ROULETTE 32

"Half underwater, I'm half my mother's daughter..."

A Fine Frenzy - Hope For the Hopeless (One Cell in the Sea, 2007)

Klaxons - Isle of Her (Myths of the Near Future, 2007)

The Dresden Dolls - Half Jack (The Dresden Dolls, 2003)

Fleet Foxes - White Winter Hymnal (Fleet Foxes, 2008)

And don't forget, search for more at The Hype Machine; purchase albums or mp3's at Amazon, Amazon Canada, Amie St., cdbaby, or Insound.

TOP 100 SONGS OF 2007: 21-30

It's been a while, but we're slowly reaching the top. It's about time, as we're knee deep into February! I have to apologise for the suspense, but that just makes it more fun. Right?



30. White Rabbits - Navy Wives (Sendspace link)
Album: Fort Nightly

This song, though I will never properly understand its lyrics, is just utterly enjoyable. It pulls a beat through it really well, the vocals are great, the lyrics are bizarre and intriguing. White Rabbits are hard to write about coherently, so just give it a shot!


29. Die Romantik - Tik Tok (Sendspace link)
Album: Narcissist's Waltz

This song feels like a drugged up, high-speed ballroom dance, with colours blurring and your feet moving in ways you're not exactly trained for, but it's a rush. The vocals, dark and lush as always, make this something special. "Don't you know what it means, I forget where I am... You are everything, everything." There's something addictive in Die Romantik's style, definitely at work here.



28. A Fine Frenzy - Rangers (Sendspace link)
Album: One Cell in the Sea

A piano-led romp through the woods, with Alison Sudol's heavenly voice leading us through a fantasy landscape wherein we are hunted by mysterious 'rangers'. It builds up excellently for the choruses, while continuing momentum toward the climax. Beautiful piece of work.



27. Arcade Fire - No Cars Go (Sendspace link)
Album: Neon Bible

A wonderful song, full of great sounds that, even in their seeming randomness combine to make an utterly excellent song, with horns and yells of 'Hey!' kicking it off. The lyrics, about a place 'where no cars go' seems to be an interesting fantasy, Arcade Fire-style, even if the idea of a place with no transportation isn't wholly fantastic. The whole style, with the mixed vocals, the epic instrumentation, the evacuation speech in the middle pause, all give a feel of the fantastic.



26. Jens Lekman - And I Remember Every Kiss (Sendspace link)
Album: Night Falls Over Kortedala

Slowing is down a little, this is an ethereal-sounding number from Jens Lekman, whose state as indie golden boy is cemented here in a passionate tribute to, well, passion. When Jens sings, 'I would never kiss anyone who doesn't burn me like the sun' you want to follow his lead, and when he continues with 'and I remember every kiss like my first kiss', you believe him. It rises to epic heights, with horns and musical fireworks over the magnificent chorus.



25. Franz Ferdinand - Wine in the Afternoon (Sendspace link)
Album: Eleanor Put Your Boots On B-Side

An utterly fun song, in every way. It's a paean to living outside the rules, forgoing rent, work and responsibility for debauchery and intimacy. It's a seductive and exciting lifestyle that translates perfectly here, in both the lyrics and the tone, with the vocals supporting it perfectly. This revels in the feelings of the 'who cares?' that lovers feel, perfectly expressing them for listeners who have never experienced it.



24. Dragonette - Black Limousine (Sendspace link)
Album: Galore

A cheeky, sexy story of a woman-for-hire, drenched in expensive compensation for her sexual prowess and loving it. Dragonette is unapologetic here as they spin the tale of a woman who 'feel[s] the leather of a moving car', presumably with her bare skin. The pounding beats at the beginning just drip with the feeling of importance and wealth, and the vocals are, of course, teasing, hilarious and sexy.



23. Feist - Sea Lion Woman (Nina Simone cover) (Sendspace link)
Album: The Reminder

I didn't notice until now, but this song, apparently about a prostitute, comes just after Black Limosine, whose protagonist has a similar occupation. Feist's vocals here are crystal clear and gorgeous, fitting in with the excellent beat of this piece. Automatic foot tapping is a symptom of listening to this song, as are dancing along in your chair and utter excitement.

22. Patrick Park - Business of Oblivion (Sendspace link)
Album: songs of Peace / Songs of Protest

Patrick Park, whose hope was showcased in 'Life's a Song' and whose tiredness appeared in 'Something Pretty', shows his teeth in this biting diatribe against corporations and their amoral practises that threaten the people and the world around us. Remembering the excellent 'Pawn Song', one notes that Park has a knack for these moving issue songs, andthis is definitely no exception.

