Ben Gibbard Possesses Zooey Deschanel's Heart -- Really

Secret lovers Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel are reportedly engaged after dating for almost a year. (ZOMG!) This is basically the indie rock version of Superbad (Ben as Jonah, obv.) and will presumably encourage a generation of bespectacled teenagers to write vaguely misogynistic prog anthems. That said, serious props to dude for not proposing the minute he met her and totally blowing it. But watch out for Brian Wilson!

In related news, I think Winona Ryder's still single.

Previously: Zooey Sings at Spaceland | Brian Wilson Hits On Zooey | Marry Me, Zooey!

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Click below for more News + Links.

New Akron/Family Album Due Spring 2009

Akron/Family -- now one member lighter following the departure of Ryan Vanderhoof -- will drop the follow-up to the hippy-dippy Love is Simple in the spring, Miles Eaton told Gothamist today.

"We are finishing mastering it as we speak," he said. "I just got off the phone with Seth, our mastering engineer, and we're just kind of going through it and working out the details on the frequencies. Things that maybe no one else will notice but that we will forever."

The band has become more popular and less weird with each album, a trend I can't say I'm happy about given how mind-alteringly great their debut remains. The live show has similarly degenerated. So no high hopes for this one, but let's keep our fingers crossed.

Photo by David Greenwald

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Click below for more News + Links.

First Look: Animal Collective - "Merriweather Post Pavillion"

Sometimes being a fanboy pays off. I've never quite understood the cult of Animal Collective -- starting with Sung Tongs in 2004, I've followed and often enjoyed their career, but rarely felt them deserving of the acclaim and almost mindless devotion thrown their way. Merriweather Post Pavillion is that rare album that, yes, lives up to the hype. Believe it: this is the sound of AC turned adult, a mature record that bakes all the myriad ingredients of their discography into a "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"-sized pot brownie. The druggy, psychadelic sound that Strawberry Jam ignored and Feels and Sung Tongs were too lo-fi to embrace is on full display here, but otherwise the album feels like a career summation -- less Hail to the Thief and more Rubies. It's a victory lap, and a largely improved one -- the clarity and force of Strawberry Jam clearly taught them a lesson: tape loops of burping are not an essential arrangement tool. [Continue reading...]

Still, the album's plenty bubbly, and it all sounds like vintage AC refreshed and rejuvenated -- like the old song goes, if they knew what they know now when they were younger, they'd more than deserve the Band of the Decade tag that's sure to get thrown at them in the coming year. (Other, somewhat viable options: Wilco, Radiohead [too '90s], White Stripes [too Cold Mountain], Spoon [OK, yeah], Kanye [he did already call dibs], TV on the Radio [too NPR].) "Into the Flowers" is sweet and surreal until the bridge unleashes the fury; "My Girls" plants their trademark crooked rhythms inside one of their best melodies. The whole first side is probably the best run they've ever put together, and the songs that follow don't disappoint.

Some records are so bad they make one return to a band's whole catalog to re-evaluate. For the uninitiated, Merriweather Post Pavillion might do the opposite. Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you too, 2009.

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2009: We've only just begun. Click below for more white lace and promises.

Video: Aimee Mann Meets Michael Cera

As part of Aimee's annual Christmas video. See the rest -- including John C. Reilly! -- here.

Best of 2008: Women - Women

Editor's note: Women's self-titled debut is a stunning album, perhaps the year's most vital 30 minutes; while it will will place high on my year-end albums list, I haven't blogged on it and don't want it to get lost in the crowd. Also, I'm on vacation and I have a million blurbs to write to do this year-end list properly so I may just wait for the site relaunch in January. (We're relaunching in January!)

The closest thing 2008 had to a trend this year was the emergence -- and prominence, at least among listeners who still care about new rock music -- of a fresh, experimental lo-fi scene, one that ranged from No Age's Smell-y noise to Vivian Girl's throwback pop soup. But despite the hype, and the shot of energy the waning indie scene so sorely needs, too many of these bands' albums are full of underwritten tracks hiding under tape hiss and two-minute runtimes.

By contrast, the music of Women is written so well, they only need two minutes. "Group Transport Hall," my favorite track on the record, clocks in a 1:10 -- enough time for the band to tap into Caribou-like neo-psych and Neutral Milk Hotel's acoustic crunch and sing "Soon we will be laughing... / now it's too bright / you made other plans" in sweet harmonies. The song finishes on that line, and leaves one wondering -- what were they? Is the song about a vampire -- or a girlfriend? Silly, sure, but that's the kind of rich ambiguity that Women leave us, resonating images left for the listener to color in. Coupled with guitarwork that careens forward like a train running off the rails (or Wolf Parade on coke), the album is a bracing listen that begs for repeats.

