In the Rotation

Unfortunately, due to our schedules, posts have become less frequent on Metro D. So now that we're reaching the end of the first 1/4 of 2008 I thought I'd take this opportunity to point out the albums and songs that I've been enjoying most (since I haven't posted much about this stuff). I decided to be a bit more systematic and use the star ratings on my ipod to help differentiate. I've divided the number of songs by the total number of stars. (For some reason, it sounded cooler than it writes when I started this...)

2008 Releases

The Black Keys: Attack & Release
Avg: 1.82


[Buy]
MP3: The Black Keys - "Strange Times"

Fleet Foxes: Sun Giant EP
Avg: 1.8


[Buy]
MP3: Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos"

Tokyo Police Club: Elephant Shell
Avg: 1.72


[Buy]

Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks: Real Emotional Trash
Avg: 1.7


[Buy]

Cloud Cult: Feel Good Ghosts
Avg: 1.69


[Buy]

Foals: Antidotes
Avg: 1.64


[Buy]

Silver Jews: Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Avg: 1.6

British Sea Power: Do You Like Rock Music?
Avg: 1.5


[Buy]

Constantines: Kensington Heights
Avg: 1.5


[Buy]

Tapes 'n Tapes: Walk It Off
Avg: 1.33


[Buy]

Grand Archives: s/t (1.27), Vampire Weekend: s/t (1.18), Black Mountain: In The Future (1)

My 4 Star-Rated Songs in order of preference:
Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos" [MP3]
Silver Jews - "San Francisco B.C."
Black Mountain - "Tyrants"
Tokyo Police Club - "Tessellate"
Foals - "Red Sock Pugie"
These New Puritans - "Elvis"
Constantines - "Our Age"
Tokyo Police Club - "Your English is Good"
Stephen Malkmus - "Gardenia"
Cloud Cult - "The Ghost Inside Our House"
Grand Archives - "Sleepdriving"

Available Now on iTunes?

Foals' Antidotes and Tokyo Police Club's Elephant Shell, two of my favorite albums of 2008 thus far, are both available right now on iTunes. After last week's Raconteurs debacle, it's not clear whether they'll stay there since both have an April release. Foals debut is particularly interesting as it contains the bonus tracks and is selling for only $5.99. Get some!


[buy]


[buy]

Foals @ Bowery Ballroom, 2/12/08

I'm pretty sure Foals have solidified the top spot as my favorite new band of 2008. They already have a very impressive triple threat working in their favor: signed to Sub Pop, hail from Oxford, and have completed an awesome David Sitek-produced debut album Antidotes. What I didn't expect was just how impressive their live performance would prove to be. They were incredibly tight and rocked the shit out of Bowery. So much so that the guitar player was literally throwing up during a song late in the set and never even missed a beat. I'm also quite certain that this had nothing to do with a lack of sobriety.

Set list via The Music Slut. Good pics over at BV.

Cans Of Rain (instrumental)
The French Open
Cassius
Olympic Airways
Electric Bloom
Balloons
Heavy Water
Two Steps Twice
Hummer
Red Sock Pugie
Encore:
Mathletics

Across the Pond

Despite solid albums from Klaxons and Bloc Party, I was generally disappointed by the output of new music from the U.K. in 2007 - an area which I've come to count on for good tunes. Radiohead, of course, can't be counted because it's been determined that they are in a world by themselves.

With 2008 on the horizon, I can safely look to two new releases that gives me confidence of more greatness to come. First, the David Sitek-produced debut by the Foals now has a tracklist and album title, Antidotes. Unfortunately, the album doesn't contain "Hummer" or "Mathletics" but given the strength of those two songs, that should bode well for the album. First single, "Balloons," was out Monday in the UK. The album comes out in March but I'm not sure when Sub Pop plans to release it stateside. If you're not sold by those plugs for David Sitek and Sub Pop well, then, I can't help you.


MP3: Foals - "Hummer"

Antidotes tracklisting:
'The French Open'
'Cassius'
'Red Socks Pugie'
'Olympic Airways'
'The Race For Radio Supremacy'
'Balloons'
'Heavy Water'
'Two Steps, Twice'
'Big Big Love (Fig. 2)'
'Like Swimming'
'Tron'

British Sea Power followed up the awesome The Decline of British Sea Power with the boring Open Season but with all of the ateaseweb excitement over Do You Like Rock Music? I couldn't help but take notice. This one hit the WWW's yesterday and after 3 listens to the album, I can safely say that the album title is rhetorical because it does not disappoint. The album is out next month in the UK and Feb. 12 in the states. Below is the video for the first single "Waving Flags".