valentine's day The Naked Hearts @ Club Rehab - 4 June 2008

valentine's day The Naked Hearts kicked off their June residency at Club Rehab on Wednesday night, delivering a smoldering set of taut, melancholic tracks.

Projected shifting patterns provided the only illumination onstage and emphasized the spare, dark qualities of the band's material. And it was great to hear these songs, previously confined to the intimate but limited confines of a 4-track recording, come to life and pop with an urgent swagger in the live setting. Even better was the handful of other standout tracks I had yet to hear (and that hopefully will all make it onto the band's forthcoming debut album). The Hearts check into Rehab for the next two consecutive Wednesdays so be sure to check them out; in the meantime check out more pics after the jump...

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Listen:
"Mass Hysteria"

See The Naked Hearts Live:
11 Jun - New York, NY @ Rehab w/ SUSU and So L’il
18 Jun - New York, NY @ Rehab 18 2008 9:00P
21 Jun - Brooklyn, NY @ Make Music NY Festival
24 Jun - Brooklyn, NY @ Zebulon w/ So Li’l

Visit The Naked Hearts on MySpace

valentine's day Naked Hearts Residency Starts Tonight

valentine's day The Naked Hearts are a relatively newish trio on the NYC radar, having only played their first show earlier this year at the Delancey. StereoactiveNYC was there and plenty liked what they heard, and from their praises - and a more recent glowing CMJ review - our interest was considerably piqued.

Imagine our delight when singer/bassist Noah Wheeler hooked us up with their melancholic and moving pop gems (which we will in turn hook you up with below), a batch of songs that were deftly constructed and lovingly recorded on a Tascam 4-track and in full embrace of the lo-fi hiss and warbles that came along with it (nowadays you need a Pro Tools plug-in to get those effects).

The band continues their steady ascendancy by kicking off a June residency at Club Rehab TONIGHT. After that, they plan on recording their debut album in July. Here are all their dates:

04 Jun - New York, NY @ Rehab w/ Hologram and the Soundscapes
11 Jun - New York, NY @ Rehab w/ SUSU and So L’il
18 Jun - New York, NY @ Rehab 18 2008 9:00P
21 Jun - Brooklyn, NY @ Make Music NY Festival
24 Jun - Brooklyn, NY @ Zebulon w/ So Li’l

And here are the tunes...

Listen:
"Mass Hysteria"
"Like I Do"
"Naked Hearts"

Visit The Naked Hearts on MySpace

valentine's day Scripps National Spelling Bee Finalists Beware: EAR FARM's Surefire Stumbling Blocks

Look at poor Akshay Buddiga faint. This infamous clip from the Ghost of Scripps National Spelling Bees Past should be a warning to the precocious youngsters battling it out in Washington D.C. today (the Semifinals are on NOW on ESPN and the Finals are on tonight on ABC at 8:00pm): this competition is INTENSE.

Pitfalls and perils await kiddies; best to train hard and be prepared for ANY situation that may face you this afternoon. Like when the judges start throwing curveballs and present those deceptive words whose pronunciations bear little to no bearing on their actual spelling, stuff like that.

The disconnect between pronunciation and spelling is harsh. That's why EF is here to give you a quick primer while you refuel on juice boxes and cookies in the Comfort Room. So in the off chance they hit you with a tricky band name during the Finals tonight, we've got you covered.

The Top 8 Potential Stumbling Blocks. Beware!

8. The judge says a word that sounds like "oh nye duh"; correct spelling is O-N-E-I-D-A: Oneida

7. The next word sounds like "bohn eevair"; correct spelling is B-O-N I-V-E-R: Bon Iver

6. The next one sounds like "luckily"; too easy right? Right. The correct spelling is L-Y-K-K-E L-I: Lykke Li

Congratulations, you're down to the final 5. Grab another Capri Sun and continue your training after the jump...

5. This word sounds like "soof-yan stevens"; it's one of the most mispronounced names in indie rock. That's right, the correct spelling is S-U-F-J-A-N S-T-E-V-E-N-S: Sufjan Stevens

4. The next word sounds like "shoe shoe"; correct spelling is X-I-U X-I-U: Xiu Xiu

3. The final three. Okay, this word sounds like "lay sah vee fahv"; correct spelling is L-E-S S-A-V-Y F-A-V: Les Savy Fav

2. The judge says this one very quickly and it sounds like "sih ur rose"; correct spelling is S-I-G-U-R R-Ó-S: Sigur Rós

1. Your last challenge. The judge adjusts his glasses and says this word has a few different pronunciations. He first says something that sounds like "chik chik chik" and then "pow pow pow" before following those up with three clicking noises made with his tongue on the roof of his mouth. Tricky. The correct spelling is !-!-!: !!!

