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The Format Tune Out

Arizona's local music staple, The Format, has called it quits. Here's a post that Nate made on their MySpace on Feb. 4.

We have just put out word that we will not be making a new Format album. Please understand this was a tough decision and we're both upset about it. While we accept there will be false speculation as to why, understand that Sam and I remain extremely close and in fact are still passing the twin peaks box set back and forth in an attempt to figure out who REALLY killed laura
palmer. We also want to thank everyone with and within the Format, particularly Mike, Don, and Marko, whom without, none of this would have ever even been fully realized. We both suggest you support their musical talents and whatever they decide to do. And lastly we want to thank the fans who made this the best 5 years of our lives

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Thoughts?

Sad, But True News About Hoodlums

Here's the most recent post on the Hoodum's website:

Hello Hoodlums’ Music Junkies, Customers, and Friends.

Happy New Year!

Sorry we’ve been out of touch. In case you hadn’t heard, the ASU Memorial Union had a big fire on November 1st, and it hasn’t been open since. Although the fire was on the second floor, our store suffered a massive amount of smoke damage.

After two months of restoration, the M.U. has reopened as of today (1/7/08).

Unfortunately, Hoodlums will not be re-opening with it.

That’s a big one, eh? I bet you’d like to know why.

Well, the damage has left us in a position of having to rebuild our inventory from scratch, and the building isn’t going to be fully operating until next fall at the soonest, we are just a little hesitant about reestablishing our store in that particular location.

So what is to become of Hoodlums New and Used Music?

Well, although the music industry is in a recognized state of disarray, we still love music and movies… and we believe the right kind of combo entertainment store can still survive. Plus, with twenty years of experience and knowledge, we feel like we still have a lot to offer our fellow entertainment Junkies. Consequently, we are weighing our options and looking at opportunities that make sense.

The students and staff at ASU form a tremendous community, and we will miss it, and you, immensely. Hopefully, something cool will come up, and we will see each other very soon.

In the meantime, there is no way to truly express to all of you how much we appreciate the support, friendship, and conversation we have had in our ten-year run at our ASU location. Many of you haven’t been near ASU since you graduated, but rest assured we haven’t forgotten about you, or the awesome support you gave us in our early years.

We thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your business.

We will keep you posted as to any future developments.

Thanks again,

Steve, Kristian, and the hoodlums at Hoodlums

Night Falls Over Kortedala - Jens Lekman (Review)

Release date: 10/9/2007

Jens Lekman draws your angled hips and consistently sells out your local discotheque. Born in Angered, Sweden, one would argue his relaxed demeanor makes him a soothing enigma. After three years and two albums on aptly named host label Secretly Canadian, Night Falls Over Kortedala has emerged in late 2007, creating a seal over his acclaimed singles and EP collection Oh You’re So Silent Jens. The work has quickly dissipated through elitist madness and obtained approval from the prerequisite reputable judges, considered an indie-pop modern masterpiece though it will lose steam considerably in the coming years. It exists within the context of a 70s nostalgia and warped necessity to break convention while remaining subtle. Though talent-ridden and directly desirable by all means, Lekman abuses the album’s strength to amend a well-ironed production, leaving permanent wrinkles.

The background instrumentation of tender strings and accordion glows with refreshing variety and illuminates Lekman’s illusory tone. Jens ranges vocal textures within a comfort zone begging complacency. Worse yet are the conversational lyrics that bleed sincerity without emotion, a component to the music both dry and annoying. With considerable drawbacks and wonderful successes, Night Falls is disjointed. The charmingly sweet “Shirin” displays Lekman’s finest musical characteristics. His guitar tempo shifts in and out of phase with warm harmonies, complementing his singing duties. On numerous occasions, Lekman stays within his capable range and constructs instant hits like “The Opposite of Hallelujah” or “And I Remember Every Kiss.” The thundering drums and stunning string arrangements on “Every Kiss” attract with urgency, while the catchy, playful bounce of “Hallelujah” develops a loving beat that exudes affection. They evoke impressions of epic eminence to prove Lekman is more than capable.

