Happy New Years!

Ian

"These sensations barely interest me for another day,

I've got the spirit, lose the feeling, take the shock away."

Merry Christmas!!!

Happy holidays! Hope everyone is as happy as that dude in the back.

The Kills - Silent Night

Spend this Christmas Eve with The Kills.

Recorded last year during a special session at BBC 6, Jamie and Alison capture the melancholy undertones of the holiday season in their heartbreakingly beautiful rendition of this classic. As joyous as this holiday is supposed to be, it wouldn't truly be a Christmas if there weren't a sense of lugubrious wistfulness -- something Vince Guaraldi, Charlie Brown, and The Kills understand eerily well.

Grab a glass of whiskey, and take a moment to get gutted by The Kills.

Twincest - Saint

By sending an email with the opening lines of “thought you might have a thing for bad bitches,” Twincest pretty much had me at “bad bitches.”

With their grimy bass lines, gyrating rhythms, and vocal acrobatics, Twincest sounds like the collision of MIA’s funk and Alison Mosshart’s scorching hell fire on the dark and twisted playground chants of Midnight Boom. Dripping with sexual malice, sneering vocals, and fuck off attitude these two Aussies are indeed two very bad bitches.

Shhhwiing!

Nirvana

Alison

The Fearless Vampire Killers – Mexico

I’m a bit late to the party on The Fearless Vampire Killers’ latest track, but it was just too good not to post.

With their brand of 60’s pyschadelic rock meets twisted horror rock, “Mexico” would have been perfect for Tarantino’s From Dusk Til Dawn. Bottom line, it’s a bloody good riot.

Stream “Mexico”, the first single from their second album, which is due out sometime next year, as well as the B-Side “Yer Blues.”

Top 10 Albums of 2012

Let’s get right down to it, AA’s favorite albums of the year.

#10 Zulu Winter - Language

Zulu Winter may have been pre-emptively panned by other reviewers for their prognosticated eventual turn towards more radio-friendly mainstream waters, but I don’t have a crystal ball and I don’t see anything wrong with their brand of gloomy New Wave.

Cold, distant, and minimal with its maudlin vocals, driving beats, and catchy hooks, Language unassumingly wiggles its way into your ear balls and stubbornly refuses to leave.

Perhaps NME’s Noel Gardner snarkily put it best: “You can imagine a future where debut album ‘Language’, with its nods to Echo And The Bunnymen gloom, gauzy electro-indie keyboard swirls and booming ’80s drums, went down as Zulu Winter’s mildly quirky preamble before they pulled out their Coldplay-ish big guns. And where defensive fans quacked on about “preferring the earlier stuff.”

That said, soak up their first album now and enjoy it in all its greatness before they join the ever growing ranks of the Merchants of Swill (of course, keep your fingers crossed that they don’t stoop to such depths).

#9 San Cisco – San Cisco

Adorably sunny Indie pop brought to you by the equally adorable and sunny quartet of Australians that make up San Cisco. Don’t expect to explore anything earth-shatteringly deep here, instead just let the good times roll. Like a rollicking day spent at the beach with your friends or the soundtrack to that quirky indie movie about the eccentric misadventures of a whimsical and social awkward teenager, San Cisco is the feel-good band of the year. 

#8 Frankie Rose - Interstellar

After bouncing around Brooklyn’s Indie pop scene as a member of the Vivian Girls, Dum Dum Girls, and Crystal Stilts, Frankie Rose has finally emerged as her own sonic entity on her second album.

Less jangle and more sparkly 80s inspired New Wave bangers a la The Cure, Rose opts for a pallet that combines the cold distance of space and the murky depths and freakish calm of the deep sea.  Immerse yourself in the dreamy soundscapes of Rose’s lush world filled with haunting echoes, catchy double claps, and 20-somethings wanderlust.

#7 Exitmusic – Passage

Following the heels of their insanely good EP From Silence comes Exitmusic’s highly anticipated debut album Passage.

