Adam’s Picks: Best of 2009

Posted on December 30, 2009 by the OCMD

The OCMD’s guest blogger Adam’s Best Albums for 2009.

Jason Lytle “Yours Truly, The Commuter”
Sonic Youth “The Eternal”
Papercuts “You Can Have What You Want”
Jeff The Brotherhood “Heavy Days”
Animal Collective “Fall Be Kind” (EP)
Built To Spill “There Is No Enemy”
Mew “No More Stories…”
Systems Officer “Underslept”
Flaming Lips “Embryonic”
Cass McCombs “Catacombs”
Atlas Sound “Logos”
Polvo “In Prism”
Girls “Album”
Grizzly Bear “Veckatimest”
Circulatory System “Signal Morning “
Mission Of Burma “The Sound The Speed The Light”
The Clientele “Bonfires on the Heath”
Them Crooked Vultures “Them Crooked Vultures”
Woods “Songs Of Shame”
Yo La Tengo “Popular Songs”

Things That I Would Like To See Disappear Forever in 2010: Any band listing Animal Collective as an influence.
Genre With The Least Staying Power: Chillwave, Glo-fi, et al.
What I Have High Hopes For in 2010: 1) Bands who remember that the guitar is indeed an instrument. 2) LIARS LIARS LIARS!!!

the OCMD Mixtape: Sayulita

Posted on November 30, 2009 by the OCMD

the OCMD Mixtape: “Sayulita”

A few days of that and you get this – my Sayulita Mixtape. Yup, this suits my state of mind right now. Just add surf, sand and cerveza and hit play. Enjoy.

1. Washed Out – “Feel It All Around”
2. Here We Go Magic – “Tunnelvision”
3. Atlas Sound – “Quick Canal”
4. The Ruby Suns – “There Are Birds”
5. Radiohead – “These Are My Twisted Words”
6. LCD Soundsystem – “Someone Great”
7. Flaming Lips – “Sagittarius Silver Announcement”
8. Built To Spill – “Done”
9. The XX – “Shelter”
10. Speck Mountain – “Angela”
11. The Shortwave Set – “Harmonia”

Stuck in My Head: Built to Spill – “Things Fall Apart”

Posted on November 2, 2009 by the OCMD

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Built to Spill – “Things Fall Apart”

Off the latest album from Built to Spill, There is No Enemy, the band’s seventh album and first since 2006’s You In Reverse.“…It doesn’t matter if you’re good or smart. God damn it, things fall apart.”

Album of the Week: Cymbals Eat Guitars

Posted on May 21, 2009 by the OCMD

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Artist: Cymbals Eat Guitars
Album: Why There Are Mountains
File Under: Indie Rock
Recommended if You Like: Pavement, Built to Spill meets The Polyphonic Spree
Featured Tracks:

“And the Hazy Sea”

One of the drawbacks of travel when you’re a music snob is losing control of your musical destiny. Such was the case the other day as we were sailing around the Aegean Sea being force fed hefty doses of Cheap Trick. (By the way, if that’s the worst form of suffering I have to endure on this trip, I’ll take it.) After the third listen, I couldn’t help help but kindly suggest that maybe the captain might like this new band called Cymbals Eat Guitars? The band name is certainly kick ass enough for his classic rock sensibilities anyway. And their sound kind of has that Cheap Trick meets Polyphonic Spree meets Built to Spill vibe.

I don’t know if he’ll follow up on that suggestion but he should. Cymbals Eat Guitars’ debut release Why There Are Mountains is likely one of the best ‘Indie’ releases this year. And I say Indie in the true sense of the word because the album was actually independently released. I’ve been listening to it repeatedly on this trip and it’s really grown on me. A real grower, not a shower as they say. This is indie rock at it’s finest, folks. Their songs are ambitious and epic (most tracks clocking in at more than 5 minutes each), with waves of smashing guitars and distortion that ebb and flow as effortlessly as the Agean Sea we’re sailing on. Brilliant.

Sam Champion – Heavenly Bender

Posted on September 8, 2008 by the OCMD

Artist: Sam Champion
Album: Heavenly Bender
File Under: Classic Indie Rock
Recommended if You Like: Pavement, Stephen Malkmus, Built to Spill
Featured Tracks: Jealous Shakes, Be Mine Everyone, Dead Moon

Are you a Pavement fan? If not, stop reading this RIGHT NOW. I’m sorry to say we can no longer continue this relationship. If you are, you’re gonna like the latest release, Heavenly Bender, from the Brooklyn-based quartet, Sam Champion. Steeped in lo-fi, garage-rock jams, their sound may be a little too Wowee Zowee for the non-Pavement aficionado, but for me it’s the perfect combination as bands like Pavement /Stephen Malkmus represent everything I like in Indie Rock music – crunchy guitar jams sandwiched between sweet harmonies. My indie rock PB&J. That and I like the band’s sense of humor. Check out their promo video below.

Listen to ‘Dead Moon’: