Listening List

What artists/albums the writers have been listening to and/or recommend:

2009

November

• Double Nickels on the Dime by Minutemen (Elijah – rediscovery)
• White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground (Elijah – rediscovery)

October

• Axe to Fall by Converge (Elijah – among their best to date)
• Curse Your Branches by David Bazan (Elijah – a decent album, though somewhat disappointing)
• Logos by Atlas Sound (Elijah)

September

• Album by Girls (Elijah – surprising mixture between Buddy Holly, Elvis Costello and wild teenagers)
• Psychocandy by The Jesus & Mary Chain (Elijah – rediscovery)
• Born Again Revisited by Times New Viking (Elijah)

August

• The Best of The Beta Band by The Beta Band (Elijah – great two-disc summation of their career with a brilliant live show from 30 November 2004 at Shepherds Bush Empire in London on the second disc, especially  the versions of “It’s Not Too Beautiful” and “Squares”)

July

• God Help the Girl (Elijah – a musical/film project from Stuart Murdoch, lead singer of Belle & Sebastian, featuring most of the band and guest vocalists)
• Dragonslayer by Sunset Rubdown (Elijah)
• Mythomania by Cryptacize (Elijah)

June

• Mama, I’m Swollen by Cursive (Elijah)
• Manners by Passion Pit (Elijah)

May

• Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear (Elijah – This album is most certainly a step in a more brilliant direction, and while Yellow House was a treat, this album is more cohesive and leaves the listener with fewer questions such as “When is this song over?” and “Why did this song end so awkwardly?”)
• Pandora.com (Mark – I know it’s not an artist, but this website is pretty cool.  Been listening to it at work… have heard some new music that I like.)
• The Pains of Being Pure at Heart by The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Elijah)
• My Maudlin Career by Camera Obscura (Elijah)

March

• No Heroes by Converge (Elijah – I’ve been listening to this album for more than two years and just recently found it on vinyl [a rare find, especially in color: brown and pink], which always renews the listening experience.  It’s a very beautiful and energetic listen with a few slower slower-yet-equally-epic tracks.)

January

• Cease To Begin by Band of Horses (Mark – can’t stop listening to this)
• Big Star by Haley Bonar (I’ll write on this record soon)
• Dear Science by TV on the Radio (Mark – they put out great music)
• Writer’s Block by Peter, John and Bjorn (Pete – I know I’m about a year late on this discovery, but I am beyond obsessed with this album)

2008

November

• Who’s Next by The Who (Elijah)
• Blood Money by Tom Waits (Elijah)
• Rip It Off by Times New Viking (Elijah)
  
• Dinosaur by Dinosaur Jr. (Elijah)
• Trying Hartz by Danielson (Elijah)
• Are you Building a Temple in Heaven? by Butterglory (Pete) – Mid 90s indie rock with shades of Pavement and Yo La Tengo.  I also own and love their first LP “Crumble” but the songs on that album rarely deliver as a full package the way they do on “Heaven.”  This album represents everything I love about indie rock (or, at least, my idea of it).  It’s low on polish, high on mood and song.  I dig the singing (male vocals on most, female on a few, very much in the vein of the aforementioned YLT) and all the instrumentation.   A must have in the world of Pete.   At least, that’s my initial reaction after receiving it in the mail earlier today and listening to it three times all the way through, with additional repeat listens on a few tracks.
• Setting Sons by The Jam (Pete) – What can you say?  It’s The Jam at it’s finest.   I’ve been told that The Jam is enormously well-known in the UK, but many here in the states remain tragically uninitiated to their perfectly crafted brand of punk-influenced mod pop.  I’ve loved me some Jam for some time, but I just discovered this album a month or so ago, and boy am I glad I did
• III (and “Extras”/”Gimme Indie Rock” included in 2006 reissue) by Sebadoh (Elijah [via Sgt. Grumbles])
• Carnavas by Silversun Pickups (Mark – currently obsessed)
• Oracular Spectacular by MGMT (Mark – currently obsessed)
• Keep Your Eyes Ahead by The Helio Sequence (Sgt. Grumbles, thanks to Justin)
• In Ear Park by Department of Eagles (Sgt. Grumbles, side band of Grizzly Bear)
• Gang of Losers by The Dears (Sgt. Grumbles, a brilliant album I listen to often)
• Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes State by Sufjan Stevens (Elijah, one of his favorite albums [especially on cloudy days])