I'm about to {slang taboo}

#11

2008-02-18T22:26:00.001-08:00

Two Lone Swordsmen

Wrong Meeting Vol. II

#12

2008-02-18T22:25:00.001-08:00

The Rumble Strips

Girls & Weather

#13

2008-02-18T22:22:00.000-08:00

Miracle Fortress

Five Roses

#14

2008-02-18T22:20:00.000-08:00

Sophie Ellis-Bextor

Trip The Light Fantastic

#15

2008-02-18T22:17:00.000-08:00

The Raveonettes

Lust Lust Lust

#16

2008-02-18T22:15:00.000-08:00

Band Of Horses

Cease To Begin

#17

2008-02-18T22:13:00.000-08:00

Ceremony

Disappear

#18

2008-02-18T22:11:00.000-08:00

The Arcade Fire

Neon Bible

#19

2008-02-18T22:10:00.000-08:00

Two Lone Swordsmen

Wrong Meeting Vol. I

#20

2008-02-18T22:06:00.000-08:00

Imperial teen

The Hair The TV The Baby & The Band

#21

2008-02-18T22:04:00.000-08:00

Trembling Blue Stars

The Last Holy Writer

#22

2008-02-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

The Brothers Martin

#23

2008-02-18T21:59:00.000-08:00

Klaxons

Myths Of The Near Future

#24

2008-02-18T21:57:00.000-08:00

Justice

†

#25

2008-02-18T21:56:00.001-08:00

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Baby 81

#26

2008-02-18T21:54:00.000-08:00

Am-Boy

Horrible Oracle Blessedness

#27

2008-02-18T21:52:00.000-08:00

Dinosaur Jr.

Beyond

#28

2008-02-18T21:51:00.001-08:00

Smoov-E

Next Door Neighbor Larry Dallas

#29

2008-02-18T21:48:00.000-08:00

Star

Devastator

#30

2008-02-18T21:42:00.000-08:00

Boys Noize

Oi Oi Oi

#31

2008-02-14T22:27:00.001-08:00

Rihanna

Good Girl Gone Bad

I know, I know, you are reading this and shaking your head in disbelief that I Christopher Brandon loves Rihanna. At first maybe it was that case of Boy finds Girl Hot. So boy watches videos and boy slowly likes the music. Boy now is the proud owner of G.G.G.B. & admits it freely. The first half of this record is really really really good. The last half has that typical lame modern day "R&B". But the first half is that good to out-weigh the bad & should be owned by anyone who appreciates good pop music. And besides how can you watch the video for Umbrella and not bob your head?

Umbrella:

#32

2008-02-14T22:14:00.000-08:00

Jesu

Conqueror

Releasing a stand alone EP & a full length in the same year is basically the best birthday & christmas present a Jesu fan could ever ask for. Especially with the quality material on both. Typical sludge/drone/gaze/metal by the much admired Jesu, a must for metal fans that need to get with the times. (i.e. guys who still only listen to priest or maiden.)

transfigure live:

#33

2008-02-14T20:43:00.000-08:00

The White Stripes

Icky Thump

Jack & Meg are back with another release of their not-so-lo-fi brand of White Stripes tunes. Which I found the dirty garage sound so charming in the first place. I do think this record is mostly average with the exception of a few good cuts & one completely amazing song, "A Martyr For My Love Of You".

conquest:

#34

2008-02-14T20:32:00.001-08:00

Handsome Furs

Plague Park

With minimal electronics & a guitar Wolf Parade's Dan Boeckner releases his side project with his wife Alexei Perry. Now I never bothered to listen to Wolf Parade, mainly because Wolf Parade is to close to sounding like Wolfmother, who I hate. So I was surprised how sneaky this record was, as in sneaky good. Maybe one day I will give Wolf Parade a listen. But I am sure I will not like them as much as The Wolfhounds. And if you listen to or even know who the Wolfhounds are then you are pretty cool.

Cannot, Get Started:

#35

2008-02-14T20:14:00.000-08:00

The Brunettes

Structure & Cosmetics

Get out your flat-iron & makeup, call your girlfriends over, it's time for a slumber party & I couldn't think of a better record to listen to while dolling-up my bitches! Okay, jokes aside, The Brunettes are a cutesy-pop band from New Zealand who make me happy.

