I spent so much time putting together that decade list I neglected to tell you that 2009 was a great year for music. Here's a rundown of my top 10 albums of the year:
10. St. Vincent - Actor: A brief yet diverse showing from an emerging talent. Her performance of "Marrow" on David Letterman's show might be the weirdest thing I've ever seen on prime time television.
9. U2 - No Line On The Horizon: Despite the poor first single, this is the most complete and rewarding record they've done in a decade, and "Breathe" is as inspiring as their best 80's anthems.
8. Raekwon - Only Built 4 Cuban Linx...Pt. 2: Countless contributors and producers come together to make an amazingly tight thematic record. Dark, catchy, and dramatic - this is how we remember the Wu-Tang Clan's best work.
7. Dirty Projectors - Bitta Ocra: These Brooklyn art-noise artists finally toned down the weirdness enough to make something memorable. "No Intentions" and "Stillness Is A Move" would be hit pop singles in a perfect world.
6. Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract: It finally got released and it was worth the 7-year wait. Deep grooves and brilliant rhyming make this as funky and soulful as some of Prince's best work.
5. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest: This one grows on you faster than their earlier records, and fans of the Grateful Dead and the Band will love to hear roots rock being updated for a new generation. This makes two masterpieces in row for the surprise success of the year.
4. Sunn O)) - Monoliths & Dimensions: Is this a classical piece or a metal record? It hardly matters how it's classified - you've never heard anything like this. A long cascade of choirs, jazz musicians, and guitar virtuosos, this one gets deeper inside of you every time you play it.
3. The Dream - Love vs. Money: It sold a few copies but still remains the underrated pop record of 2009. After writing genius singles for other artists, he saved his best tracks for himself, and "My Love" with Mariah Carey is a rare feat: a heartbreaking club single. No other artist alive could pull off a building drama like "Fancy".
2. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic: Even as unpredictable as this band has always been, we still couldn't have seen this coming. Without a clean pop moment, they run back to the underground and make a long, destructive drug trip of an album that is also their best effort since the Soft Bulletin.
1. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion: Has there ever been such as obvious album of the year? It came out in January and there was never any doubt - they've arrived. All of their unfocused ideas and ambitions has been organized into a perfect album. Every track offers flowing harmonies, layered but subtle electronics, and driving tribal beats that add up to eleven slices of indie pop heaven. To make their year even better, they even tacked on the equally as brilliant Fall Be Kind EP this month. Is this what music will sound like in the new decade? After hearing this record, I'm optimistic.
I'm taking a few weeks off from writing - I'm not really sure how long. Probably until another great record comes out that I want to write about.
Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy New Year, and God Bless.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade (5-1)
5. White Stripes - Elephant: As we wonder whether they will ever release a new record amidst Jack White's numerous side projects, all that is left to say about the White Stripes is that they were the decade's best American band. They made five brilliant uncompromising records using outdated equipment and only two people. They sold millions of records and made "Seven Nation Army" into a new standard for college marching bands. But most of all, they somehow expanded the possibilities of modern music by looking decades into the past.
Everything they did sounded 10 times louder, unrestrained, and urgent on Elephant. "Black Math" and "Hypnotize" made it clear who the king and queen of this "garage rock" movement was, while "There's No Home For You Here" showed that imagination could trump modern studio equipment any day. If there was a more thrilling rock record in the past ten years, I sure didn't hear it.
4. Jay-Z - Blueprint: This decade had a little of everything for Shawn Carter: three brilliant albums, three mediocre albums, a relationship with Beyonce, partial ownership of an NBA team, his own clothing and liquor lines...I could go on. But with this record, there were no gimmicks or explanations needed, just 13 perfect hip-hop tracks with pop hooks and a new standard in innovative production (some of which was by a then unknown Kanye West).
What makes this album stand out in his vast catalog is a laid back feeling that he isn't trying too hard. In "Ain't No Love" he jokes "sensitive thugs, you all need hugs" like there really wasn't anything to be upset about in the rap game. After this, he ruled rap for the rest of the decade, but he'll never beat this one.
3. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: "Tall buildings shake, voices escape singing sad sad songs..." The words of "Jesus, etc." were written and recorded prior to September 11 and felt even more unnerving after it. Due to a drawn out record label battle that warranted its own movie, this album didn't hit stores until 2002 after being streamed on the internet by Wilco for over a year. When it finally hit the masses, everybody knew that Americana music had just turned a corner.
Starting as a straight-forward alternative country band, Wilco went on to release four records this decade that covered more ground than most any American band. With its studio experimentation and alienated lyrics, none of them topped the beauty of this one. "War On War" and "Pot Kettle Black" showed that you could layer sounds into simple pop-rock songs without wearing them down, and atmospheric mood pieces like "Radio Cure" and "Reservations" fit right in to make this album just as OK Computer as it was American Beauty. This was the highlight of American rock music this decade and will be talked about decades from now.
2. Radiohead - Kid A: In late 2000, when I heard this album for the first time not on CD but on Napster a few weeks before it's release (a sign of the times already), I had never been so confounded or confused in my life. It sounded like a incomprehensible mess of random noises. The first track tells you that "everything is in its right place", and it only took a few listens for me to agree. Every note of every second of this record is planned carefully and perfectly, whether its the scrambled voice on "Kid A" (hello, auto-tune!), the free-form jazz horns on "National Anthem", the acid freakout at the end of "Optimistic", or the apocalyptic disco beats of "Idiotique".
But the track that really holds it all together is "How To Disappear Completely". Radiohead had become the masters of guitar-drowned alienation on OK Computer, but now they were writing modern compositions that were without peer. Closer to an opera or a Scott Walker track than actual rock, this song used swirling layers of guitar, keyboards, and violins to intensify the lyrics "I'm not here, this isn't happening" to breathtaking effect. The result is a feeling of sorrow, dread, and paranoia that resonated through the record and, in the aftermath of 9/11, through the decade.
1. Arcade Fire - Funeral: Every year, a dozen or so great albums come along that play on strengths and display something we haven't quite heard before. But really, what makes music worth investing our time and money is albums like this: joyous, cathartic expressions of human emotion, hope, and possibility. Pet Sounds. Born To Run. Joshua Tree. The Soft Bulletin. Funeral.
Released in 2004 and largely unavailable in stores until 2005, the debut record by the Arcade Fire is the kind of record that could only be sold by word-of-mouth praise and live performances. No radio or video station was about to promote a band who dressed like they were from the 1920's or played accordions and xylophones in their songs. And yet, they were on the billboard and primetime TV just three years later.
Their live shows captured the spirit of early Springsteen and U2 shows like no other band this decade. They believe in rock music not as a series of catchy tunes, but as a communal, enlightening experience that is equally personal (three members of this band had deaths in their family during the recording of Funeral) and universal (the video for "Rebellion (Lies)" appropriately displays masses marching in the street shouting lyrics in unison).
Five years later, not a second of this album has lost its power. The anthemic choruses of "Power Out" and "Wake Up" will sound as fresh and relevant 30 years from now as "Born To Run" does today. Perhaps the defining lyric of this record is "the power's out in the heart of man, take it from your heart, put it in your hand", implying that in 2004, we needed a reason to believe again, in music or in something greater.
This record showed us that music still has endless possibilities to be explored and there will always be a reason to keep exploring because, if only once every then years, your ears will fall upon something like this. That sounds like the album of the decade to me.
Everything they did sounded 10 times louder, unrestrained, and urgent on Elephant. "Black Math" and "Hypnotize" made it clear who the king and queen of this "garage rock" movement was, while "There's No Home For You Here" showed that imagination could trump modern studio equipment any day. If there was a more thrilling rock record in the past ten years, I sure didn't hear it.
4. Jay-Z - Blueprint: This decade had a little of everything for Shawn Carter: three brilliant albums, three mediocre albums, a relationship with Beyonce, partial ownership of an NBA team, his own clothing and liquor lines...I could go on. But with this record, there were no gimmicks or explanations needed, just 13 perfect hip-hop tracks with pop hooks and a new standard in innovative production (some of which was by a then unknown Kanye West).
What makes this album stand out in his vast catalog is a laid back feeling that he isn't trying too hard. In "Ain't No Love" he jokes "sensitive thugs, you all need hugs" like there really wasn't anything to be upset about in the rap game. After this, he ruled rap for the rest of the decade, but he'll never beat this one.
3. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: "Tall buildings shake, voices escape singing sad sad songs..." The words of "Jesus, etc." were written and recorded prior to September 11 and felt even more unnerving after it. Due to a drawn out record label battle that warranted its own movie, this album didn't hit stores until 2002 after being streamed on the internet by Wilco for over a year. When it finally hit the masses, everybody knew that Americana music had just turned a corner.
Starting as a straight-forward alternative country band, Wilco went on to release four records this decade that covered more ground than most any American band. With its studio experimentation and alienated lyrics, none of them topped the beauty of this one. "War On War" and "Pot Kettle Black" showed that you could layer sounds into simple pop-rock songs without wearing them down, and atmospheric mood pieces like "Radio Cure" and "Reservations" fit right in to make this album just as OK Computer as it was American Beauty. This was the highlight of American rock music this decade and will be talked about decades from now.
2. Radiohead - Kid A: In late 2000, when I heard this album for the first time not on CD but on Napster a few weeks before it's release (a sign of the times already), I had never been so confounded or confused in my life. It sounded like a incomprehensible mess of random noises. The first track tells you that "everything is in its right place", and it only took a few listens for me to agree. Every note of every second of this record is planned carefully and perfectly, whether its the scrambled voice on "Kid A" (hello, auto-tune!), the free-form jazz horns on "National Anthem", the acid freakout at the end of "Optimistic", or the apocalyptic disco beats of "Idiotique".
But the track that really holds it all together is "How To Disappear Completely". Radiohead had become the masters of guitar-drowned alienation on OK Computer, but now they were writing modern compositions that were without peer. Closer to an opera or a Scott Walker track than actual rock, this song used swirling layers of guitar, keyboards, and violins to intensify the lyrics "I'm not here, this isn't happening" to breathtaking effect. The result is a feeling of sorrow, dread, and paranoia that resonated through the record and, in the aftermath of 9/11, through the decade.
1. Arcade Fire - Funeral: Every year, a dozen or so great albums come along that play on strengths and display something we haven't quite heard before. But really, what makes music worth investing our time and money is albums like this: joyous, cathartic expressions of human emotion, hope, and possibility. Pet Sounds. Born To Run. Joshua Tree. The Soft Bulletin. Funeral.
Released in 2004 and largely unavailable in stores until 2005, the debut record by the Arcade Fire is the kind of record that could only be sold by word-of-mouth praise and live performances. No radio or video station was about to promote a band who dressed like they were from the 1920's or played accordions and xylophones in their songs. And yet, they were on the billboard and primetime TV just three years later.
Their live shows captured the spirit of early Springsteen and U2 shows like no other band this decade. They believe in rock music not as a series of catchy tunes, but as a communal, enlightening experience that is equally personal (three members of this band had deaths in their family during the recording of Funeral) and universal (the video for "Rebellion (Lies)" appropriately displays masses marching in the street shouting lyrics in unison).
Five years later, not a second of this album has lost its power. The anthemic choruses of "Power Out" and "Wake Up" will sound as fresh and relevant 30 years from now as "Born To Run" does today. Perhaps the defining lyric of this record is "the power's out in the heart of man, take it from your heart, put it in your hand", implying that in 2004, we needed a reason to believe again, in music or in something greater.
This record showed us that music still has endless possibilities to be explored and there will always be a reason to keep exploring because, if only once every then years, your ears will fall upon something like this. That sounds like the album of the decade to me.
100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade (20-6)
20. The National - Boxer: After Alligator, they probably could have made an anthem-filled rock record and gone platinum. Instead, they made a haunting suite of urban alienation that sounds like an indie update on Automatic For The People. The brooding vocals, paranoid lyricism and driving rhythm section make this album late-night perfection.
19. My Morning Jacket - Z: How was this album not bigger? With its catchy choruses and multiple guitar attack, it seems like this should have been this decade's Led Zeppelin 4. It did earn them some share of a spotlight and make them one of America's favorite alternative bands, and their string of great records never got more perfect than this one.
18. Kanye West - Late Registration: Let's put the intolerable awards show freakouts aside - this was one of the decade's most important pop artists. When he decided to team up with Jon Brion and add complex orchestrations to simple rap tracks, one of the greatest hip-hop records ever happened. When I hear the ambition on tracks like "Crack Music", I can only hope he ever tries this hard again.
17. Brian Wilson - Smile: It only took four decades to finish, and here it is. Never mind the complaints about how he never finished it with the Beach Boys and how it would have been better in 1968. Just let your ears be blessed by a piece of true pop imagination. Could anybody else have put together and sung pieces like "Wonderful" or "Surf's Up"? In any decade?
16. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning: His prolific output can be frustrating to wade through, but this was his one truly perfect album. Images of war and failed relationships become indistinguishable and guitars and trumpets tell stories as well as Connor Oberst does. Jim James and Emmylou Harris lend their voices at just the right time, and this album revitalized protest music in indie rock.
