Top 5 Music Videos of 2008

I Woke Up Today - Port O'Brien

The high energy of the band mixed with some humor makes for a very pleasing and catchy video. The little girl adds a very expressive element to the video. Her reactions to the events occurring in the diorama coincide nicely with the music and make the video even more endearing. Overall the video is extremely cute and very well directed.

Time To Pretend - MGMT

The video depicts a primal tribe-like gathering, a theme prevalent in other MGMT videos. Many of the lyrics subtly tie in with the actions of the video. The line “I'll move to Paris, shoot some heroin and fuck with the stars” is juxtaposed with Andrew VanWyngarden holding a baby, a disturbing yet witty combination. The video as a whole is very aesthetically pleasing with its psychedelic imagery.

Im Good Im Gone - Lykke Li

Li Lykke Timotej Zachrisson has a sweet voice that is contrasted by the nearly disturbing images in the music video. The female body builders, twins, and various elderly people are interesting enough, but stop motion adds another layer of creepy to the video. By and large the video is very original and hard to forget.

Vampire Weekend - A-Punk

Vampire Weekend’s song A-Punk is upbeat and fun, and the video definitely matches those sentiments. The winter and underwater simulations are quite amusing and playful, while the stop motion enhances the video’s lighthearted nature. All and all, the song and video fit together well .

Shut Up And Let Me Go - The Ting Tings

This video features several fight scenes between Jules De Martino and Katie White; however the central focus is on the transitions between scenes. Although the effect is reminiscent of The White Stripes Seven Nation Army video, The Ting Tings tweak it by using their hands to physically creating the portals. This adds a fun element to the kung-fu action and allows for easier transitions.

Top 5 Let Downs of 2008

We all know that ever so common feeling of anticipation, that feeling when your favorite band is going to put out that kick ass album you've been waiting to entice your ears with for ages. Well, that feeling is often met with an equally unsatisfying sense of disappointment when your favorite band hands you shit, and for $14.99 no less.

Listed below are my five biggest let downs of the year. The albums might not flat out suck (I mean, it wouldn't be a let down if Nickleback released a shitty album), but they're not what they should be (in my opinion, of course).

1. Ben Folds - Way To Normal

Ben Folds a very talented singer-songwriter, more talented than most in my book. With songs like "Army," "Song For The Dumped," "All You Can Eat," and "Bastard," it's hard for me to listen to Way To Normal without resenting it a little. Sure, one could argue that Folds is evolving--experimenting with new styles. However, there's a line between experimentation and releasing an album that only has a few tracks seemingly crafted to appeal to a certain percentage of your fan base. For example, "Bitch Went Nuts" seems to draw on Folds' signature humor, but lyrically it's somewhat pathetic:
The bitch went nuts.
She stabbed my basketball.
And the speakers to my stereo.
She called me 'cunt'
All in all, the album isn't awful, it's just not satisfying and definitely less than what a Folds fan should expect. Hopefully other good albums are still coming, like I don't know, maybe a collegial a capella CD of Ben Folds' songs...

Ben Folds: All You Can Eat (from the ep Sunny 16)
Ben Folds featuring Regina Spektor: You Don't Know Me (from the album Way To Normal)

2. Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreaks

With the release of his fourth studio album 808s and Heartbreaks, Kanye opens up, and the result is not good. For what it is, the album isn't awful, it's T-Pain. Considering that I was a Kanye fan, this makes for a letdown without a doubt. If I wanted to get the latest T-Pain album I would; but after Kanye's Graduation in 2007, all I wanted was more of the same.

Graduation was easily one of my favorite albums last year and with the announcement of a new album this year I was anticipating the same. Far from it. After the release of the single "Love Lockdown" I was in shock. This isn't my egotistical, award-show crashing, political rapper who actually had something to say other than "I'm going to drank all the Crunk Juice and fuck all the hoes."

