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Saturday, December 05, 2009

The New Look

We are at the dawn of 2010, people.  10 years ago I was a sophomore in high school, digging on the new Limp Bizkit album, and rocking the trombone in the marching band.  A lot can happen in 10 years.  As I grew up, stopped watching MTV, and started getting exposed to other types of music, my tastes changed.



To celebrate the start of the new decade, I have changed the look of Audio Overflow slightly to pay tribute to some of the artists that helped shape the way I think about and consume music.  The design of the blog will continue to get tweaked until January, but I wanted to go ahead and give you all a sneak peek at the new look so that I can collect some feedback before finalizing things.

Audio Overflow version 2.0 (aka. The Big Brown) had just turned 2 years old.  It was time for a change.

Please leave a comment, letting me know what you think of the new look.  And don't forget to throw suggestions my way too!

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Friday, December 04, 2009

Best of 2009: Top 10 Party Jams

Let's say you're at this party, right? Dude who's rocking the music has to jet to pick up another case and he takes his iPod with him. This is your moment, your chance to impress every fine lady at that get-together. You take your iPod over to the stereo pick the flyest jam you have and then watch in anticipation as everyone at the party reacts to your choice of….Tone Loc?!?! Don't worry folks. If you ever get invited to another party, I've got you covered with the hottest party jams of '09! Throw some of these on, and I pretty much guarantee that it'll go over well. At the very least, they'll do better than "Funky Cold Medina."


#10. "Get Yo Shit" by Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears, from the album, Tell 'Em What Your Name Is! - A little bit of humor goes a long way, and this song has quite a bit of it. That's the good news. The bad news is that there's a lot of talking that people will have to hush up to understand. Still, if you're at a party in Austin where everybody pretty much already knows the song, you'll be fine.

#9. "Swing Tree" by Discovery, from the album, LP - "Swing Tree" has the uncanny ability to appeal to a variety of music fans; hip hop, pop, r&b, heck…maybe even reggae. I threw this on one night much to the admiration of one young lady in particular. Hey, that's one better than I was doing up until that point.


#8. "Get it Right Now" by Del the Funky Homosapien, from the album, Funk Man - Ahh the ultimate party conundrum! People are demanding that someone put on some rap songs - because, well, they've been drinking and are therefore more easily susceptible to bad things - but you don't want to insult your own intelligence by playing a selection from the 99% of rap music that blows. What to do? Throw on some D.E.L. It always goes down smooth.


#7. "A.T.C." by Lesbian Fist, from the Lesbian Fist EP - Remember that bit about humor going a long way? Well, let's hope your party has an open sense of humor because Lesbian Fist is going to bring the goods, wrapped up in a nice little pop package. Keep an eye on peoples' faces as they ask themselves, "Did I really just hear that?" while simultaneously bouncing to one of the catchiest songs of 2009.


#6. "Little Secrets" by Passion Pit, from the album, Manners - Nobody had heard this song the first time I had played it for my friends at a social gathering. Since then, at least a few of them have picked up the CD because of this one. "Little Secrets" may not not pack the universal appeal of other songs on this list, but I'll be damned if it ain't a whole lot of fun singing to when you're a tiny bit inebriated.


#5. "1901" by Phoenix, from the album, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix - Okay, the car commercial pretty much ruined it for me too, but I'll be damned if this still isn't one of the best songs of 2009. That applies to whether you're listening at a party or at a party of one :(. Honestly, who doesn't love this song?


#4. "Daylight" by Matt & Kim, from the album, Grand - You would think that this song would be more off-putting to some than it actually is. Come to think of it, I don't recall ever having to change the song due to someone disliking it. It's a fun, poppy, piano-driven song that I have yet to tire of despite having listened to it several dozen times over the course of 2009.


#3. "ddd" by Wallpaper., from the album, Doodoo Face - Humor, again, does wonders, and "ddd" certainly packs in its share of one-liners. Sure, there may be one cowardly anonymous commenter on this blog who referred to Wallpaper. as "drivel" (most likely without ever listening to it seriously), but I have yet to introduce this song to anyone who has disliked it. Considering I tend to chill with a bunch of Ryan Adams and Regina Spektor fans, I'd say that's quite the achievement.


#2. "I'm On a Boat" by The Lonely Island (featuring T-Pain), from the album, Incredibad - Experience, just once, a whole room of people simultaneously singing "I Fucked a Mermaid" and you'll know why this one is awesome. 'Nuff said.


#1. "I Got Soul, I'm So Wasted" by Wallpaper., from the album, Doodoo Face - There are few songs in the world that have complete universal appeal. Wallpaper's first single from Doodoo Face has to come pretty close. Besides the fact that everybody (EVERYBODY) I know personally loves it, I still have yet to read a review of the album or the song that dismisses it as less than it is. Wallpaper's music is all about letting loose and having a good time and it goes about it in a satirical manner. So even those of us who hate most mainstream pop music can enjoy it. Nobody seriously sings about "throwing up in the bathroom stall" as an achievement, but Ricky Reed does. And if you've ever been in that sort of situation (guilty), then you'll be singing right along (also guilty). For me, this the unquestionable party jam of '09.

