tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61487976166901961692024-03-23T10:46:17.240-07:001, 2, 3 ... Jamboree!Show us your lists.Best-Of Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644459111379895151noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-55441723477279716432010-02-03T14:39:00.000-08:002010-02-03T15:38:35.025-08:00These Things I Liked in 2009<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUuumw0zzipRL04p5yX4dt6eId9duiCI2peIvznT2KVS4Qi1kESKIFrlC3YzASpm3nz9IYJW6QX_dGxnfEYGFxPuR1mEi4a850lo0Hh42oaXJd3LoYPM-zEULeMstDX6c9J44L2eKgho/s1600-h/applause_l-746656.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 191px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTUuumw0zzipRL04p5yX4dt6eId9duiCI2peIvznT2KVS4Qi1kESKIFrlC3YzASpm3nz9IYJW6QX_dGxnfEYGFxPuR1mEi4a850lo0Hh42oaXJd3LoYPM-zEULeMstDX6c9J44L2eKgho/s200/applause_l-746656.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5434164888992822210" border="0" /></a><br />As usual, I'm a bit late in the game, but anyways, here's my list of musical favorites I acquired in 2009. Man, I'm completely not adjusted to it being 2010 by the way. I don't think I could even begin to create a list of the Decade, so I'll just stick to last year. And upon reviewing my previous posts on here I must say I've made some weird decisions on these things in the past that don't really hold up for me. Ah well, here she blows:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Brian Eno & David Byrne- "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today"</span>: I guess this actually came out at the end of summer '08, but I didn't pick it up until early 2009. And even then it dwelled around my digital shelf for awhile until it really caught on with me. This album is insanely good and "Strange Overtones" is easily one of my most played songs last year.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Big Star- "Keep An Eye On The Sky/3rd-Sister Lovers"</span>: Another cheat. This box set came out last year and I received it as a gift in the last few weeks of the year but didn't really spend a ton of time with it until January. However, even considering myself a Big Star fan I really only had the combo "#1 Record/Radio City" for many years now and a couple of random mp3s from "3rd". I got the entire 3rd album mid-summer and listened to it on a weekly basis through December. Shit.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse- "Dark Night Of The Soul"</span>: The greatest album of last year that didn't actually get released. You've got to be in the right Lynchian sort of mindset to really enjoy this and once the first track w/ Wayne Coyne was pointed out as sounding like early 80s Phil Collins I haven't been able to listen to it in the same way. Regardless, it's pretty great. And it's been blessed to download for free, so that's always nice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Phoenix- "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix"</span>: These guys are just too cool. "1901" and "Litzomania" were two of the best singles of the year. And if I had to license my music out for car commercials and I was actually 4 painfully cool French guys, I would certainly choose Cadillac. Everyone might not want to admit it, but Phoenix are the coolest musicians around and everyone might not want to admit it, but Cadillacs are still really, really cool cars as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Jason Lytle- "Yours Truly, The Commuter"</span>: I know everybody's not as addicted to Grandaddy as myself, but this was a really great solo debut, contains some of his best songwriting (as well as some kinda bizarre moments that are not my faves) and I listened to this one repeatedly throughout the year. As a personal bonus, we got to work with Jason on some stuff at the end of 2008 and he gave us a copy of the freshly mastered album to listen to while driving behind him north to San Fransisco at dusk. One of the absolute greatest music listening experiences of my life, so I guess I'm kinda biased.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Fruit Bats- "The Ruminant Band"</span>: Again, I'm probably a bit biased because of some work we got to do with these guys as well, but I've been a fan of theirs for some time and this album is truly pretty perfect. It feels like they really added a whole new level of production and style to their previous down home songwriting. It's like a great classic rock gem.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cass McCombs- "Catacombs"</span>: It's yet to overshadow "Dropping The Writ" which is very near to becoming my most listened to album at this point, but this is pretty nearly tied with my number one pick. "Dreams Come True Girl" was my 2nd favorite song of the year I'd say and at 6:07, "Harmonia" could go on for another 6 minutes and I'd be happy. I always feel like I can just fall into this album so completely. Perfectly produced. What a cool married dude.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Girls- "Album"</span>: I easily listened to "Hellhole Ratrace" more than any other song last year. I would wake up with it in my head and I'll be darned if those guys don't just make you want to be younger, artier and living in San Fran. Christopher Owens oozes superstar power and it's just good old-fashioned, simplified Rock N' Roll. This is the album that I feel like I will continue to revisit for years to come. I am growing my hair. If I youthen and end up in SF soon without warning, you'll know why if you listen to this one. I hope they can follow it up.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">SOME FAVORITE SONGS WHOSE ALBUMS DID NOT MAKE MY LIST:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Atlas Sound- "Walkabout (feat. Noah Lennox)"</span>: The album is pretty near cracking my top whatever as well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Drums- "Let's Go Surfing"</span>: I don't surf, but I sure wish I did listening to this. So simple and so good, it feels like it already existed.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Grizzly Bear- "Two Weeks"</span>: Yes, this song is amazing. Perfect. Their albums always impress me but I rarely want to listen to them more than once. Maybe I'm just not smart enough for it. I love their voices. That Michael MacDonald version of "While You Wait For The Others" is outstanding too. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">EXTRAS:</span><br /><br />I got deeply into a lot of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gene Clark</span> albums last year, a healthy amount of <span style="font-weight: bold;">Gram Parsons</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">George Jones</span>, a number of new to me <span style="font-weight: bold;">Waylon Jennings</span> albums, <span style="font-weight: bold;">Billy Ocean's "Red Light Spells Danger"</span> (favorite song of the year that came out many, many years before) and a sprinkling of Acid House. It's great to exercise to, if you're interested, ask me for more information. Oh and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Inglorious Basterds</span> and <span style="font-weight: bold;">A Serious Man</span> were my favorite movies of '09 and <span style="font-weight: bold;">Eastbound & Down</span> was the greatest TV show, possibly ever.Adam W.http://www.blogger.com/profile/05542990263361473650noreply@blogger.com44tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-81516864563098360612010-01-23T00:50:00.000-08:002010-01-23T01:04:45.554-08:00The Approximately 30 Best Albums of the Decade<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEPXYOk0yoiZqw6uiGxuKACJODQwjhaXVqgTWGpeCJpgxtbkc66okeQ7sZn8Z6C1oCB0dXN7rK7JJ5Gec5O9kHPSsy8vwd66tbcVQ0p94Jr2bG7Odp_eDZOsaMm6xuYf7uJaUZ2rykZU/s1600-h/the-shins-oh-inverted-world2.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 181px; height: 168px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLEPXYOk0yoiZqw6uiGxuKACJODQwjhaXVqgTWGpeCJpgxtbkc66okeQ7sZn8Z6C1oCB0dXN7rK7JJ5Gec5O9kHPSsy8vwd66tbcVQ0p94Jr2bG7Odp_eDZOsaMm6xuYf7uJaUZ2rykZU/s200/the-shins-oh-inverted-world2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5429855547952707842" /></a><br />OK – I didn’t want to leave off Sleater-Kinney, so I stretched the list to an unorthodox number. Also, I had planned to write a bit about many of these albums, but I went overboard with No. 1, so I’ll refrain from making this any more gratuitous than it already is. <br />— Tom McMahon<br /><br />31. Sleater-Kinney – One Beat<br />30. Rilo Kiley – The Execution of All Things<br />29. Outkast – Stankonia <br />28. Jens Lekman – Night Falls Over Kortedala<br />27. Marissa Nadler – Songs III: Bird on the Water<br />26. Jose Gonzalez – Veneer<br />25. Cass McCombs – Dropping the Writ <br />24. Peter Bjorn and John – Writer’s Block<br />23. The Ruby Suns – Sea Lion<br />22. The Hives – Veni Vidi Vicious <br />21. M83 – Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts<br />20. All Night Radio – Spirit Stereo Frequency<br />19. Crystal Skulls – Blocked Numbers<br />18. Sigur Ros – Aegaetis Byrjun <br />17. Beachwood Sparks – Beachwood Sparks<br />16. Neko Case – Blacklisted<br />15. The Faint – Danse Macabre<br />14. Caribou (then known as Manitoba) – Up in Flames<br />13. The Walkmen – Bows & Arrows<br />12. The Decemberists – Castaways and Cutouts<br />11. Alasdair Roberts – No Earthly Man<br />10. Alasdair Roberts – Spoils<br />9. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes<br />8. Radiohead – Kid A<br />7. Kelley Polar – I Need You to Hold On While the Sky Is Falling<br />6. Of Montreal – Satanic Panic in the Attic<br />5. The Aislers Set – The Last Match<br />4. The Knife – Silent Shout<br />3. The Clientele – Suburban Light<br />2. The New Pornographers – Mass Romantic<br /><strong>1. The Shins – Oh, Inverted World</strong><br />At the end of 2001, I got out a small piece of paper and listed on it my Top 10 albums of the year. I don’t remember showing it to anyone — it was just something I felt an urge to do, I suppose. Two years later, the Jamboree began, and it’s been much more fun sharing opinions with friends and some strangers. <br /><br />Anyhow, besides getting a little nostalgic, the reason I mentioned that handwritten list from 2001 is that I was surprised, when I dug it out of a box recently, to see that I had the Shins’ Oh, Inverted World at No. 2 (tied with the Strokes’ Is This It), behind Idlewild’s 100 Broken Windows. Eight years later, I rarely even think about 100 Broken Windows, but it’s totally clear in my mind that Oh, Inverted World is my favorite album of the decade. <br /><br />A few years after the album came out, an annoying character in some sappy movie promised that the song “New Slang” would “change your life, I swear.” I don’t believe that any one song or album has changed my life. Rather, I think this album reminds me of my life. <br /><br />One morning this fall, I listened to the album as I was driving along a narrow, windy road in the Santa Monica Mountains, trying to enjoy the spectacular panorama of the Pacific without going off the road. Almost as captivating as the view was these songs, which sound as magical and mysterious now as they did the first time I heard them. <br /><br />As I listened, it was like the whole decade flashed before my eyes: college, meeting the love of my life, marrying her, road trips all over the Golden State, having kids. Not that the album was constantly playing (aloud or in my head) in everything I did. But I’ve come to regard Oh, Inverted World — and I think I will continue to many years later — as the sound of my 20s, which, appropriately enough, almost exactly matched the span of the 2000s. <br /><br />Why do I love this album so much? I don’t think I can fully explain it, although I can pull out some key points: the leaping melodies, the weird harmonies, the cryptic lyrics, the tinny, reverby production, the muted but persistent drums, the swirling keyboards, the chiming guitars (especially in the intro of “The Celibate Life”). On paper, that may not seem like a recipe for success, but it all comes together in a strange and beautiful way. In my mind, every song here is a classic, and, unlike me, it never gets old.Thomas McMahon IVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094929044988435976noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-2769002416823438232010-01-10T10:43:00.000-08:002010-01-10T12:06:09.196-08:00Alright. I'm a little late here, but 2009 is still over, so I feel like I'm within my rights to contribute to this sheet of internet paper. I think I've posted an entry on here every year for the past few years, or maybe I've only done it once and considered doing it every year... but the problem I always run into is that, come December thirty-whateverthelastdayoftheyearis, I can't remember a single thing that happened. I can't remember which albums came out, which movies came out, what happened in the news....all of it is a blur. For instance, I'm inclined to say that my favorite album of 2009 was that Walkmen album with the New Year song on it. I thought it was pretty good. Did it come out this past year? Fuck if I know. May as well have. What is going to end up happening is that I'll do a google search (google, the only real choice in search engines) for something like "album release calendar 2009," and pick from that list. I'll go ahead and get that out of the way. Top 10 albums of 2009, picked from options given to me by [code]http://www.rawkblog.net/2009-album-release-calendar/[/code], in no particular order :<div>10. Wilco- Wilco: I like Wilco. I remember being happy about this album being on this year.</div><div>9. Elvis Costello- Secret Profane and Sugarcane: He's consistently listenable, and I remember buying this album, so let's go ahead and throw that on there.</div><div>8. Doves- Kingdom of Rust: They were a big deal, like, 4 years...5 years ago, right? I bet the album doesn't suck</div><div>7. Is the problem here that I just don't buy enough new music? Am I somehow, several years behind here? Maybe next year I'll take notes when I buy albums.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'm not going to finish this particular list because I'm just not qualified. Here's what I will do though. I acquire probably somewhere around 2 albums a day through purchase, or other methods. My end of the year list is going to be the top 10 albums that I got this year. As far as I'm concerned, they were released this year. I didn't have them before 2009...how do I know they even existed.</div><div><br /></div><div>10. Norah Jones- The Fall: This was a really pleasant album. It seems like a giant leap for her, which I can respect. It definitely isn't her usual smoky jazzy type album, which was getting a little old. This particular album is still growing on me, but I put it on the list because I like the direction.</div><div><br /></div><div>9. Paul Banks- Julian Plenti Is...Skyscraper: I don't know if I've ever actually paid full attention to this album from start to finish, but it makes for some pretty satisfying background noise, and when I do decide to tune back in, I'm not upset. Pretty forgettable, like everything Interpol has done post Antics, but even if I don't walk away humming it, it doesn't mean ...what doesn't it men. I'm not sure. Not a bad album. That's what I'm trying to say.</div><div><br /></div><div>8. Kiss- Kiss: Strutter is an incredible song. I couldn't tell you a single other track on the album without looking on my iTunes, but Strutter...since April, I've listened to it like 30 times, which is a lot for me.</div><div><br /></div><div>7. Blitzen Trapper- Black River EP: I really like these guys. This is a solid rootsy album that still hasn't gotten old to me.</div><div><br /></div><div>6. Lily Allen- It's Not Me, It's You: Usually this isn't really my type of thing...but...well..no I take that back...I like girl pop. This is right up my alley. That "F*** You" song is really catchy. So is "The Fear," and "Everyone's At It." Really...It's a great pop album.</div><div><br /></div><div>I just want to point out that I'm doing a lot better at containing this to 2009 than I expected.</div><div><br /></div><div>5. Basia Bulat- Oh My Darling: She sounds like Joni Mitchell. Birds of Paradise is quite possibly the most beautiful song I've ever heard. The rest of the album is really good, but maybe not worthy of being #1 on my list. Birds of Paradise (the second track on the album), however, would most certainly go on a best of the decade list, if there were such a thing. Hey Tom and Paul...where is THAT?</div><div><br /></div><div>4. Pavement- Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain: Okay....I'm way behind on this. I'm still not going to concede that pavement is any good....but I like this album, especially that song Stop Breathin. What is this album, like 15 years old? Whatever. I got it this year...it's on the list.</div><div><br /></div><div>3. Serge Gainsbourg- Comic Strip: I've speant a lot of time not liking his music, and I finally decided to give him another shot this year (You're WELCOME, Serge Gainsbourg!). Anyhow, this was in heavy rotation in my car for a while. </div><div><br /></div><div>2. Roy Orbison- Mystery Girl: Chris, if you're reading this...this shit falls on your shoulders. How did I not know about this album until, like....6 months ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>1. Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: Seems liked I managed to pull a 2009-er out for the #1 spot. This was a hell of an album. It's so much fun from start to finish. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Thats it.</div><div><br /> <div><br /></div></div>Young Danhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16768783198347304387noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-27441862851604296972010-01-04T01:11:00.000-08:002010-01-04T01:29:14.769-08:00Nicest Albums of 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWmgf44n7pd1IQTmy7Gh2VevVFbtsUFt9MJqWltTe679MuZb-VzzI0tmySmprwHKlg6WpPM2EdtbqhIhkpyK7VwAVJDJhLOOo6QITQjowVA7JOQ_L2Ovde9Nq_XGRQzMXLNIlKrlMIYU/s1600-h/up-alasdair_roberts1.