THE HAWK IS HOWLING!

Every year I like to come up with one album which I think of as my 'Album of The Year' sort of deal. It's usually not the most blindingly brilliant release, but one that I just really really dug and stands out as my personal favourite. For example- 2005 came with what-will-be-remembered-forever classics such as Sufjan's Illinoise and Animal Collective's Feels, but my favourite for that year went to megarock album The Woods by now un-formed Sleater-Kinney. The point is, the album I 'choose' or whatever is usually something that stands out to me personally.

So far this year, I haven't been all that impressed. Disappointing releases by the likes of Wolf Parade (see pic-why Spencer, WHY?!!?!), Magnetic Fields and My Morning Jacket are all tousled amidst the Decent-to-great stuff by Beck, Atlas Sound and Xiu Xiu. But nothing has really stood out, until now.

Mogwai's newest one could have won me over on titles alone. The album is called THE HAWK IS HOWLING- one of the most badass titles I have ever read. But it doesn't stop there, gems among the tracklist include 'I'm Jim Morrison, I'm Dead,' 'The Sun Smells Too Loud' and 'I Love You, I'm Going to Blow Up Your School.' (I don't normally put in apostraphes for song titles but I thought it might get confusing with all the commas.) Strangely enough, many of the song titles fit the music they contain. The Sun Smells Too Loud is a bit druggy, sounding vaguely like a Boards of Canada track that has pumped up the testosterone, but you can definitely hear hints of sunshine and weird nostalgia/regret vibes. The mildly funny title of I Love You,... is actually quite downtrodden sounding, as if some insane lover really is plotting an insane attack.

I'm going to stop raving now and bravely (and tentatively) label The Hawk is Howling as My Album of 2008.

SOZ GUYS NO LINKS THIS TIEM










For the record, the last few 'album of the year'-esque titles have gone to the aforementioned Sleater-Kinney's The Woods, TV On The Radio's Return to Cookie Mountain and Sunset Rubdown's Random Spirit Lover.

I am a scientist

The new TV On The Radio album called Dear Science, is really nice. Their previous one, Return to Cookie Mountain, actually managed to be my favourite album from 2006, woohooo! This one is a bit less abstract and stripped down, but I'm finding with Dear Science, that my favourites are the slower, more melancholic songs rather than the I Was A Lover/Wolf Like Me types.

I have read Family Tree described as a Coldplay-esque piece, which I guess it kind of is. It has that big dramatic feel and super epic piano chords and strings etc., but it's still TV On The Radio! I am not that adverse to some Coldplay songs anyway... Love Dog is my other favourite- the beats are fucken amazing.

Lend an ear:

TV On The Radio - Family Tree
TV On The Radio - Love Dog

Diffenbachia

!!!STEREOLAB!!!

If there's been a way to build it
There'll be a way to destroy it
Things are not all that out of control
Stereolab - Crest

IF YOU ARE IN OVERCAST WEATHER TODAY LIKE ME THEN THIS IS THE SONG FOR YOU

ADMIT ADMIT YOU'RE SHIT YOU'RE SHIT!

It has come to my attention that although this blog is titled PUNK FUCKEN ROCK so far there has been not a lot of actual punk fucken rock featured. So here is my rectify! Buzzcocks are probably not as famous as The Sex Pistols or The Clash or The Ramones, but personally I like them better. Maybe it's because while yeah, it's 70's punk(or in this case, early 80's), it's also damn good pop music. So here are some trax from my favourite Buzzcocks album at the moment, A Different Kind of Tension.
Also, Pete Shelly is a Fucking Champ.

More actual punk rock will come eventually, I'm sure..

Buzzcocks - Sitting Round at Home
Buzzcocks - I Don't Know What to Do With My Life
Buzzcocks - I Believe

I won't fuck us over, I'm Mr. November!

I bought a bottle of wine yesterday, just because it was called "Arrogant Frog." It had won some award, or at least had a flashy sticker with something or other in french that I am assuming was an award. It didn't taste that great, I think. I'm not into wine that much. The point of this is that it reminded me of The National's song called All The Wine. I once was in the same city as The National and missed out on seeing them because I forgot to buy a ticket. This has happened to me several times, most recently with Parklife festival which will feature the likes of Peaches, Dizzee Rascal and Does it Offend You, Yeah? OH WELL.



So now I'm kind of in a nostalgia funk. I am kind of looking forward to going back to New Zealand at the end of the year but at the same time I know that when I get there I will want to come back. The National are good music for this. They are such a classy band. The video for Apartment Story which shows them playing at a Wedding is one of the greatest ideas ever for a music video because it suits the music so well.

LESSON OF THE BLOGPOST: don't put off buying tickets! I have a ticket to see The Faint in September, which is kind of exciting!

The National - All the Wine
The National - Baby, We'll Be Fine
The National - Mr. November

I'm not trapped in a box, I'm glancing at rocks, I'm dancing off docks

THE STREETS' NEW SINGLE IS HOT SHIT.

The truth I've told was silence sometimes
But whose soul does not hide any crimes
The Streets - The Escapist

Skippin' Little Stones

Soz, longtime no update etc.

YOU MAY RECALL recently or not so recently I guess one of my entries was about WEEN and how they are unfairly preconcieved as a novelty duo! But this is wrong. Ween are quite different from Flight of the Conchords, see?

Well. This entry will follow a similar theme of discrimination- N*E*R*D. THEY ARE NOT ONLY A HIP HOP GROUP! I mean, sure, their first album is kinda like that but it is also my least favourite. They make a meeeean pop song. Look at Wonderful Place from their second effort, Fly or Die. The title track is also good!

Their new one follows this trend but rather than lose momentum in the second half (as I feel fly or die does) it's solid all the way through. So don't just dismiss N*E*R*D as mindless rap music. They make rad tunes, yo. You Know What is funky. It is my favourite.

LISTEN.

N*E*R*D - You Know What
N*E*R*D - Spaz
N*E*R*D - Love Bomb