Shifty's Annual Monthly Album Rundown Overview- January 2015

It was a good month for music, man. Cool. 

Everything on here gets a Shifty Seal of Approval!!!!!

#thingsiliked

Panda Bear- Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper

-I like this cause it's got some sweet tunes on it. Panda Bear is fam, man. Not as good as Person Pitch, but I can't name a lot of things that are. #givetheguyabreakokay

Justin Townes Earle- Absent Fathers

-Someone's got some daddy issues. Guess who it is. It's Justin Townes Earle. Sorry man. #thiswholealbumisadisstrack

Alex Calder- Strange Dreams

-This guy is good friends with Mac Demarco. That explains a lot. V chill. #thereisabigdifferencebetweenlazinessandlethargy

Sleater-Kinney- No Cities to Love

-There are plenty of cities to love. #amiright  

Napalm Death- Apex Predator

-Grindcore man. Does this album skew more towards hardcore punk or death metal? Let's have a discussion about putting things in a box or something. #whocaresimjustinitforthetinnitus

Pond- Man It Feels Like Space Again

-You're goddamn right it feels like space again. These guys are answering all of the hard life questions. #nicealbumtitle

#thingsilikedliked(These ones get two Shifty Seals of Approval)

Joey Bada$$- B4Da$$

-Probably the best album title of all time. So much effort was put into that, ya know. Cause it's like his name and he doesn't have $$ yet. So smart. So hip. So hop. Good beats. Good lyrics. I liked 1999 a little better, but that doesn't matter. 90's kids man.  #only90skidswithbackpackswillunderstand

Viet Cong- Viet Cong

-Very spooky stuff. My favorite album from this month. I like the last song on this album the most cause cause it's really long and it has a pretty name. #listentothiswhenyouarelootingthroughcansofbeansduringtheapocalypse

The Rundown of the Triple J Hottest 100

This year's Triple J Hottest 100 list is now in, as of about 4 am EST today. If, like me up until about a week ago, you hadn't heard of this list before, it's fairly simple: for Australia day, 2 million fans of the station voted the 100 best songs of the year while paying special attention to artists that may have been passed up by more conventional year end lists. The nationally networked Australian station has helped raise up many Australian artists and shined a lot on a lot of artists not appreciated in their own countries. Minus the disqualification of T-swifty, the poll is intended to be the "world's greatest music democracy." Tell us what you think about that, and if you anything to say about the ranking of these songs.

 Oh, and enjoy the playlists - YouTube - Spotify

100: Tkay Maidza - Switch Lanes

99: Ball Park Music - Trippin' the Light Fantastic

98: Bombay Bicycle Club - Luna

97: Japanese Wallpaper - Between Friends ft. Jesse Davidson

96: SAFIA - Paranoia, Ghosts & Other Sounds

95: Thelma Plum - How Much Does Your Love Cost?

94: Sticky Fingers - Liqourlip Loaded Gun

93: Vance Joy - Georgia

92: One Day - Love Me Less

91: Meg Mac - Bridges (Like a Version)

90: Thundamentals - Got Love ft. Solo

89: Cold War Kids - First

88: DZ Deathrays - Gina Works at Hearts

87: Briggs - Bad Apples

86: Sticky Fingers - Just For You

85: CHVRCHES - Get Away

84: Foo Fighters - Something From Nothing

83: British India - Wrong Direction

82: Hopium - Dreamers ft. Phoebe Lou

81: The Avener - Fade Out Lines

80: Rise Against - I Don't Want To Be Here Anymore

79: Jack White - Lazaretto

78: Thundamentals - Quit Your Job

77: Highasakite - Since Last Wednesday

76: Kingswood - Micro Wars

75: 360 - Live It Up ft. PEZ

74: Duke Dumont - I Got U ft. Jax Jones

73: Röyksopp & Robyn - Do It Again

72: Run the Jewels - Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck) ft. Zach De La Rocha

71: The Amity Affliction - The Weigh Down

70: Odd Mob - Is It A Banger

69: The Smith Street Band - Surrender

68: Bring Me The Horizon - Drown

67: Jungle - Busy Earnin' 

66: clipping. - Work Work ft. Cocc Pistol Cree

65: Allday - Right Now

64: The Amity Affliction - Don't Lean On Me

63: The War on Drugs - Red Eyes

62: Angus & Julia Stone - Heart Beats Slow

61: Andy Bull - Talk Too Much

60: Childish Gambino - Sweatpants ft. Problem

59: Röyksopp & Robyn - Monument (The Enevitable End Version)

58: Ball Park Music - Everything Is Shit Except My Friendship With You

57: Hilltop Hoods - Walking Under Stars

56: Kingswood - I Can Feel That You Don't Love Me

55: CARIBOU - Can't Do Without You

54: CHVRCHES - Do I Wanna Know? (Like a Version)

53: Kendrick Lamar - i

52: Flight Facilities - Sunshine ft. Reggie Watts

51: Courtney Barnett - Pickles From the Jar

50: Vance Joy - First Time

49: TV On The Radio - Happy Idiot

48: DMA's - Delete

47: Lorde - Tennis Court (Flume Remix)

