Melissa Johnson
12/18/06, 05:34 PM
Nima Shirazi - New London Fire (Drums)
10. KEANE – Under The Iron Sea (Interscope)
Once again, the English continue to prove that making pop music doesn’t have to be an embarrassing affair like it has become here in the States (see: 1999 to now) – and without even using a single guitar. Improving on their last, widely acclaimed effort, Keane provides us with what sounds somewhat like a soundtrack to fairy tales…buoyant and charming, yet brooding and chilling at the same time. These three lads from East Sussex have no qualms about wearing their influences on their sleeves, from Oasis to Doves to Elbow, and in a year devoid on new music from Coldplay, or even Travis, I’m ready to accept whatever wistful, soaring, and electrifyingly confident pop rock that the UK has to offer, as long as there’s an upright piano, a wall or two of synthesized atmosphere, and dreamy vocals that utilize falsetto for emphasis. And there’s plenty of that here.
9. GATSBY’S AMERICAN DREAM – Gatsby’s American Dream (Fearless)
With their final album before throwing in the proverbial towel, Seattle’s unimpeachably original Gatsby’s American Dream deliver a strong coda that stands up to their already exceptional discography. Already having decided to call it quits prior to this album’s release, the band provides a fully realized attack on the industry they gave so much to and which gave so little back. The album could only lose points for one thing: sounding exactly like Gatsby’s American Dream from first note to last – save the auto-tune this time – though that’s hardly a penalty (unless you’re, say, Panic! At The Disco). As always, the songs are aggressively angular, rhythmically counter-intuitive, and lyrically innovative. Shirking conventional song structures, constructing transitions from dead ends, and challenging and deceiving their listeners at every turn, Gatsby’s goes out in fine disillusioned form, just like leaving a bitter, sardonic, and sarcastic message on your ex’s voicemail a month after you’ve already broken up: cathartic and liberating and probably a little offensive and totally uncalled for.
8. SNOW PATROL – Eyes Open (A&M)
Picking up where Final Straw left off, this album begs for the attention of the entire world – not with a gentle tug on the audience’s pant leg, but with a swift elbow to the throat. This Scottish group has perfected a winking sentimentality and smirking intimacy in favor of the obvious melancholy and angst-ridden nonsense all too often employed by similar acts and display more bittersweet freedom than a William Wallace war cry. Wholly anthemic and ambitious, Eyes Open is the perfect audio companion for driving cross-country to win back the love of your life by whatever means necessary, even if that means throwing her new lawyer boyfriend off a bridge.
7. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE – The Black Parade (Reprise)
How do you follow up Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge? Well, firstly, after making fools of your contemporaries (see: careers of The Used and Story of the Year), you have to set your sights on something higher, something better, something legendary. While it seems like everyone and their solo projects have tried their hand at concept albums lately, My Chem stepped up to the plate with particular gusto and created a massive piece of aural theatre blanketing influences like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Queen’s A Night At The Opera, and Wagner’s Die Walküre with their own unmistakable energy and swagger. Death and loss is never as exciting as when Gerard Way wails about it, smiling and laughter never so tragic. With The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance dispels all previous misgivings or reservations about their credibility, talent, and relevance. They are a force of rock music and hopefully we’ll all be able to hang on for each and every onslaught they bless us with.
6. THOM YORKE – The Eraser (XL)
I think Radiohead is brilliant. I think Thom Yorke may have the best voice of the past two decades. I don’t think Kid A was a misstep. Therefore, I’m probably a bit predisposed to enjoying this album and I’m ok with that. It is nearly impossible not to picture a lazy-lidded Mr. Yorke sitting in a darkened home studio, wearing oversized headphones, surrounded by blinking lights, and swaying deliriously as he manufactures the compressed clicks, clatters, bleeps, bloops, blorps, sizzles, and fuzzy drones that comprise this album. The result is a dark and hypnotic exercise in anxious paranoia; in other words, the musical equivalent to how I feel about these final two years of the Bush Administration.
5. ENVY ON THE COAST – Self-Titled EP (Photo Finish)
Believe it or not, I take full credit for these guys’ imminent success and expect my share of riches in return. In early 2005, I heard about a new band from Long Island called Writ In Water, who couldn’t get themselves arrested, let alone recorded. I told my then-roommate and best friend, burgeoning record producer Bryan Russell, to check out the band’s one demo posted on purevolume.com (http://purevolume.com/) and urged him to record them as his next project. Well, fast-forward almost two years, and here we are: Writ In Water changed their name to Envy On The Coast, has toured with 30 Seconds To Mars, Saosin, Hit The Lights, and Angels and Airwaves, and are poised to be the energetic poster boys for youthful passionate rock music in 2007. These boys are not only blisteringly talented well beyond their years, jaw-droppingly enthralling to watch on stage, and delightful Dim Sum company at one in the morning on Canal Street, but they are also like the five little brothers I never had. I know they’ll get everything they deserve and more, and this is their year. I’m also waiting for that hefty referral fee. Oh yes, I’m green with it.