15. The Strokes - Is This It?: They came in went in almost a blur, just like a great punk band should. In just one 30 minute album, they opened the door to hundreds of minimalist punk bands and rode a massive wave of hype to become the "next big thing". OK, they never sold what Nirvana did, but it was nice while it lasted and we will always have this breath of fresh air to remember.
14. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago: By the end of 2008, this album was a secret to everyone. Written and (mostly) recorded in the isolation of a log cabin, this record sounds as lonely and personal to every person who spends time with it. A year later, he's jumping around to different projects and has critics hanging on his every move. Do we have a new Sufjan Stevens already?
13. Eminem - Marshall Mather's LP: Whether you would like to admit it or not, this could be this decade's Thriller. This album was bigger than all of us. Everybody knows the chorus to "Real Slim Shady" and everybody watched Eminem and Elton John on the Grammy's. There is no escape. Anybody who claims they hate this album is trying to sell you something.
12. Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America: Several of their albums could go on this list, but this is the one that lyrically stuck with me. Sounding like a bar band and telling the stories of desperate suburban lowlifes is nothing new, but why doesn't anybody else do it like this? Even when it slows down, this is a party album, and it makes you with more bands worshipped at the alter of Bruce Springsteen.
11. Radiohead - In Rainbows: In case they weren't there already, this album ensures that Radiohead is one of the most innovative and important rock bands that ever existed. If the bizarre distribution scheme and complete lack of prior advertising didn't shock you, the quality of the heartfelt songwriting and musicianship will. What could this band possibly pull off next?
10. TV On The Radio - Dear Science,: Most of the albums on this list sound like the pinnacles of modern music, but this album is how we can only hope music sounds ten years from now. They make no regard for the boundaries between rock, rap, soul, and blues, just like they make no regard for what music is personal and what is political - there is something for everybody here, just like the song "Golden Age" promised.
9. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine: Even if you want to argue about which version is better, let's agree that Fiona's only album of this decade was an art-pop stroke of genius. In fact, she seemed to have crammed all of her ideas into a small space knowing that another record wasn't going to happen. "Red Red Red" and "Waltz (Better Than Fine)" sound even more bizarre and bewildering the tenth time you play them. Please, give us more.
8. Outkast - Stankonia: No song sums up this decade in music, politics, and the shear possibilities of creativity than the song "B.O.B.". This track is a thrill ride at 120 mph, much like the album surrounding it. This album rode the popularity of a few hits to make Outkast household names in rap and pop music, and they never looked back: in the following years, they got more ridiculous and less focused until they imploded. Until then, what a ride we enjoyed.
7. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion: This album is the kind of pinnacle you always hope a band with reach, but most never do. After years of turning great ideas into almost-cohesive records, they realized that voices and songwriting were their strengths more than layers of instrumental loops. The results is bliss. "My Girls" and "Summertime Clothes" explore adulthood by filling it with the joy and simplicity of childhood, and the result is something that we can only hope is the future of indie music.
6. Sufjan Stevens - Come Feel The Illinoise!: Although it set off a wave of neo-folk imitators, there is still nothing that sounds like this album. Only any track here, there is almost more going on that the human brain can comprehend: vocal interplay, shifting time signatures, lyrics about historical figures, and more than 40 instruments. But something about every track will stick with you, whether it's the pleating chorus in "They Are Night Zombies", the heartbreaking trumpet solo in "Casimir Pulaski Day", or the heavenly choral at the end of "Chicago". There are more gorgeous moments on this album than I can count - so many that I don't care if we ever get a sequel.
19. My Morning Jacket - Z: How was this album not bigger? With its catchy choruses and multiple guitar attack, it seems like this should have been this decade's Led Zeppelin 4. It did earn them some share of a spotlight and make them one of America's favorite alternative bands, and their string of great records never got more perfect than this one.
18. Kanye West - Late Registration: Let's put the intolerable awards show freakouts aside - this was one of the decade's most important pop artists. When he decided to team up with Jon Brion and add complex orchestrations to simple rap tracks, one of the greatest hip-hop records ever happened. When I hear the ambition on tracks like "Crack Music", I can only hope he ever tries this hard again.
17. Brian Wilson - Smile: It only took four decades to finish, and here it is. Never mind the complaints about how he never finished it with the Beach Boys and how it would have been better in 1968. Just let your ears be blessed by a piece of true pop imagination. Could anybody else have put together and sung pieces like "Wonderful" or "Surf's Up"? In any decade?
16. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning: His prolific output can be frustrating to wade through, but this was his one truly perfect album. Images of war and failed relationships become indistinguishable and guitars and trumpets tell stories as well as Connor Oberst does. Jim James and Emmylou Harris lend their voices at just the right time, and this album revitalized protest music in indie rock.
15. The Strokes - Is This It?: They came in went in almost a blur, just like a great punk band should. In just one 30 minute album, they opened the door to hundreds of minimalist punk bands and rode a massive wave of hype to become the "next big thing". OK, they never sold what Nirvana did, but it was nice while it lasted and we will always have this breath of fresh air to remember.
14. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago: By the end of 2008, this album was a secret to everyone. Written and (mostly) recorded in the isolation of a log cabin, this record sounds as lonely and personal to every person who spends time with it. A year later, he's jumping around to different projects and has critics hanging on his every move. Do we have a new Sufjan Stevens already?
13. Eminem - Marshall Mather's LP: Whether you would like to admit it or not, this could be this decade's Thriller. This album was bigger than all of us. Everybody knows the chorus to "Real Slim Shady" and everybody watched Eminem and Elton John on the Grammy's. There is no escape. Anybody who claims they hate this album is trying to sell you something.
12. Hold Steady - Boys And Girls In America: Several of their albums could go on this list, but this is the one that lyrically stuck with me. Sounding like a bar band and telling the stories of desperate suburban lowlifes is nothing new, but why doesn't anybody else do it like this? Even when it slows down, this is a party album, and it makes you with more bands worshipped at the alter of Bruce Springsteen.
11. Radiohead - In Rainbows: In case they weren't there already, this album ensures that Radiohead is one of the most innovative and important rock bands that ever existed. If the bizarre distribution scheme and complete lack of prior advertising didn't shock you, the quality of the heartfelt songwriting and musicianship will. What could this band possibly pull off next?
10. TV On The Radio - Dear Science,: Most of the albums on this list sound like the pinnacles of modern music, but this album is how we can only hope music sounds ten years from now. They make no regard for the boundaries between rock, rap, soul, and blues, just like they make no regard for what music is personal and what is political - there is something for everybody here, just like the song "Golden Age" promised.
9. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine: Even if you want to argue about which version is better, let's agree that Fiona's only album of this decade was an art-pop stroke of genius. In fact, she seemed to have crammed all of her ideas into a small space knowing that another record wasn't going to happen. "Red Red Red" and "Waltz (Better Than Fine)" sound even more bizarre and bewildering the tenth time you play them. Please, give us more.
8. Outkast - Stankonia: No song sums up this decade in music, politics, and the shear possibilities of creativity than the song "B.O.B.". This track is a thrill ride at 120 mph, much like the album surrounding it. This album rode the popularity of a few hits to make Outkast household names in rap and pop music, and they never looked back: in the following years, they got more ridiculous and less focused until they imploded. Until then, what a ride we enjoyed.
7. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavillion: This album is the kind of pinnacle you always hope a band with reach, but most never do. After years of turning great ideas into almost-cohesive records, they realized that voices and songwriting were their strengths more than layers of instrumental loops. The results is bliss. "My Girls" and "Summertime Clothes" explore adulthood by filling it with the joy and simplicity of childhood, and the result is something that we can only hope is the future of indie music.
6. Sufjan Stevens - Come Feel The Illinoise!: Although it set off a wave of neo-folk imitators, there is still nothing that sounds like this album. Only any track here, there is almost more going on that the human brain can comprehend: vocal interplay, shifting time signatures, lyrics about historical figures, and more than 40 instruments. But something about every track will stick with you, whether it's the pleating chorus in "They Are Night Zombies", the heartbreaking trumpet solo in "Casimir Pulaski Day", or the heavenly choral at the end of "Chicago". There are more gorgeous moments on this album than I can count - so many that I don't care if we ever get a sequel.
Saturday, December 12, 2009
100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade (50-21)
50. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker: In a decade full of good records (11 albums in 10 years!) his debut remains his finest; his songwriting never got more heartfelt and beautiful than it did on "Oh My Sweet Carolina".
49. Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose: A country legend and Jack White made this decade's most random and most brilliant team-up. This is the best of Jack's uncountable side projects and a fitting tribute to her 5-decade plus career.
48. Portishead - Third: After 11 years of waiting, we got another masterpiece out of them. When you need a late-night mood setter, nobody tops the battered voice of Beth Gibbons.
47. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots: Creating a "worthy" follow-up to The Soft Bulletin is almost impossible, but they did it by finding humanity in electronic music and achieved a strange route to popularity on the way.
46. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury: In a decade full of unreleased mixtapes and fights with record labels, Clipse managed to release one brutal, raw rap landmark into stores.
45. White Stripes - White Blood Cells: The genius started two records ago for them, but the spotlight starts here. After this, Jack owns rock music for the rest of the decade.
44. Dave Matthews Band - Lilywhite Sessions: Can I include this even though it isn't a real album? Dave peaks as a songwriter and a singer, but you have to go to a bootlegger to hear it.
43. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes: One of the decades most instantly adored debut record. They delivered folk ballads and stunning harmonies, and it landed them on every prime time TV show within months.
42. Beck - Sea Change: It wasn't a very solid decade for Beck, but he dropped one stunner by setting a new standard in break-up albums.
41. Bob Dylan - Love & Theft: Past the age of 60, Bob moves forward by reaching even further back in the American songbook. He set a trend of aging geniuses reviving their career this decade.
40. Sunn O)) - Monolith's and Dimensions: Is this a classical piece or a metal album? Just one of the most inexplicably beautiful albums in years.
39. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!: This guy is having one brilliant mid-life crisis: think Iggy Pop preaching the Bible on drugs. It was a great decade to be Nick.
38. Over The Rhine - Ohio: A soft, fragile, and mostly overlooked album that explores religion and womanhood from enough angles to fill two discs. I think painfully beautiful sums it up best.
37. LCD Soundsystem - Sounds Of Silver: This album has the power to make you laugh and cry, but mostly just dance. "All My Friends" might be one of the decade's most memorable tracks.
36. Joanna Newsome - Y's: What is there to say about a orchestral harp-based record with elf sounding vocals? I guess you just have to hear it. It's the storytelling that really sticks with you.
35. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood To The Head: I know they were everywhere and they are overbearing, but can't we admit they did some great records this decade? This is their best balance of dramatic songwriting and pop hooks.
34. Panda Bear - Person Pitch: Some of the decade's best records came from people making electronic music warm and human. That's part of the story here, but the bursts of harmonies and what really stick with you.
33. Green Day - American Idiot: Even Green Day fans had no idea that they were capable of this depth and complexity. The radio will be playing these songs decades from now.
32. Tom Waits - Alice: Of all the great albums Tom released this decade (there were 4 of them) the haunting storytelling and bleak orchestrations make this the best.
31. Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner: This album has a brutal, raw emotion that is rarely even matched in hip-hop and brilliant production to match it.
30. TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain: Soul music Incorporated into indie rock: why don't more people try that. A rare album that manages to be funky and brooding.
29. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus: Nick tries to do everything he's ever done in his career on two discs and everything works. The scope of moods and lyrics on this album is the right kind of overwhelming.
28. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible: On their second masterpiece, they turn to Bruce Springsteen and Joy Division for influence and write more rock anthems we can all yell along with.
27. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica: Another band who had multiple brilliant albums this decade, this one was the best: catchy guitar hooks and rants about science and death.
26. Joe Henry - Civilians: This album takes my award for most overlooked record of the decade. Brilliant stories, deep blues rhythms, heart wrenching vocals... and barely anybody flipped over this album?
25. Flaming Lips - Embryonic: Call this a late entry. After gaining popularity for live shows and having the official Oklahoma rock song, they head right back to the underground and make a mutant drug-trip of a record. No band surprised me more times this decade.
24. The Streets - Original Pirate Material: This might be the first proof that you can make a brilliant influential record alone on your lap-top. The spare electronic beats and vocal humor influenced a lot of what was to come for underground hip-hop.
23. Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism: An already solid band gets famous for releasing their best record? One this album started getting played on TV shows, America took notice of the beauty in their spare guitar hooks and emotional lyricism.
22. Scott Walker - The Drift: Maybe the bleakest album ever made. Also a stunning composition and a modern work of art for anybody who isn't scarred away from it.
21. Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan: This guy might be the most confusing figure in indie music, but he's also a genius. This is a stunning trip though the aftermath of economic ruin and the wavering faith in God and love. Tell me you didn't cry once during this record.
49. Loretta Lynn - Van Lear Rose: A country legend and Jack White made this decade's most random and most brilliant team-up. This is the best of Jack's uncountable side projects and a fitting tribute to her 5-decade plus career.
48. Portishead - Third: After 11 years of waiting, we got another masterpiece out of them. When you need a late-night mood setter, nobody tops the battered voice of Beth Gibbons.
47. Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots: Creating a "worthy" follow-up to The Soft Bulletin is almost impossible, but they did it by finding humanity in electronic music and achieved a strange route to popularity on the way.
46. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury: In a decade full of unreleased mixtapes and fights with record labels, Clipse managed to release one brutal, raw rap landmark into stores.
45. White Stripes - White Blood Cells: The genius started two records ago for them, but the spotlight starts here. After this, Jack owns rock music for the rest of the decade.
44. Dave Matthews Band - Lilywhite Sessions: Can I include this even though it isn't a real album? Dave peaks as a songwriter and a singer, but you have to go to a bootlegger to hear it.
43. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes: One of the decades most instantly adored debut record. They delivered folk ballads and stunning harmonies, and it landed them on every prime time TV show within months.
42. Beck - Sea Change: It wasn't a very solid decade for Beck, but he dropped one stunner by setting a new standard in break-up albums.
41. Bob Dylan - Love & Theft: Past the age of 60, Bob moves forward by reaching even further back in the American songbook. He set a trend of aging geniuses reviving their career this decade.
40. Sunn O)) - Monolith's and Dimensions: Is this a classical piece or a metal album? Just one of the most inexplicably beautiful albums in years.
39. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!: This guy is having one brilliant mid-life crisis: think Iggy Pop preaching the Bible on drugs. It was a great decade to be Nick.
38. Over The Rhine - Ohio: A soft, fragile, and mostly overlooked album that explores religion and womanhood from enough angles to fill two discs. I think painfully beautiful sums it up best.
37. LCD Soundsystem - Sounds Of Silver: This album has the power to make you laugh and cry, but mostly just dance. "All My Friends" might be one of the decade's most memorable tracks.
36. Joanna Newsome - Y's: What is there to say about a orchestral harp-based record with elf sounding vocals? I guess you just have to hear it. It's the storytelling that really sticks with you.
35. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood To The Head: I know they were everywhere and they are overbearing, but can't we admit they did some great records this decade? This is their best balance of dramatic songwriting and pop hooks.
34. Panda Bear - Person Pitch: Some of the decade's best records came from people making electronic music warm and human. That's part of the story here, but the bursts of harmonies and what really stick with you.
33. Green Day - American Idiot: Even Green Day fans had no idea that they were capable of this depth and complexity. The radio will be playing these songs decades from now.
32. Tom Waits - Alice: Of all the great albums Tom released this decade (there were 4 of them) the haunting storytelling and bleak orchestrations make this the best.
31. Dizzee Rascal - Boy In Da Corner: This album has a brutal, raw emotion that is rarely even matched in hip-hop and brilliant production to match it.
30. TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain: Soul music Incorporated into indie rock: why don't more people try that. A rare album that manages to be funky and brooding.
29. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Abattoir Blues/Lyre Of Orpheus: Nick tries to do everything he's ever done in his career on two discs and everything works. The scope of moods and lyrics on this album is the right kind of overwhelming.
28. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible: On their second masterpiece, they turn to Bruce Springsteen and Joy Division for influence and write more rock anthems we can all yell along with.
27. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica: Another band who had multiple brilliant albums this decade, this one was the best: catchy guitar hooks and rants about science and death.
26. Joe Henry - Civilians: This album takes my award for most overlooked record of the decade. Brilliant stories, deep blues rhythms, heart wrenching vocals... and barely anybody flipped over this album?
25. Flaming Lips - Embryonic: Call this a late entry. After gaining popularity for live shows and having the official Oklahoma rock song, they head right back to the underground and make a mutant drug-trip of a record. No band surprised me more times this decade.
24. The Streets - Original Pirate Material: This might be the first proof that you can make a brilliant influential record alone on your lap-top. The spare electronic beats and vocal humor influenced a lot of what was to come for underground hip-hop.
23. Death Cab For Cutie - Transatlanticism: An already solid band gets famous for releasing their best record? One this album started getting played on TV shows, America took notice of the beauty in their spare guitar hooks and emotional lyricism.
22. Scott Walker - The Drift: Maybe the bleakest album ever made. Also a stunning composition and a modern work of art for anybody who isn't scarred away from it.
21. Sufjan Stevens - Greetings From Michigan: This guy might be the most confusing figure in indie music, but he's also a genius. This is a stunning trip though the aftermath of economic ruin and the wavering faith in God and love. Tell me you didn't cry once during this record.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade (100-51)
I've done it. I've made a list. Call me obsessive, call me insane, but I compiled a list. I've sat in my apartment arguing with myself on whether or not the likes of Taylor Swift and Justin Timberlake belong on this list (verdict: yes). I've sat in boring meetings at work thinking "do I really like Portishead's Third more than Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots? I've called each of the top five albums on this list my favorite album of the decade and then I've listened to each of them consecutively to compare. This is what I came up with. It isn't perfect, but I want to put it down before I change my mind.
I am going to breeze through the first 50 without explanation, but I'll write a little on each one as I get closer to the top.
Without further ado, the 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade:
100. Sigur Ros - ()
99. Taylor Swift - Fearless
98. Shearwater - Rook
97. Nickel Creek - This Side
96. Richmond Fontaine - The Fitzgerald
95. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
94. Justin Timberlake - Future Sex/Love Sounds
93. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
92. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
91. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
90. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
89. Silverchair - Young Modern
88. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)
87. Patti Griffin - Children Running Through
86. Microphones - The Glow, pt. 2
85. Madvillian - Madvilliany
84. Jay-Z - Black Album
83. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
82. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
81. Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
80. Bright Eyes - Lifted...
79. Joseph Arthur - Come To Where I'm From
78. Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
77. U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
76. N.E.R.D. - In Search Of...
75. Alejandro Escovado - Real Animal
74. The National - Alligator
73. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
72. M.I.A. - Kala
71. Postal Service - Give Up
70. Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract
69. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
68. White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
67. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
66. Deerhunter - Microcastle
65. Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
64. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
63. Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
82. Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears
61. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight
60. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
59. Eels - Blinking Lights And Other Revelations
58. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
57. Kanye West - College Dropout
56. Sigur Ros - Agaelis Byrjun
55. Vince Gill - These Days
54. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
53. The Dream - Love vs. Money
52. Opeth - Blackwater Park
51. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
I am going to breeze through the first 50 without explanation, but I'll write a little on each one as I get closer to the top.
Without further ado, the 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade:
100. Sigur Ros - ()
99. Taylor Swift - Fearless
98. Shearwater - Rook
97. Nickel Creek - This Side
96. Richmond Fontaine - The Fitzgerald
95. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest
94. Justin Timberlake - Future Sex/Love Sounds
93. Broken Social Scene - You Forgot It In People
92. Sleater-Kinney - The Woods
91. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
90. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
89. Silverchair - Young Modern
88. Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)
87. Patti Griffin - Children Running Through
86. Microphones - The Glow, pt. 2
85. Madvillian - Madvilliany
84. Jay-Z - Black Album
83. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
82. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Fever To Tell
81. Jenny Lewis - Rabbit Fur Coat
80. Bright Eyes - Lifted...
79. Joseph Arthur - Come To Where I'm From
78. Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
77. U2 - All That You Can't Leave Behind
76. N.E.R.D. - In Search Of...
75. Alejandro Escovado - Real Animal
74. The National - Alligator
73. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
72. M.I.A. - Kala
71. Postal Service - Give Up
70. Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract
69. Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
68. White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
67. The Streets - A Grand Don't Come For Free
66. Deerhunter - Microcastle
65. Walkmen - Bows + Arrows
64. Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
63. Wilco - A Ghost Is Born
82. Lucinda Williams - World Without Tears
61. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight
60. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
59. Eels - Blinking Lights And Other Revelations
58. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
57. Kanye West - College Dropout
56. Sigur Ros - Agaelis Byrjun
55. Vince Gill - These Days
54. Nine Inch Nails - Year Zero
53. The Dream - Love vs. Money
52. Opeth - Blackwater Park
51. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
Monday, December 7, 2009
Never released but worth hunting down
As the decade comes to a close, I have to give some credit to one of the things that made this decade in music great - online music bootlegging. When Napster came along about a decade ago, the bootleg went to a new level. It became possible for a leaked record to reach the masses in minutes, whereas it took years for Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes to do the same thing in the 60s.
With that said, here are some of my favorite bootleg records of the past decade. You can find them on blogs and Mediafire, but you sure won't find any of these in record stores.
Ryan Adams - The Suicide Handbook: These emotionally bare 21 acoustic tracks are some of the most compelling and melodic tunes he ever recorded. Made between Heartbreaker and Gold, these recordings strip him down to the core and deliver a few alternate versions and several astounding originals. Check out this version of "Firecracker".
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (Jon Brion version): Part of the fun in this one is doing a song-by-song comparison of these tracks and what was actually released. Aside from "Parting Gift" not being present here, the tracklist is the same, but these versions are darker, edgier, and less produced. Really, you need both versions to get a picture of what a brilliant record this was.
Clipse - Exclusive Audio Footage: Why didn't the record label think this could sell? It is more "pop" and full sounding than the brilliant Hell Hath No Fury, and it has a catchy single in "The Funeral" tht could have been a club hit. A decade later, this record is still not released. I do not understand the rap industry.
Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract: They finally released it! Forget I even mentioned it here.
Danger Mouse - The Grey Album: A smart and occasionally hilarious experiment that mixes Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles' White Album. A fun listen, but more importantly the first of it's kind and a milestone for DJ sampling technique.
Dave Matthews Band - The Lilywhite Sessions: To me, this is the most important one on this list for a few reasons. First, it was recorded by a band that already had legions of fans. Second, it hit the bootleg circuit at the same time the band released a vastly inferior record (the train wreck called Everyday). Third, it still stands as the best studio recording of this band's almost two decade career. And finally, it is simply a beautiful, heartbreaking and thoughtful album that will go beyond being a curiosity: you will want to hear this one repeatedly. Good show, Dave. Now if only you would have released it...
Have fun tracking these ones down.
With that said, here are some of my favorite bootleg records of the past decade. You can find them on blogs and Mediafire, but you sure won't find any of these in record stores.
Ryan Adams - The Suicide Handbook: These emotionally bare 21 acoustic tracks are some of the most compelling and melodic tunes he ever recorded. Made between Heartbreaker and Gold, these recordings strip him down to the core and deliver a few alternate versions and several astounding originals. Check out this version of "Firecracker".
Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (Jon Brion version): Part of the fun in this one is doing a song-by-song comparison of these tracks and what was actually released. Aside from "Parting Gift" not being present here, the tracklist is the same, but these versions are darker, edgier, and less produced. Really, you need both versions to get a picture of what a brilliant record this was.
Clipse - Exclusive Audio Footage: Why didn't the record label think this could sell? It is more "pop" and full sounding than the brilliant Hell Hath No Fury, and it has a catchy single in "The Funeral" tht could have been a club hit. A decade later, this record is still not released. I do not understand the rap industry.
Q-Tip - Kamaal The Abstract: They finally released it! Forget I even mentioned it here.
Danger Mouse - The Grey Album: A smart and occasionally hilarious experiment that mixes Jay-Z's Black Album with the Beatles' White Album. A fun listen, but more importantly the first of it's kind and a milestone for DJ sampling technique.
Dave Matthews Band - The Lilywhite Sessions: To me, this is the most important one on this list for a few reasons. First, it was recorded by a band that already had legions of fans. Second, it hit the bootleg circuit at the same time the band released a vastly inferior record (the train wreck called Everyday). Third, it still stands as the best studio recording of this band's almost two decade career. And finally, it is simply a beautiful, heartbreaking and thoughtful album that will go beyond being a curiosity: you will want to hear this one repeatedly. Good show, Dave. Now if only you would have released it...
Have fun tracking these ones down.
Saturday, November 21, 2009
Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die
That's right, I can read too! I don't just listen to music. I picked up a copy of Tom Moon's 1,000 Recordings To Hear Before You Die this weekend because these end-of-decade lists that are popping up (check out Pitchfork's as well as NPR's All Songs Considered) made me interested in the notion of documenting what is "important" in the past several decades of music. But really, how can anybody do this? How do you listen to Beethoven, Miles Davis, Dr. Dre, Stevie Wonder, and the Beatles and explain what a new set of ears need to hear?
Well, this book makes about the most solid attempt I've ever seen. 1,000 Recordings beautifully documents a critics obsession of music. Tom Moon tries to provide a starting point for anybody who has ever wanted to collect music and some new things to discover for those who already do. The artists are arranged alphabetically making no separation between genres or decades, only 1,000 brief pieces (half to one page each) on the recordings that are landmarks of whatever genre or decade they are from. With each recording, he also provides records to continue to if you liked the one you read about, therefore when you get obsessed with Springsteen's Born To Run, you'll know to move on to The River and Nebraska. Tom Moon knows that this book can't contain everything, but you have to start somewhere.
I have my complaints about this book as any opinionated music snob would (Where is Nick Cave? Is Mutations really the best Beck album?), but this is an extremely satisfying way to spend twenty bucks and a few hours. I haven't counted yet, but I probably own less than half of these albums, so I suppose I have a lot of work to do.
