tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3152675634898007002024-03-12T21:25:16.386-05:00ClaptrappedClapTrappedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05368016318378946947noreply@blogger.comBlogger317125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-10377744123855458232013-03-22T17:50:00.001-05:002013-03-22T17:50:30.204-05:00Deerhunter is also releasing an album in May, and it should be...interesting<br />
Deerhunter's next album, <i>Monomania</i>, will be released in less than a couple months, the band announced today.<br />
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Similarly to the National's new album (which I discussed <a href="http://www.claptrapped.com/2013/03/the-national-are-releasing-new-album.html">yesterday</a>), Deerhunter's will come out this May. But completely different from the National is what Deerhunter had to say about it. A band press release described it as:<br />
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"Mystery disc of NOCTURNAL GARAGE. rat tapes / NEW FORMAT<br />
is avant garde(?) but only in context not form (original intent of avant garde (1912-59) / before logic: FOG MACHINE / LEATHER / NEON"<br />
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Um, this should be pretty interesting. I have pretty much the opposite reaction to this message, compared to the National's borderline-sellout-sounding statement from yesterday. Will Monomania be too weird?<br />
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<i>Halcyon Digest</i>, Deerhunter's previous album, was amazing. But it was also pretty accessible.<br />
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Like the National's previous album -- <i>High Violet</i> -- <i>Halcyon Digest</i> came out in 2010. If 2013 can live up to some of the releases we saw in 2010, this should be a really solid year for new music.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-663448166883036762013-03-21T19:56:00.000-05:002013-03-22T17:51:05.886-05:00The National are releasing a new album, and I'm cautiously excitedThe National announced today that their new album, <i>Trouble Will Find Me</i>, will be released May 20. It will follow two fantastic efforts: 2010's <i>High Violet</i> and 2007's <i>Boxer</i>. Anyone who knows me has probably heard me rave about these two albums a ton, so I don't need to go into that.<br />
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So you'd think I'd be pretty excited about a new National album, right? Yes, of course...but a statement released by the group's Matt Berninger has me pausing a bit for concern:<br />
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"For the past 10 years we'd been chasing something, wanting to prove something. And this chase was about trying to disprove our own insecurities. After touring <i>High Violet</i>, I think we felt like we'd finally gotten there. Now we could relax -- not in terms of our own expectations but we didn't have to prove our identity any longer."<br />
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It's the "felt like we'd finally gotten there" and "now we can relax" part that has me worried. I really hope I'm looking too much into it, but I'm going to be pretty disappointed if the National phones in this album. Did they feel like they reached their peak with <i>High Violet</i>? If so, will they keep aiming high to produce awesome music? Man, I hope so.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-91586818314860862942012-12-31T11:05:00.000-06:002012-12-31T11:28:57.806-06:002012 CLAPTRAPPED TOP ALBUMS OF THE YEAR<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: black;">1. The Walkmen - Heaven ( 5 votes, 20pts )</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: black;">2. Django Django - Django Django ( 4 votes, 15pts)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: black;">3. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself ( 3 votes, 12pts) </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: black;">4. Grizzly Bear - Shields (3 votes, 10pts)</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="background-color: black;">5. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave (2 votes, 7pts)</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">CLAPTRAPPERS LISTS</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">KM</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">1. Take the Kids off Broadway - Foxygen</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Break It Yourself - Andrew Bird</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. Tramp - Sharon Van Etten</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Slaughterhouse - Ty Segall</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. Night Moves - Colored Emotions</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Tracks - </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Frank Ocean - "Lost" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Jason Molina - "No Hand Was At The Wheel" - </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Father John Misty - "Every Man Needs a Companion" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">NH</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">1. Django Django - Django Django</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. Passion Pit - Gossamer</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. The Walkmen - Heaven</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. M. Ward - A Wasteland Companion</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">JOC</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">1. The Walkmen - Heaven </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Porcelain Raft - Strange Weekend </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. Alt-J - An Awesome Wave </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Grizzly Bear - Shields </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. The Tallest Man On Earth - There's No Leaving Now</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Tracks - </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Porcelain Raft - "Shapeless and Gone"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The Walkmen - "Heaven" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Alt-J - "Tessellate"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">BOD </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">1. The Walkmen - Heaven</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Grizzly Bear - Shields</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. Divine Fits - A Thing Called Divine Fits</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Django Django - Django Django</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. Japandroids - Celebration Rock</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">MW</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">1. White Rabbits - Milk Famous</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Alt J - An Awesome Wave</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. Django Django - Django Django</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Tame Impala - Lonerism</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. Brother Ali - Mourning in America and Dreaming in Color</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Tracks -</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Brother Ali - "Singing this Song"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">White Rabbits - "Temporary"</span><br />
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Tame Impala - "Elephant"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">BB</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">1. Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. The Lumineers - The Lumineers</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. Mumford & Sons - Babel</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. The Avett Brothers – The Carpenter</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. Regina Spektor – What We Saw From The Cheap Seats</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">KE</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">1. Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Gary Clark, Jr .- Blak & Blu</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. Punch Brothers - Who’s Feeling Young Now?</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Swans - The Seer</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. The Lumineers - The Lumineers</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">DH</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">1. Django Django - Django Django</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. The Walkmen - Heaven</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Jake Bugg - Jake Bugg</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. Jack White - Blunderbuss</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Tracks - </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Frank Ocean - "Lost" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Andrew Bird - " Orpheo Looks Back" </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Beach House - "Myth"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">JT</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">1. The Walkmen - Heaven </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">2. Grizzly Bear - Shields</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">3. Frank Ocean - Channel Orange</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">4. Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros - Here</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">5. Beach House - Bloom</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Tracks - </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Frank Ocean - "Lost"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The Walkmen - "We Can't Be Beat"</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Grimes - "Oblivion" </span></div>
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Apehandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912159142687453203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-88292253231458451982012-12-19T21:14:00.001-06:002012-12-19T21:23:36.830-06:00Last couple spotsAs I'm running out of time to finalize my top album list for this year, I figured I'd cover two albums in this post. First up is Dan Deacon's "America." I gained a lot of appreciation for Deacon when I saw him instruct a group of sweaty Lollapalooza attendees a few years ago to toss piles of garbage into the air in a synchronized act of music celebration. It was unlike anything I'd seen before and probably since. Now maybe that moment was more stage presence than quality of music, but it gained him a place in my music heart.<br />