21. The Bravery - This is Not the End (Sendspace link)
Album: The Sun and the Moon

An intensely touching tribute to a mysterious dying figure, this song denies the idea of nonexistence post-death, even if the person in question lives on in their influence. The vocals are filled with raw pain, as the protagonist rages against the concept of life and death. By far the greatest offering so far from The Bravery. This song is not about a lover, that is obvious from the lyrics, and you get the sense that a beloved mentor, teacher and leader is about to die - though, according to this song, that is not the end.

If you enjoy these songs, I urge you to check out their albums!

TOP 100 SONGS 0F 2007: 81-90

So, last time around, I gave ya some Jon, some Bird, some Bjork, some Sophie and some identical twins. Trust me yet? If not, keep going, as you've only scratched the bottom of the pile. So, here goes...

90. Brandi Carlile - The Story (Rapidshare link)
Album: The story

Used recently to promote Grey's Anatomy, this was one of the songs that convinced me I'd fall in love with Carlile. That never came to pass, but this is still a beautiful song about companionship. She really does have an amazing voice.

89. Sondre Lerche - Say It All (Rapidshare link)
Album: Phantom Punch

It's hard to describe this song. I like the lyrics, of the perils of trying to 'say it all' and just digging yourself a bigger grave, and the music is generally quite good (though sometimes, in the wrong mood it's pretty annoying). The teasing tone Lerche does at points is often quite amusing, though.

88. Of Montreal - A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger (Rapidshare link)
Album: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

A bizarrely bouncy tune set to the story of feeling imprisoned by one's environment, in this case Norway. "I spent the winter with my nose in a book, trying to restructure my character, because it had become vile to its creator." The lyricism here is utterly brilliant, simultaneously detailing a breakdown and making you bounce along with it.

87. The Bird and the Bee - Polite Dance Song (Rapidshare link)
Album: Would You Please Clap Your Hands?

I originally had another Bird and Bee song here, but another of these such lists turned me onto 'Polite Dance Song', which is hilarious fun. Inara George's debut CD irked me in style, but as the Bird in this pairing she's utterly brilliant, and rarely better shown that here. When 'would you please' and 'apologies' mesh together in the background, the two go together very well, giving a really nice sound.

86. Bowerbirds – My Oldest Memory (Rapidshare link)
Album: Hymns of a Dark Horse

Bowerbirds is a rather obscure band at the moment, though I believe the internet is slowly giving them some press. I'm happy to add myself to that group here, as 'My Oldest Memory' is quite a nice song. It's quiet, vocal-based with a quiet strumming behind-the-scenes and a chorus with a choral sound. It's unassumingly good.

85. Rufus Wainwright – Tulsa (Rapidshare link)
Album: Release the Stars

Reportedly written about a sexual encounter between Wainwright and The Killers' lead singer Brandon Flowers, this song is nice reminiscence even without that. This song is all about the little things, the buildup to the morning described in the early lines. It's hinting, almost mocking while at the same time appreciative. And if it is just bragging about landing one of music's well-known 'indie'-singers, well, for some reason that just makes it even funnier.

84. Gwenno - U & I (Rapidshare link)
Album: U & I EP
"You and I have been running around like headless chickens, and I've had just about enough of it." This excellent song from one of the Pipettes, a pretty singer names Gwenno, is the highlight of what I've heard from her, which has been largely quite good. Not following the 'from another era' feel of her bandmates, she's made a sweet, poppy song here with clear vocals that just rolls from beat to beat.

83. A Fine Frenzy - Let It Snow (Rapidshare link)
Album: Myspace released

I'm not a Christmas music person, as noted earlier on in this list, but two songs blew me away this year and will probably be listened to even as the snow melts away and the presents are all forgotten. The second of these is Alison Sudol's beautiful 'Let it Snow', taking a song I've never particularly loved and making it a beautiful experience.

82. Measured in Angles - The Diderot Effect (Rapidshare link)
Album: History of the Engine

Now, this is odd. An instrumental, very mechanical song that comes in at under two minutes isn't exactly a peer among the rest on this list musically, but I have to say I somehow found the style of Measured in Angles, an instrumental band from both sides of the Canada/US border, mysteriously enchanting. This band, apparent;y while using traditional rock instruments, perfectly recreate a mechanical sound. This band is much better than I'd have expected it to be before listening.

