More Goodtimes are on the Way

London rocker Franc Cinelli aka Goodtimes Goodtimes is bringing back the goodtimes once again with an upcoming EP, tenatively titled Let It Begin.

Last year, I was completely blown away by his debut LP Glue, which I selected as my #5 album of 2008. Since then, he's been hard at work on a followup album, and we have some results coming soon. Over the past couple of months, Franc has released a couple of demos for audiences to listen to, and I've really liked much of what I've heard. Never Going Back, For All My Kingdom and Let It Begin all demonstrate a great amount of energy and some fun lyrics that I've come to expect from Goodtimes Goodtimes.

The songs that I've listened to from Let It Begin show a bit of a maturity in Franc's sound. There's the same enthusiasm that we saw in Glue, the same carefree nature with some of the songs, but there are some other, subtle moments here that display a growing confidence in sound and style, which I'm thrilled to hear. Almost everything was done right with Glue, and that was his first go-around. The expectations are certainly higher for this upcoming album and EP, and from the sounds of it, we're going to have those expectations met, if not exceeded.

Let It Begin - Goodtimes Goodtimes

The Rescue - Goodtimes Goodtimes

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Warm Weather Drive

So, it's getting warmer, and as such, it's high time to get back to some fun drives. Here's some of what I've been listening to on the occassions that I've been out and about on the road thus far. These songs in paticular are forever associated with the coming warmer weather.

All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix

Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve

Clocks - Coldplay

Flyin' - Adam Ezra Group

If There's A Rocket Tie Me To It - Snow Patrol

Kids - Goodtimes Goodtimes

The Long Goodbye - A Girl Called Eddy

My Maria - B.W. Stevenson

Queen Bitch - David Bowie

Stay (Wasting Time) - Dave Matthew's Band

This Is My Song - Carbon Leaf

Time Is A Runaway - The Alternate Routes

Waiting - Josh Clayton-Felt

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Image from Flickr

Drive!

I'm loving my Mini Cooper. Here's some music that I've been listening to while driving.

She Sells Sanctuary -The Cult
Mercy -Duffy
Kids -Goodtimes Goodtimes
Vehicle - Ides of March
Pagan Angel and a Borrowed Car - Iron & Wine
California Soul - Marlena Shaw
Typical - Mute Math
Everybody Knows - Ryan Adams
Smiling Faces Sometimes - The Temptations
Bittersweet Symphony - The Verve

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The Best Albums of the Year

This year has been an incredible one for music. I don’t know if it was the full year of blogging about it, but I have learned and heard so much during the past year, making it incredibly difficult at times to really narrow down what was the best of the good. Looking back over the year, there were some clear choices, some not so clear, and a couple that surprised me. Already, 2009 is shaping up to look like a good year already.


Runners up: Always the Bridesmaid: Decemberists, Human: Civil Twilight, A Hundred Million Suns: Snow Patrol, Let It Go: Jon Regen, View from the Root: Adam Ezra Group, A Good Day: Priscilla Ahn.

10 - The Fairline Parkway, Memory of Open Spaces / The Weepies, Hideaway

Memory of Open Spaces is a light affair, and carries a quiet grace from its opening song, Westward Bound, that is sustained throughout the album with a soft and balanced sound. I like it because it's soft, reflective and interesting throughout with a great sound and good lyrics.

Tied with this album is Hideaway by the Weepies. Like the Fairline Parkway, this album is soft, rythmic and interesting. The sound is evenly balanced between the two vocalists with a sweet and relaxing sound to it.

9 - Bombadil, A Buzz, A Buzz

From the first bars of Bombadil's debut album A Buzz A Buzz, you'll know that there's something very different about their sound. Trip Out West starts out soft but strong, before launching into a series of incredibly diverse, lyrically unique and tight songs. There's a wide range of sounds here, and seeing these guys life is an experience in and of itself, as they move around the stage, often switching instruments.

8 - Oren Lavie, The Opposite Side of the Sea

Oren Lavie's first CD Opposite Side of the Sea is a labor of love, and has been getting a wider audience from the use of several songs in a commercial. While overall, this album is on the softer side, there's a rich variety of themes throughout the album, helped along by his rich voice and lyrics.

7 - Tina Dico, Count To Ten / Sia, Some People Have Real Problems

Ironically, these two singers have a common link: the Electronic/Pop outfits Zero 7, whom both have collaborated with for several songs over their three albums.

Tina Dico's album Count To Ten is the good sort of pop music. She starts off with an incredible voice and beat and sustains it throughout the course of the album with a number of absolutely fantastic songs that continue to impress me numerous listens later.

