The Playlist #3

It's been a hell of a week for me. Both life and work were pretty busy. Holidays just sets people into a mad rush, I guess, and I'm not excluded. That's why I'm so thankful that I'm off for 5 days (I still have 2 more days left). So it's been a week of uninterrupted gaming, good food, sweet shopping deals and music.

I also ditched imeem -because they don't allow full streaming sometimes- and decided to host my own mp3 files using the money I earn from this blog. So you guys do me a favor and enjoy them.

"Two Weeks" by Grizzly Bear

I probably had Grizzly Bear's latest album, Vecaktimest, for months now. But I haven't listened to it as much as I should. So I didn't realize that the album is that good until last Sunday. The folk-pop songs here are very relaxing and sunny, an excellent album to listen to while resting on a Sunday afternoon. "Two Weeks", which I think is their first single, is a perfect example of how bright this album is.

"Graze" by Animal Collective

Animal Collective became one of my favorite artists this year when they dazzled me with their electro-pop on Meriweather Post Pavilion. So when they released an EP, entitled Fall Be Kind, last Monday, I just have to get it. At first, I was disappointed with it. I didn't had the hook and catch that Meriweather had. But after listening to it a few times, I fell in love with it. The music here is just so full of texture -results of experimentation, I guess. The first song, "Graze", is so floaty and dreamy with swirling synths on the background, then it ends up with a jumpy, joyous tune of a flutist on heroine.

"Ten Speed (of God's Blood & Burial)" by Coheed and Cambria

Not being able to attend Lollapalooza -for finanical reasons- is one of my biggest regrets this year. So I missed seeing my favorite bands, like Tool and Coheed & Cambria, play live. Fortunately, Coheed & Cambria released Neverender, a DVD featuring their four-night concert, and I was able to rent it from Netflix. I have to say that the DVD is quite impressive, and I'm planning to get the boxed set (which also included the live CD). All songs from all their albums are included in here, played live by the band. It's worth 5 hours of kick-assery.

"Shake It Out" by Manchester Orchestra

I thought I'm too old for bands like Manchester Orchestra. But when my clock radio played "Shake It Out" to wake me up at five in the morning, I found myself nodding my head on my pillow. It's an awesome song, with a nice progression to it. I also love the guitar riffs and the vocal style.

"Love Letter to Japan" by The Bird and the Bee

Ray Guns Are Not Just The Future is one of my few favorite pop albums. But I've never heard anybody, even amongst my peers, who like this album. So when I found out that Amazon named it as their #1 pop album for 2009, topping even Kelly Clarkson, I was so ecstatic. I was also relieved to know about it, of course. Because I thought that my taste in music was deteriorating, along with my memory and hair.

"People Got a Lotta Nerve" by Neko Case

I'm not really a big fan of Neko Case. Her music is good but it's not my cup of tea. Although her new album, Middle Cyclone, is Amazon's #1 album of 2009. Honestly, I don't agree. Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix would've a been better choice, in my opinion. But Amazon was kind enough to offer Middle Cyclone for $2 -I guess to give non-believers the chance to listen to it- as part of their Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. Fan or not, the deal is just too good to pass up. Surprisingly, I'm enjoying some of the songs on the album. But I still couldn't see it as an "album of the year" kind of material.

"Like O, Like H" by Tegan and Sara

I've been listening to Tegan and Sara's Sainthood, all day yesterday, while I was writing a review for it. While it's a good album, it actually made me sick -due to repeated listens- and miss The Con even more. Hence, I listened to The Con all day long to purge the Sainthood's power pop out of my system. "Like O, Like H" is definitely my favorite song from the Quin twins.

Well, that's the playlist for this week. I hope you guys enjoyed it. If you don't see the player, you probably need to install flash plug-in for your browser.

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Album Review: Meriweather Post Pavilion

Meriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective
8.9 of 10
Buy album from Amazon
Download album from Amazon






I became familiar with Animal Collective through a co-worker when she shoved a copy of Strawberry Jam on my face. It's a great album, she said, and the critics agreed with her. But despite the album's high ratings, I admit, I couldn't get into it. Maybe I was so enamored with Les Savy Fav's Let's Stay Friends during that time. Or maybe because the metalhead in me was rejecting their type of music. But whatever the reason, I think, the main point was that Animal Collective's music in their 2007 album was simply inaccessible to me.

Two years after Strawberry Jam, Animal Collective returns with a new album: Meriweather Post Pavilion. At first, since their previous work didn't really do it for me, I didn't care. But the anticipation of their album, spread by rabid fans, who plagued forums and the blogosphere, was so contagious. So when the album was released I started snooping for reviews, and the majority of which held the album in high regards. But, most importantly, they sang praises about the band's effort of widening their music's reach. That sold me into buying it.

During my initial listen, I fell in love with the album right away. But it grew even more on me as I repeatedly listened to it. I've never heard such a happy, but not cutesy, songs that invokes visions of summer, of people dancing in parks, that can warm you in a winter weather. From the swirling synthesizers and hand claps of "My Girls", a song about a man who only wishes a home for her wife and daughters, to the playful tribal chants of "Brothers Sport", a track that can easily put you on your feet and throw glow sticks into the air.

Animal Collective did an excellent job with Meriweather Post Pavilion. By digitizing various world music, from African and Brazilian tribal to British folk, and staying in their comfort space, the band have created their own unique sound. As for a wider audience, however, it maybe so. After all, I fell in love with it. But I still don't think it's for everyone. It maybe poppy, but not the kind of pop that plays on an FM station. It's electronica, but not so much because it's still grounded by the humanity of the lyrics, of the simple pleasures of life. Although I still encourage anybody to try it out. Because this is the first best album of 2009.

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Trucks and Animals

A couple days ago, I posted something about January being a zero month. A month when nothing good comes out in music, movies, books or games. Well...I lied. Because I heard that the film Defiance is good, that the game Mirror's Edge (for Windows) is gripping, and that the new albums of Animal Collective and The Derek Trucks Band are quite an aural treat.

Being a slave to the critics and word of mouth, that I am, I made time to go out and bought all of these stuff (so much for resuscitating my financial assets). I didn't had the chance to see Defiance though. But I got the game, Mirror's Edge (which I'm trying to install right this moment), and the two very different albums, Merriweather Post Pavilion and Already Free.

Animal Collective

I think it was back in 2007 when I first heard of Animal Collective. A co-worker urged me to listen to them and lent me her copy of their album, Strawberry Jam. Honestly, I can't recall the sound of their music on that album. All I remember is that I wasn't too impressed with it, and for reasons unknown or forgotten. Maybe, during that time, my ears were just over saturated with Les Savy Fav's Let's Stay Friends that it can't accept new music anymore. But, man, their new album, Merriweather Post Pavilion, is just sick, in a good way. It's a great indie electro pop album where synths and vocals playfully balances each other, creating a joyous sound.

The Derek Trucks Band

While it took me some time, and a lot of A+ reviews, before I risked my money and bought Merriweather Post Pavilion, I never had any doubt when I bought Already Free, the new album of The Derek Trucks Band. I just whisked the album away from the shelves the moment I saw the thing because Derek Trucks is a given. The dude's a guitar god spawned in this decade. Once again, with Already Free, he's proven himself as an excellent and diverese guitarist. But it's not just Truck's stringcraft that made this album great. It's also the vocals of Kofi Burbridge and the guests that filled this album with a lot of blues, a lot of groove and a lot of soul.

Merriweather Post Pavilion by Animal Collective and Already Free by The Derek Trucks Band are both great albums. Initially, I really enjoyed listening to them both. It may take a couple more listens before I can write a lengthier review for both albums. Although, I don't really recommend Animal Collective just to anybody. Because it's the kind of pop that only sounds poppy but not really intended for popular crowds. But, nevertheless, I urge you guys to take a risk, you might end up liking it. As for Derek Trucks, I don't think any open-minded music lover, who's looking for easy chill songs, could dislike Already Free.

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