But, whatever!
Thoughts:
- Kid Cudi's Up Up and Away is easily the most fun song I've heard in ages.
- It's also the most stoner-iffic anthem that I've heard in awhile, which slightly offends me.
- Kid Cudis album is great, even if all the lyrics involve getting high, which bores me. Thats how great he is. Its barely rap, really. Just great pop. Kind of.
- I love the new Matthew Good song, I cannot wait for Vancouver to drop, since "Last Parade" sounds like Avalanche era Good, which is maybe my favourite sound ever. EVER.
- Moneen's new album "The World That I Want to Leave Behind" is probably the album of the year at this point, it's just amazing.
- Yeah Yeah Yeah's "Heads Will Roll" - I just heard them perform it on Conan, and as of right now, it's probably the best song of the year.
- Does anyone read this? Answer: NO!
- The last song on the new .M. disc is certifiably epic, which is kind of surprising. They've always been magnificent in scope, but rarely do they hit the massive heights of the "Glass House" (the last song on the new disc) . It just blows up from a punky intro to a humongous ending with choral singing that just lures you in, like a creepy guy offering candy to a six year old.
- Yes that's the worst thing I've ever written in my blog.
- Eff the haters, I really dig The Blueprint 3, by Jay-Z. Run This Town is the best summer song thats come out so far, that clearly missed the summer, since its very cool out at this point.
- I watched JayZ, Rhiana, and KANYE WEST (YO YOUR BLOGS GOOD, BUT BEYONCES IS THE BEST OF A GENERATION!) do Run This Town on Lenos debut show the other day, and honestly, it must have scared the CRAP out of a bunch of racist American mid-westerners.
- Muse are the kings of over-endulgence, which makes them awesome.
- Their new album isnt as good as Black Holes and Revelations, but its still pretty great.
- They were the only artist(s) on the MTV VMAs to actually perform rock and roll. Green Day just do watered down pop-punk. GD was still fun though.
- The new Mute Math, Armistice, is way better then it should be. Their last disc was only good because it had one amazing single, TYPICAL. Beyond that, it was boring as hell. Their new disc lacks a song as good as TYPICAL, but its leap years better as an album.
- I have no clue what the hell is going on with YACHT, but Im in Love With a Ripper, is one of this years catchiest songs. Its either sampling or straight up ripping off another OK song, but it makes it great, either way. Just straight up FUN.
- In the actual episodes, I was pretty unimpressed with the majority of the Flight of the Conchords songs, but on the album, almost all of them pop, and make for great listening. REMEMBER:
You think you know fashion- Well, fashion's a stranger. You think fashion's your friend - My friend, fashion is DANGER.
- Calvin Harrissssss album Ready For the Weekend is mildly fun, but really, its only notable due to all the BRITISH (AKA NME) HYPE! Still, its fun, and I wish it was more popular then any of those Disney Channel produced bands.
- After one great shitty pop-punk album, Brand New have turned out three amazing yet depressing 90s influenced albums. Its still great, but honestly, Im hoping for something new, other then their now-standard spiel of luring me into depression via music. Theyre still one of my favourite bands, but really, they beat the crap out of me when I listen to them.
- Knowing Brand New have put out four albums makes me feel old at this point.
- If you want to hear any of the albums or songs Im rambling about, just put any of the bands into google, and their MYSPACE will come up, and you can hear the songs. Of the 0.0111% reading this blog, approximately 0.000000% will actually do this!
On May 13th, I played "Drunken Musical Blog Twitters".
This is round two, I guess.
Jesse.
Showing posts with label moneen. Show all posts
Showing posts with label moneen. Show all posts
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Edgefest 2009
I made the trek to Toronto for 102.1 The Edge's "Edgefest 2009".
Sadly, it rained throughout the day, and it was a miserable event in terms of weather. Wind/cold/rain created a fairly unpleasant atmosphere, with a LOT of mud and dirt. As much as I'd like to say that the event was good enough to prevent the weather from ruining it, but sadly, the weather was just too unpleasant. That being said, here's my thoughts:
The Arkells - I haven't heard any of their album, and that's going to change quickly. They were really tight live, and despite the weather, created a really fun atmosphere for the people there. They're only going to get bigger and better from here on out.
