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