New Years Eve

From my third favorite album of the year comes "New Years Eve" by Tom Waits. It's the perfect ending to his triumphant record Bad As Me. Waits unfurls the mischievous events of a family New Years Eve party to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne." It's the perfect song for the occasion, a reflective moment honoring the past, forgetting the bad, holding on to the finer memories and looking forward to the future and all of the infinite possibilities it may hold. Goodbye 2011
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New Years Eve

A Year In Review: Top 25 Abums of 2011

 

2011 has come and gone, and though there were some great aspects in the music world, I feel that 2011 will be looked back as a year of darkness. Let’s just take a look at some of the bands and artists we lost this year:  The White Stripes, R.E.M., LCD Soundsystem, Sonic Youth, Wolf Parade, Rilo Kiley, Gil-Scott Heron (RIP), Amy Winehouse (RIP), Gerard Smith of TV On The Radio (RIP), Bert Jansch (RIP) and of course among others the big man himself Clarence Clemmons (RIP). These were not just any other bands, these were hugely influential artists that have impacted the music world forever. Despite the losses, some crazy good music was released this year, and so let’s take the time to recap on what we loved. 

1) Atlas Sound - Parallax

 Bradford Cox is a certifiable genius. He especially shines when he is with his main outfit Deerhunter. However it’s his introverted side-project Atlas Sound that takes the cake for me in 2011. On Parallax Cox produces his most accessible record to date by marrying the rock & roll of Deerhunter with his avant-garde experimentalism that we’re used to with Atlas Sound. There’s one song in particular called “Flagstaff” that starts off as a hushed acoustic track that then gradually becomes a hallucinatory journey. I’ve been listening to music since the day I was born and I cannot think of a single song that uses feedback in such a peculiar way, Sonic Youth would be proud. This record is superbly versatile with everything from the hard guitar riff of  “My Angel Is Broken” to the blissful pop of “Te Amo.” It’s the kind of record that takes you on a stylistic journey, all thanks to Cox’s never ending creative streak. 

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Flagastaff

2) Girls - Father, Son, Holy Ghost

Parallax might take the cake for creativity, but it is no question in my mind that Girls’ sophomore record is the best sounding album of the year. Girls have created eleven tracks that all sound like they belong from a different era in Rock History. Until you realize how wholly unique this record sounds are you able to stop trying to place a finger on their influences. This time around Girls have upped their production quality and have added a few other bold elements to their sound including a gospel choir on a few tracks including the epic “Vomit.” Girls are a rock band for the new generation that graciously tips their hat to the old, I expect within a few years they will become a household name. 

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Honey Bunny

3) Tom Waits - Bad As Me

 Talk about from a record coming from left field! When Waits announced he would be releasing his first album in seven years I had expected another album with a similar aesthetic to Real Gone. Nope. Not at all. Instead he dropped Bad As Me which is his most accessible record that doesn’t let go from the chugging start of “Chicago.” In fact I would go on record by saying that Bad As Me is the best album to introduce a Tom Waits novice to. The reason being is this record has a bit of every style of music Waits has ever touched. From his late night diner musings on “New Years Eve” to the chaotic cacophony of “Hell Broke Loose.” Oh yeah, did I mention that Keith Richards, Flea, Les Claypool, and one of the Los Lobos guys are on this record? Waits knows how to put a band together. This man ages like a bottle of rusty wine, and thank god for that. 

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Bad As Me

4) tUnE - YarDs - W H O K I L L 

  Whokill was my number one album for the first half of 2011 and it’s between “Bizness” and Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues” for my favorite song of the year still. This album is a frenetic artsy mess and I love it, even though Sirius XMU killed “Gangsta” for me by overplaying it. Frontlady Merryl Garbus is a force to be reckoned with. 

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Bizness

5) Bill Callahan - Apocalypse

Bill Callahan’s new album is like a Cormac McCarthy novel in album form. It is a bleak, sparse and chilling record of country/folk/rock. Though there are some soft moments in Callahan’s Apocalypse “Riding For The Feeling” is a lightheaded breezy tune as well as the hopeful “One Fine Morning” shines a little light in the otherwise pitch black portrait Callahan paints. I’m a sucker for good imagery in lyrics as well as

apocalyptic themes in general, and this album marries the two perfectly.

