SCENE ALBUM BRACKET:  ROUND 1, WEEK 1

So I’m kicking off the scene album bracket inspired by this week’s podcast with Joe Budden where he is discussing an R&B album bracket.  I used a bit of his guidelines... restricted bands to just two albums max, and i restricted the years from 1999 to 2011, because a “best of all time” bracket would just have too many albums. Even with this, there may be some albums I left out.  Trey mentions that I had no At the Drive-In, but I tried to make up with that by putting The Mars Volta’s debut, for example.

Anyway.

If you want to take a look at the bracket, check here:  http://challonge.com/thescenealbumbracket

Vote on week 1 matchups anytime here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qrweZzVG1JI7fm6WkHX5LdTeBsHwFSxvhYX-gbwl2Oo/viewform?usp=send_form

So, without any further ado and shit.

1 Brand New – The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me vs. 64 A Static Lullaby – And Don't Forget to Breathe

This is kind of a sad first matchup to have and next time I make a bracket, I might have to re-consider certain albums “clinching” a spot so that other albums get a fair chance to compete.  But let’s go for it anyway.

Brand New’s The Devil and God comes 3 years after the hotly received “Deja Entendu” (Deja, for my money, does not make the bracket!).  It’s pretty much a classic from front to back and a shining achievement that this genre has to offer.  Things get really heavy and somber in this point of Brand New’s career.  And you’ve just got so many good tracks here, from Sowing Season to Handcuffs.  I don’t think I ever skip a track here. 

On the other hand, you have A Static Lullaby’s 2003 release, And Don’t Forget to Breathe.  This was an early time where bands are still experimenting with back and forth screaming and singing, and this album admittedly sounds a bit dated now.  There are some overly emo lyrics like the cheesy (but awesome!) repeated line, “Spoon out my heart!” at the end of the “A Sip of Wine Chased With Cyanide,” lol.  If you’re looking for an up and down old school emo/screamo album, this is it.  

It’s no contest:  Brand New wins this one by a landslide in my eyes.

HEY GUYS. Just checking in.  + the “Scene Album Bracket”

hey guys it’s ryan, it’s been a while, real quick before i go out and see The Ataris play Blue Skies in its entirety, i thought i’d share a project with you guys.  

I NEED YOUR INPUT!  OTHERWISE I’LL DO THE BRACKET MYSELF.

If you were or still are into “scene” music (think pop punk, emo, screamo, post-hardcore) I’m looking for you to vote on a “playoff” style bracket to determine the best album of the scene.  Spoiler alert:  the No. 1 seed is Brand New’s The Devil and God are Raging Inside of me.  Pretty great album to nominate at #1 I’d say.

You can view the FULL BRACKET here:  http://challonge.com/thescenealbumbracket

Right now I’m taking a POLL for the first 8 matchups in the bracket.  I NEED INPUT. you can cast your vote here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qrweZzVG1JI7fm6WkHX5LdTeBsHwFSxvhYX-gbwl2Oo/viewform?usp=send_form

A QUICK COMMENTARY IS COMING FOR EACH MATCHUP, I just need some time to get it together.  But you can vote any time you want.

Again, the link to vote is:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1qrweZzVG1JI7fm6WkHX5LdTeBsHwFSxvhYX-gbwl2Oo/viewform?usp=send_form

PLEASE VOTE ON EACH ALBUM.  If you’re unsure or never heard any two albums that are going up against each other, you may vote on name recognition alone.

Thanks for looking!  You can send mail if you have any comments or any ways you think i could improve!!!

-ryan

ryan's favorite tracks, 2014 edition

YOUTUBE LINKS/SPOTIFY PLAYLIST ETC TO FOLLOW.  this is just a rough draft of my favorite songs of 2014 list.  i'm lazy and work is kicking my ass and i wish i had more time to devote to this.  but  it's important that i get my lists out there before major publications put theirs out, because i don't want to seem influenced by their lists.  My lists are my own.  anyway...

FAVORITE TRACKS 

the weeknd - king of the fall for my money this is the song of the year.  Abel been dropping consistent heat since 2011 and shows no sign of letting up. everything in this song just *works*. the half-rapped, half-sung delivery and cadence just *works*. the hook, which varies the line "baby girl you know what i like" just *works*.  he manages to offhandedly drop that ludacris "midget from my necklace" line and it just *works*. but the real magic is in the outro, where he goes all out and gives the best lyrical gems he's ever given us since the trilogy era. 10/10

sun kil moon - carissa you might see this guy in the news for being an asshole to the band The War on Drugs, which is a shame because it's overshadowing the fact that he has (again, for my money) the album of the year. it's actually tough to pick just one song from this album.  "richard ramirez died of narural causes" roped me in, but it was "carissa" that made me shut up and listen to the rest of benji. "carissa" a grim, emotional account of his second cousin's accidental death. that line "carissa was 35, you don't just raise two kids, take out your trash and die," still haunts me.

st. vincent - huey newton three words: DAT RIFF DOE. seriously. this song has the riff of the year.  and st. vincent was the best show that i've been to this year.

wye oak - the tower wye oak is a male/female duo from baltimore, which automatically makes them beach house's li' cousins. and since beach house is my favorite band... you can already see where this is going. this song is a good progression from their last album civilian. the spacey, synthy, almost dub reggae beat is just so dope. the middle transition reminds me of blue oyster cult's "don't fear the reaper," in a totally good way. this song just rips. i wish the album as good as the song, but i stayed an extra night in north carolina after seeing st. vincent just to see them perform it anyway.

cloud nothings - i'm not part of me i like cloud nothings. even though lo-fi is OVER [Porlandia voice] (and sorry, lo-fi bands) he/they still deliver a good product. my favorite aspects of this song would have to be the lyrics and the way they are sung. "i'm learning how to be here and nowhere else" is a great eckhart tolle-esque line, while "i'm not telling you all I'm going through--i feel fine," sounds like a man who has had way too many concerned about his well-being and he's finally well enough to tell them that there's nothing to worry about, no peter bjorn and john. feel good song 2014.

caribou - our love caribou, aka dan snaith, already released my favorite song of 2010 ("odessa") and here he comes back making my list in 2014 with "our love." caribou isn't exactly minimal techno, but he manages to use repetition to his advantage. it's the same technique he used on "sun" where he just loops the title of the song for the lyrics and switches it up here and there to keep it interesting. this is club music that's chill enough listen to in a library during one of your last minute exam cram sessions.

