My 5 favorite bands, November 2009

It's time for my every-six-months list of my favorite bands. My indie leanings have taken a turn toward the mainstream over the past few months, with dance and pop music moving much higher on my radar. Here's the current list.

1 MATT & KIM
Grand might be my favorite album of 2009. It's an entire record full of catchy indie pop. I never thought I'd see the day this duo won an MTV Video Music Award, but somehow they did it. Their reign has just begun.
Video: Lessons Learned

2 LADY GAGA
Until recently, I'd enjoyed Lady Gaga's dance hits but didn't see her as much more than another fly by night pop singer. But then I saw her artistic performance at the VMAs. I finally listened to the rest of her album, and it's great. Madonna recently said she saw herself in Lady Gaga, and I agree - she's likely to be a force for years to come. Her new video for "Bad Romance" is simply captivating.
Video: Bad Romance

3 COBRA STARSHIP
The sassy pop band finally hit the mainstream with "Good Girls Go Bad." The rest of their album Hot Mess is excellent as well, even if radio continues to ignore all of their music that doesn't feature Leighton Meester.
Video: Hot Mess

4 SIGUR ROS
Sigur Ros is still probably my favorite band, but when you haven't released any new material in over a year you start to fade a little. Singer Jonsi has a side project going called Jonsi & Alex, a mostly instrumental ethereal kind of thing that makes Sigur Ros seem accessible.
Video: Inní mér syngur vitleysingur

5 WEEZER
I bought the blue album not long after it came out, and my Weezer-fanhood has never wavered since, not when they released Maladroit, and not even with their new album Raditude, which features a collaboration with Lil Wayne. Their sound may change, but it's still good stuff.
Video: I Want You To

Others earning consideration: Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, Ghostland Observatory, MGMT

My 5 favorite bands, May 2009

Every six months, I do a rundown of my favorite bands. This time, there's not much change from the last list, so instead of writing the same little blurbs about each band, I'm going to provide YouTube links to my favorite live clips from each artist.

1 SIGUR ROS
Video: "Gobbledigook" live with Bjork


2 MGMT
Video: "Electric Feel" live


3 AMANDA PALMER
Video: "Please Drop Me" live


4 KINGS OF LEON
Video: "Use Somebody" live at Brit Awards


5 DAVE MATTHEWS BAND
Video: "All Along the Watchtower" live


Others earning consideration: The Go! Team, Taylor Swift, Ghostland Observatory

Ranking every band I saw live in 2008, from 1-120

This year I saw a personal record 120 bands, and it’s time to rank them all.


1 Metallica, Bonnaroo, June 13
I am not a metalhead by any means. The only Metallica CD I own is the black album. But there was no denying their might at Bonnaroo, where they ruled with a mix of their biggest hits and lesser-known favorites. The 1-2 punch of “One” and “Enter Sandman” was an amazing display of brute force to close the set, as was the encore of “Seek and Destroy.” This was a great band at the very top of its game.


2 Black Keys, New American Music Union, August 8
The Akron blues-rock duo created an insane amount of noise and mayhem and blew everyone else out of the water at NAMU. They mellowed out briefly for a cover of Captain Beefheart's "I'm Glad," and then it was back to the face-melting solos. I'd seen the Black Keys once before and wasn't impressed, but this time they absolutely killed.


3 Sigur Ros, Bonnaroo, June 14
Sigur Ros played most of their new album, bringing out a mariachi band at one point on “Sé Lest.” Seeing “Gobbledigook” live for the first time was great - the pulsing, tribal beat really brought the song to life. The quiet beauty of the band’s music came out in the hills of Tennessee at 1:30 in the morning.


4 Kanye West, Lollapalooza, August 3
Kanye closed out Lolla in memorable fashion, performing with a live band and backup singers, and the electric guitars made the dark, moody “Can’t Tell Me Nothing” frighteningly intense. “Put On” was one of the most mind-blowing moments of the festival, Kanye saluting his hometown of Chicago with fury and sincerity.


5 Gogol Bordello, Bonnaroo, June 14
Possibly the festival’s most electrifying show. For 90 minutes, the zany gypsy punks bounced around the stage, beat the hell out of their drums, rocked the violin and accordion, and showed everybody a good time.


6 Avett Brothers, Point State Park, June 21
The Avett Brothers’ high-energy bluegrass-punk was easily the highlight of this summer’s Arts Fest. It’s thrilling when I don’t know any of a band’s songs but they still leave me wanting more. (Needless to say, I’ve since caught up on their earlier work.) The fact that it was a free show just made it that much better.


