F's Best of 2010

(It's a playlist so just click the sides to see the next song)

The Morning Benders - Cold War
Lissie "Everywhere I Go"
Dry The River - Bible Belt
The Roots - The Fire (feat. John Legend)
Sufjan Stevens - Futile Devices
Land Of Talk - Quarry Hymn

Jónsi - Go Do
The Cave - Mumford & Sons

Ray LaMontagne and The Pariah Dogs - Like Rock and Roll & Radio
Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks
Miniature Tigers - Gold Skull
Rill Rill - Sleigh Bells
Laura Marling - Rambling Man (I Speak Because I Can)
The National - England
RATATAT - MAHALO

Sufjan Stevens sends early shipments of Age of Adz

While it's too late to catch it now (unless you happen to live right next to an indie record store), Sufjan Stevens has released his new album to a select few shops before his October 12th release date. I walked into a Philadelphia record store on Sunday, Repo Records, to the sounds of unfamiliar, electronic Sufjan. And I knew I had listened to his singles over and over, so I asked myself: Could it be? The new album?

It was. They had a single Age of Adz left. This little story proves that we should all be going to indie record stores, who knows, they may have that album before iTunes does...

-C

Double Toubadour Trouble

Two of the most well-respected indie folk artists, Sufjan Stevens and The Tallest Man On Earth, have released EPs out of the blue, surprising fans and hipsters alike. On August 23rd, Sufjan introduced All Delighted People EP, and just yesterday, The Tallest Man released Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird EP.

While Tallest Man's new EP is to fresh to properly digest, I can promise you that Sufjan's EP is worth a listen. Shaking off old habits, he has thrown out a a lengthy EP with some of his more traditional techniques. However, if you listen closely, you can here some synth hidden beneath his layered music foreshadowing his recently announced album Age of Adz which is coming October 12th.

This album, unlike his recent EP, seems as if it will shock fans. Sufjan has dropped the banjo and joined the hype of electronic music. We'll see how this decision works out come October, but I wouldn't ever doubt Sufjan Steven's musical expertise.

You can download a song from his new album and preorder the said record here.