Yeah, i know its already mid-March and 'em cynics may be scoffing at such late entrees but hey, careful deliberance was made as I seem to be discovering new personal gems as the weeks go buy, thus the everchanging list. But this is the last of the oft-amended list, and I hope you guys enjoy exploring these albums that I feel deserve to be mentioned.
I honestly don't care if you agree or digress with my choices though. Haha.
"2005 was laden with new acts and even arcane ones rebranding themselves as the resurrected "Next Big Thing" (read: Velvet Revolver, Goldfinger) but it was a rather prolific year for indie acts, spawning every branch from power-pop (New Pornographers), cabaret-inspired (Antony & the Johnsons) to straight ol' rock (My Morning Jacket), and of course, the singer songwriters, some of them riding upon the popularity of their predecessors (eg. Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith), but with a handful of such creating heartful little stories that truly mark as their own, magical and awe-inspiring to say the least."
10. Howl Howl Gaff Gaff- The Shout Out Louds
Oh lo and behold Scandinavia!!!
Stockholm's latest import after our beloved Hives, Mando Diao and my personal fav Lekman shot from their humble club roots to international reckoning, due to the hit single "Very Loud". Weepy at times, this album just Shouts Out!! for the answers to Love's intricacies, while steering clear from the cheeziness that may come with such meanderings.
The gift of melodies and earnestess without hitting that dreaded state of bathos does it for me in this new band, and hopefully they grow in strength, and not get embroiled in the whole "fashion and pretentions over music" malaise in the indie-world nowadays. I wanted to put Mando Diao's "Hurricane Bar" but that album didn't match in earnestness in making sincere music to this. Edged out Mercury Prize winner "Antony and the Johnsons" for the spot as well.
9. Guero- Beck
All you anti-major label romantics may resist to read this part, but I disagree on the grounds that personally, I feel that good music needs to be appreciated no matter where or how it was made from. And Beck does it well this time, with the Chemical Brothers again in tow, to create a mish-mash of kaleidoscopic tunes mixing bossa nova, strings, blues, electro, even hip-hop ( yes he raps again this time) to announce himself upon the tops of our cranium ever since he disappeared after the brilliant "Odelay".
Upon first listen, you might be confused over the whole changes of mood and music, but this album requires a few listens where you have to eventually step back and enjoy the broad picture of his mutterings to understand why Beck is a hip slacker icon.
The maturity of his lyrics in tracks like "Missing" ("I push and pull; the days go slow; into a void we filled") don't go unnoticed in a more morose outing this time out. Other notable tracks include "E-Pro", "Girl".
Oh, and he happens to play the guitar, harmonica, piano, celesta, Moog synthesizer, vocoder, kalimba, tambourine, claps and percussions for the album. Not bad at all for a slacker!
8. Twin Cinema- The New Pornographers
The follow-up to 2000's "Mass Romantic" sees this indie supergroup burst even more poignantly into the minds of many with their happy and melodic brand of power-pop.
The fact that the collaboration between Neko Case (an alternative-country turned indie beloved) and AC Newman (slightly irritating voice but pardon that cos his music arrangements are breathless) stands out amongst the group, with their adventurous songwriting and arrangement hitting the right notes with me personally, and rather pleasantly, the critics as well.
The slickly produced Twin Cinema tweaks the formula to include subdued moments, climactic episodes and fully unified vocals, elevating the band's ideas to complete cohesion and transcending its previous output.
My personal picks would definitely have to be "The Bleeding Heart Show" where the fantastic shift of melodies catch you when the wistfulness of the opening was just beginning to go bare. "Sing Me Spanish Techno" is another delightful song which you swear is unflailingly familiar, but no, its the New Pornographer's very own. I got quite a shock of my own when I saw their album listed in Life!'s top list. Didn't feel that the Singaporean press would like such music, but I was pleasantly wrong again. Yeah.
7. You Could Have It So Much Better- Franz Ferdinand
Oh yes I fell for the hype!!! But honestly, this sophomore release by them needs to be lauded though their popularity is immensely rising.(That fact scares me. I mean, look at Oasis. What happened to them? Oh and yeah. The White Stripes! Acceptance in mass pop culture often leads to a loss in credibility, i think.)
I initially disliked the way it was compiled, for it seemed like a myriad of singles all forced in compression with each other. However, despite that, the magic of their dance-rock fusing the strong Scottish-BBC accent with disco is titilatingly tantalising, with their catchiness still emanating no matter what critics might say.
However, the ardour of debut album tracks such as "Come On Home" and "Auf Asche" is missing in this hectic party album, save for notable Mid-period Kinks sounding track "Eleanor Put Your Boots On" and Beatle-esque "Fade Together".
Hit single "Do You Want To" is unabashedly campy, but I unabashedly agree to gyrate to Kapranos and gang in this album. You can't blame them for being fucking catchy, right?
Arctic Monkeys eat your heart out, haha!
6. The Runners Four- Deerhoof
This is either a hit or a miss among listeners, no in between. You might baulk at the price it is selling at local stores (around $40plus), but for those brave enough to take the plunge, I applaud you. For you have gotten an eccentric but rewarding experience of discovering this band headed by Japanese vocalist cum bass player Satomi.
This follow-up to 2004's "Milk Man" sees Deerhoof traversing more accessible territory as San Francisco's premier noise-pop advocates. Their fractured, and fragmented chaos makes it for a challenging listen but strangely fascinating album, mixing prog-rock mixes with sunny melodies.
However, I found out that a lot of listeners are turned off by Satomi Matuzaki's helium voice, finding it irritating. Conventional listening may not work for this album, but the trick is in appreciating their true themes here, which are magic and exploration, which befits a band bent on finding places the rest of us don't yet know.
Deerhoof are by turns jubilant, confused, afraid, angry, sad, relieved, all pretty poignant at the same time. Not many bands can make chaos seem so serene as they manage to. One of the closest definitions of art-rock to me so far.
5. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!
This self-financed, independently recorded album is pretty much lauded by people everywhere, and upon listening, it is rightly so for it grabs you by the coattails and pulls you into a world where you feel a sense of deja-vu, but ultimately realize that though it may have been familiar, the music is in actuality just a trigger to the deep psyche of the individual, of that place we longed of going, unique but feels strangely at home.
You might have been confused by such an analysis, but that was what I myself experienced after listening to the album, its abstraction though reaps immense rewards upon reflection. What sticks out for this band right off is a drive that can't be taught or approximated.
It appeals to me that the songs ring of The Bends-era songwriting, but loungier, more playful, more comfortable in their own skin. For example, the elevating feel of break up song "Over and Over Again (Lost and Found)is impactful. ("Now where's the woolen sweater; You mentioned in the letter?; Imply; The other guy")
Their songs exude a precious democracy, composed of elegant, non-rockist guitar lines, trebly synths and busy but never distracting drums. In all, the warmth and sincerity of the Brooklyn band despite their playfully urgent ambience does it for me, and I suggest those who have not heard of them to just give it a listen. You'd never know. It might just become a favourite album.
(Top Four Coming soon..)
Rant 9:50 PM of Azmie
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