The LARRY Page: Hobby Box

MP3: PATTERN IS MOVEMENT

2008-05-08T22:56:00.003-04:00

MP3: PATTERN IS MOVEMENT

"Bird"
(Team Clermont)
Two-man Boulder band Pattern is Movement's new album All Together was released on Tuesday. Fans know them from their high energy eclecticism. If you need proof, throw on this track. It sounds like it belongs in a Japanese pop musical.

See also:
patternismovement.com

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | experimental | Pattern is Movement

VIDEO: THE FUTUREHEADS

2008-02-13T16:58:00.004-05:00

VIDEO: THE FUTUREHEADS

Like many, I was a big fan of the driving, angular pop of The Futureheads' 2004 self-titled debut. But their follow-up album 2006's News and Tributes was a bit of a disappointment -- more of the same, but much less fun. Their newest single "The Beginning of the Twist" is a good sign that the English band found their mojo again and that their next album just may something to look forward to.

THE FUTUREHEADS
"Beginning of the Twist"

See also:
thefutureheadscms.trinitystreetdirect.com

tags: music | music videos | indie rock | Futureheads

MP3: PANTHER

2008-02-12T19:12:00.000-05:00

MP3: PANTHER

"Violence, Diamonds"
"Puerto Rican Jukebox"
(Kill Rock Stars)
The former one-man Portland act Panther recently doubled in size. Charlie Salas-Humara has made a Joe Kelly (previously of 31 Knots) an official member of the multi-instrumental experimental funk rock band and they'll both appear on the upcoming release 14 Kt. God. The LP is available on Feb. 19, but you can sample these two tracks for a taste of the duo's jumbled up jam band sound.

See also:
panthertouch.com
jyrk.com/panther

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | Panther

MP3: SHE & HIM

2008-02-11T17:47:00.000-05:00

MP3: SHE & HIM

"Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?"
(Merge)
M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel first met each other when they recorded a song for a movie soundtrack together (a Richard and Linda Thompson cover for some little known indie flick called The Go Getter). Apparently, they seemed to like each other's talents because after the collaboration the pair got together to record a full album of original songs Deschanel had been hiding at home. Deschanel's cutesy and rootsy voice complements M. Ward's sound very well. Nice to see a big time actress dip into recording music and actually impress me. She and Him's debut album Volume One is out on March 18.

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop | She and Him | M. Ward | Zooey Deschanel

MP3: DENGUE FEVER

2008-02-01T16:37:00.000-05:00

MP3: DENGUE FEVER

"Sober Driver"
(Spinner)
L.A.-based Dengue Fever takes psychedelic rock and melds it with Cambodian pop music. I'm not exactly sure what Cambodian pop sounds like but the resulting sound on this track is one part mysterious and sultry lounge jazz and one part jangly, two-part-harmonied indie folk. Let's just call it eclectic then. Their latest album Venus on Earth is already available in stores.

See also:
myspace.com/denguefevermusic

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop | Dengue Fever

MP3: THE LK

2008-02-01T16:11:00.000-05:00

MP3: THE LK

"Private Life of a Cat"
"Tandem Bikes"
(Team Clemont)
Just when you thought the parade of catchy Swedish pop acts might be entering its final stretch, here marches along The LK, a duo that combines delightful melodies and bouncy, slightly abstract arrangements. Their album Vs. The Snow is out on The Kora Records on March 4.

I realize these are the first couple of mp3s I've posted in months. I'll try to keep it up!

See also:
thelkhideout.com

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop | Swedish | The LK

TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2007

2008-01-22T23:14:00.000-05:00

TOP 50 ALBUMS OF 2007

I know, I know. Who's even interested in a "best of 2007" list anymore? Everyone else revealed their album picks more than a month ago. Nonetheless, after a bit of slacking, my annual exercise in ranking the discs that most impressed me throughout the year continues.

Honestly, as I was putting together the list I was shocked by how many albums I truly loved. In an ordinary year, Arcade Fire would have easily ranked in the Top 25 but I think they're lucky to even have made the Top 50. I had to leave off decent turns by artists who have ranked in previous years (PJ Harvey, The Shins, Beirut), as well as some of the year's best breakthrough acts (The Twilight Sad, Bon Iver, No Age).

