Weekend Music Roundup

Welcome to the first roundup of the year. This time of year, there's always a wealth to choose from because of the flood of music given to me as gifts by those who know that music, books and toys are all I ever really want as gifts. I'm thankful that I have enough material for the roundup to last at least a month without needing anything new...though let's be serious, I'll be getting new stuff too because I'm an sound junky. Here's what I've been jamming to of late:

Dizzee Rascal - Boy in Da Corner: I'd been very curious about this when it came out in 2003, being that I'm a definite Anglophile when it comes to music tastes. For whatever reason, I didn't check it out until now and I love it. It has the kind of sound that I always wanted from the trip-hop genre but never got...by that, I mean, it's hip-hop with trip-hop beats and grime rhymes. 

Oasis - Acoustic Soul: A great bootleg of Dig Out You Soul era acoustic tracks, some unreleased tracks that are fantastic and Lily Allen's cover of "Outta Time" which is brilliant. Since I seem to be the only one that still likes this band, I'm going to continue posting about their releases in order to keep the dream alive. (Sidenote: I gave a street musician in Switzerland 2fr simply because he was playing "Don't Look Back in Anger" as we approached...he was keeping the dream alive as well. Keep on keepin' on!)

Moonface - Dreamland EP: A 20+ minute track from Spencer Krug (Sunset Rubdown, Wolf Parade, Swan Lake) released under the name Moonface. This is one of those near perfect one song EPs. It's much more toned down compared some of the later Krug releases, which was a welcome return to early Sunset Rubdown or Wolf Parade sound for me. Great stuff.

Charlotte Gainsbourg - IRM:  Charlotte's amazing lullaby voice singing what is essentially an album written by Beck. I'm not a Beck fan in the least. There's only one of his albums I truly love (Mutations) and it's the one Beck fans despise. Thankfully, this gem sounds like Mutations. There's something about this album that feels very expansive...it never bores.

Grateful Dead - Live Dead: I've never particularly cared for the Dead. I've always sort of thought of them as lazy musicians. However, I realized that lately I'd been getting really into all their contemporaries again, coupled with the fact that I've been trying to reconsider bands I wrote off in my teens and twenties, I gave this one a shot. I was assured that this was different from "all of their rambling hippy crap." I'm not so sure about that...it's rambling hippy crap, but it sure sounded pretty pleasing to my ears. 

Old Crow Medicine Show - s/t: This one was given to me by my lil' sister after I'd passed along twenty albums or so to steer her audio education. After listening to a bunch of them, she thought I'd like this...she was right. This a fantastic album of bluegrass (or newgrass). Very much of the roots revival scene that I've been so into over the past several years and a very fine example of it.

Madvillain - Madvillainy: More hip-hop from 2003? Why not? Also given to me (though not by the aforementioned sister but a friend across the pond), this is another album I've been meaning to hear for years and just never got around to it. This is an MF Doom project, which means it's still abstract hip-hop even under a different name. Just a really solid album with tight rhymes and tight beats.

Birthcontrol - Live: One of the best Christmas presents I got was being allowed to raid my in-laws unearthed vinyl collection. I ended up carrying nearly 20lbs of vinyl onto the plane, but it's all worth it as I work my way through. This album certainly represented one of most intriguing covers in the stack (not to mention the name). It was a definite keeper. This is hard rock prog album from a Berlin band circa 1974 and it pretty much rocks. Reminded me a lot of same era Groundhogs (though, admittedly without the greatness that is T.S. McPhee)

John Fahey - Fare Forward Voyagers (Soldier's Choice): John Fahey has a gazillion albums of american primitivism folk, but this 1973 album is the first one I decided to dive into. Three songs, all over ten minutes, all acoustic instrumental folk...yet surprisingly still exciting. He just blazes through, at a fast clip for this kind of music. The picking and strumming is sensational. Not an everyday record, but when in the mood, probably hard to beat. 

