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January 31, 2011

Sound on the Sound’s Top 25 Northwest Albums of 2010

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Damien Jurado Dan Mangan Drew Grow & The Pastor’s Wives Fences Pearly Gate Music Ravenna Woods The Head and the Heart The Lonely Forest The Moondoggies Wild Orchid Children Sound on the Sound Presents
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We’ll be the first to admit this list is arriving, oh, at least a month late. On the other hand, 2010 was an expansive year for Northwest music in many regards and worthy of chronicling one last time with thoughtful and focused intention. So we hope you will see that the extra time we’ve given this piece has led to more in-depth reviews of each release in a way that a December 31st publish date didn’t allow. Hopefully you’ll read one of them and discover a great local record that you missed in 2010 proper.

Unlike some other lists who will cite being on a Northwest label as being a candidate for a “Best of the Northwest” list, ours only includes bands from and making music in the Northwest right now. We’ve expanded to include Vancouver to the north, south to Cottage Grove, west to Forks and east to (at least) Billings, however there’s no denying, our list is heavily Puget Sound area-centered, and mostly Seattle at that. We didn’t pay as close attention to Portland and Vancouver as we should have in 2010, something we plan on remedying in 2011.

With that please enjoy our take on the 25 most significant records we heard from the Pacific Northwest in 2010.

 

 

 

25. Fences – s/t

“Clocking in just over 30 minutes, the long-awaited debut establishes it was worth the wait with the first strums of “Girls With Accents,” whose chorus of “I’m fucking up, I’m fucking up everything” is destined to become a teenage anthem. But this album isn’t just for moody teenagers. Fences sings sad songs filled with snide sweetness, self-deprecation and a confessional honesty that hits home to anyone whose been brave enough to admit they fucked up and flawed enough to do the same thing all over again.” [abbey]

 

24. Wild Orchid Children – Are Alexander Supertramp

Were you ever young? Nod your head “yes.” What did you do when you were young? I’m not talking elementary school age, that’s real kids stuff. Let’s focus on the beast that is adolescence. What did you do when you were young? Did you do what your parents told you? If so, you probably listen to (insert conventional musician using complex social analysis matrix here). Were you a bookworm or liked to secretly play with action figures even though you were probably too old for it? If so, you probably listened to Hum. (editor’s note: Hum totally rules…I swear I left the GI Joe’s alone.) Did you get inebriated in the woods behind a strangers house on the beer you kept buried in the ground, then had Roman Candle fights in a neighboring cul-da-sac? Did you go skating at night and drink beer out of your own Vans sneaker? Did you do acid and see thousands of David the Gnomes come parading out of your bathroom as you tried to sleep? If so, you probably listen to Wild Orchid Children.

That’s exactly what this album is like. It’s like lighting your friends’ parents roof on fire by accident then instead of calling 9-1-1, you decide to make Smores on the ashes. The insurance company has its eyebrows raised. Are you an arsonist? You tell them to fuck off go kick rocks. You are Alexander Supertramp. [Phil]

 

 

23. Lesbian – Stratospheria Cubensis

Lesbian enjoys buttering up the listener with unassuming riffs at the beginning of their songs. Take the beginning Raging Arcania or Black Stygian for instance. The former being otherwordly while the latter is an obtuse delight. Eventually Lesbian decides your peace of mind is a bad joke and they’re not laughing. Insert weird metal breakdown here. Lesbian does something a lot of metal bands don’t but should. The band will throw in thrashy parts out of nowhere, creating quite the tempo shift. During these “brutal” fits, you would expect conventional usage of blast beats but Lesbian will not cave in to the needs of mundane metalheads across the globe. They stay true to their original outlandish form. After a few minutes of putting your mind in a blender, Lesbian decides that your pain bores them. The magical mushrooms that the band ingested before they decided to fuck-with-you-for-the-fun-of-it have worn off. They decide against taking you to Harborview because you don’t have insurance. They suture your skull back together with rusty, mostly heavier gauged guitar strings. That’s exactly what listening to this band is like. A prime example of this occasionally interrupted mayhem is the album’s title track. [Phil]

