Hello all from sunny south Florida, the craziest state in the continental US. I won't bore you with the details, here is a link to a previous post with some thoughts on FLA.
The weather is great and I feel my batteries being recharged even as we speak. I don't know if I will use this new found vigor to do anything productive. We shall see what we shall see.
Anyway, the following posts are coming.
1) Review of my new Kindle
2) Talk of the coming summer
3) Grad school acceptance
4) The Bruce concert where I almost punched out some lady...
5) A bunch of random crap
6) An album I forgot to talk about in my best of 2007
7) An update of books, I finished some and have started others...
Until then, I'm waist deep in the big muddy, but the big fool tells me to push on...
Monday, March 31, 2008
Friday, March 28, 2008
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Sunday, March 09, 2008
Best Albums of 2007
Alright, I know it is February (and as I finish this, February has turned to March), a little late for a best of list, but I really like doing these posts, so better late than never. This time no ranking, no top ten, just a list of albums that I really like from the past year. If I have time, I will also put together a list of albums I bought in the past year that didn't come out in 2007, but first things first.
This isn't your mother's Rilo Kiley, hell it probably isn't even your younger hip sister's Rilo either. It seems that this wasn't anyone's Rilo and the critics and fans are ignoring a strong album just because the band decided to do something different. They added in some country, polka, folk, and humor and the culturally aware masses didn't seem to appreciate it. I really hate when we don't let bands branch out and try some new things, just because we aren't done with the type of greatness they have achieved on other albums. This album is great and yes sometimes the experimentation goes a bit too far, but Jenny Lewis and the gang are growing and if we don't let them I think they will get bored and break up and then what? Let them do this, I'm sure they will come full circle eventually, but in the meantime enjoy the growth, especially on songs like the title track and Dreamworld.
Yes, the Cinematics sound like all the other bands that are trying
to sound like some cross between The Smiths and Joy Division, but in mind they are set apart. I'm not sure how, maybe because they didn't try to be cute and did a straight ahead cover of Beck's Sunday Sun or maybe its because they aren't afraid to just rock out and could care less if they have the right sound or not. Maybe its because I can only take so much of the Killers' shit eating grin or Interpol's dour, sour, depressing mood and it is refreshing to hear a band who knows that you don't need a look or a mood to make good music. All this could be true or it could be that I like the name of their band. Whatever it is, I think they are good.
Imagine that the Talking Heads had stayed together, they might have put out Okkervil River's The Stage Names. Sticking with the general theme this year of quirkiness, this band is very quirky, but really good. The songs start off with a little bit of a kick and before you know it is kicking your ass all over the place. Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe is the best track on the album and might be the single of the year. This band isn't afraid to throw in a little straight up rock in their weirdness and it works. Don't let the freaky album art or name fool you, this is a rock band and they are willing to put it all out there. They can also change it up with some slow moving lyrics that make you think and yearn for another place.
Alright, I might be one of the few, but I LOVED Wilco's Sky Blue
Sky, but then again I also love the Grateful Dead and if you don't love the Dead, you probably were a little disappointed. I think I really loved this album because one of my favorite Dead songs is Wharf Rat. Jerry Garcia's vocals on that song is moving, and if done right can bring on tears. But the song itself is slow moving jam, not the freight train running variety, this is the Wilco album in a nutshell. Jeff Tweedy does his best Jerry impersonation on the vocals and on the guitar work. For the most part it works and I feel like this album was made just for me. Now, listening to this album requires patience and if you are looking for instant gratification its not gonna happen. I think this album is the hangover to Wilco's last album, A Ghost is Born which was Tweedy's drug album and while the album doesn't feel like a hangover to me, it is something to listen to when you have one.
Iron and Wine has become the artists that can do no wrong for me. Luckily, Sam Beam, continues to evolve while still remaining true to his style. A year or so ago Iron and Wine teamed with the band Calexico and released a great EP. They have stayed together for The Shepherd's Dog. If you are new to Iron and Wine I would start with one of his earlier albums, because this one is different. It is funky and creepily wonderful. I love the way the music sounds so deconstructed and then pulls itself together at places. Sometimes it sounds like Tom Waits' later stuff, while still holding on to the quiet power that Iron and Wind is really good at creating.