7 Okkervil River, Lollapalooza, August 2
Okkervil’s live show is phenomenal. The spontaneity between Will Sheff and his bandmates and the way they played off each other was great to witness. Sheff’s passionate delivery took the band’s best storytelling tracks like “Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe” and “The President’s Dead” to another level, proving (as if we didn't already know) that Okkervil River are one of the more exciting bands in rock these days.


8 New Pornographers, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead, April 12
My first New Porns show was a treat thanks to Neko Case, whose wonderful voice was the star of the show on “These are the Fables” and “Stacked Crooked.” AC Newman was also in fine form, leading an ass-kicking cover of ELO’s “Don’t Bring Me Down.” “The Bleeding Heart Show” was a glorious show closer.

9 Vampire Weekend, Bonnaroo, June 12
"We're a jam band, we just play really short songs," said singer Ezra Koenig. "Oxford Comma," "A-Punk," "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"... pretty much every song they played sounded terrific. "M79" rocked even without the strings. Best show of the first night of Bonnaroo.

10 !!!, Bonnaroo, June 13
Just like last year at Lollapalooza, !!! delivered an insane dance rock show. Singer Nic Offer did his hysterical gyrating and crazy-man dancing, and they closed on a high with one of their best, “Heart of Hearts.”

11 Gogol Bordello, Lollapalooza, August 1
The only reason this show ranks lower than their Bonnaroo performance is that the Lolla set was 30 minutes shorter. It was just as intense, and the fans knew all the words to every song. A searing performance in the scorching heat.

12 Elvis Costello, Post-Gazette Pavilion, July 28
Elvis rocked hard and made the most out of his 45 minutes as the Police’s opening act. He dueted with Sting on “Alison” and closed his set by indulging the crowd’s unspoken wish to hear “(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding.”


13 The Go! Team, Lollapalooza, August 1
The colorful British ensemble perfectly replicated their lively dance-pop tracks from 2007’s Proof of Youth like “Grip Like a Vice” and “The Wrath of Marcie.” The Go! Team’s singer Ninja gripped the crowd like an overzealous aerobics instructor, providing dance moves and encouraging audience participation.

14 Chromeo, Lollapalooza, August 3
These Canadians are the coolest dorks on the planet, as evidenced by the combination of pre-recorded electronic elements and live guitars and keys, with late ‘80s-style dance music and sleazy love songs that had fans at the MySpace stage dancing their asses off.

15 Okkervil River, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead, April 12
Okkervil was supporting the New Porns here, and this was one of the better performances I’ve witnessed from an opening act. The band brought the seated crowd to its feet and managed to talk the audience into participating in a sing-along on the emotional closer, "Westfall."

16 !!!, Rex Theatre, July 22
Playing in Pittsburgh for the first time in several years, !!! provided a nonstop dance party from start to finish. Though the crowd was smaller than anticipated (maybe 300 people tops), the band still gave its all. Which means singer Nic Offer climbing onto the speakers, two (and sometimes three) drummers pounding away, and Shannon Funchess shaking her sizable booty all over the stage.


17 Solomon Burke, Bonnaroo, June 15
Seated on a custom-made throne, the 68-year-old Rock N Roll Hall of Famer belted out hits of his own and a medley of "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay" and "Mustang Sally," dedicated to his fallen friends Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, James Brown, and Bo Diddley.

18 Girl Talk, Lollapalooza, August 3
Girl Talk’s parties keep getting wilder. He brought out giant balloons and toilet paper cannons to accompany his mash-ups. Being on a small, crowded side stage facilitated lots of sweating and dancing, and the ending was classic, as he surfed the crowd in an inflatable raft to Journey’s “Faithfully.”

19 Iron & Wine, Bonnaroo, June 14
Finally, a much-hyped artist lives up to his billing. Samuel Beam played much of his recent album The Shepherd’s Dog, and impressed with beautiful, poignant words and melodies.

20 Rage Against the Machine, Lollapalooza, August 2
Rage owned Grant Park, rocking like it was 1996 and they were in their prime. Singer Zach de la Rocha was a commanding presence, and Tom Morello’s shredding was a sight to behold. As might have been expected, de la Rocha got political, claiming, “It’s our very government that is the terrorist organization we’ve been hearing about.” But mostly, Rage let their music do the talking.