So there you go, you're all set to dominate the competition today and tonight. Go forth and...wait, what's that you say? The judges pick actual words and not band names for the bee? Oh....you may be screwed then. Sorry about that.

valentine's day SXSW: New Trends In Band Names!

Last we checked, the list of confirmed acts for SXSW hovered somewhere around 350. With all bands presumably being notified of their showcase status by tomorrow, that number has probably shot waaaaay up. But we're lazy, and further research sounds frightening, so with that in mind we might as well just use the latest nice big list Austinist has compiled for reference.

Scanning through, it seems some interesting new band-naming trends have emerged. Gone are the salad days of the lupus craze lupus craze, in which I'm referring both to the phenomenon of band names featuring "wolf" (Wolf Parade, AIDS Wolf, Wolf Eyes, We Are Wolves, etc) and that of using repeated words or phrases (Man Man, Proton Proton, Takka Takka, Tap Tap, etc etc). After the jump, check out the latest trends we've identified from the SXSW master list as well as the full list itself...

THE CAPS LOCK TREND - Whether inspired by the marquee-sized fonts of such forebearers as R.E.M. and X (both on the SXSW list below) or simply conniving to attract additional eyeballs in concert listings, MANY BANDS SEEM TO BE USING THE CAPS LOCK BUTTON WHEN CHOOSING THEIR BAND NAMES. BEHOLD:

KXP
The LK
MC/VL
MGMT
N.E.R.D.
OFFICE
PPT
TAB the Band
WHY?
YACHT

The Email Address Trend - The following reads more like a spam-mail list than a collection of bands. A product of Web 2.0? You decide:

detroit7
Dreamend
menwhopause
quartz-head 02
Unholy 2

Three Repeating Words Is The New Two Repeating Words Trend Trend Trend - I'll see your Man Man and raise you the following:

Beat Beat Beat
Die! Die! Die!
Run Run Run

The Kids Are Alright Psuedo-Trend - Not so much a trend when limited to the below SXSW list but definitely within the broader context of such acts as the Cold War Kids and Black Kids:

Cool Kids
No Kids
Kid Dakota (granted, in existence well before any of the other "Kids")

The Death Trend - From the Dead Kennedys to Dead Meadow, rock bands and the D-word have always made nice bedfellows:

Dead in Algiers
Dead Confederate
Deadstring Brothers
Dead To Me
Die! Die! Die!

Special recognition to Die! Die! Die! for being at the forefront of TWO different trends. Now, look at the updated SXSW list below, anything else screaming out "WOLF WOLF WOLF" to you?

