Occasionally in music a symbiosis occurs that benefits two artists. Sometimes it is planned, such as when a band writes a song for another to record, or a label has a new band cover an old song to help move new records and sell library product, or when two artists collaborate on a single and each includes it on his respective album. Sometimes, however, it is just kismet.
About a month ago, I heard a song that I was unfamiliar with on my local underground radio station, KCSN, called "Somebody That I Used To Know," by an artist called Gotye (pronounced "Gauthier"), a nom-de-plume for Wouter (Wally) Becker, who was born in Belgium but now lives and records in Australia. I liked the song, and when I got home and researched it, I was surprised to see that it had been on Gotye's MAKING MIRRORS album, which was released in August of 2011 on Eleven Records, a mini-major label, and has distribution in the U.S. through Warner Brothers. I listened to nearly 1,000 albums in 2011, but this was one I had never even heard of. The song, which was written by Gotye and features a polyphonic vocal part by New Zealand singer Kimbra, was charting all over the world; it had already topped the charts in Australia, Belgium and Germany, at that time was the No. 1 song on the U.K., and had just entered the U.S. Hot 100 chart. I looked at YouTube, where the video for the song had views counting in the tens of millions, downloaded the track, and put it into my file labelled "Addenda for 2011," so that when I wrote my year-end Best Music of 2012 blog I could list it as a song I had overlooked in this year's column.
Then, about a week ago, I saw another YouTube video for "Somebody That I Used To Know," this one by a band no one had ever heard of, called Walk Off The Earth, a talented quintet who are based out of Burlington, Ontario, Canada, and had primarily been doing covers and posting them on the internet. This clip featured all five band members playing a single guitar. The cover of the song was not radically different, and one could argue a case that either version is the better one, but the gimmick, and the charm of the band -- especially its charismatic female singer Sarah Blackwood and its "plinker," Mike Taylor, whom net commentators simply refer to as Beard Guy -- drove the clip maxi-viral. Not only has it received 61 million hits in just over a month, but it garnered WOTE a recording contract with Columbia Records last week.
In the meantime, all this activity has bounced attention back to Gotye's original version; his video clip -- strangely featuring he and Kimbra nude, painted over in a cubist style -- is now at over 85 million hits and his single is currently No. 27 on the Hot 100. He has said he approves of the WOTE version, which obviously puts publishing coins in his pockets, when he has his pants on.
Last night while driving home I heard the WOTE version of "Somebody That I Used To Know," on my local underground radio station, where it is now in rotation, along with the original. Pick your poison:
Original Gotye version
Original WOTE version
Gotye live version on KCRW's Morning Become Eclectic
WOTE Five People-One Guitar live version on the Ellen Degeneres Show
And of course, in our meta-world, someone had to do an immediate commensal version, a parody of the cover. Two weeks ago, The Key Of Awesome, an internet comedy troupe, posted a spoof that has taken on its own viral life, which now boasts over two million hits. Here tis:
Friday, February 24, 2012
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
THE BEST IN MUSIC OF 2011
MY TOP 100 ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Kurt Vile: SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO. It was love at first listen when I heard “In My Time,” the lead track from SMOKE RING.., in October of 2010, and when the full CD dropped last March expectations were exceeded. A psych-folk mini-masterpiece, with a laid-back lo-fi charm that belies the depth of Vile’s songwriting, this record brims with hypnotic hooks, featuring his gauzy vocals, fuzzed out electric guitar wash and chiming acoustic picking. Bonus: Philly’s finest, Vile also pumped out a six-song EP in November, SO OUTTA REACH, which includes a killer cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Downbound Train.”
2. White Denim: D. The best band right now in a town full of great bands, Austin, White Denim have matured and mastered a wide-channel sound that mixes down everything from garage-punk, country-folk and prog-rock into a swirling post-psychedelic stew that is as impossible to categorize as it is to resist. Time signatures shift gears and even keys change midstream as D wends its way like a meandering opalescent river of music.
3. Black Keys: EL CAMINO. Not content to rest on the laurels of 2010’s award-winning bestseller BROTHERS, the duo moved to Nashville, built a studio and recorded an album that may be even better. While producer Danger Mouse augmented the band to include a bass player, keyboards and female backing vocalists, the sound is even tighter and leaner than before. This time the Keys veer further from the blues for a razor sharp rock record that just appeared in late December and immediately rocketed to the top of the list.
4. Megafaun: MEGAFAUN. Not sure what’s in the water in western Minnesota, but the region was responsible for some of the best music made last year. Mostly known as the band that Justin Vernon was in before he left to start a solo career as Bon Iver. Megafaun arose from the ashes and hit the mother lode with their eponymous fourth album, a beautiful mix of slow-burning ballads and guitar-edged jams.
5. Real Estate: DAYS. A confectionary with relentless allure, DAYS is made of silver melodies, golden harmonies, and shimmering layers of guitars.
6. Big Troubles: ROMANTIC COMEDY. Little band that could story of 2011, Big Troubles play the kind of addictive jangly power pop that was coming out of Athens and Winston-Salem in the early ‘80s, so it’s no coincidence that this album was produced by Mitch Easter, of Let’s Active/early R.E.M. fame
7. Bon Iver: BON IVER. A stunning achievement for Justin Vernon, who not only expanded Bon Iver to a quartet, but also added strings, horns and pedal-steel guitar to the multi-stacked vocals on his second CD, imbuing a lush epic quality to this global travelogue inspired by his last world tour.
8. The Civil Wars: BARTON HOLLOW. Joy Williams and John Paul White mine a traditional vein, two voices singing into one microphone, backed by nylon and steel-string guitars and little else, creating something more gorgeous, powerful and haunting than a studio full of machines or electronic instruments ever could. Bonus: TRACKS IN THE SNOW Christmas EP, released in November.
9. Wild Flag: WILD FLAG. Who said girl rock was dead? Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss from Sleater-Kinney team with Helium guitarist Mary Timony to create one of the year’s most muscular records, with some of its most memorable guitar work.
10. Release The Sunbird: COME BACK TO US. Zach Rogue spends most of his time toiling in a relatively obscure band called Rogue Wave, which is a shame, because he is a songwriter of immense talent, and their records have been excellent. This time he put together the smaller unit Release the Sunbird to record a passel of songs that are stripped down and unplugged, creating a record that will probably be even more obscure, but it’s better, packed and stacked with rich gems.
11. Tennis: CAPE DORY. Husband and wife duo recorded an album about their year-long sailing expedition, filled with sun-dappled vocals, insouciance, and musical fun that shines through in Alaina Moore’s vocals.
12. Destroyer: KAPUTT. Dan Bejar once again constructs an aural wall of swirling synthesizers layered on top of blocks of driving beats, assimilating a vibe that bands like Roxy Music perfected years ago. But you can feel the love in Bejar’s music - he commits himself without irony – and the journey with him is always worth the ride.
13. The War On Drugs: SLAVE AMBIENT. Another group loses key member, then transcends. In this case the ex-member is the talented Kurt Vile, who still sits in with the band, and his simpatico with WOD leader Adam Granduciel is obvious. Falling somewhere in between slushy shoegaze and dreamy psychedelic folk, SLAVE AMBIENT has moments of incandescent brilliance.
14. Cass McCombs: WIT’S END and HUMOR RISK. Cass McCombs is a gifted songwriter and an itinerant tunesmith who traverses the country playing in clubs, fashioning clever anecdotal songs along the way. Last year he had the audacity to release not one, but two excellent albums chock full of nuggets as gritty and and true as the dirt on his boots.
15. Dawes: NOTHING IS WRONG. Dawes has a sound so genuinely rooted in vintage country-rock, and chops so strong, that Robbie Robertson himself took them out as his road band last year when he toured. This second album is an extension of their first, filled with powerful alt-country vignettes evoking the ghosts of the denizens of Laurel Canyon of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s, even including spokesperson Jackson Browne on vocals on one track for veracity.
16. Jonathan Wilson: GENTLE SPIRIT. Since arriving in Los Angeles, Wilson has built a reputation as a leader of the West Coast neo-folk movement and a guru of the Laurel Canyon musical resurgence, through his work producing records and guesting on sessions, and for hosting near-legendary jam sessions. His record under his own name is an explosive debut, a sprawling work that assimilates influential elements as disparate as Alex Chilton, Gene Clark and Neil Young. The production is flawless and Wilson’s guitar work is sparkling.
17. Fleet Foxes: HELPLESSNESS BLUES. Another panoramic soundscape of majestic harmonies from the Foxes, and their principal songwriter and vocalist, Robin Pecknold. Balanced on the stepstones of traditional folk music and spiritual hymnals, the Foxes have manufactured a signature idiom of their own, one that sounds like the wind rolling off lakes and the snow falling on mountains. Bonus: Robin Pecknold released a high-quality three-song EP under his own name in March, which includes a great duet with Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear.
18. Yuck: YUCK. London’s Yuck delivered one of the most auspicious debuts in recent years, comprised of a dozen perfectly simple and simply perfect rock tunes with meaty double-tracked guitars. Bonus: In September Yuck released a bonus EP with 6 songs.
19. P.J Harvey: LET ENGLAND SHAKE. A wartime polemic inspired by the conflict in Afghanistan, LET ENGLAND SHAKE is PJ Harvey’s most sophisticated album yet, and also her most. More than ever, she makes you work at absorbing this record – the vocals are sometimes as disturbing as the lyrics – but the rewards are manifold.
20. My Morning Jacket: CIRCUITAL. Jim James and crew paint another giant tapestry, counter-balancing ethereal harmonies with blasts of guitar crunch, ranging from the gentle balladry of “Wonderful (The Way I Feel),” written by James for a Muppets movie, to the anthemic title track.
21. The Decemberists: THE KING IS DEAD. Excellence in Americana, with cred bonus points earned by featuring Peter Buck of R.E.M. on ringing guitars. Bonus: In October, the band released an equally good companion EP, LONG LIVE THE KING, made up of demos, b-sides and a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Row Jimmy.”
22. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart: BELONG. Nu-gaze , sometimes dark with echo and feedback, but always brightly-colored by Kip Berman’s vocals.
23. The Vaccines: WHAT DID YOU EXPECT FROM THE VACCINES? Post-punk meets the 21st century in this reverb-drenched debut loaded with sterling songs that in olden times could have been hit singles.
24. The Horrors: SKYING. Throbbing gristle.
25. Alela Diane: ALELA DIANE & WILD DIVINE. Alela Diane Menig sings with a throaty power, not unlike Neko Case, and her band the Wild Divine, which includes her father and her husband, fits her like a glove on this country-rock burner.
26. Ryan Adams: ASHES & FIRE. A smashing return to form. Contemplative song cycle of reflections on life in the slow lane in California, mostly acoustic, his inspiration in part supposedly coming from listening to Laura Marling.
27. Atlas Sound: PARALLAX. Lovely swirling soundscapes from Bradford Cox, who never seems to lose the thread, or the hook, even as it seems these songs are about to float away.
28. Kate Bush: 50 WORDS FOR SNOW. A welcome comeback for Bush, who hadn’t recorded new material for over six years. Set against a backdrop of falling snow, the record does have a sparse, chilly feel, with a lonely grand piano set squarely in all the tracks while Bush tackles each with a steady approach, eschewing the vocal gymnastics she employed during her heyday. Elton John chips in on the centerpiece “Snowed In At Wheeler Street.” A beautiful record really.
