I really loved Eagle*Seagull and was pretty bummed when I heard the band broke up. It is nice though to hear these songs from the bands’ frontman Eli Mardock, who’s gone solo and has a few bodies of work for us to hear. Take a listen to these two tracks from 2 introductory EP’s released over the summer. Expect a full-length record in September after a tour in Europe.
And try out the song “Cut Me Open“. Beautiful.
It was really hard putting these in order….
They are just going to be in alphabetical order. As well, I’m sure there were many great records put out this year that I never got a chance to hear. These ones below are the ones that inspired me the most.
(Not going to put in a lot of words, just a couple thoughts that come to mind.)
Adem – Love And Other Planets
A great follow up to 2004’s Homesongs. A record with the right amount of quirk, a memorable and distinctive voice and a mosiac of instrumentation.
Annuals – Be He Me
The album is totally there, lives up to the bluzz. Tracks like Brother entice you at the start and knock your head off at the climax. Complete Or Completing is the best nu-waltz I’ve heard and tracks like Sway hide at the end, slowly growing on you as you start to wear down the disc. Great example of songwriting by a bunch of kids from North Carolina.
Band Of Horses – Everything All The Time
Great debut from this Seattle band. Toss it on for roadtrips and bar-b-ques.
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Chad VanGaalen – Skelliconnection
Maybe the true definition of DIY? Along with writing and recording the songs, Chad makes his own instruments and does all the artwork himself. Interesting record. Look for Flower Gardens, best stuttering song since My Generation.
Eagle*Seagull – Eagle*Seagull
Another great debut. Get past the obvious Robert Smith sound of the lead singers voice and dig deeper. Phenominal live band.
Land Of Talk – Applause Cheer Boo Hiss
Seven songs from a great ‘chemical trio’ from Montreal. Lizzie’s amazing voice is captivating. This EP is another great start, also keeping Montreal on the map as the best place to discover the next biggest thing.
Midlake– Trials of Van Occupanther
‘AM Radio Gets A Modern Sheen‘. That quote has really stuck with me as the best way to describe this band. Think beautiful harmonies backed by 70’s influence folk-pop. If Roscoe doesn’t get you, try Young Bride. If neither work, try peanut butter.
Silversun Pickups – Carnavas
Many thought this was the second coming of the Smashing Pumpkins. I see a driven LA band, connected to the scene, capable of moving people with this record.
Snowden – Anti Anti
Winner of the sneak award, as in this one barely snuck in to my top 10. I’m fascinated with how great the tone sounds on this record. Take a listen to ‘Like Bullets‘, awesome video.
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The Walkmen – A Hundred Miles Off
If you’ve been reading this blog for a while, you’d be able to guess that these guys would make my top 10. A grittier sounding record, still with tons of reverb and organs. And its a grower, Lousianna didn’t get me the same way The Rat did the first time I heard it. Go see this band.
Click on this image below to stream music from my top 10.
Also, a quick thanks to everyone that has been reading my rants here. And a happy holidays!
I made a two disc mix CD to give out over the holidays. It was a little tough, as I originally had 60 or so songs in contention before I started whittling. But I got down to 34. I’m actually surprised at the low amount of Canadian content….. but these were the songs that stayed in my head the longest. Enjoy.
**by the way, if you know me and think you’ll see me in the next little while, ask me for one of these discs, I’ll probably have a couple on me.
Indie Music Filter 2006 Volume 1 – Disc 1
2) Hospital Beds – Cold War Kids
3) Launch Yourself – Adem
4) The Funeral – Band Of Horses
5) In Context – Field Music
6) Young Bride (CWL Remix) –Midlake/Cassettes Won’t Listen
7) Click Click Click Click – Bishop Allen
8) So Far We Are – The French Kicks
9) Your Eyes Are Liars – SOUNDteam
10) Wolf Like Me – TV on the Radio
11) Photograph – Eagle*Seagull
12) Anti-Anti – Snowden
13) Paul Cries – Think About Life
14) Pate Filo – Malajube
15) Whoo! Alright – Yeah… Uh Huh – The Rapture
I figured out where Eagle*Seagull got the name for their band. and all I had to do was ask Eli Mardock, the band’s lead singer. The opening track “Lock and Key“, off their self-titled record, builds slowly into this crazy, chaotic guitar effect outro. The band, while discussing the studio session over beers, said the effect sounded like an “evil seagull”. Evil sounded like and became Eagle.
I hear the seagull, but I think its sounds more confused than evil.
And all seagulls are evil, everybody knows that.
Last Thursday I had the pleasure of catching Eagle*Seagull‘s set at the Drake Hotel. What I didn’t expect to see was only a couple handfulls of people there for the performance. What a great performance.
The combination of instrumentation (guitars, pianos, violin, drums), the Cure-esque vocals and the pure energy the band had on stage all added to a inspired interpretation of the tracks off their record. In the middle of the set, I heard a rendition (or maybe just some snagged lines) of the Beatles track “you’ve got to hide your love away”, which vocally sounded like a cover, but instrumentally sounded like a completely different tune all together. The band jumped into “Photograph,” midway through the set as well. The ladies in front of me were ecstatic.
My favorite song of the night? Don’t know the name. It was the closer and its off the band’s next offering due out sometime after the end of this sentence. And finally, we took a poll, Carrie Butler is the hottest indie-band-violinist right now.
Check out “Your Beauty Is A Knife I Turn On My Throat”.
