19. Saul Williams – “Triumph”

20. Amanda Palmer – “Map Of Tasmania”

21. Atlas Sound – “Mona Lisa”

22. Adebisi Shank – “Century City”

23. Puscifer – “Monsoons”

24. Battles – “Ice Cream”

25. Givers – “Noche Nada”

Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Videos of 2011

Did Andreas Nilsson really not make a video this year? I suppose that takes a bit of the bite out of this year’s favorites list, doesn’t it? Just like last year, 2011′s list includes more from the legendary music video auteur Spike Jonze. While there were many worthy videos this year, we narrowed down a list of ten favorites. Featuring the Beastie Boys sequel to a 25-year-old original, a raucous comedy by Maynard James Keenan, and a performance piece that incorporates light and darkness to perfection, these are Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Videos of 2011:

10. “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win” by Beastie Boys (Directed by Spike Jonze)

9. “My Machines” by Battles (Directed by Daniels)

8. “Dance” by Saul Williams (Directed by Cédric Blaisbois)

7. “Midnight City” by M83 (Directed by Fleur & Manu)

6. “Lotus Flower” by Radiohead (Directed by Garth Jennings)

5. “You Don’t Know How Lucky You Are” by Keaton Henson (Directed by David Wilson)

4. “Conditions of My Parole” by Puscifer (Directed by Mike King and Maynard James Keenan)

3. “Fight For Your Right (Revisited)” by Beastie Boys (Directed by Adam Yauch)

2. “Shipwreck” by Modeselektor (ft. Thom Yorke) (Directed by Tony “Truand” Datis)

1. “Enough” by SONOIO (Directed by Matt Sundin and Caspar Newbolt)

Album Review: Volcanic Sunlight

Some reviews have called Saul William’s latest effort, Volcanic Sunlight, a misstep. I’d call it more of a sidestep and would argue that it’s his bravest, if not best, release to date. The Trent Reznor-produced The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust was my favorite album of 2007. With hints that the record incorporated mostly leftover compositions from Reznor’s previous works, one might have expected a disconnect between the music and Saul’s vocals. There was none, and the Trent/Saul collaboration was lightning in a bottle. For Volcanic Sunlight, Saul Williams uprooted himself, made Paris his new home, and got rid of some past demons. Williams has said in interviews that he’s freed himself of a lot of his past rage: “I think I’ve exorcised a lot of my anger through my music in the past, whereas this time around this really just feels perfect.” [via RockFeedback]

Williams has said the album is more of a focus on the music than his vocals. I’m not sure we’re listening to the same record. This might be true on lighter, poppier tracks like “Dance” and “Girls Have More Fun,” but the slam poet still brings heavy lyrics, via both singing and spoken word. Without the production and programming previously provided by Reznor, Williams seems to be open to exploring pop and dance music. I suppose this is what is throwing off some other reviews. Maybe Saul has figured out something we have yet to and is celebrating his new-found revelations. Standout tracks “Triumph” and “Fallup,” as well as the first single “Dance,” sound celebratory in nature. “Triumph” breaks new ground for Williams. The chorus features a pure musical liturgy that embodies Saul’s increasing sense of hope. “Fall Up” is one of the calmest tracks Saul has written and encompasses a slow-tempo R&B composition. “Patience” and “Give It Up” resemble the intensity of much of Williams’ past discography and make Volcanic Sunlight Saul’s most diverse, yet cohesive, work yet. You can check out the videos for “Explain My Heart” and “Dance” below:

Saul Williams Releases Dance Record

Without much press here in the US, Saul Williams released Volcanic Sunlight yesterday via Sony France. The album is his fourth and first since 2007′s Trent Reznor-produced The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of Niggy Tardust. Williams moved to Paris last year to record the demos for the record and says this is the first album he’s released where the music, not the words is the centerpiece (via www.saulwilliams.com). On first listen, the album is an absolute revelation. Today, the new video for album standout “Dance” was shared via William’s Twitter account (sorry, no embed option). The previously released video for “Explain My Heart” is embedded below:

Fishpork’s 100 Favorite Tracks of the 2000s

This is an attempt at the impossible. Here are our 100 favorite songs of the past decade (featuring multiple tracks from Animal Collective, The Knife, Radiohead, and Elliott Smith). Our top two choices are more like 1a and 1b. Be patient, as the page needs to load the embedded songs.