29. tUnE-yArDs: W H O K I L L. Fresh, funky wild percussive fun from Merrill Garbus, with an anti-violence motif running through the lyrics. The track “Bizness” is one of the best of the year.
30. Wye Oak: CIVILIAN. Baltimore duo grind out a dreamy and melancholy musical mélange that sounds bigger and fuller than two people would normally make. Vocalist/guitarist Jenn Wasner is a mesmerizing frontperson.
31. Butcher Boy: HELPING HANDS. Every year there seems to be one outstanding record produced by a band from Scotland, and this time it’s the third CD from Butcher Boy. A collective with a standard core, plus a satellite group of horn and string players, Butcher Boy walks the line between folk and pop with a keen knack for the kind of superlative melodic interplay that seems to be the stock in trade of the most successful Glaswegian bands.
32. Girls: FATHER SON, HOLY GHOST. More ‘60s-tinged sun-flecked CA indie pop from SF duo, this time sandwiched around some longer trippier jams.
33. St. Vincent: STRANGE MERCY. Annie Clark’s third release is another quirky, galloping set of introspective songs set against stark backdrops of plaintive beats and innovative keyboard-centric instrumental accompaniment.
34. Wild Beasts: SMOTHER. Loops, grooves and bongos; starting down the same inventive path as Radiohead began exploring years ago.
35. Bill Callahan: APOCALYPSE. The Smog-man delivers again; paeans to the road, to nature, to the bottoms of the wells of relationships, with lo-fi musical backing and Callahan’s gravel-throated voice scraping against it like cut glass.
36. Little Dragon: RITUAL UNION. Third release from Swedish electronic meisters is a blast, embellished by their ultra-cool Swedish-Japanese singer/songwriter, Yukimi Nagano. Hypnotic and irresistible.
37. Lydia Loveless: INDESTRUCTIBLE MACHINE. Tremendous sophomore record from this 21-year old country-punk phenom, who is channeling the best elements of Exene from X, Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams. Her band, which includes her father on drums, is lockstep-tight but still knows how to swing, and Loveless is a witty lyricist. “Jesus Was A Wino” followed by the tongue-in-cheek “Steve Earle” is one of the best song segues on an album in 2011.
38. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins: DIAMOND MINE. King Creosote is a nom de plume for Kenny Anderson, a wildly prolific Scottish singer/songwriter. For DIAMOND MINE he teamed with former piano prodigy/current electronica producer Jon Hopkins, who works with Brian Eno and Coldplay among others, to create a hazy cloud of delights.
39. Laura Marling: A CREATURE I DON’T KNOW. Still just 21, Marling is writing songs at such a sophisticated level that the comparisons to Joni Mitchell are not only inevitable but seem to be warranted. At times she is so focused on the muse she seems possessed by the songs that flow through her.
40. Radiohead: THE KING OF LIMBS. Their level of excellence is so high that even their just-misses are near-classics. The final three-track coda of “Codex,” “Give Up the Ghost” and “Separator” count among the best 15 minutes of contiguous music all year.
41. James Blake: JAMES BLAKE. Bonus: ENOUGH THUNDER EP, featuring Bon Iver.
42. Jessica Lea Mayfield. TELL ME.
43. Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi: ROME.
44. Cat’s Eyes: CAT’S EYES.
45. Florence + The Machine: CEREMONIALS.
46. AA Bondy: BELIEVERS.
47. James Vincent McMorrow: EARLY IN THE MORNING.
48. Quadron: QUADRON.
49. EMA: PAST LIFE, MARTYRED SAINTS.
50. The Jayhawks: MOCKINGBIRD TIME
51. Eleanor Friedberger: LAST SUMMER.
52. Metronomy: THE ENGLISH RIVIERA.
53. Dum Dum Girls. ONLY IN DREAMS. Bonus: HE GETS ME HIGH EP.
54. Celilo: BUOY BELL.
55. Esben and the Witch: VIOLET CRIES.
56. Marcus Foster: NAMELESS PATH.
57. Anna Calvi: ANNA CALVI.
58. Smith Westerns: DYE IT BLONDE.
59. Arbouretum: THE GATHERING.
60. Nick Lowe: THE OLD MAGIC.
61. The Sand Band: ALL THROUGGH THE NIGHT.
62. Feist: METALS.
63. Portugal. The Man: IN THE MOUNTAIN, IN THE CLOUD.
64. Washed Out: WTHIN AND WITHOUT.
65. Ron Sexsmith: LONG PLAYER, LATE BLOOMER.
66. The Cave Singers: NO WITCH.
67. Panda Bear: TOMBOY.
68. Cage The Elephant: THANK YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
69. The Vivian Girls: SHARE THE JOY.
70. Big Harp: WHITE HAT.
71. The Stepkids: THE STEPKIDS.
72. Other Lives: TAMER ANIMALS.
73. Alessi’s Ark: TIME TRAVEL.
74. Thurston Moore: DEMOLISHED THOUGHTS.
75. Arctic Monkeys : SUCK IT AND SEE.
76. J Mascis: SEVERAL SHADES OF WHY.
77. Blitzen Trapper: AMERICAN GOLDWING.
78. Dan Mangan: OH FORTUNE.
79. Tyler Ramsey (lead guitarist in Band Of Horses): THE VALLEY WIND.
80. Elbow: BUILD A ROCKET BOYS!
81. Juliana Barwick: THE MAGIC PLACE.
82. Beirut: THE RIP TIDE.
83. Ivy: ALL HOURS
84. The Middle East: I WANT THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS HAPPY.
85. Cut Copy: ZONOSCOPE.
86. The Barr Brothers: THE BARR BROTHERS.
87. Sloan: THE DOUBLE CROSS.
88. Summer Camp: WELCOME TO CONDALE.
89. Wooden Shjips: WEST.
90. Drums: PORTAMENTO.
91. Tom Waits: BAD AS ME.
92. Richard Buckner: OUR BLOOD.
93. Tommy Stinson: ONE MAN MUTINY.
94. Blind Pilot: WE ARE THE TIDE.
95. Gruff Rhys: HOTEL SHAMPOO.
96. Paul Simon: SO BEAUTIFUL OR SO WHAT.
97. The Kills: BLOOD PRESSURES.
98. Delicate Steve: WONDERVISIONS.
99. Mogwai: HARD CORE WILL NEVER DIE, BUT YOU WILL.
100. Zola Jesus: CONATUS.
MY TOP 100 SONGS OF 2011:
1. “Pumped Up Kicks” (live acoustic unplugged version only!) – Foster The People
2. “Miss K.” – Deer Tick
3. “I Don’t Want Love” – The Antlers
4. “That’s My Baby” – Sleeper Agent”
5. “You Were Never There” – Diego Garcia
6. “Stay Young, Go Dancing” – Death Cab For Cutie
7. “Go Outside” – Cults
8. “Hold On” – Alabama Shakes
9. “Lord Knows Best” – Dirty Beaches
10. “Video Games” – Lana Del Rey
11. “Coney Island Winter” – Garland Jeffreys
12. “The Last Crusade” – Sam Roberts Band
13. “An Argument With Myself” – Jens Lekman
14. “Comeback Kid” – Brett Dennen
15. “Impression Of A City Morning” – Brown Recluse
16. “White Night” – The Postelles
17. “Heart & Arrow” – Danny & The Champions Of The World
18. “Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)” – Old 97’s
19. “Sick Of You” – Cake
20. “The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
21. “Private Caller” – Sondre Lerche
22. “Wonder Why” – Vetiver
23. “Richie and Ruben” – Fountains Of Wayne
24. “The Captain” (acoustic promo version) – Biffy Clyro
25. “Lavez Vous” – The Bandana Splits
26. “Losers” – The Belle Brigade
27. “Sadness Is A Blessing” (live acoustic version) – Lykke Li
28. “Lay Myself Down” – Mazzy Star
29. “A Walk Home” – The Morning Clouds
30. “Bad Times For The Hare Krishnas” – Morton Valence
31. “Scottish Wind’ – Frightened Rabbit
32. “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.” – Noah And The Whale
33. “I’ll Be Waiting” – Adele
34. “Tree By The River” – Iron & Wine
35. “Dreamin” – Twerps
36. “Junk Of The Heart” – The Kooks
37. “Tigers” – Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
38. “Candyfloss” – Jonny
39. “Black Girls In Dresses” – Tony Castles
40. “Never Come Around” – La Sera
41. “Chair” – Big Deal
42. “Midnight City” – M83
43. “Paradise” – Coldplay
44. “Que Veux Tu” – Yelle
45. “Cut Me Out” – MNDR
46. “16 Years” – Phantogram
47. “Half Time” – Amy Winehouse
48. “We All Go Back Where We Belong” – R.E.M.
49. “Shell Games” – Bright Eyes
50. “Under Cover Of Darkness” – The Strokes
51. “Rock N’ Roll Is Free” – Ben Harper
52. “Million Dollar Motel” – Nikki Jean
53. “I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl” - Wavves
54. “Galahad” – Josh Ritter
55. “Breaker, Breaker” – Peter, Paul & John
56. “1293 Bloom” – The Veils
57. “Silverlake” – Azure Ray (featuring Sparklehorse)
58. “Little Talks” – Of Monsters & Men
59. “Endless Summer” – The Jezabels
60. “Cry” – Hollie Cook
61. “Murderous Joy” – Carter Tanton
62. “Two Matchsticks” – The Wooden Birds
63. “How They Want Me To Be” – Best Coast
64. “Buy Nothing Day” – The Go! Team
65. “Whirring” – The Joy Formidable
66. “Gene Ciampi” – Twin Sister
67. “My Name Is Trouble” – Keren Ann
68. “Summer Of ‘89” – Butch Walker and the Black Widows.
69. “Doncamatic” – Gorillaz
70. “Magic” – Joan As Police Woman
71. “She Walks The Night” – Matthew Sweet
72. “Anna Lee” – The Bangles
73. “Weather of A Killing Kind” – The Tallest Man On Earth
74. “Up Up Up” – Givers
75. “Car Crash” – Telekinesis
76. “The Dive” – Fool’s Gold
77. “Options” – Gomez
78. “12 Fingers” – Young The Giant
79. “Screws Get Loose” – Those Darlins
80. “Sometime” – Dive
81. “Maniac” – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
82. “Movin’ On” – Josh Rouse and the Long Vacations
83. “Polish Girl” – Neon Indian
84. “White Telephone” – Charlotte Gainsbourg
85. “Freddie’s Lapels” – D. Charles Speer & The Helix
86. “Burning Your House Down” – The Jim Jones Review
87. “Squealing-Pigs” – Admiral Fallow
88. “Too Many Kids Finding Rain In The Dust” – Nicolas Jaar
89. “Underwater” – The Wild Swans
90. “Constellations” – Darwin Deez
91. “Finale” – Funeral Party
92. “100 Other Lovers” – DeVotchKa
93. “Rearrange” – Miles Kane
94. “Blood” – The Dears
95. “New Brighton” – Said The Whale
96. “Shine on You” – The Duke & The King
97. “If I Had A Gun” – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
98. “World Gone Global” – The Dead Trees
99. “Louder Than Ever” – Cold War Kids
100. “On The Corner” – The Twilight Singers
MY TOP 20 AMERICANA/ALT-COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Gillian Welch: THE HARROW & THE HARVEST. Close to heaven.
2. Old Californio: SUNDRUNK ANGELS.
3. Dave Alvin: ELEVEN ELEVEN.
4. Middle Brother: MIDDLE BROTHER.
5. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit: HERE WE REST.