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 134px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGWmgf44n7pd1IQTmy7Gh2VevVFbtsUFt9MJqWltTe679MuZb-VzzI0tmySmprwHKlg6WpPM2EdtbqhIhkpyK7VwAVJDJhLOOo6QITQjowVA7JOQ_L2Ovde9Nq_XGRQzMXLNIlKrlMIYU/s200/up-alasdair_roberts1.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5422809996317686562" /></a>I’m gettin’ tired here, so I’m leaving a few entries without a lot of detail and maybe not making complete sense in some cases. Happy New Year to all, and I’ll be back soon with my albums of the decade. Hope some other folks still have lists in the works.<br /><strong>— Tom McMahon</strong><br /><br /><strong>15. Get Back Guinozzi! – Carpet Madness</strong><br />The photo on the front of this album is like a Bizzaro version of the Buena Vista Social Club cover. And like with that Cuban masterpiece, it was the album cover that led me to check out this band I had never heard of. It was a rewarding venture. This is an irresistible batch of lo-fi party jams, with chirpy, French-accented vocals and hilarious lyrics like “Ooh, Mommy, Mommy, I love your tan.” Oddly enough, it includes a fantastic cover of the Clash’s “Police and Thieves.”<br /><br /><strong>14. Alela Diane – To Be Still</strong><br />Beautiful, haunting folk with some lush but organic-sounding arrangements. <br /><br /><strong>13. Farmer Dave Scher – Flash Forward to the Good Times</strong><br />More catchy stuff from this Beachwood Sparks and All Night Radio space cowboy. Less psychedelic but a little more soulful than ANR’s Spirit Stereo Frequency. <br /><br /><strong>12. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion</strong><br />This is alternately mind-blowing and frustrating. “In the Flowers” is one of my favorite songs of the year. I love the way it jumps from an enchanting, dreamlike atmosphere to what sounds like a raucous street carnival. MPP is undoubtedly sonically innovative all the way through, but I find several of the songs to be tedious — particularly “Brother Sport” and “Taste” — with some lyrics inducing cringes (for example, the many-times repeated “Am I really all the things that are outside of me?”). I think they have a better album in them.<br /><br /><strong>11. Desolation Wilderness — New Universe </strong><br />Some of my favorite albums make me think of driving along the wide-open stretches of the central California coast, the Pacific shimmering in the sun. This album taps into that feeling, even though these guys live in Olympia, Wash. But it’s pretty clear from the song titles (“Venice Beach,” “Boardwalk Theme,” “San Francisco 2AM”) that they had California on their minds. <br /><br /><strong>10. Neko Case – Middle Cyclone</strong><br />An incredible voice, and an outstanding songwriter. This album feels more fully realized than Fox Confessor did to me, although I don’t know why the last track, which is nothing but cricket noise, had to go on for more than 30 minutes. <br /><br /><strong>9. Fever Ray – Fever Ray</strong><br />Karin Dreijer Andersson of the Knife goes downtempo and even darker. I love this, but I also miss the crazed, fantasy-like electro jams that prevailed on the Knife’s Silent Shout. Here’s hoping that the siblings reunite soon.<br /><br /><strong>8. The Clientele – Bonfires on the Heath</strong><br />Just reading the lyrics of this album — which, unfortunately, may be their last — gives me the chills. Listening to Alasdair MacLean sing them in his soft, serpentine voice set to ghostly guitars, pianos and organs is, often, a transcendent experience. I think Suburban Light will, for me, always be their pinnacle, but this would be a great swan song. <br /><br /><strong>7. Washed Out – Life of Leisure</strong><br />I guess this is technically an EP, but it’s too good to leave out for that reason. Although I’ve never been to Miami, I think Life of Leisure should be the soundtrack to cruising around the city in a convertible on a summer night. It’s not nearly as slick as that might make it sound, though. It actually has a kind of warped, old-cassette feel to it. But it is seductive, what with its ethereal harmonies and pulsing beats. <br /><br /><strong>6. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest</strong><br />I didn’t think this would eclipse their Yellow House for me, but as I just listened to it one more time, I realized that it finally has. Probably enough has been said about Veckatimest already, so I’ll just go with, “Pretty, pretty … pretty great.”<br /><br /><strong>5. Andrew Bird – Noble Beast</strong><br />As Andrew Bird was about to play in Los Angeles after this album came out, the local paper had a blurb that I found really insightful. It said something to the effect of him having been tip-toeing on the verge of making an essential album. That’s the way I feel about this one, and the way I’ve felt about others of his. The first several songs on Noble Beast are so strong that it can’t help but lose some steam around the middle. But then he ends it with a great run, including a triumphant remake of one of his old tunes (the name of which he changed from “The Confession” to “Privateers”). <br /><br /><strong>4. St. Vincent – Actor </strong><br />I remember briefly checking this out around the time it was released and not thinking much of it. I must not have been listening very closely. Later in the year, Jamboree veteran Colin forced me to give it another shot, and I soon realized that this is no pedestrian singer-songwriter fare. It sounds by turns old-timey and experimental, charming and powerful. I continue to be stunned every time I experience the end of “Black Rainbow.”<br /><br /><strong>3. Papercuts – You Can Have What You Want</strong><br />This guy, Jason Quever, makes melancholy sound so inviting. The way the opening track washes over you with a plaintive organ and then hits you with “Once we walked in the sunlight / Three years ago this July 5th / Before the earth was a distant dream” — you just can’t help but be carried away. Strongly recommended if you like Beach House, with whom he’s played and whose Alex Scally plays here.<br /><br /><strong>2. The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love</strong><br />They say this is some sort of rock opera, but I haven’t bothered to really try to figure out the plot. Honestly, it doesn’t matter much to me. Even without considering the story, this is the biggest and boldest Decemberists work yet. It is a masterfully crafted and thoroughly engaging album. The “casting” of Becky Stark from Lavender Diamond and Shara Worden from My Brightest Diamond is perfect — the former’s voice beautiful and innocent, the latter’s powerful (oh, man, powerful!) and sinister. Then there’s the spooky kids choir. The recurring musical themes tie it all together and really give you a sense of what’s happening, even if you don’t follow the lyrics.<br /><br /><strong>1. Alasdair Roberts – Spoils</strong><br />Alasdair Roberts (pictured above) was one of my favorite artists of the decade, but I didn’t expect to be blown away like this at this point. Spoils, his fifth album under his own name (he previously went by Appendix Out) is as addictive as it is ambitious. He turns out his most interesting batch of original compositions, many of them shifting into thrilling new directions mid-song. Roberts also branches out instrumentally, throwing in several intriguing antique contraptions (psaltery, anyone?) as well as some prominent electric guitar (even a solo!). Throughout the album, the influence of the Incredible String Band is well incorporated — never overbearing. Perhaps unfairly, I didn't expect Roberts to be able to top No Earthly Man, his intense collection of death-themed folk songs and my favorite album of 2005. Now, it’s hard to imagine him surpassing Spoils, but I hope I’m wrong again.Thomas McMahon IVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094929044988435976noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-8212156950016178842010-01-01T00:42:00.000-08:002010-01-01T03:48:01.371-08:00The Top 2 Fan Videos Of 2009Okay, so maybe they're the only two fan videos I watched in 2009. And maybe I don't like the idea of fan videos in general because, for the most part, they're awful. But somehow, this year managed to turn out two that I not only happened to see, but actually enjoyed. Let the shortest countdown on this site begin!<br /><br /><b>2. Discovery - "Swing Tree"</b> (by Dolezal06)<br />When it comes to fan videos, I'm betting less usually clocks in as more. This clip adheres nicely to that aesthetic, simply setting one of the better tracks off Discovery's (mostly terrible) <i>LP</i> to footage from what I can only assume is the most misleading Navy recruitment video of all time. It's a nice fit with amusing results.<br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Suyjm_gi6GU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Suyjm_gi6GU&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br /><b>1. Grizzly Bear - "Two Weeks"</b> (by Gabe Askew)<br />It turns out that there are fan video exceptions to the "less is more" philosophy—at least one, anyway. 100% computer animated, this clip uses some of the newest technology available to create a shockingly realistic world of diorama-like simplicity. (How post-modern can you get, right?) Characters and set pieces appear as toy miniatures, stuffed animals, and cardboard cut-outs, all rendered with such meticulous attention to detail, it's easy to forget you aren't actually traveling through an elaborate cardboard maze of art. Add to that the absolutely masterful lighting and camera movement, along with the deftly creative representation of the song's lyrical content, and we're left with a work so captivating, so strikingly beautiful, and so, well, professional, it's downright baffling that no one was paid for it. This is not only the best fan video I've ever seen, it is one of the best overall music videos I've ever seen.<br /><object width="400" height="220"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5904993&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1"><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=5904993&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="220"></embed></object><br /><br /><b>—Colin McCormick</b>Best-Of Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644459111379895151noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-63204130250520297652009-12-30T20:49:00.000-08:002009-12-31T00:54:03.923-08:00Books From Several Decades on Being Human<span style="font-size:85%;">1. <em>Grow Up!</em> by Frank Pittman. This is witty, quick reading on how to be a grown up man or woman. Pittmann reviews movies for therapeutic journals. He is both funny and wise. <a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/Grow-Up-Taking-Responsibility-Happy/dp/1582380406/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262237927&sr=1-1">http://http://www.amazon.com/Grow-Up-Taking-Responsibility-Happy/dp/1582380406/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262237927&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">2. <em>Dance of Anger: A Woman's Guide to Changing the Patterns of Intimate Relationships</em> by Harriet Lerner. Lerner has a plethora of books about different psychological dynamics. She is popular, down to earth and helpful on most counts. This is considered her best. <a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/Dance-Anger-Changing-Patterns-Relationships/dp/006074104X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262240021&sr=1-1">http://http://www.amazon.com/Dance-Anger-Changing-Patterns-Relationships/dp/006074104X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262240021&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">3.<em> Unlocking the Mystery of Your Emotions</em> by Archibald Hart. I believe this may be Hart's first book. He is a well respected Christian psychologist out of Fuller. All of his books dealing with such subjects as Adrenalin and Stress, Male Sexuality, and Anxiety, can be helpful. <a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Mystery-Your-Emotions-Rep/dp/0849931991/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262238408&sr=1-16">http://http://www.amazon.com/Unlocking-Mystery-Your-Emotions-Rep/dp/0849931991/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262238408&sr=1-16</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">4. <em>The Truth About Love: The Highs, the Lows, and How You Can Make It Last Forever</em> by Pat Love. Love is a tall, red headed Texan, who after her first marriage failed, went back to get a doctorate in psychology specializing in what makes love last past the chemical high. I have not read her book <em>Hot Monogamy</em> but have her speak regarding it. She is a very entertaining writer and speaker. I think this is one of the best books on the market about what actually comprises love. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Love-Highs-Forever/dp/0684871882/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262238829&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Love-Highs-Forever/dp/0684871882/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262238829&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">5. <em> How To Avoid Marrying a Jerk</em> by John Van Epp. John writes and speaks to alert his audience of the red flags in relationships in order to prevent marrying a jerk or jerkette. He refers to movie clips to prove his points. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Avoid-Falling-Love-Jerk/dp/0071548424/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262239288&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/How-Avoid-Falling-Love-Jerk/dp/0071548424/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262239288&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">6. <em>Cost: A Novel</em> by Roxana Robinson. Robinson writes a gripping novel on heroin addiction and the devastating emotional effect it brings to a three generation family. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cost-Novel-Roxana-Robinson/dp/0312428464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262240195&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Cost-Novel-Roxana-Robinson/dp/0312428464/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262240195&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">7. <em>Still Alice</em> by Lisa Genova. <em>Still Alice, </em>a novel, by a Harvard neuroscientist, is the best book that I read this year. If you wish to learn about Alzheimer's Disease and its effect on the person and their family and experience a poignant story, <em>Still Alice</em> is an excellent read. As one reviewer put it: "A masterpiece that will touch lives in ways none of us can even imagine. This book is the best portrayal of the Alzheimer's journey that I have read." <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Still-Alice-Lisa-Genova/dp/1439102813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262240471&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Still-Alice-Lisa-Genova/dp/1439102813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262240471&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">8. <em> Not " Just Friends"</em> by Shirley P. Glass. Glass, now deceased mother of Ira Glass on NPR, utilizes two decades of original research and hundreds of clinical cases "to chronicle the human story of what occurs before, during and after the trauma of betrayal. Today with the Internet and today's workplace well-intentioned people cross the line that separates platonic friendship from romantic love." <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Not-Just-Friends-Rebuilding%20Recovering/dp/0743225503/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1">http://www.amazon.com/Not-Just-Friends-Rebuilding Recovering/dp/0743225503/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1</a> </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">9. <em>How to Get a Date Worth Keeping</em> by Henry Cloud. Cloud, eminent psychologist, gives a quick read on strategies for getting your numbers up in the dating world. Cloud, who married when he was in his 30s, disputes the widely accepted hypothesis of just waiting because God will give you a mate. <a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/How-Get-Date-Worth-Keeping/dp/0310262658/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262242216&sr=1-8">http://http://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Date-Worth-Keeping/dp/0310262658/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262242216&sr=1-8</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">10. <em>Getting the Love You Want: A Guide for Couples</em> by Harville Hendrix. I believe this may be Hendrix's first book but it is still one of the best on understanding how when you marry you not only marry your spouse but you also marry your spouse's family. He compares the Conscious Marriage with the Unconscious Marriage. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Love-You-Want-Anniversary/dp/0805087001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262242784&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Love-You-Want-Anniversary/dp/0805087001/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262242784&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">11. <em> You Just Don't Understand: Men and Women in Conversation</em> by Deborah Tannen. Tom and I read this book together when we were trying to figure out why we were having "communication problems." If the truth be known, I read Tannen's book and then persuaded Tom to discuss her ideas with me on a weekend vacation. Our marriage was better because of Tannen. Generally speaking, women's talk is for connection whereas men communicate just the facts. Listen at the chatter at any baseball game. Neither one's communication style is better than the other. We are just different. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/You-Just-Dont-Understand-Conversation/dp/0060959622/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b">http://www.amazon.com/You-Just-Dont-Understand-Conversation/dp/0060959622/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">12. <em>All You Need Is Love and Other Lies About Marriages</em> by John W. Jacobs, M.D. Jacobs writes excellent, common sense truths that one can apply to their marriage if they are willing. <a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/Need-Love-Other-About-Marriage/dp/0060509317/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262243327&sr=1-1">http://http://www.amazon.com/Need-Love-Other-About-Marriage/dp/0060509317/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262243327&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">13. <em>The Way to Love Your Wife: Creating Greater Love & Passion in the Bedroom </em>and <em>Men And Sex </em>by Clifford L. Penner and Joyce J. Penner. Preeminent Christian sex therapists (no this is not an oxymoron) Joyce and Cliff Penner are the gurus of all you want to know about sexual intimacy. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Way-Love-Your-Wife-Creating/dp/158997445X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262244113&sr=1-4">http://www.amazon.com/Way-Love-Your-Wife-Creating/dp/158997445X/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262244113&sr=1-4</a> And: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Men-Sex-Clifford-L-Penner/dp/0840777906/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262244113&sr=1-5">http://www.amazon.com/Men-Sex-Clifford-L-Penner/dp/0840777906/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262244113&sr=1-5</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">14. <em>A Model for Marriage: Covenant, Grace, Empowerment And Intimacy</em> by Jack O. Balswick and Judith K. Balswick. I learned from the Balswicks during my years at Fuller. Their book includes theology from the renowned Ray Anderson and a more academic look at marriage --- still helpful and challenging. I found their Trinitarian model of marriage insightful when considering God's gift of marriage. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Model-Marriage-Covenant-Empowerment-Intimacy/dp/0830827609/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262244198&sr=1-10">http://www.amazon.com/Model-Marriage-Covenant-Empowerment-Intimacy/dp/0830827609/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262244198&sr=1-10</a></span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">15. <em>An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness</em> by Kay Redfield Jamison. Jamison, a Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, is a foremost authority on manic-depressive disease from her academic studies as well as from her first hand life experience. <a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/Unquiet-Mind-Memoir-Moods-Madness/dp/0679763309/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262245597&sr=1-3">http://http://www.amazon.com/Unquiet-Mind-Memoir-Moods-Madness/dp/0679763309/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262245597&sr=1-3</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">16. <em>Lament for a Son</em> by Nicholas Wolterstorff. This slim volume is one of the best books that I have read on grief and loss. Yale theologian Wolsterstorff shares his heart break with the death of his twenty-five year old son. One never wants to experience such a loss; however, his thoughts give us a glimpse into his world of intimate pain and questions about such tragedies. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Lament-Son-Nicholas-Wolterstorff/dp/080280294X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262246379&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Lament-Son-Nicholas-Wolterstorff/dp/080280294X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262246379&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">17. <em>I Don't Want To Talk About It</em> by Terrence Real. For me Real's book was a riveting read. As Pia Mellody notes: "Boys in our culture are taught that real men are stoic. The ability to not complain, endure pain, and strive in the face of adversity is admired and celebrated in story and song. The price paid for this isolation is depression." Real gives men courage by telling his own story of trauma and recovery. <a href="http://http//www.amazon.com/Dont-Want-Talk-%20About-Overcoming/dp/0684835398/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262247305&sr=8-2">http://http://www.amazon.com/Dont-Want-Talk- About-Overcoming/dp/0684835398/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262247305&sr=8-2</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;">18. <em> The Recovery of Family Life</em> by Elton and Pauline Trueblood. I bought my tattered copy of this book at a library sale for 29 cents. Tom quoted the book in our daughter Amy's wedding. It was written in the 50s but it still is one of my favorite books on the sacredness of marriage. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Recovery-Family-Elton-Pauline-Trueblood/dp/9001885128/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262246607&sr=1-1">http://www.amazon.com/Recovery-Family-Elton-Pauline-Trueblood/dp/9001885128/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262246607&sr=1-1</a></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"></span>skbhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12066415256004977107noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-47781335761932163442009-12-26T20:27:00.000-08:002009-12-26T21:28:20.993-08:00Best Comic Books and Comic Series of the DecadeI like this hip blog full of hip songs, but someone really needed to nerd it up. In that vein, I offer the list of comics I enjoyed most this decade. This is admittedly partial (I don't read Marvel, but apparently they have an interesting character who is both a man and a spider!), but I've wasted enough of this decade on comics that I should have some expertise.<br /><div><div><br /><div></div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcL-YPpvJo8Ih1nAwx6JFiSshaezl-H2h88hKmVBODgvcBo1M1xSX2uffXhUAwEtDXpzHOPUiyVWBErwS7MQEdq-rbixmnG0hpAc5T4Jy7JYsoxf7lkxe-u2_DTzKj1VHK6KiFjy8R_yg/s1600-h/superman_red_son.jpg"><strong><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 117px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 158px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419769459637980082" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcL-YPpvJo8Ih1nAwx6JFiSshaezl-H2h88hKmVBODgvcBo1M1xSX2uffXhUAwEtDXpzHOPUiyVWBErwS7MQEdq-rbixmnG0hpAc5T4Jy7JYsoxf7lkxe-u2_DTzKj1VHK6KiFjy8R_yg/s200/superman_red_son.jpg" /></strong></a><strong>Superman – Red Son:</strong> One of the best uses of the Elseworlds concept, which reinvents the stories of famous heroes. This one imagines Superman’s rocket crashing in Soviet Russia during the Cold War and ending up a tool of the Communist government. Lex Luthor is the American hero who tries to take him down. <p></p></div><div></div><div></div><div><strong>Batman - No Man’s Land:</strong> A huge, sprawling, ambitious story. Gotham City is devastated by an earthquake, and the US government washes its hands of the problem (a twist that seemed impossible on its original release that became infinitely more plausible, and insightful, after Katrina). Batman and his buddies are left to deal with the scared and out of control populace. Unlike most of the Batman events this decade, this one delivered on its potential. </div><div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAn26GPOhvFPlYC6trADX2xnCNU6RpZrvDwCYCfCXdrrS06YaOwzwlZ6JmyHKU783I7vEPRTH2xuC6nqulkgYqNKvheGeRlugpzQeE1xFWnuXabl-JJkSgnGGuAwV7h-5fncbhjV1fiw/s1600-h/zombies.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 102px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 144px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419769824298795618" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdAn26GPOhvFPlYC6trADX2xnCNU6RpZrvDwCYCfCXdrrS06YaOwzwlZ6JmyHKU783I7vEPRTH2xuC6nqulkgYqNKvheGeRlugpzQeE1xFWnuXabl-JJkSgnGGuAwV7h-5fncbhjV1fiw/s200/zombies.jpg" /></a><strong>The Walking Dead:</strong> This zombie series doesn’t pull its punches. It’s graphic and bloody, featuring zombies who arms and faces are rotting away. But like all good zombie stories, the real rot takes places among the humans who are picking up the broken pieces of civilization. The dialogue can be a bit cheesy, but the plots are brutal, and the black and white art is perfect. <p></p></div><div></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Blankets:</strong> A sweet little love story to remedy the bad influence of those zombie comics. </div><div><br /><strong>Ex Machina:</strong> While everyone was salivating over the clever series<em> Y: The Last Man</em>, Bryan K Vaughan was also writing this even better series about a man with superpowers who foils half of 9/11 and ends up mayor of New York City. </div><div><br /><strong><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPy1wdT3gFIoWgnNbfLN1RRNZmV_RCiD02Xdi8wVFeDmCCHo-OmSk0t89yhZNwlXsA-sM2D-zFw4LNGrLVHKqwKZk6lmoRc2Ey-Z4ICyU2uzlkdKPR50FaNOc-gbtWTzyIzfpHkGnSH9o/s1600-h/justice.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 136px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419770594854797506" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPy1wdT3gFIoWgnNbfLN1RRNZmV_RCiD02Xdi8wVFeDmCCHo-OmSk0t89yhZNwlXsA-sM2D-zFw4LNGrLVHKqwKZk6lmoRc2Ey-Z4ICyU2uzlkdKPR50FaNOc-gbtWTzyIzfpHkGnSH9o/s200/justice.jpg" /></a>Justice:</strong> Everybody loves Alex Ross’s <em>Kingdom Come</em>, and I admit that series was more innovative. But Justice reaffirms why people should read classic superhero comics. It offers sharp characterization with insightful little moments, gorgeous art, interesting villains, and great action sequences. </div><div><br /></div><div><strong>Torso: </strong>This true life account of a murder investigation late in Elliot Ness' career redefines what the genre can do by blending actual documents from archival research with gritty art. </div></div><div></div><div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><strong>Gotham Central:</strong> A brilliant premise, made even more brilliant in its execution. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nixDwGQwyxV4PaOKzkTyRsyYLJUojiFzDUIC6_zVfZ-oX6D5eC9mPevE3b1mTj4CoOhcQjdn0Ug8HYwNjl9__RpPucmAhcK3XdqIARR8oIWX3XBHMxXXCKvwIPB7A6NpsRfvdtM3QaA/s1600-h/gotham-central.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 110px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 150px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419772074400153634" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0nixDwGQwyxV4PaOKzkTyRsyYLJUojiFzDUIC6_zVfZ-oX6D5eC9mPevE3b1mTj4CoOhcQjdn0Ug8HYwNjl9__RpPucmAhcK3XdqIARR8oIWX3XBHMxXXCKvwIPB7A6NpsRfvdtM3QaA/s200/gotham-central.jpg" /></a>Essentially, this is NYPD Blue if it happened in Batman’s Gotham City. It offers fully realized cop characters who must deal with the problems that come with a city overrun with costumed super-villains. By letting Bats and the Joker recede into the background, the series humanized the comic world. Without hyperbole, you could make a case that this 40 issue series is the best that DC comics ever produced. </div><div></div><div><br /></div><div>Stay nerdy, folks!</div><div>Ryan Weber</div></div></div>rpweberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16995615750201726117noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-41881968455735055692009-12-26T20:10:00.000-08:002009-12-26T20:25:49.046-08:00Top 25 Songs of the DecadeI like these best of the decade lists, both because I love unnecessary debates and because I’m always about five years behind the curve and a list like this levels the playing field. The list of here is based on the entirely scientific method of figuring out which songs I listened to repeatedly in these past ten years.<br /><br />25: Steady As She Goes – The Raconteurs: Jack White’s side projects are better than most regular bands.<br /><br />24: Instant Pleasure – Rufus Wainwright: When Rufus Wainwright sang “If drinking coffee’s your idea of really cool, you can’t expect no crazy chick to notice you,” I think he was talking about me.<br /><br />23: What Was I Thinkin? - Dierks Bentley: The decade’s best redneck antics until Cheney shot his hunting partner.<br /><br />22: Elevation – U2: One of the purest rock songs of the decade. It immediately felt both fresh and classic.<br /><br />21: White Daisies Passing – Rocky Votolato: My wife put this on the first mix she ever made me. Another reason to love her.<br /><br />20: Flyswatter – The Eels: An energetic little song, and “icewater/flyswatter” is my favorite rhyme of the decade.<br /><br />19: Nineteen – Tegan and Sarah: Like all the best songs about teen love, this one makes it sound more serious than it actually is. Also, I ranked this #19! Isn’t that cute!<br /><br />18: Bohemian Like You – The Dandy Warhols: This catchy, all-purpose riff got overplayed (that’s what happens when you license your song to appear in the Flushed Away trailer), but the lyrics still effectively zing people with hip haircuts.<br /><br />17: The Hardest Button to Button - The White Stripes: This song gets the maximum mileage out of the simplest riffs.<br /><br />16: Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key – Billy Bragg and Wilco: It turns out one of decade’s most inventive projects was a recreation of unreleased Woody Guthrie songs. Billy Bragg and Wilco make something old new again.<br /><br />15: Paragraph President - Blackalicious: When Gift of Gab gets going here, the rhymes nearly fall over one another.<br /><br />14: Diladed – The Mountain Goats: The decade’s most ominous use of violins.<br /><br />13: Burn, Don’t Freeze – Sleater Kinney: There are other nominees from Sleater Kinney (Sympathy, Entertainer), but ever since The Guess Who’s No Sugar Tonight/New Mother Nature, I’ve been a sucker for songs that climax with overlapping vocals.<br /><br />12: Bowtie - Outkast: Sure, Hey Ya! was the catchy, ubiquitous hit from Speakerboxx/A Love Below, but years later, this is still the dual album’s funkiest cut.<br /><br />11: Dracula’s Wedding - Outkast: Spooky beats, plus some literary insight: who knew that Van Helsing was so excited about great peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?<br /><br />10: Red Clay Halo – Gillian Welch: Gillian Welch’s down home harmonies feel even more authentic when they’re about dirt.<br /><br />9: Til I Collapse – Eminem/50 Cent/Tupac: Easily the best of the 4,317 Tupac songs released after his death.<br /><br />8: I Turn My Camera On - Spoon: The funky grooves make me want to dance, but in the safety of emotionally distant lyrics like “I turn my feelings off / You’ve made me untouchable for life” I can still keep the stick securely in my ass.<br /><br />7: John Saw That Number – Neko Case: If you’re one of the three people left not impressed by Neko Case’s set of pipes, this song will do the trick.<br /><br />6: 99 Problems (Gray album version) – Jay Z: Turns out Jay Z and the Beatles mix beautifully. My experiments blending Flo Rida andThe Monkees have been less successful.<br /><br />5: Turn a Square – The Shins: This Shins song didn’t change my life, but that part that goes “All my thoughts run astray / and I’m a walking cliché / when such a creature I sight” did make it slightly better.<br /><br />4: Skeleton Key – Margot and the Nuclear So and So’s: A dysfunctional relationship rarely sounded this good.<br /><br />3: The Cross - Nas: If the decade offered a pointlessly arrogant and needlessly sacrilegious song that hit harder than this one, I didn’t hear it.<br /><br />2: Man of Constant Sorrow – The Soggy Bottom Boys: This song performs an almost impossible task in O Brother, Where Art Thou by being good enough to justify the pardon of the men who perform it. Good thing Bernie Madoff can’t sing like this.<br /><br />1: Hurt – Johnny Cash: Johnny Cash sings like a man pursued by death, and it turns out he was right. The song makes you want to kill yourself, but in the best possible way.<br /><br />Thanks for reading. Hopefully, the next decade gives us this many good songs and one fewer Fergie.<br /><br />Ryan Weberrpweberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16995615750201726117noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-74214442210028570132009-12-25T22:59:00.000-08:002009-12-25T23:26:35.572-08:00FM Gems: Pavarotti<em><span style="font-size:130%;">Best Songs I Heard on Non-Rock Radio Stations This Year</span></em><br /><br />My Yuletide entry in this series comes from opera guy Luciano Pavarotti, heard on 91.5 Classical KUSC. Obviously, the man had incredible pipes. But I think what I like more about this, his magical rendition of "O Holy Night," is his heavy, heavy accent and the way he adds extra syllables, like "in a-sin and error a-pining." The way he pronounces "the soul felt its worth" is just crazy. But what a powerful performance. And, of course, what a song. Merry Christmas to all.<br /><strong>— Tom McMahon</strong><br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/7EbQYYaGdoM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/7EbQYYaGdoM&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Thomas McMahon IVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094929044988435976noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-10638928633977919862009-12-22T14:11:00.000-08:002009-12-22T16:13:52.366-08:00Nate's hottest of the oughts<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This was a great time for me to reminisce over the last decade of music and what it meant to me…rocking out with roomies in college and then trying to start a lame band, cruising up and down Pacific Coast Highway, walkmen in airports and third world countries, the switch from lugging 3 CD cases in my car to 1 small iPod, trying bands out live in concert, choosing my own wedding music, and great road trips with my wife. Music is an amazing thing and it amazes me even more the memories that come up from all these albums. I had to do a separate list for ’09 since they feel too recent to be considered “classic” yet and the rest have had a chance to really settle in and become a part of my collection. Like ‘em or not, here are my top 30 picks of the decade followed by my top 10 of 2009. </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(I’ve also included a favorite song from each as a starting point if you are interested in checking them out.)</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2000 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Lifehouse- No Name Face<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Huge favorite for me while at Pepperdine, especially seeing him live at the Whiskey watching a bunch of bikers rocking with arms raised in praise<br />“Everything”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2000 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Robbie Williams- Sing When You're Winning<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Big fan of Robbie’s during Heidelberg and this one before he went a little nuts was one of my favs<br />“Singing for the Lonely”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2000 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Jack Johnson- Brushfire Fairytales<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Got me into the mellow folky vibe. Still my favorite of his<br />“F-Stop Blues”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2001 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ben Harper- Live From Mars<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I got started late into Ben, so this was my attempt to catch up and it proved to be an incredible double album. I don’t usually like live albums but I would have loved to see a show from this era<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">“The Drugs Don’t Work”</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">(Verve cover)<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2001 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dashboard Confessional- The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My whiny emo guilty obsession…<br />“The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2001 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Jimmy Eat World- Bleed American<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Just an amazing album spanning the gamut of their styles.<br />“Sweetness”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2002 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Jason Mraz- Waiting For My Rocket To Come<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I miss the old Mraz…glad the world now sees his talent but it was much simpler back then!<br />“You and I Both”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2003 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Muse- Absolution<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Got into them thanks to my brother and would still love to see their live show.<br />“Stockholm Syndrome”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2003 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Damien Rice- O<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What a sad, beautiful album.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Perfect for a rainy day drive<br />“Amie”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2003 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Postal Service- Give Up<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So many trips had this as a soundtrack.<br />“Sleeping In”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2003 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Switchfoot- The Beautiful Letdown<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Catapulted them out of the CCM industry and into mainstream, and when then really started getting interesting to me.<br />“Twenty-Four”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2004 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Relient K- MmmHmm<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Their albums always seemed to fit my mood whenever they came out and worked for whatever I was going through at the time.<br />“Be My Escape”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2004 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Rise Against- Siren Song of the Counter Culture<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This has been a great staple for the gym. Gets the BPM going<br />“Paper Wings”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2004 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Shawn McDonald- Simply Nothing<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Honest, acoustic worship with an amazing voice. Never get tired of his first release.<br />“Beautiful”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2005 David Gray- Life In Slow Motion<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Almost a tie between this and White Ladder, but too many memories attached to this one.<br />“From Here You Can Almost See the Sea”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2005 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">State Radio- Us Against the Crown<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Chad from Dispatch puts on a great show and got to see these guys twice locally.<br />“Right Me Up”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2006 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Amos Lee- Supply and Demand<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">So much soul in this man’s voice.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Love it<br />“Careless”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2006 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">John Mayer- Continuum<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My wife got me tickets to see him and the show solidified this great album as a top pick.<br />“Stop This Train”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2006 Justin Timberlake- FutureSex/LoveSounds<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">My poppy guilty pleasure of the decade.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">How can you not like Justin, come on!<br />“What Goes Around…”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2006 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mat Kearney- Nothing Left to Lose<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mellow staple for 2006 that still spins a lot to this day.<br />“Where Do We Go From Here”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2006 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Matisyahu- Youth<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The undeniable skills of this Hassidic Jewish rapper impressed even the people we were building the church for down in El Salvador.<br />“Time of Your Song”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2006 Lupe Fiasco- Food and Liquor<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I played this one way too much.</span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Can’t wait for his new one…<br />“The Instrumental”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2006 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ray LaMontagne- Till The Sun Turns Black<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Great mellow folk. Putting this one on a mixtape for my wife was a good move!<br />“Can I Stay”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2006 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Silversun Pickups- Carnavas<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Basing their entire sound around The Smashing Pumpkins’ 1991 release Gish was a great formula to make a fan out of me.<br />“Rusted Wheel”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2007 </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Angels and Airwaves- I-Empire<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Pretty epic sounding album. Who would have expected it from the guy from Blink 182?<br />“Secret Crowds”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2007- Mayday Parade- A Lesson in Romantics<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">This is the most played in our household mostly because my wife refuses to listen to anything else. Great pop-punk album with lots of harmonies.<br />“Miserable at Best”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2007 Sherwood- A Different Light<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Local San Luis Obispo band that should hit it huge any day now! Unbelievably energetic live show and lots of fun melodies.<br />“Home”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2007- Joshua Radin- We Were Here<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">First introduction was a Scrubs episode where I ran to my computer to figure out who was making this amazing music. The self-proclaimed “king of </span></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">whisper rock” puts on a great show… unless it’s at a bar with a bunch of drunk frat boys…<br />"Winter”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2007/2008- Jon Foreman- Fall/Winter/Spring/Summer EP’s<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Switchfoot lead singer’s attempt to recreate the 4 seasons musically<br />“The Cure for Pain”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2008- Coldplay- Viva La Vida/Prospekt’s March<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Put them in a whole new league for me. Just good solid release for them<br />“Lost?”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height: 115%; color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Now for the 2009 in no particular order:</span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Meese- Broadcast<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Denver-based band who went to school with my old roommate. I still can’t believe they haven’t hit it big yet!<br />“Taking the World On”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Muse- The Resistance<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Big album full of some different, but great songs.<br />“Guiding Light”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Phoenix- Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Took me a while to get into this one, but many patient listens really paid off.<br />“Love Like a Sunset”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Owl City- Ocean Eyes<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The single got way too much airplay but I really appreciated the rest of the album…especially since Ben Gibbard refuses to put out another Postal Service record this decade.<br />“On The Wing”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">John Mayer Battle Studies<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Even I enjoy a good breakup album now and again. Not quite as bluesy as his last release but still a good one.<br />“Perfectly Lonely”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Fun- Aim and Ignite<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">What the band name implies…just a fun album from the lead singer of The Format.<br />“I Wanna Be The One”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">30 Seconds To Mars- This is War<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Epic album for the end of the year. Pompous and egotistical but still amazing!<br />“Hurricane”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Dashboard Confessional- Alter The Ending<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Best of both worlds with acoustic versions of all the full band tracks.<br />“Hell on the Throat”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Relient K- Forget and Not Slow Down<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Another good breakup album with a lot more depth from this clever Canton quintet.<br />“This is the End (If You Want It)”<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Silversun Pickups- Swoon<br /></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Great follow-up to Carnavas. Wouldn’t expect anything less<br />“The Royal We”</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><b><span style="color:black;"><o:p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></o:p></span></b></p><p></p><div><br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00294420446696544625noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-40032554531314725132009-12-22T07:31:00.000-08:002010-01-03T21:24:37.948-08:00Paul's Top 75 Albums of the DecadeI remember having a conversation with one of my sister's friends when I was in high school. Pegging me as the sort of fan who enjoyed monitoring trends and taking the pulse of popular music, he sounded a sort of death knell to my obsessive tendencies, predicting that as I got older, my interest in such things would wane and all new music would ultimately be lost on me. I think I spent the entirety of this decade waiting for that to happen; it never did. If anything, my appreciation for pop music intensified during the past ten years, whether it was the 40-hour drives to and from Nashville ("Turn on the Bright Lights" during a May sunset approaching Gallup, New Mexico), long runs (a steady diet of DFA Records and Dismemberment Plan), and spinning picks with the Westside Record Club. And I count some of my favorite experiences of the past decade to be pop music-related, whether it be playing in Spanish Archer, writing music reviews for the Graphic, djing law school parties, or annual trips to Coachella with Thom. It's only in the last year that I've stopped purchasing as much new music as I had in the past. Although this is somewhat a product of being overwhelmed by the glut of bands and blogs that have crowded the airwaves for the latter half of the aughts, there's a more practical reason: I got turntables and have simply been purchasing older vinyl. This might explain why my list of the favorite albums of the decade is almost devoid of albums from this year.<br /><br />My criteria for this list is somewhat objective. Not objective in the sense that these are, in my opinion, the "best" records of the past decade, but objective in the sense that it is meant to track which albums I, in fact, listened to the most, from purchase to present. This might explain why an album such as Belle & Sebastian's "Dear Catastrophe Waitress," which I actually think is inferior to "The Life Pursuit," ranks ahead of it; I just happened to listen to the former almost obsessively when driving home from Pepperdine during the winter of 2003. And that naturally speaks to the subjective nature of the list, namely, some records, despite their flaws or their missed opportunities or even their shitty songs, just strike a nerve, and, from that moment on, are indelibly associated with a memory or a feeling. I used to think that phenomenon - treasuring music for its associations - was feminine, so I was either wrong or I've spent a decade getting in touch with my feelings. Obviously, all of the albums listed below are, in my opinion, phenomenal, but to read the list as my critical take on what was "best" or "most important" from the decade would be missing the point entirely. To that end, I still haven't even heard any Wolf Parade records, so my knowledge is woefully incomplete.<br /><br />So, without further adieu, here are my 75 favorite albums of the past decade. Next to some of the higher-ranking entries I've written blurbs reflecting on my experiences with those albums and, perhaps, why they meant and, in most cases, continue to mean so much to me. I know this is indulgent, but it's too fun for me not to indulge when I actually have the opportunity to write about something I care about. There are about 100 more records that, depending on the week, could have made this list; I love them no less.<br /><ol><li>of montreal - Satanic Panic in the Attic -- Oddly, the list begins with an album that I don't have particularly strong associations with but was, plain and simply, the album I listened to the most over the past decade. This album very clearly serves as a milemarker in the of montreal catalog, the album where the band's twee sensibilities started taking a back seat to their Erasure inclinations. I still can't believe they encored with "Alright" by Supergrass at a 2005 concert I attended; had they played "Girl Don't Tell Me" next, I would've expected they had designs on converting me, and me specifically, to their cause.<br /></li><li>Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat -- I bought this album for a friend, and the night I gave it to her, her ex-boyfriend's uncle passed away. I remember that we didn't listen to it but instead drank beer outside her apartment. Had she played the album after I left, I think it would have fit the moment. I didn't buy the album until years later, instead borrowing her copy and burning it to my computer. I still find it to be one of the saddest and funniest albums I regularly listen to (often simultaneously, such as in "Rise Up With Fists!!").<br /></li><li>Yo La Tengo - And then Everything Turned Itself Inside Out -- Ever since I purchased this album the day it came out in Heidelberg, Germany, "Tears Are in Your Eyes" has been a mixtape staple of mine. This album evokes the steadiness and resolve of two people who have gone through it all together (kind of like the couple in Stegner's "The Spectator Bird") and are committed to staying the course. It's probably unfair to hoist that upon Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley but I must admit that if their relationship ever ends, I will look at this album and think, "You lied to me."