pecusita's Last.fm Journal

Most Played Albums of 2011

Thu, 5 Jan 2012 20:52:31 +0000

Hello everyone! Welcome to this wonderful tradition of number crunching. A precious opportunity for yours truly to rant outside of my own head in a long form medium that's not limited to 140 characters.

2011 was definitely more varied than our last recap with a lot more diversity, thanks in big part to my new BFF Spotify. But there's always a downside: too much variety means not much repetition and this year we have the first ever recount without a song reaching 100 plays and don't even think about a single album passing 1000 scrobbles!

I noticed one particular phenomenon this past year: there were a lot of well-established and previous chart topping artists that were overlooked this past year, some of them, for no apparent reason! I even liked some of their preview singles. What a mystery! Albums like Okkervil River - I Am Very Far, TV on the Radio - Nine Types Of Lights, Dum Dum Girls - Only in Dreams, Beirut - The Rip Tide and Toro Y Moi - Underneath The Pine, just to name a handful that never got the change to return. Ooooooops! Sorry, guys & gals. I can assure you are already in the January recovery cycle.

There were also all those albums that were released so late, there was no point in listening, like Atlas Sound - Parallax, The Black Keys - El Camino and ARMS - Summer Skills. Not to count all those other that had songs I digged but never got around to playing the album much. All this music is... overwhelming. Oh, well. No point in dwelling on these past mistakes. Let's move forward.

Before we do that, here's the formula I use for this rank:

average plays = round(total plays/total tracks)

In case of ties, the upper hand was given to total scrobbles. I'd like to add that I had to disqualify two albums because half of their tracks were released in 2010 so it was damn near impossible to determine which plays came from the full release. I'm talking about Panda Bear - Tomboy and Cameras - In Your Room. It pained me because I enjoyed them both quite a bit.

Intro over. Here we goooooo!

Most Played Albums of 2011
25. tUnE-yArDs - w h o k i l l
Played 101 times. Averaged 10 plays per track.
The electric vocal loops, and the softer side, all make a comeback.
Most played: Gangsta - 31 plays

24. Ringo Deathstarr - Colour Trip
Played 119 times. Averaged 11 plays per track.
Twee pop to make heads bop or bodies sway in slow motion.
Most played: So High - 41 plays

23. Zola Jesus - Conatus
Played 148 times. Averaged 13 plays per track.
Less echo-y darkness, more robotic screeching and vocal melodies.
Most played: Hikikomori - 26 plays

22. Wild Flag - Wild Flag
Played 170 times. Averaged 17 plays per track.
Next best thing to the real thing. I'll take it.
Most played: Future Crimes - 37 plays

21. Active Child - You Are All I See
Played 174 times. Averaged 17 plays per track.
Enigmatic... choked up falsetto... mysterious... synths... haunting... harps.
Most played: Hanging On - 40 plays

20. Wye Oak - Civilian
Played 174 times. Averaged 17 plays per track.
Raspy voiced pop rock... with guitar breakdowns for added awesome factor.
Most played: Dogs Eyes - 50 plays

19. SBTRKT - SBTRKT
Played 198 times. Averaged 17 plays per track.
Full of groove and smooth melodies with some outstanding guest vocalists, most notably, the winner of most beautiful voice of the year: Sampha.
Most played: Right Thing to Do (feat. Jessie Ware) - 41 plays

18. Battles - Gloss Drop
Played 207 times. Averaged 17 plays per track.
Anything would pale on comparison to their last monster but you eventually get around to appreciating this one. It may happen too late to make it into the top 15, though.
Most played: Sweetie & Shag (Featuring Kazu Makino) - 32 plays

17. Jamie Woon - Mirrorwriting
Played 232 times. Averaged 19 plays per track.
In its broad spectrum, I'd say this could be considered a companion to the SBTRK album but it's a lot more downbeat, filled with heavier RnB and soul influences. Runner-up in 2 important categories: most beautiful voice of the year and biggest jam anthem - Lady Luck - to a song that will be later mentioned in this journal.
Most played: Street - 41 plays

And barely missing out on the Top 15...

16. Still Corners - Creatures of an Hour
Played 198 times. Averaged 20 plays per track.
It's got the classic dream pop element of ethereal vocals mixed with some clearer guitar melodies that makes you think more of the 60s than the 80s.
Most played: The Twilight Hour - 31 plays

Top 15
15. Maybeshewill - I Was Here For A Moment, Then I Was Gone
Played 200 times. Averaged 20 plays per track.

I would like to extent my most sincere congratulations to Maybeshewill. They're the first band to be featured three albums in a row on these countdown journals! They really got a head start by releasing their debut and sophomore two years in a row. In my 2009 recap, I noted their second album was more of the same - in a positive way - now, they shook things up a bit with this one. It still retains some of that exhilarating energy but they've added some textured, delicate arrangements that makes it sound even uplifting.

Most played:
To The Skies From A Hillside - 34 plays
Take This To Heart - 29 plays
Critical Distance - 22 plays

Least played:
An End To Camaraderie / Relative Minors - 13 plays

Loved 2 out of 10 tracks

Previously on the pecusita chart show: their sophomore climbed all the way to #10 in 2009 a mere year before that, their debut reached
#11 in 2008!

14. Little Dragon - Ritual Union
Played 219 times. Averaged 20 plays per track.

No, I'm not too cool. I discovered them after their vocalist collaborated on my favorite song off Gorillaz's Plastic Beach last year. I was initially intrigued by an old song called Blinking Pigs but got truly hooked on the catchy beats of this album. Even the slow tempo tracks can be quite catchy and they'd better be because there are quite a handful of them. The devil is in the repetition in this case.

Most played:
Ritual Union - 52 plays
Nightlight - 48 plays
Shuffle A Dream - 35 plays

Least played:
Crystalfilm - 7 plays

Loved 3 out of 11 tracks

13. Wild Beasts - Smother
Played 212 times. Averaged 21 plays per track.

Even though their last album left quite a mark in my stats, it took me a while to get around to this one, probably because I wasn't too thrilled by the first single. Upon further listening, it's a very logical - and enjoyable - progression for their style. I didn't find the melodies to carry the same level of memorable qualities that made Two Dancers such a great album, though; with notable exceptions like Bed Of Nails and Reach A Bit Further that bridged the gap quite nicely. In the end, b-side Catherine Wheel ended up as my most played song of theirs in this past year. The album has been getting more plays as of late so there's still a chance I may fall head over heels for it.

Most played:
Lion's Share - 46 plays
Bed Of Nails - 28 plays
Reach A Bit Further - 26 plays

Least played:
Burning - 9 plays

Loved 4 out of 10 tracks

Previously on the pecusita chart show: Two Dancers made it to #8 of the 2009 chart

12. Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
Played 252 times. Averaged 25 plays per track.

Do you ever get tired of the trickery behind electronic music/arrangements? I do, from time to time. That's why it's a good idea to have a straight up record like Anna Calvi's debut album lying around. If you take a look at the No. 4 artist of my overall charts, I'd say this is right up my alley. Her retro, blues-y sound combined with her sometimes seductive voice are very inviting.

Most played:
I'll Be Your Man - 40 plays
Blackout / Desire / No More Words - 29 plays

Least played:
The Devil - 16 plays

Loved 3 out of 10 tracks

11. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Played 217 times. Averaged 27 plays per track.

Geez, how annoying is it that a lot of people seem to think that unless it's a knock your socks off masterpiece, a Radiohead album is a disappointment? I know, I know, I remember what I wrote about Battles. I personally found myself enjoying their approach to this album, filled with darkly hypnotic and catchy songs. You can get chills by a simple "ooooohhhhhh", you know. Is it a Kid A or OK Computer? No, get over it already! Those are likely never to be matched. There were moments I honestly found myself enjoying this album a lot more than In Rainbows and Hail to the Thief.

Most played:
Feral - 43 plays
Bloom - 33 plays
Lotus Flower - 31 plays

Least played:
Separator - 19 plays

Loved 3 out of 9 tracks

Previously on the pecusita chart show: one previously charted album was #11 in 2007

10. James Blake - James Blake
Played 300 times. Averaged 27 plays per track.

This album was its own worst enemy. The first three songs blew... me.. away. The rest? Not that much. Things start falling, falling, falling fairly quick with following tracks, Lindisfarne I & II, only fans of Volcano Choir and Bon Iver's Blood Bank EP could ever love those songs. After those two, the album looses steam and, although there are some other solid songs in the back end, it just never lives up to the promise of those three songs. *DEEP* ... *SIGH* But I don't blame him. But I don't blame him. But I don't blame him. For as fast as you can skip the LindYouRuinedTheAlbum songs, you will be very close to melancholic electro heaven. Where I am, where I am, where I am.

Most played:
Unluck - 62 plays
I Never Learnt to Share - 44 plays
The Wilhelm Scream - 38 plays

Least played:
Lindisfarne II - 3 plays

Loved 3 out of 11 tracks

9. Planningtorock - W
Played 322 times. Averaged 27 plays per track.

The most enigmatic of the albums on this list. People will compare her aesthetics and distorted vocals to Fever Ray, no doubt about it. Would these comparisons stop if the vocals were different? Probably not. But there's a lot more to this album than those first impressions in similarities, darn it! I find it to be more pop aware, if that even makes sense, than FR. It can also be evocative, mystifying, seductive, cryptic and, most importantly, addictive!

