Now that the year is half over, here are my favorite albums of the year:
10. Hercules & Love Affair - Hercules & Love Affair: As far as New York hipster dance music goes, this is the a great album if you've worn out your copy of LCD Soundsystem's albums. (Listen to "Raise Me Up")
9. Mudcrutch - Mudcrutch: Better late than never for Tom Petty and his laid back country Florida buddies. (Listen to "Scare Easy")
8. REM - Accelerate: After a long artistic absence, a nice return to garage/pop/punk mode. (Listen to "Horse To Water")
7. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes: These Seattle folk Brian Wilson-worshipers made one blissful record; I hope they don't wait long to make another one. (Listen to "He Doesn't Know Why")
6. Alejandro Escovedo - Real Animal: A lot edgier and less restrained this time - it's not often you hear this much Sex Pistols influence in a country record. (Listen to "Chelsea Hotel '78")
5. Lil Wayne - The Carter III: It's not often a rap record lives up to its sales and hype like this - he might give Kanye some competition if he can just go crazy at a few awards shows. (Listen to "Tie My Hands")
4. Portishead - Third: After eleven years away, they sound like they didn't miss a beat. Even if you are a fan, there are some stunning surprises hidden in this album. (Listen to "Magic Doors" and "Machine Gun")
3. Coldplay - Viva La Vida: Brian Eno was a good fit for them - they leave the comfort zone and live up to the "Biggest Band in the World" title. (Listen to "Viva La Vida", "Lost!", "Reign Of Love")
2. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig! Lazarus, Dig!: Age only makes him crazier. With his band sounding simultaneously like The Stooges and The Band, Nick rants about the end of the world like a crazed pastor. (Listen to "Today's Lesson", "More News From Nowhere", "Moonland")
1. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago - The most stunning folk album since Nick Drake was alive is nine tracks of stunning heartbroken imagery. It makes you want to go hide out in a Wisconsin cabin for four months the way he did. At first, it was sleepy background music for me; now it's one of the best records of the decade. (Listen to "Skinny Love", "Flume", "The Wolves"... and then for God's sake go buy this album)
Monday, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 27, 2008
Alejandro Escovedo's Real Animal
What a great way to close out an already stellar month for new releases. Alejandro Escovedo, who seems to be peaking in his 50s, has managed to top his 2006 release The Boxing Mirror, which is saying something.
It will only take you the first three tracks to love this record. It starts with "Always A Friend", a Springsteen-esque country rocker that deserves to be a crossover hit. After that, it gets bizarre - "Chelsea Hotel '78" finds him switching to a half-shouted punk yell to tell the story of, suitably, Sid Vicious. He shouts the call-and-response chorus of "it makes no sense (it make perfect sense!)". Trust me, you'll be singing along on the first listen. "Sister Lost Soul" is the perfect contrast to follow it: this country-weeper moves along with violins and one of the year's best vocal performances.
The rest of the album doesn't let down. "Smoke" and "Real as a Animal" combine punk with his classic country-rock sound. The ballads are well paced and well sequenced: "Golden Bear" is creepy and building with hypnotic background vocals and "Swallows of San Juan" is a country waltz where his vocals have a chance to shine again.
I was expecting a lot from Real Animal, but this is more than I expected. If you have any interest in pop or alternative country, you need this record - the songwriting and arrangements outshine the already thick competition for best country record of the year.
It will only take you the first three tracks to love this record. It starts with "Always A Friend", a Springsteen-esque country rocker that deserves to be a crossover hit. After that, it gets bizarre - "Chelsea Hotel '78" finds him switching to a half-shouted punk yell to tell the story of, suitably, Sid Vicious. He shouts the call-and-response chorus of "it makes no sense (it make perfect sense!)". Trust me, you'll be singing along on the first listen. "Sister Lost Soul" is the perfect contrast to follow it: this country-weeper moves along with violins and one of the year's best vocal performances.
