Here's my list and a little bit too much info about me. The format's a little different as I'm listing albums (with the exception of the last), but mentioning my favorite tracks from said albums. I've spent way too much time compiling this and I'm sure no one will read to the whole thing or listen to the songs.
Com Truise –
Cyanide Sisters EP
This sun-drenched synth funk EP has really been a breath of fresh air in my electronic listening. The synth waves and bass are amazing. Many have been referring to it as chill-wave, but I don’t know enough about that genre to comment, really. Other than to me it just sounRAB like synth-funk influenced by BoarRAB of Canada and other IDM acts. Somebody’s always gotta make up new genre names any time something sounRAB ever so slightly different. My favorite track is probably BASF Ace but there’s no video for it.
[YOUTUBE]qOz5dNtAJd0[/YOUTUBE]
Another song:
Slow Peels
The Idle Race –
The Birthday Party
A great little psychedelic pop/rock album from 1968. It clocks in at just over 30 minutes and leaves you wanting more. Fans of The Kinks and early Beatles should surely enjoy this. Not all the songs are this upbeat but it has a great vibe throughout.
[YOUTUBE]AUfMre3-Kg0[/YOUTUBE]
Phoenix –
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Early in the summer, I found myself pretty happy and wanted to maintain that mood by listening to more upbeat music than my usual mix of post-hardcore, punk and antisocial electronic music. I’d known about this album since last year, and avoided the hype as it wasn’t really in my realm anyway. Somehow I ended up picked it up, and found it immensely enjoyable. It’s just great on a sunny day when you’re in an upbeat mood. I ended up on a quest to find equally uplifting albums. I started to date a girl and sort of got infatuated with her and so when the sun was shining I was REALLY happy. Too bad that ended in an inexplicable way. But that's life.
[YOUTUBE]HL548cHH3OY[/YOUTUBE]
Band of Horses –
Infinite Arms
Not all the stuff I listened to this summer was upbeat in nature, some was quite introspective, as is the case with this album. I really enjoyed the band’s last two albums but was a bit weary of this one after hearing the first single, Compliments. However, I quickly fell in love with nearly the entire album and have played it a lot. This song is my favorite. Strangely enough I quite dislike country but enjoy a fair share of country-tinged indie rock. Factory is another favorite on the album.
[YOUTUBE]1xLatHZlwQU[/YOUTUBE]
Another song:
Factory
The Black Keys –
Brothers
Released on the same day as Band of Horses’ album this year, I’ve also really enjoyed this album. It’s packed full of gold, really, with a full range of emotions and only a couple of mediocre songs. My favorite being this one, which makes me think of my relationship with my ex. I also really love Too Afraid To Love You (I think I was), Never Gonna Give You Up (haha but I did), These Days.
[YOUTUBE]x_PrT25o8Vs[/YOUTUBE]
Another song:
Never Gonna Give You Up
Jamie Lidell –
Compass
I was hesitant about this album, given the fact that I haven’t liked that much of Jamie Lidell’s solo work. His debut was a pretty great experimental electronic album, but the soul stuff he put out on Multiply wasn’t really to my taste, and I heard his last album Jim was even more white-boy soul, so I never listened to it. However I know he’s a very talented producer with a great voice, having been part of Super_Collider which was amazing. After hearing the first single, The Ring, I decided I needed to get it as it reminded me of a more pop Super_Collider. My favorite songs on the album are actually Coma Chameleon and Gypsy Blood, though. The whole thing is quite varied with only one song that I find a little too fake-soul for my taste.
[YOUTUBE]Z4dhMIz3jvc[/YOUTUBE]
Another song:
Coma Chameleon
The Smiths –
Hatful of Sorrow
I finally “got” The Smiths this summer. I’d known several of their songs before, and my ex was a big fan, but didn’t often subject me to the music. I never had anything against it, just never felt the need to listen. Well I had tried this compilation once before, maybe last year, then played it again one day while laying at the park alone on a weekend afternoon. Something clicked. I think it’s the fact that I can totally relate to many of Morrissey’s lyrics, and I had never bothered to actually listen before. So since then, I’ve familiarized myself with all of their releases, but this is the release that broke me. “I dreamt about you last night, and I fell out of bed twice.” This is the kind of sh
it that makes me wish my ex didn’t spend 3+ years of our 4.5 year relationship completely absorbed in school. F
uck you, and f
uck me too. Anyway, Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before is also a favorite. I actually remeraber seeing this video on MTV quite a bit back in the day. Fantastic stuff.
[YOUTUBE]yxLFav1Z9EY[/YOUTUBE]
Another song:
Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before
The Thermals –
Now We Can See
This is the album that made me a fan. I’d heard the previous one maybe one time before and liked it alright, but I don’t know maybe I connected with the lyrics of this one more. I found it rather upbeat also, fitting the mood I was searching for this summer. This song also reminRAB me of my ex relationship. It’s kind of a “getting over it” song, coming to terms and feeling comfortable with my decision.
[YOUTUBE]xoQ8DjskLgA[/YOUTUBE]
Yeasayer –
Odd Blood
I enjoyed their debut, though I felt it only had a few great songs and the rest were mediocre. I put off listening to their more recent effort partly for that reason I guess. But something told me it would do me good, perhaps providing me with some great summer tunes. Turns out, I really like the album. The first song that really did it for me was O.N.E. The 80s video kind of gave it a different feel though, so I hesitate to show it. The second one that really struck me, and has struck me even more than O.N.E., is Madder Red. I’ll avoid posting the official video for that too because it sucks and distracts from the song. But goddamn do I love this song. Lyrics like “I turn away just when you want me, I know that home is where you want me” kind of describe the situation with my ex a little bit, I was pushed away and distanced because of her studies, but when she did make time I withdrew. And then the climax of the song for me (starting at 2:18), “Never gave a thought to an honorable living, always had sense enough to lie. It’s getting hard to keep pretending, I’m worth your time.” Goddamn. Beautiful.
[YOUTUBE]VvsHYRzO8_Q[/YOUTUBE]
O.N.E.
sElf - "Could You Love Me Now?"
A new single by sElf, who hasn’t released a proper album since 2005 and that was just a collection of leftover or reworked songs from an album that was never released due to record label f
uck-ups. Anyway, it’s quite pop and a bit cheesy, but I’ve grown to really like it. I’m a big sappy p
ussy.
[YOUTUBE]oXy_wxgIe7A[/YOUTUBE]
Violens - "Acid Reign"
First single from the long-awaited album by this band comprised of merabers from the underappreciated Lansing-Dreiden. I like the song but not as much as some of the songs from their debut EP. Really anticipating the album later this month, so I've played the song a lot.
[YOUTUBE]-HHx_eyfvrM[/YOUTUBE]
Basically this summer I learned to stop taking music so seriously and that I better take notice of what puts me in a good mood and what doesn’t before I ruin the rest of my life.
: