Caspian - Waking Season

Who said post-rock couldn't be top of charts? Guess someone who didn't come across Caspian's master-piece Waking Season.

The absence of lyrics leaves me too with no words to describe this album. Everything about it is perfect. Intense, introspective, violent. Just how life should be.

I've seen darkness and Waking Season showed me the light. Thanks Caspian, your work here is done. 10/10.

Leave you with one of the most amazing things I've ever listened, Gone In Bloom And Bough:

Parquet Courts - Light Up Gold

Parquet Courts were totally unknown to me until Pitchfork suggested a track from their debut album Light Up Gold. From that day I've been involved in their world, a world that bounces from Joy Division's deep rock melodies and some sort of Ramones quick punk-rock.

I haven't figured out quite yet if I just needed to listen to something like this or if they're really good. Truth is I can't have enough of it.

It feels like No Age's close cousin or something like that.

Well, I leave you with their single Borrowed Time. It's all there.

Tame Impala - Lonerism

Something happened and I've missed it. That was my feeling when I first listened to Lonerism from Tame Impala. Some sort of psychedelic revolution is on the streets and nobody warn me. Damn you revolutionary people.

Lonerism is exactly what I was looking for but didn't know existed. Hey, Animal Collective, are you listening? This is what you should've been doing. Or at least this is what I wanted from you.

It's an amazing album in form, content, lyrics, it's all there in that little thing they call CD. I don't think anyone will save this one, Lonerism will go straight into album of the year 2012.

And Why Won't They Talk To Me is simply one of the best things ever made in the past years.

But I don't even care about it anyway.
I wouldn't listen to a word any of them say.
They just talk about themselves all day.
One day Ill be a star and they'll be sorry.
 

The Slow Show - Midnight Waltz

Fresh and highly recommended. The Slow Show's Midnight Waltz can and should be the beginning of a beautiful story.

Easy, addictive and thoughtful. Both lyrically represented in the influences of people like Tom Waits or Bob Dylan and following the musical steps of the recent success stories of The National and WU LYF.

They're just good and I rest my case. 

Their song Brother could easily be one's life soundtrack. Careful, it's emotionally heavy.

Crystal Castles - (III)

When I heard CC were releasing a new album I almost pee'd on my pants. The thought it could be better than the 2 previous ones – Crystal Castles and Crystal Castles (II) - wasn't even a (real) possibility.

I was wrong.

(III) has exactly what was missing in the other two albums, normality. A certain sense for humanity, a touch of reality. It just looks like they've finally took it serious. It's still dark, don't get me wrong. The conflicts, the agony, the stress, they're all there (and Alice is there too, which always helps), but there is a layer of magic and balance that makes (III) sound perfect. 

The single, Wrath Of God, is a piece of art. Pure and simple. 

The XX - Coexist

Somethings are better left unchanged.

Some might say they should be reinventing their sound, others their minimalism is a bit too much, well, you can pretty much find a lot of reasons why they could be going in the wrong direction. I can't find a single one. I think they are brilliant.

Coexist is just Volume II of The XX. It's 'just' that. And that's enough to keep this man happy.

The whole album is quite consistent, but Tides is the one track I would like to share with you. It's the good stuff, the really good stuff.

Re-birth

It's been a long time, but after a long consideration process, I've decided to get WSG back in action. The show must go on, as someone rightly said.

Maybe I just thought that if Bloc Party got back together I should resume writing in my blog. Something like that.

Honesty will be kept so as ownership of shit opinions.

Enjoy the re-birth.

Truly yours,
D

2011 Top 10 songs - Part 2

#5: Bon Iver – Holocene

…and at once I knew, I was not magnificent / strayed above the highway aisle / (jagged vacance, thick with ice) / I could see for miles, miles, miles

There are no words for this man’s voice and lyrics. He hits the spot every single time, and he hits it deep. Regardless of the album's greatness, this song represents the best what Bon Iver is capable of doing. Pure magic.