Lead guitars duel, Television-style, on "Shaking Hand," and while other acts would've let the rift repeat into oblivion and have distortion levels take care of the rest, Women up the ante, dropping in a countermelody and a second drummer. It's frantic, furious stuff, but with energy hammered into the firm lines of song -- not just sound. Even when the band unleashes the roar on the album-closing "Flashlights," there's a method to its madness -- and while some credit likely goes to producer and Calgary heavyweight Chad VanGaalen, it's Women who have found a way to marry bleeding sonics with serious talent.

Women - "Group Transport Hall": mp3

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Best of 2008: The journey continues.

Required Reading

Nick Sylvester's epic piece on Girl Talk, a critical gauntlet-throw with -- gasp -- actual criticism, and one not beholden to a word count. Ironically, writing so much about the guy only further legitimizes him, but them's the breaks.

And Hipster Runoff takes on TV on the Radio -- thank God:

"I just have this image of a 35 year old man reading P4k/Rolling Stone/NME/SPIN’s best of 2k8 list, going on iTunes to buy the top 3 albums, halfheartedly listening to them, then going back to listening to meaningful songs from the late 90s, ‘back when good music was more than just weirdo conceptual crap that people had 2 pretend is awesome.'"

I like when Carles momentarily breaks blog-character and actually attacks things. Can I buy you a beer/Sparks/vodka waterfall, dude?

The Week In Rawk, 12.21.08

The results of the Rawky Awards are in!

I finally listened to the rest of this year's buzz bands. They suck. What a relief for my lists.

The National's next record won't be out till 2010, the RIAA have apparently stopped suing, Peter Gabriel covered Vampire Weekend and Zooey Deschanel sang at Spaceland.

Next week: Year-end insanity. Pray for me.

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The Week in Rawk: Last week's greatest hits.

Irony

Demi Lovato is a wealthy starlet who works for Disney. In this lavishly produced video, she makes fun of wealthy starlets who don't work for Disney and sings about wearing Converse. C'mon, Demi, at least Avril made an effort. Are there any tweens out there? Do you know you're being used?! Oh and for the record, we're Team Miley, obvs.

Hype Machine 2008 Catch-Up Live-Blog

Seeing all these year-end lists, it's clear that I've missed a few things. Starting right now, I'm going to sample all of the 20-30 hip young new bands that slipped through the cracks this year over on Hypem. Strap in, folks, and feel free to suggest some tunes we can jam out before the weekend hits. Crystal bands and curse-word acts alike, after the jump. [Continue reading...]

Frightened Rabbit -- The Once soundtrack gone wrong. There's potential in tracks like "The Modern Leper," but the band never quite pulls the songs off.

Telepathe -- "So Fine" is sooo '80s. This song reminds me of a sassier, street-savvy Au Revoir Simone. "Islands" has more potential with its broken-down chamber-pop vibe. "Devil's Trident" goes back to the synths mixed with a weirdo spoken-word monologue, but the Velvet Underground these girls ain't. Too much clutter.

Crystal Castles -- After the Knife, I guess people are into this Legend of Zelda meets New Order buried vox shit, but, uh, what the hell? "Untrust Us?" "Knights?" These songs are terrible!

Crystal Antlers -- A step up, as far as crystal bands go, but still a B-grade Wolf Parade recording in a cave.

Crystal Stilts -- Here we go! "Departure" is on some druggy, dirty surf-rock shit. See, guys, this is what lo-fi is for.

Fucked Up -- The only fucked up thing about this band is how silly they sound for having such a hard-ass name. "No Epiphany" and "Twice Born" both have the titles of would-be metal juggernauts, but while the band churns out reliable chord-fests, Growly McGrowlerson's singing borders on the satirical -- dude, we get it, you're in a rock band. BWAAAAAAH! Somebody get these guys the Les Savy Fav discog, stat.

The Mae Shi -- We're YELPY! And we just drank COFFEE! And none of us can SING! Barf.

Max Tundra -- Oh Max, where have you been all my life? "Which Song" is glitchy and glitzy, a whirlwind of texture and groove and romance.

Gang Gang Dance -- This band is way more interesting than Portishead. Not for me, though.

The National's New Album Due In 2010

According to the group's holiday newsletter. A bummer for us Boxer fans -- I was hoping we'd see it sooner. Billboard says they'll start recording in April 2009 with a potential summer tour to follow.

Previously: New National: "A Thousand Black Cities"

RIAA To Downloaders: Merry Christmas!

The RIAA is going to slow their lawsuits to "a trickle," according to the Wall Street Journal, opting instead to pester your ISP to send you warning messages and cutting off your Internet. You know what this means -- go nuts! How this dovetails with the DMCA post take-downs bloggers (myself included) have been getting for the last couple months is beyond me, though.

In totally unrelated news: Spencer Tweedy, son of Wilco frontman Jeff, has a blog. It's incredible.

And, while you're here: Levi Johnston's mom -- i.e., Sarah Palin's future sister-in-law -- was arrested for what seems to be either drug trafficking or "manufacturing." You may remember that Sarah's little town of Wasilla happens to be the meth capital of Alaska. Stay strong, Bristol!

Inevitable Pitchfork Top 50 Discussion Thread

Spoiler: Fleet Foxes ftw! I'm excited to see 'em win (and my album of the year, Cut Copy, in the top five) and a little shocked that No Age didn't take the top spot -- I figured they'd be a lock for it, given the band's blend of post-Sonic Youth experimentalism and vegan cookie-eating. (Though talented, they will not be on my list.)

(Photo by Frank Chromewaves)

I won't go into the rest of the list, which you can see here, mostly because nit-picking anyone else's list but your own is a fool's errand, but, An explanation: Pitchfork gets a lot of play here, much more so than any other music publication. Why? I grew up reading the site; in high school, their '90s lists and early '00s picks -- back before they grew infatuated with hip-hop, expanded the staff, and started breaking away from the guitar-centric indie rock that initially defined them -- helped shape my taste. For a while, they were exceedingly trustworthy for my weekly record store trips (minus Neon Golden, ugh). So it's been fascinating and occasionally disappointing to watch them expand their range of coverage and adapt to the shifting currents of what's left of indie over the years. (I think "indie" has about as much meaning left as "alternative" did when we started using it in reference to Nickelback, but that's another post.)

Anyway, folks, chime in -- as indie's biggest arbiters, where did Pitchfork go right and wrong? I'm not happy about the absence of Okkervil River and Lambchop, especially given how boring that Bonnie "Prince" Billy album that made the cut is, and I was crossing my fingers for Gentleman Jesse. (Another thought: As good as Fleet Foxes are -- and I love 'em -- does their album even come close to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or You Forgot It In People or Alligator or any of the decade's best? Nah. Bum year.)

And since I know you're wondering: The Rawking Refuses To Stop!'s top 50 songs list will be posted on Tuesday. The best non-2008 discoveries of the year goes up Wednesday, and in a Christmas miracle, albums of the year will be posted on Thursday. I'll see you then.

New Music: Peter Gabriel & Hot Chip - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"

Somewhere, Peter Gabriel's voice on this surprisingly natural Vampire Weekend cover is driving Dave Matthews to drink. It's the rare case of the older generation nailing a new act's cover -- and the cover being worth doing. Name some more in the comments, only one that comes to mind is Johnny Cash doing Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's "I See A Darkness."

Peter Gabriel - "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa" (Vampire Weekend cover): mp3

Wes Anderson and Sofia Coppola Direct Commercials

Both are charming, exceedingly French, and, embarrassingly, more interesting than their respective last films. Here's Sofia's:



And Wes', which stars Brad Pitt and pays homage to Mr. Hulot. Remind me to show this to my grandpa.

Wes Anderson, Brad Pitt Commercial
Uploaded by ThePlaylist

Video: Zooey Deschanel Sings At Spaceland For "Yes Man"

Further proving her surprisingly chameleon-like musical prowess, Zooey sounds just as adorable singing spunky synth-pop (sample lyric: "I'm not your late-night booty call") in this clip as she does going retro with She & Him or jazz-dabbling on the Elf soundtrack. Hey, even Brian Wilson thinks she's cute. Here she is singing "Sweet Ballad," one of several tracks by her fake band Munchausen By Proxy in the Jim Carrey 10-years-too-late vehicle Yes Man -- and in a treat for Spaceland lovers, I'm sure you recognize those curtains.

Previously: Bootleg: She & Him Radio Session 1 and 2

Flight of the Conchords Season 2 Premiere -- Streaming Now

It's on FunnyorDie. Cross yr fingers for "Businesstime II: New Zealand Boogaloo."

Video: Neil Young's "Archives" Trailer

Neil, I don't care how much this damn thing costs, just put it out already so I can buy it. Archives, Vol. 1 is due sometime in spring 2009 -- Stereogum says February, but they're liars. Bummer is the stuff I really want -- the original Tonight's The Night, Homegrown, etc -- all falls after this set's 1972 cut-off.

2008 Rawky Awards: Winners & Losers

All photos by David Greenwald

You voted, and the results are in: the first-ever Rawky Awards are an unprecedented success, with you fine readers making great picks (read: picks that I agree with) and voting in droves. Thanks for playing -- the results are after the jump. [Continue reading...]

