A bit more mainstream.
A lot more video.
30) The Decemberists - Picaresque
Picaresque is an epic and theatrical step forward from Her Majesty, yo-yo-ing the listener between the high highs and low lows like a catchy melodrama.
The Decemberists - Engine Driver
29) mewithoutyou - Catch For Us the Foxes
This follow-up to [A -->B] Life surprised its listeners when it was first released. The songs were more angular, more melodic, less distorted, easier to discern, more accessible, and more awesome. There are still moments of severe rocktitude, but on the whole Foxes is a little bit more subdued and lyrically introspective.
28) Damien Jurado - Where Shall You Take Me?
Like all good Jurado albums, this one covers themes of bittersweet nostalgia, America, loves, lost loves, regret, and contains a good folksy song or two in there for good measure.
Damien Jurado - Texas to Ohio
27) Aimee Mann - Lost in Space
Dour but not dark. Aggressive but smoooth. Cold but alluring. This but also that.
Aimee Mann - High on Sunday 51
26) Elliott Smith - From a Basement on a Hill
Incomplete when Smith STABBED HIMSELF TO DEATH IN THE CHEST, this album was pieced together from what was already recorded. It still manages to sound polished and full, maybe a bit more swaggery than what we're used to, and though Smith may have had other ideas regarding the direction of this project, Basement is still an Elliott Smith album through-and-through.
Elliott Smith - Twilight
Elliott Smith - Memory Lane
25) The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
It's hard to take things seriously when pink robots are involved, but these songs are beautifully lush and tinged with mournful undercurrents. Yoshimi is ambitious electro-psychedelic rock goodness. Listen to the album with good speakers/headphones as there's a lot going on here.
24) Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Inspired by the great country music of the past half-century, Fox Confessor features the glorious vocals of Case over music that will make you scoot your boots or fill your beers with tears.
Neko Case - Hold On, Hold On
Neko Case - Star Witness
23) The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
I'm not going to try to explain The Crane Wife. I just made an attempt and it just sounded like buckets of pretension and ignorance. So instead I'll mention that there are some stories in those songs, some movements, and a lot of good prog moments (if there is such a thing).
22) Mason Jennings - Birds Flying Away
Jennings' second full-length release is a tremendous piece of American folk-rock. He gets agitated and political, but in the catchiest way possible. And just in case songs about the Black Panthers aren't your thing, the ballads here are some of the loveliest you will ever hear.
Mason Jennings - Stars Shine Quietly
21) Extol - Undeceived
One of the best metal albums ever. Epic, brutal, technical, and surprisingly beautiful (strings!). The Nords do it right. For some reason I take special satisfaction when those of immeasurable musical talent use their superpowers for the sake of metal.
Extol - Undeceived
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
2000-2009:40-31
In this ten:
3 Canadian-based bands
1 Brazilian-based band
2 Japanese front-women
1 pair of Italian twins
1 Swede
The rest are just American leftovers.
40) Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
Listening to Crystal Castles is like watching a Nintendo have a grand mal seizure at a warehouse rave. I kinda like it. A more direct description, Crystal Castles drops percussion on a bed of 8-bit audio smeared by edgy distorted chick vocals. There are a lot of ways to describe this duo, but none of it will make sense until you let them abuse your eardrums.
Crystal Castles - Untrust Us
39) Blonde Redhead - 23
Released in 2007, this is their latest full-length release (though apparently the band is working on a new one). Poppier than their previous albums (or "more accessible," whatever you want to call it), 23 still delivers Kazu Makino's ghosty vocals and the Pace twins' haunting melodies. But rather than being hypnotized by the music, you will probably find yourself doing some toe-tappin'.
38) Wintersleep - untitled
Everybody likes Welcome to the Night Sky, released in 2007. It's okay, but their 2005 release is where it's at. Not necessarily a self-titled release (they already had one of those in 2003), this album picks out the best elements of dour post-grunge to bring forth excellent and surprisingly explosive moody alt-rock.
Wintersleep - Insomnia
37) Bright Eyes - Fevers and Mirrors
Released in May of 2000, Fevers set the tone for super-sensitive neo-folk. Lots of angsty late-teenage introspection, as Conor Oberst was 19 when he recorded these songs. What sets him apart from the other whiny nonsense is his ability to convey these heavy emotions sincerely without any sense of irony (which makes the mock interview found on the album all the more hilarious).
Bright Eyes - Something Vague
36) Christian Kjellvander - Songs From a Two Room Chapel
There might be something about the northern snowy desolation of Sweden that intrisically causes its musicians to produce bleak and soul-bendingly sorrowful music. This perspective also allows the Swedes to write and perform Americana better than the Americans. Anyway, meet Christian Kjellvander, the Swedish Richard Buckner.
Christian Kjellvander - Allelujah
35) CSS - Cansei de ser Sexy
Slightly snotty, fairly reprehensible, and mostly electro-funky. Like everything that displays youthful exuberance through loud fashion and mild crassness you'll find CSS (both the band and the album) either cool or annoying. As we're so far down the list you can correctly postulate where I stand.
CSS - Alala
34) Hopesfall - No Wings to Speak Of
Under twenty-minutes in length, this four-song EP is completely and wholly glorious, displaying Hopesfall at their musical apex. Epic, melodic, passionate, and, when appropriate, brutal. Line-up changes soon after No Wings was recorded ensured music like this would never be heard again.
Hopesfall - The End of an Era
33) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The highly-anticipated follow-up to Funeral is a little bit more serious yet is just as catchy and even a bit more fun. There's lots of social/political/religious commentary (mostly sarcastic criticisms) but the moderate tempo keeps the album from being too heavy-handed. "Intervention" makes me want to physically explode, spontaneous combustion-like.
Arcade Fire - Intervention
32) Deerhoof - Apple O'
Insane and/or ingenious. Either way, the music is spastically delightful and, in its own special way (and I do mean special), quite beautiful. Fun if you like bursts of atonality, a mashed sense of what rock 'n' roll should be, pandas, and very short Japanese women.
Deerhoof - Sealed With a Kiss
Deerhoof - L' Amour Stories
31) Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlantacism
My favorite Death Cab album. Songs revolve around themes of travel and love and departed loves and weepy things like that. The tracks meld nicely into each other, but naturally stand strongly on their own.
Death Cab For Cutie - The New Year
3 Canadian-based bands
1 Brazilian-based band
2 Japanese front-women
1 pair of Italian twins
1 Swede
The rest are just American leftovers.
40) Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
Listening to Crystal Castles is like watching a Nintendo have a grand mal seizure at a warehouse rave. I kinda like it. A more direct description, Crystal Castles drops percussion on a bed of 8-bit audio smeared by edgy distorted chick vocals. There are a lot of ways to describe this duo, but none of it will make sense until you let them abuse your eardrums.
Crystal Castles - Untrust Us
39) Blonde Redhead - 23
Released in 2007, this is their latest full-length release (though apparently the band is working on a new one). Poppier than their previous albums (or "more accessible," whatever you want to call it), 23 still delivers Kazu Makino's ghosty vocals and the Pace twins' haunting melodies. But rather than being hypnotized by the music, you will probably find yourself doing some toe-tappin'.
38) Wintersleep - untitled
Everybody likes Welcome to the Night Sky, released in 2007. It's okay, but their 2005 release is where it's at. Not necessarily a self-titled release (they already had one of those in 2003), this album picks out the best elements of dour post-grunge to bring forth excellent and surprisingly explosive moody alt-rock.
Wintersleep - Insomnia
37) Bright Eyes - Fevers and Mirrors
Released in May of 2000, Fevers set the tone for super-sensitive neo-folk. Lots of angsty late-teenage introspection, as Conor Oberst was 19 when he recorded these songs. What sets him apart from the other whiny nonsense is his ability to convey these heavy emotions sincerely without any sense of irony (which makes the mock interview found on the album all the more hilarious).
Bright Eyes - Something Vague
36) Christian Kjellvander - Songs From a Two Room Chapel
There might be something about the northern snowy desolation of Sweden that intrisically causes its musicians to produce bleak and soul-bendingly sorrowful music. This perspective also allows the Swedes to write and perform Americana better than the Americans. Anyway, meet Christian Kjellvander, the Swedish Richard Buckner.
Christian Kjellvander - Allelujah
35) CSS - Cansei de ser Sexy
Slightly snotty, fairly reprehensible, and mostly electro-funky. Like everything that displays youthful exuberance through loud fashion and mild crassness you'll find CSS (both the band and the album) either cool or annoying. As we're so far down the list you can correctly postulate where I stand.
CSS - Alala
34) Hopesfall - No Wings to Speak Of
Under twenty-minutes in length, this four-song EP is completely and wholly glorious, displaying Hopesfall at their musical apex. Epic, melodic, passionate, and, when appropriate, brutal. Line-up changes soon after No Wings was recorded ensured music like this would never be heard again.