81. Scala & Kolacny Brothers - The Blower’s Daughter (Damien Rice cover) (Rapidshare link)
Album: One-Winged Angel

The original is beautiful. How does one enhance such a song, while abandoning Damien Rice's painful vocals? Scala does the job nicely, taking their generally gorgeous choral style and working it particularly well here. Shivers go up and down your spine as they rise to the climax and slowly bring it down for a denouement.

So, there it is, part two of a rather insane undertaking. Once this list is done, you may never need another song again! However, if you do, I urge you to check them out elsewhere!

TOP 100 SONGS 0F 2007: 91-100

Everyone has them, those lists of what song rocked the hardest, made your heart beat the fastest, made you grin the longest. The music that made 2007 stand out from any year before or after it. After much deliberation, I'm set to share with you guys my top 100 songs of 2007, piece by piece.

(Also, check out Marelly's list, as there shall be some interesting stuff on it.)

100. Jon McLaughlin - Amelia's Missing (Rapidshare link)
Album: Indiana

A sweet song with an interesting hook, dropping names of famous missing persons to express the difficulty of finding the love of one's life in a sea of possibilities. Not perfect by a long shot, with some parts grating, but a nice, enjoyable song

99. The Bird and the Bee – Carol of the Bells (Rapidshare link)
Album: Internet Release

I'm not a huge Christmas music lover by a long shot, but Inara George and her merry band bring a gorgeous version of the well-known carol. It's a dreamy, sweet version of a song that, due to overexposure, often threatens to grate.

98. Spoon – Eddie’s Ragga (Rapidshare link)
Album: Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

Though Spoon is a band I've yet to properly fall for, this is one of the songs I really like despite the relatively few times I've listened to it. The classic Spoon sound doesn't interfere with itself here, which makes it quite enjoyable. I expect to like this even more after a few more listens.

97. Bjork - Earth Intruders (Mark Stent Extended Mix) (Rapidshare link)
Album: Volta

Though Volta was, not to mince words, a great disappointment considering how great Bjork can be, it wasn't without its bright spots. Well, one bright spot. An intriguing song pounding forwards, unapologetic about its weirdness. Mark Stent's additions make this a Bjork song to remember, even if Volta was an album to forget.

96. Dolores O’Riordan – Ordinary Day (Rapidshare link)
Album: Are You Listening?

Oddly enough, the solo debut of Cranberries' lead singer didn't get much in the way of buzz, something I found sad considering how much I, personally, loved them. O'Riordan's made a great album here ("Black Widow" just barely missed the list as well), one I've overlooked on many an occasion, and Ordinary Day is a great song, easy to listen to.

95. Of Montreal - Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse (Rapidshare link)
Album: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

The song that showed me exactly what everyone saw in Of Montreal, even if I was slow to love it. Desperation coats the vocals of this song, desperation for normalcy and control, a sad state of affairs even as the song throws itself into a beat that makes it hard not to tap your feet along. Somehow, the beat and the melancholy work together instead of odds, giving it a shade of the manic that it needs to properly sell itself.

94. Sophie Ellis-Bextor - Colour Me In (Rapidshare link)
Album: Unreleased

This unreleased track, presumably a b-side from new album Trip the Light Fantastic, is delightfully visual. Ellis-Bextor is remarkable in her ability to make a great dance song with interesting lyrics, and this is no exception as it draws on colour to express feeling. The synthesizers and electric guitar (I believe), the enthusiasm of the vocals, just makes this song exciting, and that's a win for Sophie.

(* Please note that the file is from a collections of B-sides and other songs someone pieced together before 'Fantastic' was released as a sort of guess, and isn't from the actual album despite the mp3's label.)

93. Modest Mouse - Dashboard (Rapidshare link)
Album: We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

A good beat, nonsensical lyrics declaring "the dashboard melted but we still have the radio", which is some consolation as this reminds why one would enjoy having a source of music despite a melted dashboard. At their best, Modest Mouse can make me move in my seat, and this one does so quite well.

92. A Fine Frenzy - The Minnow & the Trout (Rapidshare link)
Album: One Cell in the Sea

A tender song about acceptance and forgiveness, using (in my mind, Disney-esque) animals as stories to illustrate themes about equality among all who are different, even enemies. No matter how cheesy it sounds, it's a genuinely pretty song, and despite my better instincts hits somewhere deep inside.

