ChipperDemon » Compilations » November 2008 » I Wouldn't Buy You A Sweater If It Came With A Gas Card

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26TH, 2008

I Wouldn't Buy You A Sweater If It Came With A Gas Card

November feels fairly similar to last year's November, somewhat uneventful. The songs are all great but the compilation seems to lack something. The best song would be the surprising Florence and the Machine's Kiss With a Fist followed by a few other peppy tracks. Perhaps all the songs sound a little too much alike or maybe it's filled with too many unknown names. The Decemberists and The Killers are certainly news heavy names but the rest fall a little short on the recognition scale and provide too many new sounds for one CD compilation to support.

Tracklist as follows:

1. Science Fiction - French Miami

This 2 year old band, French Miami landed themselves a spot on Rolling Stone's November "Buzz List" and for good reason. In mid-November the band released their debut LP with hot hit tracks, "Science Fiction" and "The Goddamn Best." Out of San Francisco this trio delivers a Joy Division sound and mixes it up with quick guitar licks and killer shouting choruses. Between the slow but guitar brilliant "Science Fiction" and the power chord heavy "The Goddamn Best"; it was a battle between which would make it onto the November compilation, but the Ian Curtis - like voice pulled it through to be the first track giving the compilation's slow start.

2. No One Does It Like You - Department of Eagles (lyrics)

In November, Department of Eagles released their LP, In Ear Park, filled with delightful simple tracks. "No One Does It Like You" is the quintessential old sound yet entirely new and delicious. The song is incredibly simple with basic lyrics, basic instrumentals and has this overall essence of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band mixed with the Monotones. Started in NYU, this duet (Daniel Rossen of Grizzly Bear and Fred Nicolaus) stick out in this CD compilation.

3. Spaceman - The Killers (lyrics)

Just three days before Thanksgiving The Killers released their 4th full length album, Day & Age, with "Human" as their 80's-esque (picturing siting on the edge of a bed wearing a head band and jean jacket pushed up the arm looking at a photo just after doing pirouettes) single. The Killers do not really deviate from their typical sound in Day & Age, however, "Spaceman" does have one of their best attributes, a deviated subject. In addition to The Killer's catchy beats and tongue catching choruses, "Spaceman" is just odd enough to not feel disconnected but to enjoy with a bit of distance. The album as a whole is a little "too The Killers" but is a pleasant listen. "Joy Ride" and the bonus track, "A Cripling Blow," are some of the really good songs of the album and may find their way on the next Best of Rest collection

4. The Sun Ain't Shining No More - The Asteroids Galaxy Tour

Another iPod commercial slut, danish band The Asteroids Galaxy Tour featured their song "Around the Bend" from their debut EP release. With a beginning similar to CSS's "Music is My Hot Hot Sex" it feels appropriate for the commercial. However, "The Sun Ain't Shining No More" is significantly different with a 70's beginning and an 80's shrill female voice hovering over the slow melody. The chorus, "He leaves my soul on the floor like a dog" just feels right.

5. Live for the Sounds - Brooke Waggoner (lyrics)

From Heal for the Honey, Brooke Waggoner's impressive full length album, "Live for the Sounds" transitions the mix into a lighter sound led by piano and violin. Featured on both the New York Post and NPR for her talent, Brooke Waggoner adds a complicated yet light lovely short ditty for ChipperDemon. Her voice is light and blends smoothly with the music acting almost as an instrument itself. The song also serves as a fantastic transition song.

"Live for the Sounds" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.

6. The Wolf - Miniature Tigers (lyrics)

Miniature Tigers produced a fabulous light and catchy album, Tell it to the Volcano, that is reminiscent of high school with its simplistic song lyrics about boys and girls liking each other. "I will buy you things, like diamond rings." Miniature Tigers, based out of Phoenix, has a sound that indie-pop junkies can never get enough of. The album, acclaimed by Spin Magazine, is fun and filled with a great melodies bound to cling to one's eardrums. Rolling Stone, displaying great foresight, placed Miniature Tigers as one of the top 25 bands on Myspace back in 2006. "The Wolf" is a prime example of their brilliant work.

"The Wolf" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.

7. Record Year - The Decemberists (lyrics)

Over the past three months The Decemberists have been producing and releasing a three volume work, Always a Bridesmaid: A Singles Series. In true Decemberists fashion the songs act as little epics telling full stories all related to an apparent abundance of rain. "Record Year" from the 3rd Volume, Record Year for Rainfall, is a beautiful melodramatic track and a delightful use of Colin Meloy's distinct voice.

