A Baltimore Based Indie Music Blog
It’s been a wonderful 2009 and Pasta Primavera is so thankful to have the support from all our dedicated readers. I hope you all have an awesome (and safe) New Years. Talk to you in 2010!!
mp3: Vandaveer – Auld Lang Syne
mp3: Sea Wolf – I Made A Resolution
mp3: Wild Light – New Year’s Eve
mp3: The Walkmen – In The New Year
mp3: Michael Zapruder – Happy New Year
mp3: Thrushes – New Year’s Kiss
One of the first releases I was pumped about for 2010 was my boy RJD2’s 4th LP The Colossus, the first on his own label RJ’s Electrical Connections. People hoping for a new Deadringer will be disappointed. People hoping that it wasn’t another The Third Hand can be happy. The Colossus is more along the lines of his second album Since We Last Spoke, though RJ is still dabbling in the singing department (ala The Third Hand) with this one. I would say about 1/3 of the album is too R&B-ish for my tastes, but the other 2/3 is solid and shows off RJ’s knack for stuttered yet funky beats and unique melody riffs/hooks. The highlight for me comes on “A Son’s Cycle” which features Catalyst, Illogic, and NP. RJD2 goes back to hip hop with this murky track…a place I wish he would have visited a bit more on the LP.
Here’s the lead single from The Colossus featuring Kenna:
mp3: RJD2 – Games You Can Win (featuring Kenna)
and now for some classics:
mp3: RJD2 – Clean Living off of Since We Last Spoke
mp3: RJD2 – June (featuring Copywrite) off of Deadringer
The Colossus comes out on January 19th. Pre-order it here.
Pasta Primavera gets A LOT of music submissions from folk/singer-songwriter acts over the course of the year. Most fall by the wayside. It’s not bad music, just nothing that has spark to it. Laura Veirs‘ July Flame, her 7th studio album, easily could have found the same fate, but Veirs has harnessed something with this album. Her songwriting chops are superb (think female version of Andrew Bird or even a similar sound to St. Vincent), but it’s the little nuances of strings and noise on some tracks, particularly the lead single “Wide-Eyed, Legless”, that caught me and transform a pretty decent folk pop album into an album to talk about. Colin Meloy of The Decemberists and Jim James of My Morning Jacket (he sings on a few tracks) are pumping July Flame up. Meloy even says it’s one of 2010’s best. Little early for that, but definitely worth your ears for a few minutes.
mp3: Laura Veirs – Wide-Eyed, Legless
July Flame comes out on January 12, 2010 via Bella Union.
As I recovered from this wonderful Christmas holiday I had a little time to scan through the pile of music from 2009. I realized that there were a number of songs that I simply adored, but didn’t find themselves on any of my top albums of the year. These songs do however deserve to be recognized so here they be:
mp3: Atlas Sound – Walkabout (with Panda Bear)
The album was good but didn’t manage to jump to my best of list…this track however was aces and has me thoroughly pumped for a possible new Panda Bear album in 2010.
An infectious track by a brother duo based out of DC. Keep an eye out for their debut LP soon.
These boys didn’t bless us with an album, but this single via Green Label was a burner!
mp3: Despot – Look Alive (produced by Ratatat)
Man I hope there is more from this dude…and I have even more hope that Ratatat is involved as well.
mp3: King Charles – Time Of Eternity
KC hasn’t found much playtime in the states, but he’s another dude to watch out for.
mp3: Miike Snow – Animal
Their album was hit and miss for me, but this lead single (and the truck load of remixes that followed) made me seriously smile/dance on the first listen.
mp3: Soft Cat – Silver Babies Sun
Comprised of members of Talking Tiger Mountain and Weekends, Soft Cat, a Baltimore meets Texas affair impressed me from these first few singles/demos. If you like The Antlers, which I do, then you will most certainly dig Soft Cat.
mp3: Sensual Harassment - Soldier
I’m anticipating big things for these dudes in 2010. I could not stop playing this song for a solid month this year.
Their album was another that didn’t quite make my top list, but man is this song catchy. CATCHY!
While putting together my top albums list the last few weeks I thought it would be absurd not to devote a post to some of my most listened to remixes from this past year as well. Sometimes the art form of the remix can be a bit over looked simply because everyone and their mother is a friggin dj these days, but none the less there were a handful of tracks that were the highlight of many a mixtape for me. Take a listen (in no particular order of importance) and have a Merry Christmas!!!