The rest of the album doesn't let down. "Smoke" and "Real as a Animal" combine punk with his classic country-rock sound. The ballads are well paced and well sequenced: "Golden Bear" is creepy and building with hypnotic background vocals and "Swallows of San Juan" is a country waltz where his vocals have a chance to shine again.
I was expecting a lot from Real Animal, but this is more than I expected. If you have any interest in pop or alternative country, you need this record - the songwriting and arrangements outshine the already thick competition for best country record of the year.
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Dennis Wilson and Marvin Gaye
I picked up two good reissues in the past few weeks by two sorely missed musicians.
Dennis Wilson, who I now think of as the creepy Beach Boy, finally had his debut record Pacific Ocean Blue released on CD this year. If you are expecting something like Brian Wilson's Smile, you are going to be very disappointed. This album is a dark, bluesy, and even sometimes angry take on California soul. On ballads like "Thoughts Of You", he sounds completely broken - on rockers like "Dreamer", he reminds me of Animals-era Roger Waters, which is a little surprising from a Beach Boy. If you want fun-in-the-sun happiness, this is not for you. If you want a compelling artsy 70s rock record, you might want to give this a try (although, at $28, you need to be pretty dedicated).
I also picked up Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear, which is Motown's take on Blood On The Tracks. It still has the flashy production of his best work, but the lyrics are as pissed off as they come. It's like an evil twin to What's Going On: instead of peace and love, this about how woman will ruin your life. It still is a pleasant listen, although it doesn't have standouts like his best records, and some rants ramble on a little longer than they need to, whether lyrical or instrumental. After this divorce, apparently restraint wasn't on Marvin's mind.
These albums were great diversions from the new music coming out; maybe I'll listen to them more when I stop buying two new albums every week.
Dennis Wilson, who I now think of as the creepy Beach Boy, finally had his debut record Pacific Ocean Blue released on CD this year. If you are expecting something like Brian Wilson's Smile, you are going to be very disappointed. This album is a dark, bluesy, and even sometimes angry take on California soul. On ballads like "Thoughts Of You", he sounds completely broken - on rockers like "Dreamer", he reminds me of Animals-era Roger Waters, which is a little surprising from a Beach Boy. If you want fun-in-the-sun happiness, this is not for you. If you want a compelling artsy 70s rock record, you might want to give this a try (although, at $28, you need to be pretty dedicated).
I also picked up Marvin Gaye's Here, My Dear, which is Motown's take on Blood On The Tracks. It still has the flashy production of his best work, but the lyrics are as pissed off as they come. It's like an evil twin to What's Going On: instead of peace and love, this about how woman will ruin your life. It still is a pleasant listen, although it doesn't have standouts like his best records, and some rants ramble on a little longer than they need to, whether lyrical or instrumental. After this divorce, apparently restraint wasn't on Marvin's mind.
These albums were great diversions from the new music coming out; maybe I'll listen to them more when I stop buying two new albums every week.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Complaints... And Some Good News
I have a few things to complain about in the music world right now:
1.) Rolling Stone and Blender both gave the new Coldplay album 3 1/2 stars out of 5. There are few things in the world I hate more than bland, noncommittal music reviews from "professionals". Basically, these reviews say "we don't want to give it a bad review because they are the biggest band in the world, but we don't want to piss off the indie hipsters who are too cool for Coldplay, so we can't give it a good review".
Isn't your job to give a well-informed opinion of new music? Isn't giving an album 3 1/2 stars the rough equivalent of not showing up for work? Please stop writing half-assed reviews like this - they say absolutely to people who actually listen to music. Of course, those might not be the people you write for.
2.) The Hold Steady gave a big middle finger to CD buyers by releasing their new album on iTunes a month early. Thanks guys. There are about five people in America who still collect CDs, and we really deserved to be punished. Plus, this month is already filled with great releases: why not wait until July when nothing is coming out?
