Heartonastick's Present to All Y'all: 2006 Music Bloggregate

J's really outdone himself this time. I know Amrit's been pulling all-nighters working on the Gummies but he hasn't been alone. Mr. Heartonastick's been going insane the past couple weeks aggregating music top-ten lists so we can see the results. Some surprises: Decemberists as high as #2; Thom Yorke as high as #6, and the Knife as low as #13.

The Official 2006 Music Bloggregate
See also: list of all the albums included as well as and contributers.

You can also download the mighty excel file to look at the entire system.

It's an insane amount of work. Next up: the Pazz & Jop and the Jackin' Pop.

Stephen Malkmus to Headline Plug Awards

Jerry Yeti's Gmail Inbox says:

RE: PLUG Awards Announce Performers for 2007 Show PR
New York, NY (December 20, 2006) PLUG Independent Music Awards have announced the performers for the 2007 PLUG Awards Show at New York City’s Irving Plaza on Saturday, February 10, 2007. Scheduled to play are Stephen Malkmus and The Jicks, Silversun Pickups, El-P, Tokyo Police Club, Deerhoof, and comedian, David Cross will host the event.

Sweet. You can still vote here until January 26th for riveting categories such as "Online Radio Station Of The Year With Terrestrial Counterpart" and "Best Pitchfork Adjective of the Year - Type I [One used by PFM] and Type II [One used to describe PFM]."

Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Baby C'mon [mp3]
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks -(Do Not Feed The) Oyster [mp3]
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Us [mp3]
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - The Hook [mp3]
Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - Jenny & The Ess-Dog [mp3]

Nous Non Plus cover "Tuff Ghost"

I saw Nous Non Plus play the Music Slutskies's party at the Delancey a short while ago. They're from NYC but sing in French like they are from the banks of the Rive Gauche -because they kinda are- not excepting this cover. I didn't pay much attention at the Delancey with me being relegated to the back of the basement venue, but when I heard the familiar synthesizer melody that reveals the Unicorns' "Tuff Ghost", I got excited. Here's a video.



Multiple posts in a day? Youtube embedded content? This site is now 15% more like Idolator.

Nous Non Plus play Lit tonight as part of the Musebox Hot Mistletoe Makeout Party.

Spin Party: Girl Talk, CWK, Gogol Bordello

Monday night was the annual Spin Holiday Party; this year at the Hiro Ballroom they brought in tow the acts of Girl Talk, Cold War Kids and Gogol Bordello. I walked by the entrance at 9:00 to go get a slice of pizza and when I returned only a few minutes later the line had grown like a Chia Pet on Miracle Grow [Need a holiday gift idea? I just gave you two.]

Girl Talk [img cred] was up first -puzzling enough- making the 10:00 set seem awfully early. Greg Gillis did his best and we all posed like Kate Moss for Last Night's Party [no pics yet] and the other two hip photographers. Unfortunately Mr. Girl ended his short stint [and he always "plays" for too little] with an absolutely dreadful Nirvana cover. I cringed and went to to the bar for a refill.

Cold War Kids didn't do much more after that. I've seen the 'Kids several times and have always enjoyed their on stage presence. Not this time. They started off with a dud -some new song or something off their LP - something that wasn't "Hospital Beds." By the end, the audience let out a collective yawn and quickly realized, Oh Shit, they're out of free beer.

Gogol Bordello luckily resuscitated the comatose. For a private party, I was startled to see Eugune Hutz and Crew receive so much frenzy from the crowd. It was like everyone was given a pair of Moon Shoes [Yet another holiday gift idea] It was a memorable first impression to say the least. They play tomorrow night at Irving Plaza. It's sold out, but I'm mightily tempted to slip on a beard, pick up a saxophone and tell the kitchen staff I'm with the band.

The Thermals to play Bowery Ballroom

The Thermals will play Bowery Ballroom Sunday March 4th. Why does NYC always get these types of shows on Sundays? Tickets go on sale Friday at Noon here.

Also note that Sparklehorse returns to play Webster Hall on Feb 28th. I loved him last time at Bowery, but doubt I'd appreciate him in that venue. Tix on sale now.

DJ Riko Merry Mixmas

BoingBoing posted this which means... well... nothing really. Could be awesome, could suck. So I gave a hesitant listen and... well... hot damn, this *is* pretty awesome. [if only for the Louis Armstrong mashed-up reciting Twas the Night Before Christmas].

Head here to download or just stream. Highly recommended.

There's also an ingenious "12 Days of Christmas" mashed up so that each time through the versuses there are different lyrics.