Most played:
Manifesto - 55 plays
The Breaks - 47 plays
I'm Yr Man - 41 plays

Least played:
9 - 8 plays

Loved 5 out of 12 tracks

8. M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
Played 601 times. Averaged 30 plays per track.

I think this is a great showcase of his ample pop/shoegaze/ambient repertoire. One moment, it can turn evocative and moving, the next be filled with a genuinely uplifting and hopeful sound. It's a stark contrast with the more melancholic Saturdays = Youth. The pop songs are as catchy as ever, while others aspire not to reach beyond the sky in full grandiosity. Listening to Splendor is like watching a sunset while the ocean breeze caresses your skin. Skip to Raconte-Moi Une Historie or Reunion and it's damn near impossible to stay still! It's a truly cinematic and eventful album.

I don't usually love double albums as much as I do with this one. I figured the trick here is songs like Klaus I Love You that are a lot of shorter yet manage to leave you wanting more. I would definitely put it right behind Before The Dawn Heels Us for my favorite M83 record!

This is a good opportunity to show off my autographed cd...

Most played:
Midnight City - 65 plays
Reunion - 63 plays
This Bright Flash - 50 plays

Least played:
Outro - 11 plays

Loved 10(!) out of 20 tracks

Previously on the pecusita chart show: S=Y=#4 in 2008

7. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will
Played 276 times. Averaged 28 plays per track.

Winner of most awesomely named album, of course! There's a fairly good mix of kraut rock-leaning songs and the atmospherics, slow build-ups driven tracks. It includes some of the most immediate songs they've released since Mr. Beast... ok, there's only been one record in between those two, Mr. Observation. It could definitely be called Catchy Songs For Catchy People. Certainly a big step up from The Hawk is Howling, as far as cohesiveness is concerned. There's no lagging in the middle, good rhythm in the track list and highlights can be found all the way through the album. The only disappointment here? I have not been able to listen to any of these new songs live due to two consecutive cancelations and no reschedule yet. WHYYYYYYY?!

Most played:
George Square Thatcher Death Party - 56 plays
Rano Pano - 50 plays
Mexican Grand Prix - 40 plays

Least played:
You're Lionel Richie - 11 plays

Loved 4 out of 10 tracks

Previously on the pecusita chart show: Hawks holwed at #7 in 2008 (pun!)

6. Washed Out - Within and Without
Played 260 times. Averaged 29 plays per track.

I remember listening to pbrnb band How To Dress Well last year and being disappointed by the lack of most drepressed man in the world gravitas from his last.fm gallery. Here we have Washed Out, aka Ernest Greene, who seems to fit the package rather well. Even the songs with uplifting lyrics, like Amor Fati, sound depressed. It does suffers, however, of the Wild Nothing syndrome, where the vocals can get somewhat anemic. That's part of the chill aesthetics, we can't frown upon it that much. And where WN's Jack Tantum sounds trapped in a fasting period, this man at the very least had some crackers in the morning. I have to add the cover art also fits the mood of the music.

Most played:
Echoes - 68 plays
You And I - 36 plays
Amor Fati - 35 plays

Least played:
A Dedication - 12 plays

Loved 3 out of 9 tracks

5. Widowspeak - Widowspeak
Played 286 times. Averaged 29 plays per track.

Whoa! What a solid turn out for these newcomers! Love this album but thought it would fall victim to a late release date, surely it was helped by early promo hit mp3 Harsh Realm. Looking back to this countdown - we are already near the top 5! - I'd say Widowspeak's sound could be described as the union of Anna Calvi and Still Corners. It's a mellow, old-fashioned style full of easygoing and melancholic melodies but also more upbeat head boppers. It is very well balanced.

Most played:
Harsh Realm - 62 plays
Nightcrawlers - 45 plays
Puritan - 28 plays

Least played:
Half Awake - 17 plays

Loved 3 out of 10 tracks

4. The Horrors - Skying
Played 311 times. Averaged 31 plays per track.

As my 2009 recap can testify, I was won over by the sheer force generated by the waves of distortion from their second album, Primary Colours. This album builds on, moves on. There's a bit more clarity in the reverb, some nicely added synth to add texture and horns to diversify, it even includes a guest spot from the second most skilled music instrument - the tambourine (the tambourine is second to the triangle, in case you were wondering). It's very put together, sounds cerebral but immensely enjoyable to listen. I also hear this is their first foray into self-production. Nice work, guys! From now on, you can save those production fees and get to gush and take every bit of credit.

Most played:
Moving Further Away - 56 plays
Endless Blue - 54 plays
Still Life - 37 plays

Least played:
Oceans Burning - 20 plays

Loved 4 out of 10 tracks

Previously on the pecusita chart show: same #4 position for 2009

3. Austra - Feel It Break
Played 350 times. Averaged 32 plays per track.

Though I was initially intrigued by the debut EP, this album is a complete turn. Even the EP title song has been reedited to achieve maximum eerie and claustrophobic doom status. Others sound intriguing and almost otherworldly, like Shoot the Water that never fails to remind me of the Fifth Element opera. Ultimately the combination of her soprano and vocalizations really make this record stand out amongst the other releases this year.

Most played:
Beat and the Pulse - 79 plays
Lose It - 43 plays
Spellwork - 39 plays

Least played:
The Beast - 16 plays

Loved 4 out of 11 tracks

2. Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
Played 198 times. Averaged 33 plays per track.

The power lies in the short track list! Mind you, not that this is a short stroll in the park here. There are so many ups and downs, turns and twists that a single song can drain you.

Just like Mogwai did this year as well, they dabbled with uptempo - and (gasp!) vocalization - but it did not translate to much of a departure for the album as a whole. The songs should still be considered one single epic that has been divided in chapters. Not so say there's no merit to the stand alone tracks, I simply find them to be more mesmerizing when listened without interruptions. I must say that Trembling Hands does stick out a bit in the middle but things quickly fall back into place to culminate in its most ecstatic moment with Let Me Back In.

For what it's worth, this was the second year in a row where a mainstreamer released an album with almost the exact same title as the small roasted potatoes I usually listen to. You know who they are.

Most played:
Trembling Hands - 53 plays
Last Known Surroundings - 37 plays
Postcard From 1952 - 33 plays

Least played:
Be Comfortable, Creature / Human Qualities - 24 plays

Loved 3 out of 6 tracks

1. The Kills - Blood Pressures
Played 427 times. Averaged 39 plays per track.

It's been a long time coming! What a rise they've had in my charts for the past 3 years, all the way to #3 in my charts, finally crowned by a chart topping album.

There are certainly some interesting moments here, like some gospel backdrops and plenty of stabbed guitars that want to smear you with the blood of its sacrifice. I must put into writing that's one of my favorite things about their music: how the guitars can sound like the notes were beaten out of them at times.

Where things don't seem to gel for me is songs like Heart Is A Beating Drum and Nail In My Coffin, the latter sounding a little bit like a Dead Weather spilled over - and you all know how I feel about that project (if you didn't, you can now risk a guess). Don't know how those made it instead of great b-side Blue Moon! So, is this the best they have to offer? Certainly not but it is still a strong offering that should keep me on board their band wagon. Beep, beep!

Most played:
DNA - 62 plays
Satellite - 56 plays
Damned If She Do - 55 plays

Least played:
Wild Charms - 19 plays

Loved 6 out of 11 tracks

Right on! Meet me sometime in the future for the songs installment.

4 years of last.fm

Tue, 30 Aug 2011 01:04:38 +0000

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to commemorate the 4 year anniversary of one pecusita and last.fm. 4 years. Who knew it would last this long?!

Even though the written communication seems to have decreased, the psycho addiction to the numbers is still as strong as ever. Heck, I've even increased one full track to average 75 plays per day, up one from last year. We're going steady, my love.

Cold Hard Facts

Total Scrobbles
1st year - 47,036 (includes tracks scrobbled at sign up)
2nd year - 76,168 (+29,062)
3rd year - 98,209 (+22,041)
4th year - 127,105 (+28,896)

Number of artists in Library
1st year - 649 artists
2nd year - 1,119 artists (+470)
3rd year - 1,844 artists (+725)
4th year - 2,816 (+972)

As you can see both stats have gained significantly, up 77.26% for scrobbles and 65.48% for artists! Just like I mentioned before, a steady stat profit increase. Yes, I still use blip.fm quite a bit. To this date I have 1,379 listeners; 7,507 blips; 6,767 props. That's +679 listeners, +4,207 blips, +5,067 props! I'm also sporting a shiny 1K badge *ahem*.

Just a few weeks ago, a new friend entered our circle: Spotify. We are still in our "introduction" stage, but I've already pulled the trigger and upgraded to Premium, which incidentally has made our relationship a bit rockier in the past couple of days. Ah, money. Always getting in the way of love.

At this very moment, it's still too early to determine whether we'll be able to overcome these new challenges in our relationship. We still have about 27 days to work this out or I'll be forced to ask Spotify to move out and go back to our less exclusive relationship. You see, to me the whole point of Premium is to use it on-the-go and sync tracks for offline playing. So, what's the problem? If you want Spotify on your device, you cannot use iTunes and you have to start syncing local tracks with WiFi. That I did not know. It's like I asked for its past history, it said life was great then, after moving in, revealed it had 3 ex-wives and 7 kids. Painful. On top of that, their app is not as great as iTunes, though mind you I have not been able to use the iPod Touch version... because of Spotify. *sigh* Oh the other hand, I no longer have to listen to 30 seconds of that annoying "Gucci Gucci" song so that's something.