1. Panda Bear – “Bros” (2007)

2. The Knife – “We Share Our Mother’s Health” (2006)

3. Animal Collective – “For Reverend Green” (2007)

4. Grizzly Bear – “While You Wait For The Others” (2009)

5. The Knife – “Heartbeats” (2003)

6. Grizzly Bear – “The Knife” (2005)

7. LCD Soundsystem – “Someone Great” (2007)

8. TV on the Radio – “Staring at the Sun” (2003)

9. Crystal Castles – “Crimewave” (2008)

10. Beirut – “Ciloqut” (2007)

11. Thom Yorke – “Harrowdown Hill

12. Animal Collective – “Derek” (2007)

13. Nine Inch Nails – “Me, I’m Not” (2007)

14. Beck – “Lonesome Tears” (2002)

15. At The Drive-in – “One Armed Scissor” (2004)

16. Animal Collective – “Grass” (2005)

17. Deerhunter – “Nothing Ever Happened” (2008)

18. Atlas Sound – “Recent Bedroom” (2008)

19. Panda Bear – “Comfy in Nautica” (2007)

20. System of a Down – “Chop Suey” (2001)

21. Animal Collective – “Peacebone” (2007)

22. Battles – “Atlas” (2007)

23. Error – “Jack the Ripper” (2004)

24. Enon – “Pleasure and the Privilege”

25. Elliott Smith – “Son of Sam” (2000)

26. Animal Collective – “Did You See the Words” (2005)

27. The Knife – “Marble House” (2006)

28. LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends” (2007)

29. Thom Yorke – “Analyse” (2006)

30. The Flaming Lips – “Ego Tripping at the Gates of Hell” (2002)

31. Girl Talk – “Smash Your Head” (2006)
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32. A Perfect Circle – “Judith” (2000)

33. Radiohead – “Idioteque” (2000)

34. Tapes N’ Tapes – “Manitoba” (2006)

35. TV On The Radio – “I Was A Lover” (2006)

36. Radiohead – “Reckoner” (2007)

37. Fever Ray – “Coconut” (2009)

38. Animal Collective – “My Girls” (2009)

39. Built to Spill – “Things Fall Apart” (2009)

40. Wilco – “I’m Trying to Break Your Heart” (2002)

41. Modest Mouse – “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” (2000)

42. Animal Collective – “Leaf House” (2004)

43. Modeselektor – “Happy Birthday” (2007)

44. Arcade Fire – “Wake Up” (2004)

45. Autolux – “Blanket” (2004)

46. MGMT – “Time to Pretend” (2007)

47.  Built to Spill – “Conventional Wisdom” (2006)

48. Wilco – “Side With the Seeds” (2007)

49. Elliott Smith – “Happiness/The Gondola Man” (2000)

50. Avey Tare – “I’m Your Eagle Kisser” (2007)

51. Department of Eagles – “Waves of Rye” (2008)

52. Animal Collective – “Summertime Clothes” (2009)

53. Radiohead – “2+2 = 5″ (2003)

54. Dredg – “Sang Real” (2005)

55. While Lies – “Farewell to the Fairground” (2009)

56. Grizzly Bear – “Ready, Able” (2009)

57. Matisyahu – “King Without a Crown” (2005)

58. Modest Mouse – “Paper Thin Walls” (2000)

59. Dillinger Escape Plan – “When Good Dogs Do Bad Things” (2002)

60. Elliott Smith – “Twilight” (2004)

61. Deerhunter – “Flourescent Grey” (2007)

62. Holy Fuck – “Lovely Allen” (2007)

63. LCD Soundsystem – “Never As Tired As When I’m Waking Up” (2006)

64. The Notwist – “Boneless (Panda Bear Remix)” (2008)

65. Liars – “Nothing Is Ever Lost or Can Be Lost My Science Friend” (2004)

66. The Mars Volta – “Inertiatic E.S.P.” (2003)

67. The Notwist – “Solitaire” (2002)

68. Of Montreal – “The Past is a Grotesque Animal” (2007)

69. Queens of the Stone Age – “Tangled Up in Plaid” (2005)

70. Radiohead – “Jigsaw Falling Into Place” (2007)

71. Saul Williams – “Raised To Be Lowered” (2007)

72. Autolux – “Great Days for the Passenger Element” (2004)

73. Sigur Ros – “Untitled 8″ (2002)

74. Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs – “Maps” (2003)