<br /></li><li>Broadcast - Tender Buttons -- I had been listening to this album in my car for a good month when I decided it would be good background for a game of scrabble with a girl. It was only then, in that silent, pensive environment, that I heard the ghost in the album, the haunting presence that begins with the descending scale in "I Found the F" and continues until the end. You know how horror movies often trot out a little girl to sing nursery rhymes or something to contrast innocence against depravity? This album conjures that vibe without being trite.<br /></li><li>Dr. Dog - Easy Beat -- Kind of like Satanic Panic, this one firmly implanted itself on one listening; I couldn't pry it away for months.<br /></li><li>Spoon - Kill the Moonlight -- No fat on this record.<br /></li><li>Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood -- I've always believed this record was influenced by Carl Newman (see infra) lyrically. Truth is, though, as abstract and intriguing as the lyrics are, it just comes down to the voice. This is Cocteau Twin territory where, to me, it could just be syllables and it wouldn't change a thing.<br /></li><li>Dntel - Life is Full of Possibilities -- I picked this record up at Other Music in the early spring of 2002 and immediately listened to it on a long walk in the snow to the Whitney. I forgive Mia Doi Todd for all of her boring performances solely for contributing to "Anywhere Anyone."<br /></li><li>The New Pornographers - Mass Romantic -- I remember hearing "The Body Says No" on KXLU in the fall of 2001 from my on-campus apartment. Having been a huge Zumpano fan since high school, but never having any reason to believe the obscure band or its members would re-enter the musical landscape, I lost it. I was totally swept up with emotion that Carl Newman, the songwriter and singer I admired so much, had a new project coming out. I can't imagine having this feeling nowadays. With the proliferation of blogs and Pitchfork chronicling indie rock like it was global affairs, the only surprise is the headline, never the actual song or album. I mean, no Dave Grohl fan just happened upon a Them Crooked Vultures song on the radio and lost his shit; that just doesn't happen any more.<br /></li><li>The Walkmen - Bows & Arrows -- I probably saw the Walkmen live more than any other band this decade. I remember the first time - late January 2003 at the Troubadour with Hot Hot Heat. HHH had the radio hit but the Walkmen headlined and seemed committed to stopping all the frivolity. Hamilton Leithauser stalked the stage like a prep school bully, and for some reason (probably b/c I had seen my fair share of effeminate indie rock dudes) it really appealed to me. I think the drumming on this record is phenomenal.<br /></li><li>Radiohead - Kid A<br /></li><li>Gonzales - Solo Piano<br /></li><li>Beachwood Sparks - Beachwood Sparks<br /></li><li>Wilco - A Ghost Is Born -- As much as I love Wilco, I believe this is their only album where the great songwriting isn't compromised by the production. "Sky Blue Sky" sounds great, but not all the songs are there. On the other hand, "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" has the songs but Jim O'Rourke's production is cold and sterile; I always prefer "Jesus, Etc." live with the warm organ backing instead of the Quaker strings. "A Ghost Is Born" marries both.<br /></li><li>Cass McCombs - Dropping the Writ</li><li>Stephen Malkmus - Pig Lib and bonus e.p. -- My favorite Malkmus solo record and, sadly, the last with John Moen on drums. Why does everyone think Janet Weiss is such an upgrade? Listen to "Do Not Feed the Oyster;" Weiss' busyness would've ruined that shit, while Moen does his best Bill Ward and comes out victorious.<br /></li><li>Bossanova - Hey, Sugar<br /></li><li>Kanye West - Late Registration</li><li>Cass McCombs - Catacombs</li><li>Belle & Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress</li><li>Low - Things We Lost in the Fire</li><li>The Rapture - Pieces of the People We Love -- I really only listen to the first half of this record, which I believe stacks up against the first half of any record this decade.<br /></li><li>The Walkmen - Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone</li><li>The Shins - Oh, Inverted World</li><li>Blur - Think Tank</li><li>The Strokes - Room on Fire</li><li>Deerhunter - Microcastles</li><li>The Futureheads - S/t</li><li>Outkast - Stankonia</li><li>Blood Brothers - Crimes</li><li>Joanna Newsom - The Milk-eyed Mender</li><li>Madvillain - Madvillainy</li><li>Elliott Smith - Figure 8</li><li>Reigning Sound - Too Much Guitar</li><li>Neko Case - The Tigers Have Spoken</li><li>Sloan - Never Hear the End of It</li><li>A.C. Newman - The Slow Wonder</li><li>Daft Punk - Discovery</li><li>The Clientele - God Save the Clientele</li><li>Field Music - Tones of Town</li><li>Hot Snakes - Suicide Invoice</li><li>Shelby Lynne - I Am Shelby Lynne</li><li>Lambchop - Is a Woman</li><li>Spoon - Girls Can Tell</li><li>Animal Collective - Meriweather Post Pavilion<br /></li><li>Nobody & Mystic Chords of Memory - Tree Colored Sea</li><li>Out Hud - Let Us Never Speak of it Again</li><li>She & Him - Volume 1</li><li>The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow</li><li>Enon - Hocus Pocus</li><li>Impossible Shapes - Horus</li><li>Love Is All - 9 Times the Same Song</li><li>Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit</li><li>Lambchop - Nixon</li><li>Unwound - Leaves Turn Inside You</li><li>Tortoise - Standards</li><li>Deerhoof - Milkman</li><li>Exploding Hearts - Guitar Romantic</li><li>The Game - The Documentary</li><li>The Decemberists - Her Majesty, The Decemberists</li><li>Destroyer - This Night</li><li>Sonic Youth - Rather Ripped</li><li>Clipse - Lord Willin'</li><li>Jay Reatard - Blood Visions</li><li>Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend</li><li>Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights</li><li>Dungen - Ta De Lungt</li><li>Metro Area - Metro Area</li><li>Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica</li><li>Delays - Faded Seaside Glamour</li><li>Air - Talkie Walkie</li><li>The Bigger Lovers - This Affair Never Happened . . . and Here Are 11 Songs About It</li><li>Old 97s - Satellite Rides</li><li>Dungen - 4</li><li> <div>Gorillaz - Demon Days</div> </li></ol>Paulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14468100826003845143noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-1206079023829732212009-12-21T07:24:00.001-08:002009-12-21T07:37:54.555-08:00Top Fifteen Things Paul Forgot About This Decade But Remembered When He Put His Mind to It(15) Home Phone Numbers<br />(14) Roommates (the living situation)<br />(13) Broken Social Scene<br />(12) Campers (the shoes)<br />(11) Eminem<br />(10) Smoke Breaks<br />(9) Colin Powell<br />(8) Album Release Dates<br />(7) Bud Light<br />(6) All Plot Points (Major and Minor) in the First Season of Veronica Mars<br />(5) Freddie Prinze, Jr. and Matthew Lillard<br />(4) French Fries<br />(3) Kevin Brown (the pitcher)<br />(2) Ja Rule<br />(1) The VinesPaulhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14468100826003845143noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-17224783079389821092009-12-20T23:22:00.000-08:002009-12-20T23:48:41.614-08:00FM Gems: Montell Jordan<em><span style="font-size:130%;">Best Songs I Heard on Non-Rock Radio Stations This Year</span></em><br /><br />My second entry in this series comes from R&B also-ran Montell Jordan, heard on 93.5 KDAY. Three things I like about this jam, "Get It On Tonite": <br />1. It has an awesome sample (<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pb30jrVoU2I">"Love for the Sake of Love," by Claudja Barry</a>). <br />2. Montell Jordan went to Pepperdine. <br />3. I thought his only hit was "This Is How We Do It." <br /><strong>— Tom McMahon</strong><br /><br /><div><object width="480" height="332"><param name="movie" value="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x22r0v&related=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.dailymotion.com/swf/x22r0v&related=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="480" height="332" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always"></embed></object><br /><b><a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x22r0v_montell-jordan-get-it-on-tonite_music">Montell Jordan - Get It On Tonite</a></b><br /><i>Uploaded by <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/coolfunk">coolfunk</a>. - <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/us/channel/music">Explore more music videos.</a></i></div>Thomas McMahon IVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094929044988435976noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-82703051287861212612009-12-19T01:02:00.000-08:002009-12-19T01:02:01.403-08:00this is what i like.this is a list of albums. it's not exactly my top 25 for the decade, but it's close. i like to overanalyze so i decided i'd make it easier and narrow my 25 by limiting each band to one album. i've been a bit behind on new music of late so i'm sure i'm missing stuff i'd like.<br />
i was having too hard a time ordering them by preference so i've just randomly assigned them an order. deal with it. why 25? why not? that's as good a reason as any.<br />
now that we've set the ground rules, here's the list with minimal explanation:<br />
<br />
1. menomena - <i>friend and foe</i> (2007)<br />
these are some weird dudes. their song writing process is even weirder. the music, however, is excellent and i'd like them to make more.<br />
<br />
2. gogol bordello - <i>super taranta!</i> (2007)<br />
you can't trust gypsies.<br />
<br />
3. shins - <i>chutes too narrow</i> (2003)<br />
back when i was driving from sc to pepperdine every weekend i listened to this album like it was going out of style... which it was. <br />
<br />
4. the notwist - <i>neon golden</i> (2002)<br />
listen to this album and try to figure out how a band that started in germany's grunge-metal scene made such an awesome indie rock/electronica album.<br />
<br />
5. the flaming lips - <i>yoshimi battles the pink robots</i> (2002)<br />
this is a great album, but you should probably listen to <i>the soft bulletin</i> instead.<br />
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6. wolf parade - <i>apologies to the queen mary</i> (2005)<br />
the guys in this band are in about 37 bands, none of which have made any albums nearly as good as this one or the newer wolf parade album, <i>at mount zoomer</i>.<br />
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7. <i>the good, the bad, the queen</i><sup>1</sup> (2007)<br />
i prefer to think that when damon albarn and paul simonon were writing the songs for this album that simonon did most of the work because the clash were much better than either blur or the gorillaz.<br />
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8. ted leo and the pharmacists - <i>shake the sheets</i> (2004)<br />
sure, this guy's a crazy leftist, but he makes good music. just because i'd side with johnny ramone over joey ramone in a political debate doesn't mean i can't enjoy this album. <br />
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9. vampire weekend - <i>vampire weekend</i> (2008)<br />
i really wanted to hate this band. they're ivy leaguers who dress like philosphy grad students and sing about grammar and architecture. thankfully, they made a record that lived up to the insane amount of internet hype they generated.<br />
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10. okkervil river - <i>the stage names</i> (2007)<br />
this one's pretty darn good.<br />
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11. arcade fire - <i>funeral</i> (2004)<br />
montreal was founded in 1642. 362 years later arcade fire made this album and i finally found something not to dislike about french canada. if i had actually ranked these albums, this one would probably be number one. "rebellion (lies)" is one of the best songs ever recorded and the only to capture my utter distaste for sleep.<br />
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12. animal collective - <i>sung tongs</i> (2004)<br />
okay, i get it. this should say <i>merriweather post pavillion</i> instead of <i>sung tongs</i>, but i haven't heard it yet. i'll get to it eventually so get off my back already.<br />
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13. sufjan stevens - <i>illinois</i> (2005)<br />
"john wayne gacy, jr." is an outstanding song. wait while i listen to it again... okay you may proceed.<br />
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14. ...and you will know us by the trail of dead - <i>source tags and codes</i> (2002)<br />
conrad keely probably did too many psychotropic drugs after this album came out. that's the only way i can figure that the band's subsequent albums failed to come close to this one.<br />
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15. andrew bird - <i>armchair apocrypha</i> (2007)<br />
i saw this guy open for the decemberists at the hollywood bowl which was excellent. the last time i was on a plane, i had "fiery crash" stuck in my head.<br />
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16. the decemberists - <i>crane wife</i> (2006)<br />
picking this album over <i>the hazards of love</i> or any of the others was tough. the facts are these: "o valencia!" is my cell phone ring; my old roommate made a halloween costume based on "shankill butchers"; "sons and daughters" made for an epic sing along at the last concert i attended; the live performance of <i>hazards </i>was insane, but so was seeing the band play with the l.a. philharmonic in '07.<br />
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17. interpol - <i>turn on the bright lights</i> (2002)<br />
remember when the strokes were supposed to reclaim the world for rock and roll? neither do i. what i do remember is that this album is awesome and so was <i>antics</i>. <i>our love to admire</i>? not so much.<br />
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18. modest mouse - <i>good news for people who love bad news</i> (2004)<br />
this is our moment of indier-than-thou, self-righteous idignance: when "float on" hit the radio, everyone and their mother started listening to modest mouse which was cool. less cool, however, was that everyone acted like they'd discovered this new band and they hadn't. they had been around for eleven years. plus it's not discovering a band if you first heard them on mainstream radio or saw a video on mtv. my first introduction to modest mouse? a band t-shirt with a moose on it when i was 14.<br />
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19. wilco - <i>yankee hotel foxtrot</i> (2002)<br />
this album always reminds us of super cool 94.3 which was an actual independent radio station<sup>2</sup> in orange county for about a year before it switched to spanish language. they played the heck out of "heavy metal drummer." seriously, they killed that song. of course, hearing a great song over and over beats the heck out hearing crazy town.<br />
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20. at the drive-in - <i>relationship of command</i> (2000)<br />
a lot of people like the mars volta better than at the drive-in, but i prefer the focus and restraint of the latter over the experimentation for experimentation's sake of the former. that's probably why i'd pick <i>rubber soul</i> over <i>sgt. pepper's</i>.<br />
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21. beck - <i>sea change</i> (2002)<br />
songs from this album are usually my least favorite part of his live shows, but the songs are ridiculously good. i'm still surprised that beck was able to make this album.<br />
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22. the deadly syndrome - <i>the ortolan</i> (2007)<br />
these guys need to record another album and you need to hear this one. get on it.<br />
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23. spoon - <i>girls can tell</i> (2001)<br />
i could just as easily have picked <i>kill the moonlight</i> or <i>gimme fiction</i>, but i listened to this one the other day on a run and i'm humming "chicago at night" right now.<br />
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24. clap your hands say yeah - <i>clap your hands say yeah</i> (2005)<br />
i heard it from a friend; the revolution never happened.<br />
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25. ryan adams - <i>heartbreaker </i>(2000)<br />
for the longest time, i considered ryan adams nothing more than a punchline because he made ulysses s. grant look like a lightweight and put out what seemed like an album a month<sup>3</sup>. then i started listening to this album and, while i kept making jokes until he sobered up, i also gave him the musical respect he deserved.<br />
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<sup>1</sup>the band doesn't really have a name, but it's damon albarn from blur, paul simonon from the clash, simon tong from the verve, and tony allen from africa 70 produced by danger mouse.<br />
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<sup>2</sup>indie 103.1 was owned by clear channel which makes them about as independent at tibet.<br />
