Tuesday, March 25, 2008

YEAR in REVIEW (2007)

Disclaimer:
We obviously did not get a chance to listen to every single album that was released last year, so there may be some records out there that slipped through the cracks, and we apologize in advance for not giving you a nod in praise. Collectively we have scoured pretty hard for what is out there both throughout the year and with researching other ‘best of ‘ resources to confidently conclude that these are bar none the cream of the crop. Our focus is to reach outside of hype and all of the other nonsense that goes along with the music industry and critic-fluffing snobbery as a whole.

The Editor and General:
“Remember Skinhead Britney Spears in 2007? aka diverse list genre-wise”


01) Joel Plaskett EmergencyAshtray Rock (Maple Music)

02) Baby Shambles
Shotter’s Nation (EMI / Parlophone / Astralwerks)

03) Arcade Fire
Neon Bible (Rough Trade / Merge)

04) Criminal Damage
No Solution (Feral Ward)

05) Double Negative
The Wonderful World Of Double Negative (No Way)

06) New Pornographers
Challengers (Matador)

07) Attack In Black
The Curve Of The Earth (Dine Alone)

08) King Khan & His Shrines
What is?! (Hazelwood)

09) Feist
The Reminder (Arts & Crafts / Interscope)

10) Grinderman
Self Titled (Anti / Mute)

11) Jay Z
American Gangster (Roc-A-Fella / Def Jam)

12) Mark Sultan
Sultanic Verses (In The Red)

13) Sadies
New Season (Outside)

14) Violent Minds
Eyes Of Death (Parts Unknown)
[I realize that this was shelved for many years, but it still came out in '07]

15) CPC Gangbangs
Mutilation Nation (Swami)

16) Saigon
The Moral Of The Story (Fort Knox / Atlantic)

17) Mayhem
Ordo Ad Chao (Seasons Of Mist)

18) Walls
Self Titled LP (Painkiller)

19) Stars Of The Lid
And Their Refinement Of The Decline (Kranky)

20) Lil’ Wayne
Da Drought 3 (Young Money)

21) Amon Tobin
Foley Room (Ninja Tune)

22) UGK
Underground Kingz (Jive)

23) American Steel
Destroy Their Future (Fat Wreck)

24) Clorox Girls
J’Aime Les Filles (BYO)

25) Beirut
The Flying Club Up (Ba Da Bing!)

26) Ghostface Killah
The Big Doe Rehab (Def Jam)

27) Tranzmitors
S/T (Deranged)

28) Ken Reaume
Four Horses (Pariah Sounds)

29) Sunn0)))
Oracle (Southern Lord)

30) Homostupids
The Intern (Parts Unknown)

31) Deerhunter
Cryptograms (Kranky)

32) Interpol
Our Love To Admire (Capitol / Parlophone)

33) John Fogerty
Revival (Fantasy)

34) Freeway
Free At Last (Island Def Jam / G-Unit)

35) The Dilettantes
101 Tambourines (Stranger Touch / Happy Parts)

36) Twilight Sad
Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters (Fat Cat)

37) Black Lips
Good Bad Not Evil (Vice)

38) Goodnight Loving
Crooked Lake (Dusty Medical)

39) Grizzly Bear
Friend (Warp)

40) Carbonas
Self Titled (Goner)





Top 5 songs of the year:

Arcade FireOcean Of Noise
FeistI Feel It All


Worst album cover of the year (a tie):


DISSAPPOINTMENTS:

There are a number of artists in this list that I really enjoy and personally think are brilliant as a whole – however most of these records are just weak for what they’re capable of, completely forgettable, or just plain shit. This category represents a bar that has been set by the artist in the past (usually) and or the anticipation of these records, and them failing to deliver the goods.

50 CentCurtis (Aftermath / G-Unit / Interscope)
[I Get Money is amazing, but the rest is garbage at best]

Baroness
Red Album (Relapse)

Bloc Party
A Weekend In The City (Vice)



Coliseum
No Salvation (Relapse / Level Plane)

The HivesThe Black & White Album (Interscope)

High On Fire
Death Is This Communion (Relapse)

Ladyhawk
Fight For Anarchy (Jagjaguwar / Storyboard)

Pelican
City Of Echos (HydraHead)

Pharoah Monch
Desire (Street / Universal MoTown)
[when you’re a real deal MC what’s the need to get fancy? far too ambitious – more rapping needed]





Saul Williams
The Inevitable Rise & Liberation of NiggyTardust! (internet only)
[Neat idea but this album sucks.]