8. Strobelight Honey - El Paso Hot Button

With a voice reeking of Jack White, El Paso Hot Button transitions the compilation into a strong beat and guitar heavy song. "Body and soul and mind is not in the pre-nup she says." "Strobelight Honey" is a rock song set to the scene of the club providing a bit of an odd and attractive sound-image relationship.

9. Hole in the Middle - Emily Jane White (lyrics)

It's amazing this track went over ChipperDemon's ears especially last month while one of Emily Jane White's more popular tracks, "Wild Tigers I've Known," from her album Dark Undercoat was in consideration. Hole In the Middle, on the other hand, is just an amazing song grasping at the inner-self, "Everybody does a little dance with the devil." Her voice feels in a way honest with it's lowness kind of looking one in the eye, "let's be frank."

10. We On Top a 'Dis - Ezra Bang & Hot Machine

ChipperDemon's token rap track, "We On Top a 'Dis", not only provides the hip hop sound but interjects quick rhymes and is loaded with culture relevant names. While a good deal of the song feels unconnected and a little odd, the beat is hard to ignore. As a 5 person set up Ezra Bang & Hot Machine are quite the combination. Is it possible they'll be seen on another ChipperDemon collection? Let's just say, we won't be looking but wouldn't be surprised if they found us.

11. Kiss With a Fist - Florence and the Machine (lyrics)

Perhaps one of the best songs of the whole compilation this very short production of the ChipperDemon veteran, Florence and the Machine busts out with a far different sound, produced, controlled and singing an original. Subject reminiscent of Kate Nash the song, metaphoric or not, is brilliant and extremely vivid. The song's got fantastic energy and such a great rock sound it ends far too quickly.

"Kiss With a Fist" has been voted as a favorite by 2 users.

12. Black Fur - Fredrik

Slow and lulling a wonderful melody "Black Fur" is one of Fredrik's prettiest songs. It has the ability to lose the listener in fantastic harmony and vague lyrics.

13. Keep Yourself Warm - Frightened Rabbit (lyrics)

Skillfully a heartfelt lyric strong song, "Keep Yourself Warm," sneaks its way into the head dropping lyrics that are simply just not welcome, especially the chorus, "It takes more than fucking someone you don't know to keep warm.... you won't find love in a hole." Midnight Organ Fight seems to be a fairly typical dramatic Scottish album. The song, while poignant and vivid, is sneaky and can be troublesome in church parking lots.

"Keep Yourself Warm" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.

14. Tambourine - The Happy Hollows

Similar to ChipperDemon's favorite, Land of Talk, The Happy Hollows are electric guitar geniuses skillfully using discordance as their best strength. Using a talk-like singing approach dropping lines about Billy Corgan, it feels strange to enjoy yet impossible to ignore. To further the odd enjoyment, the song crashes at the end expressing great distress.

"Tambourine" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.

15. Sleepy Tigers - Her Space Holiday

Bringing the compilation back to simplicity and a light hearted sound, "Sleepy Tigers," wins the compilation over just with, "dancing round our sleepy clothes." The song is crisp chanting a simple sentiment of just liking someone else and wanting to spend time with enough.

16. Take Care - Hooray for Earth

Transitioning into a very Killers like sound with a lingering chorus the song continues the pleasant sentiment of enjoying another's company, "Push me hard cause you know that I'm slack and it's a proven fact I'm never going no where without you." Based out of Boston, Hooray for Earth feels European and perhaps that is their strength, imitating a foreign sound with ease. While the song is a typical 80's synth-pop, like a good deal of the songs ChipperDemon bends toward, it beats through and the fairly long song feels minuscule.

17. Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare - Matt and Kim

Really, it's the drum that makes this song. The very catchy chorus does of course assist but it's the simple repeated piano lick and clap like drum beat that attracts the ear and head bobbing. Matt and Kim, a fairly unknown music force, is supposedly taking this single, "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare,"to lead a second album into their music recognition.

18. Lazy Eye - Silversun Pickups (lyrics)

The sound feels extremely 1990s and perhaps that is how Silversun Pickup found themselves onto the compilation with a 2 year old song, but somehow it's too hard to pass by. For the most part its the vocals that give "Lazy Eye" its pungency while the very simple guitar keeps it flowing. The screaming chorus brings it all together cranking itself up on the stereo.

"Lazy Eye" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.