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"America" is not a drastic shift from his previous album, "Bromst." Lots of intricate bells and whistles, interesting song structures. On the surface, his music seems chaotic, but if you listen closely there's a lot going on that is clearly not haphazard. The first few songs of this album are awesome, and the final half of "America" is a string of continuous USA-inspired titles (USA parts I-IV). I applaud what Dan Deacon is trying to do, but I wonder if things become too long and drawn-out. Part IV, for me, definitely produces some head bobbing, but it might take too long to get there. I still like this album as a whole quite a bit -- it'll be battling for a spot in my top 5 for sure.</div>
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The second album is Grizzly Bear's much-hyped "Shields." Faithful Claptrapped readers will recall I'm a big Grizzly Bear fan, and for the most part this album doesn't disappoint. "Shields" is bookmarked by two outstanding songs: Opener "Sleeping Ute" starts things off with a bang and might be my favorite song among the group. Closer "Sun in Your Eyes" builds to a heart-felt crescendo that sums up Grizzly Bear perfectly. It's going to be hard to keep this album out of my top 5 from this year.</div>
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So I've covered three albums in the past week or so, and I'll say I only have two openings in my top 5 -- so at least one will be excluded. Watch for the Claptrapped list in the near future to see which one I left out.</div>
ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-32181909408370740932012-12-10T20:15:00.000-06:002012-12-10T20:15:43.793-06:00Divine Fits: "A Thing Called Divine Fits"I remember being really psyched when I heard a band was forming consisting of members from both Spoon and Wolf Parade. My record is pretty strong on this blog in terms of my support for Wolf Parade -- I'm a huge fan, despite being pretty disappointed in how things ended for them. In the end, the members of Wolf Parade may end up being better separate than together.<div>
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So add in another band I enjoy -- Spoon -- and you have a recipe for can't-miss greatness, right? For me, I'd lean toward "yes," but the jury is still out. I like "A Thing Called Divine Fits," the new-formed group's first album, which was released earlier this summer. But I feel like I should like it more than I do.</div>
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The first thing that strikes me is that Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner and Spoon's Britt Daniel sound pretty similar. I can't really complain about this, but I kind of miss the sharp contrasts presented by Spencer Krug in Wolf Parade.</div>
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From what I've read, it doesn't sound like this will be a one-and-done-type project. It'll be interesting to see how the creation of Divine Fits affects Spoon. I know I'm all for this "supergroup" continuing to make music. I figure if they could come together so quickly and put out such a solid first effort, things could only get better from here.</div>
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I won't say this album will 100 percent make my top 5, but I'd say it's a pretty good chance.</div>
ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-88505933809429622332012-12-06T18:50:00.000-06:002012-12-06T18:50:17.831-06:00Back in businessHey! Remember Claptrapped? Yeah, well it's back. I guess.<br />
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While trying to come up with my list of top 5 albums for 2012, I figured I'd think through some of my decisions on here. I have a good idea of 3 of my top 5 (sorry, but you'll have to wait on those until the full list is revealed later this month; devastating, I know), but I feel like I have an overwhelming amount of options for those final two spots.<br />
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A ton of good music was released in 2012, and I admittedly didn't do a good job of keeping up with it. So over the next couple weeks, I'm going to cover 5 or so albums that I <i>think </i>I will like a lot, but haven't checked out yet.<br />
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First up is going to be Divine Fits' first album: "A Thing Called Divine Fits." The band is made up of members of Spoon and Wolf Parade -- both of which I like a lot -- so I figure this is a pretty safe place to start.<br />
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Look for my review in the next few days, as well as Claptrapped's top album list of 2012 sometime near the end of the month.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-41934630932202657522011-12-31T15:05:00.000-06:002012-12-06T19:47:10.820-06:00CLAPTRAPPED TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2011<div style="text-align: center;">
1. Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain In the Cloud (20pts, 5 votes)</div>
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2. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues (12pts, 3 votes)</div>
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3. (TIE) M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming (6pts, 2 votes)</div>
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3. (TIE) The Antlers - Burst Apart (6pts, 2 votes)</div>
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5. The War on Drugs - Slave Ambient (5pts, 2 votes)</div>
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Claptrappers Lists: </div>
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<b>Jeff Totsch</b></div>
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1. Portugal. The Man. - In the Mountain in the Cloud </div>
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2. M83 -Hurry Up We’re Dreaming</div>
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3. Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost</div>
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4. Cut Copy - Zonoscope</div>
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5. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient</div>
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<b>John O’Connell</b></div>
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1. The Antlers - Burst Apart</div>
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2. Elbow - Build a Rocket Boys!</div>
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3. Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud</div>
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4. Radiohead - King Of Limbs </div>
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5. Wye Oak – Civilian</div>
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<b>Mickey Waszkowski</b></div>
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1. Simple Math - Manchester Orchestra</div>
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2. Portugal. The Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud</div>
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3. The Black Keys - El Camino</div>
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4. Battles - Gloss Drop</div>
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5. MMJ - Circuital</div>
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<b>Adam Kosecki</b></div>
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1. Paper Angels</div>
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2. The Roots – Undun</div>
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<b>Bryan O’Donnell</b></div>
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1. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues</div>
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2. TuneYards - Whokill</div>
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3. Portugal the Man - In the Mountain in the Cloud</div>
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4. M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming</div>
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5. The Antlers - Burst Apart</div>
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<b>Chris Berg</b></div>
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1. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues</div>
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2. The Decemberists - The King is Dead</div>
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3. The Strokes - Angles</div>
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4. Mastodon - The Hunter</div>
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5. Cake - Showroom of Compassion</div>
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<b>Daniel Haas</b></div>
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1. Portugal. The Man – In the Mountain in the Cloud</div>
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2. The War on Drugs – Slave Ambient</div>
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3. Smith Westerns – Dye It Blonde</div>
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4. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues</div>
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5. The Black Keys – El Camino</div>
Apehandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912159142687453203noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-56084373041787557752011-08-30T19:41:00.004-05:002012-12-06T19:41:12.480-06:00Album of the Week: Handsome Furs -- Sound Kapital
For those who missed the quiet news, the band Wolf Parade decided to call it quits -- at least for the time being -- last year. I can't say I was surprised by the news (the most surprising part was that I heard about it months after it was announced). Their latest album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Expo 86</span>, wasn't very impressive and almost gave the impression that the band was distracted, didn't give it their all. Given the number of Wolf Parade side projects, it's very possible this was the case.