As for last.fm, not much has changed in the past year. Or as my mind really sees it: nothing has improved. Our new friend makes me even more reliant on last.fm, considering that you don't get play stats from Spotify and with its built-in scrobbler I don't have to rely so much on Universal Scrobbler to keep those stats as OCD-perfect as possible. If anyone out there reading this in cyberspace is interested in a Spotify invite, message me. I've got a few!

Anyhoo, do you remember library themes? We got 5 more of them!

Love the woods all around us.

Mysterious guys making mysterious music.

We understand the need of compensating low exposure with slow speeds and we choose to ignore tripods.

We listen to music and we think of colors.

Smoking allowed in last.fm libraries.

Artist charts

The week following our last anniversary was topped by Menomena with 80 plays. The most dominating week was March 27, when Deftones took the top spot with 338 plays! The only other artist to put on such an eye whopping amount of plays was Explosions in the Sky, who had 206 plays in the week of April 10. Most other artists have dominated with around 100 plays or way less.

Interestingly enough, March 27 was the only week Deftones dominated the charts but kept a strong recurring role in other positions to gain quite a bit in the overall charts. They haven't quite made it to the 1000+ club, though, currently seating at #26 with 957 plays. No need to fret. Since last year's journal things have gotten quite crowded in that club. There are currently 25 artists with over 1,000 scrobbles, with the additions of the likes of Explosions in the Sky, Arcade Fire, Radiohead, Deerhunter, These New Puritans, Errors and Slaraffenland. Congrats to all of them!

Meanwhile, Menomena made it into the even more exclusive 5000 club, sitting at #2 with 5,318 plays. While The Kills beat their guitars past Xiu Xiu to take hold of the #3 spot with 3,398 plays. The Besnard Lakes are threatening to join The Walkmen in the 2000+ any minute now. They have 1,990 plays for the #6 spot. Other artists that are sure to join them soon are Mogwai and M83, who are sitting at #9 and #10 with 1,873 and 1,658 plays respectively. With old timers The Smiths and, newer but a bit stalled at the moment, Arctic Monkeys rounding up with 1900+. This is almost as exciting as a horse race!

These are the artists who have dominated the charts in the past year:

One week
Villagers
Tame Impala
Warpaint
Owen Pallett
The Walkmen
Xiu Xiu
The National
The Phantom Band
Anna Calvi
Godspeed You! Black Emperor
Deftones
The Stone Roses
James Blake
Suuns
Lykke Li
Black Sabbath
Maybeshewill
The Radio Dept.
Mogwai
Planningtorock

Two weeks
Deerhunter
Flying Lotus
Wild Nothing
Lower Dens
Explosions in the Sky
Austra

Three weeks
These New Puritans
The Velvet Underground

Four weeks
The Kills
The Smiths

And our most recurrently dominating artist was...

Menomena!
Five weeks at the top. Most plays on October 10th with 155 plays.

Most Dominating Songs
A fun feature of these journals. On its third year, you can start calling it a recurring feature.

15. Explosions in the Sky – Greet Death
16 plays - April 10, 11

Don't know if you were aware of this, but this song has a mind blower of an intro! Also the fastest guitar part I've witnessed in concert, at least I believe there was a hand playing guitar back in SummerStage '09. It was a blur. Even though common sense tells me there had to be a hand there, I could not provide an eye witness account under oath.

14. James Blake – Unluck
18 plays - April 24, 11

Well, I must say that some broken records appear not to sound so broken after a dozen and a half plays.

13. Wavves – King of the Beach
20 plays - August 29, 10

Even not the biggest fans of pop rock need their upbeat rock songs to get by....

12. Austra – Beat and the Pulse
21 plays - June 26, 11

... while in reality what I enjoy the most are dramatic songs like this one. Feel. It... Breeeeeeaaaak.

11. The Velvet Underground – Sunday Morning
21 plays - March 20, 11

Hmm. Surprised about this one. I'm personally much a bigger fan of songs like Run, Run, Run or I'm Waiting for My Man. I can definitely tell you I was listening to a lot of old music around that time.

10. Women – Drag Open
22 plays - May 1, 11

Whoa! This one-two punch is a complete coincidence. Serendipity!

09. Dead Man's Bones – Lose Your Soul
25 plays - January 16, 11

Another year, another song. Stop it! I know you're never coming out with another album. Might as well break-up now.

08. Panda Bear – Tomboy
26 plays - May 8, 11

Broken records. Yada-yada. Otherworldly qualities. Yada-yada. 26 plays.

07. Menomena – Shirt
29 plays - May 22, 11

One thing my Top 3 last.fm artists have in common is that I really like a lot of their b-side material. I wonder what that could possibly mean...

07. Deftones – Prince
29 plays - March 27, 11

Ah, the sound of a long-lost love returning to my charts in a big fashion. See above overall artist rant.

05. Warpaint – Elephants
35 plays - June 19, 11

Again, slow-building, syllable-stretching drama.

04. The Smiths – This Charming Man
40 plays - April 3

Another golden oldie! Takes me back to the last Morrissey gig I attended.

03. These New Puritans – C. 16th ±
45 plays - May 15, 11

One thing you can say out Beat Pyramid is the songs are too freaking short, you just feel like you have to replay them to get a full 4m30s effect. It's trueeeee!

02. Menomena – Queen Black Acid
52 plays - July 10, 11

Top notch slow dancing jam. First couple of plays I wasn't so thrilled with it, eventually I came around. I guess that's what you could call such amount of plays in a 7 day period.

01. The Kills – Getting Down
53 plays - January 23, 11

I knew this song was addictive but darns it! I checked the artist stats for that week, in case it was a scrobbler gone haywire bug, but as it turns out they weren't even #1 that week. Say whaaaaat.

Journals
In the past year, I've added 13 more journal entries. Even though it appears to be an increase over last year's 10 journals, a lot of them merely had any rant in it. *sigh* I feel like our first year's feat of 30 journals will never be repeated. Let's see what happens next year.

One hit
The following group had at least one song worth noting.

Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti
Belle and Sebastian
Born Ruffians
Cameras
Crystal Castles
Dum Dum Girls
Foals
Glasser
Hidden Orchestra
Holly Miranda
Holy Fuck
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan
LCD Soundsystem
Lower Dens
Panda Bear
Perfume Genius
Plants and Animals
Salem
The Knife
The Mynabirds
Twin Sister
Wolf Parade
Wye Oak
Zola Jesus
Favorite Songs of 2010 - Dec 8

Two hits
The following group was mentioned in the songs and most played album journals.

Arcade Fire
Charlotte Gainsbourg
Dum Dum Girls
Local Natives
Spoon
Toro Y Moi
Wild Nothing
Most Played Albums of 2010 - Jan 10
Favorite Songs of 2010 - Dec 8

Trifecta!
The following group was mentioned in the songs, albums and most played journals. Winners!

Beach House
The Besnard Lakes
The Black Keys
Caribou
Deerhunter
Flying Lotus
Gorillaz
Menomena
Owen Pallett
Phantogram
The Phantom Band
The National
Tame Impala
These New Puritans
Twin Shadow
Villagers
The Walkmen
Warpaint
Women
Xiu Xiu
Favorite Songs of 2010 - Dec 8
Most Played Albums of 2010 - Jan 10
Favorite Albums of 2010 - Dec 16

Concert Memories
Since last year, I've attended a measly 8 gigs, only two of them inspired my fingers to get off their lazy selfs.

Explosions in the Sky
Low
Eluvium
Explosions in the Sky @ Radio City Music Hall - Apr 7

Menomena
Suckers
Tu Fawning
Menomena! @ Webster Hall - Oct 3

Play Stats Recounts
Presented without much artist specific comments, hence the lack of artist link.

Most played mid-2011 - Jun 1
EPs, Songs, Concerts of 2010 - Apr 7
100,000th scrobble extravaganza - Sept 19

Playlists
The state of the female gender in indie: the Spotify playlist! - 23 Jul
Playlist: Disco for the Holidays! - Dec 17 [ Spotify Playlist ]
Oh, Baby: The Mixtape - Nov 13 [ Spotify Playlist ]

So, a quick look will give you a hint of who was the "most talked about" artist of the past year... Menomena! (Shocker!) They were included in all recap journals corresponding to 2010 AND they also had a concert so awesome that I had to write about it. You could say they were on my mind a lot.

I guess that's it for now. Let's hope for more stats next year. x

Past Anniversary Journals
Three
Two
One (Awwww. Feels so long ago)

The state of the female gender in indie: the Spotify playlist!

Sat, 23 Jul 2011 21:21:27 +0000

Well, at least one good thing happened this week: I got a Spotify invite! Yes, those of you who live on the other side of the Atlantic are probably thinking "nah, old news" right about now. But let me tell you... a party is still a party even if you arrive almost three years late.

To commemorate this glorious occasion I decided to create a massive... gargantuan... ginormous playlist. I quickly settled on one simple theme: the ever improving presence of ladies in the current music scene.

