5dots (in brief): Archive

Best of 2011

Folks, I will level with you: two weeks ago, I was pretty sure I wasn’t actually going to be able to do my traditional end of the year best music round up. The past few months, I haven’t been in a position where listening to new music is as convenient as it used to be, and I haven’t been very good about making time to do it. And I’m still getting records, and I know...

Dec 24th

1 note

P.S. Eliot (13) The Beach Boys (13) Streetlight Manifesto (11) Islands (2) Tullycraft (1) Hella (1) () () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Dec 24th

Tennis (10) Mates of State (4) Madeline (2) Serious DJs (1) 5dots (1) () () () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Aug 19th

Jawbreaker (11) Paramore (11) The Eames Era (6) Cat Stevens (6) The Flaming Lips with Lightning Bolt (4) Hella (3) At The Drive-In (3) Islands (2) Unrest (2) The French (1) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Aug 9th

Zomes (15) Rafter (12) The French (11) Thao & Mirah (11) Thurston Moore (9) Phil Cook and His Feat (8) Gold-Bears (4) The Smiths (3) The Flaming Lips (3) Beach House (3) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jul 27th

The Mountain Goats (14) Girls Names (10) Eleanor Friedberger (10) Gang Gang Dance (10) Cex (9) The Vibrarians (3) () () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jul 20th

I saw Allo Darlin’ live last month, and they...

Jul 19th

Madeline (12) Bobby (12) Adele (11) Twilight (9) Balam Acab (5) Philip Glass (1) () () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jul 11th

A few years ago, I heard a record by Madeline,...

Jul 9th

Lemuria (23) Rye Rye (18) Colin Stetson (14) Jeff The Brotherhood (11) Cloud Nothings (11) Cults (11) Boris (10) Slingshot Dakota (2) Madeline (1) Kelly Hogan & The Pine Valley Cosmonauts (1) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jul 5th

Seapony (12) Liturgy (12) Brave Irene (8) The Tigermilks (4) The Magnetic Fields (1) Tullycraft (1) Unrest (1) () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jun 24th

jj (10) DOPE BODY (10) Beirut (6) The Eames Era (6) Jawbreaker (4) () () () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jun 4th

Okkervil River (11) Krallice (7) The Flaming Lips (4) Elliott Smith (1) Smith Westerns (1) () () () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

May 7th

The Death Set (40) Big Freedia (26) Beirut (23) Those Dancing Days (23) Weekend (21) Tennis (20) True Widow (18) Milky Wimpshake (15) Japanther (13) Those Darlins (11) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Apr 11th

Mount Kimbie (15) Matthew Sweet (15) Those Darlins (12) Tune-Yards (10) Low (10) Belle and Sebastian (10) Tullycraft (10) Generationals (10) Allo Darlin’ (10) of Montreal (8) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Apr 5th

The Eames Era (27) The Olivia Tremor Control (25) Eux Autres (20) The Vaselines (19) Tullycraft (12) El Ten Eleven (12) Cloud Nothings (11) The Spinto Band (11) Weedeater (10) Belle and Sebastian (9) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Mar 31st

Cloud Nothings (44) Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy (26) The Apples in Stereo (22) Japanther (21) The Impossibles (18) The Death Set (15) Young Marble Giants (15) Nicolas Jaar (13) Hole (12) Wavves (12) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Mar 24th

I listened to this Cloud Nothings record after...

Mar 17th

The Magnetic Fields (26) The Death Set (15) Eric’s Trip (15) La Roux (12) Elliott Smith (12) La Sera (12) Alkaline Trio (11) Battles (11) Tiger Trap (11) Vivian Girls (10) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Mar 2nd

Friends, I will be honest: I just plain...

Feb 11th

A.C. Newman (23) Stars of the Lid (18) La Roux (12) The New Pornographers (12) Telekinesis (12) Air Waves (10) Slingshot Dakota (10) What Cheer? Brigade (9) () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jan 31st

Best records from other years that I listened to...

I’ve definitely never made one of these lists before. I spent a lot of this year not listening to new music. I’d look at my playlist of unlistened albums, and, with a few exceptions, just not be excited about them. I spent a large chunk of the year listening to nothing but old twee indie pop, and a brief spell listening to a lot of black metal. At any rate, here are a few albums I...

Dec 30th

Best of 2009, addendum

I’ve never actually done a list like this before, but I was writing the introduction for my best of 2010 list, and thought for a second about the part where I say that I haven’t listened to every record from a year in that year. And I thought: why not go back, a year later, and see if there’s anything I’ve listened to that I would have added to last year’s list if...

Dec 30th

Best of 2010

It is again that time of year when I give away all the records that I really liked this year. For those who are unfamiliar, every year on here I do a list of the records that I liked that came out this year. It is, first and foremost, an exercise about taking stock of my year in music. It’s not necessarily about what is really best, and I never rank albums. Much like the way I do posts...