phantogram - fall in love i've always filed phantogram under the category of "i like them, but they aren't all that" (*COUGH* fka twigs, parquet courts) but they really showed me something on this track. perhaps learning something with their time in the studio with big boi, "fall in love" sounds like an absolute BANGER. this shit sounds like purity ring without the witch vibes. this song could make baby jesus weep. i'm talmbout, this is a song where if i was about to jump in my car to drive a few blocks to the grocery store, i'd have it bangin with the windows down and sit in the parking lot for it to finish. everything just sounds bigger, better and more polished than their previous work, and that hook hits your pleasure centers 0 to 100 real quick. *certified HEAT*

tune-yards - water fountain this was the lead single off merrill's damn good album Nikki Nack. if you know anything about her, you know she kills the experimental pop game. she actually went to Haiti and Haitians taught her how to drum on this album, and the afro-carribean influence definitely works for her.

freddie gibbs & madlib - high (feat. danny brown) freddie gibbs & madlib is more than enough that needs to be said, but... if that's enough, the beat uses the same sample on styles p's "i get high" but makes it 10x more groovier. freddie floats on the track. danny brown features and he doesn't suck. there's really nothing bad you can say about this one.

isaiah rashad - shot you down remix (feat. jay rock & schoolboy q) isaiah rashad is the newest signee to TDE, led by kendrick lamar (it's almost as if they chose their rap name the same way or something). the beat is chill and isaiah straight carves it up: "i ain't these other niggaz, cause deez niggaz is fake, they ain't poppin shots, deez niggas is papa docs." and "i ain't tryna be no freshman, i'm chillin'," is a killer reference to the "new rapper [freshman] list" the rap magazine xxl runs every year, that isaiah obviously wants no part of. later, tde crewmates jay rock and q deliver pretty damn good guest spots. the hook sounds like something wyclef jean would do. it's not hard to see why this is a banger.

alvvays - archie, marry me this is a pop track through and through, but it's one that you wanna shout out at the top of your lungs. it's also very 2014, because archie's apparently more concerned about his student loans than the risk of paying out any alimony. btw, nothing to do with the music but the singer is a mega babe. avi buffalo - memories of you avi buffalo isn't doing anything too different from their debut album, but they've gotten BETTER at doing what they do and that's all that matters. this song kinda reminds me of the shins (not a bad thing!) in that it's a tight, well-composed slice of indie pop with just the right amount of sophistication. blast this one. mr twin sister - in the house of yes mr twin sister, formerly twin sister (are the drugs good, guys?) is a strange band that gives you a lot of different sounds, most of them good. in the house of yes is a straight 90's sounding dance track, the type you might have heard in a jenny craig commercial or some shit, but it works for them. 

partynextdoor - recognize (feat. drake) while partynextdoor is never going to drop a classic or anything, he still drops some shit that makes you stop and listen. it's like future, if future only focused on r&b and actually had replay value. this one would even be awesome without the drake feature, but i can't lie, he almost steals the show here. actual line: "i gotta get you those snow tires for your mercedes, i'm glad you reminded me baby." 

ava luna - crown I don't know much about Ava Luna, and I'm not sure that I really "get" their style, but i like what i've heard from them. you can file this under "indie band with soul," or what i'd imagine you'd get if you crossed dirty projectors with avi buffalo. the vocals are a definite strong point with this band; even just focusing on the vocal performance on this song is enough for me to consider it a top track.  but listen to the way it builds little by little until the end turns into a groove session.

schoolboy q - collard greens (feat. kendrick lamar) i know a few people that would raise a few eyebrows at me putting this one on here, and that's if they haven't already raised eyebrows previously but... yall leave me alone.  this is what i call a "bumpable single" aka, it's a definite "radio track" but you can still enjoy it anyway. i don't think it's q or kendrick's best performance, but when i hear it, i just fuck with it hard.

ariel pink - put your number in my phone ariel is sharing duties with sun kill moon for most hated indie artist right now for his less-than-positive comments about madonna and grimes. i ain't got no opinion on that tho. i just know that "put my number in my phone" is certified heatrock. you can't deny the fact that ariel knows his  way in and out of a warped pop song, and the song production makes it sound like something straight from a 70's radio station.  awesome stuff.

madeinheights - panther i literally just discovered this song this week, but when i heard it for the first time i let out a loud "holy shit" because it was so good. they're not a well-known band by any means but i definitely think they deserve more shine than they have right now. getting overshadowed by bands like phantogram will do that to do you though.  in any event, the hook on this is mad catchy.  if you could turn icicles into a beat, it'd sound like this song... so damn chill.  and i really love their r&b sensibility enshrouded in an indie pop shell.

drake - days in the east  let's be fair:  any of drake's; one-off 2014 songs could have made this list.  but what makes this song stand out from the rest is how effortlessly personal it is.  "damn, my lil nephew turned four already" sounds less like song lyrics and more like drake's shower thoughts.  it's the perfect song to ride around the city at night to, which makes it kindred spirits to "connect" off last year's nothing was the same.

g-eazy - opportunity cost g-eazy, aka gerald (lol) isn't the best rapper in the world or anything, i mean, he tends to remind me of other rappers (kendrick, drake... macklemore?) but he shows us something here on this track.  it's a heartfelt "coming grips to fame" type of song but it's done really well. 

It was hard to pick with all the fantastic music that’s been released this year, but I stuck to my gut and I’m still very much in love with all of these albums. For those who know me, number 1 should not be a surprise.

10. Kanye West-Yeezus: Woah-a Kanye album that on occasion reminds me...

Me and Tony are kindred spirits musically.  I will be reblogging his music lists as I do each year.  Here are the honorable mentions.

All of these were awfully close to breaking into the top 20, and at times I had to be ruthless in deciding who made the cut and who didn’t. Hell, a lot of great albums didn’t make the honorable mentions because I know a 50 album list is pushing everyone’s attention spans, but Tim Hecker, Dean...

ryan's favorite albums of 2013

TL;DR: SPOTIFY PLAYLIST IS HERE

Another year coming to an end, another list. This list is different this year because I can't decide on a ranking, and I admittedly didn't listen to all of the albums that I should have this year (lifestyle changes hindered that).

