Looking Backward to Look Forward

Why don’t we start the new decade by recapping 09?  Here are the Weird Jim Top 10 Albums of 2009.  You’ll see some stuff that I have talked about previously, as well as some new stuff that is just now making its way onto the site.

Additionally, keep an eye out over the next few weeks for some more top 2009 (and 2010!) lists from Galkin and Tripp, as well as some increased activity in 2010 as they help me keep WJM a little more active!  Now without further adieu:

10) White Lies – To Lose My Life

Heard about these guys in a 2009 albums to watch, and they are awesome.  They talk about death and emo-y stuff like that a little too much for my taste, but they usually keep it upbeat and fun – so it’s acceptable, right?

White Lies – To Lose My Life

9) Miike Snow – Miike Snow

Heard “Burial,” loved the song.  Heard “Animal,” convinced of his talent.  Great album – can’t wait until he comes to DC.

Miike Snow – Animal

8 ) Harlem Shakes – Technicolor Health

The upbeat and uplifting song “Strictly Game” got me through some tough times (at work haha) earlier in the year, and I’m so glad I got to see them live before they broke up…

Harlem Shakes – Strictly Game

7) Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King

One of his best albums ever (that’s right, I said it), although sometimes gets a bit heavy on the electronic guitar for me.  I tend to love Dave for the jazziness of the group, especially his live stuff, but this album is still just really great.

Dave Matthews Band – Shake Me Like a Monkey

6) Matt and Kim – Grand

The most exciting music I’ve ever heard made by just two people on a keyboard and drum set.  Amazing.  Seeing them live from 10 feet away was one of the most fun concerts I’ve been too.  Julie, if you’re reading this, I still need those damn pictures.

Matt and Kim – Good Ol’ Fashioned Nightmare

5) Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

First album was good, second album is freaking great.  Unfortunately missed seeing them when they came to DC, but apparently it was pretty awesome.  I love this album, and I love how they’re on a Cadillac (I think that’s the right ad?) commercial now.

Phoenix – 1901

4) Discovery – LP

I routinely go to this album immediately upon turning on my iPod.  Usually (as it’s an unfortunately-short 30 minutes long) I listen to the whole thing before finding something else.  I especially love how their cover of Jackson 5 came out nearly-instantly after MJ died.  Loved seeing this LP for sale at the Ra Ra Riot concert.

Discovery – Swing Tree

3) Passion Pit – Manners

If I don’t go to Discovery upon turning on my iPod, I usually end up on Passion Pit‘s Manners.  Almost every song on this album is amazing, and like Harlem Shakes they got me through some tough times earlier this year.  And some tough commutes nowadays!  Love how they’re now on a Palm ad.  And I know that I’m sounding like a broken record at this point, but seeing them in DC from 20 feet away was simply incredible.  Tripp saw them at ACL, but I’m sure it just didn’t compare to The Black Cat.

Passion Pit – Little Secrets

2) Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca

I’m not bitter that Tripp bailed on our seeing the Dirty Projectors in DC.  No really, I’m not, I promise.  Even though we had tickets to the sold out show and everything.  The music on this album is just incredible.  The girls’ singing is amazing, the songs are new and different, and I can’t get enough.

Dirty Projectors – Stillness Is The Move

1) Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion

This album came out a year ago (literally), and it was sort of the beginning of a musically-experimental trend for me.  I listened to MPP, and I liked a couple of songs.  After 5 or 10 more listens though, I was in love with this album.  And that was in January 2009.  Every time I put this on, I get giddy haha.

All that, and the amount of times I’ve listened to this…and I just noticed a few days ago that the album cover is an optical illusion.  Fitting…I think every time I listen to this album I hear something new, and that’s why this is easily my album of the year.

Animal Collective – My Girls

Happy New Year everyone.  Hopefully everyone had a great 2009, fun holidays, and here’s to a sweet 2010.

And while we’re talking about 2009 listening habits, take a look at this simply amazing document/analysis from Last.fm.  You’ll see some familiar names Enjoy

Playing Catch-Up

Sorry it’s been so long since I posted anything. Now that I’m in between projects I have tons of free time, but I no longer sit at my desk all day working and listening to new music on the interweb. I’ve spent lots of time getting caught up in life, but have been quite delinquint in posting. My bad.

There’s a lot to talk about, so I’m going to switch up the format a little bit this time.

