Ten For 2012

Here are my picks for 2012 albums of the year. These are in chronological order, each one is very worth checking out.


Django Django- Django Django
1/30/2012
Because Music

OFF!-OFF!
5/8/12
Vice

Japandroids- Celebration Rock

6/5/12

Polyvinyl Record Co.

Metric- Syntheitca
6/12/12
Metric Music International

A Place To Bury Strangers- Worship
6/26/12
Dead Ocean

JEFF the Brotherhood- Hypnotic Nights
7/17/12
Warner Brothers

The xx- Coexist
9/11/12
Young Turks, XL Recordings

Muse- The 2nd Law

9/28/12

Helium 3, Warner

Titus Andronicus- Local Business
10/22/12
XL Recordings

Deftones- Koi No Yokan
11/12/12
Reprise

5 Songs That I'm Into Right Now...

Ramones- Beat on the Brat

Metric- Speed the Collapse

A Place to Bury Strangers- You Are The One

Chapterhouse- Breather

The Vibrators- Nazi Baby

Another song streaming from Metric.

Speed The Collapse Speed The Collapse by Metric

Hear the first single from Metric's Upcoming Album.

Youth Without Youth "Youth Without Youth" by Metric

5 Songs (+1 for Canada Day)

Yay Canada!

Metric- Help I'm Alive


Tegan & Sara- Time Running


Black Mountain- Stormy High


Sebastien Grainger & The Moutnains- American Names


Sam Roberts Band- Brother Down


Crystal Casltes- Untrust Us

Good Music Videos

Another one from Rebelde Radio favorites, Metric.

Good Music Videos

Two more great videos from Metric

Gold Guns Girls



Stadium Love

Best Songs Of The First Half Of 2009 (5 Songs I Am Into Right Now)

Silversun Pickups- Surrounded (And Spiraling)

“Surrounded.

Let's romanticize our beloved memories

Surrounded

Let's demonize our softest injuries

Surrounded

Can we get behind distortion and liberties

Surrounded

We're surrounded, spiraling”

At first I wasn’t crazy about the latest Silversun Pickups record, Swoon. After I gave it another chance, I realized I was wrong. This song actually has the sounds of both where the band came from as well as where they are going with their own sound.

Metric- Satellite Mind

“coming home 'cause i want to

hang out with the starlet

stare up at the ceiling

preview of a screening

flashback of a feeling

sick sense of a calling

heard you fuck through the wall

I heard you fuck when I'm bored”

This song seems to grow on my more every time I hear it. Fantasies may be my favorite record of the year so far, as I have mentioned before. This tack is oozing with everything that is Metric, its rocking and its sexy as hell.

White Rabbits- Percussion Gun

“All your time

well crawl dignifed

And now it seems to be cut & dry

So I know which way to run

You're tired my love

I feel the same”

This song isn’t as much about the lyrics but I had to keep this posting uniform. This song is based completely on the drums. The drums are easily the most catchy part of the song making this the catchiest tune of the year (by far).

The Horrors- Sea Within A Sea

“Marching to the sea
their dreams stay in the shadows

their dreams stay firmly rooted in the shallows

See the scraping sky

See my destination there tonight”

This song isn’t much about they lyrics either. Frankly, I lot of the time you can’t even understand what the hell Faris Rotter is even saying. This song is like two really good dance tracks in one.

Yeah Yeah Yeah’s- Heads Will Roll

"Dripping with alchemy

shiver stop shivering

The glitter's all wet

You're all chrome
The men cry out

The Girls cry out

The men cry out

Oh no”

I’ve never been a huge YYY’s fan, but they made this song just at the right time. I have been on an electric/dance kick as you have seen lately. This is certainly one of the better songs to fit that category this year.

Shows This Past Week

Metric/Sebastien Grainger
Terminal 5
http://www.myspace.com/metricband
http://www.myspace.com/sebastiengrainger

Its not often that a show bill is exciting enough that you feel the need to get there as early as possible. When one of your all time favorites is headlining and one your new favorites is opening, you have to do just that. Both bands were great. This was actually Metric’s best show I have seen in a few years. Emily and the gang were on, and I mean very on. The performance was great and they were working with the crowd keeping everyone engaged the whole time. The NYC crowd was slow to warm up to Sebastien Grainger but seemed to get into it as the night went on. He finished with his dance track with was probably smart. The only problem with finishing they way he did, was a drunk girl in front of us managed to get so drunk before they finished that she placed a pile of thick red liquid on the floor that resembled a Jamba Juice smoothie. It is very impressive when people throw up before the headlining band even starts. The crowd seemed to make a circle around the honk pile so they didn't step in it butby the time Metric came out to do there thing, people seemed to not care anymore and dozens of people were standing in it...yum.

Non Music Related High Point
The DJ between sets was on point! Playing stuff MSTRKRFT to The Horrors to Silversun Pickups

A Place To Bury Strangers/Secret Machines
Santos Party House
http://www.myspace.com/aplacetoburystragers
http://www.myspace.com/secretmachines

I have seen A Place To Bury Strangers before. This was the smallest room I had seen them in. It was loud. It was really loud. It was really fucking loud. I still really dug it though. It was cool seeing a band that plays such big sounds in as intimate setting as Santos Party House. If you have never seend A Place To Bury Strangers before, it kind of resembles a fight with sound and flashing lights. It is very high energy (considering the guys don't move and neither does most of the crowd). Secret Machines were the headliners but I couldn’t stay as long as I would have liked to. I have seen them before and they are always a good show.

Non Music Related High Point
An old friend of mine is now a member of the Secret Machines so it was good hang with him for a little bit before they went on.

Good Music Videos

Metric gives us two new videos from Fantasies.

Sick Muse

Gimmie Sympathy

Early Nomination For Best Record Of 2009

I wasn't planning on doing my first half wrap up until after next month, but sometimes a certain record finds its way into regular rotation when its only a month old. Sometimes its a record that you can't see yourself getting sick of.

If you are regular here are Rebelde Radio, you know how I feel about Metric. Their new record Fantasies (released on April 7th by Last Gang). Granted, I have yet to be disappointed in anything this band has done yet, but this record is both vintage Metric and totally new at the same time. My personal two stand out tracks are "Help I'm Alive" and "Satellite Mind." Both songs create a heavier more dancey vibe than we are usually used too yet are still perfectly complimented by Emily's softer, sexy voice.

If you haven't checked this record out yet, do yourself a favor and check out at least the two songs that I mentioned. You won't be disappointed.

1) "Help I'm Alive" – 4:46
2) "Sick Muse" - 4:17
3) "Satellite Mind" - 3:42
4) "Twilight Galaxy" - 4:53
5) "Gold Guns Girls" - 4:05
6) "Gimme Sympathy" – 3:54
7) "Collect Call" - 4:46
8) "Front Row" - 3:34
9) "Blindness" - 4:26
10)"Stadium Love" - 4:13

http://www.myspace.com/metricband

Emily Haines Discusses The New Metric Record

Emily Haines comentary on the new Metric record coming April 14th.

5 Songs I Am Into Right Now

MUSE- Starlight
From the album Black Holes & Revelations (2006)
One of the more romantic songs from the English trio. You have never really heard or experienced Muse until you see them live. The songs are extremely complicated and never really have dull moments.

Metric- IOU
From the album Old World Underground, Where Are You Now (2003)
You know my feelings on Emily Haines and the boys... well you also know my feelings on Emily Haines. This is their opening songs from their 2003 album and the album is named after the first line!

Lou Reed- Rock Minuet
From the album Ecstasy (2000)
This song is even sleazy by Lou Reed standards! Stories of sex, bars, dancing, whores, murder and the neighborhood I just move to are pretty much the reason I have been listening to this one lately.

Wilco- Walken
From the album Sky Blue Sky (2007)
Every now and then I have to give some love to bands from Chicago. I kind of slept on the record for a while, however, once I did finally check it out, this was my instant favorite. I lucked out when they played on Saturday Night Live that I attended (hosted by Ellen Page) and they played this song as the final part of the night.

Cold War Kids- Something Is Not Right With Me
From the album Loyalty To Loyalty (2008)
Ok, ok I know its the single of an album that came out this fall and I know its doing well on the satellites, but, can you look me in the eye and tell me this song isn't catchy as hell? I know that its a safe call when I hear this song in the Murray Hill bars.

Shows This Week

Iggy & The Stooges.
Terminal 5
http://www.myspace.com/iggyandthestooges

This was the third show from the Michigan rockers I have seen in the past, oh, 18 months or so. They have yet to disappoint. Once again, I was among the younger people in the whole place. Once again, I was impressed with the sound at Terminal 5. Its not often that you get your face melted by a guy 60 years old. Its not often that you see a guy over 60 hump more inanimate objects than my college roommate. The show was great nonetheless. I heard every single song I wanted to hear, including I Wanna Be Your Dog twice. It was a great night and I had more plans after that.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
As always, the high point of a Stooges show is Iggy's energy and of course inviting 200 plus people on stage isn't so bad either.


Metric.
Highline Ballroom
http://www.myspace.com/metricband

Oh, Canada! Its not often that you see two of your favorite bands in one night. Right after the Stooges show, I headed downtown to see Emily and the guys. I love Emily Haines. If you have met me before you already know that. The show started at about 1 am. They came out and rocked a small little crowd which I had never seen them do before. The playlist was perfect and they sounded great. And really the weekend was just beginning because I would be seeing them the next day at All Points West.


The opening act was a band called Black Angels from Austin, TX. They were like a psychedelic throw back that I recommend checking out.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
Emily Haines rubbed my head after the set from the stage.


All Points West.
Jersey City, NJ

This was a festival that included Metric, Chromeo, Kings of Leon and Radiohead. We didn't stay for Radiohead as we learned from the week prior.

For Metric please see above.

Kings of Leon had a great show and again played every song that we could have wanted to hear. I have to admit though, I am ready for some new songs from Team Followill. I also have to admit that I hope when they do come with the new songs, they are more similar to the Youth & Young Mandhood and Aha Shake Heartbreak. I am just a big fan of the whiskey soaked country, blues of the first two records. The set was great though and Caleb's vocie sounded distinct as ever. Like them or not, they seem to put on a better show almost every time I see them. Again, a band that I don't like to miss when they come to town.

We missed Chromeo because we were drinking and well we left during Radiohead.

I do have a couple complaints about the show though. They are both beer related. The five beers for person thing was lame. When you got a bracelet, you weren't allowed to have more beers than one for each of the numbered tabs on your wrist. One got ripped off each time you bought a beer. Then when you did get a beer, you couldnt leave a fenced in area. That means you couldn't see the stage. Bullshit!

Random Non-Music Related High Point.
This is more than just a high point. I have been saying for years that New York needs a good rock festival of their own. Good job here guys. Oh, nothing against you Siren and CMJ.

Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings.
Central Park Summer Stage
http://www.myspace.com/sharonjonesandthedapkings

This was a great show that kind of fell in our laps on a Sunday afternoon. My girlfriend and I were enjoying lunch at (several) drinks at the Boat Bassin Cafe when we found out about the free show. We headed over pretty much just in time and caught Ms. Jones and her army of friends. The show was fun as they always are. I have noticed she is way more fun in smaller settings and this was a great size for her. As always she got peopel to join her on stage and talked to the people in the front. She talked about her outfits, her shoes, everything. The playlist was good not great (only becuase they didn't play All Over Again). If you are a soul or old school R&B fan, this is a show worth checking out.

Random Non-Music Related High Point.

It was free and outside on a Summer Sunday!

Good Music Videos

Yes.... the Lollapalooza 2008 rundown is coming soon... in the meantime, enjoy one of my all time favorite bands with the sexiest singer in the business.

Metric- Combat Baby