The Age of Rockets - Hannah (2008)

This album was atop my list of favorite albums of 2008. The sophomore release by NY's The Age of Rockets, Hannah is the group's We, the Vehicles. A wonderful palindrome of a record, it contains bits and nuances of melodies on opposite sides of its length. Their sound has been likened to "The Postal Service with a full orchestra behind it," and that's not an exaggeration. Songs like "Avada Kedavra" and "Elephant & Castle" are perfect blends of synth and programmed elements atop live instruments. Not too long ago, frontman and founder Andrew Futral posted the record on The Age of Rockets' website for the listening public to download for free, and personally, I can't thank him enough for the gift. Follow the link below and you'll see (well, hear) exactly what I'm talking about.

*As an added bonus, you can also download their cover of Tegan and Sara's "Hell." Isn't that nice?

For fans of: The Postal Service, Dntel, The Robot Explosion, The Depreciation Guild

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Damon Albarn and the UK Chinese Ensemble - Monkey: Journey to the West (2008)

This is the eponymous soundtrack of the stage show that bills itself as a "circus opera," another project by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, the masterminds behind Gorillaz. The musical is an adaptation of Journey to the West, a 16th Century novel by Wu Cheng'en, but this is nothing like that cast recording of Les Misérables that you claim not to own, kids. If per chance you're feeling hesistant, check out this track, "Monkey Bee." It'll give you an inkling as to what you're in for. This record can be approached three ways, the first being fluent in Chinese. In the event you're not, it can be fun to go on Wikipedia and do some light reading so as to grasp the plot and know what's going on from track to track. The third (and easiest) way to approach it is simply clicking play and letting your mind go on the journey your ears present it with. Knowing the plot is fun, but it's not essential to enjoy this wonderful fifty-nine minutes and thirty-one seconds.

For fans of: Gorillaz, Damon Albarn, Demon Strings

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Secret Mommy - Plays (2007)

This album spent over a year being made, and it definitely shows. Every glitch, every sample, every second is precise and deliberate. Plays is the fourth full-length from Canada's Secret Mommy and it's the best one yet. During the first time 'round, the listener's brain will ask itself, "What the HELL is going on?" But then it'll wise-up and say, "Oh... Now I get it... Oh wait, there's more!" This record is special, every time it's given a listen, the brain finds something new inside it. Choice tracks include "Grand About the Mouth" and "Kool Aid River." Buy the ticket, take the ride. When everything starts tasting purple, you've hit the spot.

For fans of: Boards of Canada, DAT Politics, Gangpol und Mit

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Massive Attack - Mezzanine (1998)

Departing from the sound found on Blue Lines and Protection (Massive Attack's first and second albums respectively), Mezzanine finds its home floating in darker waters. Pulsing, beating and ever-moving, the songs contained herein are very much alive in their brood. Songs like "Inertia Creeps" and "Mezzanine" are like a fog, billowing around the listener and while remaining undaunting, have got you completely surrounded without any escape in sight. Several songs from this album have been covered by other artists, like "Angel," which has been covered by both Sepultura and The Dillinger Escape Plan, and "Teardrop," which has been covered by José González, Incubus, and Elbow to name a few.

Musical Fun Fact #1: The song "Teardrop" is also famous for being the theme song to that medical show with everyone's favourite misanthropic, sarcastic Holmesian doctor.

Musical Fun Fact #2: This record was one of the first to be available for legal download in mp3 format.

For fans of: Portishead, Tricky, UNKLE

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Manitoba - Start Breaking My Heart (2001)

The debut full-length by Dan Snaith (a.k.a. Caribou), is a must-have for downtempo enthusiasts. This record houses an amalgamation consisting of glitchy effects, sparse vocals and ringing melodies that float over eccentric loops and percussion. The track "People Eating Fruit" would fit right in on Aphex Twin's 1997 release Come to Daddy. Start Breaking My Heart is ambient, yet stimulating; calm, yet effervescent; straightforward yet delightfully complex. The best thing I could compare this album to is REM sleep. The body is in its deepest level of sleep, but there's so much happening upstairs. It's most likely that your brain deserves a treat, so press play and let it bask in the glow that only this record can offer.

For fans of: Caribou, Four Tet, Dntel, Aphex Twin

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The Magnetic Fields - Get Lost (1995)

The best way to describe this record would be to compare it to the Pale Blue Dot. It is exceptionally lo-fi, but within its 39 minutes and 58 seconds of length dwells a vast and epic world of song. When interviewed by The Onion's AV Club in September 2005, alternative rock musician Bob Mould was reminded of an interviewer who once referred to him as "the most depressed man in rock," to which Mould responded, "He's never met Stephin Merritt, obviously." Mould couldn't be more correct. Merritt's lyrics on this album reach an unprecedented point in melancholia, which is further accentuated by the sounds that echo from the valleys within his bass vocal range. Amidst a waltz of watery guitar Merritt laments, "Arms have charms, but I've no hope of falling in love," during "With Whom to Dance?." "All the Umbrellas in London" is saturated with synth while Merritt bemoans, "All the umbrellas in London couldn't stop this pain, and all the dope in New York couldn't kill this pain." "Save a Secret for the Moon" has Stephin providing a commentary on a love that might not be acceptable by society's standards and muses, "When you love someone, you can't always tell the sun. It will be twilight soon, save a secret for the moon." That song is the closest thing that the album has to an upbeat track, and the synchronicity of Merritt and Claudia Gonson's vocals is something now revisited in bands like The Postal Service, where the vocals of Gibbard and Lewis work together swimmingly. On a coincidental sidenote, in 1999 under the "¡All-Time Quarterback!" moniker, Ben Gibbard released a cover of "Why I Cry," yet another downbeat gem found on this album. "Smoke and Mirrors" and "Love is Lighter Than Air" are also very, very noteworthy. This album makes its home among many top ten lists, and rightly so. Give credit where credit is due, and boy, is it due!


