Best of ‘09

Stefana Fratila’s Best of ‘09

5. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down – Know Better Learn Faster
This record will likely go unnoticed because it’s nothing extraordinary, but also, it’s perfect. Thao with the Get Down Stay Down is Virginia’s Thao Nguyen with her boys backing her melodiously uplifting and lyrically destructive songs. Destructive in the way that Thao hits a giant heart-shaped piñata to the cheers of a crowd (see the cover art!) Apparently, sad people dance too. Dance! Because Thao tells her ex “If this is how you want it, OK.” And you should too.

4. Timber Timbre – s/t
A bracing darkness, an auto-harp in the left speaker, a crooning man, and slow beats constant and dry! Do your remember the hidden track (Porcelain) off the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s Fever To Tell? There’s an even better version of it by Timber Timbre, called “We’ll Find Out”. Your New Year’s Resolution: put the tabs for the song up so guitar newcomers can roar it in their rooms!

3. The Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca
“Solange fuckin’ Knowles covered Stillness Is The Move!” I quote myself only to intensify how adamantly I believe in the tables turning. So, if you’re one of those listeners who just don’t get The Dirty Projectors I only ask you to imagine yourself playing this music – because you can’t! So, that’s it Solange!

2. The xx – xx
When the ‘Intro’ of a record can blow someone’s mind and then repeat listens of slow songs with unassuming lyrics continue to blow someone’s mind, that someone has made contact with music. Boom! Can you imagine singing a song so personal to your band-mates who know exactly who it is you are singing about? That takes courage!

1. Apollo Ghosts – Hastings Sunrise
A year is not a year without walking home to “the streets are different at night, I carry my keys in my knuckles in case I have to fight.” Can you live here without hearing Adrian Teacher’s references to late night Chinese restaurants, the Hell’s Angels, and Dobermans scaring immigrants on Canadian soil?? Once you’ve grooved to this, walked home to this, made love to this – you will always have Vancouver in you

Stefana Fratila wishes you a merry new year of being too broke to buy the new Beach House CD.

Check out her adorable music video!

Stefana Fratila- Vista Voyager from small fists! on Vimeo.