Ross' Top 150: June 2013
Dropped Out: Twin Sister (#148) and M83 (#150).
Today's Document

tannertan36
Sade Olutola
YOU ARE THE REASON
Not today Justin
dirt enthusiast
Monterey Bay Aquarium
Peter Solarz
No title available

JVL

Andulka

No title available
ojovivo
Xuebing Du

pixel skylines
hello vonnie
let's talk about Bridgerton tea, my ask is open
we're not kids anymore.

Origami Around
Keni
seen from Bangladesh

seen from Türkiye
seen from United States
seen from Malaysia

seen from United States
seen from United Kingdom

seen from Singapore
seen from Indonesia

seen from United Arab Emirates

seen from United States
seen from Germany

seen from Singapore
seen from Germany
seen from United Kingdom

seen from United Kingdom

seen from United States
seen from United States

seen from Bangladesh

seen from Brazil
seen from United Kingdom
@rosseus-blog
Ross' Top 150: June 2013
Dropped Out: Twin Sister (#148) and M83 (#150).
Ross' Top 150: May 2013
Footage of 1927 London...in color. Amazing stuff.
Super-Late SXSW 2013 Recap
Here's a list of the bands/acts I saw with grades...
WEDNESDAY 1. Deep Sea Diver (B) 2. Dan Croll (B) 3. Zak Waters (B+) 4. KITTEN (D-) 5. Cayucas (B-) 6. Why? (B) 7. Solid Gold (C) 8. In the Valley Below (C-) 9. !!! (A-) 10. Who Charted podcast taping with Matt & Kim (B) 11. Love Inks (C+) 12. Caveman (C) 13. Ambassadors (B) 14. Pickwick (A-) 15. Divine Fits (A+)
THURSDAY 16. Luke Sital-Singh (C) 17. Rhye (A) 18. Waxahatchee (B) 19. Autre Ne Veut (B-) 20. Merchandise (A) 21. Mikal Cronin (B) 22. Parquet Courts (A+) 23. King Tuff (A) 24. Allah-Las (B) 25. K Sera (F) 26. Hey Marseilles (A-) 27. Futurebirds (A) 28. Pokey LaFarge (B+) 29. Menahan Street Band (B+) 30. Charles Bradley (A+) 31. Sugarman 3 (B) 32. Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings (A) 33. Budos Band (B+)
FRIDAY 34. Brandon Beebe (C) 35. Lucy Michelle & the Velvet Lapelles (B) 36. Soley (A) 37. Nobunny (A) 38. The Bad Lovers (C) 39. Kid Congo and the Pink Monkey Birds (B+) 40. Flume (C-) 41. Haerts (D) 42. Merchandise (A) 43. Widowspeak (B) 44. Eagle Claw (B-) 45. The Flaming Lips (C)
SATURDAY 46. The Molepeople (B+) 47. Monophonics (B) 48. Brothers Lazaroff (C) 49. Trails and Ways (B) 50. Empress Of (C+) 51. TEEN (D) 52. Generationals (B) 53. Social Studies (B+) 54. Valleys (B) 55. PAWS (A) 56. MS MR (C-) 57. Palma Violets (B) 56. Black Breath (C) 57. Royal Thunder (C+) 58. Orange Goblin (A-) 59. Clutch (B) 60. The Spits (B+) 61. Mystic Knights of the Cobra (F) 62. Elephant Stone (B) 63. The UFO Club (D) 64. The Night Beats (C) 65. The Zombies (A+)
Heisman Trophy winner Charles Woodson talks with Ryan Leaf and Peyton Manning after shooting a commercial to promote the 1998 NFL Draft. (AP)
GALLERY: Rare Photos of The Manning Family
I know this photo was taken in 1998, but it might be the most 1995 photo ever.
Ross' Top 150: April 2013
Ross' Top 150: March 2013
44. THE DODOS (Last #41, Peak #32) 45. THE PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART (Last #43, Peak #33) 46. THE ROLLING STONES (Last #45, Peak #43) 47. HOT CHIP (Last #47, Peak #34) 48. THE XX (Last #49, Peak #44) 49. MIDLAKE (Last #50, Peak #27) 50. PIXIES (Last #48, Peak #48) 51. SURFER BLOOD (Last #52, Peak #40) 52. STARS (Last #51, Peak #30) 53. THE STROKES (Last #54, Peak #46) 54. THE LOVE LANGUAGE (Last #57, Peak #53) 55. BLUR (Last #53, Peak #45) 56. LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (Last #55, Peak #40) 57. THE RURAL ALBERTA ADVANTAGE (Last #56, Peak #49) 58. THE SHINS (Last #60, Peak #58) 59. THE ANTLERS (Last #58, Peak #58) 60. SHEARWATER (Last #59, Peak #57) 61. WYE OAK (Last #61, Peak #48) 62. YELLOWBIRDS (Last #63, Peak #62) 63. THE BEATLES (Last #62, Peak #37) 64. DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE (Last #64, Peak #56) 65. SUFJAN STEVENS (Last #65, Peak #34) 66. FANFARLO (Last #66, Peak #45) 67. LAURA MARLING (Last #67, Peak #52) 68. SHARON VAN ETTEN (Last #68, Peak #67) 69. LOST IN THE TREES (Last #69, Peak #69) 