AA Bondy
The Acorn
Alamo Race Track
Alex Skolnick Trio
Alina Simone
Aloe Blacc
Alpha Rev
The Anchor
Annuals
A Place to Bury Strangers
Arp
The A-Sides
Ash Grunwald
Astra Heights
Attack in Black
Autokinoton
Avengers in Sci Fi
Awkward Stage Band
Axel Krygier
Baby Shakes
Battlefields
Barara Mason
Bear Hands
Beat Beat Beat
Bella
Billy Bragg
Birdmonster
Birds and Batteries
Birthday Suits
Bjorn Torske
the Black Crowes
Black and White Years
The Black Hollies
Black Joe Lewis
The Black Keys
Black Moth Super Rainbow
Black Mountain
Black Tie Dynasty
The Bleedin Bleedins
Blitzen Trapper
The Blow
Blue Mountain
Bon Iver
Born Ruffians
Bosque Brown
The Botticellis
The Bowerbirds
Brain Police
Breeders
British Sea Power
Built for the Sea
Bun B of UGK
Cadence Weapon
The Cansecos
Carbon/Silicon
Carlis Star
Carolyn Mark
Car Stereo (Wars)
Cary Brothers
Cat Party
Cheveu
the Choir Practice
Chotto Ghetto
Chris Bendt
City and Color
Coathangers
Cold Hot Crash
Colour Revolt
Connie Price and the Keystones
Constantines
The Cool Kids
The Cops
The Crash That Took Me
The Cribs
Cut Copy
Dale Hawkins
Dan Wilson
Daniel Lanois
Darker My Love
Darondo
Daryl Hall
Dead in Algiers
Dead Confederate
Deadstring Brothers
Dead To Me
Debate
Deer Tick
Delta Spirit
Demon's Claws
Destroyer
detroit7
Devotchka
Die! Die! Die!
Dirty on Purpose
Division Day
Dixie Witch
Dizzee Rascal
The DoDos
Dolly Parton
The Donnas
Donny Hue and the Colors
Doug Walker Music
Dreamend
Dokkebi Q
Doug Walker
The Duke Spirit
Eastern Conference Champions
Ed Harcourt
Elephone
El Jesus de Magico
Elvis Perkins
Eugene Mirman
Eugene McGuinness
Evangelicals
Experimental Aircraft
Ezra Furman & the Harpoons
The Fairline Parkway
Fanfario
Fast Computers
The Femurs
The Feral Children
Film School
Firewater
Fishboy
Fleet Foxes
Frightened Rabbit
Future Clouds and Radar
Gallows
Gentleman Jesse
Ghost Buffalo
Giant
Git Some
Glen Reynolds
Goes Cube
Greg Laswell
The Gusto
Ha Ha Tonka
Hanne Hukkelberg
The Hard Lessons
Headlights
Health
Heavenly States
The Heavy
The Henry Clay People
Hey Willpower
The Hilltop Hoods
Holy Fuck
The Hot Rails
The Hourly Radio
Hungry Hill
Ingrid Michaelson
Jandek
Jarboe
JD Thompson
Jennifer Johns
Jens Lekman
Jessie Baylin
Jimi Bianco
Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong
John Ralston
Joseph Arthur
Joshua Radin
Justin Townes Earle
Kaki King
Karina Nistal
Kate Havnevik
Ketchup Mania
Kid Dakota
Killing California
The Kills
Kim Hiorthøy
Kimya Dawson
Kingdom Of Magic
Kitty, Daisy, and Lewis
KXP
Langhorne Slim
Laura Barrett
Laura Gibson
Lava Children
Le Switch
the Lemurs
Liam Finn
Lightspeed Champion
Lindstsrom
Lions
The LK
The Lonely H
Longwave
Loquat
Love Like Fire
The Lovely Sparrows
Low Red Land
Lykke Li
M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel
Made Out of Babies
Magic Bullets
Mala Rodriguez
Man Man
Mark Pickerel
Mason Proper
Maya Azucena
MC/VL
Meiko
Melissa Young
menwhopause
Meredith Bragg and the Terminals
Meriwether
Mezzanine Owls
MGMT
Mika Miko
Minmae
Mitra
Miz Metro
Monica Blaire
The Monocles
Moon Rats
My Brightest Diamond
The Morning Benders
Mud
Mustangs And Madras
My Morning Jacket
Nada Surf
Nadja
N'Dambi
Necropolis
Neimo
N.E.R.D.
Nicole Atkins
The Night Marchers
No Kids
Nortec
Nouvellas
Nyles Lannon
Ohmega Watts
Old Man River
OFFICE
Orgonne
Ouija Radio
the Pack A.D.
Panda
Panther
Party Garbage
Pato Banton
Paul Kelly
Peelander-Z
The Pendletons
The People's Revolutionary Choir
Petty Booka
Pinstripe
The Pity Party
Plants & Animals
Popup
Port O'brien
Portugal The Man!
PPT
Pretty and Nice
Priscilla Ahn
Prizzy Prizzy Please
Puny Human
Q-Tip
quartz-head 02
Radar Bros.
Ralph "Soul" Jackson
The Raveonettes
R.E.M.
Roadsaw
Robyn
Rocco DeLuca
The Rosewood Thieves
Run Run Run
Russell Taylor
Russian Circles
The Russian Futurists
RX Bandits
Sally Shapiro
Salvador Santana Band
Sam Champion
Sara Bareilles
Sasquatch
Sass Dragons
Saw Wheel
Scissors for Lefty
Scouts Honor
Screamin' Cyn Cyn & the Pons
Sea Wolf
Sean Hayes
Secret Shine
Sex Advice
Shame Club
Shelby Lynne
Shinobu
Shout Out Louds
Shwayze
Sia
Simian Mobile Disco
Slab City
Social Studies
Sodopp
Sofakingdom
$olal
Something With Numbers
Sons & Daughters
The Soundtrack of Our Lives
Southeast Engine
The Spinto Band
The Stills
Streaming Wolf Penis
Sugar and Gold
TAB The Band
Tall Firs
Tapes N Tapes
Tech N9ne
Teenage Bottlerocket
The Terrordactyls
These New Puritans
These United States
Tigercity
Tim Williams
Times New Viking
Tiny Animals
Too Many Daves
Trainwreck Riders
Trevor Giuliani
Tub Ring
Tulsa
Tussle
Uffie
Unholy 2
The Valley Arena
Vampire Weekend
Vancougar
Vena Cava
The Von Bondies
Von Iva
The Voom Blooms
Waco Brothers
Wallpaper
Was (Not Was)
The Watershed
Wax Museums
We Are Standard
We Versus The Shark
WHY?
The Weird Weeds
White Shoes & the Couples Company
White Williams
William Fitzsimmons
Wussy
Wye Oak
X
YACHT
Yazarah
Ze Dos Frangos

