The Retrospective Begins...

As the year comes to a close, it's time for the requisite retrospectives. Before unleashing my favorite records of the year upon the world, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at some albums that should have made the list but didn't for one reason or another. So here goes, Tapes on the Floor's first annual 'Should Have Been One of my Favorite Albums of the Year List':

Album 4 - Doves
What gives guys? You hole up in a studio for a few months, promise a summer release, then neglect your blog for a few more month before breaking the news that it's not happening this year. After 2005's Some Cities, it's been a long wait for some new material. But Doves fans are used to these long waits, as the group are notorious perfectionists, staying in the studio until they have created something they're entirely happy with. At least we've heard a few prospective song titles at this point, so it's obvious they've made some progress. Here's hoping for an early 2008 release...

God Save The Clientele - The Clientele
Strange Geometry was one of my absolute favorite records of 2005, it's one of those albums you listen all the way through, without skipping a track. This would explain my displeasure with their disjointed 2007 release, God Save The Clientele. There are some high points, but it never really gels the way is seems like it should. Not a huge disappointment, but enough so that it cannot be counted among my favorite releases of 2007.

The Black and White Album - The Hives
I've always been a Hives fan; my first real concert was a Hives show and if I'd been blogging in 2004 Tyrannosaurus Hives would have been on my list of favorites. Since then, I haven't had a falling out with the guys, as much as I've wondered where the hell they'd went. Imagine my surprise when I hear of a new album, and a subsequent tour with Maroon 5. Thankfully, The Hives are just as raucous and fun as ever, but their new release doesn't quite live up to their records of old. It experiments a ton, which is admirable, but too many of these experiments fall flat on their face. Maybe next time fellas...

The Next Jim O'Rourke Album - Jim O'Rourke
If Jim O'Rourke had released anything in 2007, it probably would have made my list. I'm still holding out for a soundtrack from one of his films that he's supposedly devoting his time to...

Sound of Silver - LCD Soundsystem
James Murphy didn't get his wish of debuting at number 1 on the charts, but I'd say LCD Soundsystem had a pretty good year anyways (you can't scoff at a tour with Arcade Fire). The album is solid, but it's not all my cup of tea. "Someone Great" and "All My Friends" are the only two tracks I've found myself coming back to; the rest of the record seems to be running dangerously low on hooks.

Live Review: Arcade Fire/LCD Soundsystem

Last week was an excellent week; not only did I get the chance to see Oakley Hall but I also was finally able to bare witness to two much hyped acts who just happened to be touring together. I speak of course of LCD Soundsystem and the Arcade Fire, who played to a packed house Friday night at Promowest Pavilion. The night started out fairly early (around 7:30 or so) when James Murphy and company took to the stage for a one hour set of NYC dance punk. The group eased into their first song; a pretty long rendition of "Us v Them" which didn't quite sound quite as full as it should have live (could have just been a mixing snafu). "Daft Punk is Playing at My House" was sped up almost to the point of being unrecognizable, which made me begin to think we'd caught the band on a bad night. However, from that point out, something clicked especially when Win Butler and some of his Arcade Fire compatriots joined LCD to shout out the chorus of "North American Scum". The live renditions of Sound of Silver tracks "Someone Great" and "All My Friends" succeeded where the others had failed, particularity the latter which translated amazingly well into the live setting, becoming the anthem of the set. The highlight of it all was "Yeah (Crass Version)" which had pretty much everyone in attendance dancing, no small feat. The schmaltzy "New York I Love You" closed out the set, with Murphy adopting a few Sinatra-esque poses before walking from the stage to a roar of applause.

The opening strains of "Black Mirror" brought all 12 members of the Arcade Fire to the stage while old movie clips were projected on four small circular screens and the bass drum head. Flanked by a facade of organ pipes, a glowing projection of the Neon Bible and pulsating neon pillars, Win Butler and his band filled out the stage nicely. Live renditions of the album's key tracks, such as "No Cars Go", "Keep the Car Running", and "(Antichrist Television Blues)", were just as great as expected. "Intervention" and "Ocean of Noise" stood out in particular, the former for its booming pipe organ (kudos to whoever mixed that one) and the latter for the excellent live instrumentation, horns and all. Although the stage trappings would lead you to think otherwise, the night wasn't focused solely on the band's newest release. The band mined tracks from their debut record, EP, and even a single to fill out the rest of the set. Funeral was, thankfully, very well represented, including "Neighborhood #1-3" and "Haiti". Before launching into "Rebellion (Lies)", the final song of the main set, Win told the crowd to enjoy themselves as the Arcade Fire would not be back for sometime. However, this didn't keep the group from returning to the stage once more for an encore, concluding the night with the rousing "Wake Up". It's one of the first times I've ever felt truly compelled to sing along, the whole crowd helped out with the chorus and it sounded loud enough to reach the streets of nearby Columbus. The Arcade Fire was truly an experience, and likely one of those concerts I'll be able to remember pretty vividly for years to come. So nice of them to stop through Ohio before getting to work on the next record...

Photos care of brokenaccidentalstar

Looking Forward

As of today, I've officially been transplanted to Ohio University, and so far things aren't too bad here. It's all about easing into the lifestyle, and in many ways it still feels like I'm just beginning some week long vacation that's going to be over before I know it. In reality, I'm here for the long haul and as soon as classes start this Tuesday, I'm sure alot of things will kind of normalize and it'll become easier to drop into the groove of campus life. But enough about the present, this post is about what's in store...

In just two weeks, I'll be attending my first concert here in Athens; The Apples in Stereo live at the Union. Nice to see that a band of this stature takes the time to play a mid-sized college town like Athens. I just got a copy of the band's latest; New Magnetic Wonder, and it'll be interesting to see how much of it is pulled off in a live setting. Robert Schneider's voice is naturally pretty abrasive, so combined with some of the more complex electronic arrangements, their live sound is likely to be pretty loose and raw. But I'm not barring the chances of them blowing my mind and playing some near-studio quality renditions. Next up on the calendar (as I've previously mentioned) is the double billing of The Arcade Fire and LCD Soundsystem at Promowest. I'm really looking forward to this one, both bands have pretty reputable live shows so the combination of the two should deliver. It's also notable that this will likely be one of Arcade Fire's last US shows in support of Neon Bible. Does anyone else feel like that record just came out yesterday? I guess it's nice to see a band moving forward so quickly and attaining the accolade they deserve at the same time. Also in October, I'll be trying to make it out to the Shout Out Loud's show at the Basement. I've been a pretty big proponent of this Swedish group since hearing their debut album Howl Howl Gaff Gaff back in 2005. The tracks I've been hearing from their upcoming release Our Ill Wills sound like the perfect evolution for the band, maintaining their pop sound but pushing forward with some really great and mature sounding arrangement. It'll just be a blast to see how it's all pulled off in the live setting, and given that the Basement is one of the most intimate venues in Columbus, I might just learn a thing or two as well.

Beyond the aforementioned shows, everything else is a little nebulous right now. I'm definitely missing some great stuff due to college. For example; I won't be making it back for Wilco's October 16th show at Mershon Auditorium. I'm not too crushed, seeing as I got to see them this summer in Cincinnati, but I've been going to every Wilco related show in Columbus for about 2 years now, so not being able to make it to one is a bit of a let-down. Luckily, I think my family is going to pick up the slack and attend in my stead, so I'll likely still be able to share some photos and impressions. Ah well, just one of the sacrifices that has to be made for the sake of higher education...