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.

Halloween Mixtape for the Faint of Heart

I'm not sure if this is ironic, paradoxical, or neither -- but when I was a kid I loved the beach but hated sand. This clearly doesn't make a whole lot of sense, considering that one of (if not the) distinguishing factor between a beach and, say, a river, lake, or pool... is sand.

Flash-forward 15 years. This past week, when I tried to talk my friends into seeing Paranormal Activity (a new, apparently scary, movie) with me, I realized that they all seemed to love Halloween but hate scary things. Like a beach without sand, what is Halloween without a little fright? -- whether it's in the form of watching scary movies, going to haunted houses, telling ghost stories, dabbling with the ol' Ouija Board, or otherwise.

Since, however, there is clearly a contingent of people who would rather have babies dressed as pumpkins than teenagers dressed as zombies knocking on their doors this Halloween... I decided to make this Halloween Mixtape for the Faint of Heart.

Don't be fooled by their names, there's nothing scary about these tracks.

Enjoy.
Ryan Adams - Halloween
Frightened Rabbit – Heads Will Roll
Fanfarlo - Ghosts
Elliott Smith – Son of Sam
Cloud Cult – The Ghost Inside Our House
Au Revoir Simone - Shadows
White Lies - Death
The Temper Trap – Science of Fear
Paloalto - Bones
Joe Dolce – Thriller (MJ Cover)

MP3: DOWNLOAD the entire Halloween Mixtape for the Faint of Heart Mixtape (click here).