To butcher Nick Hornby, did I like the song because of the clever
Apple ad or did I love the Apple ad because of the song? This is the question every year as Apple does a great job in this marriage. Feist's The Reminder served as this year's test with the the little ditty, 1234. I took the plunge and bought the album, and it turns out that I would have probably liked the album in spite of my seeing the ad first. Some of the songs are just okay, but most are great. Their quirky, but not too quirky to keep you at arms length, seems to be a common theme in the music of this year. I would love to hear her voice not so electronically enhanced, because it seems so sweet that by itself it would have more of a direct path to my heart, but it still gets there in a roundabout way.
This album's main purpose was to get me to buy it. Everything lined up perfectly that I would buy it without hearing a note, a vocal or a song title. Robert Plant? Check. Alison Krauss? Check. Produced by T Bone Burnett? Check. $9.99? Check. I know that my expectations were high because on first listen I didn't spontaneously explode. So I needed a few listens. Each one it gets better and better. What a great idea to put these two together, there voices sound so great together it almost makes up for the ill conceived Page/Coverdale album that Plant's old running mate produced so many years ago. Now, if you don't like Krauss, I wouldn't recommend the album, the music is definitely on her side of things. If you are a fan of both, like I am, you probably already own the album, you really had no choice.
I buy way too much music. I often will buy albums and not
remember why or how I came to want an album by that particular artists. I buy so much music, that I might have already said this in this same post. However, this method does produce some great buys every once in awhile. Minus the Bear's Planet of Ice is a perfect example. Sounding something like a cross between Coldplay, Green Day and an emo band you have never heard of, the music is great. High, soft vocals almost enveloped by a wall of music, you want to get lost in it and sometimes you forget their are vocals, the album title really describes the sound so well. Great band...love the album cover too.
I saw Glen Hansard's band The Frames open for Damien Rice and really liked them. They went down as a that I wanted to learn more about, but never did for various reasons. When I first heard of this movie I wanted to see it, but never got around to it. While watching it, I paused the movie and downloaded the soundtrack. First, go see this move, if you love music you will love the movie. Next, buy the soundtrack, get in your car and sing like you are as Irish as Glen. Sweet wonderful words matched with music that evokes true emotion, go buy this album today.
People often say that I listen to depressing music, and I have a
hard time disagreeing with them, especially when one of my top albums is The Everybodyfields' Nothing is Okay. It seems to me that really sad music is often the most powerful. Sadness and depression produce a whole world of powerful emotions that are often so overcoming we tend to get swept up in them. I want music to sweep me away, so I guess I will always listen to "sad" music. This album is so wonderful, it might be my top album of the year. It is mellow yet touching, earnest and true. With sweet harmonies and music that just moves so slowly and smoothly, you can't help but like it. This is one album that I discovered on another list, I'm so glad I did.
I think that Jens Lekman is the bizarro world version of Morrisey. His lyrics are similar in style and setup, his music sounds like Morrisey, but the difference is, well, he's happy. The music is so damn upbeat, even though the lyrics sometimes don't match, you can't help but to tap your feet. This album isn't for everyone and one look at the cover might make you want to think twice about giving it a listen, but trust me, it is worth a try. The poppy tracks put you in a great mood and the lyrics will bring a wry smile on your face. Now at least Morrisey has some kind of sunny yin to his cloudy yang.
The second of three albums that everyone was waiting for. While I
don't think the Arcade Fire is the savior of music that some are claiming they are, I think they are this generation's Bowie and that is high praise enough in my book. Bowie filled and continues to fill a void in rock that we need. In that same sense so does Fire, willing to come out with music that stands on its own two feet, alone, in the middle of nowhere. The beats are great, the lyrics are cool, but sometimes I feel a little tired, because every song is soooo big and overpowering. But again, we need that, subtlety is overrated most of the time and we need Arcade Fire to remind us of that.
So...if I was pushed enough I might admit that Springsteen's Magic was my favorite album of the past year. However, when I first bought the album, I don't know if I would have said it was the best. Then I went to my first Boss concert and the album gained new meaning. I have been a lifelong Springsteen fan and always wanted to see him live, but never got the chance. When you go to a Bruce concert he plays everything off of his new album, plus most of your favs. After gaining more interest in the album because of the concert, I listened again and again and came to the realization that the album was great. Leave it to Bruce to tap into the feeling of uncertainty and anger currently alive in this country. The songs are rocking and the lyrics are striking. From the first release, Radio Nowhere which makes you want to drive with your top down, to the obvious homage to Brian Wilson, Girls in their Summer Clothes, this is classic Bruce for uncertain times.