Top Ten

People have been complaining about my Favorite albums of the year post all weekend. Some to my face, some behind my back. But those were only my “Favorite” albums. Here are my “Top Ten” albums for social and peer approval. I don’t think there’s any room for debate here.

1. TV on the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain
If your Top-Ten list doesn’t have TVotR as #1, that’s just dumb. No one will pay attention to the rest on the list if you don’t. There’s really no use fighting it.

2. LCD Soundsystem - 45:33
Yeah it’s only one track, but hey it’s freaking LSD Soundscan. If you learn anything from this genre it’s that longer is better. Nothing beats the longest song of the year. [except of course for TVotR]. Which also brings us to:

3. Joanna Newsom – Ys
Five songs all over 7 minutes on harp with odd rhythm and melodies = best of year. I had this on my Top Ten when I first got the press release saying it was only five tracks and nearly an hour long. In essence, it’s 56 minutes of recitative without aria. Just the other day I was on the J train when I heard someone quietly humming “Only Skin" and I chimed in in harmony. Who hasn’t had that stuck in their head this year?

4. The Knife – Silent Shout
Spooky Swedish electropop. Boo! They play behind a scrim. Yeah, that’s right: a scrim!!! With video projections and lights and ballons and and and... ooooo... ahhhhh.

5. Grizzly Bear – Yellow House
I tried to be critical once, but my commentors really changed my mind. So here it is.

6. Destroyer - Destroyer’s Rubies
Why didn’t this get a 10.0? This deserves a 10.0. Rumor has it that speculation over at the ILM board caused Mr. Bejar the coveted score of perfection from PFM. In my heart of hearts, I still give it one – and by default the other five albums above this one too.

7. Liars – Drums Not Dead
Have you seen the DVD for this? The one where the snail crawls along for the entire album? If you haven’t you may not understand why this album is so weird and weird = best of year. 9.9 [minus 0.1 for the other two DVD movies that aren’t as spacey.]

8. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
It doesn’t come out until March 2007, but it’s already the best of this year and next. C’mon, it’s freaking LDS Tabernaclesystem.

9. Thom Yorke – The Eraser
This is the guy in Radiohead.

10. Silversun Pickups – Carnavas
I don’t get this band at all. But others seem to. That’s why it’s #10.

Yeti Favorite Albums of the Year

January 2006 started the year like few years can. It gave us the legendary Tapes 'n Tapes stint in NYC, a raucous Wrens show, a spectacular Editors debut at Mercury and no less than than four of my top eleven albums of the year. So here we are... my favorites from the past twelve months. Not necessarily "the best", but the ones I listened to the most - for reasons clear or reasons unknown.

1. Elvis Perkins - Ash Wednesday
2. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
3. The Gaskets - Loose Change
4. The Blow - Paper Television
5. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
6. Man Man - Six Demon Bag
7. Decemberists - The Crane Wife
8. Benjy Ferree - Leaving the Nest
9. ¡Forward, Russia! - Give Me A Wall
10. Sparklehorse - Dreamt For Light Years In the Belly of a Mountain

11-25 after the jump.

*ramp*

-Jump! Jump!-






Yay, you made it.

11. Tunng - This is Tunng
12. Lo Fi FNK - Boylife
13. Oxford Collapse - Remember the Night Parties
14. Lily Allen - Alright Still
15. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
16. Pela - Exit Columbia Street
17. Band Of Horses - Everything All the Time
18. I’m From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce Me Friends
19. William Elliot Whitmore - Song of the Blackbird
20. Helios - Eingya
21. Malajube - Trompe-L'oeil
22. Damien Jurado - And Now That I'm In Your Shadow
23. Think About Life - Think About Life
24. Girl Talk - Night Ripper
25. Camera Obscura - Let's Get Out of This Country

Free Show: Diamond Nights Tomorrow @ Supreme Trading

Diamond Nights free show tomorrow [Friday night] at Supreme Trading. Set time is at 10:00. I don't love the Diamond Nights, but they're fun enough -especially for free. With the Young Lords (9) and Coydogs (11). Retreaded feel-good rock and roll.

Diamond Nights - Dirty Thief [mp3]

And the Nominees are... the 2006 Weblogs choices kinda blow

So many categories this year. Here are your 2006 nominees for Best Music Blog for the 2006 Weblog Awards. The prize is a pink ribon [you wish]. I've heard of exactly three of these websites.