21 Fiery Furnaces, Bonnaroo, June 13
I don’t know how they so effortlessly play their intricate, complex songs
22 Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Bonnaroo, June 15
Started off very mellow but kicked into high gear as the set wore on
23 The Police, Post-Gazette Pavilion, July 28
A highly-percussive “Wrapped Around Your Finger” was the best moment
24 Flogging Molly, Lollapalooza, August 3
We loved when singer Dave King dedicated a song to himself
25 Amanda Palmer, Mr. Small’s, November 29
Entertaining show, and her voice sounded as strong as I’ve ever heard it
26 John Vanderslice, Andy Warhol Museum, April 11
Offbeat, captivating show that moved into the lobby for an unplugged encore
27 The Hold Steady, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead, Nov 13
America’s bar band triumphed, even in a dry venue
28 St. Vincent, Andy Warhol Museum, February 25
Annie Clark’s quirky songs sounded great, thanks in part to her terrific band


29 CSS, Lollapalooza, August 1
“Alala” and “Rat is Dead” offered the energy we were expecting
30 Radiohead, Lollapalooza, August 1
Still good because it’s Radiohead, but they're capable of so much more
31 Holy Fuck, Lollapalooza, August 1
Slowly built up “Lovely Allen” into a massive climax
32 Iron & Wine, Lollapalooza, August 3
Exquisite guitar noodling at the end of “Upward Over the Mountain”
33 Cobra Starship, Warped Tour, July 29
Their sassy pop was a “Guilty Pleasure” on Warped Tour
34 Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Lollapalooza, August 2
She invited a young man onstage and taught him some dance moves
35 MGMT, Bonnaroo, June 12
Extended jam of “The Handshake” followed by “Electric Feel” was great
36 World/Inferno Friendship Society, Belvedere’s, September 23
Jack Terricloth almost hit the ceiling while crowd surfing


37 Tokyo Police Club, Mr. Small’s, April 10
Shortest encore in history – a spirited, 2-minute “Cheer it On”
38 Nicole Atkins & the Sea, Lollapalooza, August 3
Her strong voice was matched by her delightful personality
39 The National, Lollapalooza, August 3
Made sure to point out that “Mr. November” was not dedicated to McCain
40 Matt & Kim, William Pitt Union, November 21
Brooklyn indie pop superduo was fired up for the last show of their tour
41 Nine Inch Nails, Lollapalooza, August 3
“Discipline” and “March of the Pigs” were strong
42 Panic at the Disco, Tower City Amphitheater, May 16
I don’t think the kids knew what to make of their new Beatles sound
43 Ghostland Observatory, Bonnaroo, June 14
Glow sticks, laser lights, and a 3 am dance-rock party
44 MSTRKRFT, Bonnaroo, June 13
One of the better DJ sets I’ve seen at a festival


45 Gnarls Barkley, New American Music Union, August 9
Cee-Lo was dancing up a storm until he got winded
46 Dave Matthews Band, Post-Gazette Pavilion, May 31
Way too many ballads, and not enough solos from Boyd or Tim Reynolds
47 Kanye West, Bonnaroo, June 14
It was amazing to watch the sun rise at 5 am during his show
48 Chris Rock, Bonnaroo, June 13
Tore up the presidential candidates, especially Hillary
49 Raconteurs, New American Music Union, August 9
All four members brought their own talents, but Jack White dominated
50 MIA, Bonnaroo, June 13
Most crowded festival tent ever; I wish I could’ve seen the stage
51 Tegan & Sara, Bonnaroo, June 13
Played a nice version of "Nineteen" dedicated to Cyndi Lauper
52 Okkervil River, Mr. Small’s, October 9
Didn’t quite measure up to the other two times I saw them in ‘08


53 Shwayze, Warped Tour, July 29
Hilariously stupid rhymes about weed and women
54 Explosions in the Sky, Lollapalooza, August 2
Instrumentals don’t typically play well at festivals, but they persevered
55 Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, Bonnaroo, June 14
Sassy old school soul, Sharon will always show you a good time
56 Nicole Atkins & the Sea, Bonnaroo, June 12
Cover of Patti Smith’s “Pissin’ in a River” was powerful
57 Say Anything, Warped Tour, July 29
Emo’s poet laureate, Max Bemis, delivered on “Shiksa”
58 Bob Schneider, Diesel, May 10
One of the most under-appreciated singer-songwriters around
59 Best Fwends, William Pitt Union, November 21
There was a lot of screaming, and silly costumes, and somehow it rocked
60 Against Me!, Warped Tour, July 29
Solid performance, but they feel so 2007


