Aphera Music

Not that there’s anything wrong with relistening to Spoon Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga and Gimme Fiction on a rainy Sunday but I feel it’s more out of coercion that choice. I complained to George while “I Summon You” gloomily reminded me of the “weight of the world”, that there were simply no decent recent releases!

By this time last year, I remember incessantly playing LCD, Beach House, Vampire Weekend, Yeasayer, and revisiting Passion Pit, Discovery, Metric… the list is longer! And forgive me if I’m a bit anachronistic, the point is, the array of choices didn’t force me to comb through my massive itunes library and rekindle old flames.

Today, out of boredom more than curiosity, I listened to everyone of Pitchfork’s songs on their “Playlist”. And as usual, I was disappointed with every pick except Radiohead’s “Give Up Ghost”. Pitchfork seems to be promoting this, let me quote, “twinkling, moonlit R&B protestation all made the more sensual by an anonymous, butter-dripping voice challenging a lover’s relationship with suggestive come-ons.” In other words, most of the stuff on the playlist is either really poor 90s grunge revival or this “slow-syrup” swanky lounge music. I can only imagine myself in D.C., sitting in a red velvet couch, sipping a drink, and watching a victorian chandelier twinkle above dancing people’s heads. This is not where I want good music to take me.

Good music can create various vignettes of emotional experiences, like The Knot, one of our 2009 Top Ten Albums did. Breaking my music doldrums is Wye Oak, releasing their new album on March 8, 2011. Celebrating this release, they are playing a free show at Baltimore downtown record store, The Sound Garden. Their blog announces the show to begin at 730 pm on Tue evening. Although, I’m too busy to make this show – I may skip our of my previous obligations in order to dive into a fresh music scene. Check out this album titled single!

I <3 NPR so much when they offer exclusive first listens for great bands like Wye Oak. Click for  NPR’s first listen to the new album.

Wye Oak – Civilian by cityslang

I could not be more excited for the new R.E.M. album. How can I even begin?  R.E.M., they’re like that kid you know with the perfect resume. Everything they do wows you.

One of Radiohead’s greatest influences, producers of quality albums time and time again, unbelievable live, and Michael Stipe are just a few of R.E.M.’s finest qualities. But what may be most telling about this band is that they don’t care about stuff like credentials. “Losing my religion”, perhaps their most famous song, is about how fame can pull the ground out from underneath a band. Michael Stipe, he’s avoided losing his religion and instead become one of the greatest voices in the world.

I don’t want to read any of the many reviews out already for R.E.M.’s new album, Collapse Into Now. I’d rather come to my own conclusion regarding what the loaded title may mean. Their last album was a personal favorite, because like Plato, their metaphors seem applicable to both the self and the state. Stipe is probably often commenting on society as a whole, but I like to think Accelerate is speaking to me personally. “Living well is the best revenge” was my motto for the couple months I listened to Accelerate on repeat.

Collapse Into Now is out March 8, 2011 in the U.S.!!!

Usually, when I’m distracted, I can write down my grievances in this giant legal pad I store next to my bed and be done with them (at least for the night)!

But I must have written 5 pages worth of analytical jumble without any mental relief. So my next strategy usually involves changing the mood with some music. Unfortunately, King of Limbs is not cutting it. The only mistake Radiohead may have made was releasing King of Limbs in the middle of February doldrums. Something about the perpetuating mystery behind its release, the incessant rhythms behind Mr. Magpie and Thom’s foreboding lyrics iced on top “You took my melody” – can make one question one’s sanity. At least it has me in an agitated and unsatisfied condition.

Thus, I am going for the usual contenders for “mood fixers” and they have the following qualities: Grunge-I-don’t-give-a-shit 90s guitar riffs, empowering lyrics and a relatively positive sentiment.

Lyrics are the most important. This is probably the only time I pay any attention to song lyrics because I look for soothing reassurance. They become my spiritual gospel. And when I say soothing, I mean something like this…

“We have the power now mother fuckers” !!

