TWENNY TEN: Puke's Favey Albumseys

OK.
So.
This was hard, and I'm going to tell y'all straight up that I nearly copped out and picked TWO! albums as my favourites of 2010. I know, I know, but I love them both so much for completely different reasons that it was impossible to compare them.
But when hip blog co-author Amy was queried via twitter on which way to go a la "heart versus brain" the response was "go with yr heart :' ("
So, dun dun dunnn,

Owen Pallett's Heartland wins my favourite album of 2010 Awarde.

Here's a wanky instagram photo of it sitting on my shit desk.


See that blurry/lined-up face on the cover? Well, according to both popular urban bible "SongMeanings.com," and Owen Pallett himself, this album is A STORY. About that dude. Who is named "Lewis." This is where it gets a bit confusing. The setting is some fictional kingdom somewhere (complete with place names used here and there, including the titular "Heartland"). And, basically, when we are listening to Owen Pallett sing on this album, we are listening to a dialogue between Owen himself and this fictional Lewis character.
Uhh
So basically I have no fucking idea either. But that doesn't really matter. These songs are insanely. Emotional. Notice up there how I said that I had to pick between a "brain" choice and a "heart" choice. The concept of Heartland may sound complicated but only it's only there if you really want to delve in to it. Since this is fast becoming a bad Pitchfork review where the music isn't actually talked about..
Heartland sounds fantastic. If you've followed Pallett's previous Final Fantasy forays, this is the next logical step from where he was going with the Spectrum EP. Horns, electronics, sometimes a bit kraut, sometimes a bit Yann Tiersen, it's all fantastic. And guess what! NO VIOLINS. Just kidding every fucking song has violin, this is Owen Pallett LOLOLOL.
He's kind of toned his voice down a bit since He Poos Clouds, not so shouty or shrill, but it works. I don't think we've heard that creepy bellow he pulls out on interlude "Mount Alpetine." Every instrument, from that jumped-up bassline in "Tryst with Mephistopheles" to the more-catchy-than-the-vocals horns/woodwinds in "Lewis Takes Action" has been so meticulously and artfully placed and timed. It's fucking fantastic.

My absolute favourite track here though is called "The Great Elsewhere." It's a turning point in the album in terms of both sound and content- shit seems to get heavy. I also think this song has a better slow build than anything Sigur Ros have ever done, so shove it, Jonsi! (Jus kidding, I luv you Jonsi!) There are sparky zinger electronics, haunting violins etc., and then BAM drum machine. Every time Owey P pulls out a drum machine I absolutely lose my shit (see: Don't Stop). And then there are lyrics about some epic battles, pirates, scars, and "face to his face, I put my hand into his" and OH MAN. It's pretty overwhelming. Listen loudly, on headphones. It's like this song is someone running off a cliff, Hyperballad style, on a stormy day. They're going to die, and it's going to be spectacular, and sad. I have it on good authority from nobody whatsoever that Katy Perry was listening to this song on repeat when she wrote "Firework" or whatever it is, take from that whatever you will.
Sorry, I'm trying hard to write about this album without sounding like a huge wanker but I LOVE IT SO MUCH
I guess in a sense I am pretty biased in that this album dropped right in the middle of My Maelstrom of Personal Problems. Long, long walks + this shit on loop = tattooed to my personality forevermore. Uhhh
MAYBE I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT

If it wasn't for my super emotional attachment to Heartland, this next album would've been at the top of the podium (see: Brain choice)

Matthew Dear's Black City wins runner up a.k.a. #1.5


I have already written a review of this album on this blog THANK FUCK I AM SICK OF TYPING SHIT. But, I will say, this album is still soooo good. I remember when I first fired up opening track "Honey" and I was like "Man this album is going to be pretty shit," but by the the third nine minute epic track I was pretty convinced otherwise. Also I love how deceptive and soothing "Honey" is now. BLACK SITTAYYYY 4 LYF

I'm not going to write anymore blurbs, just three-word-poems for the rest of the runners up. Also, I will leave spacing between the albums to indicate how 'close' they are to each other in terms of 'rankings.' I'm so fucking conceptual.

3. Sam Amidon's I See The Sign: R. Kelly, covered
4. Antony & The Johnsons' Swanlights: "PUNCH HER GHOST!"


5. Wavves' King of The Beach: V is for
6. Deerhunter's Halcyon Digest: Bradford Cox, still!

7. Skream's Outside The Box: Who is she?

8. LCD Soundsystem's This is Happening: Live and livid


9. Sufjan Steven's Age of Adz: HE IS SEXY



10. I can't decide between Joanna Newsom, Warpaint, or Mount Kimbie. So pick your favourite out of these three.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

DON'T WORRY GUYS, Amy's list will be Coming Soon, and I'm sure I will find some other shit to write about before 2011. Comic Foxhole, anyone?
...

