And Now for Some Music Reviews

I especially hate music reviews because how are you supposed to know how something sounds from some other guy's opinion of it? But there were a couple of great albums of 2010 (and maybe 2009, I don't really keep track) and I feel the need to highlight them.

The xx—Self-Titled. Towards the end of the summer/early fall, I hooked up with a significantly younger dude. It was a random meeting at a party and, after he started hitting on me, I contemplated for about two seconds whether or not I was going to hook up with this hot, really sweet, professional X-Games-type-sport athlete. He was from a country very far away (and had a cute accent), so I'd never see him again, and he had signed with a modeling agency in New York a few days before. It was a no brainer. He was really friendly (and I mean that as actually friendly, not *wink, wink* friendly) and it was tons of fun and the least awkward first time flirting thing I've ever experienced, which totally mitigated any guilty, cradle robber feelings. I would imagine that all guys that make a living skateboarding, surfing, or whatever are as chill and happy as this guy was and it's fun to be around that.

Anyway, why am I talking about this when I'm reviewing the xx album? I loved this album long before I ever met the young guy, but now he pops into my head every time I hear it. We never listened to it together or anything; the album just kind of evokes a feeling. A simultaneous feeling of youth and melancholy for youth. Does that make sense? This album is like missing a way-too-young-for-you-for-anything-serious-which-is-what-you-should-be-looking-for-dude, while at the same time thinking about how young that made you feel (it's like the Fountain of Youth and now I get why old dudes like young chicks), and how you're really not that old after all and life is, for the most part, pretty good.

A friend of mine described this album/band as  "like one big 69," so there's that, if you prefer.

I guess it's a sexy album.

I mean, the Intro is amazing!

LCD Soundsystem—This is Happening. This is happening (ba-dum-dum)! I hadn't listened to a ton of LCD Soundsystem before I read this, pretty much just Sound of Silver. That album is pretty good. This one blew my face off. I'm almost at the point of having listened to it too much. I'm not sure if that will ever be possible though because there is a good variety of songs on here. The ones I used to be sick of, I like again, and vice versa. Anyway, I won't bother with much of a review except to say that if you haven't listened to this album, you are doing your ears and your brain and your dancing shoes a disservice.

And then I'll add this little story: I saw LCD SS this past summer at the Palladium (which is a pretty cool space, much better than I thought it'd be). I think it was the best concert I've ever been to. It was... wait for it... transcendent. If you knew me, you would know that I've never used the word transcendent before (at least as it relates to me) and that's the kind of hippy word I don't just throw around. But, this concert was transcendent. For me (and probably others). I've always hated jam bands and the whole jam band scene. All that group love, feelin' the groove kind of thing just seemed incredibly dumb. But then it happened to me during this concert, specifically, during All My Friends (that song uses crescendo fantastically). EVERYONE in the place was singing along, knew all the words, and was feeling it. And when you're in that state, surrounded by a bunch of other people in that state, it's glorious.

This is my favorite song off this album. I just watched the video for the first time for this post and I believe that it's capable of curing all your ailments.

Best Coast—Crazy For You. This is a great album if you're a girl in Southern California. Which I am.

Also, cats.