Three Colours: the xx

Showing posts with label the xx. Show all posts

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Three Colours' Year End List (2012)

Not another Year End List

2012 is officially in the books, and Three Colours has compiled its very favorites of the year. In our opinion, here's the best music of 2012. You may be surprised to see a year-end list released this late into the year, but after all the life-changing events that have occurred over the year, I'm just happy to finally get this out there. 2012 was a crazy great year!

Top 13 LPs of 2012

13 :: Twin Shadow – Confess

It only took me 5 seconds to fall in love with Twin Shadow's newest LP. Confess is chalk-full of retro-stylized rock and R&B that somehow maintains a contemporary groove.

12 :: Grimes – Visions

Claire Boucher offers up a beautifully crafted album of otherworldly electro-pop, shape-shifting throughout the entire record. Visions may be the most unique album of '12.

11 :: The xx – Coexist

Picking up where they left off, The xx deliver yet another amazing collection of intimate, smooth jams. Lacking the catchy hooks found on their debut LP, Coexist is slightly less memorable.

10 :: Vacationer – Gone LP

After wowing listeners with the "Gone" Single and the Gone EP, Vacationer added some more hits on this long player. No travel guide necessary for where this album takes you.

09 :: Lord Huron – Lonesome Dreams

Lonesome Dreams plays out like an epic western adventure. One of my most anticipated albums of 2012, the debut lives up to hype generated by the Mighty and Into The Sun EPs.

07 :: Sharon Van Etten – Tramp

Emotion-fueled folksy ballads with lush arrangements make Tramp a powerful listen. This LP is the sequel to Fiest's The Reminder that I've been longing.

06 :: Tanlines – Mixed Emotions

Electro-pop at its finest. Tanlines harness their uncanny ability to write catchy tunes that never wear out after repeated spins.

05 :: Django Django – Django Django

This self-titled masterpiece is probably one of the most fun albums on this list. Very interestingly new sound, which lots of jingle jangle grooves.

05 :: Tame Impala – Lonerism

Tame Impala's sophomore LP is part throwback to '60s psych rock, part something entirely new... all amazing.

04 :: alt J – An Awesome Wave

A serious amount of hype followed this UK band, and after one listen to this genre-jumping debut, you'll soon understand why. Alt J's unique mix of indie rock sensibilities makes them a breath of fresh air in a musical landscape of imitators.

03 :: Kishi Bashi – 151a

Kishi Bashi creates fantastical dreamscapes and magical fairy tales throughout the amazingly wonderful 151a. Regardless of your mood, this LP is guaranteed to lift the spirits of any listener.

02 :: St. Lucia – St. Lucia

While this technically is an EP, this self-titled 6-song record plays like a full-length and lands into the number 2 spot on this year's best of list. Maybe it's the South African accent or the tropical-infused instrumentation, but this album plays out like an exotic island vacation.

01 :: Divine Fits – A Thing Called Divine Fits

Faithful readers of Three Colours should find no surprise in 2012's best LP. When I witnessed Britt Daniel cover Wolf Parade's "Modern World" back in 2010, I told myself it couldn't possibly get any better than this. Fast forward to '12, while lamenting over the dissolution of Handsome Furs, I was soon rejuvenated by news of Divine Fits. Worlds collided, and the results were A Thing Called Divine Fits. Excitement alive, as this LP marks the beginning of a beautiful marriage of sound and style that hopefully produces future works of art.

Honorable Mentions

:: Poliça – Give You The Ghost
:: Grizzly Bear – Shields
:: Beach House – Bloom
:: Moonface – With Siinai: Heartbreaking Bravery
:: The Drums – Portamento

Top 13 Hump Day Power Plays of 2012

Since HDPPs technically started in December of 2011, I've decided to include some of the playlists that originally inspired me to embark on a year of weekly playlists, released every Wednesday, to aid in pushing through the Hump. Notably, a "Year-End" HDPP was compiled in an earlier post to capture the essence of 2012. Below you'll find some of the playlists that seemed to get the most play throughout the year.

13 :: Afternoon Dream Mix (4-18-2012)
12 :: Winter Blues Mix (1-25-2012)
11 :: Spencer Krug Mix (1-11-2012)
10 :: Winter is Coming Mix (11-14-2012)
09 :: Ghost Mix (10-31-2012)
08 :: Premiere Mix (12-7-2011)
07 :: New Wave/Surfer Rock Mix (12-14-2011)
06 :: Dan Boeckner Mix Vol 2 (9-26-2012)
05 :: Day 340 Mix (12-5-2012)
04 :: Hula Dream Mix (4-4-2012)
03 :: Stargazer Mix (6-6-2012)
02 :: Phantasmagoric Mix (7-25-2012)
01 :: Mighty Sea Mix (7-18-2012)

Most Underappreciated of 2011

In recent years, there's always been a few albums that I managed to miss. Whether I was purposely ignored the buzz surrounding these albums, or I just plainly failed to approach the record, they were later "discovered" and enjoyed. Strangely, there weren't any surprises this year that I mistakenly snubbed from last year’s “Best Albums of 2011” list. I will list three albums that I recognized as honorable mentions, but now enjoy probably more than I did after last year's Year-End List. Therefore, I acknowledge that the following were both great LPs and worthy of making the top of ’11.