So now I already hate the new Hold Steady album, and I haven't even heard it yet. Good job guys. It's probably a great album, too....
3.) Two weeks later, I'm still trying to not hate the new My Morning Jacket album. This is way too much effort I'm putting into this. Although, it is a lot easier if you skip "Highly Suspicious", which I am convinced it the worst song recorded since "Rollin" by Limp Bizkit. In fact, "Highly Suspicious" could be Limp Bizkit song. Like that band, let's forget that song ever happened.
And now, the good news:
1.) Lil Wayne sold a million copies in a week! Not only is this a huge victory for CD buyers, but this is actually a good, deserving artist (I say that because the last time that happened, it was 50 Cent). CD Buyers win, hip-hop wins, pop radio wins... not too bad. Let's hope Coldplay does this well too.
2.) Next week brings Hercules And Love Affair, which sounds like it might be a great record based on the single "Blind". Next week also brings me the new Alejandro Escavedo album Real Animal, which I'm very excited about based on a 4 1/2 star review from Allmusic.com (who are, by the way, about the only good professional American music writers alive right now).
3.) Speaking of Lil Wayne and Coldplay - the best selling albums this year are some of the best albums released this year? Really? Pop music is good music right now? I think I'm in heaven.
1.) Rolling Stone and Blender both gave the new Coldplay album 3 1/2 stars out of 5. There are few things in the world I hate more than bland, noncommittal music reviews from "professionals". Basically, these reviews say "we don't want to give it a bad review because they are the biggest band in the world, but we don't want to piss off the indie hipsters who are too cool for Coldplay, so we can't give it a good review".
Isn't your job to give a well-informed opinion of new music? Isn't giving an album 3 1/2 stars the rough equivalent of not showing up for work? Please stop writing half-assed reviews like this - they say absolutely to people who actually listen to music. Of course, those might not be the people you write for.
2.) The Hold Steady gave a big middle finger to CD buyers by releasing their new album on iTunes a month early. Thanks guys. There are about five people in America who still collect CDs, and we really deserved to be punished. Plus, this month is already filled with great releases: why not wait until July when nothing is coming out?
So now I already hate the new Hold Steady album, and I haven't even heard it yet. Good job guys. It's probably a great album, too....
3.) Two weeks later, I'm still trying to not hate the new My Morning Jacket album. This is way too much effort I'm putting into this. Although, it is a lot easier if you skip "Highly Suspicious", which I am convinced it the worst song recorded since "Rollin" by Limp Bizkit. In fact, "Highly Suspicious" could be Limp Bizkit song. Like that band, let's forget that song ever happened.
And now, the good news:
1.) Lil Wayne sold a million copies in a week! Not only is this a huge victory for CD buyers, but this is actually a good, deserving artist (I say that because the last time that happened, it was 50 Cent). CD Buyers win, hip-hop wins, pop radio wins... not too bad. Let's hope Coldplay does this well too.
2.) Next week brings Hercules And Love Affair, which sounds like it might be a great record based on the single "Blind". Next week also brings me the new Alejandro Escavedo album Real Animal, which I'm very excited about based on a 4 1/2 star review from Allmusic.com (who are, by the way, about the only good professional American music writers alive right now).
3.) Speaking of Lil Wayne and Coldplay - the best selling albums this year are some of the best albums released this year? Really? Pop music is good music right now? I think I'm in heaven.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Coldplay's New "Great Rock Epic"
Who is going to write the next Great Rock Epic? You know, the next sweeping, grandiose epic that fills stadiums, dominates pop radio, sells millions of copies to people who don't even typically care about rock music, and gets remembered as one of the greatest pop culture events of its decade. I'm next St. Peppers, Born To Run, Joshua Tree, Automatic For The People, OK Computer, etc.
Right now, few bands seem to be trying. The Killers tried with Sam's Town, but their songwriting definitely wasn't there yet. The Arcade Fire don't have the popularity yet; otherwise, either of their albums would qualify. Who's going to make the next Great Rock Epic?