Read, listen, discover, enjoy. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Well, this book makes about the most solid attempt I've ever seen. 1,000 Recordings beautifully documents a critics obsession of music. Tom Moon tries to provide a starting point for anybody who has ever wanted to collect music and some new things to discover for those who already do. The artists are arranged alphabetically making no separation between genres or decades, only 1,000 brief pieces (half to one page each) on the recordings that are landmarks of whatever genre or decade they are from. With each recording, he also provides records to continue to if you liked the one you read about, therefore when you get obsessed with Springsteen's Born To Run, you'll know to move on to The River and Nebraska. Tom Moon knows that this book can't contain everything, but you have to start somewhere.
I have my complaints about this book as any opinionated music snob would (Where is Nick Cave? Is Mutations really the best Beck album?), but this is an extremely satisfying way to spend twenty bucks and a few hours. I haven't counted yet, but I probably own less than half of these albums, so I suppose I have a lot of work to do.
Read, listen, discover, enjoy. Have a great Thanksgiving.
Monday, November 9, 2009
Atlas Sound's Logos
I've always been a big fan of solo projects. Some artists need to get ideas out that are not possible in the context of a band. A few examples from the past few years: Ben Gibbard's techno-pop Postal Service record, Thom York's brooding electronic solo record, Panda Bear's masterpiece of samples and layered vocals, and Eddie Vedder's amazingly tender folk record. None of these albums could happen as a collaborative effort of a band, and all of them were distinctive new takes on vocal talents that we thought we knew.
Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, coming off last years brilliant Microcastle, released his second solo album this year under the name Atlas Sound. Logos shares more in common with the aforementioned Panda Bear than anything Deerhunter has done. Whereas every Deerhunter song feels driving and carefully written, this album floats along in blissful uncertainty the way Person Pitch did. The opener, "The Light That Failed", is a blur of acoustic guitar, electronic flourishes, and meandering vocals that barely form a verse or chorus.
It makes perfect sense that the album's best track is a collaboration with Panda Bear. "Walkabout" is blissfully playful and childish, with two talented vocalists harmonizing over fast high-pitched synths - the chorus "what did you want to be when you grew up?" exemplifies the mood here. The albums other amazing duet is with Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab, whose voices rings over a light dance beat and a dreamy atmosphere of noise.
Every track on Logos is solid and Bradford Cox proves that between his solo work and his Deerhunter records, he stands up with the best names in modern indie music. This record is a blessing in an already generous year for great music.
Deerhunter's Bradford Cox, coming off last years brilliant Microcastle, released his second solo album this year under the name Atlas Sound. Logos shares more in common with the aforementioned Panda Bear than anything Deerhunter has done. Whereas every Deerhunter song feels driving and carefully written, this album floats along in blissful uncertainty the way Person Pitch did. The opener, "The Light That Failed", is a blur of acoustic guitar, electronic flourishes, and meandering vocals that barely form a verse or chorus.
It makes perfect sense that the album's best track is a collaboration with Panda Bear. "Walkabout" is blissfully playful and childish, with two talented vocalists harmonizing over fast high-pitched synths - the chorus "what did you want to be when you grew up?" exemplifies the mood here. The albums other amazing duet is with Laetitia Sadier from Stereolab, whose voices rings over a light dance beat and a dreamy atmosphere of noise.
Every track on Logos is solid and Bradford Cox proves that between his solo work and his Deerhunter records, he stands up with the best names in modern indie music. This record is a blessing in an already generous year for great music.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Sufjan Stevens returns!!! - kind of....
In the past decade of music, I can't think of anybody whose career is harder to map than Sufjan Stevens. Let's go year-by-year:
2000: Sufjan releases his debut, A Sun Came, a mix of indie folk and lo-fi noise. Nobody notices.
2001: Sufjan releases Enjoy Your Rabbit, an ambient techno concept album that sounds nothing like his first one. Nobody notices.
2003: Sufjan release Greetings From Michigan, his first dive into orchestral pop. He plays more than 40 instruments in this long sweeping masterpiece, which is supposed to be part of an ambitious 50-state project. Indie critics and music lovers start to take note. This album is performed at small bible colleges where he stays in their dorms as part of his payment (I only know this because my best friend from high school attended one of such shows).
2004: Seven Swans, a stripped-down spiritual folk record, is released. Sufjan's songs start showing up on TV shows like The O.C.
2005: After much hype, he releases Come Feel The Illinoise, the second (and so far last) of the "state" albums. In case you missed it, this is one of the landmark records of the decade and you need to own it right now.
2006: Sufjan releases leftover: The Avalanche is a disc of Illinoise outtakes almost as good as the ones he kept. He also releases 5 discs of Christmas music, which solidifies our belief that he can take any bad idea and turn it into brilliant music.
2007: T one-up that crazy Christmas thing, he writes a classical piece called The BQE. This piece accompanies a film he directed about the New York highway and features lots of hula-hoops. I swear I'm not making any of this up. For the first year in a long time, he releases no new music.
2008: No new music, no mention of him recording any.
2009: No new music, no mention of him recording any.
So there you go - after a few amazingly prolific years, we get nothing from him for three years except for the BQE. What happened to his "state" albums? Got me.
Even though we are all craving a new standard Sufjan album (whatever that is), it's good to know that he put the care and beauty into this album that he did in the past. The BQE is a short enthralling listen that doesn't require an understanding of classical composition. "Movement III" will remind you of the brilliant building interludes included on both state album, while "Traffic Shock" uses electronic music a lot more gracefully and subtly than Enjoy Your Rabbit did.
If you are already a Sufjan fan, you should know that this guy doesn't operate on expectations of others. In the past ten years he has been so many things that it shouldn't come as a surprise that he wants a new roles, and classical composer suites him perfectly. If you aren't a Sufjan fan, go get Illinoise before you explore everything else he has to offer.
Am I still checking the Internet for anything I can find about his next vocal record? Yes! But this is a nice diversion.
2000: Sufjan releases his debut, A Sun Came, a mix of indie folk and lo-fi noise. Nobody notices.
2001: Sufjan releases Enjoy Your Rabbit, an ambient techno concept album that sounds nothing like his first one. Nobody notices.
2003: Sufjan release Greetings From Michigan, his first dive into orchestral pop. He plays more than 40 instruments in this long sweeping masterpiece, which is supposed to be part of an ambitious 50-state project. Indie critics and music lovers start to take note. This album is performed at small bible colleges where he stays in their dorms as part of his payment (I only know this because my best friend from high school attended one of such shows).
2004: Seven Swans, a stripped-down spiritual folk record, is released. Sufjan's songs start showing up on TV shows like The O.C.
2005: After much hype, he releases Come Feel The Illinoise, the second (and so far last) of the "state" albums. In case you missed it, this is one of the landmark records of the decade and you need to own it right now.
2006: Sufjan releases leftover: The Avalanche is a disc of Illinoise outtakes almost as good as the ones he kept. He also releases 5 discs of Christmas music, which solidifies our belief that he can take any bad idea and turn it into brilliant music.
2007: T one-up that crazy Christmas thing, he writes a classical piece called The BQE. This piece accompanies a film he directed about the New York highway and features lots of hula-hoops. I swear I'm not making any of this up. For the first year in a long time, he releases no new music.
2008: No new music, no mention of him recording any.
2009: No new music, no mention of him recording any.
So there you go - after a few amazingly prolific years, we get nothing from him for three years except for the BQE. What happened to his "state" albums? Got me.
Even though we are all craving a new standard Sufjan album (whatever that is), it's good to know that he put the care and beauty into this album that he did in the past. The BQE is a short enthralling listen that doesn't require an understanding of classical composition. "Movement III" will remind you of the brilliant building interludes included on both state album, while "Traffic Shock" uses electronic music a lot more gracefully and subtly than Enjoy Your Rabbit did.
If you are already a Sufjan fan, you should know that this guy doesn't operate on expectations of others. In the past ten years he has been so many things that it shouldn't come as a surprise that he wants a new roles, and classical composer suites him perfectly. If you aren't a Sufjan fan, go get Illinoise before you explore everything else he has to offer.
Am I still checking the Internet for anything I can find about his next vocal record? Yes! But this is a nice diversion.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
A few hyped releases
Here's a few releases from the past few weeks that critics have been raving about:
Girls' Album: Every review I've read of this record has made mention of the fact that the members of this band (neither of the duo are girls, by the way) grew up with parents in the California cult Children of God. That information hardly matters when listening to the drugged out emotionally lost lyrics of this record. The singer is a less in-tune version of early Elvis Costello and the music is bright 60's California pop. The building sing-along ballad "Hellhole Ratrace" and the distorted burst "Morning Light" are well-written and fun, but most of this album isn't something you'd want to hear more than once or twice. Maybe this is a band to look out for a few records down the road.
Fuck Buttons' Tarot Sport: Message for electronic music - please go away. Just go away. Every year, I listen to an electronic album just to make sure I still hate it. Yes, I do. And why would you name your band this? Let's just move on.
The XX (self titled): There has been a lack of bands this decade taking on that spare, late-night London sound that Portishead perfected a decade ago, which is probably why this band is a breath of fresh air. Staccato guitar riffs, spare beats instead of a real drummer, and the interplay between two hushed vocalists (some perfect male/female chemistry) make for one of the most innovative and relistenable records of the year. There are some standout tracks, particularly the single "Basic Space", but this entire record flows as one piece and sets a dark yet romantic mood made for after-hours intimacy. This band has hype worth believing in.
Girls' Album: Every review I've read of this record has made mention of the fact that the members of this band (neither of the duo are girls, by the way) grew up with parents in the California cult Children of God. That information hardly matters when listening to the drugged out emotionally lost lyrics of this record. The singer is a less in-tune version of early Elvis Costello and the music is bright 60's California pop. The building sing-along ballad "Hellhole Ratrace" and the distorted burst "Morning Light" are well-written and fun, but most of this album isn't something you'd want to hear more than once or twice. Maybe this is a band to look out for a few records down the road.
Fuck Buttons' Tarot Sport: Message for electronic music - please go away. Just go away. Every year, I listen to an electronic album just to make sure I still hate it. Yes, I do. And why would you name your band this? Let's just move on.
The XX (self titled): There has been a lack of bands this decade taking on that spare, late-night London sound that Portishead perfected a decade ago, which is probably why this band is a breath of fresh air. Staccato guitar riffs, spare beats instead of a real drummer, and the interplay between two hushed vocalists (some perfect male/female chemistry) make for one of the most innovative and relistenable records of the year. There are some standout tracks, particularly the single "Basic Space", but this entire record flows as one piece and sets a dark yet romantic mood made for after-hours intimacy. This band has hype worth believing in.
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The Flaming Lips' Embryonic
It's been an interesting decade for the Flaming Lips. Especially considering they peaked commercially in the mid-90's with "She Don't Use Jelly" and peaked artistically in 1999 with the Soft Bulletin, which turned out to be one of the touchstones of indie rock music this decade (even though it was released on Warner Bros.). They took a dive into electronic music and made another masterpiece, Yoshimi Battle's The Pink Robots, before trying to make a perfectly balanced Lips record that would satisfy everybody. The result was At War With The Mystics - a disappointment that showed why they should never try to do anything conventional.
About ten seconds into their new record, Embryonic, all of this becomes unimportant. This album is so different and so unexplainable that any track from it wouldn't fit on any of these other records. "Convinced Of The Hex" starts off with nonrhythmic loud guitar jabs that sound like a band messing around in the studio - a huge departure from the layered production and perfected accuracy of their past three records. The track that follows sounds like 70's psychedelic funk in fast-forward. The second track gets even weirder - "The Sparrow Looks Up At The Machine" lets us imagine a collaboration between John Lennon and Joy Division. Wayne sings "What does it mean to dream what you dream" and I'm already dreaming about the possibilities of what the next 16 tracks on this record could contain.
"Evil" is a dark mood piece featuring some of Wayne's best vocals (his singing seems to get better and more versatile every album). After that, things get loud again - "See The Leaves" has a fun bouncing bass rhythm with guitars and drums crashing around it before the song stops and rebuilds around creeping keyboards.
This is an album where every track is a highlight, but every track relies on each other. "I Can Be A Frog" is a playful joke that features Karen O making animal noises - it's not going to be a single, but it works perfectly in the context of the album. "Worm Mountain" proves that no matter how experimental they get, they are always a rock band first. The buzzing bass and driving drums would fit onto a Led Zeppelin album, but the ringing electric pianos come from Miles Davis' acid jazz era. However, the orchestral space-out at the end is pure Lips.
Seventy minutes and not a wasted second, Embryonic is the Flaming Lips best record since the Soft Bulletin (and even then, it's close). If you mixed Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti with Miles Davis' Bitches Brew and Pink Floyd's Animals then threw in the reckless playfulness of Captain Beefhart's Trout Mask Replica, you would be close to this.
And this was released on Warner Bros.? In 2009? Really?
This is too good to be true.
About ten seconds into their new record, Embryonic, all of this becomes unimportant. This album is so different and so unexplainable that any track from it wouldn't fit on any of these other records. "Convinced Of The Hex" starts off with nonrhythmic loud guitar jabs that sound like a band messing around in the studio - a huge departure from the layered production and perfected accuracy of their past three records. The track that follows sounds like 70's psychedelic funk in fast-forward. The second track gets even weirder - "The Sparrow Looks Up At The Machine" lets us imagine a collaboration between John Lennon and Joy Division. Wayne sings "What does it mean to dream what you dream" and I'm already dreaming about the possibilities of what the next 16 tracks on this record could contain.