Best Music Blog

Twangville
Sterogum [sic]
David Gilmour (?!?!?)
Nothing But Green Lights
i guess i'm floating
Blogcritics Music
Ryan's Smashing Life (who?)
...your home for SOUL
Glorious Noise
My Old Kentucky Blog

Of those, I don't even routinely visit that third [iGiF]. So my vote is for either "Sterogum" or Dodge. On the one hand, the SGummers are already everyone's favorite pound puppies; but on the other, Amrit and Scotty are still entertaining [even since they started blogging from the 18th green]. Dodge is cool too I suppose... despite those football posts being a chore to scroll past.

Yet, in the end, I think my vote must go to that David Gilmour. Who can compete with Pink is the New Floyd?

Clappity Clap for New Songs, or Not

The band we all call CYHSY [pronounced "Sigh-Hussy"] has released two new mp3s off their forth coming sophomore release. Today we are filled with a little disappointment. I'm not here to pass judgement; I didn't like the Hold Steady's "Chips Ahoy!" at first either. Now I eat that batter straight from the mixing bowl.

Here's one of the tracks:
Sigh Hussy - Underwater (You and Me) [mp3]

Here's the demo of that track recorded as Flashy Python:
Flashy Python - Underwater (You and Me) [mp3]

Which is almost a rip-off of this song:
Brian Eno & John Cale - Spinning Away [m4a]

Jingle Cats

More Xmas music this season won't be complete without. The Jingle Cats! Adorable kitties singing your favorite holiday tunes. Some of these felines sound down right sickly.

Jingle Cats - Auld Lang Syne [mp3]
Jingle Cats - O Christmas Tree [mp3]

Check here for pictures of your favorite bloggers' cats.

William Elliott Whitmore on Daytrotter

I am a big fan of William Elliott Whitmore's latest release Song of the Blackbird [previously on YDD]. He recently stopped by the venerable Daytrotter studios to record a session, so before the year is out, be sure to check out Whitmore for some great Americana. If a song like "Dry" doesn't lift your soul, there's no hope.

William Elliot Whitmore Daytrotter Sessions [4 Songs for Dowload]

Monday Listenings

50 Shots at the Giggle Club
You guys can have your Clipse, I'll take Kids Rap Volumes 1 & 2. With a premise like this, maybe I do like Hip Hop: "We are about to have an 18-and-under rap session... Yo check it out, we're about to get into the Giggle Club." Why do 18-and-unders hate melody so much?

More Christmas Music To Annoy Your Family
This track comes from an old AskMe when PinkStainlessTail told the community, "I like to sing Jingle Bell Rock, but using only the words 'bell', 'rock', and 'jingle'".

PinkStainlessTail - Jingle Rock Bell [mp3]
[Lovingly hosted by fellow Mefite Quasistoic]

Free Junior Boys Tix for Next Week

I meant to do this earlier, but kept forgetting. Now, I don't normally do contests but I'll make an exception for time to time. Since it's Advent, it's the season to break rules. Domino Records is giving me one pair of tickets to give away to the Junior Boys at Studio B next Thursday [also on sale]. So hurry up and email me at jerryyeti -at- gmail.com. The catch is that Domino is mailing the pair of tickets via USPS, so I need your emails by Monday Morning at the latest and I'll spin a dreidel to pick a winner. Also, since they are being mailed, in order for you to receive them by Thursday, please include your mailing address. I'll delete your emails promptly after the dreidel makes it's decision. Don't worry, I have too many ex-girlfriends to stalk to bother with you guys.
Junior Boys - The Equalizer [Morgan Geist Remix] [mp3]

8Bit Xmas | Blip Festival

Every year I remind y'all of the wonderful Ninendo-ey [Nintendoughy?] Chrismas album by the 8 Bit Peoples. It's free and available for download as mp3s here. So gear up your Gears of War and get ready to Mario Party.

Some of the songs are more obscure, but here are a couple you should recognize:
Dma-Sc - The First Noel [mp3] Highly Rec'd!!
Nullsleep - Silent Night [mp3]
Bitshifter - Let It Snow [mp3]

Go and get the rest [8 in total]. Yeah, you might need to be a little dorky to appreciate these. At the 1-minute mark in Let It Snow, I think you get invincibility super powers. Pictured above is an NES Advantage Belt Buckle, for the hipster on your Christmas list.

ALSO - This weekend at The Tank is the annual Blip Festival that features all these sorts of people creating chiptune music. Here's the schedule. I can recommend Bitshifter tonight @ 11:20 and Nullsleep tomorrow @ 11:20. The others I'm unfamiliar.