Audio By Carbonatix
Today marks the halfway point of Nothing Not New. That means I’ve listen to nearly 140 records in their entirety in the first six months of 2010. Just another 140 or so to go before I can retreat to the familiarity of my record collection.
To recognize the occasion, the Up on the Sun brass has asked me to pick out a few songs to get readers up to speed on what they’ve missed. The songs below are some of my favorites from the year, essentially stuff that is in the “most played” column on my iTunes.
Some aren’t the obvious singles or lead tracks from an album, or songs from albums that got a lot of buzz upon their release.
So, what are your favorites from the first half of 2010? What first-half records have I missed? Drop a comment below. And thanks for reading the blog and offering some of your insightful comments on music we’ve either agreed or disagreed on.
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LCD Soundsystem — “All I Want”: James Murphy’s supposedly final album under the LCD Soundsystem name has a lot of high points, including this one about Mr. Murphy’s longing to settle down from the life of a pop star. Love the nod to Bowie’s “Heroes” in the guitar line.
LCD Soundsystem — All I Want by Stoop Kid Speaks His Mind
Spoon — “Got Nuffin”: Critics’ faves Spoon do this sparse tension thing really well. This is the one song on their latest, released in January, that I keep coming back to. They actually took the formula from Aussie up-and-comers Eddy Current Suppression Ring and improved upon it. Meanwhile, ECSR’s new record was a big letdown.
Surfer Blood — “Fast Jabroni”: Perhaps the most buzzed-about band of early 2010, Surfer Blood has a very cool laconic, reverb-heavy sound. Hopefully, the quality of the material gets up to speed with their musical vision. I sure like this song, though.
Beach House — “Zebra”: This band was all the rage in the first quarter of 2010. I was underwhelmed by their record — and still am — but this song has definitely grown on me. Few songs I’ve heard this year evoke a sense of time and place as well as “Zebra.”
Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings — “Money”: Yes, they’re a revivalist act, but they do old-school soul so well, you may not be able to tell this music wasn’t recorded in 1965. And Sharon Jones is one of the best singers out there right now, in any genre. Buy the record already.
The Hold Steady — “Our Whole Lives”: I was really high on Heaven Is Whenever when it was released in early May, but the luster has worn off considerably — except for this song, track nine on Heaven. To me, it’s a song about what the excitement and anticipation of both fun and trouble when you choose to make rock ‘n’ roll the soundtrack of our life. “Sing sing sing every song we know / Blowing out the speakers of the stereo.” Indeed.
The Hold Steady: Our Whole Lives
The Dead Weather — “Die by the Drop”: On the other end of spectrum of Beach House sits Jack White’s band. Their new records, Sea of Cowards, is — front to back — probably my favorite record of the year so far. It’s nasty and dangerous, as the best rock ‘n’ roll always is.
Die By The Drop – The Dead Weather
Charlotte Gainsbourg — “Le Chat du Café Des Artistes”: Beck’s production on the latest record by the French singer/actress is near-perfect. No song I’ve heard this year makes better use of strings.
03 Le Chat Du Café Des Artistes
Dum Dum Girls — “Bhang Bhang I’m a Burnout”: Of all the lo-fi, reverb-drenched garage pop that’s come out this year (and, believe me, there’s been a lot of it), this may be the catchiest of them all.
Dum Dum Girls – Bhang Bhang, I’m A Burnout
Harlan T. Bobo — “Sweet Life”: If you can write a song that recalls Lee Hazlewood at his finest, then I’m going to listen. This Memphis singer-songwriter did just that, and the rest of his new record, Sucker, is pretty darn good, too.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club — “Bad Blood”: I’ve never been a fan of this band, but this song has been on heavy rotation for me ever since their so-so record was released in February. I guess I’m a sucker for those big, woozy guitar bends.
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – bad blood
The Soft Pack — “C’mon”: I can’t wait to hear what this young-ish San Diego band does next. Their self-titled debut record is among my favorite of the year, for their mix of hooky early-80s college rock (think Feelies and REM) and good old-fashioned garage punk.
Devo — “Human Rocket”: I was pleasantly surprised that Devo’s first new record in a decade is pretty solid, with enough really good songs to make you buy into the de-evolution all over again.
