We All Want Someone To Shout For

(thanks/credit to Camilo Bejarano for the wonderful artwork)

January 2011 was a strange month. No need to get personal with you guys, but it was. I’ve been in a different state of mind of late, and maybe this playlist reflects my mood better than I can put into words. This is the stuff that got me through the last month. You could say that these are my favorite songs of January 2011, but that’s not really what this is about. This is a unique collection of songs that strangely works in my mind. I hope it works for you too.

I put it together in a specific order that should play together well. You can download the entire thing as a ZIP file or stream each individually.

This is my first monthly mix ever. I hope you enjoy it. This is what defined January 2011 for me:

1. Cut Copy – Need You Now
2. Slowwave – Pour
3. Panda Bear – Atiba Song
4. The Decemberists – This Is Why We Fight
5. Foster The People - Houdini
6. Futurist – Antihero
7. British Sea Power – Heavy Water
8. The Vaccines – We’re Happening
9. Lykke Li – I Follow Rivers
10. Action Movie Hero Boy – Skates 3
11. Cities Aviv – Float On
12. Night Surgeon – Color Me Black and White
13. Johnny Reb – Brown Paper Bag (Feat. Boz Boorer)
14. Beach Fossils – Calyer
15. Zoo Kid – Out Getting Ribs
16. Ducktails – Killin’ The Vibe (Feat. Panda Bear)
17. La Sera – Devils Hearts Grow Gold
18. Mister Heavenly – Mister Heavenly
19. Little Comets – Dancing Song
20. Chapel Club – Surfacing
21. Tennis – Pigeon
22. Glasvegas – The World Is Yours
23. Nostalghia – I Am Robot Hear Me Glitch
24. Emay – Because Winter (Feat. Lowell Boland)
25. Dusk Warrior – Dusk Warrior Television Show
26. Ravens & Chimes – Past Lives
27. Motive – Nobody Eats My Dinner
28. Oberhofer – Away Frm U
29. Patrick Wolf – Time Of My Life
30. Smith Westerns – All Die Young

January 2011 Mix ZIP

Fleet Foxes have announced that their new album is titled Helplessness Blues. The much anticipated follow up to their amazing 2008 debut is going to be released on May 3rd via Sub Pop. It will be 12 songs long, and the band will start touring on April 30th. On May 18th they are playing at United Palace Theater in NYC. Perfect.

The band has made the title track available for free download. After my first listen, I’m totally satisfied. It’s more beautiful folk rock from Fleet Foxes that we’ve come to expect, but still cherish.

The band hasn’t lost a step. I can’t wait for the rest of the album. Grab “Helplessness Blues” below:

[mp3]: Fleet Foxes – Helplessness Blues

God, this song is excellent. Check out the band’s tour dates, after the jump:

Read the rest of this entry »

According to This Is Fake DIY,  Gilles Peterson made a comment during the Worldwide Awards on BBC Radio 1, about Radiohead possibly completing the recording of their new album. Here is the exact quote:

I think we’re just lucky that Radiohead are having some free time at the moment. And Thom was just hanging out. He enjoyed himself. And there’s a new Radiohead album if you’re wondering. Just done I believe.

Given, this is all speculation. Who knows how reliable his quote is. It may be wishful thinking, but one can hope that a new Radiohead album is on the horizon, right?

Thanks to Brendan Frank for the tip.

Meet Futurist. They’re a band from Brooklyn who have just captured my heart with their fantastic new song, “Antihero”. It’s charming music video makes the song that much better. Try not to smile with joy while watching the Maxine Nienow directed video. What it lacks in budget, it makes up with heart. The video is able to capture the spirit of this song, now that’s what I call an effective music video.

This is as enjoyable of an indie pop song as they come. It’s going to be off their new album War is Yesterday, set for release in May.

Watch the video below, and grab a mp3 right after it.

Futurist – Antihero from curtis peel. on Vimeo.

[mp3]: Futurist – Antihero

Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros’ very own Alexander Ebert is going solo. He’s going by the name Alexander, and is releasing his self titled debut album March 1st on Community Music (via Vagrant).

You can hear two songs from the album right now. “Truth” starts off like a lonely journey through a dry desert plane but soon spreads it wings towards various genres. It’s available to download for free right now. The second is the warm “Million Years”. It’s available to stream right after “Truth”.

Both tracks are solid offerings that should make you excited for his debut album.

[mp3]: Alexander – Truth

Million Years by AlexanderEbert

Last summer I posted a track called “Skates 2″ from a low-key artist named Action Movie Hero Boy. He’s back, and now he’s giving us “Skates 3″. If you thought “Skates 2″ was good, just wait to you hear #3. It’s got a fat bassline and some interplay between futuristic synths. This is one sick track.

