Part 1 of 10 part series to promotes WHY?'s Eskimo Snow (which comes out on September 22nd on Anticon)

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view the full concert @ Grandcrew.com

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Son Lux barebones performance of "Stay," followed by Yoni and Doug of WHY? improvising an unreleased song called "These Hands.
"

more here , but its in French so i dont know what it says but the videos are amazing

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It's end-of-year-list time again, and this year it's been particularly tough to round up a top ten. There were plenty of great albums out there, but there also seemed to be a big gulf between the few truly amazing records and the far more populated category of 'pretty good'. Find out what's made the cut in the readmore.

10. Simon Bookish - Everything/Everything

This year saw classical composer-come pop genius Leo Chadburn release his most accomplished album to date under the Simon Bookish moniker. Everything/Everything is elaborately & impeccably orchestrated, while at the same time being lyrically fantastic. It the kind of album that's strongest point is how damned interesting it is- strange arrangements will come out of nowhere, making you sit up and take notice. That said, at the end of the day it is a pop record, so all that aside, the songs are still enjoyable as hell.

Listen:

Simon Bookish - The Flood


9. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer

The second album from canuck supergroup Wolf Parade is a thoughtful, rich affair. A fine follow-up to 2005's 'Apologies to the Queen Mary', it has shades of everything from Britpop to Bonnie Prince Billy. All made nice'n'hooky by the distinctive guitar of former Hot Hot Heat mastermind Dante DeCaro.

Listen:
Wolf Parade - Soldier's Grin



8. Santogold - Santogold

Fusing hip-hop, punk rock, and a whole lot more, Santogold's debut is nicely bold in the realm of pop. LES Artistes was one of the songs of the year for me, and the album contains a handful more gems. Expect huge success in the next year.


Listen:
Santogold - I'm A Lady


7. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular

Another indie debut made good, this album soundtracked the summer as MGMT went stellar. Though marred slightly with a bit of filler, you can't argue with awesome singles like Kids, Time To Pretend & Electric Feel.

Listen:
MGMT - Kids



6. The Faint - Fasciinatiion


I love The Faint. This is fairly clear. So with their return after a four year absence I was pretty happy to say the least. Fasciinatiion is a touch more dancy & electro than the band's previous offerings, and has all the class that made them one of my favourite bands in the first place. One of the highlights of my musical year was when I first got hold of 'The Geeks Were Right', the first track released off the album. There was a touch of ceremony about going to a quiet room, getting 'the good headphones' and sitting down to really listen to it. It didn't disappoint.

Listen:
The Faint - Forever Growing Centipedes.


5. Story of Hair - Cheap Rate

In a year which had a crazy amount of quality Irish albums (in fairness, we could probably populate this whole list with Irish acts), this one stands out for me. Being a fan of the Hair's live show, a lot was expected of this debut LP, and I was by no means let down. From maniacally happy to reassuringly pensive, the band barely put a foot wrong in these fourteen tracks. Being the pop-whore that I am, getting an album with as many shamelessly feelgood tracks as this feels like heaven. It's also great to see a set of quality tracks actually being realised impeccably on record. It sounds like a simple thing to do, just put a mic up and press record, but it doesn't always work out that way and something gets lost (for me, this is the reason the excellent Fight Like Apes aren't quite making this list). The song below is also undoubtedly one of the songs of the year.

Listen:
Story of Hair - Unsteady


4. Why? - Alopecia

I am a relatively recent convert to Why? (thanks, Ste), but this album wholly converted me. On paper it really shouldn't work. Alt-rap, folk-hop, whatever you want to call it... it seems like a fusion doomed to failure. But it works. It hella works. Alopecia is one of those albums which stayed in my stereo for months, each and every song growing on me in turn. It's got so many elements in it that there's something for everyone- and for all that quality hip-hop to suddenly break into an metal-sounding guitar riff is something so insane it's brilliant.

Listen:
Why - The Hollows


(This is where it gets very hard. I've spent weeks trying to separate these top three entries, and have decided it's just impossible. So first place is a three-way tie).


=1. Jape - Ritual

This was another much anticipated album, one which any attendee of Jape's legendary live shows will have been expecting to be filled with greatness. And it was. Taking indie electro by the horns Richie Egan & Co. got everyone dancing, and grounded the party with what are some undeniably great songs. From the frenetic I Was A Man to the now legendary ode to Phil Lynott, every track on the album is fantastic. It makes me want to buy a synth or two. And possibly grow a moustache.

