A New Beginning

It's kind of obvious that this blog died. I appologize. Shit happens. Anyways, I started a new blog. It's called "Bankrupt On Selling." I do realize that I used another Modest Mouse song as a blog title. It was not intentional but I think I'm just going to make it a trend that every blog I have will be named after a Modest Mouse song. Here's the url: http://leavinthelivin.blogspot.com

Thanks for the good times and PEACE!

Fuck The Police

If anyone was wondering why my final "Best of 2009" post was published, then taken down, then published again, then taken down AGAIN, it's because the all powerful web sheriff filed complaints with blogger both times. Sure, the first time I said "fuck you" and left the links but apparently these assholes have nothing better to do than to check my blog. I'm pretty angry about it. I mean, I could be posting entire albums and discographies like other sites do but I don't. I post rarities and b-sides. I posted my favorite songs of the year, to support the artists and help spread the word. I only posted one song from each album. One FUCKING song. The web sheriff can go fuck himself, and then maybe file complaints against/bother people who are actually doing something wrong.



Rant Over.

Best Of 2009- Top Albums 5-1

Alright this is it. Thanks for sticking with me. Am I completely predictable? Probably. But I am who I am and I like what I like. What were your top albums of 2009?

5. O Pioneers!!!- Neon Creeps
"My Life As A Morrissey Song"
I'm going to start this off by stating the obvious: O Pioneers!!! fucking rule. They're like Chuck Ragan fronting an old school Against Me! with lyrics that are simple, repetitive (but not too much so), and relatable. Neon Creeps just saw OP!!! getting better, with a bigger sound but without losing what made their debut, Black Mambas, great; raw energy.

4. Set Your Goals- This Will Be The Death Of Us
"Gaia Bleeds (Make Way For Man)" (Link Removed)
Set Your Goals completely outdid themselves on this record, something I didn't think was possible after the amazingly pirate themed Mutiny!. This album has so much emotion and honesty in it, especially one of my favorites "The Fallen". Death of Us also has one of their most badass and brutal songs, "Gaia Bleeds".

3. Regina Spektor- Far
"Eet" (Link Removed)
I'm a sucker for anything with piano and I'm an even bigger sucker for Regina Spektor's voice, so this album was pretty big for me this year. Her lyrics are so honest and the stories she tells are so weird, it's hard not to be drawn in. I was a little let down by Begin To Hope because there was less piano but Far has completely restored my faith in her.

2. Bomb the Music Industry!- Scrambles
"(Shut) Up the Punx!!!"
This should come as no surprise to anyone. I love Jeff Rosenstock and all of the music he makes. Scrables is BtMI!'s best album yet. The lyrics are as good as ever and the music is still completely badass. There are curve balls around every corner, whether they're random samples, songs heavy with piano, or the brutal "Gang of Four Meets the Stooges (But Boring)".

1. Manchester Orchestra- Mean Everything To Nothing
"Mean Everything To Nothing" (Link Removed)
This album didn't leave my car stereo for about four straight months after it first came out. It's so raw and southern, I can't help but rock out to it. Andy Hull's voice is so much better in Mean Everything and his lyrics cut deep. The sound on this album is huge and I really couldn't say enough good things about it.

Best Of 2009- Top Albums 10-6

And we're back. It's best we keep moving. I envisioned this "best of" post being a lot shorter and taking up a whole lot less space. My apologies.


10. Weatherbox- The Cosmic Drama
"Two Satchels Of Light"
Weatherbox's American Art is one of my favorite albums of all time. I know it's kind of early and weird to say that, but I always come back to it. Always. And it's still as good of an album as it was when I first heard it. The Cosmic Drama was definitely a grower, but once I let it grow on me I love it. Every song is good. It may not be as good as American Art but I'm okay with that.

9. Dear Landlord- Dream Homes
"High Fives"
This album is so much fun to sing along to. It's catchy pop-punk with lyrics about things that matter. But seriously, how hard is it not to sing along to "Three To The Beach" turned up all the way in the car? "We're not that hopeless, we're not as fucked as you think. In short lived moments we can do anything."

8. Portugal. The Man- The Satanic Satanist
"The Sun"
The Satanic Satanist is by far P.tM's most accessible release to date, which isn't a bad thing by any means. In fact for those who are just finding the band, it might be a good place to start. Every song is catchy in its own way and the musicianship is great as expected, but the keyboard and guitar sounds are especially good (sorry drum and bass, your album was Church Mouth).

7. Kevin Devine- Brother's Blood
"Brother's Blood"
Kevin Devine is a story teller and a talented one at that. On Brother's Blood his stories and characters are better and more complex than his previous albums and they really engage the listener. The music itself may be a little bit of an Elliott Smith rip off, but it makes for a damn good album, full of raw emotion and energy.