 

22. Language Arts & Def Dee – Gravity

Though it was a tough choice (a really tough choice) between the two full length albums LA put out this year (the other being Roll With The Winners with producer Blu-Ray), it may have been the warm feeling of nostalgia that surfaced while listening to Gravity that kept it on repeat for such a large part of the year. LA is arguably the most lyrically sound MC in the area code, from street-side cyphers to formidable entries on wax, and Def Dee’s classic east coast style, lowest-fi production, the sixteen tracks feel timeless. [Todd]

 

 

21. Baltic Cousins – s/t EP

“I’m the same as I was that day…” – Break Bread

It’s like they were there, but they weren’t.

All of us can reach back into our past and select a day. Depending on which day we take hold, the meaning and the outcome of those moments would be different. Close your eyes and think for a second. What day did you choose and would you change anything about it? Did you say the right things? Did you make the right decision? Has anything about you changed from the brief moment you selected? Is regret a shadow that follows you constantly even though we never see the sun around here?

The self-titled demo released by Baltic Cousins resonates heavily with those who hear it. There is not much to their bare approach to songwriting. No bass. No keys. No additional percussionist. This Bellingham supergroup doesn’t need the bells and whistles of the current dog and pony show that is indie rock. What Baltic Cousins lacks in number of members or presentation they make up for with remarkable honesty that is manifested in both lyrical and musical form. [Phil]

 

20. Frog Eyes – Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph

My husband suggested the following review for this album: “Weird, but worth it.”

Paul’s Tomb: A Triumph is an intricate concerto of noise, Bach for the rock and roll era. Seemingly influenced by everything from Dinosaur Jr. to Baptist preaching, this record is a master class in bringing together a slew of disparate influences into a harmonious – if not particularly melodic – whole. Sometimes delicate, sometimes rushing and rattling like a runaway train, Paul’s Tomb is a howling journey through frontman Carey Mercer’s brain. [Brittney]

 

Read the rest of our Top 25 Northwest Albums of 2010 after the jump (more…)

January 16, 2011

Abbey’s 20 Favorite Local Records of 2010

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Damien Jurado ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Our big, written properly, not just a list of The Top 25 Northwest Albums of 2010 is coming soon, really, WE PROMISE. But today I wanted to share my personal favorites of 2010. Also, my number one most listened to local album of 2010 was basically a “Best Of” compilation, so I decided not to include it. If I had though, Carissa’s Wierd’s They’ll Only Miss You When You Leave would be perched near the very top.

1. Damien Jurado – Saint Bartlett 2. The Moondoggies – Tidelands and You’ll Find No Answers Here 3. The Head and The Heart – s/t 4. S – I’m Not As Good At It As You 5. Dan Mangan – Nice Nice Very Nice 6. Avians Alight – s/t 7. Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives – s/t 8. Hoquiam – s/t 9. Mt. St. Helen’s Vietnam Band – Where the Messengers Meet 10. Ravenna Woods – Demons and Lakes

Ravenna Woods ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

11. Lemolo – Singles EP 12. The Lonely Forest – s/t EP 13. The Lights – Failed Graves 14. What What Now – Fingers and Toes 15. Baltic Cousins – s/t EP 16. Joseph Giant – s/t 17. Salmon Thrasher – What Gives and Thrashin’ USA 18. Macklemore and Ryan Lewis – The Vs. Remixes 19. Hobosexual – s/t 20. Shannon Stephens – s/t

Four albums I love that I haven’t had enough time with to make a judgment … my best guess though? Had they come out earlier in the year, they’d be in that Top 20:

The Solvents – Forgive Yr. Blood Drew Grow – The Comfort Feel EP Le Sang Song – s/t Cobirds Unite – s/t

January 12, 2011

Josh’s Favorite Records of 2010

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Since I’m later than everyone else and am expounding (and have expounded) elsewhere plenty on 2010 I’ll keep this one short. The following is a list of the most compelling records I heard in 2010. Not coincidentally these really were the records I actually listened to most. To my mind, every one of my choices exists as a whole record, and not just a collection of individual singles, so, in my humble opinion, every single record on this list is worthy of taking the time to listen all the way through to be absorbed fully.

