The Great Arcade Fire

Funeral shook the hearts of millions (including David Bowie, who would hand the album out to his friends) while arguably becoming the album of the decade. The reason being is because it's so perfectly aligned, it's like a painting of death drawn by the hand of God. While their sophomore effort Neon Bible is praising and appraising God, and drawn by the hand of man. This being visibly so in that somehow Neon Bible's errors add up to something even more rare than what we perceive as perfection.

Neon Bible also happens to be my album of the year, to date.

Well, before all the hype and fame and even before their hard to swallow but still very exciting EP, there was a demo entitled 2001.

Here is that demo.

MP3'S

Winter For A Year

My Mind Is A Freeway

Accidents

Goodnight Boy

Asleep At The Wheel

In The Attic

Can't Let Go Of You

You Tried To Turn Away My Fears

Instrumental

The Great Arcade Fire


A Special Thanks To :

Captain's Dead

The Long Winters

It's 4/20 and we all know what that means...
So I have a few tracks for you, and to start it off is The Long Winters attempt at "Smoke On The Water" by Deep Purple along with some other tracks by John Roderick and his boys.

MP3'S

Smoke On The Water

Pushover

The Commander Thinks Aloud

Blue Diamonds

Dntel

In 2001 when Jimmy Tamborello released Life is Full of Possibilities, the lo-fi indie rock masterpiece, there was a new genre of music being created, it wasn't just electronica or pop or folk anymore, it was more. His collaboration with DCFC's Ben Gibbard started The Postal Service, which broke open like an egg and poured out onto weary hearts and set the tone for "popular" indie-tronica. In the five years it has taken Jimmy to put together his follow-up, other than Postal Service, he has also been included in the band Figurines and he also has the James Figurine moniker for his more techno focused pop songs.

Dumb Luck, the follow-up to the phenomenal Possibilities is more aware of itself as it shape-shifts through genres, but keeps the basis the same. A steady wave of resilience from the collaborators (which include: Bright Eyes, Grizzly Bear, Lali Puna, Jenny Lewis, Mystic Chords of Memory, etc.) is what keeps the music grounded, but it's Jimmy's defining song structure that lets us swim freely through each track. The collaborations make Dumb Luck a versatile album, but it's Jimmy Tamborello that makes it a Dntel album.

MP3'S

Dumb Luck

To A Fault (ft. Grizzly Bear)

Rock The Boat (ft. Mia Doi Todd)

Natural Resources (ft. Fog)

Breakfast In Bed (ft. Bright Eyes)

Paper Airplanes

The Fences (mp3) is more timid than taunt for an indie song that has been released in the last few years, this being released late 2004 on the album Boyhood. It sounds very mature and has a natural feel, and in turn, very open for the first listen, and each listen that follows.

Paper Airplanes take you under their wary wing, and they help you feel a little more assured. Expect a follow-up to their debut (hopefully) in 2007.

Track of the Week

Pop Levi - Skip Ghetto

Hot Chip

Hey, it's Friday the 13th!

MP3'S

Hot Chip - Bad Luck

Death Cab For Cutie

"Do you remember the JAMC and reading aloud from magazines? I don't know about you but I swear on my name they could smell it on me, I've never been too good with secrets..."

Death Cab For Cutie's Transatlanticism reminds me of many things; long car rides, life-changing experiences, waking up on the beach in Atlantic City at 4 in the morning, an idyllic girl, etc. Death Cab For Cutie have crafted a truly beautiful album. If a woman can be considered beautiful, and a car can be considered beautiful, then Transatlanticism is definitely on the same pedestal.

2003 was a stellar year for music with new releases from Sufjan Stevens, the Books, the Shins, M83, Rapture, Wrens, Xiu Xiu, Cat Power, Blood Brothers, and even TV on the Radio's Young Liars EP. But the year belonged to 'Ben and the Death Cabbers'. After their release of We Have The Facts, and Photo Album they already had the indie-rock feel and production down. It was now inevitable for them to create something more understood and evaluated, to the point where it doesn't leave your head or your heart.

MP3'S

We Looked Like Giants

A Lack of Color

Title and Registration

Transatlanticism

Transatlanticism is truly a definitive chapter in my life.