The Stills - I love the Stills, but I love their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart, even more. Sadly, they only played one song off the album (Still in Love Song), and chose to focus on their newer songs. I really dig the new album, but a couple more cuts from their debut would have made for a better set. I think they fealt the need to play their heavier songs to fit into with the rest of the bill, and left off their slower/softer songs, which is a shame. That being said, Snake Charming the Masses sounded huge, while Being Here was suitably epic.
K-Os - I like KOS enough, but I'm not a big hip-hop fan, and don't really know many of his songs. It was exciting, as he's got a good stage prescence, but it's not really my cup of tea. Led Zeppelin sampling was cool though.
Metric - In one word? Wow. AT this point, Metric made it clear they were a much bigger band then any of the other artists, with their suitably huge and shimmering sound. They played a bunch of songs off all three albums, and it really made me appreciate them more as a band to see them live. Great songs, great set, great band.
Cancer Bats - Despite having a southern drawl despite being Canadian, they were awesome live. REally hard, really rocking, and they got a lot of people into it. They were the hardest band on the bill, and it added some nice diversity to see a band rock with so much force.
Alexisonfire - In terms of getting the crowd into it, no one could beat AOF. They rocked the place hard, and everyone loved it. Part of their live appeal is the fact that their lead screamer, George, acts as a hypeman so well. You want to love it when he's ranting on stage about anything. At this point, with their fourth album coming out, they've got a really great set, with a lot of hits.
Moneen - My favourite band was pretty decent. They played a few new songs (cannot wait for that album), but they seemed to be missing something. Maybe it's the fact that I'm used to seeing them in an intimate setting, but they didn't seem to accept the larger setting that well. That being said, with AFI blaring in the back ground and it raining, it couldn't have been easy. They're still the most underrated band in the world, and I can't wait to see them next.
After a day's worth of rain and mud, we'd had enough, so we bailed on seeing AFI and Billy Talent. I've never seen AFI, but Billy Talent is great live, so I'm sure they lived up to their headliner status.
All and all, not a bad day, that could have been way better with decent weather.
Jesse.
Link to Edge's Page About the Event, Including Video, Pictures and More:
http://www.edge.ca/ConcertsandEvents/Edgefest.aspx
Sadly, it rained throughout the day, and it was a miserable event in terms of weather. Wind/cold/rain created a fairly unpleasant atmosphere, with a LOT of mud and dirt. As much as I'd like to say that the event was good enough to prevent the weather from ruining it, but sadly, the weather was just too unpleasant. That being said, here's my thoughts:
The Arkells - I haven't heard any of their album, and that's going to change quickly. They were really tight live, and despite the weather, created a really fun atmosphere for the people there. They're only going to get bigger and better from here on out.
The Stills - I love the Stills, but I love their debut album, Logic Will Break Your Heart, even more. Sadly, they only played one song off the album (Still in Love Song), and chose to focus on their newer songs. I really dig the new album, but a couple more cuts from their debut would have made for a better set. I think they fealt the need to play their heavier songs to fit into with the rest of the bill, and left off their slower/softer songs, which is a shame. That being said, Snake Charming the Masses sounded huge, while Being Here was suitably epic.
K-Os - I like KOS enough, but I'm not a big hip-hop fan, and don't really know many of his songs. It was exciting, as he's got a good stage prescence, but it's not really my cup of tea. Led Zeppelin sampling was cool though.
Metric - In one word? Wow. AT this point, Metric made it clear they were a much bigger band then any of the other artists, with their suitably huge and shimmering sound. They played a bunch of songs off all three albums, and it really made me appreciate them more as a band to see them live. Great songs, great set, great band.
Cancer Bats - Despite having a southern drawl despite being Canadian, they were awesome live. REally hard, really rocking, and they got a lot of people into it. They were the hardest band on the bill, and it added some nice diversity to see a band rock with so much force.
Alexisonfire - In terms of getting the crowd into it, no one could beat AOF. They rocked the place hard, and everyone loved it. Part of their live appeal is the fact that their lead screamer, George, acts as a hypeman so well. You want to love it when he's ranting on stage about anything. At this point, with their fourth album coming out, they've got a really great set, with a lot of hits.