It's hard for me to listen to "Love Lockdown" and similar tunes on the album without thinking of songs like "Heard 'Em Say" when Kanye didn't rely on Auto-Tune for melodic singing, but featured artists such as Adam Levine of Maroon 5 to take the chorus. Maybe I'm being too hard on everyone's favorite man to hate for Bonnaroo, maybe the album isn't that bad. But then again, maybe Kanye should take a year or two off.

Kanye West: Champion (from the album Graduation)
Kanye West: Paranoid (from the album 808s and Heartbreaks)

3. Nana Grizol - Love It Love It

Nana Grizol makes for the first truly indie appearance on my list of letdowns. I found out about Nana Grizol when at Athens Pop Fest 2007; while they didn't actually perform at the Pop Fest, I picked up a copy of Athfest 2007 where the song "Circles 'Round The Moon" stuck out to me.

Once I got home I frantically crawled the web for any recorded material I could find, a real rarity, until a friend found someone with 17 demos by the band. Most of these demos were focused around the acoustic guitar and singing of Theo Hilton, the drummer from folk-punk band Defiance, Ohio.

These demos are some of the most best sing-along songs I've ever heard while still having the deep underlying messages of an identity crisis. They are the classic songs about not wanting to grow up. On May 13th, Love It Love It was released on Orange Twin Records, and I was beyond disappointed. Where the demos presented a sincere delivery of simplistic songs, Love's overproduction is astounding.

Why is it necessary on every track to have a brass section, drums which sound like they belong in a marching band, and electric guitar? It's beyond me. The real let down of the album is that half the songs on Love are new versions of the demos-- demos that obviously shouldn't have been touched. My recommendation for this band is to go back to the basics, find out what it was that they did so well with previously, and emulate that.

Nana Grizol: Tamborine In Thyme (from the Nana Grizol demos)
Nana Grizol: Tamborine-N-Thyme (from Love It Love It)

4. Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping

Next on the list is another Athens band, this one a little more well known. Of Montreal's ninth studio album Skeletal Lamping made the list for one reason and one reason only: the album is good (I might venture to say fantastic), but it is far from the follow up I expected after the masterpieces Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer and the underrated EP Icons, Abstract Thee. Don't get me wrong, Skeletal Lamping is in my top 5 albums of the year, but after hearing solid gold it's hard to accept a good follow up. The experimentation of the album is exciting at times, but at others it's not as well received. Songs such as "Id Engager," "Plastis Wafers," and "Beware Our Nubile Miscreants," are among my favorites, but could never compare to the tracks on Hissing Fauna and Icons.

Of Montreal: Gronlandic Edit (from Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?)
Of Montreal: Id Engager (from Skeletal Lamping)

5. Marnie Stern - This Is It & I Am It & You Are It & So Is That & He Is It & She Is It & It Is It & That Is That

Now, you just wait one minute before you stop reading and throw all my indie-cred in the shitter--I like the album. Now you're listening, eh? The reason Marnie Stern made my list is because of her hype in the indie world and blogosphere. Marnie Stern is talented, unique, and original; her music reminds me of Deerhoof a lot, but she in no way attempts to be Deerhoof. Her album This Is It... demonstrates Stern's technical finger-tapping talent and originality but at the same time displays the product of an overly technical approach to music.

I'm not saying technical music is bad, hell I like Iannis Xenakis, but at points Stern's guitar just sounds like noise. Let's just say if you had headache, the thought of popping in some Marnie Stern might send you to the hospital.

Marnie Stern: Ruler (from This Is It & I Am It & You Are It & So Is That & He Is It & She Is It & It Is It & That Is That)


Well that about wraps up by top 5 let downs of the year... hope I didn't offend anyone.

Merry Christmas!

From all of us here at Vinyl Visions, Merry Christmas!

As our gift to you I've included David Bazan's rendition of "Jingle Bells," as I could not find it available elsewhere on the internet.