Since I only did twenty songs for 2010, I also limited myself to an unordered list of twenty records (plus a few stellar EP’s). Click the link on a band name to see what we’ve wrote about them in 2010.

(more…)

January 11, 2011

My 2010: In One Ear and Out The Other (the “Live” show)

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Baroness at Bumbershoot ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Ladies and Gentlemen, hold on to your hats, this is for all the marbles….

“You’re Not From Around Here…Are You?” – Best Live Performance By A Touring Act

Winner(s): Goodie Mob. Coalesce. Baroness. Almost Winner(s): Jay Electronica.

Judging by the fact that I have multiple winners listed, this was a difficult decision to make. Goodie Mob gave me a reason to believe in the concept of “reunion tours” again. I graduated from the school of thought where if you break up once, you should probably stay separated. Unless you’re a fan of daytime television or have the desire to construct a Greek tragedy in which you are the star, it’s probably in the best interest of all parties involved. This Goodie Mob tour could’ve went a lot like a Naughty By Nature (who?) reunion tour. But it didn’t. Big Gipp rocking a bullet proof vest in tongue and cheek fashion. Cee-Lo playing the part of the big bad wolf by blowing the “house” down with his vocals. It was a thing of beauty. Coalesce took a decade of mockery by yours truly and shoved it down my throat and into the pit of my stomach. I’m still removing the crow from my teeth and the show happened back in May. Baroness may be the crown jewel of this trio. They braved the elements. an unfavorable set-time (competing with lots of other acts at Bumbershoot) and still came out as the undeniable kings of the mountain. They literally destroyed generations of people. Never have I seen someone who isn’t old enough to know the mathematical concept of “multiplication” rock out so hard. They performed with a precision and charisma that was unmatched in the calendar year of 2010. Kudos to them. On the other hand….

The Thermals at Bumbershoot ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

“Who Are You Boning For Your Success?” Worst Live Performance By A “Touring” Band

Winner: Free Energy. Almost Winner: The Thermals.

For as long as Free Energy are in existence, this is their award to lose. The kings of pomp. How many Mick Jagger “How To Be A Frontman” VHS tapes can we watch in one night? No. Let’s choreograph the moves we see in RockBand.  Maybe if we wear makeup, people like us more? Suddenly we’re opening for a souless, cowardly Weezer. Go figure. The Thermals are a band that I enjoy, at times. Here’s where I utter the predictable “I like the first album, but that’s it” go-to critic line. I saw them in the KEXP Bumbershoot Lounge or what have you. Easily one of the most boring, uninspired performances I’ve ever seen. Billy Corgan is looking in the mirror, shining his bald head and mocking toasting this display of live mediocrity. Well done. The well-trained people in the audience clapped after every song. Why? Was it because it was live radio and that was your job as a studio audience? Sheep. I wanted to “boo” and maybe “hiss.” Tomatoes would have been heaved in the Thermals general direction. There is the possibility that the Thermals were saving their passion for the Broad Street Stage later on that tonight. That’s not a legit excuse in my opinion.

Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

“‘It’s Getting Better All The Time…’No Seriously Your Band Is Like That Beatles Song…” Live Show Award.

Winner: Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives. Almost Winner(s): What What Now.

I’m just stating the facts. Every time I see Drew Grow and the Pastor’s Wives, they are better than the time before…and they are always really good. After the first four or five times this happened, I was shocked. Now this is just something I expect. It’s too bad for them, they’re fucked by their own greatness.  Sooner or later I fully expect Drew Grow to utter this in the middle of a live performance: “While all of you had your eyes closed during It All Comes Right, Seth and Jeremiah have built a spaceship out of your adoration. Look around you. Ladies and Gentlemen, we are currently floating in space…I’m not kidding.” I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest. In fact, I demand that this happens the next time I see them. Don’t mind me. I’m a first child. We’re the spoiled ones.