6. Ry Cooder: PULL UP SOME DUST AND SIT DOWN.
7. Jolie Holland: PINT OF BLOOD.
8. The Webb Sisters: SAVAGES.
9. Kate Maki: MOONSHINE.
10. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy: WOLFROY GOES TO TOWN.
11. Caitlin Rose: OWN SIDE NOW.
12. Dead Rock West: BRIGHT MORNING STARS.
13. The Low Anthem: SMART FLESH.
14. Peter Case: THE CASE FILES.
15. Neal Casal: SWEETEN THE DISTANCE.
16. Shelby Lynne: REVELATION ROAD.
17. Drive-By Truckers: GO-GO BOOTS.
18. John Hiatt: DIRTY JEANS AND MUDSLIDE HYMNS.
19. Lucinda Williams: BLESSED.
20. The Felice Brothers: CELEBRATION, FLORIDA.
MY TOP 10 BLUES ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Gary Clark Jr.: THE BRIGHT LIGHTS EP. Dazzling debut.
2. Tedeschi Trucks Band: REVELATOR.
3. Gregg Allman: LOW COUNTRY BLUES.
4. Matt Schofield: ANYTHING BUT TIME.
5. Joe Bonamassa: DUST BOWL.
6. Warren Haynes: MAN IN MOTION.
7. Cedric Burnside Project: THE WAY I AM.
8. Ana Popovic: UNCONDITIONAL.
9. Johnny Winter: ROOTS.
10. Seasick Steve: YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS.
MY TOP 10 COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Pistol Annies (Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley): HELL ON HEELS. Ass-kicking.
2. Hayes Carll: KMAG YOYO.
3. Alison Kraus & Union Station: PAPER AIRPLANE.
4. Josh T. Pearson: LAST OF THE COUNTRY GENTLEMEN.
5. Steve Earle: I’LL NEVER GET OUT OF THIS WORLD ALIVE.
6. Hank 3: GHOST TO A GHOST/GUTTER TOWN.
7. Amanda Shires: CARRYING LIGHTNING.
8. Carrie Rodriguez & Ben Kyle: WE STILL LOVE OUR COUNTRY.
9. Miranda Lambert: FOUR THE RECORD.
10. Wanda Jackson: THE PARTY AIN’T OVER.
MY TOP 10 FOLK ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Meg Baird: SEASONS ON EARTH. Haunting.
2. Fionn Regan: 100 ACRES OF SYCAMORE.
3. Abigail Washburn: CITY OF REFUGE.
4. William Elliott Whitmore: FIELD SONGS.
5. Heirlooms Of August: FOREVER THE MOON.
6. The Carravick Sisters: FROM THE FIELDS.
7. Tiny Ruins: SOME WERE MEANT FOR SEA.
8. The Unthanks: LAST.
9. Bella Hardy: SONGS LOST & STOLEN.
10. Jackie Oates: SATURNINE.
MY TOP 20 GARAGE/LO-FI RECORDS OF 2011:
1. Mazes: A THOUSAND HEYS.
2. Mikal Cronin: MIKAL CRONIN.
3. The Black Lips: ARABIA.
4. Crystal Stilts: IN LOVE WITH OBLIVION.
5. Cloud Nothings: CLOUD NOTHINGS.
6. Vivian Girls: SHARE THE JOY.
7. Jeffrey Lewis: A TURN IN THE DREAM-SONGS.
8. Veronica Falls: VERONICA FALLS.
9. Caveman: COCO BEWARE.
10. Shimmering Stars: VIOLENT HEARTS.
11. Fergus & Geronimo: UNLEARN.
12. Bobb Trimble: THE CRIPPLED DOG BAND.
13. Allah-Las - “Catamaran” 7”.
14. Thee Oh Sees: CARRION CRAWLER/THE DREAM.
15. The Sonic Jewels - “Slide Of Time” 7”.
16. The Ettes: WICKED WILL.
17. White Fence: IS GROWING FAITH.
18. Surfer Blood: TAROT CLASSICS EP.
19. Nick Waterhouse: IS THAT CLEAR EP.
20. Ty Segall: GOODBYE BREAD.
SIX HIP-HOP ALBUMS OF 2011 I LIKED:
1. The Weeknd: THE MIX TAPE TRILOGY, PART 1: HOUSE OF BALLOONS.
2. The Weeknd: THE MIX TAPE TRILOGY, PART 2: THURSDAY.
3. The Weeknd: THE MIX TAPE TRILOGY, PART 3: ECHOES OF SILENCE.
4. Jay-Z and Kanye West: WATCH THE THRONE.
5. Drake: TAKE CARE.
6. The Beastie Boys: HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE, PART TWO.
THREE EXCELLENT INSTRUMENTAL ALBUMS RELEASED IN 2011:
1. Glenn Jones: THE WANTING.
2. Bill Ryder-Jones: IF ON A WINTER’S NIGHT A TRAVELER.
3. Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal: CHAMBER MUSIC.
MY TOP SIX JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Ambrose Akinmusire : WHEN THE HEART EMERGES GLISTENING.
2. The Impossible Gentlemen: THE IMPOSSIBLE GENTLEMEN.
3. Anthony Wilson: SEASONS (LIVE AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART).
4. Joe Lovano: BIRD SONGS.
5. Noah Preminger: BEFORE THE RAIN.
6. Gerald Wilson: LEGACY.
FOUR GREAT LIVE ALBUMS RELEASED IN 2011:
1. Rockpile: LIVE AT MONTREUX 1980.
2. Levon Helm: RAMBLE AT THE RYMAN.
3. JJ Grey & Mofro: BRIGHTER DAYS.
4. Neil Young & the International Harvesters: A TREASURE.
MY TOP 15 R&B/SOUL ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Raphael Saadiq: STONE ROLLIN’. Funkadelic.
2. The Roots: UNDUN.
3. Charles Bradley: NO TIME FOR DREAMING.
4. Michael Kiwanuka: TELL ME A TALE EP.
5. Van Hunt: WHAT WERE YOU HOPING FOR?
6. Anthony Hamilton: BACK TO LOVE.
7. The Bo-Keys: GOT TO GET BACK!
8. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears: SCANDALOUS.
9. Betty Wright: THE MOVIE.
10. Frank Ocean: NOSTALGIA, ULTRA.
11. Mayer Hawthorne: HOW DO YOU DO.
12. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: SOUL TIME!
13. Dennis Coffey: DENNIS COFFEY.
14. Dionne Bromfield: GOOD FOR THE SOUL.
15. Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band: RUBBER ORCHESTRAS.
MY TOP 25 SINGER-SONGWRITER ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Sarah Jarosz: FOLLOW ME DOWN. Ethereal.
2. Benjamin Francis Leftwich: LAST SMOKE BEFORE THE SNOWSTORM.
3. Lia Ices: GROWN UNKNOWN.
4. Kathryn Calder: BRIGHT AND VIVID.
5. The Milk Carton Kids: PROLOGUE.
6. Marissa Nadler: MARISSA NADLER.
7. Marcus Foster: NAMELESS PATH.
8. Mara Carlyle: FLOREAT.
9. Jonas Asker: EP.
10. Alexi Murdoch: TOWARDS THE SUN.
11. Tristen: CHARLATANS AT THE GOLDEN GATE.
12. Aaron Wright: AARON WRIGHT.
13. Sarabeth Tucek: GET WELL SOON.
14. John Vanderslice: WHITE WILDERNESS.
15. William Fitzsimmons: GOLD IN THE SHADOW.
16. Gerard Starkie: POTIONS.
17. Ben Howard: EVERY KINGDOM.
18. Pieta Brown: MERCURY.
19. Peter Bradley Adams: BETWEEN US.
20. Peter Bruntnell: BLACK MOUNTAIN U.F.O.
21. Paul Wassif: LOOKING UP FEELING DOWN.
22. Ramsay Midwood: LARRY BUYS A LIGHTER.
23. Adam Cohen: LIKE A MAN
24. Alexander: ALEXANDER.
25. Lindsey Buckingham: SEEDS WE SOW.
MY TOP 20 WORLD MUSIC ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Fatoumata Diawara: KANOU EP. Beautiful. Look for a complete eponymous LP to follow.
2. Tinariwen: TASSILI.
3. Juju: IN TRANCE.
4. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo: COTONOU CLUB.
5. SMOD: SMOD.
6. Femi Kuti: AFRICA FOR AFRICA.
7. Iness Mezel: BEYOND THE TRANCE.
8. Boubacar Traore: MALI DENHOU.
9. Vieux Farka Touré: THE SECRET.
10. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80: FROM AFRICA WITH FURY: RISE.
11. Les Nubians: Nü REVOLUTION.
12. Lucas Santtana: SEM NOSTALGIA.
13. Bill Frisell & Vinícius Cantuária: LAGRIMAS MEXICANAS.
14. Yaaba Funk: AFROBEAST.
15. Dengue Fever: CANNIBAL COURTSHIP.
16. Eliane Elias: LIGHT MY FIRE.
17. Terakaft: ARATAN N AZAWAD.
18. Asa: BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTION
19. Ben L’Oncle Soul: BEN L’ONCLE SOUL.
20. Various Artists: RED HOT & RIO 2.
MY TOP SIX SOUNDTRACK ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. YOUNG ADULT.
2. CRAZY, STUPID LOVE.
3. NORMAN.
4. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.
5. WE BOUGHT A ZOO.
6. TRUE BLOOD, VOLUME 3.
MY TOP SIX REISSUE ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. The Beach Boys: THE SMILE SESSIONS.
2. Michael Chapman: FULLY QUALIFIED SURVIVOR.
3. El Rego: EL REGO ET SES COMMANDOS. The Beninese James Brown!
4. Neutral Milk Hotel: RELEASES-BOX SETS AND DRAWINGS.
5. Nirvana: NEVERMIND (20TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION).
6. Various Artists: GROOVE CLUB, VOL. 1: LE CONFISERIE MAGIQUE.
SIX VERY GOOD TRIBUTE ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Various Artists: JOHNNY BOY WOULD LOVE THIS: A TRIBUTE TO JOHN MARTYN.
2. Various Artists: PAINT IT BLACK: AN ALT-COUNTRY TRIBUTE TO THE ROLLING STONES.
2. Ben Waters & Various Artists: BOOGIE 4 STU: A TRIBUTE TO IAN STEWART.
3. Various Artists: RAVE ON BUDDY HOLLY.
4. Steve Cropper: DEDICATED: A SALUTE TO THE 5 ROYALES.
6. Various Artists: ZZ TOP – A TRIBUTE FROM FRIENDS.
MY TOP 12 COVERS RECORDS OF 2011:
1. Little Roy: BATTLE FOR SEATTLE (Reggae Nirvana covers).
2. Glen Campbell: GHOST ON THE CANVAS.
3. Okkervil River: GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES 2.
4. Tony Bennett: DUETS II.
5. The Decemberists: various covers on ITUNES SESSION.
6. Adele - “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Bonnie Raitt) live 7”.
7. Bon Iver – “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Bonnie Raitt) 7”.
8. The Watson twins: NIGHT COVERS.
9. Thea Gilmore: JOHN WESLEY HARDING.
10. Mayer Hawthorne: IMPRESSIONS – THE COVERS EP.
11. Trent Reznor & Karen O. – “The Immigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin) single.
12. Neko Case & Nick Cave – “She’s Not There” (The Zombies) single.
THREE COOL ALBUMS RECORDED YEARS AGO AND FINALLY OFFICIALLY RELEASED IN 2011:
1. Screaming Trees: LAST WORDS: THE FINAL RECORDINGS.
2. The Rolling Stones: BRUSSELS AFFAIR (LIVE 1973).
3. Love: BLACK BEAUTY.
AN EXCELLENT ALBUM FROM 2011 THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED IN 2010:
The Head & The Heart: THE HEAD AND THE HEART. Songs written in 2009, album originally released by the band in June 2010, re-released by Sub Pop on April 16, 2011. On my recommended list last year, but so good it warrants another mention.
