album of the week

album of the week. Harlem - Hippies

2010-09-02T22:18:00.004+10:00

[Matador : 2010]
We’ve been needing some respite from the whole art-pop / chillwave movements that have been clogging our playlists. Not that we haven’t enjoyed it but sometimes we get a craving for guitars and some reckless tamborine. Finally the antidote arrived in the form of Harlem. Harlem are from Austin, Texas and not Harlem but misleading band name aside, we struggle to fault the band in their execution of genre of choice: garage rock and roll. Stodgy guitar riffs and raw, muffled vocals are the perfect complement for their instantly infectious, Sixties surf-pop melodies. Think the Black Lips. Think early Beatles. Even Wavves. Think heavy petting in the front seat after a Saturday night at the co-ed dance… Kick off your Harlem education with “Someday Soon”, “Friendly Ghost” or “Be Your Baby”. In fact ‘Hippies’ is crammed with goodness – granted at 17 tracks it is far too generous. Despite that, this album – particularly the first 10 tunes – is cohesive and great quality, and highly recommended.

buy it
listen to Harlem
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ALBUM OF THE WEEK BEST SONGS SO FAR 2010

2010-07-28T20:38:00.016+10:00

Ok ok ok, so among the many amazing and not so amazing sites that create these lists we hope that you find something special among our SMALL selection.
In no particular order.
If you don't like reading there is a playlist below that features most of these true tunes to make your own mind up.
Best. AoTW.

“Younger Us” – Japandroids
Power-pop meets punk in an explosion of riffs and lyrics reminiscent of being young, loose and stupid - which is exactly the point.

“Daydream” – Beach Fossils
Laidback, lo-fi, surf rock perfection from one of the best emerging bands of the year.

“Go Outside” – Cults
A Sixties-inspired unashamedly cute and addictive singalong number from a band that’s changed our whole outlook on Cults.

“Albatross” – Besnard Lakes
Wow. Pure, sun-drenched romance served up with Beach Boys harmonies, heart-thumping drums and crashing guitars building to a brass fanfare about first love. We are still desperately in love with this song.

“Zebra” – Beach House
Choosing one track from this sonically gorgeous band is a hard task. A dusky, gentle, summery piece of 1970s California nostalgia with some sweet acoustic finger pickin’. If we could marry one song...

“On Melancholy Hill” – Gorillaz
Electro-pop ditty with an awesome, instantly addictive synthy Donkey Kong videogame riff. Despite high praise, we still think this album is hugely underrated.

“Etchasketch Trees” – Ernest Gonzales
The must-be-discovered genius of Ernest Gonzales is best on display here: his ability to seamlessly combine a beautiful analogue guitar riff and melodic synthesized beats and drones to heartbreaking effect is why we love him so hard.

“Forever And Ever Amen:” – The Drums
The Drums do better guitar-driven 80s New Wave than any other band out there. This song is like the first kiss in a John Hughes movie. Cue slow-mo, and fade out.

“When Your Love Is Safe” – Active Child
It’s almost a corny, late Eighties frost-lens video number, but it somehow eases into the best electronically-enhanced R&B track we’ve heard.

“Spanish Sahara” – Foals
This haunting, slow-build track was the first to be quickly stored into the Pending Folder of 2010 Best Songs. An emotional and sonic experience more so than just a song.

“Round And Round” – Ariel Pink
After endless rotations on our stereo we’re yet to tire of this modern disco track. It sounds like Boz Scaggs. And we shamelessly love Boz Scaggs.

“Subliminal Message” – Happy Birthday
Like a T-Rex love ballad, this has awkward wailing guitar parts and some of the cutest lyrics going: “close your eyes, concentrate, I’m sending you subliminal messages to your heart”. Stop it. No don’t stop.

“O.N.E.” – Yeasayer
We asked ourselves why this addictive song is one of our favourites and this is what we said: The Beegees and the beat. Dance you damn fool.

“Lost City of Gold” – Love Connection
A little known Melbourne band that’s given us endless joy with this indie-pop anthem, perfect for spontaneous dancing in the kitchen – or any other room.

“Stay Close” – Delorean
The Spanish electro/house outfit makes us think of Album of the Week favourite, Air France, mixed with the accessible hooks of Groove Armada. It’s an instant trip to Ibiza for a breath of the freshest air – and the freshest electronic music - on offer.

“Guillotine” – Faux Pas
What starts as an electronic bliss out, turns into a dark, broken-beat cinematic symphony so nice we’re toying with the idea that this guy could be the Australian equivalent of DJ Shadow.

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The Best with Buck 65

2010-07-28T20:04:00.008+10:00

Genre crossing emcee and renowned raconteur Buck 65 is touring around the globe in the not too distant future including a stint in Album of the Week stomping ground, Australia. We recently caught up with the Nova Scotia native to talk about the best things in life with Buck who provided us with highly entertaining responses full of his trademark naughty charm…

AoTW: What’s the best thing about being Canadian?
B65: I thought about it long and hard and for me, what I like best about
being Canadian is that I like being an underdog. I've never been
comfortable with chanting, "we're number one! we're number one!".
There's a lot that's a drag about being from/in Canada and most of the
benefits aren't unique to this country. So I'd feel like a boob if I
said something like "health care!".

AoTW: What’s the best thing about being handsome?
B65: I wish I was handsome. Life is easier for good looking people. But
being extraordinarily good looking would probably also be a bit of a
nightmare - especially if it didn't matter to you (there's nothing
worse than a good-looking person who knows it and lets it be the
driving force of their life).

AoTW: What’s the best compliment you’ve been given?
B65: Once I was playing a show in France and I was trying my best to
speak to the audience in French. I felt like I was doing terribly, but
then a girl in the audience shouted, "so sex-EE!!" That made me feel
good.