Don't know about you, but it looks to me like ladies are taking the reigns around here! This fills me with gender pride I must share. So I got knee deep in my library, searching all over and came up with... way too many songs. It looked like a headache waiting to happen, then it dawned on me: slip it in two! Duh! Some ladies still had to be sacrificed, tho.

So here are 60 tracks from singer-songwriters, all-girl or mix-matched groups. I kept the playlists at a manageable 30 tracks and 2 hours of music each, you know, to make it actually playable with an enjoyable flow. Even though there are a lot of up-and-comers, I also tried to balance it with popular names and some established groups for good measure. Most songs are from the last 5 years with the exception of one song.

I will also take the opportunity to guess what each song may mean for the general state of mind of these ladies. You know, for rant's sake.

Vol. I
Little Scream - Cannons
Time traveling trampolines. Gotta have one of those.

The Kills - Blue Moon
Blue moons make people do strange things, write songs that sound like you're out having an adventure.

Asobi Seksu - Strawberries
Be mindful of strawberries' feelings before you eat them.

Puro Instinct - Silky Eyes
Ladies are into eyes with a smooth, shinny surface.

Portishead - The Rip
Some people talk of white clothes, others white horses.

Shilpa Ray & her Happy Hookers - Hookers
Ladies prefer real-life interactive experience.

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down - Know Better Learn Faster
We people are weak, so we need other people to be stronger. Can you see the vicious cycle?

EMA - Marked
Some girls just love strumming their guitars in their empty bedrooms past midnight.

Little Dragon - Feather
Positivity, ladies believe in the power of.

Telepathe - bells
Some people could never be pleased, no matter what.

Twin Sister - Milk & Honey
There's nothing wrong with asking for a little effort on someone else's part, you know.

The Deer Tracks - Dark Passenger
Dexter finally found his not-creepy-at-all jam!

Anna Calvi - I'll Be Your Man
Ladies got bravado too.

Wye Oak - Civilian
Ladies have needs that can only be fulfilled by someone else. You know what I mean, ladies. Ladies?

Emmy the Great - MIA
Never forget to wear those seat belts, please.

Blue Roses - I Am Leaving
Sometimes ladies need their independence.

Wild Flag - Future Crimes
When excitement is gone, ladies gotta try harder.

Micachu and the Shapes - Vulture
Vulture's favorite number is 18.

Rolo Tomassi - Titanomachia
Sometimes life makes you... wanna SCREAM.

The Big Sleep - murder
Ladies brains are wired to existentialist riddles.

Tamaryn - Love Fade
Sunsets have the power to make girls very melancholic.

A Sunny Day In Glasgow - Our Change into Rain is No Change at All (Talkin' 'bout Us)
Gosh, why do some people always imply that women are not crystal clear about what they're talking or singing about?

The Besnard Lakes - You've Got to Want to Be a Star
Don't call her tragically melodramatic.

Fever Ray - Seven
Ladies don't believe that expectation of the after life being about running on the grass in slow motion, wearing bleached white clothing.

Phantogram - As Far As I Can See
It's no secret by now. Ladies are insecure.

Austra - Young & Gay
Some ladies just want acceptance from the rest of the world. Is that too much to ask?

White Ring - We Rot
Our nightmares need soundtracks too.

Crystal Castles - Alice Practice
Again, life... just... SCREAM.

Gang Gang Dance - Mindkilla
Ladies kill those neurons with some dancing.

Social Studies - Time Bandits
Ain't nothing wrong with opening a synth song with a capella piano solo.

Vol. II
Glasser - Apply
A sense of security is a very important feeling to have.

Grouper - Alien Observer
There are many... deep mysteries in life.

Florence + the Machine - Girl With One Eye
An eye for an eye... leave one with the other eye open all the time.

Joan As Police Woman - Eternal Flame
Pyromaniacs are also people in need of love songs.

Caitlin Rose - Shanghai Cigarettes
Ladies mind does not accept briberies of any kind.

Cat's Eyes - Over You
You know what. Forget what you just read. Ladies can get over it.

Lower Dens - Rosie
I get it, your life is, like, so dramatic. You died because you got involved with shady escort services and indian casinos. Can we please end it now?

Day for Night - Badlands
Ladies know that some things are not worth fighting for past a certain point.

Lia Ices - Grown Unknown
It is important to be open minded about the way of nature.

tUnE-yArDs - Real Live Flesh
Again, real life is the real way for interactivity.

Frankie Rose and The Outs - Candy
You know what they say about ladies and candy....

Marnie Stern - Every Single Line Means Something
Eureka!

Dag för Dag - Ring Me, Elise
Females tend to be logical.

Forget Cassettes - Venison
Ladies are mindful and sympathetic of the true sadness in being beautiful, hunted and always facing life or death situations.

Screaming Females - Bell
Truthful and straight-forward. A good policy to live by.

Deerhoof - Panda Panda Panda
Ladies could never get enough of pandas. They're so cute! Have you seen that video of the sneezing baby panda? The cutest!

Wildbirds & Peacedrums - There Is No Light
Blackouts have the power to make you go tribal.

Buke and Gass - Medulla Oblongata
If you wish for the best and there's a personal benefit... that's not so bad, right?

Bat for Lashes - What's a Girl to Do?
Ladies are more prone to remorse.

Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
Devotion is something you cannot force.

The Mynabirds - Let the Record Go
Trying your best is the best you can do.

Best Coast - When I'm With You
Some girls just wanna have fun. Oh, girls... they wanna have fun.

Beach House - Master of None
He think he's so hot. He probably thinks this song is about him.

Sharon van Etten - Save Yourself
The concept of ego is strong.

Warpaint - Lissie’s Heart Murmur
Ladies believe in commitment no matter what.

To Kill a Petty Bourgeoisie - Lovers & Liars
It's difficult to keep some concepts apart.

Hidden Orchestra - Footsteps
Some ladies like to spent their alone time in absolute silence.

Holly Miranda - Slow Burn Treason
Honey drip treason.

The Joy Formidable - The Greatest Light Is the Greatest Shade
Ladies are huge fans of huge dreams, even huger(?) fans of huge guitar riffs.

Zola Jesus - Manifest Destiny
You cannot blame the ladies for wishing to indulge in drama of epic proportions.

Listen on Spotify
[ Volume I ]
[ Volume II ]

PS: if you already use Spotify, please add me. I would like to stalk your playlists.

You can also checkout this playlist from the Drowned In Sound editor. It's all about the ladies.

Most played mid-2011

Thu, 2 Jun 2011 01:28:32 +0000

Today is June 1st. Half a year has gone by already. We started getting spooked out by massive animals deaths, yet managed to survive the apocalypse, so I guess everything is more or less cool so far.

I haven't been listening to that much music this year. I've been mostly catching up on last year's albums and golden oldies.

Can't say which 2010 release is winning the late-bloomer category thus far, but I can quickly list the names:
Deftones - Diamond Eyes
Lower Dens - Twin-Hand Movement
Sharon van Etten - Epic
Suuns - Zeroes QC
Holy Fuck - Latin
and Hidden Orchestra - Night Walks

would probably be the stand-outs at this moment.

I'm not much in the mood to rant, so this is mostly a list of stats for posterity....

Most Played Random Songs
14. Lykke Li - I Follow Rivers
10 plays

13. Julianna Barwick - The Magic Place
11 plays

12. Cass McCombs - County Line
12 plays

11. The Soft Moon - Tiny Spiders
13 plays

10. The Veils - Bloom
13 plays

9. Panda Bear - Afterburner
15 plays
Note: highest played "new" song from the album.

8. Ringo Deathstarr - So High
19 plays

7. Radiohead - Lotus Flower / Bloom
20 plays

5. Wye Oak - Dog Eyes
22 plays

5. Mogwai - Rano Pano / George Square Thatcher Death Party
22 plays

4. Anna Calvi - No More Words
24 plays

3. James Blake - Unluck
25 plays

2. The Kills - Damned If She Do
32 plays

1. Explosions in the Sky - Trembling Hands
45 plays

Most Played Albums
These are all the complete albums I have from the year. Ordered by averaged plays = total plays / total tracks.

9. Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes
56 total plays - averaged 6 plays
Note: I actually got this album last week, hence the paltry amount of plays.

8. Wye Oak - Civilian
94 total plays - averaged 9 plays

7. Mogwai - Hardcore Will Never Die But You Will
137 total plays - averaged 14 plays

6. James Blake - James Blake
152 total plays - averaged 14 plays

5. Panda Bear - Tomboy
153 total plays - averaged 14 plays
(* Half the songs were released last year)

4. Radiohead - The King of Limbs
128 total plays - averaged 16 plays

3. The Kills - Blood Pressures
191 total plays - averaged 17 plays

2. Anna Calvi - Anna Calvi
189 total plays - averaged 19 plays

1. Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care
167 total plays - averaged 28 plays

Oh, cruel world of averaged plays! As you may note, The Kills actually dominated in total plays but lost in the averaged play calculations. We'll see how things end up next January....

Explosions in The Sky @ Radio City Music Hall

Fri, 8 Apr 2011 03:08:03 +0000

Wed 6 Apr – Explosions in the Sky, Low, Eluvium @ Radio City Music Hall

Yesterday was my first visit to Radio City Music Hall. The landmark venue is well know for its beauty and excellent sound. So I had two things to look forward to. I must say I was slightly disappointed with my first Explosions in the Sky gig at Central Park Summerstage. Past the usual limitations of an outdoor venue, the place was filled with talking idiots and they also played for just an hour, we all know that equals to about 4 songs in the post-rock world. Never mind that. It's a new year, a new album, new things.