Another soundtrack on this list. If you haven't seen Juno, go see it right now. Such a great, poignant, funny movie hasn't been around in awhile. The soundtrack isn't a huge revelation, but it reminds me of the movie, which in turn makes me smile. With great music from The Moldy Peaches, Belle & Sebastian, and Kimya Dawson, the soundtrack will put you in touch with music you may have heard before, but in a new context that you will enjoy.
With all due respect to Bruce, I've seen the future of rock and its name is Radiohead. Leave it to the this band to not only put out a great, wonderful album, but do it in a way that commented on the whole recording industry paradigm shift that we are currently witnessing. If you don't know the story already, when first released, Radiohead put In Rainbows on their website and said in essence, "Pay what you want, we trust you." I don't recall the justification, but at the time I came up with $5 as a reasonable amount to pay a band of which I have a giant amount of respect. Even after this show of trust to their fans, when the album was officially released the old-fashioned way it still sold very well. Maybe it is just me, but I don't think this story was given nearly enough press and I think it is because major news organizations are tied too close to the hip of old way of delivering music and this scared the shit out of corporate music types. I think Radiohead has set a wonderful precedent for some other bands that are respected. Granted, releasing your own album at whatever cost can only work for a band who doesn't need the money, but these are the same artists that record execs count on to bring home the bacon. While listening to this album and taking into account the context of how and when it was released, I get the same feeling when I put Ok Computer into my car stereo driving home from Union Station in Washington DC when I was interning out there, "This band is not like anything else in the world and I love them, and that makes everything seem right in the universe."
Stars latest album is not as good as their last effort, Set Yourself on Fire, it really isn't even close. But the fact that this album still makes my year's best goes to show what I think of the band. This album is solidly good, with Amy Millan continuing as an intriguing chartreuse. The main difference between this album and the last is that this one is more straightforward than the last and for whatever reason that doesn't work as well. That being said, the fact that they can go between two somewhat different styles is impressive. The best example of them bridging the gap is the song, Bitches in Tokyo.
Here is my theory about the White Stripes' Icky Thump. With the
past several Stripes' albums, I think Jack White was trying to establish a general aesthetic that was carefully crafted, planned out as to kick everyone's ass. Then he went and made an album with the Raconteurs and had a lot of fun. With this album I think he thought, "Carefully crafted be damned, I'm just going to have a lot of fun making this album, with the lyrics, with the instrumentation, everything." So, if you didn't like this one, write it off as Jack just have some fun at your expense and know that the carefully crafted ass kicking will continue with the next one. For my part, I liked it and think Jack White having some fun is still better than a lot of other stuff.
This is the first of two soundtracks I
bought before I saw the movie, in fact in both cases I haven't seen either yet. I'm Not There is weird bio pic of Bob Dylan with a bunch of different actors taking a crack at being Bob. The soundtrack is the same idea, give a bunch of artists a chance to tackle the Dylan catalogue. Some like Jeff Tweedy and Cat Power do their best Dylan impersonation, while others give a completely different take on the songs. Stephen Malkmus and the Million Dollar Bashers do a wonderfully bluesy Ballad of a Thin Man that makes you feel like you are in the best blues bar in Chicago. If you like Dylan, you will like this album.
Josh Ritter is not only Dylan-esque, it might be the only thing we have right now that is equivalent to him. I think it is a sad commentary that Ritter doesn't get more play, further proof that mainstream music is in the crapper. This album is more folksy than other Ritter I own, which is saying something because Ritter is at heart a folk singer. The thing that is weird that it is folksy while still being rocking. In my opinion, this album is not as strong as his other work, but still better than most of the other stuff out there. If you are new to his work, I would go back in time and get to this one later.
Of Montreal sometimes hurts my ears and not in a good way. This album took some work on my part, but sometimes that makes them all the more rewarding. If nothing else, it has two things going for it, a great title, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destoyer? and a great track in Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse. This band doesn't try to tone down its eccentricities, and sometimes it is hard to get past them, but if you are willing to play along, the album is great. One song will make you want to hit the next button, while another one will make you want to put the song on repeat. Any album that can achieve that much dichotomy is an achievement in my book.
The third of three highly anticipated albums of 2007. It really sucks when anticipation weighs the album down so much that it will never really live up to them. All this being said, on its own merits, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a great album. Spoon doesn't change their sound or try something different, it is more of the same, but same goodness. I love Don't You Evah and Eddie's Ragga. If haven't like Spoon in the past, this isn't going to win you over, but if you are a fan, you will love it.
Every time I hear a song from Beirut, I feel like I should be watching a really hip foreign language film; so it is really cool to put on your headphones when listening to The Flying Club Cup and walk around like you are in a foreign film. This band's sound is epic, pretentious, and really fun. Nonsensical lyrics, loops upon loops, different sounds blended together for a really fun experience. Beirut has the tendency to sometimes go to far and they usually lose me when they do, but when they don't stray to far off the path, they put together some really cool songs.
I bought The Sea and Cake's Everybody awhile ago, so I'm struggling to remember why it is good, but according to my Itunes ranking, it is at least a 4 star album. In listening to it again, it strikes me as one of those albums that has such a subtle sound, it doesn't stay with you. This doesn't mean it isn't any good. This band is like Coldplay if they were a bunch of heroin addicts. Think poppy Sonic Youth. However, a very good listen if you like really low key rock that makes you tap your feet.
This isn't your mother's Rilo Kiley, hell it probably isn't even your younger hip sister's Rilo either. It seems that this wasn't anyone's Rilo and the critics and fans are ignoring a strong album just because the band decided to do something different. They added in some country, polka, folk, and humor and the culturally aware masses didn't seem to appreciate it. I really hate when we don't let bands branch out and try some new things, just because we aren't done with the type of greatness they have achieved on other albums. This album is great and yes sometimes the experimentation goes a bit too far, but Jenny Lewis and the gang are growing and if we don't let them I think they will get bored and break up and then what? Let them do this, I'm sure they will come full circle eventually, but in the meantime enjoy the growth, especially on songs like the title track and Dreamworld.Yes, the Cinematics sound like all the other bands that are trying
to sound like some cross between The Smiths and Joy Division, but in mind they are set apart. I'm not sure how, maybe because they didn't try to be cute and did a straight ahead cover of Beck's Sunday Sun or maybe its because they aren't afraid to just rock out and could care less if they have the right sound or not. Maybe its because I can only take so much of the Killers' shit eating grin or Interpol's dour, sour, depressing mood and it is refreshing to hear a band who knows that you don't need a look or a mood to make good music. All this could be true or it could be that I like the name of their band. Whatever it is, I think they are good.
Imagine that the Talking Heads had stayed together, they might have put out Okkervil River's The Stage Names. Sticking with the general theme this year of quirkiness, this band is very quirky, but really good. The songs start off with a little bit of a kick and before you know it is kicking your ass all over the place. Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe is the best track on the album and might be the single of the year. This band isn't afraid to throw in a little straight up rock in their weirdness and it works. Don't let the freaky album art or name fool you, this is a rock band and they are willing to put it all out there. They can also change it up with some slow moving lyrics that make you think and yearn for another place.Alright, I might be one of the few, but I LOVED Wilco's Sky Blue
Sky, but then again I also love the Grateful Dead and if you don't love the Dead, you probably were a little disappointed. I think I really loved this album because one of my favorite Dead songs is Wharf Rat. Jerry Garcia's vocals on that song is moving, and if done right can bring on tears. But the song itself is slow moving jam, not the freight train running variety, this is the Wilco album in a nutshell. Jeff Tweedy does his best Jerry impersonation on the vocals and on the guitar work. For the most part it works and I feel like this album was made just for me. Now, listening to this album requires patience and if you are looking for instant gratification its not gonna happen. I think this album is the hangover to Wilco's last album, A Ghost is Born which was Tweedy's drug album and while the album doesn't feel like a hangover to me, it is something to listen to when you have one.
Iron and Wine has become the artists that can do no wrong for me. Luckily, Sam Beam, continues to evolve while still remaining true to his style. A year or so ago Iron and Wine teamed with the band Calexico and released a great EP. They have stayed together for The Shepherd's Dog. If you are new to Iron and Wine I would start with one of his earlier albums, because this one is different. It is funky and creepily wonderful. I love the way the music sounds so deconstructed and then pulls itself together at places. Sometimes it sounds like Tom Waits' later stuff, while still holding on to the quiet power that Iron and Wind is really good at creating.To butcher Nick Hornby, did I like the song because of the clever
Apple ad or did I love the Apple ad because of the song? This is the question every year as Apple does a great job in this marriage. Feist's The Reminder served as this year's test with the the little ditty, 1234. I took the plunge and bought the album, and it turns out that I would have probably liked the album in spite of my seeing the ad first. Some of the songs are just okay, but most are great. Their quirky, but not too quirky to keep you at arms length, seems to be a common theme in the music of this year. I would love to hear her voice not so electronically enhanced, because it seems so sweet that by itself it would have more of a direct path to my heart, but it still gets there in a roundabout way.
This album's main purpose was to get me to buy it. Everything lined up perfectly that I would buy it without hearing a note, a vocal or a song title. Robert Plant? Check. Alison Krauss? Check. Produced by T Bone Burnett? Check. $9.99? Check. I know that my expectations were high because on first listen I didn't spontaneously explode. So I needed a few listens. Each one it gets better and better. What a great idea to put these two together, there voices sound so great together it almost makes up for the ill conceived Page/Coverdale album that Plant's old running mate produced so many years ago. Now, if you don't like Krauss, I wouldn't recommend the album, the music is definitely on her side of things. If you are a fan of both, like I am, you probably already own the album, you really had no choice.I buy way too much music. I often will buy albums and not
remember why or how I came to want an album by that particular artists. I buy so much music, that I might have already said this in this same post. However, this method does produce some great buys every once in awhile. Minus the Bear's Planet of Ice is a perfect example. Sounding something like a cross between Coldplay, Green Day and an emo band you have never heard of, the music is great. High, soft vocals almost enveloped by a wall of music, you want to get lost in it and sometimes you forget their are vocals, the album title really describes the sound so well. Great band...love the album cover too.
I saw Glen Hansard's band The Frames open for Damien Rice and really liked them. They went down as a that I wanted to learn more about, but never did for various reasons. When I first heard of this movie I wanted to see it, but never got around to it. While watching it, I paused the movie and downloaded the soundtrack. First, go see this move, if you love music you will love the movie. Next, buy the soundtrack, get in your car and sing like you are as Irish as Glen. Sweet wonderful words matched with music that evokes true emotion, go buy this album today.People often say that I listen to depressing music, and I have a
hard time disagreeing with them, especially when one of my top albums is The Everybodyfields' Nothing is Okay. It seems to me that really sad music is often the most powerful. Sadness and depression produce a whole world of powerful emotions that are often so overcoming we tend to get swept up in them. I want music to sweep me away, so I guess I will always listen to "sad" music. This album is so wonderful, it might be my top album of the year. It is mellow yet touching, earnest and true. With sweet harmonies and music that just moves so slowly and smoothly, you can't help but like it. This is one album that I discovered on another list, I'm so glad I did.
I think that Jens Lekman is the bizarro world version of Morrisey. His lyrics are similar in style and setup, his music sounds like Morrisey, but the difference is, well, he's happy. The music is so damn upbeat, even though the lyrics sometimes don't match, you can't help but to tap your feet. This album isn't for everyone and one look at the cover might make you want to think twice about giving it a listen, but trust me, it is worth a try. The poppy tracks put you in a great mood and the lyrics will bring a wry smile on your face. Now at least Morrisey has some kind of sunny yin to his cloudy yang.The second of three albums that everyone was waiting for. While I
don't think the Arcade Fire is the savior of music that some are claiming they are, I think they are this generation's Bowie and that is high praise enough in my book. Bowie filled and continues to fill a void in rock that we need. In that same sense so does Fire, willing to come out with music that stands on its own two feet, alone, in the middle of nowhere. The beats are great, the lyrics are cool, but sometimes I feel a little tired, because every song is soooo big and overpowering. But again, we need that, subtlety is overrated most of the time and we need Arcade Fire to remind us of that.
So...if I was pushed enough I might admit that Springsteen's Magic was my favorite album of the past year. However, when I first bought the album, I don't know if I would have said it was the best. Then I went to my first Boss concert and the album gained new meaning. I have been a lifelong Springsteen fan and always wanted to see him live, but never got the chance. When you go to a Bruce concert he plays everything off of his new album, plus most of your favs. After gaining more interest in the album because of the concert, I listened again and again and came to the realization that the album was great. Leave it to Bruce to tap into the feeling of uncertainty and anger currently alive in this country. The songs are rocking and the lyrics are striking. From the first release, Radio Nowhere which makes you want to drive with your top down, to the obvious homage to Brian Wilson, Girls in their Summer Clothes, this is classic Bruce for uncertain times.
Another soundtrack on this list. If you haven't seen Juno, go see it right now. Such a great, poignant, funny movie hasn't been around in awhile. The soundtrack isn't a huge revelation, but it reminds me of the movie, which in turn makes me smile. With great music from The Moldy Peaches, Belle & Sebastian, and Kimya Dawson, the soundtrack will put you in touch with music you may have heard before, but in a new context that you will enjoy.
With all due respect to Bruce, I've seen the future of rock and its name is Radiohead. Leave it to the this band to not only put out a great, wonderful album, but do it in a way that commented on the whole recording industry paradigm shift that we are currently witnessing. If you don't know the story already, when first released, Radiohead put In Rainbows on their website and said in essence, "Pay what you want, we trust you." I don't recall the justification, but at the time I came up with $5 as a reasonable amount to pay a band of which I have a giant amount of respect. Even after this show of trust to their fans, when the album was officially released the old-fashioned way it still sold very well. Maybe it is just me, but I don't think this story was given nearly enough press and I think it is because major news organizations are tied too close to the hip of old way of delivering music and this scared the shit out of corporate music types. I think Radiohead has set a wonderful precedent for some other bands that are respected. Granted, releasing your own album at whatever cost can only work for a band who doesn't need the money, but these are the same artists that record execs count on to bring home the bacon. While listening to this album and taking into account the context of how and when it was released, I get the same feeling when I put Ok Computer into my car stereo driving home from Union Station in Washington DC when I was interning out there, "This band is not like anything else in the world and I love them, and that makes everything seem right in the universe."
Stars latest album is not as good as their last effort, Set Yourself on Fire, it really isn't even close. But the fact that this album still makes my year's best goes to show what I think of the band. This album is solidly good, with Amy Millan continuing as an intriguing chartreuse. The main difference between this album and the last is that this one is more straightforward than the last and for whatever reason that doesn't work as well. That being said, the fact that they can go between two somewhat different styles is impressive. The best example of them bridging the gap is the song, Bitches in Tokyo.
Here is my theory about the White Stripes' Icky Thump. With the
past several Stripes' albums, I think Jack White was trying to establish a general aesthetic that was carefully crafted, planned out as to kick everyone's ass. Then he went and made an album with the Raconteurs and had a lot of fun. With this album I think he thought, "Carefully crafted be damned, I'm just going to have a lot of fun making this album, with the lyrics, with the instrumentation, everything." So, if you didn't like this one, write it off as Jack just have some fun at your expense and know that the carefully crafted ass kicking will continue with the next one. For my part, I liked it and think Jack White having some fun is still better than a lot of other stuff.This is the first of two soundtracks I
bought before I saw the movie, in fact in both cases I haven't seen either yet. I'm Not There is weird bio pic of Bob Dylan with a bunch of different actors taking a crack at being Bob. The soundtrack is the same idea, give a bunch of artists a chance to tackle the Dylan catalogue. Some like Jeff Tweedy and Cat Power do their best Dylan impersonation, while others give a completely different take on the songs. Stephen Malkmus and the Million Dollar Bashers do a wonderfully bluesy Ballad of a Thin Man that makes you feel like you are in the best blues bar in Chicago. If you like Dylan, you will like this album.
Josh Ritter is not only Dylan-esque, it might be the only thing we have right now that is equivalent to him. I think it is a sad commentary that Ritter doesn't get more play, further proof that mainstream music is in the crapper. This album is more folksy than other Ritter I own, which is saying something because Ritter is at heart a folk singer. The thing that is weird that it is folksy while still being rocking. In my opinion, this album is not as strong as his other work, but still better than most of the other stuff out there. If you are new to his work, I would go back in time and get to this one later.
Of Montreal sometimes hurts my ears and not in a good way. This album took some work on my part, but sometimes that makes them all the more rewarding. If nothing else, it has two things going for it, a great title, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destoyer? and a great track in Heimdalsgate Like a Promethean Curse. This band doesn't try to tone down its eccentricities, and sometimes it is hard to get past them, but if you are willing to play along, the album is great. One song will make you want to hit the next button, while another one will make you want to put the song on repeat. Any album that can achieve that much dichotomy is an achievement in my book.
The third of three highly anticipated albums of 2007. It really sucks when anticipation weighs the album down so much that it will never really live up to them. All this being said, on its own merits, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga is a great album. Spoon doesn't change their sound or try something different, it is more of the same, but same goodness. I love Don't You Evah and Eddie's Ragga. If haven't like Spoon in the past, this isn't going to win you over, but if you are a fan, you will love it.
Every time I hear a song from Beirut, I feel like I should be watching a really hip foreign language film; so it is really cool to put on your headphones when listening to The Flying Club Cup and walk around like you are in a foreign film. This band's sound is epic, pretentious, and really fun. Nonsensical lyrics, loops upon loops, different sounds blended together for a really fun experience. Beirut has the tendency to sometimes go to far and they usually lose me when they do, but when they don't stray to far off the path, they put together some really cool songs.
I bought The Sea and Cake's Everybody awhile ago, so I'm struggling to remember why it is good, but according to my Itunes ranking, it is at least a 4 star album. In listening to it again, it strikes me as one of those albums that has such a subtle sound, it doesn't stay with you. This doesn't mean it isn't any good. This band is like Coldplay if they were a bunch of heroin addicts. Think poppy Sonic Youth. However, a very good listen if you like really low key rock that makes you tap your feet.
I think if I knew Ryan Adams, we would be friends. I tend to be an asshole sometimes and get along with those types pretty well; and let's face it, Ryan Adams is an asshole, but he is wonderful. He has put out so many freakin' albums that I have stopped trying to compare one from the next. Most are good, some are great and a few suck. However, this one is somewhere between good and great. The song Everybody Knows might be favorite song of 2007. I hope that Adams continues to be so prolific, just because it is fun to see a guy go crazy trying to put out more albums than anyone else. It is the throw shit up on the wall and see what sticks mentality and to a certain extent I find that admirable.
Across the Universe is a soundtrack for a movie that I really wanted to see when it came out, but never could due to its limited release and just not going to the movie theater, ever. I'm excited that it is coming out on blu-ray very soon, as I have decided that this is the best way to watch a movie anyway. The soundtrack is very good. Great takes on some classics. This is as close as a Beatles "musical" we will ever get. The real gems aren't Eddie Izzard and Bono, but the songs by the non artists cast members. Jim Sturgess's Girl is beautiful and Evan Rachel Wood's Blackbird is very good and the Hey Jude is wonderful. If you like the Beatles, get 
this album, if nothing else it is an excuse to have more Beatles music.
Caribou is a band that I have gotten into reluctantly in the past year. I didn't have anything against them, but in the sample tracks I listened to, nothing really grabbed me. I soon realized that this was a band that you have to be patient with. Their album last year is a great, slow listen. Eli is a great track. This band is consistently good, but don't expect to be wowed right from the beginning.
I've seen Andrew Bird in concert, he opened up for Ani DiFranco once. Very interesting artist. When I saw him, the music was just too weird for my taste, but not by much I almost bought an album then. This album (and a little disclaimer, one of the reasons that this list is a little late is that I love the end of the year, so I can check out the major critic lists, see what is out there and then make my own determinations. That being the case, some of these albums I am still listening to, so this is a judgment of what I have heard so far. This album is a perfect example) so far seems much more accessible than the Bird I heard a few years ago. The music is back over the line so it isn't too weird for me. Great voice, check out the track Scythian Empires.
When I look at Amy Winehouse's cover to Back to Black I can't help but feel a little sad. Another artist who stirs up the debate, "Is she brilliant because she's crazy or is she crazy because she's brilliant?" The pictures and stories that have materialized in the past year make me hope that she doesn't die. It takes the the perfect artist to get me out of my usual doldrum of alternative/indie rock, jazz, folk, etc. listening mode. Winehouse did. (I actually took my wife's copy.) The lyrics are clever, the music is bumping and her voice is killer. The best songs are the ones you've heard, including the ridiculously ironic, Rehab.
Dinosaur jr. is a band that if I better musical taste when I was younger I would have probably known more about them and at this point would own all of their albums. In this universe however, I always kinda, sorta knew they existed and they were in my consciousness at the same time they broke through the noise of all the crap that myself and the general public were listening to. Its great that we live in the age where good bands can have multiple rebirths and give us a better chance at appreciating them, i.e. The Pixies. Dinosaur jr. is a perfect example of this. Their music is essentially the same as it always was, but changed enough. Good album, worth the trip down memory lane.
If I was keeping track and ranking these albums, The National's Boxer might be at the top. When this album came out, there were many good reviews, but I stayed away. I don't have any good reasons, but from the descriptions I heard, it didn't sound like my cup o' tea. I finally gave in as I saw it on more and more critic's list that I admire and respect. I gave it a listen and instantly fell in love. This album is hauntingly good. I love how it creates a certain mood that just envelops you, comforts you and creeps you out all at the same time. The more I listen, the more I love it.