AoTW: What’s the best way for fans to prep before a Buck 65 show?
B65: The best way to prep before coming out to a Buck 65 show would
probably be to watch "Salo" by Pasolini. Just joking. Don't do that.

AoTW: What’s the best Buck 65 song if you want to introduce the music of Buck 65 to people who have never heard of him?
B65: Hmm. Buck 65 gateway drug... Maybe Heather Nights or Days On End
from the Dirtywork EP. Or Paper Airplane (that's a new one). Blood Of
A Young Wolf?

AoTW: What has been your best pseudonym?
B65: Years ago I recorded a few songs under the name Uncle Climax.
That's a good one. It still makes me laugh. It's so gross.

AoTW: What’s the best song for love making?
B65: I once got slippery while "Screwdriver" by the White Stripes was
playing and I felt quite enhanced.

AoTW: Best song for dancing?
B65: I always go completely spastic when I hear "Digital" by Joy Division.

AoTW: Best song to get prepped for a fight?
B65: How about "Sundown" by Gordon Lightfoot. I always feel like a bit
of a badass when I listen to that one.
AoTW: What’s the best rap lyric you can think of (that isn’t your own)?
B65: It's hard to choose a favorite rap lyric. B-Luv from JVC FORCE
said so many bonkers things. And then there's Kool Keith. How do you
pick just one? But I'll go with his lead verse from the song "Ain't It
Good To You" from the first Ultramagnetic MC's album, especially the
line where he says, "watch the movie, your brain will be the star..."
Kool Keith is the greatest of all-time.

AoTW: Who’s the best turntablist out there right now?
B65: There are a lot of amazing turntablists in France right now, but I
still think D-Styles is the shit. He's on a whole other level.

AoTW: Who’s the best muppet on Sesame Street – and why?
B65: Best muppet? I always related to Mr. Johnson. Remember him? Is he
still around?

AoTW: What’s the best thing that’s happened to you since you’ve been kind of famous?
B65: Easy. I made a song where I mentioned Hala Gorani, who is an
anchor on CNN International. She heard it and now we're friends. I
pretty much freaked out when I first heard from her.

AoTW: What’s your best physical feature?
B65: My best physical feature? Maybe my hands. But that's probably a
better question for someone else to answer. Ladies?

AoTW: What’s your best achievement outside of music?
B65: Getting married is the best thing I've managed to do with my life.

AoTW: Who’s the best emcee of all time?
B65: As I mentioned earlier, Kool Keith is my all-time favorite. You
know who I think is incredible though? Edan. He doesn't get the credit
he deserves.

AoTW: What’s the best thing about winning a Juno award?
B65: I think winning a Juno - or any kind of music award - gives a
little boost to your record sales. But mostly I'm uncomfortable with
the mix of art and trophies.

AoTW: What’s the best thing about beefing with Sage Francis?
B65: Sage Francis is the last person in the world you ever want mad at you.
AoTW: Which is the best country to perform in?
B65: I really like performing in France. Not so much because of the
fans or the shows. It's just that the venues are all subsidized by the
government, so they're all really, really nice. Playing in deluxe
venues makes a bum like me feel like a hot shot.

AoTW: Who is the best 40 year old you know (since – let’s face it – you’re not far off yourself)?
B65: Best 40 year old... Here's a few: Jennifer Connelly, Sarah
Silverman, Claudia Schiffer, Beck, Pete Rock, Naomi Campbell, Tina
Fey, Uma Thurman, Q Tip and Heather Graham. They're all pretty hot.

AoTW: What are your thoughts on vegans?
B65: I don't have much of a problem with vegans, but I have a hard time
hearing people complain about the food not catering to their needs,
especially when in countries where veganism (for example) isn't a
common thing. That's a bit annoying.

Touring the East Coat of Australia this september more info here reckoning entertainnment
listen to Buck 65
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Beach fossils - beach fossils

2010-07-06T21:51:00.005+10:00

[Popfrenzy : 2010]
Like the word ‘Wolf’ before it, ‘Beach’ has become one of the more popular words used in band names of late, bringing with it a “wave” of summery laidback tunes perfect for oceanside reclining - and Beach fossils is no exception.

Their debut album is filled with lo-fi, twanging guitar tunes that will inspire you to reach for the closest hammock, shut your eyes and wile away the hazy afternoon. By no means is this Beach Fossils another standard ‘chill out’ album, though. It’s definitely got a coastal feel but also has the reverb-heavy pop style and effortless, echoing vocals that sits well amongst the late eighties / early nineties shoe gaze / garage era - if it was hanging out on the sunny shores of LA in the 1960s.

Like one of our other favourite records of 2010, Beach House’s Teen Dream, Beach Fossils have put out a dreamy, dusky, warm and – yeah - beachy debut LP. One of the year’s best.

Out through Pop Frenzy this July
listen to Beach Fossils
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Cults - Cults EP

2010-07-06T21:39:00.006+10:00

[Forest Family : 2010]
Cults make Sixties inspired pop tunes – group singalongs with twanging guitar accompaniment; cute tales of PG-rated love; and Nancy Sinatra vibes.

We’ve heard a lot of musicians name friends or people they know as their favourite bands. It’s usually because when you have a relationship and familiarity with people you have a special little insight into them – something intimate that not everyone has – and so it makes you like and appreciate what they do. Have you ever had lukewarm feelings towards a band but after seeing them live you get a glimpse of their personality, see their smiles, their charismatic mic work, and you suddenly kind of love them?

