BEST OF 2010 (albums) #18 Beach House - Teen Dream (Sub Pop)

Last year at this time I could give a fuckall about Beach House. "Teen Dream" changed that. An album made for Sunday mornings and snow storms, "Teen Dream" found the band going beyond knockoff Mazzy Star shoegaze and producing an album that cascaded, twisted and turned (no matter how slowly) and generally produced a sense of wonderment for patient listeners. Nearly 12 months in, this album just gets better and better. I'm not sure I would call myself a Beach House fan at this point, but "Teen Dream" at least puts me in the ballpark.

Beach House "Silver Soul" from Sub Pop Records on Vimeo.

BEST OF 2010 (songs) #4 Beach House - Zebra

Beach House // Zebra from Mark Brown on Vimeo.

I never much cared for Beach House. I thought they were derivative, which isn't entirely a sin in my book, but they sounded like pale copies of so many better dream pop and shoegaze acts that I just couldn't feel much of anything about them other than boredom. "Zebra" changed all of that for me. This beautiful slice of transcendent pop stopped me dead in my tracks and found me raving about it to anyone that I could. Nearly 12 months after its initial release, it still stuns me with it's sheer beauty, and hypnotizes me with it's wave-like patterns. Listening to it is like wrapping yourself up inside the most comforting blanket ever while watching the snow turn the world pure.

Pitchfork: Let's Do This!

Seems that Sunday is the day that everyone and their brother are going to be at Pitchfork. Might have something to be with some allegedly legendary indie rock band that I've never heard of...Asphalt, or Concrete or something like that. They reunited after splitting over a decade ago and supposedly it's going to be awesome. N E way, before everyone gets hopped up on Sparks and forgets their own names here are just some bands you might want to check out before hand:

Best Coast - "When I'm With You"


Washed Out - "Feel It All Around"


Beach House - "Zebra"


Local Natives - "Airplanes"


Lightning Bolt - "Dracula Mountain"


Surfer Blood - "Swim"


Big Boi - "Shutterbug"


And that one band, who are apparently called Pavement, although I like Asphalt better...but whatevs, it's alright, I guess.

Seriously folks! Fucking Pavement!!!