Explorer 29 for August 30th

List has expanded to 29. Hopefully I'll make another one on September 10.


01 05 03 Darren Hanlon - All These Things
02 09 03 Hungry Kids of Hungary - Wristwatch
03 -- 01 Interpol - Barricade
04 02 03 The New Pornographers - Crash Years
05 01 04 Vampire Weekend - Holiday
06 12 02 Devo - Fresh
07 -- 01 Blood Red Shoes - Heartsink
08 03 03 Archie Bronson Outfit - Hoola
09 19 02 Ash Grunwald - Walking
10 -- 01 Cee-Lo Green - No One's Gonna Love You
11 27 02 Kula Shaker - Peter Pan R.I.P.
12 25 02 The Divine Comedy - I Like
13 22 02 DeWolff - Don't You Go Up To The Sky
14 07 04 Local Natives - World News
15 -- 01 Frank Turner - Try This At Home
16 04 05 The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
17 08 04 The Drums - Forever And Ever Amen
18 24 02 Radical Face - Welcome Home
19 -- 01 eels - Spectacular Girl
20 17 03 Lola Kite - Different Story
21 -- 01 The Sore Losers - Beyond Repair
22 -- 01 School of Seven Bells - Windstorm
23 -- 01 Tegan & Sara - Northshore
24 17 02 Kylfa - Moon Boogie
25 11 03 She & Him - Thieves
26 -- 01 Magic Numbers - The Pulse
27 10 03 The Lodger - Have A Little Faith In People
28 23 02 The Charlatans - Love Is Ending
29 -- 01 of Montreal - Coquet Coquette

Explorer 27 for August 10

01 01 03 Vampire Weekend - Holiday
02 05 02 The New Pornographers - Crash Years
03 06 02 Archie Bronson Outfit - Hoola
04 02 04 The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio (live at Directors Cut)
05 15 02 Darren Hanlon - All These Things
06 03 04 Blood Red Shoes - Don't Ask (live DeSmet)
07 04 03 Local Natives - World News
08 08 03 The Drums - Forever And Ever Amen
09 13 02 Hungry Kids of Hungary - Wristwatch
10 12 02 The Lodger - Have A Little Faith In People
11 10 02 She & Him - Thieves
12 -- 01 Devo - Fresh
13 17 02 Kate Nash - Kiss That Girl
14 14 02 The Black Keys - Tighten Up
15 18 01 British India - Avalanche
16 18 02 The Jezabels - Easy To Love
17 -- 01 Kylfa - Moon Boogie
18 09 02 Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Sick Tonight
19 -- 01 Ash Grunwald - Walking
20 16 02 Lola Kite - Different Story
21 11 02 Washington - Rich Kids
22 -- 01 DeWolff - Don't You Go Up To The Sky
23 -- 01 The Charlatans - Love Is Ending
24 -- 01 Radical Face - Welcome Home
25 -- 01 The Divine Comedy - I Like
26 -- 01 Eliza Doolittle - Pack Up
27 -- 01 Kula Shaker - Peter Pan R.I.P.

New Explorer 23 for July 20

We're back! After a summer of World Cup, Tour De France jobhunting and more things like that there's finally a new Top 23. As you can imagine a lot of new songs and the ones that remained were all released in the last two months (May and June).
Australians take note!


01 03 02 Vampire Weekend - Holiday
02 01 03 The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio
03 02 03 Blood Red Shoes - Don't Ask
04 16 02 Local Natives - World News
05 -- 01 The New Pornographers - Crash Years
06 -- 01 Archie Bronson Outfit - Hoola
07 19 02 The Drums - Forever And Ever Amen
08 23 02 Band of Horses - Laredo
09 -- 01 Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip - Sick Tonight
10 -- 01 She & Him - Thieves
11 -- 01 Washington - Rich Kids
12 -- 01 The Lodger - Have A Little Faith In People
13 -- 01 Hungry Kids of Hungary - Wristwatch
14 -- 01 The Black Keys - Tighten Up
15 -- 01 Darren Hanlon - All These Things
16 -- 01 Lola Kite - Different Story
17 -- 01 Kate Nash - Kiss That Girl
18 -- 01 The Jezabels - Easy To Love
19 -- 01 British India - Avalanche
20 -- 01 Clare Bowditch - Bigger Than The Money
21 -- 01 Dennis Ferrer - Hey Hey
22 -- 01 Mystery Jets - Dreaming Of Another World
23 -- 01 Rox - I Don't Believe

Explorer 23 For June 10th.

