What did was seeing a commercial featuring Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks” featuring Tracy Morgan. Like whoa, did anyone listening to Horn of Plenty or even Yellow House back in the day see this coming? My jaw dropped.

mp3// two weeks

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

Boneless-remix-100208wav-final by bedwettingcosmonaut

stream// “foreground” @ memoryhouse’s myspace

mp3// foreground (duyster sessions)

Here’s the video for Veckatimest’s standout track “Ready, Able” The video is everything it should be stunning and mesmerizing. The claymation effects are jaw-dropping on this one, although the subject matter is comparable to an ink-blot test. It’s meaning is what you make it.

Grizzly Bear hit up Conan last night for a late night performance of Two Weeks with Beach House’s Victoria LeGrand. The results are everything you’d expect from the lovely combination. This song never gets old.

DOWNLOAD:: Two Weeks [MP3]
ELSEWHERE:: Grizzly Bear + Victoria LeGrand “Slow Life” Live

If you haven’t already purchased one of the best releases of 2009, you got no excuse now.

Grizzly Bear will be releasing Veckatimest in special edition packaging along with a 24-page photo-booklet and a second disc containing several life sessions. The release will hit Europe and UK November 2. For those that have already purchased the album, Grizzly Bear will be releasing the live sessions via iTunes on November 2nd as well.

More Info
DOWNLOAD:: Ready, Able [mp3]

While many will be mourning the death of summer, I for one am ecstatic for the change. Fall is without a doubt my favorite time of the year. October means a few good things in particular
-The upcoming line-up of all the good holidays is drawing near.
-The start of the NBA season is right around the corner.
-I don’t need an excuse to stay inside, eat and be lazy.

In addition to all these great things, my musical preferences always seem to change during this time. Cutting back on the poppier and heavier sides of the musical spectrum, I always seem to dive headfirst into a pool of stark acoustics, greyish ambients and, lazy pop. Hopefully this mix reflects that, and will accompany you through the best time of the year.

DOWNLOAD:: i know a girl with cuts on her legs [fall mix 09] [zip]
MORE MIXES

TRACKLIST
01. Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros – 40 Day Dream
02. Atlas Sound – Shelia
03. The Republic of Wolves – Spill
04. The Big Pink – Dominos
05. Dead Man’s Bones – Pa Pa Power
06. Devendra Banhart – Baby
07. Grizzly Bear – All We Ask
08. Brand New – Daisy
09. Small Black – Despicable Dogs
10. The Low Anthem – Charlie Darwin
11. The Strokes – Is This It
12. The Good Life – Night and Day
13. Monsters of Folk – Temazcal
14. St. Vincent – Marrow
15. The Notwist – Consequence
16. Right Away, Great Captain! – What A Lullaby, What A Way To Die
17. Wolf Parade – Grounds For Divorce
18. Emily Haines – Reading In Bed

DOWNLOAD:: Grizzly Bear – Slow Life (Feat. Victoria Legrand) [MP3]

1. Death Cab for Cutie – Meet Me on the Equinox
2. Band of Skulls – Friends
3. Thom Yorke – Hearing Damage
4. Lykke Li – Possibility
5. The Killers – A White Demon Love Song
6. Anya Marina – Satellite Heart
7. Muse – I Belong to You (New Moon)
8. Bon Iver & St. Vincent – Roslyn
9. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Done All Wrong
10. Hurricane Bells – Monsters
11. Sea Wolf – The Violet Hour
12. Ok Go – Shooting the Moon
13. Grizzly Bear – Slow Life
14. Editors – No Sound But the Wind
15. Alexandre Desplat – New Moon (The Meadow)

Grizzly Bear’s new video is similar to it’s predecessor for “Two Weeks” as it’s visuals are absolutely stunning. Much like the previously posted “Black Swan” by Sunset Rubdown the WTF factor on it is high, but the coolness of “While You Wait For The Others” keeps it maintained and excessively cool. Is anyone else a little creeped out by the people in fencing masks?

Grizzly Bear- Veckatimest [REVIEW]
Download:: Grizzly Bear – While You Wait For The Others [MP3]

I can’t believe I’ve never posted anything here about the fantastic BEACH HOUSE. The she/him dreampop duo of Victoria Legrand and Alex Scally have signed on with Indie giant Sub-Pop Records. It gets better: The band also spent the month of July in a church-converted studio recording their next full-length which will be due out early 2010. If that’s too long of a wait, make sure to catch them on their current Fall Tour (some dates with GRIZZLY BEAR!)

