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TEEN ARCHER

bikes, bands, basses, baseball • film, vegan food, and nonsense
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Top 25 (35) of 2016

Yo, 2016 was terrible for life in general, but it was amazing for music. Some years it’s a grind to find 10 albums that I loved, but here are *25* i really liked a lot and then 10 more that were also cool.

I’ve made a couple of Spotify playlists inspired by this list:

(The two records that aren’t on Spotify have hyperlinks to their Bandcamp pages.)

If you wanna talk music, hit me up on twitter at teen_archer. I’m always down. And I hope you find something new to enjoy off this list.

1. Marked for Death – Emma Ruth Rundle

There’s no shortage of witchy chanteuses on the market right now, but for my money, Rundle is the best of the lot. She’s got the pipes, the players, the production, and the pop hooks. She understands how to use dynamics in a way that other wannabe Banshees can only dream of. My favorite record of the year.

2. Commontime - Field Music

The brothers behind Field Music were once half of Futureheads, who made some of the best punky pop of the mid-aughts. The mid-teens finds the Brewis brothers mature and melding eclectic soul-pop with interesting production conceits to great results. “Disappointed” might be my favorite song of the year (that Ewan Pearson remix!), and I hope they do more uptempo stuff like this on their next effort.

3. Konichiwa - Skepta

Turns out that my prediction of grime being the Next Big Thing was only 10 or 12 years premature. I’m not sure why it took the rest of the planet so long to catch on, but this year Skepta came through with the truth. There are some duds on this record – mostly when Skepta abandons the grime aesthetic and tries classic hip-hop tropes – but bangers abound.

4. III - Sheer Mag

Yes, a four-song EP comes in at #4 on my year-end list, because the Mag pack in more pissed-off pop hooks in 13 minutes than most bands do in 35. Any comps I’d put on this record would only do it a disservice – I could say Ramones, Thin Lizzy, the Runaways – but you really just need to listen to it to Get It. So get it!

5. Front Row Seat to Earth - Weyes Blood

Do you like the Carpenters weirder efforts, and wish they ate more mushrooms? Then Weyes Blood is for you. Natalie Mering creates entire worlds in her baroque pop productions, in which I’m  only too happy to immerse myself. Front Row Seat to Earth is one of those rare and wonderful records that can make you feel high without any substances at all.

6. Modern Country - William Tyler

Don’t let the smooth taste (or the title) fool you – this ain’t country, at least in any traditional sense. Tyler is a virtuoso who seems uninterested in virtuosity; yes, he can most certainly play his ass off, but he does so in service of seven well-crafted songs with memorable melodies and thoughtful arrangements. Another record that will transport you from wherever you are to somewhere else entirely. And we all need some of that these days.

7. Fires Within Fires - Neurosis

Thirty years on, Neurosis are still in peak form. Fires seems like a refinement of the template of the last few Neurosis albums, featuring the trademark trade-off vocals of Kelly and von Till, but markedly heavier than 2012’s Honor Found in Decay. There aren’t many records that feel short at 40 minutes, but I definitely could’ve used another jam on this record. (That’s a compliment, by the way.)

8. Atrocity Exhibition - Danny Brown

If you can’t deal with Danny Brown’s voice, I get it. This record won’t be for you. I’ve always thought he was best in short bursts, in guest spots, as a counterpoint to a “normal-sounding” rapper. Danny himself must know that, because the way he mixes it up on this record is astounding, with guests dropping lots of verses and hooks. But it’s Paul White’s production that’s the actual star of this record. White produced 10 of the 15 tracks, and each one is weirder than the next. Hopefully this album breaks the mold on rap tracks forever and ushers in a new era of weirdness.

9. Love You to Death - Tegan & Sara

Reunited with super-producer Greg Kurstin, T&S deliver another record full of inspired electro-pop. The pop-star incarnation of Tegan and Sara is still weird to those of us who knew them as an acoustic duo, but the jams are undeniable. Now if they can only amp up their live performance to match the intensity of the records …

10. Prima Donna - Vince Staples

Vince gives good quote, and for that reason as much as any other, he’s become a critical darling. He’s also incredibly charismatic and has a unique, effortless flow, so that doesn’t hurt. Prima Donna is an uneven 21-minute workout, but the good (War Ready, Loco, Pimp Hand) outweigh the bad (the obvious alt-rock-radio crossover attempt “Smile”). Looking forward eagerly to the next full-length.

11. Emotion Side B - Carly Rae Jepsen

Another EP at #11. If it truly is an outtakes record, that might explain its unevenness, but that might just be PR cover. All that aside, some CRJ is better than no CRJ, and jams like “First Time” and “The One” could have easily been included on E*MO*TION proper. But really, “First TIme” is the shit.