*** In 2008, this album was released in vinyl format for the first time. On this release, the track listing was altered and completely changes the scope of the record (in a very good way). In fact, I recommend arranging the track listing to match the vinyl format and then give it a listen. The vinyl release track listing is as follows:

1. With Whom to Dance?
2. Smoke and Mirrors
3. All the Umbrellas in London
4. Why I Cry
5. Save a Secret for the Moon
6. Don't Look Away
7. Love Is Lighter Than Air
8. Famous
9. The Desperate Things You Made Me Do
10. You and Me and the Moon
11. When You're Old and Lonely
12. The Village in the Morning
13. The Dreaming Moon

For fans of: Joy Division, The Human League, Future Bible Heroes

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Styrofoam - Nothing's Lost (2004)

On May 5th, 2007, Ben Gibbard, lead singer of Seattle band Death Cab for Cutie played a solo show at The 9:30 Club in our nation's capital. At one point in the set, he spoke of how a few years back, he collaborated with a guy named Arne, and proceeded to perform a song which he described as "an open letter." Intrigued by the lyrics, I went home and looked them up. The aforementioned "Arne" was in fact Arne Van Petegem, a Belgian electronic musician otherwise known as Styrofoam. The "open letter" was the song "Couches in Alleys," a song from Styrofoam's album "Nothing's Lost" the subject said song is one of Gibbard's biggest influences, Jack Kerouac. In it, Gibbard opens with, "Hey Jack, it's me. I don't mean to bother you, but something's been on my mind," and confides in the late author, "I know your demise, and I fear what will happen when the road fails to flow under me." The lyrics, while soul-baring and vulnerably honest, are really only words (poetic as they are), which do not become a proper song until merged with the indietronic bliss of Van Petegem's music. This album, which features other wonderful guest vocalists such as Andrew Kenny (The American Analog Set, The Wooden Birds), Valerie Trebeljahr (Lali Puna) on the tracks "Front to Back" and "Misguided," respectively, is a glitchy, harmony-filled, synth-laden delight. It should be noted however, that its title is a bit misleading. You see, the name of the record is "Nothing's Lost," but this simply isn't true, as it is the listener who becomes lost in the rush of sound that comes billowing forth from this 2004 release.

For fans of: Dntel, Telefon Tel Aviv, The Postal Service

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The Submarines - Honeysuckle Weeks (2008)

The Submarines have a rather enchanting history. Members John Dragonetti and Blake Hazard were romantically involved at one point. Then they broke up. While apart, both of them starting writing quite a bit of music. Later on, when they started speaking again, they traded songs and realized that they'd both written all their music about the other. They subsequently married and formed The Submarines. Their 2008 release, "Honeysuckle Weeks," is lighter in tone then their 2006 debut, "Declare a New State!," and there are no complaints. Several songs from this album might be recognized from their appearances in media today. "Xavia" was featured on the soundtrack to "Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist," and "You Me & the Bourgeoisie" is in a commercial for a very expensive phone made by a very big computer company. My personal favorite though, has to be the track, "Swimming Pool," in which Hazard sweetly sings, "When you kiss me in ways I've forgotten, love is a swimming pool with no bottom."

For fans of: Mates of State, Stars, Sleepy Rebels

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Savoir Adore - The Adventures of Mr. Pumpernickel and the Girl With Animals in Her Throat (2008)

This record is just fantastic. It's a bit of a concept album in that it tells a story, but the story does not go from beginning to end in one telling, or even using only words. Some of the story is told in melody, and every now and again words will come to bridge the different pieces of music together. I like that, because it means the story is never told the same way twice, nor does it mean the same thing to every person who hears it. Soundscapes and synth all around! Who's hungry?


For fans of: Broken Social Scene, Arcade Fire, Los Campesinos!

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Cassettes Won't Listen - Small-Time Machine (2008)

This album is perfect for one in the mood for light, airy synthpop. The one-man indietronic project of Jason Drake, Cassettes Won't Listen, in addition to releasing his own music, he's done remixes for artists like Aesop Rock, Morcheeba, RJD2, Asobi Seksu and many more. This record lifts you up and puts you on a synthesized cloud with the help of songs like, "Freeze and Explode." It's pretty comfortable on that cloud, give it a shot.


For fans of: Ladytron, Casiotone for the Painfully Alone, Au Revoir Simone

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Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing (2008)

Weird, crazy experimental stuff from across the pond. This album quenches a thirst for a certain sound that you don't even know you had until you hear it. Produced by Mogwai guitarist John Cummings, Pitchfork named it #20 on their list of the 50 best albums of 2008, and I myself ranked it #10 on my top 10 list of 2008.


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longwalkshortdock - Casual Tea (2009)

I'm back- I will be updating a lot! As for longwalkshortdock, it's electronica grooving - good work music, good party music. I downloaded this strictly based on how bad ass the name is.

For Fans Of: Prodigy, Chemical Brothers, Toxic Avenger
Rating: 6/10

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Aphex Twin - Windowlicker

If you don't know Aphex Twin by now, now is the time to get to know him...

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Squarepusher - Feed Me Weird Things

With 12 tracks of lunacy, mayhem, and sheer beauty, Tom Jenkinson's 1996 debut as Squarepusher remains one of the few must-have records of the electronica revolution. Though Jenkinson builds his tracks around his remarkable fusion-inspired fretless bass playing, the album initially sounds like a study in maniacally intricate drum solos and patterns, themselves built from a few Roland drum machines.

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