61 DeVotchKa, Diesel, May 21
"How it Ends" was majestic, Nick Urata's vocals soaring over exquisite strings
62 Basia Bulat, Diesel, May 21
Reminds me of Regina Spektor with an autoharp, or Feist with a smile on her face
63 The Roots, New American Music Union, August 8
“The Seed 2.0” was a letdown, played at warp speed and without any hip hop elements
64 Motion City Soundtrack, Tower City Amphitheater, May 16
“This is for Real” and “It Had to be You” are quality
65 Mindless Self Indulgence, Mr. Small’s, April 30
I can’t justify why I like this band on an intellectual level; I just do
66 Grizzly Bear, Lollapalooza, August 1
Half the songs were engaging, half were uninteresting
67 Pennywise, Warped Tour, July 29
I didn’t realize they were named after a monster in a Stephen King novel
68 White Rabbits, Diesel, January 16
Not as energetic as usual, but most of the band members were sick
69 The Whigs, Lollapalooza, August 3
Their powerful guitar riffs and catchy melodies packed a real punch
70 Eli “Paperboy” Reed & The True Loves, Lollapalooza, August 3
Nifty ‘60s R&B sound with a big band
71 Gnarls Barkley, Lollapalooza, August 3
Unfortunately didn’t get to watch much of their set


72 Spoon, New American Music Union, August 9
Hard to dislike, but there’s nothing exceptional about them either
73 Mike Doughty, Mr. Small’s, April 13
Mike was pretty good even though he yelled at some girl and called her a cunt
74 Drive-By Truckers, Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead, November 13
If they’d stopped after 30 minutes it would’ve been a much better show
75 The Duke Spirit, New American Music Union, August 9
Sexy garage rock fronted by harmonica-playing vixen Liela Moss
76 Steel Train, Bonnaroo, June 13
Hand-clapping rock and power pop, and a decent cover of “1979”
77 Vermillion Lies, Mr. Small’s, November 29
I wish I’d seen more of them… “Global Warming” was hilarious
78 Motion City Soundtrack, Warped Tour, July 29
It’s too hard to hear the synths when they play live
79 Jack Johnson, Bonnaroo, June 14
Decent music, but I wonder how in the world he got so popular
80 The Academy Is…, Warped Tour, July 29
Didn’t hit their stride until the end
81 Innerpartysystem, Lollapalooza, August 2
Their emo-electro was the early highlight on the second day of Lolla


82 Does it Offend You, Yeah?, Lollapalooza, August 2
At least the vocoder-heavy “Doomed Now” lived up to its potential
83 Ladytron, Bonnaroo, June 15
If you’ve heard the first 30 seconds of a Ladytron song, you’ve heard the entire thing
84 Cat Power, Bonnaroo, June 14
She turned the jazzy “Lived in Bars” into a strange up-tempo freakout
85 B.B. King, Bonnaroo, June 14
Great to see the 82-year-old legend while he can still rock
86 Dierks Bentley, Lollapalooza, August 2
The only country act I saw this year
87 Phantom Planet, Tower City Amphitheater, May 16
Gotta love that O.C. theme song, if nothing else
88 Abigail Washburn & the Sparrow Quartet, Bonnaroo, June 14
Bela Fleck is the undisputed banjo king
89 Kid Sister, Lollapalooza, August 3
She capably brought the hip hop but came off like a lesser M.I.A.
90 Icy Demons, Rex Theatre, July 22
Brought the funk with tracks like “Crittin' Down to Baba's”
91 Foreign Born, Andy Warhol Museum, February 25
Part spacey, part jam band, part sensitive acoustic folk rock


92 Duffy, Lollapalooza, August 1
You call that soul? She sounds like a cross between Paris Hilton and Porky Pig
93 Wednesday 13, Rex Theatre, July 16
Interesting goth metal show
94 Jakob Dylan & the Gold Mountain Rebels, Bonnaroo, June 15
Played just one Wallflowers track, a slowed-down “3 Marlenas”
95 Willie Nelson, Bonnaroo, June 13
Willie’s a living legend, but at this point he’s mailing it in
96 Gym Class Heroes, Warped Tour, July 29
Can this band ever produce a hit that doesn’t have Patrick Stump singing the chorus?
97 Katy Perry, Warped Tour, July 29
Not much substance beyond “I Kissed a Girl”
98 Brazilian Girls, Lollapalooza, August 3
Fun to sing along to “pussy pussy pussy marijuana”