Being the critical darlings they are, I am really surprised that the New Pornographer's didn't get more press. This album is just as good as their last two and the last two were great. With songs like All the Things that Make Heaven and Earth Go and Failsafe the band has lost nothing. No new ground covered here, which is fine because their sound is so different from other bands, they can keep doing the same thing. Bob Boylen of All Songs Considered remarked that their are a growing number of bands that continue to put out solidly good albums year after year. I would put this band in that category.
Honorable Mention: These albums I liked, but haven't listened to enough to pass judgment, but you should definitely check them out.
Modest Mouse--We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Blitzen Trapper--Wild Mountain Nation
Blonde Redhead--23
Across the Universe is a soundtrack for a movie that I really wanted to see when it came out, but never could due to its limited release and just not going to the movie theater, ever. I'm excited that it is coming out on blu-ray very soon, as I have decided that this is the best way to watch a movie anyway. The soundtrack is very good. Great takes on some classics. This is as close as a Beatles "musical" we will ever get. The real gems aren't Eddie Izzard and Bono, but the songs by the non artists cast members. Jim Sturgess's Girl is beautiful and Evan Rachel Wood's Blackbird is very good and the Hey Jude is wonderful. If you like the Beatles, get 
this album, if nothing else it is an excuse to have more Beatles music.Caribou is a band that I have gotten into reluctantly in the past year. I didn't have anything against them, but in the sample tracks I listened to, nothing really grabbed me. I soon realized that this was a band that you have to be patient with. Their album last year is a great, slow listen. Eli is a great track. This band is consistently good, but don't expect to be wowed right from the beginning.
I've seen Andrew Bird in concert, he opened up for Ani DiFranco once. Very interesting artist. When I saw him, the music was just too weird for my taste, but not by much I almost bought an album then. This album (and a little disclaimer, one of the reasons that this list is a little late is that I love the end of the year, so I can check out the major critic lists, see what is out there and then make my own determinations. That being the case, some of these albums I am still listening to, so this is a judgment of what I have heard so far. This album is a perfect example) so far seems much more accessible than the Bird I heard a few years ago. The music is back over the line so it isn't too weird for me. Great voice, check out the track Scythian Empires.
When I look at Amy Winehouse's cover to Back to Black I can't help but feel a little sad. Another artist who stirs up the debate, "Is she brilliant because she's crazy or is she crazy because she's brilliant?" The pictures and stories that have materialized in the past year make me hope that she doesn't die. It takes the the perfect artist to get me out of my usual doldrum of alternative/indie rock, jazz, folk, etc. listening mode. Winehouse did. (I actually took my wife's copy.) The lyrics are clever, the music is bumping and her voice is killer. The best songs are the ones you've heard, including the ridiculously ironic, Rehab.
Dinosaur jr. is a band that if I better musical taste when I was younger I would have probably known more about them and at this point would own all of their albums. In this universe however, I always kinda, sorta knew they existed and they were in my consciousness at the same time they broke through the noise of all the crap that myself and the general public were listening to. Its great that we live in the age where good bands can have multiple rebirths and give us a better chance at appreciating them, i.e. The Pixies. Dinosaur jr. is a perfect example of this. Their music is essentially the same as it always was, but changed enough. Good album, worth the trip down memory lane.
If I was keeping track and ranking these albums, The National's Boxer might be at the top. When this album came out, there were many good reviews, but I stayed away. I don't have any good reasons, but from the descriptions I heard, it didn't sound like my cup o' tea. I finally gave in as I saw it on more and more critic's list that I admire and respect. I gave it a listen and instantly fell in love. This album is hauntingly good. I love how it creates a certain mood that just envelops you, comforts you and creeps you out all at the same time. The more I listen, the more I love it.
Being the critical darlings they are, I am really surprised that the New Pornographer's didn't get more press. This album is just as good as their last two and the last two were great. With songs like All the Things that Make Heaven and Earth Go and Failsafe the band has lost nothing. No new ground covered here, which is fine because their sound is so different from other bands, they can keep doing the same thing. Bob Boylen of All Songs Considered remarked that their are a growing number of bands that continue to put out solidly good albums year after year. I would put this band in that category.Honorable Mention: These albums I liked, but haven't listened to enough to pass judgment, but you should definitely check them out.
Modest Mouse--We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Blitzen Trapper--Wild Mountain Nation
Blonde Redhead--23
Monday, March 03, 2008
I wish they would put this out on a CD or something...
Little something to let you know I'm still here. Been busy, I am going to finish my top albums of 2007 very soon...promise.
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