“Nothing Not New” is a yearlong project in which New Times editorial operations manager Jay Bennett, a 41-year-old music fan and musician, will listen only to music released in 2010. Each Monday through Friday, he will listen to one new record (no best ofs, reissues, or concert recordings) and write about it. Why? Because in the words of his editor, Martin Cizmar, he suffers from “aesthetic atrophy,” a wasting away of one’s ability to embrace new and different music as one ages. Read more about this all-too-common ailment here.
July 2 — Katzenjammer: Le Pop (B)June 30 — Wolf Parade: Expo 86 (B-)June 29 — Scissor Sisters: Night Work (B+)
June 24 — Foals: Total Life Forever (D+)June 23 — Pernice Brothers: Goodbye, Killer (A-)June 22 — The Roots: How I Got Over (B+)June 21 — Danzig: Deth Red Sabaoth (D)
June 18 — The Chemical Brothers: Further (B+)June 17 — Eyes Set to Kill: Broken Frames (C)June 16 — Devo: Something for Everybody (B+)June 15 — The Gaslight Anthem: American Slang (C-)June 14 — Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Mojo (C)
June 11 — Odds ‘n’ Sods: The Dig, The Cringe, Delta Spirit, Stereo Total, and moreJune 10 — Gemma Ray: It’s a Shame About Gemma Ray (A-)June 9 — Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti: Before Today (B)June 8 — Against Me!: White Crosses (C)June 7 — Blitzen Trapper: Destroyer of the Void (B-)
June 4 — The Melvins: The Bride Screamed Murder (B-)June 3 — Crystal Castles: Crystal Castles II (B-)June 2 — The Cool Kids: Tacklebox (B-)
May 27 — What Cheer? Brigade: We Blow You Suck (D)May 26 — Stone Tempe Pilots: Stone Temple Pilots (C)May 25 — Karen Elson: The Ghost Who Walks (C+)May 24 — Damien Jurado: Saint Bartlett (B)
May 21 — Woven Bones: In and Out and Back Again (B-)May 20 — Band of Horses: Infinite Arms (B-)May 19 — Sleigh Bells: Treats (D-)May 18 — The Black Keys: Brothers (B+) May 17 — LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening (A-)
May 14 — Odds ‘n’ Sods: CocoRosie, Natalie Merchant, The Sadies, and moreMay 13 — Male Bonding: Nothing Hurts (B)May 12 — Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma (B-)May 11 — The Dead Weather: Sea of Cowards (A)May 10 — The National: High Violet (B+)
May 7 — Shapiro: Shapiro (C)May 6 — Gogol Bordello: Trans-Continental Hustle (C-)May 5 — Broken Social Scene: Forgiveness Rock Record (A-)May 4 — The New Pornographers: Together (B-)May 3 — The Hold Steady: Heaven Is Whenever (A-)
April 30 — Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings: I Learned the Hard Way (A)April 29 — Hole: Nobody’s Daughter (D+)April 28 — Odds ‘n’ Sods: Toro y Moi, Merle Haggard, Freedy Johnston, and moreApril 27 — Unnatural Helpers: Cracked Love & Other Drugs (B+)April 26 — Harlan T. Bobo: Sucker (A-)
April 23 — Roky Erickson and Okkervil River: True Love Cast Out All Evil (A-)April 22 — Caribou: Swim (D)April 21 — The Apples in Stereo: Travellers in Space and Time (C-)April 20 — Jakob Dylan: Women + Country (D+)April 19 — Cornershop: Judy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast (C)
April 16 — Frightened Rabbit: The Winter of Mixed Drinks (B+)April 15 — Coheed and Cambria: Year of the Black Rainbow (D-)April 14 — Foxy Shazam: Foxy Shazam (D, later changed to a B)April 13 — MGMT: Congratulations (B+)April 12 — Odds ‘n’ Sods: Robyn Hitchcock, RJD2, Scorpions, and More