99 MGMT, Lollapalooza, August 2
Bored everyone silly with a shockingly joyless performance – biggest letdown of Lolla
100 Mayday Parade, Warped Tour, July 29
I like their studio stuff but I don’t even remember seeing them at Warped
101 Pfunkt, William Pitt Union, November 21
Solo rapper at least gets points for enthusiasm and energy
102 NASA, New American Music Union, August 8
DJ duo spliced together songs, but not as well as Gregg Gillis
103 What Made Milwaukee Famous, Lollapalooza, August 3
Nothing set them apart from countless other indie rock acts
104 The Builders & the Butchers, Mr. Small’s, November 29
Easily the least-interesting opener Amanda Palmer has ever had
105 Mates of State, Lollapalooza, August 1
I didn’t have the patience for the easygoing, relaxed pop Mates of State were serving up
106 Broken Social Scene, Bonnaroo, June 15
Strip me of blogger cred if you want; I just can’t get into this band
107 The Birthday Massacre, Mr. Small’s, April 30
At least they earn eye candy points for being attractive
108 State Radio, Post-Gazette Pavilion, May 31
Wasn’t terribly impressed by Dave Matthews’ opening act


109 Aimee Mann, Bonnaroo, June 15
Very disappointing. She’s not bringing a lot to the table when it comes to live performing
110 The Walkmen, Diesel, January 16
I don’t get the acclaim for these guys; I find them boring
111 Stephaniesid, Bonnaroo, June 12
A mediocre late-night show on a smaller stage
112 The Hush Sound, Tower City Amphitheater, May 16
I’ve seen them twice now, and I’ve had my fill, thank you very much
113 Crooked Fingers, Mr. Small’s, November 29
I’m sorry, this band does nothing for me
114 Bob Dylan, New American Music Union, August 9
He doesn't even sing anymore; he just talks the lyrics, in completely unintelligible fashion
115 Umphrey’s McGee, Bonnaroo, June 13
I don’t know how anyone can like this shit unless they’re high (but maybe that’s the point)
116 The Panderers, Mr. Small’s, April 12
First band Mike Doughty signed to his label… oops!
117 Dark Star Orchestra, Bonnaroo, June 13
Opened with the least-inspiring cover of “Stir it Up” in history
118 Hollowboy, Mr. Small’s, April 20
Very lame openers for Mindless Self Indulgence
119 Tiny Masters of Today, New American Music Union, August 8
Teenage brother-sister punk duo has great potential - I’ll leave it at that
120 Spanish Prisoners, Andy Warhol Museum, April 11
John Vanderslice’s openers were awful. They offered rambling, painfully boring banter that never led anywhere. Their songs were mostly quiet, which made their laughable lyrics stand out even more. The singer doesn’t have a singer’s voice; it’s too weak and colorless. The worst song was the one about living in NYC, which they wrote right after moving there, which made them come across as the biggest posers ever. ‘Hey, let’s move to Brooklyn and write a song about living there, so we can act like we’re actually from there and pretend we’re part of some scene…’

Check out last year’s list:
Ranking every band I saw live in 2007 from 1-101

Top 10 albums of 2008

I usually wait until the last week of December to post my year-in-review lists, based on the logic that you should wait until the year is actually over before making these kind of declarations.

But this year I'm giving in to peer pressure and going up early. Here are my 10 favorite CDs of 2008:


1 Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, Sigur Ros
This record retained the beauty and majesty the quirky Icelanders are known for, while deftly adding a bit of mainstream accessibility, with a few up-tempo tracks and their first-ever song in English. This is mostly a joyous album, though that English song ("All Alright") shows they can still do melancholy as well as anyone.
Essential tracks: Inní mér syngur vitleysingur, Gobbledigook, Festival
Video link: Gobbledigook (live with Bjork)


2 Feed the Animals, Girl Talk
A mind-blowing mix of more than 300 songs spliced together for maximum dance party enjoyment. The moment where Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone" meets Nine Inch Nails' "Wish" and MC Hammer's "2 Legit 2 Quit" is my favorite musical moment of 2008. And mad props to Mr. Gillis for including such delicious '80s pop tracks as "Young Turks," "In a Big Country" and "Jessie's Girl."
Essential tracks: Here's the Thing, Hands in the Air, Play Your Part (Pt. 2)
Video link: Here's the Thing (unofficial video)