David Bazan: Jingle Bells

Land of Talk - "Some Are Lakes"

In an old church outside of Montreal, Land of Talk set up to record new songs for their October release Some are Lakes. This seemingly simple ten track album is actually an intricately weaved recollection of life's ups and downs. The album is a follow-up to a two year tour and the pick up and drop off several members, and the result is a strikingly sincere album that promotes honesty.

Singer Elizabeth Powell's voice is passionate, similar to that of Regina Spector, and the underlying music is recorded with a raw quality that gives the album a homey feel. Track ten sounds as if recorded live in a basement, probably because it was. Justin Vernon (Bon Iver) also contributed to the album on the first nine tracks, and the tenth track that was recorded in his parent's basement.

The album ranges from mellow ("It's Okay," and "Troubled,") to more upbeat ("Some are Lakes," "Young Bridge," and "The Man who Breaks Things"). Land of Talk succeeds with the perfect intro and outro to the album, opening with "Yuppy Flu," and concluding with "Troubled." "Yuppy Flu," a track that projects the emotional side of the album, builds the anticipation necessary for the listener to become hooked into finishing. You'll find that the energy building until the final track. "Troubled" has more of an acoustic sound that provides for a more intimate listen; it's as if Powell is playing for you in the same room. This raw sincerity is what makes the album such a success. This song is the perfect end to the journey as it leaves the listener satisfied.

Some are Lakes can be considered life's narrative as it takes us from high to low and everywhere in between.


Mp3s:
Land of Talk: The Man Who Breaks Things (Dark Shuffle)
Land of Talk: Troubled

Links: Check out their website here for more information, tour dates, and to purchase their cd.


Upcoming tour dates:
Jan 14 2009/ 8:00P/ Ebar (Zeroes & Little Scream)/ Guelph, Ontario
Jan 15 2009/ 8:00P/ Horseshoe Tavern (Zeroes & Little Scream)/ Toronto, Ontario
Jan 16 2009/ 8:00P/ the grad club/ (Zeroes & Little Scream)/ Kingston, Ontario

Sebastien Grainger - Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains

Canadian musician Sebastien Grainger is making his mark on the music industry with his new album. Former singer and drummer of Death From Above 1979 recently released his first full-length solo album in October 2008 on Saddle Creek Records titled Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains.

The album consists of twelve tracks that embrace the raw energy of a live show, making the listening experience quite enjoyable. Every song is essentially a different story; each one a fusion of styles that result in a great dance punk record. Choice tracks include "Love can be so mean", "(Are there) Ways to come home?", "American names", and "Renegade Silence". Grainger's approach to music is unique in it's entirety, as seen on this album. The emotion he puts into his vocals allows for variation in evoked moods that keeps the listener interested throughout all twelve tracks.

Sebastien has successfully produced a dozen shots of energy and lasting satisfaction. Only two years after the break up of his previous duo, Grainger has managed to create a handful of catchy tunes and an overall successful album. The delivery of music on this record is nothing short of an accomplishment.

Video: Here is a live video for Sebastien Grainger's song "(Are there) Ways to come home?":



Mp3: Sebastien Grainger - Who Do We Care For

Links: Check out his website here for more information, tour dates, and to purchase their cd.

Upcoming tour dates:

15 Dec 2008 / / / Winnipeg - Burton Cummings Theatre
16 Dec 2008 / / / Saskatoon - Prairieland Centre
17 Dec 2008 / / / Edmonton - Shaw Conference Centre
17 Dec 2008 / / / Starlite Room - DJ SET - Edmonton
18 Dec 2008 / / / Calgary - MacEwan Hall
19 Dec 2008 / / / Calgary - MacEwan Hall
21 Dec 2008 / / / Vancouver - Vogue Theatre
22 Dec 2008 / / / Vancouver - Vogue Theatre
23 Dec 2008 / / / Vancouver - Vogue Theatre
23 Dec 2008 / / / Republic Night Club - DJ SET - Vancouver

5 Guilty Pleasures You've Probably Heard By Now

In response to the previous post, "5 Songs You Should Have Heard By Now," I thought I would write a little piece on 5 songs that a typical hipster may call too mainstream for an everyday listen--but admit it, you know every word.

