2 posts tagged “klaxons”

Biggest let down:
Linkin Park - Minutes to Midnight

Honorable mentions:
The Almost – Southern Weather
Will Stratton – What The Night Said
Architecture in Helsinki – Places Like This

The List:

10. The Rocket Summer – Do You Feel

Bryce's music is catchier, bubblier, and more emotion-filled than ever.   

9. Klaxons – Myths of The Near Future

Not much to say here except this is the greatest dance album of 2007 with some damn impressive bass work and vocal harmonization

8. My American Heart – Hiding Inside the Horrible Weather

These guys don't get enough credit from critics.  Despite what some may call a weak and unoriginal sophomore album, Hiding Under the Horrible Weather is actually a great step-up from The Meaning in Makeup, and it was perpetually in my car's CD player this summer.  Awesome drum patterns, strong lead guitars, and, well the vocals have always been amazing.  Plus, it's nice to have a young talented band reppin' Southern California

7. Shout out Louds – Our Ill Wills

Every, single, song, on this album is amazing.  I feel like the producers could have done some more work with track arrangement, but other than that it's an amazing sophomore album.  "Impossible" sounds like the Shout out Louds got in a fight with Architecture in Helsinki, and won... and I love it!

6. Against Me! – New Wave

Probably the most out rightly politically driven album I've heard in a while.  Brash, honest, and loud.  Just an all around solid "Punk/Rock" album. 

5. Blonde Redhead – 23

If I were to ever do acid or any sort of hallucinogen, this will be the album I'd do it to.  I challenge anyone to listen to this with some big headphones in a dark room; if you don’t feel like you’re getting transported into some different dimension, let me know.  And, that, just about sums this album up for me.

4. Anberlin - Cities

Wow, I totally don't know how I forgot about this album when I made the list.  Suffice to say, when I remembered, it bumped AiH off the list, and everyone below 5, down the list.  Anyway, I'm not sure what else to say; this album just means a lot to me.

3. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

After the success of Funeral, I wasn’t sure what Arcade Fire had left up their sleeves…but, they really just took it up a notch.  I don't know how they did it, but it seems like Arcade Fire were able to fit about another twenty instruments into the mix of things.  Plus, I was a changed person after I saw them completely get a crowd of 25,000 kids to sing the melodies of "Rebellion" long after the lights went out.  Granted, Rebellion was off of Funeral, but this is my list so suck it.

2. Paramore – RIOT!

This album just reached Gold status two weeks ago.  It's also the reason the band received recognition from Dave Grohl, and the reason Hayley received and accepted the invitation to sing vocals with Jimmy Eat World, her favorite band growing up, at KROQ's Acoustic Christmas.  It's also the reason John Mayer is completely now totally infatuated with Hay--the band.  It's also the reason Paramore's nominated for a Best New Artist Grammy.  RIOT! has probably led to all the things the band has ever hoped for, and more.  Above all, RIOT! is just a damn solid piece of work that makes me so proud to have seen these small town Tennessee kids when they were still setting up their own equipment and re-wearing the same jeans and dirty baseball t-shirts.

1. Tegan and Sara – The Con

Five justifications:

5. The title track is one of my top 10 songs of all time; I was Married and Nineteen follow in the top 50, which is saying a lot
4. Chris Walla did a ridiculously amazing job producing the album -- making sure each song was mixed to perfection and that the whole album played out like a good book from start to finish.  To seal the deal, Jason McGerr laid down some amazing drum work
3. The whole album is a giant leap of lyrical and musical progression from So Jealous
2. Each track seamlessly coalesces with the next, even though the tracks were written separately and individually of one another
1. The album literally bleeds emotion

Have you ever just sat through a music video remaining motionless and speechless, left utterly confused at the end of it, and by the time the music fades out from your speakers you think to yourself "what the fxck just happened?" Yeah. Well, I watched the Golden Skans video for the first time the other day and basically kind of just sat here with my mouth half open with the same blank expression for the duration of the three-minute forty three second video.  Don't get me wrong, this isn't a bad thing at all.  And even better, with 30 seconds left before the end, a young Robert Smith makes a surprise guest appearance.  Actually, I lied.  But with a little imagination you can pretend it's him.  Anyway, the video may have left me a little baffled, but what I do know is that I may be in love with Jamie Reynolds.  More importantly, I am also now very motivated go to Party City and get myself some metallic ribbons to prance around with.  Who's in?