Best Seattle Records of 2009

December 21, 2009 at 11:53 pm | Posted in Best of, Lists, mp3, Music, Seattle | 7 Comments
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Something that has never happened in my life happened this year. I have never lived anywhere where I can honestly say that my top three favorite records of the year came out of the city in which I reside. It’s been an honor, and a delight to live in Seattle this year because I have had the opportunity to see the Intelligence, BOAT and Erik Blood more times than I can count. Usually, if you’re lucky you might get one chance to see your favorite band come through your town for a gig. I have had that opportunity time after time and have tried to take advantage as many times as possible. Every one of those shows was blast, and as good, if not better than their respective records.

There were so many good records that were put out by bands from the Pacific Northwest that it really was an embarrassment of riches. It was tough narrowing this list down to ten, and any of the the honorable mentions at the end of the list were likely on this list at some point during the year. So thanks Seattle and thanks to all these records for making this year pretty darn amazing.

1. Intelligence – Fake Surfers (In the Red)
Smart guy Lars Finberg must be a tortured soul.  He can write as good a song as anybody else, but he likes to sabotage his creations with strangeness.  Listening to an Intelligence record, you immediately realize all is not right, and that is exactly what makes this band and this album so great.  The record is packed with weird sounds, weird songs and inside jokes. That’s probably not a good way to describe my favorite record of the year, but you’ve got to work a little to enjoy it. The Intelligence don’t make records for people who like the obvious.  Fake Surfers has just enough of the obvious to draw you in, but it was the strangeness of it that kept me in.  A good example of this is the song Warm Tranfers, which sounds like a drunk Dean Martin singing while tied down a couple leagues somewhere in Lake Union.  Besides releasing Fake Surfers, this year we got two albums from the Intelligence. I know dyed in the wool lo-fi purists preferred the other album Crepuscule Avec Pacman, which was essentially Finberg by himself at his claustrophobic best, but I thought the wider, more spacious and thought out Fake Surfers was a huge leap forward for the band.

mp3: Warm Transfers


mp3: Thank You God For Fixing The Tape Machine


2. BOAT – Setting the Paces (Magic Marker)
Of BOAT’s three albums Setting the Paces is the funnest. It’s like super-sized BOAT containing the same ingredients of the first two records, but just more of it.  Add in better songs and better production and you’ve got busting out of their underachiever cocoon. They’re still singing about seemingly strange things like Giant Centipedes, tractor beams, drinking diet cola and sleeping in pajamas that are too small, but the songs and production are so much improved that the record just pops out of your stereo. The choruses are so big and undeniable, I’ve found myself in the car by myself belting them out. Setting the Paces is BOAT, no longer content with the underachiever moniker, laying all out, going for it, and totally succeeding.

mp3: We Want It, We Want It


mp3: Name Tossers


3. Erik Blood – The Way We Live (Self-released)
This was nearly my number one for last year, but since it was not officially released until this year I sat on it. The Way We Live definitely has staying power, it has been in constant rotation around here all year and nothing on it has gotten old. Erik Blood was in the Turn-Ons who seem to be on an indefinite hiatus. He always contributed a song or two to each Turn-Ons album, but nothing that really prepared me for this tour de force. Blood is obviously is a fan of a lot of the shoegaze bands that were all the rage in the early 90′s, but he seems to effortlessly add a touch of soul to his songs that put them on some other plane.  The final song on the record does something I have never heard before, combining shoegaze with soul into to something that sounds so natural and right.  It’s an amazing song and leaves me with shivers up my spine every time I hear it.   When was the last time a record did that to you?

mp3: To Leave America


mp3: These Days


4. Charles Leo Gebhardt IV – Unfaithful (GGNZLA)
Charles Leo Gebhardt plays in the Unnatural Helpers, Idle Times and probably a few other bands I don’t know about. He also has a solo gig and Unfaithful was the first fruits of that endeavor. It’s only five songs but every one of them is so good that he makes an impression in a very short amount of time. Unfaithful is pretty straightforward minimalist, low key guitar pop, but the songs have an antique feel to them in a similar vein of Girls that will make you swear you’ve heard them somewhere before.

mp3: King of the Mountain


5. Tea Cozies – Hot Probs (So Hard)
The Tea Cozies are a Seattle band with UK pop sensibilities. The pop charms of Kenickie, Sleeper and Elastica are not lost on this lot. Hot Probs comes smoking out the gate with songs that will have you checking to see where the heck this record was made. Oh, Erik Blood is producing. Heard of him. For a name that is so cute sounding, the Tea Cozies have attitude in spades and the songs to back it up. These ladies (and one guy) rock!

