Five Albums You Should Be Listening
To Right Now
Every two weeks, titans of the mediasphere give Hooksexup their music recommendations. This week: Oliver Primus, editor and founder of The 405.
1. Why?, Eskimo Snow
How could songwriter Yoni Wolf follow up the critically acclaimed Alopecia? Early talks suggested that the new album had more of a romantic feel to it, which scared me, honestly. Alopecia was an angry and in-your-face piece of work, which also made it pretty accessible. Eskimo Snow, on the other hand, requires some time. Initially I was disappointed by it, but now I could listen to it every day, and I'd probably still find some new sections and lyrics that interest me.
Listen: These Hands/ January Twenty Something
MP3
2. Stars of the Lid, And Their Refinement Of The Decline
I'm not a religious person at all, but the first time I heard And Their Refinement Of The Decline by Stars of the Lid, I fell asleep and woke up more refreshed than I've ever felt in my entire life. It's the record I throw on after a heavy night and the sort of record that could stop wars. It really is that special.
Listen: A Meaningful Moment Through a Meaning(less) Process
MP3
3. Tim Hecker, Harmony In Ultraviolet
Much like my first experience with Stars of the Lid, listening to Harmony In Ultraviolet by Tim Hecker was a nearly spiritual experience. However, unlike Stars, which lead to the best sleep of my life, Harmony In Ultraviolet left me in utter confusion. I came out the other side not knowing what had happened to me, like twenty years had gone past me in the blink of an eye. The way he structures sound is just about as beautiful as it gets.
Listen: Chimeras
MP3
4. Death Cab For Cutie, We Have The Facts And We're Voting Yes
This record belongs on this list; after all, my website is named after one of the songs on it. It's also the first record I picked up by Death Cab For Cutie, and probably my favorite. Transatlanticism or Plans might be considered more "complete" albums by Death Cab fans but this was the first record that really saw Ben Gibbard and co. creating truly beautiful music (see "Company Calls Epilogue") and formed the basis for future releases. Also worth a mention is guitarist Chris Walla's production, which is sublime.
Listen: Company Calls Epilogue
MP3
5. Einar Stray, Chiaroscuro
Chiaroscuro, released just a few weeks ago, is the most beautiful debut album I've heard in a long time. Einar Stray is a twenty-year-old musical genius from Norway who channels the likes of Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird, Anathallo, Efterklang, and Sigur Rós. The result is a wonderfully disorienting mix of post-rock and indie. I've played this record to a lot of people over the last month or so, and I've never had such a positive response to my annoying compulsion to make people listen to music I like. Do yourself a favor and buy this album. You don't even need to listen to any previews. Just trust me.
Listen: We Were The Core Seeds
MP3
Commentarium (22 Comments)
Wow, it's like hipsterpalooza!
i almost passed out from hipster overload
you guys are just too cute
I'm an awful hipster.
cant blame you for falling asleep when listening to 2 and 3.
p.s.- these lists are always so cheesy
Nice to see some love for "We Have the Facts..."
...More like five albums suitable for play in your grandma's living room. Safe and bland, just like she likes.
Great list. Thanks for the recommendations. You've inspired me to pick up some new music tomorrow.
people who bash hipsters are the new hipsters. they're doing what they think is fun and fashionable. and actually, a lot of the hipster-bashing does come from hipster quarters. music is music regardless of who you think listens to it: these sounds predate the so-called hipster generation.
hipster
Neohipster.
Hipster or not, these tracks are all amazing. Been a while since I've enjoyed this column's picks.
thank you :)
So some half-assed background movie music gave you a spiritual awakening? My nostril hairs have been singed by the your pretention.
I definitely see the Sufjan Stevens connection to Einer Stray. Think I may chack him out on that basis alone. Always love Death Cab. And I might check out Why? after this... but I have to say, Stars of the Lid and Tim Hecker left me wanting a bit. But it's an interesting list.
i guess women don't make music anymore.
It's interesting how so called music people (fans) don't get anything that doesn't bash them over the head. Subtle, textural music is "soundtracky or "boring" and they are quick to resort to criticizing artists and listeners for music they don't have the ability to understand. Maybe it's just not for you..but you don't have to be a hater.
I'll bite.
1. You don't know what's on our (the critics in this comment section) playlists. I can't speak for the rest, but I have assloads of music that would kill the liveliest of parties, and I love it. These particular tracks though, these five from albums that I -should- be listening to, do nothing at all for me but make me slightly irritated that it's getting harder and harder to find artists who can do something I either haven't heard or haven't heard done better.
2. "Getting it" has nothing to do with anything. That's the same argument I hear from Tool fans time and time again if I say I'm not interested. Sorry, but I actually -do- get it; I get it right down to the complex time signatures, which I understand and have the ability to play in. I just plain don't like them because they do nothing to move me. Why else do you listen to music except to be moved, to have your emotions sorted, organized, painted in sounds and reflected back at you? If a piece of music can't be understood intuitively (if it doesn't bash you over the head, so to speak), why bother with it? So I can jizz over my lack of understanding of why I don't like something, since it must be really awesome if I don't get it right away and will probably blow my mind when I finally figure it out?
Such an art-snob defense mechanism to differences of opinion, "If you don't like it, it's because you're too dumb to get it." Yeah, yeah... so if I think it's idiotic to pay several thousand dollars for what looks like a monkey hurled paint at a canvas, it's same argument.
Einar Stray is nice, could get into something like that.
I enjoyed this music and I'm even happier to see people calling 'hipster' rather than 'indie'.
I'm sorry to say this list got worse and worse for me. Why? seems like a band I could get into; kind of bored with 2 and 3, then as soon as I got to Death Cab for Cutie, I ran for the hills. Didn't we all get over them in high school, or was that just me?
Will people just shut the fuck about hipsters for like 5 seconds. It's just fucking music people.
Please Hooksexup, don't cancel this segment because a few people do the old "If I haven't heard of the band it must be hipster" routine. I for one really love the 5 albums you should be listening to. I have found some great music.
Now you say something