*Above photo found HERE

valentine's day Don't You (Forget About Me)

Catching up with the bands that have been featured on EAR FARM is a task that's long overdue. So we'll get to it in one second; but first, a note to all artists/bands out there who would like to send music to EAR FARM for consideration - DO IT. There are even more ears here now, listening and waiting for excellent music to write about. As a result, we'd like to again extend an invitation for any/all of everyone to send music our way. Even if you've sent things to EAR FARM in the past, please feel free to do so again. You can get in touch via MySpace or email or you can send physical packages to us too - just write and ask for the address.

Shall we then? What you'll see below is a list that covers all of the artists/bands featured on EAR FARM (since the last time one of these was posted) through the end of December 2007. This excludes the weekly features (such as Three For Free, 8+) and is more about bands that have gotten a band-specific write-up on EF. The quotes are from EAR FARM write-ups about the band and should help give you a mini-notion of what each artist is all about and should also clue you in as to why they've been featured on this site. Click the (+) to visit a previous EF posting about any of these bands and click the band name to go to their site.

New York based bands:
Department of Eagles (+) - very schizophrenic in its stylistic choices. Somehow, though, it's crafted in a very seamless way, perhaps due to the consistently casual and playful tone and hazy lo-fidelity production that meanders throughout the album.
The Forms (+) - Angular, tight, and yet soaring all at the same time.
Grizzly Bear (+) - every headphone-straining nuance of every song popped through the cathedral's sound system with clarity, urgency and confidence, most impressive among these being the band's ethereal vocal harmonies. These guys can sing. Each one of them.
Jaguar Club (+) - for certain they've spent time with Echo and with Morrissey and with early New Order and probably all of the others from this era/sub-genre as well...The Jaguar Club succeeds largely due to their dance inducing infectious energy.
Super Volcano (+) - they mix in elements of Beatles-esque harmony/arrangements (think of a garage-pop version of XTC) with the urgency, fire, and desperation found in certain songs by The Unicorns or They Might Be Giants.
The Walkmen (+) - Watching them on Wendesday, I remembered how perfectly their sound captured (and still does) the essence of stumbling wide-eyed around dark city streets clamoring to soak everything in at once.
White Rabbits (+) - a staggering wall of sound that is somehow both intricately woven while recklessly delivered. In other words, as a live band White Rabbits are the intriguing nexus between the ethereal sound of the Walkmen and the raucous attack of Man Man.
Yeasayer (+) - their group charisma (highlighted at each performance by lead singer Chris Keating's ability to explode as if inhabited by the spirit of Ian Curtis at one moment and then calmly sustain a beautiful vocal moment the next) cuts like a lighthouse beacon through the fog of doubtful NY concert goers, converting the stoic arm-folders and leaving everyone equally impressed.