Eluvium opened around 8pm - to a mostly empty hall - with a brief and beautiful piano set that relied mostly on his piano-driven album An Accidental Memory in the Case of Death. He was shortly followed by Low whose minimalistic music that reverberated in "slowcore" fashion. I was seated right in the center, in the first mezzanine, where things sounded really on key. Both good opening sets.

By the time Explosions In The Sky took the stage the place was pretty much packed. What a delight! There were some introductory "thank you!" words followed by a relentless onslaught of sheer powerful awesomeness. From the opening song the sound part of RCMH's fame immediately made itself clear.... and I mean almost crystal clear. I think I heard an eyelash hit the ground during a "quiet" bit.

They opened with Postcard From 1952, one of my current highlights from their latest album Take Care, Take Care, Take Care. Yes, I must take the opportunity to come clean: I have already "previewed" the album. I usually skip these previews but they forced my hand with this gig! I am simply the kind of person who enjoys knowing the songs the band will likely play live and in this case proved to be an excellent move because almost half the songs were new.

Because the album has not been officially released, people were more excited to listen to the "hits", enter The Birth And Death Of The Day. A perfect song to test the EITS dynamics in the venue, the reverb intro made the dust particle shake off the floor and the second part sounded so majestic that I couldn't contain a little tear of joy from streaming down - I am not exaggerating here.

The biggest predicament for post-rock fans continues to be "when should I clap?". You must be familiar with the internal struggle: "Whoa! I recognize that intro is from one of those songs I love!" to "that part was amazing, it deserves an ovation on its own merit, BUT there's a delicate outro to this song that's simply beautiful". This struggle was very clear during oldie Yasmin the Light. Sadly, they did not play Greet Death as they did in Central Park.

And so the night continued between delicate build-ups and ecstatic breakdowns. Every grandiose guitar meltdown translated into a huge grin plastered on my face. There was a great one-two punch with newbie Last Known Surroundings and golden classic The Only Moment We Were Alone, one of their most awe-inspiring songs. It sounded absolutely mind-blowing! It felt like it reverberated all the way to my bones. Whoa!

My only minor, really more like miniscule, complain was that I felt some of the wall of sound bits were just a little, teeny bit, too loud. Geez, look at me. Am I getting old already?! Don't know but I just felt that it could have sounded a bit clearer had it been turned down half a notch. It was more apparent during closer Trembling Hands. But again, really a very minor thing.

It was truly an unforgettable experience to see them play such a famed venue, just try not to think about them being followed by a Charlie Sheen "comedy" show. The only downside is that we will probably have to wait a while before they come back to the city. It will be hard to top this one, I would recommend they play Six Days At The Bottom Of The Ocean next time. That might please me.

Let Me Back In

Your Hand In Mine

The Only Moment We Were Alone

EITS Setlist
Postcard From 1952
The Birth And Death Of The Day
Yasmin the Light
Last Known Surroundings
The Only Moment We Were Alone
Catastrophe And The Cure
Let Me Back In
Your Hand In Mine
Trembling Hands

Low Setlist
Try to Sleep
You See Everything
Silver Rider
Witches
Especially Me
Nightingale
Nothing But Heart

[ Photos @ Brooklyn Vegan ]

EPs, Songs, Concerts of 2010

Fri, 8 Apr 2011 01:05:08 +0000

A couple of weeks ago I was working on my Most Played Albums of 2010 when I realized it was nearing wait too many pages on my Open Office document, so I decided to split it thinking I would come back the following day and rant about the rest. Flash forward three months... well, better late than never, I say!

I figured I had spent a decent amount of time consolidating those iTunes and Last.fm stats. These have to posted. No rants, though.

(These stats were gathered on January 1st, 2011)

EPs, Songs & Misc.
In 2008, I published a journal highlighting the most played songs, EPs and concerts. So let's go back to those!

EPs
5. The Twilight Sad - The Wrong Car
Played 66 times. Averaged 17 plays per track.
Most played song: The Wrong Car (38 plays)

4. Cameras - Cameras
Played 101 times. Averaged 17 plays per track.
Most played song: Polarise (22 plays)

3. Wild Nothing - Evertide
Played 59 times. Averaged 20 plays per track.
Most played song: Golden Haze (32 plays)

2. Zola Jesus - Stridulum
Played 120 times. Averaged 20 plays per track.
Most played song: I Can't Stand (25 plays)

1. Twin Sister - Color Your Life
Played 137 times. Averaged 23 plays per track.
Most played song: All Around and Away We Go (34 plays)

Most Played Songs
Interesting bit here: there are three different artists on this list who tied for the exact position with two different songs. What are the odds!

50. It Will All End In Tears by The Drums
20 plays.

50. Love Fade by Tamaryn
20 plays.

50. I Can Change by LCD Soundsystem
20 plays.

47. Camera '84 by Growing
21 plays.

47. Zodiac Shit by Flying Lotus
21 plays.

45. Polarise by Cameras
22 plays.

45. King Night by Salem
22 plays.

43. Lewis Takes Off His Shirt by Owen Pallett
23 plays.

43. Cousins by Vampire Weekend
23 plays.

43. USA BOYS by Health
23 plays.

40. Something In The Way by Best Coast
24 plays.

40. Neon Noose by Golden Triangle
24 plays.

38. Tom Cruz by Plants and Animals
25 plays.

38. I Can't Stand by Zola Jesus
25 plays.

36. Come Back by Born Ruffians
26 plays.

36. Stoned To Death by Crocodiles
26 plays.

34. Ready To Start by Arcade Fire
27 plays.

34. Everybody Knows It's True by The Phantom Band
27 plays.

32. Lissie’s Heart Murmur / Baby by Warpaint
28 plays.

31. Crush by Abe Vigoda
29 plays.

31. Barricade by Interpol
29 plays.

31. Ship of Promises by Villagers
29 plays.

31. King of the Beach by Wavves
29 plays.

31. Locust Valley by Women
29 plays.

26. Scissor by Liars
30 plays.

25. Solitude Is Bliss by Tame Impala
31 plays.

24. Empire Ants by Gorillaz
32 plays.

23. Lover Of Mine by Beach House
33 plays.

23. Slow Motion by Panda Bear
33 plays.

21. Blessa by Toro Y Moi
34 plays.

21. All Around and Away We Go by Twin Sister
34 plays.

19. Tighten Up by The Black Keys
36 plays.

18. The Wrong Car by The Twilight Sad
38 plays.

17. Memory Boy by Deerhunter
40 plays.

16. I Can't Wait / Slow by Twin Shadow
41 plays.

15. Gone Completely by Disappears
42 plays.

15. Gray Death by Xiu Xiu
42 plays.

13. Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National
43 plays.

12. Leave House by Caribou
45 plays.

12. Is Love Forever? by Spoon
45 plays.

10. Angela Surf City by The Walkmen
49 plays.

9. Ghost Pressure by Wolf Parade
50 plays.

8. Summer Holiday by Wild Nothing
53 plays.

7. Shape Shifter by Local Natives
66 plays.

6. IRM by Charlotte Gainsbourg
71 plays.

5. Jail La La by Dum Dum Girls
74 plays.

4. And This Is What We Call Progress by The Besnard Lakes
81 plays.

3. Sleeping Beauty by Menomena
96 plays.

2. When I'm Small / Turn It Off by Phantogram
97 plays.

1. Fire-Power by These New Puritans
102 plays.

Misc.
Favorite Concerts
Menomena @ Webster Hall - October 1 [ My Review ]

The National & Beach House @ Prospect Park - July 27
The Walkmen @ Terminal 5 - December 2
Caribou & Phantogram @ Governors Island - July 16
Xiu Xiu, tUnE-yArDs, Zola Jesus & Twin Sister @ Bowery Ballroom - Apr 9 [ My Review ]
Sonic Youth @ Prospect Park - July 31

Favorite Album Cover
Ode to the DGA Awards (RIP)

Zola Jesus - Stridulum

It's chocolate. Yum, yum!

Best Album Cover Featuring a Cat
Klaxons - Surfing the Void

(Voted by my Blip.fm listeners. Almost unanimous. One person voted for Best Coast's Crazy For You.)

Worst Album Cover (From A Release I Actually Liked)
After releasing one of the best album covers in 2007, Panda Bear comes back with a series of great singles... with truly awful cover art!

Tomboy

You Can Count On Me

Last Night at the Jetty

2009 Revisited Albums
Every year there are just too many releases to listen to all of them. Since 2008, I have compiled the albums who made an impact a year too late. 2009 had only two significant late entries:

Health - Get Color
Played 245 times. Averaged 27 plays per track.

Most played songs:
In Heat (54 plays)
Severin (40 plays)
Die Slow (36 plays)

Least played song:
We Are Water (17 plays)

Telefon Tel Aviv - Immolate Yourself
Played 343 times. Averaged 34 plays per track.

Most played songs:
Helen of Troy (79 plays)
Immolate Yourself (60 plays)
The Birds (49 plays)

Least played song:
Your Every Idol (17 plays)

I'm betting on 2010 having a long revisited entry due to several albums I've been enjoying since the beginning of this year - mostly Deftones - Diamond Eyes, Hidden Orchestra - Night Walks, Lower Dens - Twin-Hand Movement, Sharon van Etten - Epic. In fact, I've barely even listened to 2011 albums, better get on that!