April 9 — Murder by Death: Good Morning, Magpie (B-)April 8 — Harlem: Hippies (C+)April 7 — Slow Club: Yeah, So (B)April 6 — Black Francis: NonStopErotik (B+)April 5 — Growing: Pumps! (F)
April 2 — Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs: Medicine County (B)April 1 — Dum Dum Girls: I Will Be (A-)March 31 — The Dillinger Escape Plan: Option Paralysis (B+)March 30 — Local Natives: Gorilla Manor (B)March 29 — The Bird and the Bee: Interpreting the Masters: Hall & Oates (C)
March 26 — Eddy Current Suppression Ring: Rush to Relax (C+)March 25 — Let’s Wrestle: In the Court of the Wrestling Let’s (B)March 24 — Goldfrapp: Head First (D)March 23 — She & Him: Volume 2 (A-)March 22 — Broken Bells: Broken Bells (C+)
March 19 — Locksley: Be In Love (B)March 18 — jj: jj no. 3 (C-)March 17 — Xiu Xiu: Dear God, I Hate Myself (D+)March 16 — Drive By Truckers: The Big To-Do (B-)March 15 — April Smith and the Great Picture Show: Songs for a Sinking Ship (C)
March 12 — The Morning Benders: Big Echo (C+)March 11 — Black Rebel Motorcycle Club: Beat the Devil’s Tattoos (B)March 10 — Acrassicauda: Only the Dead See the End of War (C-)March 9 — Titus Andronicus: The Monitor (B+)March 8 — Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: The Brutalist Bricks (A)
March 5 — Liars: Sisterworld (A-)March 4 — Gorillaz: Plastic Beach (A-)March 3 — Johnny Cash: American VI: Ain’t No Grave (B+)March 2 — High on Fire: Snakes for the Divine (C)March 1 — Joanna Newsom: Have One on Me (C)
Feb. 26 — Freeway & Jake One: The Stimulus Package (D)Feb. 25 — Past Lives: Tapestry of Webs (B-)Feb. 24 — Shout Out Louds: Work (B)Feb. 23 — Brian Jonestown Massacre: Who Killed Sgt. Pepper? (B+)Feb. 22 — Shearwater: The Golden Archipelago (D+)
Feb. 19 — The Strange Boys: Be Brave (B+)Feb. 18 — Tindersticks: Falling Down a Mountain (A)Feb. 17 — Lightspeed Champion: Life Is Sweet! Nice to Meet You (C-)Feb. 16 — Adam Green: Minor Love (B-)Feb. 15 — Juliana Hatfield: Peace & Love (B+)
Feb. 12 — Massive Attack: Heligoland (C-)Feb. 11 — The Watson Twins: Talking to You, Talking to Me (C-)Feb. 10 — Hot Chip: One Life Stand (B+)Feb. 9 — You Say Party! We Say Die!: XXXX (B+)Feb. 8 — Allison Moorer: Crows (B)
Feb. 5 — Joe Pug: Messenger (C)Feb. 4 — The Soft Pack: The Soft Pack (A)Feb. 3 — Polysics: Absolute Polysics (B-)Feb. 2 — Pierced Arrows: Descending Shadows (A-)Feb. 1 — The Brunettes: Paper Doll (B-)
Jan. 29 — Basia Bulat: Heart of My Own (C)Jan. 28 — Priestess: Prior to the Fire (B)Jan. 27 — The Magnetic Fields: Realism (B)Jan. 26 — Four Tet: There Is Love in You (D)Jan. 25 — Delphic: Acolyte (C+)
Jan. 22 — The Hot Rats: Turn Ons (B+)Jan. 21 — Los Campesinos!: Romance Is Boring (A-)Jan. 20 — Midlake: The Courage of Others (D-)Jan. 19 — Laura Veirs: July Flame (B+)Jan. 18 — Beach House: Teen Dream (C)
Jan. 15 — Charlotte Gainsbourg: IRM (B)Jan. 14 — OK Go: Of the Blue Colour of the Sky (D)Jan. 13 — Eels: End Times (A-)Jan. 12 — Spoon: Transference (B)Jan. 11 — Editors: In This Light and On This Evening (D+)
Jan. 8 — Surfer Blood: Astro Coast (B+)Jan. 7 — Yeasayer: Odd Blood (C-)Jan. 6 — Cold War Kids: Behave Yourself EP (B+)Jan. 5 — Vampire Weekend: Contra (D+)Jan. 4 — Texas Tornados: Está Bueno! (B)
Jan. 1 — Scanners: Submarine (B-)