"Evil" is a dark mood piece featuring some of Wayne's best vocals (his singing seems to get better and more versatile every album). After that, things get loud again - "See The Leaves" has a fun bouncing bass rhythm with guitars and drums crashing around it before the song stops and rebuilds around creeping keyboards.
This is an album where every track is a highlight, but every track relies on each other. "I Can Be A Frog" is a playful joke that features Karen O making animal noises - it's not going to be a single, but it works perfectly in the context of the album. "Worm Mountain" proves that no matter how experimental they get, they are always a rock band first. The buzzing bass and driving drums would fit onto a Led Zeppelin album, but the ringing electric pianos come from Miles Davis' acid jazz era. However, the orchestral space-out at the end is pure Lips.
Seventy minutes and not a wasted second, Embryonic is the Flaming Lips best record since the Soft Bulletin (and even then, it's close). If you mixed Led Zeppelin's Physical Graffiti with Miles Davis' Bitches Brew and Pink Floyd's Animals then threw in the reckless playfulness of Captain Beefhart's Trout Mask Replica, you would be close to this.
And this was released on Warner Bros.? In 2009? Really?
This is too good to be true.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Miranda Lambert's Revolution
In 2007, Miranda Lambert released one of the catchiest and most memorable country records in years with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. The singles were rowdy brutal man-hating, but the insecure ballads were the real gems that made her one of country's most acclaimed artists before she even turned 20. Her eagerly awaited follow-up, Revolution, stretches out and finds her trying to do everything in 15 tracks, and most of it works.
The leadoff single, "Dead Flowers", is a soft but bitter kiss-off to an ex-lover with a gorgeous tear jerking chorus. Tracks like "Airstream Song" shows that she can still write traditional country, but other songs have some inventive flourishes: "Maintain The Pain" starts with a synth-guitar lead that sounds stripped from an 80's hair metal track. The Dylan-esque blues of "Time To Get A Gun" is the highlight of the disc - it's humor and catchy melody showcase everything Miranda does best.
Revolution rivals Eric Church's Carolina as the year's best country album and it has only started to grow on me. You get the feeling that after three solid records, she still has plenty of ideas of where country can go.
The leadoff single, "Dead Flowers", is a soft but bitter kiss-off to an ex-lover with a gorgeous tear jerking chorus. Tracks like "Airstream Song" shows that she can still write traditional country, but other songs have some inventive flourishes: "Maintain The Pain" starts with a synth-guitar lead that sounds stripped from an 80's hair metal track. The Dylan-esque blues of "Time To Get A Gun" is the highlight of the disc - it's humor and catchy melody showcase everything Miranda does best.
Revolution rivals Eric Church's Carolina as the year's best country album and it has only started to grow on me. You get the feeling that after three solid records, she still has plenty of ideas of where country can go.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Raekwon's Only Built 4 Cuban Linx Pt. II
I've said it before and I'll say it again - 2009 is a great year for hip-hop. Sure, it's hit a few snags: Jay-Z's new record was a train wreck, Kanye further ruined his reputation by being a moron at another awards show, and the Beastie Boys' new record was delayed indefinitely due to Adam Yauch being diagnosed with cancer. Despite these setbacks, we have a solid Mos Def album, a stunner from The Dream, and a long-delayed masterpiece from Q-Tip. Not too bad.
But now it gets better. Raekwon finally released the long-awaited sequel to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, one of the most fondly remembered underground rap records of the 1990's. With so many delays and so many hands in the pot (almost every track has several guest rappers and a different producer), it seems almost impossible that this album would be as good as the first, but somehow it's better.
After a brief but haunting intro, "House Of The Flying Daggers" sounds like a 120 mile-per-hour thrill ride with no less than four Wu-Tang Clan members pitching in. Ghostface Killah is on most of the album's tracks and is often the star of the show - he gets the most unsettling verse in the emotional orchestral highlight "Cold Outside". Some of the more upbeat party tracks are produced by Dr. Dre, who makes beats that could be Chronic (has it been almost 20 years already?) outtakes work with the Wu-Tang's sound - "Catalina" has an island "Big Pimpin" vibe to it but still sounds dark.
Like the best Wu-Tang alumni records - Ghostface Killah's Fishscale and GZA's Liquid Swords included - this album hits you with so many ideas so fast that it requires repeated listens. 22 tracks in 70 minutes is a lot to take in, but without any skits or bad tracks to break the momentum you can't get bored. This might be the decade's last rap masterpiece and it proves that hip-hop has a lot left to accomplish in years to come.
But now it gets better. Raekwon finally released the long-awaited sequel to Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, one of the most fondly remembered underground rap records of the 1990's. With so many delays and so many hands in the pot (almost every track has several guest rappers and a different producer), it seems almost impossible that this album would be as good as the first, but somehow it's better.
After a brief but haunting intro, "House Of The Flying Daggers" sounds like a 120 mile-per-hour thrill ride with no less than four Wu-Tang Clan members pitching in. Ghostface Killah is on most of the album's tracks and is often the star of the show - he gets the most unsettling verse in the emotional orchestral highlight "Cold Outside". Some of the more upbeat party tracks are produced by Dr. Dre, who makes beats that could be Chronic (has it been almost 20 years already?) outtakes work with the Wu-Tang's sound - "Catalina" has an island "Big Pimpin" vibe to it but still sounds dark.
Like the best Wu-Tang alumni records - Ghostface Killah's Fishscale and GZA's Liquid Swords included - this album hits you with so many ideas so fast that it requires repeated listens. 22 tracks in 70 minutes is a lot to take in, but without any skits or bad tracks to break the momentum you can't get bored. This might be the decade's last rap masterpiece and it proves that hip-hop has a lot left to accomplish in years to come.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Pearl Jam's Backspacer
It seems like every year we get a comeback album from a band we thought were done years ago, but few are a memorable as Pearl Jam's 2006 self-titled album. PJ had fallen so far away from the grand stadium rock we fondly remember from the early 90's that it was a blast to hear them rip through "World Wide Suicide" and "Life Wasted". It made us forget that Riot Act ever happened.
Now is the tough part - where do they go from here? They've had their throwback, but can they sustain this energy? The first three tracks from there latest, Backspacer, answer this by pounding harder and faster than anything in the PJ catalog (except maybe Vs.). All guitar hooks and no texture with Eddie Vedder yelling like he's possessed. This is the way it should be.
When I first read that this album only runs a brisk 37 minutes, I didn't think PJ would take the time to make some risks. Even though Eddie got some slow folksy tunes on record with his Into The Wild soundtrack, I didn't think he give in to those urges here. Wrong and wrong: "Just Breathe" is the most surprising track they've ever attempted. This folk ballad could be sung by Dylan or Springsteen, but they probably wouldn't nail it like Eddie does.
The second half of the record moves more toward mid-tempo. "Speed Of Sound" (no relation to the Coldplay hit) builds a beautiful bridge off keyboards and pianos, two things I never expected on a PJ record. "Force Of Nature" does more of a Rolling Stones boogie without overdoing it and the guitar solos are solid as always.
If you are already a Pearl Jam fan, you'll be happy to know that their self-titled record wasn't a fluke, it was a rebirth. Pearl Jam was a more memorable record, but this one shows that PJ has the versatility, passion, and drive to give us at least another decade of great records like this one. I don't think we could ask for much more.
Now is the tough part - where do they go from here? They've had their throwback, but can they sustain this energy? The first three tracks from there latest, Backspacer, answer this by pounding harder and faster than anything in the PJ catalog (except maybe Vs.). All guitar hooks and no texture with Eddie Vedder yelling like he's possessed. This is the way it should be.
When I first read that this album only runs a brisk 37 minutes, I didn't think PJ would take the time to make some risks. Even though Eddie got some slow folksy tunes on record with his Into The Wild soundtrack, I didn't think he give in to those urges here. Wrong and wrong: "Just Breathe" is the most surprising track they've ever attempted. This folk ballad could be sung by Dylan or Springsteen, but they probably wouldn't nail it like Eddie does.
The second half of the record moves more toward mid-tempo. "Speed Of Sound" (no relation to the Coldplay hit) builds a beautiful bridge off keyboards and pianos, two things I never expected on a PJ record. "Force Of Nature" does more of a Rolling Stones boogie without overdoing it and the guitar solos are solid as always.
If you are already a Pearl Jam fan, you'll be happy to know that their self-titled record wasn't a fluke, it was a rebirth. Pearl Jam was a more memorable record, but this one shows that PJ has the versatility, passion, and drive to give us at least another decade of great records like this one. I don't think we could ask for much more.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Flaming Lips
Prepare yourself for this. Wayne Coyne did a track-by-track breakdown of his new album at this link (http://www.the-fly.co.uk/words/features/5825/the-flaming-lips-%27embryonic%27-//-first-listen ).
You can stream the whole thing this weekend at this link (http://www.colbertnation.com/home).
Our lives will never be the same.
You can stream the whole thing this weekend at this link (http://www.colbertnation.com/home).
Our lives will never be the same.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Jay-Z's Blueprint 3
Regardless of the fact that he is one of the greatest rappers of all time, Jay-Z's catalog sure has been inconsistent. After his debut masterpiece Reasonable Doubt, quality tailed off until 2001's Blueprint gave him his first career redemption. The Black Album gave him pop crossover hits, but Kingdom Come lost him some of that credibility he gained from it. 2007's American Gangster once again showed him at the top of his game, but can we count on this guy for two great records in a row?
Unfortunately, Blueprint 3 comes closer to Blueprint 2 than the original: too many guest spots, too much boasting, not enough memorable tracks. That's not to say it isn't worth buying for Jay-Z fans - the first five tracks find him at his finest for melody and experimental beat-making. The pair of radio singles are two of the best he's ever written. "D.O.A. (Death-Of-Auto tune)" is a hilarious send-up of pop music in 2009 where he draws battle lines with T.I. and Lil Wayne. It isn't as brutally mean as 2001's "Takeover" (his lash-out at Nas), but it is catchier and more fun. "Run This Town" with Rihanna and Kanye West is pop-rap at its finest with a catchy chorus and military drum rhythm.
However, things drop off around the middle of the album and never get going again. "Hate" is a waste of another Kanye guest spot with a sluggish beat and rhymes that struggle to gain momentum. "So Ambitious" couldn't be more mistitled: the beat sounds recycled from 1999 and makes you wonder if Pharell is even trying these days.
Jay-Z's new record will keep fans happy enough and it doesn't do anything to ruin his legacy or the great decade he's had, but it doesn't stand up to Reasonable Doubt or Blueprint (but then again, little does). If you want a daring, original hip-hop masterpiece, Q-Tip is finally dropping Kamaal The Abstract next week. The Blueprint 3 is more of a holdover until Jay-Z can come up with something better.
Unfortunately, Blueprint 3 comes closer to Blueprint 2 than the original: too many guest spots, too much boasting, not enough memorable tracks. That's not to say it isn't worth buying for Jay-Z fans - the first five tracks find him at his finest for melody and experimental beat-making. The pair of radio singles are two of the best he's ever written. "D.O.A. (Death-Of-Auto tune)" is a hilarious send-up of pop music in 2009 where he draws battle lines with T.I. and Lil Wayne. It isn't as brutally mean as 2001's "Takeover" (his lash-out at Nas), but it is catchier and more fun. "Run This Town" with Rihanna and Kanye West is pop-rap at its finest with a catchy chorus and military drum rhythm.
However, things drop off around the middle of the album and never get going again. "Hate" is a waste of another Kanye guest spot with a sluggish beat and rhymes that struggle to gain momentum. "So Ambitious" couldn't be more mistitled: the beat sounds recycled from 1999 and makes you wonder if Pharell is even trying these days.
Jay-Z's new record will keep fans happy enough and it doesn't do anything to ruin his legacy or the great decade he's had, but it doesn't stand up to Reasonable Doubt or Blueprint (but then again, little does). If you want a daring, original hip-hop masterpiece, Q-Tip is finally dropping Kamaal The Abstract next week. The Blueprint 3 is more of a holdover until Jay-Z can come up with something better.
Monday, September 7, 2009
Joe Henry's Blood From Stars
The same week that Richmond Fontaine's new album blindsided me, Joe Henry released Blood From Stars, his latest in a string of dark jazz-Americana explorations. He's played with the idea of jazz-rock fusion in the past - he even had Ornette Coleman and Bill Frisell featured on Scar and Civilians, respectively - but never has he gotten this close to creating a straight-up jazz record. Like almost every idea he has, it works.
On a Joe Henry solo record you can always expect great guest musicians; this time Marc Ribot and jazz pianist Jason Moran lend a hand. The latter opens the record with a dark spare piano solo, setting the mood for Henry's bleakest record since Scar. This time, his topics lean toward loneliness and loss and opposed to tackling political issues the way he did on Civilians.