See the rest of Phil’s live favorites (and least favorites) after the jump… (more…)

January 6, 2011

A Tip of the Hat – our 2010 MVP’s

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Drew Grow & The Pastor’s Wives Kelli Schaefer Macklemore Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Shabazz Palaces The Head and the Heart The Moondoggies Doe Bay Fest Hardly Art Records Sound on the Sound Presents

 

Drew Grow and the Pastors’ Wives ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

We had an incredible 2010 here at Sound on the Sound and it was in large part thanks to the following MVPs and, of course, you guys reading this. These were the artists, albums, labels, festivals, bookers and sound guys that inspired and impressed us most and these are the people that remind us every day why we wouldn’t trade our local music scene for anywhere else in the world.

MVP Live Act – Drew Grow & the Pastors Wives

No one impressed us in 2010, from performance one and from living rooms to the Showbox, like Drew Grow and the Pastors Wives have. No one even comes close. Here’s what we had to say about the band’s stirring live shows:

“Inevitably, after Drew sings I am left thinking, “that must be what people who believe in God feel like when they sing and hear hymns.” It is a performance enjoyed with eyes closed tightly, arms raised aloft to the stage, heads thrown back in ecstasy and exultation and a sense you are witnessing something as a collective, not an individual. I don’t attend church anymore and I moved on from believing in God to believing in music and the people who create it, and seeing Drew Grow live is as close to a religious experience as I will ever have.” – abbey

 

Kelli Schaefer ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

MVP Performer (Female) - Kelli Schaefer

Phil said it best when describing Kelli Schaefer, “This woman right here, she’s a hurricane.” Rarely have seven words so succinctly described a musician and all without an adjective. Kelli is not what she seems as she steps on stage. Soft-spoken and ghostly pale, Schaefer bellows with a voice that spans emotion, time, range, timbre and comprehension. She is none of our preconceived notions about a fragile girl with a guitar and when she belts out that first note and bitter beautiful words, we are astounded. I’ll always remember filming our Doe Bay Session with Kelli this August; standing there with an acoustic guitar, our wonderful sound guy made some assumptions about what would be coming out of Kelli. She peaked out the recording with the first note, nearly blowing out Chris’ ear drums. He threw off his headphones in shock, but with a huge smile. We could have stopped her right then, knowing we’d have to record again, but why would deny ourselves the opportunity to hear that astounding voice one more time? – abbey

 

Macklemore ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

MVP Performer (Male) – Macklemore

Facing life and his problems head on, for the benefit of all and with the help of friends, Ben Haggerty, AKA Macklemore now lives with his life on his sleeve. Equally a reverent nostalgic and a modern popaholic he’s able to bring us into his world and impart the wisdom of a colorful life with humor and seriousness in equal and complimentary doses. A party MC to the core, when most kids are too cool to jump, Macklemore walks up on stage and people can hardly contain themselves. No other acts entertain like Macklemore does, and that is pretty much the definition of who we should be handing this MVP out to. As far as I’m concerned Haggerty deserves a double MVP for being the top Northwest Rep in all the land. Maybe I’ll save that one for next year… – josh

 

Bryan John Appleby at Conor Byrne Open Mic ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

MVP Venue – Conor Byrne

Conor Byrne isn’t just where music is played, it’s where music is made. It’s where musicians are made. From the all-in “Old Timey Social” hour to Sunday’s Open Mic often curated by the Head and the Heart’s Josiah Johnson, musicians of all stripes and levels rub elbows, learn from each other, and maintain their own self-supporting community. Worthy as a bar in it’s own right serving the best Jameson Ginger in town, as a comfortable space where some of Seattle best songwriters can try out new songs in front of peers it’s gained status one of Ballard’s hangouts. When on any given Sunday night you might see three or more notable personality’s take the stage doing what they do in a more informal setting, each night ends up a special memory in it’s own right. -josh

 

Doe Bay Fest ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

MVP Festival – Doe Bay Fest

Josh remarked in his Doe Bay Fest 2010 recap:

“I think we might need to come up with a new word for what Doe Bay Fest is. Sure, it has a few stages, great bands are present, and it is nominally about seeing music. But calling it simply ‘a music festival’ doesn’t communicate the quality of interaction that a gathering in this setting encourages and makes possible. For four solid days I had no want to leave. In actively forgetting our worries and forgetting about clocks, Doe Bay became a real-life Utopia for those present, if only for an instant. And that’s not something that happens at just a ‘music festival.’”