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<sup>3</sup>wikipedia lists eleven this decade. i'm not sure, but i think that's how many albums the rolling stones put out in the sixties when most bands could record and release an album between breakfast and lunch.kyle.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01310151787633731970noreply@blogger.com120tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-852767774453895712009-12-18T15:27:00.000-08:002009-12-18T15:36:33.443-08:00Lex's Top 10 Album for the DecadeFirst of all, let me explain that I am awful about expressing my reasons for loving an album. Sometimes the music just strums my heart strings the right way, other times it might be that I relate the album to a specific time in my life that stands out. It could be the musicianship, the energy, or I could just be crazy for loving it. Whatever the reason (and in no particular order), here are my top 10:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Spoon</span>: Girls Can Tell - 2001<br /> To me, this is a perfect album and is on my all time favorites list, not just my decade list. Everything Hits at Once was the first track on the first mix CD Chris ever made me. After the first listen I was hooked on Spoon (and Chris, of course) This album has been with me for the best and worst days ever since.<br />2 more reasons to love this album: the cover art, and the perfect album name.<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Natural History</span>: The People That I meet - 2007<br /> First heard this band when they opened for Spoon at the El Rey Theater. I was outside smoking cigarettes (yeah, we were cool back then) with Chris and Morgan when we heard the band start to play. Normally we would have stayed outside through the whole opening act, but something caught our ears and we decided to check them out. A couple of EPs & LPs later, the band disintegrated… this beautiful album is the last of The Natural History. If you haven’t heard it yet, get your hands on it soon. I promise it will be playing in your head for weeks to come.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Crystal Skulls</span>: Blocked Numbers - 2005<br /> This one was something I had to listen to a few songs at a time. Hussy & Airport Motels were the first two songs that really got me boppin’. Now the album is on regular rotation every few months. Great for long car rides.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Duke Spirit</span>: Cuts Across the Land - 2005<br /> Two Words: Leila Moss. Energetic album! Makes me want to be a rockstar!. This is my favorite album to rock out to by myself. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The Walkmen</span>: You and Me - 2008<br /> Moody. I can listen to this album for weeks at a time. There is just something special about the sound, and the emotion that fills yur ears when you listen to this one.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Outkast</span>: Speakerboxxx - 2003<br /> Just straight up fun. Sure, it isn’t one that I can listen to all the time—but it never fails to ake me wanna dance.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Lucinda Williams</span>: world without tears - 2003<br /> I bought this and it sat on the shelf for 8 months before I finally gave it a real chance. I love Lucinda’s voice. Imperfect, but always a little raw and real. The song writing on this one is great. She is simple, but sometimes the imagery is just right.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Aimee Mann</span>: Bachelor No.2 - 2000<br /> While searching my brain for missing pieces in my decade list I came across this. By no means is it perfect, but it just had to be this way. Aimee Mann just has an emotional effect on me that I can’t explain.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Wilco</span>: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - 2002<br /> What can I say about this album… It was my first taste of Wilco and again, happens to be my favorite Wilco albums. Great balance of pop and sadness. Wilco is always a good choice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Radiohead</span>: In Rainbows - 2007<br /> I was so excited to hear this for the first time. Although all Radiohead albums are amazing, and they should all really be on this list- this one was perfect. It was everything I wanted it to be and more. I still hear new exciting things when I listen to it today.Lexihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13207791285294665121noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-73668499229580452692009-12-18T11:42:00.000-08:002009-12-18T12:44:08.245-08:00Michelle's Favorite Albums of the DecadeWriting this, I realized that I have become one of those people who talks about my children all the time. Whatever. I'm not sorry.<br /><br />10. The Black and White Album, The Hives (2007)<br /><em>This album makes me drive crazy. The other night, I drove up onto the sidewalk and then slammed back down into the road when turning onto our street. Tom had to talk me down when I walked in the house because I was freaking out convinced a neighbor was going to call the cops and tell them I was drunk driving with my baby in the back seat and that social services would probably come and take my kids away.</em><br /><em></em><br />9. Flash Forward to the Good Times, Farmer Dave Scher (2009)<br /><br />8. Fleet Foxes, Fleet Foxes (2008)<br /><br />7. A Strangely Isolated Place, Ulrich Schnauss (2003)<br /><em>I have used this album to calm my children and myself many many times. It does indeed transport us all to a strangely isolated place.</em><br /><em></em><br />6. We Can Create, Maps (2007)<br /><em>Another great driving album, especially through the canyons on a frosty morning.</em><br /><em></em><br />5. A Camp, A Camp (2001)<br /><br />4. Silent Shout, The Knife (2006)<br /><em>I cannot wait to see The Knife live. If I had to pick between seeing The Knife or The Cardigans live, I would actually pick The Knife. Anyone who knows me knows that's a big-ass deal. Also, my boys love "One Hit" because they can sing along: "Ho ho ho ho." Tommy says, "Listen, I hear it..... Ha ha ha ha."</em><br /><em></em><br />3. Hold Time, M. Ward (2009)<br /><em>I'm in love with M. Ward. If I married him, my name would also be M. Ward. But I love my husband a lot, and I've heard M. is a bit of a loner or something...</em><br /><em></em><br />2. Fever Ray, Fever Ray (2009)<br /><em>No words to express how this album makes me feel. I think Karin may be the first person to express in music perfectly what it's like to be a mother of two small children... at least what I know of it. I think we would enjoy getting together for a playdate with our kids. And we could even speak Swedish to each other!</em><br /><em></em><br />1. Long Gone Before Daylight, The Cardigans (2004)<br /><em>I can listen to this album any time, any mood, and every single song warms my heart every time. </em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em><br /><em></em>Best-Of Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644459111379895151noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-57159240604614082982009-12-17T08:13:00.000-08:002009-12-17T08:56:24.981-08:00Songs I Wish I Never HeardI hope I'm allowed to do my LEAST favorite songs of the decade. If that's out of the scope of this blog, I apologize!<br /><br />I will be the first to admit that I love cheesy pop music. The hip hop lover in me is alive and well. I usually switch from KIIS 102.7 to the newest Modest Mouse CD before I leave my car, just in case my husband drives my car next. I still want him to think I'm cool. <br /><br />However, even though I admit to rocking out to the latest pop music, there is some down right awful music out there. I do think we should celebrate the fact that we live in a country where the following songs made it on any kind of "hits" list. We live in America where people are free to like terrible, terrible, terrible music. And I am free to mock them.<br /><br />Here is my list of songs I wish I never heard, broken down by year:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2000</span>-Three way tie between <span style="font-style: italic;">Thong Song</span> by Sisqo, <span style="font-style: italic;">Higher </span>by Creed (or anything by Creed), and <span style="font-style: italic;">Kryptonite </span>by 3 Doors Down.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2001</span>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Butterfly </span>by Crazy Town. This song has scarred me because my mom would hum this song around the house. MY MOM! Nobody should have to listen to their mother hum the tune to a song whose lyrics include: <span style="font-style: italic;">Such a sexy,sexy pretty little thing/Fierce nipple pierce you got me sprung with your tongue ring. </span>Really? She didn't know the lyrics, but because this song was played everywhere, she had no choice but to learn the tune and hum it.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2002</span>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Work It </span>by Missy Elliott. I won't even post lyrics in case my nephews ever find this blog, but I like less elephants noises in songs.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2003</span>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Stacy's Mom </span>by Fountains of Wayne. I have a friend named Stacy and people STILL sing this song to her.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2004</span>-<span style="font-style: italic;">American Idiot</span> by Green Day. I'll save my comments about this one for my Ron Paul fan page discussion board.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2005</span>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Don't Cha </span>by the Pussycat Dolls Featuring Busta Rhymes. This must have been on some commercial that aired during baseball games because 2005 was my dad's time to whistle pop songs around the house. No Dad, I don't wish my girlfriend was hot like you.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2006</span>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Fergalicious </span>by Fergie. I haven't figured out how to articulate my hatred for this song. Fergie tied with <span style="font-style: italic;">How to Save a Life </span>by The Fray.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2007</span>-<span style="font-style: italic;">Hey There Delilah </span>by the Plain White Tees. Some guy talking what sounds like a voicemail to his girlfriend gets to make lots of money? Weak. It should be noted this is the year <span style="font-style: italic;">Party Like a Rockstar</span> came out which reminds me of my very funny sister and makes me laugh hysterically.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2008</span>-<span style="font-style: italic;">I Kissed a Girl </span>by Katy Perry. I don't like when people try to stir things up just because. Trying to rebel against your Christian upbringing? Seen it. Yaaaawn.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2009</span>-In an effort to end on a positive note, I'm happy to say I can't think of one song that came out this year that makes my skin crawl. However, the year's not over yet!<br /><br />Thanks for reading!Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00453131526374258297noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-29230609423742305072009-12-15T21:54:00.000-08:002009-12-15T21:55:54.737-08:00Brendan McCormick's Top 11 Albums of 2009.Top 11 Records of (2+0-0+9)<br /><br />11.Dan Deacon—Bromst<br />Slicing up percussion beats and play-toy beeps to build dreamy, semi-manic atmospheres for his sugary-sweet vocal melodies, Deacon turns the brightness down a tick with Bromst. As usual, the tracks will trigger a synthesized, cerebral trip, with sonic space ships flying through sparkling skies full of twinkling bells, but never have Deacon’s songs sounded so full, smart, or dark. Stronger than Spiderman of the Rings, Bromst sticks to Deacon’s strengths while refining his use of space to fill out his floating dance party sound.<br />Big Tracks—Snookered<br />Surprise Stefani<br /><br />10.Built to Spill—There is no Enemy<br />The last BTS record, You in Reverse, sounded like the band might be going down a more “psychedelic jam band-ish” avenue. The relief came eventually, though, with There is no Enemy, on which Doug Martsch brings the best technical aspects of his last 5 albums together in yet another instant classic. Enemy blends shimmery tunes and mournful melodies of pure gold with the clever guitar scribbling that lifts BTS beyond the unwashed indie masses. Tangents are great, if you have a pretty good idea where you’re going, and this one has brought the band back to what made them great. This album’s sound is appropriately easy going, but nothing is easy unless you are Doug Martsch.<br />Big Tracks—Hindsight<br />Oh Yeah<br /><br />09.Andrew Bird—Noble Beast<br />Bird has perfected the art of layered composition. On Noble Beast, mouthwatering hooks, harmonies, and spicy rhythms fertilize an unflawed bloom of lyrical mastery. On past albums, Bird seemed more inclined to choose words that fit rhythmically, while Beast gives off the feeling that although the vocabulary didn’t get any smaller, words came easier on this one. Some critics said that no tune on this album stood out as a single, but I disagree. The opener, “Oh No” is instantly irresistible, and three or four others are right there as well. This is (another) AB album that is easy to become obsessed with.<br />Big Tracks—Oh No<br />Effigy<br /><br />08.Atlas Sound—Logos<br />Athens, Georgia spawns neurotic genius, so it is no surprise that Deerhunter’s Bradford Cox was born and raised there. In the summer of ’09, he accidentally dropped his beautifully haunting, lo-fidelity solo demos all over the net. Luckily, he pulled himself together and decided to package them anyway, eventually releasing Logos. The album is wonderfully deceiving. On the surface, Cox’s ethereal arrangements sound experimental, without much direction. A closer listen reveals a brilliant singer/songwriter with Brian Wilson-esque talent for architecture, pumping melodies through a deliciously melancholy filter.<br />Big Tracks—Walkabout<br />Sheila<br /><br /><br />07.Beirut/Realpeople—March of the Zapotec/Holland<br />Something is wrong with you if you don’t love a good 19-piece Mexican band. Everybody knows that. Zach Condon is a sponge, and he is soaking up all of the earth’s folk music styles, but his songwriting is so strong that it withstands all influence. The first half of Beirut’s latest effort sounds like a funeral procession that took place in 1908. Neutral Milk-esque horn parts only add to the songs’ antique appeal, and Condon’s crooning never misses. The 2nd half of the album is electronically charged. The change is drastic, but the songwriting shines through so strongly that the record is a success. Not many artists have a style that transcends time like this guy does. Holland is superbly crafted, and it is interesting to compare the two sections of the album, which are astoundingly similar for being so separate. Someone with such a remarkable sound easily could stay inside his comfort zone and remain esteemed, but Condon craves inspiration, and he gets it, no matter how far away it takes him.<br />Big Tracks—La Llorona<br />My Night With the Prostitute From Marseille<br /><br /><br />06.Fever Ray—Fever Ray<br />Karin and Olof Dreijer could not be more perfect for each other. He controls tribal beats and galactic sounds to blanket her passive aggressive tone. Unlike on the powerful “Silent Shout”, Karin’s anxious vocals are often more open and vulnerable on this album, which is not to say that she has lost her power, but this time the tracks are more fragile, and more pretty. Most of the album is her dueting with sped up or slowed down versions of her self, creating the familiar druid-like eeriness surrounding the entire album. This is some of the best work they’ve done yet.<br />Big Tracks—When I Grow Up<br />If I Had A Heart<br /><br /><br />05.Mew—No More Stories Are Told Today…<br />This is the pop record I’ve been waiting for from Mew. The album flows smoothly along, without occasionally falling off track this time. The production couldn’t be any better, and with progressive shred contrasting the soaring, angelic voice of Jonas Bjerre, this album doesn’t have one low moment. …Glass Handed Kites was also extremely good, and Mew has since learned how to utilize their strengths in writing, and in the studio. Multiple-movement pieces are nothing new to the band, but unlike before, the assembly has definite direction all throughout. That, and the songs are very good throughout.<br />They have been around for a long time, but this masterpiece proves that Mew is ready to become the biggest stadium rock band in the world. It’s about time, too, because Muse is really starting to blow.<br />Big Tracks—Introducing Palace Players<br />Cartoons and Macreme Wounds<br /><br /><br />04.Dirty Projectors—Bitte Orca<br />Dirty Projectors have taken their experimental compositions to great new heights with Bitte Orca. They splash an R&B feel onto their pop tunes, but the group often sounds like it comes from another time. Dave Longstreth is the genius behind the curtain, and his arms and legs are Amber Coffman and Angel Deradoorian, who manage to catch his every drift. Some of the record’s riffs sound like a wall is melting around them, and the whole album is a wonderfully fresh, very approachable musical experience. Every track has surprises, but Longstreth clearly has control of his unique sound, which is a good thing for the rest of us.<br />Big Tracks—Stillness is the Move<br />No Intention<br /><br />03.Phoenix—Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix<br />Phoenix has discovered a musical fit for Thomas Mars’ sweet n’ drowsy falsetto on the great WAP. Every track could be a hit single, minus the 7:00 Love Like a Sunset, which could be a hit single if anyone had an attention span (or listened to the radio). The tunes are all simple but memorable, and every song is ornamented to perfection. The same way Green Day’s Dookie appealed to the masses 15 years ago, and The Strokes’ Is This It? Did the same 10 years ago, everything here just sounds right. Good songs, all perfectly catered to their front man’s unique croon. Phoenix is now added to my “get whatever they release” list. (Green Day is not on that list. Strokes are.)