The 5th Annual Cale Awards: Winners!!

After a month of voting, the results are in!  This year’s Cale Awards were trimmed down, and as a result, we ended up getting more votes than we had last year.  Of course, that could also have more to do with the increased readership over 2008.  I’ll let you, dear reader, decide that one.  For now, enjoy the results of the awards that don’t really matter, but make us feel important anyhow.

Best Myspace Artist:

The Cyanide Valentine

50% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Hanne Kolsto – In a way, I’m very pleased to see The Cyanide Valentine pull this one out.  Though they weren’t my personal choice, they are a very talented band with a very unique sound.  Don’t forget to visit their website to download their 2008 album for FREE!!

The Staying Power Award

Of Montreal:  Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

40% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Spoon:  Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Last year, Spoon’s album barely even made it to my year-end list.  It wasn’t until 2008 that I really started to appreciate this album in its entirety.  “Finer Feelings” has made it on my iTunes “Top Played” list and I can’t say I even placed it in my Key Tracks in my review of the album last year.  

Best Submitted Album

The Eastern Sea:  The Eastern Sea EP

83.3% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  The Eastern Sea:  The Eastern Sea EP – At the height of Audio Overflow’s popularity (I do believe we’ve peaked at this point), I was receiving 2-3 CDs a week.  Unless I had spoken with the artist or label personally, most of them got brushed aside.  The Eastern Sea’s debut as a full band was one that I could not ignore, and I’m pleased to see that the rest of you think so as well.

Best Album Artwork/Packaging

Radiohead:  In Rainbows

62.5% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Sia:  Some People Have Real Problems – In general, I thought that this year was a step backward in album design.  Radiohead had a cool idea; give people stickers to make their own jewel case.  But how many of you have actually done that?  Exactly.  To me, Sia’s packaging contained all the charm and playfulness of her best album yet!  Album art needs to convey the experience of the album in a tangible form, and this one did just that. 

Best EP

The Decemberists:  Always the Bridesmaid

50% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Wallpaper: T-Rex – This is an experience that I probably could’ve only enjoyed in an EP form.  I’m not entirely sold on the idea that Wallpaper’s pitch-corrected/vocoderized pop music wouldn’t wear thin on me after more than 20 minutes.  But here, it’s just enough to keep me smiling, singing, and trying to dance all cool-like. 

Best New Artist

Fleet Foxes

45% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Jaymay – You’d think a label like Blue Note would put more money behind an artist’s of Jaymay’s calendar.  Still, nearly a year after her debut album released, find someone who know who Jaymay is and I’ll give you a dollar.  For me, her debut was close to perfect and full of songs that still haven’t gotten old.  Check it out if you haven’t done so yet.

Band of the Year

Vampire Weekend

25% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Vampire Weekend – There wasn’t a band nominated that didn’t deserve this one, but I think most of us can agree that Vampire Weekend has had the biggest impact on the music world this year.  Making indie kids smile and the MTVers curious, the band has taken their unique sound to the heights of music in a short amount of time.  That’s good enough for me.

Female Artist of the Year

Jenny Lewis

40% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Shara Worden – I’m now completely annoyed with Jenny Lewis.  She used to be one of my favorite artists, but her past 3 outings (two solos and a Rilo Kiley album) have all been relatively shitey.  Acid Tongue was a step in the right direction but still short of her earlier years.  No, for me, Shara Worden is the most-deserving of this award.  Her second MBD album was a wonder of dark, orchestral pop, and was a shoe-in for my Top 10 Albums of 2008.

Male Artist of the Year

Kevin Barnes

50% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Pop Levi – Let’s be honest, Kevin Barnes’ transformation into Georgie Fruit has been one hell of a ride.  Any other year, and he would’ve gotten my vote easily.  But I’ve come to expect greatness from Barnes.  Pop Levi, on the other hand, was an artist I completely wrote off in 2007, only to fall in love with in 2008.  His second LP is an absolutely brilliant piece of pop rock and you owe it to yourself to check it out!  For coming out of nowhere to bring us something so awesome, this one’s just easy.

Song of the Year

“Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” by Fleet Foxes

28.6% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Coming Soon!

Album of the Year

Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie

41.2% of the vote

Cale’s Pick:  Coming Soon!

Perfect Summer Soundtrack – Week 7

Again, I’d like to reiterate that unless you have all of these songs on your iPod or have rigged up some ingenious contraption that allows you to carry your laptop on your bicycle, this playlist may just be a waste of time for you.  At the very least, you can close your eyes and imagine the scene while sitting at your desk.  Totally your call on that one.

The Bike Ride Through the Country Playlist

Allow me to preface this playlist by noting that while I have been through the country, and have in fact ridden a bike, I have yet to combine the two into one awesome, soothing experience.  But having knowledge of both parts of this one activity gives me enough of a reason to post this playlist.  It’s got the predictable highs to keep you going, as well as some accompanying lows that will hopefully allow you to better appreciate your surroundings.  

Week 1 – Rooney’s Self-Titled Debut (Beach Trip, Road Trip, Skateboarding)
Week 2 – The Picnic Playlist
Week 3 – Of Montreal: The Sunlandic Twins (Road Trip Sing-a-longs, House Parties, Frisbee Tossing)
Week 4 – The 4th of July Party Playlist
Week 5 – The Pump Me the F*** Up! Playlist (Mountain Climbing, Fight Clubbing, Wakeboarding, Kayaking, Parachuting, Murdering, Running)

Week 6 – The Elected: Sun Sun Sun (Road Trip)

Weekend Recommendations (4/26/08)

Cale’s Recommendations

Loney, Dear: Loney, Noir
Buy from Amazon
Loney, Dear’s 2007 North American debut is just as innocently affecting today as it was back then. These songs are timeless works of art, filled with his self-doubt, desperate longings, and honest confessions. I know that a lot of people never really got around to listening to this one, so I’m reminding you and encouraging you to seriously check it out. I still listen to it on a regular basis, after more than a year of solid play. For realsies.

