Top Ten Tracks on Elbo.Ws Reviewed in 50 Words or Less: 4/16/08--4/30/08

Bi-monthly, MFR reviews the top ten tracks on music blog aggregator Elbo.ws. Here are the songs that were most popular amongst music blogs from April 16th through April 30th. Kids sure do love them some Last Shadow Puppets, don't they?

1. My Morning Jacket - "Evil Urges"

The title track from the Louisville-based My Morning Jacket's upcoming fifth record begins as a space-rock pastiche before blasting off into the group's more familiar indie-jam territory, all done underneath Jim James' best Curtis Mayfield impression. A departure, for sure, but a successful one, for the most part. Never has the band sounded so soulful.

Grade: B+

2. Wolf Parade - "Call It a Ritual"

The mournful, piano-driven jauntiness of "Call It a Ritual" doesn't really differentiate itself from the Canadian quintet's past material in terms of feel. Of course, when your first album knocked the indie world's socks off their asses, you probably don't feel so compelled to change things up. However, am I complaining? No.

Grade: B+

3. The Last Shadow Puppets - "The Age of the Understatement"

A live rendition of the Arctic Monkey's offshoot title track, there's a little bit of a locomotive pace to this song. Turner's croon and a fuzzy, echo-y guitar line prove to be the focal points of the track. The harmonizing is a little off at times, but all in all, this is a solid performance.

Grade: B

4. My Brightest Diamond - "Inside a Boy"

The odd flaw of My Brightest Diamond's debut record was that it was a little too well-crafted. As a rock album, it could have used more shambolic energy. "Inside a Boy", doesn't quite kick out the jams, but it does make effective use of vocals and guitar to create an anxious atmosphere reminiscent of Radiohead.

Grade: B

5. Lykke Li - "Dance Dance Dance"

Before releasing her debut album, Swedish songstress Lykke Li gives listeners a foretaste of the feast to come by releasing an EP of material, from which "Dance Dance Dance" is taken. From the first impression given by this single, "Dance Dance Dance" should be one of many solid, sugary pop numbers.

Grade: B

6. Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"

Though Fleet Foxes may modestly claim that they're "not much of a rock band", they sure do know how to coalesce its ancestors (country, gospel, and choral music) into songs that are hopelessly harmonic. "White Winter Hymnal" sounds like the future of the music they supposedly are not much of. How's that for irony?

Grade: A-

7. M83 - "Graveyard Girl"

Download: M83 - "Graveyard Girl"

If The Jesus And Mary Chain (who picked up where your precious Echo left off) ever wrote an anthemic prom song, this would probably be it. M83 perfectly captures the emotional experience of adolescence, where being enamored of love is as equally important as actually being in love. Shoegazer and synth-pop never sounded so grandiose.

Grade: A

8. The Last Shadow Puppets - "My Mistakes Were Made For You"

Who knew that Alex Turner was a fan of Sinatra's Frank and Nancy? This elegant pop song, a tale of regret about how innocence and arrogance intertwine, bears a musical resemblance to the latter's orchestral pop songs with Burt Bacharach, but delivered with the croon of the former. Surprisingly well-done.

Grade: B+

9. Weezer - "Pork And Beans"

The best Weezer single to come from this decade. Granted, in the context of "Beverly Hills", that's not saying a whole lot. But by revisiting old glories (a little "Buddy Holly" in the chorus, a little "El Scorcho" in the verse), Weezer have finally started to recaptur the essence of what made them expert pop-smiths to begin with.

Grade: B

10. No Age - "Eraser"

"Eraser" may not be the most groundbreaking song written (indeed, Deerhunter and Liars have beaten No Age to the 21st-century noise-recontextualized-as-pop punch), but as far as marrying the ambient guitar collages of My Bloody Valentine with the off-kilter melodic sensibilities of late 90s Modest Mouse, this track is tops.

Grade: A-

(Jonathan Graef)

Cat Power's Jukebox Becomes Matador's Highest Charting Album In Its History

Download: Cat Power - "Metal Heart"
Download: Cat Power - "The Greatest"

Kid-tested, MFR-approved Jukebox, Cat Power's second album of covers, entered the Billboard charts at number 12. From the Billboard article:

Roaring in at No. 12, Cat Power's "Jukebox" moved 29,000 units, a career high chart-and sales-wise. The Matador set follows 2006's "The Greatest," which bowed at No. 34 with 23,000.