The Stooges
The Weirdness (Virgin) [Not much of a surprise, but this blows]

Turbonegro
Retox (Cooking Vinyl)




TOP 10: Not worth the HYPE [STILL don’t GET IT]
[Why are critics so hard on the ‘dick’ of these records?]
Klaxons
Mysths Of The Near Future (Polydor)
[most undeserving hype of the year, certainly some label $$ influencing opinions]
Animal Collective
Strawberry Jam (Domino)
[not near worth the praise – 6 out of 10 at best]
Battles
Mirrored (Warp)
[the newest Trans Am record was WAY better than this and no one was talking about it]
Burial
Untrue (Hyperdub)
[5 out of 10 at best]
Dirty Projectors
Rise Above (Dead Oceans)
[hipsters pretending to be punk rock and failing hard]
Jens Lekman
Night Falls Over Kortedala (Service / Secretly Canadian)
LCD Soundsystem
Sound Of Silver (DFA / EMI)
Liars
Liars (Mute)
Magik Markers
Boss (Ecstatic Peace)
[I don’t care if this is on Ecstatic Peace, it blows]
MIA
Kala (XL / Interscope)
[the first album sucked, this is even worse]


Who CARES / STOP making MUSIC:

Dillinger Escape PlanIre Works (Relapse)
Dropkick Murphys
The Meanest Of Times (Born & Bred)
Buck 65
Situation (Strange Famous)
Nine Inch Nails
Year Zero (Interscope)
Radiohead
In Rainbows (internet release / XL)
Smashing Pumpkins
Zeitgeist (Warner Bros)

Friday, March 21, 2008

Comrades



Matty B's Best of 2007 List

TorcheIn Return (Robotic Empire)
it took me a while to get into the vocals but i dig it.

Jesu / EluviumSplit (Hydra Head)
some of justins stronger work that got released this year. it seems like he released something every month.


Wolves In The Throne Room - Two Hunters (Southern Lord)
USA black metal. bleak ambient and crushing.

Teagan And Sara - The Con (Vapor / Sire / London)
yeah i know.

Sonic Youth - Daydream Nation reissue (Goofin’)
just happy i can get it on vinyl.

Iron And Wine - The Shepherd's Dog (Sub Pop)
more instruments + sweet harmonies.

OmPilgrimage (Southern Lord)
i dont feel its their best work but a solid hypnotic feel

Interpol - Our Love To Admire (Capitol / Parlophone)
some of their best tracks and some of the worst tracks.

EarthHibernaculum (Southern Lord)
old earth meets new earth. comes with a documentary dvd i guess if you own the cd.

Mono - The Phoenix Tree: Travel In Constants Volume 22
by far my favorite work my them.

The new Witchcraft album “The Alchemist” is pretty good too.


WHO SHIT THE BED IN 2007?

Pelican (City Of Echos) / Wilco (Sky Blue Sky) / Jimmy Eat World (Chase The Light)


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Hayz' BEST OF 2007 list

02.Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
03.Bruce Springsteen
Magic (Columbia)


04.Dan Deacon - Spiderman Of The Rings (Carpark)
05.Joel Plaskett -
Ashtray Rock (Maple Music)
06.Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - 100 Days 100 Nights (Daptone)


07.The NationalBoxer ((Beggars Banquet)
08.Dinosaur JrBeyond (Fat Possum)
09.Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin (Sub Pop)
10.Justice
Cross (Downtown / Vice / Ed Banger)




JesuConqueror (Hydra Head)
M83
- Digital Shades Vol.1 (Mute)
The Field -
From Here We Go Sublime (Kompakt)
Attack In BlackMarriage (Dine Alone)
BurialUntrue (Hyperdub)
Battles
Mirrored (Warp)
Dillinger Escape Plan - Ire Works (Relapse)
Tegan & Sara - The Con (Vapor / Sire / London)
BjorkVolta (One Little Indian / Universal / Atlantic / Polydor)
PJ Harvey -
White Chalk (Island)

Interpol -
Our Love To Admire (Capitol / Parlophone)

The Hives -
The Black & White Album (Interscope)

Bat For Lashes -
Fur & Gold (Echo / Parlophone)

Dethklok
Dethalbum (Williams Street)
Baroness - The Red Album (Relapse)
High On Fire -
Death Is This Communion (Relapse)

Municipal Waste -
The Art Of Partying (Earache)
Mayhem - Ordo Ad Chao (Seasons of Mist)
Pharoah Monche -
Desire (Street / Universal MoTown)

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13.The Weakerthans - Reunion Tour (Epitaph)
14.Feist - The Reminder (Arts & Crafts / Interscope)
15.Black Francis - Bluefinger (Cooking Vinyl)

16.Miracle Fortress - Five Roses (Rough Trade)
17.Blonde Redhead - 23 (4AD)
18.The New Pornographers - Challengers (Matador)
19.Immaculate Machine - Immaculate Machine's Fables (Mint)
20.Tegan And Sara - The Con (Vapor / Sire)




SOME OTHERS that rocked me throughout 2007



Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank (Epic)

Editors - An End Has A Start (Kitchenware)

Clap your hands say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder (Wichita)