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Drover

6) The Black Keys - El Camino

The Black Keys don’t sound like they did back in their Rubber Factory years and that’s perfectly alright with me. Anyone who ever said that “Rock is dead” needs to pick up a copy of El Camino and then eat their own words. Though El Camino is not as varied as Brothers it certainly makes up for it with sheer adrenaline. There is one slow song on this record “Little Black Submarines” which happens to also be the album's strongest song. Some of the songs get lost in El Camino’s dust but for the most part this record is one memorable hook after another. 

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Little Black Submarines

7) Cut Copy - Zonoscope

    

With me in my infinite depression over the loss of LCD Soundsystem (seriously guys, come baaaaccck!) I was forced to find a new dance rock band to love, while they’re no LCD Cut Copy is damn talented in their own right. I want to run track to “Need You Now” the pulsing yet melodic anthem that tore up the floor wherever these guys performed. Up until the release of Zonoscope, Cut Copy were good at releasing a few good tracks and a bunch of misses, however with this album these Aussies have really stepped up their game. 

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Need You Now

8) Radiohead - The King of Limbs

All admit it, for the first few months I was not impressed with the King of Limbs at all. It’s extremely short and it didn’t shake the music world to its core like their previous albums. However after seeing their performances on SNL and The Colbert Report I decided to listen to this album more closely then I fell in love. This is Radiohead’s most organic album to date. I love how Radiohead has become an album band.  They put in their years creating radio-hits so they could then start shedding their skin after each record. This album features some very intricate instrumentation and almost African influences on it. I believe this credit is due to their added second drummer Portishead’s Clive Deamer. What I will say about King of Limbs is that “Codex” and “Give Up The Ghost” are two of Radiohead’s best down tempo songs of their career.  

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Codex

9) St. Vincent - Strange Mercy

The actor out of work returns to unleash her complex ear candy on the world once again. To me St. Vincent sounds like the most lavish Sufjan Stevens piece but done entirely on her guitar. “Surgeon” and “Cheerleader” are the standout tracks on Strange Mercy but I really dig “Northern Lights.” It’s a song that builds and builds until she releases her batshit crazy fury on us all. 

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Surgeon 

10) Adele - 21

 You know, I will say that most artists get immensely popular due to their commercial appeal, but there are a select few that become superstars because they are un-fucking-believable. Adele is one of the latter. People always ask me, “What’s the best instrument?” and to me, I really believe it’s the human voice. A great voice is unique, it cannot be truly replicated it’s an instrument that can only be mastered by that blessed individual. Adele has a cannon of an instrument. I’ve seen so many people brought to tears over “Someone Like You” because her recounts of her previous breakups are something everyone can relate to. She’s a great talent with a great story, however I’m scared that once she finds happiness and starts reflecting that in her music a lot of people are going to jump off the bandwagon. Is it the story or the voice that really makes Adele popular? We’ll see.

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Rumor Has It

11) Low - C'mon    

  Low have been around for years but this year’s C’mon was my introduction to the band. A lot of Low fans would say that The Great Destroyer is the definitive Low release but I prefer 2011’s C’mon. It’s a very dramatic and emotional record. I love a collection of songs that have a sense of purpose to them and these tracks are exceptionally crafted. 

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Majesty/Magic

12) M83 - Hurry Up We're Dreaming

 Anthony Gonzalez of M83 is taking traditional shoegaze to newer and bigger heights. With Hurry Up We’re Dreaming he may have crafted his opus, it’s a sophisticated bombastic album filled with memories tied to childhood that spans over two discs. Gonzalez has stated in several interviews that he is proud of the family he came from and tries to capture the magic of childhood in his records. That explains the oddball kids’ story about a frog “Raconte-Moi Une Histoire.” Pitchfork called “Midnight City” song of the year, and while I disagree I find it nonetheless absolutely infectious. 

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Steve McQueen

 13) Feist - Metals

 Feist returns with a record that though is not commercially as good as her soon-to-be classic The Reminder but is artistically superior. Sure it doesn’t have the hits like “1234” but that song is one of those once in a decade mega hit anomalies. Metals is an album that just sounds so perfect, you can feel the grooves in the strings and the wood of the piano coming through the speakers. “The Circle Married The Line” has to me my favorite track if I needed to pin one down. It’s such a simple and beautiful song. It’s a lovely phrase to describe a sunset, and the use of imagery to show how viewing the sun meet the Earth allows one to take comfort in knowing that all problems pass and all wounds are healed by time. A beautiful record, from one of the most formidable indie artists around. 

