Honorable Mentions 2009

These are songs or albums that we thought deserved a mention, even though they didn't quite make our Best Albums list.

Noah and the Whale - The First Days of Spring

Diana fought hard to get this album on our Best Albums list, as it was one of her favorites of the year, but there weren't quite enough votes for it, so we're giving it an honorable mention. Here's what she had to say about the album: "Sometimes I'm just drawn to sad things, and I love a good breakup song; it's not a bad deal when you get some respite in the end. Next time you feel snubbed by your guy or gal, try a healthy dose of 'Blue Skies.'"

Blue Skies [mp3] - (iTunes)

Regina Spektor – Far

Even though Regina Spektor remains one of our top musicians of all time, her latest release, Far, was not as crazy, spunky, elegantly raw or as zesty as hoped. There were standout tracks that enticed the popular masses like "Laughing With," the earworm "Eet," and the dark and buzzing "Machine," but after a dozen or so listens, we found myself wanting to listen more to Regina's numbers from years past (like "Prisoners" and "Baby Jesus"). It was good album, don't get us wrong, but not groundbreaking for Spektor, and so we place her here amongst the honorable mentions.
Machine [mp3] - (iTunes)

Alvin Band - Mantis Preying
What an interesting concept - an album of vocal experimentation, where all the sounds on the whole album are made by one guy's voice (Rick Alvin Schaier). The variety of sounds and the range of his voice is pretty impressive on it's own, and Mantis Preying has a few really stellar tracks, such as the haunting "Mystery of the Yellow Room," a very dark and incredibly well put together Phantom of the Opera medley.

Mystery of the Yellow Room [mp3] - (iTunes)

Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster

The Fame Monster doesn't quite compare to Lady Gaga's debut, The Fame. There's only really one standout hit that we really liked - "Bad Romance" - whereas The Fame was stuffed full of crazy dance hits. However, Lady Gaga continues to be an amazing performer and I'm sure we can expect her to dominate the dance scene for years to come.
Bad Romance [mp3] - (iTunes)

Anni Rossi – Rockwell
Em predicted that Anni Rossi would make it in the music world many years ago, when they went to the same high school and Em saw her perform at the music shows there. Anni's versatility and playful style will take her far, and she has drawn comparisons to everyone from Regina Spektor to PJ Harvey to the Jonas Brothers (seriously?). Her label debut, Rockwell, shows off her skills well, despite its lack of production value, and is a good sign of the wonderful things we can expect from her in the future.

Wheelpusher [mp3] - (iTunes)

Loney Dear - Dear John

Loney Dear have the gift of being one of those bands who shine brighter in concert than on album format, but it does help when you have good stuff to work with in the first place. This Swedish multi-instrumental syllabic-infused orchestral pop wonder retains a more mature and aged sound than Loney Dear's previous works, and the tracks nicelybop along on top a quiet foundation of synths and Emil Svanangen's gentle-yet-energetic falsetto voice. All in all, Svanangen manages to bring forth something totally different and wonderful, songs that both move the foot and the soul, while tapping into the child-like exhilaration that lingers within the depths of all of us.
Airport Surroundings [mp3] - (iTunes)

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs always show us a good time, and It's Blitz! has a few very solid dance tracks on it, sure to make you rock out, such as "Zero," or the oft-remixed "Heads Will Roll." There's also the pretty ballad, "Runaway," which we were impressed by, as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs aren't all that known for ballads.

Zero [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Avett Brothers - I and Love and You

The title track from this album was one of the best ballads to emerge from 2009, as Scott and Seth Avett are masters at crooning thoughtful mellow-rock piano and banjo numbers with conversational yet pensively beautiful lyrics such as "Acting like someone I know isn't me/ ill with want and poisoned by this ugly greed." While the songs are wonderfully produced and the feeling is fantastically poignant, the focus remains on the ballads, never indulging the listener with enough bang to push the boundaries.
I and Love and You [mp3] - (iTunes)

Beyonce - "Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)"
"Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)" actually came out in 2008, but it was everywhere this year so we think it deserves a mention. From the Beyonce/Justin Timberlake/Adam Samburg music video spoof on SNL, to the football team on Glee to the middle-aged guy at the dueling piano bar (sorry, no video of that one) - this dance inspired many amazing pop culture moments, and for that, Beyonce (and Beyonce's choreographers), we thank you.

Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) [mp3] - (iTunes)

Tegan and Sara - "Hell"

Tegan & Sara's frenzied rock 'n' roll single "Hell," from their album Sainthood, is sure to make you sing along, if you can keep up with the quick lyrics. The rest of the album has some catchy songs, but "Hell" definitely stands (or rocks) out high above the rest and is one of our favorite singles of this year.
Hell [mp3] - (iTunes)

Chris Garneau - El Radio
Chris Garneau's reminds of us of a male version of Regina Spektor in her earlier days - alternating between gorgeous, heartfelt ballads and playful, dark, intricate (some might even say "weird") pieces. Most of his songs are piano based and he has a versatile, unique voice. Considering how much we love Regina here at GFP, that comparison is a pretty massive compliment. But make no mistake - just because we are comparing them, does not mean that Chris Garneau's music is not his own. Quite the contrary, Garneau is unique and refreshingly different.

Dirty Night Clowns [mp3] - (iTunes)

Owl City - "Fireflies"

Within the music blog world Owl City is quite disputed. We have to say, as much as it might sound like a rip off of Death Cab or Postal Service (can Adam Young really help it if his voice sounds just like Ben Gibbard's?), "Fireflies" is a damn catchy song and even a really sweet, earnest one at that. Plus the guy recorded it in his basement in small town Minnesota and now it's gone double platinum. That's pretty impressive.
Fireflies [mp3] - (iTunes)

Romona Falls - Intuit
A solo side project of Menomena's Brent Knopf, these swirling, tortuously layered, almost sinister songs masterfully weave in and out of various genres, but remain anchored in an acoustic guitar-layered dreamland of sorts that is reminiscent of folk-experimental Grizzly Bear. The album reverberates all over the place, and although it is certainly one of those albums to be digested time and time again, some tracks like "Going Once, Going Twice" fall short, marring the overall experience.

Russia [mp3] - (iTunes)

Kings of Convenience – "Boat Behind"

This is a quite catchy song off of a solid album put out by this Norwegian duo. "Boat Behind" reminds us of summertime and the carefree days spent with good friends. The uniqueness of their music manifests itself in this song, and it stands out as the best offering from their recent album Declaration of Dependence. The video for the song is a must-see as well.
Boat Behind [mp3] - (iTunes)

The Swell Season - Strict Joy
From the duo made famous by their "little film that could," Once, continues to produce music together under the name The Swell Season. The deep voice of Glen Hansard is complimented well by the soft voice of Marketa Irglova, and his guitar and her piano provide a nice balance as well. As the album is about the end of their relationship together, it is part of an emotional journey we've all experienced a time or two.

In These Arms [mp3] - (iTunes)

Olafur Arnalds - Found Songs

Good Classical-based Indie/Electronica is hard to come by these days, especially when it needs to compare itself to the likes of Yann Tiersen and Sigur Ros. When you find it and then learn that the composer only created the 7-song album as part of a personal challenge to write a song every day for a week, you start to get into "blown away" territory. The songs are extremely well polished - laden with divine emotional piano melodies, garnished with thick dramatic strings and pin-pricked with precise and well-thought out electronica. The only complaint, outside perhaps of it staying within its basic genre boundaries, is that there is not more to listen to.
Ljósið [mp3] - (iTunes)

Clare and the Reasons - Allow
With her light, airy voice and her saccharine, bouncy music, Clare and the Reasons are always a pleasure to listen to (or watch live). That catchy, summery tunes will get stuck in your head for days, but you won't mind because the songs are just so pleasant that you can't help but smile, bop your head and whistle along.
All The Wine [mp3] - (iTunes)

Asobi Seksu @ 7th Street Entry

On Friday night I ventured out to First Ave's 7th Street Entry to see Anna Ternheim, Loney Dear and Asobi Seksu perform (btw, congrats to our contest winner Megan). Things started off late as the bands apparently had car troubles, but as soon as sound check was complete, Swedish singer/songwriter Anna Ternheim jumped on stage. Backed by Loney Dear's band, Anna sang a much-too-short 6 song set. This was my first time seeing Anna live and I had hoped to see her with a piano, as "Tribute to Linn" is one of my favorite songs of hers, but alas, Anna stuck to her guitar and microphone for the evening.

Although certainly cogent in performance ability, Anna seemed a bit distant, but in the way that suggested that she was unsure about what type of audience she was getting. There was a cautious degree of "will they like me?" present on her behalf, which was somewhat odd given the fact that Ternheim has had huge success in her home country, winning Best Newcomer in 2004, getting nominated for the Grammy-equivalent of Best Female Artist, Best Lyricist and Best Songwriter in 2005 and winning both of those titles in 2006. Nevertheless, Anna sang beautifully and even broke out "What Have I Done," complete with prerecorded strings. One of the highlights of Anna's set was her Loney Dear-borrowed vocal backup, Malin Stahlberg. It felt like identical twins were singing; their voices blended together so beautifully it was a borderline divine experience. I began to wonder if Loney Dear should start keeping tabs on their bandmate, cause I would completely understand if Anna decided to kidnap Malin for future concerts/recordings.