Sparks - Kimono My House: Part of the great vinyl treasure chest, this '74 album started off a bit weird but quickly turned more than a bit awesome. It's reminds me a lot of the early glam sound of the Alice Cooper albums I've been digging of late, but with an L.A. weirdness to it. Very good stuff.

My Un-Birthdays Are All Used Up For The Year

-Alice widened her eyes so that she could see the air, particles of static, vibrating blue, yellow, and white dots. She was annoyed with Dodgson for his meticulousness...for the paper he had carried down from his rooms so neatly in a leather folder, all for her pleasure, she knew, but it embarrassed her, the trouble he had taken, the whole production. She felt uncomfortable, like it was her he was folding into small triangles. -  She Still Haunts Me by Katie Roiphe

Today is my birthday and the above quote from the book I've been reading (a novel about Lewis Carroll and Alice Liddell) seems appropriate for reasons that will soon be made clear. Rather than write about all the common getting-older-vs.-getting-wiser and is-it-better-or-worse, type of birthday musings, I've decided to write about a strange quirk of mine in regards to receiving gifts.

It's no secret that writers are notoriously bad at conventional social practices that most people perform without thought. One such oddity for me has always been the opening of presents. I've never been comfortable in any situation where there is an expected reaction that I'm supposed to have. It's not that I don't like presents...I love them. It's more about behavioral expectations. Knowing your supposed to be show excitement to the point where it becomes acting, for some reason it's something that I've never been good at. 

I came across the Alice quote the other day, and I knew instantly the feeling that was being portrayed. It's exactly how I've felt in those situations. I love coming across quotes like that...that express feelings you've always had but never could articulate. 

To bring this post full circle, I didn't have to worry about this feeling today. I received three of the most amazing presents this morning from the Missus and my cats. The big present being several beautifully framed Lewis Carroll photographs of Alice Liddell. (Not originals of course. I'd have to have written Twilight for that kind of cash...but beautiful prints). Now, if someone could just give me some wall space to hang them own, it would be a present I'd appreciate.

The Great Rabbit Wars Pt. 1

Intercepted Communication 001

(fragmented)

...

-------(deleted)

...the thing about rabbits is, they're sneaky. don't turn your back on them. don't trust them. NEVER let them near your fresh vegetables, obviously. I mean that goes without saying. But other little known facts are that you should also keep them away from any open containers housing cooled products because of the hare's inclination to roost in the low temperature, mainly because it reminds him or her of the dirt bed deep inside their warrens. 

-------(deleted)

...tangent to the curve of their ears, which reveals their deviant nature, illustrated quite frequently in their aggressive expanse in territory. Though defenseless, it is prudent to keep in mind that every young rabbit will eventually grow into a bulbous monster. Unless of course the wolf, prone to hunger, or perhaps even a fox, comes upon said lone creature during it's ramble in the forest, messy circumstances are sure to follow...

(Tune in next Story Time Tuesday for the next installment)

Buy the Ticket...Take the Ride

She sees that he is trying to escape. Trying to take what God has given us and twist it and undo it and put it backward. That his imagination, as she so disapprovingly refers to it, is a way of transporting himself out of any momentary melancholy. Of literally changing the world when he cannot bear it the way it is. 

From Still She Haunts Me by Katie Roiphie

The nature of the new book I'm working on allows me to delve deeper into the imagination than any of my previous novels. The main character sees the world through a lens that is very different than the average person. How that world is reflected back on the page has limitless possibilities for me to go over the edge. So the question becomes, how far to push the prose? 

This kind of self-editing process can drive writers crazy. It's what always causes me to start every novel over again after sixty pages of a draft. That's when I define my parameters and figure out the structure of the book. So back to the original question. At this point, I'm pushing as far as possible. Since the foundation is set and I know the borders within which the story is defined...I've decided to push the imagination to the limit. If in the end, it's too much, well that's what second drafts are for. 

Favorite EPs and Live Records of 2009

The Music of the Year list ain't over until the short play records get their chance to shine. I'm a huge fan of the EP and always have been. There's something about those four or five song mini-albums that just scream perfection some times. I'm also a huge collector of singles. What can I say, I'm a B-Sides junkie. So, here is my list of my favorites of 2009.