Most Played Albums of 2010

Tue, 11 Jan 2011 02:57:41 +0000

Let's be honest here, 2011 has had a really terrible start. From animals dying mysteriously all over the place to a politician getting shot over the weekend. What the hell 2011?! Why won't you let us recover mentally from beating ourselves up about all those unresolved resolutions we made in 2009 and completely forgot about until it was November 2010? It's like we are moving in slow motion through a montage of an end-of-humanity disaster movie. We still have 710 days to go for that, so let's relax for a moment here and talk about something incredibly mundane like my music stats.

Ever since I joined last.fm, I've kept an end of the year journal highlighting my most played music. I thought about combining everything in one single entry, from albums, songs, EPs and concerts to 2009's lost albums, but it seemed too long. So, this is a look back at the full albums, to start things off.

Albums
Looking back at 2010 I will say that it was a very pop oriented year for my ears. It was also very varied and only less than a handful of albums got played considerably more, but not even close to previous years. Most of the albums on the list were actually released (acquired or completed) in the final stretch, leading to some very tight stats between them. For this reason, I decided to expand to 30 albums and add rants for 20 of them - up 5 albums from last year.

As usual, albums are ordered in countdown style based on int(total plays / total tracks) = averaged tracks. In case of virtual ties, the album with most overall plays gets the upper hand.

30. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
Played 206 times. Averaged 12 plays per track.
Most played song: Zodiac Shit (21 plays)

29. Abe Vigoda - Crush
Played 146 times. Averaged 15 plays per track.
Most played song: Crush (29 plays)

28. Owen Pallett - Heartland
Played 169 times. Averaged 15 plays per track.
Most played song: Lewis Takes Off His Shirt (23 plays)

27. Women - Public Strain
Played 173 times. Averaged 16 plays per track.
Most played song: Locust Valley (29 plays)

26. Crocodiles - Sleep Forever
Played 147 times. Averaged 18 plays per track.
Most played song: Stoned To Death (26 plays)

25. The Phantom Band - The Wants
Played 158 times. Averaged 18 plays per track.
Most played song: Everybody Knows It's True (27 plays)

24. Liars - Sisterworld
Played 203 times. Averaged 18 plays per track.
Most played song: Scissor (30 plays)

23. The Black Keys - Brothers
Played 269 times. Averaged 18 plays per track.
Most played song: Tighten Up (36 plays)

22. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Played 289 times. Averaged 18 plays per track.
Most played song: Empire Ants (32 plays)

21. Toro Y Moi - Causers Of This
Played 209 times. Averaged 19 plays per track.
Most played song: Blessa (34 plays)

20. Tame Impala - InnerSpeaker
Played 216 times. Averaged 20 plays per track.

So, do you think these guys have ever heard of The Beatles?! I'll be honest here, I got this album on June 23, according to iTunes, and could only get through it once. All because of "The Bold Arrow Of Time"; you know, the song where the rip off, pardon, sample a riff out of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun". "Unbelievable!" - I said to myself, and proceeded to cease any Tame Impala plays for quite a while. But those Blip.fm people kept playing their song!... Argh! Well, I had to listen and overtime I decided to give them another chance and must say that I found myself enjoying most of the album. In these time we are listening in, with a deluge of 80s synths and 60s pop, it's nice to listen to some rock!

Most played songs:
Solitude Is Bliss (31 plays)
Alter Ego (26 plays)
Lucidity (26 plays)

Least played song:
I Don't Really Mind (9 plays)

19. Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
Played 221 times. Averaged 20 plays per track.

Villagers is basically a moniker for one guy named Conor J. O’Brien (Cool name). He writes some beautiful pop songs. Some can be darkly epic, like opener I Saw the Dead; with folk tinge, like title track Becoming A Jackal; others strikingly beautiful, like Ship of Promises. There really is a lot to enjoy in this album!

Most played songs:
Ship of Promises (29 plays)
I Saw the Dead (28 plays)
The Meaning of the Ritual (23 plays)

Least played song:
To Be Counted Among Men (15 plays)

18. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Played 323 times. Averaged 20 plays per track.

When this album came out, some fans were immediately swept away, while others claimed it be a "grower". I enjoyed it but didn't feel that much devotion to it. I kept playing it over time, waiting for it to blossom, but it never truly clicked. Sure there are some songs I did enjoy quite a lot, like Ready to Start, Empty Room, Suburban War, Deep Blue... "But, pecusita, those are a lot of songs!"... well, my friend there are a lot more songs in that album. To me that was the problem. Not all songs were able to sustain the same level of goodness.

Most played songs:
Ready To Start (27 plays)
The Suburbs (25 plays)
Suburban War (25 plays)

Least played song:
The Suburbs (Continued) (13 plays)

Previously on the pecusita chart show... Neon Bible reached #8 in 2007. Played 424 times.

17. Warpaint - The Fool
Played 192 times. Averaged 21 plays per track.

Shhhh, I have a secret to tell. Come close... closer. I have a crush... The recipients of this insane musical crush are the ladies from Warpaint! Many of you know I've been looking for an all-ladies group to rally around. After Sleater-Kinney went on hiatus, I've been orphan in that category. This past year saw the rise of the girl pop group, but these girls... they are special. ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

Most played songs:
Lissie’s Heart Murmur (28 plays)
Baby (28 plays)
Set Your Arms Down (25 plays)

Least played song:
Shadows (15 plays)

16. Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM
Played 288 times. Averaged 21 plays per track.

An actor singing can be a cringe worthy sight. I usually don't pay attention to those side projects, until a couple of actors came along in 2009 and kicked me in the behind! Ms Gainsbourg was wise enough to associate herself with Beck, who has plenty of online cred. Still, even if they get a lot of help from a more established musicians, it doesn't always work out. To be honest, I had no idea this lady even had a singing career until late 2009 when she released the insanely catchy title track. With those parents and that collaborator, you can't be that surprise of how good this album turned out to be.

Most played songs:
IRM (71 plays)
La Collectionneuse (25 plays)
Trick Pony (21 plays)

Least played song:
Looking Glass Blues (9 plays)

15. Dum Dum Girls - I Will Be
Played 242 times. Averaged 22 plays per track.

This is one of those girl-fronted 60s garage pop groups that rose to blog/hype machine prominence in the last year, and probably the best one to my honest ears. It is kind of insane that "professional music critics" are embracing Best Coast more than Dum Dum Girls. Miles ahead, in my opinion! It can be yeah-yeah rock, can be catchy, can be slow churning, and a good way to profess your love and devotion for that special baby in your life.

Most played songs:
Jail La La (74 plays)
It Only Takes One Night (47 plays)
Everybody's Out (31 plays)

Least played song:
Baby Don't Go (8 plays)

14. Wild Nothing - Gemini
Played 248 times. Averaged 23 plays per track.

Just for when you thought the late 80s The Cure pop revival wave was over, along came Wild Nothing. I can testify that some of the songs have a very immediate pop quality - see most played songs, add My Angel Lonely; while others have vocals that sound so incredibly anemic. Gosh! Can this guy please make a teeny bit more of an effort when singing?! Sometimes it sounds like he recorded this during a fasting period. Take opener, and top-notch depressed jam, Live In Dreams as an example. At the end of the day, catchiness and overall loveliness factor will help you get through this.

Most played songs:
Summer Holiday (53 plays)
Confirmation (37 plays)
Chinatown (35 plays)

Least played song:
Our Composition Book (4 plays)

13. Caribou - Swim
Played 213 times. Averaged 24 plays per track.

While looking back at the missed albums from 2007, I got around to playing a lot of Andorra. While I enjoyed it, I found myself somewhat bored by the slow ballads. Maybe he felt the same way because there's none of that here. It's all an endless wave of awesome synth pop that will make you go from "oh yeah, that's what I'm talking about" to getting yourself off that chair!

Most played songs:
Leave House (45 plays)
Sun (37 plays)
Odessa (25 plays)

Least played song:
Lalibela (14 plays)

Previously on the pecusita chart show... Andorra was highlighted as a missed album of 2007. Played 198 times in 2008.

12. Beach House - Teen Dream
Played 241 times. Averaged 24 plays per track.

There's dream pop, then there's snooooooze pop. I watched Beach House at the Siren Festival in 2008 and was bored like I've never been before in my life (while not in my room). I dug some songs like Gila, Tokyo Witch, Master of None, but was still highly skeptical about this album. I finally came around to actually give it a listen when they got billed to open for The National and guess what!...

Most played songs:
Lover Of Mine (33 plays)
Silver Soul (32 plays)
Walk In The Park (29 plays)

Least played song:
Real Love (14 plays)

11. Twin Shadow - Forget
Played 273 times. Averaged 25 plays per track.

Another one from the late 80s pop wave that never ends, but a really good one. This one in particular thrives where Wild Nothing kind of fell flat: the vocals are gorgeous! What a voice! It's like a second coming of Morrissey. When he soulfully sings "I don't wanna believe or be in love", you'll be like *melting*.

