LISTEN: Velvet Davenport

Lemon

When You Are Out

Run feat. Ariel Pink and Gary War

Mystery Michael

http://www.myspace.com/velvetdavenport

http://www.moonglyph.com/

UPDATE: Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Before Today (2010)

The new album is out on 4th June and has apparently leaked, although none of the links seem to be working anymore. Although I'm sure if you try hard enough, you'll find it somewhere...but go out and buy the album and support one of my favourite artists of recent times! The album has gone straight in at 19th best of the year so far on Rate Your Music though and leaves me very excited. The only thing strange about the album is the numer of old songs that have been redone for the album.  An example of this is 'Beverly Kills (Freak With Golden Heirs)', off 'Scared Famous', which I also found a cool new video for on You Tube.

Ducktails - Landscapes

Matthew Mondanile is guitarist for 'Real Estate' and last year he also released 'Landscapes' under the name Ducktails (his solo project). As with Real Estate's brilliant self-titled album last year, this album is also very much about atmosphere and mood. This one recalls warm, hazy evenings and faint, Ariel Pink style memories of childhood or as with Dam-Funk, you can quite easily imagine yourself driving through L.A. late at night, with a warm breeze and lthe flickering of neon lights. It also kinda reminds me of the Lost In Translation soundtrack. This isn't Ducktails' first release and I'm not entirely sure how many albums he has released, but there are definitely a few floating around. I could only find one You Tube video off this album, but check out the album...you won't be disappointed.

GIRLS - Album

As usual, I'm a few months behind...BUT, this album really is as good as most reviewers would have you believe. I've just been listening to it for the past couple of hours and all the songs are really strong pop songs in their own ways. I won't bother going on about who they sound like and how varied their sound is...instead here are a few really nice live acoustic videos I found on Youtube. The album isn't acoustic, but it's on Spotify and worth 44mins of anybody's life.

Albums I Enjoyed In 2009

I think it would be impossible to even attempt to compile a Top 50 of 2009, simply because one, I probably haven't listened to 50 new albums this year and two, if I had there's no way I could've given them all the attention they deserve for them to become a favourite. Therefore, I thought I'd list some albums I enjoyed from 2009.
Obviously, you'll probably read it and say "I can't believe he missed this or that", but if you think I should give something a listen please leave a comment. Sure, there are a few albums that featured heavily in major lists that I didn't care for too much, but there are just as many that I just never got around to listening to.

There are quite a few albums I'm just getting round to listening to and would probably make the list, but I haven't given them enough attention yet for the to join the list. For example, I recently got into Kurt Vile, but haven't got round to listening to his latest album 'Childish Prodigy' and I love Espers, Bob Dylan and Sufjan Stevens but haven't listened to their latest albums as of yet. Also, I've recently been listening to Dam-Funk's 'Toeachizown', Dinosaur Jr's new album, The Mantles and Flaming Lips' 'Embryonic' and I like the sound of them, but just haven't heard them enough to warrant a place in my favourite's list.



Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind EP
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Grandes Exitos (tour release only)
Atlas Sound - Logos
Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand
BLAKROC - BLACKROC
Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer EP
Bon Iver - Blood Bank
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Beware
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Smoking Acid EP
The Brian Jonestown Massacre - One EP
Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream
Cass McCombs - Catacombs
Conor Oberst - Outer South
Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
Devendra Banhart - What Will Be Will Be
DOOM - Born Like This
The Duke & The King - Nothing Gold Can Stay
El Michel's Affair - Enter The 37th Chamber
The Felice Brothers - Yonder Is The Clock
Ganglians - Monster Head Room
GIRLS - Album
Grizzly Bear - Veckamist
The Horrors - Primary Colours
Lee Fields & The Expressions - My World
Leonard Cohen - Live in London
Leonard Cohen - Live at The Isle of Wight
The Low Anthem - Oh My God, Charlie Darwin
Monsters of Folk - S/T
Mos Def - The Ecstatic
Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract 
Raekwon - Only Built For Cuban Linx II
Real Estate - Real Estate
Smith Westerns - Smith Westerns
The Strange Boys - The Strange Boys and Girls Club
Tom Waits - Glitter and Doom Live
Ty Segall - Lemons
U-God - Dopium
Wavves - Wavvves
White Denim - Fits
Woods - Songs of Shame

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti

I really can't wait for their new album! It's due for release sometime in Spring next year and is their first since signing for 4AD. Someone once described his sound as something similar to being a child in the 70s and hearing your parents playing FM radio downstairs while your in bed under the covers listening to the muffled sounds. Sound strange? It maybe is at first, but once you get into it you'll discover loads of great pop songs. They released a 7" in 2008, 'Can't Hear Me Eyes'/'Evolution's A Lie', that was a lot cleaner sounding than their previous work:





Whilst this year also saw the release of a greatest hits compilation entitled 'Grandes Exitos', which only saw a tour release. The album is well worth getting hold of (mediafire!), whether you're new to Ariel or a longtime fan and has definitely got me ready for some new songs next year! It's been one of my most played albums since I got hold of it and includes songs like 'Helen' and 'Life in L.A.':

Kurt Vile

I've heard his name around before and often cofused him with the inspiration behind The Doors' 'Alabama Song (Whiskey Bar),' Kurt Weill:





His latest album, 'Childish Prodigy', was included in Uncut's Top Albums of 2009 and he has compared with everyone from Ariel Pink to tom Petty and Bruce Springsteen. I'd listened to his band 'War On Drugs' once or twice a while back and remember enjoying them, but not returning to them. I decided today that I'd set some Kurt time to one side and listen to his 2008 album 'Constant Hitmaker.' The first song on the album is 'Freeway' and is instantly likeable:





I'm only a few tracks into the album and can already understand the various comparisons made. The album jumps from style to style with the first radio friendly track 'Freeway' making way for a dreamy Neil Young meets My Bloody Valentine track ('Space Forklift') before the fingerpicked 'Slow Talkers' floats over my speakers....

My most played tracks of 2009

1. Black Lips - Short Fuse (17 plays)
2. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Can't Hear My Eyes (16 plays)
2. M.I.A. - Paper Planes (16 plays)
4. The Felice Brothers - Penn Station (14 plays)
4. Leonard Cohen - Memories (14 plays)
6. The Tallest Man On Earth - Honey Won't You Let Me In (13 plays)
6. Raekwon - House of Flying Daggers (13 plays)
6. Blitzen Trapper - Furr (13 plays)
6. Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons - Can't Take My Eyes Off You (13 plays)
10. Black Lips - Drugs (12 plays)
10. The Felice Brothers - Roll On Arte (12 plays)
10. Raekwon - The Return Of The North Star (12 plays)
10. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - The Drummer (12 plays)
10. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Interesting Results (12 plays)

My most listened to artists of 2009

Most blogs tend to release a Best of 2009 around this time of the year, but what you think was the best music of the year doesn't always match up with what you actually played the most:


1. Bob Dylan (427 plays)
2. Leonard Cohen (316 plays)
3. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti (254 plays)
4. The Felice Brothers (250 plays)
5. The Brian Jonestown Massacre (195 plays)
6. Raekwon (194 plays)
7. Black Lips (162 plays)
8. Tom Waits (128 plays)
9. Blitzen Trapper (124 plays)
10. Animal Collective (112 plays)


http://www.last.fm/user/markwales