If you haven’t been downright impressed with the overflow of incredible genre crossing music this year you are either a huge Nickleback fan or you are Amish, there’s no other logical excuse to complain about the status of music.
Last year when I put the “Best Albums” list together it was one of the first Heycoolkid! posts ever and with all honesty I was ill-prepared. This year I’m putting these albums up with complete confidence. Sure there’s an album or two that should have the made the cut and somehow was overlooked but all excuses aside here are the albums which I thought were the best of 2011:
“Wilderness Eyes” is a song that from the first note I knew I was in love with. This is the kind of song I’m likely to hit repeat on and just let it play over and over. 41st and Home‘s sound is obviously Vancouverish. I had hoped when I started looking them up to find they were from Montana or something but no dice, they are without a doubt from our Northern Border which is not a negative, I just can’t help but wonder why bands only get this sound when they are Canadian.
This video changes the meaning of the song completely which is one of the greatest things about putting music to an image. Where “Wilderness Eyes” had weight once connected with the video it now has purpose. The video makes me uncontrollably sad especially the scene with the Jeep which I honestly could write ten thousand words on and barely hit the surface but I’ll leave that for another day, if you understand where I’m coming from, fine, if not you’ll take your own thing from the footage and that may even be a better angle.
This is one track that I’d almost written off, not for lack of style or for not enjoying it but merely for how close to commercial “Pop” it sways towards at certain points but there’s complete redemption at 2:05 which although touching on that scream0-pop format of 2005 still comes across as a fresh idea and even more the texture in the vocals are dripping in fresh souls blood.
I know there are nearly four months left in 2011 but I’m going to go on and say that the “Comrad Plymouth EP” will be on the best albums of 2011 list. The EP looks to be the last taste of Conrad Plymouth, ie Christopher Porterfied, before we get the full installment of Conrad Plymouth the band. This is my favorite Porterfield song by and far, it strikes a nerve somewhere deep within myself and resonates there.
Dreamers Of The Ghetto have been one of the few bands I’ve pushed heavily throughout 2011 (link) . These guys (and girl) have put in the work and they are right on the cusp of making that transition into something huge. They just released their first 7″ promoting this song with a video to go along with it. I feel I’m slacking for having put up “Tether” three times now since they create great music and not just one great song but there’s plenty of time to get to the rest of the good stuff.
Nerves Junior are everywhere. Each Day it seems they pop-up on a new site or I hear someone mentioning them. They are this falls’ 1,2,3 and they have the sound to back up the hype.
This is the ideal video for this song, not because it is incredible but because it is real, fan made real, and that is what the strength of Math And Physics Club songs really is, especially when it comes to “Weekends Away”
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Thanks to everyone for the great support lately. When I started Heycoolkid! I never thought people would be as positive towards this site or that it would take off as quickly as it has, especially over the last three months.
I’ve got two playlists coming up this week that should be solid so stop by before the weekend for sure.
As usual… I do not own any of the music on this page. I put it up for strictly promotional purposes knowing that it’s impossible to give a band a solid listen through streaming only. If you are/represent an artist on the page and don’t like postive free promotion let me know and I’ll gladly take the song down. Art is more important than the artists and if we don’t agree on that then you are probably in music for the wrong reasons and I want no part of it.
If there is any music I’m missing or missing the point on let me know.
I’m starting to believe I may have the plague; 30 hrs straight in bed with no end in sight. At least I know who the douche was to give me this little gift of death, if someone sees that Shane Sweeting punch him in the face.
Most people load themselves up on Nyquil and vitamin C, I on the the other hand take advantage of my situation. So far today I’ve nearly drank three pots of coffee and have downloaded two gigs of music:) if my internet goes down then I’ll start complaining.
Hopefully by the middle of next week I’ll have the coveted Fall Playlist up. I’ve got the songs gathered I’ve just got to find a way of narrowing the four hundred songs in my own personal fall mix down to twenty-five to pass along. It’s coming I promise.
So here are the download worthy songs I’ve compiled this week:
The title track off of their self-titled EP from this unsigned band out of Chicago who I’ve yet to see live. Hopefully they’ll stop by Indy in the near future so i can change that.
By now it’s not much of secret how impressed I have been by “Shut-Up.” I’m not sure what else I could do to promote that track (Heycoolkid.net, Listen Before You Buy) but I’m trying. “The Human Condition,” the title track off of Jhameel’s self-released EP, shows again how well he uses his vocals to carry and shift the rhythm of a song. His range is incredible, I can’t remember ever even caring about someone’s “range” that’s how much he impresses me, it has something to do with how his vocals are merely part of the song rather than the focal point. How everything blends so well amongst itself is what capture me the most about this track. That and we get a vibe from the song that is quite askew from what should be given off if we were only to take in the content of the lyrics. If you want more head over to his website and pick the EP up for free yourself.
