As the Best of 2006 lists start to pop up in magazines and all over the internet, Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House is sure to be a favorite album for many journalists and bloggers - And rightfully so. The band’s sophomore release is a giant leap from Horns a Plenty. Though it isn’t perfect, there are fewer gaps, less blanks to be filled than its predecessor. It's no Cookie Mountain, which will certainly top most of the aforementioned year end lists, but it's close. Above anything, Yellow House only adds to the notion that the band has the potential to achieve some sort of sonic, Pet Sounds -esque masterpiece.

Grizzly Bear – Knife
Grizzly Bear – Don’t Ask (from Horns a Plenty)

Also, the Grizzly Bear Blog is worth a gander.

Now to overload you with songs, I'll begin an open discussion:

Nick Drake – Fly
Nick Drake- Northern Sky

Roy Harper – Another Day
Roy Harper – Don’t You Grieve

Is it better to burn out or to fade away?

I was more than delighted upon discovering Harper's Flat Baroque and Berserk a few months ago. Hints of Drake, Cat Stevens, and even Lou Reed ( especially on 'Don't You Grieve') are all over the record - as most of you know, that shit's like crack to me! However, I must admit I was slightly disappointed to hear that he hadn't killed himself, overdosed, joined the Nation of Islam or even become a recluse. Does that make me a bad person? Probably.

Finally, I'd just like to say how stoked I am about having resident basement DJ Jay-C-Jase sharing his audio delcacies on the blog.Hey Jason, When's the next post?

This time last year part I

Photo: Daniel Johnston

I was having a terrible day last Thursday until the guy at Blockbuster lifted my spirits with his enthusiasm about The Devil and Daniel Johnston ("It's a strange little documentary. I've never even heeeearrrd of him!"). Turns out The Guy, as I will call him from now on, were right. It's a strange little tale about the Texas singer/songwriter's unbelievable struggle with mental illness. Definitely worth a gander.

Daniel Johnston - Things Last a Long Time
Daniel Johnston - Syrup of Tears

Apparently, Lavender Diamond is a band and not a single person as I've always assumed. Regardless, it would be fair to say that the collective is the youngest of the daughters of the 'freak folk' family. First is Joanna Newsom, the poster child, then Josephine Foster, the misunderstood middle child, but unlike her older sisters, young Lavender simply content to sing love songs to herself while picking dandelions and getting mud on her dress.

Lavender Diamond - Emptiness is a Conductor

I've convinced Jason to jump on the blog band wagon. Hopefully he'll get his homework done and post something soon.

all my friends were vampires in a devil's town