Not so much dream pop as nightmare pop, Passage is filled with haunting melodies, icy soundscapes, and a lingering melancholy that will stalk your dreams. Masterfully juxtaposing the minimalism of solitary pianos or guitars and Aleksa Palladino’s quivering contralto with an all-out Specter-like wall of sound that blitzes your ears, Exitmusic sucks you into the whirlpool of their roiling emotional forays.

#6 Fiona Apple – The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than the Driver of the Screw…

It’s good to see that time hasn’t tempered Fiona Apple’s raw nerve-riddled sound. On her fourth studio album, she is every bit as emotional, beautiful, thoughtful, and poetic as she ever was. Always fiercely personal, The Idler Wheel plays like the volatile ups and downs of a tumultuous relationship. From the hopeful and determined courtship on the Peggy Lee “Fever”-esque “Hot Knife” to the adorably enamored “Anything We Want,” and ultimately the painful disintegration of “Regret.”

Underlying it all is a restless anxiety, in which you feel like every note is being wrenched from her body, taking with it chunks of flesh. It’s almost as if there are so many emotions, thoughts, dreams, and sentiments that she wishes to express all at once, but there’s a bottleneck and she can’t get it out fast enough.

Musically, you can hear her wriggling and writhing through theatrical soundscapes which incorporate a Broadway musical’s rhythmic gyrations to underscore gestures, words, and ideas as she paints her story with hypnotic melodies and vocal acrobatics. Bottom line, Fiona Apple is that rare musician who can make music bend around her life in a hyper-personalized manner and we’re just lucky she shares it with us.

#5 Wild Nothing - Nocturne

Moving beyond his bedroom, Jack Tatum aka Wild Nothing, has continued to refine and polish his sound, taking his brand of dreamy indie pop to the next level. Peacefully ebbing and flowing, Nocturne gorgeously captures the sepia-tinted dreamy nostalgia of youth, juvenile love, and reckless impetuosity in all its dizzying hopefulness.

In total, every track is carefully cut from the same shimmering fabric and the album plays like a tight cohesive whole with each song gently folding into the next, making it rather difficult to identify any particular standouts. That said, the addition of strings and hypnotically minimal guitar melodies on “Shadow,” “Nocturne,” and “Midnight Song,” add a bit of extra kick to the album’s introspectiveness.

#4 Dirty Projectors – Swing Lo Magellan 

While Swing Lo Magellan is far more accessible than their previous work, the album is still proof that David Longstreth and the trio of ghostly harmonizing beauties of Dirty Projectors are still some of the funkiest and most creative musicians around.

Bending and curving around asymmetrical beats and rhythms, Dirty Projectors continue to stretch the boundaries of our aural pursuits in novel directions, but this time around they've infused the album with more straight forward tracks like “Gun Has No Trigger” and “Swing Lo Magellan.” Pulsating with life and a previously unfound immediacy, owing largely to the fact that much of Longstreth’s vocals were actually the first time he ever sang the song.

Bottom line: The band’s seventh studio album is a real gem.

#3 Drunk Mums – Drunk Mums

Artistically masterful albums are great and all, but when you’re in the mood to crank up the speakers, throw on your leather jacket, and hit the streets in search a knock down humdinger of a drunken night, there’s nothing better than Drunk Mums.

Australia’s finest rapscallions bring you unabashed lo-fi garage punk in all its reckless abandon.

#2 Delta Riggs – Talupo Mountain Music Vol. II

I know it’s an EP, but you know what, it’s my list and my blog, so I make the rules. Anyhow, in this case, I have to make an exception for The Delta Riggs seeing as they know how to get you properly riled up for a night of pure anarchy – the bottle throwing, glass smashing, riot inciting kind.

Loud, brash, and insane, Delta Riggs are rock and roll at its best. Bluesy as all hell with scorching vocals, punishing guitar lines, and a jackhammer for a drummer, Talupo Mountain Music Vol. II is doctor recommended and physician approved to put some hair on your chest. Now get out there and light some shit on fire.

#1 Devin – Romancing

With a brylcreamed coif that matches his 50s sound, Brooklyn’s own Devin doesn’t just look the part, he’s the genuine article. Drawing on a bevy of influences Devin combines the sugary sweet rock of the 50s (think Frankie Valli’s “Beggin”) with the raw diesel of the Ramones and the glam guitars of The Strokes.