Hopesfall - The End of an Era
33) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The highly-anticipated follow-up to Funeral is a little bit more serious yet is just as catchy and even a bit more fun. There's lots of social/political/religious commentary (mostly sarcastic criticisms) but the moderate tempo keeps the album from being too heavy-handed. "Intervention" makes me want to physically explode, spontaneous combustion-like.
Arcade Fire - Intervention
32) Deerhoof - Apple O'
Insane and/or ingenious. Either way, the music is spastically delightful and, in its own special way (and I do mean special), quite beautiful. Fun if you like bursts of atonality, a mashed sense of what rock 'n' roll should be, pandas, and very short Japanese women.
Deerhoof - Sealed With a Kiss
Deerhoof - L' Amour Stories
31) Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlantacism
My favorite Death Cab album. Songs revolve around themes of travel and love and departed loves and weepy things like that. The tracks meld nicely into each other, but naturally stand strongly on their own.
Death Cab For Cutie - The New Year
Thursday, December 10, 2009
2000-2009:50-41
TOP 50, EVERYBODY!
50)Further Seems Forever - The Moon is Down
Pre-DC Chris Carraba on vocals + post-Strongarm band members = passionate rock 'n' roll. The Moon is Down takes me back to a time of musical discovery, late nights, and most excellent camaraderie. It's the soundtrack to life lived, peaks and valleys and all.
Further Seems Forever - Monechetti
49)Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State
Any album inspired by the state of Michigan is going to have an underlying undercurrent of depression and lost hope, and Stevens doesn't skim over these things. In fact, Sufjan's most heart-breaking songs are found here. But, as always, there is sweetness amongst the bitter and, utilizing xylophones and banjos and whatnot, he reminds us that there is always cause to rejoice.
Sufjan Stevens - For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti
Sufjan Stevens - Holland
48)Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm
A concept album about a boxer and his girlfriend and the way they mess up each other's lives, each song stands up on its own even as the unifying story takes its depressing turns.
Aimee Mann - Little Bombs
47)Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
Melodic and woodsy (if things pertaining to forestry are accurate ways to describe a music group). The songs are mellow and full of story-snippets, possibly putting Van Occupanther somewhere in neo-folk territory. Hippies will dig it.
Midlake - Roscoe
46)Feist - Let It Die
Let it Die is the better, lesser-known older sister to The Remainder. It's cool and smokey and a wee bit jazzy. And none of the songs appear on Apple commercials (although "Mushaboom" has appeared... somewhere).
Feist - Gatekeeper
45)The Postal Service - Give Up
Okay, so maybe it sounds a bit dated after six years, but these are still good catchy songs. Looking past the peppy novelty of the boops and beeps we hear songs of remorse and regret countered with songs of love and hope. Synth-pop fan or not, there isn't a bad song here.
The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
44)Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel the Illinoise
Like Michigan, except a little more ornate, a little more celebratory, and a little more... is that a song about John Wayne Gacy? Though not as outright depressing as Stevens' preceding release, Illinois banks on the extremes as it peaks with jubilation and dips into authentically spine-chilling moments.
Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
43)Cat Power - You Are Free
Grittier than The Greatest, You Are Free is just as powerful and more musically diverse. Normally I find guest-vocals distracting, but Eddie Vedder's appearance is perfectly low-key.
Cat Power - He War
Cat Power - Good Woman
42)Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway
Mark Kozelek's songs are gentle and sweeping, yet stripped down and direct. There is nothing extravagant about them, especially the ones found on Ghosts, but they are timed and crafted so perfectly. It's less like listening to music and more like looking at a Flemish painting.
Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio
41)Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
First of all the album cover features Case on the hood of an old Mercury Cougar wielding a sword. Who cares what the songs sound like. But they are good songs indeed. Taking another step away from her country music roots (steering herself in more folksy, more Alt-country directions), she instead turns her attention to nature and goes so far as to record the album in a barn. Despite the fact that I have heard these songs at work nearly every day for the better part of a year I have yet to become sick of any of them.
Neko Case - People Got A Lotta Nerve
Neko Case - Magpie to the Morning
50)Further Seems Forever - The Moon is Down
Pre-DC Chris Carraba on vocals + post-Strongarm band members = passionate rock 'n' roll. The Moon is Down takes me back to a time of musical discovery, late nights, and most excellent camaraderie. It's the soundtrack to life lived, peaks and valleys and all.
Further Seems Forever - Monechetti
49)Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lakes State
Any album inspired by the state of Michigan is going to have an underlying undercurrent of depression and lost hope, and Stevens doesn't skim over these things. In fact, Sufjan's most heart-breaking songs are found here. But, as always, there is sweetness amongst the bitter and, utilizing xylophones and banjos and whatnot, he reminds us that there is always cause to rejoice.
Sufjan Stevens - For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti
Sufjan Stevens - Holland
48)Aimee Mann - The Forgotten Arm
A concept album about a boxer and his girlfriend and the way they mess up each other's lives, each song stands up on its own even as the unifying story takes its depressing turns.
Aimee Mann - Little Bombs
47)Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
Melodic and woodsy (if things pertaining to forestry are accurate ways to describe a music group). The songs are mellow and full of story-snippets, possibly putting Van Occupanther somewhere in neo-folk territory. Hippies will dig it.
Midlake - Roscoe
46)Feist - Let It Die
Let it Die is the better, lesser-known older sister to The Remainder. It's cool and smokey and a wee bit jazzy. And none of the songs appear on Apple commercials (although "Mushaboom" has appeared... somewhere).
Feist - Gatekeeper
45)The Postal Service - Give Up
Okay, so maybe it sounds a bit dated after six years, but these are still good catchy songs. Looking past the peppy novelty of the boops and beeps we hear songs of remorse and regret countered with songs of love and hope. Synth-pop fan or not, there isn't a bad song here.
The Postal Service - The District Sleeps Alone Tonight
44)Sufjan Stevens - Come On Feel the Illinoise
Like Michigan, except a little more ornate, a little more celebratory, and a little more... is that a song about John Wayne Gacy? Though not as outright depressing as Stevens' preceding release, Illinois banks on the extremes as it peaks with jubilation and dips into authentically spine-chilling moments.
Sufjan Stevens - John Wayne Gacy, Jr.
43)Cat Power - You Are Free
Grittier than The Greatest, You Are Free is just as powerful and more musically diverse. Normally I find guest-vocals distracting, but Eddie Vedder's appearance is perfectly low-key.
Cat Power - He War
Cat Power - Good Woman
42)Sun Kil Moon - Ghosts of the Great Highway
Mark Kozelek's songs are gentle and sweeping, yet stripped down and direct. There is nothing extravagant about them, especially the ones found on Ghosts, but they are timed and crafted so perfectly. It's less like listening to music and more like looking at a Flemish painting.
Sun Kil Moon - Carry Me Ohio
41)Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
First of all the album cover features Case on the hood of an old Mercury Cougar wielding a sword. Who cares what the songs sound like. But they are good songs indeed. Taking another step away from her country music roots (steering herself in more folksy, more Alt-country directions), she instead turns her attention to nature and goes so far as to record the album in a barn. Despite the fact that I have heard these songs at work nearly every day for the better part of a year I have yet to become sick of any of them.
Neko Case - People Got A Lotta Nerve
Neko Case - Magpie to the Morning
Monday, December 7, 2009
2000-2009:60-51
60)As I Lay Dying - Frail Words Collapse
I remember when I first heard "94 Hours" I nearly soiled myself. Like, literally. The volume was up really loud, and those bass blasts... Anyway, solid crunchy metalcore. So good. So good.
As I Lay Dying - 94 Hours
59)Over the Rhine - Ohio
Reoccurring themes on this list: smokey-voiced female singers. Few croon it better than Karin Berquist in that sultry-on-accident kind of way. Regarding Ohio, double-discs usually end up boring me, but all 21 of these tracks are captivating on their own while contributing to some sort of familiar-but-not bigger picture.
58)Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
Yes, I think Plans is better than We Have the Facts and Photo Album. This is my list, not yours. Though Plans was released on a major label, and though it went Platinum, and though it received several Grammy nods, I still get the feeling it's the red-headed step-child of Death Cab albums. It's soft and tender without being whiny, and the songs are really well-crafted.
Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body
57)Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites
Danes! One neat thing about this album (and there are several) is that most of the tracks bleed into each other, forming what could either be a few epic songs or many normal-lengthed ones. Regardless, the music of Mew falls from somewhere beyond the upper atmosphere, a place both heavenly and slightly dangerous. I think it's called Denmark.
56)Richard Buckner - Dents and Shells
Not as generally stripped down as his previous releases (though equally as devastating) Buckner and his posse still utilizes the two most heart-wrenching instruments known to man: the slide guitar, and his own husky voice. There's an underlying sensation of hope, however, that prevents Dents from being such a downer.