12. Phase Zero - Morgan Delt

This whole album is interesting – insane bedroom chamber pop – but it’s here mostly for one reason: “I Don’t Wanna See What’s Happening Outside.” Pop songs – even primitive ones recorded in your bedroom – shouldn’t sound like this. But this one does, and it’s absolutely incredible. “Some Sunsick Day” features a more traditional psych-pop approach and has a hook you could hang your coat on. RIYL drugs, guitars, and drugs.

13.Strangers - Marissa Nadler

Like Emma Ruth Rundle above, Nadler stands out as the real deal in a field of gauzy-garbed goth imposters. Sparse, moody arrangements spotlight her remarkable guitar playing and arresting voice, which holds up for most of the record’s 49-minute runtime. But this is where Rundle’s understanding of dynamics sets her apart: after a while Strangers feels like it’s trapped in a lock groove, while Marked for Death always sounds fresh.

14. A Moon Shaped Pool - Radiohead

This is not a great Radiohead record, but it’s a good one. The whole album is listenable, but A Moon Shaped Pool is here entirely on the strength of two songs: “Burn the Witch” and “Desert Island Disk,” maybe the most emotionally affecting thing they’ve pulled off since Kid A. If that claim makes me crazy, then so be it.

15. Coloring Book - Chance the Rapper

This one was tough, because there’s SO MUCH FILLER on it. But the good songs are SO GOOD that it warrants inclusion. There’s a no-fucks-given, first-take breeziness to even the best tracks that’s either charming or infuriating depending on my mood. Imagine if Chance actually applied himself and didn’t rely on bullshit gospel choir filler! GAH.

16. Looking Wet in Public - Palehorse

Discovered Palehorse this year, only to find out they’d just broken up. Such is life. Two bassists, drums, noises, and some of the gnarliest, throat-shreddingest vocals you’ll encounter. Also, the fucking song titles! I didn’t love much this year that could be qualified as either heavy or metal, but these guys were definitely on their own trip and didn’t sound like anyone else. RIP.

17. You Know Who You Are - Nada Surf

Another album appears on the strength of two songs: the great “Cold to See Clear” (do yourself a favor and watch the video) and the very good “Out of the Dark.” The rest of the record is good but not great, hitting all the grown-up pop-rock notes you’d expect. But sweet Jesus, “Cold to See Clear” is absolute pop perfection

18. We Got It from Here - A Tribe Called Quest

I’ll admit that I was skeptical: there aren’t many artists who can take 16 years off, lose a founding member, and then make even a half-decent record, much less a watershed one. But Tribe did it. The tracks, like classic Tribe, are rich and fully developed, and Tip hasn’t lost a step even after 30 years. And the Busta guest spots! Mercy. We also can’t downplay the timing of the release: We Got It From Here came along just when we needed it most.

19. Trans Day of Revenge - GLOSS

Boy meets Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit. Boy loses Girls Living Outside Society’s Shit. Classic hardcore romance. They burned too brightly to survive, but we were lucky to have had them for two years and 10 songs.

20. blackSUMMERS’night - Maxwell

It might not have been the kind of revelatory comeback that D’Angelo pulled off last year, but Maxwell managed to make an extremely listenable, interesting modern R&B record, and for that I am grateful. And “Lake by the Ocean”? Monster jam.

21. Auto - Super Unison

The Revolution Summer-inspired weirdness of former SU guitarist Dani Gutierrez is noticeably absent on Auto, but the three-piece version keeps it energetic and interesting on their first full length. There are still signs that SU are finding their way in this new configuration, and I fully expect the next record to be even better. 

22. Violent Sleep of Reason - Meshuggah

This is a Meshuggah record. If you like Meshuggah records, you will like this record. It is very heavy and weird and has a bald man yelling at you.

23. Blankface - Schoolboy Q

“THat Part” may have logged more than a hundred million views on YouTube, but Blankface lacks a True Club Banger like “Collard Greens.” (It did prove, however, that Kanye is not only palatable in small doses, but that he can actually still be fantastic.) I’m not always in the mood to listen to Blankface, but when I’m feeling pissed off and misanthropic – which I am more and more these days – this album scratches the itch.

24. Sport - Powell

I’ve wanted to like Powell ever since he skewered Albini with a billboard last year, so I was delighted to discover that his album, Sport, was fantastic. Powell effortlessly mixes dance, trance, noise, and post-punk to create an electronic music album unlike anything I’ve heard before. It’s almost like he made this just for my weirdo tastes.

25. Teens of Denial - Car Seat Headrest

I’m not sure this is a great record; it’s uneven, derivative, and overlong, and yet … Beneath the Westerberg/Richman/Malkmus impressions there are flashes of the genius that Will Toledo is, or can become. But for now, a naive joy imbues Teens of Denial, and we could all use more of that right about now.