AN EXCELLENT ALBUM FROM 2011 THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED IN 2010 AND THEN REMIXED IN 2011:
Gil Scott-Heron: I’M NEW HERE, reworked by The XX as WE’RE NEW HERE.
BEST COMEBACK ALBUM OF 2011:
The Feelies: HERE BEFORE. Previous album was 20 years ago; sounds like not a minute has passed.
BEST COMEBACK SINGLE OF 2011:
Mazzy Star – “Common Burn” b/w “Lay Myself Down.” Previous record was 15 years ago; sounds like not a minute has passed. Touring this summer, with a new album to follow.
BEST U.K. ALBUM OF 2010 THAT WILL FINALLY BE RELEASED IN THE U.S. IN 2012:
Rumer: SEASONS OF MY SOUL. Mentored by Burt Bacharach; Elton John is a fanboy.
BEST ICELANDIC ALBUM OF 2011 THAT WILL BE RELEASED IN THE U.S. IN 2012:
Of Monsters And Men: MY HEAD IS AN ANIMAL. Fantastic.
TWO EXCELLENT U.K. ALBUMS MENTIONED IN THE LISTS ABOVE THAT WILL BE RELEASED IN THE U.S. IN 2012:
1. Fionn Regan: 100 ACRES OF SYCAMORE. Great folk-rock singer/songwriter.
2. Bill Ryder-Jones: IF ON A WINTER’S NIGHT A TRAVELER. Great instrumental album from the ex-lead guitarist of The Coral.
BEST R&B/HIP-HOP DOWNLOAD TRILOGY OF 2011 THAT WILL GET AN OFFICIAL RELEASE IN 2012:
The Weeknd: HOUSE OF BALLOONS/ THURSDAY/ ECHOES OF SILENCE. Dazzling creativity from Canadian artist Abel Tesfaye.
BEST R&B/HIP-HOP DOWNLOAD ALBUM OF 2011 THAT WILL GET AN OFFICIAL RELEASE IN 2012:
Frank Ocean: NOSTALGIA, ULTRA. Transcends the idiom.
BEST REUNION OF 2011:
The Stone Roses. Touring this summer.
SIXTEEN COOL RECORDS THAT CAME OUT OF LOS ANGELES IN 2011 (ALPHABETICALLY):
Active Child: YOU ARE ALL I SEE.
The Allah-Las – “Catamaran” b/w “Long Journey” 7”.
The Belle Brigade: THE BELLE BRIGADE.
Best Coast – “How They Want Me to Be” 7”.
Mikal Cronin: MIKAL CRONIN.
Dawes: NOTHING IS WRONG.
Fool’s Gold: LEAVE NO TRACE.
Hanni El Khatib: WILL THE GUNS COME OUT.
La Sera: LA SERA.
The Milk Carton Kids: PROLOGUE.
Old Californio: SUNDRUNK ANGELS.
Rival Sons: PRESSURE & TIME.
Warpaint: EXQUISITE CORPSE EP.
Nick Waterhouse: IS THAT CLEAR EP.
White Fence: IS GROWING FAITH.
Jonathan Wilson: GENTLE SPIRIT.
TEN COOL RECORDS THAT CAME OUT OF PHILADELPHIA IN 2011 (ALPHABETICALLY):
Meg Baird: SEASONS ON EARTH.
Brown Recluse: EVENING TAPESTRY.
Charlie Gracie: FOR THE LOVE OF CHARLIE!
Daryl Hall: LAUGHING DOWN CRYING.
Nikki Jean: PENNIES IN A JAR.
The Roots: UNDUN.
Jill Scott: THE LIGHT OF THE SUN.
Kurt Vile: SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO (Bonus: SO OUTTA REACH EP).
The War On Drugs: SLAVE AMBIENT.
Denison Witmer: THE KEY STUDIO SESSIONS.
UNFORTUNATE MUSIC INDUSTRY PASSINGS IN 2011:
George Shearing
John Maus (John Walker of the Walker Brothers)
Gil Scott-Heron
Bert Jansch
Amy Winehouse
Clarence Clemons
Cesaria Evora
Gerry Rafferty
Andrew Gold
Gary Moore
Rob Grill (The Grass Roots)
Mikey Welsh (Weezer)
Howard Tate
Hubert Sumlin
Dobie Gray
Phoebe Snow
Pinetop Perkins
Polly Styrene X-Ray Spex)
Mike Starr (Alice In Chains)
Paul Motian
Charlie Louvin
Sean Bonniwell (The Music Machine)
Heavy D
Bill Pitcock IV (Dwight Twilley Band)
Mark “Moogy” Klingman
Keef Hartley
Nate Dogg
Jerry Lieber (songwriter)
Sylvia Robinson (label owner)
Owsley (scene maker)
Wild Man Fischer (scenester)
John Carter (songwriter/producer)
Don Kirshner (producer)
Barry Feinstein (Dylan photographer)
Suze Rotolo (Dylan muse)
THE TOP 25 REALLY GOOD ALBUMS FROM 2010 THAT WERE NOT MENTIONED IN LAST YEAR’S “BEST OF 2010” POST:
1. Painted Hills: PAINTED HILLS. Just wow!
2. The Sadies: DARKER CIRCLES.
3. Great Lakes: WAYS OF ESCAPE.
4. The Volebeats:THE VOLEBEATS.
5. Kathryn Calder: ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
6. Jenny O: HOME EP.
7. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals: ITUNES SESSION
8. Johnny Flynn: BEEN LISTENING.
9. First Aid Kit: THE BIG BLACK AND THE BLUE.
10. Dark Dark Dark: WILD GO.
11. The Golden Filter: VOLUSPA.
12. JJ Grey & Mofro: GEROGIA WARHORSE.
13. Biffy Clyro: ONLY REVOLUTIONS.
14. Perfume Genius: LEARNING.
15. The Innocence Mission: MY ROOM IN THE TREES.
16. Mary Hampton: MY MOTHER’S CHILDREN.
17. Yaaba Funk: AFROBEAST. Awesome Afrobeat from London.
18. Ana Moura: LEVA-ME AOS FADOS. Also awesome Portuguese fadista.
19. The Psychedelic Aliens: PSYCHO AFRICAN BEAT. Awesome Ghanaian Afrobeat meets Motown meets Hendrix reissue from 1971.
20. Jim Sullivan: U.F.O. Reissue of the brilliant 1969 album.
THE TOP SIX REALLY GOOD SONGS FROM 2010 THAT WERE NOT MENTIONED IN LAST YEAR’S “BEST OF 2010” POST:
1. Keane (with K’Naan) – “Stop For A Minute”
2. Lloyd Cole – “Oh Genevieve”
3. John Wesley Harding – “Oh! Pandora”
4. Neville Skelly - Blues Run The Game” (Jackson Frank cover)
5. Ray Davies (featuring Mumford & Sons) – “Days/This Time Tomorrow”
6. Ana Tijoux – “1977”
20 UPCOMING RELEASES FROM 2012 I HAVE ALREADY HEARD AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND:
1. Leonard Cohen: OLD IDEAS.
2. Kathleen Edwards: VOYAGEUR.
3. Nada Surf: THE STARS ARE INDIFFERENT TO ASTRONOMY.
4. Ren Harvieu: THROUGHT THE NIGHT.
5. The Staves: THE STAVES.
6. The Shins: PORT OF MORROW.
7. Beth Jeans Houghton: YOURS TRULY, CELLOPHANE NOSE.
8. Various Artists: CHIMES OF FREEDOM: THE SONGS OF BOB DYLAN HONORING 50 YEARS OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL.
9. Tennis: YOUNG & OLD.
10. Miike Snow: DEVIL’S WORK.
11. Black Star: TBA
12. Slow Moving Millie: RENDITIONS.
13. Of Montreal: PARALYTIC STALKS.
14. Air: LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE.
15. Mark Lanegan Band: BLUES FUNERAL.
16. Michael Kiwanuka: HOME AGAIN.
17. First Aid Kit: THE LION’S ROAR.
18. Laura Gibson: LA GRANDE.
19. Django Django: DJANGO DJANGO.
20. Lana Del Rey: BORN TO DIE.
NEW AND UPCOMING NEW RELEASE DATES:
January
1-10
Bill Ryder-Jones: If...
