In the interests of picking things up on the music board (as a lot of the most heated discussion has been in etc this summer) for the next 101 I'll post an MP3 of a song from this year (or maybe some from late last year) that I think people should here and write a bit about it. Should finish in time for the EOY deadline even if I miss some days when I'm in Krakow in October, Vegas in November. Feel free to do the same in this thread, (or better yet your own!) but don't carry on my countdown and please don't embed any YouTubes.

OK, So here it goes.

# 101 Johnny Foreigner - "Hennings Favourite"
from the album Waited Up 'til It Was Light


Drowned in Sound favourites and a band responsible for one of the best gigs I've seen this year (on April's Camden Crawl see this thread). Anyway, as I've mentioned more than once this band do the male / female interplaying vocals much better than Los Campesinos! do and are in no way as shrill. Likewise they capture they spirit of what Foals do without being as self consciously smart about it nor end up being as samey vocally. I included "Salt, Pepa and Spinderalla" on my quarter two mix as it's the current single but for those of you tempted to hear the whole album this is the kind of thing you shoudl expect. Art rock that doesn't dick around and races through the three and a half minutes but is actually quite a hard song to pin down to with a brief snippet of blurb, It's pop rock for sure, but it does have an experimental edge to it. It squeals and spasms away, bursting with ideas and hooks at the seams.

Tomorrow's MP3: Broken Records.

loved it until the vocals, then i just liked it

needs more guitar tapping, 0:20 - 0:43 is the best part of the whole thing

good thread mitch. your recent recs have been getting much play on my end lately. looking forward to this.

Good thread. DiS have been jocking the so-called JoFo pretty hard, but it didn't really float my boat on the couple of spins I gave it. It's good enough, I guess, but I want this kind of music to grab me round the throat. On the positive side, it is better than Los Campesinos! and I appreciate the lack of shrill!ness.

I slacked on your mix cds. This installment plan might suit my listening abilities better.

Not to complain, but any chance of switching to zshare or divshare? Being able to simply click a play button would even be better.

I would but think that the page too long to load, especially for us 40 posts people.

# 100 Broken Records - "A Good Reason"
from the self-released, self titled EP



Talked about by many in an even more revered sense than country men Frightened Rabbit, Twilight Sad and Glasvegas, this Edinburgh septet have even received Arcade Fire comparisons. I can see where those come from but I also hear things like Dylan, Cohen and other classic singer song-writers in the mix.
This track does sound, to me anyway, like Brandon Flowers channelling Conor Oberst via Isaac Brock or some permutation similar to that. The four track EP does plough similar territory and I get the impression that this could be the start of something rather special.

Tomorrow's MP3: Mumford & Sons.

Johnny Foreigner is good, obviously. For people who are into the Mae Shi, then their album is an absolute necessity.

Broken records? Decent song, listenable with some nice use of strings. Potential. Not something that I would personally go mad for.

Thanks dude, that was perfect.

# 099 Mumford and Sons - "Awake My Soul"
from the Lend My Your Eyes EP (Chess Club)


I included “White Blank Page” from the Lend My Eyes EP on my last quarter mix and this is another stand out from it. Anyone familiar with what I’ve been listening to in the past twelve months will know that the lead singer of Mumford and Sons is Marcus Mumford, Laura Marling’s drummer and someone I’m on first name terms with so I’ll not cream myself talking about how good I think this is and let it speak for itself. It’s kind a folky feel to it as well as being cemented in the developing West London nu-grass sound. Great vocals that seem to come from the heart lungs and gut all at the same time.

Tomorrow's MP3: Pete and The Pirates.

Johnny Foreigner now on zshare as will the rest of these now be. Next post requires that some feedback on the previous is posted.

whoa. subscribing to thread

First two were great. I dl'ed today's track, but I'm editing a tv spot all afternoon and won't be able to listen to it until tonight.

Good so far. I hope that this keeps up.

I didn't really feel anything yet on these. Streamed them all. (Does that count twords the "download" total?)

How awesome is that streaming feature? That would have saved me so much space on my old hard drive. But I've dl'ed all three of Clemmitch's tracks. I'd give the first two solid 7s.

All 3 of these are very good (and very different). The Broken Records song made me want to have a drunken hoedown but that's probably because it reminds me of Spirit of the West's "Home for a Rest".

Listened to the Mumford track. Lovely. Unsurprised someone who had a hand in Marling's work is involved here. Love the way the guy's voice crackles, and the way the quiet subtlety gives away to those triumphant harmonies toward the end. Good stuff.