It’s taken me a minute but I’m adjusting to Gobble Gobble’s new name. I still prefer the original and think that the change wasn’t necessary. They make great music though so it really doesn’t make much of a difference, Born Gold just seems so pretentious. This is the single they’re pushing off of the upcoming Bodysongs album coming out on Sept 9 which will include Heycoolkid! favorites Lawn Knives and Boring Horror, I’m yet to find if the re-release will be new versions or not, I do know that they are working on the Lawn Knives Video as I type which I am stoked about so you can be sure I’ll put it up on the facebook page the second it touches the internet.
This is my favorite track from Sound Kapital. The day where simple yet embracing lyrics like “I feel alone, I feel Alright” don’t connect will probably be the end of my love for music and the things it helps me get through. Handsome Furs just continue doing what they do best, which is prove why I hate Canadian music…because it’s so damn good.
Pat Grossi first came onto the scene last year with his highly praised “Curtis Lane EP” that bloggers couldn’t get enough of, myself included. Active Child’s debut album “You Are All I See” came out on Monday and perpetuates what he started a year ago. This is how good Chillwave can be and indie at it’s finest.
I’ve had this song slated to add on a playlist for weeks but have been waiting for the video to go viral before doing so. They started leaking photos from the shoot and two things immediately hit me; one this video could be amazing and two I’ve never been annoyed more by a slow leak. So today the “America’s Son” video has officially been released and I’m instantly in love. I didn’t think it would hold up to my own hype but it exceeds it. Honestly it makes the song better and that is a rare thing indeed. The video actually chokes me up, i could try to explain why but I think once you’ve watched it yourself you’ll completely understand and if not it probably wouldn’t be worth the effort to try.
Audio milk described the Youth Lagoon debut album as “…lush arrangements that travel through his nostalgia while capturing a deep sense of yearning…” which is completely fitting (I think I want something similar as my epitaph). “Montana” drifts and drifts and draws you in slowly then explodes into an unresolved mass of emotion. Hope you dig it as much as I do.
I stumbled upon The Traveling Band a few weeks ago when I caught a live video of them performing “Sundial.”I’ve been getting more and more into them each day since. This is my second favorite song thus far, sundial still remaining numero uno for the time being.
Conrad Plymouth put out an EP earlier today of b-sides that didn’t make the upcoming album. Really? If these songs aren’t good enough to make the cut how incredible is the LP going to be? It’s a name your price thing so if you want it for free you can have it for that but if you want to show how much the songs are truly worth you may have to hold a kickstarter to raise the funds. Once again this was brought to my attention by Tim Showalter on his Strand Of Oaks page who refuses let anything Conrad Plymouth go unnoticed. That dude is nearly as good at noticing great bands before everyone else does as he is at creating music.
How it has happened I’m not sure but this is the first time I’ve featured a song from Pomegranates. I caught these guys at Locals Only a few years ago and have kept my ear in their direction ever since. They were so subtle live and passive, letting the songs breathe and be themselves so each song came across immensely impressive. This song showed up on My Old Kentucky Blog last week and reminded me how I’ve neglected one of my Midwestern favorites.
I’m rather new to Mad Atlantic. Kaelin Bougneit obviously has been influenced by Ben Gibbard and probably the whole year of 2005 and some neutral milk or more likely some band that was influenced by neutral milk. What I’m getting at is there are underlying influences that come across on “Take A Minute And Just Dance” that are far from obvious yet familiar enough that you know instantly whether it’s something you enjoy or not, i definitely enjoy it.
If this song touches radio, which inevitably it will, each and every one of us promoting Lana Del Rey are going to regret how great this song is. If you want to enjoy this song with like-minded people who appreciate music for the artistic aspect you better get to an LDR show soon because next year expect to hear conversations about “America’s Next Top Model” and “Jersey Shore” being shouted over her other songs and then watch those same kids go nuts when this one comes on. It’s a horrible tangent about great music like this, it’s so good we can’t keep it to ourselves and eventually we have to either leave it or appear amongst mainstream followers. I’m going to enjoy it while I can.
This is me attempting to make up for being late to the party with Stornoway. There isn’t a single song from them that I haven’t fallen in love with. Not a single one! If you haven’t given them a chance I can’t help but ask why not.
I’m closing this weeks’ playlist by letting the song speak for itself. IMR make great emotion driven music, “hollis” is a good example. I’ll leave it at that.
