Monday, November 17, 2008

LTME takes note and begins the process to find the Essential Albums of 2008

This year instead of an exhaustive list of albums and an amazingly insightful dissertation of 50 albums, LTME will note many of the years most interesting, worthy albums, give some insight, provide info, clips and vids so that you the reader can learn more of who is out there making good music these days. On that note, much props for those that wrote in and made recs. Many albums are locked in the top 12 list that will come by the end of the month, some came as a bit of a surprise and a few I am need of a further listen (Jejune is so hot these days!)


First up:
Delta Spirit - Ode to Sunshine (Noah rec)

http://www.myspace.com/deltaspirit

New to me, but so accessible it takes no time to become a fan of this well versed and rhythmically rockin' album. Jaunty is a word that comes to mind when spinning these tracks. Infectious is another. Reminds me partly of the party styling of Oxford Collapse, but with far more fervor and extensively mature percussion, backed by well timed horns and a piano that never lets up. This is the kind of album that sounds exactly like it should. Fleshed out, layered, subtly complex but simple and non-pretentious all the same. Punky, folky and poppy...a recipe that will always win with me.


Next Pick:
Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna (Jejune)


www.myspace.com/ganggangdance

Hot hot dance with an excellent mash-up meets tropical world beat funk vibe. At times club music at times experimental fusion of nonsense, catchy, hooky, powerfully foottapping but for me never amazing. Album has high points and great moments, but drags in repetition of bass, beat and drums. I am not much of a dance music fan, something that I am sure irks my dear friend Jejune, alas I am not a critic, I respect and understand it, just feel no connection to it that allows me to dig deeper. All that being said I do rec this album, if nothing else it is damn fun to give a shot.


Third Pick:
My Brightest Diamond - A Thousand Sharks Teeth (McConnell)


www.myspace.com/mybrightestdiamond

Damn, not sure how I have never heard her stuff before, just always ignored. I was shallow as I thought the name was weak and figured the music followed suit. Deeper, harder and darker than imagined. Sounds like an goth Stevie Nicks and I mean that in a good way. The focal point is the vocals and the instrumentation works around this, in some ways a lot like Yeah Yeah Yeahs arrangements, just not so funky. It's odd in all the ways that makes you want to keep listening, and intriguing enough to take pause, peek below the surface and let the whispers cover over.


Final Pick:
Pete and the Pirates -Little Death (Jejune)

www.myspace.com/peteandthepirates

Yes! Jejune strikes again. Vampire Weekend can suck this album. Tapes and Tapes, this is the direction I wish you had gone in. Pure Punk-Pop. The balance here is stellar and the execution of sound on point. I dig this album and wish I had known about it sooner....Jejune, share the wealth man.
See for yourself:



Later this week I'll throw some albums at you that won't make the list but that you should check out all the same.

Kavorka, check out Brett Drennen if you haven't already, think you may dig his stuff.

Keep on keepin' on.

2 comments:

kavorka said...

Thanks, LTME!

I have checked out Dennen a few times. I like him alright. I love his song, "Ain't No Reason."

I did some further investigation into Band of Horses, based on your 2007 album review (I think that was the year it was from). That band always gets recommended to me, either by friends or Amazon or iTunes, but I never could get into them...until this last time around, when they finally won me over. "Cease to Begin" is a great album.

Keep up the great work!

Anonymous said...

saw delta spirit a few weeks ago at the drunken unicorn. their sound was so much bigger than the venue. and one of them looks just like eric stoltz, weird.
for car listening and chilling, i really loved jim white's transnormal skiperoo. oh-and trouble in dreams from destroyer...not as good as rubies, but nice.