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The Circle Married The Line

14) Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues

Wow, where to start with this record. Fleet Foxes have established themselves as one of the few folk bands alive that can headline music festivals. The reason behind that is very clear, they have with two albums and an EP gathered a body of work that most bands dream about. The title track is what really does it for me with this record. It’s such a lyrically vivid politically-charged passionate song. I would have to admit that though most of the songs on here are solid, they just don’t stick with the listener as well as the first album did. However Fleet Foxes have been able to be true to themselves and craft another fine woodsy folk rock record filled with twists and turns that keep the listener invested. They are a band that I hope will be around for a long time to come. 

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Helplessness Blues

15) Eleanor Friedberger - Last Summer

“My Mistakes” is such a god damn catchy pop tune it ought to be a crime. Though the rest of the album doesn’t quite touch the peak of that first single, Eleanor has done a fine job stepping away from her duties as frontlady for The Fiery Furnaces and establishing her own distinct solo career. 

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My Mistakes   

 16) Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation

Earlier in the year a new DIY artist Youth Lagoon released a song “July” that picked up a ton of buzz, he got signed and quickly released his first record and is now touring the country as an artist. That’s the power creativity and the internet can have. At first glance Youth Lagoon might seem like every other lo-fi DIY artist. But with this record he shows that he knows how to craft great pop songs. I expect that within a few albums he might become a much bigger thing. 

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Cannons

17) Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Unknown Mortal Orchestra

 Here’s another band that have created a tremendous amount of buzz with their first record. UMO are a very unique and funky band. The sound like they are part of a Muppets soundtrack more so than an actual serious band. Their self-titled debut is very short but it’s too intriguing to be ignored. 

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Thought Ballune 

18) JEFF The Brotherhood - We Are The Champions

 The Black Keys aren’t the only duo left that can absolutely tear shit up. JEFF The Brotherhood have been making quite the ruckus this year, even Jack White is a big fan of them which I’m sure reminds White of another young rock duo. However whereas The White Stripes were all about emulating the blues, JEFF The Brotherhood seem to have a much more punk background, channeling the grooves of The Ramones and The Clash more. Still this is the party rock album of the year. 

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Ripper

19) Dirty Beaches - Badlands

Alex Zhang-Huntai’s music sounds like a soundtrack to a grainy black and white noir murder mystery. It’s a shadowy moody lo-fi record that his disturbingly full of menacing character. This is going to be my go-to for future Halloween soundtracks and late night drives down long treacherous roads. Also check out the bonus two track EP Lone Runner he released alongside this record. 

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Lone Runner

20) PJ Harvey - Let England Shake

 PJ Harvey couldn’t have picked a better year to write an album depicting London burning to the ground. Polly Jean has released a very poignant and politically charged record that is easily one of the best of her career. Some reviews are as simple as that.

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Let England Shake

21) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Hysterical

  After a long hiatus CYHSY pick up their sticks and head into the studio and emerge with one of their most varied and clean sounding records. I love their first two records dearly, and it’s hard to stay objective when I talk about them because I consider myself a big fan of their career. They are a band that has done every single thing their way and have created some very quality music. They should be as big as Arcade Fire, but they’re not and that troubles me a lot. Get with it world. 

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Ketamine & Ecstasy 

22) R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now

R.E.M. bow out of the game with their strongest album in years. This record will go down as a return to form for the Athens, GA legends. Many criticized that they were slowly losing touch over the years but with Collapse I believe that they have put those criticisms to rest. An odd opinion I have on R.E.M. is that if you give Peter Buck a mandolin he’ll give you a good song, and this record has more than one song featuring that instrument. Their previous album Accelerate was just too straightforward for my taste but with Collapse Into Now the band did a good job at leaving us with a record that touched pretty much every type of song they have ever done.

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Oh My Heart

 23) The Weeknd - House of Balloons 

   The elusive newcomer The Weeknd, a man who has yet to play a live show ever has released two solid mixtapes this year. House of Balloons just drips with sex. It’s a fresh take on R&B, he fuses Mowtown with hip-hop swag and electronica to make something that has immediately taken off. Within the year he was already producing and guesting on a new track on Drake’s new record. I almost hope he never steps out into the light and forever drops free music on the world for us to enjoy without having to completely commit his whole life to the whole music game. 

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The Morning

24) Gil-Scott Heron & Jamie xx - We're New Here

 Jamie xx took a gamble by taking Gil-Scott’s already warmly received I’m New Here and reworking it into a completely different record a year later. To some this might sound like the same record remixed and released. However I beg to argue that this is not a remix album. Jamie has taken Heron’s words and shined a different light onto them, giving these lyrics an entirely new life and perspective. Rest in peace Gill-Scott.  