Q:  BUT WHAT ABOUT [INSERT ALBUM HERE]

A: I probably missed a lot of albums that should be mentioned, so recommend me stuff that isn't here.  

SOME ALBUMS I THINK ARE OVERRATED

I'm seeing four names ranked highly on lists that are out right now: The Civil Wars, Lorde, CHVRCHES and HAIM. I don't know why.

* The Civil Wars album was just a weedplate.. full of bland, easily-digestible folk that might sound "top 10 worthy" if I hadn't heard anything remotely folky in my life. * Lorde album had the same faux-hip-hop snap beats every song and it didn't come anything close to Nirvana's Nevermind (or Bleach). Purity Ring slays Lorde when it comes to hip-hop sounding indie pop. * I like CHVRCHES; in fact, I recommend them to alot of people, went to their show and bought a shirt and I'd make Lauren Mayberry my wife someday. But they don't deserve to be on any lists quite yet.

* And then HAIM. I'll be honest I don't really know much about HAIM except they are sisters (can somebody confirm?) and they sound very 80's, like Summer Camp or Friends except with more production behind them. Not a bad sound but wouldn't make my top 10.

Now that I think a bit harder.... I'm not sure James Blake would make my top 10 either, but I'm a fan of his stuff too. People tend to overrate him though.

THE LIST

Drake - Nothing Was The Same Since Drake came out, he has been raising eyebrows for being "Wheelchair Jimmy" on Degrassi. While he might not ever escape that tag, he's still making great music. This is my favorite rap album for the year. Now, I know there were more accomplished albums (rapping ability wise) like Freddie Gibbs - ESGN, Killer Mike and El-P's project Run the Jewels and shit like that but I like Nothing Was The Same as a whole a lot more. Drake stepped up his game rapping on this one and has plenty of outstanding moments like when he goes apeshit on "Worst Behavior, interpolates Wu-tang's "It's Yourz" on "Wu-Tang Forever" and "Own It", threatens to show up to his high school reunion just to make his classmates go through a security clearance on "Pound Cake" and made "you deserve rounds tonight" my favorite phrase of the year (that line is found on the song "Come Thru"). We can also talk about how he coasts on the H-town inspired "Connect". The album is consistent all the way through and has insane replay value.

The Knife - Shaking The Habitual

I like the concept of dance music as protest songs. While I don't know what they have to complain about in Sweden, new music from The Knife is always appreciated. This album is dark and adventurous, though I can't say I agree with all of their decisions for this album. I was pissed after sitting through all 19 minutes of "Old Dreams Waiting To Be Realized" with no payoff. But when they're on, they're on. "Full of Fire" is an awesome 9 minute single that might be the scariest thing they've ever done. That Salt-n-Pepa (?? Yes. Salt-n-Pepa) part at the end was cool too. And I appreciate "Without You, My Life Would Be Boring" for the way those flutes took over the mix. Even though I was looking for more pop on this album, I love what they gave us anyway.

Kurt Vile - Wakin on a Pretty Daze

I LOVE the way this album *sounds*. It sounds like it's been soaking in a bathtub of sunrays for hours. It's psychedelic, like Tame Impala, but it's slacker rock, like Pavement. He claims he's never "touched the stuff" though I find that hard to believe, given its stoner feel.  Most of the lyrics seem to be biographical, revolving around relationships, family and his touring life. I almost didn't get past the opener because it's so long, but I'd listen to it over and over again without getting any further into the album. When I finally listened to the album, I was floored. Kurt Vile doesn't care how long it takes it get his musical ideas across, which is always refreshing to listen to if you're a fan of the long song like I am.

J. Cole - Born Sinner

Slept on this album a LOT and I don't know why. But after giving it a proper listen, I think it deserves more credit than it has now. J. Cole really came into his own here. His style is very literate, personal and self aware, with constant allusions to his college education, which IMO is pretty rare in rap music. He tackles being psychologically dependent on a love interest, casual relationships, Illuminati allegations, money, opportunistic women, and the strain of societal/peer pressure on relationships and that's just the first half of the album. With so much substance, it's very easy to miss if you're not really paying attention, like I did in my first few spins.

The Weeknd - Kiss Land

I will be brutally honest and say this wasn't The Weeknd's best effort, and I miss the extreme moments you can find on Trilogy. this is The Weeknd's first major label outing and it definitely *sounds* like it... all toned down, like The Weeknd going to meet his girlfriend's parents for dinner for the first time on some suit and tie shit. Still, the album starts off with a really poetic song about a stripper that gets consumed by the passion of stripping....... so you know it's a The Weeknd album. So yeah. The lyrics are still great, it's got a great melodic sensibility, and even when he's not on the top of his game, he's still beating out 95% of modern R&B out there.

Daft Punk - Random Access Memories

French house legends made a comeback this year and it's as good as anyone would expect. In an EDM scene overcrowded with mediocre dubstep, Daft Punk shows that all you need is good songwriting to make a good dance record. Of course, it helps when your personnel includes Julian Casablancas, Noah Lennox, Pharrell and Giorgio Moroder. And I guess a god level mastery of engineering, mixing and mastering wouldn't hurt either. What I noticed when listening to this album is that it sounds like an amalgram of several decades of dance music, and of course they hit hard on the 70's disco and funk and heavy use of vocoder. "Timeless" is a good word to describe it. It was an instant classic when it came out, basically.

Justin Timberlake - The 20/20 Experience

Let's pretend the second half of this project never came out: because this half is so damn good that it should just stand on its own. Again I must harp on songwriting. The average song length is over 6 minutes, with the best songs tipping into the 8 minute range. Some would consider this blasphemy for mainstream music, where fans are used to short and concise songs. The structure doesn't vary much from placing 3 or 4 minute reprises at the end of these songs, but it works well here because it squeezes two musical moods into one song.

Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic

With all of my favorites taking some time off (Beach House, Grizzly Bear, Joanna Newsom, Sufjan Stevens, etc.) I was surprised I didn't enjoy more buzz bands this year. I do love Foxygen though. They do old-timey psych-pop ala MGMT very well (and they're a duo, so the comparison is even more fitting). All of the hooks are insanely catchy too; my favorite being the call-and-response hook of "San Francisco" which legitimately nicks its inspiration from an old 60's song. Seriously looking forward to what Foxygen throws out next.