# 098 Pete and The Pirates - "Come On Feet"
single from the album Little Death


Another band from my neck of the woods I'm afraid, well I'm not actually because I'd quite happily slag this band off if they weren't very good despite the fact that I've seen them a number of times and listened to them sound-check in my local. Anyway while this is just another British band doing the whole angular indie thing and they won't win a Brit award, Mercury or be on the front of The Wire for it they certainly can bang out a single or four. I expected the album to be much like most of their ilk and full of filler material around the lead off singles, it's not. It's one of the finest straight up guitar débuts by a British band this year. It even got a remarkable 8.0 on Pitchfork. Hooks aplenty on this single from earlier this year which sounds like an unaccented (to me at least!) Maxïmo Park.

Tomorrow's MP3: Cadence Weapon.

Yes it does. Good to see this being followed and commented on, thanks guys. I'm sailing by my pants trying to get to 101 without sketching a list.

I love Pete and the Pirates. "Come on Feet" is probably the best track off the album too.

Good job with this thread.

Johnny Foreigner is still my favorite out of these four. Now pretty much every band tries to capture that nervous, "angular" sound that was so cutting edge in, say, 2004, but "Hennings Favourite" is the best such song I've heard in a long time.

Broken Records: give them points for not sounding like every other band but I don't think I'll be coming back to this very much.

Not really into bluegrass, nu-grass, or whatever you want to call it, but I guess that "Awake My Soul" is a good enough song. It's not my thing and I don't seek it out but I still enjoyed much of it despite the Chris Martin-ish lyrics, which aren't automatically bad or anything; it's just a mental association that doesn't do a band any favors.

No opinion on Pete and the Pirates. I suppose I liked it enough, I didn't start cursing or breaking things while it was playing.

I think I need to give Johnny Foreigner another chance.

First listen didn't do a whole lot for me, but I'm always open to a second try.

Good thread.

The Johnny Foreigner is basically everything I like in a rock song.

i don't post too often on this board, but i had to respond to this particular thread.

i have enjoyed everything you have suggested so far. aside from mumford and sons, i had not been familiar with any of these bands, so i have a lot of new music to look into. i hope you keep this up till song #1. you have great taste!

oh, and do you know if broken records have any releases? they remind me a lot of devotchka (who i adore), and i'd love to find more from them.

Ta,

Broken Records have a self released Broken Records EP which contained "A Good Reason" from February this year, their second single "Slow Parade" came out this Monday on Fandango.

# 097 Cadence Weapon - "Real Estate"
from the album Afterparty Babies


This is where it gets interesting, I probably wouldn't come to me for recommendations on North American Hip-hop but this thread isn't all about playing it safe (safer choice tomorrow guitar fans!) Cadence Weapon is from Edmonton and his second album Afterparty Babies is the finest hip-hop record I've heard this year and I keep forgetting to include it in my top 20 records when I do a run-down. Much more like an old-skool b-boy then anything that's going on in the US scene (that I know of anyway, cue deej) and I genuinely haven't been this entertained by a hip-hop record from N America since probably Fishscale or maybe Kanye's debut. This track, is probably the most radio friendly song on the album. Intelligent and free of the clichés that have turned me off the genre for the best part of two years.

Tomorrow's MP3: Ida Maria.

This thread just has perfect timing. When I get up in the morning, instead of putting music straight on, I stream your song.

# 096 Ida Maria - "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked"
Single from the album Fortress Round My Heart


Criminally didn't finish on our singles poll last year with the blistering "Oh My God" I will instead go with for the UK's current #15 as a potential to Norway's Ida Maria, usually described as The Strokes fronted by Bjork but I prefer The Cardigans with more balls as far as daft RIYL descriptions. Here Ida Maria makes produces a raspy growled sing-along descent into sluttishness and drunken random hook ups with 'just another guy' seem like such damn good fun momentarily over a driven, chug-a-long before the grimness of the situation sets in. Album is pretty fun too!

Tomorrow's MP3: Magistrates.

I've been listening to this album a lot in the last couple days and it is really fun. It is a little one-noted, but it is also only 30 minutes long, so that one note doesn't really start to grate on you.

I don't know which song I like better, "Oh My God" or "I Like You So Much Better When You're Naked." Cardigans with balls is a good RIYL description.

This will probalby place pretty high for me at the end of the year.

now you've screwed me up, cause it's not morning.

that said, I'm now listening to it...pretty awesome. How does the album hold up?

# 095 Magistrates - "Make This Work"
Single


Despite the fact I saw these guys at last week's Field Day in London and they were shockingly bad, they have a song called "Colour Coordination" which sounds like Culture Club, the front man wore a gold jacket and thinks he is Bono. Despite all this, I like this song. They play surprisingly un-slick falsetto laden white boy funk, they are from Essex and they got single of the week in NME. Plenty of reasons to hate them but give this one a whirl.

Tomorrow's MP3: Elbow.

Sorry, I will try and keep them 12 hours apart if I do two in one day, just need to account for falling behind.