Not too many new singles chartworthy so we skipped one. Here's the new one. Happy World Cup!


TW LW #W
01 01 02 The National - Bloodbuzz Ohio (2x#1)
02 03 02 Blood Red Shoes - Don't Ask
03 -- 01 Vampire Weekend - Holiday
04 04 04 The Antlers - Sylvia (Spinner Interface)
05 02 04 Darwin Deez - Radar Detector (1x#1)
06 05 05 Titus Andronicus - A More Perfect Union
07 07 04 Morning Benders - Promises
08 08 03 The Soft Pack - Answer To Yourself (Letterman)
09 13 04 The Salvadors - Atacama Disco
10 22 02 Lisa Mitchell - Oh! Hark!
11 06 05 These New Puritans - Attack Music (2x#1)
12 18 02 Harlem - Friendly Ghost
13 17 02 Angus & Julia Stone - Big Jet Plane
14 -- 01 Yacht - The Afterlife
15 21 02 Fire! Santa Rosa, Fire! - Little Cowboys, Bad Hombres
16 -- 01 Local Natives - World News
17 20 02 Cloud Control - This is What I Said
18 15 03 LCD Soundsystem - Drunk Girls
19 -- 01 The Drums - Forever & Amen
20 -- 01 Kapitan Korsakov - When We Were Hookers
21 -- 01 The Divine Comedy - At The Indie Disco
22 -- 01 The King Blues - Headbutt
23 -- 01 Band of Horses - Compliments


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Return of the Surfrock

Good to hear that some young dudes in the US are listening to some good old garage rock with their guitar amps turned to 11 on the treble/reverb. Guys who like music but could probably work with you in the office doing some boring desk job, but with a side that not everyone at the workplace knows about.

The Drums have had some success with their phenomenal single "Let's Go Surfing". Album is good, but at times too poppy. Surfer Blood will be discussed in a later post about their great "Astro Coast" album. Their "Swim" single is currently riding high in the Explorer 23.

Two weeks ago the Soft Pack played a very short and energetic show in the Paradiso upstairs room. 40 minutes, almost no breaks, loud and fast and with no encore. That is rock and roll like it should be.

Their self-titled debut-album is a wonderful collection of garagesurfrock. Starting with the single 'C'mon' (sing along everyone!) and 9 other great tracks the album clocks just over half an hour. Perfect length for this type of music. There's great rhythm and some nice twangy guitar riffs. And of course the surf-organ is present adding some authenticity to the record.

Garage Rock and surf rock prop up about every 15 years and it's good to see that a music style that is based on just a few chords and an abundance of energy still lasts and is still reinvented to fit the 21st century. Drums, Soft Pack and Surfer Blood are certainly doing that. Going to be the summer of surf!

Explorer 23 for November 15

01 02 02 Airborne Toxic Event - Does This Mean You're Moving On

02 04 04 Dodos - Fables

03 01 04 The Drums - Let's Go Surfing

04 05 03 Little Comets - Adultery

05 03 04 The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You

06 06 03 The Dead Weather - I Cut Like A Buffalo

07 22 02 The Very Best Of - Warm Heart of Africa feat Ezra Koenig

08 09 03 4 or 5 Magicians - Nice Little Earner

09 10 03 Wild Beasts - All The King's Men

10 -- 01 King Charles - Love Lust

11 08 04 Cancel The Astronauts - I Am The President Of Your Fanclub

12 07 04 Pharaohs - Squashed Against My Wall

13 12 02 Ida Maria & Iggy Pop - Oh My God Remix

14 -- 01 Moss - I Like The Chemistry

15 15 03 Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man

16 -- 01 The Joy Formidable - Greyhounds in the Slips

17 20 02 Bombay Bicycle Club - Magnet

18 -- 01 Manchester Orchestra - Shake It Out

19 11 04 The Holloways - Jukebox Sunshine

20 13 04 Jay Reatard - Ain't Gonna Save Me

21 -- 01 I Concur - Sobotka

22 -- 01 Noah & The Whale - Love of an Orchestra

23 -- 01 The XX - Islands

Explorer 23 For November 05

Almost killed by Cumin earlier this week. But enough about me, here's the list:

01 01 03 The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
02 -- 01 Airborne Toxic Event - Does This Mean You're Moving On
03 04 03 The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
04 07 03 Dodos - Fables
05 10 02 Little Comets - Adultery
06 12 02 The Dead Weather - I Cut Like A Buffalo
07 03 03 Pharaohs - Squashed Against My Wall
08 02 03 Cancel The Astronauts - I Am The President Of Your Fanclub
09 16 02 4 or 5 Magicians - Nice Little Earner
10 09 02 Wild Beasts - All The King's Men
11 06 03 The Holloways - Jukebox Sunshine
12 -- 04 Ida Maria & Iggy Pop - Oh My God Remix
13 05 03 Jay Reatard - Ain't Gonna Save Me
14 19 02 Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
15 08 03 Young Rebel Set - If I Was
16 -- 02 The Boxer Rebellion - Flashing Red Light Means Go
17 11 03 The Golden Silvers - Arrows Of Eros
18 14 03 The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Golden Age
19 17 03 Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
20 21 02 Bombay Bicycle Club - Magnet
21 18 03 Ohbijou - New Years
22 -- 01 The Very Best Of - Warm Heart of Africa feat Ezra Koenig
23 -- 01 Johnny Foreigner - Criminals

Explorer 23 for October 26th, 2009

The Explorer 23 for October 26, 2009.

Drums make it to number #1, lot of unknown English bands entered the charts, and one supergroup in the form of the Dead Weather.


TW LW #W
01 03 02 The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
02 02 02 Cancel The Astronauts - I Am The President Of Your Fanclub
03 10 02 Pharaohs - Squashed Against My Wall
04 05 02 The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
05 01 02 Jay Reatard - Ain't Gonna Save Me (1x#1)
06 04 02 The Holloways - Jukebox Sunshine
07 22 02 Dodos - Fables
08 07 02 Young Rebel Set - If I Was
09 -- 01 Wild Beasts - All The King's Men
10 -- 01 Little Comets - Adultery
11 08 02 The Golden Silvers - Arrows Of Eros
12 -- 02 The Dead Weather - I Cut Like A Buffalo
13 11 02 The Madd - Good Evening Girl
14 06 02 The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - The Golden Age
15 13 02 The Galacticos - I'm With My Girl
16 -- 01 4 or 5 Magicians - Nice Little Earner
17 21 02 Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
18 09 02 Ohbijou - New Years
19 -- 01 Mumford and Sons - Little Lion Man
20 15 02 Sidney Samson - Riverside
21 -- 01 Bombay Bicycle Club - Magnet
22 14 02 Maria Taylor - Cartoons and Forever Plans
23 20 02 LoveLikeFire - Boredom

Explorer 23 for October 19th, 2009

And yes folks, it's back by popular demand, the legendary Explorer 23! May not be as as punctual as usual, but it should provide you all with some fun.

And as always, e-mail the explorer at wideeyedexplorer@gmail.com if you think a song should be in this list or should be higher.

And most of all: Follow us on Twitter!

01. Jay Reatard - Ain't Gonna Save Me
02. Cancel The Astronauts - I Am The President Of Your Fanclub
03. The Drums - Let's Go Surfing
04. The Holloways - Jukebox Sunshine
05. The Avett Brothers - I And Love And You
06. The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Golden Age
07. Young Rebel Set - If I Was
08. The Golden Silvers - Arrows Of Eros
09. Ohbijou - New Years
10. Pharaohs - Squashed Against My Wall
11. The Madd - Good Evening Girl
12. Labasheeda - Two Too Late
13. The Galacticos - I'm With My Girl
14. Maria Taylor - Cartoons and Forever Plans
15. Sidney Samson - Riverside
16. Modest Mouse - Satelite Skin
17. Arctic Monkeys - Cornerstone
18. Love is All - Last Choice
19. Danananakroyd - Some Dresses
20. LoveLikeFire - Boredom
21. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait For The Others
22. The Dodos - Fables
23. Black Lips - Drugs