I have reached the halfway point on my top twenty record albums of the year 2013 (according to me). Just thought I would take a moment here and list numbers 20 through 11 before I continue later with the TOP TEN. My choices are based on originality (how fresh does it sound? to my ears?), longevity (how many times do I play it?, flow (consistency is key here) and basically I ask myself if it’s a fantastic album. Perhaps I can’t form a real emotional attachment to it or maybe it has 1 or 2 flaws that I just can’t overlook. Finally, is it an album I couldn’t possibly bring myself to part with? There’s my criteria. Anyway, here’s the halfway list:
20 ICEAGE—–YOU’RE NOTHING
19 CROCODILES—–CRIMES OF PASSION
18 TY SEGALL—–SLEEPER
17 THE FLAMING LIPS—–THE TERROR
16 THEE OH SEES—–FLOATING COFFIN
15 FUZZ—–FUZZ
14 BOMBINO—–NOMAD
13 MAZZY STAR—–SEASONS OF YOUR DAY
12 TEGAN & SARA—–HEARTTHROB
11 FOXYGEN—–WE ARE THE 21ST CENTURY AMBASSADORS OF PEACE & MAGIC
From a previous post…..this pretty much explains why I chose them as number 12 on my list
Tegan And Sara are twin sisters from Canada. Both of them sing, play guitars and keyboards. “Indie rock” is their most typically fitting category of music. But they have put out some really pleasing and heartfelt music over the years and they like to mess with their styles. Together they write beautiful music and lyrics.
“Heartthrob” is the title of their newest record. It will forever put these girls in the spotlight. Tegan And Sara have just peaked with this release! This music is some of the best tunes I have heard from the indie scene in a really long time. “Closer”, which was the first single, is probably one of the best ways to get an idea how this album as a whole sounds. It’s dreamy, with excellent catchy lyrics, and dueling vocals. If you do not know anything about them, then this is the perfect tune to get into.
There are ten songs full of these fantastic 80s vibes popping all over the place on this CD. Every single track could be a hit! It explodes with pop! Some are anthem chorus-driven tracks,others are simply alluring but with painful vocals, and also a very dance feel throughout. At several times, there are these sentiments on the album most of us can say we’ve felt and relate to.
I love the use of their funky synthesizer beats and the echoing vocals which move nicely into the great refrains. I can’t think of too many groups recently that are comparable. This record, “Heartthrob” definitely deserves checking out.
Overall, it was worth the money. I am sure this will be the album that finds them a much broader audience with pop stars like Katy Perry; especially while promoting it in their Twitter feeds, but more importantly this is a CD that longtime fans (I’m a newbie to them) can grasp and appreciate.
Based on what I am hearing, this is a new sound that shows a lot of maturity, and yet that Tegan and Sara ‘vibe’ they have become famous for, is still there. Highly recommended, even from a new fan, like me.I look forward to seeing them at Lollapalooza in Chicago on August 4th. I am sure they will be a real treat!
The Music Bard 