That's what she said

Echoing Nilam (in my own words, written previously to reading hers):

Corinne Baily Rae: The Sea

Mixed-race jazz-pop artist guaranteed to turn the head of any culturally hyperaware NPR enuthiast. An album of good moments that is too often seduced into Starbucks-friendly choruses, best exemplified by the supremely grating "Paris nights and New York mornings". C+

Beach House: Teen Dream

Beach music for the haunted. A melodic blend of surf guitar, organ, and caterwaul. Likely to be one of the year's best. A+

Beach House, Lawrence Arabia, Corinne Bailey Rae, and Bomba Estereo

Karl and I went to see Beach House in Gent at this music venue place called Vooruit. It was a really fun show and an amazing music/arts hall.  For a Sunday show their set was under an hour, with Lawrence Arabia opening.  For an opening band, Lawrence Arabia rocked it.

Beach House's Teen Dream has been on near constant rotation. Ethereal, poppy,  keyboard-electric piano and nice slides. The entire album is worth a listen all the way through.

Corinne Bailey Rae's The Sea comes alive for me with Belgium's rainy days. I like about 4 of the songs, the rest border on R&B cheese. Something you would imagine a suburban couple to be listening to while they cook dinner and drink wine while prepping ingredients from Whole Foods or WSM OR alternatively, me and Duds couching it while rain patters on the window. You get it. Like these tracks a lot: Are You Here, The Sea.

Finally (a Karl fave):
Bomba Estereo: solid beats, punk, cumbia, MIA-style Spanish rapsing (rapping + singing?). So. freaking. awesome. Here they are live on Seattle's KEXP and don't miss Fuego

resurrected

let's see if i can get this old thing up and running again... i'll start with what's been spinning for me in 2010.

local natives - for fans of fleet foxes, yeasayer, and dodos. harmony and percussion heavy uptempo indie.

telekinesis - a merge band that i missed at XX merge and was reminded of them on a trip to denver. "coast of carolina" is fun. other songs are a little grittier, but all with poppy hooks.

frightened rabbit - scottish band, whose songs are about as gloomy as edinburgh in february. new album streaming for a week here

givers - heard them on all songs considered. "saw you first" was my jam for a week. more percussion, some male-female harmonies, some synth beats. will enjoy this more when there is sun.

Website

Hey guys,

I still check the Parlour blog. In Nashville right now, staying with a friend, who told me about a pretty great website with tons of free live sets from a lot of the musicians we've shared.

www.daytrotter.com

Click on 'session archives' and take your pick....

Rob

Rainy Day Fun

Can't say much for my new music listening these days. Long nights on labor & delivery and nailbiters by the Tar Heels have been too much distracting. Despite Sara's offer to burn me up a slice of Andrew Bird's new one, I'm happy with my call to pull it off the shelf for myself - lots of unwrapping appeal. It makes me wish I could whistle. My attempts have likely amused the smokers in front of the hospital.

On this lazy, rainy, pre-ACC semifinal, Lawson-less, thinking about a swim but probably won't Saturday morning I've wandered back to Song By Toad, my favorite blog today, and am enjoying his podcast and rant on anti-Darwin sentiment in America. Check it out. FFW to the 35.00 min mark if you don't have as much free time as I've lucked into.

Makes me pissed I missed Clem Snide this week.

GO HEELS!

Best of - Sara's picks

For some reason this year's best of has been a real stumbling block for me... I think it's because, on account of our parlours, I've already foisted most of my favorite music upon you guys. But just in case you weren't listening the first time, here's some must-listens that debuted in 2008. (In no particular order)

The Black Keys - Attack and Release

There is nothing inherently mind blowing about this band, and yet I find this album returning to my playlist frequently. Solid blues rock. Fave song: Psychotic Girl

The Dodos - Visiter

Along the same lines as Vampire Weekend... very rhythm heavy indie rock. Fave song: Walking (though not entirely representative of the album)

The Grand Archives - S/T

Somehow related to Band of Horses, so how could I not love them? More upbeat indie rock, think Seattle/Portland on a bright sunny day. Fave song: Miniature Birds (this was a difficult choice though. Second fave: Sleepdriving)

A.A. Bondy - American Hearts

I love this guy. Both on plastic and in the flesh, he just seems like a genuine soul. The music is blues-driven, dark, and engrossing. An example? "I don't wanna talk about Jesus/ I just wanna see his face. The trees are swinging like hanging men/and I just wanna see his face" from my Fave Song: Rapture (Sweet Rapture)

The Felice Brothers - S/T

Perhaps the most fleeting favorite, I'm not sure what the staying power of this album will be... but the live show is raw and spirited, and the CD lived in my car for a few weeks following. Fave Song: Helen Fry

The Helio Sequence - Keep Your Eyes Ahead

Another great album from Sub Pop. Mostly upbeat rock, soaring vocals, strong songwriting. Fave Song: Back To This

The Tallest Man on Earth - Shallow Graves

Ok, he's skinny, Scandinavian, and finger picks. He wouldn't necessarily have to be talented for me to like him, thankfully he is. Gorgeous guitar playing, unique voice, interestingly abstract (but not obtuse) lyrics. Fave Song: I Won't Be Found

Bowerbirds - Hymns for a Dark Horse
Raleigh locals, inventive sound, gorgeous tunes. Fave song: In Our Talons

Also rans, because I am running out of things to say: 

Fleet Foxes - S/T (n.b. I am not as enamored of this band as many year enders, but it's ok)

Delta Spirit - Ode to Sunshine

Blind Pilot - 3 Rounds and a Sound

Micah P. Hinson - Micah P. Hinson and the Red Empire

Sun Kil Moon - April

Best of - Rob's picks

Thought I'd get it started, remotely.... With Last.FM links and descriptions of the bands/albums, much better than I could do at the moment. Lots of debuts on my list, very exciting for the upcoming years.

In alphabetical order [Band - Album (Label)]:

Cheap Time - Cheap Time (In the Red). Best snarky punk revival album of the year.

Crystal Stilts - Crystal Stilts (Woodsist)/Alight of Night (Slumberland). Best subdued bedroom-DIY-rock album of the year. Sic Alps' U.S. EZ is a close second place.

The Dutchess & the Duke - She's the Dutchess, He's the Duke (Hardly Art). Best Brian Jonestown Massacre Meets Bob Dylan album of the year.

Gentleman Jesse & His Men - Introducing Gentleman Jesse (Douche Master). Best Exploding Hearts-influenced album of the year.

Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill (Type). Best post-call album of the year. M83's Saturdays=Youth is second.

King Khan & The Shrines - The Supreme Genius of King Khan & the Shrines (Vice). Best (?only) garage soul album of the year.

Jeremy Jay - A Place Where We Could Go (K). Best It's-about-time-we-have-a-full-length-album album of the year. Also best indie diva album of the year.

Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (Drag City). Best Silver Jews album of the year or Best new album from my favorite actively recording band.

Thomas Function - Celebration (Bomp). Best album of the year from a weirdo band from Alabama.

The Walkmen - You & Me (Gigantic). Best return to form album of the year.