Moneen - My favourite band was pretty decent. They played a few new songs (cannot wait for that album), but they seemed to be missing something. Maybe it's the fact that I'm used to seeing them in an intimate setting, but they didn't seem to accept the larger setting that well. That being said, with AFI blaring in the back ground and it raining, it couldn't have been easy. They're still the most underrated band in the world, and I can't wait to see them next.
After a day's worth of rain and mud, we'd had enough, so we bailed on seeing AFI and Billy Talent. I've never seen AFI, but Billy Talent is great live, so I'm sure they lived up to their headliner status.
All and all, not a bad day, that could have been way better with decent weather.
Jesse.
Link to Edge's Page About the Event, Including Video, Pictures and More:
http://www.edge.ca/ConcertsandEvents/Edgefest.aspx
Monday, June 8, 2009
10 Things to be Happy About New Music Right Now
I'm in a bit of a pissy mood right now, so I'll take a cue from some other blogs I've seen in an effort to pick myself up a bit. Here are the ten things about new music that are making me very happy right now.
Ten Things About New Music to be Happy About!
(no real order)
10. Passion Pit's "Little Secrets" - The entire album is great, but this song is just about the sunniest and happiest song I've ever heard.
9. Patrick Wolf's "Hard Times" - While I prefer 2007's "The Magic Position" to this year's "The Bachelor", the first real song off the album is awesome. Wolf's one of the most unique and interesting people in music right now, and this song's an eclectic mix of sounds.
8. Taking Back Sunday - New Again - It's a really interesting album for a lot of reasons. It sounds like TBS, but at the same time, feels different. There's a bunch of great songs (Swing is my favourite) and it's a real evolution for the band in a lot of ways.
7. The Sounds - "Dorchester Hotel" - Off of one of the best CDs of 2009 (Crossing the Rubicon), this endlessly catchy single will blow up later this summer, when it gets a proper release, it's amazing.
6. Tommy Tutone - Jenny/867-5309 - One of the greatest one hit wonders ever; who doesn't love a chorus that is also a phone number?
5. cky's return to form on "Carver City" - After a dissapointing album in An Answer Can't Be Found, and a few years of near breakups, Philly's CKY fired back with an awesome album (Carver City), that recalls the sound that made them so original/great to begin with, yet adding some new elements to make it seem new and fresh.
4. Edgefest - Billy Talent! Moneen! AFI! Metric! The Stills! Alexisonfire! - I don't go to many concerts anymore, and go to even less festivals, but I'm thoroughly excited for this one.
3. Free music! - As the last post indicated, more and more free tunes are showing up online, as a lot of bands are finally realizing how useful giving away music can be.
2. Moneen's new EP "Hold That Sound" - After a lengthy wait for new material, one of my favourite bands is coming back, and the EP is just the appetite for the impending new album!
1. The return of Muse - After releasing the best album of 2006 (the epic Black Holes and Revelations), Muse finally returns with a new album this September. Entitled "The Resistance", there's not much information available right now, but I'm still ridiculously excited thinking about it.
Jesse
Ten Things About New Music to be Happy About!
(no real order)
10. Passion Pit's "Little Secrets" - The entire album is great, but this song is just about the sunniest and happiest song I've ever heard.
9. Patrick Wolf's "Hard Times" - While I prefer 2007's "The Magic Position" to this year's "The Bachelor", the first real song off the album is awesome. Wolf's one of the most unique and interesting people in music right now, and this song's an eclectic mix of sounds.
8. Taking Back Sunday - New Again - It's a really interesting album for a lot of reasons. It sounds like TBS, but at the same time, feels different. There's a bunch of great songs (Swing is my favourite) and it's a real evolution for the band in a lot of ways.
7. The Sounds - "Dorchester Hotel" - Off of one of the best CDs of 2009 (Crossing the Rubicon), this endlessly catchy single will blow up later this summer, when it gets a proper release, it's amazing.
6. Tommy Tutone - Jenny/867-5309 - One of the greatest one hit wonders ever; who doesn't love a chorus that is also a phone number?
5. cky's return to form on "Carver City" - After a dissapointing album in An Answer Can't Be Found, and a few years of near breakups, Philly's CKY fired back with an awesome album (Carver City), that recalls the sound that made them so original/great to begin with, yet adding some new elements to make it seem new and fresh.