Richard Buckner - A Chance Counsel
55)The Dismemberment Plan - Change
Are they being serious? Are they being sarcastic? Joking around? Bored? Somebody tell me how to feel. The songs themselves are unquestionably awesome as they're built around the hookiest hooks and too-clever lyrics. Tragically, this was the Plan's last studio album as they broke up a couple years after its 2001 release.
The Dismemberment Plan - Superpowers
54)Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
Southern rock with a much-needed conscience. The Truckers exhibit southern pride without ignoring the socioculteral elements and attitudes that have retarded the region since the 1800s. And somehow they do it in a musically ear-pleasing way.
53)Morrissey - You Are the Quarry
Speaking of social consciousness... Morrissey! Despite the natural heaviness of political, social, and religious commentary, many of the tracks are upbeat and seriously catchy -- radio-friendly, even, which is somewhat unusual for Morrissey -- and cleanly put together.
52)Denison Witmer - Of Joy and Sorrow
Introspective songs about old and new relationships, friendships, and bittersweet nostalgia. Witmer's delivery is gentle and hushed, yet he holds your attention by striking familiar emotional chords.
Denison Witmer - Simple Life
51)Pedro the Lion - Control
This is where David Bazan made the move from slo-core to something more musically aggressive (though his lyrical aggressiveness has always remained consistently... aggressive). Less a concept album than Winners Never Quit, themes of death and sex and misinterpreted Christianity still permeate Control. The album is both a commentary and a challenge.
Pedro the Lion - Rapture
Pedro the Lion - Penetration
I remember when I first heard "94 Hours" I nearly soiled myself. Like, literally. The volume was up really loud, and those bass blasts... Anyway, solid crunchy metalcore. So good. So good.
As I Lay Dying - 94 Hours
59)Over the Rhine - Ohio
Reoccurring themes on this list: smokey-voiced female singers. Few croon it better than Karin Berquist in that sultry-on-accident kind of way. Regarding Ohio, double-discs usually end up boring me, but all 21 of these tracks are captivating on their own while contributing to some sort of familiar-but-not bigger picture.
58)Death Cab For Cutie - Plans
Yes, I think Plans is better than We Have the Facts and Photo Album. This is my list, not yours. Though Plans was released on a major label, and though it went Platinum, and though it received several Grammy nods, I still get the feeling it's the red-headed step-child of Death Cab albums. It's soft and tender without being whiny, and the songs are really well-crafted.
Death Cab For Cutie - Soul Meets Body
57)Mew - And the Glass Handed Kites
Danes! One neat thing about this album (and there are several) is that most of the tracks bleed into each other, forming what could either be a few epic songs or many normal-lengthed ones. Regardless, the music of Mew falls from somewhere beyond the upper atmosphere, a place both heavenly and slightly dangerous. I think it's called Denmark.
56)Richard Buckner - Dents and Shells
Not as generally stripped down as his previous releases (though equally as devastating) Buckner and his posse still utilizes the two most heart-wrenching instruments known to man: the slide guitar, and his own husky voice. There's an underlying sensation of hope, however, that prevents Dents from being such a downer.
Richard Buckner - A Chance Counsel
55)The Dismemberment Plan - Change
Are they being serious? Are they being sarcastic? Joking around? Bored? Somebody tell me how to feel. The songs themselves are unquestionably awesome as they're built around the hookiest hooks and too-clever lyrics. Tragically, this was the Plan's last studio album as they broke up a couple years after its 2001 release.
The Dismemberment Plan - Superpowers
54)Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day
Southern rock with a much-needed conscience. The Truckers exhibit southern pride without ignoring the socioculteral elements and attitudes that have retarded the region since the 1800s. And somehow they do it in a musically ear-pleasing way.
53)Morrissey - You Are the Quarry
Speaking of social consciousness... Morrissey! Despite the natural heaviness of political, social, and religious commentary, many of the tracks are upbeat and seriously catchy -- radio-friendly, even, which is somewhat unusual for Morrissey -- and cleanly put together.
52)Denison Witmer - Of Joy and Sorrow
Introspective songs about old and new relationships, friendships, and bittersweet nostalgia. Witmer's delivery is gentle and hushed, yet he holds your attention by striking familiar emotional chords.
Denison Witmer - Simple Life
51)Pedro the Lion - Control
This is where David Bazan made the move from slo-core to something more musically aggressive (though his lyrical aggressiveness has always remained consistently... aggressive). Less a concept album than Winners Never Quit, themes of death and sex and misinterpreted Christianity still permeate Control. The album is both a commentary and a challenge.
Pedro the Lion - Rapture
Pedro the Lion - Penetration
Friday, December 4, 2009
2000-2009:70-61
70) Junior Boys - So This is Goodbye
More Canadians! Electronic music always seems best when it is composed by duos. While techno, house, and trance have a tendency to lull its listeners into a... trance, Junior Boys music is captivating and groovylicious.
Junior Boys - In the Morning
69) Sigur Ros - Takk...
Sigur Ros's second-best full-length album, Takk... displays more of the magnificent instrumental and vocal arrangements that make the band so wondrous. Always needing to be different, the CD packaging itself is awkwardly sized and sticks out funny on my shelf like an extended middle finger amongst all the other jewel cases.
Sigur Ros - Gong
68) The River Bends - And Flows Into the Sea
A collaboration with One Star Hotel, The River Bends is Denison Witmer backed by (gasp) a full rock band. Though several of the tracks sound more robust than Witmer's solo work, each tune is vintage Denison in its introspection and perfectly placed hooks.
The River Bends - Are You Lonely
The River Bends - 22
67) Ladytron - The Witching Hour
The Witching Hour, when it was released, was a severe departure from the group's cutesy minimal-retro electro-synthpop. The one-dimensional boops and beeps that harmlessly led the listener on were replaced with heavily layered waves of sound crashing rhythmically about. Ladytron, in one album, had turned from a novelty to something positively dangerous. "Destroy Everything You Touch" is a tremendous track.
Ladytron - Beauty*2
66) Mogwai - Rock Action
Murky without being muddled, triumphant without being celebratory, Rock Action is a bipolar musical exploration.
Mogwai - Dial: Revenge
65) Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - Living With the Living
Until The Brutalist Bricks is released in March, Living With the Living is Ted Leo's most recent full-length album. I had previous noted that it wasn't quite as good as his previous releases, but I now see the error of my ways.
Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - A Bottle of Buckie
Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.
64) Envy - All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead
Old pros, Envy does epic the way epicness is supposed to be done. The songs are dense, go soft-to-loud (or loud-to-louder), and the vocals are passionately SCREAMED in Japanese.
Envy - Farewell To Words
63) Desaparecidos - Read Music/Speak Spanish
It's Conor Oberst, and he's mad at suburban America. Raging like a teenagers who just learned about the evils of corporations and consumerism, Oberst plugs in his guitar and plays some serious rock 'n' roll.
Desaparecidos - Man and Wife, The Latter (Damaged Goods)
62) Death Cab For Cutie - The Photo Album
More Death Cab goodness full of smirk-worthy lyrical wit and structure. The music, even when conveying severe agitation, is smooth. The hooks are hooky. The Photo Album is a Death Cab classic.
Death Cab For Cutie - We Laugh Indoors
Death Cab For Cutie - A Movie Script Ending
61) Cat Power - The Greatest
Bluesy, mellow, and solid. Chan Marshall's smokey vocals mesh perfectly with her backing ensemble. I guess you're allowed to name your album The Greatest if it really is the greatest.
Cat Power - The Greatest
More Canadians! Electronic music always seems best when it is composed by duos. While techno, house, and trance have a tendency to lull its listeners into a... trance, Junior Boys music is captivating and groovylicious.
Junior Boys - In the Morning
69) Sigur Ros - Takk...
Sigur Ros's second-best full-length album, Takk... displays more of the magnificent instrumental and vocal arrangements that make the band so wondrous. Always needing to be different, the CD packaging itself is awkwardly sized and sticks out funny on my shelf like an extended middle finger amongst all the other jewel cases.
Sigur Ros - Gong
68) The River Bends - And Flows Into the Sea
A collaboration with One Star Hotel, The River Bends is Denison Witmer backed by (gasp) a full rock band. Though several of the tracks sound more robust than Witmer's solo work, each tune is vintage Denison in its introspection and perfectly placed hooks.
The River Bends - Are You Lonely
The River Bends - 22
67) Ladytron - The Witching Hour
The Witching Hour, when it was released, was a severe departure from the group's cutesy minimal-retro electro-synthpop. The one-dimensional boops and beeps that harmlessly led the listener on were replaced with heavily layered waves of sound crashing rhythmically about. Ladytron, in one album, had turned from a novelty to something positively dangerous. "Destroy Everything You Touch" is a tremendous track.