70. CHARLES BRADLEY (Last #71, Peak #69) 71. SHOUT OUT LOUDS (Last #73, Peak #67) 72. RATATAT (Last #70, Peak #38) 73. ISLANDS (Last #74, Peak #58) 74. PORTISHEAD (Last #72, Peak #55) 75. HEY MARSEILLES (Last #97, Peak #74) 76. SECRET MACHINES (Last #76, Peak #47) 77. SUPERCHUNK (Last #75, Peak #56) 78. SHARON JONES AND THE DAP-KINGS (Last #77, Peak #69) 79. BLIND PILOT (Last #79, Peak #65) 80. TOKYO POLICE CLUB (Last #78, Peak #54) 81. LYKKE LI (Last #80, Peak #70) 82. CALEXICO (Last #81, Peak #79) 83. WHISKEYTOWN (Last #82, Peak #49) 84. FRANZ FERDINAND (Last #83, Peak #39) 85. SOUL COUGHING (Last #84, Peak #64) 86. SIGUR ROS (Last #85, Peak #65) 87. !!! (Last #86, Peak #57) 88. THE RADIO DEPT. (Last #87, Peak #71) 89. EELS (Last #89, Peak #63) 90. TIMBER TIMBRE (Last #88, Peak #72) 91. RYAN ADAMS (Last #90, Peak #87) 92. DUM DUM GIRLS (Last #91, Peak #90) 93. ROYAL BANGS (Last #92, Peak #56) 94. BEN FOLDS (Last #93, Peak #61) 95. RILO KILEY (Last #94, Peak #73) 96. ELVIS COSTELLO (Last #95, Peak #52) 97. REAL ESTATE (Last #96, Peak #92) 98. BOB DYLAN (Last #99, Peak #98) 99. THE MOUNTAIN GOATS (Last #98, Peak #97) 100. BEACH FOSSILS (Last #114, Peak #100) 101. DAVID BOWIE (Last #100, Peak #84) 102. AIR (Last #101, Peak #93) 103. FUTURE ISLANDS (Last #102, Peak #102) 104. WIDOWSPEAK (Last #135, Peak #104) 105. A TRIBE CALLED QUEST (Last #108, Peak #105) 106. BLITZEN TRAPPER (Last #104, Peak #54) 107. GRAND OLE PARTY (Last #103, Peak #71) 108. FLEET FOXES (Last #106, Peak #106) 109. FLOATING ACTION (Last #105, Peak #101) 110. LOWER DENS (Last #107, Peak #98) 111. HOLY FUCK (Last #112, Peak #89) 112. BON IVER (Last #113, Peak #110) 113. KANYE WEST (Last #115, Peak #113) 114. SADE (Last #109, Peak #77) 115. OKKERVIL RIVER (Last #110, Peak #110) 116. NEKO CASE (Last #116, Peak #97) 117. LIGHTSPEED CHAMPION (Last #111, Peak #49) 118. YUCK (Last #120, Peak #116) 119. OUTKAST (Last #117, Peak #88) 120. COLD WAR KIDS (Last #118, Peak #80) 121. TUNE-YARDS (Last #119, Peak #111) 122. THE NEW PORNOGRAPHERS (Last #121, Peak #101) 123. GUARDS (Last #130, Peak #123) 124. GENERATIONALS (Last #125, Peak #119) 125. DR. DOG (Last #127, Peak #85) 126. EDWARD SHARPE & THE MAGNETIC ZEROS (Last #122, Peak #48) 127. MASSIVE ATTACK (Last #123, Peak #79) 128. THE WHITEST BOY ALIVE (Last #124, Peak #120) 129. MODEST MOUSE (Last #126, Peak #126) 130. WILD NOTHING (Last #129, Peak #128) 131. FRIGHTENED RABBIT (Last #128, Peak #52) 132. BASIA BULAT (Last #132, Peak #70) 133. MY MORNING JACKET (Last #131, Peak #99) 134. KINGS GO FORTH (Last #133, Peak #81) 135. ACTION BRONSON (Last #134, Peak #105) 136. ELLIOTT SMITH (Last #136, Peak #107) 137. FRANK OCEAN (Last #137, Peak #137) 138. FEIST (Last #138, Peak #133) 139. THE ROSEBUDS (Last #140, Peak #116) 140. THE MIDDLE EAST (Last #139, Peak #96) 141. A.A. BONDY (Last #144, Peak #141) 142. CAMERA OBSCURA (Last #142, Peak #131) 143. PHOSPHORESCENT (Last #147, Peak #105) 144. THE WEEKND (Last #145, Peak #137) 145. THE WAR ON DRUGS (Last #141, Peak #126) 146. TWIN SISTER (Last #143, Peak #100) 147. THE ENVY CORPS (Last #146, Peak #104) 148. ELEFANT (Last n/a, Peak #140) 149. THE BLACK ANGELS (Last #148, Peak #95) 150. LISSIE (Last #149, Peak #78)
Dropped Out: Santigold (#150)
South by Southwest excitement is building...
Ross' Top 150: February 2013
Dropped Out: M83 (#148)
Ross' Top 150: January 2013
ROSS' TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2012
#1 ANDREW BIRD Break It Yourself Track-by-Track Rating: 7.57 (1st) Last.fm Plays: 314 (1st) Featured Song: "Near Death Experience Experience"
Break It Yourself is sort of a Greatest Hits/Cliff's Notes for the last 6-8 years of Andrew Bird's career, featuring some of his best tendencies and melodies in one cohesive album.
If you're an Andrew Bird fan, it's hard to find any fault with this album. It makes for a beautiful listen, one that I enjoyed over and over again throughout 2012.
ROSS' TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2012
