Fishpork’s 10 Favorite Shows of 2009
It was another full year of remarkable live shows in 2009, which was also not immune to a few train wrecks (Enon, Dan Deacon). Whether it was a cold and rainy night in Philly to see White Lies overcome a historically shitty venue to play a show for the ages or a late night train ride to the East Village to see Karin Dreijer Andersson’s Fever Ray outfit put on a visually stunning performance, this past year reinforced our music fandom. Here’s a list of our favorite shows of 2009:
- White Lies @ First Unitarian Church
- Grizzly Bear @ Trocadero
- Fever Ray @ Webster Hall
- Tapes N’ Tapes @ Johnny Brenda’s
- Animal Collective @ Bowery Ballroom
- Morrissey @ Carnegie Hall
- Vic Chestnutt & Elf Power @ Bowery Ballroom
- Autolux @ Johnny Brenda’s
- Built to Spill @ SIREN Festival
- Monsters of Folk @ United Palace
Least Favorite:
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)
<
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)
>
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)
Fishpork’s Favorite Albums of the 2000s
Compiling a list of your favorite albums for an entire decade is quite the challenge, especially when that decade was as strong as the 2000s were. Six of our favorites come from two bands (Animal Collective and Radiohead), and two were from this past year (Veckatimest and Merriweather Post Pavilion). This list is by no means a definitive statement of the best music from last decade. Instead, these are our favorite albums that were on heavy rotation in our iPods and scrobbled endlessly on Last.FM.
1. Strawberry Jam (2007) - Animal Collective
2. Silent Shout (2006) - The Knife
3. The Moon and Antarctica (2000) - Modest Mouse
4. Kid A (2000) - Radiohead
5. Figure 8 (2000) - Elliott Smith
6. Veckatimest (2009) - Grizzly Bear
7. De-Loused in the Comatorium (2003) - The Mars Volta
8. Future Perfect (2004) - Autolux
9. The Eraser (2006) - Thom Yorke
10. Person Pitch (2007) - Panda Bear
11. Return to Cookie Mountain (2006) - TV on the Radio
12. Sea Change (2002) - Beck
13. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002) - Wilco
14. High Society (2002) - Enon
15. The Loon (2006) - Tapes N’ Tapes
16. Microcastle (2008) - Deerhunter
17. Feels (2005) - Animal Collective
18. Sound of Silver (2007) - LCD Soundsystem
19. In Rainbows (2007) - Radiohead
20. Merriweather Post Pavilion (2009) - Animal Collective
Tapes N’ Tapes @ Johnny Brendas
Tapes N’ Tapes is a band that we have been waiting to catch for a while, and they blew the doors off Johnny Brenda’s on Saturday night. Johnny Brenda’s is our favorite venue in Philly. The intimate setting and mix of good beer and great sound makes for memorable shows. And this one even topped last year’s stand out performances from Battles and Holy Fuck at the venue.
The set featured a great mix of songs from both of their full length records, The Loon and Walk It Off. They even showcased two new songs that seamlessly fit into the 15-song set. The second new track, tentatively titled “Hideeho!” according to the set list that I snatched up, was probably the highlight of the show. Lead singer and guitarist Josh Grier mentioned he was under the weather and his voice might be off, but I would never have noticed. He sounded flawless as they opened the set with a tight rendition of “George Michael.”
One of the most notable aspects of the show was the sheer energy and power of the songs from the quartet. Drummer Jeremy Hanson, who joined the band in 2005 while still a senior in high school, is the glue that curates the raw power of Grier’s ever-changing riffs. Altering between traditional sticks and drum mallets, Hanson gives the band a sonic tightness that makes start/stop songs like “In Houston” so powerful. His jazz/rock drumming style mixes well with Matt Kretzman’s keyboards and the occasional trumpet.
As always the sound at Brenda’s was mixed perfectly, while still allowing the band to show off some of its rawness in songs like “The Dirty Dirty” and “Headshock.” Tapes N’ Tapes sounded even better live than on their records, and the LPs are fierce. I can imagine this is what Modest Mouse might have sounded like back in 1998 while also touring for their second full record The Lonesome Crowded West.
After hearing the new songs, anticipation for their 3rd record has begun. This is a band that you don’t want to miss while they are still playing such intimate shows at places like Johnny Brenda’s with a capacity of only 300. Don’t miss this band on their next tour. The sheer force and energy of the songs was simply awe-inspiring. Another great night at Johnny Brenda’s, and another amazing show.
The band is wrapping up the tour this week and have video blogged their travels on their YouTube page. Below is the one from Philly:
Tapes N’ Tapes - Hang Em All
http://www.tapesntapes.com
http://www.myspace.com/tapesntapes
The Fishpork 20: Favorite Albums of 2008
Remember this era in music. It’s a special one. We’re going to look back and talk about it like we talk about the 60s or 70s. I used to miss all the great bands that came out of the 90s, but my longing for the hay days of grunge and industrial has since dissipated. Go ahead and disagree, but this is a renaissance period for music. This year was no exception. In fact, it served as an endless discovery period of great bands and classic albums. However, our favorite album of 2008 was not a difficult choice at all. Here is our list of favorite albums of 2008:
- Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
- Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
- Of Montreal - Skeletal Lamping
- TV on the Radio - Dear Science
- Eric Avery - Help Wanted
- Elf Power - In a Cave
- Guns N’ Roses - Chinese Democracy
- Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
- Tapes N’ Tapes - Walk It Off
- Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
- Girl Talk - Feed the Animals
- Nine Inch Nails - Ghosts I-IV
- Portishead - Third
- Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
- Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power - Dark Developments
- Ladytron - Velocifero
- The Notwist - The Devil, You + Me
- First Wave Hello - God Bless, Devil You
- Fuck Buttons - Street Horsssing
- David Byrne & Brian Eno - Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Honorable Mentions:
- Dub Trio - Another Sound is Dying
- Amanda Palmer - Who Killed Amanda Palmer
- Health - Disco
Most Disappointing Albums:
- Beck - Modern Guilt
- SexTapes - SexTapes
- UNKLE - End Title . . . Stories For Film
Most Overrated Albums:
- Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
- Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
- Cold Play - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Fishpork will post our favorite songs and live shows of the year next week. Check back soon!
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:
June’s Fresh Pork Cuts!
June 5, 2008 by Peter
Filed under Fresh Pork Cuts
Pete’s:
- Avey Tare- I’m Your Eagle Kisser
- Silver Jews- Self-Ignition
- Devotchka - Transliterater
- Sons & Daughters - The Gift
- Tapes ‘N Tapes - Hang Them All
Mark’s:
- Portishead - Threads
- DIOY,Y? - We Are Rockstars
- Crystal Castles - Magic Spells
- DubTrio - No Flag
- Animal Collective - Street Flashes
[display_podcast]