4. Edgefest - Billy Talent! Moneen! AFI! Metric! The Stills! Alexisonfire! - I don't go to many concerts anymore, and go to even less festivals, but I'm thoroughly excited for this one.
3. Free music! - As the last post indicated, more and more free tunes are showing up online, as a lot of bands are finally realizing how useful giving away music can be.
2. Moneen's new EP "Hold That Sound" - After a lengthy wait for new material, one of my favourite bands is coming back, and the EP is just the appetite for the impending new album!
1. The return of Muse - After releasing the best album of 2006 (the epic Black Holes and Revelations), Muse finally returns with a new album this September. Entitled "The Resistance", there's not much information available right now, but I'm still ridiculously excited thinking about it.
Jesse
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Free Music!
Finch recently put up their 2008 return EP (featuring the awesome Chinese Organ Thieves) and its worth a download if you haven't heard it yet. It was a really good return to form for one of my formerly favourite bands. Below is the link to the EP, as well as some other free music goodness that I've stumbled upon recently.
Finch - Finch EP (mp3 format)
- For other formats (AAC, WAV LOSSLESS) click HERE
Spinner.com Free MP3 of the Day Archive - A free mp3 a day, legally, from a variety of awesome bands. Worth book marking. Some highlights:
Andrew Bird - Oh No
Iron and Wine - Belated Promise Ring
Gnarls Barkley - Mystery Man
The Sounds - Dorchester Hotel (one of my favourite songs right now)
Kevin Devine - Brother's Blood
Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire (Great song!)
Rancid - Last One to Die
Thermals - Now We Can See (Great Song!)
Maximo Park - Wraithlike
Miike Snow - Animal (Song I'm currently obsessed with)
Last.FM Free MP3 Download Archive (Some great songs from artists like Late of the Pier, NIN, and many more)
Moneen, one of my favourite bands, recently put their new EP up for streaming. I've embedded the player below, and as always with Moneen, it's worth your time.
Moneen are probably the most underrated band of the last five years, so give them a chance! It's FREE!
Jesse
Finch - Finch EP (mp3 format)
- For other formats (AAC, WAV LOSSLESS) click HERE
Spinner.com Free MP3 of the Day Archive - A free mp3 a day, legally, from a variety of awesome bands. Worth book marking. Some highlights:
Andrew Bird - Oh No
Iron and Wine - Belated Promise Ring
Gnarls Barkley - Mystery Man
The Sounds - Dorchester Hotel (one of my favourite songs right now)
Kevin Devine - Brother's Blood
Japandroids - Young Hearts Spark Fire (Great song!)
Rancid - Last One to Die
Thermals - Now We Can See (Great Song!)
Maximo Park - Wraithlike
Miike Snow - Animal (Song I'm currently obsessed with)
Last.FM Free MP3 Download Archive (Some great songs from artists like Late of the Pier, NIN, and many more)
Moneen, one of my favourite bands, recently put their new EP up for streaming. I've embedded the player below, and as always with Moneen, it's worth your time.
Moneen are probably the most underrated band of the last five years, so give them a chance! It's FREE!
Jesse
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
The Top 15 Canadian Albums Since 2000
I've been thinking about two things musically lately.
First off is the fact that the first decade of the new millennium ends at the end of this year. Yes, Y2K was ten years ago now, which is mind boggling.
Secondly, I've been really enjoying a lot of music from Canadian bands lately, and I've thought about how many great Canadian bands h ave emerged in the last ten years.
With those two things in mind, I now present my favourite fifteen albums from Canadian bands since 2000. The FavTape containing 30 songs from these 15 albums is at the bottom, if you'd like to hear some of the music while listening, go to the bottom, or click HERE.
The Top 15 Canadian Albums Since 2000
(Sorted by Year - Not by Favourite)
--------------------------------------
Gob - The World According to Gob - 2001 - For a 16 year old me, this album was pure pop-punk bliss. I've always loved Gob, but this was their pinnacle, with song after song that just make me happy. "I Hear You Calling" may be the best pop-punk song of the last ten years in my opinion.