46: Meg Mac - Grandma's Hands

45: FKA Twigs - Two Weeks

44: Milky Chance - Flashed Junk Mind

43: Jamie T - Zombie

42: Kim Churchill - Window To The Sky

41: Carmada - Maybe

40: Broods - Mother & Father

39: Flight Facilities - Two Bodies ft. Emma Louise

38: First Aid Kit - My Silver Lining

37: Alison Wonderland - I Want U

36: Hilltop Hoods - Won't Let You Down ft. Maverick Sabre

35: Allday - You Always Know The DJ

34: SBTRKT - New Dorp. New York ft. Ezra Koenig

33: San Cisco - Run

32: Lana Del Rey - West Coast

31: Childish Gambino - Sober

30: Thundamentals - Something I Said

29: The Preatures - Somebody's Talking

28: The Griswolds - Beware the Dog

27: Banks - Beggin For Thread

26: alt-J - Hunger Of The Pine

25: Bluejuice - I'll Go Crazy

24: Meg Mac - Roll Up Your Sleeves

23: Future Islands - Seasons (Waiting On You)

22: The Amity Affliction - Pittsburgh

21: Chet Faker - Lover (Like a Version)

20: Sticky Fingers - Gold Snafu

19: Ball Park Music - She Only Loves Me When I'm There

18: Lorde - Yellow Flicker Beat

17: Illy - Tightrope

16: alt-J - Left Hand Free

15: The Kite String Tangle - Arcadia

14: alt-J - Every Other Freckle

13: Vance Joy - Mess Is Mine

12: Glass Animals - Gooey

11: ZHU - Faded

10: Ásgeir - King And Cross

9: Sia - Chandelier

8: Chet Faker - 1998

7: Chet Faker - Gold

6: Mark Ronson - Uptown Funk ft. Bruno Mars

5: Peking Duk - Take Me Over ft. SAFIA

4: Milky Chance - Stolen Dance

3: Hilltop Hoods - Cosby Sweater

2: Peking Duk - High

1: Chet Faker - Talk Is Cheap

Close Your Eyes And Count To Meow

Fancy Feast© your eyes and ears on these early samples of Meow the Jewels. I don't think it would be presumptuous to call this the finest example of feline-based hip hop since Cat City. EL-P has been hard at work on his portion of the album, and will have help from Dan the Automator, The Alchemist, and Zola Jesus. The album is clearly already a contender for GOAT, and that was before announcement of the inclusion of Lil Bub's dulcet meows. Don't let these poor kittens' work go to waste. 

Amason (am-uh-zon): Your New Favorite Swedish Indie-pop Band

These guys' dreamy 80's pop sound really took me by surprise. It's good to have a Swedish band that isn't screaming at me about how bleak their existence is! Their first album comes out in the states in two weeks (1/27). NPR has the first listen here.

The Dream of the 90's Lives on Next Week

Sometimes there comes a week that makes almost everyone at Von's Records happy...almost.

Rabbit is always heartened when a beloved 90's band  bursts back onto the scene with a good album. This week, we have two releases that have most of us here giddy with anticipation. Sleater-Kinney is back after their nine year hiatus with what critics are calling one of their best albums to date. Check out the video for the album's title track "No Cities to Love" featuring Carrie Brownstein's Portlandia costar Fred Armisen along with a bunch of other people you may recognize.

I've listened to this album streaming on NPR a few times now. It is excellent.

Next week also brings us the first full album of new content in five years from another 90's favorite, Belle and Sebastian. Dr. McNinja has been talking up Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance around the shop like crazy, but don't take his word for it because he's not actually a doctor! I, your friendly neighborhood Hawkguy give this album my full endorsement. If you're into music that manages to be both lyrically rich and incredibly fun to listen to, look no further.

The final album of note debuting next week is the return of the Decemberists after their five year break after 2010's excellent The King is Dead. Bearded Sad Man almost cracked a smile when their new album, What A Terrible World, What A Beautiful World was announced. Their new music video brought tears to his eyes...well, more tears. 

So, there you have it. Three reasons to be excited for new music to put in your earholes this coming Tuesday. I'm sure you'll be hearing all of us here playing this stuff for the next few months. Well, everyone except George Washington Christ who hates all things 90's as well as anything that brings joy to others... He'll probably just be listening to his depressing folk singers wishing the rest of us would go ahead and die already... 

This Actually Happened.

MZ's Top Music of 2014

(in no particular order)

New Pornographers: Brill Bruisers

Oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh,

oh, oh, oh. Oh, oh, oh, oh,

oh, oh. Au go-go!

Spoon: They Want My Soul

Mayakovsky rolls

over. Britt shits on Merge, and

Uni swallows Spoon.

Interpol: El Pintor

My blue Olds never

cruised like Banksie's machine.

Fuck Pitchfork and ride!

Swans: To Be Kind

Sweet fifty-nine, Mike

Gira still makes music to make

pain make music pain.

Kishi Bashi: Light

Half Japanese who

can mimic Ray Davies?

Chemicalize me!

War on Drugs: Lost in the Dream

Dazzling sounds borne of

loneliness, depression and death.

Affirm! Play! Affirm!

Watch this Video or Tyler Kills a Puppy. Don't Let This Happen.

So yeah. New Decemberists. Get the fuck on this.