Tag Archives: Crystal Fighters

The Best of Lists for NewBandDay 2013 & The Final Thoughts

31 Dec
The year is over and here are our lists

The year is over and here are our lists

Wow, this was an amazing year for music. Too many bands, too many songs and not enough minutes in the day. I hope you’ve enjoyed our Hummingbird Awards and now we present our best of lists. The final cherry on top of 2013. The Arizona Turk and I want thank each and every one of our readers. We love music, because it’s takes talent that we don’t have. Keep playing, keep making COMPLETE albums and let us help you find more fans. Don’t forget to favorite, follow, like and listen to our favorite best new artists! They need your support to keep making great music.

THAT’S A WRAP!

Russ “NBD Editor In Chief”
The Arizona Turk “Music Curator and Still a CD Buyer”

Russ The Editor’s 13 Favorite Songs of 2013:
1. Mutual Benefit “Let’s Play/Statue of a Man”
2. Yuck “Middle Sea”
3. Bill Ryder-Jones “Hanging Song”
4. Vampire Weekend “Step”
5. Blood Orange “Time Will Tell”
6. London Grammar “Wasting My Younger Years”
7. The War On Drugs “Red Eyes”
8. Autre Ne Veut “Play By Play”
9. Kurt Vile “Walking on A Pretty Day”
10. Holograms “Lay Us Down”
11. Volcano Choir “Comrade”
12. Conan Mockasin “Caramel”
13. Local Natives “Heavy Feet”

Russ The Editor’s Favorite Albums:
1. Deerhunter Monomania
2. Bill Ryder-Jones A Bad Wind Blows in My Heart
3. Mutual Benefit Love’s Crushing Diamond
4. Autre Ne Veut Anxiety
5. Yuck Glow and Behold
6. Blood Orange Cupid Deluxe
7. Dustin Tebbutt The Breach EP
8. London Grammar If You Wait
9. Diane Coffee My Friend Fish
10. Jonathon Wilson<Fanfare
11. Califone Stitches
12. Rhye Woman
13. Daughter If You Leave

Arizona Turks Favorite Songs:
1. Breton “Envy”
2. London Grammar “Metal & Dust”
3. Telegram “Follow”
4. Crystal Fighters “Bridge of Bones”
5. Holograms “Meditations”
6. Toy “Endlessly”
7. Hausu “Gardenia”
8. Holy Milk “Born and Die”
9. Eagulls “Nerve Endings”
10. Deafheaven “Vertigo”
11. Swim Deep “King City”
12. Mikal Cronin “Shout It Out”
13. Sub Focus “Endorphins”

Arizona Turks Albums
1. London Grammar If You Wait
2. Dustin Tebbutt The Breach EP
3. Hookworms Pearl Mystic
4. Holograms Forever
5. Forest Swords Engravings
6. Hausu Total
7. Daughter If You Leave
8. Savages Silence Yourself
9. Haim Days Are Gone
10. Speedy Ortiz Major Arcana
11. Rudimental Home
12. Rhye Woman
13. Disclosure Settle

These are Bands of 2014:
Eagulls
Dustin Tebbutt
All Dogs
The Bohicas
The Amazing Snakeheads
Holy Milk
Breton (They will crack the US in 2014)

Best Reissue:
Cabaret Voltaire: Collected Works (1983-1985) The 4 LP 6 CD 2 DVD version….an amazing history lesson!

Hummingbird Awards – ALL YOUR BEST NEW BANDS FROM 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013:

Hummingbird Awards 2013 RECAP – The Definitive Best New Artist List
#13 MS MR
#12 Swim Deep
#11 Holy Milk
#10 Mutual Benefit
#9 Diane Coffee
#8 Haerts
#7 Holograms
#6 Autre Ne Veult
#5 Hookworms
#4 Blood Orange
#3 Dustin Tebbutt
#2 London Grammar
#1 Bill Ryder-Jones

Hummingbird Awards 2012
Hummingbird Awards 2011
Hummingbird Awards 2010

Arizona Turks Gems of the Year – Top 10 Tracks of 2010

30 Dec

AZ Turks Top 10 Tracks of the Year

Arizona Turks Gems of the Year – Top 10 Tracks of 2010
Now that the Hummingbirds are distributed to the fine bands of 2010, it’s time for us to celebrate our Excavator Picks for 2010. Who better than the best gem of them all Arizona Turk.

Arizona Turk is the king of excavating, going to shows, buying records, digging the blogs and he finds some dandy gems. Here are his picks for the 2010 Top Tracks.