The Flaming Lips had it right in “The W.A.N.D”. The title stands for The Will Always Negates Defeat. I think the hard thing is remembering what you have control over and what you don’t have control over. The Flaming Lips are here to remind us to focus on ourselves.

Here are some other magical lyrics/spiritual guidance

“I won’t stop till I’ve given you up…I thought you should know, you don’t move me anymore, and I’m glad that you don’t because I can’t have you anymore” – Yeasayer

“She’s three miles of bad road… She’s her own invention” – R.E.M.

“The present now will later be past, the order is rapidly fadin. The first one now will later be last for the times they are a changin’” – Dylan

enjoy

psedit: the answer to the question brought up in the previous post, was that this video was broadcast in the Hachiko square on the large advertising monitors that surround the square. Crowds watched Thom dance above their heads.

As all of you hopefully know, Radiohead’s new album, the King of Limbs, comes out on Saturday. However, 8 hours ago they tweeted a new status, in Japanese. According to google translate it comes out as “Hachiko Square Shibuya, 59 minutes at 18 Friday”

Now this is curious. Because of translational complications and the general ambiguity associated with Radiohead this tweet could mean a number of things? Are they playing a secret show at the Shibuya square at 18:00 Japanese time? Is the album 59 minutes long? Will they perform at the square for 59 minutes? Will they perhaps use the giant screens of the square to broadcast a tracklisting or some other strange promotional material? Will they do a live webcast from Japan at 18:00?

It’s all too confusing to know for sure now, but stay on your toes anyway. 18:00 Japanese time on Friday translates to 3:00 am EST on Friday for all you east-coasters. Good luck! Also, make sure to check back next week for our review of the King of Limbs! Will this finally be their bad album?!?!?

Not that we think that they have the #1 album of 2010, but we’re happy to see them win a Grammy. Check out that site posted below for some SERIOUS laughs.

http://whoisarcadefire.tumblr.com/

I feel very much so in the giving mood, so I’m about to present something else new for all of our Aphera readers. Eric Weidenhof has long been a musical collaborator of mine. We’ve been playing music together since seventh grade! Over the years these are two tracks that we’ve successfully recorded under two different monikers. The first track, “Spoiled Meat” was a track written by Eric back in middle school that our band, Aphera, played. We recorded it a couple months ago partly for posterity and partly because we couldn’t think of anything else to do. I thus labeled the artist on the track as Aphera because it just felt right.

The second track, “Tunnels”, was a track that I had originally written and recorded on my own but in senior year of high school, the band Eric and I played in called We’re Cooking Quinoa played the song for the battle of the bands. Afterwards, Eric and I recorded it in its new incarnation.

I’ve put the tracks on the playlist and you can visit my website to download the tracks.

Many thanks,

George

They played Junip in Starbucks today and I took it as a sign that it’s about time I sit down and write this post.

Junip must be mentioned for creating a notable album in 2010. We sure had a lot more albums like Fields on our list last year. These are albums that are solid but not necessarily special in any other way. They’re the folky, rock, chill albums that you can listen to on repeat for about a month before you move on and then return to on somber days. They may not stand the test of time, but fill so many voids before you’re done with them.

“Wouldn’t you like to figure out what’s making you howl?”

Junip “Howl”

jj “Hopes and Dreams”

Deerhunter “Desire Lines”

The Walkmen “What’s in it for me”

Hello Friends!

I hope you enjoyed our end of year list and that you all had a nice new year. Well here’s something else new: a new song that I’ve been working on for almost a year now. It’s called “Finally Good Dreams” and I’ve put it up on the player for you and it’s on my website for you to check out as well. Download it here. Thanks!

