omgnyc: January 2010

January 27, 2010

Sweet Apple - "Do You Remember?"

"Sweet Apple is a new group that features J. Mascis (drums/guitar/vocals), Cobra Verde's Tim Parnin (guitar) and John Petkovic (vocals/guitar), and Witch's Dave Sweetapple (bass/vocals)." (Brooklyn Vegan)

No one brings the rock quite like Dinosaur Jr.'s J. Mascis. The legend, who put out one of my favorite albums of last year, returns in 2010 with a new group called Sweet Apple. Their debut album Love and Desperation hits stores March 30th and if the rest of the album packs the same punch as the first single "Do You Remember?" then I think we are all in for quite the treat.

mp3: Sweet Apple - "Do You Remember?"

January 17, 2010

Julian Casablancas played Terminal 5

It seemed very appropriate that the first live show of 2010 I attended was by the man who fronted the band responsible for my second favorite album of the past decade. It has now been four years since the last Strokes album and the fourth is feeling like the next Chinese Democracy, which I am desperately hoping is not true, so when Julian announced that he was releasing a solo album and touring I felt it necessary to attend. For his solo debut Phrazes for the Young Julian ditched the Television sounds of the Strokes and picked up some Blondie inspired new wave vibes, a fitting progression of New York music. Despite some negative hype calling his album space-prog-pop, his recent L.A. residency not living up to his expectations, and full leather attire which finally seemed fitting in a venue called Terminal 5 he point out, this show was nothing short of awesome. From the opening of "Ludlow Street" the crowd was instantly hooked and praised Julian for his long waited return to his hometown. His synthpop hits sounded even better live and there was nothing better then seeing him return to his microphone stand and croon the night away. The show was packed with energy and after he admitted to getting over his nerves Julian actually looked as if he was having a good time, something I never could say about when he played with the Strokes. While everyone continues to hold their breath for the next Strokes album, Julian still had the crowd in the palm of his hand throughout the show. Everyone was hanging on his every word and girls swooned as he sang the B-side "I'll Try Anything Once". When the Strokes return to the stage this summer, there is no doubt that they will appease their beloved fans and bring back the rock and roll once again, yet in the mean time Julian is showing no signs of retiring as the Prince of New York cool.

Setlist:
1. Ludlow St.
2. River of Brakelights
3. 11th Dimension
4. 30 Minute Boyfriend
5. Out of the Blue
6. new song
7. Glass
8. Left & Right in the Dark
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9. I'll Try Anything Once (The Strokes cover)
10. 4 Chords of the Apocalypse
11. Tourist

January 9, 2010

A Decade Under the Influence Pt. 2 Albums

As I said with my songs of the decade, this list could be ever changing. However I really wanted to recognize the albums I have loved over the past ten years. I tried to include as many genres as possible and be as true to myself as I could. My taste in music has certainly changed throughout these years, but I think this list does some justice. Once again #78 might be better than #73 on some days, however I did the best I could. I chose to only include one album from each band/artist in order to include as much variety and as many genres as possible. I know, I need to listen to more hip-hop.

100 Dizzee Rascal | Boy in da Corner
099 Shellac | 1000 Hurts
098 Be Your Own Pet | Be Your Own Pet
097 Hot Chip | Made in the Dark
096 Andrew WK | I Get Wet
095 Thursday | Full Collapse
094 Justice | †
093 Death Cab for Cutie | Transatlanticism
092 Fuck Buttons | Tarot Sport
091 Santogold | Santogold

090 A Sunny Day in Glasgow | Ashes Grammar
089 The Wind-Up Bird | Whips
088 The Low Frequency in Stereo | Futuro
087 The Pains of Being Pure at Heart | The Pains of Being Pure at Heart
086 Jimmy Eat World | Bleed American
085 Japandroids | Post Nothing
084 of Montreal | Hiss Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
083 Mogwai | Happy Songs for Happy People
082 Clipse | Hell Hath No Fury
081 The Good The Bad and the Queen | The Good The Bad and the Queen