9/6 – Dublin at the Electric Picnic
9/19 – Portland at the Berbati’s Pan-MUSICFEST NW
9/20 – Seattleat Nuemos
9/22 – Anacortes, WA at the Department of Safety
9/23 – Bellingham at The Nightlight
9/24 – Victoria BC at Rifflandia Festival
9/26 – Ann Arbor at Michigan Theatre w/ Grizzly Bear
9/27 – Chicago at the Metro w/ Grizzly Bear
9/28 – Chicago at the Metro w/ Grizzly Bear
9/30 – Minneapolis at First Avenue w/ Grizzly Bear
10/1 – Columbia, Missouri at Blue Note w/ Grizzly Bear
10/2 – Norman at the opolis
10/3 – Austin at EMOS
10/5 – Atlanta at Variety Playhouse w/ Grizzly Bear
10/6 – Norfolk at Norva w/ Grizzly Bear
10/7 – Philadelphia at Electric Factory w/ Grizzly Bear
10/8 – Boston at Orpheum Theatre w/ Grizzly Bear
10/9 – Poughkeepsie at Vassar College
10/19 – San Francisco at Bottom of the Hill
10/20 – LA at Hollywood Palladium w/Grizzly Bear
10/21 – San Diego Belly Up Tavern w/ Grizzly Bear

as always, if you dig the song, support the artist!

the picture is of my brother getting punched in the face. i stole it from my good friend’s expansive collection of photography. his name is trevor christensen , do him a favor, hit him up and show him some love.

download:: best of the decade pt 1 (songs 1-25)
download:: best of the decade pt 2 (songs 26-50)

#50
wild orchid children – ahead of us the secret
from elephant ep (2007) ::purchase

#49
city and colour – as much as i ever could
from bring me your love (2008) ::purchase

#48
blood brothers – trash flavored trash
from crimes (2004) ::purchase

#47
forget cassettes – quiero, quieres
from salt (2006) ::purchase

#46
straylight run – big shot (hands in the sky)
from prepare to be wrong ep (2005)::purchase

#45
the arcade fire – wake up
from funeral (2004)::purchase

#44
arctic monkeys – fluorescent adolescent
from favourite worst nightmare (2007)::purchase

#43
moving mountains – 8105
from pneuma (2008)::purchase

#42
manchester orchestra – i can barely breathe
from i’m like a virgin losing a child (2006)::purchase

#41
underoath – everyone looks so good from here
from define the great line (2006)::purchase

#40
kevin devine – time to burn (another bag of bones)
from brother’s blood (2009)::purchase

#39
parallax – the romance
from mediums and messages(2006) unavailable for purchase

#38
explosions in the sky – greet death
from those who tell the truth shall die, those who tell the truth shall live forever (2001)::purchase

#37
death from above 1979 – romantic rights
from you’re a woman, i’m a machine (2004)::purchase

#36
gym class heroes – everydays forecast
from the papercut chronicles (2005)::purchase

#35
mgmt – time to pretend
from oracular spectacular (2008)::purchase

#34
manchester orchestra – i was a lid
from let my pride be what’s left behind (2008)::purchase

#33
david bazan – cold beer and cigarettes
from fewer moving parts ep (2006)::purchase

#32
evangelicals – midnight vignette
from the evening descends (2008)::purchase

#31
the strokes – you only live once
from first impressions of earth (2006)::purchase

#30
animal collective – the purple bottle
from feels (2005)::purchase

#29
conor oberst – milk thistle
from conor oberst (2008)::purchase

#28
aesop rock – daylight
from labor days (2001)::purchase

#27
the sound of animals fighting – act IV – you don’t need a witness
from tiger & the duke (2005)::purchase

#26
bloc party – positive tension
from silent alarm (2005)::purchase

#25
colour revolt – swamp
from plunder, beg, and curse (2008)::purchase

#24
brand new – untitled 05
from leaked demos (2006) unavailable for purchase

#23
the good life – inmates
from album of the year (2004)::purchase

#22
la dispute – damaged goods
from somewhere at the bottom between vega and altair(2008)::purchase

#21
circle takes the square – kill the switch
from as the roots undo(2003)::purchase