Ugh, reading back, this post is basically just a handjob for Owen Pallett. SUCCESS??

Snoop Dogg's Beautiful = Snoop Dogg's Signs?

WELCOME to "random thoughts post" #3(?).

1. Have you heard Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell - Beautiful? It's pretty good!. While I was discussing this with blog co-author ramey I was reminded of Snoop Dogg ft. Justin Timberlake - Signs. THEY'RE P MUCH THE SAME SONG YOU GUYS. YouTube it. I'm right.

2. I just read on ABC News about some divers who were lost at sea for several hours or some shit. Although they were safely rescued, their boat sank. But, someone just recovered a camera from the event, and there are some 'choice snaps' of an apparently dramatic sea-rescue. I don't really get if this is big news or not but I quite like this "recovered phote":


"HELLO IS THAT A RESCUE CHOPPA? MATE, WE'RE DOWN HURR MATE?"

It sort of looks like it could be a chillwave album cover a la Washed Out's Life of Leisure:



3. I recently had a discussion(/argument) with a friend about, uh, I'm not sure what specifically, but I know it definitely had something to do with music taste. It was after approx 2 bottles of wine on my end. But. I remember in particular being caught up on the idea of 'when to stop.' As in, when do you stop actively seeking out music to listen to? Is there ever a stage of giving in/up or emotional resolution where new artists/albums/songs are not sought out? (Not including those thrust upon us by mainstream media.)

I'd like to think that there is no such thing as being satisfied musically, but there seem to be people around who have reached this. Unless I'm just being a huge snob and underestimating everyone and everything.
HEAVY CHAT Y'ALL.

4. Latest listenings:

-Warpaint: The Fool. P damn good. Reminds me a bit of the Australian band called Beaches.
-Antony and the Johnsons: Swanlights, still.
-N.E.R.D.: Nothing. There are ~4 good songs on this. I quite like N.E.R.D. so I'm a little disappointed with this album.
-Rollins Band.: I know the music is awful, awful "big dumb rock" but, I think songs like "I Feel Like This" or "Lonely" manage to be amazing despite being so shit. Panic at the Sight of Henry Rollins!
-Also, anything electronic Chilligan's Island music a la Gold Panda, Prefuse 73, Flying Lotus' L.A. album.



5. Sunset Rubdown dethroned Sonic Youth at the top of my last.fm charts. I've been on that site for like 5 fucken years and this has never happened. LUV U SPENCEY KRUG

6. Here is a YouTube to finish upppp. This song is by a band(?) called The Foreign Exchange. The album kind of reminds me of Blue Lines-era Massive Attack, which is a good thing. This song is so nice, and successfully makes me feel bitter about heteronormative relationships, HA. The video seems to be a bit of a downer though, I'm not sure what their interpretation of the song is there.



Peace out y'all

Tony and the Jo-Jo's

I honestly believe "Do you remember Antony & The Johnsons?" is the least necessary question in the english language. Antony Hegarty's voice sticks in your memory like the smell of your grandparent's house. Except it is (most likely) much, much more pleasant.

Antony and The Johnsons' latest album, 'Swanlights,' is absolutely fantastic. I recall quite enjoying 'I am a Bird Now' back in the day, but I was only about 16 and probably didn't appreciate it to the fullest. I think I even laughed at songs like "For Today I am a Boy." I never got into the next release, 'The Crying Light,' as much, but some songs really stood out as important. The video for the song "Epilepsy is Dancing" is still one of the greatest around (if a little over-the-top):



So, the new album manages to achieve songs which are a lot more esoteric in sound. Antony's voice is still front and center as it should be (except for one song which feature Bjork in lead vocals- who's going to complain about that?), but the style of sounds and instrumentation is a lot more diverse. From the acoustic guitar balladry of 'The Great White Ocean' to the psychadelic shoegaze-esque title track, 'Swanlights' covers a lot more ground than his morose previous offerings. It's pretty refreshing to hear Antony sing an upbeat song that isn't about domestic violence a la "I feel your fist, and I know it's out of love!"

Overall, fans of Antony's previous work should like this, unless they really are the saddest sacks around. And if you're not a fan of Antony's previous work, fuck right off. You should be. My only inconsequential qualm is that the album cover doesn't follow the high contrast black and white photo aesthetic. As I said, inconsequential.


Antony & The Johnsons - Swanlights gets
9 LUKES OUT OF 10