via//chicago

np: "apple bomb" - deerhoof
this is a new band to me, i had remembered seeing the name in Pitchfork's year-end list last year, but i didn't get around to checking them out until the new album after hearing about it on a couple of message boards. this track is easily my favorite on the album, starts off slow and calming with some high-pitched "ba ba ba ba"s coming in, until the rest of the band just kicks in full force for a bit, then it just as abrubtly shifts back into the slow groove of the first part of the song. the loud part comes in as a total jolt once you have resigned yourself to the slightly off-kilter vocals and settled into the groove. then just as you are feeling the rocking out and get your head nodding a little - you're dropped back to the start as the track comes full circle. ok, i'm not the greatest in the world when trying to describe songs that appeal to me, just check it out for yourself.
in other music-related news, i compiled my list of the best albums of the first half of the year today. yeah, i'm a little early... but i don't see myself getting and having time to fully digest any more albums before the end of June. plus i just had the time to do it this week, and there's no telling when i will have this kind of time again. it was a difficult process, as i had over 60 albums to choose from this year - much higher than usual. so i humbly present to you my Top 40 for the first-half of the year:

40. The Sea and Cake - One Bedroom
39. The Music - S/T
38. Cat Power - You Are Free
37. Aerogramme - Sleep and Release
36. The Microphones - Mt. Eerie
35. Ani Difranco - Evolve
34. Rainer Maria - Long Knives Drawn
33. The Sounds - Living in America
32. Marilyn Manson - The Golden Age of Grotesque
31. Arab Strap - Monday at the Hug and Pint
30. The New Pornographers - Electric Version
29. Yo La Tengo - Summer Sun
28. (Smog) - Supper
27. The Libertines - Up the Bracket
26. Stratford 4 - Love and Distortion
25. Dead Meadow - Shivering King & Others
24. Deerhoof - Apple O
23. The Blood Brothers - Burn Piano Island, Burn
22. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Pig Lib
21. Alkaline Trio - Good Mourning
20. Xiu Xiu - A Promise
19. AFI - Sing the Sorrow
18. Cursive - The Ugly Organ
17. Lightning Bolt - Wonderful Rainbow
16. The Postal Service - Give Up
15. Grandaddy - Sumday
14. Wire - Send
13. Calexico - Feast of Wire
12. 50 Cent - Get Rich or Die Trying
11. Notwist - Neon Golden
10. Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - Hearts of Oak
9. Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic
8. Prefuse 73 - One Word Extinguisher
7. Songs:Ohia - Magnolia Electric Co.
6. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever to Tell
5. Manitoba - Up in Flames
4. White Stripes - Elephant
3. Blur - Think Tank
2. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief
1. Zwan - Mary Star of the Sea

a few comments. i could have easily made a case for Blur or Radiohead at the top of my list, but as of right now the Zwan album still hits me in a way that the other two don't. i'm sure things will shift a little as all of these soak into my brain over the second half of the year. two recent albums i've gotten ahold of that could have made a strong showing would be Mogwai's Happy Music for Happy People and Mars Volta's De-Loused in the Crematorium, but i'll just have to save those two for the year end list. i really wish i knew how to add a Comments thing on here so i could get some feedback, but i'm not quite sure how to go about that. if anyone can help me out (if anyone is still reading), send me an e-mail at jon830@yahoo.com and help a brotha out.

completely un-related to music... i got an e-mail from the girl i met the other night. she wants me to meet up with her and her friends Saturday night, i'm really looking forward to it. despite the fact that i've got a minor crush on this girl, her friends are hilarious and they were fun to be around last weekend so it should be a good time.