Thanks for reading, I love you all.

ZIP // LOVE IS ALL VALENTINES DAY 2011

tracklist
Alexander // A Million Years
Gatsbys American Dream // Just Like Heaven (The Cure Cover)
The Unicorns // Sea Ghost
Death From Above 1979 // Pull Out
Freelance Whales // Enzymes
Casiotone For The Painfully Alone // Love Connection
The Tallest Man On Earth // Love Is All
Steel Train // Fall Asleep
The Black Keys // Never Give You Up
The Smiths // There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
She & Him // In The Sun
Right Away, Great Captain // My Body Aches For You
OK Go // I Want You So Bad I Can’t Breathe
Tilly And The Wall // Dust Me Off
Nightmare of You // In The Bathroom Is Where I Want You
Grizzly Bear // Service Bell
Devendra Banhart // Baby
Beach House // Take Care

Freelance Whales have released the video for the one-off track “Enzymes” which features a slew of gorgeous effects whether it be the colorful lights bouncing to the beat of the songs pounding synth line or The Fountain-esque raindrop scene. Much like the song it represents, this ones a winner.

Tracklist
angus and julia stone – walk it off
freelance whales – enzymes
summer people – glossy eyed
crystal castles vs CBF – cry babies
letlive. – enemigos/enemies
trophy scars – trazodone
via audio – developing active people
brand new – untitled 08
bad books – holding down the laughter
underoath – driftwood
hellogoodbye – betrayed by bones
kanye west – lost in the world (ft. bon iver)
right away, great captain! – best ever metal band out of denton (mountain goats cover)
coma cinema – her sinking sun
blossom dearie – tout doucement
now, now every children – jesus camp
lupe fiasco – the show goes on

Enzymes is an exhilarating true-to-form pop song with a slight dark edge. Make sure you pick this one up. Maybe this means more is on the horizon? Hope so.

MP3 // Enzymes

Now Now Every Children – Neighbors
The Shaky Hands – Summer’s Life
The Swellers – Do You Feel Better Yet?
Young Man – Up So Fast
Perfume Genius – Mr. Peterson
Deerhunter – Coronado
Class Actress – Terminally Chill (Neon Indian Cover)
Cursive – Discovering America
Prefuse 73 – I Got No Time For Rearviews
Kanye West – Runaway
Angus and Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane
Freelance Whales – Generator 1st Floor (Aislyn Remix)
Glassjaw – Jesus Glue
Oceana – Joy
Ugly Casanova – To Roads to Go, to Roads to Go
Land of Talk – Goaltime Exposure
Bad Books – You Wouldn’t Have To Ask
The Meligrove Band – Bones Attack!!!

MP3 // “Hannah”

04-17 Fords, NJ – Vintage Vinyl
04-17 Newark, DE – Rainbow Books and Music
04-18 Clinton, NY – Cafe Opus McEwen
05-02 Washington DC – 9:30 Club *
05-03 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church *
05-05 New York, NY – Webster Hall [two shows] *
05-06 Boston, MA – Paradise *
05-07 Montreal, Quebec – Cabaret Music Hall *
05-08 Toronto, Ontario – Mod Club *
05-10 Chicago, IL – Lincoln Hall *
05-11 Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater *
05-14 Vancouver, British Columbia – Commodore Ballroom *
05-15 Seattle, WA – Neumos *
05-16 Portland, OR – Doug Fir *
05-18 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall *
05-20-21 Los Angeles, CA – El Rey *
05-22 San Diego, CA – House of Blues *
05-25 San Diego, CA – The Loft
05-26 Santa Barbara, CA – Jensen’s Mainstage
05-30 George, Washington – Sasquatch!
06-01 Boise, ID – Neurolux
06-02 Salt Lake City, UT – Kilby Court
06-04 Telluride, OH – Sheridan Opera House
06-05 Denver, CO – Hi-Dive
06-07 Columbia, MI – Mojo’s
06-08 Louis, MI – Off Broadway Nightclub
06-10 Indianapolis, IN – Locals Only
06-12 Cleveland, OH – Grog Shop
06-13 Buffalo, NY – Ninth Ward
08-08 Chicago, IL – Lollapalooza

* with Shout Out Louds

mp3// generator 2nd floor
weathervanes drops april 13th

mp3// generator ^ 1st floor (aislyn remix)

mp3// generator ^ second floor

the band recently got a chance to do a live session at WOXY and debuted a new track. looking forward to hearing this one with a proper studio treatment, but the live version sounds fantastic. jump in.

mp3// rise and shine

mp3// starring

So without further ado, here are the 10 albums that made my year. These are the top 10 reasons I keep doing this. Let me know what you think!