Album of the Year: Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
They didn't quite beat the write-ins but as your consensus pick, Fleet Foxes topped the list. In a year where I've been confounded by so many of the chart-toppers, I'm glad to see the Foxes rise to the top of just about every year-end list -- especially this one. TV on the Radio dropped in at No. 2; I like that record, but guess I should've written a Critical Backlash before it was too late, huh? (Related: Fleet Foxes - Live at Spaceland)

Worst Trend: Hipster Blogs Unironically Hating On Hipsters
Ouch! This was a joke, folks -- especially given how often American Apparel-wearing me drops the h-word. I hope people were voting for Pitchfork or something. That said, a lot of you hate hipsters, too -- "All of the Above, or 'Brooklyn'" was a close second. And people talk about self-hating Jews...

Worthiest Buzz Band: Fleet Foxes
The year's best new band ran away with this one, scoring an Obama-like 53% of the vote. (More on that guy later.) In last place were the Vivian Girls, with a teensy 5% of the vote -- guess I was right about them, huh?



Best Band That Blogs Forgot: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
The Boris guys have been Rawkblog faves for years (full disclosure: they've slept on my floor) so I'm sure they appreciate the love. They dominated this category with 37% of the vote. The Henry Clay People and their straight-shooting anthems weren't among the options, but they cruised through the write-in votes.

Best Post-Guilty Pleasure Pop Hit: Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma"
This was another joke! But a jam nonetheless, and one that won 54% of the vote. I voted for Miley.

Best Live Band: The Hold Steady
Considering your only options were the Hold Steady, the Hold Steady and Girl Talk, it was obvious how this was going to end, but even with a write-in option, America's best bar band notched an impressive victory. I saw them twice this year, and believe me, they deserve it.

Best Indie Rock-Laden Teen Soap Opera: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist
Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist beat the decidedly less indie Gossip Girl by a single vote. It certainly had mine with its surprisingly not-disappointing tour de Brooklyn -- or maybe it's just that Rawkblog crushes Michael Cera and Kat Dennings like the same bands and frequent the same New York hangs that I did last summer. Ah, memories. Sadly, poor 90210 couldn't compete, even though they name-dropped motherfucking Division Day in the pilot.

Best Movie of 2008: The Dark Knight
Anyone who didn't like The Dark Knight is a crazy person (holla at you later, Golden Globes voters), but I'm impressed that Synecdoche, New York (my personal favorite, and certainly not everybody's cup of meta) finished second -- and shocked that Nick & Norah finished last given that 46% of you liked it enough to vote on it in the other film category. (Related: Deeper Into Movies)

2008's Awesomest Thing: Barack Obama
Our new president-elect won the most votes, the highest percentage and the largest margin of victory thanks to you Rawkblog liberals -- and uncoincidentally, Sarah Palin finished second. Bummed that you guys aren't keeping up with the Jonases, though.

Most Anticipated CD/LP of 2009: Wilco
Despite the easy-(dad) rockin', not-so-lauded Sky Blue Sky, you guys are more excited for Wilco than Animal Collective and Ryan Adams (tied for No. 2). And yes, Ryan Adams is tied for No. 2 with blogosphere/IRL favorites Animal Collective, a statistic that brings my Ryan-lovin' heart nothing but joy. Let's hug it out, pals.

What Was Your Favorite Discovery on Rawkblog This Year?
No real winner for this one, but people seemed to like the bootlegs. I was hoping to see folks like Dylan Mondegreen and assorted indie-poppers, but there's always next year.

What Do You Want To See On Rawkblog In 2009?
Responses were mixed here -- some of you hate Ryan Adams and some of you want more. You will so obviously be getting more. And I hereby promise more jamz in 2009 -- a return to weekly-ish bootlegs, a song every single morning and more lost gems from music's endless Canon to Examine. On the news end, we're going to hone in on bands we love -- Wilco, Ryan Adams, the National and the like. If they so much as move a muscle, you'll hear about it here.

Thanks folks -- on to 2009. Come back later this week for my picks for the year's best, including the top 50 songs and the top 30 albums, but for now, leave your thoughts in the comments.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin - "Rainy Day French Elevator" (Rawkblog exclusive!): mp3
Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal": mp3
The Hold Steady - "Constructive Summer" (live): mp3

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Best of 2008: We're gonna blog something this winter. Click below for more.

Tonight in L.A.: The Cure at the Troubadour

The Cure is playing a free, no-longer-secret show at the Troubadour tonight at 8 p.m. -- first come, first served. May already be too late for this one, but if somebody wants to scope out the line and report back, we'd appreciate it.