George

Click here to hear selected songs from each album

Honorable Mention: KiD CuDi: Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager

#10 Vampire Weekend: Contra

While I’ve been a Vampire Weekend diehard since last January, George says “it makes me want to vomit cartoon rainbows.” Maybe there is something kitschy about Ezra singing about horchata, cheese steaks and toothpaste, but this is no reason to write off Contra. I’ve mentioned before that a good artist can take something simple, commonplace and present it in a completely novel way – in other words, make us pay attention to the clothes rubbing against our skin. This is what Vampire Weekend does. On one level, each song is completely unassuming, on another it’s mind blowing. Take “California English”, so fraught with auto-tune and syncopated rhythm you’re forced to ask “why?!” But the auto-tune is just a creative way to present “California English” or Spanish perhaps? Another way Vampire Weekend present simplicity is through perfectionism – the attention paid to minute detail. Although “White Sky” could be repetitive till dullness, it is instead subtly different through the use of changing percussion and inflections in Ezra’s voice. This is 2010’s version of XX – restraint, simplicity yet subtle complexity. The rarity of this combination is what makes such albums winners.

-Larissa

#9 Major Lazer: Lazers Never Die EP

Pure epinephrine runs through the veins of MAJOR LAZER. This causes him to create perfect dance music. This is what I imagine must be true for such unapologetically obscene dance music to exist. This EP is in part a recognition of all ML has done this year but also an appreciation of the EP itself. The remixes on this album do nothing less than improve upon the originals in the case of “Bruk Out” and in the case of “Jump Up” and “Can’t Stop Now” they remixes present the songs in a form that seems just as natural (or perhaps just as ridiculous?) as the originals.

-George

#8 Arcade Fire: The Suburbs

Talk about album cohesion! Thematic, melting of one song into another, and even similar chord cadences in every song, Arcade Fire produced a soundtrack-like album. It even seems to have a beginning, middle, and end (it ends with “The Suburbs (continued)” that brings us right back to the first song on the album). On a smaller scale, within each song, the chord progressions are also circular. Where the cadence ends is also the beginning of the next cadence. Thus, every song is circular, and the effect is a continuous anticipation for a “real” ending. Maybe, that’s why this album is so catchy and debuted at #1 on the U.S. Billboard and received three nominations at the Grammys.

-Larissa

#7 Tame Impala: Innerspeaker

Listening to tracks like “Alter Ego” and “Solitude Is Bliss” really makes me want to put Tame Impala’s, Innerspeaker as number one on our list. But I honestly have to admit, the album as a whole just doesn’t make it that far. If you dig The Beatles, you might disagree with me, but as fresh as the whole classic rock, phased-out style, backed up by the “I don’t give a s**t” feels, may be, we have better justifications for our current higher rated picks. Innerspeaker succeeds in being nostalgic, without making the same mistake other indie bands make who just succeed in sounding stupid. Their 2008 EP sounds like it could have been made today by the band. That’s because Innerspeaker is Tame Impala’s genuine sound.
-Alexander

#6 Beach House: Teen Dream

Teen Dream is a very personable album. This may sound vague, but Teen Dream is vague. The entire album collectively makes a mess of your emotions. Obviously, from the song titles there is some theme of love, but honestly I can’t tell if the album is about falling in love or breaking up. Every song is introspective and absorbing. For example the song, “Lover Of Mine”, may begin like another kitschy song by MGMT, but after the bass and piano enter to accompany the guitar, the song becomes a pool of thought (perfect day-dream material). I personally found this album to be reflexive but I believe you can perceive this album in any way you wish. You can sympathize with it, embrace it, philosophize, etc. Every track on Teen Dream is unique to any listening aspiration. I don’t know how crazy I am about Alex Scally’s voice singing higher than his female counterpart, Victoria Legrand, but the duo together create a very luscious, yet translucent feel. The perfected and smooth production amplifies its imagery and tone. This album isn’t anything mind-blowing, but it pains me to pause my iPod midway through a song. You can claim that music is ear-candy, but Teen Dream is food for thought.

-Alexander

#5 Gorillaz: Plastic Beach

Damon Albarn clearly strives for grandeur with this album. Heavy beats, soaring orchestrations and collaborations out the wazoo do not mask Albarn’s intentions and in fact do quite well to propel this album most of the way towards what it seeks to accomplish. However, the album is plagued by just a few shortcomings that keep this album inches away from perfection. Unfortunate this was for Damon in a year like 2010 where these kinds of minor shortcomings keep a really incredible album at fifth place amidst some other really incredible releases. One or two really expendable songs (“Glitter Freeze” comes to mind) and a couple other hit or miss moments are the only real flaws and unlike in Demon Days, Damon proves that the Gorillaz project is more than just a vehicle for radio friendly pop singles.