Kanye West - Yeezus

This is an album people are still trying to figure out. It's polarizing in a way that I have no choice but to call it great--for what it accomplishes. It's a provocative piece of art, first and foremost. It's like Kanye West's idea of a Death Grips album, without the caveman rapping. I actually have a good theory for Yeezus: after the maximalism of Watch The Throne, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, and the summer singles "Clique" and "Mercy," Kanye West was just depleted and had to make a very minimalist record after all that grandiosity. So I feel this is an album more for himself than his fans. It's challenging because the music is so abrasive and the lyrics are blunt and simple. All of that self-indulgence can and will leave a bad taste in your mouth, though. I thought the Marilyn Manson sounding "Black Skinhead" was lame sonically, but I can appreciate co-opting the term for pro-black purposes. Elsewhere, "Bound 2" shows he still knows his way around a great soul sample and lets us know he's still playing with a full deck.

Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap

With all the teenage gangsta rap coming out of Chicago led by Chief Keef's "I Don't Like", I'm surprised Chance the Rapper got on this year. Acid Rap comes with a lot of personality, chill beats, and great guest spots. His strained, nasally delivery reminds me of Charles Hamilton, but more fluid: it's not unusual for him to break out in a reggae-inflected flow, or an attempt at singing. Mostly, I'd just say Chance sounds like he's *trying* to make something fresh. He spends at least 5 minutes on the second song "Pusha Man" telling us how bad Chicago is, and it becomes the most chilling thing I've heard in rap in a while. But on the next track, he reminds us that he's still young, a product of the 90's generation, as he references orange Rugrats VHS tapes.  He's got some ways to go but he made a great start.  [stream/download here - http://www.audiomack.com/album/ventlyfe/acid-rap-1]

Obviously I listened to a lot more albums this year. These are worth a mention:

Deafheaven - Sunbather [black metal/shoegaze/post-rock] http://open.spotify.com/album/2kKXGWaCEl06EKZ4DxBJIT

Local Natives - Hummingbird [indie/rock/folk/pop] http://open.spotify.com/album/2lPRNjksNmWum8khcyCEGj

Alunageorge - Body Music [R&B/indie dance/electronic] http://open.spotify.com/album/5XfdQDkGG5bDnqTqSZEZt3

Deerhunter - Monomania [indie rock/garage/shoegaze/lo-fi] http://open.spotify.com/album/68gYjtaIWlvCscoxuCqAiZ

Waxahatchee - Cerulean Salt [lo-fi/alternative/emo] http://open.spotify.com/album/4OfohS2lFQOeCXsrNcdh5s

My Bloody Valentine - m b v [shoegaze] http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLV5Dj2xlNnONJWlHRLnxoEDHp89rKoNpO

Mac Miller - Watching Movies With The Sound Off [rap] http://open.spotify.com/album/3T02fCxAjApu18taJLLbyN

Arctic Monkeys - AM [indie rock] http://open.spotify.com/album/5bU1XKYxHhEwukllT20xtk

Night Beds - Country Sleep [indie/folk] http://open.spotify.com/album/7pa13HLMsTvX3l50Lidqhh

Citizen - Youth [pop-punk/emo] http://open.spotify.com/album/24nD6WCXgd7JMA90nzWar9

Vampire Weekend - Modern Vampires of the City [indie rock] http://open.spotify.com/album/2Qi2SySN2ePZwMLDSv9Krn

Tyler, the Creator - Wolf [rap] http://open.spotify.com/album/40QTqOBBxCEIQlLNdSjFQB

Camera Obscura - Desire Lines [indie pop] http://open.spotify.com/album/6bzPRpKOfTSZuZZCKB4jxA

The Underachievers - Indigoism [rap] http://open.spotify.com/album/1dB64RmXsX57irQpWrjZGp

Volcano Choir - Repave [indie rock/experimental] http://open.spotify.com/album/7zSvZNSgHW39knkh9ZbFmt

The National - Trouble Will Find Me [indie rock] http://open.spotify.com/album/2JhR4tjuc3MIKa8v2JaKze

Pusha T - My Name Is My Name [rap] http://open.spotify.com/album/0IoiCReUTgS8veAp98cHIA

Toro y Moi - Anything In Return [electronic/indie pop] http://open.spotify.com/album/3xDRuOqakukb1SjHQG4WWc

One of my favorite tracks from last year, if not ever. The video includes everyone's favorite awkwardly sexy actress Audrey Plaza playing one mentally fucked-up, substance abused broad 

Father John Misty - Hollywood Forever Cemetery Sings

-Shannon

Foxygen - We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors of Peace & Magic (2013)

I know this is a Foxygen review, but I posted a really glowing review of The Knife’s 2006 record here.  http://letthiscolonyknow.tumblr.com/post/47467959509/the-knife-silent-shout-2006-review.  I had been obsessing over The Knife for a whole week straight and finally just had to say to everyone just how fucking good they were.  Alright, now that we got that out of the way.  

Foxygen is a 60’s-esque indie pop band that splits the difference between MGMT’s non-dancy stuff and (insert 60’s baiting band here) — but with a slightly modern, straightforward indie vibe.  As far as 2013 releases go, they’ve got one of the best releases out right about now.  

The whole of the album isn’t exactly mindblowing or reinventing the wheel, but there are quite a handful of songs that really ground the album and keep it strong.  

The lead single, “No Destruction” is one such song.  It’s a really chilled out song about a deteriorated friendship, with choice lines like “Oh, you think it’s over to be someone who smokes pot in the subway with me.”  What makes this one sparkle is the dynamics:  between the hushed, slacker vocals that remind me of Pavement and then the agonized, agitated cries of certain lines that then slide right back into the hushed, slacker feels.  Seriously, you gotta hear the way Foxygen flowed it, as it is incredible.

“San Francisco” is another strong cut, and somewhat of a reference to to an old 60’s track called “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” albeit just in namesake only.  It’s insanely catchy and has nice, vintage sounding call and response parts in it.

“Shuggie” is ultimate groove.  That’s all I gotta say about that one.  ”Oh Yeah” is another perfect homage to a 60’s track, the times where “Oh yeah!” were perfect song lyrics.  They’re really good at nailing effortlessly cool 60’s vibes, and that’s what I like.  Even on a song like “On Blue Mountain” which sounds more radical, they still sound effortlessly cool while doing it.