 

The Head and The Heart ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

MVP New Band (Local) – The Head and the Heart

From Pike Place to the Paramount, the Head and the Heart have traveled an astonishing road in 2010. Once the ball started rolling for this sextet it just never stopped, from an unusually full High Dive on a Wednesday after Abbey introduced them to the world, to snagging a spot at Capitol Hill Block Party, to supporting the likes of Dave Matthews and Vampire Weekend and selling out a headlining bill at Neumos weeks ahead of time as their first show of 2011, all less than nine months on. It almost defies belief. Had I not seen it with my own eyes I would have said it does defy belief. Yet to see a crowd young and old react to them with equal fervor is to know the power of the smile and the hug, and to believe in it. Maybe that’s sappy, but I mean it. And that’s just what this band brings out in people. – josh

MVP Debut Album (Local) – The Head and the Heart

From Abbey’s exclusive sneak peek at their debut album:

“The Head and the Heart sing of life’s greatest journeys with uncanny confidence, knowing and a genuine glow. They may be young and the band may be new, but they sing of leaving home, the trials, stumbles and exhilaration of finding yourself, the tumults of love and the inevitability of loss, all with a sage-like comprehension of our humanity. If you love bands drenched in pretense or that keep themselves metaphorically aloof, you’ll hate The Head and The Heart. This band is unadulterated joy and boundless hope for the future laid bare in three-part harmonies, bubbling bass lines and warm pop orchestration that embraces you in a full-on hug. They are a recipe for a palpable rise in your mood, an antidote to counter the poison of our fast-paced days filled with calculated and impersonal interactions.”

 

Steve Norman with Goldfinch ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

MVP 6th Man (musician who plays around town w/different bands) – Steve Norman

There are a bevy of mighty fine slide-guitar sidemen in this town, but none are quite the character that is Steve Norman. You could be forgiven for wondering where Norman finds the time. He is everywhere doing semi-regular and guest duty in a constantly growing number of bands including but not limited to Goldfinch, Ghost of Kyle Bradford, Big Sur, Friday Mile, John Totten, Carrie Biell, Chris Pureka, Barton Carrol, Other Desert Cities, Husbands Love Your Wives, and Ben Gilmer, Sadie Ava, Greg Paul, Aaron Ebige, Sweet Hearts of the Rodeo, Steve Leslie (Chuckanut Drive), AP Dugas and the Ganges River Band. (His list.) When given the opportunity to conjure something right at that moment in impromptu guest appearances with the likes of Kelli Schaefer and Luke Stevens, he seems to effortlessly find a new texture to add, country or psyche, edgy or ballad. In one go at it he’s the accompaniment you never knew was missing. To invite Steve Norman onstage is, like inviting bikini models to your pool party, a double-edged sword. Yeah, you know pool parties are cool all by themselves, but they are indescribably better with a few models to just do what they do, you know, look good in bikinis and pretty up your party. Only after that first time you invite those models, pool parties won’t ever be the quite the same without them… You get the idea. – josh

 

Carissa’s Wierd ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

MVP Label – Hardly Art / Sub Pop

Really all I need to say to back up this MVP is: Carissa’s Wierd. The Moondoggies. Shabazz Palaces. The Head and The Heart. AFCGT. In 2010, Sub Pop and Hardly Art put their money where their mouths (and offices) are when it came to signing and supporting local talent.

