Local Heavy - 2008 Record Review Round-up

I suppose I’m a little late on this one, but then again, who reads other people’s Top Whatever lists besides me anyways? You do. That’s right, I called you on it. Because I know you, like me, have this unnamed curiosity that demands you discover what a complete strangers favourite records of the past year were - not all of them of course, because I probably forgot most of them. Why my list, you ask? Because my taste in music is amazing. That’s why. You should pour over this list as you would over an ancient document found at the bottom of the Red Sea for clues. Clues about what albums you should rush out and buy them (or download if that’s your thing - because I am a self-righteous music dork, I am also going to tell you that I bought physical copies of everything on this list. Some on vinyl. Oooh), then you can impress all of your friends by telling them things like how “crucial your latest playlist” is. Or you could just pirate all of these albums, throw them onto your external hard-drive that you got for Christmas and let them languish alongside that huge philosophy paper you did last semester and a folder nefariously titled, “Old stuff - Don’t Open.”

Or. You might just read this list and say, “What a complete loser, who even cares so much about music that they make an obsessive compulsive list about their favourites?”

Either way, here we are and here you go. I even put a few notes by each album. Why? Because I have a fancy blog and you don’t. That’s why. And I know that secretly, deep down, you actually give a shit.

Young Widows - Old Wounds
Perhaps not as immediately hard-hitting and rusty hook-filled as ‘Settle Down City,’ Young Widows take stretch their noise rock influences into more abstract and obtuse directions. Repeated listens reveal the inventive song structures and razor-sharp riffs that will lodge themselves in your gray matter like shattered glass. Add to the fact that parts of this record were recorded live and then spliced into the studio recorded material and you have a rock record that goes to great lengths to stand out from the masses.

KENmode - Mennonite
KENmode continue to impress me with every release. Written and recorded in a matter of weeks, ‘Mennonite’ showcases KM’s preternatural songwriting abilities. Devastatingly heavy riffs have always been KM’s specialty, but the attention placed on shimmering, melodic guitar parts are the perfect juxtaposition, making those moments even heavier - if that’s possible. Without a doubt, Canada’s heaviest band.

No Age - Nouns
I gave in to the hype on this one. And you know what? I’m glad I did. This record is noisy, lo-fi, grainy, yet it’s filled with life, colour and personality. A perfect summer record.

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum
BMSR come from a parallel universe, one that is all technicolor, where people drink codeine for breakfast and spend the rest of the morning lying out in the summer sun watching the clouds. Armed with an arsenal of busted-up synths, rickety drum machines and rusty vocoders, BMSR have created a record that is at once futuristic, poppy and organic. ‘Sun Lips’ is easily contender for song of the year. Too bad the band is on hiatus.

Expo ‘70 - Black Ohms
Drone. Thanks to Sunno))), drone is becoming a four-letter word. It seems everyone is stacking their amps together, playing one chord, letting it ring out for hours and releasing it that afternoon. Expo ‘70 have created one of the most engaging and enjoyable drone records I’ve heard in a while. Largely guitar based (though there are some moogs lurking beneath the surface here), ‘Black Ohms’ is a dark, dynamic and beautiful record. All-encompassing tones give way to fragile melodies that shift and heave like a ship lost on some dark sea while the storm clouds move in. Repeated listens are a must.

Sylvie - Fences and Trees are our Only Shade
Post-hardcore guitar jangle meets sophisticated pop sensibilities and punk rock? That’s what I thought. Crafting indie rock that is at once original and catchy is no easy task, and Regina’s Sylvie hit every mark with their sophomore release: jagged guitar lines, big hooks, impressive vocal harmonies and originality.

Harvey Milk - Life…The Best Game in Town
Southern-rock sludge lords return, with legend Joe Preston in tow, and do not disappoint. The guitar tones on this record are so crystal clear yet so unbelievably heavy and crushing that I am blown away with every listen. Harvey Milk change it up a bit on this record two, with songs ranging from the arty-doom-metal stomp of the title track, to full on metal riffage to the poppy melodicism of “Motown” - one of the discs standout tracks in my opinion.

Fucked Up - Chemistry of Common Life
Again, this record has been beaten to death with publicity and reviews already, so I’ll keep it short. What I love about this band is that they are concerned with writing songs, not with being ‘punk’ or ‘staying true to their roots’ or other such trappings of hardcore.

Fleet Foxes - s/t
Gorgeous. Timeless. This record is simply wonderful. Again, Fleet Foxes have a good deal of hype surrounding them, and for good reason. Fleet Foxes write songs that sound as though they have always been. At once bringing to mind folk, gospel, country, Americana and bedroom indie rock, I can’t stop listening to this album. The vocal harmonies within are deep enough to swim in. Jump in.