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Wavves

Tuesday, February 10th, 2009

Photo via surfgoth.

The band is Wavves, the album is Wavvves and you will probably hate both.

I’ve been into Wavves for a couple of months now and since discovering them (mostly just a him, San Diego’s Nathan Williams) I have been able to find at least a couple of new songs each week. The songs are coated with such a thick sludge of distortion that it takes multiple listens to catch what is really happening at the base of it all. Each listen exposes a little bit more of the wonderfully crafted songs underneath but most people won’t be able to make it that far. Most people will disregard these songs and this band. Most people will hate this music. Don’t be that person.

This music is awesome and passionate and is worth taking the time to understand. Give it a shot. If you still hate it go check out No Age (which I have featured here many times), Wavves are what I would consider the next logical step in the lo-fi droney fuzz punk that No Age are currently pioneering.

When Pitchfork gives this album an 8.4 you can tell your friends you heard it here first and isn’t that what this blog thing is all about?

Wavves – Teenage Super Party
Wavves – Side Yr On
Wavves: February 6, 2009 Market Hotel.zip
(Full Show Courtesy of nyctaper, later removed at the request of nyctaper)

No Age’s album Nouns clocks is at just under 31 minutes. I cannot name another album that packs so much emotion, raw energy and beauty into such a short amount of time. Every damn song is moving. Errand Boy has been a particular favorite of mine since the beginning. The band works in slowly before destroying the song and leaving it hanging by a thread until eventually fading out entirely. It’s fucking perfect.

“With Passion It’s True.”

No Age are going to be one of the most important bands in rock. As I said in my last podcast, I believe No Age have the potential to impact rock music in a way similar to Nirvana. This band is doing something new and exciting and once they write music that is slightly more accessible the mainstream will catch on. Just.You.Wait.

Posted in No Age, Wavves | 4 Comments »

LivingEars Best of 2008: Albums

Friday, December 12th, 2008

If you follow the site and the podcasts much of this list may not come as a surprise, I’ve been talking about these bands since we launched and have featured songs from most of these albums in a podcast (or two!). You’d be doing yourself a favor by purchasing any of these albums, Titus and No Age for that young punk in all of us, Okkervil River for those times we need to feel inspired, Sebastien Tellier for when we need to set the mood and The Hold Steady for the aging (slightly!) punk in all of us.

In addition to the albums featured below, Los Campesinos! put out two albums this year, one was okay (We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed) and one was top notch (Hold On Now, Youngster…). The latter would have made this years list but it leaked late in ’07 and ended up on last years list. Be Your Own Pet made an excellent album (and sadly it ended up being their last). We Are Scientists had a pretty cohesive and strong release with Brain Thrust Mastery. Fucked Up and Frightened Rabbit also put out some really great music this year. But in the end the 10 albums below just got more play and were stronger as a whole. I hope you find something you like.

Nowadays, sadly, the more interesting year end lists are the song lists. I will feature my favorite songs of ’08 in an upcoming podcast and, because of that, the albums list is not going to highlight an album’s best song but rather what I would consider to be the next best song. Hooray for judging art!

1. Titus Andronicus – The Airing of Grievances