We're off and running! And we're ready to share our 20 Most Anticipated Albums of 2014 for January through March. Kill the Christmas music and get these selections on your radar!
Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Wig Out at Jagbags (1/7)
Bruce Springsteen, High Hopes (1/14)
Lanterns on the Lake, Until the Colours Run (1/14)
Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Give the People What They Want (1/14)
Broken Bells, After the Disco (1/14)
Warpaint, Warpaint (1/21)
I Break Horses, Chiaroscuro (1/21)
Damien Jurado, Brothers and Sisters of the Eternal Son (1/21)
Crushed Stars, Farewell Young Lovers (1/21)
Nicole Atkins, Slow Phaser (2/4)
Water Liars, Water Liars (2/4)
Blondfire, Young Heart ( 2/11)
Band of Horses, Acoustic at the Ryman (2/11)
Fanfarlo, Let's Go Extinct (2/11)
Phantogram, Voices (2/18)
Angel Olsen, Burn Your Fire For No Witness (2/18)
St. Vincent, St. Vincent (2/25) Drive-By Truckers, English Oceans (3/4) Little Hurricane, Gold Fever (3/4)
I knew very little about Jenny Owen Youngs until I heard this song a few weeks ago. And that was when I woke up. Let's have a listen. (And yes, the ending is brilliant.)
That piece of goodness is off Youngs' latest album, An Unwavering Band of Light, which is a must-listen for those of you who enjoy songwriting that's intelligent and undeniably honest. It's mostly filled with upbeat songs that you'll want on your next summer road trip, wherever that may be.
Or, maybe you're in Saint Louis and you want to hear them tonight at Off Broadway, where Youngs will be performing solo, opening for Tim Barry ($12, 8 PM). We recently asked her to take part in our 10 to Spin series, and true to form, she delivered with one of the best playlists we've seen.
MAGICAL REALISM These are ten songs that I find to be otherworldly and transportative, in their lyrics, instrumentation, performance, or some combination thereof. -- Jenny Owen Youngs
01. Sigur Ros: Svefn-g-englar
I first heard this song in a dark room lit only by white Christmas tree lights and thought, "Holy smokes, I am totally transcending"... or something. Upon later listens I realized that no matter where you are, this song seems to have a dark room with white Christmas tree lights just built INTO it. Meditative and beautiful.
02. Gregory & the Hawk: For the Best
Recently someone said to me that when it comes to music, a groove is good and a rut is bad, and any groove runs the risk of turning into a rut if you stay in it too long. This song is my exception to that rule. Sometimes I listen to it twenty times in a row.
03. Tom Waits: Down, Down, Down Tom Waits takes you to Hell (as usual)!!!!
04. Kate Bush: Hounds Of Love
For me, Kate Bush and Tom Waits occupy two sides of the same coin. Tom wants you in the gutter and Kate wants you in the clouds. I love the simple phrase "two steps on the water," and the idea of love hunting you (in dog form) so that it might rip you to shreds. YES.
05. Fanfarlo: I'm A Pilot
Listening to this song always makes me think of the pilot in The Little Prince. (I'm sure that has nothing to do with Fanfarlo's intent, but that's fine with me.) I love when the writer of a song leaves enough room to fit the listener inside, along with any free-association ideas they might be trailing.
06. Joanna Newsom: Peach, Plum, Pear
Follow her through the woods, down the valley path, to... Rivendell?
07. Deerhunter: Desire Lines
YES YES YES.
08. Chris Garneau: Fireflies
A spooky, jumpy song with a really perfect combination of disparate timbres. Comes paired with a gorgeous video that will delight no one as much as Legend of Zelda fans.
09. Built To Spill: Cortez the Killer (Neil Young & Crazy Horse)
That rare cover that equals (or perhaps exceeds) the original, which is its own kind of magic. Also its own kind of magic: Doug Martsch's guitar tone.
10. Young Buffalo: Anthems For A Seventeen-Year-Old Girl
All the king's reverb. Another of my favorite covers, of one of my favorite songs, by one of my favorite bands.
Fanfarlo couldn't decide which video to use for the awesome song, "Fire Escape," from one of my favorite albums of 2009, Reservoir. So, they went with both, a light and a dark, a happy and a sad. I like the way they do business.
Head on over to Stereogum to download the Dave Sitek remix of "Fire Escape" and get ready for the Fire Escape EP, due out July 13th, also featuring remixes by Toro Y Moi and The Horrors. Way to milk it, Fanfarlo.
The dark version:
More light and light:
Better still, the band is gifting you a live EP for $FREE.99 for your e-mail address. The songs were recorded at college radio stations around the country. Included are "The Walls Are Coming Down," "I'm A Pilot," and "Finish Line."
Neko Case and T-Pain do an adult swim (USA Today)
St. Vincent performs in Chicago (Consequence of Sound)
John Hughes wrote a film inspired by The Cure (TwentyFourBit)
Just a cool music blog outta Boulder (Back Forty Presents)
The Best of What's Next: The Morning Benders (Paste)
Lissie got kicked outta high school (Spinner)
Fanfarlo plays Letterman (I Guess I'm Floating)
