Remember 2010???? Goddamn, now that was a hell of a year. The Olympics in Vancouver, The Town with Ben Affleck, and this blog was started. It’s gonna be tough to follow that up 2011 – consider yourself on notice early this year Rabbit.
Along with the 2010 highlights mentioned above, it was a hell of a year for music-especially the lesser known but madly talented, non-mainstream rock industry which saw some amazing bands brought to the attention of this blog. So that being considered here are some of our favourite songs from this year to create a reminiscent playlist that you will want to put on repeat on your ipod.
Kid Cudi – Pursuit of Happiness
Mumford and sons – Roll away your stone
The Middle East – The Darkest Side
Kenny Chesney – Everybody wants to go to Heaven
Drake – Over
The Black Keys – Everylasting light
Katy Perry – Teenage Dream (guilty pleasure)
The Arcade Fire – Modern Man
B.O.B. – Airplanes
The Avett Brothers – I and Love and You
Billy Currington – People are Crazy
Florence and the machine – You’ve Got the Love
Vampire Weekend – Horchata
The Band Perry – If I Die Young
The National – Blood Buzz Ohio
You can thank us later for the quintessential 2010 Playlist. We’re like DJ Am without the drugs or annoying remixes.
I recently partook in a study to determine the effects of aging on the taste of music and was surprised to hear the results. The study was commissioned, designed, deployed and participated by yours truly so to say it is indicative of the entire population of the world would be accurate.
Remember the first time you took a sip of your dad’s wine spritzer or your mom’s can of Wildcat? Tasted like crap didn’t it? If you said it tasted like lucky charms then you are probably a drunk who is reading this from the gutters of society, in which case we’d like to thank you for reading and for offering less competition to us finding good jobs. Anyhow, over the years the taste of alcohol grew on you and now most adults find themselves enjoying these delicious beverages at least a few times a week. Well it dawned on me during this thorough study that my taste in music has gotten a lot better with age as well. Now not everyone has the musical pedigree of myself, I once played the opening riff of “Satisfaction” on a guitar, but seemingly peoples taste in music gets a little more eclectic and enjoys more talent put into the work. A band like The Arcade Fire may have sounded like that first taste of liquor back when you were 14 – harsh, rough, and a distinct aftertaste that left you on the verge of puking. Come forward 10 or 15 years and you realize the complexity and intricacies of each song that make it smooth and delicious just like a full-bodied beaujolais, see I know wine too. Sure I still love when Katy Perry get’s my heart racing in her skin tight jeans when she’s my teenage dream tonight. And who doesn’t love Kid Cudi’s pursuit of happiness by drinking and driving and not giving a shit. But with each passing year of age people seem to respect a little more thought and talent put into what goes into their ears.
Anyways, this was really just a reason for me to post some songs that everyone should be listening to now because, well, I said so.
Brandon Flowers – Only the Young from his CD Flamingo
I’m not a record exec, a talent agent, or a cheesy tv reality show host but I think I have a pretty good ear for musical talent. It’s pretty simple really: interesting lyrics, good voice and the ability to create good background sound. Easy peasy.
So why do people waste their time listening to Faber Drive instead of some of these talented musicians/bands
The Middle East
Mark my words, these guys will blow up. They are way too talented and creative not to. An Australian band that uses most instruments imagineable and has a country meets Arcade Fire sort of sound. Get their album The Recordings of the Middle East Songs you should listen to: Blood, The Darkest Side, Hunger Song
The National
Talented rock band that is starting to get attention everywhere they go. Their lead singer’s deep, melodic voice sucks you in and refuses to spit you out as it rythmically yet clumsily leads you through his lyrics. Get their album High Violet Songs to listen too: Fake Empire, Blood Buzz Ohio, I’m Afraid of Everyone
Band of Skulls
Wicked, hard hitting british rock that features some great back and forth vocals between the male and female vocalists. Get their album Baby Darling Doll Face Honey Songs to listen to: I know what I am, Light of the Morning, Patterns
Last Sunday night I had to head over to my brother’s place for my Mom’s birthday dinner. Now, I love my Mom and love spending time with her but I had been at a keg party the night before and was still feeling a little listless, lazy, and generally sour. But it was okay because I had an early exit strategy, a concert I had bought tickets too a few months before – Mumford & Sons with Guests. But as I sat down for a little greek salad with the fam, I had no clue that in my pocket I held tickets to one of the best concerts/performances I had ever seen.
It’s not like I was an easy sell that night either – hungover, Sunday night, tired, grumpy. So it was a rough start when I lined up with about 200 other people waiting to get in the door at 8 when it opened, thinking well the opener will probably start at 8:30, it is Sunday night after all right? It was an hour later when we finally learned the opening band would go on at 9:30 and Mumford & Sons would take the stage 10:45!!!! Grumble, grumble, grumpy me. But in the back of my mind I knew it would be worth waiting, even though tickets were a ridiculously low $20 each with taxes, fees, and everything else in.
The opening act took the stage at 9:30 and slowly people began to move toward the raised stage as the lead singer attempted to introduce the band but did so in such a garbled manner no one could make sense of it. My friend would later find out from the pianist of the band that they are called The Middle East. They started off rather sleepy, albeit melodic, before getting the crowd full force into it with some of their more upbeat tracks like Hunger. They saved the best for last, closing their set with the hauntingly beautiful Blood which begins soft and works its way up to a fantastic ending using xylophones, whistling, and trumpets along the way. Simply amazing to listen to in person, I look forward to seeing what this band can produce in the future and can’t wait to catch them next time they are in town.
That was just the opener though, the best was yet to come.
Mumford & Sons took the stage to a roar from the jammed dance floor of the club and quickly made people forget it was 10:45 on a Sunday night by starting off their set with the title track from their current album, Sigh No More. Their energy on stage never wavered as they berated and attacked their instruments with such fervor it was impossible to not be engrossed by their celtic rock sound. The unique sound of Markus Mumford’s voice accompanied by an acoustic guitar, cello, banjo, and piano is truly uplifting as you listen to their songs that often start slow before building into an all out furour by the last chord. All band members took time to interact with the crowd to give the show a more intimate feel and I would guess that not one person at the club would not have loved to have a beer with these genuine, nice-seeming guys. Everything came to an apex when the band played Roll Away Your Stone and The Middle East reappeared on stage halfway through to make as much noise as possible in conjunction with Mumford & Sons which only enhanced the song. The night wrapped up with an encore of Feel the Tide, which left everyone in the club wanting more and waiting for the next time this amazing band comes to town.
If Mumford & Sons are coming to your town I encourage you to buy as many tickets as you can and take as many friends as you can rustle up, because anyone that misses the chance to see these guys on this tour will be paying a lot more and not seeing them in as intimate a setting next time they are on the road. This band will be worth seeing for many years down the road.
We’re heading into summer – hell we are practically knee deep in it (I say this as it rains outside and weekend highs are predicted not to top 20 degrees celsius)- which means you will be spending plenty of time with friends on a patio, barbequing and kicking back with some beers. You gotta have some music while aimlessly shooting the shit with friends, let alone something to get you pumped up enough to do that 4th keg stand. Here’s some jams that could make up a nice little playlist for the weekend.
Songs you should listen to: Blood, The Darkest Side, Hunger Song
Songs to listen too: Fake Empire, Blood Buzz Ohio, I’m Afraid of Everyone
Songs to listen to: I know what I am, Light of the Morning, Patterns
Truthfully Lying 