3 Oracular Spectacular, MGMT
One of last year's best albums saw a proper release in 2008, with promotional appearances on Letterman and performing slots at Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza. Ambitious, ironic, and playful, MGMT's psychedelic pop sounds both retro and futuristic at the same time.
Essential tracks: Electric Feel, Kids, Time to Pretend
Video link: Electric Feel


4 Who Killed Amanda Palmer?, Amanda Palmer
The Dresden Dolls singer is known for poignant ballads, and there are plenty of those here, but her solo album is more musically adventurous, augmenting her band's simple piano and drums sound with strings, bass, percussion, and horns. There are a number of different styles here, from the hard-rocking "Guitar Hero" to the lullaby duet with St. Vincent's Annie Clark.
Essential tracks: Oasis, Runs in the Family, Ampersand
Video link: Oasis


5 Goddamned, Jay Brannan
This is the first full-length from Brannan, first seen as Ceth in the John Cameron Mitchell film Shortbus. His writes with a witty, contemporary style ("You said physical chemistry between us was bad/Then why are you still responding to my Craigslist ad?"), and his angelic voice makes the CD an incredibly pleasing listen.
Essential tracks: Can't Have it All, Half-Boyfriend, A Death Waltz
Video link: Can't Have it All (live)


6 Vampire Weekend, Vampire Weekend
I resisted Vampire Weekend's hype at first but the record eventually grew on me. "We're a jam band, we just play really short songs," singer Ezra Koenig said at Bonnaroo, and he was right on the money. Borrowing from Afropop, reggae, and ska, among others, the preppy Columbia grads crafted a thoroughly satisfying pop record.
Essential tracks: M79, Oxford Comma, Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Video link: Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa


7 Dear Science, TV On the Radio
The innovative Brooklyn-ites push the envelope on Dear Science by being normal - or at least, more normal than they usually are. Lush strings and a simple melody make "Family Tree" a welcome departure, while "Red Dress" is funky and danceable, and "Dancing Choose" has verses racing by at hyperspeed. Yeah, on second thought, TVotR is still pretty fucking weird.
Essential tracks: Red Dress, Golden Age, Family Tree
Video link: Dancing Choose


8 Youth Novels, Lykke Li
The Swedish indie chanteuse's debut effort is a memorable one. The marriage of her delicate voice with simple arrangements works really well, and the more complex songs are just as good - the rhythmic "I'm Good, I'm Gone" proves to be one of the album's highlights.
Essential tracks: Let it Fall, I'm Good I'm Gone, Little Bit
Video link: Little Bit


9 Stay Positive, The Hold Steady
It's not as consistent as their last release, Boys and Girls in America, but Stay Positive has several highlights, starting with the raucous title track, while the harpsichord in "One for the Cutters" is an unexpected delight. Craig Finn's stories are as fascinating as ever. These guys continue to do blue collar rock 'n roll better than anyone.
Essential tracks: Stay Positive, Sequestered in Memphis, Constructive Summer
Video link: Sequestered in Memphis (live on Letterman)


10 Metro Station, Metro Station
Easily my biggest guilty pleasure of 2008. The lyrics are juvenile, but songs like "Kelsey" and "Control" represent disposable emo-pop at its best, with hooks out the wazoo and a heaping of synths that separates this band's sound from the rest of the teenybopper pack.
Essential tracks: Shake It, Kelsey, Control
Video link: Control

Other favorites:
Conor Oberst, Conor Oberst
Crystal Castles, Crystal Castles
For Emma Forever Ago, Bon Iver
Weezer (The Red Album), Weezer
Partie Traumatic, Black Kids
Third, Portishead

Our 5 favorite bands, November 2008

Scott's favorites:

1 SIGUR ROS

I'm almost embarrassed to admit where I first heard these Icelandic weirdos - one of their songs was on an Urban Outfitters compilation CD I ran across several years ago. That caused me to buy their 2002 album ( ), the pretentious record with no title, which contained 8 songs with no titles and no lyrics. It was stunningly beautiful, and so was their concert film Heima, released last year. They've continued their artistic growth this year with Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust, which features a handful of accessible, up-tempo tracks, and even a song in English, their first ever.
MP3: Njosnavelin (from ( ) )