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Luckily for me, I enjoy some of these Wolf Parade side bands -- and they should be able to get me my fix during the group's (hopefully not permanent) hiatus.
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<br />
Handsome Furs consists of Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade guitar player/singer) and his wife, Alexei Perry. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sound Kapital </span>is the first album of theirs that I've listened to, and I like it a lot. At least on this album, Handsome Furs sounds closer to Wolf Parade than Spencer Krug's band, Sunset Rubdown, and I would consider that a positive thing. <span style="font-style: italic;">Sound Kapital </span>has some electronic pop elements, but still has all the great hooks of a good Boeckner tune.
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<br />
So if you enjoy Wolf Parade, give this album a listen. I could also see it being enjoyable for the anti-Wolf Parade people, so don't write it off on principle. Check out closing song, "No Feelings."
ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-8315555953923317532011-08-22T18:42:00.004-05:002012-12-06T19:41:29.064-06:00Album of the Week: Tune-Yards -- W H O K I L L
When I first heard Tune-Yards, I imagined them as an elaborate tribal-type band. But in fact, Tune-Yards is made up of Merill Garbus -- a white hispterish looking woman -- along with a few contributors. Mostly, Tune-Yards is all Garbus laying down vocal loops and African drum beats.
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Tune-Yards' latest album, <span style="font-style: italic;">W H O K I L L, </span>is catchy and different. Some people may not be on board with Garbus' vocals -- they're kind of high-pitched and take some getting used to -- but I advise anyone who enjoys building, complex loops to give this album a chance. It's one of my favorites so far this year.
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<br />
Check out these <a href="http://m.wbez.org/story/video-tune-yards-break-down-their-songs-sound-opinions-89171">clips from Sound Opinions</a> on how the group constructs their songs. Watching her build the loop for "Bizness" is really a treat.
ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-47455494422263815452011-08-15T20:07:00.007-05:002012-12-06T19:41:43.748-06:00Album of the Week: The Antlers -- Burst Apart
My appreciation of The Antlers' 2008 album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Hospice</span>, is pretty well-documented on this site (third favorite album from <a href="http://www.claptrapped.com/2009/12/bsg-butt.html">that year</a>). It was a chilling album that I found myself listening to over and over.
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I wouldn't say the group's latest effort, released in May, drew me in as quickly as <span style="font-style: italic;">Hospice </span>did, but I have found it creeping into my music rotation more and more often lately. It has some electronic elements that I really dig, as well as the familiar haunting vocals and background noises.
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Highlight tracks for me come back to back. "No Windows" and "Rolled Together" are really cool tunes. This band reminds me of Radiohead at times, and I think these songs are pretty good examples of why (especially the latter).
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Give <span style="font-style: italic;">Burst Apart</span> a few listens. I think it gets better the more you hear it. I'll be interested to see if it will measure up to <span style="font-style: italic;">Hospice</span> for me in the long run -- but I wouldn't be surprised if The Antlers make an appearance on my Best Album of the Year list once again.
ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-29851597829409539152011-08-08T19:51:00.003-05:002012-12-06T19:42:00.014-06:00Album of the Week: Titus Andronicus -- The Monitor
This album was released in 2010, and while I've liked it for a while, I rediscovered it lately. Titus Andronicus gets its name from the Shakespeare tragedy, but don't think this band is a mellow bunch of bookworms. In fact, they're a punk band with a ton of energy.
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This album isn't your typical punk rock album, however. I grew up listening to a small sample of punk -- NOFX, Bad Religion, Operation Ivy, etc. I wouldn't call myself a punk rock aficionado by any means, but I know that most punk songs are straight to the point. Usually no more than three minutes long, with a scarce amount of guitar solos. While "The Monitor" has all the attitude of a traditional punk record, it's much more epic. Songs build, there are guitar solos, some of the songs reach 8 minutes long.
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<br />
And perhaps my favorite aspect of the album is the way the songs flow into each other. This is truly an album, as opposed to a collection of songs. It may not be for everyone. If you don't like punk music, you may not like this album. But give it a chance and maybe it will surprise you.
ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-82885841225786030752011-08-02T20:54:00.005-05:002012-12-06T19:42:13.055-06:00Album of the Week: Dawes -- Nothing Is Wrong<br />
I downloaded Spotify last week and I've pretty much been hooked ever since. I figured with all this access to free new music, on a weekly basis, I'd highlight an album I've been digging lately. It might be something I recently discovered or an old favorite, but I'll try to put them up on Mondays from now on.<br />
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My first pick is Dawes' second album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Nothing Is Wrong</span>. I didn't listen to this band's first record, <span style="font-style: italic;">North Hills</span>, much when it was released a couple years ago, but I remember thinking it was fairly decent. I think I like <span style="font-style: italic;">Nothing Is Wrong</span> more than the band's debut -- it's good to see the group avoid the dreaded "sophomore slump." This album is a solid folk record, with nice harmonies and subtle --but distinctive -- piano accents.<br />
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I've had this album on repeat for the past couple days. Pretty great summer album -- check it out.<br />
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<a href="http://open.spotify.com/user/diggs14"><img alt="Follow me on Spotify" src="https://www.spotify.com/static/images/social-badge-en.png" title="Follow me on Spotify" /></a>ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-56902179747914821122011-08-01T21:18:00.004-05:002011-08-01T21:41:56.861-05:00A firstThis year will mark the first year since the inception of this website that no Claptrappers will be attending Lollapalooza. It seems strange, because Lolla has been such a focal point for this site, and has always been the highlight of the summer of music for us.<br /><br />But Perry Ferrell and Co. really dropped the ball this year with the lineup. I often find myself complaining about the headliners at Lolla (aside from the year we were treated to Radiohead and Rage Against the Machine), and this year was no different. I had been dreading a Coldplay announcement for a while. I have no interest in Eminem. Muse wasn't a headliner a few years ago, and they still aren't a headliner.<br /><br />But headliners aside, it was the mid-level acts that really fell short this year for me. Usually these mid-tier bands are what make the festival fun. Last year saw such bands as Blitzen Trapper, The New Pornographers, and Spoon hit the stage in early timeslots. This year has a spatter of bands that intrigue me slightly but not enough to make me want to fork over the $200 for a ticket.<br /><br />However, some people must be OK with the lineup. All three-day passes -- as well as single-day passes -- are sold out. I just think it was a disappointing lineup to feature for the festival's 20th anniversary. Have to wait for next year, I guess.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-29560853813556723072011-04-14T17:39:00.005-05:002011-04-14T17:58:09.691-05:00Can't compareLast Friday I saw Cut Copy at the Riviera in Chicago. I came away from the show mildly disappointed, wondering if it was because of the performance or if it was because of a concert I had seen less than a week before: LCD Soundsystem's final show ever. I have a feeling that any show after LCD's masterpiece at Madison Square Garden in New York would have been a letdown.<br /><br />I'll get back to the Cut Copy show, but first, the LCD finale. The first thing I want to mention is how surprised I was with the size of MSG. It was a lot smaller than I had always pictured it in my mind. Definitely smaller than the United Center here in Chicago. I had seats in the 200 level, with a head-on view of the stage. So I basically had a view of all of the fans packed into the venue, and I'll say there weren't too many sitting in their seats.<br /><br />As for the show itself, it didn't disappoint. I had peeked at setlists from the week leading up to the show, and it was pretty similar. Three sets -- the first starting with "Dance Yrself Clean" and the third starting with "Us v. Them." (Side note: the version of "Us v. Them," complete with gigantic disco ball, was sick, as always.) Sandwiched in between was a second set consisting of LCD's lesser-known 45:33 (with a "Sound of Silver" thrown in the mix). I was unfamiliar with this portion, but still enjoyed it.<br /><br />A highlight of the show was obviously the appearance of Arcade Fire during "North American Scum." It was a huge surprise, and even though that song is not one of my favorites, I thought it was a really neat moment. After "North American Scum," James Murphy talked about how it was one of their most well-known songs, and that they were going to play a song that probably nobody had heard of before. According to setlists I've seen, it was "Bye Bye Bayou," an Alan Vega cover. After this song, they followed up with "You Wanted A Hit," which I thought ended this string of songs perfectly. It features the line: "You wanted a hit, but that's not what we do."<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9chPEK-ROybWavBg9FeT-2_noBVrHmGoNrGwdldl5z9xBSRiVM2WM1ln9DM_XInb1ogOcyePtCIqSL67661cHphBLRl7mHygA4F2QM42dZnWB2z386BBC2fjWgFWxn1Y2ocJFf7E-9tQ/s1600/103.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9chPEK-ROybWavBg9FeT-2_noBVrHmGoNrGwdldl5z9xBSRiVM2WM1ln9DM_XInb1ogOcyePtCIqSL67661cHphBLRl7mHygA4F2QM42dZnWB2z386BBC2fjWgFWxn1Y2ocJFf7E-9tQ/s320/103.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5595575146988905970" border="0" /></a><br />So after this show, which would probably have to be the best arena show I've ever seen, I took in Cut Copy six days later back home in Chicago. They came out firing, playing a majority of their high-energy songs early in the set. This surprised me, leaving me to wonder what they would save for the end. And it ended up being a legitimate question because the second half of the show tailed off.<br /><br />I like the group's new album <span style="font-style: italic;">Zonoscope</span>, but it didn't really mesh well with the <span style="font-style: italic;">In Ghost Colours</span> songs on stage. I wasn't shocked by this, as I remember thinking the "new" songs Cut Copy played last year at Lollapalooza were pretty lackluster.<br /><br />Cut Copy came out for two encores, stating the Chicago crowd was the best crowd of the tour (not sure how genuine it was, although the crowd was going nuts). But even with the extra encore, the show clocked in at just over an hour, which was a bit disappointing.<br /><br />So now I'm left wondering if I would've liked the show better if I hadn't seen one of my all-time great shows a few days previous. It just couldn't compare.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-7759776392061621872011-03-23T20:00:00.004-05:002012-12-06T19:42:36.330-06:00Why do I like The Walkmen so much?When The Walkmen's latest album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lisbon</span>, was released last year, it by no means disappointed me. I liked it, but wasn't drawn to it the way I was to <a href="http://www.claptrapped.com/2009/01/walkmen-you-and-me.html">You & Me</a>. Soon after its September release, I kind of lost interest, thinking it was a solid album, but just nothing special. However, six months later, I'm finding myself listening to <span style="font-style: italic;">Lisbon</span> over and over -- front to back.<br />