Ladytron - Beauty*2
66) Mogwai - Rock Action
Murky without being muddled, triumphant without being celebratory, Rock Action is a bipolar musical exploration.
Mogwai - Dial: Revenge
65) Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - Living With the Living
Until The Brutalist Bricks is released in March, Living With the Living is Ted Leo's most recent full-length album. I had previous noted that it wasn't quite as good as his previous releases, but I now see the error of my ways.
Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - A Bottle of Buckie
Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.
64) Envy - All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead
Old pros, Envy does epic the way epicness is supposed to be done. The songs are dense, go soft-to-loud (or loud-to-louder), and the vocals are passionately SCREAMED in Japanese.
Envy - Farewell To Words
63) Desaparecidos - Read Music/Speak Spanish
It's Conor Oberst, and he's mad at suburban America. Raging like a teenagers who just learned about the evils of corporations and consumerism, Oberst plugs in his guitar and plays some serious rock 'n' roll.
Desaparecidos - Man and Wife, The Latter (Damaged Goods)
62) Death Cab For Cutie - The Photo Album
More Death Cab goodness full of smirk-worthy lyrical wit and structure. The music, even when conveying severe agitation, is smooth. The hooks are hooky. The Photo Album is a Death Cab classic.
Death Cab For Cutie - We Laugh Indoors
Death Cab For Cutie - A Movie Script Ending
61) Cat Power - The Greatest
Bluesy, mellow, and solid. Chan Marshall's smokey vocals mesh perfectly with her backing ensemble. I guess you're allowed to name your album The Greatest if it really is the greatest.
Cat Power - The Greatest
Monday, November 30, 2009
2000-2009:80-71
80) Kathleen Edwards - Failer
Edwards' first full-length commercial release is about as good as debut albums get. Full of fictional (?) first-person accounts and nuggets of what are presumably bigger stories, Failer revolves around Edwards' smokey vocals and songs of personal frustration and human shortcomings.
Kathleen Edwards - One More Song the Radio Won't Like
Kathleen Edwards - Lone Wolf
79) Damien Jurado - Ghost of David
Taking the bleak storytelling a bit further, Jurado, in his minimal folksy way, sings of death, fear, and all that other good stuff. The standout track is "Tonight I Will Retire," a song that is so simple, yet so devastating.
Damien Jurado - Tonight I Will Retire
78) Cool Hand Luke - I Fought Against Myself
The transitional album between their scream-tacular ...So Far EP and the more subdued (though just as passionate) introspective Wake Up, O Sleeper (which set the tone for the remainder of their releases), I Fought Against Myself is full of extremes. It's aggressive, then bare. Obvious, then subtle. Comforting, then convicting.
Cool Hand Luke - Numbing Agent
77) My Hotel Year - The Composition of Ending and Phrasing
Post-power pop, if there is such a genre. In Composition they hit the big chords, but mix it up with starts and stops and time signature changes. MHY were lumped in with all the other faux-emo bands of the late '90s/early '00s, but their tightness and dang-good music separated them from the others.
My Hotel Year - Key Exchange
76) Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - The Tyranny of Distance
A bit of a throwback, but still adequately bringing the rock, the music of Ted Leo hearkens back to the times of old-school punk. Sometimes you have to keep it pozzie. (Although "The Gold Finch and the Red Oak Tree" is surprisingly tender.)
Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - Squeaky Fingers
Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - Gold Finch and the Red Oak Tree
75) Benoit Pioulard - Précis
Cluttered with sound, though not distractingly so, Précis is an exercise in acoustics and loops, melodies and repetitions. It sounds pretentious and European, but Benoit Pioulard is really just a guy from Michigan. Nothing out of Michigan is too pretentious to enjoy.
Benoit Pioulard - Triggering Back
Benoit Pioulard - Palimend
74) The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
Modern prog-rock, yet restrained and catchy enough to thoroughly enjoy. Lots of fodder for SAT word definitions.
73) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
With elements of Appalachia folk and Americana permeating their music, Grizzly Bear is too hazy and experimental to be either. Imagine guitars and xylophones and autoharps and banjos and ethereal voices all floating in the midst of a looming cumulonimbus cloud.
Grizzly Bear - Lullaby
72) Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
The band's only full-length release (so far, they've been working on a new one for years), Myths is psychedelic, groovy, rockin', and dance-worthy disco fun. Personally, it makes me want to visit other planets, but only if their primary heat sources are glowsticks.
Klaxons - Golden Skans
71) Denison Witmer - Carry the Weight
Witmer has steadily given in to the 70s singer/songwriter influences he always mentions in interviews and live performances. His least whiny album, Witmer channels his inner Jackson Browne and Carly Simon to create a great collection of mellow California-folk tunes.
Denison Witmer - One More Day
Edwards' first full-length commercial release is about as good as debut albums get. Full of fictional (?) first-person accounts and nuggets of what are presumably bigger stories, Failer revolves around Edwards' smokey vocals and songs of personal frustration and human shortcomings.
Kathleen Edwards - One More Song the Radio Won't Like
Kathleen Edwards - Lone Wolf
79) Damien Jurado - Ghost of David
Taking the bleak storytelling a bit further, Jurado, in his minimal folksy way, sings of death, fear, and all that other good stuff. The standout track is "Tonight I Will Retire," a song that is so simple, yet so devastating.
Damien Jurado - Tonight I Will Retire
78) Cool Hand Luke - I Fought Against Myself
The transitional album between their scream-tacular ...So Far EP and the more subdued (though just as passionate) introspective Wake Up, O Sleeper (which set the tone for the remainder of their releases), I Fought Against Myself is full of extremes. It's aggressive, then bare. Obvious, then subtle. Comforting, then convicting.
Cool Hand Luke - Numbing Agent
77) My Hotel Year - The Composition of Ending and Phrasing
Post-power pop, if there is such a genre. In Composition they hit the big chords, but mix it up with starts and stops and time signature changes. MHY were lumped in with all the other faux-emo bands of the late '90s/early '00s, but their tightness and dang-good music separated them from the others.
My Hotel Year - Key Exchange
76) Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - The Tyranny of Distance
A bit of a throwback, but still adequately bringing the rock, the music of Ted Leo hearkens back to the times of old-school punk. Sometimes you have to keep it pozzie. (Although "The Gold Finch and the Red Oak Tree" is surprisingly tender.)
Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - Squeaky Fingers
Ted Leo + the Pharmacists - Gold Finch and the Red Oak Tree
75) Benoit Pioulard - Précis
Cluttered with sound, though not distractingly so, Précis is an exercise in acoustics and loops, melodies and repetitions. It sounds pretentious and European, but Benoit Pioulard is really just a guy from Michigan. Nothing out of Michigan is too pretentious to enjoy.
Benoit Pioulard - Triggering Back
Benoit Pioulard - Palimend
74) The Mars Volta - De-Loused in the Comatorium
Modern prog-rock, yet restrained and catchy enough to thoroughly enjoy. Lots of fodder for SAT word definitions.
73) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
With elements of Appalachia folk and Americana permeating their music, Grizzly Bear is too hazy and experimental to be either. Imagine guitars and xylophones and autoharps and banjos and ethereal voices all floating in the midst of a looming cumulonimbus cloud.
Grizzly Bear - Lullaby
72) Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future
The band's only full-length release (so far, they've been working on a new one for years), Myths is psychedelic, groovy, rockin', and dance-worthy disco fun. Personally, it makes me want to visit other planets, but only if their primary heat sources are glowsticks.
Klaxons - Golden Skans
71) Denison Witmer - Carry the Weight
Witmer has steadily given in to the 70s singer/songwriter influences he always mentions in interviews and live performances. His least whiny album, Witmer channels his inner Jackson Browne and Carly Simon to create a great collection of mellow California-folk tunes.
Denison Witmer - One More Day
Friday, November 27, 2009
2000-2009:90-81
90) Damien Jurado - On My Way to Absence
Musically this sounds like a positive album. Jurado softly croons through most of the songs, lulling the listener with acoustic guitars and reserved pianos and gentle percussion. It's all very serene. But then, of course, you tune into the lyrics and suddenly your whole world is devastated. And just to make sure your soul is adequately crushed he scalds you with surprising vitriol in the song "Icicle." So awesome.
Damien Jurado - White Center
Damien Jurado - Icicle
89) Chris Staples - Blackest Hair, Bluest Eyes
Not quite lo-fi, not quite hi-fi, Christ Staple's first (and so far only) commercial solo release is a mid-fi exploration of mid-western Americana folk rock. A few tracks can be found on his previous two self-produced independent releases, but if you're like me you own all three anyway.