If I have one complaint, it’s that the album is really short (9 songs) — maybe they’re playing it safe, or something. As far as the future of Foxygen, I don’t know.  Maybe they’re a “Here today, gone tomorrow” type of band or maybe they got a lot of fight in them, as of right now I don’t know.  But I will say their album is one of the strongest of 2013 right now and might even scratch the top 10 of 2013.

Listen to Foxygen here: Foxygen – We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic

- Ryan

The Knife - Silent Shout (2006) review

I seriously love The Knife.  I can't stop listening to them and thinking about them and if I don't get up on a fucking soapbox it's gonna get to me.  Deep Cuts (2004) was really uneven but they really came to their own on Silent Shout, so let's talk about that. It's dark as fuck but it's so rooted in the pop of the first album.  They took two things that shouldn't have worked together and made it work.  Check out the title track "Silent Shout" for example.  The Knife - Silent Shout.  you've got the main beat, which just sounds like a really conventional, mainstream club beat.  You got the synth lines which sound straight from the 80's, and what makes them so amazing is how they seem to stretch out so linearly.  Seriously listen to how the synth evolves over the course of the song, it works harder than any other layer of the song.  And then there is the dark, blended overdubbed voices of Karin, smeared on top of it but really subdued.  it's incredible.   "Neverland" SOUNDS like a Neverland.  Like, if you just imagined some fantasy forest or something.  Straight Narnia jam right there. "The Captain" is a song I slept on for a long time but it's reaaaaally amazing.  It takes about 3 minutes to finally kick off but when it does and you hear that amazingly spacey synth line kick into a groove, it's one of the most satisfying things on the album.  It's such a melodically sensible synth line, it just begs you to hum along to it.  Again, Karin sounds downright haunting on this song (as she does all over the album) but she's always doing it with an ear for pop melody.  The dark, bassy synth that closes out this song is to die for. "We Share Our Mother's Health" is one of the singles on this album and it's the most poppy and radio ready thing here.  Yet, it is not mainstream sounding at all, I didnt say that.  It's just.....radio, for Silent Shout's standards, haha.  This song is obviously about who The Knife is ("we came down from the North" is a reference to them being from Sweden) and their relation to each other ("we share our mother's health" because they are siblings).  Sonically, I love how upbeat this song, the killer doubled-up vocals of Karin, the deep male sounding vocals, then Karin's vocals layered on top of them... with all the synth stuff still kicking in the background.  Before the song is over they do the whole "sing an octave higher" trick too.  It all just...works.  It makes me want to scream because it's so good.   "Na Na Na" as an interlude is okay.  I like it because it adds to the chilly, eerie atmosphere of the album. In fact, that's what I love about Silent Shout:  every song manages somehow, someway to sound dark and scary, but it's pop music.  How can a band just absolutely nail a theme like that is beyond me.  Anyway, at 2 minutes it doesn't really take up too much time and it's on to "Marble House". "Marble House" is another single, one that I didn't like at first but now I realize it's pretty good.  It also sounds pretty club ready, and it's probably their most "normal" sounding song on the record.  Not a lot of vocal modulation going on, a fairly tame beat...  A lot of people like this song for the line "Some things I do for money, some things I do for free."  I like that Karin's brother gets a little chance to sing on this song.   "Like a Pen" is one that I liked pretty early on.  It's yet another single and it's pretty catchy. The "drip drop" synths are so fucking awesome.  The rest of the song is just really groovy and bouncy.  I like the vocal shift in the last half of the song, it's always good songwriting when a song is written linearly and not just verse-chorus with the same vocal melodies repeated.  I DO think the outro could have been cut but whatever.  "Like a Pen" is still the shit.   "From Off to On" is a song that you might be underwhelmed with at first, but it's actually amazing.  It's slow, the vocals are whispered, the synths are easy-breezy.  If you listen closely enough, it wows you. "Forest Families", what can I say about this one.  Once again, it's The Knife ladies and gentlemen.  What I found with this song is the hook really hooks into you.  "Muuuusssiiicc toonightttt" can get trapped in your head really quick.  Like I said, everything on Silent Shout is rooted in POP music, but the way it's wrapped up is in dark, gothic sounding vocals and synths.  It's so amazing. "One Hit" is kinda jarring at first.  It's the red headed step child on this album.  But it's soooooo fucking amazing.  I love the groove that gets locked in at the 54 second mark.  I love the lyrics on this song, especially the line about giving head not being pornography if you do it with the lights on, it's instead "artistic."  I love the don't-give-a-fuck manner in which they randomly reference The Godfather ("spending time with my familyyyyyy, like the Corleonnneeeeess").  This is actually one of the best songs on the album. "Still Light" doesn't do too much.  It's the closer.  I mean, stacked up against all the great material that came before it, I don't mind that they decided to play it safe.  Once again, it still has that "dark pop" feel so it's still awesome. Look, I'll say it like this.  When this album came out in 2006 (and make no mistake--that is when I discovered it), Pitchfork put it as their #1 album of 2006.  I really, really didn't understand their logic behind that, and it kind of bothered me for a while too.  I mean, I said to myself "well it wasn't THAT good."  Now 7 years later, I'm more mature than I was when I was 16. I appreciate it a lot more, and I can see why they put it at #1.  I can even see why it beat out other great records like Grizzly Bear's Yellow House and Joanna Newsom's Ys.   It's stood the test of time, and it doesn't sound dated at all.  It's just an amazing record.  Near flawless.  Leaps and bounds from Deep Cuts.  Unmatched by the new record, Shaking The Habitual.  It's a great record that everyone should invest in listening to. - Ryan

New track from Dirty Projectors. Do they ever disappoint? 

- Shannon

Kimbra - Two Weeks (Grizzly Bear)/Head Over Heels (Tears for Fears) mashup

- Shannon

DOUBLE REVIEW: 2/4 Between The Buried and Me / Coheed and Cambria, 2/5 Matt & Kim / Passion Pit

I've seen so many genres of music performed live in two days that as I look back, all of it feels like a blur, but let's get into this double review.

Between the Buried and Me, Coheed and Cambria (and the opener, Russian Circles) played the 9:30 Club located in Washington DC; my favorite venue to see shows because of the acoustics and venue layout.  Me and Trey got in when Russian Circles just began their set, and they played a pretty good set.  Hilariously enough, they fit the stereotype of the post-rocker outlined here, except with longer hair (because they are post-metal).  They had a very clean sound for metal though, and they do alot with just three members thanks to loop pedals.  I enjoyed them alot.