Hardly Art’s reissued releases and “Best Of” from Carissa’s Wierd were the albums I listened to most in 2010, by a lot. Hardly Art managed to bring me CDs from the band that didn’t cost 100s of dollars on Ebay, first time vinyl presses, and the band on stage and in front of me live … all things I never imagined I, as someone who missed the band the first time around, would ever witness. All the while they faithfully supported my long-time favorite local band, releasing not one but two albums from The Moondoggies. Its the kind of thing that music fans would bequeath their first born to see a label do; but Hardly Art did it all for the right reasons in 2010 — because they’re moved by the music and they know they don’t have to look far outside their front door to find talent. (Though Sub Pop’s non-local releases from 2010: Beach House, No Age, Avi Buffalo are certainly nothing to sneeze at …) Most importantly, I get to keep my first born, my double colored Carissa’s Wierd vinyls and new Moondoggies … and for that, Hardly Art / Sub Pop are most certainly MVP worthy. – abbey

You can read (some of) the Sound on the Sound staff’s personal MVP’s after the jump … a label, a booker and a sound guy! (more…)

January 5, 2011

My 2010: In One Ear and Out the Other (Albums)

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These are a few of my favorite local albums. Without further adieu..

Album I’m Most Likely to Listen to When I’m Driving to Portland – Demons and Lakes by Ravenna Woods

I don’t know what it is about traversing Interstate Five for a matter of hours that inspires me to find my CD wallet and insert this album into my alien-like console. Some might say it’s because I know that I’m going to hit traffic in Tacoma. Let’s say by the grace of god that fails to happen. I’ll hit traffic well, I went to school in Olympia. It does not matter the hours. It does not matter the time. I’ll stop at a rest stop and grab free coffee from an elderly woman that eyes me in a suspicious manner. I mean no harm, I come for the caffeine. Watch the dread on my face when I realize I’m in Portland and my gas tank needle is dry-humping the “E” sign. Who wants to shine my shoes? All these emotions take a backseat to the fact that at some point, whether I’m going to or coming from Portland, I’m going to listen to Ravenna Woods.

First lured by the circus-y video that was In the World, I’ve been a keen observer and huge fan of Ravenna Woods ever since. Then I had the pleasure of seeing them at the Rendezvous. After the show I built them a shrine in my closet, complete with handmade bobble head dolls and child sweatshop knitted band-related winter scarves. Both items are available on Ebay and are not licensed by the band. Much like Juelz Santana, I’m about getting that bread homey. Dipset.

This album brings out many emotions from within. Where else would emotions come from, right? I contemplate my own mortality and intentions (even though I’m not a canine) when I listen to Simple Fates. The prior song is not just my favorite song on the album, it’s one of my favorite songs of the year. The message in the song is universal and especially easy to understand during these uncertain times. Simple Fates is all about maintaining perspective and not forgetting what is important. Whether it is losing your mind as a twentysomething (yours truly) or having trouble finding a job knowing that you have a family to provide for. Other songs off this album remind me of reading Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. The paranoia of Careful Where You Are…actually there is a lot of paranoia on this album. By the end of song entitled, The Road, the characters are fleeing for their lives.  On They Ran the author laments about the imminent darkness and the dangers that accompany it.

Darkness. Paranoia. Materialism. Three elements of human existence that Seattle is all too familiar with that are routinely discussed on this album. Despite lyrically exploring territory that would make Edgar Allen Poe look like a Mr. Rogers, The music that Ravenna Woods has created is adverse to their seemingly bleak lyrical content. It also should be said that Ravenna Woods has created a sound that is all their own. Who sounds like them besides…them? It’s a unique landscape worth taking in, much like the distance traveled from Seattle to Portland. The songs off of Demon and Lakes are well crafted anthems, reminding me of the “hardcore” days of yesteryear. There’s only one song on this album that reminds me of another band in the most subtle of ways. I will not prevaricate,  While the Town Was Sleeping does remind me of Tears for Fears a little bit. Am I insane? I can’t be the only one that feels this way. That’s not an insult to Ravenna Woods.  Tears for Fears had moments of greatness, not all musical acts can say that. I know at least one of you is listening to Shout or Everybody Wants To Rule The World as you read this. If you aren’t, why the fuck not? Imbecile.

I look forward to Ravenna Woods’ upcoming release that is slated for March 2011. Undoubtedly you’ll be able the to find that release on our “Best of 2011″ list. Much like you can find Demons and Lakes on our “Best of 2010″ list.