Kind of amazing that Ms. Marshall was able to jump up 22 places on the charts while only selling 6,000 more records, no?
Cat Power MySpace Page

Top Ten Tracks On The Elbo.WS Chart Reviewed In 50 Words Or Less (12/14/07)

Bi-monthly, MFR reviews the Top Ten tracks on music-blog aggregator Elbo.WS in 50 words or less. For the weeks of November 30th through December 14th, here are the ten most popular songs:

Destroyer


Destroyer - "Foam Hands"

After the relaxed, sinuous arrangements which characterized the best parts of 2006's Rubies, one might be a bit hesitant to embrace the more direct, Dylan-incorporates-doo-wop, melancholy of "Foam Hands". However, even the most benumbed listener would melt once the song ascends to its triumphant conclusion. Stunning, indeed.
Grade: B+

Download: Destroyer - "Foam Hands"

Destroyer MySpace Page

Beach House


Beach House - "Gila"

Beach House's "Gila" positively recalls both the gentle harmonies of The Beatles Sgt Pepper-era and the hazed out atmosphere of Lou Reed when he's mellow. Ultimately though, the song's soft wistfulness and faint electronic beats only inspire faint palpitations. That's only disappointing because Beach House promised Devotion.
Grade: B-

Download: Beach House - "Gila"

Beach House MySpace Page


Black Mountain



Black Mountain – Tyrants

After two weeks, "Tyrants" still sounds like a clusterfuck of 60s psychedelic and rock influences, despite the impressive, Sabbath-esque opener. Like Mr. Burns' diseases on "The Simpsons", the heavy riffing, spacey keyboards and the folk intimacy all sort of cancel each other out, quality-wise. The grade remains the same.
Grade: C+

Download: Black Mountain - "Tyrants"

Black Mountain on MySpace

The Raveonettes


The Raveonettes – Aly, Walk With Me

As the listens of "Aly, Walk With Me" increase, the anticipation for The Raveonettes forthcoming effort grows higher and higher. Here's hoping that the album is bathed this much in washed-out white noise and trance-inducing sexiness. I know why Lust is used three times. Like hearing this track, once is nearly not enough.
Grade: A-

Download: The Raveonettes - "Aly, Walk With Me"

The Raveonettes on MySpace

Bob Mould


Bob Mould - "The Silence Between Us"

For his first record on Anti-, the legendary Husker-Du songsmith attempts to return to his power-pop Sugar days. Mould isn't breaking new ground, but one can always appreciate a well-penned melody, a few of which "The Silence Between Us" possesses. The gratuitous electronic flourishes don't do the song any favors, though.
Grade: B-

Download: Bob Mould - "The Silence Between Us"

Bob Mould MySpace Page

Yeasayer


Yeasayer - "2080"

Lord knows what will be going down in the year "2080". However, the soothing indie-melodicism and David Byrne-esque anxiety should provide enough stimulation for listeners engaged with the world as they know it today. Who knows how we'll all feel then, but judging by this track, Yeasayer's 2008 should be just fine.
Grade: B

Download: Yeasayer - "2080"

Yeasayer On MySpace

The Dodos


The Dodos - "Fools"

The Dodos put together bouncing vocal melodies, manic guitar strumming on a single, guitar drone chord, and a pulse that would make a freight train cower. This makes one feel like they are being whisked through a delirious journey that, at the end, you'll comprehend barely at best. I say: on with the ride.
Grade: A

Download: The Dodos - "Fools"

The Dodos' MySpace Page

Robbers On High Street


Robbers On High Street - "Seasons Greetings"

There's a vague Van Morrison quality to this track which, along with kitschy sincerity of Fountains Of Wayne, makes "Seasons Greetings" somewhat appealing. This track is pretty unremarkable, but the sentiment is appreciated all the same. 'Tis the season, after all.
Grade: B-

Download: Robbers On High Street - "Seasons Greetings"

Robbers On High Street MySpace Page

Louis XIV


Louis XIV - "Guilt By Association"

Speaking of novelty, a band whom names itself after French royalty is probably bound for a chuckle or two. But even the Bon Scott-inspired talking orchestral breakdown (complete with harpsichord) can't save a song riddled with neo-garage-rock clichés. Meh. At least I don't have to feel guilty about anything.
Grade: C

Download: Louis XIV - "Guilt By Association"

Louis XIV MySpace Page

Evangelicals


Evangelicals - "The Last Christmas On Earth"

If you plan on spending the holidays tripping on acid and sitting near a lava lamp, then this is your soundtrack. Evangelicals obviously worship at the church of shoegaze, and "The Last Christmas On Earth" is a pleasant enough amalgamation of Christmas Carol and Funeral Dirge. It's a Very Slowdive Christmas, Charlie Brown.
Grade: B-

Download:"The Last Christmas On Earth"

Evangelicals MySpace Page

(Jonathan Graef)

White Stripes Have Best Sales Week Ever

(Photo taken from Pitchfork)

Download: The White Stripes - "Conquest"
Download: The White Stripes - "Icky Thump"
Download: The White Stripes - "300 MPH Torrential Outpour Blues"

So, despite all the hubbub about leaks Rolling Stone reports that the White Stripes had their best sales week ever for Icky Thump The Stripes' sixth album sold a total of 224,000 copies, which was good enough for number two behind the latest from Bon Jovi.

Now, although this information is new, I have to wonder what people will say about the Stripes' sales total in spite of the leak. On the one hand, I wouldn't be happy if my record had leaked three weeks early and people were snatching up left and right online. On the other hand, I wouldn't be surprised if the publicity generated by the radio station dust-up heightened the profile of the record, which may have lead to the increase in sales. On the other other hand, perhaps it's because Icky Thump is just a better record that its predecessor.

Discuss.