Her Hairagami Set:

#36

2008-02-14T20:07:00.000-08:00

Celestial

Dream On

There is something in the water of Sweden, band after band seems to crank out perfect little Indie Pop gems, and Dream On is no exception. Boy/Girl feel good harmonies fill this disc with little distorted guitars, so sugar-sweet.

#38

2008-02-14T20:02:00.000-08:00

Little Name

How To Swim & Live

A beautiful slice of bedroom-made chamber pop from a talented shut-in. Highly recommended for fans of Belle & Sebastian.

#39

2008-02-14T19:58:00.001-08:00

The Voices

The Sound Of Young America

Not American at all, these Shoegazers hail from Cardiff & make some beautiful noises on their sophomore release.

#40

2008-02-14T19:30:00.000-08:00

Rob Sonic

Sabotage Gigante

Hip-Hop's Rob Sonic releases his second release with less dope beats but with improved lyrical delivery.

#41

2008-02-08T15:07:00.001-08:00

Television Personalities

Are We Nearly There Yet?

Dan Treacy's ultra lo-fi record borders on genius & annoying.

#42

2008-02-08T15:02:00.000-08:00

Neil Young

Chrome Dreams II

Everyone's favorite Canadian/Half Moon Bay resident releases his best record in years.

#43

2008-02-08T14:57:00.001-08:00

Of Montreal

Hissing Fauna, are You The Destroyer?

Another slice of abstract fantasy-esque pop done by this Georgian band.

#44

2008-02-08T14:53:00.001-08:00

Bracken

We Know About The Need

Chris Adams of Hood fame, releases his lo-fi electronic solo project on Anticon.

#45

2008-02-08T14:43:00.000-08:00

Blaqk Audio

Cexcells

Davey Havok & Jade Puget of AFI take their stab at dark wave synth-pop.

#46

2008-02-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

Lyle Lovett

It's Not Big It's Large

My favorite singer returns with his gigantic band. However, I prefer the more scaled down numbers on the record.

# 47

2008-02-04T00:50:00.000-08:00

Thee More Shallows - Book Of Bad Breaks

Quirky San Francisco band's debut on Anticon records, a perfect fit for both parties.

# 48

2008-02-04T00:45:00.000-08:00

Japancakes - Loveless

My Bloody Valentine's masterpiece re-worked into an alt-country instrumental record.

# 49

2008-02-04T00:39:00.001-08:00

Siouxsie

Mantaray

The queen of goth-rock finally releases her solo debut, 29 years later.

# 50

2008-02-04T00:32:00.001-08:00

Airiel - The Battle Of Sealand

After a series of great EP's this Chicago shoegaze band finally releases their debut.

My Top 15 Ep's / Singles of 2007

2008-01-16T21:28:00.000-08:00

Below is my top 15 Ep's, 45's, Singles, etc. of 2007.

#1 Norma "1 EP"

2008-01-16T21:16:00.000-08:00

Powerful, Epic, Sweeping washes of bliss are just a few ways to describe the debut Ep for Sweden's Norma. "1" consists of four songs & clocks in at a wonderous twenty-seven minutes of pure genius. The first time I heard the EP I knew there was no way anything else could top it this year.

click here for a live version of The Storm

#2 Arctic Monkeys "Brianstorm"

2008-01-16T20:43:00.000-08:00

The "Brianstorm" EP is really top-notch. This band keeps cranking out music at a ridiculous pace. I thought last year's album was weak compared to the earlier singles & now I think the new material makes all previous songs sound a bit weak! 'What If You Were Right The First Time?' is the band heaviest & my favorite song of theirs to date & 'Temptation Greets You Like A Naughty Friend' features a rap by Dizzee Rascal!

Brianstorm Video:

#3 Glasvegas "Daddy's Gone"

2008-01-16T20:23:00.001-08:00

Not since The Libertines have I heard so much praise for a new U.K. act, And unlike The Libertines this one is actually good. James Allen sings in a thick Scottish accent, backed by a Phil Spector-like backdrop. Everyone loves the A-side, 'Daddy's Gone' but I think the stronger cut is the B-side, 'Flowers & Football Tops'.

Daddy's Gone video:

#4 Get Shakes "Sister Self Doubt"

2008-01-16T20:23:00.000-08:00

Brothers Matt & Darren Farrow are to me, the most exciting & promising thing in dance music. 'Sister Self Doubt' is easily the best dance song I have heard all year.