19. House Fire - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin (lyrics)

In the last week of October, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin came out with their latest collection of pop music genius, Pershing, which features the fantastic track, "Modern Mystery." Starting with a simple guitar riff that leads into light vocals growing slightly more complicated into a fairly anti-climatic but delightful chorus. The song gives listeners a chance to enjoy simple but fantastic music with poignant lyrics. However the song "House Fire" from their first full length album starts with a fantastically piano, guitar, and drum complicated intro and transitions into this elongated guitar sound guiding the ear through the bridge for an Elliot Smith-esque chorus making a track from this compilation not to forget.

"House Fire" has been voted as a favorite by 1 user.

Bonus Tracks:

Don't Want To Hurt You - The Sounds (lyrics)
Like or Like Like - Miniature Tigers (lyrics)

Posted by ChipperDemon at 7:34 PM | 1 comment

"If you're ever struck with the burning desire to toss on a second song by the band, Silversun Pickups' sophomore album comes out on April 14th. "Lazy Eye" was almost inescapable for a short while there. My friend Scott was enthralled by the video when it was in heavy rotation on MTVU a while back, and it clawed its way onto the set lists for both "Guitar Hero: World Tour" and "Rock Band 2". The mix of that tight groove with the shoegaze guitars kills me in the best possible way, and I might admit in a weaker moment to having played air-everything to this song more than a couple of times. With as deliberately as the vocals skew towards Billy Corgan, I'm surprised I've come across so many people convinced that they're a female-fronted act.

Matt and Kim are also MTVU staples. (I know! I'm not thrilled to admit to tuning into something with "MTV" in the name either, but I've actually discovered several bands through their college-centric channel. I first heard of Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin through them too.) I think I'd point to "Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare" as a stronger potential single than "Daylight", the video that's been making the round on television. I almost described them as chipper until I remembered the name of the blog, and that wouldn't be good for anyone. It's as cheery as Mates of State's sunnier moments without sounding quite so cloying or precious as they sometimes can.

There's something about The Asteroids Galaxy Tour's lead singer that brings to mind Dale Bozzio from Missing Persons, and the combination of that and bossa nova (!) is strangely compelling. The '60s melody in the Brooke Waggoner track is deliriously buoyant and bouncy, and if I could grab "Live for the Sounds" and give it an enormous bear hug, I think I probably would. This has carved its way onto my short list of albums to pick up next. There's something about unabashed pop that makes me swoon, and this and Miniature Tigers' "The Wolf" are probably the two tracks that grabbed me more immediately and unrelentingly than any other.

Fredrik's terrific, and since I apparently have to compare every band to someone else, my touchstone would probably be I'm from Barcelona in their not-quite-so-giddy moments. The Swedes wield a mastery of pop (and, interestingly enough, black metal) that no other country the world over seems equipped to match. I'm such a sucker for loud, buzzing guitars and female harmonies (no demerits for yelping either) that The Happy Hollows caught my attention instantly as well. Ezra Bang & Hot Machine...? Spastic oddball genius. I'd rank The Florence and the Machine as another standout from this collection.

Wow! I just saw a note about Silversun Pickups' second album coming out and remembered seeing them on your blog, and I skulked around online and tracked down copies of the other 18 songs on this collection in the process. I'm productive.

-Adam!"

posted by Adam on Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 at 10:37 AM.

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Browse by Date

2010 (2)
2009 (2)
2008 (12)

December CD Release (Title?)
(December 2008)
I Wouldn't Buy You A Sweater If It Came With A Gas Card
(November 2008)
Duets of Dodging Acorns
(October 2008)
Super Teens and Marshmallow Dreams
(September 2008)
August Tastes Great on an Everything Bagel with Egg, Cheese, Tomato, and Avocado
(August 2008)
You're Too Hot and I'm Too Hungry to Wait
(July 2008)
A Year's Worth of Treasured Trash
(June 2008)
A Whole New Appreciation for Bangs
(May 2008)
The Lords Are Coming!
(April 2008)
Bowling for Blood
(March 2008)
Best of the Rest 2007
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2007 (6)

Fourth Wednesday Treaty

At the dawn of innoVation MAdLorD and ChipperDemon signed the Fourth Wednesday Treaty; MAdLorD would stop throwing thunderbolts (short circuiting the dinosaur robots) and ChipperDemon would quit with the trickery (snatching souls: see Twilight Zone Episode #6 Escape Clause) under the condition that the ChipperDemon would provide a musical selection every Fourth Wednesday.