• The XX
  Approachability: Medium/Low
  

  Long ago, in my senior year of high school, my friend Thomas and I became semi-obsessed with the song Teardrops, by Lovestation. We heard it on a streaming radio station, and after weeks of hunting it down, finally found it and downloaded it. Great song. Then, in a hilarious coincidence, I was listening to music on the interweb a few weeks ago, and ran across The XX’s cover of Teardrops. The XX is a new band from London, and hearing Teardrops really brought me back – plus it’s a great song to boot!

  Check out more of The XX’s stuff (especially Crystalised and Blood Red Moon) on their space:
  http://www.myspace.com/thexx
  

• The Vanish
  Approachability: Medium
  

  As is the sound of the moment, The Vanish is another new stand-out electro-pop-rock duo. They came from Australia (like Cut Copy, Empire of the Sun, Van She, and many other greats) and now live in New York City pumping out some awesome stuff. Here’s a bio they wrote:

  The Vanish was born in 2008 when two workmates decided to shun the grind of their New York City jobs, pack up their desks and disappear. Suddenly aware that life isn’t a rehearsal, they took a gamble on the music game.

  It’s the creative extension of their days playing together in teenage punk bands growing up in Australia – and this early influence remains. They now deal with the issues of identity and conformity faced in their previous nine-to-five lives over a boiling fusion of post-punk, nu-wave and electro.

  Both experienced DJs and seasoned instrumentalists, The Vanish combine these aspects through a tapestry of late-night electro, rocking verses and crunching guitar chords reminiscent of The Clash in the late ‘70s. Back in Brooklyn, their self-titled EP is a teaser for their full-length release that’ll drop later this year.

  DJ sets and live shows – bringing in drummer Ben Yabsley – will span across Australia and the United States in 2009.

  Check out Heartbeat, Hold On, and more of their awesome music on their space:
  http://www.myspace.com/thevanishmusic

• The Airborne Toxic Event
  Approachability: Medium
  

  I know they aren’t a new band, but I was listening to them in the car the other day, and thought they needed to be re-mentioned. The Airborne Toxic Event is an indie/alt-rock band from LA with a somewhat similar sound to The Strokes. The lead singer’s voice is incredibly distinctive, and they’ve got some great stuff out there:
  Wishing Well
  Does This Mean You’re Moving On

  And of course, check more of their stuff out on their space:
  http://www.myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent

• You can now listen to the new Dave Matthews Band album Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King in its entirety online through Pandora now. Pretty sweet promotion, and the album sounds fantastic.
  http://www.pandora.com/davematthewsband
• As RP3 mentioned below, we’re going to see Passion Pit and Harlem Shakes in a little over a week, on June 9th. Both of their albums are go-to’s on my iPod, and I couldn’t be more excited. If you haven’t checked them out yet, definitely do so immediately.
• I heard a couple of sweet songs on KEXP recently, so I’m just going to share those below instead of doing a new Song of the Moment:Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band – Nikorette
  Approachability: Very High

  Fanfarlo – The Walls Are Coming Down
  Approachability: High

• Further proof that Adam Sandberg is single-handedly keeping SNL afloat…
  SNL: Digital Short: Motherlover
  
• And finally, because I just can’t get enough of it:
  The Lonely Island – I’m On a Boat

Have a great weekend everyone!
-Weird Jim

Dave Matthews Band

Approachability: Very High (obviously?)

My preppy roots are showing. I’ve been following Dave since high school, and this summer they’re putting out their first studio album since 2005′s (disappointing) Stand Up. It’s also the first album without LeRoi Moore, so that’s kind of sad. The album is called Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, and today they released the first single from the album, as well as the album artwork. The album name, and the artwork, is actually a tribute to LeRoi. “Grux” was one of his nicknames, and the artwork (hand-drawn by Dave) clearly represents his face in the center.

I think it sounds pretty good, but I also really like their newer-jazzier stuff – I know many of their fans do not. I didn’t hate Stand Up as most fans did, but it definitely wasn’t their strongest. Either way, I’m excited.

GrooGrux King is due out on June 2. We’ll see how it’s received by the masses.

Dave Matthews Band – Funny How It Is
Dave’s “sneak peak in the New Orleans studio” video

To end my crazy April concert blitz, Laura and I are seeing Dave this Saturday in Charlottesville at JPJ. Unfortunately it looks like they won’t be playing lots of stuff on GrooGrux, as was originally promised, but I’m excited either way. We’ll see how it goes.

I also saw Flight of the Conchords on Monday, so I’ll be posting about that as soon as I can. It was a hilarious show – incredibly entertaining to say the least.

One last note. Phoenix announced a June 21 show in DC this morning. Mark your calendars now. (I’ll also be posting about Phoenix very soon, don’t worry.)