Snow Patrol: Fallen Empires
The Little Willies: For The Good Times
The Maccabees: Given To The Wild
1-17
The Big Pink: Future This
The Duke Spirit: Bruiser
Bombay Bicycle Club: A Different Kind Of Fix
Kathleen Edwards: Voyageur
1-24
Rumer: Seasons Of My Soul
Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory
Chairlift: Something
Craig Finn: Clear Heart Full Eyes
Ingrid Michaelson: Human Again
Laura Gibson: La Grande
Nada Surf: The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy
Guided By Voices: Let’s Go Eat The Factory
Joe Cocker: Hard Knocks
Big Deal: Lights Out
First Aid Kit: The Lion’s Roar
Django Django: Django Django
Various Artists: Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International City
1-31
Imperial Teen: Feel the Sound
Lana Del Rey: Born to Die
Leonard Cohen: Old Ideas
Fionn Regan: 100 Acres Of Sycamore
Ringo Starr: 2012
Seal: Soul 2
Carole King: Music
The Bevis Frond: The Leaving Of London
Radiohead: The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement DVD
2-7
Air: Le Voyage Dans La Lune
Ben Kweller: Go Fly A Kite
Paul McCartney: Kisses On The Bottom (standards covers, with Diana Krall and her band)
The Fray: Scars & Stories
The Lemonheads: Hotel Sessions
Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral
Sharon Van Etten: Tramp
The Twilight Sad: No One Can Ever Know
Dr. Dog: Be The Void
Of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks
Silver Swans: Forever
Van Halen (reunion with David Lee Roth): A Different Kind Of Truth
2-14
Otis Taylor: Contraband
Amos Lee: As The Crow Flies
Tennis: Young & Old
Field Music: Plumb
Shearwater: Animal Joy
Heartless Bastards: Arrow
Nikki Minaj: Pink Friday; Roman Reloaded
2-21
Sleigh Bells: Reign of Terror
The Cranberries: Roses
Damien Jurado: Maraqopa
John Wesley Coleman: Last Donkey Show
Lambchop: Mr. M
Tindersticks: The Something Rain
Peter Broderick: It Starts Here
Jim White: Where It Hits You
Kevin Kinney/The Golden Palominos: Good Country Mile
Ting Tings: Sounds From Nowheresville
Elvis Costello: The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Wheel Live
Sinead O’Connor: What About Me
2-28
Jay Farrar (Son Volt)/Jim James (My Morning Jacket)/Will Johnson (Centro-Matic) and Anders Parker (Varnaline): New Multitudes (new music set to previously unrecorded lyrics by Woody Guthrie)
Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny: Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose
Pink Floyd: The Wall Reissue
School of Seven Bells: Ghostory
Plants and Animals: The End Of That
Lyle Lovett: Release Me
Carolina Chocolate Drops: Leaving Eden
Céu: Caravena Sereia
Loreena McKennitt: Troubadours On The Rhine
The Dirty Three: Toward The Low Sun
MARCH
3-6
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Wrecking Ball
Andrew Bird: Break It Yourself
Bowerbirds: The Clearing
Lissy Trullie: Lissy Trullie
Magnetic Fields: Love at the Bottom of the Sea
Kaiser Chiefs: Start The Revolution
Warren Haynes: TBA
Tom Jones 7” – Jezebel b/w Evil (produced by Jack White)
3-13
The Decemberists: We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live)
Madonna: M.D.N.A
The Three Funkateers (Damon Albarn, Flea & Tony Allen): The Three Funkateers
Delta Spirit: Delta Spirit
3-20
Spiritualized: Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
The Doors: L.A. Woman: The Workshop Sessions
The Shins: Port of Morrow
Esperanza Spalding: Radio Music Society
3-27
Paul Weller: Sonik Kicks
Justin Townes Earle: Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
Miike Snow: Happy To You
La Sera: Sees The Light
Michael Kiwanuka: Home Again
Macy Gray: Covered
April
4-10
Bonnie Raitt: Slipstream (produced by Joe Henry)
The Nightingales: No Love Lost
Ren Harvieu: Through The Night
Alabama Shakes: Hold On
May
5-8
Regina Spektor: What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
Rufus Wainwright: Out Of The Game (produced by Mark Ronson)
Also due, release dates TBD:
Michelle Branch: West Coast Time
Neon Trees: Picture Show
The Veronicas: The Awakening
Rush: Clockwork Angels
Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N2 It
Slow Moving Millie: Renditions
The Staves: The Staves
Santigold: Master Of My Make Believe
U2: Songs Of Ascent (plus two other albums recorded)
Bobby Womack: The Bravest Man In The Universe
New Order: The Lost Sirens
The Weeknd: Mixtape Trilogy
Neil Young & Crazy Horse (two albums recorded)
Best Coast: TBA (produced by Jon Brion)
Patti Smith: TBA
The Avett Brothers: TBA (produced by Rick Rubin)
How To Destroy Angels (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross): TBA
The Watson Twins: TBA
Trey Anastasio, with The National as the backing band: TBA
Tom Jones: TBA
No Doubt: TBA
Phoenix: TBA
Sigur Ros: TBA
Black Star: TBA
The xx: TBA
Fiona Apple: TBA
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood: TBA
Cat Power: TBA
Johnny Marr: TBA
Morrissey: TBA
Mumford & Sons: TBA
ZZ Top: TBA
The Walkmen: TBA
The National: TBA
Grizzly Bear: TBA
Twin Shadow: TBA
David Byrne & St. Vincent: TBA
Afghan Whigs: TBA
Smith Westerns: TBA
Black Onassis: TBA
Tom Jones: TBA (produced by Jack White)
Soul Asylum: TBA
Soundgarden: TBA
Fleetwood Mac: TBA
Garbage: TBA
Dirty Projectors: TBA
Aerosmith: TBA
Toy: TBA
Black Sabbath (reunion with Ozzy Osbourne): TBA (produced by Rick Rubin)
Beach Boys: Reissue series and box set
NEW THINGS I AM LISTENING TO THIS WEEK FROM 2011 THAT I MISSED WHEN I WROTE THIS ORIGINAL POST:
Radiohead, double-sided single - "Staircase" b/w "The Daily Mail," from the live DVD, THE KING OF LIMBS-FROM THE BASEMENT
The National - "Rylan" and "I Need My Girl," performed live on Q (CBC radio)
Wussy - "Asteroids," from the STRAWBERRY CD
The Internet - "Fastlane," from their PURPLE NAKED LADIES CD
Big Deal - "Homework," from their LIGHTS OUT CD
Skrillex, featuring The Doors - "Breakin' a Sweat"
1. Kurt Vile: SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO. It was love at first listen when I heard “In My Time,” the lead track from SMOKE RING.., in October of 2010, and when the full CD dropped last March expectations were exceeded. A psych-folk mini-masterpiece, with a laid-back lo-fi charm that belies the depth of Vile’s songwriting, this record brims with hypnotic hooks, featuring his gauzy vocals, fuzzed out electric guitar wash and chiming acoustic picking. Bonus: Philly’s finest, Vile also pumped out a six-song EP in November, SO OUTTA REACH, which includes a killer cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Downbound Train.”
2. White Denim: D. The best band right now in a town full of great bands, Austin, White Denim have matured and mastered a wide-channel sound that mixes down everything from garage-punk, country-folk and prog-rock into a swirling post-psychedelic stew that is as impossible to categorize as it is to resist. Time signatures shift gears and even keys change midstream as D wends its way like a meandering opalescent river of music.
3. Black Keys: EL CAMINO. Not content to rest on the laurels of 2010’s award-winning bestseller BROTHERS, the duo moved to Nashville, built a studio and recorded an album that may be even better. While producer Danger Mouse augmented the band to include a bass player, keyboards and female backing vocalists, the sound is even tighter and leaner than before. This time the Keys veer further from the blues for a razor sharp rock record that just appeared in late December and immediately rocketed to the top of the list.
4. Megafaun: MEGAFAUN. Not sure what’s in the water in western Minnesota, but the region was responsible for some of the best music made last year. Mostly known as the band that Justin Vernon was in before he left to start a solo career as Bon Iver. Megafaun arose from the ashes and hit the mother lode with their eponymous fourth album, a beautiful mix of slow-burning ballads and guitar-edged jams.
5. Real Estate: DAYS. A confectionary with relentless allure, DAYS is made of silver melodies, golden harmonies, and shimmering layers of guitars.
6. Big Troubles: ROMANTIC COMEDY. Little band that could story of 2011, Big Troubles play the kind of addictive jangly power pop that was coming out of Athens and Winston-Salem in the early ‘80s, so it’s no coincidence that this album was produced by Mitch Easter, of Let’s Active/early R.E.M. fame
7. Bon Iver: BON IVER. A stunning achievement for Justin Vernon, who not only expanded Bon Iver to a quartet, but also added strings, horns and pedal-steel guitar to the multi-stacked vocals on his second CD, imbuing a lush epic quality to this global travelogue inspired by his last world tour.
8. The Civil Wars: BARTON HOLLOW. Joy Williams and John Paul White mine a traditional vein, two voices singing into one microphone, backed by nylon and steel-string guitars and little else, creating something more gorgeous, powerful and haunting than a studio full of machines or electronic instruments ever could. Bonus: TRACKS IN THE SNOW Christmas EP, released in November.
9. Wild Flag: WILD FLAG. Who said girl rock was dead? Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss from Sleater-Kinney team with Helium guitarist Mary Timony to create one of the year’s most muscular records, with some of its most memorable guitar work.
10. Release The Sunbird: COME BACK TO US. Zach Rogue spends most of his time toiling in a relatively obscure band called Rogue Wave, which is a shame, because he is a songwriter of immense talent, and their records have been excellent. This time he put together the smaller unit Release the Sunbird to record a passel of songs that are stripped down and unplugged, creating a record that will probably be even more obscure, but it’s better, packed and stacked with rich gems.
11. Tennis: CAPE DORY. Husband and wife duo recorded an album about their year-long sailing expedition, filled with sun-dappled vocals, insouciance, and musical fun that shines through in Alaina Moore’s vocals.
12. Destroyer: KAPUTT. Dan Bejar once again constructs an aural wall of swirling synthesizers layered on top of blocks of driving beats, assimilating a vibe that bands like Roxy Music perfected years ago. But you can feel the love in Bejar’s music - he commits himself without irony – and the journey with him is always worth the ride.
13. The War On Drugs: SLAVE AMBIENT. Another group loses key member, then transcends. In this case the ex-member is the talented Kurt Vile, who still sits in with the band, and his simpatico with WOD leader Adam Granduciel is obvious. Falling somewhere in between slushy shoegaze and dreamy psychedelic folk, SLAVE AMBIENT has moments of incandescent brilliance.
14. Cass McCombs: WIT’S END and HUMOR RISK. Cass McCombs is a gifted songwriter and an itinerant tunesmith who traverses the country playing in clubs, fashioning clever anecdotal songs along the way. Last year he had the audacity to release not one, but two excellent albums chock full of nuggets as gritty and and true as the dirt on his boots.
15. Dawes: NOTHING IS WRONG. Dawes has a sound so genuinely rooted in vintage country-rock, and chops so strong, that Robbie Robertson himself took them out as his road band last year when he toured. This second album is an extension of their first, filled with powerful alt-country vignettes evoking the ghosts of the denizens of Laurel Canyon of the late ‘60s/early ‘70s, even including spokesperson Jackson Browne on vocals on one track for veracity.
16. Jonathan Wilson: GENTLE SPIRIT. Since arriving in Los Angeles, Wilson has built a reputation as a leader of the West Coast neo-folk movement and a guru of the Laurel Canyon musical resurgence, through his work producing records and guesting on sessions, and for hosting near-legendary jam sessions. His record under his own name is an explosive debut, a sprawling work that assimilates influential elements as disparate as Alex Chilton, Gene Clark and Neil Young. The production is flawless and Wilson’s guitar work is sparkling.
17. Fleet Foxes: HELPLESSNESS BLUES. Another panoramic soundscape of majestic harmonies from the Foxes, and their principal songwriter and vocalist, Robin Pecknold. Balanced on the stepstones of traditional folk music and spiritual hymnals, the Foxes have manufactured a signature idiom of their own, one that sounds like the wind rolling off lakes and the snow falling on mountains. Bonus: Robin Pecknold released a high-quality three-song EP under his own name in March, which includes a great duet with Ed Droste of Grizzly Bear.
18. Yuck: YUCK. London’s Yuck delivered one of the most auspicious debuts in recent years, comprised of a dozen perfectly simple and simply perfect rock tunes with meaty double-tracked guitars. Bonus: In September Yuck released a bonus EP with 6 songs.
19. P.J Harvey: LET ENGLAND SHAKE. A wartime polemic inspired by the conflict in Afghanistan, LET ENGLAND SHAKE is PJ Harvey’s most sophisticated album yet, and also her most. More than ever, she makes you work at absorbing this record – the vocals are sometimes as disturbing as the lyrics – but the rewards are manifold.
20. My Morning Jacket: CIRCUITAL. Jim James and crew paint another giant tapestry, counter-balancing ethereal harmonies with blasts of guitar crunch, ranging from the gentle balladry of “Wonderful (The Way I Feel),” written by James for a Muppets movie, to the anthemic title track.
21. The Decemberists: THE KING IS DEAD. Excellence in Americana, with cred bonus points earned by featuring Peter Buck of R.E.M. on ringing guitars. Bonus: In October, the band released an equally good companion EP, LONG LIVE THE KING, made up of demos, b-sides and a cover of the Grateful Dead’s “Row Jimmy.”
22. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart: BELONG. Nu-gaze , sometimes dark with echo and feedback, but always brightly-colored by Kip Berman’s vocals.
23. The Vaccines: WHAT DID YOU EXPECT FROM THE VACCINES? Post-punk meets the 21st century in this reverb-drenched debut loaded with sterling songs that in olden times could have been hit singles.
