Ryan's Top Albums of 2013

When I originally created this list, it was significantly longer, essentially ranking every album I've listened to this past year. After some trimming and clipping though, I've managed to narrow it down to the top 25 albums of the year. I present them to you now:

Live Review: The Front Bottoms, Black Cat (6/2/13)

I have been lucky enough to see The Front Bottoms five times now, and there's been quite a noticeable progression for them in their live performance. Only a year and a half ago they performed as a two piece, using a macbook to fill in the horns and synth parts. They soon added a bassist and became a three piece, and for this album cycle they finally are a full four piece band that can play electric guitar, bass, keys, and trumpet to go with the group's two core instruments of acoustic guitar and drums. Even while the live lineup and arrangement has been in flux, the one constant for their sets is an intense outpouring of energy. Their fans feed off it and create an environment surprising for the music they play, forming a chaotic storm of kids jumping, dancing, and screaming their lungs out.

Album Review: The Front Bottoms - Talon Of The Hawk

Album Rating: B

It's tough to follow up a breakout record. Some groups feel it's best to keep it safe and replicate that which brought them fame, while others feel the necessity to branch out and expand their sound into something bigger and better. The Front Bottoms lean into the latter realm, as it is now a more fleshed out full band working with a much higher production value than on its 2011 self-titled record. However, much of the charm and quirkiness that dominated that record and made it both relatable and utterly enjoyable feels missing, as Talon Of The Hawk showcases a band displaying sparks of greatness but still needing to hone their craft a little further.

Artist Of The Day: The Front Bottoms

Despite being a the two-piece band, The Front Bottoms deliver an unprecedented blend of acoustic, indie and punk exemplified in their 2010 self-titled release. Duo Brian Sella and Matt Ulchich use subtle dance beats and simplistic acoustic riffs layered with some off-the-wall trumpets and keyboards, which creates a familiar-yet-unique indie rock sound. Sella's lyrics often reflect the trivial events in day to day life everyone can relate to in some way or another, but with added depth. The song "Bathtub" has a refrain of "I am washing my hair with soap," but holds an emotional self-revelation tucked within the simple lyrics. The whiny vocal delivery like in "The Beers" is never bothersome, and occasionally contrasted by an almost conversational spoken word delivery, such as in "Rhode Island." This unpredictability makes Ulchich's drum beats all the more enjoyable and dance-worthy. The Front Bottoms are a refreshing band; where many rock or indie outfits seem to be rehashing old ideas and simplifying song structures, The Front Bottoms have been able to turn the basics into brilliance. The music is catchy, fun, and sometimes even cathartic but it never gets old or seems clichéd, which can't be said for other indie and punk bands these days. Having toured with a variety of bands such as Mansions and The Menzingers, The Front Bottoms appeal to a wide audience with one of the most unique sounds you'll come across lately, so do yourself a favor and check them out on their Bandcamp here. You can thank me later.

The Front Bottoms are touring late January through all of February with Bad Books and Weatherbox, so be sure to catch them when they stop in your town!

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Interview With The Front Bottoms

If you follow bands like Say Anything, Motion City Soundtrack and Brand New, you've likely heard about The Front Bottoms. Over the last year, the band has burst onto the scene, opening for those three bands above and winning huge amount of fans over every show. On the last date of their tour with Motion City Soundtrack, The Front Bottoms took a few questions from us at MuzikDizcovery, about topics such as the size of their live band, opening up for Tenacious D, reflections on their self-titled album, lyrical styles, a possible vinyl issue of their older material, their plan to finish writing, and much more, which you can read below.

Sean's Top 10 Albums of 2011

10 | Giraffes? Giraffes! - Pink Magick

The demented and chaotic nature of Giraffes? Giraffes! third full length, Ping Magick, is accurately described in just about everything concerning the album except for the music. everything from the absurd track titles to the pretty pink and green explosion of an album cover captures everything that Pink Magick is all about. The band consists of nothing but a guitarist and a drummer, but the monstrosity of tracks such as "DRGNFKR" sounds like something that could not have been done by two musicians alone. Pick Magick is an extraordinary accomplishment for math rock and is easily one of the finest works to come out of this year.

Album Review: The Front Bottoms - The Front Bottoms

The Front Bottoms' self titled debut album is introduced with the line "please fall asleep so I can take pictures of you and hang them in my room, so when I wake up I feel like everything's alright". In a way, this line is in no way a bad way at all to introduce The Front Bottoms as a band. The band's lyrics often seem to follow the story of a stalker helplessly in love with his high school flame who consistently ignores him and upholds restraining orders. Throughout the album, the band maintains a rather comical atmosphere, balanced between the often ridiculously blunt lyrics that make murdering your own father seem humorous, Brian Sella's nasally voice that sounds halfway between John Darnielle and Jeff Mangum, and the recurring string section and piano that sounds like the band made no effort whatsoever to cover up the fact that it was done on an old Yamaha keyboard for beginner piano players. But despite all of the laughs that the quirky indie-pop duo might produce, the emotional response from this album is nothing less than overwhelming.