Chris Staples - Blackest Hair, Bluest Eyes
88) Uncle Bob Drives a Combine - Episode III: The Journey Begins
This album is a mind-boinking trip. Episode III tells the story of a man who heads for the city, meets his robot spirit guide (?!) and is eventually befallen by calamity. The music is one part Western soundtrack, one part grindcore, one part sci-fi, and one part... farm. It all comes together to form a killer brain hemorrhaging experience.
Uncle Bob Drives a Combine - Interlude V: Moo!
87) Jose Gonzalez - Veneer
The most relaxing music ever. Gonzalez's voice is gentle, his guitar is gentle, and his songs are perfectly and subtly crafted. Most surprising is his heart-squeezing rendition of "Heartbeats," originally done by the sharp Swedish electronic duo The Knife.
86) Frank Black and the Catholics - Black Letter Days
A good collection of solid catchy, bluesy (but not the blues), acoustic and plugged-in rock. It made the dissolution of the Pixies easier to tolerate, although they're back together now so it really doesn't matter. Everybody wins.
Frank Black and the Catholics - Chip Away Boy
85) Ozma - Rock and Roll Part Three
From their first full-length studio album, Ozma delivers the nerdy power-pop. The best and worst lyric you'll ever hear, from "Apple Trees":
Ozma - Shooting Stars
Ozma - Battlescars
84) Suffering & the Hideous Thieves - Real Panic Formed
From the very first track (about anti-depressants!) to the last (an eleven-minute lyrical foray into emotional self-torture following the disintegration of a relationship), Real Panic Formed is an unhappy, though probably very necessary, listening experience.
Suffering & the Hideous Thieves - The Other Side of the Moon
Suffering & the Hideous Thieves - Sex is Dead
83) Air - Pocket Symphony
The music of Air is very chill and is the perfect soundtrack to anything. Driving? Eating? Love-making? Dying? Any given song from Pocket Symphony has it covered.
Air - Once Upon a Time
82) Extol - Synergy
Synergy, when it was first released, was a severe departure for the band musically. Suddenly Extol was a thrash metal band instead of a black metal one. For better or worse, due to this shift the songs of Synergy are more accessible than the ones found on their previous albums. Regardless of how this effects you as a metal-head, be assured that their metal-playing abilities were not diminished. Not in the slightest.
Extol - Grace for Succession
81) Songs: Ohia - Didn't It Rain
Minimal and dreary, this album showcases Jason Molina's excellent song-crafting abilities. A rung below Americana, a rung above folk, a rung with some blues influence, and a rung unremoved from indie lo-fi, these tunes are deceptively difficult to define but enthralling to hear.
Songs: Ohia - Two Blue Lights
Musically this sounds like a positive album. Jurado softly croons through most of the songs, lulling the listener with acoustic guitars and reserved pianos and gentle percussion. It's all very serene. But then, of course, you tune into the lyrics and suddenly your whole world is devastated. And just to make sure your soul is adequately crushed he scalds you with surprising vitriol in the song "Icicle." So awesome.
Damien Jurado - White Center
Damien Jurado - Icicle
89) Chris Staples - Blackest Hair, Bluest Eyes
Not quite lo-fi, not quite hi-fi, Christ Staple's first (and so far only) commercial solo release is a mid-fi exploration of mid-western Americana folk rock. A few tracks can be found on his previous two self-produced independent releases, but if you're like me you own all three anyway.
Chris Staples - Blackest Hair, Bluest Eyes
88) Uncle Bob Drives a Combine - Episode III: The Journey Begins
This album is a mind-boinking trip. Episode III tells the story of a man who heads for the city, meets his robot spirit guide (?!) and is eventually befallen by calamity. The music is one part Western soundtrack, one part grindcore, one part sci-fi, and one part... farm. It all comes together to form a killer brain hemorrhaging experience.
Uncle Bob Drives a Combine - Interlude V: Moo!
87) Jose Gonzalez - Veneer
The most relaxing music ever. Gonzalez's voice is gentle, his guitar is gentle, and his songs are perfectly and subtly crafted. Most surprising is his heart-squeezing rendition of "Heartbeats," originally done by the sharp Swedish electronic duo The Knife.
86) Frank Black and the Catholics - Black Letter Days
A good collection of solid catchy, bluesy (but not the blues), acoustic and plugged-in rock. It made the dissolution of the Pixies easier to tolerate, although they're back together now so it really doesn't matter. Everybody wins.
Frank Black and the Catholics - Chip Away Boy
85) Ozma - Rock and Roll Part Three
From their first full-length studio album, Ozma delivers the nerdy power-pop. The best and worst lyric you'll ever hear, from "Apple Trees":
"Take a number like 5, times 10, times 10 again.Rock and Roll is full of goofy lines like that. Also, track four is a big blatant ode to Natalie Portman. It's called "Natalie Portman."
500 miles of apple orchards to defend."
Ozma - Shooting Stars
Ozma - Battlescars
84) Suffering & the Hideous Thieves - Real Panic Formed
From the very first track (about anti-depressants!) to the last (an eleven-minute lyrical foray into emotional self-torture following the disintegration of a relationship), Real Panic Formed is an unhappy, though probably very necessary, listening experience.
Suffering & the Hideous Thieves - The Other Side of the Moon
Suffering & the Hideous Thieves - Sex is Dead
83) Air - Pocket Symphony
The music of Air is very chill and is the perfect soundtrack to anything. Driving? Eating? Love-making? Dying? Any given song from Pocket Symphony has it covered.
Air - Once Upon a Time
82) Extol - Synergy
Synergy, when it was first released, was a severe departure for the band musically. Suddenly Extol was a thrash metal band instead of a black metal one. For better or worse, due to this shift the songs of Synergy are more accessible than the ones found on their previous albums. Regardless of how this effects you as a metal-head, be assured that their metal-playing abilities were not diminished. Not in the slightest.
Extol - Grace for Succession
81) Songs: Ohia - Didn't It Rain
Minimal and dreary, this album showcases Jason Molina's excellent song-crafting abilities. A rung below Americana, a rung above folk, a rung with some blues influence, and a rung unremoved from indie lo-fi, these tunes are deceptively difficult to define but enthralling to hear.
Songs: Ohia - Two Blue Lights
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
2000-2009:100-91
100) Hopesfall - The Satellite Years
Though a far-cry from Frailty of Words and No Wings to Speak Of, The Satellite Years is still full of melodicore goodness. "The Bending" continues to be one of my all-time favorite songs.
Hopesfall - The Bending
99) Death Cab For Cutie - We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
Released March of 2000, this is DCFC's second full-length release. The songs are soft and creamy and, at the right times, bouncy. Gibbard is a great songwriter when he's paying attention.
Death Cab For Cutie - For What Reason
Death Cab For Cutie - Lowell, MA
98) Sunny Day Real Estate - The Rising Tide
From the band's final album (so far... they've reunited this past summer and people keep talking about new material), The Rising Tide is tight and explosive. It does lack the rawness that made their previous albums emotional rollercoasters to listen to. Nevertheless, a weak SDRE is mightier than most anybody's strongest anything.
Sunny Day Real Estate - Snibe
97) The Gloria Record - Start Here
Though active for eight years, The Gloria Record released exactly one full-length album before splitting for other endeavors. This is that record, and it is golden. Despite the dense sonic richness of the music, these songs evoke human fragility. Highlights include "Ascension Dream," a song about intense regret after running over a deer.
The Gloria Record - Ascension Dream
The Gloria Record - Good Morning Providence
96) Starflyer 59 - Old
Starflyer 59 is probably the most consistent band in the world, at least in terms of musical quality and the regularity of new content. As Starflyer's been known to linger in low-tempo ranges, Old is full of mid-to-up-tempo tunes to catch the ear of finicky new listeners. Also, lots of peculiar atmospheric elements.
Starflyer 59 - Underneath
95) Goldfrapp - Supernature
Not disco, but certainly disco-inspired. For whatever it's worth I've heard samples of this album used on TV a lot. The groovy tunes are danceable and the ballads are dreamy. Great stuff.
94) Elevator Division - Years
A staple in the KC music scene for a while, ED played downcast rock that retained enough pop sensibilities (read: HOOKS) to keep the listener perpetually engaged. They put on great live shows and served to remind us what good music is all about. It looks like you can get a used copy of Years through Amazon for $0.01 (+shipping, of course). That's a good buy.
Elevator Division - Radio
Elevator Division - Rearview Mirror
93) Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
On the complete opposite end of the music spectrum is Deerhoof. Zany, quirky, and frantic (and very much musically capable) Deerhoof toned it down slightly for Friend Opportunity. While this made them more accessible, it did little to deter the band's awesomeness.
Deerhoof - +81
92) David Bazan - Curse Your Branches
Released in September, Bazan's long-awaited full-length album did not disappoint. More sonically diverse than anything he did with/as Pedro the Lion, Bazan still sings about the hardest subjects, holding the ugly mirror to our faces while we try to ignore the things that wreck us.
