bip-bip presents... (includes download)

After much deliberation, bip-bip. has compiled our very own "Best Albums of '09" list. With so many great albums being released this year, there are certainly noteworthy albums that didn't make the cut. A few of the most deserving honorable mentions include: The Avett Brothers' I and Love and You, Neko Case's Middle Cyclone, White Rabbits' It's Frightening, Major Lazer's Guns Don't Kill People... Lazers Do, Yeah Yeah Yeahs' It's Blitz, Islands' Vapours... to name a few. Still, if we had to recommend just ten albums to buy this whole year... these would be it. Enjoy.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (Best Track: Young Adult Friction) -- Take some washed out vocals mixed with a little melancholy and a sound that is eerily reminiscent of The Smiths, and you have a debut album worthy of the repeat button.




Basement Jaxx - Scars (Best Track: Feelings Gone) -- This London duo has put together another addictive electronic album that features distinct sounds from track to track (as well as great contributors such as Santigold and Sam Sparro).





Regina Spektor - Far (Best Track: Eet) -- Imaginative lyrics and innovation song construction makes Far possibly the best Regina Spektor album to date... which is saying something.






Discovery - LP (Best Track: So Insane) -- It's no shock that an experimental side-project between members of two the best modern indie rock bands, Ra Ra Riot and Vampire Weekend, created a musical gem.






The Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca (Best Track: Two Doves) -- Strangeness and unfamiliarity of the first listen quickly turns to genius and obsession by the third or fourth listen.






Fanfarlo - Reservoir (Best Track: Finish Line) -- A sure to be staple of chamber-pop, this band which has been heavily compared to Arcade Fire has put together a Funeral of its own.






Miike Snow - Miike Snow (Best Track: Song for No One) -- Perfectly executed pop-music that simultaneously sounds familiar and completely original. For such a heavily produced album, they can pull it off live as well.





We Were Promised Jetpacks- These Four Walls (Best Track: Moving Clocks Run Slow) -- How this Scottish band fell completely off the radar for most popular "best albums" lists is beyond me. Similar to Frightened Rabbit-- with just as much promise.





Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix (Best Track: Girlfriend) -- The no-brainer number one for most lists. Phoenix has finally broken through to the mainstream in a big-way, creating a cd that finally reflected their long-standing potential.





Passion Pit - Manners (Best Track: all great... but start with Sleepyhead) -- Who knew that the combination of weird falsetto vocals, a children's choir, and some of the most unique sampling and synths could create the best album of the year. Give it a try -- it is musical perfection.

MP3: DOWNLOAD Passion Pit's Myspace Transmissions Live (click here).

Album Review: Fanfarlo Debuts a sure-to-be Fanpleaser (A)

Fanfarlo released their debut album, Reservoir, earlier this year; and, if this album is an even remotely accurate portrayal of their musicianship, then we will be hearing about them for quite some time. The 5 person, multi-instrument band (which even features a Melodica... that can be yours for a mere $33.00) recorded Reservoir in Connecticut late last year.

The band will undoubtedly be compared to Arcade Fire, since the first couple tracks -- especially the intro to its opening track, I'm a Pilot -- sound reminiscent of Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. Alternative Track even ran a review that stated "the album runs out of steam toward the end, but the first few tracks are gold." I couldn't disagree more.

The opening tracks are quality, without question, but it's the last couple tracks that subtly moved this debut album from "above-average" to "exceptional" in my mind. The final track, Good Morning Midnight, is a simple instrumental song that embodies the album's magnetism. It is unpretentious, unassuming, but powerful. Likewise, the second to last track, Finish Line, is probably my favorite song which, like Good Morning Midnight, will be a staple on your ipod-- even though it will likely never be one on the radio.

There are no bells and whistles for Fanfarlo. There aren't any looping samples, autotune vocals, or any other signs of overproduction (in fact, Reservoir was produced by Peter Katis who has worked with The National). This is just good music, plain and simple. You're definitely going to want to buy this album.

Fanfarlo's Reservoir: A

I'm assuming you can't get enough, so here are a few more of songs, including a video, which you should check out.

Album Review: The Misstep of Volcano Choir's Unmap (C+)

In case you weren't aware, Bon Iver's Justin Vernon teamed up with Collections of Colonies of Bees to form a new gig known as Volcano Choir. Volcano Choir released its debut album, Unmap, only a few weeks ago... and, with a such a strange/experimental sound, I tried to postpone this review several days just to make sure I could fully absorb it.

