Jeez it took me forever to find this damn thread, I've seriously been looking for two days lol. I was beginning to question if you were even real, Ryan.
I like your comparisons between Royal Blood and DFA. Not exactly the same sound, but they seem to have the same motives, which is to produce as much energy as possible. Luckily for me, they are both awesome without affecting each other. :-) Although being top 20 is nothing to brush off, very worthy spot for both DFA and Royal Blood. Oh and Jack too!
I didn't know Death From Above were still together/making music, honestly.
Honestly, it was only thanks to Royal Blood that I even really discovered DFA. Red in 2014...you know the drill.
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Originally posted by Amaloner
Glorious is my fave from this set. Youth, Let Go For Tonight and Holding onto Heaven were great singles. The title track was just okay though.
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Originally posted by JakeKills
Wow @ The Lorde ranking with all those legends in your Past Songs list. I do think "Team" is one of her best— I might rank it third behind "Ribs" and "A World Alone." (How can you not be into these masterpieces?)
A lot of the album really just wound up being bunched together for me, really. If I went back and listened to the album again after falling for "Team", then I might appreciate the other songs more. Just another to add to the list.
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Originally posted by MP2K
Didn't know you were into Kimbra, the album was great nice choices.
Been into her since she broke out thanks to Gotye. Her verse was the best part of STIUTK, and her voice is just lovely.
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Originally posted by Calvin McHobbes
Jeez it took me forever to find this damn thread, I've seriously been looking for two days lol. I was beginning to question if you were even real, Ryan.
I am not real. I am a cybernetic organism, living tissue over metal endoskeleton. (And really, all you had to do was ctrl+f and look for "YECA". )
The next update is pretty much ready to get posted, so I'll see you guys soon!
When "Over Your Shoulder" was released at the end of 2013, it was both exciting and a big tempering of expectations. I LOVED Business Casual and especially its singles, which had me falling in love with the 21st century version of Hall & Oates that is Chromeo, so that's why it was exciting to hear that Chromeo had new material out. But yet, after listening to "Over Your Shoulder", I was a little worried, because it just wasn't quite as good as what we got with Chromeo's last era. Then came "Jealous", and THAT'S what I wanted more of. What a funky little song. That helped ease the tension and allow me to listen to their latest, [I[White Women[/I]. Is it quite as good as Business Casual? From top to bottom, eh, probably not. But there are some standouts that rival the best songs off of its predecessor. "Come Alive" is basically this album's "Night By Night", a very sexy and pulsating tune. "Ezra's Interlude" features Vampire Weekend lead Ezra Koenig to great effect, slowing things down only momentarily to show off both Ezra's vocals and Chromeo singer Dave 1's vocals. That song is immediately followed by "Old 45's", an incredibly catchy tune with an absolutely fantastic chorus. But the cream of the crop here (and a song that's probably better than anything off of Business Casual, "Dont Turn The Lights On" included) is"Sexy Socialite". That song is a firecracker, like Chromeo on steroids, and it is an absolute blast to listen to. Maybe it's not quite as great as Business Casual, but White Women is a great follow-up all the same.
La Roux
Trouble In Paradise
Release Date: July 18th, 2014
Previous Albums:La Roux
Previous YECA Albums Success: N/A
Favorite Tracks
I had pretty high expectations for the second La Roux album, especially after listening to the first released track, "Let Me Down Gently". It struck me in a way that not even a song like "Bulletproof" touched me, realizing the potential that Elly Jackson undoubtedly has as a musician. It's powerful, it's crushing, and it's pop music at its finest. The rest of the album doesn't QUITE live up to that standard, but that's only because it would have been a nearly impossible task to match the quality of "Let Me Down Gently" throughout Trouble In Paradise. But the rest of the album is pretty solid pop that doesn't get completely overshadowed by the mammoth musical elephant in the room. Single "Uptight Downtown" is extremely catchy, almost as catchy as "Bulletproof". "Kiss and Not Tell" has an awesome main beat and a carefree nature that will win over even the coldest of hearts. And the rest of the album, including highlight "Sexotheque", keep up the solid pop the entire way. Maybe the mainstream pop universe didn't wow me this year, but pop as a whole definitely impressed me, and Trouble In Paradise left quite the impression on me.
Welcome BACK, Interpol! After they wowed me with Our Love to Admire and wowed me even more once I went back and listened to their first two albums in full, I kind of dropped the ball with Interpol. It doesn't help that their most recent album before El Pintor was a bit of a dud. El Pintor is not a dud, not even close. El Pintor is Interpol turning back the clock and banging out their best effort in a decade. "All the Rage Back Home" was the big comeback single for the New York trio, and it was a joyous experience to hear the best of Interpol all over again. I was still kind of worried about the album, because I didn't want the album to just have the one great track and nothing else. Thankfully, El Pintor does not disappoint. "My Desire" immediately follows "All the Rage Back Home" and provides a nice cooldown. The three song section that starts with "Breaker 1" and ends with "Ancient Ways" is probably my favorite set on the album, especially the middle track of that group, "Tidal Wave", which...well, hit me like a tidal wave. I did not realize that I could be nostalgic for Interpol until I listened to "Tidal Wave" and found myself being sent back to 2007 and when my love of Interpol was at its peak. I hope that this Interpol never leaves.