24. The Horrors: SKYING. Throbbing gristle.
25. Alela Diane: ALELA DIANE & WILD DIVINE. Alela Diane Menig sings with a throaty power, not unlike Neko Case, and her band the Wild Divine, which includes her father and her husband, fits her like a glove on this country-rock burner.
26. Ryan Adams: ASHES & FIRE. A smashing return to form. Contemplative song cycle of reflections on life in the slow lane in California, mostly acoustic, his inspiration in part supposedly coming from listening to Laura Marling.
27. Atlas Sound: PARALLAX. Lovely swirling soundscapes from Bradford Cox, who never seems to lose the thread, or the hook, even as it seems these songs are about to float away.
28. Kate Bush: 50 WORDS FOR SNOW. A welcome comeback for Bush, who hadn’t recorded new material for over six years. Set against a backdrop of falling snow, the record does have a sparse, chilly feel, with a lonely grand piano set squarely in all the tracks while Bush tackles each with a steady approach, eschewing the vocal gymnastics she employed during her heyday. Elton John chips in on the centerpiece “Snowed In At Wheeler Street.” A beautiful record really.
29. tUnE-yArDs: W H O K I L L. Fresh, funky wild percussive fun from Merrill Garbus, with an anti-violence motif running through the lyrics. The track “Bizness” is one of the best of the year.
30. Wye Oak: CIVILIAN. Baltimore duo grind out a dreamy and melancholy musical mélange that sounds bigger and fuller than two people would normally make. Vocalist/guitarist Jenn Wasner is a mesmerizing frontperson.
31. Butcher Boy: HELPING HANDS. Every year there seems to be one outstanding record produced by a band from Scotland, and this time it’s the third CD from Butcher Boy. A collective with a standard core, plus a satellite group of horn and string players, Butcher Boy walks the line between folk and pop with a keen knack for the kind of superlative melodic interplay that seems to be the stock in trade of the most successful Glaswegian bands.
32. Girls: FATHER SON, HOLY GHOST. More ‘60s-tinged sun-flecked CA indie pop from SF duo, this time sandwiched around some longer trippier jams.
33. St. Vincent: STRANGE MERCY. Annie Clark’s third release is another quirky, galloping set of introspective songs set against stark backdrops of plaintive beats and innovative keyboard-centric instrumental accompaniment.
34. Wild Beasts: SMOTHER. Loops, grooves and bongos; starting down the same inventive path as Radiohead began exploring years ago.
35. Bill Callahan: APOCALYPSE. The Smog-man delivers again; paeans to the road, to nature, to the bottoms of the wells of relationships, with lo-fi musical backing and Callahan’s gravel-throated voice scraping against it like cut glass.
36. Little Dragon: RITUAL UNION. Third release from Swedish electronic meisters is a blast, embellished by their ultra-cool Swedish-Japanese singer/songwriter, Yukimi Nagano. Hypnotic and irresistible.
37. Lydia Loveless: INDESTRUCTIBLE MACHINE. Tremendous sophomore record from this 21-year old country-punk phenom, who is channeling the best elements of Exene from X, Emmylou Harris and Lucinda Williams. Her band, which includes her father on drums, is lockstep-tight but still knows how to swing, and Loveless is a witty lyricist. “Jesus Was A Wino” followed by the tongue-in-cheek “Steve Earle” is one of the best song segues on an album in 2011.
38. King Creosote & Jon Hopkins: DIAMOND MINE. King Creosote is a nom de plume for Kenny Anderson, a wildly prolific Scottish singer/songwriter. For DIAMOND MINE he teamed with former piano prodigy/current electronica producer Jon Hopkins, who works with Brian Eno and Coldplay among others, to create a hazy cloud of delights.
39. Laura Marling: A CREATURE I DON’T KNOW. Still just 21, Marling is writing songs at such a sophisticated level that the comparisons to Joni Mitchell are not only inevitable but seem to be warranted. At times she is so focused on the muse she seems possessed by the songs that flow through her.
40. Radiohead: THE KING OF LIMBS. Their level of excellence is so high that even their just-misses are near-classics. The final three-track coda of “Codex,” “Give Up the Ghost” and “Separator” count among the best 15 minutes of contiguous music all year.
41. James Blake: JAMES BLAKE. Bonus: ENOUGH THUNDER EP, featuring Bon Iver.
42. Jessica Lea Mayfield. TELL ME.
43. Danger Mouse and Daniele Luppi: ROME.
44. Cat’s Eyes: CAT’S EYES.
45. Florence + The Machine: CEREMONIALS.
46. AA Bondy: BELIEVERS.
47. James Vincent McMorrow: EARLY IN THE MORNING.
48. Quadron: QUADRON.
49. EMA: PAST LIFE, MARTYRED SAINTS.
50. The Jayhawks: MOCKINGBIRD TIME
51. Eleanor Friedberger: LAST SUMMER.
52. Metronomy: THE ENGLISH RIVIERA.
53. Dum Dum Girls. ONLY IN DREAMS. Bonus: HE GETS ME HIGH EP.
54. Celilo: BUOY BELL.
55. Esben and the Witch: VIOLET CRIES.
56. Marcus Foster: NAMELESS PATH.
57. Anna Calvi: ANNA CALVI.
58. Smith Westerns: DYE IT BLONDE.
59. Arbouretum: THE GATHERING.
60. Nick Lowe: THE OLD MAGIC.
61. The Sand Band: ALL THROUGGH THE NIGHT.
62. Feist: METALS.
63. Portugal. The Man: IN THE MOUNTAIN, IN THE CLOUD.
64. Washed Out: WTHIN AND WITHOUT.
65. Ron Sexsmith: LONG PLAYER, LATE BLOOMER.
66. The Cave Singers: NO WITCH.
67. Panda Bear: TOMBOY.
68. Cage The Elephant: THANK YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY.
69. The Vivian Girls: SHARE THE JOY.
70. Big Harp: WHITE HAT.
71. The Stepkids: THE STEPKIDS.
72. Other Lives: TAMER ANIMALS.
73. Alessi’s Ark: TIME TRAVEL.
74. Thurston Moore: DEMOLISHED THOUGHTS.
75. Arctic Monkeys : SUCK IT AND SEE.
76. J Mascis: SEVERAL SHADES OF WHY.
77. Blitzen Trapper: AMERICAN GOLDWING.
78. Dan Mangan: OH FORTUNE.
79. Tyler Ramsey (lead guitarist in Band Of Horses): THE VALLEY WIND.
80. Elbow: BUILD A ROCKET BOYS!
81. Juliana Barwick: THE MAGIC PLACE.
82. Beirut: THE RIP TIDE.
83. Ivy: ALL HOURS
84. The Middle East: I WANT THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS HAPPY.
85. Cut Copy: ZONOSCOPE.
86. The Barr Brothers: THE BARR BROTHERS.
87. Sloan: THE DOUBLE CROSS.
88. Summer Camp: WELCOME TO CONDALE.
89. Wooden Shjips: WEST.
90. Drums: PORTAMENTO.
91. Tom Waits: BAD AS ME.
92. Richard Buckner: OUR BLOOD.
93. Tommy Stinson: ONE MAN MUTINY.
94. Blind Pilot: WE ARE THE TIDE.
95. Gruff Rhys: HOTEL SHAMPOO.
96. Paul Simon: SO BEAUTIFUL OR SO WHAT.
97. The Kills: BLOOD PRESSURES.
98. Delicate Steve: WONDERVISIONS.
99. Mogwai: HARD CORE WILL NEVER DIE, BUT YOU WILL.
100. Zola Jesus: CONATUS.
MY TOP 100 SONGS OF 2011:
1. “Pumped Up Kicks” (live acoustic unplugged version only!) – Foster The People
2. “Miss K.” – Deer Tick
3. “I Don’t Want Love” – The Antlers
4. “That’s My Baby” – Sleeper Agent”
5. “You Were Never There” – Diego Garcia
6. “Stay Young, Go Dancing” – Death Cab For Cutie
7. “Go Outside” – Cults
8. “Hold On” – Alabama Shakes
9. “Lord Knows Best” – Dirty Beaches
10. “Video Games” – Lana Del Rey
11. “Coney Island Winter” – Garland Jeffreys
12. “The Last Crusade” – Sam Roberts Band
13. “An Argument With Myself” – Jens Lekman
14. “Comeback Kid” – Brett Dennen
15. “Impression Of A City Morning” – Brown Recluse
16. “White Night” – The Postelles
17. “Heart & Arrow” – Danny & The Champions Of The World
18. “Every Night Is Friday Night (Without You)” – Old 97’s
19. “Sick Of You” – Cake
20. “The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie” – Red Hot Chili Peppers
21. “Private Caller” – Sondre Lerche
22. “Wonder Why” – Vetiver
23. “Richie and Ruben” – Fountains Of Wayne
24. “The Captain” (acoustic promo version) – Biffy Clyro
25. “Lavez Vous” – The Bandana Splits
26. “Losers” – The Belle Brigade
27. “Sadness Is A Blessing” (live acoustic version) – Lykke Li
28. “Lay Myself Down” – Mazzy Star
29. “A Walk Home” – The Morning Clouds
30. “Bad Times For The Hare Krishnas” – Morton Valence
31. “Scottish Wind’ – Frightened Rabbit
32. “L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N.” – Noah And The Whale
33. “I’ll Be Waiting” – Adele
34. “Tree By The River” – Iron & Wine
35. “Dreamin” – Twerps
36. “Junk Of The Heart” – The Kooks
37. “Tigers” – Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks
38. “Candyfloss” – Jonny
39. “Black Girls In Dresses” – Tony Castles
40. “Never Come Around” – La Sera
41. “Chair” – Big Deal
42. “Midnight City” – M83
43. “Paradise” – Coldplay
44. “Que Veux Tu” – Yelle
45. “Cut Me Out” – MNDR
46. “16 Years” – Phantogram
47. “Half Time” – Amy Winehouse
48. “We All Go Back Where We Belong” – R.E.M.
49. “Shell Games” – Bright Eyes
50. “Under Cover Of Darkness” – The Strokes
51. “Rock N’ Roll Is Free” – Ben Harper
52. “Million Dollar Motel” – Nikki Jean
53. “I Wanna Meet Dave Grohl” - Wavves
54. “Galahad” – Josh Ritter
55. “Breaker, Breaker” – Peter, Paul & John
56. “1293 Bloom” – The Veils
57. “Silverlake” – Azure Ray (featuring Sparklehorse)
58. “Little Talks” – Of Monsters & Men
59. “Endless Summer” – The Jezabels
60. “Cry” – Hollie Cook
61. “Murderous Joy” – Carter Tanton
62. “Two Matchsticks” – The Wooden Birds
63. “How They Want Me To Be” – Best Coast
64. “Buy Nothing Day” – The Go! Team
65. “Whirring” – The Joy Formidable
66. “Gene Ciampi” – Twin Sister
67. “My Name Is Trouble” – Keren Ann
68. “Summer Of ‘89” – Butch Walker and the Black Widows.