After listening to the album in full several times, and in pieces, I can't bring myself to giving this album a favorable review (even though I really do want to). Vernon's falsetto vocals are the same -- always unusual and mostly brilliant; however, Unmap lacks the warmth which made Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago ("Emma") one of the best albums of the past couple years. Bon Iver's follow-up EP, Blood Bank, showed a natural progression in Vernon's songwriting. The track Blood Bank showed good maturation and remains his best stand-alone song (in my opinon) -- with cleaner form and more developed lyrics than most of the tracks on Emma.

Unfortunately, Unmap is one step forward and ten steps back.

The main problem I have with Unmap is that it feels like it was intentionally created to be experimental, hard to digest, and unappreciated by the masses but revered by a select few. Emma, on the hand, felt completely genuine -- which added to its charm. Obviously, I don't know the actual motivation behind these albums, but I can tell you this. Unmap can be a frustrating listen -- even for the most opened-minded fans.

Where Emma created a free-flowing album that often sounded as if it was one track (think Van Morrison's Astral Weeks or Marvin Gaye's What's Going On); this album is brutally disjointed at parts. This album has received good reviews-- so some people clearly like it. I will admit that there are good songs, such as Still -- which takes Bon Iver's a capella track, Woods, and fills it out with percussion and musical undertones. Other tracks, however, such as Mbira in the Morass (posted-below), ruins any flow that starts to accumulate and, honestly, makes me want to throw the entire album out the window (it really is that bad).

Volcano Choir Unmap: C+

Mbira In The Morass - Volcano ...

Still - Volcano Choir

Click here to buy Unmap... but you were warned.

Electric Tickle Machine -- funny name, seriously good music. (B-)

A buddy of mine asked me to go see "Electric Tickle Machine" sometime mid-last week and, as you can imagine, I wasn't exactly sure what I was getting myself into. As it turns out, this New York band not only puts on quite a show, but they also put out a rock-solid debut album (entitled Blew It Again).

For starters, they have a pretty unique band composition that notably lacks a bassist. Yet, even without a bassist, the band doesn't suffer from overwhelming tremble and mid-range tones. Their synth-player, Ryan Renn, (who also maybe dabbles with samples?) amply fills the void. Half of the four-piece band was also committed to percussion, featuring Adam Kautz as their main drummer and percussion-specialist Clark Phillips. Phillips also served as informal pump-up-the-crowd man, with his dancing and free-flying tambourine. Sounds strange, but it was strangely effective.

Obviously, every legit band, almost by definition, also features a good guitarist and singer. Thomas Laplaige, who serves in both capacities for Electric Tickle Machine, rounds out their sound. His talent is also evident on Blew it Again, which was recorded just this year. As a record, Blew it Again is a rather short (under 28 minutes) album that sounds like an upbeat mix of garage, indie, and psychedelic rock. All and all, the band was able to put out an album that sounds both raw and cleanly produced.

Definitely check out these tunes ("Part of Me" and "Bones").



Like what you hear? Buy the album here.

Islands: What's not to love about drum machines, synths, and electric sitars? (B)

Maybe the third time really is the charm. Canadian indie-rockers Islands released their third album, Vapours, only a few weeks ago and it not only packs quite a punch, but it has also garnered widespread acclaim that it is their best album to date.

It's pretty much what you might expect from the band. Islands' drummer Jamie Thompson returned to work on this album, and the band apparently decided to keep the tracks shorter and tighter than their previous album (with the tracks typically clocking in around 3 minutes each). Like Portugal the Man, they are hard to pin down to one genre-- infusing aspects of rock, 80's synth, vampire weekend styled baroque-pop, dreamwave, and others into their creative sound. There's really only one way begin appreciating Islands. Take a listen. It won't take long.

Switched On - Islands

Vapours - Islands

Margot & the Nuclear So and So's -- because you don't always want to dance (B+)

Let's be honest. There's a reason that radio stations play Lady Gaga over Morrissey at a rate of about 10,000 to 1. People would rather listen to upbeat, albeit lyrically lacking songs, than be reminded, quite poetically, about how awful their lives are. This is one of the reasons remixes and mashups even exist. Take a song we already like, inject it with a harder bassline and more persistent drum-kick... and we can make it something we love even more.

Sometimes, however, I feel like relaxing a bit... and I wouldn't be surprised if you do too. If you find yourself in this latter sort of mood, give Margot & the Nuclear So and So's a listen. They have been likened to Arcade Fire and The Decemberists... but I think these comparisons are largely flawed.