#20
mewithoutYou – four word letter pt. 2
from catch for us the foxes(2004)::purchase

#19
modest mouse – night on the sun
from everywhere and his nasty parlour tricks (2001)::purchase

#18
grizzly bear – ready, able
from veckatimest (2009)::purchase

#17
cursive – staying alive
from the ugly organ (2003)::purchase

#16
glassjaw- two tabs of mescaline
from worship and tribute (2002)::purchase

#15
bright eyes – lets not shit ourselves (to love and to be loved)
from lifted: or the story is in the soil, keep your ear to the ground (2002)::purchase

#14
the strokes – is this it
from is this it (2001)::purchase

#13
bright eyes – hit the switch
from digital ash in a digital urn (2006)::purchase

#12
brand new – limousine (ms rebridge)
from the devil and god are raging inside me (2006)::purchase

#11
manchester orchestra – pride
from mean everything to nothing (2009)::purchase

#10
emily haines – winning
from knives don’t have your back (2006)::purchase

#9
brand new – okay i believe you, but my tommy gun don’t
from deja entendu (2003)::purchase

#8
portugal. the man – telling tellers telling me
from church mouth (2007)::purchase

#7
la dispute – new storms for older lovers
from somewhere at the bottom between vega and altair (2008)::purchase

#6
right away, great captain! – right ahead, young sailor
from the bitter end (2007)::purchase

#5
rx bandits – tainted wheat
from …and the battle begun (2006)::purchase

#4
the sound of animals fighting – this heat
from lover the lord has left us (2006)::purchase

#3
as cities burn – timothy
from come now sleep (2006)::purchase

#2
mewithoutYou – o porcupine
from brother, sister(2006)::purchase

#1
bright eyes – loose leaves
from brother, sister(2006)::purchase

download:: best of the decade pt 1 (songs 1-25)
download:: best of the decade pt 2 (songs 26-50)

4.5 /5

To say it’s been a good year for Grizzly Bear would be an epic understatement.

The band’s third full-length release Veckatimest is one that has launched the New York native four piece from relatively unknown freak-folk beginnings into Billboard’s Top 10 Charts and indie stardom.

Listening through Veckatimest, it’s easy to get caught up in the hype that has surrounded it since the band debuted “Two Weeks” on Letterman last year.  Unlike so many bands and records that have followed the same potentially deadly path before them, Veckatimest not only delivers on the hype but goes over and above to heights left untouched by only a special few albums.

The album opener, “Southern Point” twangs through an upbeat victorious brawl building and slowing in gentle neck break fashion, followed by “Two Weeks” the culprit for all the attention garnered to the release even months before it’s premature leak.  It would be hard to argue that any other song in Grizzly Bear’s catalogue matches the accessibility found on “Two Weeks” an undeniably infectious anthem led by a stark and simple keyboard oddly reminiscent of Dr. Dre’s infamous “Still Dre”.  The oh’s and ah’s of Grizzly Bear’s dynamic chamber add a pop sensibility never revealed before Veckatimest.

Grizzly Bear’s original break-out album “Yellow House” was an underground favorite due in large to the band’s eccentric song structures and varied yet odd instrumentation.  The big pull to the act however, was the foursome’s ability to create a epic landscapes with their four-part lush vocal harmonies.  Veckatimest has only refined and built on this attribute, making their harmonies even more accessible and apparent.

This is audible enough on “All We Ask” a slow burner that starts in a barren acoustic opening before building into it’s choral climax.  If you feel like your drifting down a lazy river on a hot summer day when the band break into the closing lines “I can’t get out of what I’m into with you.” it won’t be the last time that Veckatimest will lull you into a fuzzy stupor.

What makes this album more than just good and nearly above great is it’s ability to create and withhold the listener in this environment throughout.  If that is this album’s thesis then consider the closer “Foreground” the sole source.  Backed by a minimalist piano, lead vocalist Ed Droste proves why he is an ever growing icon in today’s independent music scene.  Lending his voice to what will prove to be the most achingly ravishing track recorded by Grizzly Bear, Veckatimest is ended on a hair-raising whispering howl.  And with that, Veckatimest is ends on a note that is sure to captivate and encapsulate listeners with it’s sunny soundscapes.

mp3:: grizzly bear- all we ask
mp3:: grizzly bear- cheerleader