Between the Buried and Me though...

BTBAM are virtuosos at guitar.  They are the kings of that whole technical/progressive metalcore sound and they proved that with their 6 song, hourlong set.  They played as if they were headlining the show...

I think the little known secret of BTBAM is that these were kids who looked up to classic rock bands like Kansas, Yes, Rush, etc. that happened to get sucked into metal.  Their songs will go from metal to circus themes to 70's solos, sometimes multiple times per song (Ants of the Sky, I'm looking at you).  "Ants of the Sky," the 13 minute beast of a song, was the definite highlight of the night.  They're a really technically accomplished band and fun to watch.  I can't imagine how long they play when they're actually headlining.  

Coheed and Cambria are of course technically proficient in their own right too, but every album of theirs after Good Apollo II lacks the proggy goodness that makes the first half of their catalog so special.  And their setlist was heavy on the new stuff and their popular singles ("A Favor House Atlantic", "Wake Up", "Welcome Home").  So while I won't say that their set was "boring", it certainly felt "low stakes" especially if we're comparing it to BTBAM's set.

Still, when Coheed was on, they were on.  "The Crowing", "No World For Tomorrow", and "In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth 3" were all perfect.  I also enjoyed the hard hitting "Key Entity Extraction I".  Overall I liked their set but if they would have just sprinkled more old stuff in the setlist it would have improved the show tenfold.

Now we move on to last night's show:  Matt & Kim, Passion Pit (and the opener, Icona Pop) who played right in my own backyard, The Norva in Norfolk.

Icona Pop are Swedish popstars (which means they are automatically good) who play and sing their own songs.  Their brand of pop music wouldn't be too far away from what Z104 plays, but it was alright.  Nothing too offensive.

Matt & Kim stole the show.  They were super energetic, with Kim smiling all the time and both of them hopping around and shit.  In between songs they kept playing random medleys of popular songs, proving that they have a strong love for pop music.  In fact, I think they even outshined Passion Pit.

Passion Pit is a band that I loved when they first came out but unfortunately they quickly ran their course.  I felt like their performance last night was better wooden, lazy, and phoned in.  Michael's vocals were buried deep in the mix and were just not lively, but the band stuck through the night anyway.  I wasn't keen on the new stuff, and the old stuff didn't have the same bite as when I saw them 3 years ago.  I wasn't 100% disappointed but I wasn't engaged at all, and that's sad considering that I was pretty drunk.  Maybe I'm just getting older but Passion Pit wasn't for me.

All in all, I had fun at both shows though.  Interesting enough, both of these shows had two dates in the same venue.. just a random tidbit.

-ryan

Tony Walters Top 10 of 2012 + Honorable Mentions

It's a good read.  Check it out

Honorable Mentions

In no particular order, these were albums that came close to making my top ten (I’m looking at you Baroness, John Talabot) or at least distinguished themselves enough to rise above the pack.

Mac Demarco-2

Big Boi (and too many guests to count)-Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors

John Talabot-¦in

Schoolboy Q-Habits & Contradictions

Azealia Banks-FANTASEA

Burial-Kindred EP

Daniel Rossen-Silent Hour/Golden Mile

Hot Chip-In Our Heads

Santigold-Master of My Make Believe

Trust-TRST

Baroness-Yellow & Green

  Top 10 of 2012

10. Beach House: Bloom – I knew that due to how enamored I was with Teen Dream, anything they did afterward would be a letdown. But oh what a small let down this was, because this album is terrific. Beach House keep on doing what they best.

9. Cloud Nothings: Attack On Memory – Killer album here. With surly builds to epic breakdowns  (No Future No Past, No Sentiment), flat out aggressive assaults (Wasted Days), or charming light punk (Stay Useless), Cloud Nothings prove themselves to be a versatile and talented powerhouse.

8. Nicolas Jaar and Various Artists: Prism (or Don’t Break My Love) – Nicolas Jaar returns from his spectacular 2011 offering Space is Only Noise with a gorgeous collaborative effort featuring many of his label-mates, and it gels into an incredibly consistent whole. A different kind of electronic music, toeing towards ambient but still firmly holding your attention.

7. Flying Lotus: Until the Quiet Comes – In the huge footsteps of Cosmogramma, Flylo delivers a more streamlined yet still impressive album. Stretches of dense activity suddenly dissipate into stunning moments of Nirvana, soon to be replaced with dark tones and chilling vocals. As with all his albums, this is an album to be listened to all the way through from start to finish.

6. Killer Mike: R.A.P. Music – Killer Mike absolutely kills it on this album, bringing his most confrontational A-game to every song. Bangers  (Big Beast and Southern Fried) make this album entertaining, but personal anthems (Willie Burke Sherwood) and

politically charged outbursts (Reagan) elevate this album to excellence.

5. Death Grips: The Money Store – Was there a more controversial or overhyped act of 2012? Edging out the solid No Love Deep Web, The Money Store is an outrageous work of art that left as many people shaking their heads as nodding them. Yet there is an engaging energy inherent in most of these songs that still hasn’t stopped giving me chills.

4. Tame Impala: Lonerism – 2012’s trip back to the psychedelic 60s, Tame Impala blew me away with this one. With too many glorious peaks to count, this euphoric album is awe inspiring as well as catchy as hell, a real triumph and endlessly replayable.

3. Frank Ocean: Channel Orange – Is this guy even affiliated with Odd Future? Frank Ocean builds a sexy, personal and powerful album and is getting some deserved fame because of it. Shows he has more than a beautiful voice by bringing awesome songwriting and some superb production.

2. Grizzly Bear: Shields – Grizzly Bear far surpassed my considerable expectations with this one. A return to a complete album after an (still pretty awesome) album consisting of unforgettable hits and then a few forgettable songs-Shields is amazingly consistent and thoroughly excellent. A perfect balance of tension transformed into beauty, and the things these guys do with their voices is unbelievable.

1. Kendrick Lamar: Good Kid M.A.A.D City – Fucking incredible album. Not much I can say that hasn’t already been said about this, this was clearly the album to listen to in 2012. Still blown away every time I listen to this, but also the only thing I want to listen to when I’m getting drunk. Appropriate for any situation, because this kind of quality immediately renders anything else inconsequential.

