Thursday, December 9, 2010

Top 20 Albums of 2010. Number 18.

18. Miami Horror - Illumination
As a concept album, Illumination’s song titles and overall impact draw from one theme, light. Each song depicts a different shade, taking listeners on a ride through electro-pop, shiny disco and deep-funk affiliations. Two years ago, when Miami Horror’s Benjamin Plant recorded and released his EP, Bravado out of a makeshift studio in his bedroom, The Justice meets Daft Punk meets Midnight Juggernaughts comparisons ensued. However, Plant’s overlaying of synths and guitar make it hard to pigeon hole Miami Horror into a genre or era; but it’s tracks like I Look To You, Sometimes, Moon Theory and Soft Light that make Illumination a favourite in the electro boundaries.

Top 20 Albums of 2010. Number 19.

 19. Vampire Weekend - Contra
Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut release will go down as one of my favourite albums of the last decade. Thus, I was afraid anything these guys produced after would pale in comparison. I was wrong. What's immediately striking about Contra is how little guitar there is on it. It's almost as though these guys made a statement that they could still achieve their unique sound without the electric guitar pop sound made famous on their debut. With all the digital bass, sequencers, synth pads and drum machines they could get their hands on, Vampire Weekend have made another beautiful album filled with their unmistakable melodies, orchestral patterns and metaphysical wit.

Top 20 Albums of 2010. Number 20.

20. Chiddy Bang - The Preview
Due to their album getting pushed back to 2011, Philadelphia's Chiddy Bang kindly quenched the growing online fanbase with their EP titled The Preview. It’s almost impossible not to like the sounds these guys are producing, riding high on the wave of fusion hip-hop/alt electro music, along  with the likes of Kanye West, KiD CuDi and Lupe Fiasco. However, there is something different about this duo that allows them to produce tracks with swagger and confidence far exceeding their age. Their sample choices do not disappoint, with the likes of Passion Pit, Radiohead, Hot Chip and the Gorillaz. Who honestly thought that Mgmt's Kids could be remixed to make it even catchier than the original? Get ready for their debut album, Air Swell in 2011.

Fresh Beats. Bird by Snow.

Bird By Snow is San Francisco resident Fletcher Tucker, and he has just issued fourth album Common Wealth via his own Gnome Life label. While previous efforts were mostly home-recorded affairs, Common Wealth finds Tucker collaborating and being produced in a 24-track studio by Tim Green of the Fucking Champs. The results speak for itself. 
 
Track - Bird by Snow - Across the Water
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/audio/AcrossTheWater.mp3

Fresh Beats. Lost Boy ?

Brooklyn-based Davey Jones, also known as Lost Boy ? provides us with some sounds for summer with his punk/pop slacker sounds from the same couch as Eddy Current Suppression ring and the Wavves. Apparenty working on an eight-track out of basements and bedrooms, Jones has recorded a prolific number of songs for both for Lost Boy ? and other projects. The new Lost Boy ? full-length album is due out early next year.

Tracks: Lost Boy ? -  Fast Burn
http://www.magnetmagazine.com/audio/FastBurn.mp3

Fresh Beats. Cut Copy.


Sounds like another classic synthpop album coming from the Australian boys, following the much loved Bright Like Neon Love (2004) and In Ghost Colours (2008). Dropping in February 2011 is third album Zonoscope.

Track: Cut Copy - Take Me Over
http://vacayweb.com/music/Take%20Me%20Over.mp3

Fresh Beats. The Wombats.

You should already have this track. I remeber seeing these guys for the first time in Australia at Splendour 2008 and they got so pissed on stage (and after) that they missed their flights to their Adelaide and Perth.gigs . Looking forward to the album release in early 2011.

Track: The Wombats - Jump into the Fog
http://www.groundcontrolmag.com/music/SWAG33The_Wombats-Jump_Into_The_Fog.mp3

Fresh Beats. Grouplove.

  
Finally. Got my hands on a good version of this awesome track from the L.A based 'Grouplove.' There is no denying that these guys have the makings of a smart, indie rock n roll band who will find a home amongst the folk/rock movement. I hear the Pixies all over this track, so you know that's good start.

