Guest Entry - David Biel's Favorite Albums of 2009

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. Merriweather Post Pavilion-Animal Collective

They may not be labeled as such, but the men of Baltimore quartet Animal Collective are the true mash-up maestros of our time. Especially in regards to 2005’s Feels and 2007’s Strawberry Jam, David Portner, Noah Lennox, Brian Weitz and Josh Dibb crafted collages of music, with influences ranging from Brian Wilson-esque pop to tribal drumming, resulting in often beautiful but often perplexing music.

After almost a decade of recording, Animal Collective made the big step the music world has been waiting for with Merriweather Post Pavilion, by far the group’s greatest work to date and arguably a major moment in indie music history. What makes Merriweather Post Pavilion so brilliant is that, unlike the majority of Animal Collective’s past work, the complexity of the music results in true, simple euphoria. The heavy tribal beat/atmospheric synth section of “In The Flowers” and the group chanting of “Brother Sport” and “My Girls” are as beautiful as anything you’ll hear in music today.

Veckitamest-Grizzly Bear

In the age of music when good looks seems just as important talent in the commercialization of pop groups and lip-syncing no longer considered a travesty, its quite pleasant to listen to the a group like Grizzly Bear display such an admiration for vocal harmonization and phrasing on the consistently gorgeous Veckitamest.

Don’t be fooled by their indie credentials: Veckitamest, in addition to the band itself, is as accessible and easily enjoyable as a chamber pop album can get. Like the Beach Boys before them, Grizzly Bear master the concept of using simple song arrangements to create deep emotional connections with the listener. Opener “Southern Point” builds you up, the unbelievable “Two Weeks” is as joyous as any song this year, and the haunting closers “I Live With You” and “Foreground” slowly bring you back to earth. Veckitamest is truly a stunning journey listeners will experience from the first go-around to the last.

Backspacer-Pearl Jam

In the Clinton era, we saw Ed Ved and co. rise up against the music and concert industries (see: 1994 Ticketmaster boycott). During the Bush presidency, they protested the, well, Bush presidency (see: “Bu$hleaguer”). So with Barack Obama entering the White House in 2009, what would Pearl Jam bring to the table?

The answer: their most hopeful songs to date and their best album since 1998’s Yield. For the first time since Ten shook up the world in 1991, it sounds as if Pearl Jam is having real, genuine fun making an album. For those of you that may not believe me, let me say that again: Pearl Jam really is fun again, and it’s an awesome thing to witness. The raucous opener “Gonna See My Friend” sounds like what would happen if Roger Daltrey fronted Soundgarden. And “Amongst the Waves,” Pearl Jam’s most beautiful track in a long time, brings to mind Ten’s “Oceans” when Vedder compares love to waves crashing on a beach. Let’s hope that the Obama era brings more music as enjoyable and uplifting as Backspacer.

Lyric of the Week - 11/20/09

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Real Estate - Fake Blues

"I've got to find a reason to write this song."

My Favorite Albums of 2009

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1. Humbug - Arctic Monkeys

Alex Turner's lyrical wit certainly remained present as the Sheffield quartet dug into a dark, atmospheric sound heavily influenced by their producer Joshua Homme (Queens of the Stone Age). Unlike with their previous records where every track was an aggressive explosion of garage punk, Humbug presents a band calming down, opting for a more expansive sound with denser arrangements.

It's less bang and more sizzle. Tracks like "Cornerstone" and "Dance Little Liar" show off Turner's superior talent of examining the complexities of human nature. The Arctic Monkeys' schtick is still intact, even if they're not throwing it all at you at once.


2. The Resistance - Muse

Yes, The Resistance is cheesy. Yes, it's overblown. Yes, Matt Bellamy might have bit off a little more than he can chew. But with all its apocalyptic themes and symphonic arrangements and soaring falsettos, the album just works.

Matt Bellamy is trying harder to achieve an "epic" sound than anyone else in the industry. Hiring a 40-piece orchestra to record the three-part "Exogenesis: Symphony" that closes the album, Bellamy is pushing the limits of what is considered rock n' roll. The symphony is a beautiful piece of classical literature, a 12-minute thrill ride that will make you tear up and head bang at the same time.

With all their fun moments and dramatic moments, it is clear Muse deserves a place in the 2000's alternative scene, and The Resistance is certainly a benchmark album.


3. Merriweather Post Pavilion - Animal Collective

Merriweather Post Pavilion is, hands down, Animal Collective's most accessible album. But it's really not accessible at all. Critically acclaimed for years, they've been a band people want to like. Everyone realizes they're innovative, but they still can't sit through half an album without having to take a break to let their ears recover. There's so much going on each track that after an hour or so of music, most people feel overloaded.

But this changes with MPP. It's the rare combination of a piece of art that's extremely fun to listen to at the same time. Whether it's the ultra-catchy "My Girls," the percussive "Brother Sport," the introspective "Bluish," or the bouncy "Summertime Clothes," the album is an indie masterpiece, one that catapults Animal Collective into the deserved spotlight.

Listen to this Immediately!

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With their last album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective proved they had just a little bit of 'normal' in them. Everything in their collection leading up to Merriweather was thick, atmospheric psychedelia loaded with the sounds of the universe. While the stuff was certainly innovative, it wasn't the most tuneful, the kind of music you have to try hard to enjoy.

But with Merriweather, they integrated just a hint of accessibility into their sound. Tracks like "My Girls" and "Summertime Clothes" are perfectly hummable, music you don't have to listen to when you're either alone curled up in your room or under the influence of drugs.

It's been nine months since the release of that album, and the band is back with Fall Be Kind, a 5-track EP that, at 27 minutes in length, seems more like a complete album. While the whole EP is quite good, the centerpiece and masterpiece is "What Would I Want? Sky," a 7-minute aural joy-ride.