01. Mapei - Cocoa Butter Diaries

The best female MC since Jean Grae in my opinion. This debut is fantastic four track schizophrenic rap. As far as I can tell, it's only available from itunes. Do yourself a favor, spend the $3.99 for this gem. 

02. Elvis Perkins in Dear Land - Doomsday EP

This is different than the full length album that also came out this year. It's not just left-over tracks...recorded later at a different session...it's kind of a free and easy album of a different styles, ranging from the sacred harp "Weeping Mary" to the 50's rocker "Stop, Drop, Rock N Roll" to the plain perfect "Stay Zombie Stay". 

03. Theo Bard - Listen Carefully

Picked this one up in London, it's very much in the tradition of the other new folk sounds coming out of the UK these days...but that's a good thing. Simple singer songwriter acoustic folk, but with something to say. There's one line that just stays with me all of the time. That's not something that happens every day.

04. Oasis - Falling Down 

(A Monstrous Psychedelic Bubble Exploding in your Mind)

A 22 minute marathon remix that seems to travel through many different landscapes and styles. I'm rarely into remixes, but this is one of the most creative you'll ever hear.

05. Dark Meat - When The Shelter Came

Flying the freak flag high, this is a chaotic mess that somehow works to create a stoned Stones groove. (Note: the real cover is a little ris-kay, so this is the cover of their full-length, also out this year and also quite decent)

06. Magnolia Electric Co. - It's Made Me Cry

Easily one of my favorite bands of the decade, Magnolia blessed us with a new full-length and this EP in the same year. Though I really enjoyed the album, these tracks seemed to connect with me more.

07. Kid British - Leave London

I love these three songs which are part Madness, part hip-hop, part club dance mix, part pub rock and all catchy. I listened to it many times in the headphones as I walked the streets of London this summer. Unfortunately, the full length that followed was utterly terrible.

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I've decided to include a special section for three live albums that came out this year. By rule, I rarely consider live albums to be essential. They're fun, and interesting, but usually come far from capturing the experience. This year, there were three exceptions:

01. Nirvana - Live at Reading

Though not new to me (I've had this on bootleg for 15 years) but still worth mentioning. This is considered one of their landmark gigs for good reason. The setlist is incredible and the band sounds amazing, not yet burned out and still kind of digging their rise to fame. 

02. Blur - All the People (Live at Hyde Park July 3, 2009)

Having been at the concert may make me impartial, but this set is amazing. Hearing them do what basically amounts to a greatest hits set, I remember walking away and thinking, no wonder they've decided not to continue as a band. A catalog like they have is pretty perfect as is...why mess with that. 

03. Iron & Wine - Norfolk 6/20/05

I loved this band's first EP and LP, but then tuned out for one reason or the other. This year's comp of B-sides and rarities (Around the Well) brought me back into the fold. This live album then sealed the deal, hooking me once again to these amazingly fragile and beautiful songs.

Top Albums of 2009

Happy New Year everyone! The only way to ring in 2010 is to finally compile my list of favorite albums from 2009. In an otherwise crappy year for me, at least there is always music. I often hear so many people complain that there isn't any good music being made today, or that the '70s were SO much better musically than now. And though I love music from the '60s or '70's, etc., I still think this past decade will be remembered as the best decade for music yet. There is just so much wonderful sound being produced and blending of such diverse influences to create an entirely new landscape of audio satisfaction.

For this year, I managed to narrow the list down to 30 albums that I think I couldn't do without and would like to share it with all those nay sayers out there. So...here it us, pretty much in order of absolute most must to simply must must. This has been weeks in the making, so enjoy.

01. Manic Street Preachers - Journal for Plague Lovers: 

A return to the sound of their '94 masterpiece The Holy Bible, one of my favorite bands brought it all for this album. From the grabbing open of "Peeling Apples" to the beautifully sad "William's Last Words" this album, written by Richey before he vanished in '94, is everything the Manics do best...a blend of brutality and poetry.