You will love American band Cults because they play music that sounds like it comes from friends. We don’t know them. We’ve never seen them perform live. But somehow they sound like a bunch of pals that I WANT to know, I WANT to see. It’s ironic, really, that’s they’re called Cults since actual cults are pretty shit according to most defectors’ reports. At the risk of using a terrible pun, if Cults are as much fun as this one sounds we will happily join.

download the EP (for free)

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Ernest Ellis - hunting

2010-07-06T20:57:00.007+10:00

[Dew Process : 2010]
Comparisons to Bon Iver are inevitable with Australian singer-songwriter Ernest Ellis and the rich, layered, soaring tunes from Hunting. Ellis delivers rootsy folk tunes with earnest slow-build indie rock in an appealing, easily accessible way; however it is his voice – which delivers the songs with a raw unpolished passion – that carries this stirring debut. Reverb-heavy yearning ballads are met with backyard guitar riffs, and the result? Something akin to your favourite acoustic guitar-wielding pal at house parties mixed with a genuinely talented falsetto-style vocalist. Hunting is an impressive debut with some standout tracks (“Loveless”, “I Am The Beast”) but we’re certain the best is yet to come from this understated talent.

Buy Hunting - Ernest Ellis
listen to Ernest Ellis
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richard in your mind - my volcano

2010-06-11T12:39:00.008+10:00

[Rice is Nice : 2010]

Album of the Week is the fantastic outrageous and completely genre-defying new long player by Sydney band Richard In Your Mind. If you like anything that you might have heard from RIYM’s past recordings
we’re pretty sure you won’t be disappointed with 'My Volcano'. The 13 tracks jump all over the place as per Richard In Your Mind’s consistently inconsistent sound – from Nineties slacker rock, acoustic harmonica jams, neo-funk, laidback hip hop, and loose rock n roll. As you’ll see below in the conversation we had with Conrad from Richard In Your Mind, upon first listen our summation of 'My Volcano' was: Beck meets Ween meets White Album-era Beatles meets backyard harmonica jams. You can’t mess with that.

AoTW: How’s it hanging?

Conrad: Great! I had a really nice pie for lunch. Steak and cheese, with mash, peas and gravy. Since then the day has been looking up.

AoTW: Richard In My Mind – is Richard an egomaniac? Is he to Richard In Your Mind what Prince is to the New Power Generation?

Conrad: Rich is no egomaniac but he is a bit like Prince in other ways – he’s small, multi-talented and sexually devious.

AoTW: The new album is amazing. My initial reaction to it was: Beck meets Ween meets White Album era Beatles meets backyard harmonica jams. Thoughts?

Conrad: Wow thanks! That’s real nice, we love all those things. It was a fun album to make. Me, Rich and Brent were pretty much just gnardoggin’ in the brozone the whole time, havin’ a major roni.

AoTW: It’s impossible to pigeonhole the RIYM sound. How would you pitch it to someone who has never heard your tunes?

Conrad: Hmmm, yeah I guess it’s a tricky one coz we don’t just do one thing like a lot of bands. I guess whimsical psych pop or something. Maybe experimental pop? Oh I dunno.

AoTW: So there must be a pretty broad scope of musical influences. What kind of tunes/bands were you listening to when the songs were being written?

Conrad: Well the one’s you mentioned above for sure. One song is influenced by this guy called Paleface – he was an early antifolk singer around the time Beck was starting out. Martin Denny was a pretty big influence too – he does kind of psychedelic lounge music, they call it exotica I think.

AoTW: Your live shows are described by your label as “flamboyant”. Please elaborate with examples of your flamboyance.

Conrad: Oh that’s meant to say “flame-bouyant”. Onstage we have a bathtub with a miniture burning pirate ship in there. But it never sinks, it just keeps on burning.

AoTW: Richard In Your Mind is a band based in Sydney which has a pretty kicking music scene at the moment, tell me a bit about the community amongst Sydney bands.

Conrad: It’s great! It’s cool coz there are some bands that started out around the same time as us that we are friends with like Cloud Control and The Laurels and then there are new ones we love too like Kyu and We Say Bamboulee. I feel like it’s a bit friendlier than it used to be, less competitive, a bit more help each other out-ey.

AoTW: “I Will” sounds super George Harrison-ish. Who is your favourite Beatle – and why?

Conrad: Hmm, that’s tough coz I love them all. Even Paul. I used to hate Paul but now I’ve forgiven his naff stuff because he’s made so much awesome stuff. I guess Rich’s fav would probably be George. For me, I can’t really choose, probably John but then that’s so obvious I wanna say Ringo.

AoTW: I once read a description of the band that referred to your sound as “nerds who take acid”. Your sound does often get described as “psychedelic”. How 'Seventies' are you guys?

Conrad: We’re not very seventies at all. Except Brent coz he was born in the 70s. Hahaha suck eggs Griffo you old dickhead!!

AoTW: What are rehearsals like?

Conrad: Terrible. You have to practice and work on songs and stuff and spend time with these guys you don’t even like. Sometimes you have play the same song 3 or 4 times! It’s hell I tell you. Hell.

AoTW: How was recording the album? What the hell is it like working with SPOD? Is he crazy?

Conrad: It was great, we fucked around a lot, for about a year in fact. Then we got serious at the end and made it happen. Spod is a bit crazy, but I think Rich is even crazier so it worked out ok.

AoTW: What's coming up for Richard In Your Mind - shows? Collaborations? Exciting music videos? Babies? Etc.

Conrad: Yes! All those things! (except for maybe the babies) We’ve already started on the next album, seems like it’ll be a bit more dreamy and instrumental, and we still need to finish our cover album of ‘Please Please Me’ which we were gonna put out a while back but we never got round to it.

AoTW: Final question: I'm from Album Of The Week so right now what is your album of the week - it can be something old or new? What's on your stereo at the moment?

Conrad: We’ve been listening to both the new Tame Impala and the new Cloud Control albums. Both are excellent. The Tame Impala has such a nice chill vibe to it while the Cloud Control has such strong songwriting. Also we like making up our own lyrics to Cloud Control’s songs “Mumma Gumbo take me higher!!”