Listen:
Jape - Strike Me Down


=1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago

This is one of those out-of-the-blue masterpieces that so perfectly defines the musical year. Justin Vernon's tale of woe and redemption through music plays out in magnificent lo-fi, and it couldn't have worked better any other way. The album's circumstance has already become the stuff of legend, with the story behind it's conception becoming almost as enduring as the music itself. As for the songs- with only nine tracks there's not much room for filler, and every song justifies it's place completely (OK, with the exception of Team, which I'm assuming is merely an extension of Creature Fear). I've always been a fan of the ol' acoustic album, and this is by far the best of it's kind in many a year.

Listen:
Bon Iver - The Wolves (Acts I & II)


=1. TV On The Radio - Dear Science


I'll admit straight off that I have a tendency to get very excited about certain bands, and in the process heap so much praise upon them that it could be considered by some as somewhat of an exaggeration. That said... TV On The Radio are probably the greatest band in the world today. Dear Science is another stage in evolution for a band that had already completely won me over, and with this stage they flex their pop muscles while still maintaining their distinctive production and powerful energy. At times during Dear Science one would be forgiven for thinking that the band are channeling the souls of some of Motown's greatest stars. Guitar licks like those on lead singles Dancing Choose & Golden Age are made for dancing, and dancing with soul. The album's masterstroke, however, comes with the understated Love Dog, which is an astonishing recording where not a single note is wasted, and every subtlety is hugely effective. There's so much to enjoy here, and given that at this stage TVOTR have officially 'lived up to the hype', there's so much to be excited about the future for.

Listen:
TV On The Radio - Love Dog

Honorable Mentions:

First one has to go to Passion Pit, who's Chunk of Change EP is one of the bast things I've heard all year, and would have made it very, very high up this list if only it had had a couple of more tracks on it and actually qualified as an album. I can imagine they will probably be featuring on this list next year.

As for the others... Hot Chip's 'Made In The Dark' ('Shake a Fist' was definitely one of the songs of the year)... Tokyo Police Club's 'Elephant Shell'... Elbow's 'Seldom Seen Kid'... Department of Eagles - In Ear Park... The Most Serene Republic - Population... Irish favourites included Adebisi Shank, Fight Like Apes & Queen Kong/ You're Only Massive...

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Another great year for music and another difficult one to whittle down a huge list of albums that came out and try and make a top ten , my list was in the Burroughs stage (chicken scrawl on scraps of paper) for quite some time I even make a graph (above) but as you can see i kinda got distracted one track mind and all.

As with last year my list is no order apart from alphabetized

Department of Eagles - In ear park
Album always makes me think of a log cabin with a roaring fire , love the sound of the album if you have not checked it out do so.
Department of Eagles - Around the Bay
Buy it|Myspace

Down I Go - Tyrant
sounds like Henry VIII’s syphilitic ulcers bursting, Ivan the Terrible beating his pregnant daughter in law and causing her to miscarry, Turkmenbashi’s 12 metre high gold statue of himself rotating to face the sun, Israel growing at the expense of others, mass graves being filled with murdered Cambodians, Romanians queueing for bread. Great record from the lads from London, a treat for the mind and the ears.
Down I Go - Saparmurat Miyazov
Buy it|Myspace

Flying Lotus - Los Angeles
beautifully messy coherent package
Flying Lotus - Testament (feat Gonja Sufi)
Buy it|Myspace

Grouper - Dragging a dead deer up a hill
this album just washes waves of dream-pop over your soul.
Grouper - Fishing Bird (Empty Gutted in the Evening Breeze)
Buy it|Myspace

Krallice - Krallice
Not gonna be everyone's cup of tea this one,black metal quartet fronted by Mick Barr and Colin Marston, progressive as it is heavy just epic.
Krallice - Wretched Wisdom
Buy it|Myspace

Marnie Stern - This Is It and I Am It and You Are It and So Is That and He Is It and She Is It and It Is It and That Is That
Second year in a row making my top ten list for the future Mrs ctrl/alt/delete (oh yes she will be mine) a much more concentrated album then her first, and the odd pop hook thrown in too for good measure.
Marnie Stern - The Crippled Jazzer
Buy it|Myspace

Restiform Bodies - Tv loves you back
This album got lodged in my brain since i heard it amazing , music and lyrics in one mindfuck of a package
Restiform Bodies - Opulent soul
Buy it|Myspace