02. Portugal. The Man. - The Satanic Satanist / The Majestic Majesty:

One's electric. The other acoustic versions of the same songs. Both are brilliant. Part folk, part L.A. psychedelic, part frantic rock--simply amazing music.

03. Elvis Perkins in Dear Land

Follow-up to my favorite album of 2007, this takes on a different feel than the pure singer/songwriter feel of Ash Wednesday. With the full band, which includes upright bass, marching drum, etc., the songs take on a fuller sound. And as always, Elvis's lyrics and voice are among the best around. 

04. Natural Snow Buildings - Daughter of Darkness:

Nearly seven hours long, this drone folk album is obviously of epic proportions. Having listened to the entire thing straight through on more than one occasion, I can say it's not just the length that is impressive. There's a tale told in the music that is devastating, haunting, and moving. 

05. Queenadreena - Djin   &    Ruby Throat - Out of the Clouds Came a Bird:

Two new Katie Jane Garside albums in one year! Katie Jane has been among my favorite singers, songwriters, and artists since I first heard Daisy Chainsaw back in 1991. The Queenadreena album is another amazing frantic set of songs reminiscent of Daisy Chainsaw. The Ruby Throat is acoustic bliss that like the first Ruby Throat album, sounds as if you're listening in as a child from some twisted fairy tale sings to comfort herself from a deranged world.

06. Samantha Crain - Songs in the Night:

The most amazing voice that I discovered this year, Samantha has the voice of a Dust Bowl angel surrounded by demons. There is so much emotion in every song, sometimes hopeful and other times destitute...but always beautiful.

07. Mars Volta - Octahedron:

I know there's a lot of haters out there, but no one is doing more to reinvent prog rock than Mars Volta. On this, their fifth album, they've toned down for a mellow sound, but without sacrificing the utterly imaginative soundscapes and stories. For me, their albums are like sci-fi novels put to sound...and my ears like what they are reading. 

08. Dead Man's Bones

Gothic folk songs with a children's choir...what's not to love? This is definitely a mood album. It takes you to a place that feels quite like a semi-scary children's movie world ala Tim Burton. Personally, it's a place I love visiting.

09. John Frusciante - The Empyrean

This doesn't stray far from the kind of exploration of the psyche covered in John's previous (and BRILLIANT) albums. Though, this does strive to achieve something grander. It's almost as if he's trying to explore heaven. This is his Da Vinci album.

10. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic / The Dark Side of the Moon

This is sort of cheating, placing two albums in one, but they are very similar and both very surprising to me as I'm not a huge Flaming Lips fan beyond the classic Yoshimi and Soft Bulletin. But Embryonic blew me away. I didn't expect much, but by track 2, it commands the listener to pay attention and rewards with a journey that is very...well, Floydian. Which brings me their cover album of Dark Side of the Moon. Granted, that's one of my least favorite Floyd albums (and I'm huge Floyd fan) so I was open to a re-interpretation. I think what they did with it is fantastic and captures the concept better than the original. It's how Syd would have done it.

11. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love:

I avoided this one for months because of all the negative things I read about it. When I finally did hear it, I couldn't believe how much people hated it. It's a great concept album with a great dark fairy tale story, told by one of the best song writers around. Bravo.

12. Lightning Dust - Infinite Light

With their second album, the band moves to a softer, more straight forward folk sound. It sounds like the child of Emmylou Harris circa her Gram Parson days, but splashed with some of the genre bending spice that signifies this decade.

13. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer

In my opinion, Spencer Krug is one of the five best songwriters of the decade. He is the Neil Young of the present and I was so glad to hear how amazing this album was after the disappointing last Sunset Rubdown album. Another concept album here, with long intricate songs. You're either into it or your not.

14. The Skygreen Leopards - Gorgeous Johnny

I love this band's style of psychedelic sunshine folk and this year's addition to their discography is no exception. 

15. Cotton Jones - Paranoid Cocoon: 

More sunshine psychedelic folk, but with a twinge of something old timey. This is one of those records that I can't imagine anyone not liking. 