My Volcano out through Rice is Nice June 26

listen to Richard In Your Mind

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Active Child - Curtis Lane EP

2010-05-28T21:58:00.003+10:00

[Merok : 2010]

I woke up this morning feeling like I do most mornings: grumbling, recovering from really messed up dreams, sleep in the eyes, muscles twitchy, desperate for ten cups of tea. I cut two pieces of bread in the most un-uniform way imaginable and jammed into the toaster one that was absurdly thick, another that had an enormous hole due to my serially bad visual-spatial skills (combined with a shithouse bread knife). I couldn’t find anything to wear and I think I have an ingrown finger nail. It hurts like the seventh circle of hell is overheated. I hit my arm on the bedroom door on my funny bone and there was fuck all ‘funny’ about it. The toothpaste situation was dire and Gerald, the papier mache giraffe I live with, was disrespecting me from underneath a trucker cap. Screw you, Gerald. You know what happened then? My funny bone hurts, my teeth are angry, my muscles keep twitching and the bread is still cut retardedly; but the day is as warm, as hopeful and as feel-good as a great first date. Curtis Lane - the exquisite EP by Active Child has just arrived at the local post office and it sounds kind of like a hug from a benevolent robot made of sunshine and moon beams. Memory Tapes and Washed Out are very good, but Active Child is great. Album Of The Week is still riding the chillwave – and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that – especially once you discover the best the genre has to offer. Coffee?

listen to Active Child
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Crocodiles - Summer Of Hate EP

2010-05-28T21:39:00.008+10:00

[Fat Possum : 2009]

This is probably one of the best bands around at the moment. No one quite does effortless garage rock n roll with epic pop hooks (translation: ridiculously catchy DIY fuzzed out guitar tunes) as well as this band, in our totally inexpert option. They have a new EP coming out in July which is very exciting, and if it’s half as rad as their debut EP ‘Summer Of Hate’ we will be even more excited. Not down with it? Well let me give you the down low: sweet reverb-heavy lo-fi, feedback laden tracks that combine punk, shoegaze, psych-rock, pop into this beautifully focused, slacker record. A contradiction in terms: “focused-slacker”? Sure it is. But this isn’t you’re average garage band. They know how to write a song you want to dance to and you want to French kiss a tall dark stranger to. With hints of The Jesus and Mary Chain, Suicide and a much hookier No Age, Crocodiles are so much better than a lot of the lo-fi “hype” bands out there. “I Wanna Kill” was one of our favourite tracks from last year, and “Soft Skull” and “Young Drugs” are killer. If you haven’t discovered them already, get your shit together buddies.

buy on itunes
Crocodiles
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bruce springsteen - Born To Run

2010-05-13T21:01:00.010+10:00

[Columbia : 1975]

Take yourself back to 1975 (I need to use my imagination as was born in ’82). Springsteen’s breakthrough album Born To Run came out - the one that launched his place as one of rock’s most prolific songwriters and performers. The Sixties were over and so was the music that had made it the first decade of rock n roll: The Beatles were splitting up, acid had lost its mystique, and the whole ‘intense angsty rock star’ vibe was getting tired.

The world needed a shakeup: they needed an everyman. A passionate soul who would speak the truth about hardworking everyday life – not the psychedelic fantasy world that Led Zeppelin had created a few years earlier. Bruce told stories about the anti-American dream, about the person you lived next door to in your tiny apartment, about the simple tragedies and triumphs, the hardships, the escapes, the realistic hopes and pain of people like you living in the real – non rock ‘n’ roll – world.

Born To Run is the record that represented the change of times. It is dramatic but believeable. It’s epic but not overblown. It’s beautiful, but boyish – manly! - and dirty. I still feel something when I hear “Born To Run”. I feel like the tale of the narrator and Wendy is something that I’ve experienced before. Tramps like us baby, we were born to run. That desperate longing to clock out of the 9 to 5, jump in the bus (or a motorbike if you’re really really real) and see what the future holds. The message has never aged – everyday someone has a sick day inspired by the ethos behind that song.

Forget your privileged rock stars with their awesome hair styles and front row fashion show seats. Put on your oldest and least tailored jeans and discard your pretensions with one of the best, classic rock albums ever recorded. Even for middle-class private school kids who drink skim milk like me, it can still feel blue collar as all hell. That’s gotta stand for something.
Tramps like us, baby...

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the pains of being pure at heart - the pains of being pure at heart

2010-05-04T22:13:00.006+10:00

[Slumberland : 2009]

Twitter: the social network phenomenon that has given so much and so little depending on who you talk to. However, one thing Twitter has given Album of The Week is a tip off about the fantastic indie pop band Pains of Being Heart.
After getting a tweet recommending the album we investigated and quickly discovered a band that soon became a hands down favourite on our record player.

It was released in 2009 and didn’t garner a huge buzz; maybe because the Pains Of Being Pure At Heart vibe is an understated one – or a familiar one? We aren’t sure, but we do think it’s one of the best releases from last year (which we, somewhat embarrassingly, happened upon a few months late). The sound is mellow, guitar-based shoegaze romantic pop, along the lines of greats such as The Smiths, My Bloody Valentine and The Jesus and Mary Chain; but whether you you’re a fan of the classics or not, this album has something to offer anyone whose heart lies somewhere in the Eighties. And whose doesn’t?

