Tag Archives: Pop

Top Albums of 2014 – #4: Strange Desire by Bleachers

21 Dec

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Back in November I lauded Bleachers as the purveyors of ridiculously catchy music that refused to leave the musical amalgamation that is my mind. My opinion of the band has not really changed; although, I must say that Jack Antonoff’s project has moved in my mind from just plain catchy to musically skilled and complex; Antonoff melds a theatrical pop sound fit with expeditious percussion and dulcet instrumentation with the essential quality of catchiness, which the songs most certainly have.

Bleachers released its debut LP Strange Desire in July of this year and several singles have been cherry picked from the album, each cherry perfectly ripe and delicious. Singles like “I Wanna Get Better” and “Rollercoaster” have hit the charts with a mini fervor, similar to Antonoff’s last uber-successful project (Fun). I think the songs have also just scratched the surface of popularity; in fact, I see a remarkably successful 2015 for Antonoff and his fellow bandmates.

Strange Desire is an 11-track affair with tracks featuring Grimes and Yoko Ono – yes, Yoko Ono. The first four tracks are all super hits in my mind; seriously, the tracks are each monumental jaunty pop pieces that get feet tapping and heads nodding. The ethereal, heavenly keys and 80s-esque harmony of “Wild Heart” is followed by the key-driven, percussion-soaked harmony-laden swooning “Rollercoaster,” which is the perfect hit-the-road-and-drive-anywhere song. This is followed by an Arcade Fire-like “Shadow,” which moves with a creative rhythm section and ends with a twangy guitar riff that leads into this:

“I Wanna Get Better,” which is one of the best songs of the year, is a melodic agglutination of anthem vocals, sprawling harmonies, infectious keys, and rock-out percussion. The song just kicks some much butt, and it is tempting to just listen to it on repeat. Plus, I must say it fits the New Years theme quite well because doesn’t everyone want to get better.

Check out more from Bleachers on its website, Facebook, or Twitter.

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Top 10 Albums of 2014 – #10: After the Disco by Broken Bells

15 Dec

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There was a time, I figure, in the wee morning hours of a Saturday in the 1970s when the last remaining bell-bottomed disco dancers stumbled onto the street, tired and bedraggled with sweat and the last remnants of a Donna Summers song, when the disco was physically empty but still bulging with the swollen heat of the night. In that small gap before the clean-up crew cleansed the disco in advance of another night of musical debauchery is where I picture Broken Bells’ second LP release, After the Disco, set and recorded. I have this image of band members James Mercer and Brian Burton climbing onto the weary stage and playing a few tracks to a crowd of memories; the music, a delightful mix of spacey modern disco tracks mixed with an alternative rock groove 20-30 years before its time. This thought exhilarates me, so much so that After the Disco is #10 on the list of top albums of 2014.

After the success of its eponymous debut in 2010 and follow-up EP in 2011, Broken Bells, a super-group made up of Shins’ frontman Mercer and revered producer Burton, was urged to release a follow-up, and After the Disco is that, a wildly entertaining, drawn-out, alt/space/rock agglutination of musical influences and decades. The album was recorded with a 4-piece choir and the 17-piece Angel City String Orchestra, which was conducted by Daniele Luppi, Danger Mouse’s partner on the 2011 album Rome. The album met with much praise, reaching the top spot on the Billboard Top Rock Album and Alternative Album chart and #3 on the Top 200 Albums list. It is an 11-track ode to music in the late 70s and early 80s, a depiction of a difficult musical transition that featured fizzling disco and incipient punk.

“Holding on for Life” is the top track on the album. It features the airy voice of Mercer in front of a tamed disco-like beat that shines like a slowed disco ball, almost like a disco track slowed down to a steady but unhurried pace. It is a song that just needs to be listened to, so I will let it do the talking.

You can check out the rest of the album on Broken Bells’ website. Make sure to follow the band on Facebook and Twitter

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Top 10 Songs of 2014 – #1: “Got It” by Banoffee

12 Dec

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I’ll be honest, choosing the best song this year was not hard for me. This was the first track I had ever heard from Banoffee, and it made a great first impression. “Got It” is our number one song of 2014.