Treble Charger - Wide Awake Bored - 2001 - Containing one of the greatest Canadian singles of the last decade (American Psyho), the first three songs on Wide Awake Bored are nearly unbeatable. It's a shame they broke up, as a couple of their albums were great, especially this early 2000's classic.
Matthew Good - Avalanche - 2003 - I struggled to only put one Matthew Good album on this list, but Avalanche is by far and away my favourite piece of music he's put out since 2000. Full of lengthy and lush anthems, I can listen to this from start to finish over and over, it's a brilliant album.
Billy Talent - Billy Talent - 2003 - Bursting onto the mainstream in 2003, this album really brought a sense of rock and roll to Canadian music at the time. It was a real kick in the ass, adding a tonne of ferocity and almost danger to my musical choices of the time. It still holds up, as its an amazing album from start to finish.
The Stills - Logic Will Break Your Heart - 2003 - I remember going to University and opening my eyes to a lot of music, especially this album of shimmering and hypnotic rock. I have and still can listen to the entire album on repeat and lose hours of time, with how amazing and captivating it is.
Dears - No Cities Left - 2003 - This was another eye-opener, as I struggle to think of another band that sounds like the Dears did on this album. While it certainly beautiful and layered like other indie albums, this one has a layer of menace and doom that other indie bands don't dare approach; this album is equal parts uplifting and scary.
Metric - Old World Underground - 2003 - Making it ok to dance to rock again, Metric blew up with this awesome album that's endlessly catchy and happy.
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it in People - 2003 - Six years later, and this album still impresses and surprises me. Broken Social Scene really changed the landscape of Canadian music with this album (and the peripheral band albums), and it still holds up well.
The Arcade Fire - Funeral - 2004 - I don't know what I can say about this album that hasn't been said before, there's a reason why it's universally hailed - it's amazing, nuff' said.
Death From Above 1979 -You're a Woman, I'm a Machine - 2004 - Making hard rock danceable was DFA's MO, and this brilliant first (and last) album is nigh-perfect, and it only adds to the greatness that they broke up shortly after putting it out.
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema - 2005 - Relentlessly poppy, this album is hit after hit that serve to cheer you up, in a style that no other band really emulates right now, this album's excellently unique and catchy.
Moneen - the Red Tree - 2006 - After two albums and a few EPs trying to create the perfect album for their sound, Moneen struck gold in 2006 with this album that is brilliant from start to finish. I love Moneen, and while this song lacked a true single, it's one of the most complete albums I've ever heard.
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - 2007 - Proving that Funeral wasn't a fluke, Neon Bible expands their sonic landscapes to create more single-friendly rock and roll, yet never giving up any of their honesty and beauty.
Weakerthans - Reunion Tour - 2007 - You can pick any Weakerthans album and make a case for it's brilliance, but my favourite is their newest disc. It's unique, catchy, rocking, happy, and everything wonderful that you'd expect from a band as great and Canadian as they are.
Matt Mays - Terminal Romance - 2008 - From star to finish, every song counts on this album, and every song will hook you by the end. Not nearly as complicated as some of May's previous albums, but it's certainly his best album, with song after song of glorious Canadian rock and roll.
Honorable Mention
-----------------
Boys Night Out - Trainwreck - 2005 - If I had to pick a sixteenth album, I'd pick this amazing concept album about drug abuse and death. I don't think I liked an album before, and they haven't done anything great since, but Trainwreck's a masterpiece.
Below is a link to the FavTape I made for this list, which contains two songs off every album, except Wide Awake Bored, which only has one, so I threw on a song from Trainwreck to make it an even 30 songs, all available for streaming/downloading goodness.
Any opinions or arguments? Post away.
Jesse.
Top 15 Canadian Albums Since 2000 FAVTAPE
First off is the fact that the first decade of the new millennium ends at the end of this year. Yes, Y2K was ten years ago now, which is mind boggling.
Secondly, I've been really enjoying a lot of music from Canadian bands lately, and I've thought about how many great Canadian bands h ave emerged in the last ten years.
With those two things in mind, I now present my favourite fifteen albums from Canadian bands since 2000. The FavTape containing 30 songs from these 15 albums is at the bottom, if you'd like to hear some of the music while listening, go to the bottom, or click HERE.
