New Vid: Yeasayer - O.N.E.

by Dan | posted March 11, 2010

“O.N.E.” from Brooklyn-based experimental band Yeasayer, with its reggae-splashed beat and a chorus about counteracting heartache, might possibly be my favorite song of 2010 (so far). It’s the second single from their sophomore LP “Odd Blood,” and the new—and extremely cool—music video hit the web earlier this week.

The new video centers around a Morpheus-inspired mystery man who purportedly oversteps his metaphysical boundaries after wandering into a hipster-crowded warehouse party. In the background, Yeasayer performs in what appears to be an illuminated steel cage wrestling ring. After losing a game of “prism checkers,” our protagonist is literally bounced back into reality. In retrospect, the whole affair could pass as a scene from “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test”—if Michael Mann directed the film version.

I enjoy this video because no two people will interpret it exactly the same. And I think that’s the point. Genius.

The lyrics of the song burrow deep into memory, begging to be played and replayed ad infinitum…

One’s
Not
Enough

I won’t stop till I’ve given you up
here, right as I am
it’s hard having fun
it’s much easier said than it’s done

the room’s still now when I’m lying
cause the wet of the night has gone dry
when they ask to behave
I paid them no mind
now I doubt if I’d have been so kind

hold me like before…
hold me like you used to…
control me like you used to…

NO!

you don’t move me anymore
and I’m glad that you don’t
cause I can’t have you anymore

but I thought you should know
you don’t move me anymore
and I’m glad that you don’t
cause I can’t take it anymore

    DELOREAN: Live in Concert! (sort of)

by Dan | posted March 10, 2010

In October of last year, Eristoff Vodka, a wholly owned subsidiary of Bacardi and an innovator in the online music festival space, teamed up with Spanish synthpop crew Delorean to create a first-of-its-kind remote concert experience, and was it ever epic.

To promote their amazingly beautiful EP “Ayrton Senna,” the group played an eight-track set for Eristoff Internative’s webcast-only festival, which encourages fans to interact with the band via their website before and after the performance.

What I failed to realize until just now is that during said concert, Delorean played 2 previously unheard songs (Stay Close and Grow) from their upcoming debut album “Subiza,” set to drop in Europe on March 15th.

Both tracks feature the bands familiar sun-soaked synth notes and vocal samples—a combination that was used to perfection on EP standout “Seasun”. Closing out the set is “Grow,” which begins with an inviting guitar loop and then transitions into a more structured dream pop anthem, with layers of carefully composed electronics giving the track its infectious energy. “Stay Close” is similarly excellent, a more chillwave-sounding tune with a profoundly blissful vocal harmony.

Check out the set list along with the video playlist below.

DELOREAN
10.04.09
Eristoff Internative Festival

1. Seasun
2. Stay Close
3. Moonson
4. Big Dipper
5. No Name
6. Deli
7. As Time Breaks Off
8. Grow

Pretty awesome, right?

This was also rather enjoyable –

Google-translated Marketing Slogan from Eristoff’s YouTube Channel:

“When the full moon extends his dominions, Eristoff wolves leave their dens in search of unforgettable nights. Howl, pokes his nose and keep alert your instinct of a wolf. Something may be happening nearby. And if you’re a wolf ready, you’ll soon find it.”

    New Releases 2010: Updated!

by Dan | posted March 9, 2010

Alright folks — here’s an updated list of 27 30 new record releases for the spring/summer 2010 that I can’t wait to get my headphones around; complete with my “ranking of anticipation,” of course.

Pretty impressive stuff, especially given that this year has already graced us with fantastic new music from Yeasayer, Vampire Weekend, Two Door Cinema Club, Hot Chip, Delphic, jj, Toro Y Moi, and several others.