Secret Chiefs 3 - Xaphan
the music is more song-based and accessible than its predecessors, a smorgesboard of sounds including but not limited to surf rock, Persian, Arabic, Indian, death metal, film music, electronic music
Secret Chiefs 3 - Kemuel
Buy it|Myspace

Starfucker - Starfucker
A jovial and upbeat album that got me through many a morning
Starfucker - Rawnald Gregory Erickson The Second
Buy it|Myspace

Why? - Alopecia
How could this not be on my list, like a musical Woody Allen self deprecating rant ,a growth music for the band in sound and scope and the album gather then many a new fan and enabled them to play two shows in Dublin.
Why? - Fatalist Palmistry
Buy it|Myspace

Ones that just barely didnt make the list:
Dennis Wilson - Pacific Ocean Blues, Max Tundra - Parallax Error Beheads You, Adebisi Shank - "This is the album of a band called Adebisi Shank", Theses Arms Are Snakes - Tail Swallower and Dove, Shawn Lee & Clutchy Hopkins - Clutch of the Tiger, Sbach - Sbach, The Mae Shi - Hllyh, Earth - the bees made honey in the lion's skull, No age - Nouns, Gang Gang Dance -Saints Dymphna, Fuck Buttons - Street Horrsing, Cloud Cult - Feel good Ghosts....., Racebannon - Acid or Blood, Make Believe - Going to the bone church, Harvey Milk - "life.....the best game in town", John Zorn - the dreamers

top 3 E.P of 2008
Past Lives - Strange Symmetry
Maps and Atlases - You and me and the mountains
Animal Collective - Water curses

Albums Im looking forward to in 2009
ANIMAL COLLECTIVE - Merriweather Post Pavillion (who isnt)
GOBLIN COCK - Come With Me If You Want To Live (Lord Phallus returns)
DIRTY PROJECTORS - tba
PAST LIVES - tba
DAN DEACON - Bromst (a more mature sound from Mr Deacon by all accounts)
BATS - tba
MASTODON - Crack The Skye
LIGHTNING BOLT - tba
ZOMBI - Spirit Animal

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(well it came out last week and i just saw it , so fairly new)

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This weekends hangover mix comes from UK band Rolo Tomassi (well was picked by James the keyboard player but lets say it was picked by the band its easier). Rolo Tomassi play a synth driven fury which at times descends into lounge jazz and at others peaks with balls out punk rock, but this weekend we have them in a bit more of a relaxed note and putting together a mix for sore heads.
tracklisting and download link in the read more


01 why? - good friday
02 owen - skin and bones
03 the album leaf - twentytwofourteen
04 a silver mt. zion - could've moved mountains
05 múm - the land between solar systems
06 iron & wine - the lions mane
07 johnny flyyn & the sussex wit - brown trout blues
08 M83 - by the kiss
09 pink floyd - shine on you crazy diamond (part one)
10 the one am radio - flicker

click here to go to the download page

Rolo Tomassi are set to release their new album "hysterics" in September and by all accounts its sounding awesome and face melting.And have just announced a bunch of dates about the UK with mirror!mirror! and throats to coincide with its release. Im really look forward to the album as i loved the E.P and am hoping to catch them live somehow in the near future.

If your heads not too sore heres a brief clip of Rolo Tomassi in action
Rolo Tomassi@Beyond Retro London


Rolo Tomassi myspace

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WHY? play Andrew's Lane Theatre on Saturday the 1st of November
tickets are on sale now , priced 16 euros

Why? - Rubber Traits (live)


(Via thrill pier)

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Alias, born in Portland, Maine to a jazz drummer and a church organist, grew up in a suburb called Hollis and played drums in his high school band. Isolated in a small town, alias found no music that captivated him until at age 13 when he saw “Yo MTV Raps.
Alias has collaborated with every member of the anticon roster, Slug of Atmosphere, Sage Francis, DJ Krush, and Markus Acher of the Notwist.
Well hes collaborated with someone on anticon again this time Why? AKA Yoni Wolf. this track is taken from Alias new CD Resurgam due out 26/08/08 on Anticon

MP3>Alias feat. Why? - "Well Water Black"


Alias Myspace"

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This weekend curer in the form of a mixtape comes from Marvins Revolt's Klaus. Marvins Revolt is a three-piece out of Copenhagen, Denmark (who mutate into a four-piece live) making angular and catchy tunes. Touched by sounds from the present and the past, but forging their own path, regardless of scenes or trends. The songs appear as intense, challenging and melodic structures, with disregard for songwriting rules.