The Top 15 Canadian Albums Since 2000
(Sorted by Year - Not by Favourite)
--------------------------------------
Gob - The World According to Gob - 2001 - For a 16 year old me, this album was pure pop-punk bliss. I've always loved Gob, but this was their pinnacle, with song after song that just make me happy. "I Hear You Calling" may be the best pop-punk song of the last ten years in my opinion.
Treble Charger - Wide Awake Bored - 2001 - Containing one of the greatest Canadian singles of the last decade (American Psyho), the first three songs on Wide Awake Bored are nearly unbeatable. It's a shame they broke up, as a couple of their albums were great, especially this early 2000's classic.
Matthew Good - Avalanche - 2003 - I struggled to only put one Matthew Good album on this list, but Avalanche is by far and away my favourite piece of music he's put out since 2000. Full of lengthy and lush anthems, I can listen to this from start to finish over and over, it's a brilliant album.
Billy Talent - Billy Talent - 2003 - Bursting onto the mainstream in 2003, this album really brought a sense of rock and roll to Canadian music at the time. It was a real kick in the ass, adding a tonne of ferocity and almost danger to my musical choices of the time. It still holds up, as its an amazing album from start to finish.
The Stills - Logic Will Break Your Heart - 2003 - I remember going to University and opening my eyes to a lot of music, especially this album of shimmering and hypnotic rock. I have and still can listen to the entire album on repeat and lose hours of time, with how amazing and captivating it is.
Dears - No Cities Left - 2003 - This was another eye-opener, as I struggle to think of another band that sounds like the Dears did on this album. While it certainly beautiful and layered like other indie albums, this one has a layer of menace and doom that other indie bands don't dare approach; this album is equal parts uplifting and scary.
Metric - Old World Underground - 2003 - Making it ok to dance to rock again, Metric blew up with this awesome album that's endlessly catchy and happy.
Broken Social Scene - You Forgot it in People - 2003 - Six years later, and this album still impresses and surprises me. Broken Social Scene really changed the landscape of Canadian music with this album (and the peripheral band albums), and it still holds up well.
The Arcade Fire - Funeral - 2004 - I don't know what I can say about this album that hasn't been said before, there's a reason why it's universally hailed - it's amazing, nuff' said.
Death From Above 1979 -You're a Woman, I'm a Machine - 2004 - Making hard rock danceable was DFA's MO, and this brilliant first (and last) album is nigh-perfect, and it only adds to the greatness that they broke up shortly after putting it out.
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema - 2005 - Relentlessly poppy, this album is hit after hit that serve to cheer you up, in a style that no other band really emulates right now, this album's excellently unique and catchy.
Moneen - the Red Tree - 2006 - After two albums and a few EPs trying to create the perfect album for their sound, Moneen struck gold in 2006 with this album that is brilliant from start to finish. I love Moneen, and while this song lacked a true single, it's one of the most complete albums I've ever heard.
The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - 2007 - Proving that Funeral wasn't a fluke, Neon Bible expands their sonic landscapes to create more single-friendly rock and roll, yet never giving up any of their honesty and beauty.
Weakerthans - Reunion Tour - 2007 - You can pick any Weakerthans album and make a case for it's brilliance, but my favourite is their newest disc. It's unique, catchy, rocking, happy, and everything wonderful that you'd expect from a band as great and Canadian as they are.
Matt Mays - Terminal Romance - 2008 - From star to finish, every song counts on this album, and every song will hook you by the end. Not nearly as complicated as some of May's previous albums, but it's certainly his best album, with song after song of glorious Canadian rock and roll.
Honorable Mention
-----------------
Boys Night Out - Trainwreck - 2005 - If I had to pick a sixteenth album, I'd pick this amazing concept album about drug abuse and death. I don't think I liked an album before, and they haven't done anything great since, but Trainwreck's a masterpiece.
Below is a link to the FavTape I made for this list, which contains two songs off every album, except Wide Awake Bored, which only has one, so I threw on a song from Trainwreck to make it an even 30 songs, all available for streaming/downloading goodness.
Any opinions or arguments? Post away.
Jesse.
Top 15 Canadian Albums Since 2000 FAVTAPE
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