Ivan with GAYNGS

Ivan Rosebuds’ Top 10 songs of 2010

10) “Lost in the World” – Kanye West
This is the song where Kanye samples the Bon Iver song “Woods” and turned it into the single on his new My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy record. I remember Justin playing “Woods” for me and Kelly in our home studio when we were recording Night of the Furies and just last week I saw Kanye perform it on the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

9) “Mongrel Heart” – Broken Bells
I didn’t really listen to this record all year long, and finally decided to give it a go on one of my car rides from back and forth from Wilmington to Raleigh. It took about five seconds for me to decide this song was going to be on my top 10 list.

8) “Stylo” – Gorillaz
The video to this song actually made me notice it. Kind of like discovering the Afghan Whigs while watching 120 Minutes from back in the day. The Bobby Womack appearance is wonderful. He sang “Across 110th Street” for crying out loud.

7) “I Will Be” – Dum Dum Girls
This song is so good, that I want to write a reply song to it. It’s like the Wipers met up with the Mama’s and the Papas.

6) “Our Deal” – Best Coast
Any band that manages to put together “Everything Flows” by Teenage Fanclub with “Where Did Our Love Go” by The Supremes is okay with me. This is my favorite song on their record.

5) “The Letting Go” – Mount Moriah
I guess technically this song is not out on record yet. Not sure why. But having heard the recorded version and the fact that seeing this song performed live has yet to leave me with a single dry eye, it has to go on my list for this year.

4) “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains)” – Arcade Fire
Even though I had planned to listen to The Suburbs from front to back without interruption. I had to play “Sprawl II” three times in a row before I could go ahead to the next track.

3) “Anyone’s Ghost” – The National
If this would have been purchased as a cassingle, I would have wore out the tape by now. I love the way the drum sounds at the beginning of the song, and seeing them open up their set at ACL festival this year with this song destroyed me.

2) “Improvisation for Connor Pass” – Megafaun
This improvised 13 minute track from their Heretofore record blew me away the first time I heard the raw tracks on Brad’s bedroom floor, and still does today. It gives me the same feeling I had as a kid while watching the movie Swiss Family Robinson in elementary school. I just want to live there in the sounds.

1) “Gaudy Side of Town” – Gayngs
Full disclosure: Even though I am a member of Gayngs, I didn’t contribute to the recording of this song so I think it’s okay to be on my list.
I have to say that no song has affected my life this year as much as this song has. That, and it was my favorite song released. Nothing else sounds like it and it hits all of my sweet spots. It was a pleasure to perform this song on tour night after night with the group of amazing friends that collectively form Gayngs.

Some of Ivan Rosebuds top musical moments of the year 2009:

1.) When we played the Middle East Club in Boston this year I introduced our bass player Brad Cook (from Megafaun and Gayngs) to the crowd and they actually clapped for about five minutes straight without stopping.  They realized what they were all doing half way into it and just kept getting louder and louder and louder till the place basically erupted and we had to almost stop the show early

2.) Playing “Leaves Do Fall” every night with just Kelly Crisp on an accordion and me on an acoustic guitar throughout Europe this fall.

3.) Winning the Merge XX Festival 3 on 3 basketball tournament with Roy Bourne,  the man who wrote Nightshade, and Grayson Currin from Brome.

4.)Kelly coming up with a percussion part using car keys in the recording of “Second Bird of Paradise” at Flying Tiger Studio in our home town of Raleigh NC.  Then The Rosebuds playing that song live with the NC Youth Ballet  dancing onstage behind us.

5.) Walking into my hotel room over looking the river after our show in Ghanzhou China and seeing the city lit up like an episode of the 1983 not so hit TV series AUTOMAN.

6.)) Getting to sing on some of my favorite bands recordings:
Singing on the Megafaun record in my basement
Singing on the Bowerbirds record in my basement
Singing on the new Gayngs record in Eau Claire

7.)The day I finally listened to what Kelly said, and realized that the Fever Ray record is brilliant and my favorite record of the year.

8.) Watching and Listening to 800 Germans sing along to “Nice Fox” in Berlin Germany

9.)The Mark Eitzel performance at Merge XX this year was amazing and beautiful.  It hit me just right and I was hiding my tears the whole time.

10.) Practicing for one hour before the show and playing the bass with Michael and Matthew in Telekinesis at Merge XX and actually pulling it off.

11.) Writing and recording the Christmas song “I Hear (Click Click Click)” for the Holly Raleigh Kidsmas Benefit Record this year.

12.) Hearing the words, “I want your body on me” come in when Brad was tracking the bass on the Gayngs Record in the studio.

13.) Getting a copy of the the Screen Vinyl Image Lp in the mail from my friend Jake in DC.

14.)  Driving back from the Wilmington NC alone and listening to the third Phoenix album in my car and hearing the song “North” come on and remembering how much I love that song.

15.) Performing our show at the small Woodwinds repair shop Marsh Woodwinds in Raleigh NC.

16.) Our Duke Gardens show with Rob Lackey, Wes Phillips and the horn section from Lost in the Tress.

The Rosebuds will play two shows with Megafaun at The Pour House in Raleigh on January 8th and 9th. Tickets on sale now!