03 :: Youth Lagoon - The Year of Hibernation
02 :: PJ Harvey - Let England Shake
01 :: Toro Y Moi - Underneath the Pine

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

[playlist] Hump Day Power Play (1-2-2013)

Year-End Mix, 2012 Edition

Well that was fun! Over one full year of Hump Day Power Plays, and we've compiled 53 mixes to date! Since 2012 is officially in the books, I figured I've give a sample of my year-end list for best albums of 2012. I picked a song from some my favorite albums of 2013. I'm still working on the actual list, so pay no mind to the order in which these songs appear. Just sit back, listen, and enjoy the sounds of '12.

Stream the playlist below (or by clicking here).

:: Hump Day Power Play (1-2-2013) ::
01 ::"Fitzpleasure" – alt-J
02 ::"Flaggin a Ride" – Divine Fits
03 ::"Money" – The Drums
04 ::"Five Seconds" – Twin Shadow
05 ::"Why Won't They Talk To Me?" – Tame Impala
06 ::"Temporary" – White Rabbits
07 ::"Alphabet Song" – Lower Dens
08 ::"Not The Same" – Tanlines
09 ::"Oblivion" – Grimes
10 ::"Myth" – Beach House
11 ::"Dark Star" – Poliça
12 ::"Serpents" – Sharon Van Etten
13 ::"It All Began With A Burst" – Kishi Bashi
14 ::"We Got It Wrong" – St. Lucia
15 ::"The Man Who Lives Forever" – Lord Huron
16 ::"Chained" – The xx
17 ::"Yet Again" – Grizzly Bear
18 ::"Everyone Knows" – Vacationer
19 ::"I'm Not The Phoenix Yet" – Moonface
20 ::"No Future/No Past" – Cloud Nothings

:: Get Spotify ::

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

[playlist] Hump Day Power Play (12-12-2012)

Now That's What I Call 2009!

I had so much fun making the 2008 HDPP, I figured it was only fitting to follow up with my favorite hits from 2009. There were so many great albums to choose from, but as I discovered during this exercise, it is very hard to put together a cohesive mix as it seems my favs were quite an eclectic collection of styles. Since today is 12-12-2012, I really tried hard to reduce this list down to 12 songs... but 15 is as close as I could get (you can see what I left off the playlist here). While listening, I hope this mix evokes as much nostalgia for you as it does for me.

Stream the playlist below (or by clicking here).

:: Hump Day Power Play (12-12-2012) ::
01 ::"Ephemeral Artery – Neon Indian
02 ::"1901" – Phoenix
03 ::"The Lady Vanishes" – White Rabbits
04 ::"Stroke Their Brains" – Spoon
05 ::"Apollo and the Buffalo and Anna Anna Anna Oh!" – Sunset Rubdown
06 ::"Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh" – Say Hi
07 ::"Two Weeks" – Grizzly Bear
08 ::"Officer Of Hearts" – Handsome Furs
09 ::"The Akara" – Beirut
10 ::"Skyscraper" – Julian Plenti
11 ::"Day By Day" – Taken By Trees
12 ::"Basic Space" – The xx
13 ::"Seven" – Fever Ray
14 ::"Beijing" – Patrick Watson
15 ::"Day Glo" – Brazos

:: Get Spotify ::

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

[playlist] Hump Day Power Play (12-5-2012)

Day 340 Mix

December 5 marks the 340th day of the year (including Leap Day), and it happens to fall on a Wednesday. You know that means? Not really anything, but nevertheless, here's this week's HDPP for your listening pleasure.

Stream the playlist below (or by clicking here).

:: Hump Day Power Play (12-5-2012) ::
01 ::"Fitzpleasure" – alt-J
02 ::"True Romance" – Citizens!
03 ::"Chained" – The xx
04 ::"Girl" – Oposssom
05 ::"Heavy On Me" – Zeus
06 ::"It's Too Late" – Wild Belle
07 ::"Waiting For" – Poor Moon
08 ::"Hand Of Man" – Django Django
09 ::"All Your Gold" – Bat For Lashes
10 ::"Default" – Atoms For Peace
11 ::"Total Life Forever" – Foals
12 ::"Why You Wanna" – Poolside
13 ::"Blue Meanies" – Oposssom
14 ::"Tides" – The xx

:: Get Spotify ::

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

[playlist] Hump Day Power Play (2-22-2012)

Indie Diva Editition

I was going back through the archive of previous Hump Day Power Plays, and I realized that there's only one female vocalist showcased thus far. To make up for lost time, I've compiled a playlist entirely of indie music's most powerful women. Hope you dig it.

Hear it by simply clicking here. Playlist is below.