It’s intimate and unique, I want to keep it like that.

Each time this song pops in my iTunes I skip it, I’m always waiting for a special time to come. 

#4: Wye Oak – Civilian

I'm perfectly able to hold my own hand / but I still can't kiss my own neck

A song for eternity. Wasner brings one of the 2011 songs I’ve listened the most. It’s amazing in every sense. They make it look so simple it actually sounds a bit creepy. The truth is I can’t have enough of it.

A message to Wasner: please stop being so damn perfect, it's almost annoying.

#3: Foster The People – Pumped Up Kicks

I reason with my cigarette / Then say, "Your hair's on fire, you must have lost your wits, yeah?"

Inevitable. It’s just THE pop song of the year. No discussion here. 

It played in everyone’s head. The album is quite average, but Pumped Up Kicks is pure addiction. It stays there and doesn't leave. 

No further comments.

#2: M83 – Midnight City

Look and see her eyes, they glow

Of course they glow. What else could she do while listening to this? 

It’s a #1 turned into #2 for a reason only I can explain. It’s perfect in all senses. There’s really nothing else you can say.

The first time I've listened to it, there were shivers all over my body. I thought to myself: ‘How is this possible?’. I wanted to dance, drink and call everyone I know.

I did the first two.

M83 are going far, really far away. They asked us to Hurry Up, and now we're truly Dreaming.

#1: WU LYF – We bros

We bros you lost man / we bros so long / Put away your guns man / and sing this song

They are the reason. They and their perfect album, with their perfect songs and perfect timing. 

We all feel outraged by the current economical/social situation of this world of ours, and we need inspiration, true inspiration, connection, a reason to believe, a reason to protest, a reason to live. And We need Bros. Believe me, we do. Here we have 6:27 official minutes of perfection, 6:27 official minutes of hope.

They call this heavy pop, I call this awesome. Guess we're all correct. 

Just sing along: We Bros! We Bros! We Bros!

2011 Top 10 songs - Part 1

#10: Future Islands – The Great Fire

If you let me be there again / I’ll be still, won’t say a word

The expectations for the new Future Islands album were high, and the first glimpse of it brought this wonderful song immediately into my attention. The gorgeous combination of Herrings rough voice with Wasner’s sweetness is just what you can wish for in a quiet afternoon.

It comes as no surprise in this top-10, with a unique touch of beauty from this awkward duet.

#9: The Black Keys – Gold On The Ceiling

Gold on the ceiling / I ain't blind / Just a matter of time / Before you steal it / It's alright

As close to their unique Rock & Roll approach as it can get. Reminding their fans why they're so fucking awesome. You can’t get anything wrong out of this, they seem to be saying ‘Remember our name, cause we’re here to stay baby’.

Please do never leave us.

#8: PJ Harvey – The Words That Maketh Murder

I've seen and done things I want to forget / coming from an unearthly place / Longing to see a woman's face / Instead of the words that gather pace / The words that maketh murder.

Here she is, bright, new, insightful, patriotic. PJ rarely gets it wrong, but The Words That Maketh Murder just brings the best of the familiar nostalgia only she’s capable to share. 

And it’s all so real and tangible. A great song.

#7: Destroyer – Kaputt

Wasting your days / Chasing some girls all right / Chasing cocaine to the back rooms of the world all night

Definitely one of the best 2011 tracks. All combined, probably one of the surprises – if not THE surprise – of the year. The song’s freshness, the 80’s touch, the good vibe, all magical. Brings back the adolescent in all of us, those warm summer nights. 

Never-ending inspiration from the boys from Canada.

#6: Tune-Yards – Bizness

I say, I'll bleed if you ask me / I'll bleed if you ask me / That's when, that's when, he said no

What can I say about this song? It takes a person no time to understand this is special. Good special. It took me 10 times to actually say: ‘this is amazing’. And after that, it only has become even better. Garbus is love at 10^th sight, one of those that turns into a marriage of 50 years in a sec after that.

Can’t wait for what comes next.