Pretty but by no means saccharine, the highlights of the record are "This Love Is Fucking Right” (yeah – a swear among the shoegaze!), "Stay Alive", "Young Adult Friction" and “Come Saturday” – with the beautiful, emotionless boy-girl vocals of Kip Berman and Peggy Wang. Like The xx but geared towards a wiser (okay: older) crowd.
We love this album.

buy on itunes
listen to pains of being pure at heart
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Desert Island Series - Jonka

2010-05-04T21:57:00.007+10:00

Jonka is an electro-pop Brooklyn based husband/wife duo whose love is the music of their 1980s childhood: the marriage of pop, synthesizers, dance and rock. They put their betrothed heads together to give us the 10 songs they would want to have with them if trapped on a desert island. Or at least for this week…and their the first of our series of bands to graciously give us the desert island mixtape.

My Delirium - Ladyhawke - Both of us are in love with this girl and this video and this song. As far as retro-80s is concerned, Ladyhawke's got it. She is as cool now as she would have been then.

Heartbeats - The Knife - One of the greatest sounding songs of the last few years. The digital landscape, the depth of the synthesizers and the groove are tremendous. One of our favorite Swedish groups too. Jose Gonzalez, another awesome Swedish artist, did a cover of this song. That's also worth checking out.

Valerie - Steve Winwood - Steve Winwood encapsulated a time for us. Particularly with this song. The late 70's, early 80's. That keyboard and synth sound! Giant landscape of sound that still leaves room to breathe and listen. Steve Winwood is such a great singer and songwriter. It was a tough call between "Valerie" and "That's just the way it is" but the upbeat sound of "Valerie" takes the prize.

Only You - Yaz - This is the best song we never knew we loved so much. A good friend of ours put this song on a mix for us last year and we fell in love with it. I wish I wrote this song (Jon). It's the kind of song I would write. The kind of song I want to write. So full of love. It's romantic and heartfelt. Just like the best songs of the 80's.

Parentheses - The Blow - This song was introduced to us in the last year or so and we both fell in love with the lyrics, the melody and the feeling behind it all. I think this is one of the most genuine, honest and touching songs. It's so playful and it has a great driving beat. The combination is just perfect. I love the imagery of the line "While you're holding me we make a pair of parenthesis." So beautiful. In fact this song has several incredible lyrical moments. Unfortunately this group broke up. One of the members is behind the band Yacht which also does electro-pop/indie type music that we're into these days.

Islands in the Stream - Dolly Parton / Kenny Rogers - Two of the greatest singers of the 70's and 80's together in one of the best duet songs ever. It was written by the Bee-gees. It doesn't get much better than that. There was a period of time when we were obsessed with this song. Right after we got married we were traveling through Belize in Central America. One night as we sat at an Indian restaurant on the beach in a little town called Hopkins, out from the radio playing in this tiny kitchen right off the beach comes "Islands in the Stream." We were shocked and in awe by the timeliness of it all. It was a magical moment in a really special place. Both the song and the personal experience. The harmonies. The disco inspired ballad. Nice!

Happiness is a Warm Gun - Beatles - As much as everyone loves the Beatles, there are many Beatles tunes you wouldn't want to be stranded on an island with! That being said, this song is the most dynamic representation of what the Beatles were capable of and inspired by. The Doo-Wop and early Rock and Roll vocal styles, the experimental sounds and the ability to put it all together in a cohesive and effective way is truly inspiring. I'm always amazed by the depths of a Beatles recording. There's always something new to hear and discover.

Paul Simon - Kodachrome - This song is coming with me to the grave (says Annika). It just grooves and the harmonies are so tight. A few years ago we had the honor and pleasure of meeting Paul Simon. We had a great conversation about songwriting, guitar playing and influences. It was one of the greatest moments ever standing there with one of our favorite songwriters of all time. The whole time we're talking with Paul, all I can hear in my head was "Kodachrome". Turns out both Annika and I were singing that song in our heads at the same time. That happens a lot. There couldn't be a desert island playlist without at least one Paul Simon song. There are too many to choose from but if we have to pick one then this is it.

As - Stevie Wonder - Stevie had to be on our top ten. I (Annika) was obsessed with this song way before George Michael and Mary J. Blige decided to cover it. The background vocals kick ass and I love the raspiness in Stevie's voice. Stevie Wonder is one of the most influential and talented artists of all time. Pop music with incredible depth.

Shadows of the Night - Pat Benetar - We were lucky enough to see Pat Benetar in concert a few months back. Holy crap, she's still got it! Her voice could blow the door right off its hinges. She saved most of her big 80's hits until the very end but she opened the show with "Shadows of the Night". She came right in with those vocals and we both looked at each other with our mouths hanging wide open. Immediately followed by screaming and jumping up to our feet. It felt like 1982! We love that Pat Benatar was born in Brooklyn, NY which is where we live!

listen to jonka
jonka on youtube
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My Bloody Valentine - Loveless

2010-04-21T19:58:00.011+10:00

[Creation : 1991]

Why do I love ‘Loveless’? A friend of mine once remarked that My Bloody Valentine’s 1991 release Loveless made them feel seasick. It’s true there’s a lot of motion in the music, but for me it’s more like an obscure lullaby that rocks me to into a strange dreamlike state. It is also the album I’ve bought more copies of than any other in my lifetime. Loveless is the record you lend people and never get back - particularly boys I’ve dated, so I've always kept buying extra copies. Not that my personal investments would have helped Creation records recoup the reported 250,000 pounds the album cost - which famously (and, kind of, awesomely) almost bankrupted the label. By 1992 Creation Records was sold to Sony and not long after signed Oasis who went on to record the biggest selling British album of the decade, so you know, whatever.

Ironically, I’m not generally a fan of guitar driven music and I tend to loathe indulgent boys-with-guitars bands as much as I do pre-fabricated pop princesses. [Ed: Which definitely isn’t a consistent ethos with all AOTW staff.] I do, however, like a healthy dose of experimentation with my music; enter: ‘Loveless’. Indulgent? Yes. Guitar driven? Yes. Experimental? Absolutely.

