Liars, Liars, Liars
Ok, I've listened to two songs of the new Liars-album, Drum's not dead, which is out 21st of March, and it sounds great. I think this will be their breaktrough because the songs are more subdued and beautiful as on previous albums. Besides Angus Andrew actually kind of sounds like Beck on one of them. They haven't lost their distinctive character though with vital drums and atonal tinkling. If the indiekids like Animal Collective, I think they're ready for Liars.
Bonusinfo: They will be playing both in Aarhus and Copenhagen. I AM excited.
Bonusinfo: They will be playing both in Aarhus and Copenhagen. I AM excited.
Albums of the year - 2005
It's always hard to prioritize albums because music is too abstract to put up against each other so please take the following rankings lightly. The ones in the top is of course the ones I like the most, but each album could just as well have been placed two or three places higher or lower. The lower the position, the more places it can move up or down. Of course I haven't heard all albums of the year, but I've heard a fair bit, and many have been sorted out by reading reviews or listening to soundbits or single songs. I'm sure I missed a lot.
These years aren't dominated by big movements. Of course there's the punkfunk-revival led by Franz Ferdinand, but it's almost over. Most artists are individuals finding their own unique sound by fusing different genres and inspirations as my top five clearly shows. But the political agenda is still dominant within artists like Dalek, Out Hud, System of a Down, Sage Francis, The Books and many more. I suppose the Bush Administrations longing for world domination won't get approved so easily.
1. Dalek: Absence
- The group finally made it all fit together. This is the perfect match of political rap, noisy soundscapes and industrial beats. A masterpiece and a milestone in hiphop history.
2. The Mars Volta: Frances the Mute
- Even more ambitious, even more complex, The Mars Volta perfected their emo-progrock on their second full length. Incorporating south american folk music and free jazz in a number of chaotic and somber compositions, they've shown a new path for rock music. Not for the fainthearted.
3. Out Hud: Let us never speak of it again
- Some of the band members of !!! use this project for a more electronic output, but the result is just as eclectic and funky fusing the alternative dance- and electro-scene of the 80's with the big beat- and progressive house-movements of the 90's. Can't stop them feet from moving!
4. Architechture in Helsinki: In Case We Die
- Oh, how sweet and endearing this is. An Australian octet playing the most wonderful naive artpop with a semi-electronic touch. My smile breaks the bounds of my face.
5. Edan: Beauty and the Beat
- Ok, he's not a skilled rapper, but who gives a rat's ass, when he so eminent fuses bubblegum pop, psychadelic rock and soul of the 60's with modern hiphop techniques and beats. It's so psychedelic you won't need drugs to get high.
6. Sage Francis: A Healthy Distrust
- The sharpshooter, Sage Francis, out on Epitaph with his sophomore and making it a bit more punk productionwise fitting for his intelligent attack on American society. A modern protest singer/rapper bringing the most brilliant rhymes.
7. Greg Davis & Sebastian Roux: Paquet Surprise
- Tender, floating songs with acoustic instruments and glitch patterns. Perfect ambient experimental pop for squirking through the snow in the morning.
8. Et Sans: Par Nousss Touss Les Trous de Vos Cranes
- Definetely one of the most outthere records of the year. 10+ minutes long songs that excellerate in Suicidesque simple synth-patterns trimmed with psychedelic noise and repetitive singing. Not your average canadian postrock-album.
9. Mork: Keisaku Muscle-harbour
- I think it's the first time I have a Danish album placed so high on an Album of the Year-list, but these guys have swept me away with their dark, experimental indie-metal with more atmosphere than a dock wrapped up in fog in the middle of the night.
10. The Books: Lost and Safe
- The cover of this album is ugly as hell, but with the inclusion of singing and more handplayed instruments, The Books' sample-electronica gets a bit more edge and bite, and after some time it took me completely by surprise.
11. System of a Down: Mesmerize
- By cutting two albums this year, System of a Down also cut off the playing time of each album, and that's what they needed to make their best album yet. Incorporating elements of mainstream pop they did their best to get their social and political message abroad without losing their integrity.
