STOP! If you haven’t read Part 1 which features #60-41 then do that first. Besides all the great jams in there, it is where I wrote all the sentimental self-congratulatory stuff so pay your respects, man.
Ok, on with the Hot Underrated Jamz. Read more
♫ Civil Civic – NEW!
This Civil Civic track is a remnant from the Rules sessions and besides not making the cut it didn’t even really get a proper name. So ok, it’s not prime-cut Civvie crunch magic but it’s still a tasty slice of everything we love about these guys and their jams.
We all know I hate Best of Lists that come out before the year is over so nearly 4 weeks into 2012 I finally present my best albums of 2011! (Still a day faster than last year!) Below are the top 10 albums from my 2011 followed by 10 honorable mentions. The list was compiled by weighing total play counts along with longevity. Not only did I Read more
Yes! In time for NYE! This is my favorite year-end list to make because its obviously the most fun. And I give it the least amount of stress. Read on for Read more
♫ Civil Civic – Less Unless (previously posted)
♫ Civil Civic – Run Overdrive (previously posted)
♫ Civil Civic – Street Trap (previously posted)
A lot of songs come through the hallowed pages of TBE and many of them leave me wanting to hear more from a band. Many of them are even part of EPs that seem full of promise. But few have ever had as pumped for new material as the internationally Australian duo Civil Civic. Ever since “Less Unless” not so gently removed my eardrums (and most of my clothes) nearly 2 years ago I have been on board. Further releases have left me both less and more impressed (“Run Overdrive” and “Street Trap” respectively). Civil Civic are a lot like your alcoholic dropout brother. You are hard on him because you have high expectations but you know that even if he screws up you will still love him (It helps that Ben writes the sharpest tour blog around). Thank god this brother didn’t screw up. Instead they took their sweet time crafting Rules, one of the best records that unfortunately nobody will be listening to this year. Their brand of instrumental psycho billy electronic thrash folk isn’t exactly radio fodder. Although anyone with half an ear for listening between the lines will understand that something significant is happening with this music.
While I am usually annoyed when previously released songs come back to clutter up an LP (looking at you Theophilus…) there is something comforting in half of this debut consisting of old friends like the ones above, “Lights On A Leash” and “Fuck Youth.” Album opener “Airspray” brings what sounds like the grandest xylophone riffing head to head with shredding guitars and some sort of angelic vocal texture to create what is currently contending for my top CC track ever. “Grey Nurse” goes all surfer spy movie with shark-top chase scenes and luau-lit mud wrestling. If all that sounds a bit to rich for your lazy ass then “Mayfield” drops just the kind of gentle respite one needs after 8 tracks in a row of death defying sonic adventure. Try and keep your lovemaking session into under 5 minutes and 22 seconds and everyone should make it out unscathed because “Slack Year” closes things out with a kind of apocalyptic 80s disco Kumbaya psychedelia that only Civil Civic can cook up.
(review continued after the unofficial video for “Airspray.” Plus stream the whole album!) Read more
♫ Civil Civic – Street Trap
A sock-hop on speed, a go-cart race with Ferrari engines, grandparents on MTV’s The Grind. Something that should be wrong but feels so right has to be Civil Civic. The international purveyors of instrumental freak-out surf rock have returned with a new taste off their upcoming debut LP Rules and you bet your ass I’m as pumped as can be. “Street Trap” is a million mile an hour whirlwind of shredding guitars and eardrums as you are hurtled face-first into the world of CC. If you don’t know then you need to know. Read up, rock out, and get in. Get. In.
A month away from high speed internet will do a lot to a man so while I readjust myself to city living let me drop this round of Digest jams on you. Some of them aren’t the most timely but thankfully you understand. Some great tracks in here! Nice to see new freshness from Civil Civic, Young Empires, and The Knocks. Plus Passion Pit cover Smashing Pumpkins? Hot dog! Rock on and drop a thought in the comments!
For more jams or by any of these artists use the ‘tags’ links at the bottom of the post!
♫ Civil Civic – Run Overdrive / One of the year’s best EPs gets followed up by this rollicking single which is B-sided by a track called “Fuck Youth.” Read more
As I’ve been compiling this best songs list I’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a great track. Last year I went by play counts to determine what songs I “loved” the most but this year I noticed that the list that came out didn’t really match my perception of my favorites. A lot of my top played songs this year are indeed great songs, but they also happen to be on a great album so they get played by themselves as well as in the course of the album. So I got to thinking about which are the tracks that I seek out, that I crave, that I have to hear every night before bed or every morning to wake up. Those are the songs that make up this list. Songs that for whatever reason hooked me to the point where I need(ed) them in my life this year. Those great albums (and their highlight jams) will get their moment but for now we celebrate the song, or as Read more