Track: Grouplove - Colours
http://boxstr.net/files/6949337_qudxf/Grouplove-Colours.mp3

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

John Lennon: The Tea Man (1940 – 1980)

"What they want is dead heroes, like Sid Vicious and James Dean. I'm not interested in being a dead f--king hero…so forget 'em, forget 'em." 

Final Interview with Rolling Stone. Three days before his death.

Fresh Beats. Daft Punk.


So no doubt many of you have heard word of the French robo-shelled duo of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo scoring the new Disney Reboot of futuristic-cult classic Tron. Tron: Legacy is set for release in early 2011 and according to director, Joseph Kosinski, Daft Punk are a certainty for touring in promotion of the film. 

Track: Daft Punk - End Titles
http://www.dailybeatz.net/music/tronlegacyendtitles.mp3

Cover of the Week. Gorillaz.


Have a listen to this cover of the 'The xx - Crystalised' as recorded by Damon Albarn of 'Gorillaz' at BBC Radio earlier this week. It has also been confirmed that the group is also dropping an entire new Gorillaz album before Christmas that has been completely recorded and finalized on an iPad while on their most recent tour. Gorillaz co-conspirator Jamie Hewlett announced that the untitled effort will drop on Christmas Day. “On Christmas Eve a video for one of the new songs from the iPad album will be released. Then, on Christmas Day fans get the whole album downloaded to their computer for free as a gift.” There are still little details as to what to expect from the Londoners, but Albarn made sure to emphasize the fact that the whole thing was indeed recorded on his iPad during the band’s 2010 world tour. “I wanted to make sure that it came out at the end of the tour because I don’t want anyone to think I’d tampered with it,” Albarn said. “I literally made it on the road in America over a month. I didn’t write it before, I didn’t prepare it. I just did it day by day as a kind of diary of my experience in America. If I left it until the New Year to release it then the cynics out there would say ‘Oh well, it’s been tampered with’, but if I put it out now they’d know that I haven’t done anything because I’ve been on tour ever since.”

Track: Gorillaz - Crystalised
http://www.dailybeatz.net/music/gorillazcrystalised.mp3

Fresh Beats. Teen Daze.


This 8 track EP is full of spacey, high-energy tunes and an extremely promising first official release. After listening to Four More Years it’s less likely that you’ll remember any specific track or hook as much as you will the atmosphere that it brings.  Hopefully, brighter things to come for this Vancouver local.

Track: Neon
http://www.dailybeatz.net/music/teendazeneon.mp3

Choose Life. Choose a job. Choose a career. Again.


A follow up to the film Trainspotting (1996) is looking to be a possibility after author Irvine Welsh published Porno this year, a novel set 10 years after the original drama. Boyle believes that the original team of Ewan McGregor, Robert Carlyle, Ewen Bremner and Jonny Lee Miller will team up again (as long as) he can produce a script good enough to do the first one justice. He said, "Everyone says it's about getting the actors back again, but I think more importantly, it's about whether we can do justice to the characters. They have become mythical figures since Trainspotting came out." McGregor said, "I thought it was best left as it was because it would be terrible shame if it didn't live up to expectations. Then I read the book and said 'Oh come on it's fantastic'. It's interesting to find out what the characters are up to." Let's wait and see how Renton ended up after leaving us with the final quote, "So why did I do it? I could offer a million answers, all false. The truth is that I'm a bad person, but that's going to change, I'm going to change. This is the last of this sort of thing. I'm cleaning up and I'm moving on, going straight and choosing life. I'm looking forward to it already. I'm going to be just like you: the job, the family, the fucking big television, the washing machine, the car, the compact disc and electrical tin opener, good health, low cholesterol, dental insurance, mortgage, starter home, leisurewear, luggage, three-piece suite, DIY, game shows, junk food, children, walks in the park, nine to five, good at golf, washing the car, choice of sweaters, family Christmas, indexed pension, tax exemption, clearing the gutters, getting by, looking ahead, to the day you die."