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I'll Take Care of You

25) Charles Bradley - No Time For Dreaming

Charles Bradley a new spotlight in the new-soul revival released his first hit record at the age of 63. He is another artist like Adele and Bon Iver that I’m afraid their story might overshadow their actual music. This is a man who stuck with it for years and years of being told “No” and finally as he enters what should be the twilight years of his life he catches his big break. No Time for Dreaming is filled to the brim with the soul that only a man who has been through a lot can deliver. Otis Redding would be proud.  

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No Time For Dreaming 

Best Reissue: The Beach Boys - Smile Sessions

             I am nowhere near the music historian that I would like to be to make a qualified assessment of how big of a deal The Smile Sessions are. It’s certainly not a record that a casual Beach Boys fan should buy. It’s really a release for the super nerds like me who want to hear four discs worth of outtakes, demos, band members shouting at engineers, and most importantly it chronicles the mental collapse of Brian Wilson. Though I held “Good Vibrations” in the highest of regards before, it wasn’t until this release that I realized how technically complex this song is. There’s an entire disc of material dedicated to this one song! The Smile Sessions are a real archivist’s treasure trove which makes this the best reissue of the year. 

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Heroes & Villains

Here are some records that though they did not make the cut are still worth checking out:

Fucked Up - David Comes to Life

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Mirror Traffic

Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place

The Caretaker - An Empty Bliss Beyond This World

Active Child - You Are All I See

**ALSO** Check out this special Spotify playlist I created for both lists. CLICK HERE. 

(Some bands are left out because their music isn't licensed for Spotify, but it's still worth it.)

Also: Top Hip-Hop Records of 2011

A Year In Review: Top Hip Hop Records 2011

There were so many great hip-hop records released in 2011 that if I just made one list I would have to leave off some records that deserve to be mentioned off of it. So ladies and gentlemen I present to you a genre-specific end of the year list. First up it's my Top 10 Hip-Hop Albums of 2011, stay tuned for my Top 25 Rock/Other Albums of 2011 soon. If you like what you hear please subscribe to the blog, and buy these records. There were a couple I'd like to mention that barely missed the cut, Beastie Boys- Hot Sauce Comittee Part II, E-40 - Revenue Retrievin' : Graveyard Shift, Lil' B - I'm Gay (Happy). These records are worth checking out as well.

1) Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch The Throne

 

If there isn’t a Nike commercial made with “Niggas In Paris” playing in the background someone in their advertising department needs to lose their jobs. When Jay-Z and Kanye announced they were going to be collaborating on an entire album together it immediately became the most hyped album of the year. I’ll admit I was initially hesitant to give The Throne a spin, I hated Jay’s Blueprint III, and I was afraid I’d become an even bigger Kanye West fan after his brilliant My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. I did not expect Watch The Throne to become easily my most listened to record of 2011. Hova and Kanye have created here an album of material that is larger than life and so grandiose it clearly shows why they deserve the title of being the two kings of hip-hop. Jay-Z is in especially rare form here showing some of his best flow since The Blueprint. Not only are most of the tracks especially Niggas In Paris so unbelievably baller, the two aren’t afraid to show their soft side too with “New Day” an honest account by the both of them pledging to be good fathers to their unborn children. Watch The Throne isn’t just a record, it’s an event, a new peak that future generations of hip-hop artists will hope to climb. 

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Niggas In Paris

2) Shabazz Palaces - Black Up

 

Back in the day there was a tremendous indie hip-hop group called Digable Planets, which prided themselves in sampling Jazz and keeping their beats as minimalist as possible. They were one of the most intelligent hip-hop acts around. Well, Ishmael Butler who was then called Butterfly is back with a new group called Shabazz Palaces and they released a record this year that is truly some next level shit. Black Up is one of the most challenging, forward thinking and frankly poetic hip-hop records of recent years. Whereas Jay & Kanye sampled Otis Redding and Nina Simone, Shabazz Palaces sample distorted electronic sounds and children crying (seriously). Yet it all comes together and works perfectly. This is certainly the most unique hip-hop record of the year. Black Up is challenging and is certainly not club material, it is very introspective, it’s a feeling, it’s a feeling, it’s a feeling.