Dec 30th

I Farm (15) Jawbreaker (13) Jim Bryson & The Weakerthans (10) The Impossibles (10) Cloudland Canyon (9) The Max Levine Ensemble (4) Operation: Cliff Clavin (3) () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Dec 22nd

Jawbreaker (42) The Smiths (28) Shang-A-Lang (22) La Roux (14) Crystal Castles (14) Major Lazer & La Roux (14) Wavves (13) Super Wild Horses (12) Reading Rainbow (11) Nightmares for a week (11) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Dec 14th

I told my ladyfriend today that I’d spent...

Dec 3rd

Your Heart Breaks (22) Japanther (21) The Ergs! (15) Black Tambourine (4) Wrath of the Weak (1) () () () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Dec 2nd

I’m sure that plenty of you will have...

Dec 1st

The Impossibles (29) Jens Lekman (15) Electric Light Orchestra (15) Buke and Gass (14) The Softies (14) Gregory and the Hawk (12) Your Heart Breaks (12) Alkaline Trio (12) Nightlands (11) Nana Grizol (11) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Nov 24th

Girl Talk, fine art, & criticism in a subjective...

Somewhat to my surprise, everyone I know has been talking about the new Girl Talk record that came out today. I listened to it first thing this morning, and have some thoughts I’d like to share. When “Night Ripper” was released, it was a few years after the real heyday of mashups, and I initially thought it would be a silly, glib, dismissible record. I was pleasantly surprised...

Nov 16th

Lemuria (36) Kleenex Girl Wonder (25) Beach House (17) Nothing Painted Blue (16) Brian Eno (15) Tegan and Sara (13) Hauschka (12) Pavement (12) Bright Eyes (12) Sean Na Na (11) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Nov 15th

There are some days, and some records, where you...

Nov 13th

1 note

When I first started listening to Bright Eyes, I...

Nov 11th

Boyracer (47) Tullycraft (27) The Lucksmiths (26) The Aislers Set (25) Heavenly (21) Bunnygrunt (15) BMX Bandits (13) First Aid Kit (12) Little Dragon (11) Wrnlrd (3) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Nov 10th

Lately I have mostly been listening to either...

Nov 4th

1 note

The Microphones (19) Matt & Kim (14) Spiritualized (13) Nachtmystium (10) Mark McGuire (8) Gem Club (6) Wrnlrd (4) Mates of State (2) () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Nov 4th

The Smittens (13) Eternal Summers (12) The Lucksmiths (11) Cotton Jones (11) Tullycraft (10) The Red River (10) Team Ghost (4) () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Oct 26th

Dear Nora (32) The Lucksmiths (27) The Pastels (25) Tullycraft (25) Stars (23) The Smittens (14) Zach Hill (13) Lemuria (12) Tender Trap (10) The Pains of Being Pure at Heart (10) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Oct 19th

Lemuria (30) Ocrilim (24) Velocity Girl (12) The Lucksmiths (11) The Pastels (10) Tender Trap (10) Beat Happening (10) Matt & Kim (10) Madeline (9) Okkervil River (9) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Oct 13th

Jenny and Johnny (11) Women (11) Fitz & the Tantrums (10) Tamaryn (9) El Guincho (9) Avey Tare (8) Rangda (6) REDHOOKER (6) Tristan Perich (5) Japanther (2) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Oct 5th

Gold Panda (13) Superchunk (13) Frankie Rose And The Outs (11) Abe Vigoda (10) Ólafur Arnalds (9) Ravenna Woods (7) The Electronic Anthology Project (7) The Body (7) Richard A. Ingram (6) oOoOO (6) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Sep 29th

Madeline (30) No Age (13) Mount Eerie (12) Marnie Stern (10) Candy Claws (10) Sistol (8) Ravenna Woods (7) Steve Reich (6) the dead bird (4) Saw Wheel (1) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Sep 21st

Watch

I love that Esau Mwamwaya looks just as happy as he sounds, even in an otherwise pretty dark video. Really, what a smile. Reminds me of seeing Jurassic 5, years ago, and being super-impressed by how happy Chali 2na seemed on stage - like there was nothing he’d rather be doing.

Sep 16th

Arcade Fire (16) HORSE MACGYVER (8) Okkervil River (4) Less Than Jake (1) Jens Lekman (1) The Softies (1) The Microphones (1) () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Aug 24th

Briefly, for increased mysteriousness: ultra lo-fi...

Aug 7th

Mice Parade (13) Aeroplane (12) Les Savy Fav (11) Belle & Sebastian (9) Nomo (9) Vex’d (8) () () () () Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Aug 3rd

Big Boi (17) Skream (14) Chatham County Line (12) Jónsi (9) Oval (8) Vex’d (6) Mi Ami (6) CIVIL CIVIC (5) Holy Ghost! (4) Cex (1) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jul 27th

Flying Lotus (17) Oval (15) The Drums (12) Wavves (11) Bonnie “Prince” Billy & The Cairo Gang (10) Candy Claws (10) Phosphorescent (9) So Percussion and Matmos (8) Oneohtrix Point Never (8) Sleigh Bells (8) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jul 22nd

Best Coast (13) The Books (13) Wavves (12) Mount Kimbie (11) !!! (11) Menomena (11) Stars (11) CEO (8) School of Seven Bells (6) Islands (1) Via Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Jul 13th