Ten More Honorable Mentions!

  1. Hopelessness - Anonhi
  2. void beats/incantation trex - Cavern of Anti-Matter
  3. Sacri Monti - s/t
  4. Sorry I Messed Up - Holy Now  
  5. I @ My Country - Revolution Bummer
  6. My Woman - Angel Olsen
  7. Golden Sings That Have Been Sung - Ryley Walker
  8. If You See Me, Say Yes - Flock of Dimes
  9. Romantic - Mannequin Pussy
  10. Crown Feral - Trap Them

NEW PILE TRACK

💣💣💣💣💣💣

Cut from First Other Tape by Pile

(Source: Spotify)

2 years ago

Tagged with:  #music  #spotify

NEW PILE TRACK

💣💣💣💣💣💣

Cut from First Other Tape by Pile

(Source: Spotify)

2 years ago

Tagged with:  #music  #spotify

Favorite Albums of 2015

Some words about my top 10 albums of 2015.

Here’s a Spotify playlist of all these records, if you want to check them out. 

  1. John Carpenter: Lost Themes. I have to be in a certain head space to listen to Lost Themes. I can’t throw it on in the background while I’m writing or doing the dishes because it makes me anxious. Although they’re not technically soundtracks, these songs make you feel like you’re in a movie when they’re playing. I strongly recommend this album for late-night drives, criminal investigations, and Mexican standoffs.
  2. Wolf Alice: My Love Is Cool. My Love Is Cool is a bit schizoid; it has its Brit-folky moments (“Turn to Dust”) that really let Ellie Rowsell’s vocals shine, and its grunge-y rave-up moments (“Germ”) that deliver fully on their second-coming-of-Elastica promise. But “Your Love’s Whore” might be my favorite song of 2015; a friend of mine described it as “the Sundays meets Smashing Pumpkins,” which is pretty apt but still doesn’t do it justice. I’m a sucker for bass-driven melodies. Sue me.
  3. Sufjan Stevens: Carrie & Lowell. Strip away the autobiographical elements of Carrie & Lowell and you’d still be left with a masterpiece of composition, arrangement,and production. Sufjan isn’t just a songwriter; his recordings spin up entire worlds, his breathy vocals entrusting you with his secrets. Then consider the lyrical content, which is like a death-point strike to your emotional core.
  4. All Dogs: Kicking Every Day. Two women singing close harmonies over loud guitars? I’m fucking in.
  5. All Them Witches: Dying Surfer Meets His Maker. I almost didn’t listen to this record because I thought the band name was so dumb. Turns out the name comes from Rosemary’s Baby and the album is a revelation of heavy psych rock truth, which just goes to show you that I’m a huge idiot. Dying Surfer is as deep and broad as an ocean, and just about as immersive. Dive in.
  6. Grimes: Art Angels. Grimes comes out of the gates with four astounding pop songs – and then the back half of the record devolves into something disparate and self-indulgent. I came to this record fairly recently so there may stuff that just hasn’t clicked for me, but Side B might just be a graveyard of half-baked bullshit, too. Still, those first few songs, wooof. Fire.
  7. Vince Staples: Summertime ‘06. This was THE hip-hop album of the year for me. To Pimp a Butterfly may have been more ambitious, but I never really wanted to listen to it. (Two really good songs do not a great album make.) I played the shit out of ‘06 though. I love the stripped-down production (especially on the three Clams Casino-produced tracks) and Vince’s no-bullshit delivery. He strikes a perfect balance between Kendrick’s consciousness and YG’s gangsterism. To wit:
    Knowin’ change gonna come like Obama and them say
    But they shootin’ everyday ‘round my mama and them way
    So we put an AK where Kiana and them stay
    And that’s for any nigga say he got a problem with me
    Real realness.
  8. Yautja: Songs of Lament. This band is named after an alien race of born killers, which is pretty fuckin’ apt. It would be impossible to capture the unadulterated fury that is Yautja live, but Mikey Allred did a pretty fucking good job – and in his living room, no less. (Seriously, look up Dark Arts Audio – it’s crazy af.) These guys could get by – nay, thrive – solely on virtuosity, but that would be pretty boring. Instead, the Nashville post-everything trio write Actual Songs that somehow remain crushingly heavy while still being “hooky” in a way that most heavy bands couldn’t even envision. I can’t even figure out how they do it; if I could, I’d rip off their entire shtick, but alas. My only complaint: at 23 minutes, Songs of Lament is woefully short. Solution: listen to it twice every time you throw it on.
  9. Carly Rae Jepsen: Emotion. I wasn’t really feeling the lead singles when they were released, so I went in skeptical. Could CRJ clear the bar she set with “Call Me Maybe”? Well, the answer turned out to be an emphatic YES. There are bangers located throughout Emotion’s 54-minute runtime, but the record gets way interesting when you get to the back half (or side 2 as us old folks used to call it). “L.A. Hallucinations,” “Warm Blood,” and the Madonna homage of “Black Heart” are all a little weirder and riskier than the safe (but only slightly less wonderful) “I Really Like You” and the title track. It’s as close to a perfect pop album as you’ll hear this year.
  10. Young Guv: Ripe 4 Luv. Flawed to be sure – it’s too short and padded out by some lamentable filler – but the highs are the stratospheric. Fucked Up guitarist Ben Cook channels Dwight Twilley and Nick Gilder on the title track and offers an extremely convincing take on ‘80s English soul on “Wrong Crowd.” This dude is just now finding his voice – when he gets there, he’s gonna blow the fucking doors off.

