Weekly Top 10: Songs for Spring

Though spring has actually been upon us for the past week and a half, the 70-degree temperatures currently in my locale have finally made it official. Below you'll find tracks both about spring and evocative of spring as well. Some may be more obvious (The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun"), while others may not jump out right away (Wilco's "Hummingbird"). Still, an enjoyable, seasonal collection. Check it out.

[Previously on Animal Noises: Weekly Top 10: SXSW Acts (Part 2)]

Weekly Top 10: Los Angeles-Area Artists

Inspired by my first trip to Los Angeles this past December, this week's playlist covers mostly current artists from the area. It's incredible that a region which spawned the likes of The Eagles and The Beach Boys (they're not on here-- I don't count them as existing in the last 20 years, even if their Wikipedia pages do) is rarely talked about for indie artists. These days, most of the acts coming out of L.A. are mainstream, or just fail to play the type of music we talk about here. But I digress. Check out this week's top 10 below.

[Previously on Animal Noises: Weekly Top 10: Out-Of-Genre Covers]

Most Prolific Artists of the Decade: #31-40

Our latest list-- the Most Prolific Artists of the Decade-- looks to chronicle the most important (for better or for worse) artists of the decade. For one reason or another, be it their positive (or negative) cultural significance, landmark moments for music, staying power or otherwise, these artists mattered a great deal this decade.

In no way is this a list of our favorites of the decade. On the contrary, many of our favorites are not present, while others whom we're actually not fans of, have made the list. So without further ado, check out our the second part of our Most Prolific Artists list below. Next to each artist's name, you'll see a basic numeric list of all primary recordings this decade. For many of these, their impact should probably be self-explanatory. Enjoy, and if you haven't yet read our list of the Best Songs of 2009, or Best Albums of the Decade, read up on those too.

40. Miley Cyrus -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Breakout)/2 EPs

39. Grizzly Bear -- 3 LPs (Most recent: 2009's Veckatimest)/2 EPs

38. Ludacris -- 6 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Theater of the Mind)

37. Alicia Keys -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2009's The Element of Freedom)

36. Sufjan Stevens --8 LPs (Most recent: 2009's The BQE)

35. Beck -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2008's Modern Guilt)

34. Spoon -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2007's Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga)/4 EPs

33. Leslie Feist -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2007's The Reminder), Broken Social Scene -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2005's Broken Social Scene)

32. Kelly Clarkson -- 4 LPs (Most recent: 2009's All I Ever Wanted)

31. Daft Punk -- 2 LPs (Most recent: 2005's Human After All)

[Previously on Animal Noises: Most Prolific Artists of the Decade: #41-50]

Weekly Top 10: Best Songs of 1999

As per usual on Thursdays, we make a playlist based on a specific theme, and then put it up here for you to listen to, courtesy of Imeem. This week, we decided to do a bit of a throwback post. As scary as it may seem to those of us in ours twenties, 1999 was a decade ago, so that music is, indeed, old. Below are our picks for the best (or at least, our favorites) from that year. Best if enjoyed while wearing Boss jeans and a non-fitted backwards Mighty Ducks hat.

More New Things From Beck

Beck has more stuff going on over at his revamped, and very improved website. As is the usual practice every week, he's got a new acoustic version of a song off of 2008's Modern Guilt, plus Velvet Underground covers and some DJ-ing. I'll put up the video for the title track, "Modern Guilt" now, and then add the VU cover to this post tomorrow (probably) tomorrow. There's also a couple new Planned Obsolescence features, as well as "Chem Trails" (which Stereogum's only getting around to now), and a tribute to the late Merce Cunnigham. Head over to the site to enjoy.

Beck's Record Club Presents, "Run Run Run"

Beck continues his summer onslaught of our tags competition here on the site (not an actual contest). He's pulling about even with Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear for the top spot, so this madness needs to stop. Now. But seriously, Beck's on fire these past few months, putting up quite a lot of material, as we've discussed. And now, here comes another video from the Record Club. This week, they undertake The Velvet Underground's "Run Run Run," and the results are interesting, as Beck's beginning to get a little more creative with these videos. This cover sounds like Guero, and looks like something The White Stripes would be behind. Check it out below.

Beck Presents a Crapload of New Videos/Tracks

Jeez. We walk away for a little more than a week, and Beck decides to not only continue to update his already-announced DJ mix series Planned Obsolescence, and Record Club, but also bring into the fold a third project, Modern Guilt Acoustic. In the latest undertaking, he's (obviously) recording acoustic version of 2008's Modern Guilt, starting with this week's "Orphans". On top of that, check out "No. 2: Carpathian Teen Dream" from the Planned Obsolescence series, and see below for the new Record Club video for The Velvet Underground's "Venus In Furs," as well as the aforementioned acoustic rendition of "Orphans".