David Bazan - Please, Baby, Please
91) Minus the Bear - Highly Refined Pirates
This is MtB's first full-length album, released in 2002. The song-titles have nothing to do with the music itself, and all they really sing about are girls and booze. Still, they do it so well.
Minus the Bear - Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!
Though a far-cry from Frailty of Words and No Wings to Speak Of, The Satellite Years is still full of melodicore goodness. "The Bending" continues to be one of my all-time favorite songs.
Hopesfall - The Bending
99) Death Cab For Cutie - We Have the Facts and We're Voting Yes
Released March of 2000, this is DCFC's second full-length release. The songs are soft and creamy and, at the right times, bouncy. Gibbard is a great songwriter when he's paying attention.
Death Cab For Cutie - For What Reason
Death Cab For Cutie - Lowell, MA
98) Sunny Day Real Estate - The Rising Tide
From the band's final album (so far... they've reunited this past summer and people keep talking about new material), The Rising Tide is tight and explosive. It does lack the rawness that made their previous albums emotional rollercoasters to listen to. Nevertheless, a weak SDRE is mightier than most anybody's strongest anything.
Sunny Day Real Estate - Snibe
97) The Gloria Record - Start Here
Though active for eight years, The Gloria Record released exactly one full-length album before splitting for other endeavors. This is that record, and it is golden. Despite the dense sonic richness of the music, these songs evoke human fragility. Highlights include "Ascension Dream," a song about intense regret after running over a deer.
The Gloria Record - Ascension Dream
The Gloria Record - Good Morning Providence
96) Starflyer 59 - Old
Starflyer 59 is probably the most consistent band in the world, at least in terms of musical quality and the regularity of new content. As Starflyer's been known to linger in low-tempo ranges, Old is full of mid-to-up-tempo tunes to catch the ear of finicky new listeners. Also, lots of peculiar atmospheric elements.
Starflyer 59 - Underneath
95) Goldfrapp - Supernature
Not disco, but certainly disco-inspired. For whatever it's worth I've heard samples of this album used on TV a lot. The groovy tunes are danceable and the ballads are dreamy. Great stuff.
94) Elevator Division - Years
A staple in the KC music scene for a while, ED played downcast rock that retained enough pop sensibilities (read: HOOKS) to keep the listener perpetually engaged. They put on great live shows and served to remind us what good music is all about. It looks like you can get a used copy of Years through Amazon for $0.01 (+shipping, of course). That's a good buy.
Elevator Division - Radio
Elevator Division - Rearview Mirror
93) Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity
On the complete opposite end of the music spectrum is Deerhoof. Zany, quirky, and frantic (and very much musically capable) Deerhoof toned it down slightly for Friend Opportunity. While this made them more accessible, it did little to deter the band's awesomeness.
Deerhoof - +81
92) David Bazan - Curse Your Branches
Released in September, Bazan's long-awaited full-length album did not disappoint. More sonically diverse than anything he did with/as Pedro the Lion, Bazan still sings about the hardest subjects, holding the ugly mirror to our faces while we try to ignore the things that wreck us.
David Bazan - Please, Baby, Please
91) Minus the Bear - Highly Refined Pirates
This is MtB's first full-length album, released in 2002. The song-titles have nothing to do with the music itself, and all they really sing about are girls and booze. Still, they do it so well.
Minus the Bear - Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!
Monday, November 23, 2009
2000-2009:110-101
The span between 2000 and 2010 were, historically, a peculiar set of years. This was my generation's decade and appropriately they were, event-wise and life-wise, culturally and personally, highlighted by the highest of highs and marred by the lowest of lows.
The soundtrack to our decade is adequately representational and, fortunately enough, supremely enjoyable. Musically the Aughts far exceeded the nonsense that was the Nineties.
Unfortunately I was not able to slim down my top picks to the best five or ten or twenty. I counted 110 albums that were absolutely necessary to include on this best-of list. Be happy I ranked them for you. I usually don't do that. So, for the next several weeks we are going to take a listen back at the albums (compact disc, vinyl, or otherwise) that made the last ten years tolerable.
I know there are a vast number of superb LPs, EPs, Internet-only releases, etc., that never crossed my ears. I can't listen to everything. I have better things to do. So what we have are my personal picks that, in some way or another, moved me, shook me, and/or dropped me dead. These are collections of songs that worthy to be shared and enjoyed by others.
110) mewithoutyou - [A-->B] Life
The band's first blistering release. While the band continues to be awesome, they've never thrown punches as hard as they did with A-to-B. En Francais, even.
mewithoutyou - Bullet to Binary.
109) Living Sacrifice - Hammering Process
Released in 2000, Hammering Process set the bar in br00tality. Most other songs from most other albums sound pithy in comparison.
Living Sacrifice - Bloodwork.
108) Arcade Fire - Funeral
Our first Canadians on the list. Quebecois at that. An Indie darling, at least until Neon Bible was released, Funeral is pleasantly dense, lulling but ungentle, and anthemic.
Arcade Fire - Wake Up.
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels).
107) Dntel - This Is The Dream of Evan and Chan
As this is a single containing five versions of the same song, I am probably cheating here. I completely don't care. A lot of remixes don't do justice to the original. But these remixes, as they build on the themes and elements of "Evan and Chan," remain true while simultaneously exploring the bounds of the song. Track 6, "Your Hill," is a keeper as well.
Dntel - (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan.
Dntel - (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan [Barbara Morgenstern Remix].
106) St. Vincent - Actor
Marry Me was excellent. This follow-up is more excellenter. Angular, catchy, bizarre but familiar, Actor illustrates how and why Annie Clark is new American Kate Bush.
St. Vincent - Actor Out of Work.
St. Vincent - Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood
105) The New Pornographers - Challengers
The New Pornos got serious with Challengers while still maintaining the sugeryness that made their previous albums sparkle. The only thing I could have asked for was more Neko Case voicebox. But then it would have been a Neko Case album, and there already are a couple of those to come.
The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour.
104) Ladytron - Velocifero
Picking up where Witching Hour left off, Velocifero is a catchy cool display of electro-rock fuzz. Two songs are sung in Bulgarian, which I think is fantastic as Bulgaria is vastly underrepresented in the modern indie rock scene.
Ladytron - Black Cat.
103) Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
They may be Joy Division rip-offs, but if you are going to rip-off a band it might as well be a good one. Bright Lights is tic-toc steady and a little more goth (in the early-80s punk sense of the word) than anybody wants to admit.
Interpol - NYC
Interpol - Obstacle 2.
102) Mouse Fire - Wooden Teeth
These hooks are so killer that the corpses are still bobbing their heads. Pop-rock with a furled brow. Pop-rock without the frills.
Mouse Fire - Feel Good Drag
101) Beach House - Beach House
Haunting and bendy, like lucidly finding ones' self in a dream. They say their follow-up, Devotion, is even better, but I haven't had a chance to listen to that one yet, and my list is already made, so self-titled it is!
Beach House - Master of None
Beach House - Auburn and Ivory
The soundtrack to our decade is adequately representational and, fortunately enough, supremely enjoyable. Musically the Aughts far exceeded the nonsense that was the Nineties.
Unfortunately I was not able to slim down my top picks to the best five or ten or twenty. I counted 110 albums that were absolutely necessary to include on this best-of list. Be happy I ranked them for you. I usually don't do that. So, for the next several weeks we are going to take a listen back at the albums (compact disc, vinyl, or otherwise) that made the last ten years tolerable.
I know there are a vast number of superb LPs, EPs, Internet-only releases, etc., that never crossed my ears. I can't listen to everything. I have better things to do. So what we have are my personal picks that, in some way or another, moved me, shook me, and/or dropped me dead. These are collections of songs that worthy to be shared and enjoyed by others.
110) mewithoutyou - [A-->B] Life
The band's first blistering release. While the band continues to be awesome, they've never thrown punches as hard as they did with A-to-B. En Francais, even.
mewithoutyou - Bullet to Binary.
109) Living Sacrifice - Hammering Process
Released in 2000, Hammering Process set the bar in br00tality. Most other songs from most other albums sound pithy in comparison.
Living Sacrifice - Bloodwork.
108) Arcade Fire - Funeral
Our first Canadians on the list. Quebecois at that. An Indie darling, at least until Neon Bible was released, Funeral is pleasantly dense, lulling but ungentle, and anthemic.
Arcade Fire - Wake Up.
Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels).
107) Dntel - This Is The Dream of Evan and Chan
As this is a single containing five versions of the same song, I am probably cheating here. I completely don't care. A lot of remixes don't do justice to the original. But these remixes, as they build on the themes and elements of "Evan and Chan," remain true while simultaneously exploring the bounds of the song. Track 6, "Your Hill," is a keeper as well.
Dntel - (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan.
Dntel - (This Is) The Dream of Evan and Chan [Barbara Morgenstern Remix].