<br />Big Tracks—Rome<br />1901<br /><br />02.Grizzly Bear—Veckatimest<br />The critics were praising this album before it even came out, and the follow up to the dreary, sluggish Yellow House did, in fact, turn out to be all together amazing. Layered sound textures create an interesting backdrop for soaring vocals and shimmery percussion, but what makes this record great is the songwriting. Beautiful but haunting, the tracks feel as though they were written as one masterwork, and the album’s resonating aftertaste is eerily gloomy. The record was flawlessly produced, and no detail was overlooked. I can find nothing wrong here.<br />Big Tracks—Two Weeks<br />Cheerleader<br /><br />01.Animal Collective—Merriweather Post Pavilion & (Fall Be Kind)<br />MPP took its place as my favorite album of the year early on, and although some bands came quite close, no one could de-throne Animal Collective in 2009. The album is covered with danceable rhythms, sweet hooks, new twists, and so much more. Each member brings his own style to the effort, and the pieces combine to form an hour long, sonic adventure moon vacation. Avey Tare’s vocals are somewhat less scratchy than on previous records, and Panda Bear’s choirboy whining is still smooth and clean. The lyrics on MPP are peculiar as ever, with metaphors sailing around with jibberish, in a colorful spectrum of sound. Fall Be Kind is a 5-song EP that was released earlier this winter, to deservingly rave reviews. Same formula. Same success. Post Pavilion is their 9th record, and Animal Collective sound better than ever, which for them should be perfectly impossible.<br />Big Tracks—My Girls<br />Daily RoutineBest-Of Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644459111379895151noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-33516753697400420032009-12-14T23:17:00.000-08:002009-12-15T00:18:48.574-08:00Best of the Aughts - Ricky's 15 favorite albums of the decadeNarrowing down an entire decade of music to a mere fifteen albums is incredibly difficult. My primary criteria for the selections: did I consistently listen to the entire album from beginning to end without skipping ahead? <br /><br />Unfortunately, I can't say that about Radiohead's "Kid A" - it's a great album, but that "Treefingers" track bores me immensely (as does the dead air break on the final track). Of course, please feel free to disagree.<br /><br />Again, this isn't a critic's list. Just my personal favorites. It's been a pleasure reading this group's lists for nearly a decade. Keep 'em coming. <br /><br />Happy New Year!<br /><br />Respectfully,<br />Ricky<br /><br />15. Nickel Creek, "Why Should the Fire Die?" (August 9, 2005)<br />14. Muse, "Black Holes and Revelations" (July 11, 2006)<br />13. Depeche Mode, "Playing The Angel" (October 18, 2005)<br />12. Britney Spears, "Blackout" (October 30, 2007) <br />11. Daniel Bedingfield, "Gotta Get Thru This" (August 27, 2002) <br />10. Evanescence, "Fallen" (March 4, 2003)<br />9. Coldplay, “Parachutes” (November 7, 2000)<br />8. Beck, "Sea Change" (September 24, 2002) <br />7. Madonna, “Confessions on a Dance Floor” (November 15, 2005)<br />6. Snow Patrol, “Final Straw” (March 30, 2004)<br />5. Keane, "Hopes and Fears" (May 25, 2004)<br />4. Robyn, “Robyn” (April 27, 2005)<br />3. Shelby Lynne, “I Am Shelby Lynne” (Jan. 25, 2000)<br />2. Switchfoot, "The Beautiful Letdown" (February 25, 2003) <br />1. Nine Inch Nails, “Year Zero” (April 17, 2007):<br />"Certainly the album is bleak and doesn't make for bland entertainment, but then, his records never do. This one is as fully realized as a rock & roll album for the post-9/11 world can be…Year Zero is bloodied but unbowed rock with a capital "R"; it's a serious and marginal pop treatise on the lack of political and social awareness inherent in the current and perhaps near future culture. It reveals in song and sound the helplessness bred in the individual's eminent collision and collusion with a perceived enemy. It becomes a kind of manifesto, a Jeremiad prophecy of what may arrive, however metaphorically, if these shadows do not change. It's brilliant, disturbing, necessary." <br /><br />Full review at: http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:wzfrxz85ldje~T1Rickyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04616690849037761515noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-42351919189980436112009-12-13T15:25:00.000-08:002009-12-13T15:54:20.085-08:00FM Gems: George Strait<span style="font-size:130%;"><em>Best Songs I Heard on Non-Rock Radio Stations This Year</em><br /></span><br />I made a point of spending more time scanning non-rock radio stations this year on my lengthy drive to and from work in the Los Angeles area. Mainly, I ventured into the formats of country, classical, smooth jazz, non-smooth jazz, and old-school hip hop and R&B. While I'm not crazy about the majority of what these stations play (with the exception of the classical station), I found that it was worth the time spent to come across the occasional gem. So throughout this year's Jamboree, I'm sharing my favorite FM gems, as I like to call them.<br /><br />The first entry comes from country superstar George Strait, heard on Go Country 105. I love the sentiment of this song, and I love the way they just plow through it and don't even bother with a second verse. The video's pretty great, too.<br /><script language="JavaScript" type="text/javascript" src="http://admin.brightcove.com/js/BrightcoveExperiences.js"></script><span style="font-size:85%;"><strong>— Tom McMahon</strong> </span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /></span><object id="myExperience" class="BrightcoveExperience"><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF"><param name="width" value="400"><param name="height" value="346"><param name="playerID" value="10032373001"><param name="publisherID" value="1612833736"><param name="isVid" value="true"><param name="autoStart" value="false"><param name="@videoPlayer" value="15465371001"><param name="linkBaseURL" value="http://music.aol.com/video/heartland/george-strait/1448845"></object>Thomas McMahon IVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094929044988435976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-21438506527041202482009-12-09T19:22:00.000-08:002009-12-09T19:59:33.356-08:00Meltdowns!Watching the touching Allen Iverson press conference last week set me on a path of re-living his “we’re talkin’ about practice” rant, which led me on a path of sports meltdown videos. Here’s a sampling of the best of the 00’s.<br /><br />I’m not proud that I remember this many and some have been made into ubiquitous beer commercials, but I still can’t get enough of people losing their crap.<br /><br />The better list is probably best <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exOxUAntx8I">sports rants remixes</a> but i'm just going to go with the original rants.<br /><br />Please feel free to add ones I missed…many are NSFW….<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hid-n14yiyM">Chris Berman – 2000</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qwq7BYOnDrM">Jim Mora – 2001</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMk5sMHj58I&feature=PlayList&p=986EFFCB793CF734&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=19">Herm Edwards - 2002</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eGDBR2L5kzI">Allen Iverson - 2002</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_N1OjGhIFc">Dennis Green - 2006</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDx_6LzfZ5Y&feature=PlayList&p=C5B9CA18CB0E5891&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=12">Joe Mikulik – 2006</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoMmbUmKN0E">Mike Gundy - 2007</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4T26x6GZEw">Dan Hawkins - 2007</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qoLkWWvwAIk">Phillip Wellman - 2007</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jvo5XO1kH1c">Kevin Borseth - 2008 (also wins the award for greatest entrance in the history of entrances…)</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amxTBFn0YpM">Omar Minaya - 2009</a><br /><br />Not from this decade, but here are some other classics I hadn’t heard…<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRhu9jUal2Q">Tommy Lasorda (for the LA folks…)</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FupXtFYXbxk">Todd Stottlemyre (maybe my all time favorite)</a>Daniel Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10106836332012328337noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-26495190137343009842009-12-08T10:28:00.000-08:002009-12-08T11:03:04.641-08:00Michelle's Picks for Best Concerts of the Decade10. The Rapture at El Rey (November 15, 2003)<br /><br />9. The Faint at the Mayan Theatre (November 14, 2004)<br /><br />8. A Camp at the Troubadour (June 15, 2009)<br /><em>This probably would have been higher on my list if I saw the show back in my childless days, when I had energy and could form sentences after dark. It was still great though.</em><br /><em></em><br />7. Royksopp and Annie at Avalon (September 13, 2005)<br /><em>Dance party!</em><br /><em></em><br />6. Jens Lekman at the Troubadour (November 10, 2007)<br /><em>I will never forget all those beautiful little Swedes dancing around the stage in their white embroidered dresses. I think it was the most heart-warming show I've ever been to.</em><br /><em></em><br />5. !!! and Future Pigeon at the Henry Fonda (July 28, 2004)<br /><em>Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I've never seen so many people on stage at once as during Future Pigeon's set.</em><br /><em></em><br />4. The Hives at the Henry Fonda (August 2, 2004)<br /><em>Each one of those Swedes has more energy than both of my hyperactive children combined.</em><br /><em></em><br />3. Jens Lekman and Richard Swift at Spaceland (October 28, 2005)<br /><em>Most people left after Richard Swift, so Jens pretty much played for just me, Tom, and a handful of other people. He walked around the "crowd" with his ukulele, and we even got to meet him afterwards and tell him how we had been waiting for YEARS for him to come play in LA.</em><br /><em></em><br />2. The Cardigans at the Troubadour (May 25, 2004)<br /><em>When Nina Persson came on stage, the first time I ever got to see my idol in person, I shed a single warm and heavy tear of happiness.</em><br /><em></em><br />1. Fischerspooner at the House of Blues LA (September 21, 2003)<br /><em>This show was so amazing that it literally intoxicated me. Literally. I came home and vomitted after the show... and I wasn't sick or drunk.</em>Best-Of Friendshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14644459111379895151noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-63821211411844861232009-12-07T22:59:00.000-08:002009-12-07T23:12:44.104-08:00Put on your thinking caps<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHE_HyNjjV8NmZip6ar1Et68Ro0Tj4RzMUAvmrlU9OCCbHXeM_OII-hqqFqNZuxlqOnv-di5f5dw7rUA2I2rpsdIZMd47Yi9oNFBOTstzD5Uu_evD6S61AS9r8IWy3_QTCpg3Ec62NUY/s1600-h/ioi2009+(2).jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 200px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 166px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5412757730481209170" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLHE_HyNjjV8NmZip6ar1Et68Ro0Tj4RzMUAvmrlU9OCCbHXeM_OII-hqqFqNZuxlqOnv-di5f5dw7rUA2I2rpsdIZMd47Yi9oNFBOTstzD5Uu_evD6S61AS9r8IWy3_QTCpg3Ec62NUY/s200/ioi2009+(2).jpg" /></a> <div><div>It's not every end of the year that we also have the end of a decade. In fact, it only happens every 10 years or so. That means this is a special edition of 1, 2, 3 ... Jamboree! Tell us about your favorites of 2009, and then tell us about your favorites of the 2000s, if your memory is good enough. </div></div>Thomas McMahon IVhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08094929044988435976noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-50917011971787117602009-03-13T02:27:00.000-07:002009-03-13T03:42:54.304-07:00LONG PLAYSWait, what the hell? It's March, for God's sake! Nobody's even coming to this blog anymore! Yeah, this got put off for quite a while. But if anybody's still interested, away we go!<br /><br />-Colin McCormick<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">TOP 22 ALBUMS OF 2008</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">22. of Montreal – <span style="font-style: italic;">Skeletal Lamping</span></span><br />This is Kevin Barnes’s alter-ego <s>Ziggy Stardust</s> Georgie Fruit (supposedly a forty-something transgendered African-American) run amok. The brilliance that I loved on 2007’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?</span> is still here much of the time, but it is too often buried under a mountain of affected sass.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">21. Okkervil River – <span style="font-style: italic;">The Stand Ins</span></span><br />A solid companion piece to 2007’s <span style="font-style: italic;">The Stage Names</span> (put one cover above the other and they align to form a single painting), this album once again showcases singer Will Sheff’s strong pop songwriting sensibilities, especially on tracks like “Pop Lie” and stand-out opener, “Lost Coastlines.”<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">20. Dungen – <span style="font-style: italic;">4</span></span><br />This is about as close to a full-blown jam band as you’re ever going to see me get, and it is definitely Dungen’s instrumental chops that are very much on display here. But unlike true jam bands, they manage to constrain their jazzy prowess to under five minutes per track, keeping <span style="font-style: italic;">4</span> enjoyable no matter how few hemp bracelets you normally wear.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">19. El Guincho – <span style="font-style: italic;">Alegranza!</span></span><br />It’s the Spanish <span style="font-style: italic;">Person Pitch</span>! Well, not exactly. A little more fiesta than psychedelia, this sample-heavy album can feel a bit monotonous at times, but for the most part it’s upbeat maraca-shaking fun.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">18. M83 – <span style="font-style: italic;">Saturdays = Youth</span></span><br />It’s melodramatic. It has ridiculously grandiose track titles like “Skin Of The Night,” “We Own The Sky,” “Highway Of Endless Dreams,” and “Midnight Souls Still Remain.” It contains more than one spoken segment of cringe-inducing, angst-filled, adolescent poetry. But in large part, this album somehow actually pulls off the monumental task of portraying adolescent melodrama in a nostalgic light. Allow yourself to be immersed in the shimmering reverb and sparkling ‘80s synthesizers, and you just might almost feel like you want to be fifteen again. Almost.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">17. Hot Chip – <span style="font-style: italic;">Made In The Dark</span></span><br />Hot Chip is a little more erratic here than they were on 2006’s fantastic <span style="font-style: italic;">The Warning</span>, occasionally straying from their established electropop sound, and at times even veering into full-blown R&B. But for the most part, they retain their charming playfulness, something most easily seen in their live performances, which inject these tracks with a new life that unfortunately makes the album seem a bit sterile in comparison.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">16. Calexico – <span style="font-style: italic;">Carried To Dust</span></span><br />This is Calexico at their gentle southwestern folk rock best. Teaming up with Tortoise’s Doug McCombs, singer-songwriter Pieta Brown, and, once again, Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam, Carried To Dust breezes through fifteen whispery, surprisingly emotive, and at times all out gorgeous alt-country numbers.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">15. Army Navy – <span style="font-style: italic;">Army Navy</span></span><br />I picked up a self-released EP featuring early demos of four of these songs at a show way back in 2006. Then, after another show in early in 2008, I obtained a free (albeit coverless) copy of the full length album when the band was simply handing it out. Finally, it was released with such little fanfare that for a few months I didn’t even realize it. Army Navy’s biggest claim to fame remains a single track on the soundtrack to teen rom-com, Nick & Nora’s Infinite Playlist. Their infectious, energetic jangly pop rock deserves better. If you’re in LA, do the band (and yourself) a favor: check out one of their frequent shows at Spaceland, The Echo, or Silverlake Lounge.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">14. Fuck Buttons – <span style="font-style: italic;">Street Horrrsing</span></span><br />Clocking in at an average length of over eight minutes, this album’s six tracks are in no hurry to develop. But given a little patience, the blaring drones, pulsating electronic rhythms, and unsettlingly surreal, processed vocals can become engrossing and at times overwhelming.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">13. The Dodos – <span style="font-style: italic;">Visiter</span></span><br />This Bay Area duo’s sophomore effort is brimming with rhythmically charged, acoustic psych-folk, but it’s their knack for extremely catchy pop songwriting that will keep your attention.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">12. HEALTH – <span style="font-style: italic;">HEALTH//DISCO</span></span><br />“ALL THE HITS //REMIXED,” boasts the album cover. It even goes on to list all ten tracks from HEALTH’s self-titled 2007 noise rock debut. In actuality, only seven of those tracks show up here. Two appear twice each, and “Triceratops” takes the gold with three separate remixes (two of which are by Acid Girls). But no need to fear redundancy--the songs are so chopped, spliced, and dressed up in electronic blips and bleeps, they have become entirely different (at times nearly unrecognizable) and much more interesting animals. Despite the ten separate remixers’ widely varying use of the source material, they all manage to maintain HEALTH’s noisy intensity, channeling it into a cohesive, and surprisingly catchy, synthed-up dance album.