12. Sunn O))): Black One
- The evil drones of Sunn O))) was cut up in shorter songs on this album and the songs actually seemed composed opposed to the normal improvisations making it their best album since Flight of the Behemoth. May the Dark Lord be with you.
13. Colleen: The Golden Morning Breaks
- A beautiful, twinkling album filled with ambient played on acoustic instruments. Silent with loads of details to dive into.
14. Lightning Bolt: Hypermagic Mountain
- Just as heavy and intoxicating as Wonderful Rainbow. Now recorded with livesound to make it even more furious and energetic. A roaring noise death'n'roll-album.
15. No-neck Blues Band: Qvaris
- They've become more accessible on this album, but their free folk weirdness still demands full concentration.
16. Pelican: The Fire in our Throats will beckon the Thaw
- Pelican sure knows how to make cathedrals of heavy riffing sound beautiful. The inspiration of postrock mixes well with their instrumental alternative metal. Isis got competition.
17. Prefuse 73: Surrounded by Silence
- Scott Herrens groundbreaking sound on the first two albums is mixed with the contribution of different collaborators such as Wu-Tang members, Cafe Tacuba, Aesop Rock and Beans and works surprisingly well. There's still a lot of edge, and he succeeds in incorporating the rap and singing of others into his music. A new path for the cut up technician.
18. Animal Collective: Feels
- This might actually be their most completed album to date with many freak out folk hits, but it still suffers from weak moments. They're by far overshadowed by the strong moments though.
19. Archer Prewitt: Wilderness
- Taking a break from The Sea and Cake, Archer Prewitt launches another indie pop album with the most wonderful orchestrated songs.
20. LCD Soundsystem: LCD Soundsystem
- With a single like "Daft Punk is playing at my House" James Murphy couldn't fail and didn't on his debut. Including everything from electroclash, Beatles-inspired ballads and songs Brian Eno could have written, the self-titled album is a hit-collection in it's own right.
21. Mike Ladd: Negrophilia
- An avantgarde jazz/hiphop-construction filled with cut up techniques and a deconstruction of Western cultural dominance.
22. DangerDoom: The Mouse and the Mask
- Underground hiphops pop producer and crispiest rapper in a cartoon incident.
23. Jackie-O Motherfucker: Flags of the Sacred Harp
- More subtle with more voice, they play old traditionals.
24. M.I.A.: Arular
- Another succes from Englands ethnic potential. Hiphop, baile funk, electro and dancehall in an eclectic mix.
25. Strapping Young Lad: Alien
- Brutal onslaught from Canadas absolutely best metal act. Still with twist and turns you wouldn't expect.
26. Black Dice: Broken Ear Record
- Electronic minimalistic noise with tribal percussion.
27. System of a Down: Hypnotize
- More metal than Mesmerize and as usual filled with great ideas and songs.
28. Cage: Hell's Winter
- A most personal and tragic story told openheartedly by Cage in the bliphop of productions from El-P and DJ Shadow among others.
29. Celebration: Celebration
- Dramatic postpunk with production by David Sitek of TV on the Radio.
30. Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene
- A more messy production, but still with great melodies underneath.
31. Roots Manuva: Awfully Deep
- A dub-hop hits parade.
32. Buck 65: Secret House against the World
- He has almost dropped hiphop by now and embraced country, blues and rock music instead. The outsiders still lives on in his storytelling.
33. Quasimoto: The further Adventures of Lord Quasi
- Even more fragmentary than the first album, Madlib reveals his love for Mothers of Invention.
34. Pelt: Pelt
- Once again a capturing collection of drones and soundscapes.
35. Caribou: The Milk of Human Kindness
- Psychedelic electronica with obvious inspiration from Neu and Silver Apples.
36. Antony and the Johnsons: I am a Bird now
- Big hit of the year. Elton John in drag clothing.
37. Bright Eyes: I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning
- Conor Oberst matured, doesn't whine that much and plays great alternative country.