#2 LOST IN THE TREES A Church That Fits Our Needs Track-by-Track Rating: 7.50 (2nd) Last.fm Plays: 182 (10th) Featured Song: "Golden Eyelids"
Ari Picker is the leader of North Carolina-based folk orchestra Lost in the Trees. Their third album A Church That Fits Our Needs is a tribute to his late mother, who committed suicide a few years ago.
Picker wrote the songs from his mother's perspective and has said that he hopes this album can be a place where her memory can live on.
The album is lush, gorgeous and heartbreaking. In my opinion, it's one of the biggest musical accomplishments of the year.
ROSS' TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2012
#3 FRANK OCEAN channel ORANGE Track-by-Track Rating: 7.42 (3rd) Last.fm Plays: 297 (2nd) Featured Song: "Super Rich Kids (ft. Earl Sweatshirt)"
I loathe most things associated with the whole OFWGKTA gang, so Frank Ocean's loose affiliation with the group really squashed any interest I had in channel ORANGE when it was released.
Thankfully, I finally gave it a shot and immediately took to it. I later learned that Ocean was originally from New Orleans and wrote much of this album as a reaction to the materialistic culture of Los Angeles.
This album feels like it will end up being the timestamp for its time. It doesn't sound like it could've come out in any period before now. It's got atmospheric elements, electronic flourishes and old-school soul sounds all in one flowing album. I'm hoping that it's the launching pad for a long, storied career for Frank Ocean.
ROSS' TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2012
#4 GRIZZLY BEAR Shields Track-by-Track Rating: 7.42 (4th) Last.fm Plays: 97 (19th) Featured Song: "A Simple Answer"
In the past, I've liked Grizzly Bear in bits and pieces, never really buying into any particular album or the band as a whole. Band member Daniel Rossen's excellent EP Silent Hour/Golden Mile buttered me up for the release of Shields and I finally grew to like the band.
The songs have several shifts and twists that reward repeat listens and many of the melodies will get stuck in your head. I may have to revisit those older Grizzly Bear albums.
ROSS' TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2012
#5 BEACH HOUSE Bloom Track-by-Track Rating: 7.35 (6th) Last.fm Plays: 155 (8th) Featured Song: "Other People"
It's pretty damn hard for an artist to carve out a distinct sound that sets them apart from everyone else, but Beach House has been doing that for years.
They're easily one of the most consistent bands of the past 10 years, always releasing great songs that stand up to everything incredible that they've done before.
ROSS' TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2012
#6 THE XX Coexist Track-by-Track Rating: 7.35 (5th) Last.fm Plays: 112 (15th) Featured Song: "Tides"
The xx's debut album was hailed as a breakthrough, filled with hushed bedside vocals, sparse production and high emotion. It sounded like no one else at the time. If that debut sounded like intimate flirting, follow-up Coexist must be the hook-up.
The band retains their trademark sound for this second album, but refines it be adding more pieces at some times and stripping almost everything away at others. A nice example would be "Tides", which opens with a hushed duet before busting out a "sexytime" bass line.
The xx will probably have to venture a little further away from its original musical statement to have true staying power, but it's still easy to enjoy what they're doing now.
ROSS' TOP 40 ALBUMS OF 2012
#7 SHEARWATER Animal Joy Track-by-Track Rating: 7.34 (7th) Last.fm Plays: 278 (4th) Featured Song: "Animal Life"
Animal Joy was the first album of 2012 that I really loved. The second verse of opening track "Animal Life" gets me every time.
My favorite word to describe Shearwater's music is majestic, but there's also a sinister, beastly quality to some of these tracks. Songs like "Breaking the Yearlings" and "Insolence" thrash their way into your head.
[Source: tanacetumvulgare]