Rawkys coming Monday: Sorry, folks, big day at the office and no time to format the glorious results of The Rawky Awards, so you'll have to be patient. But be proud of yourselves, folks -- you nailed it.

Best of 2008: Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin's Top 9 Underrated Albums

The men of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin know a thing or two about being underrated -- they're (spoiler!!11one!1!) the resounding winners of The Rawky Award for Best Band Blogs Forgot. The full Rawkys list will be up later today, but first I thought it'd be fun to see the Boris bros' picks first -- they were nice enough to send over their top 9 underrated albums of the year, which you can see after the jump. [Continue reading...]

1. Apart Of Someone - Our Cat Philip
2. You're Not A Dream - The Mommyheads
3. Windows - Michael Holt [Ed. -- Of the Mommyheads, natch]
4. All We Could Do Was Sing - Port O'Brien
5. You Don't Speak For The Club - Drew Danburry
6. Devastator - Catfish Haven
7. Before Daylight- Cindy Woolf
8. Howard Zinn Arcade - Washington Irving
9. Pershing - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin

We'll be hearing from some of our favorite artists all month about their year-end favorites -- don't miss the first one, Grizzly Bear crooner Ed Droste's Top 5 Recipes I Learned This Year.

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Best of 2008: Weezy F. Listy. Click below for more.

Animal Collective To Leak On January 6

Assuming a good copy doesn't make the rounds by then, that's the day when Animal Collective will debut the vinyl edition of Merriweather Post Pavillion, two weeks before the CD release -- along with download cards for MP3s or (gasp!) CD-quality WAV files. Presumably the Internet will figure out where to go from there.

Previously: Animal Collective's Album Cover Is Alive

5 Hours Left To Vote For The Rawkys

Guys, Gossip Girl and Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist are neck-and-neck. Look into your heart and do what's right, before it's too late -- the polls close at 8 p.m. EST. Results first thing tomorrow morning. I've peeked at the numbers, and so far, you're making me proud. Vote now and keep it up!

Golden Globe Noms: James Franco Smokes The Competition

James Franco was the best part of my favorite marijuana-related film of 2008, so I'm high as a kite over the news that he earned a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a comedy or musical -- alongside Dustin Hoffman and Javier Bardem! -- for his turn as Pineapple Express' weed-smoking/selling Saul.

I'll confess to having not gotten to most of this year's awards crop yet, but I'm glad Robert Downey Jr. got a nom for Tropic Thunder (though Tom Cruise's is overkill) after his banner year as well as seeing four well-earned nominations for Woody Allen's tremendous Vicky Cristina Barcelona. And obviously Heath Ledger is more than deserving in the Supporting Actor category for his much-lauded take on the Joker in The Dark Knight -- but where's the best picture nom for the Bat-flick? I guess pot comedy is one thing, but comic book movies remain second-class citizens. Still, the Oscars loom -- cross your fingers, Bat-fans! One more bummer: Nothing for my favorite movie of the year, Charlie Kaufman's widely misunderstood Synecdoche, New York.

See the full list of Golden Globes nominations here.

Listwatch '08: New York Magazine

Fleet Foxes / photo by David Greenwald

[Editor's Note: Rawkblog contributor Alfred Lee will be making a big comeback in the coming weeks. This post marks his return. Welcome back, bro.]

For all I know, Dave may have never even opened a single issue of New York, but I still imagine it to be his newsstand glossy of choice. (Maybe it's the fact that of all mainstream pubs, New York comes closest to the high-low approach adopted by most arts/culture-related blogs.) [Ed. -- Vulture is my pop culture blog of choice!]

Anyway, the magazine's released its year-end culture issue, which is exactly what it sounds like -- a bunch of lists, sprinkled with a few going-through-the-motions thinkpieces. But for what it's worth: Mad Men is TV show of the year, Rachel Getting Married the film of the year and Aleksander Hemon's The Lazarus Project the book of the year.

And since this is, after all, a music blog, here's their full, Pitchfork-approved year-end music list, after the jump. [Continue reading...]

1. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter III
2. TV on the Radio, Dear Science, (which just picked up Rolling Stone AND Spin top spots)
3. Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago
4. Portishead, Third
5. Hercules and Love Affair
6. Santogold
7. Fleet Foxes
8. Erykah Badu, New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War
9. Beck, Modern Guilt
10. Vampire Weekend

Not too controversial. And finally, because I know deep down you all miss him, here's some vintage Ja Rule for ya.
-Alfred Lee

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Best of 2008: Only the strong survive. Click below for more.

Ryan Adams: BlackBook Staff Writer!