2 MGMT
It's pretty much universally accepted now that MGMT suck live. Ok, that's correctable. And forgivable, as long as they keep cranking out masterpieces like Oracular Spectacular, which features a number of brilliant psychedelic synthpop gems. My favorite changes almost every day, but right now it's "Kids," which sounds almost as deliriously Nintendo-ish as "Time to Pretend."
MP3: The Handshake (from Oracular Spectacular)

3 AMANDA PALMER
For the first time since I started doing these bi-annual 'favorite band' posts, the Dresden Dolls are not #1. But they couldn't be, since they broke up, or are on hiatus, depending who you ask. Amanda Palmer is now flying solo, but the Dolls' singer still crafts the same gripping and humorous lyrics. Her new album ranges from the poignant balladry of "Ampersand," to the whimsical doo-wop of "Oasis," to the furious energy of "Runs in the Family."
MP3: Leeds United (from Who Killed Amanda Palmer?)

4 OKKERVIL RIVER
Having seen Okkervil River live 3 times this year, I'm in awe of Will Sheff's punk energy onstage. But his eloquent stories are what make this band special - like the vivid pictures he paints in "The President's Dead" and "Lost Coastlines." Tunes like "Plus Ones" show off an impressive level of lyrical creativity - and just for the record, I do want a tune about the 100th luftballoon.
MP3: Lost Coastlines (from The Stand-Ins)

5 THE HOLD STEADY
America's favorite bar band continues to win me over with their clever tales about parties and scenes, which sometimes seem sincere and sometimes seem sarcastic - I often can't tell. Their latest, Stay Positive, offers plenty of great sing-along moments, notably the title track and "Sequestered in Memphis." Craig Finn and his band somehow keep getting cooler as they age.
MP3: Chips Ahoy! (from Boys and Girls in America)

Others earning consideration: Radiohead, World/Inferno Friendship Society, Taylor Swift, Girl Talk, Architecture in Helsinki

Deena's favorites:

1 KEANE

Although their new album, Perfect Symmetry, is a bit of a mixed bag (starting strong with the insanely ear-catching single "Spiralling" along with a few more groovy synth-pop sounding tracks, it sort of trails off and is less inventive towards the end), it was still enough to project this British trio to the top of my list. What some of their music lacks in creativity it makes up for in sheer beauty and simplicity. I would listen to Tom Chaplin sing the phone book.
MP3: Spiralling (from Perfect Symmetry)

2 CHROMEO

One of the best bands I saw all year, I didn't even know who this Canadian funk-tronic duo was until I started researching bands before Lollapalooza. I absolutely love their tongue-in-cheek lyrics and throwback '80s synthesizer effects. I put Chromeo in when I want to dance--and laugh. Their recent performance of "Mama's Boy" on Jay Leno was totally creative, abandoning a good bit of the rocking electric guitar from the track and substituting it with a small but equally rocking orchestra--I highly recommend looking it up.

MP3: Tenderoni (from Fancy Footwork)

3 ALKALINE TRIO

I dig the way Alkaline Trio can wrap the most morbid themes around a good pop/punk song. Who doesn't love catchy singalong choruses about love, alcoholism, depression, drugs, and/or death? My favorite chorus to date is off their July 2008 release, Agony and Irony: "Love, love, kiss, kiss...blah, blah, blah." They stay consistent with their goth-tinged lyrics on every album but manage to also grow just enough musically on each release to keep things interesting.
MP3: Private Eye (from From Here to Infirmary)

4 ABBA

Yes, a band that hasn't been together for over 20 years can still make a top 5 list. Blame it on Mama Mia!--the movie (which I saw when it opened in August) and the musical (which I just saw on its tour through Pittsburgh the other week), which reminded me of the tuneful work of this Swedish quartet. They actually have a nice body of work that ranges from disco ("Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!") to rock n' roll ("Does Your Mother Know"), even songs with a latin flair ("Chiquitita"). Their harmonies just seem to melt together. I really dig the songs with the gutsy, often quite low, female vocals like "Money Money Money" and "The Winner Takes it All."

MP3: Super Trouper (from Super Trouper)

5 GARBAGE

Since my default "favorite band" hasn't had a new album in over three years, Shirley and the boys have gotten pushed to the bottom of the pile. Only a few stray singles have escaped lately--in August, "All The Good in this Life" (a B-Side from 2007 previously only released digitally) appeared on the Songs for Tibet charity album, and a new track called "Witness to Your Love" is available on a charity compilation that I'm told is being sold by Urban Outfitters until January 31. Guess the best way to get my Shirley fix these days is by watching Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles.