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I can't really put my finger on why I like The Walkmen so much. They don't do anything all that out of the ordinary. But I find the more I listen to them, the more I like what they do. This was especially the case with <span style="font-style: italic;">Lisbon</span>.<br />
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They can pack a lifetime of emotion into one 4-minute song better than most bands. I really think this is one of the best bands making music today. Period.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-69828602626492052592011-03-16T22:17:00.005-05:002012-12-06T19:43:23.759-06:00I'd Like to Fly, But My Wings Have Been So DeniedAlice in Chains founding member and original bassist, Mike Starr, passed away from a rumored drug overdose just over a week ago. Mike played with the band from its inception in the mid-'80s until 1993, just before the recording and release of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Jar of Flies</span> EP. Starr's struggle with drug addiction was the rumored cause for his split with AIC, and later in life was well- documented on the VH1 series Celebrity Rehab's 3rd season. During the show, he often spoke of the guilt he felt over AIC's lead singer Layne Staley's death, also blamed on a drug overdose. Recently, Starr appeared on the eighth episode of the fourth season of Celebrity Rehab as an inspiration and testimony of sobriety; at the time of the taping he had been sober sixth months and seven days. On March 8, 2011, Mike Starr was found dead in his Salt Lake City apartment. He was 44.<br />
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sinking<br />
draining<br />
drowning<br />
bleeding<br />
dead<br />
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AIC - Confusion<br />
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Rest in Peace Mike.Kolminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12764065111303056235noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-5062517692916889902011-03-08T01:33:00.005-06:002012-12-06T19:43:50.517-06:00I Couldn't Have Said It BetterMyself.<br />
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There's just always been something about Elbow, the band from a greater Manchester borough, but I could never accurately describe it. Admittedly, my love for Elbow's albums is only outdone by the pure feeling of joy and wonder you experience when seeing the band live. Having said all that, their music and my feelings for it remained to me largely indescribable. I mean, how do you describe awesomeness more precisely? However, while stumbling around the Internet and reading reviews of their latest album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Build a Rocket Boys!</span> I came across someone who has done it quite well. Alexis Petridis of the <span style="font-style: italic;">Guardian</span> uses three simple but accurate words when describing the music of Elbow "warm, generous, and inventive."<br />
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The warm vocals of Guy Garvey, the generous layering and arrangements that give depth, and the inventiveness that makes it all quite unique, that's Elbow. And in their latest effort <span style="font-style: italic;">Build a Rocket Boys!</span> none of that is missing. Although the album isn't as heavy as the Mercury Award winning <span style="font-style: italic;">The Seldom Seen Kid</span> or as traditionally percussion-driven as <span style="font-style: italic;">Leaders of the Free World</span>, the newest album definitely has a place of its own. Described at first as "choirery," the album flows over you highlighted by Garvey's soft vocals and some help from the Halle Youth Choir, but upon further listen the album becomes more. Favorite tracks include "The Birds," "Lippy Kids," "With Love," "High Ideals," and "Open Arms."<br />
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I wouldn't suggest starting with <span style="font-style: italic;">Build a Rocket Boys!</span> if you're new to Elbow, but for now, it's a pretty good place to finish.Kolminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12764065111303056235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-37999817095116941952011-03-03T18:49:00.004-06:002012-12-06T19:44:16.473-06:00My take on Radiohead's King Of Limbs<br />
I’ve taken a couple weeks to let it digest a little, but I’m finally ready to put my thoughts on the new Radiohead album, <span style="font-style: italic;">King Of Limbs</span>, down on paper – or on screen. Or whatever.<br />
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It seems like most of the people I talked to shortly after <span style="font-style: italic;">Limbs</span> was released (a day early!) had a very similar reaction. First: Um, this sucks. Then, later: OK, this is pretty damn good!<br />
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While I didn’t hate the album upon first listen, it did definitely grow on me. At first I found it hard to be completely blown away by any particular songs – there are no all-out rockers that we ate up on <span style="font-style: italic;">In Rainbows</span> (e.g., "Bodysnatchers," "Jigsaw Falling Into Place," etc.). In fact, <span style="font-style: italic;">Limbs</span> features hardly any guitar at all, and most of it (especially the first half) sounds like it could be a Thom Yorke solo project. (Sorry, Ed O’Brien.) So nothing jumps out right away like the group’s masterful previous release.<br />
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But dig a little deeper and things come more into focus.<br />
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The second half of the album is really where it shines. “Lotus Flower” starts things off with a great Radiohead bass line and eerie feel. “Codex” – my favorite track on the album – is chilling and reminds me a lot of “Pyramid Song” off <span style="font-style: italic;">Amnesiac</span>. Wrapping things up is “Separator,” which to me sounds the most like a full-band Radiohead song on the album.<br />
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After admitting to myself that I liked <span style="font-style: italic;">King Of Limbs</span>, I still feel frustrated by it, like many other Radiohead fans. It clocks in under 40 minutes, with only eight tracks. Rumors abound about whether there will be a “part 2” to the album. When purchasing the “Newspaper” version of the album, it’s noted it will come with two vinyls. I’m not a vinyl expert, but it seems like they’d be able to fit this album on one record. And then there’s the final track of the album that repeats “If you think this is over, then you’re wrong.”<br />
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I don’t know if Radiohead will release a second part or not, but it would be nice. I enjoy <span style="font-style: italic;">King Of Limbs</span> very much, but it definitely leaves me wanting more!<br />