Sia's latest album, Some People Have Real Problems is easily her finest album to date, with an electro-popish sound with an urgent, yet at the same time relaxed feel to it. The tracks slow down and speed up but each one is just fantastic.

6 - Death Cab for Cutie, Narrow Stairs

This album got lot of nay Sayers when released - a lot of this "The band has turned their backs on their fans/roots/style" crap. Bullshit. This album is easily their strongest, with the same strong lyrical style that we've come to expect from these guys, with a richer and far more refined sound throughout. This new album is emotional, intense and rich with sound.

5 - Goodtimes Goodtimes, Glue

Technically, this came out in 2008, but I really got their album in January, so this makes the list. Goodtimes Goodtimes blew me away when I first heard their first track, Kids, with it's bright and optimistic beat that still gets me moving fifty listens later. The rest of the album is just as good too. Each song here sounds fantastic, with some excellent guitar work and lyrics. Every time I pop this into my car's CD player, I sing along, and feel good afterwards.

4 - Coldplay, Viva La Vida/Prospekt's March

I'm counting both of these albums together, along with Lhuna, as one package. Coldplay, after the commercially friendly A Rush of Blood To the Head and disappointing X&Y, proved to be an extremely fresh breath from these guys, proving that they still have the talent to not only produce a good record, but to produce one that drastically refines, changes and exceeds expectations. Viva La Vida is a tight and cohesive affair, with some of their best works to date. Prospekt's March is likewise as good, with several tracks that didn't make it on the album, but carry much of the same feel or talent along with it. Already, there's talk of a follow-up - let's hope that it's a good one.

3 - Amos Lee, Last Days at the Lodge

Amos Lee has come a very, very long way since his first, self titled debut. His second album exceeded that one, and Last Days at the Lodge likewise exceeded that one. Where Supply and Demand really changed around his sound, Last Days brings Lee back to some of his root sounds, revisits some familiar ground and breaks anew, infusing a distinct blend of soul, R&B and folk-rock into the eleven fantastic tracks. The album is intimate and emotional at times, while blatant and fresh at others.

2 - Ray LaMontagne, Gossip in the Grain

Like Amos Lee, Ray LaMontagne has improved upon his sound over his past two albums, really redefining his sound each time. Gossip in the Grain has done much of the same, giving us a new look at this singer as he's refined and honed his skills. His voice isn't as raspy as it was in Trouble, and the backing band here absolutely blows each song away. This album is emotional, touching, personal, romantic and somber all at the same time. It is easily his strongest and best work to date.

1 - Bon Iver, For Emma, Forever Ago

Bon Iver's For Emma Forever Ago is my favorite album of the year, and I knew it from the moment I heard the first track, Flume. Recorded in a cabin in the woods during a troubling time for Justin Vernon, what we get is an album that is a mix of raw emotions that is honest, thrilling and simply beautiful to listen to. Each time that I listen to this album, I get chills throughout at the intensity and reflection presented here in the songwriting. Bon Iver has done with this album something that I thought was impossible - show me that there are still huge surprises waiting out there in the music world, and even after listening to it literally hundreds of times, it still shakes and invokes the same emotion and thrill that is present in the notes.

Goodtimes are Coming Back

A little while ago, I posted up that one of my favorite discoveries of this year, Goodtimes Goodtimes, out of London, will be releasing a new album sometime soon. There's no title, release date or track list for this album yet, but there are a couple of demos that I've just come across and received permission to pass along.

Listening to the tracks that I got, I'm more excited than ever. Goodtimes Goodtimes' first album, Glue, was a fantastic listen with a great sound, beat and lyrics. Here, it sounds like his sound has matured - it's more rich, but keeps the same basics that made the first album a brilliant one. These tracks rocks - Get Ready builds and builds to an exciting chorus that just explodes with energy about halfway through, while Let It Begin and For All My Kingdom keeps the energy going with a great beat and sound.

I'll certainly be posting more information up about this, but already, this is going to be one of my more anticipated albums, whenever it comes out.

Let It Begin - Goodtimes Goodtimes


For All My Kingdom - Goodtimes Goodtimes


Get Ready - Goodtimes Goodtimes

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Friday Mix

It's been a very slow day, and I'm taking a break from homework. Here's five songs, picked at random for the weekend.

Grounds for Divorce - Elbow
Kids - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Feel So Free - Ivy
You In A Song - Jason Reeves
Kathleen - Josh Ritter

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Goodtimes are on their Way

One of my favorite discoveries of this past year (and a top contender for some of my best of lists later this year), will be back with a new album sometime soon. According to an August 2nd blog entry:

the first six songs for the new record are now set in stone. it's taken a couple of months of writing alot of tunes, around 30 i think from which i've taken these first six and have endless lists and little bits recorded here and there for the 2nd half of the record.

i do have stuff i can post already but i'm going to wait till all the arrangements are finished and then you can listen to the end result. which i know you're gonna love ;) also this time round i have a band so arrangements and getting parts down takes more time.