38. Queens of the Stone Age: Lullabies to Paralyze
- Josh Homme do what he do best and do it fine without Nick Oliveri.
39. Perceptionists: Black Dialogue
- Back to basics hiphop with the certified noisy production fitting Def Jux. Solid.
40. Fantomas: Suspended Animation
- Nothing much have changed, but they do seem more tight. Metal for the kids.
41. Thrones: Day Late, Dollar Short
- Compiled over seven years this is a messy affair offering different variations on the term "heavy".
42. Logh: A Sunset Panorama
- Hush indierock with a bit of Sonic Youth-inspiration. Songs that grow over time.
43. Windy & Carl: The Dream House/Dedications to Flea
- Minimilastic soundscapes evolving extremely slow. Breathtaking.
44. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- Independent succes story of the year. I'm a sucker for Talking Heads.
45. Kanye West: Late Registration
- Oh yeah, he still got it, but the songs tend to be a bit too grandiose towards the end of the album.
46. Richard Youngs: The Naive Shaman
- More haunting, spiritual songs with an electronic approach.
47. Six Organs of Admittance: School of the Flower
- More accessible than previous efforts and hence maybe a bit too traditional, but Ben Chasny still crafts great songs.
48. Mugison: Mugimama, is this Monkey Music
- Another of those crazy, icelandic artists, eh? Personal songs with blues elements and the kind of experiments Beck used to do.
49. Medications: Your Favorite People All in One Place
- More melodic than most Dischord-bands, but still with complex song structures.
50. Oneida: The Wedding
- A mix of heavy psych-rock and neo-psychadelia, but not as awestriking as previous outings.
These years aren't dominated by big movements. Of course there's the punkfunk-revival led by Franz Ferdinand, but it's almost over. Most artists are individuals finding their own unique sound by fusing different genres and inspirations as my top five clearly shows. But the political agenda is still dominant within artists like Dalek, Out Hud, System of a Down, Sage Francis, The Books and many more. I suppose the Bush Administrations longing for world domination won't get approved so easily.
1. Dalek: Absence
- The group finally made it all fit together. This is the perfect match of political rap, noisy soundscapes and industrial beats. A masterpiece and a milestone in hiphop history.
2. The Mars Volta: Frances the Mute
- Even more ambitious, even more complex, The Mars Volta perfected their emo-progrock on their second full length. Incorporating south american folk music and free jazz in a number of chaotic and somber compositions, they've shown a new path for rock music. Not for the fainthearted.
3. Out Hud: Let us never speak of it again
- Some of the band members of !!! use this project for a more electronic output, but the result is just as eclectic and funky fusing the alternative dance- and electro-scene of the 80's with the big beat- and progressive house-movements of the 90's. Can't stop them feet from moving!
4. Architechture in Helsinki: In Case We Die
- Oh, how sweet and endearing this is. An Australian octet playing the most wonderful naive artpop with a semi-electronic touch. My smile breaks the bounds of my face.
5. Edan: Beauty and the Beat
- Ok, he's not a skilled rapper, but who gives a rat's ass, when he so eminent fuses bubblegum pop, psychadelic rock and soul of the 60's with modern hiphop techniques and beats. It's so psychedelic you won't need drugs to get high.
6. Sage Francis: A Healthy Distrust
- The sharpshooter, Sage Francis, out on Epitaph with his sophomore and making it a bit more punk productionwise fitting for his intelligent attack on American society. A modern protest singer/rapper bringing the most brilliant rhymes.
7. Greg Davis & Sebastian Roux: Paquet Surprise
- Tender, floating songs with acoustic instruments and glitch patterns. Perfect ambient experimental pop for squirking through the snow in the morning.
8. Et Sans: Par Nousss Touss Les Trous de Vos Cranes
- Definetely one of the most outthere records of the year. 10+ minutes long songs that excellerate in Suicidesque simple synth-patterns trimmed with psychedelic noise and repetitive singing. Not your average canadian postrock-album.