MP3: Tell Me Where It Hurts (from Absolute Garbage)

Full-length CD reviews are for suckers

So here are our short takes on noteworthy discs from the past several weeks...

STAY POSITIVE The Hold Steady
Scott: "These sing-along songs will be our scriptures," yelps Craig Finn in his sing-speak manner, and he couldn't be more true. "Sequestered in Memphis" might be the best song of 2008 - if "Stay Positive" isn't. Both are vintage Hold Steady, with the detailed plotlines, riveting piano melodies and soaring choruses that makes us love them. Those were the first two tracks I heard off this record, and that led me to believe this was an early contender for Album of the Year. The rest of the album isn't quite that good (if only "One for the Cutters" was as awesome as its title...) but this is still a terrific effort.

WEEZER (RED ALBUM) Weezer

Deena: The predictableness of most Weezer albums has pleasantly lessened on their sixth record. Each band member sings lead on at least one track, which provides nice variety; some fun white-boy rapping shows up on a few songs; and several tracks meander away from the traditional 3-minute disposable pop song formula, with great success. Often the complaint about Weezer is that their lyrics haven't been as emotional or personal since Pinkerton, but the Red Album might actually deliver on that as well, particularly the deluxe edition, which contains some equally good tracks that didn't make the final cut.

Scott: My favorite here is "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived," Rivers Cuomo's most ambitious song ever. Rivers channels Kanye West's ego for a masterpiece that might be the band's best since "Only in Dreams." The spoken-word bragging is the high point, with Rivers claiming, "If you don't like it, you can shove it. But you don't like it - you love it."

MEð SUð í EYRUM VIð SPILUM ENDALAUST Sigur Ros
Scott: A brilliant disc. Gone (for the most part) are the plodding 9-minute epics; instead, more than half the songs clock in at 4:15 or less. They are also much more lively, starting with the opener "Gobbledigook", while the last two minutes of "Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur" are as perfect as pop music can get. Sigur Ros also throw in their first-ever English song, "All Alright," which ranks up there with "Heysatan" and "Samskeyti" as one of their most beautiful tracks.

PRETTY. ODD. Panic at the Disco
Scott: This is better than it has any right to be. Panic sets out to make a record that the Beatles would make if they recorded in the year 2008, and remarkably, they come close to succeeding. "She Had the World" and "Beyond the Sea" wouldn't be out of place on Sgt. Pepper. This is one of those records that's a major artistic step forward, even though it's not likely to match the commercial success of their debut.

Deena: Even though I bitched that Panic abandoned their original producer, Danny Elfman, on this album, I really can't complain about the end result. Like the new Weezer album, most of the band gets a shot at the mic, especially lyricist Ryan Ross, whose voice is a pleasant departure and yet a great complement to lead singer Brendon Urie.

NO, VIRGINIA Dresden Dolls
Scott: This collection contains most of the songs the Dolls have performed in concert over the years but never put to tape. "Lonesome Organist Rapes Page Turner" is an intense track that is so fun and upbeat you almost don't realize Amanda Palmer is literally singing about a lonesome organist raping his page turner. "Night Reconnaissance" is another standout, Palmer speaking for outcasts everywhere when she sings, "Nothing is crueler than children who come from good homes."

ROBOTIQUE MAJESTIQUE, Ghostland Observatory
Scott: GLO is a favorite of mine, but this one doesn't live up to their previous efforts. "Dancing on My Grave" is a quirky electronic pop tune that stands out from a batch of unremarkable songs. Singer/snakedancer Aaron Behrens has given up the guitar on this record, and while I didn't think that would be a bad thing, it ends up leading to a lack of variety on this disc.

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, Kathy Griffin
Scott: As a huge Kathy fan, I have to say this CD is a bit of a disappointment. Her stories aren't as compelling as usual. Instead of giving us behind-the-scenes stories from award shows, she talks about what she's seen lately on Oprah. Lame! Her stories about Marie Osmond and Stevie Wozniak aren't terribly exciting either, but there are still plenty of laughs, particularly when she talks about her 88-year-old mother randomly discovering new reality tv shows - "Kathy, I just don't want you to end up like those goddamn Kardashians!"