Unlike Arcade Fire's occasional grandeur, Margot's music sounds extremely stripped down, even where it is relatively complex and layered. Richard Edwards, Margot's lead vocalist, is also much less crass than the Decemberist's Colin Meloy. While Meloy reminds me more of Neutral Milk Hotel's Jeff Mangum vocally, Edwards is more reminiscent of a mix between Death Cab's Ben Gibbard and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst (in my opinion).

Here are a couple tracks from the band's 2008 album Not Animal -- which are songs preferred by their record label Epic. The band also released Animal! -- only available on vinyl -- which included the tracks the band preferred.

Enjoy these tunes.

As Tall As Cliffs - Margot & t...

Broadripple Is Burning - Margo...

Concert Review: Ra Ra Riot's The Rhumb Line.... Live in ATL. (A-)

Continuing a great week of music for me, I was able to see Ra Ra Riot live a couple nights ago. I'll preface this by saying Ra Ra Riot has been a favorite band of mine since their album The Rhumb Line hit stores. The band's unique string driven sound, led by violinist Rebecca Zeller and cellist Alexandra Lawn, certainly sets this band apart from similar indie-acts. Frontman Wes Miles also brings a great voice to the table... which is why Discovery's LP has also been a recent favorite of mine as well.

The overall concert was awesome... but a couple aspects of their live show really stuck out to me. First, I realized that Rebecca Zeller and Wes Miles (both pictured above) essentially make the band great. The whole band, as a unit, is quite cohesive; but, after watching Ra Ra Riot live, it became utterly obvious that Rebecca's musicianship carried virtually every song. Not to sell the other band mates short... but Rebecca's violin part was, and is, literally what you hum to yourself when you're walking down the street. Listen to the album again and see if you don't agree.

Second, they executed their songs so perfectly that it sounded almost identical to the album... which was a little frustrating. I kept wanting some sort of solo, new riff, or any type of extended jam. For the most part, this never happened. The live versions were even timed almost identically to their album's counterpart. With this said, if you liked the album, you will definitely like the show. Their lack of innovation live (with the exception of a few new songs), however, kept them from being a truly great breakout live band.



Here are some live tunes -- these are chill versions though. They were much more upbeat when I saw them.
Ra Ra Riot - Each Year (Live at the Pop Machine)
Ra Ra Riot - Can You Tell (Live at the Pop Machine)


Buy The Rhumb Line here.

Special thanks to bipbip photographer A.S. for the pics.
(click them to get full size)

Concert Review: The U.K. Rocks the States: Frightened Rabbit and We Were Promised Jetpacks (A)

Last night I was able to catch two of Scotland's (and possibly Europe's) best indie bands: We Were Promised and Frightened Rabbit. I also got to catch The Twilight Sad. Since I don't like to criticize bands too much, I'll just say The Twilight Sad wasn't my style.

Fortunately, We Were Promised Jetpacks and Frightened Rabbit put on two shows that more than made up for it. Frightened Rabbit has been around 5+ years, making huge waves with their critically acclaimed 2008 album The Midnight Organ Fight. We Were Promised Jetpacks emerged this past summer after releasing one of my favorite summer albums-- These Four Walls. WWPJ cites Frightened Rabbit as a major influence, even thanking them personally in their liner notes. While overarching similarities between their sound are clear, but the band's live performances were quite different.

WWPJ's live show was high energy from the first song to the last. Frontman Adam Thompson was constantly jacked up-- frequently having to back up a safe distance before sing/yelling into the mic. Once they finished up, I was sure that the best band was the opening act, but I was definitely wrong.

Frightened Rabbit kicked it off with "The Modern Leper," probably one of their most popular upbeat songs. The crowd knew most of the lyrics and they got even more excited than with WWPJ. What really set Frightened Rabbit apart, however, was their ability to maneuver and craft a great setlist. Like a good mixtape that ebbs and flows, they executed the slow songs and fast songs brilliantly. I think they actually ruined the album version of my favorite track, My Backwards Walk, because their live version was so strong. Like the album version, it was vocally soft and slow, but with added synthesizer and four to the floor drum kicks.

