20.
Arthur & Yu – In Camera
http://www.myspace.com/arthurandyu
When i’m older i want to make duets with nice, softly whispering women. They’d sing nice songs and I, with my rusty old voice – all messed up by the cigarettes i don’t smoke & the whisky i don’t dring – would do the male back-up. We’d keep the tradition alive that Arthur & Yu have kept alive. And that Lee & Nancy have started.
Sounds Like:
Lee Hazlewood & Nancy Sinatra,
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
19.
Pinback – Autumn Of the Seraphs
http://www.myspace.com/pinback
Pinback is big in Belgium. Both concerts (belgium ain’t that big) were completely sold out... There’s this show on Belgian Radio and they made them big I guess (
duyster that show is called, guess you all saw those tags already sometimes) ... a combination between incredibly intelligent pop, harmonic singing that kicks ass & softcore math rock. This music fits like a mosquito net in an African Bedroom.
Sounds Like: Nothing sounds like pinback, except for other
Rob Crow Projects
18.
Thinguma*jigsaw – (awakeinthewhitechapel)
http://www.myspace.com/thingumajigsaw
A scary dream.. A nightmare with elves... an elephant head with no body. A movie with no characters except that one guy who just stares at you for 2 hours. A sandwich with old egg salad on it. A mystery that you tried to get for over 50 years. A thinguma jigsaw...
Sounds Like: a scary dream you don’t want to wake up from.
17.
Le Loup - The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nations' Millennium General Assembly
http://www.myspace.com/leloupmusic
Le loup. That’s french for wolf. And a wolf is a ferocious animal. But it’s not part of the
Animal Collective. Though they sound like a light version of that band. Although you could say a
Panda Bear looks sweeter than a wolf, but that’s confusing. Cause le loup sound sweeter than animal collective. And it makes me less nervous. So le loup....The wolf, that’s my favourite animal.
Sounds like: Animal Collective (the strawberry jam-variation),
Beach Boys
16.
Chris and Thomas – Land of Sea
http://www.myspace.com/chrisandthomas
Now i’m starting to be my old boring self again, listening to albums where my middle aged me should listen to. But this
Simon & Garfunkel-lookalike duo just makes wonderful songs. You should try Broken Chair. Well, the song, not really. Cause a real broken chair has no use.
Sounds Like: Simon & Garfunkel (but not that mellow),
Kings of Convenience
15.
Findlay Brown – Separated By The Sea
http://www.myspace.com/findlaybrown
I don’t know whether many people were born in the seventies. Or many people that know
Jackson C. Frank. (the first thing has nothing to do with the other) ...Findlay brown is born in the seventies i guess. Cause he sounds like a seventies folk singer (think Jackson C Frank, and if you don’t know that guy, shame and you and then picture Tim Buckley or someone like that...) ...He makes retro kinda beautiful again.
Sounds Like:
Tim Buckley, Jackson C. Frank
14.
Phosphorescent – Pride
http://www.myspace.com/phosphorescent
Now that god is dead, we need something new to believe in. And we need a soundtrack with that. Religious sounds haunting our nihilistic existence. On Pride there are some gospel songs that give me the shivers. It’s like a folk album for a kind of sectarian movement. It’s gonna be cult in a few years time. Mark my words.
Sounds Like: A new religion,
Bonnie Prince Billy,
Neil Young
13.
Alela Diane – The Pirate’s gospel
http://www.myspace.com/alelamusic
My Tired Feet. My Tired Feet. This friend of Mariee Sioux comes from the same place as Sioux & Joanna Newsom. I wonder whether they ever get together to sing songs and how many men have been killed by listening to it. Hauntingly beautiful folk singer. I wish i could die in her lap.
Sounds Like: Mariee Sioux,
Marissa Nadler,
Joanna Newsom, but actually like herself.
12.
Adrian Orange & Her Band – Adrian Orange & Her Band
http://www.myspace.com/adrianorangewithchildslaverebellion
The Guy can’t sing. Well, that’s the reason why i didn’t really like him when he was still operating under the name
Thanksgiving. But his voice, in combination with this bossa nova, bigband sounds is incredible. Oh my god, it’s such funny music. Listen e.g. to Unconvincing serenade and know why it really is quite unconvincing... but such fine piece of music.
Sounds Like: Droopy
bossanova style.
11.
Los Campesinos! – Sticking Fingers into Sockets
http://www.myspace.com/loscampesinos
Dance, Dance Dance! ... And Twee Twee Twee... And Fidelity lalala Dee. This is such an incredibly nice 20 minutes of music and so fun, and happy...that i just want to dance to the moon... and come back..
Sounds Like: Belle and Sebastian, the modern dance version.
10.
Andrew Jackson Jihad – People That Can Eat People Are The Luckiest People In The World
http://www.myspace.com/andrewjacksonjihad
The Genre I will explore in 2008 is
folk punk. Acoustic, bluegrass-like punky songs. A bit reminiscent of what
Mountain Goats sometimes does. Anyway. Energetic like hell, with funny lyrics, and very good melodies. And with People II: The Reckoning they made the best Simon & Garfunkel Cover ever (well, at least a part of one of their songs, which one you have to discover yourself)
Sounds Like: Uptempo Mountain Goats, Punk with acoustic guitars
9.
Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
http://www.myspace.com/wilco
So much has been written and said about this album, but the general idea is: “gosh this album sucks, it’s not experimental”..and then two weeks later “well, it’s okay, but it’s not their best”, and then another two weeks later “You should give Sky Blue Sky a try, man a fucking great album”... I’m not into lame alt. country the way the band made (i’m sorry old fellow men) but sky blue sky is just...it’s full of incredible songs. Also the band with the greatest concert i’ve ever seen (this year, man, what a show)
Sounds Like: The Band, but less lame.
8.
Sea Wolf – Get To The River Before It Runs Too Low (EP)
http://www.myspace.com/seawolf
Some albums are great in their shortness... Sea wolf has released a debut album, with more songs, but this EP (that was released earlier) appears to be “a best of “ from that album. Each song is perfect. It’s music that you should listen to and sing along with..
Sounds Like: Elliott Smith,
The Shins, indiestuff
7.
BOAT– Let’s Drag Our Feet
http://www.myspace.com/boatmusic
I think i’ll be one of the few people that puts this album so high in his list. But as we all know, everyone else is wrong. This is lovely lo-fi indie, in Pavement-Sebadoh, Slacker pop tradition. Well, it doesn’t sound like those two bands, but it still sounds great and funny (yeah, i’m really running out of inspiration. Mostly because i think all this stuff is amazing and you shouldn’t read all this, but just listen to it)
Sounds Like: Slacker music,
Pavement,
Sebadoh
6.
Bowerbirds – Hymns For a Dark horse
http://www.myspace.com/bowerbirds
when one is sad & lonely, one should dance around an oak tree. And listen to Bowerbirds. And pick one of them out of the sky and eat it. Cause bowerbirds can make you smile again with their soft songs, with gipsy influences. It’s like the
Beirut album that’s even better than the original.. but it sounds more like Vetiver.
Sounds Like: Vetiver,
Andrew Bird, Beirut
5.
Ezra Furman & The Harpoons– Bang Down Your Doors
http://www.myspace.com/ezrafurman
Wide Awake by
Alec Ounsworth is a incredibly beautiful song. Ounsworth is the singer of
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, but i only like his acoustic demos. (yeah, i know, acoustic is my kind of music) ... Because Ounsworth probably won’t release an acoustic album soon, I looked for something else..and i found Ezra... HE sounds the same, but he’s more a neil young, bob dylan music type. He only doesn’t really know how to play the mond harmonics, but that adds to the charm... Age shouldn’t really matter in my judgements, but 22? Oh my god...he’s gonna make amazing stuff in the future.
Sounds Like: Clap your Hands Say Yeah, Alec Ounsworth,
Bob Dylan,
Neil Young
4.
Chris Garneau – Music For Tourists
http://www.myspace.com/chrisgarneau
Antony & The Johnsons will release a new album in 2008... but we don’t need him anymore. We’ve got Chris Garneau! He sounds like a castrated guy, but he doesn’t add all the melodrama that can make antony sometimes so annoying (no offence, antony, i still appreciate what you’re doing!) ... In fact his songs sound very melodramatic, but there’s a very light side about them... it’s sad music which makes you feel good...
Sounds Like:
Baby Dee,
Jeff Buckley, Antony & The Johnsons
3.
Lewis & Clarke – Blasts of Holy Birth
http://www.myspace.com/lewisclarke
If there’s one album that just is so underappreciated, it’s this one. Okay, punk guys & hardcore fans shouldn’t give this a try, but all those people that love nice acoustic music should really just look for this... it’s hauntingly beautiful, no matter what you think of it.
Sounds Like: Vetiver,
Nick Drake (well, just a little bit)
2. The Genius
Spencer Krug
(Sunset Rubdown – Shut up i’m dreaming)
Sunset Rubdown – Random Spirit Lover
Frog Eyes – Tears of The Valedictorian
http://www.myspace.com/justchoke
Okay. This should be my number 1 (so why isn’t he?) ... It’s like this....the Shut up i’m dreaming album got its Belgian release in 2007...Which would make it a 2007 album. If i count that in, sunset rubdown is undeniably this year’s winner. But i decided to just stick to the original release date, which was 2006. But still..he got two wonderful albums this year. He sounds like a frog eye, but oh god, i wish he would come to Europe so I could see him perform... i think i’ve never heard music that is so intense in all its ugliness...it sounds like a carnival from hell...and still you enjoy it.
Sounds Like: Nightmares, nightmares, nightmares
1.
Woods - At Rear House
http://www.myspace.com/woodsfamilyband
an album that absurdism, acoustic, indie, lo-fi, weird voices & campfire songs all together...? I guess there’s no doubt – seeing my entire list, that no one else deserves first place but Woods. Music that’s wonderful in it’s simplicity, in its gentle spirit...
Sounds Like: Campfire songs for the 21st Century,
Sparklehorse, Animal Collective, lo-fi messy things.
Adrian Orange & Her Band