10. “Noise It Makes” – My Bee’s Garden
9. “Youth” – Beach Fossils
8. “Distant Street Lights (jambic remix)” – Codes In The Clouds
7. “Lies” – Fenech-Soler
6. “Reds” – Houses
5. “Armed For Peace” – Suuns
4. “Marching Song” – Esben and the Witch
3. “Champion Sound (Alt. Version)” – Crystal Fighters
2. “50’s” – The Pomegranates
1. “Greyhounds In The Slips” – Joy Formidable

Honorable Mentions (not all qualify for NBD because of longevity)
“Always Loved A Film” – Underworld
“Embers” – The Cult
“Andalucia” – Doves
“Younger Us” – Japandroids
“Me and the Moon” – The Drums
“Real Life” – Tanlines

Read our Music Excavators Picks:
Editor Gems (Albums)
Editor Gems (Songs)
Arizona Turk Gems (Albums)
Arizona Turk Gems (Songs)
Music Muse Gems (Songs)

All the Hummingbirds

Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #8 Crystal Fighters

18 Dec

Best New Bands of 2010 Hummingbird Award: #8 Crystal Fighters

We fell in love with them back in the summer, and in October we profiled them. Emails and comments followed, because Crystal Fighters are probably the most inventive NEW sound of the year. Este de Navarre, Spain and their Basque blood-line inspires the eerie flavor of traditional Basque folk music with catchy energetic dance tracks with MGMT style vocals, resulting in an uplifting sound unlike any other. We really wanted to put them higher on our Hummingbird list, but you be the judge. If you haven’t heard them, well CONGRATS, because today is going to be a great day. I know we will see them in our Top 3 next year. Thank you to our Music Excavator, Arizona Turk for finding this gem.

Vitals:
Members: Sebastian, Gilbert, Graham, Mimi, Laure
Hometown: Navarre, Spain
Sonic Soulmates: MGMT Gogol Bordello, Traditional Basque sounds
Tracks of the Year:
“Swallow” – This is the raddest track of all.

“Xtatic”

“Follow” –

Follow:
MySpace
Facebook
Band Site – Hear the full album streamed here!

2010 Hummingbird Awards
Hummingbird Award #20: Crocodiles
Hummingbird Award #19: Miniature Tigers
Hummingbird Award #18: Gamble House
Hummingbird Award #17: Tame Impala
Hummingbird Award #16: Paper Crows
Hummingbird Award #15: Perfume Genius
Hummingbird Award #14: The Fresh & Onlys
Hummingbird Award #13: Tennis
Hummingbird Award #12: Memoryhouse
Hummingbird Award #11: Karkwa
Hummingbird Award #10: Lord Huron
Hummingbird Award #9: Sleigh Bells
Hummingbird Award #8: Crystal Fighters

Band of the Day (10.20.10) Crystal Fighters

20 Oct

Band of the Day (10.20.10) Crystal Fighters

Congrats to the Arizona Turk, he officially has a baby Turk and we’re so happy for him. To celebrate the birth of his baby girl we’ve chosen one of his favorite bands of this year. They officially put him in a good mood…for the Turk, that’s saying a lot.

Crystal Fighters este de Navarre, Spain. Their Basque blood-line inspires the eerie flavor of traditional Basque folk music with catchy energetic dance tracks with MGMT style vocals, resulting in an uplifting sound unlike any other. There sound is so inventive and unique, we can’t wait to share. They’re MGMT wrapped up with Gogol Bordello and ancient instruments that make their sound worthy of Band of the Day. Give them a listen.

Here is the background from their Facebook:
‘Crystal Fighters’ is the name of an unfinished opera written by singer Laure’s deceased grandfather during his final months of insanity. She came across it while clearing out the reclusive old man’s remote abode in the Basque countryside, and quickly became obsessed with the scrawls contained within it. Captivated by its seemingly prophetic contents, the band took on the name which all, in their way, attempt to expand upon the wild and deranged spirit of the old man’s writings.

Rad right?!?!?! They’re a creative bunch of dudes and I hear their live shows are second to none. So tape up the windows, invite over 1000 of your closest friends, take off your shirts, put on Crystal Fighters and your night is made.

Hear:
“Swallow” – This is the raddest track of all.

Download — Crystal Fighters – “Swallow”

“Xtatic”

Download — Crystal Fighters – “Xtatic Truth”

“Follow” –

Download — Crystal Fighters – “Follow”

Follow:
MySpace
Facebook

Band:
Sebastian, Gilbert, Graham, Mimi, Laure