16. Gliss - Devotion Implosion:

One of my favorite current L.A. bands switches gears a little, moving away from the nu-sleaze sound of their last album into a more shoegazer sound for this one, but the results are the same in that it produces another gem of an album. 

17. Circus Devils - Gringo

Robert Pollard delivers his best album since mid-90's Guided By Voices. Though I enjoy a lot of his solo work and his Boston Spaceships albums, this one had that something extra I've been looking for. A lo-fi muddled masterpiece...that is, if lo-fi is your thing.

18. A Mountain of One - Institute of Joy

Swirling Pink Floydian chamber psychedelia from Germany. This is the best space rock album in decades.

19. Elizabeth & the Catapults - Taller Children:

Indie folk in the style of Amiee Mann's Bachelor No. 2, this is a great sing-along album of clever songs. One of those Saturday morning kind of albums, of which you can never get enough (along with Sunday morning albums, which are totally different).

20. Band of Skulls - baby darling doll face honey:

This is one of those albums where every song is a "this sounds like (fill in the band)" kind of songs, but each song sounds like someone else. Surprisingly though, it works well and flows well and is just a really fun indie rock listen. One I listened to many, many times this year.

21. Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid:

Solo album from Black Keys and Blakroc's Dan Auerbach is just a fantastic set of modern blues tracks. 

22. Joker's Daughter - The Last Laugh:

Female singer songwriter that plays folk in the style of a modern day Incredible String Band or Fairport Convention, but again, added with an indie rock sound that makes it feel new and refreshing while still showing its influences boldly.

23. Karen O and The Kids - Where the Wild Things Are Soundtrack

I've seen the Yeah Yeah Yeahs album on so many best of lists and can't for the life of me figure out why. I thought it was pretty lackluster '80s retro trash. This album on the other hand is amazing. Another children's choir album, but it works great, taking the listener to another world of soundscape paradise. 

24. Arctic Monkeys - Humbug

Though definitely not my favorite by the band, I applaud them for exploring new territory on their third album. At times, it works brilliantly...(ie. the single "Crying Lightning"). There's a darker edge to this album and you can hear Josh Hommes' influence on it. I have a good feeling Alex Turner is going to continue to deliver great stuff for the next decade. 

25. The View - Which Bitch?

My favorite pub rock album of the year comes from these Scottish lads whose music has grown up from their first album. There's something of the Monkees on here (the great Monkees of Capricorn, Head, etc) but with a modern UK indie vibe. Lyrically, this album is far beyond most of the pub rock stuff, which in my opinion makes it stand out considerably. 

26. Raekwon - Only Built for Cuban Linx Pt II

I expected this to be pretty boring, but it isn't. It certainly comes at you Wu style. I like hearing how how the many track producers reinvent the RZA signature sound. The beats are dope. The rhymes are classic Wu. It doesn't quite hold up against the original crop of Wu releases, but certainly the best Wu Tang of the decade in my opinion. 

27. Pete Doherty - Grace / Wastelands

With every release, Pete gets better and better. A quieter album than previous Babyshambles or Libertines stuff, this is a kind of an expansion on the softer songs from Shotter's Nation. It's also a bit of journey album, spanning different genres and times. Very complex and simple at the same time. Beautiful. 

28. The Dead Weather - Horehound

Certainly not ground breaking, but the Jack White - Alison Mosshart pairing is pretty electric. This is the kind of fiery blues rock that just isn't being made anymore. I'm glad they decided to revive it.

29. Wale - Attention Deficit

After five mixtapes, finally a fully produced album from the best MC in the game. Wale's flow is unbeatable and diverse. He moves into different rhythms unlike anyone else I've ever heard... from part one, youngin's love the way I switch it up- hell's yeah we do. This probably would be higher on my list if I hadn't just discovered the previous years' mixtapes as well. 

30. Broadcast and The Focus Group - Investigate Witchcults of the Radio Age

Experimental psychedelic of which Broadcast is known for. This is their best in a long time, doing their most spot on impersonation of The United States of America. One of the more creative albums I heard this year.