09 October 2006

EAR FARM checks in with the Elbo.ws top 10

After checking in with the Elbo.ws top 10 'hot' artists weekly for a few months now, I've noticed things not changing so rapidly there. Given that that's the case, I'm going to cease doing these 'EAR FARM checks in with the Elbo.ws top 10' on a weekly basis and move it to a monthly occurrence. Let's be honest, there's only so much I can say about dynamic dung like The Killers before I'm just copying and pasting the same thing over and over again.

As always, these comments are my own opinion. If you disagree with what I've said here or have something to say about any of the artists, by all means...say it!

Elbo.ws top 10 'hot' artists - 9 October 2006 @ 5:00pm EST

The Hold Steady - I just bought their album Boys and Girls in America this past weekend but haven't even gotten around to listening yet because another record I bought at the same time just won't leave my CD player. I hear it's really good though.

Beck - Recently, on another site, I called Beck's songs "musical empty calories". I'm keeping that as my opinion of his artistic output (for the most part) from the past ten years until I hear something from Mr. Hansen that shows growth, merit, or long-term listenability.The Decemberists - Alright, so their album The Crane Wife is the other record I mentioned above. I can't stop listening to it, it's without a doubt their greatest album to date and a very nice surprise in terms of what I expected with their major label debut. Check 'em out here doing a song by Echo & the Bunnymen.The Killers - The Killers don't deserve their 'too cool' name (it really should be the name of a rockabilly revivalist band) and they don't deserve to be able to site bands like The Smiths as influences. Why? Well, let me repeat something I've already said about them: "the new stuff I've heard by them reminds me of a mixture of Meatloaf and Mike + the Mechanics. In case you don't know, that's only appealing if you're a 45 year old balding dude who likes to cling to the past."Cold War Kids - Saw these guys live and thought they were 'good' but not 'great'. I don't think it's fair that they should be judged as either 'the next big thing' or 'over-hyped' before they've had the chance to grow into themselves (as a band) a bit more. Their album Robbers & Cowards comes out tomorrow...there's potential here for sure.The Stills - Would you understand what I'm saying if I were to say "there are at least five to ten other bands from Montreal I'd rather listen to"? If not, get with it. The Stills bore me more than is acceptable.TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain rules my world, still, and I'm excited to finally see these guys live after many years of meaning to do so. This band gives me hope that indie music is going to keep sounding fresh and interesting for years to come. TVOTR, TVOTR!Ben Kweller - Dear Ben, I've been doing some thinking. I don't know if I really NEED you to be making music. I'm just not that in to you. Sorry. Um...it's not you, it's me?Junior Boys - Reissue! Reissue! Repackage! (I'm talking about myself there, not Junior Boys...I just don't feel like I want to come up with new things to say about them thus, here's something from before) "They just released a new album, yes? I bought the last one from them and found myself unable to get into it no matter how much I tried, yes? This makes no sense given that my tastes can tend towards synth/electro-pop at times, therefore I'll give them another chance, yes? The song "In The Morning" makes me want to make-out with a trust-a-farian on a dance floor in the West Village, yes?"Jay-Z - The answer is: bored with his woman...poor...retired...from someplace other than Brooklyn...as good as he was when he made The Black Album... What are, things Jay-Z will never be?? Correct.
    Go listen to "Show Me What You Got" over at Soul Sides

1 comment:

cindy hotpoint said...

Dear Ben, I've been doing some thinking. I don't know if I really NEED you to be making music. I'm just not that in to you. Sorry. Um...it's not you, it's me?

My sentiments exactly. I kind of feel this way about Ben Lee too.