:: Hump Day Power Play (2-22-2012) ::
01 :: "Help I'm Alive (Spotify Acoustic Session)" - Metric
02 :: "Walking With A Ghost" - Tegan and Sara
03 :: "My Moon My Man" - Feist
04 :: "Nude As The News" - Cat Power
05 :: "Islands" - The xx
06 :: "Day By Day" - Taken By Trees
07 :: "Blue Jeans" - Lana Del Rey
08 :: "I Follow Rivers" - Lykke Li
09 :: "Seven" - Fever Ray
10 :: "Maps" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
11 :: "Gigantic" - Pixies
12 :: "Let England Shake" - PJ Harvey
13 :: "Heaven Can Wait" - Charlotte Gainsbourg
14 :: "Dance With Me" - Nouvelle Vague
15 :: "Sprawl II" - Arcade Fire

Get Spotify (if you don't already have it).

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

[new music] The xx - "Open Eyes" (Demo)

New music from the xx

Back in 2009, the xx dropped their debut album on my unexpected ears and completely blew me away. Earning honors in the top 3 LPs of 2009 and unofficially winning "Rookie of the Year" titles, the South London trio have treated us (via their blog) with holiday cheer by giving us all a sweet xx-mas present. Feast your ears on this slow, softly sung demo below, and get pumped about the idea of a new xx album in the distant future. Happy holidays!

Monday, November 22, 2010

[video] Gorillaz cover the xx's "Crystalised"

Gorillaz v. the xx

When two of my favorite bands cross paths, the potential for something special increases. Watching Wolf Parade's Dan Boecker perform on stage with Spoon while singing "Modern World" is a fantastic example. And while this particular case isn't nearly as epic as the aforementioned junction, apparently Damon Albarn and the Gorillaz project made a BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge appearance this past weekend, and among the songs showcased was a beautiful cover of the xx's "Crystalised." Also, special guest Daley helped to perform "Doncamatic" and an exclusive stripped back version of "On Melancholy Hill" (see below). Check out the rest at Some Kind Of Awesome!.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

[concerts] Seattle Shows to Look Forward to (2010)

Good music on the way

So there's a bunch of great shows every week here in Seattle, but I wanted to showcase the ones I'm most looking forward to. This is a dynamic list, so expect it to grow with more dates as more announcements are made.

July 23-25 // Capitol Hill Block Party // 10th and Pike
July 26 // Wolf Parade // Showbox
         (w/ The Moools)
July 28 // The Toadies // Showbox
July 31 // Phosphorescent // Crocodile
         (w/ J. Tillman)
Aug 4  // Joanna Newsome // Moore Theater
         (w/ Robin Pecknold!!!)
Aug 21 // No Depression Fest // Marymoor Park
         (w/ Cave Singers)
Aug 29 // Vampire Weekend // Marymoor Park
Aug 25 // Wavves // Neumos
Sept 4-6 // Bumbershoot // Seattle Center
Sept 11 // The National // Marymoor Park
         (w/ Okerville River)
Sept 24 // The Local Natives // Showbox
         (w/ Love Language)
Sept 25 // The xx // Paramount
         (w/ Warpaint)
Oct 14 // Telekinesis // Showbox
         (w/ Teenage Fanclub & Superchunk)
Nov 2 // The Black Keys // Paramount

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

[video] The xx - "Islands"

Official video for "Islands"

The xx have emoted their noir-persona yet again in the music video for "Islands." Multiple camera takes capture the band quietly singing my personal favorite while choreographed dancers act out the evolution of a failed relationship. A bit repetitive, but interesting once the song climaxes. Also, the xx will conclude their North American tour with a few more dates on the East Coast. The last date, at DC's 9:30 Club, will be steamed live on NPR (go here for more details).

The xx tour dates:
Apr 22 // Terminal 5 // New York, NY
Apr 23 // Sonar // Baltimore, MD
Apr 24 // 9:30 Club // Washington, DC

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

[video] The xx - "Night Time" (Pitchfork Surveillance)

The xx on Pitchfork.TV

I just think this video fits the feel of this song in every way. Great song, great album. Be sure to check out the xx when they come to WA via Sasquatch! 2010.

Buy :: The xx - xx

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

[reminder] The xx @ Neumos (11-27-2009)

The xx in Seattle

Just a friendly reminder to all who managed to nab tickets for this Friday's show - South London's The xx will be playing Neumos as stage support for Friendly Fires. For those of you who are just finding out about it now, this show is unfortunately sold out. Hopefully the band will gain enough popularity that would warrant a headliner tour later this year. Their album is one of the best 2009 has to offer. If you don't have it, get it now (here). To further entice you, listen to "Islands" and "Basic Space," two greats off the band's debut album xx.

Monday, September 21, 2009

[tour dates] The xx - North American Tour

The xx have crafted a masterpiece

For those of you who haven't had a chance to listen to The xx's amazing debut album, posted here are two music videos for your listening pleasure. The album, fittingly titled xx, has been digitally available for months through iTunes here in the US, however, physical copies just hit shelves on September 8. It's a must-have LP - definitely in my top albums of 2009 thus far.

And to make things even better, these South Londoners will be touring the US starting in November. Sadly, the band will be in the Northwest around the one holiday I'll be out of town. More specifically, The xx will be playing Neumos the day after Thanksgiving. So get your fill of turkey, watch some football, and rest up for this show. And if you live elsewhere in the country, you should really try to catch these guys if they come through your neck of the woods.