10
As Cities Burn // Hell or High Water
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.0 of 5 // review
The last album in the short-lived legacy of As Cities Burn, Hell or High Water hinted at the same brooding and dissonant songwriting of it’s predecessor featuring vocalist Cody Bonnette shining in some of his brightest moments. Although Hell or High Water will not go down as their best release, it’s an applauded effort by a band that went away all too soon.
mp3// pirate blues

****

09
Monsters of Folk // Monsters of Folk
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.0 of 5
The collaboration between M. Ward, Jim James and Conor Oberst birthed an album that was diversified enough to keep everybody happy, while staying true to each artists character. The hype that surrounded Monsters of Folk at it’s announcement usually stunts such supergroups, but Monsters of Folk lived up to the hype, creating an album that is impossible to find something that you don’t like.
mp3// say please

****

08
Freelance Whales // Weathervanes
Bedwetters Rating //4.0 of 5 // full review
The thing that makes Weathervanes so good is it’s unexplainable ability to combine the immediacy of it’s songs with a depth of songwriting that is unmatched by too many. The first week after being introduced to Weathervanes, it was the only thing I listened to. I took it with me wherever I went, all the while waiting for the eventual crash that accompanies a record that favors instant appeal instead of good songwriting. I thought this was THAT record, but I was wrong. Weathervanes is the best of both worlds; instantly addicting and positively refreshing with each listen.
mp3// starring

****

07
Atlas Sound // Logos
Bedwetter’s Rating //4.0 of 5 // full review
It seems that with Logo’s, Bradford Cox has finally left the confines of his bedroom to give his work the cliche’d “breath of fresh air”. The sound heard throughout Logos is both consistent and addicting, compounding soaring soundscapes with conservative whispers making Logos not only one of the shining moments of 2009, but arguably Cox’s best work to date.
mp3// shelia

****

06
Brand New // Daisy
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.0 of 5 // full review
From the opening wounded shrieking to the delirious and maniacal chanting of it’s imploding end, Daisy instantly became the most polarizing album in Brand New’s prolific catalog. While naysayers cite sloppy songwriting and questionable quality behind Daisy’s lyricism, Jesse Lacey and Co. still pushed the boundaries into depths few, if any knew they were capable of.
mp3// gasoline

****

05
Thrice // Beggars
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.5 of 5 // full review
Beggars is not the most intricate record, nor the most experimental release in Thrice’s impressive discography. However, the solidified composition and reserved greatness in every song on the album makes it easy to listen to and nearly impossible to forget. The masterful musicianship displayed by guitarist Teppei Teranishi is perfectly balanced in every aspect, lending way for the Breckenridge brother’s flawless percussion section. Combined with Dustin Kensrue’s career defining performance both lyrically and vocally, it’s hard to think of a time when the songwriting prowess of Thrice was more evident than now.
mp3// doublespeak

****

04
Rx Bandits // Mandala
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.5 of 5 // full review
While Mandala might not take the giant leap of progression found on …And The Battle Begun, it still finds the band in a place of steady contentment. The energy and the flow is all we have come to expect from a band of such stature, and it does well serving as the next chapter in Rx Bandit’s already impressive story.

mp3// bring our children home or everything is nothing

****

03
mewithoutYou // it’s all crazy! it’s all false! it’s all a dream! it’s alright
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.5 of 5 // full review
Although it may be mewithoutYou’s worst acclaimed release, I can’t fault them for making an album that they wanted to make. Gone is everything that made this band recognizable, but they still made it work. From the opening happy keys of “every thought a thought of You” to the campfire acoustics of “Allah, Allah, Allah” Aaron Weiss cements himself among the greatest lyricists of my time. If you don’t get this album, keep listening. It will come
mp3// cattail down

