Am I too late to be young?

A Random Selection of Pitchfork - pt. 1

Now, I suppose that a disclaimer must be included with the post: that title with the "pt. 1" could totally be amisnomer, as I don't know if I will make another post on the subject, but I suppose that depends on the offerings.

I decided to start with Pitchfork's top 50 albums of 2008. Perhaps I should have started with the top 500 songs or something, but I like to aim high and give other people's opinions the benefit of the doubt. Pitchfork, apparently, likes to aim for ambient music. I have nothing against ambient (and certainly not against mostly instrumental music in general), but a lot of these albums are just plain boring. I do suppose I could listen to it if it was not my primary or secondary action. For instance, if I was playing a game and using the internet at the same time, I could also listen to it, since it wouldn't be actively boring any of my consciousness. Onward.

The first album I got to (random, not alphabetical or in order of Pitchfork's preference) that I did not delete every song of was The Bug's London Zoo. . I think that, if I were to listen in the right mood, I could enjoy most of this. It's not "intelligent" groove, but it could get you moving. The beginning of the level starts of fast and hard. It's funky music--you know, hip hop for white kids who don't remember to wash their hair ;)

As you get a few songs in you notice that, contrary to first--what's the word for an aural glance?--the groove has an almost latin/danchall fusion feel. As you round out the last third of the album, the music goes from hard, to ephemeral (my favorite section), to more ambient. This ambient is engaging and, as a whole, this album is so close to being good I can't think of another way to say it. Pretty good? Still, not great. Impress me, Pitchfork!

The song tagged is from the first part of the album, if you can't tell. Word of warning(?), the album has one last hurrah! of being in your face on the second to last track. My favorites: "Skeng", "You and Me", and "Judgement".