This albums feels more like a concept piece that works as an album - their aren't as many notable highlights as there were on past records, which probably means he is more content with his cult status. "Death To The Storm" is a pastoral sounding angry blues track with a gospel chorus and some of Marc Ribot's best soloing. "Bellweather" finds Henry in romantic 50's jazz swooning mode and "Progress Of Love" shows that he can write corny love ballads as well as any pop singer (yes, that was a compliment).
This album probably won't win him any new fans or critical acclaim - amazingly, he didn't earn either of those with his 2007 masterpiece Civilians (still my frontrunner for most underrated album of the decade). If you want to get into Joe, start there and keep going. The run of Scar, Tiny Voices, Civilians, and Blood From Stars makes Joe Henry one of the greatest musicians and innovators of this decade.
On a Joe Henry solo record you can always expect great guest musicians; this time Marc Ribot and jazz pianist Jason Moran lend a hand. The latter opens the record with a dark spare piano solo, setting the mood for Henry's bleakest record since Scar. This time, his topics lean toward loneliness and loss and opposed to tackling political issues the way he did on Civilians.
This albums feels more like a concept piece that works as an album - their aren't as many notable highlights as there were on past records, which probably means he is more content with his cult status. "Death To The Storm" is a pastoral sounding angry blues track with a gospel chorus and some of Marc Ribot's best soloing. "Bellweather" finds Henry in romantic 50's jazz swooning mode and "Progress Of Love" shows that he can write corny love ballads as well as any pop singer (yes, that was a compliment).
This album probably won't win him any new fans or critical acclaim - amazingly, he didn't earn either of those with his 2007 masterpiece Civilians (still my frontrunner for most underrated album of the decade). If you want to get into Joe, start there and keep going. The run of Scar, Tiny Voices, Civilians, and Blood From Stars makes Joe Henry one of the greatest musicians and innovators of this decade.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Richmond Fontaine
I was starting to think that August and September weren't going to be exciting (with the exception of Blueprint 3) when two surprises fell into my lap. In the span of 2 weeks, I discovered new releases from two of my favorite "why does nobody listen to them?" artists: Richmond Fontaine and Joe Henry (I'll get to him later in the week).
Richmond Fontaine is a Portland, Oregon alt-country band that has managed to stay completely anonymous though nine albums despite critical worship from the few publications that actually write about them. Imagine a singer with the storytelling abilities nearly on par with Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen and a band the plays Being There and Summerteeth era Wilco. With all due respect to the Drive-By Truckers, this is America's greatest alt-country band. And for reasons beyond me, nobody cares. Not even most critics.
This band has four solid masterpieces in a row, including Post To Wire (bar rocking fun), The Fitzgerald (devastatingly stark and spare), and Thirteen Cities (they loosen up and expand in the spirit of Summerteeth). Their latest and maybe best is the brilliantly titled We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River - a record where they explore giving up and going home. It may sound like a sad theme, but the band sounds like they are having more fun than ever - this is their most accessible album.
"You Can Move Back Here" uses bells, jangle pop, and rising harmonies to welcome a lost soul home - this is the kind of song we wish R.E.M. still wrote. "Maybe We Were Both Born Blue" has a sarcastic romanticism that is far removed from the dark character sketches they used to write. "Walking Back To Our Place at 3 A.M." is a gorgeous instrumental that acts as a perfect bridge to the more emotional and drawn out final two tracks, but nothing on this album overstays its welcome.
Where as most alt-county band have trouble keeping momentum for an entire record, this band keeps it mostly fun through 14 tracks and 43 minutes. We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River isn't as literate and complex as the brutally dark Fitzgerald, but it is easier to like and should earn Richmond Fontaine some well-earned new fans. Anybody who has ever loved alt-country should know who these people are.
Richmond Fontaine is a Portland, Oregon alt-country band that has managed to stay completely anonymous though nine albums despite critical worship from the few publications that actually write about them. Imagine a singer with the storytelling abilities nearly on par with Tom Waits and Bruce Springsteen and a band the plays Being There and Summerteeth era Wilco. With all due respect to the Drive-By Truckers, this is America's greatest alt-country band. And for reasons beyond me, nobody cares. Not even most critics.
This band has four solid masterpieces in a row, including Post To Wire (bar rocking fun), The Fitzgerald (devastatingly stark and spare), and Thirteen Cities (they loosen up and expand in the spirit of Summerteeth). Their latest and maybe best is the brilliantly titled We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River - a record where they explore giving up and going home. It may sound like a sad theme, but the band sounds like they are having more fun than ever - this is their most accessible album.
"You Can Move Back Here" uses bells, jangle pop, and rising harmonies to welcome a lost soul home - this is the kind of song we wish R.E.M. still wrote. "Maybe We Were Both Born Blue" has a sarcastic romanticism that is far removed from the dark character sketches they used to write. "Walking Back To Our Place at 3 A.M." is a gorgeous instrumental that acts as a perfect bridge to the more emotional and drawn out final two tracks, but nothing on this album overstays its welcome.
Where as most alt-county band have trouble keeping momentum for an entire record, this band keeps it mostly fun through 14 tracks and 43 minutes. We Used To Think The Freeway Sounded Like A River isn't as literate and complex as the brutally dark Fitzgerald, but it is easier to like and should earn Richmond Fontaine some well-earned new fans. Anybody who has ever loved alt-country should know who these people are.
Monday, August 24, 2009
The Antler's Hospice
Say what you want about music in the 21st Century: I think it's a beautiful time to be alive when somebody can record a masterpiece with a few bucks and a laptop in their apartment and get it heard on the Internet. Bon Iver did it last year and Panda Bear the year before, and they gave us two of the decades most memorable records for anybody who heard them. Did they sell as many copies as Thriller? Heavens no. Did they change a few lives and give us all reason to believe that there is still musical horizons that are untouched? Yes.
That brings us to this year's latest Internet hype record. Hospice by the Antlers steals from a lot of artists, but it does it in perfect measure in a way I've never heard. Take the Arcade Fire's epic song structure, Sufjan Steven's random instrumental shifts, Panda Bear's droning ambiance and Bon Iver's inverted emotion and you're starting to get somewhere close.
The hazy opening instrumental has tape cracks and distorted piano keys that prepare for the sadness of the lyricism. This record revolves around using a hospital to exemplify loss and parting: the entire album follows the slow passing of a love one. It's a miracle that this album manages to be occasionally joyous, but similar to the Arcade Fire's Funeral, death is used as a reaffirmation of life and acceptance.
The albums highlight (although it is full of them) is the lullaby "Bear". Over light, simple piano chords alternating with upbeat guitar strums, the light vocals explain parting the way you would to a child before assuring that "we're not old at all". As he does several times on the record, the singer gracefully jumps an octave on the last chorus, like he just finally started believing what he is singing.
Another stunning is the epic "Wake", where the hospital imagery is evoked through muffled background choirs and gasping breaths. Five minutes in, the funeral organ occupies the space below his plea "don't ever let anyone tell you you deserve that". This is one of the most gorgeous and emotionally brutal moments you will hear in music this year.
Hospice is another left-field triumph for indie music in a year full of them and demands repeated listens. It's not going to cheer you up with its lyrics, but it will make you proud to be a music lover in 2009.
That brings us to this year's latest Internet hype record. Hospice by the Antlers steals from a lot of artists, but it does it in perfect measure in a way I've never heard. Take the Arcade Fire's epic song structure, Sufjan Steven's random instrumental shifts, Panda Bear's droning ambiance and Bon Iver's inverted emotion and you're starting to get somewhere close.
The hazy opening instrumental has tape cracks and distorted piano keys that prepare for the sadness of the lyricism. This record revolves around using a hospital to exemplify loss and parting: the entire album follows the slow passing of a love one. It's a miracle that this album manages to be occasionally joyous, but similar to the Arcade Fire's Funeral, death is used as a reaffirmation of life and acceptance.
The albums highlight (although it is full of them) is the lullaby "Bear". Over light, simple piano chords alternating with upbeat guitar strums, the light vocals explain parting the way you would to a child before assuring that "we're not old at all". As he does several times on the record, the singer gracefully jumps an octave on the last chorus, like he just finally started believing what he is singing.
Another stunning is the epic "Wake", where the hospital imagery is evoked through muffled background choirs and gasping breaths. Five minutes in, the funeral organ occupies the space below his plea "don't ever let anyone tell you you deserve that". This is one of the most gorgeous and emotionally brutal moments you will hear in music this year.
Hospice is another left-field triumph for indie music in a year full of them and demands repeated listens. It's not going to cheer you up with its lyrics, but it will make you proud to be a music lover in 2009.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Taking a break
I can't blog for a few days because my computer has a ridiculous number of viruses on it. This is my fault due to my recent obsession with bootlegged music. I'll be back in a few days...
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Great Forgotten Albums from the Late 1990s
The late 90s were a confusing time for music. Grunge music was devastated by the death of Kurt Cobain. Rap music was devastated by the death of 2Pac and Notorious BIG. There really was no dominant trend in music - which opened the door for anything. Ska. Electronic. Industrial. Swing. White rappers. Rap metal. Teen pop. ANYTHING.
In 1998, lovers of rock music were absolutely terrified of electronic music. It was unstoppable and it was about to take over everything. We were absolutely sure that by 2005, all music will be made by machines and guitars will be obsolete. There is no way electronic and rock can ever peacefully coexist - I remind you, we were still two years removed from Kid A.
That year, after selling 10 million copies of the bi-polar epic Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and then firing their drummer for drug use - the Smashing Pumpkins released Adore. To say this album was confusing at the time is an understatement.
The lead single, "Ava Adore", was everything we'd been waiting for: loud guitars, cruel snarling lyrics, a catchy chorus - but what was going on with the drum? A machine replaced Jimmy Chamberlain? How can they do this? Are they a rock band anymore?
It got more perplexing from there. Many of the songs didn't even need a backbone from a drummer - they were so drenched in synths that the songs floated without it. What you got instead is some of Billy Corgan's best songwriting. "Once Upon A Time" is a gorgeous waltz ballad with beautiful harmonies. "The Tale Of Dusty And Pistol Pete" is so gracefully sung that it doesn't matter that nobody can make sense of the lyrics. "Annie Dog" proves that Billy could have had a great career as a barroom piano singer. And the closing trio of "Behold! The Nightmare", "For Martha", and "Blank Page" is more emotional and powerful than anything they attempted on Mellon Collie.
Eleven years later, this album still holds up as a brilliant late-night listen that I feel like has some context in the greater picture of rock music now. If you don't like pretentious music with overwrought lyrics, you probably shouldn't be a Pumpkins fan anyway. Dust this one off - you'll be glad you did.
A lot of other great albums came out in the late 90s that I would like to eventually write about. If we have another bad month for new releases like we did in July, I'll have plenty of time.
In 1998, lovers of rock music were absolutely terrified of electronic music. It was unstoppable and it was about to take over everything. We were absolutely sure that by 2005, all music will be made by machines and guitars will be obsolete. There is no way electronic and rock can ever peacefully coexist - I remind you, we were still two years removed from Kid A.
That year, after selling 10 million copies of the bi-polar epic Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness and then firing their drummer for drug use - the Smashing Pumpkins released Adore. To say this album was confusing at the time is an understatement.
The lead single, "Ava Adore", was everything we'd been waiting for: loud guitars, cruel snarling lyrics, a catchy chorus - but what was going on with the drum? A machine replaced Jimmy Chamberlain? How can they do this? Are they a rock band anymore?
It got more perplexing from there. Many of the songs didn't even need a backbone from a drummer - they were so drenched in synths that the songs floated without it. What you got instead is some of Billy Corgan's best songwriting. "Once Upon A Time" is a gorgeous waltz ballad with beautiful harmonies. "The Tale Of Dusty And Pistol Pete" is so gracefully sung that it doesn't matter that nobody can make sense of the lyrics. "Annie Dog" proves that Billy could have had a great career as a barroom piano singer. And the closing trio of "Behold! The Nightmare", "For Martha", and "Blank Page" is more emotional and powerful than anything they attempted on Mellon Collie.
Eleven years later, this album still holds up as a brilliant late-night listen that I feel like has some context in the greater picture of rock music now. If you don't like pretentious music with overwrought lyrics, you probably shouldn't be a Pumpkins fan anyway. Dust this one off - you'll be glad you did.
A lot of other great albums came out in the late 90s that I would like to eventually write about. If we have another bad month for new releases like we did in July, I'll have plenty of time.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
2009 In Hip-Hop
2009 is turning out to be an outstanding year for hip-hop. We still have the great lost Q-Tip album finally coming out next month, Jay-Z is giving us Blueprint 3, and the Beastie Boys and Dr. Dre could still give us new records by the end of the year. The Dream and Eminem are on the radio all summer and P.O.S kept indie hip-hop on the radar. It has been a good summer.
There are already two others out worth noting. First, Jay Stay Paid is the new release by the late Detroit DJ J Dilla. As you would expect, it is a little disjointed since it is a mix of his instrumentals with an array of guest MCs. However, the instrumentals make it worth it. The ambient loop of "King" is both soothing and driving (I wish it would have lasted a few more minutes). "On Stilts" is another quality minute-and-a-half to throw on your next party mix (I wish he would have given these instrumentals more room to breathe). The guest vocalists usually work; in fact, Black Though sounds more at home on "Reality TV" than he does on most Roots songs. This album will temp you to dig in to the catalog of J Dilla - a brilliant talent who died to soon.