75. Portishead – “Threads” (2008)

76. Sufjan Stevens – “Chicago” (2005)

77. Ugly Casanova – “Things I Don’t Remember” (2002)

78. Animal Collective – “Brothersport” (2009)

79. Radiohead – “Pyramid Song” (2001)

80. Nine Inch Nails – “Only” (2005)

81. El-P – “Flyentology” (2007)

82. Queens of the Stone Age – “No One Knows” (2002)

83. Ghostface Killah – “Shakey Dog” (2006)

84. Modest Mouse – “Missed the Boat” (2007)

85. UNKLE – “Persons and Machinery” (2007)

86. Amon Tobin – “Verbal” (2002)

87. The White Stripes – “Denial Twist” (2005)
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88. Tomahawk – “Captain Midnight” (2003)

89. Modest Mouse – “Bukowski” (2004)

90. Sigur Ros – “Hoppipolia” (2005)

92. Fuck Buttons – “Sweet Love For Planet Earth” (2008)

93. Bon Iver – “Skinny Love” (2008)

94. Built to Spill – “In Your Mind” (2001)

95. The White Stripes – “Icky Thump” (2007)

96. Does It Offend You, Yeah? – “We Are Rockstars” (2008)

97. Dub Trio – “Not Alone” (2006)

98. Modest Mouse – “The World At Large”

99. The Walkmen – “In the New Year” (2008)

100. Nine Inch Nails – “The Great Destroyer (Modwheelmood Remix)” (2007)

Niggy Does The White House

Fishpork favorite Saul Williams was invited to read poetry for Barack Obama at the White House earlier today. According to Williams, who kept fans in the loop throughout the day via Twitter, it was a spectacular event (“I can’t believe this. Words are SOOOO powerful”). Williams even managed to snap a few photos with his phone. Is that allowed in the White House? According to his updates, James Earl Jones even read an excerpt from Othello. It’s unknown what Saul was going to read, but he hinted that he may write something new (“Must write unplanetary poems, counter poems, poems without gravitational pull…”).

In true Niggy Tardust form, Saul Williams made sure he kept it real as he approached Pennsylvania Avenue (in the city where he filmed and starred in 1998′s “Slam”). “But I did see how the business behind these gates led to the realities of those behind bars…and I still do.” Twitter reply of the day: “What the shit? Fox News is going to have a field day with this!”

Fishpork’s Ten Favorite Shows of 2008

As a collective, Fishpork attended 15 live shows this year (and there are still two more: Of Montreal tomorrow and Crystal Castles on New Year’s Eve, both at the Music Hall of Williamsburg). Unfortunately, a band does not have complete control over how well received their live performance can be. This was the case with all bands that played in our least favorite venue of 2008: The Electric Factory in Philadelphia. Although Animal Collective managed to overcome the venue’s sound limitations the best, others were not so lucky (The Mars Volta, TV on the Radio, Of Montreal). Unless Jeff Mangum announces a show here, Fishpork will avoid it at all costs in 2009. Highlights of the year included an intoxicating performance by Deerhunter, a sweaty dance party curated by Girl Talk, and a 3am secret show by Modest Mouse. These were our favorite shows of 2008:

1. Deerhunter @ The Music Hall of Wiiliamsburg
2. Girl Talk @ Starlight Ballroom
3. Enon @ Hiro Ballroom
4. Modest Mouse @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
5. Built to Spill @ Terminal 5
6. Animal Collective @ Electric Factory
7. Nine Inch Nails @ Wachovia Center
8. Radiohead @ APW Festival
9. Saul Williams @ The Trocadero
10. Battles @ Johnny Brendas

Honorable Mention:

Holy Fuck @ Johnny Brendas
Crystal Castles @ Webster Hall
Health @ House of Blues
TV on the Radio @ Electric Factory
Of Montreal @ Electric Factory

Least Favorite Show of 2008

The Mars Volta @ Electric Factory

Favorite Live Venue of 2008

Johnny Brenda’s, Philadelphia, PA

Least Favorite Venue of 2008

Electric Factory, Philadelphia, PA

Deerhunter @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Last year at this time, a talentless music blogger named Jeff Weiss from L.A. wrote about Deerhunter being the worst live band he’s ever seen:

Deerhunter’s live show reminds me of the first scene in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure, where Bill and Ted awkwardly flail at their instruments while bitching elliptically about the necessity of making a triumphant video to get Eddie Van Halen to teach them how to play guitar. Nowadays, you don’t even need a triumphant video, you just need a good Pitchfork review, which is what the Atlanta noise-rock outfit Deerhunter got earlier this year. Suddenly, in an Emperor’s New Clothing–esque turn, a group whose biggest discernible talent is its knack for self-promotion became one of the biggest buzz bands in indie rock. Let’s hope that, in the span between now and the Fuck Yeah Fest, George Carlin can drop down to Earth in a phone booth and teach them how to no longer be bogus.