T.I.: Whatever You Like

Let's be honest here, T.I. is one smooth fellow; as soon as that first "you can have whatever you like" kicks in, your head starts swaying. I have never been a T.I. fan; honestly I'm not into the whole Akon, T.I., new Kanye smooth Auto-Tune sound. But T.I. has what it takes to make a song everyone at the club can dance to.

Katy Perry: Hot N Cold

The first time I heard this song I though it was one of those 90s electro-pop ballads from an artist like 3LW, or that DJ Sammy remix of "Heaven," but actually the song is by "I Kissed A Girl" sensation Katy Perry. This year Katy has blown up, shocking audiences with songs like "Ur So Gay," but with the song "Hot N Cold" she has created something that is just as catchy but won't offend as easily.

R Kelly: Ignition (Remix)

Simlar to T.I., R Kelly is another smooth fellow and knows what it takes to make a great pop song. Yeah it's old, yes I'm sure you've heard it thousands of times at parties, but I'm also sure that when it comes on the radio you don't turn it off.

Twisted Sister: I Wanna Rock

Yeah, this is an old one--and probably a band that most of us laugh at the mention of, but tell me you don't head bang every time this song comes on and I'll be shocked.

Lil Jon (featuring Sean Paul and E40): Snap Ya Fingers

Alright, so I'm not the biggest fan of most mainstream rap, but here is a track that I can appreciate. Lyrically this song is pretty bad, but the beat and synth lines are pretty nice. I put the song on every once in awhile when I need to get pumped up, and for that reason it makes my list as a guilty pleasure.

From the Vinyl Bin: The Clash - London's Burning

This month on my venture into the vinyl bin I came across one of my favorite albums of all time. That album is the US release of The Clash's debut, "The Clash". This is one that I can never put down; every song just pulls me in, but that isn't the point of this post. The point here is to pick out one song in particular, and that song is "London's Burning." No, I don't mean the song that The Clash is known for.

This song, like most on the album, is simple and catchy with a message that even today people can relate to (depending on how you see the world, that is). While this song is pretty typical for The Clash's early material, there's just something about a simple, catchy song, with a point to it that just can't be ignored here.

If you want to get technical then no, this song really isn't anything particularly special, but take a listen for yourself. It's a simple song, with a simple truth, that makes for a good listen.

Check it out for yourselves: The Clash - London's Burning

10 songs for December 10th.

10 songs for December 10th.

I decided to throw some songs together for December 10th, each one with a historical reference to the date. Being the tenth day of the month, it has earned ten tracks, and each one of them will have a brief overview of the event. Hope you enjoy the fun facts.

1.Method Acting by Bright Eyes: December 10, 1903 - American film actress Una Merkel is born. Some of her features include Way Down East (1920), The Eyes of the World (1930), Daddy Long Legs (1931), and Wicked (1931).


2.Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen: December 10, 1830 - Happy Birthday Emily Dickinson! American Poet Emily Dickinson was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, and by her death in 1886, she wrote nearly eighteen hundred poems. This song is by Leonard Cohen, another American poet/musician.

3.Cigarettes and Coffee by Otis Redding:On December 10, 1967, Redding, his manager, the pilot, and four members of The Bar-Kays were killed when his airplane crashed into a Lake in Madison, Wisconsin.

4.Temptation of Adam by Josh Ritter: On December 10, 1941, during World War II, the Royal Navy capital ships were sunk by the Japanese Navy.

5.Hard Rain's Gonna Fall by Bob Dylan: December 10, 1996 - the Rwandan Genocide where hundreds of thousands of Rwanda's Tutsis were killed by Hutu militia.