9. Mork: Keisaku Muscle-harbour
- I think it's the first time I have a Danish album placed so high on an Album of the Year-list, but these guys have swept me away with their dark, experimental indie-metal with more atmosphere than a dock wrapped up in fog in the middle of the night.
10. The Books: Lost and Safe
- The cover of this album is ugly as hell, but with the inclusion of singing and more handplayed instruments, The Books' sample-electronica gets a bit more edge and bite, and after some time it took me completely by surprise.
11. System of a Down: Mesmerize
- By cutting two albums this year, System of a Down also cut off the playing time of each album, and that's what they needed to make their best album yet. Incorporating elements of mainstream pop they did their best to get their social and political message abroad without losing their integrity.
12. Sunn O))): Black One
- The evil drones of Sunn O))) was cut up in shorter songs on this album and the songs actually seemed composed opposed to the normal improvisations making it their best album since Flight of the Behemoth. May the Dark Lord be with you.
13. Colleen: The Golden Morning Breaks
- A beautiful, twinkling album filled with ambient played on acoustic instruments. Silent with loads of details to dive into.
14. Lightning Bolt: Hypermagic Mountain
- Just as heavy and intoxicating as Wonderful Rainbow. Now recorded with livesound to make it even more furious and energetic. A roaring noise death'n'roll-album.
15. No-neck Blues Band: Qvaris
- They've become more accessible on this album, but their free folk weirdness still demands full concentration.
16. Pelican: The Fire in our Throats will beckon the Thaw
- Pelican sure knows how to make cathedrals of heavy riffing sound beautiful. The inspiration of postrock mixes well with their instrumental alternative metal. Isis got competition.
17. Prefuse 73: Surrounded by Silence
- Scott Herrens groundbreaking sound on the first two albums is mixed with the contribution of different collaborators such as Wu-Tang members, Cafe Tacuba, Aesop Rock and Beans and works surprisingly well. There's still a lot of edge, and he succeeds in incorporating the rap and singing of others into his music. A new path for the cut up technician.
18. Animal Collective: Feels
- This might actually be their most completed album to date with many freak out folk hits, but it still suffers from weak moments. They're by far overshadowed by the strong moments though.
19. Archer Prewitt: Wilderness
- Taking a break from The Sea and Cake, Archer Prewitt launches another indie pop album with the most wonderful orchestrated songs.
20. LCD Soundsystem: LCD Soundsystem
- With a single like "Daft Punk is playing at my House" James Murphy couldn't fail and didn't on his debut. Including everything from electroclash, Beatles-inspired ballads and songs Brian Eno could have written, the self-titled album is a hit-collection in it's own right.
21. Mike Ladd: Negrophilia
- An avantgarde jazz/hiphop-construction filled with cut up techniques and a deconstruction of Western cultural dominance.
22. DangerDoom: The Mouse and the Mask
- Underground hiphops pop producer and crispiest rapper in a cartoon incident.
23. Jackie-O Motherfucker: Flags of the Sacred Harp
- More subtle with more voice, they play old traditionals.
24. M.I.A.: Arular
- Another succes from Englands ethnic potential. Hiphop, baile funk, electro and dancehall in an eclectic mix.
25. Strapping Young Lad: Alien
- Brutal onslaught from Canadas absolutely best metal act. Still with twist and turns you wouldn't expect.
26. Black Dice: Broken Ear Record
- Electronic minimalistic noise with tribal percussion.
27. System of a Down: Hypnotize
- More metal than Mesmerize and as usual filled with great ideas and songs.
28. Cage: Hell's Winter
- A most personal and tragic story told openheartedly by Cage in the bliphop of productions from El-P and DJ Shadow among others.
29. Celebration: Celebration
- Dramatic postpunk with production by David Sitek of TV on the Radio.
30. Broken Social Scene: Broken Social Scene
- A more messy production, but still with great melodies underneath.
31. Roots Manuva: Awfully Deep
- A dub-hop hits parade.