The Cyanide Valentine: The Three Sides of the Cyanide Valentine
Download for Free!

Cursive: Happy Hollow
Buy from Amazon

————————————-

Erin’s Recommedations

Dream Theater: Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory
Buy from Amazon
A strange album choice for a female, I know, but really, it’s pretty interesting. It falls under the genre of “progressive metal”. While not too familiar with the genre, I can tell you that Dream Theater sounds a lot like a mix of Rush and Journey, to me. The vocals are very similar to that of Steve Perry, so if you’re not a fan, I’m not sure how you’d feel about Dream Theater’s vocals. While this is certainly not my favorite album or band, I think they are immensely talented at each one of their crafts. The musicianship is some of the best ever and definitely worth the time it takes to listen to!

Alanis Morisette: Jagged Little Pill
Buy from Amazon

Frank Sinatra: Classic Sinatra: His Greatest Performances (1953-1960)
Buy from Amazon

Sorry for the poor formatting. This is just one of those days where Blogger is not a fun thing to work with.

myspace music monday: Past Artists Update

Moods – Antsy

Have you ever just wanted to move? You’ve been sitting at your desk all day, or wasting your Saturday just lounging around. Get up! Go do something! Just move! Me and my restless legs syndrome totally know all about this sensation. Well, as always, I’m here to help you with this most dire of predicaments. Here is a playlist that is almost sure to get you moving. It may make you dance, it may make you bob your head, tap your foot, or defiantly throw a fist in the air. Or it may do all of those. But it will get your antsy ass moving. That’s kinda the point.

myspace music monday: The Cyanide Valentine

Talk about perfect timing.  I’m sitting at my computer, getting ready to start my weekly scouring of myspace in search of an artist worth listening to.  I check my email –nothing of note– go to check my sites (Engadget, Pitchfork, The Superficial), and then decide to swing back by my email once more.  What’s waiting for me but an email from Jake Zavracky, lead vocalist and guitarist of Boston-based The Cyanide Valentine, asking me to review a downloadable copy of their new album, The Three Sides of The Cyanide Valentine. Unfortunately, it has always been a policy of Audio Overflow to not review non-physical copies of CDs.  But I downloaded it, liked it, checked out their myspace page, and then decided to feature them on today’s myspace music monday.  It’s funny how things work out…

The Cyanide Valentine

I was informed  in my brief correspondence with Jake that “it isn’t emo despite what everybody seems to expect from the name,” to which I responded to myself, “Yeah right, these guys are totally going to be emo.”  But I was proven wrong from the moment I headed over to the band’s myspace page and began hearing the first song, “Neanderthals.”  The band’s sound is heavily electronics-based, and gives off a sort of Cibo Matto circa Viva La Woman vibe.  Of course, I’m also hearing a distinct Radiohead influence as well, perhaps even just a touch of Flaming Lips (though I’m far less sure of myself on that one) and Death Cab.  The song is perfectly executed by everyone in the band.  Jake’s vocals seem a little out of place at first, but by the time that the chorus rolls around and he’s shouting, “They won’t make us crawl, they’re all neanderthals,” he’s right at home!  Kate Papineau provides backup vocals here as well, and she sings very delicately, never giving it more than she should.  Overall, the song is flawless.  Really.

“Nosferatu” is another great song, utilizing a funk disco groove to great effect, complete with Bee Gees-esque “aahs” in the background.  Jake sings, “You may be invincible, but inside your heart you’re dead.”   Just as “Neanderthals” was virtually perfect, “Nosferatu” shows a band who is completely focused with a clear direction.  Everything is so perfectly executed, so polished, that it becomes difficult to not get into it.  The refrain of “Inside your heart, you’re dead,” is simplistic, but equally effective and poignant.  The band set the song to a video about the infamous Jonestown Massacre and it winds up being a surprisingly decent match for the tragedy.  

“Sugar Coma” is an all-around softer song.  Here, Jake swoons, “Give me just one kiss before I am washed up on the shore,” over soft, minimalist synths and guitars.  It’s not my favorite song on the site.  It’s far from bad, it just doesn’t really hit the spot for me.  The final song on the band’s myspace page is called “Milk in the Gutter,” and it’s another softer, more somber song.  This one is a bit more effective though.  While Jake may have been trying to convince me that The Cyanide Valentine is, in fact, not an emo band, something tells me that a lyric like “Smear my blood all around like the lipstick and makeup that touch your mouth,” isn’t going to work in his favor.  Still, the song is a nice, touching track that is (again) well-executed by the band.  It ends with some very cool, spacey peripheral vocals that I absolutely love.  I guess if there’s a good last-impression to leave on someone who may visit your myspace page, that would be it.

Conclusion
The conclusion is this:  head over to cyanidevalentine.com and download their album.  Listen to it.  Prepare yourself to hear a lot more from this band.  It’s inevitable.  Their music is unbelievably polished, undeniably irresistible, and unquestionably talent-ridden.  I don’t consider myself a lucky person.  Quite simply, things don’t always go my way.  But I consider myself extremely lucky to have decided to recheck my email less than a few minutes after The Cyanide Valentine’s Jake Zavracky emails me about his band.  And you should consider yourself lucky that I have good enough music sense to write about them and introduce them to you.  You’re welcome, by the way.

Links

The Cyanide Valentine’s myspace Page

The Official Site (+ Free Album Download)

Allison Pharmakis’ myspace Page (Photographer: above band image)