New Paper Route is on the way! September 11th! If this track is any indication, it’ll be worth the wait. The band will also be opening for mewithoutYou in Chicago on July 14th (there may be some poster news on that front, so stay tuned…)
(Source: paperroutefans, via calmmysoul)
I designed and printed these posters for mewithoutYou’s show at Chicago’s Bottom Lounge this Saturday with Paper Route and Buried Beds. The art is inspired by the songs “Cardiff Giant” and “All Circles” from the band’s latest, Ten Stories. The posters will be available for purchase at the merch booth. 16”x20” Edition of 35.
“Letting You Let Go” - Paper Route
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the second full-length album from Nashville’s Paper Route pretty much since their first came out three years ago. The Peace Of Wild Things was finally released on Tuesday and is well worth the wait. The quality is so consistent that I could’ve posted any of the songs, but this one has really been sticking in my head. The band returns to Chicago on Wednesday with a headlining gig at Schuba’s. Be there.
Every year I reflect on the pop culture I enjoyed and put it in some sort of order. Here are my music picks for 2012.
15. The Rocket Summer – Life Will Write The Words
Bryce Avery’s records almost serve as pep talks, both to himself and the listener, providing encouragement in the face of doubt and opposition via faith and perseverance. Life Will Write The Words continues the winning blueprint of past efforts like Do You Feel: bright pop rock infused with plenty of honesty.
14. Abandoned Pools – Sublime Currency
The musical project of Tommy Walter (which may be best known for the theme song for the short-lived MTV series Clone High of the early 2000s) has released just three albums over the past decade. The latest wait proved worth it for Sublime Currencies, where pop smarts meet moments of hopeful earnestness and authenticity (some tracks were written in the wake of a failed pregnancy). From the title track’s Queen-sized bombast to the quiet beauty of the penultimate “From Long Sleep” and all points in between, the record delivers.
13. Passion Pit – Gossamer
Passion Pit’s second LP picks up right where Manners left off, with upbeat melodies rising above electronic beats. While Michael Angelakos’ bipolar disorder lends gravity to much of the album’s lyrical content, the sing-a-long choruses then become moments of sheer catharsis and a way to fight through pain and uncertainty.
12. Sucré – A Minor Bird
Eisley’s Stacy Dupree, her husband Darren King of MuteMath and friend Jeremy Larson combine forces on a dreamy album that recalls Feist and Goldfrapp, among others. Stacy’s vocals are just as pristine and arresting as on her band’s material, but the production gives them even more room to breathe.
11. Dave Matthews Band – Away From The World
There are moments on Away From The World that are difficult to listen to because the longing and heartbreak are so palpable. (Hopefully Dave’s digging up past experiences and the content isn’t a reflection of his marriage.) A more introspective and quieter record than prior DMB releases, it’s raw, honest, and in its way, quite beautiful, from the opener “Broken Things” to the call-to-action “Gaucho” to the intimate romance of “Snow Outside.”
10. Anberlin – Vital / Anchor & Braille – The Quiet Life
Stephen Christian had a busy year, releasing both a new Anberlin album of straightforward rock and a second album of more introspective material as Anchor & Braille. Themes of faith, love and loss run rampant on both records – solid affairs from start-to-finish that reflect the diversity of artistic talent running through Christian’s veins.
9. The Big Pink – Future This
Where this UK duo’s debut was steeped in a haze of 90s guitar fuzz, their follow-up album favors clarity in its beats, riffs and vocals without losing any edge. The lyrics this time around are more inspirational too, especially on lead track “Stay Gold.” The band’s set at Lollapalooza this summer was electrifying; a highlight of that weekend for sure.
8. A.C. Newman – Shut Down the Streets
The latest solo album by the New Pornographers’ Carl Newman is his richest yet, with warm, gauzy production and harmonies not dissimilar from his band. While his lyrics remain mostly oblique, there are decipherable moments of humor (“There’s Money In New Wave”) and sincerity (“Shut Down The Streets,” which deals with his mother’s death) here.
7. fun. – Some Nights
What a year for fun. I would’ve never guessed that this little indie-pop-band-that-could would have blown up this year, but then, I never really understand the music charts. I do understand this album, though. Building on the hooks and confessional lyrics of their debut Aim and Ignite and adding in hip-hop production values and beats, the pop smarts of Some Nights are unimpeachable. I couldn’t be happier for the band.
6. The Shins – Port Of Morrow
After taking several years for side projects, James Mercer relaunched The Shins with an almost entirely new lineup in 2012. Fortunately for fans, Port Of Morrow is just as catchy and layered as the rest of the band’s discography.
5. Freelance Whales – Diluvia
The second album by Freelance Whales may not be as immediately accessible as their debut, but repeat listens pay dividends as depth and beauty reveal themselves throughout each song. What it all adds up to is a whole that is ultimately more meaningful than Weathervanes and the majority of indie pop records out there.
4. Metric – Synthetica
Whether or not frontwoman Emily Haines can still justify her self-doubt after the mainstream success of Fantasies is debatable, but if it keeps fueling honest and vulnerable material like that which fills Synthetica, I’m fine with it. These synth-rock anthems have more on their mind than beat and melody, with lyrics addressing insecurity and purpose (“Breathing Underwater,” “Dreams So Real”). And there’s a fine cameo by Lou Reed on “The Wanderlust.”
3. Of Monsters and Men – My Head Is An Animal
In a year of folksy sing-along pop (i.e. Mumford & Sons, The Lumineers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros), I favored the debut by Iceland’s Of Monsters And Men. The hooks are large as is the talent of these kids. Having a chance to see them play the intimate Double Door over Lollapalooza weekend was a live music highlight of the year.
2. Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams
Ben Schneider’s first full-length album proves to be every bit as accomplished as his terrific EPs. Taking the open spaces of the great American West as inspiration, the songs’ driving percussion and airy vocals conjure imagery of vast, beautiful and desolate landscapes.
1. Paper Route – The Peace of Wild Things
Despite the departure of a band member and record label issues, the sophomore LP from Nashville’s Paper Route proved to be even more expansive and cohesive than 2009’s Absence. If the album tells a story, its songs of love and heartbreak reach their cathartic climax on “Rabbit Holes,” where “a woman plays a villain, a magician and a monument.” Then the elegiac “Calm My Soul” restores hope of purpose to the protagonist through a sincere plea to God.
Listen on Spotify:
“There will be moments when the drought of joy seems unending, instances spent pretending that...