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In relation to other Radiohead albums, I would probably rate Limbs middle-of-the-pack. Read my previous album rankings <a href="http://www.claptrapped.com/2008/07/radiohead-albums-rank-em.html">here</a>. It would probably slide into the fourth or fifth slot for me -- definitely can't crack my top 3. But I don't think it's their worst album, either.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-29920579558769956562010-12-31T10:50:00.009-06:002012-12-06T19:48:45.781-06:00CLAPTRAPPED TOP 5 ALBUMS OF 2010<div style="color: #cccccc; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">1) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (7 votes, 26pts)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening (5 votes, 21pts)</span></div>
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3) The Black Keys - Brothers (6 votes, 16pts)</div>
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4) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest (3 votes, 11pts)</div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"> 5) Local Natives - Gorilla Manor (3 votes, 10pts)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Claptrappers Lists:</span> </div>
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</span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Bryan O’Donnell </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">1) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">2) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">3) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest<br />
4) The National - High Violet</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">5) Blitzen Trapper - Destroyer of the Void</span></div>
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<br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Kurt Marquis </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">1) Joanna Newsom - Have One On Me<br />
2) Phosphorescent - Here's to taking it Easy<br />
3) Local Natives - Gorilla Manor<br />
4) Sufjan Stephens - Age of Adz<br />
5) Damien Jurado - Saint Bartlett</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> </span> </div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">Michael Reband </span></div>
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<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-size: small;">1) Local Natives - Gorilla Manor</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">2) Tallest Man on Earth - The Wild Hunt</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">3) Emancipator - Safe in the Steep Cliffs</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">4) Cloud Cult - Light Chasers</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">5) Sage Francis - Li(f)e</span></div>
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<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Justin Sigalos</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">1) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">2) </span><span style="font-size: small;">Arcade Fire - The Suburbs</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">3) Eminem - Recovery</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">4) The Roots - How I Got Over</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">5) The Black Keys - Brothers</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Giles McVay </span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1) Tame Impala- Innerspeaker<br />
2) Blitzen Trapper- Destroyer Of The Void<br />
3) Deerhunter- Halcyon Digest<br />
4) Deftones- Diamond Eyes<br />
5) John Butler Trio- April Uprising<br />
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John O’Connell </span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1) Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest<br />
2) The Morning Benders - Big Echo<br />
3) Beach House - Teen Dream <br />
4) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs<br />
5) The National - High Violet<br />
<br />
Danny Haas </span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">1) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2) The Black Keys - Brothers</span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> 3) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">4) Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">5) Beach House - Teen Dream</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Jeff Totsch </span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening<br />
2) Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record<br />
3) The Walkmen - Lisbon<br />
4) Local Natives - Gorilla Manor<br />
5) Yeasayer - Odd Blood</span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> Nicolette Stach </span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1) Portugal. The Man - American Ghetto</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">2) Yeasayer - Odd Blood</span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc;">
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: small;">3) The Walkmen - Lisbon</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">4) Hot Chip - One Life Stand</span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"> 5) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Adam Kosecki </span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">1) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">2) Eels - end times</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">3) LCD Soundsystem - This is Happening</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">4) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">5) The Black Keys - Brothers</span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Michael Waszkowski</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1) The Black Keys - Brothers<br />
2) Foals - Total Life Forever<br />
3) The National - High Violet<br />
4) Gorillaz - Plastic Beach<br />
5) Rogue Wave - Permalight<br />
<br style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;" /><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> <b>Katie Edwards</b></span></span> </div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">1) Broken Bells - Broken Bells</span></b></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">2) The Morning Benders - Big Echo</span></b></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">3) Mumford & Sons - Sigh No More</span></b></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">4) The Black Keys - Brothers</span></b></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<b><span style="font-size: small;">5) Caribou - Swim </span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Tracy Johnson</span></div>
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">1) Arcade Fire - The Suburbs</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: small;">2) Eels - End Times</span></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"> 3) The Black Keys - Brothers</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">4) Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid<br />