mp3: Like Luca Brasi


6. Visqueen – Message to Garcia (Local 638)
Speaking of Girls that rock, Rachel Flotard is pretty much synonymous with the term. She has had her band Visqueen boxed away in bubble wrap for the last few years while she took care of her ailing father. The bubble wrap is off and Visqueen are back with an album that doesn’t take it’s foot off the accelerator. Even the songs with violin, cello and horns rock like nobody’s business. Back in the 70′s girls screamed for Robin Zander and Cheap Trick. Here in Seattle in the 00′s boys are screaming for Rachel Flotard and Visqueen, or at least they should be.

mp3: Hand Me Down


7. Nightgowns – Sing Something (Self-released)
The Nightgowns who were formerly known as the Elephants sound like they could be on Morr, the German label known for dreamy, electronic pop that you can kind of dance too. Sing Something is chock full of songs that have buzzing, humming, blipping and squelching synthesizers over top of them. More importantly it contains some excellent pop songs done in damp, grey, melodramatic, maudlin fashion. Sing Something will keep you on your toes throughout with it’s slightly sad and slightly punchy songs.

mp3: Windwalker


8. Purrs – Amused Confused and More Bad News (Self-released)
I like to think of the Purr’s as Seattle’s resident spaced-out cowboys. Their songs sound part gunslinger blues and part spacey guitar jams. The twin effects-laden guitar attack topped off with Jima’s cool disaffected voice make everything the Purrs do sound drop dead cool. Amused Confused and More Bad News was less immediate than their previous outings, revealing it’s charms only after repeated listens, but in the end it was just as worthy.

mp3: Fear of Flying


9. Dutchess & the Duke – Sunset/Sunrise (Hardly Art)
This record was kind of like the Purrs record for me. It wasn’t as immediate as their first album, but after repeated listens the onion started to peel. Where She’s the Dutchess took a punk attitude to 60′s folk and re-formed it into something familiar yet foreign, Sunset/Sunrise continues along that trajectory, but delves deeper, embracing it without irony. The songs are slower, but no less engaging, they just take a little longer to get to know. Many bands are mining the 60′s motherload for inspiration, or just plane ripping it off, but the Dutchess and the Duke have taken that same inspiration, run with it, and turned it into something uniquely their own.

mp3: Hands


10. Naomi Punk – S/T (Self-Released)
Mysterious band, mysterious record. Full of Oh Sees style riffs, but slowed down which gives them a slightly euphoric feel. This is truly blissed out cave stomp rock and roll. Back in the 60′s every Pacific Northwest garage band that was worth its salt did a version of Louie Louie. I would love to hear Naomi Punk’s version. It would likely be slowed way down, like listening to a 45 at 33 rpm. The vocals would be buried so low in the song that you would barely be able to make out the melody and it would sound so huge that it would make your eardrums burst.

mp3: Shouldna Started Trouble

Other Seattle/PNW records that got a lot of my attention this year:
Black Whales – Origins | Desolation Wilderness – New Universe | Eat Skull – Wild and Inside | Grand Archives – Keep In Mind Frankenstein | Green Pajamas – Poison In The Russian Room | Hotels – Where Hearts Go Broke | Intelligence – Crepuscule Avec Pacman | Karl Blau – Zebra | Ragedy Anns – ST | Say Hi – Oohs & Aahs | Scraps – ST | Sea Navy – Memory Matches |  Spits – IV | Young Fresh Fellows – I Think This Is

Singles Of the Year, the Top 40 Countdown (10-1)

December 16, 2009 at 10:47 pm | Posted in 7 inch, Lists, mp3, Music, Singles | 8 Comments
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Part 4 of 4: Here’s the mother load, numbers 10 through 1. An excellent year for the 7-inch single. I don’t think it’s been this good since sometime back in the 90′s. To me the 7″ is the perfect pop medium.  It’s immediate and somewhat inexpensive to procure one, though prices are increasing especially compared to the 99 cent mp3. Every label I ever hear discuss singles says that they’re money losers, but they keep releasing them. Obviously this kind of music has relied on the obsession of the very few since it began, and the labels putting out singles these days are doing it because they love the medium. Being an old schooler, I much prefer holding onto the record sleeve as the record spins.  I’m not sure how many kids these days are buying actual singles, I know albums are back in fashion, but the single, not so much.  If it happens, once your bitten by the bug of the 7 inch single it’s hard to find a cure. If you haven’t been bitten, check out my favorite 10 singles from this year and odds are you will be.  Here’s to deep pockets and a love of the pop rush!