106) St. Vincent - Actor
Marry Me was excellent. This follow-up is more excellenter. Angular, catchy, bizarre but familiar, Actor illustrates how and why Annie Clark is new American Kate Bush.
St. Vincent - Actor Out of Work.
St. Vincent - Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood
105) The New Pornographers - Challengers
The New Pornos got serious with Challengers while still maintaining the sugeryness that made their previous albums sparkle. The only thing I could have asked for was more Neko Case voicebox. But then it would have been a Neko Case album, and there already are a couple of those to come.
The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour.
104) Ladytron - Velocifero
Picking up where Witching Hour left off, Velocifero is a catchy cool display of electro-rock fuzz. Two songs are sung in Bulgarian, which I think is fantastic as Bulgaria is vastly underrepresented in the modern indie rock scene.
Ladytron - Black Cat.
103) Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
They may be Joy Division rip-offs, but if you are going to rip-off a band it might as well be a good one. Bright Lights is tic-toc steady and a little more goth (in the early-80s punk sense of the word) than anybody wants to admit.
Interpol - NYC
Interpol - Obstacle 2.
102) Mouse Fire - Wooden Teeth
These hooks are so killer that the corpses are still bobbing their heads. Pop-rock with a furled brow. Pop-rock without the frills.
Mouse Fire - Feel Good Drag
101) Beach House - Beach House
Haunting and bendy, like lucidly finding ones' self in a dream. They say their follow-up, Devotion, is even better, but I haven't had a chance to listen to that one yet, and my list is already made, so self-titled it is!
Beach House - Master of None
Beach House - Auburn and Ivory
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
2000
The year 2000 does not seem like such a long time ago... and yet it was! Nine years have passed since the Y2k scare, since we exited the 1990s, since Bush, Jr., first entered the White House. A lot really has happened between now and then. I had to make a lot of personal adjustments as well since this was also the year I graduated from high school and entered college. Music was also turning a corner as certain scenes died (ska, industrial) and others (rap-core, metalcore, revitalized hardcore, and something we mislabeled as "emo") took off. Of these I tended to favor the sad stuff because, obviously, nobody on Earth could possibly understand how I felt.
We're not going to look at the outright emo-y stuff because, in retrospect, quite a bit of it was actually quite annoying. Instead we'll focus on these five performers who were (and some continue to) express loss and doubt and shame in an authentic and ear-pleasing manner.
Lock the door so nobody will see you cry. We're going to revisit some of the music that made gray clouds weep cold rain... IN THE YEAR 2000!
Bear Quartet - HelplessThe Bear Quartet are, at last count, a quintet from Sweden who, despite having been around for twenty years, remain fairly obscure. They cover a myriad of noisy genres, from straight up rock to electro-pop to post-punk, but excel when they tone it down for the weepy ballads. In "Helpless" the lyrics are vague (and Swedishly accented), but the stumbling acoustic guitar and pitter-pat percussion and the wispily sung chorus convey soft forlorn emotions that are bittersweetly familiar, even if there's not really anything identifiable to put your finger on.
Kind of Like Spitting - Birds of a FeatherIn 2000 Ben Barnett, who pretty much IS Kind of Like Spitting, released (at least) three full-length albums and a split, and there were probably some other EPs recorded that year as well. He is a prolific beast, yet his songwriting remains uncompromised. Two things stand out in this song... well, way more than two, but these are the things that grab me hardest: 1) the violin that winds its way through the music like a thin stream of water, and 2) the closing lines of the song. It's all a little bit angsty, but in a resigned sort of way rather than the more irritating overwrought sort of way.
Damien Jurado - Tonight I Will RetireThis was the very first Damien Jurado song I ever heard, and it is still one of my favorites. I couldn't understand how such joyful things like embracing your lover and going to heaven could end up being so dang sad. Listen to the lyrics and hear it all unfold. The instrumentation doesn't add much in the way of happiness as it's only Jurado's soft voice over top sparse piano playing and even sparser percussion. It's a bleak recipe for complete and utter sadness. Enjoy! By the way that's David Bazan on keys and drums, and sources tell me that even the album's name, Ghost of David, refers to Mr. Bazan. Why don't they just get a room?
Pedro the Lion - Bad Things to Such Good PeopleSo... David Bazan. He can and will devastate you. The story told in this song makes a little bit of sense on its own, but to be fully appreciated it should be taken within the context Winners Never Quit which tells the story of two brothers, one a successful politician, the other a screw-up. There's a lot of drama and "Bad Things", located near the end of the album, describes some of the aftermath. It's amazing how many emotions this one song can elicit, all of them negative. What's completely positive, though, is Bazan's acoustic guitar-playing. It churns and gallops as he wails about familial disappointment and spiritual crises. This album changed the way I thought about music while depressing the heck out of me.
The Gloria Record - A Lull in TrafficThis title track from The Gloria Record's A Lull in Traffic EP. It's a musical departure (or advancement) from the band's previous work in that there is a lot more going on here sonically. While the band's first recordings seemed to pick up where Mineral left off, the initial pop of the very first note from this, the very first song from the EP, indicates that the music is going to hover in a more etheral direction. And it certainly does. "A Lull in Traffic" (both the song and the entire album) sound like Christmas songs for the wary. Lyrically every line of this song is a keeper even though nothing is really being described. It's like hearing a vague outline to the story of a failed life, and you can interpret the middle as you like.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Jesper Norda Update
If you enjoyed Jesper Norda's Little Ones EP as much as I did (it was amongst my favorite releases of '08) then you'll be happy to know he has posted some new material, We Have the Guts EP, available to freely download and listen. As before this new collection of music is very low-key and stripped bare and carries on like a brooding inner monologue (that is, if that inner monologue were backed by a piano and delivered with a Swedish accent).
Jesper Norda - Ami's Song
However if cold introspection isn't your thing, but groovy synth-pop is, then check out the duo If There Is Something, another Norda-involved project shakin' things up on the opposite end of the musical spectrum. Again, the entire release, titled Put Your Jacket On, is free to have and to hold, so get on that.
If There Is Something - The Joy Of
Jesper Norda - Ami's Song
However if cold introspection isn't your thing, but groovy synth-pop is, then check out the duo If There Is Something, another Norda-involved project shakin' things up on the opposite end of the musical spectrum. Again, the entire release, titled Put Your Jacket On, is free to have and to hold, so get on that.
If There Is Something - The Joy Of
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Happy Valentine's Day
It's a great day for those of us in love.And for all you other suckers...
there's always next year.
Valentine's Day = the Chicago Cubs of holidays.
The Status - Happy Valentine's Day
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Kathleen Edwards, Hunting Horns, 2/9/09 @ Aeolian Hall, London, ON
I've been wanting to see Kathleen Edwards for a long time. She tours constantly and even lives less than a couple hours away from where I do, but I've never had a good opportunity to attend one of her live shows. I've gleaned some performances from Youtube and have recorded her televised 2004 appearance at Rehearsal Hall that Bravo! airs periodically, but it's not quite the same as living and breathing in the same room at the same time as her. So finally, finally, a London concert was scheduled and I scooped up tickets for what turned out to be a sold-out show.
The event was held at the historic Aeolian Hall of London, Ontario (not to be confused with the historic Aeolian Hall of London, England), housed in the upper half of a 125-year-old building located just east of downtown. A narrow stairway spirals patrons up from the ground floor and into a quaint old lobby. The lobby, being that it is a lobby, abuts the hall itself where ticket holders can either climb more stairs to hang out on the balcony (where the view of the stage is very nearly obstructed by the chandelier) or claim a chair on the floor. High or low, as long as the chandelier isn't in the line of sight there isn't a bad seat in the house. The floor space is unexpectedly small but not tight, although it may only feel small due to the stage being so large and the ceiling so far away. Holding that ceiling up, by the way, are a series of large wooden beams. Beams, in addition to bearing loads, carry a surprising amount of character.
Following a brief introduction by the Hall's owner, Toronto's The Hunting Horns took the stage. Wearing tweed suits and thin ties the four performers appeared dressed to hawk snake oil. Couple that with the 19th century hall architecture (beams!) and the atmosphere became oddly nostalgic in a brown-colored post-war sort of way (though I'm sure nobody in that building except for the old man taking tickets could even remember the 1940s). Short a drummer, they crooned out lonely neo-folky southern gothic numbers by way of a stand-up bass and guitars and a keyboard in piano mode, and occasionally an accordion and a mandolin and a banjo would make an appearance. They seemed a bit loose, and maybe some solid percussion would have tightened things up.* It didn't help that the guitarist broke a string on the very first song. Anyway, if you like Nick Cave or the Castanets or you read too much Faulkner then check out their Myspace page. "The Vulture" is a good song.