Mr. Weiss represents the only reason Fishpork exists. Sure, it’s a great place to keep a journal of all the great shows and records I listen to. However, music is subjective and ALL reviews are ultimately meaningless. The only thing that interests me is writing about things I enjoy. For those bloggers who choose to write about how bad they think a band sucks, I feel bad for your shallow personalities and outlook on the world. Music can heal you. And if you were part of the crowd on Friday night at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn, you experienced this first hand. I recently read a review of Deerhunter that stated the band can only be listened to in a state of intoxication (with your drug of choice). This statement is rather offensive to me. Deerhunter makes music that replaces your drug of choice. Their songs, especially when played live, are a revelation and are changing the way I perceive music.

Peter and I arrived at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn toward the end of New Times Viking’s opening set. They sounded great, but we were experiencing too much anticipation to fully comprehend. As the set ended and the techs began to set up for the headlining act, we made our way to the front of the stage. This was a completely different experience than the previous night at the NIN show at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. At that show, we were in the midst of the most obnoxious crowd of all-time. Nine Inch Nails’ fans are notorious for booing opening acts, and this was no different. It was a shame that a very good live band like Health had to deal with a crowd (only there to hear “Closer”) with absolutely no taste in music. Fortunately, Trent Reznor’s knack for choosing opening acts has been a major source of discovery for me, including TV on the Radio, Autolux, Saul Williams, Crystal Castles, and most recently Deerhunter on the first leg of his current tour. Enough about how much NIN fans suck.

Before Friday night I suspected that Deerhunter was less about Bradford Cox than I originally imagined. That inclination was squashed immediately after the ubiquitous frontman took the stage. Cox has been known to occasionally wear dresses on stage, a habit he admits was picked up from Kurt Cobain. “Krist Novoselic and Kurt Cobain kissed, and Kurt wore dresses. There’s no way to overestimate the influence Nirvana had on me,” he admits. The Deerhunter frontman was the center of attention, not because of his extroverted personality, but because of his play on his heavily reverbed and distorted lead guitar, xylophone, and drowned out vocals. Cox even sang the lyrics and played lead guitar on “Agoraphobia,” which features guitarist and Cox’s best friend, Locket Pundt, on vocals on the album.

The show included an epic performance of new fan favorite “Nothing Ever Happened,” which included a mind-numbing guitar solo from Cox and impeccable attention to detail by the rest of the players. The three guitar arrangement on many of the songs creates a sound that relies on noisy, droning textures and borrows from bands like My Bloody Valentine and Liars. But Deerhunter avoids what has already been done and creates their own sound. The soundscapes they create contain other elements not present in those bands.

As good as Deerhunter are and as inspired as they are to release meaningful music, it’s important to keep in mind how young they are (Cox is 26). That youthful exhuberence showed Friday as Cox joked all night, especially with new guitarist and old high school friend, Whitney Petty. Cox asked the audience if they’d rather see Whitney play the blues on her guitar or do a hand stand (Petty was a cheerleader in high school and has been known to wear her uniform during shows). Before the crowd could respond, she was in the middle of the stage on her hands. Petty then snuck up behind Cox and played a blues riff on his guitar. The antics hit their climax when Petty proceeded to lift the lanky Cox on her shoulders, as the crowd stood by and admired.

A highlight included Cox taking two song requests to end the show. The band played the first song shouted from the crowd, which was “Heatherwood,” from their second album Cryptograms. Kudos to the tech crew and sound mixers at the Music Hall of Williamsburg. The sound was perfect, and the band sounded as close to the album as one could hope. Cox’s lyrics were completely distinguishable from the guitar twangs and light percussion, as he repeated the song’s chorus, “was not seen again.” The band was not actually planning on taking another request, but Cox coaxed his band mates into it. At one point, he approached drummer Moses Archuleta and practically begged him to play another song. The second request came from a guy standing right next to me, and he must have been reading my mind. After a false start, Cox admitted the band was unprepared to play the song but soon began an amazing rendition of “Operation.” Cox spit out the agonizingly dark lyrics, “Cover your ears, you’re not gonna like what you’re gonna hear, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.”