1. Sea Lions – Let’s Groove (Yay!)

The Sea Lions remind me of two things: I had a cassette of Surf Classics when I was a kid that got endless play through many snowy Ohio winters on my walkman. I vaguely remember what songs were on it, but more than anything I remember the sunny-warm vibe I would get from listening to it.  The second thing they remind me of is 7 Seconds, well, more like the mellow younger brothers of 7 Seconds, a band that got me through my high school years.  The Sea Lions aren’t quite surf, not quite punk, and not quite twee.  What they are is ballsy to make the A-side of their first single an instrumental, but the Sea Lions seem to know what they’re doing. In a year where sun, surf and sand were recurring themes around the indieverse the Sea Lions did it the best. No trendy reverb or washed out vocals, just straight up pop. The instrumental Let’s Groove is punk informed version of the Ventures while the two B-sides shoot the curl of pop perfection.

mp3: Good Feelings



2. Crystal Stilts – Love Is a Wave (Slumberland)

I thought the Crystal Stilts were all gloom and doom, but this song has to be the most upbeat thing the band have ever done.  They almost sound happy, but surely not complacent. This single literally will set off sparks from your record player, or maybe it’s just JB’s guitar.  Last year the Crystal Stilts were riding high after just releasing their first album, and this single shows that record was no fluke.  In fact Love Is a Wave pretty much lays down the gauntlet for what other bands must surpass to become great.  It’s that good.

mp3: Love Is a Wave



3. Magic Kids – Hey Boy (Goner)

Hey Boy starts off with a chorus of  angelic girls singing, “Hey boy where’s your girlfriend, she needs your attention, hey boy where’s your little girl tonight?” I know I throw around Phil Spector’s name quite a bit, but this song will make you believe  he’s either out of jail or the Magic Kids went to prison to record this.  This was their first and only single, but it was so good that it had people thinking that they were contrived to fool the indieverse (We later found out that the Magic Kids are a Barbara’s spin-off band.)  How else do you explain two songs that excel so well in doing that trippy, melody laden Brian Wilson thing.

mp3: Hey Boy



4. Fergus & Geronimo – Blind Muslim Girl (Tic Tac Totally)

Fergus & Geronimo have the dubious honor of being the only band to appear twice in this year’s countdown. For being a part time band Jason Kelly and Andrew Savage (of Wax Museums and Teenage Cool Kids) have easily surpassed both of their other bands. This single, like so many other songs here, is 2 minutes 45 seconds of undeniable pop. Blind Muslim Girl is the pop side and Powerful Lovin’ is the soulful b-side. If these guys would turn up the production a bit, they could go gold.

mp3: Blind Muslim Girl


5. France Has the Bomb – Invisible Angle (Hozac)

Wow! Invisible Angle is like lightning in a jar. The riff on the A-side just slices through the air straight to my brain. I love the scratchy in your face  guitars and the big fat chunky bass solo right in the middle.  France has the Bomb were a much needed jolt of electricity in this sludgy, hazy, distortion heavy year of music.
mp3: Invisible Angle



6. Rose Elinor Dougall – Stop/Start/Synchro (Elefant)

A Former Pippette, now out on her own and all the better for it. It starts out sounding like the Divine Comedy, then morphs into sweet dancy pop that St. Etienne use to make. This was my favorite of the three single she released this year. Album due next year, absolutely can’t wait.

mp3: Start/Stop/Synchro



7. Best Coast – Sun Was High (Art Fag)

Last year the Vivian Girls seemed to set off the imaginations of a whole bunch of girls in their bedrooms who up until that point were content with listening to the Ronnettes, Shangri-La’s Crystals, Shirelles and Black Tambourine by themselves. That is no longer the case and Best Coast are one of the finest examples of the post Vivian Girls girl groups sweeping the nation. Three songs drenched in minimalist girly reverb. I’m wondering if I’ll ever tire of this stuff.

mp3: Sun Was High (So Was I)


8. Emil & Friends – Downed Economy (Transparent)

This is easily the best single that Hot Chip never released. It’s funky, so funky it’ll have you dragging your friends onto the dance floor. The b-side is nearly as good, but not in such an obvious way, more 70′s disco than 80′s sythn. Emil & Friends could be the most fun you’ll have from two sides of vinyl all year.
mp3: Downed Economy



9. The Cave Weddings – Bring Your Love (HoZac)

Cave Weddings is an appropriate name for this Albany, New York band. They’re a little rockabilly, a little Flying Nun and a little a umm, wedding in a cave. It’s a bit damp and dark, but mostly it’s a blast because you you can smash stuff up and get wild because after all, it’s a cave and you don’t have to worry about keeping the place tidy.

mp3: Bring Your Love



10. tUnE-YaRdS – Hatari (4AD)

The Tun-Yards album came out last year, but the record got picked up by 4AD and was reissued this year with bonus songs. 4AD also put out this single of one of the best songs on the album with a herky-jerky remix of Hatari on the b-side. I love the way Tune-Yards effortlessly meld African style chant into a pop song while throwing in the kitchen sing for good measure.

mp3: Hatari (Karn Remix)

[40-31] [30-21] [20-11] [10-1]

Singles Of the Year, the Top 40 Countdown (20-11)

December 15, 2009 at 10:09 pm | Posted in 7 inch, Lists, mp3, Music, Singles, Vinyl | Leave a comment
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Part 3 of 4: Last year in my year end round up of my favorite singles I wrote how the 7 inch single seemed to be coming back into favor. This year it went over the top. There seemed to be labels popping out of the woodwork who’s main mission was to gather up the best songs and put them out on little pieces of vinyl. To reflect the bumper crop of singles I’ve expanded the year end singles count down to 40. Like Casey Kasem use to do, we’re gonna count them down. I don’t think we’ll be doing any long distance dedications, but keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. Here are numbers 11 through 20.