Watch out Justice, Action Movie Hero Boy is coming.

Skates 3 (Read Description) by Action Movie Hero Boy

“Skates 3″ is taken from a free album that he is releasing later this month called The Forest. I’ll let you know when that’s out. Get a full album preview below:

Get excited.

Remember that incredible cover that Blackbird Blackbird did of Modest Mouse’s “Float On”? It’s still as stunning as ever, and I don’t think I’m the only one feeling that way. Memphis, Tennessee, rapper Cities Aviv was so inspired by it that he decided to rap over it. I’m loving the end result.

Watch the music video, and grab it for free via his bandcamp:

Float On from PHAYS FILM on Vimeo.

Thanks for all of you who participated this year. I got about 70 people to participate, which is an increase from last year. Sorry that it took so long to tally the votes. For the most part, the results are almost indentical to my taste. That makes sense. There are a few new albums here and there which is always good to see.

So here we go. Here were your favorite albums of the year:

1. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs 266 pts, 39 votes, 6 #1’s
2. The National – High Violet 198 pts, 10 #1’s 28 votes
3. Vampire Weekend – Contra 133 pts, 21 votes, 3 #1’s
4. Beach House: Teen Dream 128 pts, 22 votes, 4 #1’s
5. LCD Soundsystem: This Is Happening 116 pts, 23 votes, 2 #10s
6. Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 109 pts, 15 votes, 3 #1’s
7. Sufjan Stevens – The Age of Adz 108 pts, 13 votes, 4 #1’s
8. The Morning Benders – Big Echo – 93 pts, 13 votes, 2 #1’s
9. The Black Keys – Brothers 70 pts , 14 votes, 1 #1
10. Deerhunter: Halcyon Digest 68 pts, 15 votes, 1 #1
11. Sleigh Bells – Treats – 62, 12 votes, 1 #1
12. The Walkmen: Lisbon 51 pts, 9 votes
13. Foals – Total Life Forever 48 points, 11 votes, 2 #1’s
14. Two Door Cinema Club – Tourist History 46, 8 votes
15. Gorillaz – Plastic Beach 43, 9 votes
16. Yeasayer – Odd Blood 39 pts, 7 votes
17. Best Coast – Crazy For You 37 pts, 6 votes, 1 #1
18. Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record 37, 5 votes
19. Los Campesinos! – Romance is Boring 35, 5 votes
20. Jónsi – Go 30, 6 votes
21. Local Natives – Gorilla Manor – 29, 6 votes
22. Mumford and Sons – Sigh No More 29, 6 votes
23. Titus Andronicus – The Monitor – 29, 5 votes
24. Band Of Horses .Infinite Arms 25, 5 votes
25. Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles II 25, 4 votes
26. The Tallest Man on Earth- The Wild Hunt 24, 4 votes
27. Janelle Monae: The ArchAndroid 24, 3 votes, 2 #1’s
28. The Radio Dept. – Clinging To A Scheme 23, 3 votes
29. The Drums – The Drums 22, 6 votes
30. Girls – Broken Dreams Club (EP) 22, 3 votes
31. Broken Bells – Broken Bells 21, 5 votes
32. Surfer Blood – Astrocost 21, 4 votes
33. Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse – Dark Night of the Soul 21, 3 votes, 1 #1
34. Frightened Rabbit – The Winter of Mixed Drinks 21, 3 votes
35. Robyn – Body Talk 20, 5 votes
36. Twin Shadow – Forget 20, 3 votes
37. The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang 20, 3 votes
38. Wolf Parade- Expo 86 – 19, 4 votes
39. MGMT – Congratulations 19, 4 votes
40. Owen Pallett – Heartland 17, 3 votes

I didn’t do top songs because there were simply too many different song selections. Don’t know what I was thinking when I asked that. Thanks for sending them, though. It was awesome to see everyone’s picks.

Here is my list, if you somehow missed out.

Just when you think that the PS22 Kids Choir can’t impress you anymore, they come back with a new video and prove you wrong. I just watched their cover of Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti’s “Round and Round”, and was floored. Their performance was absolutely stunning.

It really is a tough song, but the kids make it sound natural as can be. Watch it below. You’re gonna want to favorite it for sure:

via You Ain’t No Picasso

Really enjoying Jamie xx’s re-working of Gil Scott-Heron’s “NY Is Killing Me”. Really chill and relaxing. Perfect for a slacker Saturday afternoon.

It’s taken from the upcoming album We’re New Here, which is Jamie xx’s reworking of Gil Scott-Heron’s 2010 album, I’m New Here. It’s out on February 22nd via Young Turks/XL. You can pre-order it here.