Without going into too much detail-- I'll just say they also had one of the best encores I've ever seen. The band's main performance ended with Grant Hutchinson rocking out to a 2-3 minute drum solo. Instead of reemerging full throttle, frontman Scott Hutchinson came out alone, without a mic or plug in for his guitar. Everyone pushed towards the stage as he sang a completely un-amplified version of "Poke"... which sounds like an old Scottish lullaby (posted below). You could literally hear a pin drop, until the spontaneous humming of the crowd filled in the background to the song. Truly indescribable stuff.

Oh yea... then they reminded us they could jam out, and ended with "Keep Yourself Warm."



Enjoy some of these songs.
We Were Promised Jetpacks - It's Thunder and It's Lightening
Frightened Rabbit - The Modern Leper (Live)
Frightened Rabbit - Poke (Live Daytrotter Session)

Buy WWPJ's album here.
Buy Frightened Rabbits' album here.

Passion Pit and the Magic of Electro-Pop (A+)

Without question, one of my favorite albums that were released this year is Passion Pit's Manners. The band's high-pitched vocals combined with its high-energy make their sound both addictive and distinct. Manners is their first studio release, but it does contain a mastered version of "Sleepyhead" (no, i didnt mean "remastered")-- which was featured on their 2008 EP Chunk of Change.

The band was formed in Massachusetts in 2007 and their use of synthesizers and samples is pretty remarkable. In fact, their unique sound has spawned relatively quick success in only two years -- doing well on the Australian (#19), British (#55), and US Charts (#51). They have even opened up for some of my favorite artists Death Cab and Girltalk.

Think music with a dreamwave kick. Insanely upbeat synthesizers, all sorts of samples, and truly unique vocals make this album irresistible. Since its hard to explain, you'd get a lot further by just taking a listening. Seriously buy this cd... as the entire album is near flawless. Your ears with thank you.

Passion Pit - Sleepyhead


Buy their album here.

Portugal. The Man shows Wasilla isn't all bad.... (B)

While Sarah Palin may have put Wasilla, Alaska on the map in 2008, "Portugal. The Man" was already representing the Alaskan city for some 4+ years. Portugal. The Man (yea, it's a weird name) is now actually based out of Portland, Oregon... and they might be stopping off in your city in next few weeks while they promote their newest album The Satanic Satanist. It's loaded with some quality tracks, although it's really not as experimental as you might think.

Musically, The Satanic Satanist has been described as funk/soul/rock/indie driven-- but, in all honesty, the album essentially seems to be breezy guitar-centered rock (with a little piano thrown in). This isn't to say that the album isn't good. It is. The melodies are definitely more distinct than the music itself. John Gourley's high-pitched vocals, along with some harmonies, give the band much more of an indie sound. Add in producer Paul Kolderie (who worked with Radiohead) and you have an extremely polished album-- regardless of whether it's groundbreaking.

Chalk this one up as a CD to buy for some light warm-weather listening.

People Say - Portugal. The Man

The Sun - Portugal. The Man

Buy it here.

Ra Ra Riot meets Vampire Weekend (B+)

A little late coming, but in case you haven't had the opportunity to listen to the latest collaboration between Ra Ra Riot's frontman Wes Miles and Vampire Weekend's keyboardist Rostam Batmanglij... you should. The two formed a side project known as "Discovery," releasing their debut album named "LP" this past July.

All and all, Discovery definitely brings a distinct sound that won't be confused with either VW or Ra Ra Riot. You can, however, hear remnants of both bands given Discovery's melodies and poppy hooks. It should be noted that, LP isn't just a hold-over listen for VW and Ra Ra fans-- rather its very solid in its own right (e.g. think Postal Service and Death Cab). Discovery is far more experimental than either of band member's main gigs-- utilizing both auto-tone and some glitch effects that sounds like a more polished version of Girl Talk's "Unstoppable." Add in a few popular contributors, including VW's Ezra Koenig and Dirty Projectors’ Angel Deradoorian, and you have one of the better albums of the entire summer.

Can You Discover? - Discovery

Osaka Loop Line - Discovery

Track List for LP:
1. 'Orange Shirt – 3:31
2. Osaka Loop Line – 4:02
3. Can You Discover? – 2:22
4. I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (featuring Angel Deradoorian) – 2:40
5. So Insane – 3:13
6. Swing Tree – 2:38
7. Carby (featuring Ezra Koenig) – 3:07
8. I Want You Back (In Discovery) – 3:26 (Jackson 5 Cover)
9. It's Not My Fault (It's My Fault) – 2:34
10. Slang Tang – 2:28

Buy the cd here.