Fleet Foxes

RIYL- Beirut, Bon Iver, Band of Horses

Fleet Foxes are a folk band from Seattle, Washington that originally formed under the name The Pineapples in 2006.  With two well received  albums and a few EPs under their belt, they are known to be one of the top modern day folk bands out there.  The band is fronted by Robin Pecknold and includes an array of instrumentalists that create a sound that is their own unlike sounding like the tons of folk bands out there.  Also, they feature great harmonies (as seen here) which is what really drew me to them.

If you have ever wanted to start listening to Fleet Foxes, now is a great time to start because they do not have a lot of work out there and it is rumored that they have another album coming out soon. To get you started, I have made a list of my favorite songs from their two albums Fleet Foxes and Helplessness Blues

10. “He Doesn’t Know Why” – Fleet Foxes

9. “Oliver James” – Fleet Foxes

8. “Montezuma” – Helplessness Blues

7. “The Plains / Bitter Dancer” – Helplessness Blues

6. “The Shrine / An Argument” – Helplessness Blues

5. “White Winter Hymnal” – Fleet Foxes

4. “Helplessness Blues” – Helplessness Blues

3. “Ragged Wood” – Fleet Foxes

2. “Tiger Mountain Peasant Song” – Fleet Foxes

1. “Blue Ridge Mountains” – Fleet Foxes

Patricia’s Top 10 Albums of 2013

10. Silence Yourselves – Savages

Released May 6, 2013

Silence Yourself is Savages first full length LP.  I was first introduced to Savages this year and when I finally got to listening to the album, I really enjoyed it.  It’s loud but it also has it’s softer moments too. The track that I enjoy the most is Hit Me because it has all of this energy and craziness packed into a 1:41 song.

9. Overgrown – James Blake

Released April 5, 2013

I first got into James Blake after he released his first album James Blake back in 2011. With this album, James Blake decided to go with less of an electronic sound than his previous releases and went with more of an R&B sound. This album is a nice listen and it has the ability to appeal to more people than his previous releases, with my favorites off this album being “Retrograde” and “Overgrown“.

8. Trouble Will Find Me – The National

Released May 27, 2013

I wasn’t too familiar with The National’s previous work, but I really did enjoy this album. This is The National’s sixth full length album and it’s pretty sweet, I really enjoy the calmness of it.  Take a listen to “Pink Rabbits” & “Don’t Swallow The Cap“.

7. Walking On A Pretty Daze – Kurt Vile

Released April 9, 2013

I wish I had this album playing whenever I would take long drives in the summertime because it feels like that kind of album. It’s sweet and an easy album to listen to.  My picks are “Never Run Away” and “Was All Talk“.

6. Loud City Song – Julia Holter

Released August 20, 2013

Loud City Song is the third album Julia Holter has released.  This is the first album where she recorded with a full band to add a more full sound that she was missing in her previous releases. The track “Horns Surrounding Me” is a clear representation of the full sound, and the album as a whole is really pretty and easy to listen to. My Favorites off this album are “This Is a True Heart” and “In the Green Wild“.

5. Reflektor – Arcade Fire

Released October 28, 2013

On Arcade Fire’s fourth album they decided to go for more of a disco feel.  This definitely was not my favorite Arcade Fire release, but I do believe that they accomplish what they wanted to do because they wanted to make an album with disco and dance elements in it. I do prefer Arcade Fire’s sound from their previous releases, but I still think that Reflektor is a solid album.

4. 6 Feet Beneath The Moon – King Krule

Released August 24, 2013

King Krule does a really good job of mixing rock, hip hop and other genres into this album. I started listening to King Krule back when he released his EP King Krule and then listened to his EP U.F.O.W.A.V.E that he released back when he went by the name Zoo Kid.  Most of the songs from U.F.O.W.A.V.E made it to 6 Feet Beneath The Moon and have been cleaned up and updated.  This album has beautiful moments like in “Neptune Estate” and more upbeat moments like in “A Lizard State“.

3. Hummingbird – Local Natives

Released January 29, 2013

It’s been four years since Local Natives released their first album Gorilla Manor, so as a fan of the band I was eagerly waiting for them to finally release some new music. This album is packed with meaningful songs that were written at the time of the passing of Kelcey Ayer’s mother.  In the song “Colombia”, Kelcey is praying to his mother and asking her if he is giving and loving enough, and moments like this are what show the beauty in this album. “Colombia” and “Ceilings” are two of my favorites.

2. We Are The 21st Century Ambassadors Of Peace & Magic

Released January 22, 2013

I don’t remember how I heard about Foxygen, but I remember being obsessed with it as soon as I listened to the album. I went to the record store, bought the album, and played it all the time. Foxygen has a lot of elements from other bands, but they still manage to make their sound their own. My favorites off of this album are “Oh No 2” and “On Blue Mountain“.

1. Modern Vampires Of The City – Vampire Weekend

Released May 14, 2013

I was so excited for this album. Soon after it released, I had go to the store to pick up a copy. Vampire Weekend’s third album follows up the band’s 2010 release Contra with a different sound, as on this album Vampire Weekend goes for a less upbeat sound like their previous albums and focus a lot more on their lyrics. One of my favorite lines from the album is “Wisdom’s a gift but you’d trade it for youth/ Age is an honor – it’s still not the truth” from the song “Step”.  The themes of youth and faith are explored throughout this album and Vampire Weekend does it in a way where it feels effortless. Listen to “Unbelievers” and “Step“.