Sunday, December 21, 2008

The Best Albums Of 2008 #7 (Tie)


Los Campesinos!-Hold On Now Youngster… & We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed

Just what the hell is “tweexcore” anyway? I only ask because of the Welsh seven-piece Los Campesinos! “The International Tweexcore Underground” was one of the singles the band released in late 2007 in anticipation of their debut album, Hold On Now Youngster… The song, tongue-in-cheek, name-checks Henry Rollins and Ian MacKaye as artists, among others, that never mattered to Los Campesinos! But that “tweexcore” will save us all, apparently.

Tweexcore appears to be a peppy, perky, silly offshoot of indie pop. It’s like the second coming of cuddlecore or something. Like Belle And Sebastian without the honesty, or Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, but interesting. Both of the band’s albums this year, Hold On Now Youngster… and its speedy follow-up, We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed, are nearly pitch-perfect pop albums. Considering how utterly awful this year has been politically, economically, and socially, it’s fascinating to have a band trading in such bright colors. It’s as if Los Campesinos! are desperate for the rainbow after the storm.

“Death To Los Campesinos!”

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