However, the fleeting half-life of Night Falls stems from deliberate tampering and a considerable void in vocal purity. Intentional reduction in production quality reveals choppy sample loops (“Kanske Är Jag Kär I Dig”) and several separate snippets of record player rustling (“It Was a Strange Time in My Life”) juxtaposed against the marvelous soundscapes encompassing the remainder of the album. The cleanliness is wholesome and desirable, distilling temperamental tracks like the sporty “Into Eternity” and enhancing their appeal. When cleansed of imperfection, the music is often gorgeous and stands out above Lekman’s vocals. Throughout Night Falls, this inconsistency creates both charm and chagrin.

Lekman’s voice is such a heavy consideration because of his distinct tone. He becomes ineffectual when the lyrics become clever, but his humble work produces enjoyment. “Your Arms Around Me” lets Jens work within his element around harp, heavy claps, and a cheery guitar while delivering a musical embrace. At times in the absence of humility, Lekman’s work suffers a great deal.

Night Falls Over Kortedala will not be remembered in five years with the same exuberance as it is today. Lekman’s potential to annoy dwindles the replay value of his compositions but his musical talents will keep his head well above water. To be sure, Night Falls is worth a listen, and you will gain a few of the finest singles from 2007.

Benny the Brute's Top 10 Albums of 2007

1. Do Make Say Think – You, You’re a History in Rust
2. Say Anything – In Defense of the Genre
3. Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam
4. Panda Bear – Person Pitch
5. Eluvium – Copia
6. The Weakerthans – Reunion Tour
7. LCD Soundsystem – The Sound of Silver
8. Battles – Mirrored
9. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
10. The National - Boxer
    

Laura's Top 10 Albums of 2007

1. Menomena- friend and foe
2. the shins- wincing the night away
3. Okkervil river- stage names
4. Blonde Redhead- 23
5. Tapes n' Tapes- the loon
6. The Rapture- pieces of the people we love
7. the chemical brothers- we are the night
8. Tegan and Sara- the con
9. Illinois- what the hell do i know?
10. Deerhoof- friend opportunity


it's been a great year, musically speaking! i hope 2008 will have as many promising bands!

p.s. if you dig on hearing some awesome new music...check out antsy pants...if you have seen Juno...you will know this beautiful, heartwarming, weird music.

M.I.A. Paper Planes Vid

So hey, M.I.A. was a little peeved over the weekend because there was an "official censored" version of Paper Planes floating about the web. Apparently the gunshots, which are what make the song great, are absent from the censored video, which is not even sort of official.

Don't forget, you can totally hear Paper Planes, complete, with all of its gunshots on The Blaze 1260 AM.

Andy’s Top Ten Albums of 2007

Andy’s Top Ten Albums of 2007
1) Wilco Sky Blue Sky: This one’s pretty obvious. If you aren’t completely satisfied, destroyed and optimistic by the end of this record, you clearly missed the point.
2) Jimmy Eat World Chase This Light: This is the record that was supposed to come out after Bleed American. Now that Futures is in the past, JEW fans have something to cheer about again.

