McCrank's Juke - Bands To Watch (2009)

Well I've heard "Get On Your Boots" by U2, the latest single from the new album and all I can say is that mainstream music is going continue to falter. Major label bands will pick-up where they left off in 2008 - selling less, appealing to fewer and whoring more in '09. Comcast I am sure will do it's best to pick from the indie scene and try harder to find music like M83 and Noah And The Whale to try and cross-over to it's ritualistic formula pop. I heard on Live 105.3 yesterday that M83 was an "underground" band that was just being discovered. Funny they made most of the top 20 album blogs for 2008. Not very un-discovered, but possibly not mainstream -- yet. For every Animal Collective popping, we'll get the old re-treads like Jonas Brothers and Coldplay (see the Grammys - coming up). For 2009, I have plucked a group of notable bands (researched from SPIN, NME, Blogs, etc.) that may buck the trend. These upcomers are on indie labels for the most part, but are popping up in multiple sites and on multiple radars. Take a listen and please buy something from them if you like it. Propogate and philanthropize their music! They are great bands and they deserve the plugs.

McCrank's Juke - Bands To Watch (2009)

01. Florence And The Machine

02. Little Joy

03. Lulu Rouge

04. The Big Pink

05. Booka Shade

06. The Soft Pack

07. The Chapman Family

08. TWIN ATLANTIC

09. THE VIEW

10. Sound of Guns

11. The Hot Melts

12. Catfish Haven

13. Matt and Kim

14. Airborne Toxic Event

15. The Helio Sequence

Links Above

McCrank's Juke - Upcoming Albums (2009)

McCrank's Juke - Upcoming Albums (2009)

Here is a list from the major music labels, who will be releasing albums in 2009. Looks like a lot of the big names, like U2, Eminem, Morrissey and the likes. I am excited at the prospect of there being 10 times this amount, once we filter in the smaller indies and one-off records from smaller bands like Bat for Lashes and the Helio Sequence. I suppose some of the bands that blew up in 2007/2008 are anxious to follow-up with another album, so there will be some return visits from MGMT and possibly Santigold as well -- as yet unplanned but expected. What albums are you looking forward to? Are you pushing anything? McCrank's Juke just released the mix-tape for January, so my favorites are out as a mix of indie, old hits and best of's.

McCrank's Juke - Upcoming Albums (2009)

01. Reel Big Fish - Fame, Fortune and Fornication

02. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand

03. Hot Chip - Hot Chip with Robert Wyatt and Geese EP

04. Courtney Love - Nobody’s Daughter
05. Lily Allen - It’s Not Me, It’s You

06. Mos Def - The Ecstatic

07. … And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - The Century of Self

08. Asobi Seksu - Hush
09. Beirut - March of the Zapotec EP + Realpeople - Holland EP

10. Morrissey - Years of Refusal

11. Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand

12. The Screaming Blue Messiahs - Live At The BBC

13. Jay-Z - The Blueprint 3
14. Massive Attack - Weather Underground

15. The Prodigy - Invaders Must Die
16. U2 - No Line on the Horizon

17. The Rakes - KLANG

18. The Decemberists - Hazards Of Love

19. KMFDM - Blitz
20. Pearl Jam - Ten [Reissue]

21. Jane’s Addiction - A Cabinet of Curiosities [Box Set]

22. Dave Matthews Band - TBA

23. Depeche Mode - TBA

24. Deftones - Eros
25. Dr. Dre - Detox
26. Eminem - Relapse

27. Peter, Bjorn, & John - TBA

28. Rakim - The Seventh Seal
29. Silversun Pickups - Swoon
30. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - TBA

31. Echo & The Bunnymen - The Fountain

Links Above

McCrank's Juke - January Mix (2009)

McCrank's Juke - January Mix (2009)

Can you really still say Happy New Year, after ten days in January? Been lagging on the posts, but researching the hell out of new bands. I am deep into the indie scene. Finding new gems on NME and via recent "Best of 2008" blogs, some of which are featured below for your listening pleasure. McCrank's Juke's - January Mix is steeped in the gothic sounds (you'd think some of these guys were in Joy Divsion or Bauhaus) that I tend to favor. Lots of horrorpop and some mellowy, electronic sounds - whispy and remeniscent of Halloween as a kid. Been reading Batman 100 by artist Paul Pope and listening to Glasvegas while planning on seeing "Righteous Kill" and some other mind-numbing experiences. Great indian dance party last night... Looking forward to music picking up again in February with some all new albums, including the new Flaming Lips CD. Anyone going to see Social D at the new Fox Theatre in Oakland?

