Neon Bible.

Everyone, and I mean everyone, knows of my unabashed love and adoration (even disgustingly psychotic obsession) with The Arcade Fire. I just can't sing their praises enough and I'm not saying they're the greatest band in the world (though they pretty much are), but it's the way they function as a band. The way they give their all all the time, and their exquisite sing-a-longs amongst the crowd after their sets. They're adorable and dream-like troubadours of beauty.

This is just one more example:

Pandas, Tokyo, and Death.

So to start, here's just a few albums I've been listening to lately.


Panda Bear - Person Pitch [2007]
I found out about Animal Collective towards the end of last year I think. Maybe last summer. I've had their album Sung Tongs for awhile (which is tremendous and will most likely end up here sooner or later). Panda Bear is the most melodic member of that group and on this LP he uses that melody and creates a masterpiece. I'll be surprised if this doesn't show up on many year-end best of lists.




Bright Eyes - Four Winds EP [2007]
I kinda grew up with Conor Oberst. I mean, he's two years older than I am but I discovered his music just as he was starting to really be known. This was before Lifted or The Story, but after Fevers & Mirrors so to see him finally shed the last of his cathartic youth and grow into a folk-God, a Man, I find myself both proud and inspired.




Death Proof - OST [2007]
Grindhouse may just be the best goddamn movie ever. And Quentin Tarantino, well, aside from being a genius the man is the mixtape KING. I'd put Quentin up against anyone and I'll be damned if you don't stop playing his tapes over and over again. Such is the case with the soundtrack for Death Proof, his segment of the Grindhouse double-feature. Before CGI, when radio was still golden, and every voice of that generation was so fucking powerful you couldn't help but groove out.




Tokyo Police Club - A Lesson In Crime EP [2007]
For fans of Les Savy Fav, Q and Not U, and sing alongs in general Tokyo Police Club leave no breathing room. On this fabulous EP they create light pop-punk songs with a darker edge while constantly shifting in the most unexpected ways. It's rare that music, let alone every single song on an EP takes your preconceptions and twists them to such amazing effect.