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Are You Can You Were You (Felt)

 3) The Roots - Undun

 

If you were to tell me that there was going to be a hip-hop concept album wrapped around a Sufjan Stevens song I’d call you crazy. Yet for The Roots it’s exactly the kind of difficult challenge one would expect them to tackle. The Roots have been steadily releasing one solid album after another that they have nothing left to prove. Undun is based around an instrumental Sufjan Stevens song “Redford” and follows the fictional character Redford Stevens through the decisions he makes until the record ends with the flatline of his death. It’s the darkest and bleakest thing The Roots have ever done, but it’s also one of their most emotional records too. Being able to bare your soul is something that great artists do, and The Roots are no exception.

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One Time

4) Big K.R.I.T. - Return of 4Eva

  

Mississippi’s Big K.R.I.T. isn’t that great of a rapper. If we were to judge him on his flow he wouldn’t be on this list. However, as a producer he’s nothing short of phenomenal. His newest free mixtape that he self-released Return of 4Eva is one of the most polished hip-hop records of the year. He reworked his 2010 hit “Country Shit” and gave it a sharper set of teeth along with a solid guest spot by Ludacris. This is the record you throw on when you have a great subwoofer in your trunk. 

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Country Shit (Remix) (Feat. Ludacris & Bun B)

5) Drake - Take Care

Another super hyped artist that delivered in 2011 was Canada’s Drake with his intimate Take Care. The thing I like about Drake is that he’s honest. Drake doesn’t try to build his ego up to some gigantic size, in fact most of his songs are about missed connections, failed romances and self-pity. This kind of honesty is rare in today’s world and deserves recognition.

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Crew Love (feat. The Weeknd)

6) Frank Ocean - Nostalgia/Ultra

2011 was the year of Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. While I can’t say I’m a fan (especially of Tyler, The Creator) I do enjoy Frank Ocean who seems to have departed from his Wolf brethren and made a name for himself in 2011 by landing a number of sweet guest spots on big name albums, but his own record stands on its own as well. Ocean isn’t a rapper he’s more of an R&B singer that resides in the world of hip-hop. So while there are rap elements to his music, what really draws people in is his pristine voice. 

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Novacane 

7) Spank Rock - Everything Is Boring & Everyone Is A Fucking Liar

 I first heard “Car Song” while I was driving on the freeway, and it is a very aptly named song as I quickly found the music causing me to drive well over the speed limit. This is a club hip hop album to the max, one that will keep the party going till the break of dawn.
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Car Song (feat. Santigold)

8)A$AP Rock - LiveLoveA$AP

Another critically acclaimed free mixtape that was released this year was New York’s A$AP Rocky who has recently signed a multi-million dollar record deal with a major label as a result of this. It’s easy to see why, this is a very well put together mixtape and “Peso” is catchy as all hell.

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Peso

9) DJ Quik - The Book of David

  Quik returned in 2011 with The Book of David, which was warmly received by critics. It’s puzzling to me why this guy isn’t more of a household name. It’s an expertly crafted release filled with great club bangers as well as some more experimental sounds. 

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Do Today (feat. BlaKKazz & Jon B) 

10) Das Racist - Relax

I think I love the idea of Das Racist more than I actually love their music. Here’s a group that is borderline Dada, they have no regard for any of the standards in hip-hop and they seem to not take their music seriously yet still make it work. Along with Lil B, Das Racist are creating a brand new sub-culture in hip-hop of this ironic rap about everything and nothing at the same time.
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Michael Jackson

Perfume Genius

Here's a look ahead for 2012 for ya. Perfume Genius returns with a new song off his up coming 2012 album. It's called "All Waters" and it's about internalized homophobia, a gay man himself he talks about how sometimes he becomes self-concious about holding his partner's hand in public. Aside from the lyrical content Perfume Genius steps up his vocal prowess and is absolutely mesmerizing on this one.

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All Waters

John Martyn

If you don't have any John Martyn in your library then I'm doing you a friggin service. The late British singer/songwriter dabbled in everything from Jazz to Blues to Rock & Roll. However, I believe that Martyn truly shined when it was just him and a guitar. Simple, yet highly emotive folk. I will never understand why Martyn isn't more of a household name like Nick Drake or Leonard Cohen. If you're looking to expand your Martyn knowledge banks I highly recommend both London Conversation and Solid Air.