6. Fake Problems- It's Great To Be Alive
"Heart BPM"
To be completely honest, I had no idea if this band was a joke listening to this album, until I got to the last song "Heart BPM". It's so ridiculously huge sounding with all the horns, gang vocals, and even more ridiculous (but at the same time completely badass) lyrics. It's a good kind of ridiculous, though. The album is super catchy and "Heart BPM" is easily one of my favorite songs of the year.

The Swellers- End Of Discussion

I was pretty surprised the first time I heard The Swellers' self-released first album End Of Discussion. I had listened to My Everest periodically since it was released but never enough to want to dig into their back catalogue. Now fast forward to this fall, when their latest (and greatest) album, Ups and Downsizing was released. I was and still am very impressed with the new album which lead me to search and listen to their other releases, and THAT leads us to my confusion over End Of Discussion (There has to be a better way to describe that, I apologise). Anyways, End Of Discussion is a straight forward skate-punk record with clear influences from NOFX, Bad Religion, Lagwagon etc. It puzzling because I can barely hear any of that in their later releases that are pop punk. Maybe I'm not listening close enough. End Of Discussion is a great album nonetheless, especially "His Name is Robert Paulson" their completely badass ska song.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Immunity
2. Anything
3. His Name is Robert Paulson
4. Sightless
5. I Wanna Be in the Mob
6. Sunshine
7. Zombie Pirates From Outer Space
8. Erased
9. Losing my Girl
10. Get the Process Changed

Best Of 2009- Top Albums 15-11

I've been debating whether or not to do a "best of" post, mainly because so many people do them this time of year, this would just be white noise. That and Rolling Stone has once again failed me in their end of year issue, this time end of decade (anytime I have to see U2 mentioned more than 15 times in a magazine I involuntarily vomit. It's not my fault, blame "Vertigo" and every other post '80s song they've released.) Back to things that are relevant, I tried the best I could to make a list of my favorite albums of the year and the tracks that accompany them are the songs that I listened to the most from that album. Let's do this.


15. Moneen- The World I Want to Leave Behind
"The Glass House"
This album is incredibly catchy. It's no Red Tree, but amazing in its own right. A lot of people have been skeptical about this album, but it still has insane musicianship and meaningful lyrics, the two things Moneen is known for. It has some of Moneen's softest songs and it has some of their most brutal. "The Glass House" is the six minute epic closer to the album and it is both.

14. P.O.S.- Never Better
"Low Light Low Life"
P.O.S. really stepped up his game on this album. The things that come out of his mouth are brilliant and insane and he manages to make it all flow together. It blows my mind. Plus Jason Shevchuk from None More Black does badass guest vocals on "Terrorish" and he samples Fugazi's "Five Corporations." What other rapper does that successfully?

13. Person L- The Positives
"Untitled"
To be completely truthful I didn't like the last Person L record at first listen, so I brushed it aside and hoped for a Starting Line reunion. But this album totally changed my opinion of the band. It's post-punk with some experimentation and a touch of soul. The Positives is one of those records for me that I have to listen to from start to finish and it calms me down/ puts me in a good mood. Sorry for doubting you Kenneth.

12. Frank Turner- Poetry Of The Deed
"Live Fast Die Old"
As obsessed as I am with Frank Turner, this is unfortunately the right ranking. Last year Love Ire & Song was number 2 for me (but going against the '59 Sound isn't fair), so it's hard not to feel a little disappointment. Still, the album is great, especially the first four songs. His lyrics are as good as ever on Poetry, which is part of the reason this record still rules.

11. Polar Bear Club- Chasing Hamburg
"Boxes"
I absolutely loved both the Redder the Better and Sometimes Things Just Disappear and at first listen I didn't think Hamburg was at all up to standards with PBC's earlier releases. At second listen, I started humming along but still wasn't convinced. Third listen completely changed my mind. I have no idea how. This album is amazing, don't ask me if I like it better than Disappear though, that's just mean.

Elliott Smith- Figure 8 Demos

Figure 8 is probably my favorite Elliott Smith album (though XO and From A Basement On The Hill aren't far behind). I know any "true" fan is supposed to claim his self titled album and Either/Or as their favorites but I've never been able to handle an entire album of soft singing and acoustic guitar, no matter how amazing the lyrics are. So apparently I'm a poser, deal with it. His later albums have incredible instrumentation to go along with his already incredible lyrics, I don't understand how that's a bad thing. Anyways, Figure 8 is a great indie album that shouldn't be overlooked (or shouldn't have been overlooked). These demos are really good quality live studio versions of some of the songs that appeared on Figure 8. Several of the songs didn't make the cut for the album, so that is reason enough to download them.

Link
Website
Track Listing:
1. Brand New Game
2. In The Lost & Found (Instrumental)
3. No Life (Amplified)
4. Pretty Mary K
5. Stained Glass Eyes
6. Stupidity Tries
7. Tiny Time Machine