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Britni Day’s Top 10 Albums of 2010

Britni Day — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 18:07:06 +0000

Seeing how our staff has distinct tastes and opinions on music, it would be nearly impossible for us to determine a 10 Albums of 2010 list as a single entity without excessive bloodshed. Therefore in the next two weeks, we’ll be posting multiple Top 10 Albums of 2010 lists as determined by Loud Loop Press editors and contributors. Today, contributor Britni Day body slams us with her list for Top 10 Albums of 2010.

Before we start, I’m sure my lovely Editor-In-Chief, Richard Giraldi, would like me to issue this warning: The views and comments of Britni Day are not necessarily the views and comments of LoudLoopPress.com and/or its staff members. The fact that Britni Day is currently in the death-grip of an awful pneumonia and simultaneously virtually incoherent due to cold medicine but awake and furiously typing because of the hyperbolic amounts of caffeine in her veins only adds emphasis to the above warning. Plus, if the views of Britni Day were also the views of LLP and its staff members, then the title of this post wouldn’t bloody be called “Britni Day’s Top Ten Albums of 2010”, would it?! Off we go, then!

10. School of Seven Bells – Disconnect From Desire
I have been a huge SVIIB fan from the moment I first heard them on Adult Swim’s collection of side-splitting in-between commercial break bumps. While the Deheza twins and Benjamin Curtis (former Secret Machines member, and I have heard it said by people that he was better off there, but I completely disagree and still challenge said people to a duel which they seem to chicken-out of every time…) normally push the limits of electro-dream pop with tribal beats and drone tones, Disconnect from Desire seemed like more of a fun exploration of indie rock for them. While the classic SVIIB dream-pop base still stands with their signature cerebral vocals, the songs are less electro-quirky and more straightforward. There isn’t a song on this album that I haven’t listened to that I don’t thoroughly enjoy. Alas, I am greatly saddened that Claudia Deheza left the band. But, I hold the hope that one day, a joyous reunion will happen and another wonderful album.

9. Sleigh Bells – Treats
Recently, it’s been explained to me that Sleigh Bells is trite garbage. Being an open-minded reviewer (I know, oxymoron), I understand why that opinion has been taken by that certain person. Although, he’s still awesome, I don’t agree, but I think we live better lives not wanting to slay each other in back alleys over it. I find Sleigh Bells to be sassy, bold and just lots of fun. I love that they tread on the grounds of electronic and indie and even give the sub-bass boys a run for their money. I adore the sweet, innocent, little girl vocals over layers of guitar, harsh keyboards, hard driving drums and that lovely teeth-removing bass. It’s like a gorgeous Audrey Kawasaki painting has come to life only to Thai-kick you in the throat. However, I will say that it’s not deep, thought-provoking music. It’s not going to peel off the layers of your soul and allow you to drown away into the feeling that someone else has created a special symphony of your entire tattered existence. No, this isn’t that kind of music (and really, maybe therapy is what you’re looking for, not music), but I’m just fine with that.

8. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. RagerThere are few rap artists out there that I enjoy and for good reason. Talking about phat booty, dolla bills and your gold chains has gotten really old and I’m over it.Kid Cudi, however, is the anti-rap rap star and that’s why he sits on this list. Man on the Moon II is a meaningful album. It’s the realization by a rap star that he was being completely stupid about drugs and relationships and needed to fess up to it. It delves into darker depths of Kid Cudi’s mind and we find it isn’t pretty.The harrowing topics he spits at us float among soundscapes that stretch into the far reaches of hip hop, Jamaican and even Indian beats. He brings in off-center sounds and musical movements that can be pop-catchy like “Scott Mescudi vs. the World” featuring Cee-Lo, or layered and complex like “Maniac” featuring St. Vincent. His indie approach to the music has always been a nice refreshing change from your usual MPC bump. Kid Cudi to me is more than just a rap star, he’s a real musician with more depth and flow than most out there. I appreciate this grim confession from him. It has given me hope in the new alt/indie-hip hop/rap/R&B movement that is gaining momentum.

7. Houses – All Night
This whole album really does sound like peace. Nearly as beautiful as the album is the story behind it. If only we could all ditch our jobs, run off to the jungles of Hawai’i, tend microorganisms and flee from giant Cane Spiders (seriously, I double-dog-dare you to Google image-search these suckers and not scream), then maybe we could truly understand all this album holds. Alas, we all aren’t as lucky as Dexter Tortoriello and Megan Messina in that respect, but we are extremely fortunate that they wanted to make an album from all of it. And what an album it is! Beautiful, ambient electronic tones and beats accompany organic instruments like piano and acoustic guitar while wistful vocals float playfully somewhere beneath. Songs sleepily blend and meld into each other, giving up touches of tribal Hawai’ian influence. As soon as the first song slowly creeps into your head, it’s almost as if you’re standing there with Dexter and Megan, hearing the lush richness of the forest and charismatic charm of the island that captured them. In some ways, it is a spiritual experience.