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Run Honey Run

Getting Older

When I started this site a little over two years ago, I made it a priority to make posting on here a regular thing, hoping for a strict Monday/Wednesday/Friday kind of thing. And for the most part I have been able to do that, because I was in college. It's the strangest thing, when you graduate this drastic lifestyle switch happens. Suddenly you're getting up earlier, going out less, and still trying to squeeze every minute out of the day to make the most of it. I've gotten to a point where I have to shuffle my priorities around and unfortunately to those of you who frequent this site I have been neglecting you. So it's time for a revamp of what this site is. ST&SP isn't going away, if fact it's only going to get stronger. I'm going to stop posting every single new band I come across and instead focus on writing well thought out pieces on bands and songs that mean a lot to me.
So in a sense while the quantity of posts will go down, (hopefully) you'll see the quality of these posts go up.
There's still a lot of music I want to shine a light on, and I hope to have a kickass end of the year list for you all within a few weeks. Thanks for understanding and for your readership.

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The Velvet Underground - I'm Not A Young Man Anymore

Alice's Restaurant

By now if you're an avid reader of this blog you've come accustom to this post around every Thanksgiving. It's one of the few traditions I keep, but every turkey day I dust off Arlo Guthrie's Alice's Restaurant and listen to the title track. Clocking in at over eighteen minutes it is a lighthearted yet very profound folk song full of spot on social commentaries. Thanksgiving is a family holiday, and I don't think anyone has the right to call their family normal. Every family has their eccentricities and bizarre facets, and the people that Guthrie introduces us to a whole host of crazy characters in this song. So, while you're putting together your tofurkey for tomorrow why not take a little trip to Alice's Restaurant.

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Alice's Restaurant Massacre

Gil Scott Heron & Jamie xx

One 2011 record that I am late to getting around to is Jamie xx's reworking of the late Gil Scott Heron's I'm New Here record and released it as We're New Here. This is one of the few times I've ever seen an artist get his work remixed and it actually sounds on par with the original. Jamie xx is not just slapping a new label on the same product, he's able to take Heron's music and re-engineer it into something completely original and fresh. This is a great late night album.

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I'll Take Care of You

Wire

I've been in a punk phase lately, maybe it's because of winter but I've been listening to a ton of Fugazi and spinning the crap out of this record from the highly influential English punk troupe Wire. Pink Flag is a must own for anyone who wants to be even considered the slightest punk fan. It's a bona fide classic.

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Ex Lion Tamer
12 X U

Lonesome Cowboy Lou

I was going to write one of my special "needs to stop" posts about Lou Reed, but to be honest, he's stopped trying since the 1980s. Yes it's true, Lulu his most recent project with Metallica is not only the worst album of the year by far, it may be the worst album since Reed's other craptastic record Metal Machine Music, a record entirely of unlistenable white noise. As one critic writes, "Listening to Lulu is like watching The Challenger take off." If you read interviews even Metallica seem to be unsure about this project's release but Lou Reed doesn't give a fuck. As far as he's concerned he lost all of his fans years ago. It makes me wonder has Lou sincerely given up putting effort into his work, or is he trying some weird art experiment by exposing the beauty, if any that can be found in the most unconscionable of sounds. Anyways let's revel in Lou's past rather than his present, here's a live Velvet Underground track that was recorded when they were playing a basement gymnasium somewhere.

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Guess I'm Falling In Love

Blitzen Trapper

A few years back Portland's Blitzen Trapper released Furr an album that should be a definite bookmark in the history of modern folk rock. Then they followed that record up with Destroyer of the Void, an album that was all over the place and actually hurt their career in my opinion. It was one of my least favorite albums of 2010. When I heard they had a new record out called American Goldwing I was almost hesitant to listen to it out of fear that a band I liked so much would go deeper into their grave. However American Goldwing is a pleasant surprise. On this album Blitzen Trapper re-create a very vintage American road rock feel. They seem to be into a very big guitar sound on this one, which isn't a bad thing at all. Where this record suffers is while there are some great moments on this album, Goldwing fails to have that magic of Furr or Wild Mountain Nation, thus making the songs not as memorable. This record could either grow on me, or see my shelf for a long time to come, we shall see.

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Your Crying Eyes

Atlas Sound

Alright, I'm convinced, Bradford Cox is a certifiable musical genius. Being leader of two bands (Atlas Sound and Deerhunter) that have consistently pumped out great record after great record is a real chore, but Cox makes it seem effortless. This time last year he released five albums of demos on the internet for free and called them Bedroom Databank. Atlas Sound has always been the more esoteric outlet for Cox's music yet with Parallax he seems to have molded the sound of Deerhunter into this project making his most accessible Atlas Sound record to date. I don't want to say this is album of the year cause I've only had this for about a day but it's certainly one of the strongest releases of the year. Bradford Cox, you are a musical savior.

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Te Amo

Happy Halloween

Trick or Treat.

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Bob McFadden and Dor - The Mummy