Bands from elsewhere:
Arizona (+) - a band who is poised to join Okkervil River, My Morning Jacket and Wilco as the torchbearers of kickass American rock 'n roll music.
Bang Lime (+) - a raw, blues infused, '60s garage stomp that'll remind some of The White Stripes but had me thinking of how well they'd have fit in at CBGB in the '70s.
Black Kids (+) - an embryonic band unsure of how to deliver on the hype swirling about them...one notch above awful. A 1.7 on the Pitchfork scale.
The Captains (+) - Some of their songs come across as ready for tweenie TV show fame, some as Bling Kong-esque cheer-a-longs, some as guitar based pop-rock burners, and some as prime candidates for silly drunken karaoke.
Cut Off Your Hands! (+) - simple angular tunes that were derivative and uninteresting.
Graveyard (+) - This is riff rock ladies and gents, thunderous, cavernous RIFFS that get into your skull and make you do that annoying upper-lip curl when listening to it.
Helvetia (+) - Alternately aggressively wah-drenched and peppered with deft jazz voicings and delicate flourishes, this is the sort of album that makes me wish it was standard practice to list effects pedals and setups in liner notes.
Juiced Elfers (+) - a four piece partyfuntime '60s dance music inspired band that includes Nicolas Thorburn and Jamie Thompson of Unicorns/Islands fame.
Le Loup (+) - I was pleasantly surprised and impressed by them and the sheer size and gravitas of their sound.
Little Name (+) - delicate dream-pop, heavy on the '60s French/Bacharach sound, that's perhaps more closely aligned with St. Etienne and Camera Obscura
Megadeth (+) - one of the four great/original American thrash metal bands...extremely tight, professional, and awesome. Take no prisoners... take no shit!
Menomena (+) - a wholly original entity, forging a sound entirely their own through dynamic arrangements, innovative instrumentation, and a mastery of loops and samples that feels both playful and organic.
Nyles Lannon (+) - laptop pop - think Grandaddy and Postal Service, but from a place more similar to where Eilliot Smith and Simon & Garfunkel were coming from.
Pale Young Gentlemen (+) - Obvious references can be (and were) made to Beirut and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and such comparisons are definitely warranted and accurate. Their songwriting and arrangements also recall a more frenetic Die Romantik, and there's a charmingly ramshackle feel to these burlesque orchestral arrangements that are able to transcend their own playfulness...
Screaming Tea Party (+) - The aural equivalent is like shuffling between a sunshine-sweet children's song informed by Pachelbel's "Canon" and a B-side from In Utero. In other words, completely worth your time.
Stardeath and White Dwarfs (+) - Their sound in a live setting was a mixture of shoegaze, prog, and elements of fellow Oklahomans Evangelicals. For the first two songs I thought "yesss" and then by the fourth song I was ready for them to leave the stage.

To see the entire list of over 175 bands/artists that have been featured on EAR FARM click HERE.
--
As a special gift to all of the people who find this post by searching "who sings that Don't You Forget About Me song on Google", I'm going to answer your question for you with a song.

Listen:
"Don't You (Forget About Me)" by Simple Minds

valentine's day Throw Me The Statue

valentine's day A few weeks ago, we made the not-so-outlandish claim that Throw Me The Statue would have a breakout year in 2008. Well time's a wastin'...the Ocho is already two days old and what good would such winded prognostications be without stoking the flames a bit, eh? With that in mind, we give you a slightly more extended introduction to TMTS, a band that has already garnered significant attention from Stereogum, FILTER, and of course here on EAR FARM in the long long ago (that means back in July 2007).

If we're using the actual expansion of band personnel as a measuring stick for their potential blow-uppitiveness, these guys would be off the charts....Formerly the one-man show of multi-instrumentalist Scott Reitherman, TMTS has since expanded its roster to include Aaron Goldman, Will Cone, Joe Syverson and Jarred Grimes (no relation). Reitherman first released the full-length Moonbeams on upstart Seattle-based label Baskerville Hill Records this past April. A joyous collection of uptempo pop-rock that manages to out-maneuver such a shabby description as "uptempo pop-rock" by actually sustaining multiple listens, Moonbeams has since launched Reitherman beyond his Seattle roots and will be re-released (and slightly tweaked) by Secret Canadian on February 19th.

Guided By Voices seems to be the go-to comparison here and yet "mid-nineties commercial pop-rock" is the enduring phrase that won't leave my head, as I can't shake making parallels to outstanding debut albums by the Rentals and even more specifically Self (perhaps the whole aspect of one guy making a big-sounding album in his bedroom has something to do with it) some 12 years ago. Heck, I'll even throw in the Presidents of the United States of America as grist for the comment mill. And remember, these are all very good things, albums that have withstood time through infectious melodies and solid songwriting.

So, whether Throw Me The Statue is an homage to Indiana Jones or not - and I'm still undecided about this, perhaps Throw Me The Idol and Throw Me The Whip were already taken? - has become less pressing to me. Of greater importance in 2008: when will they come play in our neighborhood?