6.House Arrest by Jimmy Eat World: The single largest heist in Japanese history, that still remains unsolved, occurred on December 10, 1968 in Tokyo, Japan.

7.Bohemian Like You by The Dandy Warhols:Bohemian Physician Joseph Škoda was born on December 10, 1805. he later became the founder of the Modern Medical School of Vienna.

8.Mississippi by Bob Dylan: On December 10, 1817 Mississippi became the 20th U.S. state.

9.Imagine by John Lennon: December 10th is observed as Human Rights Day

10.Fond Farewell by Elliott Smith: December 10, 2005 Richard Pryor, an American comedian, actor and writer, died of cardiac arrest in California.

5 Songs You Should Have Heard By Now

Back by popular demand, this is my second installment of telling you five more songs that you probably should have heard by now. Because every music blog needs some snobishness.


No Age: Things I Did When I Was Dead

No Age's Nouns was something of an indie anomaly this year. While garnering heaps of praise from most blogs, little fan recognition has actually happened. All the reviews are glowing, none of the fans are biting. That is except for me. I thought the album was a brilliant marriage of melody and punk stylings. Nouns wavers back and forth from classic hardcore songs to moments of surrealist breaths in between. "Things I Did When I Was Dead," is one of the albums brief interludes into pure melodic bliss. No Age incorporates finger picking, humming ambient sounds, and rise-and-fall lyrics to create a moment of surrealist beauty amidst the destructiveness of the genre's nature.

Little Joy: Unattainable
While some of us patiently await The Strokes' triumphant return, the rest take pleasure in side projects like Little Joy. Formed by Strokes drummer Fabrizzio Maretti, Little Joy takes the same minimalist approach as The Strokes, but in a more relaxed direction. So relaxed that "Unattainable" doesn't even feature Maretti's drumming. The song features soft plucking bass and intermittent acoustic guitar and depends wholly on female vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Binki Shapiro's (I don't know if that's her real name) carefully placed vocals. Imagine Moldy Peaches, except less annoying and with better singing.

Passion Pit Sleepyhead
Off of this year's EP Chunk of Change, "Sleepyhead," is a brilliantly constructed single. Anchored by a pounding dance beat, the song features background falsetto singing and bells in addition to one of the catchiest instrumental hooks ever. I dare you to listen to this song and not, "Wamp, wamp, wamp" along. On a personal note, the song's tempo happens to be about the same as my walking pace, so it's quickly become my iPod's favorite track.

Conor Oberst: Cape Canaveral
Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst silenced a lot of critics with his comparable self-titled solo debut. "Cape Canaveral," is a standout of the album and serves as a bare-boned acoustic intro. Oberst flexes his song writing capacity including inward repetition during the verses, inventive song structure, and (a personal favorite of mine) the line, "You taught me victory's sweet, even deep in the cheap seats."

Jonny Greenwood: Oil
As a Radiohead fan I was well aware of this, but a lot of people didn't know that it was Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood who scored last year's film There Will Be Blood. Greenwood is famous for his unique string pieces with Radiohead, and did not disappoint with his score that just barely missed out on an Oscar. "Oil," is beautiful. It encompasses all the hope, fear, and stylistic beauty that takes place on screen. I don't normally dote on film scores, but this is a shining exception.

UPDATE: Vessels

On November 11th, we reviewed the album White Fields and Open Devices by Vessels. We posted two songs by the band, one of which has just been made into a music video: "A Hundred Times In Every Direction." The video has awesome effects, and it fits the song perfectly. The video is definitely worth a view. Below is a copy of the video, but to watch it in hi-def (which you should) view it here: http://www.vimeo.com/2364287.



If you missed the album review, find it here: Album Review: Vessels- White Fields and Open Devices.

