Peter Bjorn & John's Writer's Block was my favorite album of 2006, and is still one of my all-time favorites.  Lead singer Peter Moren was good enough to answer a few questions about the band's latest synth-infused effort, Living Thing, and what it's like to rub elbows with the likes of Dave Gahan and Depeche Mode...

 

Sonically, Living Thing is completely different from Writer's Block. It's less guitar-heavy, and there's so much more space in the arrangements, seems like the songs are breathing freer and there's less melancholy. How did you decide to go in such a dancey, synth-based, almost pop direction?

Peter Moren: To us Living Thing is a natural progression from an arrangement style that we started on Writers Block but that we know have taken to an extremer degree. Songs like "Young Folks," "The Chills" and "Amsterdam" are also lacking a lot of guitar and have a lot of air and a less-is-more approach. So it’s kind of more of the same. We did listen to a lot of 80's pop from our childhood this time around as inspiration, a bit more glossy synthy reverby pop like OMD, Depeche Mode, "Tango In The Night" by Fleetwood Mac, etc. We wanted the retrofuturistic, scifi sound dreams are made of. We did use some synths but hardly any drum machines at all. Just beating up natural objects. And African music, funk, hip-hop and soul informed the dancier arrangements. At the same time, Living Thing is the PBJ record so far with the most guitar solos!!

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A word of caution for anyone looking for "Young Folks" pt. 2: you won't find it here. With Living Thing, Swedish rockers Peter Bjorn & John are playing a whole new ballgame -- trading in the tightly wound, guitar-based indie rock of 2006's Writer's Block for minimalistic tunes heavy on the electro dance beats, synthesizers, and with plenty of open space for the sound to run around.

And unlike with Writer's Block, the best songs on the album are hidden in pockets of 2 or 3 at a time, rather than a clear slew of songs you can listen to straight through without pressing the Forward button. Skipping over album opener "The Feeling," which is more filler than anything, it's best to just pretend that things begin with #2 -- the high energy, danceable "It Don't Move Me." The beat draws you right into its synthesized arms, and the way the drums and keys play off each other is a decent preview of the sparse feeling that can be found in the rest of the album. Then comes the cool, 5-minute love song "Just The Past," which trots along slowly and lazily and works as a balanced backdrop for Peter to sing his measured lines of unrequited love: "tell me, how do I get to know you?/you untie me as if I were a shoelace."

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I'm a huge nerd when it comes to pouring over annual, best of lists (I'm still biting my nails in anticipation of the Idolator critic's poll that should be out soon), and I'm always intrigued by what the favorites of people who work in the business of music but aren't (necessarily) critics or reviewers. So, I asked Chop Suey's brand new booker Pete Greenberg to submit his list of favorite albums with the promise of posting them here - to which he happily complied.

Here's what made his list:

1. Spoon – Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Merge)

2. Future of The Left – Curses (Too Pure)

3. Handsome Furs – Plague Park (Sub Pop)

4. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings – 100 Days, 100 Nights (Daptone Records)

5. The Arcade Fire – Neon Bible (Merge)

6. Big Business – Here Come The Waterworks (Hydra Head Records)

7. Beach House – Beach House (Carpark Records)

8. Blonde Redhead – 23 (4AD)

9. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin (Sub Pop)

10. Siberian – With Me (Sonic Boom Recordings)

11. Matthew Dear – Asa Breed (Ghostly International)

12. Lavender Diamond – Imagine Our Love (Matador Records)

13. Peter Bjorn & John – Writer’s Block (Almost Gold)

After much deliberation, here’s my top ten for 2007.

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I made a 'Best of '07' compilation for coworkers and thought I'd share my picks with you, in no particular order. Hope you've got a little time to spare!

All downloads have been posted with permission from the bands themselves. Thanks bands!

 

1. Nicole Atkins and the Sea: "The Way It Is"

I think this is my favorite song of the year. Here's the clip from Letterman.

 

 

2. Peter Bjorn and John: "Young Folks"

I'm such a sucker for whistling. And isn't this the most visually satisfying video ever.

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This was ridiculously hard to do! Without further ado, I present my top ten picks for 2007 releases (in no particular order)...

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Well, Paul Simon is getting some big love these days...

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I never imagined I could buy a magazine or a pack of gum from a genuine Swedish pop supastar!!

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MTV has announced the nominees for its annual suck-up-fest, the Video Music Awards!

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This is the kind of week of late night TV I can get behind. Bright Eyes will be performing TWICE!

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