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">11. School Of Seven Bells – <span style="font-style: italic;">Alpinisms</span></span><br />Densely layered electronic dream pop supports harmonizing female vocals that fluctuate between haunting tribal chants and graceful soaring beauty. Take one listen to the enchanting single, “Half Asleep,” and there’s no turning back.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">10. Wolf Parade – <span style="font-style: italic;">At Mount Zoomer</span></span><br />Splitting songwriting and vocal duties, co-front men Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug have collectively delivered an energetic, and somewhat unsettling album. First syllable of his last name aside, Boeckner’s vocal delivery recalls that of Beck’s, while Krug’s has a more mysterious quality, reminiscent of a quieter Dan Bejar (of Destroyer and The New Pornographers). But despite bouncing back and forth between these two styles, <span style="font-style: italic;">At Mount Zoomer</span> is uniformly compelling in its agitated anxiousness.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">9. High Places – <span style="font-style: italic;">High Places</span></span><br />Singer Mary Pearson’s endearingly simple delivery lilts atop a dizzying array of multi-instrumentalist Rob Barber’s psychedelic rhythmical samples on this Brooklyn duo’s self-titled debut.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">8. Sigur Rós – <span style="font-style: italic;">Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust</span></span><br />Upon hearing the first single, “Gobbledigook,” a lighthearted up-tempo rhythmical romp, it seemed that Sigur Rós was charting new territory. The rest of the album, however, falls back on their tried-and-true brand of gentle atmospherics building to mammoth-sized, overwhelming theatrical triumph. It may be getting old for some, but it sure still works its magic on me.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">7. Vampire Weekend – <span style="font-style: italic;">Vampire Weekend</span></span><br />This impeccably performed peppy preppy pop rock, packaged in African-influenced instrumentation, manages to keep things simple and straightforward enough (save its tasteful string embellishments) to have staggeringly broad appeal. Never have I witnessed a band rise from internet buzz to national attention so quickly.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">6. Cut Copy – <span style="font-style: italic;">In Ghost Colours</span></span><br />Amongst a torrent of “new new wave” acts, Australia’s Cut Copy manage to rise above the murky floodwaters. <span style="font-style: italic;">In Ghost Colours</span> is expertly crafted dance pop, mixing in just enough electronic flourishes, ambient swells, and seamless, floating track transitions to keep ears attentive and heads nodding throughout.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">5. Blitzen Trapper – <span style="font-style: italic;">Furr</span></span><br />Like the late Grandaddy, this six-piece Portland band has a fondness for rustic outdoorsiness mixed with new-fangled electronics. Their roots, however, are here firmly planted in ragged ‘60s and ‘70s folk rock. And singer Eric Earley lends his Dylanesque vocals to tracks ranging from heartfelt piano ballads to up-tempo dance grooves.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">4. Conor Oberst – <span style="font-style: italic;">Conor Oberst</span></span><br />Continuing his recent folksy/alt-country kick, the perennially discontent Oberst is well suited by the stripped down, raw feel of this album. His penchant for the overly emotive makes him a divisive figure. But if you share my feeling that he has a way with words, many of these latest musings on existence, meaning, and salvation can be achingly poignant.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">3. Crystal Castles – <span style="font-style: italic;">Crystal Castles</span></span><br />This Canadian duo produces catchy electropop marred by the noises of extremely angry video games and the occasional distorted, shrieking female vocal. That it manages to come across as energizing rather than off-putting is an impressive achievement for this fantastic debut.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">2. The Ruby Suns – <span style="font-style: italic;">Sea Lion</span></span><br />California native turned New Zelander Ryan McPhun fronts this band, dabbling in exotic world beat influences, but ultimately creating catchy, dreamy psychedelic pop songs. As it slowly meanders through ambient transitions from one track to the next, <span style="font-style: italic;">Sea Lion</span> can bring on the spaced out feeling of having fallen asleep in the sun, and from the sounds here, that could as easily have been on a California beach as a Polynesian island.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">1. Fleet Foxes – <span style="font-style: italic;">Fleet Foxes</span></span><br />2008 was a particularly strong year for eponymous debuts. The fifth and final on my list was also the year’s most rewarding album. Lead singer and songwriter Robin Pecknold carries <span style="font-style: italic;">Fleet Foxes</span>’ gorgeous folk melodies with an almost shockingly strong and true voice that is ever so slightly weathered, just enough to evoke the perfect level of earnest sincerity. It’s a voice that can stand alone, as it does during long <span style="font-style: italic;">a capella</span> sections of haunting closer “Oliver James,” or blend beautifully, as it very frequently does, with the voices of the band’s three other talented singers. The rich harmonies and rustic instrumental arrangements create a spellbinding pastoral transcendence throughout a line-up of melodies so effortless and pure, it’s hard to believe they are new creations, and not enduring traditional folk tunes from anonymous composers of long ago.Colin McCormickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05798652834863910363noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6148797616690196169.post-16090587552395668622009-01-17T20:38:00.000-08:002009-01-18T03:47:11.876-08:00Cary's Favorite Non-Portland Albums of '08Having already sounded off on my favorite music from Portland, Oregon in 2008, I wanted to address, albeit belatedly, some of my favorite albums from everywhere else. Being late, I'll save everyone the time it would take to read whatever commentary I might add to the albums that have already been mentioned here. Suffice it to say that I was, like some of you, a big fan of, in diminishing order:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Fleet Foxes<br />Bon Iver<br />Vampire Weekend</span><br /><br />I would also like to clarify that my favorite Portland album of the year - <span style="font-weight:bold;">"Verbs" by Au - was my favorite album of the year</span> - period - and I highly recommend taking the time to investigate it. If you have any fondness for ecstatic group vocals, Minimalism or structural inventiveness, it's worth your while. "RR vs D" and "Are Animals" are a good entry point. <br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/peaofthesea" target="new">Au MySpace</a> <br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=au+verbs&x=0&y=0" target="new">Au on Amazon MP3</a><br /><br />Probably coming right behind Au and Fleet Foxes in the number three slot would be<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Abe Vigoda - Skeleton</span><br />This album is pretty relentlessly trebly and up-tempo; in spite of that constraint, it manages to cover a deceptively wide stretch of emotional territory and, because of the narrow sonic palette, it does so in unforeseen ways. Virtually all of the somewhat disappointingly little press this album got included the term "tropical punk," which is somewhat fair given the fact that one of the two guitarists' tones recalls a steel drum more than a string instrument. Like many of the LA (okay, fine, Chino) bands that made it okay for hipsters to think that LA is cool again (No Age, Mika Miko, Health), Abe Vigoda are part of the unofficial roster of downwtown LA venue <a href="http://www.thesmell.org/" target="new">The Smell</a>. In my opinion, they are the best of the lot, doing something not exactly like anything I've heard before, and if you live in Southern California you should try to check these dudes out. A precious municipal treasure. They have a new EP coming out - again on No Ager Dean Spunt's Post Present Medium label - in February. Recommended starter tracks: The Garden, Skeleton <br /><a href="www.myspace.com/abevigoda " target="new">Abe Vigoda MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Skeleton/dp/B001C3BNXW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1232273890&sr=8-2" target="new">Abe Vigoda Amazon MP3 Link</a><br /><br />I suppose that brings me to <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">No Age - Nouns</span><br />I think that my instinct to react against this duo because of all the hype they got was negated by my native Angeleno's excitement to see a band from my hometown contribute to independent musical culture in a way that the rest of the world noticed and appreciated for the first time in my adult life. Call it a wash. But the fact that they, because of their affiliation with The Smell, became the poster band for all-ages community music venues certainly did endear them to me on extra-musical grounds. The "noise" tag and experimental gestures are really filigree - No Age is the next generation in the long, proud line of progressive SoCal punkers. SST for the oughts. Listening to this record reminded me of how I felt listening to The Minutemen in my bedroom as a teenager. The instrumentation and sensibility is quite different, but something about this album and its rough edges reminds me of early Sebadoh. There aren't a lot of killer hooks or melodies here, but something about the No Age sound is inexplicably catchy. Recommended starter tracks: Sleeperhold, Teen Creeps, Eraser<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/nonoage" target="new">No Age on MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=no+age+nouns&x=0&y=0" target="new">No Age on Amazon MP3</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Group Inerane - Guitars from Agadez</span><br />This Tuareg band from Niger that draws upon Western blues and rock traditions to create something identifiably North African but uniquely stunning features some of the most amazing electric guitar work I have ever heard - and not just from a technical perspective either. The ululating choruses gives me chills, and this drummer is a total badass who somehow makes makes basic fills you've heard a hundred times sound completely fresh and captivating. If you are into people appropriating foreign musical styles and doing something with them that their progenitors could never have imagined, you must get this album now. I first saw this in a DVD compilation that Seattle-based world music label Sublime Frequencies put out, and it blew my mind. If you are unfamiliar with Sublime Frequencies, their whole catalog is uniformly fascinating and, most often, wonderful. <br /><a href="http://www.estradasphere.com/eshop/index.php?main_page=product_music_info&cPath=3_15&products_id=105" target="new">Group Inerane on Sublime Frequencies Download Store</a> <br /><a href="http://www.sublimefrequencies.com/default2.asp" target="new">Sublime Frequencies Home</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />The Dodos - Visiter</span><br />If this album - and every song on it - were about a third shorter it would be phenomenal. Like No Age, The Dodos are a California drums-and-guitar two-piece, but they hail from San Francisco and draw upon acoustic folk traditions rather than noise. Insistently, but unobtrusively, rhythmically complex indie folk songs that belie a firm grounding in the 90s indie rock cannon. Fools was undoubtedly one of my favorite songs of the year, plus <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhLRxui7vXU" target="new">this video</a> for it is one of the best performance-based clips I have ever seen (that slo-mo contrasting with the velocity of the actual song is awesome!). Recommended starter tracks: Fools, Red and Purple, Jodi.<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/thedodos" target="new">Dodos on MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic_0_5?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=dodos+visiter&x=0&y=0&sprefix=dodos" target="new">Dodos on Amazon MP3</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Portishead - Third</span><br />A beautiful, haunting record that proves that musicians can improve with age and not simply "mature." Ten years later, Bristol's Portishead, a two-hit wonder but cult favorite of the nineties, return to put their previous work to shame. One foot in the trip-hop of their past efforts, one in the post-dub-step world of contemporary British music, and a freakish third leg in an alternate history where the Silver Apples took on the influential importance that the Velvet Underground enjoy in reality. <br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/PORTISHEADALBUM3" target="new">Portishead on MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic_0_10?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=portishead+third&x=0&y=0&sprefix=portishead" target="new">Portishead on Amazon MP3</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Kanye West - 808s and Heartbreak</span><br />I have a knack for being turned onto an otherwise popular artist by the album that alienates half of their fans. I don't care whether Kanye can actually sing or not - this is a <span style="font-style:italic;">record</span> and he wrote some fantastic songs that, to my mind, completely updated and rejuvenated a questionably moribund tradition of soul music. I am not naturally drawn to hip-hop or r-n-b, but I find this really exciting an compelling. The production aesthetic is fantastic and instantly identifiable - rich but barren, spare but lush. Recommended starter tracks (like you haven't heard them): Love Lockdown, Paranoid<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/kanyewest" target="new">Kanye West on MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic_0_10?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=kanye+west+808s+and+heartbreak&x=0&y=0&sprefix=kanye+west" target="new">Kanye West on Amazon MP3</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Women - Women</span><br />I was a late-comer to this, really only hearing about it in December, but I have made up for last time. An enigmatic record that makes the band's biographical details irrelevant as it oscillates wildly between 60s-style pop, 90s-era indie rock, and odd instrumental numbers that sound like psilocybin-fueled band practices. Recommended starter tracks: Black Rice, Shaking Hand, Group Transport Hall<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/womenmusic" target="new">Women on MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Women/dp/B001H4JHX4/ref=sr_f3_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1232278026&sr=103-1" target="new">Women on Amazon MP3</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Marnie Stern - This Is It And I Am It And You Are It And So Is That And He Is It And She Is It And It Is It And That Is That</span><br />Whatever seeds doubts a title like that might sow in your mind, it must also necessarily put to rest any questions that this 30-something, two-handed-tapper is fearlessly pursuing her own vision. The extent to which NY-based Marnie is actually a guitar-shredding virtuoso is greatly overblown, but the extent to which she more or less invented her sub-genre of music is under-recognized. These are frenetic, disorienting, self-help songs in which the drumming of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/hellaband" target="new">Hella</a>'s Zach Hill is the <span style="font-style:italic;">most</span> predictable element. This Is It is a refinement of the style Stern pioneered on 2007's KRS debut, and the songs are much more than passingly interesting oddities this time around. Recommended start tracks: Ruler, Transformer<br /><a href=" www.myspace.com/marniestern1" target="new">Marnie Stern on MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic_0_12?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=marnie+stern+this+is+it&x=0&y=0&sprefix=marnie+stern" target="new">Marnie Stern on Amazon MP3</a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Times New Viking - Rip It Off</span> (LP) and <span style="font-weight:bold;">Stay Awake</span> (EP)<br />Exuberant, simple, sugary pop songs whose contours have been roughed up with a digital bludgeon. Like their name, just clever enough to suggest talent rather than conceit. Present-day Ohioan inheritors to the Midwestern lo-fi indie tradition of Guided By Voices. Recommended starter tracks: Call and Response, Teen Drama<br /><a href="http://www.myspace.com/timesnewviking" target="new">Times New Viking on MySpace</a><br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_dmusic?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-music&field-keywords=times+new+viking&x=0&y=0" target="new">TNV on Amazon MP3</a><br /><br />Also - and again, I am not someone who typically has a soft spot for Top 40 - I thought that Beyonce's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" was the best radio-ready pop song I have heard in a really, really long time. That hook is instantly and utterly unshakable.<br /><br />Lastly, as Oscar season creeps up on us I have a lot of movies to see, but here are the ones that, so far, I enjoyed the most from 2008:<br /><br />Slumdog Millionaire<br />WALL-E<br />Paranoid Park<br />Vicky Cristina BarcelonaCaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10639828331706816413noreply@blogger.com36