91. Tegan and Sara - Floorplan (Rapidshare link)
Album: The Con

A nice T&S song, what could be considered a standard of The Con. While the lyrics don't seem to add up to a specific story, each part of this song ("I want to draw you a floorplan..." / "I'll hold this pain in my heart forever..." / "All eyes are on me now...") works both independently and with the others to make a beautiful song that just flows through you.

That's the beginning of what's been a pretty insane project these past weeks, alongside the Top 10 albums. These are often the tests by which blogs live, and I'm hoping this will properly establish at least my half of tBoS.

And as always, if you like the artists, feel free to check them out elsewhere. And enjoy!

MUSIC VIDEO SHOWCASE: A FINE FRENZY'S "RANGERS" AND "ALMOST LOVER"

As you folks seem to enjoy them, and they allow me to showcase songs I love without uploading anything, here's another couple music videos, both from 2007 breakout A Fine Frenzy, stage name of the wonderful Alison Sudol. First off, the song that led to my falling in love with the band, the utterly gorgeous "Rangers", with an enigmatic and quite pretty video:



Next is "Almost Lover", a song I earlier referred to as possibly 2007's most beautiful track, and one I've uploaded for you guys before. The video captures the story and tone of the song perfectly, a wistful and sad look back at a past relationship. Notable is the youth of 'past-Alison' compared to the singing, tragic 'now-Alison'.



Hope you liked those. Maybe, if I find enough good ones, these can become a regular feature! Oh, and make sure that if you liked the music, you buy her album.

FEATURE: TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2007

As the new year begins, I figure it's the best time to reflect on last year's best of the crop. I know undoubtedly this list is not perfect even in my opinion; there are a number of albums I have yet to break in properly, one of which I know almost for certain would land a Top 10 spot. That said, after weeks of preparing for this list, while watching others add theirs to the pile in December, here it is (tentatively): My top 10 albums of 2007.

Number 10: A Fine Frenzy's "One Cell in the Sea"


Sample Track: "Almost Lover" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Indigo/Chapters

A stunning debut album from gorgeous singer Alison Sudol, whose voice immediately captured me in "Rangers". After hearing it, I needed her album in a way I've needed few before it, and hers was one of the albums I anticipated most this year. While not every song is to the same quality, the music is still beautiful. "The Minnow and the Trout", though it feels oddly like the theme of a Disney movie, hits me in all the right places; and "Almost Lover", the sample track, is one of the most beautiful songs of the year.

Number 9: Tegan and Sara's "The Con"


Sample Track: "Soil, Soil" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound, Indigo/Chapters

This album, from one of my favourite Canadian artists, was indeed a grower as many declared it. Sitting for a long time at #17 on my list, only in recent weeks has it started to grow on me. It's full of good songs - "Soil, Soil", "Floorplan", "I Was Married" - and has one genuine hit in "Back in Your Head", which was the subject of my last Track Showcase. The thing that landed this album the list, however, is that every track is pretty damn listenable, even when you don't want to bother listening to the lyrics.

Number 8: Scala & Kolacny Brothers's "One-Winged Angel"


Sample Track: "The Beautiful People" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca

This Belgian girl's choir, whose gorgeous contemporary covers I've loved since first hearing them, released an album that included this shockingly impressive cover of Marylin Manson's "The Beautiful People". I'm not a fan of Manson (his style is my antithesis), but I enjoy this cover very much, and it gave me a chance to enjoy some of his incisive lyrics. This album also includes covers of Damien Rice, KT Tunstall and Radiohead, all worth checking out.

Number 7: Arcade Fire's "Neon Bible"


Sample Track: "Intervention" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound, Indigo/Chapters

An indie darling from the moment of its release, Arcade Fire has been sadly one of my neglected albums. Again, this is only one that rocketed into the top 10 once I started paying any amount of attention to it. "Intervention", the sample track, is just plain epic. "Keep the Car Running", "No Cars Go", "My Body is a Cage", all excellent tracks that make this even better than their debut.

Number 6: Andrew Bird's "Armchair Apocrypha"


Sample Track: "Imitosis" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound, Indigo/Chapters

My favourite artist, whose music has become a regular feature on my iPod. Though not nearly as amazing as "The Mysterious Production of Eggs" (which would have grabbed top spot), this album is a worthy successor, with "Heretics", quite possibly one of Andrew Bird's best songs (and definitely the most catchy). As I've shared "Heretics" before, I've included "Imitosis", a darker, gorgeous song I've only recently started listening to thanks to the brilliant remix I've previously posted. While I'd suggest "Eggs" before this any day, I urge you to get this album anyway. It's worthy of being an Andrew Bird album, and I can give no higher praise. Well, except maybe a spot on this list higher than 6, but it's still excellent.