32. Buck 65: Secret House against the World
- He has almost dropped hiphop by now and embraced country, blues and rock music instead. The outsiders still lives on in his storytelling.
33. Quasimoto: The further Adventures of Lord Quasi
- Even more fragmentary than the first album, Madlib reveals his love for Mothers of Invention.
34. Pelt: Pelt
- Once again a capturing collection of drones and soundscapes.
35. Caribou: The Milk of Human Kindness
- Psychedelic electronica with obvious inspiration from Neu and Silver Apples.
36. Antony and the Johnsons: I am a Bird now
- Big hit of the year. Elton John in drag clothing.
37. Bright Eyes: I'm Wide Awake, it's Morning
- Conor Oberst matured, doesn't whine that much and plays great alternative country.
38. Queens of the Stone Age: Lullabies to Paralyze
- Josh Homme do what he do best and do it fine without Nick Oliveri.
39. Perceptionists: Black Dialogue
- Back to basics hiphop with the certified noisy production fitting Def Jux. Solid.
40. Fantomas: Suspended Animation
- Nothing much have changed, but they do seem more tight. Metal for the kids.
41. Thrones: Day Late, Dollar Short
- Compiled over seven years this is a messy affair offering different variations on the term "heavy".
42. Logh: A Sunset Panorama
- Hush indierock with a bit of Sonic Youth-inspiration. Songs that grow over time.
43. Windy & Carl: The Dream House/Dedications to Flea
- Minimilastic soundscapes evolving extremely slow. Breathtaking.
44. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah: Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
- Independent succes story of the year. I'm a sucker for Talking Heads.
45. Kanye West: Late Registration
- Oh yeah, he still got it, but the songs tend to be a bit too grandiose towards the end of the album.
46. Richard Youngs: The Naive Shaman
- More haunting, spiritual songs with an electronic approach.
47. Six Organs of Admittance: School of the Flower
- More accessible than previous efforts and hence maybe a bit too traditional, but Ben Chasny still crafts great songs.
48. Mugison: Mugimama, is this Monkey Music
- Another of those crazy, icelandic artists, eh? Personal songs with blues elements and the kind of experiments Beck used to do.
49. Medications: Your Favorite People All in One Place
- More melodic than most Dischord-bands, but still with complex song structures.
50. Oneida: The Wedding
- A mix of heavy psych-rock and neo-psychadelia, but not as awestriking as previous outings.
The best Danish records of 2005
Finally I turned in my paper and my exams are over which means I have vacation until the beginning of february. That means that I will have at lot more time to write here. As 2005 has ended it is time to elect the best albums of the year. I'm not quite ready with my overall list - there's just too many to consider - but I can reveal which Danish that fell in my liking. Sorted alphabetically they are:
Causa Sui: Causa Sui
- This is the guys from Limp in disguise with Kasper Markus on vocal, who to me is fairly unknown. They're inspired by Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer, Can and The Stooges and as such they play a voluminous, heavy psych stoner rock that is high-ceilinged. It's bombastic as hell and what's particularly interesting about them is the mixing with beautiful, spacious noise as played by My Bloody Valentine. A great blend of traditional heavy psych, some eastern folk music and modern, soft swirling noise. Chaotic and soothing.
Double Space: Double Space
- First off I must inform you that these are some of my friends so I won't get accused of subliminal advertising. But I actually do think this is good. Only a demo, but a nice example of where they're heading, and shows what great ideas they have. They try to combine dirty noiserock with sludge/stoner rock and succeed. It's heavy and filthy as a tractor in the mud, but moves swift like a rat. Well, you get the picture. They're up the alley of Hammerhead/Vaz, but Double Space has a psychedelic touch to them and more complex structures.
Melk: Sports
- I couldn't imagine a more succesful soundtrack for my hot summer nights. This is hiphop but with some sparkling dub-influences that grooves through out the album and some Prefuse 73-like cut-up techniques. Split between instrumental songs and songs with vocal or rap, Sports is rather varied and have a political agenda as well as more laidback chill-in-the-summertime-reminders. If I didn't know I would never have guessed this as Danish.