-George

# 4 Sufjan Stevens: The Age of Adz

“Letting loose” doesn’t exactly evoke ideas of frivolous brass and superfluous choir. We usually associate “letting loose” will sloppiness, incompletion and disorder. The wonderful, absolutely amazing, extraordinary thing about The Age of Adz is that it’s everything we wouldn’t expect from a free-form, sufjan-finally-let-loose album – it’s saturated with technical orchestration, complex ideas, story lines and masterful song writing. But even more impressively, the free form is still there – themes meander, noises pop out of nowhere, there seems to be little restraint. What makes this a top ten album is the effortlessness – orchestration that would sound contrived if written by anyone else, flows out of Sufjan like drunken ramblings; song structure that would normally either confuse us or put us to sleep, is instead enthralling and deeply emotional. Sufjan is naturally complex and often stabs at the air with odd “noises”. Every so often he stabs us in the heart and throughout his chaos he carries a beautiful melody and story – the combination of chaos, dissonance and harmony and peace is something only Sufjan could have crafted and something that may never be achieved on such a high level ever again.

-Larissa

#3 Flying Lotus: Cosmogramma

I initially wanted Cosmogramma to be album of the year. This was because from the moment I heard the leaked tracks in early 2010 and still to today, the album hit me on a supremely spiritual level. Its huge “cosmic” sound left me paralyzed. However, perhaps its scope was alienating; you’ve really got to get inside your own head to get into this music. Is this enough to push FlyLo off the top spot? Is it problematic at all? Perhaps, if you’re afraid of dementia or insomnia.

Aside from the psychological problems the album chaperones, FlyLo does some innovative things with his music. For instance, he seems so deliberate with his beat placement and ultimately you can tell because FlyLo’s seemingly sloppy, lazy beat (which in reality is probably incredibly delicately timed) really kills it, in a good way. I mean, if it was just a tad more sloppy in places, it straight up wouldn’t work and it is exactly that teetering on the threshold, that suspended dissolution that makes FlyLo’s music so kickass.

-George

#2 Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

The reason this album is so perfectly effective is because Kanye created an album that is a self portrait of a megalomaniac: A cinematic self portrait that is never self-effacing and always opportunistic. The cinematic aspect of it comes from his ability to sculpt an album that shows his true self from several angles: his obsession with power and opulence, his monstrous ego, his inability to sustain a relationship, his devils and his tribulations. Perhaps the reason MBDTF touches so many people so deeply is because it has an protagonist with whom we can clearly relate: a protagonist who is his own antagonist. Kanye’s got a pretty twisted mind to create such a fantastical album, full of dark imagery yet beautifully brilliant music.

-George

#1 LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening

Exceptionally danceable. Stylistically nouveau. Tastefully self-deprecating. Often humorous. The facets of this album which, when working in tandem, make this our favorite album of the year are surprisingly actually not that hard to pin down.

In effect, this album just hit our pleasure centers from the very start and the music on this album hasn’t really stopped doing that even now. It’s not even a drip feed of pleasure, it’s like an endless waterfall of pleasure. However, it goes beyond that. The album goes the other way too. The absurdly ridiculous simplicity that this album exudes at first glance is a front for what is actually a crazy synthesis of several incongruous genres into one pseudo-dance-punk-who-cares-for-proper-labeling awesome piece of musical ass. I safely assert that this album contains the songs that James Murphy has been trying to make since “Losing My Touch”. This would be irrelevant if not for the fact that Murphy feels perfectly at ease in these songs. The production is tops, and in fact quite interesting, as Murphy finds way to play with your perception of the sounds he records. The sounds all sound framed in space yet still succulently clear. No sound is hidden or masked but there’s still an infinity of depth. In the end, This Is Happening just happens to be the most perfect album of the year.

-George