TOP ALBUMS OF 2012

I'm putting in an early bid for the top albums this year.  There is virtually no influence from any other publications... meaning, whatever Pitchfork or whoever decides is going to be their top albums, I have no idea.  This is just my opinion.

NOTE, the album title links open up Spotify, and there is one huge "best of 2012" playlist with all of these albums at the end.  Or click here for it.

10.  Fiona Apple - The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw and Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do

Yes, that is the album title, and Fiona's first album in 7 years.  I was never a huge fan of her stuff, but this album made me take notice.  She shows up all the women in indie with this one.  Strong voice, strong lyrics, what more can you want.  LISTEN:  Every Single Night, Daredevil, Jonathan, Werewolf

9.  Hot Chip - In Our Heads

Hot Chip have been in the game for a long time and it shows.  They've matured their sound and put out the best indie dance record of the year.  More dance bands should take note, because songwriting is usually not the strong point of a dance album, but on In Our Heads, it is.  LISTEN:  Motion Sickness, How Do You Do?, Look At Where We Are, Now There is Nothing

8.  Beach House - Bloom

I'll admit, I was a little worried when Bloom's first single "Myth" came out; I felt like they had taken a huge step back from their last album, Teen Dream.  But that's Beach House for you.  They never try to impress us, they just do their thing and do it well.  In a sense, they always just slightly tweak their main sound from album to album... they never go for a radical change, and they know this approach works best for them.  Every album of theirs has grown on me and Bloom is no different.  LISTEN:   Lazuli, Other People, Troublemaker, and Equal Mind (found on the b-side of Lazuli)

7.  Grizzly Bear - Shields

This was a tough album to put all the way down at #7, if you know me.  The early singles "Sleeping Ute" and "Yet Again" showed promise, but when I heard the whole album I was disappointed. Shields sounds like a mix of Yellow House and Veckatimest, but nowhere nearly as good as those two albums.  Grizzly Bear's still my favorite band though (their live show is still amazing), and this album still deserves a top spot, just barely nudging past Beach House's album.  LISTEN:  Sleeping Ute, Yet Again, The Hunt, Gun-Shy

6.  Father John Misty - Fear Fun

This album right here though nig...

This album came out of nowhere for me.  I hadn't heard of it until recently but now that I have, I can't put it down.  Father John Misty is Josh Tillman, better known as the ex-drummer of Fleet Foxes.  And if you like Fleet Foxes, there's a lot to love here. Great melodies, a classic sound, and some bold lyrics about drugs (you can tell he really lives this folk shit, none of that plain rice shit you hear on the radio), Fear Fun unexpectedly jumped up high on my list. 

5.  Purity Ring - Shrines

I suspect this one is going to raise a few eyebrows for me putting it top 5 (actually, my friend raises an eyebrow just because I listen to a band called Purity Ring) but I don't really care because it knocks so hard.  The formula is basically female vocals + bass heavy beats (listen to this fucking album with subs) with a witch house vibe to it, but without being sketch as fuck like witch house.  Now, I have been listening to this one for a while, and it hasn't gotten old for me yet.  I want to direct some of the attention away from Grimes and throw it on Purity Ring.  LISTEN:  Crawlersout, Fineshrine, Ungirthed, Amenamy, Saltkin, Obedear, Lofticries

4.  Baroness - Yellow & Green

Baroness is the type of band whose shirt I could be wearing, it get "Instagrammed," not even be the main focus of the photo and have someone comment saying, "Fuck yeah for the Baroness shirt."  That's a random example but I just like to point it out because it actually happened.

Anyway, Yellow & Green is a double album by the metal band Baroness and it made a lot of "real metal~" fans upset because the majority of Yellow & Green sounds more like alternative rock/indie music than heavy metal.  Which, to people like me who don't only like metal, isn't a bad thing at all.  I respect that they're maturing and not trying to put out the same old metal shit every single time.  LISTEN:  MTNS. (The Crown & Anchor), Board Up The House, Little Things, Cocainum.  

3.  Tame Impala - Lonerism

This album is mindblowing.  It could have easily been my #1 if these next two records hadn't been released. They're not trying anything out of the ordinary either.  This is just psychedelic indie rock inspired by the 60's and 70's, but they make it sound so effortless.  And even though they make drug music, you don't have to be on drugs to like it-- the album just takes you "there."  I also like the theme of "lonerism" here, with songs like "Music to Walk Home By" and "Why Won't They Talk To Me" you feel that outcast vibe on the album.  The extended jams (if you like songs that go on past 5 minutes, this album is for you--I LOVE that shit), the bass grooves, the Pink Floyd - "Money" influence in the song "Elephant"...there's a lot to love about to this album.  LISTEN:  Apocalypse Dreams, Mind Mischief, Music To Walk Home By, Why Won't They Talk To Me, Keep On Lying, Elephant

2.  Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself

Andrew Bird.  This is a dude that gets overshadowed by Sufjan Stevens a lot, and their sounds are pretty similar.  But yeah... if your "sounds like" is Sufjan Stevens, chances are you're a great artist, and Bird is.  Also, this is another difference between a band like The Lumineers and a great artist like Andrew Bird.  The Lumineers has a song that goes "I belong with you, you belong with me, whoa ohhaaahh."  Andrew Bird on the other hand, doesn't settle for that kind of patty-cake bullshit lyrics.  Not a weak song on this album either, I could recommend it all.  LISTEN:  Desperation Breeds?, Danse Carribe, Give It Away, Eyeoneye, Near Death Experience Experience, Fatal Shore

1.  Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d. city 

I don't think this nomination should come as a surprise to anyone, because when it came out I let everyone know how dope it was for at least two weeks straight.  I think of it as an instant classic.

A lot has already been said about what makes this album so amazing:  great flows, the song versatility, the whole storyline and the skits that give the album the "short film" feel that Kendrick was aiming for, the sampling of both Beach House and Twin Sister (on songs "Money Trees" and "The Recipe," respectively), great guest spots, etc.  so I won't bore you with any of that.  I will instead say that Kendrick had a vision for this album and he nailed it.  This is a fully realized concept album that's one of the best albums the rap genre has ever produced, and it wins out on all other "other genre" albums as the top album of 2012.  