Beck's Record Club Presents "Femme Fatale"

Oh, Beck. It's got to be a great life. On top of selling tons of records and achieving worldwide fame, he also has enough time and talent to sit around and cover songs with his friends. This week, the "Record Club" continues their song-by-song Velvet Underground project with "Femme Fatale". Check it out and enjoy below. Did Beck ever say he was going to release these all as albums? He probably should.

Beck Presents DJ Mix Series "Planned Obsolescence"

Not fully content with just sitting around with his friends and covering albums for his "Record Club," Beck has decided to take to his computer and turntables for a DJ mix series. Entitled "Planned Obsolescence," the project's first venture is named "Autobahn Hologram". I wish I had time to do stuff like this all day. Really. But I suppose I'm also glad that Beck has these resources and blocks of time at his own disposal, since he's much more talented than me. "Autobahn Hologram" features songs Madlib, DJ Spooky and of course, Michael Jackson, along with many others. Expect a new mix every week until told otherwise. Check it out here.

Beck's Record Club Presents "I'm Waiting For My Man"

Beck and his kooky Record Club have (as promised) released their second track in their The Velvet Underground & Nico cover song adventure. This week, it's "I'm Waiting for My Man"- which the group put their own spin to by purposely making themselves out of tune, as per Beck's explanation himself. As Stereogum astutely pointed out already, it's a little slice of psychadelia that completely changes the track, but still makes it an enjoyable listen. If I were you, I'd look at the video below, since we can actually do that this time, as compared to the last video-less attempt. Enjoy.

Beck's Record Club Presents "Sunday Morning"

You may have heard about Beck's most recent adventure, Record Club, on the interwebs yesterday, most notably over at Pitchfork. Well, today, the initial fruits of their labor have presented themselves to the world. Unfortunately, they have not allowed for an embed feature, which is thoroughly aggravating, but regardless, still worth a few sentences. For those who may not have heard- Beck decided it would be fun to grab a bunch of people and record an impromptu cover of various albums. The songs from the Record Club will then be released to the masses on Beck's website, one at a time. As far as albums go, first up is The Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground & Nico, with the first track offering being "Sunday Morning". This time around, the Club consisted of Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker, Brian Labarton, Bram Inscore, Yo, Giovanni Ribisi, Chris Holmes and Thorunn Magnusdottir (and of course, Beck). Don't feel bad if you don't know most of these people, as I only recognized a small smattering of the names. Enjoy the song over at Beck.com. We may or may not be updating you when these come out each week.

New Beck B-Side, "Necessary Evil"

Beck's hit 2008 record, Modern Guilt (you may have heard of it), has a new deluxe-edition, with a new b-side, being released on the UK version of Itunes.  I guess those of us in the U.S. just aren't good enough.  Anyway, the track, "Necessary Evil," is pretty good, and very subdued.  It definitely didn't belong on the record, but I can see it's inclusion here, as it's sort of in the same state of mind.  Would I enjoy a full record sounding like it?  Not sure, but I suppose anything's possible.  Enjoy here, courtesy of Stereogum.

Best of 2008: #6, Beck

Rank: #6

Album: Modern Guilt

Artist: Beck

Label: Interscope Records

As we continue our countdown, we arrive at #6, Beck's Modern Guilt.  Typically with any Beck record, you can expect something different than the last one.  This does not disappoint those expectations.  With the help of producer Danger Mouse, Beck has seemingly reinvented his sound again, this time going for what I heard as a very raw, sort of rock and roll sound, with less experimentation than in the past.  Still, this 10-track, few frills rock album is a very straightforward piece of work, especially for Beck, and it's made clear just by looking at the cover art.  Does Beck feel that we should all be guilty for the modern world we live in?  Should he be guilty?  Or is it just a statement about paranoia to the modern world?  Perhaps all of the above.  Even though I've referred to Modern Guilt as a rock and roll album, the Grammys still consider it alternative music.  Though I may disagree, I'm fairly impressed by the amount of nominations albums on this list got.  

From the onset, the album seems distant, as if you're hearing it from either the past or future.  Intentional, I'm sure, as it promotes introspection- a partial goal of the record.  With the subject matter in mind, it doesn't mean that this fairly short album (33 minutes) is without energy.  As I said before, it's all rock and roll, and that's what drives it forward.  See tracks such as "Gamma Ray" as well as "Youthless," for examples.  Not until the final song, "Volcano," does the album give in to the weight of this "modern guilt" and grind to a stop.  Up to that point though, feel free to enjoy the other tracks, especially the first four, which are the best, at least in my opinion.  For comparisons, I'd recommend checking out The Flaming Lips, The White Stripes and Arcade Fire.

