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Albums That Will Chill Your Bones - Part 1
Top 15 Records That Embrace the Chilly Winter Air
by Fake Train
There are definitely certain albums that perfectly compliment the skin-tightening chilliness of winter. I guess I could list every electronica, synth pop, or Viking metal release I enjoy, but that would be too easy. My love has and always will be bound to indie and underground punk-rock. The following is a top 15 list of albums that receive increased spins during the wind-chilled season of winter. So slip on that sweater that's been lost in the back of your closet, cuddle up to a nice cup of hot cocoa with extra marshmallows, and enjoy. The cold cold bite of winter never sounded so damn comforting.
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1. Antarctica - 81:03 (File-13)
The moniker says it all. Containing ex-Christie Front Drive member Eric Richter (and current The 101 front man), Antarctica produced beautifully layered guitar synth-pop. Spanning two discs, and clocking in at, you guessed it, 81:03, the lush melodies on Antartica's ear-numbing swansong is hard to let go.
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2. The Spinanes - Strand (Sub Pop)
"Another season of conning dipshits everywhere." I still remember hearing "Azure" for the first time on IUP's radio station WIUP 90.1. A college radio station that exposed me to so many amazing bands and underground music in my teenage years. The Spinanes, from the west coast, were one of these great bands. It's a shame that not too many people know of this wonderful duo from Portland. Rebecca Gates (vocalist/guitarist) and Scott Plouf (drums) crafted some of the most delicate yet intricate songs. There is no bass on Strand, just icy cold guitar picks, Rebecca's whispery vocals and Scott's inventive drumming. One of the best Sub Pop releases you never heard.
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3. Hurl - We Are Quiet in This Room (My Pal God)
I was lucky enough to catch Hurl's last performance at a Halloween show at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (followed by a drunken meltdown by Damon Che of Don Caballero). Definitely one of the coolest rock outfits to come out of the Steel City. Hurl wrote adventurous slow building rock that had you hanging on every sharp note. I love listening to this album when I'm alone or feel lonely, especially in the cold winter months. Heck, the photo on the inside of the booklet has the band standing in snow bundled up in coats and tossle caps. Remember, "The most sober songs come from the drunkest dream."
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4. Seam - Are You Driving Me Crazy (Touch & Go)
One of my favorite bands, and in my opinion, one of the most underrated outfits that rocked it back in the '90s. From Sooyoung Park's gentle, soft-spoken voice to the band's slow crawling rock, Are You Driving Me Crazy couldn't be a more perfect soundtrack to the snowy months. The pace is glacial, but the melodies are crisp and vibrant.
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5. Björk - Vespertine (Elektra)
Even though Björk is sprawled out half-naked on a sandy pebbled beach on the cover of Vespertine, her music on this release is anything but warm. Every Björk release is my favorite, but when the temperature begins to drop and the depressive spell of winter begins to take effect, the powerful orchestrations and frosty electronics of Vespertine spins constantly in my headphones. Listening, you can close your eyes and easily picture yourself hidden deep in an icy cavern out in the middle of Antarctica. There's even a short song entitled "Frosti" that contains these music box chimes, and "Aurora" contains the sound of footprints in the snow.and that voice. It's enough to make the most callous man breakdown and cry: "I fill my mouth with snow / The way it melts / I wish to melt before you."
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6. Taking Pictures - Friends Are Ghosts (My Pal God)
Three ex-members of the amazing Hurl (but this time setting up camp in Chicago), Taking Pictures expanded upon the building tension of their past outfit. The trio, under a new moniker, surprisingly matches and surpasses the power of their past work. The sharp grating guitars and pinging bass weave and bind your ears with crisp bitter rock explorations. Like frostbite slowly taking over, Friends Are Ghosts gradually puts a numbing grip on your senses. Unfortunately this is the only release by Taking Pictures. What a tease.
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7. Low - Transmission EP (Vernon Yard)
I wouldn't say this is my favorite album by these amazing sleep-inducers, but this was the first Low release my virgin ears were exposed to. I never heard a band play so damn slow. Just a little patience is all you need to fall in love with this trio. The EP contains a few slowdown covers, Joy Division's "Transmission" and the Supreme Dicks' "Jack Smith." There's also four originals (including a top-secret untitled hidden track), however every track is as desolate and cold as the next. Produced by Kramer and Steve Albini, Transmission is one somber experience you need to hibernate to.
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8. American Football - Self-titled (Polyvinyl)
Mike Kinsella has been honing his chops in many outfits over the years; Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, The Owls, and his current solo project Owen, but American Football is still my favorite Mike Kinsella venture. I can't believe these guys only made one album. Luckily I got to see this rock group live before they disbanded. This self-titled release is flawless. The razor-sharp guitar picks are as stinging as the coldest wind-chill, the melodies thin and brittle, and Mike's voice full of longing and regret.
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9. Pinback - Blue Screen Life (Ace Fu)
Wow. Damn is this duo amazing. Sub-zero harmonies, delicate guitar work, and infectious pop creativeness that make for endless repeat plays.
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10. Mogwai - Come On Die Young (Matador)
You knew there was going to be a Mogwai release on this list. Though Come On Die Young isn't my favorite Mogwai album, however its crisp instrumental investigations reel me in every winter. This Scottish outfit creates beautifully sparse and melodious tunes making for one hell of an experience, but with their newest release Mr. Beast, it's going to be a hard decision on which one to spin now.
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11. Logh - Evey Time a Bell Rings an Angel Gets His Wings (Deep Elm)
Ignore the silly album title. This album is very cool (pun intended) and this Swedish outfit replicates the feel of winter perfectly. Evey Time a Bell Rings's atmosphere is chilly. I once wrote in a review of this release: "The album is a melodious succession of warbling, crisp guitars, whispy vocals, and sparse, brisk guitar picks that seem to be plucked in a sub-zero temperature cave. Logh's gift is taking you to a place that's desolate, barren, and isolated-and this is a good thing." Definitely a good thing.
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12. The Promise Ring - 30 Degrees Everywhere (Jade Tree)
I used to listen to this album a lot. Especially on those long road trips to PSU in the winter to see punk-rock shows at the Hub or the White Lodge. 30 Degrees Everywhere was the soundtrack to many whiteouts and snow-covered Appalachian ventures. Even though Davey vonBohlen's lyrics are filled with summertime stories and warm teenage memories, 30 Degrees Everywhere's playtime seems to surface more during the cold transition between autumn and winter.
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13. Roadside Monument - Beside this Brief Hexagonal (Tooth & Nail)
Sharp jangly rock always gives me cold chills down my spine. These Christian rockers were easily able to grab the attention of this nonbeliever. Great dynamic rock with ice picking guitar riffs and grating rhythms, my ears get frostbit with every listen of the aural sharpness of Beside this Brief Hexagonal. If there was one record to have when stuck in a snowdrift, this would be it.
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14. Kind of Like Spitting - You Secretly Want Me Dead (Hush)
After listening to this album you'll see your breath when exhaling. Ben Barnett's delivery is sincere, melancholic, and bare-boned. The guitar picks are crystalline. The words are revealing. You Secretly Want Me Dead is a nice listen when sloshing around in the snow, trying to avoid human contact, or trying to escape when life gets in the way of living.
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15. Radiohead - OK Computer (EMI)
I guess this one isn't much of a surprise. I won't lie and say I'm a huge Radiohead fan (my favorite release is still the radio-friendly The Bends, but I've been spinning the Thom Yorke solo release The Eraser like mad). OK Computer took me a handful of spins to warm up to. It's chilling, adventurous, and lethargic. Like a blinding blizzard, it's easy to get lost in.
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