Friday, December 19, 2008

My goodness, all of a sudden I feel very thirsty!

5 comments:

Quinapalus said...

It seems like after a couple of years of over-correction, Pitchfork is back to largely ignoring hip hop in their year end list. I guess I prefer this to the days when their top 10 was dominated by Cam'Ron and Young Jeezy, and I had to read statements about Cam'Ron's newest faux-gangsta album being the most important artistic statement of his generation.

Still, there are signs of hope: Wale's "Mixtape About Nothing" made it on there, which I take as a sign that Pitchfork is once again prepared to consider under the radar MCs who don't have drug dealing and gunplay as their raison d'etre. I hope it's a sign of a trend for them...

And yes, of course Lil' Wayne is on there, which is no surprise...Kanye making it probably is a surprise, though I still haven't gotten around to buying that album, so I can't fully comment.

From the little bit I've heard, Fleet Foxes sounds kind of like an Animal Collective/Panda Bear kind of thing. Am I wrong about that?

texplush said...

FF sound (almost exactly)like My Morning Jacket circa two albums ago, with a unique flare for Renaissance-sounding songs.
They are pretty good, and the vocals and production are beautiful, though they definitely fall into the category of "has potential" rather than "achieved greatness" for me.
Worth a listen, for you Q. Definitely a far cry from Animal Collective/Panda Bear, et all.

Via Chicago said...

Curse you Pitchfork! And curse you Tex!

Alrigvht, the beer is yours. I am in New York from Fri Jan 23 - Mon Jan 26. Choose your night and choose your beer emporium.

Q - The Fleet Foxes are not bad, but I find that I can't listen to them for too long. They're a good 1 or 2 songs at a time kind of band, but it gets old as an album. I think of them as an improved Polyphnic Spree, and I really think they'll have about as much shelf life.

And for crying out loud buy the Kanye. It's most defintely a player in the top 10 list making.

drischord said...

I cannot believe that the band I saw as the 2nd opening act for Frightened fucking Rabbit has delivered Pitchfork's album of the year. I mean they were fine-- better than either Frightened Rabbit or Oxford Collapse (the band I was actually there to see)-- but the best of the year? Come on, Pitchfork.

Surprises for me, given Pitchfork's history: Why? not making the Top 50 and Mount Eerie not making the list at all.

And Q, given that Pitchfork is ignoring hip hop again, it makes Kanye's inclusion on the list all the more idiotic. I haven't heard the whole album, but what I have heard is wholly unworthy of his earlier work. I'm getting really sick of that guy.

Eric said...

Hilarious.
I would describe Fleet Foxes sound thusly:
Y'know that song on the Shins' second album that had the medieval sounding choral break? I wanna say "Saint Simon," track 5 or so. Fleet Foxes sounds like Jim James from My Morning Jacket fronting Grizzly Bear, performing an album length cover of that song.

That said, I actually really like the record. I think it's quite beautiful and catchy. I'm just shocked Pitchfork picked it as number 1 because it's so accessible and middle of the road. Usually they try to have their number one pick be something that most people either haven't heard of or wouldn't necessarily like (though I need to go back and see their last few number 1s to verify that). Fleet Foxes could be on the soundtrack of the next Zach Braff movie though!