Kevin Shields, MBV’s ‘creative force’, or ‘driven perfectionist’ created a wall of swirling guitar fuzz and added obscured hazy lyrics and sampled drum loops that - despite sounding like a recipe for inaccessible “intellectual” music - somehow creates uplifting, otherworldly, danceable guitar music. Go figure.

Two years in the making, Kevin Shields’ tenacity, vision, bloody single-mindedness, several engineers, loads of recording studios and what sounds like a whole lotta pain and (ironically) not much cash, has given me – and countless others - hours of listening pleasure and perfect solo dancing moments in my lounge room.

It also captures a very specific moment in time for me - as our favourite albums often do. I came out of a small independent cinema with my best friend late one night after seeing Wim Wenders’ “Until the End of the World”. We had both just had our minds blown wide open and, unable to form actual sentences, we just sat in the car and listened to ‘Loveless’. I think it’s an ‘end of the world’ kind of album – or maybe the soundtrack for the beginning of a new one?
Those former boyfriends of mine never returned my copies the album – nor did they hang around in my life. Do you think maybe we are what we listen to? Is it loving ‘Loveless’ that is keeping me single...

[Ed: Thanks to our super rad contributor Jen Moses for articulating the pure love of 'Loveless' that millions of peeps share]

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The Besnard Lakes – The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night

2010-04-21T19:49:00.006+10:00

[Jagjaguar/Inertia : 2010]

The Besnard Lakes are a husband and wife team that make the kind of chilled out, pop-meets-classic-psychedlia, harmony-heavy indie rock that doesn’t get old quickly.
With atmospheric distortion and cosmic 70s pop vibes, The Roaring Night is a heady, layered summer trip that takes as much from Led Zeppelin and Love style prog as it does from the classic pop melodies of the Beach Boys, and Ennio Morricone’s twanging ye olde western guitar licks. Sure it’s overblown in parts – overly expansive instrumental freak outs and indulgent fuzzed out noise segments within otherwise great songs can make the album feel sluggish at times. But let’s stick to the positives: this record has a shimmering and serene beauty that deserves your attention – particularly “Chicago Train”, “Albatross” and the grungier-Band-Of-Horses sound of “And This Is What We Call Progress”.
Desert roadtrip, anyone?

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Beach House - Teen Dream

2010-04-21T19:35:00.010+10:00

[sub pop : 2010]

Oh Beach House.
It’s the aural equivalent of a contented sigh. They’re the best thing out of Baltimore since John Waters for our money. Dreamy, deliciously warm and – dare we say it? - beachy pop tunes. Their second album ‘Devotion’ was the moment that Beach House first made us drop the morning paper and lean back, smiling vaguely. Teen Dream is just as lovely. “Silver Soul” is a standout track from an album that is pretty much laden with non-stop gorgeousness – dusky, romantic, lyrically poetic… Contented sigh. With ‘Teen Dream’ the duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have captured the hazy, sunny vibe of 1970s Californian nostalgia, mixed in with the oozing allure of Mazzy Star and the sweet harmonies of Fleet Foxes. Virtually every song is a gentle pleasure that washes over you – “Norway”, “Walk In The Park”, “Real Love” – all gently and hypnotically beautiful. Let’s take a drive along the coast and forget about the world for a while, shall we? This will be our soundtrack.
It’s true love, I swear.

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the postal service - give up

2010-04-13T19:04:00.004+10:00

[sub pop : 2003]

First listening to “Give Up” in 2003 was an eye-opening experience. It sounded like something from the future: super cold and clean and perfect… and still seven years later it is a startlingly original album. The Postal Service is the moniker for the collaboration between Death Cab For Cutie’s Ben Gibbard and the very clever indie-electro producer Jimmy Tamborello (Dntel, Figurine) who created a modern sonic world made of cut-glass-perfect programmed beats, scattered beeps and blips, and beautifully warm pop melodies. The most recognizable tracks from the album are “The District Sleeps Alone Tonight”, “Such Great Heights” and “We Will Become Silhouettes” (which have popped up in iPod commercials, movie trailers, cover recordings, and episodes of Grey’s Anatomy over the years), but the whole of “Give Up” is remarkably beautiful. Gibbard’s lyrics tell bittersweet tales of loss, longing, isolation and love – delivered with his trademark unaffected vocal style; while underneath lie meticulously layered electronic backdrops crafted by Tamborello. This album is one of the great examples of the synthesis between pop songwriting and digital production – technology with a soul.
So worth revisiting.

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eddy current suppression ring - rush to relax

2010-04-13T18:49:00.005+10:00

[Aarght! : 2010]

After seeing the gobsmacking live show from Melbourne band Eddy Current Suppression Ring last night, we’ve been inspired to write about ‘Rush To Relax’ - their most recent full length release.
I don’t think it would be exaggerating to say ECSR is the most exciting band (and certainly the most electrifying live band) in Australia at the moment bar none. You’ve got this incredible raw punk sound - straight out of the backyard shed, a frenzy of wailing primal guitar licks from guitarist Eddy Current (“Isn’t It Nice”) and the explosive machine-gun racket from drummer Danny Current (listen to “Anxiety”) that hides the fact that these dudes are pretty amazing musicians. The garage vibe that these guys achieve is so authentic that you’re too busy moshing without a shirt on to notice any of the polished technicalities of their talents. Why waste your time doing that when you could be jumping around throwing beer on your head? Or having sex in the kitchen? Or giving yourself a homemade tattoo without anaesthesia?
Brendan Suppression is one of the most magnetic front men in rock and roll right now. His live performance balances raw sexuality, childlike joy and a disturbed intensity; and his words are like the tales of a sweet and awkward loser – “Tuning Out”, “Walked Into A Corner” the self-deprecating tales of an anti-social waster, while “Gentlemen” and “I Can Be A Jerk” are these sweet bluesy (and kind of slobbery) love songs – delivered with his trademark atonal babbling.
Having distributed the compliments, it is fair to say that this record isn’t perfect by any means. It definitely lacks the coherency and commitment of their first two albums (“Eddy Current Suppression Ring” 2006 and “Primary Colours” 2008) – it’s shambolic rock sure, but it’s just not quite as addictively listenable and impressively frenetic as the previous records.
But don’t get me wrong: we love this band. Make sure you are in the crowd the next time they come to a city near you. The Eddy Current Suppression Ring experience is one you can’t tear your eyes – or ears – from.

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Last Dinosaurs - Back from the dead

2010-04-13T18:25:00.004+10:00

[dew process : 2010]

Young Brisbane four-piece Last Dinosaurs are former band geeks whose ability to write hooks is uncanny - precocious even. The first song on their five track EP smugly titled Back From The Dead is “Honolulu”, a sunny infectious indie pop tune and a pleasure on the ears. The rest of the record moves from guitar-driven indie rock (“As Far As You’re Concerned”), rhythmically energetic electro-infused dancefloor tunes (“Saturn” – our favourite track) and melodic grooves (“Alps”). Amazingly every song is kind of a winner – if Foals, Friendly Fires, etc are your bands of choice. Who knows what kind of career longeveity a band like Last Dinosaurs will have in the crowded lounge room of indie-pop-post-punk-guitar-dance bands, but we would wager that serious radio time for these kids in the near future is a pretty safe bet. So: Last Dinosaurs? – No chance of extinction just yet.

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Frightened Rabbit - The Winter Of Mixed Drinks

2010-03-25T18:46:00.008+10:00

[Inertia : 2010]

We so enjoyed watching the impassioned spit-flying-from-the-mouth live performance from Frightened Rabbit earlier this year at the Laneway Festival in Sydney, and they have brought the same visceral energy and orchestral pop melodies to their third LP The Winter Of Mixed Drinks.
It’s a fitting name for a record that mixes both grand majestic choruses (“Swim Until You Can’t See Land”) and the wretched aching we became accustomed to in their previous effort (Midnight Organ Fight, 2008).
The more upbeat vibes significantly outweigh the downers to make the record, on the whole, an uplifting piece of beautifully produced Glaswegian stompers, but unfortunately Frightened Rabbit – and in particular vocalist and songwriter Scott Hutchison – are at their best when in the depths of despair. There is nothing on The Winter Of Mixed Drinks that can compare to the anguished losers anthem “This Modern Leper” from Midnight Organ Fight, whose chorus goes: “Is that you in front of me/ Coming back for even more of exactly the same? You must be a masochist/ To love a modern leper on his last leg”. Brutal.
All the same, this is a great album – like a more ballsy version of early Snow Patrol (they were good in the early days haters – you can think what you want!) or a less polite incarnation of The National.
Our favourite track is “Fun Stuff” – a nicely slow-burning folk song almost like a secular hymn of sorts: violins, acoustic guitar roughly strummed, a chorus of vocals… It’s got all the markings of a traditional singalong. All it’s missing is a dodgy pub.

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Ernest Gonzales - Been meaning to tell you

2010-03-25T18:31:00.004+10:00

[Friends of Friends & Exponential : 2010]

Considering that around the Album Of The Week listening quarters we are generally (and evidently) favorable to a great hook and a singalong chorus, as far as instrumental music goes it takes something pretty fucking epic to make our collective jaws hit the tiles [See Apricot Rail’s debut]. Ernest Gonzales and his astounding electronic opus Been Meaning To Tell You led to more split chins than a roomful of fly kicking Chuck Norris’s.
From the album’s opening song “Dancing In The Snow”, we knew that this was a special record - beatboxing, xylophonic tinkering, knob twiddling blips, fuzzy synth chords and flamenco guitar slowly add to the layers in the track that gracefully kicks off the record.
Throughout Been Meaning To Tell You both digital and analogue instruments and recording methods are effortlessly interchanged – incredible live guitar riffs mixed in with programmed beats and synth drones. “Etchasketch Trees” is a particularly nice example of the melding of both worlds (although a bad name, we can admit). But technicalities aside, most of all, the way Ernest Gonzales manages to hook you in is the way he creates a mood – a particular feeling. For an album without words, it certainly manages to connect on a very human level.
If you like The Postal Service you will adore this album. If you listen to music so you can “feel” something you will adore this album. One of our favourites from the year so far.

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wolf parade - apologies to queen mary

2010-03-17T22:40:00.005+10:00

[sub pop: 2005]

Let me get this out from the beginning. I love this album, like really love it, as in it’s a self gifting type of album as in I will put in on as a treat for myself and hopefully others (if they have stayed around after an over enthusiastic verbal assault as I put it on the stereo).

Released in 2005 Apologies to Queen Mary is the debut album from the Montreal band. Its led by the prolific Spencer Krug who has released music with a variety of supergroups / former bands including sunset rubdown, fifths of seven, frog eyes, moonface and swan lake.
In saying that the reputation is impressive but from experience (um sting was part of the police and……….) it really means nada.
Spencer Krug’s vocals will hit you with paranoid shaky yelps from track one……….meh, whatever Just listen to the album, its not hard, Maybe start off with myspace and if you like the tunes get the album. If you found this site I guarantee you’ll dig it.