I'm glad the toppling journalism economy (holla @ u later, Tribune) has room for one more among its somewhat-still-hallowed ranks. Ryan Adams' first piece for the magazine appears here. He writes about, well, being a writer. At some point I'm hoping that if I keep blogging about him, he'll start blogging about me blogging about him and it'll be this awesome buddy comedy and he'll take me on tour. (And no, Rawkys voters, there will not be less Ryan on Rawkblog in 2009. But you're welcome to keep the votes coming!)

Previously: New Music: Ryan Adams - 'Annihilator'

Critical Backlash: Vivian Girls, Meet 1993

Dear Vivian Girls fans,

Pretty girls playing noisy guitar pop sure is charming, huh? If I wanted to wear my checkered dress and red flats and dance like nobody was watching (especially not the boy), I could think of no better soundtrack. I get the appeal of Vivian Girls -- they're retro, they're jangly and they're cute. But, uh, isn't jangle pop supposed to be, well, pop? Vivian Girls have had a lot of tags and references thrown at them as they've collected gushing review after gushing review for their self-titled debut -- loft pop, Slumberland, Phil Spector, lo-fi -- but they've learned little from their elders. Vivian Girls is full of proto-garage chord changes and psych-pop harmonies as substantial as cotton candy, drowning in distortion behind the curtain of the Emperor's new four-track. If acts like Yeasayer and No Age are any indication, guitar pedals may be the new melody these days, but one mark of great music is being able to remember it after listening to it a few times -- and fifteen years ago, some now-forgotten bands were making songs you could. [Continue reading...]

Though the Pacific Northwest twee scene has been well-documented in the decade or so since its twee pop glory days, much of it remains as underground and elusive now as it was then. So, Vivers, let me point you in the direction of a single record that could change yr xlivesx: Tiger Trap's 1993 self-titled album.

Take single "Supercrush," a song chugging with wooly guitar fuzz, teen angst, hovering harmonies -- and a chorus that'll play in your head for days. "I've got a supercrush on you," Rose Melberg (soon-to-be frontwoman of the Softies, another Rawkblog all-time favorite) sings with all the twee-as-fuck gusto she can muster, a far cry from echo-chamber Brooklyn disconnect but equally loud. Instrumental "Tore a Hole" bristles with post-punk drumwork and a Smiths-on-speed lead guitar, and "You and Me" cruises on a classic three-chord groove until the band hits the chorus, stops like a car crash and starts again.

The rest is just as good. Tiger Trap played furious, passionate stuff, punk rock for kids who loved singalongs and heartbreak. If those are things that interests you, well, you might want to leave the loft.

It's been a long time since then, of course, and with Tiger Trap's twee relegated mostly to history, there's certainly a place, even a need, for bands like Vivian Girls in today's pop landscape. But you have to start at the source. This post hints at some larger issues (derivation vs. tradition, pop music's tendency to eat and regurgitate itself) and I'll save my opinions on those subjects for another day, but for now I'll note that I'm bothered by Vivian Girls and the like not because they're an imitation, but because they're a pale one.

(Note: In fairness, the Vivian Girls song below stands with any classic from the era -- it's one of their few inspired moments.)

Vivian Girls - "Where Do You Run To": mp3 (via Stereogum)

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Critical Backlash is a column where I complain about things. Click below for more.

10 Years "In The Aeroplane"

Photo by David Greenwald

I put together a list of the top 10 finest, weirdest folk albums of the last decade for LA Weekly which ran today. It includes Neutral Milk Hotel, of course, and favorites from Devendra (pictured, with Andy Cabic of Vetiver) to Chad VanGaalen. Check it out.

Video: Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "I See A Darkness" (live, 2007)

This is majestic and proud. Will Oldham is like a bald eagle with a beard and a Guns 'N' Roses-sized appetite for destruction.

Bill & MGMT's Bogus Journey: Apparently Rawkblog hero Bill Murray has been palling around with MGMT and cruising for hipster honeys in Brooklyn. I find this bizarre and strangely admirable. Were Vampire Weekend out of town that night? More than anything, I hope Hipster Runoff blogs about this. Also, I'd like to take this opportunity to blog, for the first time, on MGMT: They suck.

Stick To Your Day Job, Krasinski

John, you're awesome at being Jim from The Office. Remarkable, even. Keep cracking those big smiles and making faces at the camera. But singing with Aimee Mann? Leave that one to the pros. Then again, dude might sound better if his video wasn't playing on YouTube through my laptop speakers. Verdict, folks?

Neil Young Archives are NEVER coming out: They've been pushed back again, until late spring, according to Uncut. Instead, he's dropping another stopgap album next year, Toast, even though he just put out a (admittedly really great) live record to make up for not releasing the archives now. Why do we even bother reporting this?