His debut album, Romancing, is a gleeful romp through a rapid fire succession of flamboyant barn burners. Like a real-life Johnny Suede, Devin’s got the loverboy blues not to mention a serious sneer and the frantic energy of a man on fire. With his aching heart and gritty guitar fuzz, Devin hits on all the classic themes of rock – girls, heartbreak, girls, longing, girls, and girls. Did I mention girls?

While some might say his sound is derivative, blatantly calling back on the gods of rock pre-Bowie and pre-Velvet Underground, he is entirely unpretentious in that he’s just a dude out to have a good time, thrash around on his guitar, sing about girls, and get you on the dance floor -- ain’t no harm in that.

Honorable Mentions

Chromatics - Kill For love

Raveonettes - Observator

Tame Impala – Lonerism

Inspiral Carpets - She Comes In The Fall

Oh Madchester, you get me every time.

Money For Rope – Disable Ksana

I just stumbled upon the wild sounds of Australia’s Money for Rope and I don’t even know how to begin.

If a dash of 60s psychadelics by way of Tame Impala by way of Jefferson Airplane along with a hit of 90s alt-rock riffs, Fred Smith of MC5, and plenty of surf rock were thrown into a roiling vat of molten plastic, you’d get the worst Tupperware ever as well as the mind-bending sounds of Money For Rope.

Stream “Disable Ksana” below and head over to bandcamp for more.

Best EPs of 2012

It wasn’t easy, but here they are, Aesthetes Anonymous’ five favorite EPs of 2012.

#5 The Griswolds – Heart Of A Lion

Because sometimes you just need some good indie dance floor bangers. I mean who doesn’t like a spontaneous dance party erupting from their speakers at 10:30 on a Wednesday morning with the full force of an all-night rager fueled by booze, coke, and ecstasy.  

Manically upbeat with its infusion of calypso beats and African stylings, but unlike Vampire Weekend, The Griswolds are just out to have a good time and tear up the floor. Think Cut Copy/Empire of the Sun meets Vampire Weekend.

#4 Cruiser – Cruiser

Summer never sounded so good, thanks to Cruiser and the good folks that produced Youth Lagoon’s debut album. Fuzzy vocals, 50s surf pop, and sugary sweet lyrics will have you rushing to the beach to lounge about in a hazy cloud of smoky relaxation.   

#3 NO – Don’t Worry You’ll Be Here Forever

New Wave meets surf rock? Hash tag. Mind. Frickin. Blown.

With booming floor toms, a deep baritone reminiscent of The National’s Matt Berninger, brain-searingly catchy hooks, twinges of the California sun, and lyrics filled with the hopeful yearning for a distant dream, NO shows you a side of the West Coast you never knew existed.

#2 The Preatures – Shaking Hands

I don’t know what it is about Australia, but lately they’ve produced a crop of killer southern blues inspired bands lately. It wasn’t easy deciding which one would make it to the top 5, but ultimately, it had to be The Preatures.

Rather than charging through everything with rollicking foot stomping barn burners (which is always a good thing), The Preatures saunter and leer their way through a kaleidoscopic swirl of influences. Swinging from dark psychedelic Doors-esque rock on “Pale Rider” to the bluesy Motown of “Take A Card” and “Young Brave Me” to the steamy “Threat,” the Shaking Hands EP is undeniably magnetic with its unique blend of styles. 

#1 Savages – I Am Here

Hell hath no fury like Joy Division incarnate. 

It’s not complete hyperbole to say that Savages is the second coming of Ian Curtis and his merry band. Nasty, short, and brutish, Savages exist in a state of nature with their punishing rhythms, Spartan minimalism, and violent energy that is seething with raw malice and wicked deliciousness. 

I haven’t seen a band with this much hype surrounding it that not only lives up to every expectation but exceeds it. Keep an eye out for big big things from this quartet in 2013. 

The King

The British Blues – Slow Your Mind

Something dark and twisted has The British Blues riled up. There’s an underlying sense of manic restlessness fueling the sound of this Aussie five piece that adds an amazing urgency to their southern blues tinted indie folk.