Best Track: "Modern Guilt"

P.S.- I'd like to wish everyone Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas.  We'll be taking a two day break here at Animal Noises, and resuming the countdown on 12/26.  Be sure to stop in.

This Week's Top 10: Albums of 1998

Originally, we had planned to do a few articles looking back at albums from 1998 this week, so that was the inspiration for this.  Even without them though, we can still fondly remember the best music from a decade ago.  So, with that, enjoy the staff's picks for the best albums of 1998 (in alphabetical order).

1. In Casino/Out, At the Drive-In  Submitted by J.R.

In J.R.'s opinion, this is the band's best album, and I'd tend to agree.  One of the best bands of the 90s is oft-forgotten by mainstream music commentary, but not by us.  We'd rather pay respects to the group and its hard-hitting excellence which aided in setting the stage for many bands on the scene today.  If you're nostalgic for these guys, grab this record, or perhaps, if you're looking for something a bit more current, nothing wrong with listening to Sparta and The Mars Volta, the two bands which formed out of their ashes.  Either way, At the Drive-In stands the test of time.

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2. Mutations, Beck  Submitted by Heath

Well, first off, it's Beck, so I think it's understood that the music will still be relevant a decade later.  The appeal of this album may not be as great as the Grammy-winning Odelay, to which this album followed, but that doesn't mean it loses any of its luster.  Mutations, as with most Beck material, bounces without being too loud, and provides a fun energy, coupled with the charm he seems to execute all of his songs with.  You'll be happy you listened, but sad that it's over...feel free to just press play again.

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3. The Boy With the Arab Strap, Belle & Sebastian  Submitted by John

This is a great album in the sense that Belle & Sebastian hadn't taken the form of the much-goofier indie pop band they would become later on.  The catchy, energetic tunes on this record take on a more-polished vibe, seeming to use the great feelings from 1996's If You're Feeling Sinister (probably one of my favorite 30 or so albums ever).  If you've never heard this one, or its aforementioned predecessor, I'd highly suggest picking them up as soon as possible.  Everything they made after this one is up to your own discretion whether to purchase or not.

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4. Mermaid Avenue, Billy Bragg & Wilco  Submitted by Heath

I never have enough to say about this album, and the great story behind it.  For those who don't know, Woody Guthrie, country-folk legend died in 1967.  Years later, his daughter was looking for an outlet for the nearly-1,000 songs which he had written, but never recorded, and reached out to Billy Bragg and Wilco front man, Jeff Tweedy.  Bragg and Wilco collaborated to form a collaborative tribute to Guthrie, which in my eyes is one of the coolest album concepts of recent memory.  The songs, all done in the spirt of Woody himself, make for a great listen, for long-time fans, and newcomers alike.

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5. Something About Airplanes, Death Cab for Cutie  Submitted by Matt

Before Death Cab was the band we all know them as know, they were a small-time Seattle solo project of Ben Gibbard.  For those who have never heard, this version of the band is much more stripped-down, has a much different approach to energetic songs, and overall, bares a solid resemblance to The Get Up Kids.  For more evidence of this, feel free to check out You Can Play These Songs With Chords, featuring one of my favorite DCFC songs, "New Candles", as well as demos of many of the songs on this superb record.

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6. Midwestern Songs of the Americas, Dillinger Four  Submitted by J.R.

"One of the most influential punk/hardcore bands today, " says J.R.  How can I argue with that?  Every song on this record just screams out its affects on the music of the current scene.  If you felt like it, you could probably pick through each song and list a bunch of bands that used it as their main influence.  Regardless, I'll stop there, so as not to depreciate the praise I'm heaping on these guys.  If you enjoy energy, and some good, old-fashioned meaningful hardcore, looks like you've found it.

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7. XO, Elliott Smith  Submitted by John

I suppose I understand why people criticize this album (major label, etc.), but I can't help but appreciate it, because it's one of my favorites by the late Mr. Smith.  I wouldn't try to pass this album off as happy, or anything like that, because, well, it's Elliott Smith, so it's not.  I will say though, that there isn't a bad song on this album, from start to finish, you get a great, dare I say, chill, experience.  No song is too short, no song is too long.  It's just good, reflective art.

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8. In the Aeroplane Over the Sea, Neutral Milk Hotel  Submitted by Matt

I would've submitted this one, if Matt hadn't called it already.  My favorite album of 1998, and one of my top five albums of all-time, I could just go on and on about it, but I'll spare everyone that day-long rant.  Jeff Mangum, of the now-defunct NMH, had dreams about Anne Frank, saw ghosts in his closet, and had tons of other weird, really trippy experiences, leading up to the creation of this fantastic sonic experience, which plays upon so many emotions, it becomes difficult to explain.  The success of this drove Mangum crazy, as did life in general, so there has never been a follow-up.  In fact, very few people have even seen the man behind this music for the past decade, besides close friends.  I wish they'd come back.

