to mention that the best song on Iron & Wine’s new album is Boy with a Coin, which I’ve posted above. If those amazing background hand claps don’t make your day better, I don’t know what will.

Last Week in Music | 2/17/08 - 02/24/08
February 25, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music

This week’s LWiM looks pretty complete, but it’s also kind of boring at the same time. The three new bands I’m listening to I’ve already posted about (Vampire Weekend, Grand Archives, and Dent May) and the rest of the bands are people I listen to all the time. So I’ve decided to throw up some streaming songs of some of these bands, and hopefully it’ll be new and exciting for some people.


A Sweet Summer’s Night on Hammer Hill by Jens Lekman


Boston by Vampire Weekend


The Shining (Avalanches’ Good Word for the Weekend Remix) by Badly Drawn Boy

I hope everyone enjoys these!

Bobby

Last Week in Music | 2/10/08 - 02/17/08
February 18, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music

Even though I touted that all of my music was being recorded just great, I’m still not sure it is. This kind of seems like everything, but I dunno…

First up was Grand Archives, who like I wrote yesterday, are really good, and I had them on repeat for quite a while. Next up was Jens Lekman, because I finally got ‘When I Said I Wanted To Be Your Dog’, and that put me in the mood to listen to more.

After that are probably my top three favorite bands in the world, Belle and Sebastian, Radiohead, and Modest Mouse, but only MM old stuff. Everything after ‘The Moon and Antarctica’ makes me want to jab a hot skillet in my eye. Nothing beats good ol’ ‘This is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing To Think About’. Then came The Kings and The Beatles, both staples of a Bobby musical diet. Then Patten, some band I found from Myspace, and Sondre Lerche, the modern day Burt Bacharach.

Bobby

Last Week in Music | 2/03/08 - 02/10/08
February 11, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music


Painter in Your Pocket by Destroyer

Last week I was all over the place, listening to a lot of things I hadn’t really listened to in a while.

First on the list was Destroyer, whom I didn’t really like in Swan Lake, and I’ve never been a big fan of the New Pornographers, but I like him a lot more on his own. His new album Trouble in Dreams isn’t quite as good as his last album, Destroyer’s Rubies, but it’s still a good listen. My favorite track from Destroyer’s Rubies is definitely Painter in Your Pocket. It doesn’t catch you at first, but a full listen through should grab you.

After that was Vampire Weekend again, still being played a lot. Then Kings of Convenience, who need to a) come out with a new album, and b) play 14 live shows in Los Angeles alone. Their music is so great, I just need more of it! (Fun sidenote, Feist is on the last song of the Kings’ album, Riot on an Empty Street, while Eirik Glambek Bøe sings on the last track of Feist’s new album, The Reminder. Sharing is caring!)

The rest are usuals, though The Books and The Elected could certainly use new albums as well. Moreso The Elected because of the really disappointing last Rilo Kiley album (I blame Jenny! haha…)

Bobby

Last Week in Music | 1/27/08 - 2/03/08
February 4, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music

After months of bitching and complaining my Last.fm is finally displaying my totals accurately. If anyone is having any problems with Last.fm’s client, I highly suggest switching over to iScrobbler. My only beef is how ugly the icon is, but it works great, so whatever.

Like I wrote in the previous post, I listened to pretty much nothing but Vampire Weekend all last week. In fact I listened to the album almost 17 times, and that doesn’t count when I was listening to it in the car. I think I might try and go see them play at Amoeba tonight, if there isn’t a line out the door for them.

After that was the new Sébastien Tellier and Magnetic Fields’ albums. Tellier’s album is growing on me more and more, and I’m especially liking the last part of his new album. The Magnetic Field’s album is becoming a big favorite of mine as well, but it’s such a drastic departure from their last album I that it’s been taking some used to. I’m really enjoying ‘I’ll Dream Alone’ a lot, it’s more of a classic Magnetic Fields song.

The rest was just the usual stuff I listen to throughout my day, although there was an inclusion of Sondre Lerche, whom I had a craving to listen to out of nowhere. I forgot how good his first album Faces Down was.

Bobby

Last Week in Music | 1/20/08 - 1/27/08
January 28, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music

Last week I decided to download and start using iScrobbler and completely ditch Last.fm’s silly scrobbler. The thing never worked for me, but iScrobbler is doing a much, MUCH better job. It works through Growl, (which some of you may know what that is, I barely do) and has been a lot more simple to use.

As for music, the most played artist was Air, as I was having some weird craving for easy listening French music. Next up was Spoon, which came up while I was listening to my iTunes on random, and I then played every album multiple times. Caribou and Beirut’s older stuff has been going still, and then is a chunk of songs that are from mixes that I made. After that is Destroyer, who I’ve been trying to get into and The Magnetic Fields, who’s new album is really great. Explosions in the Sky popped in there because I was listening to them while I read The Road. Their sound definitely matched up with the tone of the book, and it definitely helped while I read it.

Bobby

Last Week in Music | 1/13/08 - 1/20/08
January 21, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music

It’s Monday already, the weekend totally flew by, but it was quite productive, and Jeff and I had a lot of fun. I hope everyone else had a nice weekend! I’ve also slowly realized that my last.fm scrobbly thing is still not working with my iPod. I accidentally deleted it from the preference menu, and now I can’t get it to show up again. Whatever, I downloaded iScrobble, and it should fix things (crosses fingers).

As for the music I listened to last week, it consisted of mostly things I listened to over the weekend. Jeff and I left Stars going all day Sunday, along with Radiohead, because they’re both awesome. I listened to the new Magnetic Fields record a lot, I’m really enjoying it, even though it’s pretty different from I, which is my favorite album. I’ve also been listening to a lot more Doves lately, sort of getting back into them some.

I’ve also become a pretty big fan of Caribou as well. I’ve slowly been listening to them more and more, including a two disc re-issue of Start Breaking My Heart, which is quite good. It’s very electronic, not quite as pop as his newer stuff is, but I’m a fan of IDM so I enjoy it quite a bit.
Also towards the bottom of the list is Ratatat, which I had the urge to listen to after hearing it in the party scene in Cloverfield.

Bobby

Last Week in Music | 1/6/08 - 1/13/08
January 14, 2008 | Categories: Last Week In Music

Blah. Either my Last.fm recorder at home isn’t working, or the one at my work isn’t. No matter what, it’s still kind of annoying. But I think this is fair representation of what I was mostly listening to.

Jeff and I are still listening to a lot of Beirut, and I’ve been listening to a lot of Vetiver. The new Magnetic Fields album Distortion is pretty interesting, and I’m pretty sure I like it. At the bottom of the list is Kimya Dawson, because I’m totally in love with the soundtrack to Juno, and Math and Physics Club is sort of a new-ish find that I’m enjoying a lot.

Bobby