tracklist
1. Low – Murderer
2. Clouddead - Dead Dogs two
3. Portishead – Machine Gun
4. American Analog Set - Born On The Cusp
5. Mother Sparrow – Bathe
6. Minus The Bear - Burying Luck
7. Radio Dept. - Worst Taste In Music
8. Pinback - Hurley
9. Why? – Gemini
10. 13 + God - Men of Station

click here to go to download page

Marvins Revolt - Deliberate Deeds


Marvins Revolt are currently writing their new album, a follow up to "Killec" released on Popular Records

Marvins Revolt myspace

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New feature/idea (maybe weekly haven't decided): music i cant get out of my head. Tunes you hear and you end up humming it all day, or you just need to listen to it again and again and again. So first up is an old track by Hymie's Basement off their only album from 2003, Hymie's Basement is a collaboration between Yoni Wolf aka Why? and Andrew Broder aka Fog.

check out the happy pop like chorus amazing

MP3>Hymie's Basement - 21st Century Pop Song


Why? 21st Century Pop Song Live

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New animated video for WHY? for the song "Song of the Sad Assassin" off there new album Alopecia. The video was directed by animator Mike L. Mayfield ("Family Guy", "American Dad").

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We've been doing the hangover mixes now for a few weeks and well its all been a little subdued in the ego camp so now i present a different kinda mix "music to get messed up to"
fear not a new hangover mixes will be up tomorrow for your aching heads.
tracklisting and download link in the read more


click here to get messed up
Track listing
1.The Fix - Minus the Bear
2.Tonyte - Chrome Hoof
3.Who Rocks The Party - Les Savy Fav
4.Shimmy Shimmy Ya - Ol' Dirty Bastard
5.Get Funky - ESG
6.Must Be The Moon - !!!
7.Party Politics - The Mae Shi
8.Wonderful People - Q and Not U
9.Kick Drum - Shy Child
10.Falling - Subtle
11.Available - Moving Units
12.Miracle - Supersystem
13.All My Friends Are Getting High - The Chinese Stars
14.Mutant John - Why?

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Why? them hip hop indie rock fellow are streaming there new album Alopecia which isn't out till march 11 on there myspace, head over and check out their amazing new tunes

Why? myspace

In other amazing Why? news there playing Whelan's (Upstairs) on Sat 26 Apr tickets are 15.00 blips

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The debut single from Crayonsmith entitled 'Lost In The Forest' is out on March 7 2008.
Crayonsmith's new album 'White Wonder' will be out in April.

If you ain't heard Crayonsmith yet do yourself a favor and check them out on there myspace here

In unrelated news Chrome Hoof as been postponed till sometime in March.


And got this piece of news from a very very reliable source the amazing and not to be missed Why? are playing Dublin on the 23 of April this year not sure what venue yet but will keep you informed as info comes out.
Cuz that news is so awesome here an mp3 of Why? covering 80 group the cure
mp3 Why? -Close to Me (The Cure cover)

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kinda of a round up of news here
first off...
www.richtercollective.com have a new blog/podcast they will get 1 artists a month to select 5 obscure bands from their own record collection and introduce us to them. Its a monthly thing , this month they are joined by Estel drummer, Bushy.
upcoming guests include:
Hornby (We Are Knives)
Rupert (Bats)
Vin (the vinny club)
check ithttp://5bands.blogspot.com/


Them sexual winged mammals bats are supporting Chrome Hoof on the 12th of Feb in Whelans , they also have an instore a few days earlier on the 9th of Feb in Tower Records.

Sunset Rubdown (who released one of my favorite records of last year) play Crawdaddy on May 20th. Never seen them before and really looking forward to this.
Sunset Rubdown Live in Chicago "Stadiums and Shrines II"


Why? have expanded as a band to include Fog members Andrew Broder and Mark "Bear" Erickson, cant see this being a bad thing myself.Anticon will release Alopecia on March 11, with a European release on Tomlab to follow.
heres WHY? Video for rubber traits of 2005 "elephant eyelash" LP


Up next not really news but damo showed me this class The Mae Shi video.Track taken from their forthcoming album "HLLLYH" on Moshi Moshi Records. Video directed by The Mae Shi (self-directed). check it
The Mae Shi - Run to Your Grave

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