If there is one hip-hop album you need this year so far, it is The Ecstatic by Mos Def. He hasn't been recording productively in years, but when he does he always delivers. The rapping is brilliant as always, like a day hasn't passed since his timeless 1999 solo debut Black On Both Sides, but he brings the kitchen sink of sounds this time. "Supermagic" starts the album with driving guitars and middle eastern vocals. "Auditorium" features smooth orchestral samples while Mos Def tells the story of an American soldier in Iraq. "Priority" mixes piano loops, horns, and lyrics like "Peace before everything, God before anything" into a driving mission statement - it's amazing how much he can put into a track that lasts 1:23. The ideas keep coming and 16 tracks whip past you in 45 minutes. But like all his albums, you have to hear it 10 more times.
J Dilla's Jay Stay Paid is a great album for those interested in party mixes and instrumental hip-hop. Mos Def's The Ecstatic is an album anybody who cares about any form of hip-hop should have and will probably be the years best hip-hop record. Unless Blueprint 3 has anything to say about it...
There are already two others out worth noting. First, Jay Stay Paid is the new release by the late Detroit DJ J Dilla. As you would expect, it is a little disjointed since it is a mix of his instrumentals with an array of guest MCs. However, the instrumentals make it worth it. The ambient loop of "King" is both soothing and driving (I wish it would have lasted a few more minutes). "On Stilts" is another quality minute-and-a-half to throw on your next party mix (I wish he would have given these instrumentals more room to breathe). The guest vocalists usually work; in fact, Black Though sounds more at home on "Reality TV" than he does on most Roots songs. This album will temp you to dig in to the catalog of J Dilla - a brilliant talent who died to soon.
If there is one hip-hop album you need this year so far, it is The Ecstatic by Mos Def. He hasn't been recording productively in years, but when he does he always delivers. The rapping is brilliant as always, like a day hasn't passed since his timeless 1999 solo debut Black On Both Sides, but he brings the kitchen sink of sounds this time. "Supermagic" starts the album with driving guitars and middle eastern vocals. "Auditorium" features smooth orchestral samples while Mos Def tells the story of an American soldier in Iraq. "Priority" mixes piano loops, horns, and lyrics like "Peace before everything, God before anything" into a driving mission statement - it's amazing how much he can put into a track that lasts 1:23. The ideas keep coming and 16 tracks whip past you in 45 minutes. But like all his albums, you have to hear it 10 more times.
J Dilla's Jay Stay Paid is a great album for those interested in party mixes and instrumental hip-hop. Mos Def's The Ecstatic is an album anybody who cares about any form of hip-hop should have and will probably be the years best hip-hop record. Unless Blueprint 3 has anything to say about it...
Monday, August 3, 2009
All Points West
The Beastie Boys were expected to be the headliners of All Points West this year, but sadly had to pull out when Adam Yauch was diagnosed with cancer. There were two brilliant tributes to the Beastie Boys at this show I had to share with you.
Coldplay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw0VVRqlf3U
Jay-Z
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6HOyJFeeEI
You are in our prayers Adam.
Coldplay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kw0VVRqlf3U
Jay-Z
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6HOyJFeeEI
You are in our prayers Adam.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
The Low Anthem
The new album by the Low Anthem, titled Oh My God, Charlie Darwin, has gotten buzz as the latest folk/Americana indie record. Don't believe the hype.
Not that this is a bad record. The title track is a nice falsetto sung acoustic track with beautifully hummed backing vocals and a lead even more high-pitched than Bon Iver. "To Ohio" has a low horn accompaniment; it sounds like a great opening for a romance movie. "Omgcd" follows the Fleet Foxes template of making songs that sound like they were written at a bonfire at summer camp.
Where this album runs into problems is the louder songs. They sound somehow contrived and uninvested, like they were forced onto the album to break up the quiet moments. "Home I'll Never Be" is the worst offender, all noise and yelled vocals that make me wonder how somebody can screw up a Tom Waits song so badly.
If you want Americana, look at new releases by Grizzly Bear and the Felice Brothers. File this one under mildly intriguing.
Not that this is a bad record. The title track is a nice falsetto sung acoustic track with beautifully hummed backing vocals and a lead even more high-pitched than Bon Iver. "To Ohio" has a low horn accompaniment; it sounds like a great opening for a romance movie. "Omgcd" follows the Fleet Foxes template of making songs that sound like they were written at a bonfire at summer camp.
Where this album runs into problems is the louder songs. They sound somehow contrived and uninvested, like they were forced onto the album to break up the quiet moments. "Home I'll Never Be" is the worst offender, all noise and yelled vocals that make me wonder how somebody can screw up a Tom Waits song so badly.
If you want Americana, look at new releases by Grizzly Bear and the Felice Brothers. File this one under mildly intriguing.
Friday, July 24, 2009
A great lost hip-hop classic?
Back in 2002, about 4 years after the breakup of A Tribe Called Quest, Q-Tip recorded an album called Kamaal The Abstract. The record company deemed it "too noncommercial", it was shelved and only a few bootleg enthusiasts ever heard it. Many great albums have had a similar story (see Pet Sounds, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, What's Going On, etc.), but they had happy endings: they were all released anyway and all became classics. In Q-Tips case, seven years have gone by without us hearing about this project again, although its follow-up was released to great critical acclaim last year (the brilliant Renaissance).
What's more interesting is the reason why this one was denied: there is no way a jazz/soul/rap record can sell copies. Oddly enough, the next year Outkast put out Speakerbox/Love Below and sold 12 million copies. Oops. In this decade, you probably shouldn't doubt the possibilities of what hip-hop can do or what will sell.
This September, Kamaal The Abstract is being released to the masses. I can't help but feel like this album has been cheated out of its place in history, but nevertheless this is one of the most bold, innovative, brilliant albums in the history of hip-hop. Spanning 9 tracks and 41 minutes (short for a rap album), this album sounds like more of a continuation of Stevie Wonder's 70s work or Prince's 80's soul/pop explorations than anything A Tribe Called Quest or Q-Tip was doing.
Some songs contain barely any rap at all. "Do U Dig U?" contains an occasional sung chant but mostly revolves around electric keyboard lines and flute solos - not so much a rap song as a composition. "Abstractionisms" gives time for a jazz piano, a saxophone, and driving guitar lines to play with each other. I can see why they never imagined this one on the radio. "Caring" is a touching piano ballad that forgoes a beat whatsoever.
If you have any interest in the possibilities of hip-hop or modern pop music in general, you need this album. Bootleg it now or wait until September when it is formally released (I'll believe it when I see it). I'm glad the great lost hip-hop classic will no longer be lost, just great.
What's more interesting is the reason why this one was denied: there is no way a jazz/soul/rap record can sell copies. Oddly enough, the next year Outkast put out Speakerbox/Love Below and sold 12 million copies. Oops. In this decade, you probably shouldn't doubt the possibilities of what hip-hop can do or what will sell.
This September, Kamaal The Abstract is being released to the masses. I can't help but feel like this album has been cheated out of its place in history, but nevertheless this is one of the most bold, innovative, brilliant albums in the history of hip-hop. Spanning 9 tracks and 41 minutes (short for a rap album), this album sounds like more of a continuation of Stevie Wonder's 70s work or Prince's 80's soul/pop explorations than anything A Tribe Called Quest or Q-Tip was doing.
Some songs contain barely any rap at all. "Do U Dig U?" contains an occasional sung chant but mostly revolves around electric keyboard lines and flute solos - not so much a rap song as a composition. "Abstractionisms" gives time for a jazz piano, a saxophone, and driving guitar lines to play with each other. I can see why they never imagined this one on the radio. "Caring" is a touching piano ballad that forgoes a beat whatsoever.
If you have any interest in the possibilities of hip-hop or modern pop music in general, you need this album. Bootleg it now or wait until September when it is formally released (I'll believe it when I see it). I'm glad the great lost hip-hop classic will no longer be lost, just great.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Sunn O))
Finally, a record for those of you who felt like even Scott Walker's The Drift was too commercial and uncomplicated! Fans of prog rock, classical, metal, goth, or any kind of drone ambient noise have a reason to rejoice this year. Sunn O, in conjunction with an orchestra, a choir, guitar virtuosos, and even some jazz trombonists, have made a masterpiece with Monoliths and Dimensions. With only 4 tracks that tally to over 53 minutes, this is a mood piece that demands your undivided attention and rewards you for it.
The beauty of this album isn't immediate, but in the way each track builds and flourishes over what seems like an eternity. The stunning closer "Alice" involves slow guitar strums over subtle blares of horns. The fragmented tones is reminiscent of the last Stars Of The Lid album (for the five of us who bought that one) with its subtle fragile beauty. Around the 13 minute mark, the guitar fades out to leave violins, a harp, and a breathtaking trombone solo.
Th opener "Aghartha" is as straightforward as the album gets with its dark guitar drone and spoken/growl vocals. "Big Church" features harsh guitar strums with gothic choir vocals that fade in and out, making way for multi-voiced chanting. This album is terrifying in its beauty, but once it starts you won't want to go anywhere until you've completed the journey.
If you are in the mood for something completely different, original, and unmatched in modern music, try this out. If you like your music is catchy three-minute form, please look elsewhere.
The beauty of this album isn't immediate, but in the way each track builds and flourishes over what seems like an eternity. The stunning closer "Alice" involves slow guitar strums over subtle blares of horns. The fragmented tones is reminiscent of the last Stars Of The Lid album (for the five of us who bought that one) with its subtle fragile beauty. Around the 13 minute mark, the guitar fades out to leave violins, a harp, and a breathtaking trombone solo.
Th opener "Aghartha" is as straightforward as the album gets with its dark guitar drone and spoken/growl vocals. "Big Church" features harsh guitar strums with gothic choir vocals that fade in and out, making way for multi-voiced chanting. This album is terrifying in its beauty, but once it starts you won't want to go anywhere until you've completed the journey.
If you are in the mood for something completely different, original, and unmatched in modern music, try this out. If you like your music is catchy three-minute form, please look elsewhere.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Yeah Yeah Yeah's It's Blitz
There is a very good reason why I didn't buy this months ago when it came out. I used to by a huge fan of two other New York City bands that were part of the "garage revival" the media created: the Strokes and Interpol. Let's follow their careers:
Strokes - Classic debut, decent but unmemorable sophomore release, third album was a disaster.
Interpol - Classic debut, decent but unmemorable sophomore release, third album was a disaster.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Classic debut, decent but unmemorable sophomore release, third album ...
...is amazing! The trend is broken! I love being completely wrong.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs abandoned being a raunchy blues-punk band for doing danceable synth pop. Doesn't that sound horrible on paper? Like me, you will be surprised. In fact, the first two songs ("Zero" and "Heads Will Roll") could show up on rock radio or next to Lil Wayne and Kanye West on hip-hop/club radio, and either one of them could be among the year's best singles. Karen O is an actual singer now with pitch and rhythm; I guess she decided the shrieking and yelling couldn't last forever.
The ballads on It's Blitz are stunning, particularly the driving mid-tempo "Soft Shock", which feels like a cleaned-up improved version of "Maps". The piano lines in "Runaway" keep rhythm until soaring guitar lines come in. Even with keyboards trying to take over, Nick Zinner puts in another outstanding effort on guitar - he's been studying the Edge instead of Jack White this time out.
It's Blitz makes a case for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs being the NYC punk band that are going to stick around for a while. Good, we all need some Karen O in our lives.
Strokes - Classic debut, decent but unmemorable sophomore release, third album was a disaster.
Interpol - Classic debut, decent but unmemorable sophomore release, third album was a disaster.
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Classic debut, decent but unmemorable sophomore release, third album ...
...is amazing! The trend is broken! I love being completely wrong.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs abandoned being a raunchy blues-punk band for doing danceable synth pop. Doesn't that sound horrible on paper? Like me, you will be surprised. In fact, the first two songs ("Zero" and "Heads Will Roll") could show up on rock radio or next to Lil Wayne and Kanye West on hip-hop/club radio, and either one of them could be among the year's best singles. Karen O is an actual singer now with pitch and rhythm; I guess she decided the shrieking and yelling couldn't last forever.
The ballads on It's Blitz are stunning, particularly the driving mid-tempo "Soft Shock", which feels like a cleaned-up improved version of "Maps". The piano lines in "Runaway" keep rhythm until soaring guitar lines come in. Even with keyboards trying to take over, Nick Zinner puts in another outstanding effort on guitar - he's been studying the Edge instead of Jack White this time out.
It's Blitz makes a case for the Yeah Yeah Yeahs being the NYC punk band that are going to stick around for a while. Good, we all need some Karen O in our lives.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Thriller
No, I'm still not over losing Michael. I won't get over it for a long time. He still had great music and tours left to do.
I've been playing Thriller basically non-stop for about two weeks now. This album stands with Pet Sounds, Kind Of Blue, and Highway 61 Revisited as the one of American music's greatest landmarks. I remember being a kid and hearing "Billie Jean": it was dark, hypnotic, paranoid, angry, joyous, fun, danceable... actually, it's still all of these things. The emotions in this song are inexplicable. Blender magazine (unfortunately now defunct) called it the greatest song of the last 30 years. I have a hard time arguing against that.