How much different would my appreciation of Sonic Highways be if I had watched the HBO companion series that, many say, gives a whole new meaning to the album? Well, as a long-time Foo Fighters fan, I can say that, even without the companion series, I enjoyed Sonic Highways, though not quite on the same level as their previous kickass album, Wasting Light. Admittedly, the albums where the Foos tend to slow things down a bit are harder for me to appreciate, because I think that the Foos are at their best when they rock out. Case in point, ****ing "The Fease and the Famine". One of the best songs that the Foos have ever made, it's a near-four minute beast that rivals any of their most ferocious tunes, complete with Dave Grohl growling and Taylor Hawkins destroying the drums for our listening enjoyment. "Something From Nothing" was a great first single, showcasing both the intent of the album and how hard and effortlessly the Foos can still kick our ass. Outside of those two tracks, honestly, I struggled a bit more without the companion series to connect to the rest of the album. And sure, "Congregation" is, undoubtedly, a very good song, and "Outside" is a lot of fun. But this is one case where I regret not getting the full experience, because I probably would have enjoyed this album even more if I had watched the HBO series.
Oh man, THIS album. Where do I even begin? Well, how about starting with the era in between Make Believe and this latest album? Many, MANY people did not like the direction Rivers Cuomo took Weezer. I was not one of those people. Maybe I didn't quite like the music on the same level as, say, Pinkerton, but it was clear that it was the music that Rivers really wanted to make. He just wasn't angry anymore, he has a family now, and he seems fairly content with his place in the world. so why try to MAKE him angry and force things? Of course, the hardcore Weezer fans were all up in arms, wanting a return of the "real" Weezer, a return to the band's roots. Crybabies, the whole lot of them. It's not RIVERS' fault that he wasn't angry.
Well, hardcore fans, you got your wish in the form of Everything Will Be Alright in the End. Hailed as the "comeback album" for a band that really didn't have any "coming back" to do in the first place, Everything Will Be Alright in the End is the album those fans have been waiting for. And you know what's really funny? The song that was the first experience many people had with the album, the song that would set the tone for this era for Weezer, the lead single, "Back to the Shack"? It is the worst track on the album, bar none. Compared to the rest of the album that it is featured in, its quality pales in comparison. Honestly, if the song was just discarded to the side and left to rot, this album would have been even higher on this list. The song is that bad, and I was actually worried to check out the album after listening to the song for the first time. But still, I trekked on, and hey? I liked the album quite a bit! As a nostalgic trip, there's a lot to like here. "Da Vinci" is Weezer at its most potent, complete with whistles, catchy verses, and a fantastic chorus. "Go Away", featuring THE BEST! THE BEST! THE BEST! THE BEST Coast's Bethany Cosentino, is a really nice little tune that feels almost like an homage to guitar music from the 50's. "Eulogy For A Rock Band" is really, REALLY fun and enjoyable to listen to, especially the chorus, which is probably the best non-"Da Vinci" chorus on the album. And thankfully, outside of "Back to the Shack", none of the songs on the album feel too forced or tacked on. Rivers and the gang puts their full effort into making an album that both the casuals and the hardcore fans will enjoy equally. In that sense, I think that Weezer succeeded. I'm not sure if I want their next album to be similar, but as a one-off, it is much appreciated.
Alright, guys, 15-11 is done! Next up will (probably) be albums 10-8, as I think I'm going to save the top 4 for last, as they were, pretty clearly, my four favorite albums. You'll see what I mean when the time comes. But first, 10-8, which will the sexiest album of 2014, a much-needed album from a band that just experienced a massive loss, and the debut album of the next Paramore. See you then.
Now reading your blurb has made me want to listen to Weezer's new album. I love their stuff from 2001-2006 but after that I was kinda disappointed about them, pretty much the situation you described
Chromeo! I've never listened to an album from them but I've loved the singles from this album! Definitely need to check out this one.
"El Pintor" is good! I'm so glad Interpol is back
I need to check out Weezer + La Roux
yasssssssssss Trust on the previous album set! It's one of my favourite albums of the year, it's just so good. Have you checked TRST? It's a bit darker than Joyland, but still amazing. I really liked La Roux and Chromeo from this one. Also, "sexiest album of the year"? Am I right about thinking of a certain album?
Albums list time! I agree with you that Lazaretto wasn't as good as Blunderbuss, but your write-up states perfectly why that's just fine. Nice job highlighting "High Ball Stepper" btw! So good. I appreciate that you still love Sonic Highways without having seen the HBO series, but you still do a good job of outlining some of the best songs like "The Feast and the Famine," "Congregation," and "Outside" (just you wait until you watch the L.A. ep of Sonic Highways, and see the footage of Joe Walsh recording his guitar solo...... Outstanding). Definitely make sure you get to watch it all at some point! And Weezer! My feelings on the album are a little bit different, because i'm a weirdo outlier Weezer fan who kind of loves Raditude and Hurley more than EWBAITE, but your write-up is still really great and well-argued. In particular you are spot-on about Rivers in the first paragraph, something that fans need to realize! I wish I could print that paragraph up and shove it in their faces! Okay, that's a bit aggressive haha.
I haven't listened to the other albums (though i've heard a bit of Interpol's, and your write-up makes it sound intriguing, and I liked what I heard). Excited for THE TOP TEN!
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