Coldplay. They've already come close with their last two records, and now they have more popularity, more money, and Brian Eno to help. Where as lesser bands might have buckled with the expectations of being the world's biggest band (as Dave Matthews did repeatedly), Coldplay just delivered their best record.
After a building instrumental intro, Chris Martin's voice creeps in before "Cemeteries Of London" takes off with ringing guitars and a flamenco rhythm. The album peaks with "Lost!", a organ and hand clap gospel that sounds like it was sung from a cathedral with the Arcade Fire.
This album has no weak tracks. "Lovers In Japan" sounds like Chris playing piano alongside an old U2 record. Is shares a track with "Reign Of Love", one of his best lullabies, with perfect timing as an interlude in the middle of the album. "Viva La Vida", with its soaring, majestic vocals, is probably the best thing you will ever hear grace an iPod commercial.
I don't understand why people hate this band so much. Yes, they are rich, famous, and politically pretentious, but they are always reaching forward and are yet to put out a bad record. We'll need a few years to decide if this is the next Great Rock Epic. Right now, it's just an amazing album.
Right now, few bands seem to be trying. The Killers tried with Sam's Town, but their songwriting definitely wasn't there yet. The Arcade Fire don't have the popularity yet; otherwise, either of their albums would qualify. Who's going to make the next Great Rock Epic?
Coldplay. They've already come close with their last two records, and now they have more popularity, more money, and Brian Eno to help. Where as lesser bands might have buckled with the expectations of being the world's biggest band (as Dave Matthews did repeatedly), Coldplay just delivered their best record.
After a building instrumental intro, Chris Martin's voice creeps in before "Cemeteries Of London" takes off with ringing guitars and a flamenco rhythm. The album peaks with "Lost!", a organ and hand clap gospel that sounds like it was sung from a cathedral with the Arcade Fire.
This album has no weak tracks. "Lovers In Japan" sounds like Chris playing piano alongside an old U2 record. Is shares a track with "Reign Of Love", one of his best lullabies, with perfect timing as an interlude in the middle of the album. "Viva La Vida", with its soaring, majestic vocals, is probably the best thing you will ever hear grace an iPod commercial.
I don't understand why people hate this band so much. Yes, they are rich, famous, and politically pretentious, but they are always reaching forward and are yet to put out a bad record. We'll need a few years to decide if this is the next Great Rock Epic. Right now, it's just an amazing album.
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Lil Wayne's The Carter III
It seems like this shouldn't be possible: one of the year's most anticipated albums is also one of the year's best. In a year that has been a sinkhole for rap music, Lil Wayne's new album actually lives up to the potential of his now-legendary mixtapes (regardless of the fact that none of those songs are present here).
On his best tracks, such as "Dr. Carter" and "A Milli", his rapping is formless and uninterrupted - he finds a beat he likes and sticks to it for as long as it takes. On the closer "Don't Get It", this takes almost ten minutes while he rants against politics, jail, racism, and most of all, Al Sharpton.
He also understands that the best rap of this decade relies on R&B, and this records has some of the smoothest rap songs in recent memory. "Comfortable" is an anti-love song that name checks - and mocks - Beyonces "Irreplaceable". "Tie My Hands" is a beautiful yet angry tribute to his home city after hurricane Katrina.
This album remains amazingly consistent despite two things: Lil Wayne pretending to be an alien ("Phone Home") and a few horrible guitar solos he played himself. It doesn't matter: the rap album of the year competition is probably over. If you have any interest in hip hop, you need to give this one a try.
On his best tracks, such as "Dr. Carter" and "A Milli", his rapping is formless and uninterrupted - he finds a beat he likes and sticks to it for as long as it takes. On the closer "Don't Get It", this takes almost ten minutes while he rants against politics, jail, racism, and most of all, Al Sharpton.