Guild B301 for sale

Vintage B-301 with headstock repair. I fixed it using wood glue and clamps and it’s extremely stable. No functional issues at all. 

Other stuff you need to know: Aftermarket Chandler pickguard. Nordstrand Dual-Coil pickup. Hipshot Supertone bridge. Non-original knobs. This was the main Kowloon Walled City bass for several years/tours/albums. Set up for B-E-A-D, but could be EADG’ified pretty readily. Comes with original case. 


Not sure what to ask for it, given its weird condition and provenance. Offers welcome. 

Miller M2 .51 baritone for sale 

Squier ‘51 body. GFS Retrotron pickup in the bridge, stock pickup in the neck. Aftermarket bridge from GFS (I think). USA Custom Guitars baritone conversion neck ($250 value) finished in vintage amber nitro with custom waterslide decal. Can’t remember where the tuners came from; maybe a Mexican Tele? Honestly can’t recall. 

Tuned A-A using a standard baritone set (.68-.14, maybe?) but there’s some wiggle room w/r/t tuning. 

Looking for $350 + shipping. 

Miller Bass VI for sale

Bass VI assembled by me from USA Custom Guitars body and neck and other parts. 

USACG body with gorgeous three-tone sunburst finish. Oli-finished neck with waterslide decal. Pickups are a Bill Lawrence Strat set. Mustang bridge and aftermarket tremolo tailpiece and tuners from  Stew Mac. Not sure where the pickguard came from. 

Build quality is pretty janky; probably needs a thorough going over, but the parts are really good. The USACG parts would run you ~$750 new, and the pickups are worth upwards of $100. Also a case. 

Offers?

Viking's Choice: Kowloon Walled City, 'Backlit'

kowloonwalledcity:

Here’s a song from our new record.

Preorder cd/digital/shirt from Neurot , vinyl from Gilead.

(via )

48 hours in New York

Comparing L.A. Traffic To Lynching

cultureninja:

Yesterday, LAist posted this article on why We All Hate The L.A. Marathon. We can’t believe they compared the inconvenience of L.A. traffic to a lynching. Most people still associate the word Lynching to the history of racism in America. Immediately following that comment, they asked us to…

can’t tell if this is meant to be a joke or if O.P. utterly lacks reading comprehension

(Source: cultureninja-blog)

Some photos from the weekend’s exploits. 

~10 pounds of cukes, pickled and packed; vegan beignets. 

productiveouts:

We’re back with another PRODcast, and this one is goofy and irreverant as ever.

It goes like this … 

(0:00-3:30) The open

(4:27-9:20) The musical guest: BABY BOY. Buy 2015 here.

(9:20-14:47) The Pipin’-Hot Take of the Week: Mat Latos, Kind of a Dick.

(15:30-35:45) We Read from the Electronic Mail Sac

(36:20-56:10) The Baseball Blather

  • Sam & Ben are running an independent baseball team this summer — The Sonoma Stompers
  • MONCADA to BoSOX (Jerry Remy will pronounce his name “YORN MAWNCAWDER”)
  • Pitchers and catchers report! Beat writers are taking horrible photos.
  • Didja hear? A-Rod’s back!
  • BJ Upton is changing his name to Melvin
  • John Axford’s Oscar predictions – 18 for 18 in 2014.  How’d he fare in 2015?

(56:10-1:01:11) The Old School Player of the Week:

WARREN BRUSSTAR

image

Gaze upon his holy visage.

Brusstar played nine seasons with the Phillies, White Sox and Cubs as a reliever. He was 28-16, w/ a 3.51 ERA, 14 saves and a 1.360 WHIP in his career. Ol’ Brusstar’s Millions was drafted four (!) times, has an incredible 80-grade merm, a 70-grade scowl, 70-grade DADHAT, and a serious plustache (which looks an awful lot like his eyebrows were cloned and fell down to his upper lip).

(Source: productiveouts)