Number 5: Remi Nicole's "My Conscience and I"


Sample Track: "Go Mr. Sunshine" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon

Another great debut following Alison Sudol's, Remi Nicole is very much following in the footsteps of Lily Allen, coming on as maybe her less-bitchy, just-as-funny sister. Tht's not a bad position to be in at all, as 'Conscience' is an excellent album full of songs with intelligent lyrics and generally good music to go with it. "Go Mr. Sunshine" is a great tribute to summer, one that allows for negative aspects that only make it, and the song, more charming; "Dates From Hell" is a shot at those men, probably some of the same assholes encountered by Ms. Allen on her album last year; "Rock'n Roll" is a great look as Nicole herself, while taking a dig at the stereotype of 'black artist = r'n'b or hip hop'. Pretty much every song here is a fun listen.

Number 4: White Rabbits' "Fort Nightly"


Sample Track: "While We Go Dancing" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound

These guys know how to make a beat. Every song on this album, from best to not-so-best, can at least get me bopping a little in my chair. The sample track, "While We Go Dancing", showcases this: It's got a great beat, without being overtly poppy or cheery. Much of the album follows this vibe, making for a great 41 minutes of listening. Also check out "Navy Wives", probably my favourite 'Rabbits' track.


Number 3: Patrick Park's "Everyone's in Everyone"


Sample Track: "Saint With a Fever" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca

After discovering Park via The O.C., as many of his listeners must have, I decided to seek out his albums. I found this, his newest album and an accomplishment indeed, holding a scattering of excellent tracks. I've previously shared "Life is a Song" (which most of you probably already had anyway) and "Pawn Song", so the sample is "Sant With a Fever", an interesting song that showcases Park's interesting songwriting.

Number 2: Dragonette's "Galore"


Sample Track: "Competition" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Indigo/Chapters

Eleven songs, all but one are amazingly catchy. The one thing I can say about Dragonette that, despite the sexual subjects of most of their songs, they aren't a band about sex. Well, they are, that's undoubtable - what other band would dare to have songs from the POVs of a prostitute, a mistress and a student seducing a teacher on the same album? - but the true meaning is joy. Joy of life, joy of sex, just utter joy, something no watered-down Britney or Christina will ever properly capture. Every song, despite my normal distaste for 'slutty music', makes me bring, and that's because you can just feel the fun that lead singer Martina's Sorbara's having. This isn't a serious album, and that's exactly why it's endearing.

Number 1: The Pierces' "Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge"


Sample Track: "Secret" (Sendspace link)
Buy link: Amazon, Amazon.ca, Insound

Thirteen tales from these delightfully devilish sisters, whose harmonizing voices and clever lyrics have captured my heart forever. Their music is haunting, with witchy ("Sticks & Stones"), teasing ("Boy in a Rock and Roll Band"), insanely rich ("boring") and vengeful ("Ruin") protagonists showcased in each and every song. Their dreamiest song, a rumination on the concept of "Three Wishes", is possibly their best. However, one of the stars of their album is "Secret", a song about the dangers of trusting your secrets with anyone, finally hammering it home that, "Two can keep a secret if one of them is dead".

ROULETTE 2

Hey, guys. I haven't felt too bloggy lately, even on the one-month anniversary last week, but I guess it's the Christmas business keeping me away. Look, ideally, for a Kate Havnevik showcase later on, the one I planned to write yesterday but ended up skipping out on.

For now, I'll give you guys a roulette. Simple, easy, varied and hopefully just as quality (in music if not in writing) as a Showcase or Playlist.

The Dismemberment Plan - Crush (Jennifer Paige cover) (Sendspace link)
Lights - February Air (Sendspace link)
Sufjan Stevens - Sister Winter (Sendspace link)
A Fine Frenzy - Let It Snow (Sendspace link)
Ron Sexsmith - Maybe This Christmas (Sendspace link)
The Sunshine Underground - Borders (Sendspace link)

Some Christmas- and winter-related songs to fit thematically with the time of year, plus a cover I find awfully amusing and a song from a band I really like.

And as always, if you like the artists, feel free to check them out elsewhere. And enjoy!