Love you xx

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The Clientele - Bonfires on the Heath

2010-03-17T22:31:00.004+10:00

[pop frenzy / merge: 2009]

I've just made some new friends. Friends I plan to take with me to a coastal headland sometime soon with a blanket and a bottle of red as the weather cools and the sun is putting itself to bed. While the waves do their crashing, my ears will do their listening - to The Clientele’s 'Bonfires on the Heath' as the onshore breeze slaps my face. Delightful. Thank you Popfrenzy for releasing this album of sublime lullaby layering, harmony & melody.
Trumpet trills, hammond organ runs, breathy vocals and subtle strumming melt over opening track 'I Wonder Who We Are' and then dips into the more melancholic introspection of 'Harvest'. Cue the pour of your second glass of red. This music feels like an Autumn day when you are reluctantly letting go of the Summer sunshine but well ready for the mood of cooler weather.
'Bonfires on the Heath' is this London quartet's 5th album and Alasdair MacLean is their main songwriter and vocalist - and the band harmonise beautifully around his breathy vocals.

Halfway through the record you get the urge to dust off my cobwebbed tambourine and play along. 'Bonfires on the Heath' is sweet and sometimes a little sad but it is always beautiful. The Clientele create luscious indie pop with a bittersweet dose of folk. Perhaps I should have brought some 85% cocoa chocolate with me to cap off the bottle of red I’ve finished - Drunk and wonderfully heavy-hearted. Hear this record.

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Massive Attack - Sydney Opera House

2010-03-17T21:49:00.016+10:00

[virgin: 2010]

Trip Hop on the steps of the Sydney Opera House
Martina Topley Bird, whose vocals mesmerised us on ‘Maxinquaye’,
Tricky’s debut album after he left Massive Attack, took the stage as support. All Polynesian princess in a flowing printed dress, frangipani tucked into her bleached afro she introduced herself behind a tight stack of keyboards, instruments and mics. What could have been a subdued solo performance was given substance as she built with live voice recordings then looped and delayed them to give depth while she tapped a tambourine to her hip and tinkered on effects. She was charming with the crowd and perhaps a little more confident in our vocal range than we were asking us to harmonise with her on new material.
A sweet selection of songs from Quixotic and her new album The Blue God helped the bulging crowd settle into the steps of the Opera House.

The stage was re-set with a one drum kit at one end and the second at the other, a stash of keyboards and black boxes in the middle and six mics across the front. The sticky sweet scent of mary jane wafted around the forecourt as all and sundry prepared for the performance. The stage was flooded in smoke and blue light and out of the blue smoke emerged the Massive Attack collective. Wowed by a wall of sound and an impressive LED screen flashing names of drugs in quick succession the pioneers of trip hop set their scene. 3D (Robert del Naja) led the rotating vocal crew of legendary Horace Andy, Martina Topley Bird, and Deborah Miller and when Grant Marshall or ‘G’ uttered his first word the crowd exploded. It was like 3D was having the time of his life conducting the best jam session the band has ever had. The dense sound, crazy lasers and LED wall scrolling philosophical quotes, media grabs (Pauline Hansson’s move to the UK got a notable arousal) and images fuelled the music further. The classics ‘Safe From Harm’, ‘Teardrop’, ‘Unfinished Sympathy’ and ‘Angel’ welcome alongside the new Heliogland tracks. Conjured under the stars in a better setting you couldn’t imagine, the crowd left in a haze with the resonance of Karmacoma still pounding in our ears as we descended the steps. Magic.

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Shout Out Louds - Work

2010-03-04T21:02:00.007+10:00

[Dew Process: 2010]

Swedish five-piece Shout Out Louds are one of those ‘under the radar’ bands. They’ve released good LPs with some winning singles (“Very Loud”, “Tonight I Have to Leave it”) but they’ve never really made a distinct impression. It’s kind of like they’ve cruised the runway, built up ample speed and then have pulled up the brakes for an emergency refueling just before taking off.
Work is not quite a ‘take off’ record, but it’s a really good one full of melodic, infectious tunes made from tight songwriting and simple stripped-back production. Sub Pop production maestro Phil Ek (Band of Horses, Fleet Foxes) was on the knob twiddling duties for the first time and kept the mix uncomplicated to capture the mid-Eighties Cure-like guitar pop sound that make Shout Out Louds so appealing.
The yearning voice of vocalist and principal songwriter, Adam Olenius, is bare with emotion on tracks like “Fall Hard” and album opener “1999” – an irresistibly catchy synth-rock tune. The vocal hook in “Throwing Stones” feels like it should be shouted (out loud) en masse at some sort of Scandinavian pop rally; and “Show Me Something New” is shimmering pure pop delight.
Work is their best album yet.

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the soft pack - the soft pack

2010-02-22T19:33:00.012+10:00

[Pod / Inertia: 2010]
Another buzz band that has the blog world frothing at the mouth is San Diego four-piece The Soft Pack, and we’ve jumped on the bandwagon with similarly rabid enthusiasm.
They specialize in two minute tunes that move along at a blinding pace, barely pausing for breath between tracks. Super catchy, energetic indie rock n roll songs that are more infectious that a room full of H1N1 and one of the first albums (amongst an onslaught of recent releases) that has made us drop the morning paper, sit up and feel that euphoric excitement of hearing something you’re almost immediately in love with.
When done well it’s hard to compete with the familiar sound of the classic rock band structure (two guitars, bass and drum kit) and The Soft Pack do it better than most, producing songs that are super catchy and have a timeless feel about them – as though they could belong to any era where guitar bands ruled.
“Answer To Yourself” is an awesome swaggering rock tune that would have been plucked from the late Sixties, while “Done On Lovin” is super-catchy jangly guitar pop, and “More Or Less” sounds like it came straight off the Strokes This Is It. One of the greatest charms of this band is the casual, deadpan voice of singer Matt Lamkin, whose vocals roll effortlessly out his mouth without pretension.
The Soft Pack sound recalls the solo work of Blur’s Graham Coxon, the swinging rock ‘n’ roll of the Easybeats and shades of the Dead Kennedys smoke-filled-whisky-bar vibe.
We like.

The Soft Pack's Album will be released in Australia through Inertia 06.03.10

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