****

02
Grizzly Bear // Veckatimest
Bedwetter’s Rating // 4.5 of 5 // full review
Capitalizing on everything that makes Grizzly Bear such a widely admired band, Veckatimest is a true rarity. Gushing to the brim with dazzling and addicting psychedelia tinged chamber pop and methodically sparse folk, these four men from Brooklyn have made a masterpiece that is both insatiably deep as it is instantly gratifying.
mp3// ready, able

****

01
Manchester Orchestra // Mean Everything To Nothing
Bedwetter’s Rating // 5 of 5 //full review
It is apparent that when Manchester Orchestra set out to write this album, they went with clear intentions to make a masterpiece, and a masterpiece is exactly what they have delivered. In an industry where we are constantly being subjected to bands intent on selling us an image rather than a song, it’s refreshing to see a band come along and create something so naturally beautiful and unforced. And for that, Manchester Orchestra deserve all the acclaim in the world.
mp3// everything to nothing

Freelance Whales started in late 2008, which is quite an impressive thought to consider when listening to their debut. Weathervanes is a quirk-pop masterpiece, filled with a glut of instruments including harmonium, banjo, cello, and glockenspiel. Every year there’s always an album that seemingly comes out of nowhere to hit me like a truck; the dark horse album of the year. This is it.

The thing that makes Weathervanes so good is it’s unexplainable ability to combine the immediacy of it’s songs with a depth of songwriting that is unmatched by too many. The first week after being introduced to Weathervanes, it was the only thing I listened to. I took it with me wherever I went, all the while waiting for the eventual crash that accompanies a record that favors instant appeal instead of good songwriting. I thought this was THAT record, but I was wrong. Weathervanes is the best of both worlds; instantly addicting and positively refreshing with each listen.

Weathervanes is built like a truck. At 13 songs and just a tad over 45 minutes, there is not a second lost in it’s makeup. Even the three spacey interludes that divide the album into thirds are well put and attentive to detail. The first third of the record showcases it’s catchiest moments coming in the form of “Generator ^1st Floor”, “Hannah” and “Starring”. “Hannah” is arguaby the album’s catchiest number leading off with a thick synth and varied instrumentation, which later retreats in favor of the tune’s catchy word play; “Hannah takes the stairs/ And I usually take the elevator/ Every now and then she offers me a lemon now-n-later.” However, it is “Starring” that has the biggest potential for radio-ready single stardom, with a chorus that doesn’t stop at sticking to your brain, but is only content with making a permanent imprint on it.

When trying to pinpoint Freelance Whales, it’s hard to tell what influences their sound. While song’s like “Broken Horse” could easily be mistaken for a Sufjan Steven’s single, other tracks like “Generator ^ 2nd Floor” “Ghosting” and “We Could Be Friends” all draw influence from acts like Anathallo, Postal Service, or even The Arcade Fire. That is not to say that they sound anything like those bands, as “Weathervanes” content is all their own. This is the biggest thing that Freelance Whales have going for them. Unsigned, young and full of potential, their sound is not necessarily what’s popular right now, but they could easily change that. However, the best part about them is that they don’t seem to care about changing anything, but are merely content with impromptu performances in the subways of New York, spreading their sound the old fashioned way, through word of mouth and good old determined hard work. And if they can do that and keep their output as precisely magnificent as their debut, that’s fine by me.

mp3 // starring
mp3 // hannah
myspace // freelance whales
purchase // weathervanes

RIYL: The Postal Service, Miniature Tigers, fun.

This weekend I experienced the great fortune of stumbling across Freelance Whales. The five-piece soon to be indie-pop sensation may very well have recorded one of the most intricately catchy and intensely addicting albums of the year, for I haven’t been listening to much else since I got it. Their debut full length Weathervanes clocks in at 45 minutes, with 13 tracks of unadulterated smart and flawless songcraft. Download two tracks below and make sure to stream some more songs at the bands Myspace before you ultimately PURCHASE THIS AWESOME ALBUM

DOWNLOAD:: Hannah [MP3]
DOWNLOAD:: Starring [MP3]