Jenn Grant - Orchestra for the Moon (Paris 1919)

Montag - Going Places (Carpark)

The Good The Bad And The Queen - Self Titled (Parlophone/Virgin/EMI)

M.I.A. - Kala (XL)

LCD Soundsystem - Sound Of Silver (DFA)

Slaraffenland - Private Cinema (Hometapes)

Octopus Project - Hello Avalanche (Peek-A-Boo)

Pseudosix - Self Titled (Sonic Boom)

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Living With The Living (Touch & Go)


kd’s TOP 30 SONGS of 2007

01.The Past is A Grotesque Animal - Of Montreal
02.
Harder Than You Think - Public Enemy
03.
The Con - Tegan and Sara
04.
None Shall Pass
- Aesop Rock
05.
The Plot - White Rabbits
06.
Threshold Apprehension - Black Francis
07.
All My Friends - LCD Soundsystem
08.
Tournament of Hearts - The Weakerthans
09.
Cheap Like Sebastien - Apostle of Hustle
10.
D.A.N.C.E. - Justice
11.
Peacebone - Animal Collective
12.
23 - Blonde Redhead
13. Morning Break - Jenn Grant
14.
Jarhand - Immaculate Machine
15.
We're Not Alone - Dinosaur Jr.
16.
Running Away - Polyphonic Spree
17.
Cannot Get Started - Handsome Furs
18.
Foundations - Kate Nash
19.
And She Would Darken the Memory of Youth - The Twilight Sad
20. I Have Sound - Montag
21. Boy with a Coin - Iron & Wine
22.
Again & Again - The Bird and the Bee
23. Starbeat Academy Graduation March - Carbon Dating Service
24.
My Moon My Man – Feist
25.
Take Your Medicine - Cloud Cult
26.
Have you Seen In Your Dreams - Miracle Fortress
27.
Blood Test - The Got To Get Got
28.
Truck - Octopus Project
29.
Love Song No 7 - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
30.
On The Bubble - The Broken West


Monday, March 03, 2008

Year In Review: RESOURCES


In this modern age of the internet’s reign it’s very often that one will find their information within “the funny box” instead of buying magazines in print (or getting them free) like back in the day. For this very reason we present you with a convenient way of gaining more of an informed position on this somewhat-irrelevant topic by scouring the wretched or righteous sources (you decide) involved with the music industry, both from commercial and independent standings. I’m sure we’ve missed a bunch, but have mainly included what is typically responsible for ‘influencing public opinion’, or that which clever critics rely on to debase or simply replicate.

These resources are not to be considered a blue print or acknowledged as genius, so please proceed with a heavy grain of salt in hand, as in some cases they’re likely penned (or typed) by someone who may appreciate those
terrible American Idol contestants. With a discerning eye (or ear – which is suggested) one will either: remain entertained, become outraged, or become exposed to some gems they may have missed through the year. So on behalf of the shallow music world at large – ENJOY.

Our few meek N.M.U. lists will follow shortly, but here’s what’s out there in the meantime.

Exclaim (diverse by genre) [Canada]:
Frequencies (Electronic etc) / Aggressive (Metal etc) / No Future (Punk etc)
Wood Wires & Whisky (Folk Rock etc) / Pop Rocks / Groove (Dance etc)
Destination Out (Experimental) / Beats & Rhymes (Hip Hop)

Pitchfork Media:
Top 50 Albums / Top 100 Tracks

Tiny Mix Tapes:
Top Albums

New Musical Express (UK):
Best Albums / Best Tracks Of The Year

Treble Magazine:
Top 50 Albums

Pop Matters:
Top Albums

Stylus:
Top 50

Paste Magazine:
Top 100

The Onion A.V. Club:
Top 25

Spin:
Top 40

Rolling Stone:
Top 50

Xlr8r:
Best & Worst

Chart Magazine [Canada]:
Various Staff Top 10 lists

Blender Magazine:
Top Albums

Now Magazine [Toronto, Canada]:
Top 10 from Toronto / Disappointments / RIP in 2007

The Hype Machine
Top 50 (Various)

All Music Guide BLOG
Top Albums

I Guess I’m Floating (Blog):
Best Hip Hop Albums

MTV:
Top Albums

Billboard:
Top 10

MSNBC:
WTF! This ‘article’ list is hilarious

Metacritic:
A Compilation Of Numerous Sources

Rate Your Music:
This is ENDLESS – good if you want to know practically EVERY release that dropped last year

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Resurrection

WE MUST APOLOGIZE!

It’s simply been too long for forgiveness – we know. The excuses: life headaches, slack, responsibility & procrastination...but now make way for the return.

The 2006 Retrospect has been scrapped as we’re beyond late, but a huge 2007 one is almost done and on the way. Regular updates to follow, as well as some coverage of the past mixtape exchange from back in July.



R.I.P. Sonic Unyon store