Sister Self Doubt Live video:

#5 Jesu "Lifeline"

2008-01-16T19:57:00.000-08:00

The drone of Shoegaze, the powerful sludge of metal & electronic flourishes are the makeup of Jesu. "Lifeline" is the best thing that Jesu has yet to release. If Phil Spector had the "Wall Of Sound" then Justin Broadrick has the Barrier Of Resonance!

http://www.myspace.com/officialjesu

#6 The Virgins "Virgins 07 EP"

2008-01-14T23:46:00.001-08:00

NYC's The Virgins are gonna be big in the Indie Rock scene. Not since a little band called Orange Juice, have I heard some white boys with funk. This EP is a teaser of things to come, including two demo's which are even cool. Which is amazing because I usually dislike the thin sound of a demo. To me The Virgins would be the best band to get to play your party.

Rich Girl Live video:

#7 The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart "self-titled"

2008-01-14T23:31:00.000-08:00

C86 will never die! And why should it? The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart sound like they are a Sarah band. You can hear the Pastels, Field Mice, Shop Assistants, it's cutesy, good-time for the heart & those two left feet!

This Love Is Fucking Right! video:

#8 Alcian Blue "Years Too Late"

2008-01-14T23:22:00.001-08:00

This is the remains of a truly awesome band. A final hurrah for Virginia's Alcian Blue, which is just awful considering this is their best EP yet. Or should I say, "was their best EP". That just seems unfair. This is the Alcian Blue I always wanted, this EP has more melody, without losing their edge-y goth-gaze sound. A real pity to see this band finally hit their stride, only to end.

Fall behind video:

#9 Tears Run Rings "A Question And An Answer"

2008-01-14T22:47:00.000-08:00

It is impossible not to hear Slowdive when listening to "A Question & An Answer". However, instead of Rachel Goswell's voice, you hear a much sweeter sounding Laura Watling instead. It really does sound like like it came from the original shoegaze movement, it's beautiful. And the production sounds so nice & warm, it sounds so huge, begging to always be played loud!

Listen to the EP

#10 Vampire Hands "Cuz It's A Beach Funeral"

2008-01-14T16:06:00.000-08:00

Minneapolis is rich in music, home of Prince, Morris Day, Hüsker Dü &... &... Vampire Hands! A band with a kick ass name & with a mix of Psychedelica, Brian Eno & Good Ol' Rock & Roll (Listen to the amazing song, 'Paradise Knife Fights') this EP sounds like the future & the past rolled into one!

Vampire Hands Myspace Page

#11 Hey Willpower "Dance"

2008-01-11T16:05:00.000-08:00

All that Will is sayin' is "Give Dance A Chance". And Dance is what you'll do when you spin this Imperial Teen frontman's dance EP. Think of Har Mar Superstar (back when Har Mar was still fun & good) mixed with Madonna (Back when she was good).

Hundredaire Video:

#12 Wry "Whales & Sharks"

2008-01-11T15:51:00.000-08:00

Am I wry? No! Wry is originally from Brazil but now hail in London & they have become regulars at ClubAC30. Like most shoegaze bands, Wry has shimmering guitars but what they do different is make very accessible pop music.

Different From Me video:

#13 The Vandelles "The Vandelles EP"

2008-01-11T15:32:00.000-08:00

Surf's Up! Grab your leather jacket, motorcycle boots & your board because it's a Jesus & Mary Chain surf party!

Swell To Heaven mp3

Lovely Weather Video:

#14 Los Campesinos "Sticking Fingers Into Sockets"

2008-01-10T16:55:00.000-08:00

Los Campesinos translates to "The Farmers" which would be a real boring band name, which would not fit this EP at all! Full of Catchy Little Pop numbers with twinkles, bells & guitars this EP will put a smile on your pretty little face.

You! Me! Dancing! video:

#15 The Black Ghosts "Anyway You Choose To Give It"

2008-01-10T16:09:00.001-08:00

Out of the ashes of Simian (before they became Simian Mobile Disco) & The Wiseguys comes London's Black Ghosts. With a mix of Electro & SynthPop this Ep is sure to move your arse.

*The french band Justice was made famous from the Justice remix of Simian's 'We Are Your Friends'*