11. The White Wires – Pretty Girl (Trouble In Mind)

Ottawa’s White Wires play 50′s rock-n-roll with a present day garage rock aesthetic. It’s pretty straightforward stuff, but the songwriting is so solid that it doesn’t really matter what the style is. If Buddy Holly hadn’t gone down in that plane 50 years ago, I would have put money on him being in this band.

mp3: Pretty Girl



12. Love Boat – Remember the Sabbath Day and Keep It Holy (Shake Your Ass)

Damn, I love manic pop songs. Italy’s Love Boat sound like a rockabilly version of the Woodentops; hypno-beat, crazy pace, quirky sounding, and just plane old rollicking. Frankie Shampoo? I don’t know who Frankie Shampoo is or what Love Boat are on about (and they’re singing in English), but it definitely sounds like they’re having a blast.

mp3: Frankie Shampoo



13. Shackles – Broken Arm (Sweet Rot)

Is this the only Seattle band in the count down? I guess everything else in the count down falls under long distance dedication. This is the first slab of wax from these guys and one of those singles where both sides are so good, there is no b-side. They kind of sound like the Box Elders, that should be enough shouldn’t it?

mp3: Broken Arm



14. Your Twenties – Billionaires (Neon Gold)

No Field Music, Week That Was or School of Language albums came out this year, but luckily former Metronomy guy Gabriel Stebbing has started his own band Your Twenties to fill in the gap.Your Twenties are quirky and it’s decidedly English, something I’ve not said very often this year as that seems to be not very trendy. Billionaires is a sunny happy song that you imagine that Brits listening to as they speed away from their bank.

mp3:  Billionaires



15. The Mayfair Set – Already Warm (Captured Tracks)

A Dum Dum Girls and Blank Dogs team-up that juxtaposes Dum Dum Girls’ sunny West Coast outlook with the Blank Dogs’ East Coast misery. On the A-side Mike Sniper take the lead and the East Coast wins and on the flip, Dee Dee’s West Coast optomism takes over. I prefer the B-side, but I’m a glass half full kind of guy.

mp3: Desert Fun



16. Darren Hanlon – Electric Skeleton (Flippin Yeah)

Darren Hanlon went to the same school of writing lyrics as Billy Bragg, Marty Donald and Morrissey, or maybe their mothers all just drank the same water when they were pregnant, who knows. It’s been a while since Hanlon’s last album and this was a sight for sore eyes.  When I saw him recently in Seattle, he described this as his Hendrix tribute.  That may be kind of a reach, but it is the most rockin’ song he’s ever done.  The sleeve of the single is a real x-ray, not sure if they’re of Darren or not.

mp3: Electric Skeleton



17. Rainbow Bridge – Big Wave Rider (True Panther)

There’s no surf in Olympia, Washington, but you wouldn’t know it listening to this single. There’s the paddle out, then siting on your board, sun glistening off the water as you look west for the next set. You spot the one you want, turn and start paddling. The swell lifts you up as you hop up and drop in. The spray hits you in the face as you shoot the curl. I wouldn’t know anything about that, but listening to this song you’ll get at least an inkling.

mp3: Big Wave Rider



18. The Champagne Socialists – Blue Genes (Slumberland)

Now known as Neverever, the Champagne Socialists are parts Bricolage and Royal We. Confusing?  Yes.  Less confusing is how good this record is. These veteran name changers make it sound so easy. Singer Jihae sounds a little Debbie Harry a little Belinda Carslile while dropping a little 60′s girl group nostalgia in for good measure.

mp3: Blue Genes



19. Lofty Heights – Eye Contact (Unit Rad)

If you put a Ukulele in a pop song you have a 95% chance of winning me as a fan. Lofty Heights do that in the first five seconds of Eye Contact and then proceed to add in some Beach Boys woo, woo’s and throw in some cello. They had me at with the uke, but I’ll take the rest of it gladly.

mp3: Eye Contact



20. Flight – Flowers (Sweet Rot)

I’ll admit it, I have preconceived notions about certain states in the US, but Mississippi’s Flight have put at least one in the trash. It starts off with a Wire riff and then gets all droney. Post punk angst from the bayou, never thought I’d write those words.

mp3: Flowers

[40-31] [30-21] [20-11] [10-1]

Singles Of the Year, the Top 40 Countdown (30-21)

December 14, 2009 at 10:51 pm | Posted in Lists, mp3, Music, Singles, Vinyl | Leave a comment
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Part 2 of 4: Last year in my year end round up of my favorite singles I wrote how the 7 inch single seemed to be coming back into favor. This year it went over the top. There seemed to be labels popping out of the woodwork who’s main mission was to gather up the best songs and put them out on little pieces of vinyl. To reflect the bumper crop of singles I’ve expanded the year end singles count down to 40. Like Casey Kasem use to do, we’re gonna count them down. I don’t think we’ll be doing any long distance dedications, but keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. Here are numbers 21 through 30.