Deerhunter’s show at the Music Hall of Williamsburg in Brooklyn on Friday night was the best concert I’ve attended in my lifetime. Although I probably go to upwards of twenty shows a year, I honestly don’t think anything else has come close to that musical experience. Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was quoted as saying Deerhunter’s live show borders on “a religious experience,” and I agree. Doesn’t this speak volumes about how music is a personal experience?

Mr. Cox responded to Mr. Weiss’ blog post with an exchange that was too priceless not to include here:

it’s bradford! from deerhunter! i was just wondering if maybe you
could give us some quick EMERGENCY lessons on our instruments
before our set sunday. we are kind of nervous… you know L.A. = big
city = could be our big break. we don’t want to look stupid so if you
could just teach the guitar players some basic power chords or
something it would really help us out. i’ll be busy giving blowjobs to other
more talented (notable) music journalists so as to keep those good reviews
rolling in.

look forward to seeing you this weekend
your pal,
brad

The entire exchange is worth your time and can be read here. Although he’s freaked out by dissonant hipsters in the front row of shows, Bradford Cox is inspired by kindness and doesn’t care what you think about his music. “I don’t give a fuck what they say about me, because I’m a white-trash queer who might live to be 30 if I’m lucky,” says Cox. Although Cox’s lyrics are often used as therapy for an ostracized childhood, some of the motivation behind the music is physical healing (see Fishpork review of Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.). He makes music for fans who need a soundtrack to cope and is just trying to make as much of it as he can while he’s still alive. This is good news for the music world!

Rolling Stone has uploaded an exclusive acoustic performance of Bradford Cox singing “Never Stops” outside of a convenience store in Brooklyn hours before the show: http://www.rollingstone.com/videos/video/24261318/breaking_deerhunter.

http://deerhuntertheband.blogspot.com
http://myspace.com/deerhunter

Tapes ‘N Tapes Walk It Off

Tapes ‘N Tapes hit me hard when I discovered their 2004 LP The Loon. At the time, I was discovering a goldmine of great new bands (TV on the Radio, Saul Williams, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, Autolux), but Tapes ‘N Tapes’ debut album was stuck in my head for months, while all other tracks were deemed unworthy during that time. I listened on the way to work, on my computer, on the iPod, and even at family BBQs with family members giving me bewildered looks because of the awkward music selection. I can easily say that The Loon will certainly rank on my top 10 of the decade. How on Earth do you follow up a masterpiece? This is something I was worried about, as so many artists rarely reach the heights of their debut.

Upon first hearing the April release of their sophomore effort Walk It Off, I wasn’t sure what to think about the new songs. However, knowing that first impressions do not often last with challenging music (see Amnesiac), I continued to listen and wait for the payoff. It took a few weeks to warm up to the record, (partially delayed by my obsession with Animal Collective), but it finally hit me that Walk It Off is an another extraordinary collection of songs. The album’s first single, Hang ‘Em All picks up right where The Loon left off. The catchy guitar and offbeat lyrical delivery of frontman Josh Grier let the listener know they are in for something special. Grier mentioned in a recent  interview that the lyrics on this record were written with a bit of ambiguity as to let the listener interpret their meaning.

The distorted guitars and offbeat rhythms may confuse listeners expecting a pop record, but Dave Fridmann (Flaming Lips, Elf Power, MGMT) has tied the loose edges into a digestible dish of cerebral indie rock. Additional standouts on the record include addicting indie anthem Conquest and the ultra-catchy and equally obnoxious George Michael. The album slows things down at times with the beautifully constructed Time of Songs and Say Back Something. It’s obvious that these guys are growing into their own as talented song writers. Most importantly, they don’t seem to be solely focused on the cash cow and continue to challenge their fans with new and exiting sounds. I really don’t get the comparisons to Pavement and the Pixies. Never being a big fan of either band, it seems to me that Tapes ‘N Tapes is taking indie rock into the next decade with an new and original sound. Whoever wants to come along better get on board before you miss the train.

http://myspace.com/tapesntapes

Video for first single, Hang ‘Em All:

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