He also understands that the best rap of this decade relies on R&B, and this records has some of the smoothest rap songs in recent memory. "Comfortable" is an anti-love song that name checks - and mocks - Beyonces "Irreplaceable". "Tie My Hands" is a beautiful yet angry tribute to his home city after hurricane Katrina.
This album remains amazingly consistent despite two things: Lil Wayne pretending to be an alien ("Phone Home") and a few horrible guitar solos he played himself. It doesn't matter: the rap album of the year competition is probably over. If you have any interest in hip hop, you need to give this one a try.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes
I haven't blogged in a week and I've bought four albums since then, so here is a two-for-one.
Evil Urges, the new My Morning Jacket album, is a bit of a mixed bag. They well-publicized the fact that they were trying some new ideas such as funk/R&B/soul elements. They lay all of it out on the table during the first 3 tracks: "Evil Urges" is a great rock song that has Jim James singing way above his range, "Touch Me And I'm Going To Scream (Pt 1)" features some hypnotizing electronic beats, and "Highly Suspicious" is... I don't even know what to say here. That song works only on a "humorously bad" level for me - Prince-mocking vocals, hair metal guitar solos - it's the most bad ideas I've heard in one song this year.
Once they go back to what they do well, the album gets better. "I'm Amazed" is a great pop-rock single with a sing-along chorus. "Smoken From Shooten" is one of their best epic ballads - it would fit nicely into It Still Moves. "Aluminum Park" is the kind of jam-rocker I was hoping to hear more of.
Overall, Evil Urges is this year's version of Wilco's Sky Blue Sky - it's a decent record from a band we all know is capable of much more. It is worth buying if you are a My Morning Jacket fan already; otherwise, go get their last album, Z.
What would this album sound like if they developed their backup vocals and stayed on an Americana path? It might sound like the glorious debut record from the Fleet Foxes. Adding to an already great year for debut records (Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend), this band is more than worth the hype - think old My Morning Jacket plus 70s Beach Boys plus Sufjan Stevens Michigan. I know, it's hard to imagine.
"Ragged Wood" is a multi-section suite of a pop song that sounds like the Flaming Lips plus bluegrass with more singers. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" is as sad and beautiful as its title is pretentious. "White Winter Hymnal" is an achievement in vocal harmony. My favorite moment is "He Doesn't Know Why", which proves the next generation of indie rock knows exactly who Brian Wilson is.
Between the Fleet Foxes and last year's Panda Bear album, the spirit of the Beach Boys is back, and I couldn't be happier. Thank you Fleet Foxes for picking up My Morning Jacket's slack.
Evil Urges, the new My Morning Jacket album, is a bit of a mixed bag. They well-publicized the fact that they were trying some new ideas such as funk/R&B/soul elements. They lay all of it out on the table during the first 3 tracks: "Evil Urges" is a great rock song that has Jim James singing way above his range, "Touch Me And I'm Going To Scream (Pt 1)" features some hypnotizing electronic beats, and "Highly Suspicious" is... I don't even know what to say here. That song works only on a "humorously bad" level for me - Prince-mocking vocals, hair metal guitar solos - it's the most bad ideas I've heard in one song this year.
Once they go back to what they do well, the album gets better. "I'm Amazed" is a great pop-rock single with a sing-along chorus. "Smoken From Shooten" is one of their best epic ballads - it would fit nicely into It Still Moves. "Aluminum Park" is the kind of jam-rocker I was hoping to hear more of.
Overall, Evil Urges is this year's version of Wilco's Sky Blue Sky - it's a decent record from a band we all know is capable of much more. It is worth buying if you are a My Morning Jacket fan already; otherwise, go get their last album, Z.
What would this album sound like if they developed their backup vocals and stayed on an Americana path? It might sound like the glorious debut record from the Fleet Foxes. Adding to an already great year for debut records (Bon Iver, Vampire Weekend), this band is more than worth the hype - think old My Morning Jacket plus 70s Beach Boys plus Sufjan Stevens Michigan. I know, it's hard to imagine.