Simply put, 2010 kind of rules. And here we go…

March
3/15 Delorean — Subiza (5)

April
4/13 MGMT — Congratulations (10)
4/20 Javelin — No Mas (18)
4/21 The Radio Dept — Clinging to a Scheme (12)
4/27 Small Black — Small Black (24)

May
5/4 Broken Social Scene — Forgiveness Rock Record (T-6)
5/4 Minus the Bear — Omni (T-6)
5/11 The National — High Violet (8)
5/18 The Black Keys — Brothers (14)
5/18 LCD Soundsystem — Title TBD (T-2)
5/18 Band of Horses — Infinite Arms (3)
5/25 Stone Temple Pilots — Stone Temple Pilots (23)
TBD Big Boi — Sir Lucious Left Foot: Son of Chico Dusty (19)
TBD Drake — Thank Me Later (17)
TBD Nas and Damian Marley — Distant Relatives (26)

June
6/1 Jack Johnson — To The Sea (13)
6/8 Blitzen Trapper — Title TBD (22)
6/15 Gaslight Anthem — American Slang (21)
6/22 Stars — The Five Ghosts (7)
TBD Miami Horror — Illumination (T-11)
TBD M.I.A. — Title TBD (T-11)
TBD Mark Ronson — Title TBD (27)

July and Beyond
Summer Interpol — Title TBD (1)
Summer Cut Copy — Title TBD (T-2)
Summer Arcade Fire — Title TBD (4)
Summer Ra Ra Riot — Title TBD (9)
Summer !!! — Title TBD (15)
Summer The Drums — Title TBD (16)
Summer The Walkmen — Title TBD (20)
Summer T-Pain — Title TBD (25)

    5 songs for Tuesday

Hopefully this is a regular feature. Have a good Tuesday!

    New: Late of the Pier - Best in the Class

You gotta loosen up
You gotta concentrate
You gotta play it right
You gotta fall in love
You gotta live the dream
You gotta warm it up
You gotta speak your mind
You can always change

    “I’m with the band.”

by Dan | posted February 2, 2010

Kris and I – along with Katie and Ashley – got to hang with some of the band members at a recent Solid Gold gig @ Lincoln Hall (Chicago) back on 1.14.10.  After every show I’ve seen there, the band has come out and mingled with the crowd, which is awesome.  Here are a few photos from that evening along with an old one I dug up from a Girl Talk show back in early 2007.

One of Minneapolis’ finest: Zach from Solid Gold

Steve (aka STV SLV) from The Hood Internet

Dan + Blake [right] at Girl Talk @ Stonefly Brewery (Milwaukee) 3.23.07

    New Vid: Miami Horror - Sometimes

New video for Miami Horror’s epic single ‘Sometimes’ (#14 on my Top 75 Tracks of 2009).

    Hype Machine’s Music Blog Zeitgeist 2009

The Hype Machine has recently announced the release of their annual list of the most-blogged music.  A great round-up for the year that was…

    The 75 Best Albums & Tracks of 2009

by Dan | posted December 15, 2009

We at saynoradio felt it would only be fitting to close out 2009 with our picks for the year’s best in indie music.

A few notes: Empire of the Sun’s Walking on a Dream — released Stateside in April ‘09 on Capitol — would have placed high on my list, but the Aussie-released version of the record came out in Oct ‘08 and, thus, belongs in my 2008 edition. Also, I omitted genre’s outside of indie rock/folk and electronica from this “best of” list, albeit there were an array of great hip-hop albums released this year.

Anyway, I hope that everyone enjoys the holiday season! Looking forward to 2010 and what already appears to be a very promising year for music. Let’s go get it.

TOP 75 ALBUMS

01

Friendly Fires
Friendly Fires

02

Passion Pit
Manners

03

The xx
xx

04

Phoenix
Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

05

Delorean
Ayrton Senna

06

Camera Obscura
My Maudlin Career

07

Memory Tapes
Seek Magic

08

La Roux
La Roux

09

Yeah Yeah Yeahs
It’s Blitz!