Best of 2008: Ed Droste's Top 5 Recipes I Learned To Cook This Year

Photo by David Greenwald

All in all, 2008 was another great year of music, but as we look back at the year that was, we're reminded that it was good for more than just new tunes. Over the next few weeks, some of our indie rock pals will tell us about their year-end favorites in the form of, of course, top 5 lists -- and who better to start with than Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear, who chose to share his culinary adventures. See his list after the jump. [Continue reading...]

Top 5 Recipes I Learned To Cook This Year
By Ed Droste

1. Barefoot Contessa's Roast Chicken Salad with Celery, Green Grapes (my little addition) and tons of Tarragon.

We made this all summer long while recording. The most time consuming part, but crucial, is to roast the chicken breasts with skin on, then take skin off and dice them and they are super moist and juicy. You need BONE IN chicken too... I forgot that part.

2. Martha Stewart's Lobster Newburg

I had only had this once in my life. My aunt made it for me in Scotland once when I was a teenager visiting with my family and it really soothed me. Since I was on a cooking kick this year and people kept giving me cookbooks for my birthday, I decided to try it again. Making the lobster stock almost took a full day -- it was a fun journey but a bit messy. Then the next day you cook all that stock with the meat and sherry and vegetables. The real recipe called for it to be baked in a ramekin but we did it in a big pot and served with rice (too rich to eat alone!).

It was SOOOO GOOD.

3. My friend Sarah Brown's Lamb Tajine

She's made this for me a few times on Cape Cod weekend trips and it's always been a hit. I recently had her over for dinner/a lamb tutorial. What I didn't know was to brown the lamb in the spices ahead of time and not just throw the meat in the stew. This is key. Plus, the more prunes, dates and apricots you throw in, the more delicious in my opinion. I love sweet and savory.

4. My Friend Piera's Spicy Yogurt Cous Cous

I never realized how easy cous cous is. I'm really happy I now know. She puts lots of spicy jalapenos in it and roasts ALL her vegetables ahead of time in nice olive oil. It's a great staple. Mint is sometimes added as well. So so good.

5. My bandmate Chris Bear's homemade Spicy orichietti with Broccoli Rabe and Roasted Cauliflower

I like to added spiced sausage to this, but with Chris Bear who is
vegetarian, we do it veggie style. Not only did I learn the recipe for
this dish but he taught me how to make homemade pasta this year which
was a real revelation. Orichietti is the kind you can make without the
pasta machine. Just a little FYI.

***

Ed and his band are working on their sophomore album, due in 2009. Judging by the jam below, it'll be very high on everyone's best of next year.

Grizzly Bear - "While You Wait For The Others" (live): mp3

***

Best of 2008: Click below for more of the year's greatest hits.

Listwatch '08: Last.fm

Honestly, I think this is the most interesting list of all. Last.fm's top 10 measures not sales, not critical reception or supposed artistic worth but the only real statistic that matters: how many times people actually listened to something. Then again, No. 1? Coldplay. Sheesh.

My list drops next week but you can vote on our reader-chosen Rawky Awards now. So far it's looking good for Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend...

Previously in Listwatch '08: Gorilla Vs. Bear, Paste

More Mt. St. Helens

Photo by David Greenwald

The full Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band gallery is up at the original post.

Hey Web Designers/Bloggers:

Blogger decided to delete a 16-month-old post on Tim Hardin today. Enough is enough. We're moving to a new domain powered by Wordpress. If you can help us get set up -- we just need a few pointers -- e-mail us at rawkblog at gmail dot com.

The 2008 Rawky Awards: POLLS CLOSED

Ever feel like you've been cheated? Not this year -- it's time to vote in the first-ever Rawky Awards! After the jump, we want YOU to weigh in on everything from the year's best albums to hating hipsters to, well, Gossip Girl. Let's do this thing. Voting closes at 8 PM EST on December 11 and we'll announce the winners the next morning, with the Rawkblog official top 30 and all year-end coverage coming the week after. What do you get out of all this? The satisfaction of being awesome (and not being used for your demographic information for advertising $$$). And the best write-in answers will get credit in the results post, so get crazy. UPDATE: The polls have closed. Check back on Friday, December 12, for the results.

Live: Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band @ The Echo, 12.03.08

Photo by David Greenwald

Let's get it out of the way: Wolf Parade. Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band -- a Seattle act -- sure sound a lot like their Montreal peers, all fits and starts and yowling vocals. It's a good thing: Wolf Parade's own lineage goes back to Modest Mouse, of course, who we can trace back to the Pixies, and so on -- and in any case, I'm happy to hear an '08/'09 band playing this brand of music so forcefully. The act's debut album will drop on one of my favorite labels, Dead Oceans, this spring, but they're playing a few dates now; catch them before they erupt. Equally importantly: I got my new DSLR yesterday and these are my first shots with it. I hope you like them. More after the jump. [Continue reading...]