McCrank's Juke - January Mix (2009)

01. Geraldine (Radio Edit) - Glasvegas

02. Keep Your Eyes Ahead - The Helio Sequence

03. Can't Take it With You - Social Distortion

04. Keep Me Warm - Ida Maria

05. A Forest - Bat For Lashes

06. Girl With One Eye - Florence And The Machine

07. A Brief History Of Love - The Big Pink

08. I Wish I Had Never Been in Love - The Hot Melts

09. Coverging In The Quiet - Crystal Stilts

10. Death (Crystal Castles Remix ) - White Lies

Links Above

McCrank's Juke - December Mix (2008)

McCrank's Juke - December Mix (2008)

I must admit the Facebook phenom is waring off on me. (Missed me lately have you?) With the latest posting about the Best of 2008 and an upcoming post (new albums for 2009) I have been hitting the music scene more regularly. Locating bands I missed in 2008 and finding music that is rare, unreleased and ready to blow-up. From the musings of The Cribs to the electronica of Booka Shade. I have composed a special December mix that captures my monthly favorites. A McCrank's Juke playlist if you will (yes, it's on my ipod). Let me know your favorites and current musical obsessions. I must admit I grow weary of Coldplay and Lil Wayne related "Sam Goody" rock and rap. Hit me with your special indie-cred list and I will publish it here on McCrank's Juke. The rest of you stay silent.

McCrank's Juke - December Mix (2008)
01. Sweet Lies (Radio Edit) - Booka Shade
02. Come Back - Magnetic Morning
03. Breathe Into Glass - Asobi Seksu
04. Panic - The Cribs w/Johnny Marr
05. There's Been An Accident - Twilight Singers
06. Drug Deal Blues - Angelo Badalamenti & David Lynch
07. Sweeter Than Sweet - Lulu Rouge
08. Converging In The Quiet - Crystal Stilts
09. Undertow - Stars

10. My Dearest Love - Morrissey

Links Above

McCrank's Juke - Top Albums of 2008

I had to weigh-in on the best albums of 2008. After reading the latest list from SPIN and Rolling Stone (think: Lil Wayne and Coldplay) I had to bring a sanity check to all the blog lists and indie music pubs spinning their list of best music, albums, singles of 2008. I think we've got a case of groupthink out there with 8 out of 10 lists putting Fleet Foxes, Deerhunter, Bon Iver and The Hold Steady in the top 5. Seriously, indie cred starts with being able to admit certain bands suck. Indie is built on the garage sound and the independent music scene (not Clear Channel!) and having these 4 bands make the top 5 on multiple blogs seems a bit rare to me. I must admit, some of my list matches up with many of them, because bands like MGMT, Santogold, Ra Ra Riot, M83, and Glasvegas are truly unique and promising bands that delivered the musical goods in 2008. I can't say a conspiracy is afoot, but my musical ears tell me there is some profit and labels at work here, my friends. Think She & Him, Vampire Weekend and TV on The Radio -- certain rock shouldn't be crammed directly into our minds, repeatedly - labels. Once you see my list, you'll see I am as mainstream as the next guy!

Either way, the best way to learn about new music and explore bands you may never have listened to, but perhaps read about, is to scroll the 2008 lists and learn about new albums, snappy singles and rare upstart bands. That is how I got into The National, M83, Girl In a Coma and other cool talents. Largehearted Boy has collected all the lists (except this one) and given you a good cross-section of music blogs to choose from. Explore, spend the 10 hours, learn about a new song or band. Don't take Billboard and Rolling Stone at face value.

McCrank's Juke - Top Albums of 2008
01. Counting Crows - Saturday Nights, Sunday Mornings
02. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
03. Diplo & Santogold - Top Ranking
04. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
05. Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It
06. Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line
07. Glasvegas - Glasvegas
08. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
09. The Walkmen - You & Me
10. Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
11. The Black Keys - Attack & Release
12. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
13. Crystal Stilts - Alight of Night
14. Nine Inch Nails - The Slip
15. Metallica - Death Magnetic
16. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
17. Sun Kil Moon - April
18. Low Vs Diamond - Low Vs Diamond
19. Spiritualized - Songs in A+E
20. The Cure - 4:13 Dream

No links required :-)

McCrank's Juke - November Mix (2008)

It's been less then a whole month and boy can the music business pivot on a dime in just a few short weeks. We've got Guns N' Roses to look forward to, an amazing new Cure album out and a bunch of Obama based songs dropping as easy as last night's Indian buffet-sized shit. Now last month my mix-tape featured a retro feel, but I fear I have too much indie banging up this listing. Hot bands like M83 (on tour near you now!) and new albums from stellastarr, including a couple of gothy tracks, are making music waves faster then I can write about them. Fuck you Pitchfork, keep paying your corporate monkeys to crank out their Weezer, Oasis and Radiohead based posts. You are like Clear Channel, Foo Fighters anyone?

I am trying out here, holding it down with a few solid off-the-chart bands and up-and-comers, like The Knux. Sprinkle in a few sophmore bands delivering albums in time for your Christmas stocking. Take a listen, McCrank up their Myspace pages and see if some of these bands don't shout out 80's rock mixed in with Interpol-vibes. You were warned.

McCrank's Juke - November Mix (2008)
01. This is Nowhere - The Airborne Toxic Event
02. Couleurs - M83
03. Stay Entertained - stellastarr*
04. A Strange Day - The Cure
05. Violent Heartstrings - The Opposite Sex
06. G.L.O.W - The Smashing Pumpkins
07. Unloveable - The Smiths
08. Fuss And Fight - The Dazzling Strangers
09. Believe (feat. D'Angelo) - Q-Tip
10. Playboys - The Knux

Links Above