Posts Tagged ‘The American Dollar’
Daily Dose: Recommendations 1/18/10
Now and then I’ll stop by to let you know what I think is worth checking out. Here are my rec’s for the week:
Miike Snow – Miike Snow (2009)
Infectious kick-based dance jams never get old, at least not to me. This band not only knows how to craft a song, they explore their progressions and melodies to the fullest and let the listener know to expect more than a simple pop hook or synth riff. You could probably DJ a party, play this record, sit on your ass for an hour and still get everyone moving.
RIYL: Passion Pit, Discovery, Crookers, Phoenix
Lupe Fiasco – Enemy of the State (2009)
‘09 was a tough year to rank mixtapes, but Lupe’s latest effort has to be a contender for the top spot. Featuring beats like the National Anthem (Radiohead), All The Way Turnt Up (Travis Porter ft Sean Teezy & ATL), and Angels (Dirty Money), Lupe once again establishes himself as perhaps the most intelligent and eloquent rapper in the game. The only complaint I have is that it’s only 22 minutes and change long, but then again Lupe is dropping his full length, Lasers, later this month. I guess we can say he succeeded in creating some additional hype for what will surely be one of the year’s best efforts.
RIYL: Jay Electronica, Wiz Khalifa, Mos Def
Motion City Soundtrack – My Dinosaur Life (2010)
MCS is back and once again they waste no time letting you know. My Dinosaur Life is an emotional roller coaster ride that kicks off with inspiration, brings you to the depths of sorrow and picks you right back up again. Singer and songwriter Justin Pierre has established a new sense of maturity in his writing, likely as a result from shedding old habits and becoming clean. If you liked the Motion City Soundtrack you heard on Commit This To Memory, you’ll love this record. It’s a pop-punk blaster, perfect for putting the windows down and taking a mental trip away from it all.
RIYL: Blink-182, The Matches
Vampire Weekend – Contra (2010)
This band brings it. There are so many interesting things going on during this album that one can’t help but think, how the hell did they think to use THAT sound? Vampire Weekend shows that their self-titled debut was only a hint of what they could accomplish and on Contra, they again take traditional song structure and morph it into something much different, but ironically catchier and more rhythmically validating. I’d be shocked if this album didn’t make my 2010 top 10 list.
RIYL: The Strokes, Ra Ra Riot, Harlem Shakes
The American Dollar – Atlas (2010)
I’m not going to lie, there is a reason that The American Dollar hold a special place in my heart: they help me sleep. This isn’t a bad thing – in fact, sleep and music are two of my favorite things, so a combination of the two is naturally awesome. Merely anointing them as my personal Mr. Sandman, though, doesn’t do their work justice. On Atlas, this Brooklyn-based duo take the listener through an enchanting instrumental journey of beautiful piano-based chord progressions, thoughtful melodies and dreamy soundscapes – but with a driving rhythmic force.
RIYL: The Album Leaf, Explosions in the Sky, Hammock