mp3: Animal Collective – Daily Routine (Phaseone Remix)
mp3: Billy Joel – For The Longest Time (iamxl Remix)
mp3: Dragonette – Fixin To Thrill (Villains Remix v. 2)
mp3: Florence + The Machine – You’ve Got The Love (The XX Remix)
mp3: Fever Ray – Seven (CSS Remix)
mp3: HEALTH – Die Slow (Tobacco Remix)
mp3: Height With Friends – Jackson Whites (Mrs. Paintbrush Remix)
mp3: Little Boots – New In Town (The Golden Filter Remix)
mp3: Moby – Mistake (Lifelike Remix)
mp3: Peter Bjorn and John – Nothing To Worry About (Woodhands Remix)
mp3: The Sounds – Beat Box (Hey Champ Remix)
mp3: The Hood Internet – Dead Prez vs. Grizzly Bear – Two Weeks Of Hip Hop
mp3: Wale – Chillin ft. Lady Gaga (The Knocks Remix)
mp3: Wye Oak – That I Do (Mickey Free Remix)
After 5 days of sickness and 20+ inches of snow on the ground I’m finally back to posting. What better way to get back to it than with my top albums of 2009.
20. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest | Buy
19. Deastro – Moondagger | Buy
18. Memory Tapes – Seek Magic | Buy
17. Yeah Yeah Yeahs – It’s Blitz | Buy
16. The Very Best – Warm Heart Of Africa | Buy
15. Sunset Rubdown – Dragonslayer | Buy
14. jj – jj No. 2 | Buy
13. The xx – xx | Buy
12. Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy | Buy
11. Bat For Lashes – Two Suns | Buy
My hip-hop consumption has been at an all time low as of late, but Mos Def’s resurgence with The Ecstatic was simply aces in my book. Sure it was no Black On Both Sides, but it easily comes in a close second to it.
mp3: Mos Def – History (featuring Talib Kweli) | Buy
Everyone knows Dan Deacon isn’t an “album” artist. He’s a live performer and that’s the only way to experience him is you’d like to truly experience Deacon. That being said Bromst shows Deacon harnessing his chaotic electronics and expand on them in a way I didn’t think was possible for him.
mp3: Dan Deacon – Build Voice | Buy
No album surprised me more this year than Girls’ Album. The Elvis Costello meets a tripped out Springsteen sound hooked me easily.
mp3: Girls – Hellhole Ratrace | Buy
If this list was for best pop albums of the year Wolfgang would win it hands down. Phoenix nailed this album on so many levels.
mp3: Phoenix – Lisztomania | Buy
This album slowly built a head of steam and eventually grabbed the praise it deserved. Heartfelt and powerful.
mp3: The Antlers – Kettering | Buy
Many might be surprised to see this local Baltimore band’s album so high on my list. Let me first say that I’m really not a big fan of hardcore music…but what Double Dagger did with More is hard to not give props to. The amount of detail and intelligence pumped into each track has made them one of my new favorite bands of Baltimore. They redefined their own sound on More as well as set the standard for their genre (IMO).
mp3: Double Dagger – The Lie/The Truth | Buy
Does everything Karen Dreijer Anderson touch turn to gold? Yes. Her debut album with Fever Ray is a deep pulsating somber electronic masterpiece.
mp3: Fever Ray – Seven | Buy
Another sophomore album that hit’s the mark. Noah and The Whale follow up their bright and sunny debut with a more somber yet absurdly more epic album.
mp2: Noah and The Whale – Blue Skies | Buy
I knew by hearing most of these tracks live for a while now that local duo Wye Oak’s second album The Knot was going to be a winner, but I was still shocked when I first took that inaugural listen. Andy and Jen have made a classic album that I will listen to for a very long time…
mp3: Wye Oak – Take It In | Buy
When this album came out I was pretty sure it was going to be my favorite album of the year. Some devoted fans thought the band went a bit too mainstream, and some flat out hated it. I was never a devoted fan, but I followed and enjoyed much of their back catalog. Animal Collective went above and beyond and stretched their spaced out psychedelia into a new dimension.
Also this is the first piece of music my wife and I listened to after our new baby boy was born this year – so that makes it pretty hard to top in my book.
mp3: Animal Collective – My Girls | Buy
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Well that’s it and now that I look at it I could easily switch this list around, add some in, take some out, and still be completely satisfied with it. 2009 was a GREAT year for music…can’t wait for 2010.
Sorry for the lack of posts the last few days…I’ve been taken over by a bastard of a head cold. Once the fog in front of my eyes clears, I’ll be back to business as usual.
mp3: Katie Stelmanis – I’m Sick
Washed Out, aka Ernest Greene straight outta Georgia, friggin’ kills. The Life Of Leisure EP is SUPER. Get it if you don’t have it. Also try and snag the High Times cassette if you can find it. He’s just released a new video for the track “Belong” directed by Blake Salzman. Washed Out’s neon disco space glo-fi throwback sound gets appropriate coloring with Salzman’s effort here:
mp3: Washed Out – Belong
Washed Out – Belong (Music Video) from Blake Salzman on Vimeo.
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