10

Grizzly Bear
Veckatimest

11

Miike Snow
Miike Snow

12

Discovery
LP

13

VEGA
Well Known Pleasures

14

Julian Casablancas
Phrazes For The Young

15

Neon Indian
Psychic Chasms

16

Dirty Projectors
Bitte Orca

17

Jack Peñate
Everything Is New

18

YACHT
See Mystery Lights

19

The Whitest Boy Alive
Rules

20

Girls
Album

21

The Juan MacLean
The Future Will Come

22

The Horrors
Primary Colours

23

Andrew Bird
Noble Beast

24

Various Artists
Dark Was the Night

25

The Big Pink
A Brief History Of Love

26: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
27: Fever Ray - Fever Ray
28: The Temper Trap - Conditions
29: Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
30: Little Dragon - Machine Dreams
31: Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
32: The Invisible - The Invisible
33: The Decemberists - The Hazards Of Love
34: Wilco - Wilco (The Album)
35: Peter Bjorn and John - Living Thing
36: White Lies - To Lose My Life
37: Au Revoir Simone - Still Night, Still Light
38: Iron and Wine - Around The Well
39: Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
40: Washed Out - Life of Leisure
41: Bibio - Ambivalence Avenue
42: jj - jj n° 2
43: The Swell Season - Strict Joy
44: Toro Y Moi - Causers Of This
45: Metric - Fantasies
46: White Rabbits - It’s Frightening
47: Matt & Kim - Grand
48: Bat For Lashes - Two Suns
49: Arctic Monkeys - Humbug
50: The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa
51: Calvin Harris - Ready For The Weekend
52: Florence + The Machine - Lungs
53: Fol Chen - Part I: John Shade, Your Fortune’s Made
54: The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
55: Princeton - Cocoon Of Love
56: Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
57: The Drums - Summertime!
58: Kings of Convenience - Declaration of Dependence
59: Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth
60: Animal Collective - Fall Be Kind
61: Japandroids - Post-Nothing
62: Amazing Baby - Rewild
63: Bill Callahan - Sometimes I Wish We Were An Eagle
64: Mason Jennings - Blood Of Man
65: Volcano Choir - Unmap
66: Vetiver - Tight Knit
67: School Of Seven Bells - Alpinisms
68: Thieves Like Us - Really Like To See You Again
69: St. Vincent - Actor
70: Wave Machines - Wave If You’re Really There
71: Papercuts - You Can Have What You Want
72: Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
73: Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself
74: Cymbals Eat Guitars - Why There Are Mountains
75: The Maccabees - Wall Of Arms

TOP 75 TRACKS

1: Friendly Fires - “Skeleton Boy”

2: Passion Pit - “Little Secrets”

3: Grizzly Bear - “Two Weeks”

4: Camera Obscura - “French Navy”

5: The xx - “Islands”

6: Delorean - “Seasun”

7: Phoenix - “1901”

8: Wolf Gang - “The King And All Of His Men”

9: Hey Champ - “Gold Dust Girl”

10: Friendly Fires - “Lovesick”

11: Miike Snow - “Cult Logic”

12: VEGA - “No Reasons”

13: Phoenix - “Lisztomania”

14: Miami Horror - “Sometimes”

15: The Dirty Projectors - “Stillness Is The Move”

