Friday, November 20, 2009

Top Ten Lists

Are we doing Best of the Decade as well as Best of the Year? I'm pretty sure we have to. Do we want to do year first, then decade or decade first, and then year? I liked all of the "for your considerations" last year -- I can't remember how early that started, but it's already almost Thanksgiving.

Jon Stewart blows my mind yet again...

This clip is fairly amusing all the way through, but it's around 3:45 that it becomes truly transcendent.

For some reason it won't embed. Here's the link:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-november-19-2009/gaywatch---peter-vadala---william-phillips

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Nothin'

For all you Townes Van Zandt fans, check out the beginning of this video for his utterly unexpected commentary on the origins of the song "Nothin'"



"Good ol' Nikos". I think it actually adds an interesting new dimension to the song...or maybe it's just weird as hell. Either way, every insight you get into the man just makes him that much more complicated and fascinating.

Thursday, November 12, 2009

That Sound You Heard Was Tex Plush Creaming His Jeans

http://pitchfork.com/news/37093-premiere-solange-covers-dirty-projectors-stillness-is-the-move/

Solange covers the Dirty Projectors!

A strong argument could be made that it's way better like this.


Related:
Did anyone else read the incredibly irritating New York Magazine cover article on the "Brooklyn Scene," and how it's taking over music (even though the only people who care about the music being made in Williamsburg right now are the same hipsters who always cared about the music being made in Williamsburg), and how "at its center is one of the most risk-taking groups of all— Dirty Projectors," which doesn't make sense in a variety of ways. Anyway, read the article in all of its cloying glory here:

http://nymag.com/arts/popmusic/features/61879/

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Revisiting My 2008 Top 10

Well friends, we're within 2 months of Top 10 season, and I decided there was no time like the present to revisit what I submitted for 2008 and see how everything holds up. Was I astute? Pretentious? Drunk? Let's find out...

10. The Tallest Man on Earth- Shallow Grave
I discovered this days before making my list (props to Quinapalus) and impulsively put it on my list based on lust alone. Well, I still like it, but the lust has worn off. Great guitar/banjo playing and the best pseudo-Bob Dylan persona Sweden could ever hope to produce, but ultimately most of the songs sound the same. Verdict: CUT

9. The Week That Was- The Week That Was
Another record I learned about via a fellow kittybrain. This time it was Tex Plush. This album has aged strangely for me. It has my single favorite song of 2008, "Scratch the Surface," but this album is no longer my 9th favorite of last year. Verdict: CUT

8. Vampire Weekend- Vampire Weekend
I still don't understand what business I have liking this band, given their hype and cutesy songs about summering in the Vineyard. They also rip off Paul Simon. But they do all this stuff so well! Still, 10+ months later, they don't hold up as #8. Verdict: CUT

7. Wye Oak- If Children
Loved this record, which I discovered randomly on eMusic. (Anyone still a member?) They quickly released a follow-up, and that one is in contention for this year's list. It sounds a lot like this one, but that's a good thing. Verdict: KEEP

6. Sun Kil Moon- April
This one holds up well. I haven't listened to it as much as I'd like to, but when I put it on, the songs nonetheless sound immediate and familiar. And I'm certain I haven't even played it 10 times. Not the zenith of Kozelek's career, but very good and was still among the best I actually heard last year. That said, I've since heard more stuff from last year... Verdict: CUT

5. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
This record is still really good, although I think half of its merit lies in its last song alone. To clarify, however, that last song is amazing. Verdict: KEEP, but drop further down the list.

4. REM- Accelerate
Not top-tier REM, but easily in their second tier along with Life's Rich Pageant and Out of Time. And as their "hard rock" albums go, it's superior to Monster, (which itself is underrated.) Verdict: KEEP but drop further down.

3. Bob Dylan- Tell Tale Signs: The Bootleg Series Vol. 8
Someday Baby, Dreamin' of You, God Knows, Series of Dreams and the live version of Ring Them Bells have haunted me all year. It compensates for his merely pretty good new album plus the bizarro Christmas disc he just put out. This record has really held up. Verdict: KEEP and move up.

2. School of Language- Sea From Shore
Still the discovery of last year for me. Again, thank you eMusic. A totally random find and a great one! Verdict: KEEP

1. Guns N' Roses- Chinese Democracy
At the risk of pulling a Jay Bennett, I'm going to quote myself here: "Out of 14 songs, it had zero duds, 2 tracks that didn't hold up (Scraped and Sorry), 2 tracks that were interesting but overwrought (Madagascar and This I Love) and 10 fucking amazing songs that are going to join Axl Rose's canon. Yes, he is a ridiculous individual who screwed himself over by refusing to publicly promote the album, but he's a very gifted musician. Time will be kind to this record."

I stand by that review. Verdict: KEEP

So what got left off? I had given honorable mentions to
Deerhunter, Deerhoof, American Music Club, the Hold Steady, Shearwater, Drive-By Truckers, Andrew Bird (Soldier On EP), Gutter Twins, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks. I also never heard Sea and Cake, Pavement (Brighten the Corners reissue), Calexico, Ryan Adams, TV on the Radio, the Roots and Dr. Dog.

Since 4 slots opened up on my list, I get to pick replacements from this list (because I said so) and the first 3 are Sea and Cake, Dr. Dog, and TV on the Radio. I hadn't heard any of these when I made my list last year, and I feel the desire to edit to reflect their greatness.

The last record I'll add is Bonnie "Prince" Billy's Lie Down in the Light, which didn't affect me the way it did Tex and others, but it has held up well during 2009. And Beware, which really feels like a companion piece, is definitely in contention for this year's list.

So, with that said, here is my revised list:

10. Dr. Dog- Fate
9. Wye Oak- If Children
8. Bon Iver- For Emma, Forever Ago
7. Sea and Cake- Car Alarm
6. Bonnie "Prince" Billy- Lie Down in the Light
5. REM- Accelerate
4. TV on the Radio- Dear Science
3. School of Language- Sea From Shore
2. Bob Dylan- Tell Tale Signs
1. Guns N' Roses- Chinese Democracy

Top honorable mentions to Sun Kil Moon and Stephen Malkmus (whose album has also held up well over the past year).

Saturday, November 07, 2009

You Know What Album Is Great? Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix


I did a quick search of our archives and was surprised to learn that the only mention of Phoenix on this blog was a first quarter Top 10 that Tex posted back in March.

Anyway, it took me the better part of the year to finally listen to this, but it's kind of totally awesome. So fun and catchy-- and not even remotely as techno as I'd assumed. I don't know why I hadn't bothered to formally check these guys out prior to a month ago, but better late than never.

This album is truly great and will certainly make my Top 10 list this year. With the exception of the one true techno track on here, I enjoy everything about it.



Viva la France!

Thursday, November 05, 2009

Illinoize

I guess this was inevitable.

Well, maybe not inevitable...but strangely unsurprising. Actually, one thing I really like about it is that it mashes Sufjan up with a bunch of hippie/indie rappers who sort of fit his music. In many ways, the spirit of the music meshes really well with the spirit of the raps, which isn't always the case on these mash-up things.