080 Phoenix | Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
079 Spoon | Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
078 the xx | xx
077 Sonic Youth | Murray Street
076 The Books | The Lemon of Pink
075 At the Drive-In | Relation of Command
074 Explosions in the Sky | Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Die, Those Who Tell the Truth Shall Live Forever
073 Air | Talkie Walkie
072 Wolf Parade | Apologies to the Queen Mary
071 Vivian Girls | Vivian Girls

070 MIA | Kala
069 Four Tet | Rounds
068 Squarepusher | Go Plastic
067 Cursive | Domestica
066 Band of Horses | Everything All the Time
065 Daft Punk | Discovery
064 Boards of Canada | Geogaddi
063 Clap Your Hands Say Yeah | Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
062 Elliott Smith | Figure 8
061 Beirut | Gulag Orkestar

060 Fever Ray | Fever Ray
059 Ghostface Killah | Fishscale
058 Caribou | Andorra
057 The Raconteurs | Broken Boy Soldiers
056 Arctic Monkeys | Whatever People Say I am, That's What I am Not
055 Yeah Yeah Yeahs | Fever to Tell
054 Liars | Liars
053 Ryan Adams | Gold
052 Feist | The Reminder
051 The Hives | Vini Vidi Vicious

050 Madvillain | Madvillainy
049 Godspeed You! Black Emperor | Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas Towards Heaven
048 Beach House | Devotion
047 J Dilla | Donuts
046 Vampire Weekend | Vampire Weekend
045 Death from Above 1979 | You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
044 The Flaming Lips | Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robot
043 The National | Boxer
042 The Anniversary | All Things Ordinary
041 Saves the Day | Stay What You Are

040 Iron and Wine | Our Endless Numbered Days
039 Bloc Party | Silent Alarm
038 The Libertines | Up the Bracket
037 Bright Eyes | I'm Wide Awake It's Morning
036 Sleater-Kinney | The Woods
035 Broken Social Scene | You Forgot It in People
034 Outkast | Stankonia
033 The Avalanches | Since I Left You
032 Beck | Sea Change
031 Lightning Bolt | Ride the Skies

030 Deerhunter | Microcastle
029 No Age | Nouns
028 Dirty Projectors | Bitte Orca
027 The Mountain Goats | All Hail West Texas
026 Burial | Untrue
025 Kanye West | Graduation
024 Interpol | Turn on the Bright Lights
023 The Microphones | The Glow, Pt. 2
022 M83 | Before the Dawn Heals Us
021 Jay-Z | The Blueprint

020 The Knife | Silent Shout
019 Bon Iver | For Emma, Forever Ago
018 Drexel | The Inevitable is Available
017 Battles | Mirrored
016 Grizzly Bear | Veckatimest
015 Fleet Foxes | Fleet Foxes
014 Sufjan Stevens | Illinois
013 Panda Bear | Person Pitch
012 Portishead | Third
011 Joanna Newsom | Ys

010 TV on the Radio | Return to Cookie Mountain
009 Animal Collective | Sung Tongs
008 Sigur Rós | Agætis Byrjun
007 Modest Mouse | The Moon and Antarctica
006 Wilco | Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
005 LCD Soundsystem | Sound of Silver
004 Arcade Fire | Neon Bible
003 The White Stripes | Elephant
002 The Strokes | Is This It?
001 Radiohead | Kid A

January 6, 2010

A Decade Under the Influence Pt. 1 Songs

As the decade came to a close I realized more and more how much I was really a product of the 2000s and not really the 1990s. I was in 6th grade when the decade began and now I have one semester left of college. These have easily been some of my most impressionable years. My taste in music has grown from nu-metal butt rock to pop-punk to the list you will see below. I have been working on this list since July and it changes quite frequently, however I am publishing it. These are my 100 favorite songs of the past ten years at the present moment. I have never done a list of songs before and I know that there are many notable tracks missing, but these are the ones I have chosen to list. Sometimes #67 might be better then #66, but #1 will always be better then #100. Needless to say there is probably room for adjustment, but I do truly enjoy all of these tunes.