69. “Doncamatic” – Gorillaz
70. “Magic” – Joan As Police Woman
71. “She Walks The Night” – Matthew Sweet
72. “Anna Lee” – The Bangles
73. “Weather of A Killing Kind” – The Tallest Man On Earth
74. “Up Up Up” – Givers
75. “Car Crash” – Telekinesis
76. “The Dive” – Fool’s Gold
77. “Options” – Gomez
78. “12 Fingers” – Young The Giant
79. “Screws Get Loose” – Those Darlins
80. “Sometime” – Dive
81. “Maniac” – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
82. “Movin’ On” – Josh Rouse and the Long Vacations
83. “Polish Girl” – Neon Indian
84. “White Telephone” – Charlotte Gainsbourg
85. “Freddie’s Lapels” – D. Charles Speer & The Helix
86. “Burning Your House Down” – The Jim Jones Review
87. “Squealing-Pigs” – Admiral Fallow
88. “Too Many Kids Finding Rain In The Dust” – Nicolas Jaar
89. “Underwater” – The Wild Swans
90. “Constellations” – Darwin Deez
91. “Finale” – Funeral Party
92. “100 Other Lovers” – DeVotchKa
93. “Rearrange” – Miles Kane
94. “Blood” – The Dears
95. “New Brighton” – Said The Whale
96. “Shine on You” – The Duke & The King
97. “If I Had A Gun” – Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
98. “World Gone Global” – The Dead Trees
99. “Louder Than Ever” – Cold War Kids
100. “On The Corner” – The Twilight Singers
MY TOP 20 AMERICANA/ALT-COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Gillian Welch: THE HARROW & THE HARVEST. Close to heaven.
2. Old Californio: SUNDRUNK ANGELS.
3. Dave Alvin: ELEVEN ELEVEN.
4. Middle Brother: MIDDLE BROTHER.
5. Jason Isbell & The 400 Unit: HERE WE REST.
6. Ry Cooder: PULL UP SOME DUST AND SIT DOWN.
7. Jolie Holland: PINT OF BLOOD.
8. The Webb Sisters: SAVAGES.
9. Kate Maki: MOONSHINE.
10. Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy: WOLFROY GOES TO TOWN.
11. Caitlin Rose: OWN SIDE NOW.
12. Dead Rock West: BRIGHT MORNING STARS.
13. The Low Anthem: SMART FLESH.
14. Peter Case: THE CASE FILES.
15. Neal Casal: SWEETEN THE DISTANCE.
16. Shelby Lynne: REVELATION ROAD.
17. Drive-By Truckers: GO-GO BOOTS.
18. John Hiatt: DIRTY JEANS AND MUDSLIDE HYMNS.
19. Lucinda Williams: BLESSED.
20. The Felice Brothers: CELEBRATION, FLORIDA.
MY TOP 10 BLUES ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Gary Clark Jr.: THE BRIGHT LIGHTS EP. Dazzling debut.
2. Tedeschi Trucks Band: REVELATOR.
3. Gregg Allman: LOW COUNTRY BLUES.
4. Matt Schofield: ANYTHING BUT TIME.
5. Joe Bonamassa: DUST BOWL.
6. Warren Haynes: MAN IN MOTION.
7. Cedric Burnside Project: THE WAY I AM.
8. Ana Popovic: UNCONDITIONAL.
9. Johnny Winter: ROOTS.
10. Seasick Steve: YOU CAN’T TEACH AN OLD DOG NEW TRICKS.
MY TOP 10 COUNTRY ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Pistol Annies (Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe and Angaleena Presley): HELL ON HEELS. Ass-kicking.
2. Hayes Carll: KMAG YOYO.
3. Alison Kraus & Union Station: PAPER AIRPLANE.
4. Josh T. Pearson: LAST OF THE COUNTRY GENTLEMEN.
5. Steve Earle: I’LL NEVER GET OUT OF THIS WORLD ALIVE.
6. Hank 3: GHOST TO A GHOST/GUTTER TOWN.
7. Amanda Shires: CARRYING LIGHTNING.
8. Carrie Rodriguez & Ben Kyle: WE STILL LOVE OUR COUNTRY.
9. Miranda Lambert: FOUR THE RECORD.
10. Wanda Jackson: THE PARTY AIN’T OVER.
MY TOP 10 FOLK ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Meg Baird: SEASONS ON EARTH. Haunting.
2. Fionn Regan: 100 ACRES OF SYCAMORE.
3. Abigail Washburn: CITY OF REFUGE.
4. William Elliott Whitmore: FIELD SONGS.
5. Heirlooms Of August: FOREVER THE MOON.
6. The Carravick Sisters: FROM THE FIELDS.
7. Tiny Ruins: SOME WERE MEANT FOR SEA.
8. The Unthanks: LAST.
9. Bella Hardy: SONGS LOST & STOLEN.
10. Jackie Oates: SATURNINE.
MY TOP 20 GARAGE/LO-FI RECORDS OF 2011:
1. Mazes: A THOUSAND HEYS.
2. Mikal Cronin: MIKAL CRONIN.
3. The Black Lips: ARABIA.
4. Crystal Stilts: IN LOVE WITH OBLIVION.
5. Cloud Nothings: CLOUD NOTHINGS.
6. Vivian Girls: SHARE THE JOY.
7. Jeffrey Lewis: A TURN IN THE DREAM-SONGS.
8. Veronica Falls: VERONICA FALLS.
9. Caveman: COCO BEWARE.
10. Shimmering Stars: VIOLENT HEARTS.
11. Fergus & Geronimo: UNLEARN.
12. Bobb Trimble: THE CRIPPLED DOG BAND.
13. Allah-Las - “Catamaran” 7”.
14. Thee Oh Sees: CARRION CRAWLER/THE DREAM.
15. The Sonic Jewels - “Slide Of Time” 7”.
16. The Ettes: WICKED WILL.
17. White Fence: IS GROWING FAITH.
18. Surfer Blood: TAROT CLASSICS EP.
19. Nick Waterhouse: IS THAT CLEAR EP.
20. Ty Segall: GOODBYE BREAD.
SIX HIP-HOP ALBUMS OF 2011 I LIKED:
1. The Weeknd: THE MIX TAPE TRILOGY, PART 1: HOUSE OF BALLOONS.
2. The Weeknd: THE MIX TAPE TRILOGY, PART 2: THURSDAY.
3. The Weeknd: THE MIX TAPE TRILOGY, PART 3: ECHOES OF SILENCE.
4. Jay-Z and Kanye West: WATCH THE THRONE.
5. Drake: TAKE CARE.
6. The Beastie Boys: HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE, PART TWO.
THREE EXCELLENT INSTRUMENTAL ALBUMS RELEASED IN 2011:
1. Glenn Jones: THE WANTING.
2. Bill Ryder-Jones: IF ON A WINTER’S NIGHT A TRAVELER.
3. Ballaké Sissoko & Vincent Segal: CHAMBER MUSIC.
MY TOP SIX JAZZ ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Ambrose Akinmusire : WHEN THE HEART EMERGES GLISTENING.
2. The Impossible Gentlemen: THE IMPOSSIBLE GENTLEMEN.
3. Anthony Wilson: SEASONS (LIVE AT THE METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART).
4. Joe Lovano: BIRD SONGS.
5. Noah Preminger: BEFORE THE RAIN.
6. Gerald Wilson: LEGACY.
FOUR GREAT LIVE ALBUMS RELEASED IN 2011:
1. Rockpile: LIVE AT MONTREUX 1980.
2. Levon Helm: RAMBLE AT THE RYMAN.
3. JJ Grey & Mofro: BRIGHTER DAYS.
4. Neil Young & the International Harvesters: A TREASURE.
MY TOP 15 R&B/SOUL ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Raphael Saadiq: STONE ROLLIN’. Funkadelic.
2. The Roots: UNDUN.
3. Charles Bradley: NO TIME FOR DREAMING.
4. Michael Kiwanuka: TELL ME A TALE EP.
5. Van Hunt: WHAT WERE YOU HOPING FOR?
6. Anthony Hamilton: BACK TO LOVE.
7. The Bo-Keys: GOT TO GET BACK!
8. Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears: SCANDALOUS.
9. Betty Wright: THE MOVIE.
10. Frank Ocean: NOSTALGIA, ULTRA.
11. Mayer Hawthorne: HOW DO YOU DO.
12. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings: SOUL TIME!
13. Dennis Coffey: DENNIS COFFEY.
14. Dionne Bromfield: GOOD FOR THE SOUL.
15. Anthony Joseph & The Spasm Band: RUBBER ORCHESTRAS.
MY TOP 25 SINGER-SONGWRITER ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Sarah Jarosz: FOLLOW ME DOWN. Ethereal.
2. Benjamin Francis Leftwich: LAST SMOKE BEFORE THE SNOWSTORM.
3. Lia Ices: GROWN UNKNOWN.
4. Kathryn Calder: BRIGHT AND VIVID.
5. The Milk Carton Kids: PROLOGUE.
6. Marissa Nadler: MARISSA NADLER.
7. Marcus Foster: NAMELESS PATH.
8. Mara Carlyle: FLOREAT.
9. Jonas Asker: EP.
10. Alexi Murdoch: TOWARDS THE SUN.
11. Tristen: CHARLATANS AT THE GOLDEN GATE.
12. Aaron Wright: AARON WRIGHT.
13. Sarabeth Tucek: GET WELL SOON.
14. John Vanderslice: WHITE WILDERNESS.
15. William Fitzsimmons: GOLD IN THE SHADOW.
16. Gerard Starkie: POTIONS.
17. Ben Howard: EVERY KINGDOM.
18. Pieta Brown: MERCURY.
19. Peter Bradley Adams: BETWEEN US.
20. Peter Bruntnell: BLACK MOUNTAIN U.F.O.
21. Paul Wassif: LOOKING UP FEELING DOWN.
22. Ramsay Midwood: LARRY BUYS A LIGHTER.
23. Adam Cohen: LIKE A MAN
24. Alexander: ALEXANDER.
25. Lindsey Buckingham: SEEDS WE SOW.
MY TOP 20 WORLD MUSIC ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Fatoumata Diawara: KANOU EP. Beautiful. Look for a complete eponymous LP to follow.
2. Tinariwen: TASSILI.
3. Juju: IN TRANCE.
4. Orchestre Poly-Rythmo: COTONOU CLUB.
5. SMOD: SMOD.
6. Femi Kuti: AFRICA FOR AFRICA.
7. Iness Mezel: BEYOND THE TRANCE.
8. Boubacar Traore: MALI DENHOU.
9. Vieux Farka Touré: THE SECRET.
10. Seun Kuti & Egypt 80: FROM AFRICA WITH FURY: RISE.
11. Les Nubians: Nü REVOLUTION.
12. Lucas Santtana: SEM NOSTALGIA.
13. Bill Frisell & Vinícius Cantuária: LAGRIMAS MEXICANAS.
14. Yaaba Funk: AFROBEAST.
15. Dengue Fever: CANNIBAL COURTSHIP.
16. Eliane Elias: LIGHT MY FIRE.
17. Terakaft: ARATAN N AZAWAD.
18. Asa: BEAUTIFUL IMPERFECTION
19. Ben L’Oncle Soul: BEN L’ONCLE SOUL.
20. Various Artists: RED HOT & RIO 2.
MY TOP SIX SOUNDTRACK ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. YOUNG ADULT.
2. CRAZY, STUPID LOVE.
3. NORMAN.
4. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO.
5. WE BOUGHT A ZOO.
6. TRUE BLOOD, VOLUME 3.
MY TOP SIX REISSUE ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. The Beach Boys: THE SMILE SESSIONS.