50. SHOCKING PINKS / Shocking Pinks

49. WHITE RABBITS / Fort Nightly

48. JOSH RITTER / The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter

47. ARCADE FIRE / Neon Bible

46. JAY-Z / American Gangster

45. BLONDE REDHEAD / 23

44. MAGIC MARKERS / Boss

43. LUPE FIASCO / Lupe Fiasco's The Cool

42. APPLES IN STEREO / New Magnetic Wonder

41. THE FIELD / From Here We Go Sublime

40. DAN DEACON / Spiderman of the Rings

39. PATRICK WOLF / The Magic Position

38. PAGE FRANCE / Page France and the Family Telephone

37. DEERHUNTER / Cryptograms

36. JOHN VANDERSLICE / Emerald City

35. THE WHITE STRIPES / Icky Thump

34. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS / Challengers

33. SALLY SHAPIRO / Disco Romance

32. BLITZEN TRAPPER / Wild Mountain Nation

31. SEA WOLF / Leaves in the River

30. FEIST / The Reminder

29. YEASAYER / All Hour Cymbals

28. LIARS / Liars

27. BOWERBIRDS / Hymns for a Dark Horse

26. BLACK MOTH SUPER RAINBOW / Dandelion Gum

---

25. BLACK LIPS / Good Bad Not Evil

24. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE / Strawberry Jam

23. OKKERVIL RIVER / Stage Names

22. BURIAL / Untrue

21. MENOMENA / Friend and Foe

20. FIELD MUSIC / Tones of Town

19. PETER BJORN AND JOHN / Writer's Block

18. MATTHEW DEAR / Asa Breed

17. JOSE GONZALEZ / In Our Nature

16. ST. VINCENT / Marry Me

15. JUSTICE / †

14. KANYE WEST / Graduation

13. RADIOHEAD / In Rainbows

12. CARIBOU / Andorra

11. THE BESNARD LAKES / The Besnard Lakes are the Dark Horse

10. ANDREW BIRD / Armchair Apocrypha

9. THE NATIONAL / Boxer

8. SUNSET RUBDOWN / Random Spirit Lover

7. IRON & WINE / The Shepherd's Dog

6. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM / Sound of Silver

5. BATTLES / Mirrored

4. JENS LEKMAN / Night Falls Over Kortedala

3. OF MONTREAL / Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

2. M.I.A. / Kala

1. PANDA BEAR / Person Pitch

tags: music | Best of 2007

TOP 50 SONGS OF 2007

2007-12-11T18:30:00.000-05:00

TOP 50 SONGS OF 2007

I've actually had this list worked out since just after Thanksgiving, but due to a lack of time, an intermittent internet connection and plain old laziness, I'm just posting this now. I guess it's not surprising since I've barely updated Hobby Box at all over the last few months. There really is nothing like a year-end list to get me to finally update this site.

Most of these songs were officially released as singles. A handful of the selections were so heavily blogged about that they might as well have been. I think 2007 was pretty fantastic year for music. It was a pain to narrow this list down to 50. And I am, by the way, still working on the albums list.

50. KLAXONS / "Golden Skans" (youtube)

49. AMERIE / "Gotta Work" (youtube)

48. COCOROSIE / "Rainbow Warriors" (youtube)

47. AIR / "Mer du Japon" (youtube)

46. ROBYN / "Handle Me" (youtube)

45. ST. VINCENT / "Now Now"

44. ROBBERS ON HIGH STREET / "The Fatalist"

43. BAND OF HORSES / "Is There a Ghost?" (youtube)

42. AMY WINEHOUSE / "Love is a Losing Game" (youtube)

41. NEW PORNOGRAPHERS / "Challengers" (youtube)

40. !!! / "Must Be the Moon" (youtube)