5) Beach House- Teen Dream</span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://lala.com/zLuA"></a></span>Apehandshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912159142687453203noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-80536729267022520722010-11-08T20:06:00.003-06:002010-11-08T20:40:53.872-06:00A three-concert weekI know this is kind of late, but a couple weeks ago I packed in three separate concerts into one week. It was tiring, and my ears were ringing pretty consistently after it was all over, but it was ultimately a very rewarding decision.<br /><br />First up was Band of Horses at the Riviera. As could be assumed from my previous post, due to the band's new album, I wasn't super excited for this show. I got there in the middle of the second song, and the Riv was pretty packed. They sprinkled in new songs throughout the set, while a PowerPoint presentation flashed random images on the wall behind the band. At one point, they went strictly with songs from their first two albums, and I was having a good time singing along. They wrapped up with "Is There A Ghost" and "Funeral" before taking an encore break. They came out and played the first track from their first album -- aptly named "The First Song." I figured this would be the end. And it should've been. (So clever playing "The First Song" last.) However, they ended with "Georgia," a Cee-Lo cover that I felt really let the air out of the building. Weak ending to a below-average show.<br /><br />A few days later I went to see Deerhunter at Metro. This show was outstanding. They played mostly tunes from their newest album, <span style="font-style: italic;">Halcyon Digest,</span> but they also tossed in some songs from <span style="font-style: italic;">Microcastle</span> -- the highlight being "Nothing Ever Happened," which they turned into probably a 10-minute (at least) jam. The band was tight and they sounded better than most acts at Metro. I'd definitely go see Deerhunter again, given the opportunity.<br /><br />Rounding out the long week of music was the heavyweight billing of Hot Chip and LCD Soundsystem at the Aragon Ballroom. Hot Chip started promptly at 8, and they killed it. We were up close, and the sound was great for the Aragon. They played a decent mix of songs from their three most recent albums, comprising a set that was longer than your average opening act. It was a perfect lead-in to LCD. I saw LCD twice this summer, and they played the exact same set both times -- noticeably omitting two of my favorite songs off their newest album <span style="font-style: italic;">This Is Happening </span>-- "Dance Yrself Clean" and "Home."<br /><br />Luckily, I didn't have to wait long to find out if they'd leave these stand-outs off the setlist once again. The "Dance Yrself Clean" opener was one of the best live songs I've seen. Ever. Amazing buildup, with an explosion of energy when the drums kicked in. They played a number of favorites they also played this summer ("All My Friends," "Losing My Edge," "Yeah," etc.) before closing with one of my favorite songs of the year -- "Home." By the time LCD was wrapping up the set, I was pretty exhausted and sweaty. But it was all worth it.<br /><br />It was a great week of music.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-28387789997099167792010-10-18T18:54:00.004-05:002012-12-06T19:45:38.125-06:00BOH's Infinite Arms: I've tried, but noAs I mentioned in the previous post, there have been a ton of great releases in 2010 -- many of which I was highly anticipating and then they came through big time. However, one release I was looking forward to that did not live up to my expectations is Band of Horses' <span style="font-style: italic;">Infinite Arms</span>.<br />
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I've tried to like this album. Really, I have. But compared to their first two albums, it just doesn't match up. <span style="font-style: italic;">Infinite Arms</span> is toned down a little. Not to say BOH's other albums are full-out rockers, but this new one is pretty tame. I like a couple of the tracks -- namely "NW Apartment" and "Older." But a majority of the album is a skip session for me. (Opener "Factory" is one song on this album I cannot stand.)<br />
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One difference on this album -- although not necessarily a detractor for me -- is that it features two songs, "Older" and "Evening Kitchen," that are sung by band members other than lead singer Ben Bridwell. The band took more of a "full band" approach on this record, which I appreciate, but maybe they're better off letting Bridwell take the reins by himself.<br />
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But then again, maybe not. As I said before, one of my favorite tracks is "Older," which was written and sung by guitar player Ryan Monroe. An <a href="http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2010/07/band-of-horses-running-wild.html">article</a> on BOH in Paste Magazine featured a quote from Bridwell that I liked a lot:<br />
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“I’ve been telling our management, or anyone involved—even Phil [Ek] before we started the record—that [Ryan’s song] ‘Older’ [was going to be on the record]. … There’s even people going, ‘I think it has a chance to be a single if you sing lead on it.’ And it’s like, ‘Fuck you, Ryan’s singing the song.’"<br />
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This quote gives me hope for the future of BOH. I don't think they're going to become the next Kings of Leon. I'm hoping they had kind of a dud album with <span style="font-style: italic;">Infinite Arms</span> and will rebound with their next effort. I'm going to see them tomorrow night at the Riviera, so I'm hoping either they stay away from some of the new material (at least don't play "Factory" please!), or they play the new material so well that it makes me appreciate it more. We'll see.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-59520862038164337942010-10-11T19:52:00.008-05:002012-12-06T19:49:20.331-06:00Deerhunter -- Halcyon DigestAfter a somewhat lengthy hiatus, this Claptrapper is back on the beat. I feel a little guilty for not writing during this period off, as there have been so many great album releases. 2010 has been an incredible year for music makers -- especially within the past five months or so. New albums from The National, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, and The Walkmen will all most certainly be battling for my top 5 albums of the year. But I wasn't all that surprised that I would like those albums -- after all, those are some of my favorite bands around right now.<br />
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However, one album I recently came across that has surprised me a great deal is Deerhunter's new album -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Halcyon Digest</span>. I'm not all that familiar with Deerhunter, but I have listened to their previous effort -- <span style="font-style: italic;">Microcastle </span>-- and definitely enjoyed it. But nothing like this new album.<br />
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A halcyon is a bird that in ancient legend would nest around the winter solstice to calm the waves of the sea. This is a fitting image for this album, as a lot of the songs' lyrics deal with darkness and sleep, and the album as a whole has a very dark, foggy feel to it. The lyrics also are heavily influenced with themes of aging, and looking at and analyzing life in general. In the outstanding closing song, "He Would Have Laughed," Bradford Cox sings, "I get bored as I get older. Can you help me figure this out?"<br />
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The album opens almost sleepily with the song "Earthquake." It's slower and not my favorite track, but I think it's a good opener and sets the tone for the remainder of songs. After "Earthquake," it's pretty much 10 straight very solid songs. Songs that stick out for me are "Revival," "Desire Lines," and the aforementioned "He Would Have Laughed" (especially the last couple minutes of the song).<br />