Full entry

This has me very, very excited. Glue, Franco's first album, was one of those rarities that had me totally fall in love with just about every song at the first listen - that doesn't happen all that often, and I'm very excited to see what he comes up with for this upcoming album.

Desire - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Kids - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Sunshine Sunshine - Goodtimes Goodtimes

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Summer!

Temperatures over the weekend here in Vermont peaked at 93 degrees, with a nice dose of humidity to boot. Summer has officially returned to Vermont. I'm not a huge fan of excessive, damp heat, but warmer temperatures are always nice after a Vermont winter. Here's a handful of songs to help celebrate:

In The Summertime - Mungo Jerry
Boys of Summer - Don Henley
Summer - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Hot Fun in the Summertime - Sly & The Family Stone
Girls in their Summer Clothes - Bruce Springsteen
Summer - Sara Wheeler
Summer Breeze - Seals & Croft
Under the Warm Sun - A Girl Called Eddy
Hard Sun (Indio) - Eddie Vedder
Mr. Blue Sky - Electric Light Orchestra
Sunshine Sunshine - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Hot Sand - Shocking Blue

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New Artist - Goodtimes Goodtimes

A new artist that I've come across via a couple good music blogs is Goodtimes Goodtimes, out of London, England. I received their first album, Glue, on Friday, and I think that that's all that I really listened to most of the weekend.
Goodtimes Goodtimes is Franc Cinelli, and he draws from a number of different influences, coming up with a sound somewhere between Bob Dylan, Josh Ritter, Bright Eyes and a couple others.
This first album is fantastic - it has a wonderful, rustic/folk/rock sound that just clicks from the first song, and lyrically, these songs are all really good. Cinelli uses repetition frequently in the song, through the lyrics and chords, (and name), which works really well when you're listening.
This is a fantastic start, with a fantastic album. Highly recommended.

Kids - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Sunshine Sunshine - Goodtimes Goodtimes

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The Best of January

So, it's that time of the month again, and it's a new year with a bunch of really good songs to start off the month. It's been an interesting year so far, with the markets going all wacky and a Presidential primary that's really heating up, so here's something to distract you:

Who Cares? - The Alternate Routes
Are You Lonely - The Alternate Routes

The Alternate Routes released a limited CD that took many of the songs off of their first album and turned them acoustic. The result is spectacular - the songs here are plunky and take on a life of their own.

All In It - British Sea Power

British Sea Power released their latest album, Do You Like Rock Music?, recently, with this as the first track - which has a good beat, sound and feel to it - this one's a winner. And it just builds and builds, and does it well, which is always fantastic to hear with a song.

Gravity - Coldplay

Here's a live song from Coldplay that's new - something that might be on the upcoming album, which is due out sometime in the first half of the year. This feels like classic Coldplay - it's nice to hear that they haven't lost their touch.

Falling Slowly - Glen Hansard & Marketa Irgolva

This song is almost the perfect ballad

Kids - Goodtimes Goodtimes
Sunshine Sunshine - Goodtimes Goodtimes

Goodtimes Goodtimes is a band that released their first album last year, and which I've since picked up from a couple of music blogs. They have a fantastic guitar groove and vocals. Vocally, they sound a little like Josh Ritter and Paolo Nutini. These are some songs that really get me up, which I like.

Pretty Good (John Prine) - Grace Potter & The Nocturnals and Josh Ritter

A great cover from Grace Potter, and a fantastic duet that I got to see this past summer, and one that I've been looking for for ages. Finally!

Spaceship - Jason Spooner
Black and Blue - Jason Spooner

Jason Spooner has a nice laid back feel, with some comforting lyrics and a delicate guitar to boot. Lazy driving songs, perfect for the highway.

Little Black Sandals - Sia
Soon We'll Be Found - Sia

Sia, whom Zero 7 fans might know from her collaborating work with them, as well as her prior solo albums, is back with problems. Some Real Problems, and this album is no sweat - light, tight and a fantastic listen. Sorry, did that sound corny?

A-Punk - Vampire Weekend

One of the biggest bands from last year before they even released their first album, A-Punk is a fantastic example from these guys. Great guitars, drums and vocals here.

Lying For The Song - We'll Write
Never Seems To Rain - We'll Write

These guys have a good feel for rhythm and sound, one that takes me back to some nostalgic college days before I began to worry too much about things. It's a refreshing sound and one that I'll be keeping my eyes on.

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