"u know wat! i subconsciously listened to the songs in ur site. n they r like songs on the radio u keep at low volume...but they manage to get into ur brains....n then u keep humming them over n over." -Anonymous Quasimodo listener

Thanks for the comment

Rant 5:36 AM of Azmie
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10 Notable Albums From The Past Year('05)- PART 2

Arggggghh.. Been busy lately. But i finally found time to complete the list. And here's the rest of it. Mind you, they are my own comments, therefore I need time to painstakingly analyze each album. But its worth it hahaha


4. "Oh, You're So Silent Jens"- Jens Lekman



It's pretty sad that his records don't seem to be available locally, though he happens to be a hit back home in native Sweden, Europe and the US notwithstanding. Been alerted of his coverage in *gasp* Life! recently, which doesn't bode too well, what with the recent clamour for Scandinavian "indie" circa Kings Of Convenience gig. But i'm crossing my fingers and hoping that he doesn't get all repackaged and sold in mainstream stores as the next best *horrors* JAMES BLUNT!!

Personal fears aside, this album deserves of a spot in my heart, even though it happens to be a compilation of his B-Sides and work of 2000s. This follow up to his previous album "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (2001) , reminds listeners of the time where Belle & Sebastian, Morrissey & George Gershwin went for a picnic with their acoustics and trumpets, albeit that may only exist in dreams!


His genius with wordplay can be apparent in the title of the songs alone, what with "Rocky Dennis' Farewell Song" being followed up with next track "Jens Lekman's Farewell Song To Rocky Dennis" revealing Jens' unassuming wit and deadpan delivery, and the songs happen to be tender as well, mixing clever lines with caustic phrases to make it at once a heartbreakingly poignant but funny experience all at the same time. Magic!

Jens' orchestral chamber pop arrangements reveal a deep study of pop knowledge for this indie student, with him having an uncanny knack for beautiful melody and powerful lyrics. I personally feel that this album is well made.



My favourite tracks include the clap-able "Sweet Summer's Night On Hammer Hill, A" and his witty masterpieces "F-Word" and especially "A Man Walks Into A Bar".

His so called "department of forgotton songs" are certainly unforgettable, and fuck the pun I tell you.














3. Beware The Stomp of The Punk Elite- The Sex Pistols

The Pistols have never been in hiatus really, and Jonny Rotten actually got incarnated as a cute teenager.







(The kind of company Ridzal hangs out with)



Truly, Punk ain't dead.




The Real #3. Let It Die- Leslie Feist




Just look at her! Would you want to die in her arms?

Wait till you find out how she sounds like.

Which I fear you have, do you remember that Lacoste ad with that French guy in white pants jumping around, that one?

"Sh'boom.. Sh'boom". Remember?

I can't believe they picked "Mushaboom" for that ad.

Feist has this meltingly intimate voice which is apparently lacking in trained singers, though she was classically schooled and jazz-influenced. The cryptic title of the album hides the melancholic gorgeousness of some of her songs, with the first half being the singer-songwriter's very own work and the second revealing her talent to reinvent existing songs.

This warmth complements the well-orchestrated compositions on LET IT DIE with an almost voyeuristic atmosphere, akin to hearing someone singing herself to sleep.

Leslie Feist has contributed her breathy, expressive alto voice to releases by a diverse range of artists, including Peaches, Broken Social Scene, and but of course Kings of Convenience. However, on Feist's solo debut, this talented singer/songwriter comes into her own with stories of love and ardour, with my personal favourites including the soulful jazz-like acoustic "Gatekeeper", the warm Ron Sexsmith cover "Secret Heart" and an uptempo disco beat to the Bee Gees' "Love You Inside Out" (here titled "Inside and Out")

Her songs remind you of those old French pop songstresses, and rightly so, for she is lauded in France and Europe as well, even winning a JUNO award, for this poignant and whimsical record.

"It's no wonder that, despite her protestation, reviewers have quite reasonably taken to calling it Feist's French pop album; whether intentional or not, Let It Die shares all sorts of characteristics with our archetypal vision of Paris. "Whimsical," "romantic" and "adventurous" are all adjectives that apply."-Pitchfork Media.