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All songs are for promotion purposes only. If you like what you hear make the effort to get a physical copy or at least go to see the band when they are in town which is even more important. If you are/represent an artist on this page and would like it removed, all you have to do is ask. I honestly believe the art is more important than the artists and will make sure to let everyone know that you disagree with that philosophy.
Since it seems the entire midwest is trapped under an old testament act of god, here’s what’s helping me stop myself from accomplishing anything remotely productive.
1.Eric &MaGill- Old Man Winter
Michigan’s history of bands that perfectly craft captivating minimalistic ambiant hyms is more than enough reason to give Eric and Magill a try, they far from disappoint. Plus Tim Showalter’s been pushing these guys like it’s his job (and for good reason)
For some reason every time this song comes on i immediately imagine myself coming home late at night with a car full of sleeping friends from some epic road trip. Which makes this song more than fitting for today’s playlist…words can’t describe how much i’d rather be on a summer road trip with friends instead of knowing there’s nearly a foot of suck just outside my window.
It seems that people say one of two things when i bring up the love language: The first being that Libraries was one of the best albums to come out last year (made number one on my list) or the second being that they haven’t heard of them which usually prompts me to offer them twenty dollars to burn their nickleback shirts and to try out some real music for once (the second isn’t really true because if i were to see someone in a nickleback shirt I can only imagine i’d be more likely to pray for them than to strike up a conversation about music)
It amazes me these guys are still floating under the radar. The North EP is short and perfectly sweet. They are on my must see live list for this year.
The Head and the heart are my favorite band out . I can’t get enough of their songs. They just signed with sub pop about a month ago which basically means they’re about to conquer the world. They’ll be here in Indy with Iron and Wine in april (um YESSS!!!!)
I was listening to High Highs’ version of this song for a couple of months before i even heard the original, at first i wasn’t sure which i liked better but the original definitely draws out a rawer emotion than high highs. I’m sure if i’d listened to Wild Nothing sooner i wouldn’t even be bringing up the high highs version but there will always be a special place in my heart for any cover song that effectively shifts the overall feel of a song.
Sun Airway is another band that’s been stuck in rotation on my ipod. And every time i become passive to one of these guys’ songs another one comes up for me to fall in love with. my addiction has gone in the order as follows oh, naoko-waiting on you-put the days away
8.Dale Earnhardt jr. jr- Vocal Chords (Diego And The Dissidents Remix)
Does anyone remember those dinosaurs we had as kids that were really tiny pieces of somewhat rubber and then you’d put them in a sink full of water and they’d grow more and more each day, i actually had trouble sleeping once as a kid because i thought it was going to grow to such a size that it wouldn’t fit in my bathroom anymore and then would probably become a real life blue triceratops that i could take with me on “bring your pet to school day” in the second grade. Although i never ended up with my own blue dinosaur Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr. are like that for me and if i had to put my finger on this version is kind of like the water.
It seems like every blog I’ve come across has been completely infatuated by jamaica. I didn’t care for their band name so i didn’t give them a chance last year. i know it’s one of the lamest reasons not to listen to a band but occasionally i succumb to it. I should have learned my lesson after Margot was already signed before i gave them a chance. Which was a huge loss for me seeing how they haven’t made an album i’ve appreciated since dust of retreat [which is hands down one of the best albums made in my lifetime] . In my defense i wasn’t twenty one when they were playing the local scene so outside of the occasional nuvo article praising them as the greatest thing to happen in indy since Ryan Adams was spotted at the bagel Deli i was underexposed.
Another solo artist creating amazing music after helping create amazing music just in a different way (?!?) and just like Bon Iver he was once part of megafaun and although Bon Iver seems to create just as much good in either outlet Conrad Plymouth’s strength is on his own. Which makes it a trifecta win for all of us who’ve been paying attention.
Just when i think i’m ready to throw this album on the shelf i find myself addicted to another track. As of late it’s sprawlII partially because i can’t get enough of regine’s voice which is always used too sparingly on their albums and partially because of whenever they do have her sing it puts their music in a whole different genre.either way the lyrics are arcade fireishly perfect (as always).
Arcade fire- Sprawl II (mountains beyond mountains
So For a while there i felt like i no longer was into lcd. Then out of nowhere i got hooked again. I know this song is years old but it’s new to me and the lyrics are perfectly fitting for where i’m at in life.
I heard about these guys maybe three years ago and have heard absolutely nothing else since a friend put them on a mix for me, meh it happens, Still this is what i’m thinking about with the holy cussing snowsuck outside so i’m putting it on todays playlist.