16: Julian Casablancas - “11th Dimension”
17: Bag Raiders - “Shooting Stars”
18: Memory Tapes - “Bicycle”
19: Passion Pit - “The Reeling”
20: Delorean - “Deli”
21: Yeah Yeah Yeahs - “Dragon Queen”
22: Sébastien Tellier - “Kilometer (A-Trak Remix)”
23: Girls - “Lust For Life”
24: Washed Out - “Feel It All Around”
25: Jack Peñate - “Pull My Heart Away”
26: The xx - “Crystalised”
27: La Roux - “I’m Not Your Toy”
28: Classixx - “I’ll Get You”
29: Matt & Kim - “Daylight”
30: Grizzly Bear - “While You Wait For The Others”
31: Animal Collective - “What Would I Want? Sky”
32: The Whitest Boy Alive - “Dead End”
33: Joy Orbison - “Hyph Mngo”
34: Holy Ghost! - “I Will Come Back”
35: Discovery - “Carby”
36: Peter Bjorn and John - “It Don’t Move Me”
37: The Juan MacLean - “Happy House”
38: Friendly Fires - “Jump In The Pool”
39: YACHT - “Psychic City (Classixx Remix)”
40: Local Natives - “Camera Talk”
41: Metric - “Help, I’m Alive”
42: Fever Ray - “When I Grow Up (Dan Lissvik Remix)”
43: The Horrors - “Sea Within A Sea”
44: The National - “So Far Around The Bend”
45: The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - “Young Adult Friction”
46: The Temper Trap - “Fader”
47: The Very Best - “Warm Heart of Africa”
48: Two Door Cinema Club - “Something Good Can Work”
49: The Big Pink - “Dominos”
50: The Drums - “Let’s Go Surfing”
51: Bat For Lashes - “Daniel”
52: NightWaves - “Fascination (Bit Funk Remix)”
53: Duck Sauce - “aNYway”
54: Volcano Choir - “Island, IS”
55: The Guggenheim Grotto - “Fee Da Da Dee”
56: Fol Chen - “Cable TV”
57: Calvin Harris - “Ready For The Weekend”
58: Memory Tapes - “Graphics”
59: Noah and the Whale - “Blue Skies (The Twelves Remix)”
60: Animal Collective - “My Girls”
61: Wilco - “I’ll Fight”
62: White Rabbits - “Percussion Gun”
63: Florence + The Machine - “You’ve Got The Love (The xx Remix)”
64: Julian Casablancas - “Left & Right In The Dark”
65: Au Revoir Simone - “Shadows”
66: Japandroids - “Young Hearts Spark Fire”
67: Antony and the Johnsons - “Kiss My Name”
68: Little Dragon - “Feather”
69: Papercuts - “Future Primative”
70: Thieves Like Us - “American Skies”
71: Mason Jennings - “The Field”
72: Kings Of Convenience - “Boat Behind”
73: Tesla Boy - “Electric Lady”
74: St. Vincent - “Save Me From What I Want”
75: Jamie T - “Sticks N’ Stones”

    My Best of 2009

Hello All,

What bubbles with excitement, makes you reflect on your past, and comes at the end of the year? No, not champagne silly, end of the year lists! Lists are a great way to compartmentalize and compact the past year into tiny little numbered details. This year we are fortunate to be hit with an onslaught of “best of the decade list” (no joke I saw a “best car chases of the decade” special on TV the other day). I present my favorite tracks, albums, and concerts from 2009. Maybe you can listen to it while you are drinking all that champagne…

Cheers to a great year in music!

PS. If someone figures out what to call the next decade, please let me know. (The teen’s?)

Tracks

1) Grizzly Bear - Two Weeks

2) Passion Pit - Sleepyhead

3) Delorean - Deli

4) The Dirty Projectors - Stillness is the Move

5) Hey Champ - Cold Dust Girl

6) Camera Obscura - French Navy

7) Julian Casablancas - 11th Dimension

8) Girls - Lust for Life

9) Friendly Fires - Paris (Aeroplane Remix)

10) Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others

11) The National - So Far Around the Bend

12) Phoenix - 1901

13) Vega - No Reasons

14) Discovery - Can You Discover

15) Solid Gold - Synchronize

16) YACHT - Psychic City

17) The xx - Islands

18) Delorean - Seasun

19) Memory Tapes - Bicycle

20) Neon Indian - Terminally Chill

Albums

1) Passion Pit - Manners

2) Girls - Album

3) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amedeus Phoenix

4) Friendly Fires - Friendly Fires

5) The xx - xx

6) Various Artists - Dark Was The Night

7) YACHT - See Mystery Lights

8) Neon Indian - Psychic Chasms

9) Discovery - LP

10) Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

Honorable Mention

> Matt & Kim - Grand

> Wilco - Wilco (The Album)

> Memory Tapes - Seek Magic

> Bear In Heaven - Beast Rest Forth Mouth

Concerts

1) Band of Horses - Lollapalooza

2) Passion Pit - Lollapalooza

3) The National - Pitchfork Music Festival

4) Friendly Fires / The xx - Bottom Lounge

5) Neon Indian - Lincoln Hall

6) Ra Ra Riot / Princeton - Schubas

7) Passion Pit - Apple Store (Michigan Ave, Chicago)

8) Santigold - Lollapalooza

9) Fleet Foxes - Lollapalooza

10) Crookers - Lollapalooza

    My Favorite Albums of 2009…

My list sucks. I didn’t have time to absorb shit this year. I don’t care if you think it sucks. It is my list. Punk Rock.

1. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

2. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

3. A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head

4. Japandroids - Post-Nothing

5. Dan Auerbach - Keep it Hid

6. The Antlers - Hospice

7. Heartless Bastards - The Mountain

8. Mew - No More Stories Told Today…

9. Washed Out - Life of Leisure

10. Silversun Pickups - Swoon

11. Dodos - Time to Die

12. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

13. Russian Circles - Geneva

14. Them Crooked Vultures - S/T

15. Owen - New Leaves

16. Vivian Girls - Everything Goes Wrong

17. Pete Yorn - Back & Fourth

18. The Temper Trap - Conditions

19. The Von Bondies - Love, Hate and Then There’s You

20. Yeah Yeah Yeah - It’s Blitz

Christmas music recommendation for the day -> Sufjan Stevens Songs For Christmas http://bit.ly/5NTCGg #saynoradio http://ow.ly/167bPx

    The XX/ Friendly Fires Concert Review

The XX and Friendly Fires show on December 1st brought an excellent opportunity to see two of indie music’s current gems on display in one night. Expectations were high. Thankfully the bands delivered one of Chicago’s most dynamic concerts of the year.

Just keep on bringing me closer

Hailing from London and currently on a blistering whirlwind tour buzzing around the globe (they are set to return for two more shows in Chicago in April, one with JJ and the other with industry heavyweights Hot Chip) the XX are made up of two 20 year olds with a guest keyboardist/percussionist playing with them on tour.  Raking in praise from all sources of the print and blogsphere, the XX currently sit somewhere near the top of emerging buzz bands in the indie world. Your correspondent was anticipating their lack of experience and soft music style might present a problem engaging a full concert hall. These worries were quickly dismissed when the band opened with “Intro” and the crowd fell quietly at their feet. Rolling through the first four songs of their album in order, the band drew us into the tiny world their songs reside in, keeping out of the way to let the listeners mind’s meander into the bedrooms and the backrooms of bars where they might imagine the lyrics of the songs take place. Their bedside manner was finely tuned as Singer- bassist Oliver Sim cooed a simple “Thanks” in a British accent after most songs. The songs themselves took on a new sound as they filled Bottom Lounge, heavy distortion and crisp vocals gave the songs a much warmer feeling then you could hear from your headphones on the way to work.  Singer-guitarist Romy Madley Croft demonstrated that it was in fact her who you came to see, as she all but had the audience dabbing at their noses with their sleeves after soul laden “Shelter”. I suggest you go see them if you can on their upcoming tour, as they are worth any price of admission. Yes XX; I am yours now, so now I don’t ever have to leave.

After all this time

This was the second appearance in Chicago for British Friendly Fires after their Sunday afternoon Lollapalooza performance. I made the mistake of choosing to see Ra Ra Riot over the Friendly Fires that day. The grand stage of Lolla was no place for the squeaky Ra Ra Riot to be performing, as their set sounded acoustically terrible and I spent most of the time watching them on the video screen as they appeared forever distant in the afternoon sun (their performance at Schubas this fall more then made up for it though). Eager to get this bad taste out of my mouth, my crew was 10 feet from the stage and ready to party. Opener “Lovesick” kicked off the show, and I don’t think anyone stopped moving their feet for the next 90 minutes. Lead singer Ed Macfarlane is a showman to say the least. His dance moves emulate a baby fawn learning to walk on ice; call it goofy, call it silly, but don’t call it boring. It’s almost like his dancing is there to say “See look how much fun I’m having? Dance with us!” Unknown to me, they performed with a full band, including two trumpets and two drummers/bassists, allowing each song to reach its full potential. Guitarist Edd Gibson was a pleasant surprise, his guitar solos sent “Strobe” into a dizzying U2-esque spiral and made “White Diamonds” sound like a bona fide rock and roll song. The crowd was smitten, and clamored for a good ten minutes in cheer for an encore before they came out to close with “Ex-Lover”.  Dear Friendly Fires, I will never sleep on you guys again.

Et Cetera
Cheers to the Bottom Lounge for bring in two great acts and being able to handle the acoustical differences both these bands presented. Also thanks to Mr. Dan Melillo for the tickets!

Till next time,

Kris