Next up was fellow-Swedenite Loney Dear (aka Emil Svanangen), who I fell in love with when Em and I saw them live at the Cedar Cultural Center a few months back. Friendly as always, Emil made adorable jokes and comments to the crowd, calling the sparks that the microphone occasionally gave him as "microphone kisses." Loney Dear played one well-crafted propulsive song after another, dotted with Emil's characteristic falsetto chanting and energetic teetering. The big moments of the night included the audience sing-along moments of "The Meter Marks OK," Emil's self-conducting with a mallet during "Violent," and the microphone/amp-free intimate performance of "In With The Arms." Loney Dear played a much longer set than Anna and they even bought themselves 4 more minutes at the end to play another song, much to the fans' delight. When they left the stage, one could not help but notice that their set had made the atmosphere one of optimistic cheer and warm fuzzies. As always, Loney Dear is a fantastic band to see live.

The shoegaze fizzy rockdeath of Asobi Seksu was up next, which entirely transferred that warm fuzzy feeling into a need to dance/headbang all your troubles away. Now I know this is always commented upon, but the Asobi Seksu lead singer, Yuki, is literally no taller than an eight year-old. The girl is tiny, yes, but at the same time, I wouldn't ever say that to her face, cause she's comes across as a bad-ass mother who don't take no crap off of nobody. When they got on the stage, she said, "We just drove for 30-something hours to get here, close to two days, so we're pissed off." The band decorated the stage with their own blue holiday lights and strobe lights (which were so intense that I'm pretty sure they gave me epilepsy) and kicked things off with "New Years." I quickly realized that Yuki really liked to headbang and sing with as much hair on her face as possible as I struggled to take photos of her. I moved to the back of the venue because the sound was too loud and clattering for my taste but soon after the band started to play more ethereal tunes like "Meh No Mae" and "Layers," and I could finally hear Yuki's clear voice shine through. A different crowd seemed to settle in by that part of the evening, one that wanted to rock and get lost in the shimmer of the grime. By the end of the set, I realized that part of the attraction of seeing Asobi Seksu live is that you get to escape the world for a little while inside a wonderful cacophonous cocoon.

It was an interesting evening and a great concert, full of folk-pop female singer-songwriter sound to multi-instrumented crafted sprawls to fizzy electric guitars and angry crunchy drums. Even though I wouldn't have put these bands all together, I highly recommend checking them out if they hit your town, cause it was a solid night of entertainment.

GFP Giveaway! Minneapolis Time.

This one goes out to all our Minnesotan readers (or folks visiting in the area). We've got a giveaway for two free tickets to see Loney Dear, Asobi Seksu and Anna Ternheim at First Ave (Hosted by The Current) on Oct 9th.

How to enter? Just shoot us an email at guiltfreepleasure@gmail.com (that's without the 's' at the end) entitled "GFP Giveaway" with a short reason why you want to go. Then we'll chose an email at random and email you back to get your info. Pretty easy.

Headlights and Loney Dear @ The Cedar

Sunday night I had the pleasure of seeing a show with my co-writer Lise at the Cedar here in Minneapolis. The Cedar is a nice space and I think it's really cool that it's a nonprofit, though I wished that this show hadn't been a sit-down affair since Headlights' music is very danceable.

The show started rather late because apparently Headlights' van broke down on the way to the show. They seemed a little stressed about it still when they performed, but they managed to have fun nonetheless and I had a lot of fun watching them. They played a very upbeat set with a lot of energy (maybe it was adrenaline left over from rushing to the show) and danced around, which made me wish that I could get up and dance but the audience was pretty laid back and I didn't want to be the only one. As much as I prefer a too quiet audience to a too loud audience, I kind of wished this audience had more energy and had thrown the chairs to the side to dance. Or had at least been moving around in their chairs a little more. Oh well. Headlights played all my favorites, including an old favorite ("Put Us Back Together Right") that I had kind of forgotten about since their new album came out, so that was delightful. They seemed like really cool, chill people who seemed really grateful (and relieved) to be there and be performing for us.

Cherry Tulips (TJ Lipple Remix) [mp3] - (iTunes)

Next up was Swedish band Loney Dear. I have to say, after the Headlights' dancing, high energy performance, Loney Dear seemed a little stiff. They still put on a good show though. Their music sounded really good and they masterfully played songs both calm and quiet (which sometimes started out without microphones) and full and fast. Frontman Emil Svanängen looks like a a big ol' teddy bear but he's got a memorable, powerful voice. And as for his band, you can tell these guys are all very talented musicians, despite the trouble they seemed to have keeping their guitars in tune, and they're very humble about it.

Airport Surroundings [mp3] - (iTunes)

More photos HERE.