Click any image to open the hi-res gallery.

Previously: Best of 2008: Concert Photos

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Click below for more Concert Photos and reviews.

"Indie rock let us down this year": Thank God I'm not the only one who feels like this. Read Pretty Goes With Pretty's scathing, spot-on critique of year-end lists (and their crafters) here.

Previously: Let's Have A Heart-To-Blog About 2008

Guys, No Age Got A Grammy Nomination

For Best Recording Package. That's pretty punk of them, huh? Other signs of the Apocalypse: Radiohead and Coldplay duking it out for album of the year, Katy Perry not getting a Best New Artist nom, Al Green getting a few nominations for his stellar Lay It Down but not an album of the year nod (Robert Plant and Allison Kraus picked up the obligatory "Old People" spot in that category) and a complete lack of Kanye -- except for his guest spots. Full list here.

(No Age photo by David Greenwald)

Coming Soon: Pitchfork Magazine

Apparently Pitchfork and the Fader are partnering up -- what this means besides having greater clout to have energy drinks and jeans brands sponsor their various festivals and fund their ads is beyond me, but I can't help thinking that The Fader magazine could use a legitimacy boost and Pitchfork would love to get off the Internet. Guys, print is dying! Don't you read Gawker?

Neko Case's New Album: Fuck Art, Let's Joust

This is making the rounds this morning, but if you haven't yet seen the album cover for Neko Case's upcoming Middle Cyclone -- now you have. Her follow-up to still-awesome '06 album Fox Confessor Brings The Flood (made my top 25 of that year) is due March 3 on Anti-.

Video: Stevie Wonder Invents Auto-Tune

This moment in history via, ahem, Kanye West, whose exceedingly captivating 808s & Heartbreak is climbing my year-end charts.

"Lost" Season 5 Two-Minute Sneak Peek

This show has ruined my ability to say anything other than "Oh shit" (as opposed to Gossip Girl and 90210, which have basically left me with "OMG," with or without an "F," depending). So, uh, oh shit. Run, Kate, run! (Thanks, Matt)

New Music: Ryan Adams - "Annihilator"

Proving that his demos are as good -- and sometimes better -- than his studio albums, Ryan Adams' latest release is a tune called "Annihilator." Though it starts out with "Cinammon Girl"-y chords, the song's not out to destroy anything, except its singer's sad memories. "When I dream, I wake the second you see me," Ryan sings with a melancholic warble, more Love Is Hell-lorn than Cardinologizing. It's as good as anything on the leaked Elizabethtown Sessions, and with Billboard reporting that he's just tracked Dear Impossible, another album's worth of demos, we may get a great new Ryan album this year yet, one way or another.

Ryan Adams - "Annihilator" (laptop demo): stream

Previously: Ryan Adams' Elizabethtown Sessions Leak

Listwatch '08: Gorilla Vs. Bear

Head over to Gorilla Vs. Bear for Chris' top 20, a feast of dance/lo-fi/bizarro sights and sounds that culls the best of 2008's zeitgeist. Not a single one of his picks will make my sure-to-be Blanda Bear top 30 (dropping next week), but diff'rent strokes, right?

Previously: Paste's Top 50

(No Age photo by David Greenwald)

Kings Of Convenience Still Working On Third LP

Good news from Stereogum. No release date, though, and, inconveniently, it doesn't sound like the Kings are close to finishing it yet. Let's hope they don't really call it Quiet IS The New Loud. While we're waiting, I still recommend Dylan Mondegreen's latest.

Albums Not Good Enough For Pitchfork's Reader Poll

...Which will probably be on my list: Leona Naess, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin, Constantines (really?!), White Hinterland, Brendan Canning, Laura Marling. Write that shit in, folks.

More egregious than this, though, is the demographic survey at the end that might as well say in 60pt font, HEY GUISE PLS HELP OUR SALES TEAM MARKET YOU AND YOUR HABITS TO AMERICAN APPAREL KTHX. Oh, 2008.

Best of 2008: Concert Photos

As the endless trail of Concert Photo posts attest, I went to a lot of shows this year. Too many for my battered ears (thanks, British Sea Power). But as the noise decays, the pictures remain. Here are 15 of my best shots from 2008, the second time in a row I've collected the year's best -- here's 2007's best photos. Click any photo below to open the hi-res gallery, and see the Concert Photos Archive here.