Most played songs:
I Can't Wait (41 plays)
Slow (41 plays)
At My Heels (30 plays)

Least played song:
For Now (13 plays)

10. Spoon - Transference
Played 281 times. Averaged 26 plays per track.

When bands have been around for a long time, people tend to take them for granted. Especially when they keep the good ones coming in. This sounds silly, but that's just what it looks like to an outside observer like me. I'm not going to say I'm a Spoon connoisseur, but I think this album is pretty good! Then why all the naysay of "it's not as good as their previous work" or "it's okay". If it's good, it's good. Period. Even if it might not be the favorite album for a true Spoon connoisseur, don't try to bring it down!

Most played songs:
Is Love Forever? (45 plays)
Trouble Comes Running (42 plays)
Got Nuffin (40 plays)

Least played song:
Goodnight Laura (12 plays)

09. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Played 298 times. Averaged 27 plays per track.

Deerhunter keep moving forward with their pop evolution. This time around I'd say it's more fairly balanced than Microcastle. In a way that it incorporates a lot more "artsy" arrangements into the catchy pop tunes, when compared to its predecessor. To be honest, I kept thinking a lot of the last Atlas Sound and Lotus Plaza albums - in a good way, of course.

Most played songs:
Memory Boy (40 plays)
Revival (36 plays)
Helicopter (34 plays)

Least played song:
Sailing (18 plays)

Previously on the pecusita chart show... Microcastle reached #5 in 2009. Played 559 times.

08. Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself
Played 320 times. Averaged 27 plays per track.

"Dear God, I Hate Myself"... can you even think of any other band who could perfectly pull off a title like that? Despite its title, this is one of the most pop-oriented and catchy albums in the Xiu Xiu repertoire. Its great 8-bit tunes credited to a Hello Kitty Nintendo, its up-tempo style to Morrissey's last album. The end result is as unforgettable and unmistakeably Xiu Xiu as any other record.

Most played songs:
Gray Death (42 plays)
House Sparrow (38 plays)
Dear God, I Hate Myself (28 plays)

Least played song:
Cumberland Gap (16 plays)

Previously on the pecusita chart show... Women As Lovers had an impressive showing in 2008, reaching #2 with 1030 plays

07. Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
Played 327 times. Averaged 27 plays per track.

And the pop hits keep on rolling! This one suffered some weird progression in play pattern. At first, I started sporadically playing the first singles; then, I couldn't stop playing the meaty part of the album, kind of forgot that I had actually downloaded the entire thing and even stopped playing the rest of it. After a little while, I actually got to play the entire album a lot more by including it in a couple of playlist. Now, here we are at #7!

Most played songs:
Shape Shifter (66 plays)
World News (54 plays)
Camera Talk (40 plays)

Least played song:
Cards & Quarters (10 plays)

06. The Walkmen - Lisbon
Played 329 times. Averaged 27 plays per track.

Now this is the true slow burner of the year! Sure, I enjoyed it right away, but it took me till the end of the year, right before their December gig, to make a full connection. You know, the moment when you are listening to a song and your expression gradually changes to a smile and your eyes begin to shine and your mind starts thinking: This is so beautiful! Amazing! Probably their best!

Most played songs:
Angela Surf City (49 plays)
Blue As Your Blood (39 plays)
Woe Is Me (32 plays)

Least played song:
While I Shovel The Snow (18 plays)

Previously on the pecusita chart show... You & Me annihilated the competition in 2008 to reach #1 with 1224 plays

05. The National - High Violet
Played 321 times. Averaged 29 plays per track.

Is it common for people to enjoy a band's music but not really play them as much as your mind might think? This was my case with The National. I noticed this a couple of months ago and decided that the only way to get around it was to make playlists consisting exclusively of The National... what a genius idea! And you know what, it worked. They've already passed the 1350 scrobble mark. It did come with a side-effect, though. Because of all the time I spent playing older songs, this album didn't get as much play count recognition as it should had... *sigh* One step at a time.

Most played songs:
Bloodbuzz Ohio (43 plays)
Anyone’s Ghost (34 plays)
Sorrow (33 plays)

Least played song:
Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks (18 plays)

Previously on the pecusita chart show... Boxer reached #7, got played 475 times.

04. The Besnard Lakes - The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night
Played 372 times. Averaged 37 plays per track.

Darn, it's tough work to put out three consecutive albums that leave people happy with barely any "buts".

Most played songs:
And This Is What We Call Progress (81 plays)
Chicago Train (64 plays)
Glass Printer (44 plays)

Least played song:
The Lonely Moan (19 plays)

Previously on the pecusita chart show... The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse got #5 in 2007's countdown. Played 450 times

03. These New Puritans - Hidden
Played 457 times. Averaged 42 plays per track.

What's the best compliment you could ever give to an album? Ok, besides playing said album a lot? What about deciding to immediately get anything from that band you can get your hands on! Well, These New Puritans were the third most played artist in the last year with 897 plays and catapulted to #23 overall with 905 plays. That's right, their 2008 debut Beat Pyramid was played almost as much as Hidden this past year.

Most played songs:
Fire-Power (102 plays)
Drum Courts - Where Corals Lie (55 plays)
Three Thousand (54 plays)

Least played song:
Canticle (15 plays)

02. Phantogram - Eyelid Movies
Played 718 times. Averaged 65 plays per track.

Talk about a sizzling hot newcomer! 809 scrobbles overall! Really gave the band at number 1 a run for it, or should I say, really made the band at #1 work for their position. They were here first! Sadly there's not annual scrobble chart available for albums outside Last.fm's Top 40, but I'm pretty sure theirs would look more or less steady due to its never tiring awesomeness.

Most played songs:
When I'm Small (97 plays)
Turn It Off (97 plays)
Running From the Cops (94 plays)

Least played song:
10,000 Claps (25 plays)

*drumroll*

01. Menomena - Mines
Played 752 times. Averaged 68 plays per track.

Oh man, was this a close race. It was so close that iTunes stats placed Mines at number 2 and a cross-reference with last.fm scrobbles gave it the final edge. This is indeed a bittersweet moment. A moment to rejoice that the always amazing talent of Menomena has been granted the top spot in all mind and heart, but also sad because of the news that broke just yesterday about Brent's departure.

A dark cloud had been floating over the head of all Menomena fans for the last couple of months. People who have been following their shoutbox here have had the opportunity to read a couple of worrying interviews. Clues to this impending moment that were shared by their ever so servicing fans. It was of course not the first time the band had expressed disagreements between them, but the tone of the remarks in these particular interviews made me feel uneasy.

Last December, AOL Spinner published their Interface interview where they talk about the origin of album title "Mines" representing, among other things, a "latent hidden explosive danger that has not yet exploded but might soon". It was clear to me that things were getting very serious! Alas, the worst fears of every fan of the band has come true. Well, not sure if this was the worst fear, might as well be.

When a member leaves a band, a fan is only left to wonder about how much was this person involved in the creative process. The more involved that person was, the more it would influence the band in the long term. In Menomena's case we all know that it was a tight collaborative process between the three of them. To make matter worse, they all sang in the record with very different styles, so it's not like people will show up at the next gig and will find someone else singing "Wet And Rusting" or "Evil Bee". This is pretty much it for those songs. In a selfish note, I will add that those were two of my favorite Menomena songs and "Wet And Rusting" is one of my favorite songs ever.

In short, Menomena, as we know it, is over. It is unclear whether the rest of the band will carry on under this name beyond their current touring commitments, disband or maybe create a new band(?) All we know is that Brent will carry on with Ramona Falls. I remember a newsletter from last year that mentioned some new songs getting played at a Portland gig, so a new RF album may be even closer than we may imagine. But what will be of my dear Menomena? :(

Most played songs:
Sleeping Beauty (96 plays)
Killemall (94 plays)
TAOS (87 plays)

Least played song:
BOTE (51 plays)

Previously on the pecusita chart show... in a photo finish, Friend and Foe lost the top spot and settled at #2 with 1354 plays. Won the popular scrobble vote, lost on the cold hearted mathematics.

As a final note, I will add that these stats were gathered on January 6th, after I returned from my holiday vacation with an iPod full of scrobbles.

See you some other time for the second part!

Playlist: Disco for the Holidays!

Fri, 17 Dec 2010 21:28:19 +0000

It's the holidays! Time to gain some pounds and do some partying - if you're into that. To celebrate the season, I've put together a playlist of 70s disco inspired songs. That's right disco.

I'm sure you've been wondering where will this never ending music recycling take us next. We started off the 00s with post-punk and garage rock, then proceeded to shoegaze and late 80s synth pop. In the last 2 years, there's been an explosion of 60s beach pop and the 90s vibe. I have personally noticed the "emerging" trends of this year to be: R'n'B aesthetics, goth synth pop and, of course, the 70s disco.

Now, the inspiration for this list came from songs released this year - there were quite a few, but the list expanded to include a handful release in the previous 4 years. You know, to truly highlight this as a "trend".

Break out those four wheel skates and disco ball!