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Pick up this album; you won't be disappointed! (And thanks to fellow Trapper, $G.00 for recommending this album to me.)ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-84005478750922305612010-08-04T20:14:00.011-05:002012-12-06T19:50:57.323-06:00Best of the restDue to some unforeseen circumstances, we were unable to complete our Lollapalooza countdown. Claptrapped would like to apologize to its loyal readers. But because the festival is still a couple days away, I thought I'd list the five bands I'm most looking forward to from the bands we didn't cover. Lady Gaga <span style="font-style: italic;">just </span>missed the cut...<br />
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5. Spoon: I happened to start listening to Spoon soon after their previous Lollapalooza performance a few years ago, so I've unfortunately never seen them live before. They're a very solid band with a lot of good albums. Definitely won't be missing these guys on Saturday. They have a conflict with Edward Sharpe, so that might be a tough decision for some people, but not this Claptrapper.<br />
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4. Hot Chip: I kind of missed the boat with this band when they released their 2008 album <span style="font-style: italic;">Made in the Dark.</span> It was a Claptrapped favorite, but I never checked it out until recently. Subsequently, I acquired their previous album, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Warning, </span>and their most recent work, <span style="font-style: italic;">One Life Stand,</span> and I quickly became a big fan of these guys. Another tough decision for Lolla attendees, as they go up against everybody's favorite: the Black Keys. I'll be at Hot Chip, for sure.<br />
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3. Yeasayer: I've seen these guys three times before, and they've gotten better each show -- by a lot. I imagine they will have to plateau at some point, but until then, I think I'm going to keep checking them out. The addition of a second percussionist really helped with the band's sound when I saw them last year, and I'm excited to see them play some of their new stuff. Yeasayer has the 4:00 slot on jam-packed Sunday.<br />
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2. The National: As Claptrapped's biggest National fan, this is probably to be expected. They're one of my favorite bands, so I can't pass up the opportunity to go see them. They have an hour-and-fifteen-minute set scheduled, with virtually nobody up against them -- Sunday at 7:15. Even though I think I like the National a lot better on their albums as opposed to live, I still can't wait to see these guys after the release of their outstanding <span style="font-style: italic;">High Violet</span> earlier this year.<br />
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1. Arcade Fire: The thought of finally being able to see Arcade Fire makes me downright giddy -- and that was before I heard their new album, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Suburbs</span>, which was released yesterday. I already figure this album will end up as a favorite of the year. This show is going to be epic. I know a lot of people are jazzed for Soundgarden, but there's just no way I'm going to miss these guys.ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-58761484085652708282010-07-26T23:43:00.005-05:002012-12-06T19:51:26.177-06:00No. 27: Rogue Wave<br />
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Rogue Wave was formed in 2002 by lead singer Zach Rogue (Zach Schwartz) after being laid off and devoting much of his newly found free time to recording music. The band has released 4 albums to date, <em>Out of the Shadow</em>, <em>Descended Like Vultures</em>, <em>Asleep at Heavens Gate</em> and most recently <em>Permalight</em> in March of 2010. Rogue Wave has been compared to Death Cab for Cutie and The Shins.<br />
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Probably one of my favorite bands, and probably one of my favorite stories to tell as well. Pat Spurgeon, Rogue Wave's drummer, was born with just one kidney and his struggles with touring, dialysis on the road, and the search for a donor are featured in the documentary D-Tour which was on the series Independent Lens, and the twist in this story is really stranger than fiction. Check out this film, it's a beauty. The band's three earliest albums are some of my favorite chill listening, good albums for your hangover Sunday's, can't go wrong with Harmonium, Catform, or Bird on a Wire. Rogue Wave's <em>Permalight</em> paints a brighter picture with songs that have a little more punch and pop, Permalight and We Will Make a Song Destroy are good examples of their maturation.<br />
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The band plays Saturday at 1pm and it doesn't matter who they're playing against because you shouldn't miss it.<br />
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Rogue Wave's video for Chicago X 12 was directed by actor/comedian Bob Odenkirk.<br />
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<span style="color: #999999; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 78%;"><br /><a href="http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=35488178">Bob Odenkirk's - Rogue Wave "Chicago x 12"</a><br /><br /><br /><object height="360" width="425"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="movie" value="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=35488178,t=1,mt=video"><br /><br /><embed src="http://mediaservices.myspace.com/services/media/embed.aspx/m=35488178,t=1,mt=video" width="425" height="360" allowfullscreen="true" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent"></embed></object><br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/itsbobodenkirk">bob</a> <a href="http://vids.myspace.com/">MySpace Video</a></span></div>
Kolminhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12764065111303056235noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-315267563489800700.post-47421608542307785992010-07-20T19:57:00.003-05:002012-12-06T19:51:48.491-06:00No. 28: StarsStars is a Canadian rock band that, on first listen, sounds a lot like Broken Social Scene. That would make sense, as the members of Stars also play with Broken Social Scene. Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan share singing duties, and it makes for a nice mix.<br />
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I'd describe Stars' sound as "pleasant." Since I have been in a big Broken Social Scene mood lately, I'm finding Stars somewhat appealing, but they don't carry the same energy or feel. A lot of their songs are a little too slow for me. So I wouldn't mind listening to Stars every once in awhile, but I don't see myself checking them out at Lollapalooza this year. If you're a big BSS fan, it might be worth attending their set to see if they are joined by Emily Haines from Metric (and also a fellow Broken Social Scene member).<br />
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Stars plays on Saturday at 2:15. They're not really up against anyone special, so they might draw a decent crowd.<br />
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Stars on <a href="http://www.myspace.com/stars">MySpace</a>ODhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05817614936730674907noreply@blogger.com0