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9. The Shape of Punk to Come, Refused  Submitted by Tom

I'll let Tom take the wheel here.  "It should go without saying that Refused and their ideologies were so pungent and widespread amongst a generation of listeners, that they came from a small brooding aggressive Swedish band to counterculture and hardcore fans.  It's due to this release, blending elements of hardcore, post-hardcore, electronica, and even jazz to create a sound spectrum so vivid that, even with the advances in post-production of today, most artists can't even dream to recreate.  The record is a 55-minute expose into a deeply sophisticated group of talented individuals who may have ben so consecrated that it eventually led to their demise in 1998.  This record will change the way you listen to music, and I don't just mean hardcore.  I mean all of it."

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10. Can't Slow Down, Saves the Day  Submitted by Tom

Once again, I'm going to let Tom take this one.  "I'll start by telling you that Saves the Day is my favorite my favorite band of all-time.  Understanding that, please take with a grain of salt the bias you're about to encounter.  The band's first release under the Saves the Day moniker was put out on Equal Vision records, at the time, a decidedly hardcore label.  The band broke this mold, releasing Can't Slow Down.  The record was melodic, catchy, fast, and rambunctious, and since this release, Saves the Day's songwriting has matured in content and texture substantially, which is to be expected after ten years.  While the lineup on this album is far from today's, they had a crucial punk rock sound, not far from their heroes in Lifetime.  With this record, Saves the Day boarded the rocket, and with their next releases, they would subsequently take off and land on another planet.  I love this record with all my heart, and you should too."

Top Track:

Guilty as charged

Artist: Beck
Album: Modern Guilt
Release date: July 8
Label: Interscope Records

I need to stop expecting Beck to make a record as good as Sea Change. The dark, mellow Sea Change was one of the, if not the, best albums of 2002. So to expect Mr. Hansen to match that is unfair.

But with his new, minimalist homage to psychedelic records of the 1960s, he comes oh so close. Produced by Danger Mouse, Modern Guilt is a quick (33 minutes), fun and, most importantly, great album from Beck.

The album’s cover says a lot about the way this record sounds and the way Beck wants it to be perceived. Nothing but skinny jeans and pointy boots. Minimalist, just like the 10 sometimes-folksy, sometimes-downtrodden, sometimes-trippy songs on Modern Guilt.

The first half of the album is a masterpiece. When I got to the toe-tapping, too-catchy title track, I thought he had done it. I thought he had surpassed himself. “Modern Guilt” is far and away the standout track on this album. Like all of Sea Change, this song gives us an afraid, hurt and exposed Beck: “I feel uptight when I walk in the city/I feel so cold when I'm at home/Feels like everything's starting to hit me/I lost my bet ten minutes ago.”

The songs that precede “Modern Guilt” are up to snuff with some of Beck’s best stuff, too. “Gamma Ray” is a bouncy track with a thumping guitar about the end of the world: “Trying to hold, hold out for now/With these ice caps melting down.”

“Chemtrails” is an airy ballad about, again, poor Beck feeling all alone and wondering about the afterlife: “So many people/So many people/Where do they go?”

But after the greatness of “Modern Guilt,” it’s hard to really get into the rest of the album. They’re not bad songs by any stretch of the imagination. “Walls” – a poppy ditty about hunger for war – is some of Beck’s best songwriting on the entire album: “You got warheads stacked in the kitchen/You treat distraction like an ancient religion.”

But the back half of this album was just a let down after the perfect opening four songs. It’s still by far his best work since Sea Change, but it ends up being half perfection, the rest just great.

Score: 8.0/10
Stand-out tracks: Modern Guilt, Gamma Ray, Chemtrails, Walls

***

Track of the week:
Girl Talk – Still Here



Pittsburgh-based DJ Gregg Gillis decided to go the pay-what-you-want Radiohead route with his latest collection of mashups, Feed the Animals. It is one of the best albums of the year so far, and this track is a perfect example of why.

Imagine this: BLACKStreet’s “No Diggity” mixed over the synths of Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights” then over the percussion-heavy intro of Radiohead’s “15 Step.” Then all of a sudden you segue into The Band’s classic “The Weight” mashed up with the shouting of Webbie’s “Independent” and Young Joc’s proclamation of “We’re Goin’ Down.”

And that’s just a minute-and-a-half section of this song. And if you get confused about what exactly it is you’re hearing, don’t worry, the music nerds at Wikipedia have you covered.

This is music ADD and it’s mind-blowing.

To hear the track, go here and pay what you want for Feed The Animals.