21. Camera Obscura – French Navy (4AD)

Seeing Camera Obscura live is kind of a yawn, but get them on your record player and it’s a totally different story. This single was a Record Store day exclusive or some such thing.  French Navy maybe isn’t as perfect as perfect as Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken, but it’s pretty damn close.  The Lush string arrangements are courtesy of the adept ear of Bjorn Yttling of Peter Bjorn & John, making you think that he’s been listening to a little Burt Bacharach.

mp3: French Navy


22. Ganglians – Blood on the Sand (Captured Tracks)

The Ganglians released a hell of a lotta stuff this year but this was by far the most immediate and catchy. Blood on the Sand makes you think that these guys might not really smoke too much pot. It has a manic feel that reminds me of the best Jefferson Airplane songs (okay, they probably still smoke a lot of weed), leaving everything else they’ve released so far in the dust.

mp3: Blood On the Sand


23. Frankie Rose – Thee Only One (Slumberland)

Ex-Vivian Girl and Ex-Crystal Stilt, Frankie Rose has finally run out of bands to leave.  The writer of my two favorite Vivian Girls songs has struck out her own and these are the first fruits. The A-side  definitely has a Crystal Stilts feel to it, probably because JB from the Stilts plays on it, while the B-side is for my four dollars, the more interesting song of the two. An organ only ballad that goes all Twin Peaks on you.

mp3: Hollow Life


24. Nodzzz – True To Life (What’s Your Rupture?)

This single sees the Nodzzz getting all art school geeky on us.  Wait you say, they were already kind of geeky. Yeah, but now they’re hanging out with the art school crowd.  Don’t worry, the songs are still microscopic in length, but catchy in a pocket protector, shirt buttoned to the top button kind of way. A shambolic good time, for those of you who like to wear your trousers well above your hips.

mp3: True To Life


25. Sally Suicide – Black Pop (Oslo Grammofon)

Since they’re from Norway, we’ll give them a pass on the name. I can’t imagine what I’d call my band if I had to give a name in Norwegian. Everyone knows that the Scandinavians have a penchant for English style indie and Sally Suicide make a great racket just as if they were the next House of Love.

mp3: Black Pop

26. The Depreciation Guild – Dream About Me (Kanine)

Remember the 90′s when bands with with 20 effects pedals were a dime a dozen? I do and this brings me back to those days. Dream About Me is not this Pains of Being Pure at Heart offshoot’s first release, but it may be their best yet. The Depreciation Guild answer the question, if there ever was one, what if Blueboy’s Keith Girdler had fronted a shoegaze band.

mp3: Dream About Me

27. Jeffrey Novak – Home Sweet Home (Shattered)

Jeffry Novak is probably better known for fronting the garage/power pop trio Cheap Time.  His solo songs are bit more eccentric and judging from his solo songs, Novak is a fan of Kevin Ayers. His faux Ray Davies accent puts some people off, but I’m not one of those people and Home Sweet Home will have you either reaching to put the needle back at the start or for your Kinks or Ayers records. Whichever, it’s a win.

mp3: Home Sweet Home

28. Help Stamp Out Loneliness – Torvill & Dean (Papillon Noirs)

Not sure why they’re singing about a figure skating couple, but Help Stamp Out Loneliness make it sound so good you soon forget it’s about a figure skating.  The B-side, Record Shop covers more familiar lyrical territory, at least for me.  Torville & Dean kind of reminds me of a more lush Long Blondes.  Trainspotters like myself will note that this was produced by four very capable hands Yves Altana of the Bardots and Martin Coogan of Mock Turtles fame.

mp3:Torvill & Dean

29. Stolen Hearts – Heart Collector (Douchemaster)

Of all the bands this year that were tripping on girl groups and  Phil Spector, the Stole Hearts sounded the most authentic.  The record is simple and not overdone with distortion and reverb. Heart Collector will make you feel like your listening to AM radio while parked at a drive in burger joint waiting for the girl on skates to come and take your order.

mp3: Heart Collector

30. The Smith Westerns – Be My Girl (Transparent)

Both of these songs showed up on the Smith Western’s album on HoZac, but sometimes small doses are better.  I know everyone’s ga-ga for the A-side, but the B-side is where it’s at for me. Girl In Love with its T-Rex/Gary Glitter is the song that made me like these teenage punks.  It’s got a sexy, slow sidewinder kind of vibe that provides a bit of funk that seems to escape most of their other stuff.