6. Boy King Islands – Fall
I have to start off by stating my belief that My Bloody Valentine is the quintessential shoegaze band (and, yes, The Jesus and Mary Chain and Cocteau Twins fall under this as well, but I’m not talking about them). The endless crashing off-set guitars, tinkle of occasional keys and thunderous drums while buried somewhere beneath drift the soft murmur of vocals. All that having been explained, I don’t consider Boy King Islands shoegaze. I don’t even consider them nugaze – which really is a horrid name for the post- rock, shoegaze-inspired movement because it sounds like numetal and I think that numetal is the worst thing to plague human existence since Britney Spears and the Ebola virus. However, I do think that BKI is in a category of their own, which is why they made my top ten list. I came across this album by miracle. Seriously. It was handed off to me by another LoudLoopPress.com staff member who wanted to listen to metal that day. And the metal gods must have been smiling down on me, because Fall happened to be a gift of the ages. Rich, fuzzy ambient lo-fi post-rock with lackadaisical Elliot Smith-esque vocals that have a dirty habit of twisting themselves into drilling guitar riffs with heavy bass lines and driving drums fill this album. Boy King Islands make intelligent music, blending element into element with surgical precision and adding cheeky but clever lyrics to boot (“Math is Christ, the devil’s in details, but everything exists just for me”). Every song is unexpected but always a refreshing welcome blow to the ears. My favorite part of Boy King Islands? These boys love a tasty Rhodes piano with their clashing guitar as much as I do. Delicious.

5. Ten of Swords – Dry Spell
I had been hoping for years that singer/songwriter Adam Hitchell would come out with a full-length album. When he finally did, with a full band, I nearly wet myself in glee. Coming back to the Chicago music scene as Ten of Swords, Hitchell is all that this Tarot card embodies. In the Tarot, Ten of Swords depicts a man under the weight of (or stabbed with) ten swords under an ominous sky by a calm sea and the sun peeking from behind the clouds. While this sounds like a whole lot of symbolic hooey, what it means is rebirth from a time of complete defeat. Dry Spell is all of this and more. Hitchell fills this album with simple, yet hauntingly beautiful alt-country songs that show off all his soft, husky voice can do. He sings of life, love and all the sadness and happiness that come with it. He pulls in some of Chicago’s greatest on the singer/songwriter circuit, including Arthi Meera with her perfect backing vocals and Ryan Suzuka with his passionate harmonica playing. The whole album is mind-blowing and I can’t even believe that you’ve read this all the way to the bottom and haven’t bought it yet. Go!

4. Beats Antique – Blind Threshold
I have two words for you: Zoe Jakes. I mean, of course this is the band that brought together a fusion like nothing I’ve ever heard before. Pairing gorgeous Middle Eastern music produced by organic brass and string instruments with smooth electronic beats may sound a little strange but it’s the sweetest mana for the ears. From behind wires, laptops and modern computer-generated sub-bass, Side Car Tommy and David Satori produce passionate swellings of exotic, spiritual music with violins, trumpets and Turkish banjos. This third album is a pinnacle for Beats Antique and shows just how this feisty trio has come into their full stride. However, the music isn’t just all of it. To fully experience all that Beats Antique has to offer, you must really see them live. Because there is a very delicious cherry that dances atop this voluptuous music: a stunning, award-winning belly dancer with a hunger in her blue eyes like a jungle cat and the moves of the best breakbeat dancers out there, Miss Zoe Jakes.

3. The Gorillaz – Plastic Beach
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again (even though long-distance staffer Andy Kahn disagrees): Snoop Dogg is the sex. And the fact that Damon Albarn not only got the Snoop D-O-double-G on an album for his imaginary cartoon band, but also Mos Def, De La Soul, Lou Reed, Gruff Rhys, The National Orchestra for Arabic Music and Bruce Willis in his music video for “Stylo”, makes Albarn the official Super-Pimp of cameos. Welcome to the world of the Plastic Beach, kiddies – another rousing addition to the story of Albarn’s post-apocalyptic musical world. This album shows just how far Albarn can push himself in composition and pull together an array of talented artists. He dabbles in orchestral arrangements, turns himself loose on electro-indie pop songs and keeps the hip-hop love alive. His lyrics range from the haunting imagery of child labor found in “Empire Ants” to the light-hearted cry of “All hail King Neptune and his water-breathers” from De La Soul in “Super-Fast Jelly Fish”. While this still isn’t my favorite album from The Gorillaz (Albarn will have a hard time topping Demon Days for me), this is hands-down one of the most amazing albums to come out of 2010. Although, I’m still trying to figure out what exactly comprises a “glitter freeze”. Sounds yummy, though!

2. Baths – Cerulean
There are only a few bands this year that have made me get out of my seat and shake what my mama gave me. The best of these is Baths with his album Cerulean. This whole album is upbeat, quirky, ambient glitch-hop, but the best part is the feeling you get from the music. Will Weisenfeld (Baths) has the uncanny ability to convey his emotions through all the little foibles he carefully creates in his songs. From the layers of simple, organic forest sounds depicting the dark reality of death in “Lovely Bloodflow” to the magic found in the joyful keyboards of “Aminals”, the whole album is the equivalent to a heart on his sleeve. The immense details that have gone into the lush layers of the album are jaw-dropping. Every song pulls you into its own world and shows you all its strata, flora and fauna, then spits you out for the next song to grab you. The landscape is infinite and stunning and I’ll never stop coming back to see what new things I can discover. He puts everything he believes in into his music and that’s what makes him incredible.