Have a listen to “Slow Your Mind,” a frenetic guitar-driven tune that speaks to a man on the edge of sanity.

Lee Fields & The Expressions – You’re The Kind of Girl

There are few things better than classic Motown soul, so what better than the instant vintage of Lee Fields, a long-time veteran of R&B whose played with Kool and the Gang, O.V. Wright, and Sammy Gordon and the Hip-Huggers.

“You’re The Kind of Girl,” taken from the recently released Faithful Man, is a proper cut of smoky soul that will have you double checking the release date just to make sure this isn’t a classic soul 45 from the 60’s.

While it may seem like hubris that inspired Fields to declare that he was probably one of the few “true soul singers” that’s left, one listen will confirm that fact and have you spreading the gospel of Lee Fields and the Expressions.

Have a listen below and be sure to snag a copy of Faithful Man out now on Truth & Soul Records.

Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders – Drunken Moon

With the tilted slant of a drunken leer, Brothers Grim & The Blue Murders have the fascinating charm of a hard drinking, staggering, bar brawling bruiser. Their brand of filthy slide guitars, sneering vocals, and rockabilly tinted blues rock reeks of psychedelic drugs, stale beer, and bourbon – in other words, just another rollicking night out.

Stream and download it below or watch the live performance, either way it’ll kick you in the crotch and leave you wanting more.

  Brothers Grim and the Blue Murders - Drunken Moon by Aesthetes Anonymous

Miles and Alison

OXBLVD – Got My Pipe (Oh! Oh!)

Twangy as all hell, it’s hard to believe that the four rapscallions of OXBLVD are from Australia and weren’t raised in the sweltering heat of the American south with bourbon in their blood and smoke in their lungs.

Have a listen to the steadily driving “Got My Pipe (Oh! Oh!)” that chugs along like a freight train plowing through the heart of America.

The Griswolds – The Courtship of Summer Presley

Forget that it’s two-pants weather outside with the deliciously breezy sounds of Australia’s latest indie darlings, The Griswolds.

In a span of only a few months, The Griswolds have taken the world by storm with a string of hits off their Heart of a Lion EP, and their latest single “The Courtship of Summer Presley” is no different. The airy guitars, light Vampire Weekend-esque beats, hilarious lyrics, and cozy vocals make for an instant beach party no matter how cold it is.

Get your beach on below and head to bandcamp to snag your copy.

Suede – Animal Nitrate

Just a bit of a flashback to the ground-breaking moment when Suede shocked the stuffy world of corporate music executives with their deliciously depraved performance of “Animal Nitrate” at the Brits in 1993.

The moment at 3:16 is absolutely priceless, with everyone in tuxedos slack-jawed and incredulously trying to make sense of what just occurred.

Have a gander at the performance below and then check out the clip from the BBC documentary Seven Ages of Rock, which offers the oral history of how this indie band got to the awards show in the first place.

AA Loves – Boy Girl Party

Have you heard the dangerously catchy sounds of Boy Girl Party?

These Brooklyn-based indie rockers know a thing or two about inciting spontaneous dance parties with their sugary sweet vocals, infectious whistles, and thumping bass lines.

Stream “Be A Jerk,” the lead single from their EP Dear Dear, and head over to bandcamp to score your free download.

Nice Weather For Ducks – 2012

To be honest, I can’t say I know much about Nice Weather for Ducks other than what I’ve been able to transcribe from their site into poorly worded English.

According to Google Translate, as I don’t speak The Portuguese, their sound is inspired by the coming Mayan apocalypse in 2012 and they’re currently building an ark with preferential placement to those with generators.

Apocalypse or not, I’m definitely hopping on a party boat with Nice Weather For Ducks. Taken from their aptly named album Quack, “2012” is a bit like Freelance Whales backed by a 16-bit video game system. Lush layers of sound wriggle and collide with one another to form a cuddly pile of expansive Indie pop.

Check out the video for "2012" below.

Debbie

Beliefs – Catch My Breath

Like a swift kick to the groin, Beliefs pack a serious wallop.