It starts out with a realization: “I don’t think I know you at all.” Gently, the beat weaves between Banoffee’s airy, but fierce vocals, and carries into the refrain. “When I look at you I see this picture of how we could be, cuz I know what you got. I got it.” It is repetitive, but avoids being overbearing and annoying- this is one earworm I am happy to hum all day.

There are two elements of this track that stood out when I listened to it on repeat for hours. First, I noticed the brilliance of the artificially deep backing vocals. I haven’t heard a version without the altered backup vocals, but I imagine that it would sound sweet, yet untethered. Then there’s the soft electric sighs that sound like air. I know it’s probably just some kind of muted percussion, but if anyone were to actually use air as an instrument and make it flow as well as it does, it would be Banoffee. Homegirl’s a genius.

Please spend five measly dollars on Banoffee’s debut EP, all the cool kids are doing it. I’m told there’s an album in the works slated for release late next year. For more information, check her out on Facebook, Twitter, and Soundcloud.

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Top 10 Songs of 2014 – #2: “Mess is Mine” by Vance Joy

10 Dec

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Vance Joy (James Keogh) is not afraid of messes. A veteran of the Victorian Football League (before he left behind is football career to pursue music), Vance Joy, I’m sure, experienced many messy situations on the field. Heck, the mess might have been his, but the #2 song of 2014 is tinged with a bit of irony, because there is nothing messy about “Mess is Mine,” and there lies the draw of Vance Joy’s delightful tunes.

Since the release of “Riptide” in 2013, Vance Joy has taken the singer-songwriter genre by the storm; he has even received a good amount of mainstream radio play from the song, which peaked in the Top 10 on music charts in five countries. That was 2013, though, and this is a 2014 list. Vance Joy did release his first studio LP Dream Your Life Away in July, however, and with the album came the single “Mess is Mine.”

What makes this song good? The opening riff is inviting like a warm home or cup of hot cacao. Vance Joy’s conversational vocal turns him into a polish troubadour, and he sings with an effortless quality that is refreshing. The percussion varies from what sounds like a muted snare hit to organized hand claps, much in the vein of a less produced Phillip Phillips song. An old man river lead-in culminates into an ardent chorus followed by an agglutination of instruments and a Ritter-like howl. The song combines so many influences into a sprawling piece of vocal and instrumental beauty; it is pastoral in its simplicity, and the string-laden bridge is wonderful. Excellent song from a tremendous new artist – expect a whole lot more from Vance Joy.

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Top 10 Songs of 2014 – #5: “High” by Young Rising Sons

7 Dec

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Back on July 19 I wrote about Young Rising Sons in advance of its debut EP which dropped a few days after (July 22) and met with success. The Red Bank, New Jersey natives had a breakthrough 2014, and “High,” the band’s first single, is the crowning achievement for a year that featured several television appearances and an ongoing U.S. tour with The 1975.

When I wrote about the band back in July, I had this to say about “High,”the #5 song on our top 10 countdown:

“High,” which you may have heard before (it’s been making its rounds), begins with a sweet whistle followed by lead vocalist Andy Tongren’s effortless vocal. What makes this song? Did you get to the Mika-like chorus yet? Tongren’s falsetto is sweet and uplifting. The whistle is a bit Noah and the Whale-esque. The song is just a testament to the band’s efficacy. I can’t stop listening to it.

While that does sum it up, I will add a bit more laudatory comments to the band’s praise repertoire. Look, the song is clearly catchy. It’s actually more than catchy; it’s downright impossible to get out of your head. Seriously. It has been stuck in my head since July. But, aside from this inherent catchiness, it is also a masterful piece of pop. Young Rising Sons combines all necessary components for an effective pop tune. First, it is short, a sub-3 minute ditty that says what it has to say and then ends so the listener can immediately press repeat. Secondly, it features an upbeat, sing-a-long vocal that quite literally makes the listener sing (or hum). Most importantly, though, the song has an infectious hook. And, come on, it features a great whistle as well. It’s just a perfectly constructed song and well deserving of #5 on our countdown.

Check out the band’s website, Facebook, and Twitter.

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