To read more about Phil’s eclectic favorites of 2010, follow the jump. (more…)

December 31, 2010

North of Northwest: 11 Things to Look Forward to in 2011

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Dan Mangan ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

The New Year is possibly my favorite holiday. For a few hours every year, everyone in the world reserves the right to turn to his neighbor, share a high-five, and say “Fuck yeah! We did it! One more year survived.” It’s a fine sense of accomplishment, and a great excuse to drink champagne.

The flip side of the new year is also great: the delicious sense of possibility that develops as you gaze wide-eyed ahead into the unknown expanse of the next twelve months. For a few brief moments as the clock turns over, you stare down nothing but untouched hope and joy. We have everything abstract to look forward too; here are eleven concrete things, too.

1. Native Speaker, the debut album of shimmery electro from Montreal band Braids. Listen to preview track “Lemonade” here.

2. The Rural Alberta Advantage’s sophomore release, Departing. It drops March 1, but you can download the lead single, “Stamp,” right now for free.

3. A second album from The D’Urbervilles , the synth-rock band fronted by John O’Regan, now better known as Diamond Rings. Recording is said to be finished, though no release date has been set. (The band is also said to be changing its name.)

4. A new project from Forestry guitarist Peter Gardner, which he says will lean “a little more towards the country side of things.”

5. Japandroids taking a pause from their constant touring to recorded a much-anticipated second album.

6. A new Dan Mangan album, already at least partially recorded. No release date is set, but Mangan says that he’s “thinking Fall 2011.”

7. Wolf Parade offering a temporary reprieve from their hiatus by playing Sasquatch in May.

8. Additionally, a “late Spring / early Summer” release from Wolf Parade singer Dan Boeckner’s side project, Handsome Furs.

9. A new album from Ontario folk talent Basia Bulat. Though no date has been offered, Bulat says she “has nearly all of it written.”

10. The eternal hope and possibility that the Constantines’ Bry Webb will offer the world something, anything from his solo project, the Harbour Coats. We’ve been subsisting on a Vimeo video and an infuriatingly dead-end webpage for far too long.

11. Justin Bieber in 3D.

December 31, 2010

Our Favorite Photos of 2010: Everything Else

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holyfuck

Holy Fuck at CHBP ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

We’ll be sharing our final favorite photo of 2010 later today, one we think sums up our 2010 beautifully, but we’d be remiss to not share these 10 other photos we took and loved in the last year. While we didn’t get to write about them individually this December, they are doubtlessly some of our favorites from the last year … in fact, I think that Holy Fuck photo above might be my favorite shot that graced Sound on the Sound all year. Too many awesome photos to share, not an awful problem to have.

We hope to have an even more difficult time narrowing it down to 30-40 photos in 2011!

Discs of Fury ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

New Pornographers at Sasquatch ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Sound on the Sound Presents at Columbia City Theater ::: photo by Josh Lovseth

Doe Bay Session Audience ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

Five more photos we adored from 2010 after the jump (more…)

December 30, 2010

Our Favorite Photos of 2010: Fresh Espresso

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Fresh Espresso at Bumbershoot ::: photo by Abbey Simmons

While we were hoping 2010 might include Fresh Espresso’s eagerly anticipated sophomore release, the band still impressed every time they took a stage in Seattle. In a city full of talented performers, few capture an audience’s attention or controls a crowd more than PSmoov, Rik Rude, Radjaw and recently Trent Moorman on drums. We watched in awe as kids approached PSmoov and Rik Rude for hours after their ebullient Bumbershoot set, asking for autographs and photos, and we watched with pride as Smoov and Rude posed and chatted and signed with smiles on their faces. No one seemed to be having more fun in 2010 and no one was more loved for having fun than Fresh Espresso.

Considering they bring the party every time they step on stage, it seems there’s no more suitable way to end the year and start the new one off on the right foot than with Fresh Espresso. They’ll be ringing in the New Year tomorrow night at The Crocodile and its going to get wild. But you better get your tickets now if you want to attend, this thing is going to sell-out any moment.

Fresh Espresso at Bumbershoot ::: photo by Josh Lovseth