Like Paul says, fun half hour blast of similar sounding songs. Recommended but not essential.

oh, I didn't realize we were getting two in one day. That's cool then. I thought we were getting a night one instead of a morning one

I liked the Cadence Weapon enough. I'll have to sit with this one a while.

Oh My God knocked me on my ass the first time I heard it and spent the next two weeks in my head. I Like You isn't as good as that, but is a lot of fun and has a great bridge.

Cadence Weapon is ex-Fork writer / Hipinion boarder Rollie Pemberton, isn't it? It's always weird to me when people talk about him outside of that context.

great thread, Mitch... this is how one should board on the music side.

# 094 Elbow - "Some Riot"
from the album The Seldom Seen Kid


Finally getting the recognition that they deserve with their forth album being nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Falling somewhere between Coldplay and someone like Tom Waits on this track, one of the stand outs from the album shows that the band while not as capable as the Radiohead's of the world for throwing a curveball on a track are certainly better at it then most bands who can aim for the top 10 with their albums. Hopefully they will not change record labels for a while and start to play in bigger venues. Don't just go "bloody boring Elbow" to this if you are familiar with the band, give it a spin and get taken in by the whirl of the instruments and strength of Garvey's voice.

Tomorrow's MP3: Lucy & The Caterpillar.

Good thread Mitch. I like the Johnny Foreigner song so far.


Yancy breaks his mouse frantically clicking to download


Along with Dominique Leone, it's the year of the Pitchfork writer album. I'm holding out for a tasteful live acoustic set of Searching For the Young Soul Rebels covers by Scott Plagenhoef.

Album of the Year. And "Mirrorball" may be my favorite song of 2008. Amazing adn beautiful.

Hey Mitchell, a question about zshare... if you upload a song, does it automatically show up as a streaming track, or is it way more complicated than that? Keep up the good work...

Raj, That other Magistrates song is on their MySpace in demo form and hopefully it should stay there. Think JoFo seems to be the consensus winner so far. Will hold a little off site poll after ten for no apparent reason.

RS, just upload to Z-share and it does the rest.

Of these I like the Broken Records song best, will seek out more from this band.
I also liked the Mumford song and Pete and the Pirates started out like any other indie rock band but had me moving in my living room by the end of it, there's a little Surfin' Hootenanny in there, ay?

Thx Mitch, may have to consider taking you off my Worst SOMB's in the History of SOMB list.
eheh.


edit: Johnny Foreigner song in real good too.

for real, this is good work, just kidding about the worst somb thing.
keep it up.

isn't the girl from High Places an ex-writer for Pitchfork as well?

Lots of interesting picks in this thread that I might not have stumbled across by myself. Thanks for sharing Mitchell.

# 093 Lucy & The Caterpillar. - "Beans on Toast"
single


I'll warn you that this is quite twee and maybe you aren't in the mood for another female singer-songwriter with an obsession for vintage dresses, playing a wistful, often twee selection of indie folk-pop songs. Well there's room for this one I think. Quite big on the Manchester scene for a while and starting to make the jump up to national fame, could be the next big thing by the end of the year if the public haven't had their share of this type of music. Anyone that descbies themselves as a cross between Vashti Bunyan and Destiny’s Child is alright with me, Someone who is backed by The Earlies on stage now (and a knitted caterpillar of course) and releases singles in hand-stitched felt sleeve might just be too cute for some.

Tomorrow's MP3: British Sea Power

# 092 British Sea Power. - "Everybody Must Be Saved"
B-side from "Waving Flags" single


Hopefully I don't need to introduce this band very much and you are mainly away of how highly I rate them. Another 'Yan' song, hitting nearly nine minutes and for me the strongest of their b-sides so far this year. (From a band with an incredible flip-side arsenal.) Starts off with a uplifting gospel driven chant and ends with epic wash after wash of gorgeous organ. Sounds like it could come before "Close Your Eyes" on the record if you string them next to each other.

Tomorrow's MP3: Mystery Jets

Great band, one of my favorite albums this year - thanks for sharing a B, Mitchell. Sounds like I have a lot of non-album stuff with which to familiarize myself.

# 091 Mystery Jets. - "Two Doors Down"
Single from the album 21


One of the year's better second albums and one of three successive Erol Alkan production jobs that we have coming up in a row. All over 21 there are references to doomed young love and ill-advised romantic shenanigans, this Haircut-100 aping pop delight, from the incredible first side of the album is the moment where lyrics suggest that the protagonist has a grasp of the situation and seems on top of it. Any song that has a girl dancing round her bedroom 'to a worn 12" of Marquee Moon' is fine by me.

Tomorrow's MP3: Late Of The Pier

Today's selection is fantastic, Mitch. You're going to make it easy for me to put together several mix CDs of stuff none of my friends have heard.