Hey! Welcome back to one of the final Tuesdays With Lazerbeak posts of the year. Things are finally slowing down just a little bit over here after the very memorable Doomtree Blowout 9 a few weeks back. Our good friends Chris Hadland and Jay Anker, who were on hand for all four nights of the Blowout (shooting and editing recap videos at breakneck speeds), have decided to gift us with one final all-inclusive Blowout 9 Recap Video. This one is for all the marbles. Check out the grand finale of the Doomtree Blowout 9 Recap Videos below!
SO AWESOME. Still smiling from how much fun that weekend was. Speaking of Chris and Jay (SEGUE STREAK!!!!), you may recall that the two of them were behind the making of Doomtree’s documentary Team The Best Team, which was just released digitally for streaming, renting, and download this past month. We’ve decided to roll out a limited time holiday sale of the movie from watch.doomtree.net, to lend a hand to any of you out there still scrambling to acquire last minute gifts for family and friends. This week only, you can gift Team The Best Team to a loved one for half price! Check it out:
“Need a gift for Grandma, but worried it’s too late? You’re covered! Give the gift of Doomtree, as a stream & download of our movie TEAM THE BEST TEAM. Go HERE, and tap “gift this.” For a limited time, use the code “BEACON” and your gift will be ridiculously cheap – but you’ll still look like like the star on the top of the tree.”
It’s as simple as clicking a button, and definitely beats braving this -11 degree weather to stand in line all day at a mall kiosk. Just click the image below for all the details.
In addition to all of the holiday insanity going on, this time of year is also known for its onslaught of Best Of lists from pretty much anybody that still listens to music these days. A couple pretty great (and legit) Doomtree-related nods happened recently that I thought were definitely worth mentioning. Check it out.
Sims’ single “This Is The Place,” featuring guest raps by Astronautalis and production from our very own Cecil Otter, was picked as the Top 5 Hip-Hop Singles of 2013 by LA Weekly! Read all about it right HERE.
Music critic Stephen Thompson’s (of NPR’s All Things Considered) picked Dessa’s album Parts of Speech as one of his Top 10 Albums of 2013! You can read about all of that right HERE.
And LIZZOBANGERS, the album from Lizzo and myself, topped the Star Tribune’s 2013 Twin Cities Critic Tally! Having grown up here and religiously reading that list every year, this was pretty big for me. Read all about it right HERE. A bunch of our good friends are in there too! Such a standout year for Minnesota music.
OH! Speaking of LIZZOBANGERS, we’re finally throwing a big time release show for the album this Saturday down at the Triple Rock. Plain Ole Bill and myself (AKA Towel Man & Hungry Guy) will be opening up the show with the second ever in the history of the world LAVA BANGERS set, and then Lizzo is gonna completely destroy it. We’re gonna play the whole album! This night is going to RULE. There are only about 50 tickets left last I heard, so you’ll definitely want to grab those (right HERE) before doors if you’re trying to officially ring in this release with us. Hope to see a bunch of you down there!
Speaking of year end shows, we’ve got a couple New Years Eve events to cap off 2013. The Men of Doomtree (minus Papes, who’ll be there in spirit) are playing The Bash down in Des Moines, Iowa next week. Tickets are available right HERE.
And if you’re closer to the Chicagoland area, Dessa and Astronautalis will be at Lincoln Hall that very same night. Details and ticket info right HERE.
OK, that about does it for the news portion of this week’s post. I’ll leave you with a ton of Bonus Jams from my very own Best Albums Of 2013 list. I loved so many records that came out this year, which for whatever reason hasn’t been the case in quite awhile. PUMPED ABOUT IT. Here are my Top 5 Albums of 2013, in order.
#5: Kacey Musgraves – Same Trailer, Different Park
This one crept in under the radar just in the last month for me. I’ve been a long time sucker for new country, and this album does a great job of blending the catchy production tricks of the current era with songwriting chops and lyrics more reminiscent of some of the older country greats like Loretta and Dolly. Definitely not for everyone, but I seriously can’t stop listening to it. Getting seriously amped for my first ever arena country show in February with Kacey and Lady Antebellum.
#4: El-P and Killer Mike – Run The Jewels
Oh maaaaaaaaan. If you’re a rap fan, I know I don’t even have to tell you about this one. Such an incredible collaboration to watch unfold. This record is pretty much flawless, and hard as nails. By far the best duo in the game, from production to bars. The first rap album in too long to slap me in the face and remind me how good this music can be.
#3: HAIM – Days Are Gone
LOVE THIS ONE. The most amazing and instantly likeable front half of an album since The Weeknd dropped House of Balloons. I definitely see all the comparisons to Stevie Nicks and Phoenix (which I love), but honestly a lot of this sounds like Heart In Motion-era Amy Grant to me, and there is possibly nothing I like more in this world than Heart In Motion-era Amy Grant. Instant classic.
#2: The-Dream – IV Play
The Dream does it AGAIN. I for real thought it would never get any better than his second album Love Vs. Money, but this one somehow trumps that and then some. No one is making current R&B as innovative and accessible as this guy (it’s not even close), plus the beats BANG so hard. I truly didn’t think anyone else could top this one all year, but……..
#1: Drake – Nothing Was The Same
I should have known. For years now I have taken quite a bit of punishment for proclaiming my love of Drake records. This one wasn’t as immediately likeable as Take Care to me, but once it clicked I didn’t wanna listen to anything else. He’s only getting better, and 40 completely crushes it all of the production. A few weeks back when I went out on that mini roadtrip tour with Lizzo, we listened to this album about 20 times in a row nonstop and it never got old. THE BEST.
And now for my Honorable Mentions of the Year. Consider these your bonus Bonus Jams.
Volcano Choir – Repave
Steve Arrington + Dam-Funk – Higher
Darkside – Psychic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZVPHzsRp_o
inc. – no world
Daft Punk – Random Access Memories
Speedy Ortiz – Major Arcana
There you have it! Lazerbeak’s Top 5 Albums of 2013 (and Honorable Mentions).
I’ll leave you with a quick Bonus Penny Pic to satisfy the out-of-town family contingency. Here she is watching my favorite movie ever (Finding Nemo, duh) and playing with my favorite toy as a kid (’85 Bears bear) at the SAME DAMN TIME! And please don’t get it twisted, my grandparents were from Chicago. It’s still Vikes ALL DAY.
Man I love that kid. Alright, I hope you all have a truly incredible and relaxing holiday week. I cannot wait to get into my Christmas Eve tradition of drinking brandy ciders and watching Love Actually with Penny and the wifepiece tonight. See you next Tuesday for sure. Merry Christmas!
— Beak
Twitter: @_LAZERBEAK_
Instagram: @lazerbeak