On “Catch My Breath,” this quintet from Toronto combine violent thrashing guitars with dreamy, washed out lyrics. The intro alone is worth the price of admission with a solitary feedback driven guitar that is eventually joined by a thumping bass drum and Tarantino-esque Western guitars that soon descend into the orchestrated chaos of shoe gaze.

The two song “untitled” single is currently out now on No Pain In Pop/Hand Drawn Dracula. Listen below and head over to Hand Drawn Dracula to grab your copy.  

Golden Silvers – Arrows of Eros

Flashback Friday all the way to 2009 with the short-lived Golden Silvers and their glittery brand of 80s disco pop.

Beware spontaneous dance parties may form when the following links are clicked.

Alison

Widowspeak – Ballad Of the Golden Hour

Excuse me as I pick my jaw up from off the floor, the sultry sounds of Widowspeak has filled me with far too much indecent happiness.

Channeling the sizzling sex appeal of a forlorn Nancy Sinatra, Widowspeak is the perfect backdrop for a Sergio Leone film. Dusty roads, lost loves, empty bottles of bourbon – Brooklyn’s Widowspeak churns out evocative emotional rides through the desert.

This is seriously amazing ish and the good news is that they've got a brand new album, Almanac, due out on January 22 via Captured Tracks.

Have a listen to the first single off their new album "Ballad of the Golden Hour," a guitar-driven Fleetwood Mac-tinted tale of time and yearning, as well as my personal favorite, "Gun Shy," which is clearly from the Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra School of Awesome.

San Cisco - Nepal

San Cisco, those loveable Aussies, are back with “Nepal,” a brand new cut off their debut self-titled LP.

Despite their youthful appearance, this Indie-pop quartet churns out tightly packed, adorably dreamy tracks sprinkled with catchy hooks, bright guitars, and airy synths.

Be sure to grab their self-titled LP which just dropped on November 23^rd, and if you haven’t already be sure to snag their EP Awkward.

Oh and just for the hell of it, here’s a clip from one of my favorite San Cisco jams, “Girls Do Cry,” from their EP Golden Revolver.

Hello Ocho – Party On A Raincloud

Check out the latest band to emerge from Atlanta, Hello Ocho,  who make insanely good experimental pop in the vein of Devandra Barnhart.

Lushly layered, sensual, smooth, and carnal, “Party On a Raincloud” sounds a bit like if Wu Lyf were really into tribal drumming, yoga, and kombucha and wanted to make a spiritual hymn to the gods of nature.

Check out the video, which was shot in a cave in Georgia and features a naked chorus, which means it’s not quite safe for work. At the same time, they’re not having an orgy or anything, they’re just sitting and singing peacefully in a cave.

Namaste? More like Namasty – yea, that one got away from me. Anyways, watch the video it's frickin good.

John and Jehn – Time For The Devil

I'm still reeling from the Savages' show at Mercury Lounge a few weeks ago and started to do a bit of digging into this enigmatic band and found lead singer Jehny Beth’s other project John & Jehn, a killer New Wave duo with some absurdly catchy tunes.

Bear with me if you like totally know this, but I couldn’t help but wonder how Savages was able to erupt onto the scene as full-fledged force of nature, and the fact that Savages co-founder and guitarist Gemma Thompson backed up Jehny Beth and her partner in crime John aka Nicolas Conge during their UK tour a few years back explains a lot.

Anyhoo, check out John & Jehn’s killer “Time For The Devil,” the title track off their second album as well as “And We Run.” Oh yea, and aside from their two killer albums, John & Jehn started the Pop Noire record label which Savages and LESCOP are signed to. NBD, they just kinda of sort of do it all.

The Murlocs – Tee Pee

The Murlocs, five scoundrels from Down Under, churn out some serious blues rock. Their leering blues harp, twinges of Wanda Jackson rockabilly, and southern twang, just scream out for a Marlboro, a Budweiser, and a shot of whiskey.

Stream their debut EP below and be sure to head over to bandcamp to grab your copy.

The Kills On Tour

Have a gander at these photos of The Kills on tour, taken by none other than Alison and Jamie themselves. For the full album, head over to Facebook.