What's yours?

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Thursday, December 03, 2009

Best of 2009: Top 5 Album Covers

To many people, the album cover is non-essential.  It's simply another barrier between the music and the listener.  For me, however, it's a necessary part of the experience.  That's a large reason why I still buy into physical formats.  Having art in your hands makes your $15 purchase seem a lot more worth it, than paying $10 for a digital copy of some music and a JPEG.  With that in mind, here are 5 album covers that really helped me do my part in saving physical media in 2009.


#5. Dirty Projectors: Bitte Orca - When I first held Bitte Orca in my hands and looked at the album cover, I was intrigued. I wasn't sure what to make of it. Here you have two women and colored splotches of paint. Okay. I didn't get it. Hell, I still don't get it. But I stayed there and looked at it for a few minutes. Occasionally I still open the image up in iTunes just to look at a larger version of it. It's nothing fancy, and it's nothing special, but I like it. I can't explain it any differently.


#4. St. Vincent: Actor - Annie Clark's album cover for Marry Me was kind of funny, whether that was intentional or not. She totally ugged it up for that image, and I loved it. Then Actor comes along and rather than get a timid mess of a mental hospital patient, we get a lovely young woman, seemingly wide-eyed and innocent. "Hopeful" is probably the best way to describe her gaze. It's a nice image, with interesting color choices.


#3. Muse: The Resistance - Okay….so there's a dude on a Billie Jean floor in outer space, surrounded by a hexagonal rainbow vortex that leads to earth? I'm sold! Seriously though, say want you want about Muse's latest album, you have to admit that when stacked against their most recent two covers, this one is pretty sweet. For one, there's not a picture of random humans sitting at a table in the desert. Secondly, the colors! Oooh….pretty!


#2. Wallpaper: Doodoo Face - If you had doubts about whether or not Wallpaper. was more of a light-hearted side project than an album from an artist that takes his work too seriously, this image should put them to rest. Doodoo Face has one of the best album covers of the year because it pretty much sums up exactly what to expect when you press play. What you expect is "that guy" doing all sorts of musical nonsense. And that's pretty much what you get.


#1. The Flaming Lips: Embryonic - I first saw this image long before Embryonic came out, or leaked, and my thought then is exactly what it is now: what the hell am I looking at?!?!? Okay, it's a face that's being pulled out of an upside down ripped open face….or is it being pushed in? Why is her tongue behind her teeth like that? Have you tried that? It's not a natural thing to do with your tongue. Random scribbles? Huh? People, I don't have an answer to any of these questions. What I do know is that this is one of the coolest things I've seen in my life. If they had a full-size art print of it, I'd frame it and hang it up. Maybe they do have one…I'm going to check on that.

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Wednesday, December 02, 2009

Check Out (Pretty) Girls & Lasers - Tonight in NYC!

If I'm going to be completely honest with all of you, I'm going to tell you that for the most part, I'm not a fan of crazy all-night dance parties.  Loud, mostly awful music, mixed by douchey DJs and soaked up by trashy girls isn't something I get into.  Forgive me.

But there are exceptions.  Enter (Pretty Girls) & Lasers, two guys who happen to make some incredible mixes with tunes that even I enjoy listening to.  I was skeptical, of course, when they first emailed me about their music, but after listening to their new hour-long mix on their website, I'm sold!

The duo will be in East Village tonight at Arlo & Esme to show off their skills for all in attendance.  There is free entry to anyone who RSVPs on the PG&L website, and $5 vodka drinks all night long.  Not bad for a Wednesday!



If you're in NYC tonight and want to dance your (pretty) little behind off, I highly recommend you check it out!  Thanks for the tip, guys.  Keep up the good work!

Cale out.

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Best of 2009: Top 5 Songs from Bad Albums

I did this list before in 2007 and had a lot of fun with it, so I thought I'd bring it back. Here, for your written-enjoyment, I present to you the Top 5 Songs of 2009 that just so happened to be on bad albums.


#5. "No You Girls" by Franz Ferdinand, from the album, Tonight - Franz Ferdinand has had trouble recapturing the magic of their debut album way back in 2003. I think even they could admit to that. However, in 2009 they tried something a little bit different and for that I totally commend them. Franz's self-described dance album had a few decent tracks on it, and this one was the standout. "No You Girls" is the catchiest thing from the group since "Take Me Out," featuring one of the grooviest choruses of the year! Handclaps, syncopated guitars, and a catchy hook; hell, it's got pretty much everything you need for a great pop rock song!


#4. "Glass" by Bat for Lashes, from the album, Two Suns - This was the first song by Bat for Lashes that I ever heard, so it tends to stick with me much longer than any of the other tracks on her overrated and mediocre 2009 album. In fact, it's not too much of a stretch to say that it's her ONLY song that's still getting listened to by me at this point. Now I know I'm going to get a lot of negative comments for calling this one a bad album, but really I just never could get into it. You can't really fault me for that….right?