4. SPARTA – Threes (Hollywood)
2005 was a tough year for Sparta. They released a mediocre sophomore album, were dropped by Geffen, and lost a founding member and friend, guitarist Paul Hinojos, to the worst possible, back-stabbing fate: he quit Sparta to join The Mars Volta. Despite this seemingly catastrophic turn of events, Sparta has truly proven to be the Phoenix of the Year in my book. Armed with a new label, a new guitarist in the form of Keely Davis of Engine Down and Denali, and an agenda of mature intensity and genuine pathos, Sparta has returned to the fore a far more accomplished rock band than ever before. Sure, U2’s presence is felt on a few tracks and final track “Transitions” sounds like a cross between Radiohead’s “(Nice Dream)” and Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig In The Sky,” but Ward’s vocals are that much more urgent and earnest this time around and drummer Tony Hajjar once again hits like he did when he was in At The Drive-In. In no small way, Sparta has certainly won this round with The Mars Volta, whose 2006 release Amputechture has made them more laughable than visionary. Apparently, arpeggiated chord progressions go a long way.
3. THE DEAR HUNTER – Act I: The Lake South, The River North (Triple Crown)
Speaking of putting The Mars Volta to shame, this debut “EP” from ex-TREOS member Casey Crescenzo’s brain child/solo project speaks volumes of where progressive rock music should be going. It’s like a how-to tutorial in unconventional yet inspiring song writing and Crescenzo’s scope, ambition, and approach is truly epic. He doesn’t write pop songs, but each opus is beautiful, textured, and nothing if not accessible. Crescenzo’s encyclopedic, innate, and almost prophetic knowledge of musical arrangements fits well in the impressive lineage of such influences as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Roger Waters, Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, Elliott Smith, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez; his impressive vocal acrobatics call to mind the impeccable range and tonality of predecessors like Ella Fitzgerald and David Gilmore, while the lushly layered operatic and orchestral atmosphere create a world of such gorgeous yearning and sorrow tinged with just the slightest glimmer of hope and love. The last track acts as an almost anti-Sgt. Pepper and alludes, if only briefly, to the genius waiting in the wings of Crescenzo’s maddeningly brilliant mind. The upcoming full length will certainly be something…if not everything.
2. MOROS EROS – I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines (Victory)
Ok, think about everything related to Victory Records. Now imagine the exact opposite. Amazingly, in a scarily paradoxical revelation, you now have Moros Eros, the single most enjoyable and original band I heard all year. These young maniacs from Atlanta not only reinvent what’s it like rock with their confidently stripped down assault, devoid of gimmicks and full of bowel-shaking bluster. Singer/guitarist Zach Tipton takes his vocal cues from a wide range of sources; anyone from Cedric Bixler-Zavala to David Bowie, Robert Plant to Frank Black, Isaac Brock to Gerard Way, Jack White to Aimee Mann, can be heard in the moans and cries from track to track. The band’s bad-ass grooves chug along with demonic fervor punctuated by spastic guitars and drummer Bobby Theberge’s subtle yet powerful manhandling of his two floor toms that rivals even that of John Bonham. Apparently, due to the album’s lyrical content and the band’s fiendish strut, it’s clear that Moros Eros has finally brought the devil back down to Georgia and if they know what’s best for them, after selling their souls for the talent they so obviously have, they’ll get themselves a new record label, before Victory steals all their money.
1. MUSE – Black Holes and Revelations (Warner Bros.)
Have you heard this fucking album? If so, I don’t really need to say anything, because you already know it’s stunning and dazzling and mesmerizing and so goddamn massively huge that even trying to write about why it’s so good is a futile endeavor. If not, go listen to it now. Essentially, I hope this album finally puts to rest all of the they’re-just-like-Radiohead detractors and that Muse quickly becomes the biggest band in the world. The sound achieved by the band and producer Rich Costey is nothing short of majestic and mammoth; even the ballads have balls. Powerful and vigorous, the band takes hold at track one and doesn’t let go until the end of track eleven, like a pit bull with lockjaw. Basically, this is the album Han Solo would’ve put on when he decided to fly straight into the asteroid field in The Empire Strikes Back if only the Millennium Falcon had a tape deck. And how can you argue with that?
