0W3N'5 T0PPP Tr@XXX of ZOO7!!

It's times like this that I realize how narrow my taste is (Panda Bear is in two of these bands) and how few new (as in made in 2007) albums I really bought. But here's my top 5:

1. Animal Collective - Strawberry Jam
Music this good yet also completely ridiculous is very rare.
2. Akron/Family - Love is Simple
The Family turned jam band on everyone, but the songs are still beautiful.
3. Pinback - Autumn of the Seraphs
Track 5 - 1:53
4. Handsome Furs - Plague Park
This one's on here for personal reasons.
5. Panda Bear - Person Pitch
See #1.

Top songs of the year, annihilating my previously top-played song with 71 complete plays:

"Snare Hangar" off Mirrored by Battles.

About 2 minutes long (that means I've spent a full two hours and 20 minutes listening to this song); sounds like it was made completely by accident; forgoes the silly voice effects that, frankly, kept the album off my top 5 list (I'm a luddite); the last half of the song is like a bunch of robots in communal orgasm (I wish there was a more elegant way to put it).

In Rainbows News

As of December 10, Radiohead lovers will no longer be able to name their own price for In Rainbows! So either snap it up asap, or be at the mercy of iTunes... most likely. Additionally, once the discboxes run out, Thom and co. will refrain from making more! Order or die! Or just wait to buy a physical copy when it's released on January 10. But seriously, how could you miss out on naming your own price?! How?!

Motion City Soundtrack/Mae/Anberlin/Metro Station @ The Marquee

Metro Station was an alright band. We missed the first couple songs due to the (usual) gigantic line outside the Marquee, but still caught over half the songs. In that portion of the set though, there was only one song that really stood out to me, and one song that was pretty good, and the rest were all rather average. The band has the nice stereotypical modern Pop Punk image (aka "emo") and the songs certainly fit the image. I wish I had more to say about the band but the band didn't really stand out to me much. I might listen to a few of the recorded songs to see if they work better on CD, there did seem to be some potential.

As much as I like Mae, Anberlin really should have been after them for several reasons. One, Mae is a lighter, more atmospheric band and playing after such a dynamic band as Anberlin, they seem to fall flat at first. Secondly, there was not a more energetic cry of "one more song" after any of the other bands finished tonight, including Motion City Soundtrack. Anberlin was definitely a hit with the crowd. They played two pretty mediocre songs from Cities early on in the set, but the latter half of the set was all amazing. This band has great energy and is a blast to see.

Mae ended up playing for a pretty long time, which was good because initially they were pretty flat and I was wishing I had a chair, becuase Mae is a good band, but they're also a sit back and relax band more than they are a stand up band. By the end I was re-evaluating though, as they continued to pick up energy and by the end they were definitely rocking the crowd well. They weren't the best fit for this lineup still, and I'd like to see them with a more fitting lineup where I was more in the right mood to listen to their music. They were still quite enjoyable, if a bit less energetic than Anberlin (of course).

Motion City Soundtrack was a lot of fun as usual, though the crowd surfing was substantially less pervasive than the last time I saw them. Justin was almost assuredly totally wasted, but he was pretty fun interacting with the crowd as a result. The tradeoff was that he fucked up a fair number of songs, not terribly, mostly just lyrics. Oh well. Pretty good set list and like Mae and Anberlin it got progressively better as it went on.

The funny thing about this show was that among Anberlin, Mae, and Motion City Soundtrack, there all seemed to be fans there for just one of those bands. So unlike most shows, by the time the headliner was on, there was not a huge crowd. In fact amog the different band, crowd size seemed to be about the same for all of them due to the number of folks leaving after a band played. That was too bad because small crowds have less energy and are not as fun.

Vince's Weekly Charts

Beck's Digs

Efterklang - Mirador

Here's a wonderful video from Danish group Efterklang for their song Mirador. Watch as the little bird thing navigates its colorfully Escheresque space island!

I Think We Should Have a Moment of Silence For Grunge...

i would like you all to bow your heads and indulge yourself with as much grunge as you can get a hold of. it's the holidays, you need to get out your deep dark feelings of angst before you have to face your family. so dig in! put on some nirvana and wallow in a bath...the year is almost over.

Annuals at The Clubhouse 11/17

Annuals killed last night. I wasn't sure if they'd top the last time I saw them at the Rhythm Room, but they've only gotten better. The electric atmosphere that this North Carolinian band crafts onstage absolutely has to be experienced. And when four people start playing simultaneous percussion parts, you'll feel happier than ever before. Truth be told: I have a massive crush on Adam Baker, the leader of the Annuals pack. But, honestly, listen to Be He Me, it's an epic collection of angsty musicianship, with so much depth. Every time I listen to it, I find something new to love. They just released a digital EP, entitled Frelan Mas, a collection of eight b-sides from Be He Me. It's available on the Ace Fu website and on iTunes.

Brooklynite Kevin Devine played first and was pretty intense, up onstage all alone with just his guitar as company. Manchester Orchestra, who played second, came out for the last half of his set as his backup band. Devine covered Neutral Milk Hotel, which was my favorite part of his set, probably because I've never listened to him with much fervor. It was a good set though, lots of girls are in love with him, I guess.

Manchester followed and by far had the biggest crowd of the night. I saw them over the summer at The Brickhouse with Piebald and mewithoutYou, but singer Andy Hull's voice seemed a little weary this time around. It's crazy how many people were singing along and dancing around, probably because Manchester doesn't strike me as something to dance to.

Hey Phoenix, how are you going to leave right after Manchester Orchestra plays and totally miss out on Annuals? I think half of the crowd left by the time Annuals played, which is cool for me since I'm sort of miniscule and didn't have to fight to see the action... But all you dorkburgers who left missed out on a beautiful set.

TOP 5: WHY MUSIC MAGAZINES SUCK!

1. the same critics say the same things about the same bands...i didn't care then and i don't care now (Britney Spears naked on the cover of several magazines...need i say more)

2. Peter Travers

3. glorification of over-produced bands that were once good (i.e. the Decemberists with the Crane Wife)

4. they only promote glamazon would be pop artists because they are payed to. (where are your moral standards?)

5. finally, Eldar. (have you seen the latest CMJ?)

SPICE GIRLS GREATEST HITS

You can officially buy the Spice Girls Greatest Hits album as of today, November 13. In the states, the album is being sold exclusively at Victoria's Secret stores, which is horrible because it means I'll actually have to drive to some type of mall to purchase it. The ladies also have a new single entitled "Headlines (Friendship Never Ends)" which you can download here. Physical copies of the single will be available in the UK on November 19.