3) Radiohead In Rainbows: As much as I didn’t think this was that great of a record, it undisputedly had a huge impact in the music community.
4) Between the Buried and Me Colors: Between the Buried and Me shows their stranglehold on the genre by releasing Colors as a complete symphony of metal/prog rock, rather than just another metal album.
5) Rocky Votolato The Bragg and Cuss: Rocky again shows his prowess as the best singer/songwriter of 2007.
6) Explosions in the Sky All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone: Explosions proves again that vocals are no necessity for a top ten finish.
7) Comeback Kid Broadcasting: This album shows all the scene kids hardcore at it’s roots and that hardcore with substance is always better than a whiny, but polished breakdown.
8) The Good Life Help Wanted Nights: Saddle Creek does it again. Go buy this album.
9) Saves the Day Under the Boards: Chris Conley proves that through lists of labels, members and some harsh criticism, the music will stay honest, singy and always worth the listen.
10) Dustin Kensrue Please Come Home: Kensrue (of Thrice) gets to explore this Americana and singer/songwriter side as he takes a step away from his heavier roots, and does it with style. Honorable Mention:
1997 A Better View of the Rising Moon: Once again, Victory succeeds in helping to break a band that might not have been discovered. Here’s to the Midwest.
Deas Vail All the Houses Look the Same: Brave New World Records takes the initiative to start the career of possibly the most authentic and appealing Christian band out there right now.

Kanye West Graduation: An alright album, but here’s to the end of 50 Cent!

Becky's Top 10 Albums of 2007

These are in no particular order, because I love all of them too much!

1. M.I.A Kala
   
2. The Little Bicycles Broken Hearts And Tired Legs
   
3. Battles Mirrored
   
4. Feist The Reminder
   
5. Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew Spirit If...
   
6. Baby Guts Gasoline
   
7. Albert Hammond, Jr. Yours To Keep
   
8. Blonde Redhead 23
   
9. Radiohead In Rainbows
   
10. Tegan & Sara The Con
    

CHAD'S TOP 10 of 2007!!!

My name is Chad, and although it has been some time since I have posted anything...here is my top 10 for 2007:

1.) Caribou, "Andorra"

 I'm a huge Caribou fan, and this album is the perfect follow up to 2005's "The Milk of Human Kindness" If you like ambient, warm, poppy goodness...check it out.

2.)Interpol "Our Love to Admire"

 Another band that I am a huge fan of. Some say that this album is to similar to the band's first two albums. On the one hand, yes, the sound is very similar. On the other, it is more brilliant music from one of the greatest bands playing today (my opinion of course). Say what you will, but at least give it a listen.

3.) Spoon "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" 

 More Indie rock greatness from this Texas based band. If you happened to buy the vinyl you also received over 10 bonus tracks, sure they're short, but it's pretty cool too!

4.) The Chemical Brothers "We are the Night"

 The Chemical Brothers are always a good call, and this album is certainly up to par.  'Saturate' 'The Salmon Dance' and 'The Pills Won't Help You Now' are some of my favorites. 

5.)Battles "Mirrored"

 When I picked up this album for the first time I didn't quite get it. There is so much to listen for. Rhythms layered on top of more rhythms with synth and drums scattered everywhere. Its really whacky, but its also really cool. I'd describe it something like the sound of chaos. 

6.)Radiohead "In Rainbows"

 A new Radiohead album? Awesome. A new Radiohead album where you can name your own price? Even more awesome. My most played Radiohead album since OK Computer and equally as good. Most of the album is pretty depressing  but that's okay. 'All I need' and '15 Step' are my two favorites. 

7.) Modest Mouse "We were dead before the Ship Even Sank"

Modest Mouse+ Johnny Mar= Awesome. It's no "Lonesome Crowded West" or "The Moon and Antarctica" but its great, and certainly worth a purchase. 

8.)The Shins "Wincing the Night Away"

I love it, I love it, I love it. Enough said. 

9.) As I Lay Dying "An Ocean Between Us"

As I Lay Dying has changed its sound completely, and it is even better than before.  The intro to 'Separation' is amazing. Certainly worth a purchase, even for non-metal fans. 

10.) The Good, The Bad & The Queen - Self Titled

One of the first albums of 2007 was probably one of the best. Its the super band of all super bands: Damon Albarn, Paul Simonon, Tony Allen and Simon Tong. All hail from historic bands (ie: The Verve, The Clash, Blur, etc.) For some most of the music may be too soft and too slow. I like the sound, and Albarn has a great voice. Check it out.

There they are. My top 10 of 2007.