After the Hunting Horns came Kathleen Edwards. Again, a drum set was conspicuously absent and she was accompanied by only one instrumentalist on either side of her; "Jim Bryson on red guitar" and "Gord Tough on yellow guitar." Bryson also played the keyboard and harmonized beautifully with Edwards, who also played guitar and harmonica. This was to be a stripped down and low-key affair, but a no-less entertaining one.
The setlist was full and varied and covered all three of her major releases. She often swung suddenly from a completely depressing song to something upbeat, but the transition was never jarring or even awkward. Midway through the set a Merle Haggard tune was played in honor of an encounter she had with an American border guard (an occurance that residents of Southern Ontario are not unfamiliar with).
In interviews and certainly during between-song banter Edwards continuously cracks jokes and tells funny stories. A lot of humor stems from her honest approach to things, and this honesty carries over into her music as well, but in a darker, more serious way. Her songs are often quite serious and usually about strained relationships (gruesomely like "6 O'Clock News", subtly like "Hockey Skates", and everywhere in between). If it weren't for the upbeat songs that periodically appear on her albums then listening to Edwards' music could become quite a downing experience. But during the show she was good enough to follow a somber song with a fun one, and there was plenty of talk to keep the audience amused.
Here is the complete setlist, by the way.
The only dismal part, at least for me, was my inability to remember to bring a camera. Somebody sitting nearby with video recording capabilities, though, has already posted the first song. Watch it if you care to.
Kathleen Edwards put on a great show and I hope to see her again soon. She hinted that she might return to London for a summer festival, so everybody in the area can hopefully look forward to that. She'll be touring elsewheres in the meantime and I recommend catching her if you can.
(*My wife made this observation. I initially just assumed that they were trying to sound this way.)
The event was held at the historic Aeolian Hall of London, Ontario (not to be confused with the historic Aeolian Hall of London, England), housed in the upper half of a 125-year-old building located just east of downtown. A narrow stairway spirals patrons up from the ground floor and into a quaint old lobby. The lobby, being that it is a lobby, abuts the hall itself where ticket holders can either climb more stairs to hang out on the balcony (where the view of the stage is very nearly obstructed by the chandelier) or claim a chair on the floor. High or low, as long as the chandelier isn't in the line of sight there isn't a bad seat in the house. The floor space is unexpectedly small but not tight, although it may only feel small due to the stage being so large and the ceiling so far away. Holding that ceiling up, by the way, are a series of large wooden beams. Beams, in addition to bearing loads, carry a surprising amount of character.
Following a brief introduction by the Hall's owner, Toronto's The Hunting Horns took the stage. Wearing tweed suits and thin ties the four performers appeared dressed to hawk snake oil. Couple that with the 19th century hall architecture (beams!) and the atmosphere became oddly nostalgic in a brown-colored post-war sort of way (though I'm sure nobody in that building except for the old man taking tickets could even remember the 1940s). Short a drummer, they crooned out lonely neo-folky southern gothic numbers by way of a stand-up bass and guitars and a keyboard in piano mode, and occasionally an accordion and a mandolin and a banjo would make an appearance. They seemed a bit loose, and maybe some solid percussion would have tightened things up.* It didn't help that the guitarist broke a string on the very first song. Anyway, if you like Nick Cave or the Castanets or you read too much Faulkner then check out their Myspace page. "The Vulture" is a good song.
After the Hunting Horns came Kathleen Edwards. Again, a drum set was conspicuously absent and she was accompanied by only one instrumentalist on either side of her; "Jim Bryson on red guitar" and "Gord Tough on yellow guitar." Bryson also played the keyboard and harmonized beautifully with Edwards, who also played guitar and harmonica. This was to be a stripped down and low-key affair, but a no-less entertaining one.
The setlist was full and varied and covered all three of her major releases. She often swung suddenly from a completely depressing song to something upbeat, but the transition was never jarring or even awkward. Midway through the set a Merle Haggard tune was played in honor of an encounter she had with an American border guard (an occurance that residents of Southern Ontario are not unfamiliar with).
In interviews and certainly during between-song banter Edwards continuously cracks jokes and tells funny stories. A lot of humor stems from her honest approach to things, and this honesty carries over into her music as well, but in a darker, more serious way. Her songs are often quite serious and usually about strained relationships (gruesomely like "6 O'Clock News", subtly like "Hockey Skates", and everywhere in between). If it weren't for the upbeat songs that periodically appear on her albums then listening to Edwards' music could become quite a downing experience. But during the show she was good enough to follow a somber song with a fun one, and there was plenty of talk to keep the audience amused.
Here is the complete setlist, by the way.
BuffaloYeah, that's right, she closed the show with THAT song, and everybody couldn't help but hum it as they drove home that night. Also of note was the new untitled song (it may actually have a title, but she didn't happen to mention it). It was good -- another one of those slower-but-catchy relationships-down-the-tubes numbers -- and should be interesting to hear on any upcoming EPs or LPs that would feature a full band. Also, there are a couple more new songs on her Myspace that are worth listening to.
6 O'Clock News
Asking For Flowers
Copied Keys
Summerlong
I Make the Dough, You Get the Glory
Run
Alicia Ross
Are the Good Times Really Over (Merle Haggard cover)
Hockey Skates
In State
Scared at Night
Cheapest Key
Back to Me
[Encore]
(new song)
Lone Wolf
Your Love (The Outfield cover)
The only dismal part, at least for me, was my inability to remember to bring a camera. Somebody sitting nearby with video recording capabilities, though, has already posted the first song. Watch it if you care to.
Kathleen Edwards put on a great show and I hope to see her again soon. She hinted that she might return to London for a summer festival, so everybody in the area can hopefully look forward to that. She'll be touring elsewheres in the meantime and I recommend catching her if you can.
(*My wife made this observation. I initially just assumed that they were trying to sound this way.)
Friday, January 30, 2009
il Buono, il Brutto, il AlbumArto: Tim Buckley
il Buono, il Brutto, il AlbumArto.
Take a band. Take its album cover highlights. Take its album cover lowlights.
Swish it all around in your mouth. Comment.
Tim Buckley
I must be a sucker for live images because once again I prefer an in-action photograph of the performer over any of the posed shots. This is the cover to The Copenhagen Tapes, a live recording from a 1968 performance in Denmark. I like how Buckley's black shirt camouflages him with the black background, and the only thing you can really see clearly is his head cocked to the side as croons one of his soul-stirring love songs (or one of his manic jazz-edelic pieces). There's some emotion being presented here, and I like my album covers to emote.
This is the cover to Buckley's final studio album, 1974's Look at the Fool. It'd be too easy to make a comment regarding the album title, so I'll instead direct my jabs at the artwork itself. Cal Schenkel, who did a lot of awesomely weird art design for the Mothers of Invention, is credited with the art direction here. I don't know if that means he painted the picture himself or commissioned a freelance artist who showcases all of his work at his uncle's Wyoming trading post. I like to think this is part of a larger picture with wolves howling at the moon, maybe a couple deer grazing in a nearby field, and it's all printed on some grandmother's sweater.
From Buckley's final album to his very first, take a look at his self-titled debut, released in 1966 when he was only 19-years-old. I imagine he sent the same image to a number of local fashion agencies. I like that wall for some reason, probably because it appears incompletely painted. In fact, if that's fresh paint then the young Buckley has just ruined the back of his turtle neck. He is a handsome figure standing there (a somewhat awkward figure as well), but is that garish tweed jacket eating him? What's going on here?
Swish it all around in your mouth. Comment.
Tim Buckley
I must be a sucker for live images because once again I prefer an in-action photograph of the performer over any of the posed shots. This is the cover to The Copenhagen Tapes, a live recording from a 1968 performance in Denmark. I like how Buckley's black shirt camouflages him with the black background, and the only thing you can really see clearly is his head cocked to the side as croons one of his soul-stirring love songs (or one of his manic jazz-edelic pieces). There's some emotion being presented here, and I like my album covers to emote.
This is the cover to Buckley's final studio album, 1974's Look at the Fool. It'd be too easy to make a comment regarding the album title, so I'll instead direct my jabs at the artwork itself. Cal Schenkel, who did a lot of awesomely weird art design for the Mothers of Invention, is credited with the art direction here. I don't know if that means he painted the picture himself or commissioned a freelance artist who showcases all of his work at his uncle's Wyoming trading post. I like to think this is part of a larger picture with wolves howling at the moon, maybe a couple deer grazing in a nearby field, and it's all printed on some grandmother's sweater.
From Buckley's final album to his very first, take a look at his self-titled debut, released in 1966 when he was only 19-years-old. I imagine he sent the same image to a number of local fashion agencies. I like that wall for some reason, probably because it appears incompletely painted. In fact, if that's fresh paint then the young Buckley has just ruined the back of his turtle neck. He is a handsome figure standing there (a somewhat awkward figure as well), but is that garish tweed jacket eating him? What's going on here?
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