DNTTA Playlist for January 23, 2015 - Best of 2014 Part 2

Artist - Song - Album (Label)
* indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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The Unicorns - Tuff Ghost* - Who Will Cut Our Hair When We're Gone? (Alien8)
Hana Lulu - Message to the Sea* - Keepsake (Independent)
Silkken Lauman - Giving You Up* - Not Forever Enough (Independent)
Vogue Dots - Skinny Thing* - Toska (Indica)
Skim Milk - For Dimitri* - Skim Milk (Independent)
Vampires - There's No Kissing Anymore* - Every Kind of Light (Independent)
Pop Crimes - The Fly* - Split Single (Bonzer)
Ducktails - Tie-Dye - Wish Hotel (Domino)
The Mants - Friends to None* - The Mants (Shake!)
Gravenhurst - Underfoot - Trust (Warp)
Nash the Slash - Who Do You Love?* - American Bandages (Quality)
Devo - Monsterman - Something Else For Everybody (Booji Boy)
Weird Al Yankovic - First World Problems - Mandatory Fun (Volcano)

Best of 2014 #7: Brian Eno and Karl Hyde - Someday World (Warp)

Like Bob Mould, I've been a fan of Brian Eno for a long time. In his long, innovative career, he's released many great solo albums. But, when he teams up with another talented musician, either as a collaborator or as a producer, he seems to make magic. Eno released two albums with Karl Hyde this year, Hyde being the frontman for the pioneering electronic band Underworld. Someday World was a step ahead of High Life, in my opinion, and it's reminiscent of Eno's work with John Cale: lush, melodic, spacy electro-pop. Hyde's contributions bring a harder, dancier edge to the music.

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DNTTA Playlist for January 16, 105 - Best of 2014 Part I

Artist - Song - Album (Label)
* indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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The Horrors - First Day of Spring - Luminous (XL)
Trust - Capitol* - Joyland (Arts and Crafts)
Bob Mould - I Don't Know You Anymore - Beauty and Ruin (Merge)
Brian Eno and Karl Hyde - Witness - Someday World (Warp)
Eagulls - Tough Luck - Eagulls (Partisan)
The Pixies - Bagboy - Indie Cindy (Pixiesmusic)
Caribou - Can't Do Without You* - Our Love (Merge)
High Tension - High Risk, High Rewards - Death Beat (New Damage)
Lower - Unkempt and Uncaring - Seek Warmer Climes (Matador)
Future Islands - Sun in the Morning - Singles (4AD)
Future Islands - Doves - Singles (4AD)

Best of 2014 #8: Bob Mould - Beauty and Ruin (Merge)

It's no secret I'm a fan of Bob Mould. But his work lately has lacked something. Or rather, had something extra in it that was distracting. Going back to his 2002 album, Modulate, which was a fascinating look at electronic music from a rock standpoint, Mould has been experimenting. Sometimes it worked, like with Modulate, sometimes it didn't, like with 2008's scattered District Line. You can't fault the guy for trying something new. Beauty and Ruin found him going back to his bread and butter, the ringing, chunky, punky, melodic guitar he's known for, and the pointed lyrics. Mould had been remaster his seminal early 90s work with Sugar and the experience rubbed off on him. This album sounds like an updated, more vicious Sugar, and Mould is more focused that he has been in years. Excellent album overall.

DNTTA Playlist for January 9, 2015

Artist - Song - Album (Label)
* indicates Canadian Content 

Listen to Do Not Touch This Amp every Friday 8-9 PM Pacific at www.thex.ca 

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Blue Hawaii - Lilac* - Blooming Summer (Arbutus)
Daniel Ouellette and the Shobijin - The Dilemma of Devereaux - Zizal! (Independent)
Lydia Ainsworth - Hologram* - Right from Real (Arbutus)
Christian Hansen - The Claim* - Small Fry (Independent)
Dark Waves - Echo - Dark Waves EP (Five Seven)
Yes Nice - White Washed Walls (Club mix)* - White Washed Walls (Sparks)
Faux Fantasy - Grandad the Cannibal* - Bouquet (Independent)
Vogue Dots - Tux* - Mauka (Indica)
Dean Blunt - 100 - Black Metal (Rough Trade)
Khraken - Captivate* - Work (Independent)
Les Handclaps - Cliche* - Cliche (L'Oeil du Tigre)
Ryan Hemsworth - Walk Me Home* - Alone for the First Time (Last Gang)

Best of 2014 #9: Trust - Joyland (Arts and Crafts)

Trust made a huge splash with their first album, 2011's TRST. It also had more than a few people scratching their heads, trying to figure out if the band was sincere or not. Their sound was dark, depressing and firmly set in the 80s. Think Joy Division with more electronics. Their follow up, this year's Joyland, was miles better than their first album, which almost sounded like a parody of the style they were worshipping. Joyland finds Trust embracing their pop side, digging out the Madonna and Debbie Gibson albums, and dancing around a bit, but just a bit. They're still pretty much dressed in black with heavy eyeliner. My first Canadian band on the Top 10 too.

Best of 2014 #10: The Horrors - Luminous (XL)

Kicking off this years countdown at $10 is the fourth album from UK band The Horrors. I've always liked this band. Back in 2009, their second album, Primary Colours, was at #2 (behind the mighty Sonic Youth). Their sound was always rooted in the rough edges of new wave and the muscle of post punk. Their third album, Skying, was a remarkable album, but a bit too mired in spacy electronics to be satisfying to my ears. Luminous saw the band splitting the divide, adding in some post-punk grittiness to the spacy exploration of Skying. Very nice effort.