"Ragged Wood" is a multi-section suite of a pop song that sounds like the Flaming Lips plus bluegrass with more singers. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" is as sad and beautiful as its title is pretentious. "White Winter Hymnal" is an achievement in vocal harmony. My favorite moment is "He Doesn't Know Why", which proves the next generation of indie rock knows exactly who Brian Wilson is.
Between the Fleet Foxes and last year's Panda Bear album, the spirit of the Beach Boys is back, and I couldn't be happier. Thank you Fleet Foxes for picking up My Morning Jacket's slack.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Random Thoughts
- The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup last night! In honor of them, here are my five favorite records to come from my home state of Michigan:
5. White Stripes -Elephant
4. Iggy And The Stooges - Raw Power
3. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
2. Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan
1. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
Michigan is so great, I probably forgot a few. Way to go Wings!
- To add to my list of albums I want this month:
Fleet Foxes (self-titled) - Americana, Beach Boys harmonies, random instrumentation.... you can hear the critics crapping their pants. It's worth a shot...
Bill Frisell - History, Mystery - More long, complex pseudo-jazz from the guy who gave us Have A Little Faith. Can jazz still matter in 2008?
- The above albums bring my total of albums I want this month to seven. That might be a record for me. This means two things:
1. I will be blogging about every day for the second half of this month.
2. Due to great music and gas prices, I might need a second job.
- I'll be gone all of next week, but I'll be writing next weekend (June 14 or 15) about My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes.
Take care and God bless
5. White Stripes -Elephant
4. Iggy And The Stooges - Raw Power
3. Eminem - The Marshall Mathers LP
2. Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan
1. Stevie Wonder - Songs In The Key Of Life
Michigan is so great, I probably forgot a few. Way to go Wings!
- To add to my list of albums I want this month:
Fleet Foxes (self-titled) - Americana, Beach Boys harmonies, random instrumentation.... you can hear the critics crapping their pants. It's worth a shot...
Bill Frisell - History, Mystery - More long, complex pseudo-jazz from the guy who gave us Have A Little Faith. Can jazz still matter in 2008?
- The above albums bring my total of albums I want this month to seven. That might be a record for me. This means two things:
1. I will be blogging about every day for the second half of this month.
2. Due to great music and gas prices, I might need a second job.
- I'll be gone all of next week, but I'll be writing next weekend (June 14 or 15) about My Morning Jacket and Fleet Foxes.
Take care and God bless
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Al Green's Lay It Down
Al Green is a rare kind of genius: how many other musicians have had four great decades of music by doing basically the same thing? In the last few years, we've heard some pretty surprising experiments from other 60+ icons such as Tom Waits, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, and so on. Not Al though. He knows his sound is distinctive, perfect, and miles above anything R&B has done in the past 30 years (80s Prince albums notwithstanding).
His new album sticks to the formula, and the result is a beautiful, mostly unsurprising listen. The title track is a smooth, building gospel hymn where the trademark horns augment the last minute. The album ends with a pop clap-along gem called "Stand N The Rain" - ending the album this way makes you think he has another decade left in him.
Not a lot of surprises here, but a pleasing, feel-good summer record. If you don't have any Al Green, start with his two early 70s masterpieces Call Me and I'm Still In Love With You. This album won't shock you, but it doesn't disappoint. It's just Al being Al.
His new album sticks to the formula, and the result is a beautiful, mostly unsurprising listen. The title track is a smooth, building gospel hymn where the trademark horns augment the last minute. The album ends with a pop clap-along gem called "Stand N The Rain" - ending the album this way makes you think he has another decade left in him.
Not a lot of surprises here, but a pleasing, feel-good summer record. If you don't have any Al Green, start with his two early 70s masterpieces Call Me and I'm Still In Love With You. This album won't shock you, but it doesn't disappoint. It's just Al being Al.
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