LISTEN:  The whole album

What were YOUR top albums of 2012?  Do you disagree with anything on my list?  Am I crazy for putting Purity Ring at #5?  Overrated the fuck out of Kendrick's album?  Does my taste in music flat out suck?  Share your thoughts.

THE BEST OF 2012 PLAYLIST

- Ryan

HONORABLE MENTIONS 2012

These are all albums that I liked a lot, not necessarily top 10, but should not be overlooked.  Links to albums included, and a sample song from each

Robb Bank$ - Calendars (Datpiff Download)

Listen:  Fine$t

Dry the River - Shallow Bed

Listen:  New Ceremony

  Mewithoutyou - Ten Stories

Listen:  Grist For The Malady Mill

  Joey Bada$$ - 1999 (Datpiff Download)

Listen:  Waves

Ab-Soul - Control System

Listen:  Terrorist Threats (feat. Danny Brown)

Alt-J - An Awesome Wave

Listen:  Breezeblocks

Dirty Projectors - Swing Lo Magellan

Listen:  About To Die

Frank Ocean - channel ORANGE

Listen:  Pyramids (album version)

This is not everything I enjoyed runners-up wise, just a small snapshot. As always, every year I always miss some albums to listen to that could make or break my lists.  I am looking for recommendations; what else was good this year?  Let me know.

- Ryan

5 Albums That I Didn't "Get" in 2012

Time to wrap up the year's end with the album lists, yet again.  Anyone who wants to pitch in, can, but I think you'll find my treatment this year very brief as compared to the other years.

Here are 5 albums that I didn't get the hype about.  Did anyone really enjoy these albums/care to tell me what I'm missing?  I want to hear thoughts on these.  Who knows, I might be able to change my mind.

You can listen to these albums via Spotify embed (and you do use Spotify, right?)

Meek Mill - Dreams and Nightmares

Here was an album that got a lot of hype before and after the release, but... I was expecting a lot more.  I like the concept, Meek rapping about how he came up, and it's always good to hear that focus in rap.  But ultimately it was pretty uneven, and much of it falls under the MMG philosophy that the more money you throw at an album, the more of a banger it becomes (false).  I think Meek missed the mark on this one.

Grimes - Visions

I didn't hate this album, in fact, I enjoyed it quite a bit.  It's a pretty strong album and all, and I get what Claire is trying to do here.  It's a little bit indie pop, glitchy electro, and R&B rolled into one, which does translate into a nice sound... but it's blowing my mind how much praise it's getting.  Plus there were some really trying moments on this album (the song "Eight" comes to mind), where her vocals just go too high pitch and pierce your eardrums.  It's half annoying, half catchy as fuck.

The Lumineers - The Lumineers

These dudes came out of nowhere, and I knew a lot of people raving about em.  Then I sat down and listened to the album and I didn't see what was so special.  They do cater to that post-Mumford and Sons radio folk crowd, and this type of sound isn't horrible music at all.  But it's not particularly good either.  Listening to this album was like eating a bowl of plain rice.  Some people might say, "what's your problem, I love plain rice" well, I just can't fuck with it.

fun. - Some Nights

To mock a popular Tumblr picture:  When did this ("Some Nights") become better than this ("All The Pretty Girls")?

I feel like fun.'s first album Aim and Ignite destroys Some Nights, just goes to show you more production isn't always going to translate into better songs.

DIIV - Oshin

DIIV (formerly, Dive) swim in that ocean of lo-fi beach shit.  Yes, that's still alive and kicking in 2012.  I don't understand what DIIV is doing to get them into the top 10 albums on some of these lists though. If you were listening to this shit two years ago, there's not really much new here. Wholetime I was listening to Oshin, I was wishing that I were listening to Real Estate instead...

---

Once again, did you guys love any of these albums?  Think that I'm flat out wrong on any of them?  Let me know.

NEXT LIST : Honorable Mentions.  I plan to all of my lists today, so I'll do my top 10 after that.

- Ryan

Show Review: M83 @ The Norva, Norfolk 9.30.12

I'll come out and say it, M83 is the best live band I've ever witnessed.  Now, I know I was up here a few weeks ago singing the praises of how great of a live band Grizzly Bear is, and it would be nice to stay consistent for a while and not seem like I'm over-exaggerating shit and jumping the bandwagon (literally?) onto another band.  But you'll have to blame M83 for that, haha.

The night started off with the relatively unknown Sun Airway, who delivered a pretty decent set.  Trey puts their sound somewhere along the lines of an upbeat The National, and I felt a few shades of Passion Pit here and some dream-pop influences there.  It was pretty good indie rock with keyboards, can't really go wrong.  You could see why they chosen as the opener.  

After a bit of a long wait, it was time for M83.  

Half of what made this show amazing was non-musical details.  Remember that monster from both Hurry Up, We're Dreaming and Midnight City's album art?  They included that on this tour.   The monster comes out on stage, eerily.  Slowly he raises his arms and shoots lights out of his hands.  Then everything goes black for a second and M83 kicks off their epic show.  

 The lights here were just phenomenal, honestly me describing them to you would do them no justice. Here's another photo.

The music itself was perfect.  M83 has a lot of layers going on and they were all evenly mixed.  The vocals were pitch-perfect and sounded better than they did on record.  Songs that were originally not that exciting on the record sounded engaging live.  "We Own The Sky" for example, was given an extra set of teeth.

Their instrumental tracks worked super well in the context of the show too, almost functioning as little interludes.  These interludes felt really rewarding, as they inspired a lot of dancing in the crowd.

A word about "Midnight City" because I know a lot of people went just for that song, and when it finally arrived, it almost seemed as if M83 intentionally made it sound boring.  That's okay, as I'm pretty sure a band of their stature probably resents playing their breakout single every night.  The saxophonist dude kills it though, and Anthony Gonzalez actually walked away from his instruments on stage to sit down on the stage to watch him play.  

They didn't play a super long set, as a friend of mine pointed out.  But I don't blame them for that either.  When you're delivering this level of quality in your live show, you don't want to get burnt out by playing too many songs.  Quality over quantity.

Leaving out of the show, Trey said "Did they bring the studio with them?" which is a nice way to sum up shit.  Every second, every moment of this show was just perfect.  No flaws whatsoever. 10/10 show.  

- Ryan

Photo credits come from this post here:  http://oatzsaysso.tumblr.com/post/32652086377