As I review my selections here I’m reminded that this was a good year in music. From the incredible-sounding Beatles remasters to the triumphant (and bewildering) return / reinvention of the Flaming Lips, there was a lot to be excited about. It’s really great to see that the death of the traditional music industry certainly isn’t stifeling the creativity of the artists themselves. Okay, here goes:
TOP 5 Albums
1. Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
’nuff said.
2. Flaming Lips – Embryonic
This record knocked me on my ass. It was just about the last thing I expected from the Lips at this point in their discography.
3. Big Spider’s Back – Warped EP
Local “chillwave” artist’s first proper release. Panda Bear meets Caribou.
4. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimist
This was admittedly a slow grower for me, as my expectations were awfully high after their previous album. This record maybe be less of a sprawling epic than Yellow House was, but the gorgeous arrangements & production that went into these songs is hard to dismiss.
5. Atlas Sound – Logos
Okay, this record is stylistically inconsistent, but who cares? Hipster Runoff astutely asked, “Is Atlas Sound (ft Panda Bear) the MP3 we have been waiting 4 all year?” The answer is ‘yes’.
TOP Live Shows
1. David Byrne performing songs from his various collaborations with Brian Eno @ The Paramount Theater (Seattle)
2. Dirty Projectors @ Chop Suey (Seattle)
3. Paper Garden Showcase ft. Peasant, Emanuel and the Fear, Peasant, and Boy Crisis @ 3rd Ward (Brooklyn)
4. Big Spider’s Back, Cars and Trains, Astronautilus @ House of Zanzibar (Seattle)
5. Mt. Eerie & Tiny Vipers @ The Fremont Abbey (Seattle)
6. Eagle Seagull @ The Slowdown (Omaha)
DISCLAIMER: I’m including this one cause it was awesome but feel sheepish since my band played this show… anyways
Top Conspiracies
1. Music Journalists trying to convince us that Wavves is a worth giving a shit about.
2. The fact that it’s next to impossible to buy a 25 cent pack of chewing gum anymore. Instead they try to sell you the same thing in fancier packaging for $3 a pack.
Mighty Tiger have a new LP coming out this March on Paper Garden Records!
Find out more about them at http://www.myspace.com/mightytigermusic
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