Blog: Drawer B

Tug Baker blogs, listens to music, and eats. He also blogs about music and what he eats because he's meta like that. 20. Youth Lagoon, The Year of Hibernation (Fat Possum) This guy makes me understand better why everyone flips out over Beach House. I am closer to flipping out about Beach House because of him. 19. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Belong (Slumberland) This one is damn near a guilty pleasure. It manages to pull all my shoegaze-loving strings, though. 18. [...]

Patrick Wall is kind of an asshole. KNEE MEETS JERK: In Which a Beleaguered Music Journalist Attempts — and Fails — to Identify Ten Records Released Between December 2010 and December 2011 That Were Better Than All Other Releases in the Same Time Period. Listed in alphabetical order. Results subject to change. Richard Buckner, Our Blood (Merge) The mere act of recording and releasing Our Blood was a seemingly Sisyphean task for songwriter Richard Buckner: False starts, broken gear, stolen laptops and myriad other strange turns — including a murder investigation involving a [...]

Andrew S. Harkins is way too smart to be a redneck, and just slightly too redneck to let your daughter escort her to the ... oh, wait, who am I kidding? Don't let your daughter near this guy. 1. Black Lips, Arabia Mountain (Vice) The worst part about living in Atlanta is that sometimes it feels like you just can't get the fuck out of town. Now that's not to say ATL isn't cool. I mean, Sid Mashburn reps that Southern steez, there's always hot shit on exhibit at the High, good-looking girls are [...]

10. Cults - Cults: Pastiche, but such a good pastiche. 9. James Blake - James Blake: Over-hyped by the British press, and yet... 8. Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation: Hazy, dreamy bedroom pop from a 22yr old with heartache? Yes, please! 7. Class Actress - Rapprocher: Synths + Drum machines + Female vocals = sold! 6. Still Corners - Creatures of an Hour: Cinematic and lush. 5. Pains of Being Pure at Heart - Belong: Mature follow-up from these twee indie-pop darlings. Still catchy as fuck, [...]

If one could wear out digital files, I would have torn up these ten albums. 1. Iceage, New Brigade (What's Your Rupture) I can't even in begin to describe how terrible the songs were that I wrote when I was 17. So, the fact that these four teenage Danes blast out of the gate with such refined taste just boggles my mind. Adorned in Fred Perrys, blunt, close-cropped haircuts, and instigating bloody noses at shows, Iceage plays rudimentary, retrograde UK post-punk, which can feel tiresome if approached without bringing something new or at least interesting [...]

Logan K. Young is a music critic, who lends his proverbial pen to myriad online publications, including the esteemed Trouser Press. His application to the Heavenly Kingdom will most assuredly be flagged but not for the following lists: Top 10 Albums 1. Bon Iver, Bon Iver (Jagjaguwar) 2. Lou Reed & Metallica, Lulu (Warner Bros.) 3. Demdike Stare, Tryptych (Modern Love) 4. John Maus, We Must Become the Pitiless Censors of Ourselves (Ribbon Music/Upset The Rhythm) 5. Colin Stetson, New History Warfare, Vol. 2: [...]

An Alphabetical Exercise in Futility by a man who bought more books than records in Twenty Eleven via KFL The Decemberists, The King is Dead (Rough Trade) Iceage, New Brigade (What's Your Rupture) Cass McCombs, Humor Risk (Domino) Cass McCombs, Wit's End (Domino) Josh T. Pearson, The Last of the Country Gentlemen (Mute) Real Estate, Days (Domino) Talons', Songs for Boats (Own Records) Kurt Vile, Smoke Ring for My Halo (Matador) [...]

Robert Howell is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Southern Methodist University. He holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Brown University. In addition to writing a few books , Robert knows a thing or two about music. Here are his Top 11 Albums of 2011: 11. Cults, Cults (In the Name of/Columbia) 10. St. Vincent, Strange Mercy (4AD) 9. M83, Hurry Up We're Dreaming (Mute) 8. Other Lives, Tamer Animals (TBD Records) 7. Atlas [...]

