What I'm Listening To October 15 - 21, 2010

1. Broken Social Scene - Forgiveness Rock Record (Arts & Crafts)

2. Three Mile Pilot - The Inevitable Past Is The Future Forgotten (Temporary Residence)

3. Kelley Stoltz - To Dreamers (Sub Pop)

4. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs (Merge Records)

5. The Eels - Tomorrow Morning (E Works)

6. Film School - Fission (Hi-Speed Soul)

7. Eastern Conference Champions - Santa Fe EP (self release)

8. Birds and Batteries - Panorama (Velvet Blue Music)

9. Autolux - Transit Transit (TBD Records)

10. Radars To the Sky - Supra / Infra (self release)

This was Broken Social Scene week, what with their show at The Wiltern that Tuesday the 19th. I think their new album is one of their best, and certainly easier than their last record, Broken Social Scene, five years ago. Lots of memorable songs that intrigue and entertain. The show was an electrifying two and one quarter hour set that covered all aspects of their career. And the new songs were among the best.

The Three Mile Pilot record is completely addictive. The songs go round and round in my head, even when I'm sleeping. It's definitely not the Three Mile Pilot of the past as this shows such subtantial growth and maturity in the songwriting, displaying what Pall Jenkins and Zach Smith have learned over the years in their respective bands, and there's not a bad song on the album.

Still memorizing the Kelley Stoltz album, To Dreamers, in anticipation of my interview with him on Oct 22. He seems to toil away in his own fashion, regardless of the latest trends and continually comes up with catchy and original stuff.

I want the memory of the Arcade Fire shows to live forever so I'm still indulging in The Suburbs as often as I can. And I'm also spending lots of time with The Eels (like a beautiful film score), Film School (Fission just doesn't let go!), Autolux and Radars To the Sky. Birds and Batteries are coming to Origami Vinyl on Nov. 26 so I'll get to see them for the first time and Eastern Conference Champions are a recent and current obsession of mine who are just great live.

I have to start listening to my favorite albums of the year to begin reassessing and collecting data for the inevitable onslaught of Ten Best Lists about to hit the internet.

whrabbit