Even the "deep cuts" on this album are perfect. Everybody remembers "Beat It", "Thriller", "Wanna Be Starting Something", and "Billie Jean". Slightly less memorable are "PYT" and "Human Nature", but even the "deep cuts" were top ten hits and some of the best songs of the 80s. "Human Nature" is the standard against which all pop ballads should be measured: catchy, soaring, perfect mid-tempo pacing, and with a brilliant mix of falsetto vocals and shimmering layers of keyboards. Slow dances don't get better than this.
"The Girl Is Mine" is so corny it manages to be hilarious and affectionate. This is the greatest thing Paul McCartney accomplished after the Beatles. "Baby Be Mine" sounds like a leftover disco gem from his first masterpiece Off The Wall. Both of these tracks would be overbearing if he tried these ideas more than once on this record, but the short nine track album has just the right amount of variety.
I could rant for hours on the genius of this record, but for once I don't need to try to convince anybody to buy it: it's sales are an estimated 100 million worldwide. If you've never heard it, life has literally passed you by. You are missing American culture completely.
This might be my last Michael Jackson rant, but it might not be. Anyway, rest in peace Michael.
I've been playing Thriller basically non-stop for about two weeks now. This album stands with Pet Sounds, Kind Of Blue, and Highway 61 Revisited as the one of American music's greatest landmarks. I remember being a kid and hearing "Billie Jean": it was dark, hypnotic, paranoid, angry, joyous, fun, danceable... actually, it's still all of these things. The emotions in this song are inexplicable. Blender magazine (unfortunately now defunct) called it the greatest song of the last 30 years. I have a hard time arguing against that.
Even the "deep cuts" on this album are perfect. Everybody remembers "Beat It", "Thriller", "Wanna Be Starting Something", and "Billie Jean". Slightly less memorable are "PYT" and "Human Nature", but even the "deep cuts" were top ten hits and some of the best songs of the 80s. "Human Nature" is the standard against which all pop ballads should be measured: catchy, soaring, perfect mid-tempo pacing, and with a brilliant mix of falsetto vocals and shimmering layers of keyboards. Slow dances don't get better than this.
"The Girl Is Mine" is so corny it manages to be hilarious and affectionate. This is the greatest thing Paul McCartney accomplished after the Beatles. "Baby Be Mine" sounds like a leftover disco gem from his first masterpiece Off The Wall. Both of these tracks would be overbearing if he tried these ideas more than once on this record, but the short nine track album has just the right amount of variety.
I could rant for hours on the genius of this record, but for once I don't need to try to convince anybody to buy it: it's sales are an estimated 100 million worldwide. If you've never heard it, life has literally passed you by. You are missing American culture completely.
This might be my last Michael Jackson rant, but it might not be. Anyway, rest in peace Michael.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Wilco will love you
Wilco (the album) starts off with "Wilco (the song)" where Jeff Tweedy asks "Are you dabbling in depression?" before getting to the chorus: "Wilco will love you". One minute into their new record, you have to ask if they are joking or not.
Are Wilco trying to make an album that defines their sound? Even their biggest fans, myself included, can't figure out what "their sound" is - that's why we love them. They've put out great alt-country (Being There), avant-garde pop (Summerteeth), dark electric folk (A Ghost Is Born), and a masterpiece that I can't even really describe (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot). What is their sound?
Despite the self mockery of the first track, it's a great song with a churning guitar that sounds like early Velvet Underground; I think this one will kill live. Most of the rest of the album is even better. "One Wing" is a building mid-tempo ballad with some inspired guitar work from Nels Cline. "Bull Black Nova" picks up where "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" left off with its driving staccato guitar rhythm - they just kept it short this time.
The ballads aren't the highlights here, but they are short and interesting and don't take momentum away from the record the way they did on Wilco's disappointing last release Sky Blue Sky. "You and I", featuring a nice backup vocal from Feist, is the cutest song Tweedy ever wrote (granted, he really doesn't do cute).
The album finishes on some good but not great country rockers. Overall, this isn't the best Wilco album, but it is a nice addition to the catalog and it sets them up to go in a dozen directions next. They've earned the right to put out an album with few experiments - it's a recap of their strengths, of which they have plenty. With six months to go in 2009, they are at least in the conversation for best American rock band of the decade, so they have laurels to rest on.
Are Wilco trying to make an album that defines their sound? Even their biggest fans, myself included, can't figure out what "their sound" is - that's why we love them. They've put out great alt-country (Being There), avant-garde pop (Summerteeth), dark electric folk (A Ghost Is Born), and a masterpiece that I can't even really describe (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot). What is their sound?
Despite the self mockery of the first track, it's a great song with a churning guitar that sounds like early Velvet Underground; I think this one will kill live. Most of the rest of the album is even better. "One Wing" is a building mid-tempo ballad with some inspired guitar work from Nels Cline. "Bull Black Nova" picks up where "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" left off with its driving staccato guitar rhythm - they just kept it short this time.
The ballads aren't the highlights here, but they are short and interesting and don't take momentum away from the record the way they did on Wilco's disappointing last release Sky Blue Sky. "You and I", featuring a nice backup vocal from Feist, is the cutest song Tweedy ever wrote (granted, he really doesn't do cute).
The album finishes on some good but not great country rockers. Overall, this isn't the best Wilco album, but it is a nice addition to the catalog and it sets them up to go in a dozen directions next. They've earned the right to put out an album with few experiments - it's a recap of their strengths, of which they have plenty. With six months to go in 2009, they are at least in the conversation for best American rock band of the decade, so they have laurels to rest on.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
2009 - The Midway Point
Now halfway through 2009, here are the five best records I've bought this year so far:
5. Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest - One of those rare peaceful albums that becomes catchier the more you listen to it. You might find yourself humming songs like "Fine For Now" and "About Face" at work, even though they are as creepy as they are beautiful. I'm still amazed that this is the indie rock album to debut in the Billboard top ten (they debuted at number 8), but it almost couldn't happen to better people.
4. U2's No Line On The Horizon - There have been a few good big-name rock releases this year (Green Day and Dave Matthews Band included) but this is the one I keep coming back to. Extended art pieces like "Unknown Caller" are a great way to fill space between big stadium rockers like "I'll Go Crazy...", which might be the best single not to be released as a single so far this year. Wow, a U2 album with some legs - it has been awhile.
3. St. Vincent's Actor - Click here to watch her make her TV debut on David Letterman; this is one of the strangest songs ever attempted on national TV. I love it. I have no idea why she would attempt "Marrow" here when she had more "conventional" tracks like "Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood" and "Actor Out Of Work" to choose from, but I don't think anything about this girl is conventional. She's an even crazier Fiona Apple, and this album destroys output from any other female singer/songwriter album this year - or most in recent memory.
2. The Dream's Love Vs. Money - I think losing Michael Jackson makes me love this record more, because clearly The Dream wants to be the one to carry his legacy. Classic soul songwriting get modernized with club synths and a killer sense of humor. "Rockin That Shit" is the hip-hop single of the year so far.
1. Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion - Nothing else this year is even close. This might be the first time I've ever seen an album come out in January that won't get touched all year. In January, I thought this was a good album. In June, I think it's a masterpiece along the same lines as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Kid A. By December, who knows how much I'll love this album. Uplifting and stunningly imaginative, this is what you need if you only buy one record this year.
5. Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest - One of those rare peaceful albums that becomes catchier the more you listen to it. You might find yourself humming songs like "Fine For Now" and "About Face" at work, even though they are as creepy as they are beautiful. I'm still amazed that this is the indie rock album to debut in the Billboard top ten (they debuted at number 8), but it almost couldn't happen to better people.
4. U2's No Line On The Horizon - There have been a few good big-name rock releases this year (Green Day and Dave Matthews Band included) but this is the one I keep coming back to. Extended art pieces like "Unknown Caller" are a great way to fill space between big stadium rockers like "I'll Go Crazy...", which might be the best single not to be released as a single so far this year. Wow, a U2 album with some legs - it has been awhile.
3. St. Vincent's Actor - Click here to watch her make her TV debut on David Letterman; this is one of the strangest songs ever attempted on national TV. I love it. I have no idea why she would attempt "Marrow" here when she had more "conventional" tracks like "Laughing With A Mouth Of Blood" and "Actor Out Of Work" to choose from, but I don't think anything about this girl is conventional. She's an even crazier Fiona Apple, and this album destroys output from any other female singer/songwriter album this year - or most in recent memory.
2. The Dream's Love Vs. Money - I think losing Michael Jackson makes me love this record more, because clearly The Dream wants to be the one to carry his legacy. Classic soul songwriting get modernized with club synths and a killer sense of humor. "Rockin That Shit" is the hip-hop single of the year so far.
1. Animal Collective's Merriweather Post Pavilion - Nothing else this year is even close. This might be the first time I've ever seen an album come out in January that won't get touched all year. In January, I thought this was a good album. In June, I think it's a masterpiece along the same lines as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Kid A. By December, who knows how much I'll love this album. Uplifting and stunningly imaginative, this is what you need if you only buy one record this year.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Remembering Michael Jackson
Devastated. That's really the only word I can use to describe how I felt yesterday around 6:30 when my sister called me to tell me that Michael Jackson is dead at the age 50.
Whether you saw him as a pioneer, a brilliant musician, a lunatic, a punchline, misunderstood... it doesn't matter - he's been a part of our lives for more than 30 years. We grew up with him. We saw him become larger than life and collapse under the pressure he created. When somebody mentions the 1980s, we all think of him before we think of any actor, any sports star, or any politician.
For anybody who grew up in the 80s and early 90s, Michael was not just a musician. He was a superhero. He was a myth. We didn't think of him in terms of regular human ability. How can any living, breathing human be that original and have a presence like that? How does a human being have the electric moves, the passion, and the style to make a video like "Smooth Criminal" or "Thriller"? He sang and danced better than any of us will ever do anything.
Thriller is the rarest kind of record: one that hasn't aged a day in 30 years. I pulled it out a few weeks ago at a party for mid-20's military officers from all parts of the country. Everybody danced, everybody sang along, everybody had a story about the first time they heard "Beat It" or "Billie Jean" or how they danced along to the videos when they were 5 years old. How many records have this effect on us?
And while I'm on music videos: to say he was the greatest thing that ever happened to music videos is STILL an understatement. He was the entire art of the music video. It started and ended with him. Once he stopped making them, the entire genre was obsolete. There was no longer any point.
Even in 2009, I didn't feel like his story was over. He had 50 shows lined up in London, he had a new record ready to go - as empty as the pop genre is in 2009, what would have stopped a 50-year old Michael from owning it again? Even Dangerous, his 1991 overblown disaster of a pop record, is more memorable today than most of what came out that year! If Josh Groban can sell millions of records, what would stop Michael from lighting up the charts with another "Heal The World"? I guess we'll never know.
I have a lot of new records to review on this site, but not for a few days. I'm going to spend the weekend reflecting with Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, and even Dangerous (although I'll skip "Will You Be There" because I don't think I can emotionally handle it right now). This is Michael's weekend.
A true original. A true legend.
Rest in Peace.
Whether you saw him as a pioneer, a brilliant musician, a lunatic, a punchline, misunderstood... it doesn't matter - he's been a part of our lives for more than 30 years. We grew up with him. We saw him become larger than life and collapse under the pressure he created. When somebody mentions the 1980s, we all think of him before we think of any actor, any sports star, or any politician.
For anybody who grew up in the 80s and early 90s, Michael was not just a musician. He was a superhero. He was a myth. We didn't think of him in terms of regular human ability. How can any living, breathing human be that original and have a presence like that? How does a human being have the electric moves, the passion, and the style to make a video like "Smooth Criminal" or "Thriller"? He sang and danced better than any of us will ever do anything.
Thriller is the rarest kind of record: one that hasn't aged a day in 30 years. I pulled it out a few weeks ago at a party for mid-20's military officers from all parts of the country. Everybody danced, everybody sang along, everybody had a story about the first time they heard "Beat It" or "Billie Jean" or how they danced along to the videos when they were 5 years old. How many records have this effect on us?
And while I'm on music videos: to say he was the greatest thing that ever happened to music videos is STILL an understatement. He was the entire art of the music video. It started and ended with him. Once he stopped making them, the entire genre was obsolete. There was no longer any point.
Even in 2009, I didn't feel like his story was over. He had 50 shows lined up in London, he had a new record ready to go - as empty as the pop genre is in 2009, what would have stopped a 50-year old Michael from owning it again? Even Dangerous, his 1991 overblown disaster of a pop record, is more memorable today than most of what came out that year! If Josh Groban can sell millions of records, what would stop Michael from lighting up the charts with another "Heal The World"? I guess we'll never know.
I have a lot of new records to review on this site, but not for a few days. I'm going to spend the weekend reflecting with Off The Wall, Thriller, Bad, and even Dangerous (although I'll skip "Will You Be There" because I don't think I can emotionally handle it right now). This is Michael's weekend.
A true original. A true legend.
Rest in Peace.
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