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Cursive will release yet another lyrically thematic album on February 21, 2012 when Saddle Creek issues the band's seventh full-length, I Am Gemini . Via the press release: I Am Gemini is the surreal and powerful musical tale of Cassius and Pollock, twin brothers separated at birth. One good and one evil, their unexpected reunion in a house that is not a home ignites a classic struggle for the soul, played out with a cast of supporting characters that includes a chorus of angels and devils, and twin sisters conjoined [...]

After issuing a joint statement announcing an end to their 27-year marriage via their record company, Thurston Moore and Kim Gordon essentially gave Sonic Youth an expiration date (because being in a band with your ex probably wouldn't pan out too well). It's hard to imagine a world without Sonic Youth. The band has been around longer than I've been aware of music. Good music, anyway. Even though Sonic Youth isn't one of the immediate bands on the tip of my tongue if you ask me some of my all-time favorites, there is no doubt it ranks very [...]

Courtney Love recently stormed off stage in Brazil because a fan held up a photograph of her deceased husband, Kurt Cobain. As with most actions by this woman, her ramblings on stage seemed inexplicable at the time. Her nonsensical rant also included digs at former Nirvana drummer and current Foo Fighters leader Dave Grohl. In the video above, Love attempts to explain her actions by spouting the usual dose of wild inaccuracy and hyperbole. As much as I genuinely dislike her, I can't help but feel sorry for her. She is not well. [via Punk News [...]

This song has been haunting me for weeks now. Sort of a Belgian Red House Painters.

New Order reunited recently to help raise money for friend and video-producer Michael Shamberg, as he fights a debilitating illness. Well, some of New Order reunited. Bassist Peter Hook was sadly absent from the festivities. Not every band's bassist is integral to its sound. Some bass players are, in fact, totally replaceable. However, Peter Hook is not one of them. Almost every New Order song has a distinct bassline and melodic lead composed by Peter Hook. His style is one of the building blocks that we associate with the post-punk sound. It's no secret that in-fighting amidst New [...]

I was only recently turned onto Laura Marling. I read a reference to her in some record review, which I wish I could locate now. The reference was so glowing I stopped whatever I was reading and immediately looked her up. When I saw that she was categorized as "folk," I almost quit before actually listening. I'm not a huge fan of folk or of the singer-songwriter schtick as a whole. But there are always exceptions. And Marling is a big one. She's so strikingly talented I almost can't believe she's not a household name. Her music isn't exactly accessible [...]

With his latest album Ashes & Fire , Ryan Adams seems to have reconnected with much of his audience, although I'm confused as to why he had to reconnect in the first place. I don't have much in common with those who haven't liked anything since Heartbreaker . I don't even really understand that attitude. I mean, yeah, he's put out a lot of material over the past decade and, no, not everything has been a home run. But I'd rather an artist I admire put out too much than too little. Most bands take three to four [...]

The Horrors perform an extremely capable cover of David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust-era "Suffragette City" for Channel 4?s On Track… program. It's a live, in-studio take, but it sounds amazing. From the mixing to the multi-angle camera-work, this is high-budget, high-quality stuff. This band grows by leaps and bounds with every album, and it's latest, Skying , is definitely worth your attention . The current single, "I Can See Through You," came out last month and is being promoted by this bizarre, visual tilt-a-whirl of a video:

Elvis Costello revived his "Spectacular Spinning Songbook" for a brief tour this past spring. The last time Master Costello had spun the wheel on stage was during his 1986 "Spinning Songbook" tour, wherein the setlist was chosen by the random spin of the wheel with various and sundry hits to choose from the prolific songwriter's bountiful canon. To commemorate its resurgence, Costello will release a limited edition box set featuring a "CD, DVD and 10-inch vinyl EP culled from the performer's May 11 and 12, 2011, shows in Los Angeles," according to Slicing Up Eyeballs . The set is [...]

I've been looking forward to this band's debut full-length all year. This is the first video of its self-titled venture on Dead Oceans. Drenched in reverb. With lost more reverb. Staccato beats. Echoing semi-shouted vocals. It's a gloriously noisy racket. +1.

This album has been on constant repeat for the past few weeks thanks to K . Completely infectious, stripped-down, dark synth-pop, replete with hand-claps and sex-bored vocals. "Keep You" is the opening track off the record, and the one I return to the most. This video is unofficial and features footage from 19672s Anna starring Anna Karina. One of my favorite records of the year.