39. KANYE WEST / "Stroner" (youtube)

38. GO! TEAM / "Grip Like a Vice" (youtube)

37. CHRISTINA AGUILERA / "Candyman" (youtube)

36. GUI BORATTO / "Beautiful Life" (youtube)

35. AESOP ROCK / "None Shall Pass" (youtube)

34. BEIRUT / "Elephant Gun" (youtube)

33. FUJIYA & MIYAGI / "Collarbone" (youtube)

32. COLD WAR KIDS / "Hang Me Up to Dry" (youtube)

31. CAMERA OBSCURA / "If Looks Could Kill" (youtube)

30. PANDA BEAR / "Comfy in Nautica" (youtube)

29. WHITE STRIPES / "Icky Thump" (youtube)

28. SALLY SHAPIRO / "He Keeps Me Alive"

27. JAY-Z / "Roc Boys (And the Winner Is)" (youtube)

26. THE NATIONAL / "Mistaken for Strangers" (youtube)

25. ROBIN THICKE / "Lost Without U" (youtube)

24. MATT & KIM / "Yea Yeah" (youtube)

23. LOW / "Breaker" (youtube)

22. PATRICK WOLF / "The Magic Position" (youtube)

21. R. KELLY / "I'm a Flirt" (youtube)

20. IRON & WINE / "Boy with a Coin"

19. GRIZZLY BEAR / "Knife" (youtube)

18. LUPE FIASCO / "Dumb It Down" (youtube)

17. RUFUS WAINWRIGHT / "Going to a Town" (youtube)

16. ROISIN MURPHY / "Let Me Know" (youtube)

15. SHARON JONES & THE DAP KING / "100 Days" (youtube)

14. LIL MAMA / "Lip Gloss" (youtube)

13. THE NATIONAL / "Fake Empire" (youtube)

12. SPOON / "The Underdog" (youtube)

11. PATRICK WOLF / "Accident & Emergency" (youtube)

10. SIMIAN MOBILE DISCO / "I Believe" (youtube)

9. TIMBALAND featuring KERI HILSON and DOE / "The Way I Are" (youtube)

8. BATTLES / "Atlas" (youtube)

7. THE CRIBS / "Men's Needs" (youtube)

6. RIHANNA / "Umbrella" (youtube)

5. JENS LEKMAN / "Opposite of Hallelujah"

4. JUSTICE / "D.A.N.C.E." (youtube)

3. M.I.A. / "Jimmy" (youtube)

2. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM / "Someone Great" (youtube)

1. LOS CAMPESINOS / "You! Me! Dancing!" (youtube)

tags: music | music video | Best of 2007

MP3: MOBIUS BAND

2007-09-28T00:26:00.000-04:00

MP3: MOBIUS BAND

"Hallie"
"Friends Like These"
(Misra)
Maybe it's a little bit unfair that almost every review I've ever seen on Mobius Band includes a comparison to Postal Service. But it is the first thing that comes to mind every time I hear these guys. The Brooklyn band's next attempt at breaking the association comes Oct. 2, when they release their new LP Heaven.

See also:
mobiusband.com

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop | Mobius Band

MP3: BRITISH SEA POWER

2007-09-26T23:20:00.000-04:00

MP3: BRITISH SEA POWER

"Atom"
(Spinner)
British Sea Power's Krankenhaus EP will first be available digitally in early October and will then be placed in stores in November. The power poppers' long-awaited release is their first since the 2005 album Open Season.

See also:
britishseapower.co.uk

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop | British Sea Power

MP3: SUNSET RUBDOWN

2007-09-26T22:37:00.000-04:00

MP3: SUNSET RUBDOWN

"Winged/Wicked Things"
" Up on your Leopard, Upon the End of your Feral Days"
(Jagjaguwar)
Montreal band Sunset Rubdown made their breakthrough last year with Shut Up I Am Dreaming. Now they're returning with a 2-disc CD called Random Spirit Lover. The band's founder Spencer Krug (who is also a member of Frog Eyes, Wolf Parade and Swan Lake) may just have one of the strongest projects of his career on the way. The album releases on Oct. 9.

See also:
sunsetrubdown.net

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop | Sunset Rubdown

MP3: JOSH RITTER

2007-08-21T21:50:00.000-04:00

MP3: JOSH RITTER

"To the Dogs of Whoever"
(JoshRitter.com)
Josh Ritter follows up his acclaimed The Animal Years LP with today's release of The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. Check out this particularly Dylan-esque track from the CD.

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop | Josh Ritter

MP3: KEVIN DREW

2007-06-25T22:56:00.000-04:00

MP3: KEVIN DREW

"Tbtf"
(Art & Crafts)
Slated for September, Spirit If... is a solo project by Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew. "Tbtf" reveals that Drew has a more accessible folkier side than the relatively experimental work he does with BSS.

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop | Kevin Drew | Broken Social Scene

VIDEO: THE GO! TEAM

2007-06-25T22:32:00.000-04:00

VIDEO: THE GO! TEAM

Newly added to Sub Pop's already stellar roster, The Go! Team will release their sophomore album Proof of Youth in September. If you enjoyed their debut album, this track is a good clue that lightning's struck twice for the UK act.

THE GO! TEAM
"Grip Like a Vice"

tags: music | music videos | indie dance | dance | The Go! Team

MP3: MISHA

2007-06-25T22:10:00.000-04:00

MP3: MISHA

"Summersend"
(Pitchfork)
This pretty little summer song by New York's Misha seems like it was made to be enjoyed on an open-top road trip to the beach. Feel the rays bouncing off the hood of that convertible. The song appears on the album Teardrop Sweetheart, which was released last week.

tags: music | mp3 | indie pop | Misha

MP3: BAD BRAINS

2007-06-25T21:44:00.000-04:00

MP3: BAD BRAINS

"Give Thanks and Praises"
(Toolshed)
Early reviews are in and it looks as if Bad Brains has finally created a long awaited comeback record that brings back the hardcore punk elements from their punk rock prime. The album, Build a Nation, is in stores tomorrow.

tags: music | mp3 | punk | Bad Brains

MP3: BUMPS

2007-06-19T22:14:00.000-04:00

MP3: BUMPS

"Tryplmeade Gorsmatch"
(Stones Throw)
John McEntire, John Herndon, and Dan Bitney of Tortoise unite for the side project Bumps. The band creates percussion-only instrumentals like this one from their self-titled LP. Considering that these guys are all in Tortoise, I wouldn't be surprised if the album was all just as amazingly dynamic.

tags: music | mp3 | post-rock | experimental | Bumps | Tortoise

VIDEO: M.I.A.