I can't even begin to explain how much I love this song. It's the most hummable, enjoyable, and simply fun Animal Collective song ever released. The song is broken down into two distinct pieces, with the first half built on a percussive, mesmerizing beat. These first few minutes retain the signature Animal Collective style present on their previous releases. There's the call and response vocals, endless array of synths, and weird effects the band always sprinkles in.

But the cosmic shift happens 3 minutes in, where the track morphs into a Beach Boys' style singalong, pitting Panda Bear's floating melodies against a sample of the Grateful Dead's "Unbroken Chain." It meshes beautifully. I might sound crazy, but this is an Animal Collective song you can blast in the car with the windows down. Yes, with the windows down; people at red lights won't glare at you like you're trying to channel the UFO from Close Encounters.


10/10

Switchfoot - Hello Hurricane Review

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Jon Foreman, the lead singer of San Diego-based Switchfoot, says of his band’s name: “To switch your feet means to take a new stance facing the opposite direction. It’s about change and movement, a different way of approaching life and music.”

After six albums from the California surfer boys, Foreman and the crew are back with Hello Hurricane, released on November 10. Apparently the whole “different approach” philosophy has been put on the backburner, as the album is inherently pedestrian.

Some of the tracks have potential, but quickly dissolve into clichéd radio drudge. “Mess of Me,” the lead single, offers a heavy blues take on the pharmaceutical industry. Foreman croons away while the band trucks along behind him, filling in with twangy riffs that would seem more at home on a Wolfmother record. But the song’s momentum comes to a quick halt when the sing-along pop-punk chorus arrives, and Foreman’s mindless lyrics certainly don’t pick up the slack. The song’s hook: “I want to spend the rest of my life alive.” That’s deep.

The title track resolves to a similar fate. The introduction of “Hello Hurricane” is a breath of fresh air, as a sweeping array of vocal melodies float over the rich atmospheric reverb. The oohs and aahs work beautifully, serving as the calm before the storm. After an MGMT-mashed-up-with-Coldplay-esque verse, the song descends into yet another melodramatic pop-punk chorus about a love strong enough to withstand the mightiest storm.

Switchfoot is working hard with the tired formula ever so common in contemporary rock. They’re trying to cater to everyone, hoping that the dudes will dig the face-melting stomps and the chicks will tear up to the touching ballads. In reality, what they end up with is boring collection filled with the repetitive tricks of Nickelback and blink-182.

Hello Hurricane is no more or less accessible than any other Switchfoot album, so fans of hits “Meant to Live” and “Dare You to Move” should have no problem finding the album enjoyable. But by the same token, the band shouldn’t expect a parade of new fans jumping on to the bandwagon.

4/10

Lyric of the Week - 11/01/09

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Arctic Monkeys - "Still Take You Home"

Well it's ever so funny
Cause I don't think you're special, I don't think you're cool.
You're just probably alright
But under these lights you look beautiful.


Billy Corgan and the Infinite Stream of Bullshit

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Why does Billy Corgan have to be such an ass? First of all, he's been vigorously beating his dead horse (the horse being The Smashing Pumpkins) for a few years now. His whiny, screeching voice is truly the only survivor left, as Corgan is the sole founding member still in the band.

And Corgan still seems to have a lot to whine about. As H1N1 (swine flu), threatens to resurge as a pandemic this winter, Corgan has suddenly become a expert on the matter. Overestimating the weight of his opinions, he's taking every opportunity to point out how the media is simply creating unwarranted propaganda regarding the virus.

Read this:
I would suggest however that it is possible the virus is not a naturally occurring virus. I have read reports from people who say (as doctors) that there is evidence to suggest this virus was created by man; to call it Swine Flu is then a misnomer, as it really is Swine Flu plus some other stuff stitched together.

Is he legitimately serious? Billy Boy, you're not a doctor, not a scientist, not a journalist, and not even that good of a singer. Nobody honestly gives a shit what you think about H1N1. You can try to salvage what's left with The Smashing Pumpkins, but please stop masquerading as a credible social figure.

In many situations, musicians and athletes are apathetic towards controversial issues, responding quickly with "I'm just a golfer," the phrase Tiger Woods' often replies with when asked a tough question. It's great when people in the public eye care about national problems; it's just the stream of bullshit from ignorant morons like Corgan that we can do without.

Arctic Monkeys

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Hopefully getting Arctic Monkeys tickets tomorrow. 9:30 club is ridiculously small, so there should be a bloody mad rush at 10 AM. The Sheffield quartet has steadily gained a solid fan base in the states after years of bloody nuts popularity across the pond. The week their debut was released in 2006, UK magazines dubbed the band as one of the greatest to hit rock n' roll in decades.

When you hear critics and fans making judgements with such haste, you tend to dismiss it as bullshit, feelings that will just die down in a matter of weeks. But for some reason, whatever people said about the Arctic Monkeys was spot on: they were four teen geniuses, wrapped up in a messy, volatile adolescent culture. They were ready to howl about every drunken fight with a dance club bouncer and every debatable decision with a mediocre-looking girl who suddenly became beautiful under the shoddy lighting and the influence of various substances.

What the Arctic Monkeys do better than any of their contemporaries is tell stories. Frontman Alex Turner's lyrics aren't pretentious or abstract or overly-metaphorical. He just tells of what he observes on crowded streets around him, and he tells it with flair. Turner spits out his phrases at a maddening pace, rapping and crooning while leaving any listener who isn't with him behind. It's easy to get lost in his lyrics, but when you have the persistence and the patience to keep up, you realize the genius of his storytelling, however ordinary the stories are.

UPDATE: Though tickets sold out in about 90 minutes, my friend and I were able to snag a pair. Bring on the Brits!