(Streaming via Blip.fm)
The Samps - F.X.N.C.
[ Listen ]

Toro Y Moi – Still Sound
[ Listen ]

Nite Jewel – Am I Real?
[ Listen ]

High Places – On Giving Up
[ Listen ]

Sophie Ellis-Bextor – Me And My Imagination
[ Listen ]

Justice – D.A.N.C.E
[ Listen ]

MGMT – Electric Feel
[ Listen ]

Twin Sister – All Around and Away We Go
[ Listen ]

Spoon – Nobody Gets Me But You
[ Listen ]

Hercules & Love Affair - Blind
[ Listen ]

Gorillaz - Dare
[ Listen ]

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti - Round and Round
[ Listen ]

The Samps – Peppergood
[ Listen ]

Twin Shadow – Shooting Holes
[ Listen ]

Fujiya & Miyagi - Uh
[ Listen ]

[ Tune in to the Tag Turner via Blip.fm ]
[ Last.fm Playlist ]

Audiovisual bonus!

Watch Jason Segel get down and groovy in the Freaks & Geeks series finale! (Skip to 2m40s for the dance)

If you're enjoying this trend, don't watch this scene from that Freaks & Geeks episode, though.

Happy Holidays!

Favorite Albums of 2010

Thu, 16 Dec 2010 05:05:58 +0000

Here we meet again for the second installment of the Best of 2010 journal entry. Yay! Last week it was all about songs, this week it was even more difficult to narrow things down, let alone order them. There are always more songs than full albums, but it is a lot quicker to judge and compare a one off song!

I usually prefer the cold, logical, most played albums stat journal, but I have to admit that doing a compared list has its benefits. Especially when it comes to fairness to albums released during the last September/October stretch.

Warning: these albums were ordered based on the following formula:

Ra = Pe + Pq / CoQu

Ranking = Personal Enjoyment + Perceived Quality / Compared Quality

Anyhoo, countdown!

20. Tame Impala - InnerSpeaker
Dear Tame Impala, I forgive you for ripping off the "Happiness Is A Warm Gun" guitar riff. Let's be e-friends!

19. Villagers - Becoming A Jackal
A quiet epic.

18. Xiu Xiu - Dear God, I Hate Myself
Xiu Xiu goes super catchy 8-bit pop. Xiu Xiu still conquers.

17. The Black Keys - Brothers
Let's slow dance to some old timey bluesy rock... ok, we can do some fun dancing at the beginning as well.

16. Owen Pallett - Heartland
Sometimes you gotta site down and take a breather from all your hotly solicited arranging skills to hotly arrange your very own dreamy string jamz.

15. Women - Public Strain
Women are no longer performing public strain on their public appearances.

14. Flying Lotus - Cosmogramma
The best hip hop, r n' b, jazz jamming, 8-bit synth pop album of the year!

13. Gorillaz - Plastic Beach
Sometimes cartoons have to get out of the screen to make lots of friends and release great albums.

12. Twin Shadow - Forget
Do not forget to listen to this album.

11. Caribou - Swim
I dare you to listen to this album without moving in your chair. That's right. A dare.

10. Beach House - Teen Dream
Teen dreams of love, parks, nordic countries; then writes album.

9. The Besnard Lakes - Are the Roaring Night
It's an encoded transmission. Wait! I can crack it. It says: spies are still roaring.

8. The Phantom Band - The Wants
Me wants more scottish krautrock-ish pop.

7. Warpaint - The Fool
Ladies finally well represented! Ever since Sleater-Kinney went on hiatus there's been a clear void of an all-ladies group with major skills. Wait over.

6. The National - High Violet
Ohio, we have reached Pro status.

5. Phantogram - Eyelid Movies
Insanely addictive.

4. These New Puritans - Hidden
Love journal

3. The Walkmen - Lisbon
Let's do another old-timey round, but this time around let's go even farther in time.

2. Deerhunter - Halcyon Digest
Ok, it's not bad to turn pop after going through your deep experimental phase. Everyone wants to go there eventually, perhaps it's better to do it backwards. Great idea!

1. Menomena - Mines
If you did not see this one coming, you must be new around here!!!!!!

Favorite Songs of 2010

Wed, 8 Dec 2010 05:37:42 +0000

Here we go again! End of the year... ah.... you can smell the lists in the air. Once again, last.fm has introduced their Best of 2010 group asking people to submit their own picks. I have of course taken this just a little bit too seriously! Since last week I've been studying the pleasure censors of my brain to decide which songs to include. It all began with a list of 177 songs - no joke - then it narrow down to 75... 65... 55... 69... 50! Oh boy, so much suffering to get to those 50, some heartbreaking losses along the way, but alas not everyone can be on the list.

50 Perfume Genius – Lookout, Lookout
A child murdering another child can set the mood for a wrist-cutting song.

49 Wye Oak – I Hope You Die
Not vengeful, but in a merciful, loving way.

48 Dum Dum Girls – It Only Takes One Night
Only takes 2:02 for girls to rock out. To the point.

47 Lower Dens – Blue & Silver
Year of the ladies....

46 Born Ruffians – Come Back
A baby left. She has not returned. We tried to call Anthony LaPaglia, but he's busy looking for work

45 Foals – Black Gold
It will be a treasure when your lead-singer learns to make his voice not sound like screeches.

44 Charlotte Gainsbourg – La Collectionneuse
I collect many things. I may be invited to participate in Hoarders

43 Plants and Animals – Fake It
Sometimes faking it is not so bad

42 Spoon – Nobody Gets Me But You
You. Whoever you are.

41 The Mynabirds – Numbers Don't Lie
Numbers are rational, they know nothing about feelings. 2 Wrongs ≠ 1 Right

40 Cameras – Polarise
Not everything produced Down Under will kill you...

39 Belle and Sebastian – I Want the World to Stop
... and listen to my song. It's not true what Rent-boy said, it is still possible to hack it 14-years into your career.

38 Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti – Round And Round
Merry go 'round. No need to break it down with a funky beat.

37 Villagers – Ship of Promises
Don't forget to bring a good mask for when you meet in between of what you say and what you mean.

36 Holy Fuck – Red Lights
Voted #1 among felines that play instruments, dance, drive cars and watch old Clint Eastwood movies to inspire their motion picture performances.

35 Twin Sister – The Other Side of Your Face
It is certainly rude not to face someone when they're trying to understand why you cause them pain.

34 Wolf Parade – Ghost Pressure
Doesn't everyone remember Unsolved Mysteries? Ghosts can't shake you up.

33 Holly Miranda – Slow Burn Treason
Wake up and you're next to nothing but the weight of the world is on your side. Most days you don't even notice but that's a lie

32 Salem – King Night
It's December 21, 2012, the world is coming to an end. You have only 3:50 left to live, just enough time to squeeze one last song out of your iPod. so you decide to listen to something that will both celebrate triumphantly while acknowledging the impending doom.

31 Arcade Fire – Suburban War
Everyone knows there are only losers from a war.

30 Glasser – Home
This home is about to collapse under rain and handclaps.

29 LCD Soundsystem – I Can Change
Don't believe what they say that grown men can't change...

28 The Phantom Band – Everybody Knows It's True
Everybody wants, everybody knows.

27 Hidden Orchestra – The Windfall
Too much wind, not enough power to squeeze vocals in.

26 Tame Impala – Solitude Is Bliss
There's a party in my head and no one is invited

25 Xiu Xiu – House Sparrow
Run, Richard Chase. You can make it.

24 Toro Y Moi – Fax Shadow
Oh, baby. It's so good... just remember to find the correct frequency in your old manual walkman.

23 Crystal Castles – Not in Love (feat. Robert Smith)
New school meets old school meets boom.

22 Zola Jesus – Manifest Destiny
It's the apocalypse once again... probably year 2037.

21 Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan – Come Undone
Undone.

20 Wild Nothing – Summer Holiday
Everyday it's a summer, joyful holiday.

19 The Knife – Colouring of Pigeons
Back in time to 2263, skewed operas are in vogue.

18 Women – Locust Valley
Women go haywire when bugs show up uninvited.

17 Flying Lotus – Do the Astral Plane
Any task you can dance to is a worthwhile thing to do.

16 The Black Keys – Tighten Up
I need those groovy blues tunes most all.

15 Gorillaz – Empire Ants
2D has a girlfriend! Awwwwwwww. <3

14 Twin Shadow – Slow
Sometimes time is too slow to bust out the soulful tunes

13 Caribou – Leave House
House is a forgotten style, let's dance forward.

12 Warpaint – Lissie’s Heart Murmur
Sink all far down... slowly.

11 The Besnard Lakes – And This Is What We Call Progress
Engulf yourself in a smoke screen...

10 Local Natives – Shape Shifter
A tune is a tune. No matter if it's a pop tune.

9 Phantogram – As Far As I Can See
"this shit.....is BANGIN. im loving this song" - withoutadamn

8 Beach House – Lover Of Mine
Lovers like rushing through woods. Awakening their senses to old timey pop

7 Owen Pallett – Lewis Takes Off His Shirt
"I know what you're looking for, and I'm never gonna give it to you." - Lewis

6 Deerhunter – Helicopter
Helicopters circle the scene. They're through with me.

5 The Walkmen – Angela Surf City
Angela, a vengeful lady that loves odd, yet amazing, drum patterns.

4 These New Puritans – Three Thousand
Apocalypses. Year = unknown.

3 Panda Bear – Slow Motion
*swing from left to right while head banging in unison with da beatz*

2 The National – Anyone’s Ghost
I don't what to be a ghost or eat brains. What other options are there left in this world?

1 Menomena – Tithe
Nothing sounds appealing... with the exception of this song.

[ last.fm playlist ]

Feel free to check out my 2010 tag.

See you next week for the album list!