The Interest Group – The Passenger

The Interest Group makes some serious throwback psychedelic folk a la Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazelwood. Their mellow rhythms, gorgeous Connie Francis-esque vocals, Lithium haze, and ghostly organs will have you questioning whether this is really 2012.

The Foreign Films – Sweet Sorrow

Piano-driven pop hasn’t been done this well in a long time.

On The Foreign Films’ latest single “Sweet Sorrow” the genius and inspiration of the Beatles, Todd Rundgren, and Ben Folds Five can be clearly heard. Lush layers, immaculately arranged instrumentation, a catchy piano hook, fiery electric guitar lines, and extreme musicality make for one helluva song.

Have a listen below and head over to bandcamp where you can score a free download.

Van She - Jamaica

Because sometimes you just need some glittery 80's-tastic dance-floor bangers to make life okay.

Taken from Van She's latest album Idea of Happiness, out now on Modular People.

 

Allison

La Sera – Real Boy/Drive On

I know I’m really late on this one, but have you seen the video for La Sera’s “Real Boy/Drive On?”

The video is an amazing split feature in the style of Planet Terror/Deathproof. La Sera aka Katy Goodman of Vivian Girls, leaps visually from gauze-filtered vaudevillian flash back to grindhouse terror and aurally from sugary sweet 50s pop to dark 60s-inspired noir a la David Lynch meets Link Wray.

It’s well worth the 4 minutes and 45 seconds of your day, so do yourself a favor and just click play. Your welcome.

VOTE!

Get out there and vote today. I've taken the last few days off work to help some buddies out on the campaign trail in New Hampshire to make sure Barry O gets another shot at the title, so the least y'alls can do is take the time to vote! Seriously, you're an asshole if you don't vote.

Lowlakes – Cold Company

Check out the icy smooth sounds of Australia’s Lowlakes.

Apparently “Cold Company” has been compared to “everything from Sigur Ros to Antony & The Johnsons,” but as far as vocals go, all I hear is late career comeback Cher (think Cher’s effects-laden vocals on “Believe” and her signature slides) – and as someone who loves Cher in all her fabulousness, I mean that in the best of ways.

Now let’s quickly and quietly move past the fact that I’ve just outed myself as a Cher fan and on to the fact that Lowlakes creates a stirring ethereal mix of cyclical piano lines that collide with a droning guitar over a dark 80’s inspired beat that would have been perfect for the Drive soundtrack.

Have a gander at the mesmerizing video below.

The Growl – Smoke It Down

The Growl recently released the video for the slow-burning “Smoke It Down.”

Their brand of sensuous blues rock reeks of stale beer and sweat, and is filled with dark, roiling voodoo guitar lines and a thrumming drum line that shakes your soul.

Have a gander at the hypnotically depraved video for “Smoke It Down” below. Their self-released EP Cleaver Leaver is out now.

The Kills – I Call It Art

As blasphemous as it is to say, I must make the bold claim that this Kills rendition of “I Call It Art,” is even better than the original. Sorry Mr. Gainsbourg, the original vocals just didn’t do the hypnotic melody justice, while Allison Mosshart nails it with her dark sultry voice.

AA Loves – Elliot & the Ghost

Curse these metal hands! Well, not so much my metal hands as my life-consuming day job that keeps me from getting through the deluge of emails I get from bands in a timely manner (also ten points if you caught that reference).

Anyhoo, I’m terribly upset with myself for missing out on Brooklyn’s own Elliot & The Ghost at CMJ this year.

From The Beatles-tinted “Last Days” to “Cruel Treats,” a smoldering piece of dark blues rock that’s perfect for a Tarantino-esque cannonball run through the cool desert night, Elliot & The Ghost prove to be a unique mix of blues, folk, and southern rock.

Depending on how you look at it, this four-piece is either an indie-folk band steeped in diesel, stale beer, and cheap bourbon or a dirty blues rock band that’s really into jangling 60’s rock. Either way, Elliot & The Ghost mean business, so stream their debut EP Dark Days below and be sure to head over to bandcamp to pick up a digital copy.