I will keep to my promise of catching her live and falling for Feist's charms one day.




2. (Come On Feel The) Illinoise!- Sufjan Stevens VS Want Two- Rufus Wainwright






There's no separating these two. Not even a toss-up.

SUFJAN

Sufjan is that Brooklyn twat who creates pop art with his posse, tossing in acoustic folk with his trusted banjo, and inculcating influences of marching band jazz as well as progressive rock. This album recalls influences from Steve Reich and Brian Eno as well, requiring a few listens of the full number of 22 songs for the listener to grasp the true meaning of this tribute album.

He actually wants to release an album for all the states in the US(!), starting with Michigan & now, this Prairie State. I applaud his ambition, which is also apparent in Illinoise, with its dense subject matter including Superman, Casmir Pulaski, Abraham Lincoln & UFOs!



My personal favourites include the John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," for instance, is an absorbing narrative that features Stevens's sweet tenor couched by guitar, piano, and backing vocals, revealing a heartbreaking truth about the criminal in all of us. "Casimir Pulaski Day," similarly, rides a rootsy banjo and guitar groove while Stevens unfurls image-rich lyrics over a lilting melody.

Witty, audacious, and moving, ILLINOIS manages to be spiritual, entertaining, and educational all at once, resulting in an utterly unique conceptual and musical statement.

RUFUS



He is one red-blooded romantic, reminding influences of Nick Drake in his works.

A conveyor of love's erratic moods , Wainwright explores the mechanics of want and sadness, allowing magnificent melodies and wry humour at the same time to abate his tragic tendencies. WANT TWO (the sequel to 2003's more subdued WANT ONE) opens with a haunting take on the Agnes Dei (here titled "Agnus Dei"), replete with guitar noise, orchestral accompaniment, and Cimbalom drone. The rest of the album expands on this lyrical theme of pleading and, melodically, echoes medieval church music, even as it flirts with a variety of rhythmic styles.

Though the conflict between desire and peace never quite resolves here, WANT TWO captures the beauty and excitement of the struggle, as told by an artist at the top of his game.




AND HERE IT IS.....








1. FUNERAL- ARCADE FIRE





SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE saw them donning helmets while performing their songs, and that erratic streak is exactly what brought them to the fore of popularity, with them first just being guilty of posting their songs on the Internet and having it ferociously being circulated around by enthusiastic listeners by word of mouth, a la Arctic Monkeys. They got into the media's attention, and rightly so.


This Montreal ensemble's explosive debut is marked by surging guitars, soulful strings, driving drums, brilliant bass lines, and the quavering vocals of couple Win Butler and Regine Chassagne. The group's song structures careen through a vast territory of musical and personal stories, some of them might be true, with lyrics warm with memories of childhood neighbourhoods and deceased loved ones, resulting in an alternating movement between joy and sadness.

Chassagne delivers some spellbinding vocals on "Haiti," while the tinkling piano and strings on "Crown of Love" conjure up a heartbreak of smitheereens.

The theme of agony and ecstasy of surviving death is oft repeated throughout the album, with my personal favourite being the rocking "Neighborhood #2 (Laika)", a story about a long-lost brother, Alexander, and his struggle with the family.

Some spellbinding tempo changes from grand and wailing to sudden disco beats like in "Crown Of Love" and also deep agony and longing in the brilliant "Wake Up" which sees Butler wailing in seeming vain of adulthood's jaded feel.
-"Children wake up,
hold your mistake up,
before they turn the summer into dust.

If the children don't grow up,
our bodies get bigger but our hearts get torn up.
We're just a million little gods, causing rain storms, turnin' every good thing to rust.

I guess We'll just have to adjust."

Packed with unique instrumentation, mesmerizing build-ups, and galvanizing tempo changes that they seem culled from some enigmatic, decade-spanning rock anthology, this is one must have , and don't forget to appreciate the lyrics as well. It's one remarkable Numero Uno.





Rant 5:30 AM of Azmie
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