See Throw Me The Statue Live:
7 Jan - Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey (Residency)
14 Jan - Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey (Residency)
21 Jan - Seattle, WA @ Chop Suey (Residency)

Listen:
"Lolita"
"Yucatan Gold"
"About To Walk"

Visit Throw Me The Statue on MySpace

valentine's day Screaming Tea Party

valentine's day Occasionally, we actually stand upright from our surroundings like curious meerkats to survey the broader plains beyond the NYC music scene. So what's that there on the horizon? London's calling, and it looks like, wait, no, must be a mirage, but I swear I see two Japanese men, one wearing a gas mask and the other a floral dress, followed by an Italian woman lugging a drum set. And from here it looks they're having a tea party....a screaming tea party?

Sounds weird you say? Just wait until you actually listen to the music...

Screaming Tea Party is a London-based trio - by way of Japan and Italy - consisting of Koichi Yamanoha on bass and vocals (and the occasional woman's dress), Koichi "Niyan" Niizato on guitar (and gas mask) and Teresa Colamonaco on drums and vocals. Even if you can't imagine the above scene, you owe it to yourself to give them a listen, lest you miss out on such lyrical gems as: "At near that smallish bridge, Something was floating I saw, Clay, Egg, or Prostitute, Maybe it was time’s particles..."

Ultimately, the dichotomy between such images - gas masks at a tea party, men in dresses, eggs or prostitutes? - provides a fitting context from which to approach their music, itself a rigid and studied exercise in contrasts and opposites. Alternating between enchanting lullabies and scorched-earth noise collages, Screaming Tea Party doesn't so much play the loud/soft card within a given song but rather within the broader framework of an entire EP. It's as though they've established a precise code for songwriting: a given song can either be tranquil and whimsical OR loud and punishing, but never both.

As a result, their aptly titled Death Egg EP skips back and forth between mood and intensity in a way that seems counter-intuitive but makes perfect sense, lending each song added emphasis and gravity. The band's label - the UK upstart Stolen Recordings - has requested that we not host any mp3s from the EP but have instead provided streaming audio of several tracks on their MySpace page. So, with that caveat in mind, we suggest you head on over there and click on "Cracked up Dietrich" followed by "Between Air and Air" to get the most out of this duality. The aural equivalent is like shuffling between a sunshine-sweet children's song informed by Pachelbel's "Canon" and a B-side from In Utero. In other words, completely worth your time.

The band has yet to venture stateside but reports from over the pond describe their live show as nothing short of revelatory. Typical hyperbolic UK press or the real deal? Hopefully, Screaming Tea Party will touch down here soon and let us see that gas mask up close. For now, sate yourself with the following live videos, one soft and one hard of course.

Watch:
"Death Egg" live on YouTube
"Between Air and Air" live on YouTube

Visit Screaming Tea Party on MySpace.

valentine's day EAR FARM's Top Ten Bands To Emerge in 2007 & Ten To Watch Out For in 2008

What do Bowerbirds, Yeasayer, and Vampire Weekend have in common? They're all featured in EAR FARM's list of the top ten bands to "emerge" in 2007. How about Dead Confederate, The Secret Life Of Sofia, and Le Loup?? Just a few bands to be on the lookout for in 2008. After the jump you'll find seven more bands that EAR FARM deems to be the rest of the top ten bands to "emerge" in 2007, followed by seven others to watch out for in 2008. Keep in mind the fact that the term "emerge" is a bit nebulous, but don't let that keep you from yelling at us in the comments. Both lists are in alphabetical order and you'll have to click through to read about/listen to them. So do it.

EAR FARM's Top Ten Bands To Emerge in 2007

A Place To Bury Strangers - Bang. Zoom. Bop. Dead ears. Happy ears. I'm so glad the rest of the country (aka Pitchfork and their minions) finally caught on in 2007. - Matt

Listen: "To Fix The Gash In Your Head"

Arthur & Yu - the first EF post about this band was in May 2006, but 2007 was the year they brought their music to the masses with In Camera, their largely underrated/ignored debut album. - Matt

Listen: "Come to View (Song For Neil Young)"

Battles - though they had released a few EPs prior to 2007, it wasn't until this year that Battles fully blasted into the hearts and minds of avant-garde/math rock fans everywhere. This was the sound of my summer. - Matt

Listen: "Atlas"

