Bishop Allen & The Broken String

Epiphanies are not a rare occurance in the Champlain Valley, especially here on Middlebury campus. And it's not unreasonable for two of us to have an epiphany within the same hour. But when they both happen while listening to the same new album, it can be said with scientific certainty that said album is an epiphany-promoter (p<.05). As I listened to Bishop Allen & the Broken String, I secretly prayed that it would never stop raining outside and that this album would never stop playing. Even though fans already know many of these songs from previous eps and live recordings, this was my first time--and it didn't hurt at all. Says Bobby Teenager: "You believe everything he says and every note that they play. This is real music, and from beginning to end you never forget that. Nothing feels forced or out of place. You simply accept that this is good music." While posting a couple songs out of context of the whole album does little justice to this day-changing piece of work, they represent why we still have hope for good new music and authentic songwriting and rainbows at the end of the storm. And puppy dogs too.

Bishop Allen--Rain(mp3)
Bishop Allen--Click, Click, Click, Click(mp3)
Bishop Allen--Corazon(mp3)

State of the Station

As the last days of 2007 fart themselves out, magazines and blogs are bonking us all over the head with retrospectives, Top (blank) lists, and other propaganda that comfort us with a contrived sense of closure as we dive head first into 2008. We at WRMC wait all year for this time-honored tradition practiced by many.

WRMC saw a lot in 2007. Among many other things, we:
-started this blog (just cracked 20,000 hits yay)
-played music for people
-hosted talk shows
-threw dance parties
-dropped many a figurative ball

Given the amount of times we've said "Oh, we'll put it off/do/leave that for next semester," 2008 looks like it will be nothing short of a spine-tinglingly good year for WRMC.

The new year always starts with a hangover and an empty soul, waiting to be filled with anything and everything our favorite media outlets will feed us. Until then, it is our primary duty as a radio station to provide you, our faithful readers, with another list to contemplate before you dance 2007 off the face of the earth.

The Best Random Songs in the Rock Vein of 2007 (Favors the "possibly overlooked" category, but not exclusively. Cheesy elements a plus. Remixes and Grammy-noms don't count. Well, for the most part. Neither do the songs used in Juno.)*
*The following list does not necessarily express the views of WRMC 91.1 FM and its partners and fellows, though we do talk about music a lot with each other, so maybe it does?

Animal Collective - "Chores"
AC delivers more decomposing deliciousness.

Art Brut - "Late Sunday Evening"
Talking art-rockers somehow don't get more annoying

Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - "I Came To Hear The Music"
Testament to the fact that good music of old can still come in the mail

Art in Manila - "Our Addictions"
Members of Azure Ray, we've written bout them befo

Bishop Allen - "Like Castanets"
"Believable" (RM) good music

Land of Talk - "Summer Special"
Why don't we hear more from these guys?? So good.

The Dirty Projectors - "No More"
Yes please

Bat For Lashes - "The Wizard"
Tantalizing

Grinderman - "I Don't Need You (To Set Me Free)"
Nick Cave

Black Moth Super Rainbow - "Sun Lips"
Creepos in the woods make some of the best music of the year

LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"
Obvi.

Aqueduct - "Lying In The Bed I've Made"
Inescapable hook

The Cripple Lilies - "Bella Of The Rocks"
yes. Even though it sounds eerily like the Eels' "Railroad Man"

Iron & Wine - "Carried Home"
From Boy With A Coin EP

Low - "Always Fade"
Listen only to Low albums and I'll see you in hell

Black Lips - "Not a Problem"
Live in Tijuana

The National - "Start a War"
Obvi II

The Go! Team - "Universal Speech"
More 80'ssitcomtronic

Blonde Redhead - "Top Ranking"

Black Kids - "Hurricane Jane"
Great free songs

Au Revoir Simone - "Sad Song"
So cheesy it might actually be "sad," but hey.

Arthur & Yu - "Lion's Mouth"
Check out our interview with Grant and Sonya

Bitter, Bitter Weeks - "Danger in the Halls"
#1 in "straight rock with overproduced vocals"

Okkervil River - "Unless It's Kicks"
Hyperbrain can still rock

Marissa Nadler - "Dying Breed"
Not freak folk

Get Set Go - "I'll Be Your Heroin"
The Mr. T Experience of my youth finds me once again, this time on drugs

The Weakerthans - "Hymn Of The Medical Oddity"
4th album post-Propagandhi and still lovely.

Beirut - "Cliquot"
Mr. Condon is quickly becoming the new Mr. Oberst. Please God no.

Bodies of Water - "These Are The Eyes"
Check out previous feature. Religiously infused anthems

Dappled Cities - "Vision Bell"
Aussies

Tiny Vipers - "Shipwreck"

Tegan & Sara - "The Con"
:)

St. Vincent - "Marry Me"
Since my experience at the R.Spektor show in Middlebury this fall forever ruined her music, I'm glad she's come along.

A Hawk And A Hacksaw - "Serbian Cocek"
Yay Jeremy please come to Middlebury

The Sea And Cake - "Coconut"
More tastiness

Los Campesinos! - "You! Me! Dancing!"
I like the video too

Kevin Drew - "Safety Bricks"
KD from BSS delivers OK album and POOPY live show

Architecture in Helsinki - "Heart It Races"
Here's where I probably should have made an exception to the remix rule

Shout Out Louds - "Normandie"
The sun does not set on the Von Arbin Ahlander media empire

The Dagons - "How To Get Through The Glass"

Panda Bear - "Take Pills"

Oxford Collapse - "Please Visit Your National Parks"
What good music used to have to sound like

Mice Parade - "The Last of Ten Homes"

Oh No! Oh My! - "Our Mouths Were Wet"
My shaky legs

Laura Veirs - "Pink Light"
Drifting along with my swords out flying

The Brunettes - "Her Hairagami Set"
This album took forever to come out

Band of Horses - "Is There A Ghost," "No One's Gonna Love You," "Cigarettes Wedding Bands"

email me if you would like mp3's of any of the above that aren't linked. or go to hypem.com. and from there you can read better blogs. hotcha!