10. KEANE – Under The Iron Sea (Interscope)
Once again, the English continue to prove that making pop music doesn’t have to be an embarrassing affair like it has become here in the States (see: 1999 to now) – and without even using a single guitar. Improving on their last, widely acclaimed effort, Keane provides us with what sounds somewhat like a soundtrack to fairy tales…buoyant and charming, yet brooding and chilling at the same time. These three lads from East Sussex have no qualms about wearing their influences on their sleeves, from Oasis to Doves to Elbow, and in a year devoid on new music from Coldplay, or even Travis, I’m ready to accept whatever wistful, soaring, and electrifyingly confident pop rock that the UK has to offer, as long as there’s an upright piano, a wall or two of synthesized atmosphere, and dreamy vocals that utilize falsetto for emphasis. And there’s plenty of that here.
9. GATSBY’S AMERICAN DREAM – Gatsby’s American Dream (Fearless)
With their final album before throwing in the proverbial towel, Seattle’s unimpeachably original Gatsby’s American Dream deliver a strong coda that stands up to their already exceptional discography. Already having decided to call it quits prior to this album’s release, the band provides a fully realized attack on the industry they gave so much to and which gave so little back. The album could only lose points for one thing: sounding exactly like Gatsby’s American Dream from first note to last – save the auto-tune this time – though that’s hardly a penalty (unless you’re, say, Panic! At The Disco). As always, the songs are aggressively angular, rhythmically counter-intuitive, and lyrically innovative. Shirking conventional song structures, constructing transitions from dead ends, and challenging and deceiving their listeners at every turn, Gatsby’s goes out in fine disillusioned form, just like leaving a bitter, sardonic, and sarcastic message on your ex’s voicemail a month after you’ve already broken up: cathartic and liberating and probably a little offensive and totally uncalled for.
8. SNOW PATROL – Eyes Open (A&M)
Picking up where Final Straw left off, this album begs for the attention of the entire world – not with a gentle tug on the audience’s pant leg, but with a swift elbow to the throat. This Scottish group has perfected a winking sentimentality and smirking intimacy in favor of the obvious melancholy and angst-ridden nonsense all too often employed by similar acts and display more bittersweet freedom than a William Wallace war cry. Wholly anthemic and ambitious, Eyes Open is the perfect audio companion for driving cross-country to win back the love of your life by whatever means necessary, even if that means throwing her new lawyer boyfriend off a bridge.
7. MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE – The Black Parade (Reprise)
How do you follow up Three Cheers For Sweet Revenge? Well, firstly, after making fools of your contemporaries (see: careers of The Used and Story of the Year), you have to set your sights on something higher, something better, something legendary. While it seems like everyone and their solo projects have tried their hand at concept albums lately, My Chem stepped up to the plate with particular gusto and created a massive piece of aural theatre blanketing influences like Pink Floyd’s The Wall, Queen’s A Night At The Opera, and Wagner’s Die Walküre with their own unmistakable energy and swagger. Death and loss is never as exciting as when Gerard Way wails about it, smiling and laughter never so tragic. With The Black Parade, My Chemical Romance dispels all previous misgivings or reservations about their credibility, talent, and relevance. They are a force of rock music and hopefully we’ll all be able to hang on for each and every onslaught they bless us with.
6. THOM YORKE – The Eraser (XL)
I think Radiohead is brilliant. I think Thom Yorke may have the best voice of the past two decades. I don’t think Kid A was a misstep. Therefore, I’m probably a bit predisposed to enjoying this album and I’m ok with that. It is nearly impossible not to picture a lazy-lidded Mr. Yorke sitting in a darkened home studio, wearing oversized headphones, surrounded by blinking lights, and swaying deliriously as he manufactures the compressed clicks, clatters, bleeps, bloops, blorps, sizzles, and fuzzy drones that comprise this album. The result is a dark and hypnotic exercise in anxious paranoia; in other words, the musical equivalent to how I feel about these final two years of the Bush Administration.
5. ENVY ON THE COAST – Self-Titled EP (Photo Finish)
Believe it or not, I take full credit for these guys’ imminent success and expect my share of riches in return. In early 2005, I heard about a new band from Long Island called Writ In Water, who couldn’t get themselves arrested, let alone recorded. I told my then-roommate and best friend, burgeoning record producer Bryan Russell, to check out the band’s one demo posted on purevolume.com (http://purevolume.com/) and urged him to record them as his next project. Well, fast-forward almost two years, and here we are: Writ In Water changed their name to Envy On The Coast, has toured with 30 Seconds To Mars, Saosin, Hit The Lights, and Angels and Airwaves, and are poised to be the energetic poster boys for youthful passionate rock music in 2007. These boys are not only blisteringly talented well beyond their years, jaw-droppingly enthralling to watch on stage, and delightful Dim Sum company at one in the morning on Canal Street, but they are also like the five little brothers I never had. I know they’ll get everything they deserve and more, and this is their year. I’m also waiting for that hefty referral fee. Oh yes, I’m green with it.