mp3: Girl In Love

[40-31] [30-21] [20-11] [10-1]

Singles Of the Year, the Top 40 Countdown (40-31)

December 13, 2009 at 11:12 pm | Posted in Lists, mp3, Music, Singles, Vinyl | 2 Comments
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Last year in my year end round up of my favorite singles I wrote how the 7 inch single seemed to be coming back into favor. This year it went over the top. There seemed to be labels popping out of the woodwork who’s main mission was to gather up the best songs and put them out on vinyl. To reflect the bumper crop of singles I’ve expanded the year end singles count down to 40. Like Casey Kasem use to do, we’re gonna count them down. I don’t think we’ll be doing any long distance dedications, but keep your feet on the ground and keep reaching for the stars. Here are numbers 31 through 40.


31. Wounded Lion – Creatures of the Cave (Down In the Ground/Gilgongo)

Seattle’s Intelligence turned me on to these guys by covering their first single Pony People on their new album Fake Surfers. Wounded Lion put out two singles this year in preparation for their full length on ITR next year and this was my favorite of the two. It was the b-side Wyld Parrot that clinched it. Belting out lines like “I’m asparagus special” over a gritty bass line reminds me of Ian McCulloch going all nutty back in the day with his vegetable hallucinations. C-C-Cucumber, C-C-Cabbage, C-C-Cauliflower!

mp3: Wyld Parrots



32. Davila 666 – Primero Muerta (HoZac)

Is there such a thing as Caribbean punk rock? Puerto Rico’s Davila 666 say hell ya. This kind of sounds like some weird combination of the Partridge Family, the Sonics and Dara Puspita, but sung in Spanish. They released an album last year on ITR, and put out another single this year on Douchemaster, but it was this one from HoZac that made me sit up and take note of these guys,

mp3: Sabes Que Quiero


33. Personal & the Pizzas – Brass Knuckles (Bubble Dumb / Search and Destroy)

If the Ramones were from New Jersey and sang about Pizza, Personal and Pizza’s tread the line between parody and great power pop. Brass Knuckles is the latter. They’ve probably figured out that there are only so many songs you can write about pizza, and they’ve moved on to tougher subjects like Brass Knuckles. This single comes with two versions of that song, because once just isn’t enough.

mp3: Brass Knuckles (apologies for the WFMU live version, computer sound card problems)



34. Sic Alps – L Mansion (Slumberland)

Some purists will probably poo-poo this single as being too poppy and beneath their holier than thou dissonant listening habits. I see it more of a carrot and the stick. The Sic Alps are saying, yeah we can sound like Spoon and rock your socks off, now follow us down this rabbit hole. Sweetening the pot and the rabbit hole is a cover of Donovan’s Superlungs My Supergirl on the B-side.

mp3: L Mansion


35. Spectrals – Leave Me Be (Captured Tracks)

Kind of sounding like the Crystal Stilts, though a bit more poppy. The Spectrals are a one man band from the UK with a pension for Phil Spector and girl groups. Obviously not pushing the envelope, but Leave Me Be is two and a half minutes of washed out pop bliss.

mp3: Leave Me Be



36. Maria – Love Is… (Yay!)

Sarah records reincarnated on the west coast of the US of A. Maria are certainly carrying that torch, and the jangle of these three songs on this single will leave you with a smile on your face. The A-side is melodrama set to twee, while the two b-sides are impeccable indiepop toe tappers that don’t come around very often any more.

mp3: When the Sun Goes Down



37. Fergus & Geronimo – Tell It In My Ear (Transparent)

Not quite Sam Cook, but for indie rockers these guys are damn soulful. This was one of three singles this duo from Denton, Texas would put out this year. They say that this band is just a stop gap between bands, but man I hope they decide to make it a full time gig.

mp3: Tell It In My Ear



38. Sonny & the Sunsets – Love & Death (Soft Abuse)

A song about a tube of cream found on the front seat of a car that causes death. It’s a strange story song that is masked by the fact that it’s so catchy. Sonny Smith has been making solo records, writing stories and making short films for the better part of a decade but he just came to my attention this year.  Trainspotters may be interested to know he’s enlisted the help of Kelley Stoltz and Shayde Sartin and Tim Cohen from the Fresh & Onlys on this record.

mp3: Death Cream



39. Desolation Wilderness – No Tomorrow (K)

The west coast answer to Real Estate. I can’t help but think if Olympia had as many bloggers as New York these guys would be much bigger. No matter, the west coast has better surf than the east coast and Desolation Wilderness prove it.

mp3: No Tomorrow



40. Trailer Trash Tracys – Candy Girl (No Pain In Pop)

Take yourself back to 1989 and think Angelo Badalmenti, David Lynch, Julie Cruise, Twin Peaks and a bunch of reverb and bit more grit and you’ve got the Trailer Trash Traceys. Candy Girl is as the kids say these days, a blissed out jam.

mp3: Candy Girl

[40-31] [30-21] [20-11] [10-1]

Still the Champ: Uncle Bob!