Want more?
Vessels: Yuki

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Murs - Murs for President

Murs, an acronym for Making Underground Raw S#$%, is an alias for Nick Carter who has taken the role of a true rapper and made an incredible album. On Murs for President, Murs takes up the role of what could be considered an honest rapper, on par with the likes of Kanye West, in that he raps about real life as opposed to the themes of traditional gangsta rap. Murs’ lyrics represent everything, from being in love to remorse for cheating, from standing up for the little man to his own path that he has taken.

For example, in “Love and Appreciate 2” Murs raps about correcting his gangster friend for treating women poorly and instead, as Murs puts it, “treating her like a queen.”

The songs on the album Murs for President are individually strong songs but put together in this album make an amazing collection. The beats that Murs uses are original or classic spin-offs that, either way, are good. He also uses a broad variety of sounds and rhythms with the occasional change of tone or tempo, adding a good deal of diversity to the album and keeping its sound fresh. On top of this, the sound and production quality gives the album a sleek and crisp quality that a lot of CDs don’t have. When these elements are combined with his powerful and memorable lyrics, the tracks that Murs creates are an intense expression of his beliefs and feelings. Murs also occasionally features other artists in his music including Snoop Dogg, Tyler Woods, and Will.i.am.

All of the songs on the album Murs for President are excellent songs, but the best of these are “I’m Innocent,” “Everything-Murs,” “Me and This Jawn,” “Breakthrough,” “Time is Now,” and “Love and Appreciate 2.” “I’m Innocent,” is the second track on the album following the intro. This song has a very fast and strong beat that fits with the furious rapping that Murs brings to the table, and this track could definitely be compared to some of Kanye West’s music. The fifth track “Everything-Murs” is an inspirational song where Murs raps about his own story and gives the message to be unique and better the world. This song incorporates guitars and scratching that add to the diverse sound Murs achieves.

“Me and This Jawn” opens with an extremely unique beat that is captivating to listen to which consists of a scratching wah-wah like sound, a xylophone ding ding, a synthesizer’s wail, and a strong beat on the bottom. “Breakthrough” sounds similar to “Everything-Murs” with the traditional rap sound to it, but “Breakthrough” features some nice interludes with chimes and some vocal work in the background. Following this is “Time is Now” which features Snoop Dogg and the producer (“N” word)-rachi that when said sounds like Liberace with a slight twist. This song features some piano, stomping, clapping, and vocals in the beat that Murs and Snoop Dogg lay some smooth rhymes on top of. Tyler Woods is featured in the next track titled “Love and Appreciate 2” which has an almost throwback retro sound to it where Murs talks about love and treating her like she’s special and in turn hates on pimps and their treatment of women.

So, all in all, Murs has definitely made a great new album, Murs for President, and he could certainly come in a close second to Obama with it.

Late Fall/Early Winter Playlist

So here at Vinyl Visions we've been slacking. With the Thanksgiving break, no one has had the time to sit down and type out a review, and for that we take full responsibility. For that reason, we've decided to throw up a few mp3s. This playlist is meant for the late fall/early winter transition, hope you like it.


Vinyl Visions' Winter Transition 64:26 [87.09 MB]

1. Dr. Dog: The Breeze
2. Okkervil River: For Real
3. Beirut: Elephant Gun
4. Rilo Kiley: Go Ahead
5. Defiance, Ohio: The Temperature Is Dropping
6. Bright Eyes: A Perfect Sonnet
7. The Apples In Stereo: Mirror
8. Yoav: Beautiful Lie
9. The Shins: Young Pilgrims
10. Modest Mouse: Custom Concern
11. Of Montreal: Girl From NYC (Named Julia)
12. David Bazan: Cold Beer And Cigarettes (Acoustic)
13. Glen Hansard: Say It To Me
14. Bishop Allen: The Chinatown Bus
15. The Decemberists: Odalisque
16. Sufjan Stevens: The Seer's Tower
17. Death Cab For Cutie: I Will Follow You Into The Dark