2007-06-12T21:39:00.000-04:00

VIDEO: M.I.A.

M.I.A.'s eagerly awaited release Kala is available in late August, but it doesn't mean she can't enter the competition for summer dance track of the year. Honestly, I feel that "Boyz" is fun but a bit uninspired. Then again, it's probably unfair to judge the quality an M.I.A. song from viral video audio quality alone.

M.I.A.
"Boyz"

tags: music | music videos | indie dance | dance | M.I.A.

MP3: LIGHTNING DUST

2007-06-12T20:28:00.000-04:00

MP3: LIGHTNING DUST

"Listened On"
(Jagjaguwar)
Black Mountain members Amber Webber and Joshua Wells take on the side project Lightning Dust, a deliberately sparser approach to music making than their more lushly orchestrated parent band. The duo's self-titled debut is out next Tueday.

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | Lightning Dust

MP3: LORETTA LYNN

2007-06-11T22:46:00.000-04:00

MP3: LORETTA LYNN

"Wildwood Flower"
(Audiofile)
Anchored in Love: A Tribute to June Carter Cash features covers from Ralph Stanley, Emmylou Harris, Roseanne Cash, Elvis Costello and Loretta Lynn -- who sings the Carter Family classic "Wildwood Flower".

tags: music | mp3 | country | June Carter Cash | Loretta Lynn

MP3: MATTHEW DEAR

2007-06-11T22:05:00.001-04:00

MP3: MATTHEW DEAR

"Pom Pom" (Pitchfork)
"Elementary Lover" (Spin)
Check out these two electronic funk pop tracks from Detroit-based Matthew Dear's week-old release Asa Breed, a collection of delightfully fun summer tracks that give me a very real urge to strap on a pair of skates and go roller dancing in the park.

tags: music | mp3 | electronic | dance | Matthew Dear

VIDEO: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM / FRANZ FERDINAND

2007-06-11T14:17:00.000-04:00

VIDEO: LCD SOUNDSYSTEM / FRANZ FERDINAND

Here's an exercise in compare-and-contrast. Watch LCD Soundsystem's recently released music video for their new single "All My Friends" off their acclaimed Sound of Silver, then check out the 80s-style makeshift visual plays on the video for Franz Ferdinand's cover of the song (which appears as a B-side to the official LCD Soundsystem CD single).

LCD SOUNDSYSTEM
"All My Friends"

FRANZ FERDINAND
"All My Friends"

tags: music | music videos | indie rock | indie dance | LCD Soundsystem | Franz Ferdinand

MP3: ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI

2007-06-10T23:22:00.001-04:00

MP3: ARCHITECTURE IN HELSINKI

"Heart It Races"
(Polyvinyl)
The lovably bizarre Architecture in Helsinki releases their new album Places Like This in August. In the meantime, here's a selection to tide fans of the Canadian band over. Is that a bit of Caribbean flare I hear?

See also:
architectureinhelsinki.com

Previously on HOBBY BOX:
MP3: "Wishbone (Franc Tetaz Remix)"

tags: music | mp3 | indie electronic | indie pop | Architecture in Helsinki

MP3: SPOON

2007-06-10T22:49:00.000-04:00

MP3: SPOON

"The Underdog"
(Toolshed)
As one of indie pop's most consistently brilliant melody makers, Spoon offers yet catchy another track from their upcoming album Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

See also:
spoontheband.com

Previously on HOBBY BOX:
VIDEO: "The Ghost of You Lingers"
MP3: "Mountain to Sound" / "Idiot Driver"

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | indie pop | Spoon

MP3: SAVATH & SAVALAS

2007-06-10T22:25:00.000-04:00

MP3: SAVATH & SAVALAS

"Era Tu"
"Ya Verdad"
(Anti-)
Guillermo Scott Herren is perhaps better known for his work on his electronic hip-hop project Prefuse 73, but a lot of his energy also goes into Savath & Savalas, his less plugged-in, multi-instrumental, Spanish-language moniker. Golden Pollen, which features contributions from Jose Gonzalez and Danny Bensi of Tarantula A.D., is out June 19.

tags: music | mp3 | indie rock | Savath & Savalas