I saw indie poppers Nada Surf last night at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver. I left with an overall feeling of “meh”. I like sticking on one of their albums every now and then and I think 2005’s ‘The Weight is a Gift’ is pretty good but there’s always a case of sameness with their musical style and that was very evident in their live show. (read more…)

#1 - “In Rainbows” - Radiohead

While you could have paid any amount of money you liked for In Rainbows, what you definitely need to pay in full is attention. The album demands it and then rewards you for it. It’s a delectable treat. Dark yet beautiful. Heavy yet ethereal. Real yet dreamy. Lie down and listen to Nude with your eyes closed and you’ll imagine that you’re floating. (read more…)

#2 - “Sound Of Silver” - LCD Soundsystem

LCD Soundsystem’s 2005 self-titled debut album was very good. Some people raved about it but I thought it lacked some direction, meandering and wandering a bit too much. A lack of cohesiveness. His 2007 release, Sound Of Silver, can’t face the same accusation. It’s a solid, tightly packed nine tracks of amazing tunes. Dance/rock combo at its best. (read more…)

#3 - “Neon Bible” - Arcade Fire

After the immense Funeral, there was a lot of anticipation as to how the Arcade Fire’s sophomore album would fare out. They certainly didn’t let me down with Neon Bible. It’s a typically energetic, frenetic, rousing, theatrical record. You can’t help but get caught up in its anthemic songs, marching drums, lush string sections and swells of brass. They’ve been a breath of fresh air in the  last few years. (read more…)

#4 - “Boxer” - The National

The National surpassed themselves with their fourth album. Like their previous efforts, Boxer contains the same type of intelligent lyrics delivered with melodic brooding intensity in both the vocals and music but with a close-knit intimacy to it all. (read more…)

#5 - “Marry Me” - St. Vincent

St. Vincent (real name Annie Clarke) used to play in the backing band of Sufjan Steven and her debut solo album contains some of the same quirky instrumentation and lush orchestration found in Sufjan’s work. But with differences. She shreds a mean electric guitar for one and this juxtaposes with her sweet vocals. (read more…)

#6 - “Under The Blacklight” - Rilo Kiley

I only became acquainted with Rilo Kiley upon the release of their third album, More Adventurous, in 2004 but quickly fell in love with them. Under The Blacklight saw them take a slight shift towards more mainstream indie pop/rock (read more…)

#7 - “Because Of The Times” - Kings Of Leon

The Kings’ third album was a more pop-accessible affair than their preceding two and was probably their best yet. It’s still full of exquisite guitar hooks and infectious melodies but songs like On Call and Fans are more airplay friendly. However they didn’t lose sight of their influences - the excellent Charmer could have been lifted straight off a Pixies album. (read more…)

My poor old iPod is a few years old now and its battery life just isn’t what it used to be. Plus, 20GB is nowhere near big enough to hold my music collection. So after much research over the last few weeks I decided to get an Archos 605 wifi. (read more…)

I was at the second Arcade Fire gig with three other friends tonight. I brought my camera along as well to take a few snaps. I recorded the whole of “Intervention” too. (read more…)