Up in Flames [Red Vinyl]

Manitoba includes: Dan Smith, Koushik Ghosh.
Originally issued in 2003--before veteran punk rocker Handsome Dick Manitoba forced the Canadian electronica artist Dan Snaith (aka Caribou) to drop the Manitoba nom de plume--UP IN FLAMES was lauded as one of the finest albums of the year by many critics. Stirring strains of pop and noise-rock into a My Bloody Valentine-like swirl, Snaith offers up one dreamy, disarming track after another, with sly melodies and potent beats fading in and out of the mix, as on the shimmering opener, "I've Lived on a Dirt Road All My Life," and the whimsical, child-like "Skunks." Surprisingly warm and organic, this record laid the groundwork for Snaith's even more impressive follow-up, THE MILK OF HUMAN KINDNESS, his first studio album as Caribou. (Note: The 2006 reissue of UP IN FLAMES features a bonus disc of non-album tracks.)