As the end of the year approaches, we will start to see more and more gifts, overeating, and “Top 100 Whatevers of 2009″ lists. LOAF Recordings has decided to celebrate the year’s end by releasing a year end compilation of the artists they are most excited about, titled Domestic Pop. The label who has only been around for five years, is a self proclaimed “no frills, Luxury DIY” label. Their newest compilation, Domestic Pop, is just that – 14 tracks of no frills, with a definite DIY sound.

The album opens with an interesting experimental track that features a fifties  beat, telephone ringers, whispers, and a sort of R2D2 sounds on top of it, called “I’m in the Kitchen” done by The Black and Whites, comprised of musician Sharon Kantor. You can view the equally odd music video directed by Amit Itzcar, HERE.  The next two tracks follow in suite with “I’m in the Kitchen”, full of robot and spaceship noises, although the french group, CÂLIN takes the cake when they introduce the sounds of  a battle scene – the kind that occurs in a ten year old’s bedroom.

The record then takes a break into normalcy with “Never Been Seen” by Cursor Minor. The pop track consists of vocals that can easily be compared to Beck’s voice in “Loser” and  upbeat guitar riffs over a seemingly out of place synth beat. The album immediately goes back the experimental sounds with the instrumental track, “Domestic Popol” by Gregaldur that could easily be used for a commercial  for  a toy for the pre-k set. “Spy Against Bred” by Le Club De Chats follows, and is simply shouting over a militant drum beat which turns into vocals played backward over cowbell and synths.  Nico-teen provides a break in the high energy with her lo-fi electronic track, “Bring It Home”.

The album closes out with an incredibly humorous track from Supertalented, “Fax Me” is a cute ukulele and harmonica song about longing for some sort of communication with a lover, including fax, text, email, and at one point a choir chimes in with “skype skype skype skype.” Following that endearing piece, is “You Don’t Rock” – a very pretentious track, chastising other bands with lyrics of “you don’t rock, your band’s shit, you suck dick” on a loop. The fourteenth and final song of the compilation is “Cluods in the Haed” (no, this is not a typo) which consists of dark spoken vocals above layered buoyant, whimisical synths.

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