December 8, 2009 at 10:44 pm | Posted in Music, Scoring | 8 Comments
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If you’ve been paying attention this year, you probably know that in 2009 it’s not about quality it’s quantity.  Bands are no longer satisfied to put out an album and maybe a single or an ep and then call it a year.  This year it has been all about inundating you with as many releases as they could fit onto the calendar.  It seemed like every time I turned around Thee Oh Sees were putting out another 7 inch,  or Robert Pollard had a new record.  Pollard is the king of proliferation. The guy is not human.   I’m sure he must know he puts out more records than people can consume, his publishing company is called Need More Songs.  He’s like the Scott Skiles of indie rock.  He may not look like a player, but they guy can rack up the points.

Pollard has been going like this for years, but this year he had some competition.  John Dyer and Dan Melchior both gave a valiant effort to put out more songs and wrest the title from Bob, but in the end both of them didn’t even come close.  Only if they could have combined their efforts they could have won, but only by a little. Yes, Ty Segall, The Fresh and Onlys, Dan Melchior and Thee Oh Sees all had more physical releases than pollard, but none of them came close to him in song total.

This is, of course is very unscientific, and probably does not include all the stuff all these guys have put out, but it’s close.  I feel pretty safe writing this at this point in the year.  What I mean, is I don’t think any of them have anything else slated to come out before the end of the year.  Although, today I did find out that both the Fresh & Onlys and Ty Segall have records coming out before Christmas (both included in the tally). So who knows, tomorrow Dan Melchior could announce a triple album with 40 songs on it.  For the time being this is how it stands: with 23 days left in the match, Pollard is so far ahead nobody will ever catch him. I wish I had some kind of trophy to give the guy.

For those of you keeping score at home, live albums don’t count,  songs on compilations albums count as a half release, while a split EP or 7 inch counts as full release.  The detailed scoring follows.

Robert Pollard
Albums
The Crawling Distance (GBV Inc) – 10 tracks
Elephant Jokes (GBV Inc) – 22 tracks
Tug Of War At The Faithful Center (Happy Jack Rock) – 19 tracks
Circus Devils – Gringo (Happy Jack Rock) – 16 tracks
Boston Spaceships – The Planets Are Blasted (GBV Inc) – 14 tracks
Boston Spaceships – Zero to 99 (GBV Inc) – 16 tracks
Cosmos – Jar of Jam Ton of Bricks (Happy Jack Rock) – 14 tracks

Thee Oh Sees
Albums
Help (In The Red) – 12 tracks
Zork’s Tape Bruise (Kill Shaman Records) – 31 tracks
Dog Poison (Captured Tracks) – 10 tracks
Singles
Tidal Wave (Woodsist) – 2 tracks
Split w/ Jay Reatard (Shattered) – 2 tracks
Split w/ Ty Segall Split (Castle-Face) – 1 track
In the Shadow of the Giant (Sub Pop) – 3 tracks
Blood In Your Ear (Rock Is Hell) – 2 tracks
Split w/ Paul Cary (Stankhouse) – 2 tracks
Compilations
The World’s Lousy With Ideas Volume 8 – 1 track

Dan Melchior
Albums
Thankyou Very Much 2LP (SS) – 16 tracks
Obscured by Fuzz (Topplers) – 14 tracks
Dan Melchior’s Broke Revue – o clouds unfold – 2LP (Hook or Crook) – 23 tracks
Singles
Mr Oblivion (Columbus Discount) – 2 tracks
The Post Office Line (Columbus Discount) 2 tracks
Split 45 w/ Fresh & Onlys (Volar) – 2 tracks
It’s a terrible shame (Dull Knife) – 2 tracks
Dim Are the Lights (Convulsive)  – 2 tracks
Compilations
Skulls Without Borders (Siltbreez) -1 track

Ty Segall
Albums
Horn the Unicorn (HBSP-2X) – 19 tracks
Lemons (Goner) – 12 tracks
Reverse Shark Attack w/Mikal Cronin (Kill Shaman) – 10 tracks

EPs
Split w/ Black Time (Telephone Explosion) – 7 tracks

Singles
Cents (Goner) – 3 tracks
Ty Segall and Mikal Cronin – Pop Song (Goodbye Boozy Records) – 3 tracks
Split w Thee Oh Sees (Castle-Face) – 1 track
Universal Momma (True Panther) – 2 tracks
Ty Segall – My Sunshine (Trouble In Mind) – 3 tracks

The Fresh & Onlys
Albums
Grey-Eyed Girls (Woodsist)  – 12 tracks
The Fresh & Onlys (Castle Face) – 14 tracks

