The Dumbing of America » The Black Box Revelation http://thedumbingofamerica.net Fri, 18 May 2012 15:14:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 The Festive Fifty: SXSW Bands To Watch- Part 4 http://thedumbingofamerica.net/2011/03/11/the-festive-fifty-sxsw-bands-to-watch-part-4/ http://thedumbingofamerica.net/2011/03/11/the-festive-fifty-sxsw-bands-to-watch-part-4/#comments Fri, 11 Mar 2011 06:01:02 +0000 admin http://thedumbingofamerica.net/?p=4406 Every year, we bring you our picks for the best of the South By Southwest festival. This year, we will be presenting you with a series containing fifty bands, that will run right up to the beginning of SXSW. We selected bands that we think the average TDOA reader will adore. With each entry, we’ve listed like-minded bands as a reference point, but we recommend listening to each no matter what. As always, it’s difficult to put some of these bands in a neat tidy, descriptive box. Your ears will tell you the truth.
We’ve also provided you with links to the social networks of each band, so that you can learn more. Whether you’re heading to Austin or not, we hope you enjoy these bands that may have previously escaped your notice. This is part four of our series.

Who: The Black Box Revelation
From: Brussels
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

Who: The Boxer Rebellion
From: London
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

Who: The Vaccines
From: London
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

Who: Home Video
From: Brooklyn
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

Who: For A Minor Reflection
From: Reykjavík, IS
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

Who: The Jim Jones Revue
From: London
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

Who: The Vandelles
From: Brooklyn
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

Who: Capo
From: Mexico City, México
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

Who: An Horse
From: Brisbane, Australia
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

Who: Secret Cities
From: Fargo, ND
Follow on Facebook and Twitter
SXSW Link

]]> http://thedumbingofamerica.net/2011/03/11/the-festive-fifty-sxsw-bands-to-watch-part-4/feed/ 0 The Dumbing of America's Top 20 Albums of 2009 http://thedumbingofamerica.net/2009/12/07/the-dumbing-of-americas-top-20-albums-of-2009/ http://thedumbingofamerica.net/2009/12/07/the-dumbing-of-americas-top-20-albums-of-2009/#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:01:13 +0000 admin http://thedumbingofamerica.net/?p=2484 In the end, we think this was truly a great year for music. We would argue that this was the year of the new band, with 75% of our top 20 consisting of debut albums. As we started going through this list, we recognized that we’d interviewed many of the bands listed. As you know, based on our refusal to accept advertising, we’ve been adamant in our refusal to be influenced by labels, promoters, etc.. Frankly, when we heard some of these albums, we were on the phone trying to track the bands down for an interview. Thus you can always assume that the interviews you read are truly from our favorite bands. We hope that there are a few in here that are new to you and that we help to expand your horizons in the same way that these groups have.

1. Alberta Cross- Broken Side of Time

2. The Boxer Rebellion- Union

3. Heat-Ray- Love All Over

4. Lovvers- OCD Go Go Go Girls

5. Fruit Bats- The Ruminant Band

6. Royal Treatment Plant- Hope Is Not Enough

7. Boat Beam- Puzzle Shapes

8. The Mountain Goats- The Life of the World to Come

9. The XX- S/T

10. The Big Pink- A Brief History of Love

11. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- S/T

12. Julian Plenti- …Is Skyscraper

13. Jason Lytle- Yours Truly, The Commander

14. The Joy Formidable- A Ballon Called Morning

15. Gliss- Devotion/Implosion

16. Grand Analog- Metropolis Is Burning

17. The Black Box Revelation- Set Your Head On Fire

18. Ten City Nation- At The Still Point

19. Jaydiohead- S/T

Jaydiohead – 99 Anthems from Max Tannone on Vimeo.

20. It Hugs Back- Inside Your Guitar

Follow us on Twitter or Facebook to get a preview of upcoming interviews, music news and behind the scenes stories about our interviews.

]]> http://thedumbingofamerica.net/2009/12/07/the-dumbing-of-americas-top-20-albums-of-2009/feed/ 2 Upon Further Review: The Top 10 of 2008 ?!!? http://thedumbingofamerica.net/2009/06/22/upon-further-review-the-top-10-of-2008/ http://thedumbingofamerica.net/2009/06/22/upon-further-review-the-top-10-of-2008/#comments Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:22:07 +0000 admin http://thedumbingofamerica.wordpress.com/?p=1078 So I was reading through the ‘Guide To Being One Of The Cool Bloggers’ (You can download it on Pitchfork, but you have to answer a 20-question quiz on Kraut-rock before you can access it.  I used my Julian Cope book to cheat.) and it says that I have to do a “Best of the first half of 2009″.  Seriously?  Are the cool kids that desperate for content?  I started reading through the lists a few sites have already published and noticed a disturbing trend: They were listing albums released in 2008.  Sorry everyone, but Ida Maria was released in July of 2008 and I don’t want to hear the “it wasn’t released in the U.S. until 2009 argument.   Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ was released online in 2007 and was properly put on the 2007 “Best of” lists.  NOBODY, put but it on their 2008 list.
Instead, I make a different proposition.  Why not put out a revised ‘Best of 2008′?  I’m the first to admit that sometimes I miss an album release.  With so many bands self-releasing albums and with the internet creating a larger number of accessible bands, it’s hard to catch everything.  So I’m going to take this opportunity to reflect back on 2008 and list my revised top 10.

Here’s the list I published on January 1 of this year.

1) The Duke Spirit- Neptune (Both of their albums have been my number 1 for their respective year.  Clearly, the most under-rated band on the planet)

2) The Virgins- Self-Titled (Still a good pop record, but fading fast in my memory)

3) Darker My Love- 2 (Despite mailing it in when they were interviewed by me, this album still packs a wallop.)

4) Steve Malkmus- Real Emotional Trash (As with many Pavement records, it continues to grow on me.  Such a great songwriter.)

5 thru 10 were occupied by albums that I still like, but have quickly faded from my frequently played list: The Kooks (Konk), The Late Greats (Life Without Balloons), The Pigeon Detectives (Emergency), Fujiya & Miyagi (Lightbulbs), We Are Scientists (Brain Thrust Mastery), The Bronx (3)

So, with apologies to those I originally forgot, here’s the revised Best Albums of 2008…with a little perspective:

I’m efforting to post some videos that haven’t been shown here before.  With bands like TDS, it’s hard because we’ve written them up so many times.  But I’m pretty proud of these brand spankin new videos.

1) The Duke Spirit- Neptune

2) The Black Box Revelation- Set Your Head On Fire

3) The Black Keys- Attack and Release

4) Ida Maria- Fortress ‘Round My Heart

5) Darker My Love- 2

6) Jaydiohead- Jaydiohead: What?  I can’t put a mashup album on my list?  Well, this is the best mashup I’ve ever heard and deserves to be on this list.

7) Steve Malkmus- Real Emotional Trash


8) Division of Laura Lee- Violence Is Timeless

9) The Pigeon Detectives- Emergency

10) The Virgins- The Virgins

What do you think?  What albums did you miss the first time around in 2008, that you’re loving now?

]]> http://thedumbingofamerica.net/2009/06/22/upon-further-review-the-top-10-of-2008/feed/ 0