Bowerbirds - This band (and each of their songs on their album Hymns For A Dark Horse) makes me think of home. Funny, that's exactly where they're from. And it makes me proud and happy to know that such great music is still alive and well in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area. - Matt

Listen: "In Our Talons"

Dirty Projectors - To be fair, I found myself more impressed with the concept of Rise Above - ie repurposed Black Flag album - than the actual result. However, there's no denying the impressive year Dave Longstreth has had. - Mike

Listen: "No More"

Panda Bear - Stepping out from the rest of the Animal Collective stable, Noah Lennox's second solo album Person Pitch may have edged out My Morning Jacket's Z to earn the prestigious "most reverb featured on a single album" award. A sugary sweet shot to the dome. Congrats! - Mike

Listen: "Take Pills"

St. Vincent - Slowly, but surely, Annie Clark took over my stereo with more frequency as Summer turned to Fall in 2007. You too? I was a doubter at first but not anymore. She's created music that's funny, yet sad; charming, yet dark; simple, yet complex. An amazing debut, and quite a year for St. Vincent. - Matt

Listen: "Now Now"

Vampire Weekend - I "discovered" Vampire Weekend way back in January of 2007, some four months before the Stereogum post about them. Why does that matter? Am I claiming "first" on that shit? Did I know what was in store for this band in 2007? It doesn't matter, I don't play the "first" game, and I had no idea. But well done boys - for better or worse, Vampire Weekend was the "blog band" of 2007. - Matt

Listen: "Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa"

White Rabbits - This is a perfect example of when rolling six deep and playing together, on top of another and against one another just WORKS. Every member of this posse is put to good use on Fort Nightly. I cannot wait to see them live this Thursday. - Mike

Listen: "Kid On My Shoulders"

Yeasayer - As dutifully reported during CMJ, seeing Yeasayer live was something of a revelation. Their debut album All Hour Cymbals may not completely live up to the awesomeness of their live show, but it's still fantastic and frankly, what could? See them asap. - Mike

Listen: "2080"

EAR FARM's Top Ten Bands To Watch Out For in 2008

Dead Confederate - like Band of Horses would sound if they'd spent their summers reading The Catcher in the Rye and listening to The Verve instead of grabbing ass at The Okra Strut. - Matt

Listen: "The Rat"

Duffy - simultaneously steals your heart and breaks it in almost every measure, this is sultry '60s inspired pop rehash at its finest. Someone named Duffy gonna be a star. - Matt

Listen: "Rockferry"

Evangelicals - True, we first saw them in 2006, so why say they're emerging in the Ocho? Let's just wait for their new album The Evening Descends to drop on Jan 22nd for the answer. Told you so's are forthcoming. - Mike

Listen: "The Last Christmas On Earth"

Helvetia - A very recent discovery with an outstanding album due in March followed by a tour with Built to Spill, sounds like the blueprint for a breakout year. - Mike

Listen: "Harbored"

Le Loup - You could argue they're already blowing up, and you're right! But, isn't it possible they could blow up even more, like in a Michael Bay movie when a building keeps exploding from like 37 different angles? Think about it. - Mike

Listen: "we are gods! we are wolves!"

Project Jenny, Project Jan - they could've been on the 2007 list above, but I think there are bigger things than blog hype in store for this duo in 2008. If they'd come up 25 years ago they'd be MTV superstars by now. - Matt

Listen: "320"

Sam Champion - Beloved hometown heroes, the pieces are all in place for NYC's best to melt transcontinental faces with a new EP and album on the horizon. - Mike

Listen: "Your Party Was Yesterday"

The Secret Life Of Sofia - when this band "emerges" it will be after years of a solid base of NYC fans telling anyone who will listen to check them out. Their new album is very high on my list of what I'm looking forward to in 2008. - Matt

Listen: Stream various new tracks on their MySpace page

Throw Me The Statue - I always thought the quote from Raiders of the Lost Ark was "Throw me the idol!". Update: I just checked imdb and I'm right. So don't you trust me now when I say big things are in store for this band? - Mike

Listen: "Lolita"

The Ting Tings - back in July of 2007 I swore this band was ready to explode. Not totally happened yet - hm. Well if it doesn't happen in '08, then my cat is right, "All ya'll bitches stoopid." - Matt

Listen: "That's Not My Name"

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See also:
EAR FARM's Top Concerts of 2007

Tomorrow:
EAR FARM's Top Songs Of 2007