Last 7 Days is a returning series here on The Metronome that uses last.fm to chronicle the artists and albums that have made up the last week’s worth of listening for one of our staff members. This week, Andrew Halverson, or halveraptor, shares the listening habits that made up his week.
Mount Eerie
(78 plays)
These new Mount Eerie albums are items to behold. Always unpredictable, Phil Elverum creates a continuous sweep of acoustics, drone, synth, and atmospheric black metal (more than ever, might I add) and it’s intense in ways only Mount Eerie can achieve. I’ve been listening to The Microphones/Mount Eerie since the first of my music-enthused days and I’m still amazed at what this guy can do on albums.
Mount Eerie on Spotify.
Frank Ocean
(42 plays)
I’m fairly certain that Channel Orange is going to be in my album rotation for a long time, just judging from the last month. He’s received praise left and right for very good reasons — be it his songwriting, impressive voice, and overall social-awareness — people are just drawn to him. Not only that, he’s bold and not afraid to step outside of R&B conventions, which is the biggest reason I think he’s brilliant.
Frank Ocean on Spotify.
Akron/Family
(36 plays)
I may be one of the biggest fans of Akron/Family at this point in time. About six days ago, I was returning home from a significant drive up the I-5, and for a solid amount of time I listened to a few Akron/Family albums. The moment “Running Returning” hits on their self-titled album, I am absolutely motivated once again to get through the next six hours of driving. There’s something about their music that acknowledges sadness but drenches it in a couple layers of hope so they can step down to a highway driver’s level of relief to let them know they’re on their way home.
Akron/Family on Spotify.
Yeasayer
(27 plays)
This band has been a particularly interesting beast to me. I love All Hour Cymbals with all my heart but Odd Blood just didn’t quite do it for me. Then I heard Fragrant World, an album that carries similarities between both albums plus the R&B vibe that no one has done quite right until now. It’s subtle enough to work for the band rather than against them on the new record and it reignited my once-powerful reverence for Yeasayer.
Yeasayer on Spotify.
Smog
(22 plays)
A couple days ago I went to the Vogue Theatre in San Francisco to see a showing of the new Bill Callahan tour documentary, Apocalypse. It doesn’t up-play the man that is Bill Callahan but every moment you get to hear him speak feels pure and focused, but with a weakness that you don’t normally get to see these days. That weakness, however, is ever present in his music as Smog, which is exactly what I was inspired to listen to after viewing that film. If you ever have a chance to see it, take it.
Smog on Spotify.
Dan Deacon
(18 plays)
I was quite recently introduced to Dan Deacon and now I feel like I was missing out on some wonderfully huge-sounding electronic music. The tom hits that go along with his screechy synth and samples just add to the breadth of what this guy can do on computers and it always, in some way, ends up sounding triumphant. Get me more Deacon, guys.
Dan Deacon on Spotify.
Japandroids
(14 plays)
Yep, Celebration Rock is still awesome, in case you were wondering.
Japandroids on Spotify.
Mesita
(14 plays)
Since its release, I’ve constantly come back to The Coyote. Its beauty and boldness is something you don’t get out of a lot of artists that work on their own, but it feels so much bigger than it is–and it’s not difficult to find something new to love with every listen.
Mesita on Spotify.