4. SPARTA – Threes (Hollywood)
2005 was a tough year for Sparta. They released a mediocre sophomore album, were dropped by Geffen, and lost a founding member and friend, guitarist Paul Hinojos, to the worst possible, back-stabbing fate: he quit Sparta to join The Mars Volta. Despite this seemingly catastrophic turn of events, Sparta has truly proven to be the Phoenix of the Year in my book. Armed with a new label, a new guitarist in the form of Keely Davis of Engine Down and Denali, and an agenda of mature intensity and genuine pathos, Sparta has returned to the fore a far more accomplished rock band than ever before. Sure, U2’s presence is felt on a few tracks and final track “Transitions” sounds like a cross between Radiohead’s “(Nice Dream)” and Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig In The Sky,” but Ward’s vocals are that much more urgent and earnest this time around and drummer Tony Hajjar once again hits like he did when he was in At The Drive-In. In no small way, Sparta has certainly won this round with The Mars Volta, whose 2006 release Amputechture has made them more laughable than visionary. Apparently, arpeggiated chord progressions go a long way.
3. THE DEAR HUNTER – Act I: The Lake South, The River North (Triple Crown)
Speaking of putting The Mars Volta to shame, this debut “EP” from ex-TREOS member Casey Crescenzo’s brain child/solo project speaks volumes of where progressive rock music should be going. It’s like a how-to tutorial in unconventional yet inspiring song writing and Crescenzo’s scope, ambition, and approach is truly epic. He doesn’t write pop songs, but each opus is beautiful, textured, and nothing if not accessible. Crescenzo’s encyclopedic, innate, and almost prophetic knowledge of musical arrangements fits well in the impressive lineage of such influences as Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder, Roger Waters, Burt Bacharach, Brian Wilson, Elliott Smith, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez; his impressive vocal acrobatics call to mind the impeccable range and tonality of predecessors like Ella Fitzgerald and David Gilmore, while the lushly layered operatic and orchestral atmosphere create a world of such gorgeous yearning and sorrow tinged with just the slightest glimmer of hope and love. The last track acts as an almost anti-Sgt. Pepper and alludes, if only briefly, to the genius waiting in the wings of Crescenzo’s maddeningly brilliant mind. The upcoming full length will certainly be something…if not everything.
2. MOROS EROS – I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines (Victory)
Ok, think about everything related to Victory Records. Now imagine the exact opposite. Amazingly, in a scarily paradoxical revelation, you now have Moros Eros, the single most enjoyable and original band I heard all year. These young maniacs from Atlanta not only reinvent what’s it like rock with their confidently stripped down assault, devoid of gimmicks and full of bowel-shaking bluster. Singer/guitarist Zach Tipton takes his vocal cues from a wide range of sources; anyone from Cedric Bixler-Zavala to David Bowie, Robert Plant to Frank Black, Isaac Brock to Gerard Way, Jack White to Aimee Mann, can be heard in the moans and cries from track to track. The band’s bad-ass grooves chug along with demonic fervor punctuated by spastic guitars and drummer Bobby Theberge’s subtle yet powerful manhandling of his two floor toms that rivals even that of John Bonham. Apparently, due to the album’s lyrical content and the band’s fiendish strut, it’s clear that Moros Eros has finally brought the devil back down to Georgia and if they know what’s best for them, after selling their souls for the talent they so obviously have, they’ll get themselves a new record label, before Victory steals all their money.
1. MUSE – Black Holes and Revelations (Warner Bros.)
Have you heard this fucking album? If so, I don’t really need to say anything, because you already know it’s stunning and dazzling and mesmerizing and so goddamn massively huge that even trying to write about why it’s so good is a futile endeavor. If not, go listen to it now. Essentially, I hope this album finally puts to rest all of the they’re-just-like-Radiohead detractors and that Muse quickly becomes the biggest band in the world. The sound achieved by the band and producer Rich Costey is nothing short of majestic and mammoth; even the ballads have balls. Powerful and vigorous, the band takes hold at track one and doesn’t let go until the end of track eleven, like a pit bull with lockjaw. Basically, this is the album Han Solo would’ve put on when he decided to fly straight into the asteroid field in The Empire Strikes Back if only the Millennium Falcon had a tape deck. And how can you argue with that?