Singles
I’ll Tell You Everything & I Saw You Seeing Me (Dirty Knobby) – 3 tracks
The Fresh & Onlys (Chuffed) – 4 traks
Laughter is Contagious (Trouble In Mind) – 2 tracks
Split w/Dan Melchior (Volar) – 2 tracks
Second One to Know/Hated or Loved (Woodsist) – 2 tracks

Cassettes
Bomb Wombs (Fuck It Tapes) – 10 tracks

Kurt Vile
Albums
God Is Saying This To You (Mexican Summer) – 12 tracks
Childish Prodigy (Matador) – 9 tracks

EPs
The Hunchback EP (Richie) – 6 tracks

Singles
Fall Demons (Skulltones) – 5 tracks
He’s All Right (Matador) – 3 tracks

Compilations
Meet the Philly Elite (K-RAA-K) – 1 track

The Intelligence
Fake Surfers (In the Red) – 12 tracks
Crepuscule with Pacman  (Born Bad) – 12 tracks

Singles
Reading and Writing About Partying (Raw Deluxe Records) – 2 tracks
Split w/ Crash Normal (Compost Modern Art) – 1 track
Split w/ Unnatural Helpers (Dirty Knobby) – 3 tracks

Compilations
The World’s Lousy With Ideas Volume 8 – 1 track

Blank Dogs
Albums
Under the Under 2LP (In the Red) – 20 tracks

EPs
Seconds (Captured Tracks) – 4 tracks

Singles
In Here (Down In the Ground) – 2 tracks
Slow Room / Anywhere (Captured Tracks) – 2 tracks
Waiting (In the Red) – 2 tracks

Compilations
The World’s Lousy With Ideas Volume 8 – 1 track

Ganglians
Albums
Ganglians (Woodsist) – 8 tracks
Monster Head Room (Weird Forest) – 11 tracks

Singles
Split w/ Eat Skull (Dulcitone) – 1 track
Blood On the Sand (Capured Tracks) – 2 tracks

Go Green: Green Pajamas’ Gigs This Weekend

December 3, 2009 at 10:29 am | Posted in mp3, Music, Previews, Psychedlia, Seattle | Leave a comment
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The reclusive Green Pajamas have a couple upcoming gigs, one in Portland and one in Seattle this weekend.  The long-time Seattle band are  masters of the psychedelic tempest in a teacup otherwise known as plain old psych rock, or for you 80′s o’philes the paisley underground.  The band only ever play one or two 2 gigs per year so these back to back dates could be construed as a full blown tour.  They may be agoraphobic when it comes to playing live, but when it comes to putting out records they turn into in your face extroverts.  The band have been Seattle wallflowers dating back to 1984 and have put out more than 20 albums not including Jeff Kelley solo records.  That’s nearly an album a year for a quarter of a century.  Longevity appears to be in the pajamas (sorry).  It’s kind of crazy to think about the number of albums they’ve put out, and it’s more than a little overwhelming to a newcomer.

So where do you start with  a band that have so many records to choose from?  Some of my favorites are  the albums that they put out in the late 90′s.  All Clues Lead to Megan’s Bed, Seven fathoms Down And Falling from that period and the reissue of their early album Ghost of Love are all worth hearing.  Another way to go is the compilation route, Indian Summer collects their early hard to find singles, while Through Glass Colored Roses focuses more on late period Pajamas.  Getting both of the comps gives a pretty good overview of their career and you can dive in from there.

Live, they play songs from way back.  The last time I saw them they played one of their first singles, the almost famous Kim the Waitress, which was later made famous by Material Issue.  It’s not all old stuff, though, the band have been consistently releasing records on Hidden Agenda for the past six years.  Their latest record Poison In the Russian Room came out earlier this year.  It continues the psychedelic rock that these paisley undergrounders have been doing for so long. Overall it’s little more mellow in feel, but there are a few upbeat songs on it to keep you on your toes.

Another way to introduce yourself or reaquaint yourself with a band like the Green Pajamas who’s longevity is evidenced by their huge discography is by going to their gig.  They’ll be down in Portland Friday at  Kelly’s Olympian and then here in Seattle on Saturday at the Lo-Fi.  Just in case you’re on the fence, here are a few mp3′s to get you going.

Dec 4 – Green Pajamas w/boatclub @ Kelly’s Olympian in Portland
Dec 5 – Green Pajamas w/boatclub @ The Lo-Fi in Seattle

mp3: Green Pajamas – Any Way the Wind Blows (from Poison In the Russian Room)


mp3: Green Pajamas – Walking In the Rain (from Ghosts of Love)


mp3: Green Pajamas – Streets Of London (from Indian Winter)


mp3: Green Pajamas – Rattlesnake Kiss (from All Clues Lead to Megan’s Bed)


mp3: Green Pajamas – Planet Love (from Seven Fathoms Down and Falling)

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