Menfolk: Colossus
- Play/Rec are doing quite fine with these posthardcore/mathrock-releases. This is the best yet to come from the label with a lot of complex structures, speaking/screaming vocals and great songs. Politically aware (against the Bush administration of course) and skilled on their instruments they serve as a perfect offer for fans of Shellac and the whole mathrock-movement (if one indeed exists).
Mork: Keisaku Muscle-harbour
- I'm not sure I've heard anything like this before. They say they're a indie band playing with the sound of a metal band and that's pretty much as close as you can get at describing their music. Sometimes the vocal sound like Chino of Deftones, other times like some postpunk lunatic. The structure of the songs is very experimental and only the progressive rock/metal of Thought Industry come to my mind in comparison. They shift between very heavy riffs and acoustic guitars that make them sound like nothing else but a indie band. Lo-fi noises and squeaking is all over the album and makes it very atmospheric. Definetely one of the most exceptional metal-albums I've heard the last couple of years.
Utah: Break the Mould
- Most likely the next music export from Denmark. They're masters at writing catchy tunes and fall somewhere in between the dark country of 16 Horsepower and the ethereal tones of Interpol. This is just an EP and it is only a matter of time before they have a lucrative record deal for their debut if this world is just.
Causa Sui: Causa Sui
- This is the guys from Limp in disguise with Kasper Markus on vocal, who to me is fairly unknown. They're inspired by Jimi Hendrix, Blue Cheer, Can and The Stooges and as such they play a voluminous, heavy psych stoner rock that is high-ceilinged. It's bombastic as hell and what's particularly interesting about them is the mixing with beautiful, spacious noise as played by My Bloody Valentine. A great blend of traditional heavy psych, some eastern folk music and modern, soft swirling noise. Chaotic and soothing.
Double Space: Double Space
- First off I must inform you that these are some of my friends so I won't get accused of subliminal advertising. But I actually do think this is good. Only a demo, but a nice example of where they're heading, and shows what great ideas they have. They try to combine dirty noiserock with sludge/stoner rock and succeed. It's heavy and filthy as a tractor in the mud, but moves swift like a rat. Well, you get the picture. They're up the alley of Hammerhead/Vaz, but Double Space has a psychedelic touch to them and more complex structures.
Melk: Sports
- I couldn't imagine a more succesful soundtrack for my hot summer nights. This is hiphop but with some sparkling dub-influences that grooves through out the album and some Prefuse 73-like cut-up techniques. Split between instrumental songs and songs with vocal or rap, Sports is rather varied and have a political agenda as well as more laidback chill-in-the-summertime-reminders. If I didn't know I would never have guessed this as Danish.
Menfolk: Colossus
- Play/Rec are doing quite fine with these posthardcore/mathrock-releases. This is the best yet to come from the label with a lot of complex structures, speaking/screaming vocals and great songs. Politically aware (against the Bush administration of course) and skilled on their instruments they serve as a perfect offer for fans of Shellac and the whole mathrock-movement (if one indeed exists).
Mork: Keisaku Muscle-harbour
- I'm not sure I've heard anything like this before. They say they're a indie band playing with the sound of a metal band and that's pretty much as close as you can get at describing their music. Sometimes the vocal sound like Chino of Deftones, other times like some postpunk lunatic. The structure of the songs is very experimental and only the progressive rock/metal of Thought Industry come to my mind in comparison. They shift between very heavy riffs and acoustic guitars that make them sound like nothing else but a indie band. Lo-fi noises and squeaking is all over the album and makes it very atmospheric. Definetely one of the most exceptional metal-albums I've heard the last couple of years.
Utah: Break the Mould
- Most likely the next music export from Denmark. They're masters at writing catchy tunes and fall somewhere in between the dark country of 16 Horsepower and the ethereal tones of Interpol. This is just an EP and it is only a matter of time before they have a lucrative record deal for their debut if this world is just.