1. A Sunny Day in Glasgow – Autumn, Again
It seems the latest trend is for bands to take on a little influence from the wild synth-pop bands of the 80’s (think key-tar meedling). While most don’t seem to get it right and end up with a pile of over-dramatic, disgusting synth-shite (I’m angrily shaking my fist at you, Goldfrapp), ASDIG has once again shows us all how it should be done. Autumn, Again is a gorgeously crafted album. This band knows exactly how to layer, blend and orchestrate songs that give you the sort of shivers that can only be accompanied by a smile. Still filled with the classic ASDIG clashing, dreamy vocals, sparkly keyboards and shoe-gaze guitars, Autumn, Again has an even more controlled and mature atmosphere. While Ashes Grammar was very much shoe-gaze inspired, Autumn, Again is a reining-in and display of careful thought and growth into their own sound.
From the playful keyboards and airy vocals of “How Does Somebody Say When They Like You?” to the infinite and finely speaker-panned left, right layers of “Autumn, Again”, ASDIG has created a full-blown masterpiece.

Daily Diversion – Snoop Dogg

Andy Kondrat — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:28:13 +0000

Three reasons to see Snoop Dogg at the Congress Theater tonight…

1. For all his movie appearances, commercials, reality shows, and general ridiculousness, it’s always good to remember that Snoop Dogg is actually a really talented rapper.

2. He will definitely play “Gin & Juice.” Which is actually probably worth the hefty $36 admission price alone.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6TUhx2wX0M

3. This summer, I was in Las Vegas, and lucked my way into a party at the Palms pool where Snoop Dogg performed. I got in for free and skipped the line. We had both a table and a cabana, both with free bottle service. The dress code for women, too, was lingerie. And since it was put on by this company called KandyLand, they had little dudes dressed as Oompa-Loompas running around, and girls in like day-glo paint dancing inside big plastic bubbles. Also, a girl came around with a tequila gun and would just spray it into your mouth. And once Snoop Dogg started performing, someone just handed me a photographer pass so I could go anywhere I wanted. And Snoop’s microphone had a HUGE cannabis leaf made out of gold on it, and he had dozens of girls in underwear on stage with him.

This has nothing to do with why you should see Snoop Dogg tonight. But it’s awesome, right?

7:00 PM. Wednesday, 11/4. Congress Theatre. 17+. $36.

Loud Loop Press 2009 Fall Concert Guide

Andrew Kahn — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:45:33 +0000

The Decemberists - Photo Credit: Richard Giraldi

We’ve already given you a preview of what’s playing in Chicago on New Year’s Eve. We’ve told you about the new club opening up Lincoln Hall and all the great acts scheduled to play there in the coming weeks. Our Daily and Weekly Diversions keep you informed of what’s on the horizon.

But still, we here at Loud Loop Press felt there were just too many great shows coming up in this fair city of ours that we didn’t want you to miss out on. Below is a compilation of big name concerts we’re spotlighting for the coming months. There’s a little something for everyone, from KISS to Bob Dylan, Scott Lucas to Snoop Dogg and everyone else in between. Maybe we missed a show, if you think we did let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Monday, October 19
Wilco, Tortoise, UIC Pavilion
Sunset Rubdown, Logan Square Auditorium

Wednesday, October 21
Get Up Kids (Something to Write Home About 10th anniversary tour), Metro

Thursday, October 22
Get Up Kids (Something to Write Home About 10th anniversary tour), Metro

Friday, October 23
Scott Lucas and the Married Men, Subterranean

Saturday, October 24
Gov’t Mule, Riviera Theatre
The Lawrence Arms (10th Anniversary Show), Metro
David Bazan (of Pedro the Lion), Schubas

Monday, October 26
Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar, Lincoln Hall

Tuesday, October 27
Saul Williams, Double Door

Thursday, October 29
Bob Dylan and His Band, Aragon Ballroom
David Gray, Auditorium Theatre

Friday, October 30
Bob Dylan and His Band, Aragon Ballroom
Chromeo, Congress Theater
Dan Deacon, Logan Square Auditorium
Monsters of Folk, Auditorium Theatre

Saturday, October 31
Bob Dylan and His Band, Aragon Ballroom
Disco Biscuits, Auditorium Theatre
Scotland Yard Gospel Choir Benefit, Subterranean
Roky Erickson, Bottom Lounge

Wednesday, November 4
Simian Mobile Disco, Metro
Snoop Dogg, Congress Theater
Ghostface Killah, House of Blues
Damon and Naomi, Empty Bottle

Thursday, November 5
The Mountain Goats, Metro
Future of the Left, Bottom Lounge