#3. "Waters of March" by Anya Marina, from the album, Slow & Steady Seduction: Phase II - "Waters of March" (or "Águas de Março" in the original Portuguese) has been around in its various forms since the 1970s. In fact, in 2001 it was named as the all-time best Brazilian song. I'm not familiar enough with Brazilian music to hop onto that bandwagon, but it is a delightful tune either way. On her 2009 sophomore release, Anya Marina covered the song beautifully and its been getting steady plays ever since. I love this song! A friend of mine calls it (the original) his favorite of all time. Meh…I don't speak Portuguese. So I'll stick with this one.


#2. "Deja Vu" by Eminem, from the album, Relapse - Relapse was the best thing Eminem has done since The Eminem Show, I'll give him that much. But for the most part the album was filled with insincere tracks that seemed more or less aimed at recapturing the edginess of his first three albums rather than creating something that spoke of who Marshall Mathers is now. There's your standard songs about murder and drug abuse, fair enough, but all of it sounds forced rather than real. The one exception to this is the song "Deja Vu" which finds Marshall lamenting about his on again off again relationship with substance abuse. It's the only time on the album when I feel like he's opening up and being real with his fans rather than trying to imitate the Slim Shady of a decade ago. The result is a downright amazing song, and one of the best rap tracks of 2009!


#1. "French Navy" by Camera Obscura, from the album, My Maudlin Career - In 2006, Camera Obscura did much this exact same thing. They created a somewhat okay album with a stunner of an opening track that just somehow managed to become one of the year's best. To say "French Navy" is 2009's "Lloyd, I'm Ready to be Heartbroken" is probably stating the obvious at this point. Oh well, it is. While it may not be near as classic as that magnificent song, "French Navy" has all the magic and catchiness of all of Camera Obscura's great ones!

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Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Video: Passion Pit - "Little Secrets"


Well by now you guys should all know that Passion Pit's "Little Secrets" is my favorite song of 2009.  The real question is, does its video live up to the song?

Video Link

You'll have to follow that link to check out the full video (embedding has been disabled), but be sure to swing back by here afterwards to let me know what you think of it.  Sure it may be a star child and black monolith away from being an exact replica of 2001:  A Space Odyssey's final act, but the visuals and effects seem to fit farely well with the music.

Share your thoughts in the comments.

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Worst of 2009: The 5 Most-Overrated Albums

One of the most frustrating things as a fan of great music is reading nothing but positive reviews about an album, only to pick it up and be blown away by how bad, mediocre, or disappointing it actually is. 2009 had its fair share of critically-adored albums that just never clicked with me (and a few more that just pissed me off entirely). The following list is for the 5 Most-Overrated Albums of 2009. Now excuse me while I go put on my flame-retardant suit.

#5. Bat for Lashes: Two Suns (Metacritic: 77) - No, no, no, there's some good song's on here, you have me all wrong, reader. But as far as it being one of the year's best? Well, I disagree wholeheartedly. Natasha is an extremely talented young lady as evidenced here, and on her previous record, but Two Suns is too often an album that lacks consistency. "Oh this song is amazing, oh this one is alright; this one is totally crazy, this one just put me to sleep." Thus concludes the insight into my thought process when listening to the album. So to close, allow me to reiterate: tons of talent, doesn't come together well enough. Fin.



#4. Animal Collective: Merriweather Post Pavilion (Metacritic: 89) - Holy god there's part of me that wants to put this one at the #1 spot on this list just due to the sheer amount of hype surrounding it. Positive review after positive review after positive review and the only thing I can walk away with after hearing this album is that there is one good song "My Girls." My honest opinion is that this is Animal Collective's worst album I've ever heard, and I've been listening since Sung Tongs came out. So technically that may make it the most overrated, but it's not the worst album that got rated well…so we'll move on.

#3. Fever Ray: Fever Ray (Metacritic: 81) - Okay so all I really know is that this album got fantastic reviews from several reputable sources. I check it out, listen to 6 songs and then never give it a serious listen ever again. This album is bad.

#2. Girls: Album (Metacritic: 79) - The most amateur crap I've heard since Boddicker. Each song contains mediocre music accompanying really awful (just awful) lyrics sung by a mostly terrible singer. This is why people don't listen to indie music, because shit like this gets made. It's one of those albums that you just have to think wouldn't be around if the artist didn't have a totally harrowing backstory (they do, I suppose). Personally, I don't buy into this nonsense. This is easily one of the worst records of the year.

#1. Grizzly Bear: Veckatimest  (Metacritic:  85) - Yeah I know. Believe it or not, I had never heard Grizzly Bear before 2009. Now, like you, I'd been hearing amazing things for years. So when this album dropped at the beginning of the year, I didn't waste a second picking it up. What I got was a collection of really uninteresting, boring music that did nothing but disappoint time and time again. I've seriously listened to Veckatimest several times through but have yet to grasp what the hell everyone is going on about. But hey, at least I know better now.

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