2. Michael Chapman: FULLY QUALIFIED SURVIVOR.
3. El Rego: EL REGO ET SES COMMANDOS. The Beninese James Brown!
4. Neutral Milk Hotel: RELEASES-BOX SETS AND DRAWINGS.
5. Nirvana: NEVERMIND (20TH ANNIVERSARY DELUXE EDITION).
6. Various Artists: GROOVE CLUB, VOL. 1: LE CONFISERIE MAGIQUE.
SIX VERY GOOD TRIBUTE ALBUMS OF 2011:
1. Various Artists: JOHNNY BOY WOULD LOVE THIS: A TRIBUTE TO JOHN MARTYN.
2. Various Artists: PAINT IT BLACK: AN ALT-COUNTRY TRIBUTE TO THE ROLLING STONES.
2. Ben Waters & Various Artists: BOOGIE 4 STU: A TRIBUTE TO IAN STEWART.
3. Various Artists: RAVE ON BUDDY HOLLY.
4. Steve Cropper: DEDICATED: A SALUTE TO THE 5 ROYALES.
6. Various Artists: ZZ TOP – A TRIBUTE FROM FRIENDS.
MY TOP 12 COVERS RECORDS OF 2011:
1. Little Roy: BATTLE FOR SEATTLE (Reggae Nirvana covers).
2. Glen Campbell: GHOST ON THE CANVAS.
3. Okkervil River: GOLDEN OPPORTUNITIES 2.
4. Tony Bennett: DUETS II.
5. The Decemberists: various covers on ITUNES SESSION.
6. Adele - “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Bonnie Raitt) live 7”.
7. Bon Iver – “I Can’t Make You Love Me” (Bonnie Raitt) 7”.
8. The Watson twins: NIGHT COVERS.
9. Thea Gilmore: JOHN WESLEY HARDING.
10. Mayer Hawthorne: IMPRESSIONS – THE COVERS EP.
11. Trent Reznor & Karen O. – “The Immigrant Song” (Led Zeppelin) single.
12. Neko Case & Nick Cave – “She’s Not There” (The Zombies) single.
THREE COOL ALBUMS RECORDED YEARS AGO AND FINALLY OFFICIALLY RELEASED IN 2011:
1. Screaming Trees: LAST WORDS: THE FINAL RECORDINGS.
2. The Rolling Stones: BRUSSELS AFFAIR (LIVE 1973).
3. Love: BLACK BEAUTY.
AN EXCELLENT ALBUM FROM 2011 THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED IN 2010:
The Head & The Heart: THE HEAD AND THE HEART. Songs written in 2009, album originally released by the band in June 2010, re-released by Sub Pop on April 16, 2011. On my recommended list last year, but so good it warrants another mention.
AN EXCELLENT ALBUM FROM 2011 THAT WAS PREVIOUSLY RELEASED IN 2010 AND THEN REMIXED IN 2011:
Gil Scott-Heron: I’M NEW HERE, reworked by The XX as WE’RE NEW HERE.
BEST COMEBACK ALBUM OF 2011:
The Feelies: HERE BEFORE. Previous album was 20 years ago; sounds like not a minute has passed.
BEST COMEBACK SINGLE OF 2011:
Mazzy Star – “Common Burn” b/w “Lay Myself Down.” Previous record was 15 years ago; sounds like not a minute has passed. Touring this summer, with a new album to follow.
BEST U.K. ALBUM OF 2010 THAT WILL FINALLY BE RELEASED IN THE U.S. IN 2012:
Rumer: SEASONS OF MY SOUL. Mentored by Burt Bacharach; Elton John is a fanboy.
BEST ICELANDIC ALBUM OF 2011 THAT WILL BE RELEASED IN THE U.S. IN 2012:
Of Monsters And Men: MY HEAD IS AN ANIMAL. Fantastic.
TWO EXCELLENT U.K. ALBUMS MENTIONED IN THE LISTS ABOVE THAT WILL BE RELEASED IN THE U.S. IN 2012:
1. Fionn Regan: 100 ACRES OF SYCAMORE. Great folk-rock singer/songwriter.
2. Bill Ryder-Jones: IF ON A WINTER’S NIGHT A TRAVELER. Great instrumental album from the ex-lead guitarist of The Coral.
BEST R&B/HIP-HOP DOWNLOAD TRILOGY OF 2011 THAT WILL GET AN OFFICIAL RELEASE IN 2012:
The Weeknd: HOUSE OF BALLOONS/ THURSDAY/ ECHOES OF SILENCE. Dazzling creativity from Canadian artist Abel Tesfaye.
BEST R&B/HIP-HOP DOWNLOAD ALBUM OF 2011 THAT WILL GET AN OFFICIAL RELEASE IN 2012:
Frank Ocean: NOSTALGIA, ULTRA. Transcends the idiom.
BEST REUNION OF 2011:
The Stone Roses. Touring this summer.
SIXTEEN COOL RECORDS THAT CAME OUT OF LOS ANGELES IN 2011 (ALPHABETICALLY):
Active Child: YOU ARE ALL I SEE.
The Allah-Las – “Catamaran” b/w “Long Journey” 7”.
The Belle Brigade: THE BELLE BRIGADE.
Best Coast – “How They Want Me to Be” 7”.
Mikal Cronin: MIKAL CRONIN.
Dawes: NOTHING IS WRONG.
Fool’s Gold: LEAVE NO TRACE.
Hanni El Khatib: WILL THE GUNS COME OUT.
La Sera: LA SERA.
The Milk Carton Kids: PROLOGUE.
Old Californio: SUNDRUNK ANGELS.
Rival Sons: PRESSURE & TIME.
Warpaint: EXQUISITE CORPSE EP.
Nick Waterhouse: IS THAT CLEAR EP.
White Fence: IS GROWING FAITH.
Jonathan Wilson: GENTLE SPIRIT.
TEN COOL RECORDS THAT CAME OUT OF PHILADELPHIA IN 2011 (ALPHABETICALLY):
Meg Baird: SEASONS ON EARTH.
Brown Recluse: EVENING TAPESTRY.
Charlie Gracie: FOR THE LOVE OF CHARLIE!
Daryl Hall: LAUGHING DOWN CRYING.
Nikki Jean: PENNIES IN A JAR.
The Roots: UNDUN.
Jill Scott: THE LIGHT OF THE SUN.
Kurt Vile: SMOKE RING FOR MY HALO (Bonus: SO OUTTA REACH EP).
The War On Drugs: SLAVE AMBIENT.
Denison Witmer: THE KEY STUDIO SESSIONS.
UNFORTUNATE MUSIC INDUSTRY PASSINGS IN 2011:
George Shearing
John Maus (John Walker of the Walker Brothers)
Gil Scott-Heron
Bert Jansch
Amy Winehouse
Clarence Clemons
Cesaria Evora
Gerry Rafferty
Andrew Gold
Gary Moore
Rob Grill (The Grass Roots)
Mikey Welsh (Weezer)
Howard Tate
Hubert Sumlin
Dobie Gray
Phoebe Snow
Pinetop Perkins
Polly Styrene X-Ray Spex)
Mike Starr (Alice In Chains)
Paul Motian
Charlie Louvin
Sean Bonniwell (The Music Machine)
Heavy D
Bill Pitcock IV (Dwight Twilley Band)
Mark “Moogy” Klingman
Keef Hartley
Nate Dogg
Jerry Lieber (songwriter)
Sylvia Robinson (label owner)
Owsley (scene maker)
Wild Man Fischer (scenester)
John Carter (songwriter/producer)
Don Kirshner (producer)
Barry Feinstein (Dylan photographer)
Suze Rotolo (Dylan muse)
THE TOP 25 REALLY GOOD ALBUMS FROM 2010 THAT WERE NOT MENTIONED IN LAST YEAR’S “BEST OF 2010” POST:
1. Painted Hills: PAINTED HILLS. Just wow!
2. The Sadies: DARKER CIRCLES.
3. Great Lakes: WAYS OF ESCAPE.
4. The Volebeats:THE VOLEBEATS.
5. Kathryn Calder: ARE YOU MY MOTHER?
6. Jenny O: HOME EP.
7. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals: ITUNES SESSION
8. Johnny Flynn: BEEN LISTENING.
9. First Aid Kit: THE BIG BLACK AND THE BLUE.
10. Dark Dark Dark: WILD GO.
11. The Golden Filter: VOLUSPA.
12. JJ Grey & Mofro: GEROGIA WARHORSE.
13. Biffy Clyro: ONLY REVOLUTIONS.
14. Perfume Genius: LEARNING.
15. The Innocence Mission: MY ROOM IN THE TREES.
16. Mary Hampton: MY MOTHER’S CHILDREN.
17. Yaaba Funk: AFROBEAST. Awesome Afrobeat from London.
18. Ana Moura: LEVA-ME AOS FADOS. Also awesome Portuguese fadista.
19. The Psychedelic Aliens: PSYCHO AFRICAN BEAT. Awesome Ghanaian Afrobeat meets Motown meets Hendrix reissue from 1971.
20. Jim Sullivan: U.F.O. Reissue of the brilliant 1969 album.
THE TOP SIX REALLY GOOD SONGS FROM 2010 THAT WERE NOT MENTIONED IN LAST YEAR’S “BEST OF 2010” POST:
1. Keane (with K’Naan) – “Stop For A Minute”
2. Lloyd Cole – “Oh Genevieve”
3. John Wesley Harding – “Oh! Pandora”
4. Neville Skelly - Blues Run The Game” (Jackson Frank cover)
5. Ray Davies (featuring Mumford & Sons) – “Days/This Time Tomorrow”
6. Ana Tijoux – “1977”
20 UPCOMING RELEASES FROM 2012 I HAVE ALREADY HEARD AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND:
1. Leonard Cohen: OLD IDEAS.
2. Kathleen Edwards: VOYAGEUR.
3. Nada Surf: THE STARS ARE INDIFFERENT TO ASTRONOMY.
4. Ren Harvieu: THROUGHT THE NIGHT.
5. The Staves: THE STAVES.
6. The Shins: PORT OF MORROW.
7. Beth Jeans Houghton: YOURS TRULY, CELLOPHANE NOSE.
8. Various Artists: CHIMES OF FREEDOM: THE SONGS OF BOB DYLAN HONORING 50 YEARS OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL.
9. Tennis: YOUNG & OLD.
10. Miike Snow: DEVIL’S WORK.
11. Black Star: TBA
12. Slow Moving Millie: RENDITIONS.
13. Of Montreal: PARALYTIC STALKS.
14. Air: LE VOYAGE DANS LA LUNE.
15. Mark Lanegan Band: BLUES FUNERAL.
16. Michael Kiwanuka: HOME AGAIN.
17. First Aid Kit: THE LION’S ROAR.
18. Laura Gibson: LA GRANDE.
19. Django Django: DJANGO DJANGO.
20. Lana Del Rey: BORN TO DIE.
NEW AND UPCOMING NEW RELEASE DATES:
January
1-10
Bill Ryder-Jones: If...
Snow Patrol: Fallen Empires
The Little Willies: For The Good Times
The Maccabees: Given To The Wild
1-17
The Big Pink: Future This
The Duke Spirit: Bruiser
Bombay Bicycle Club: A Different Kind Of Fix
Kathleen Edwards: Voyageur
1-24
Rumer: Seasons Of My Soul
Cloud Nothings: Attack on Memory
Chairlift: Something
Craig Finn: Clear Heart Full Eyes
Ingrid Michaelson: Human Again
Laura Gibson: La Grande
Nada Surf: The Stars are Indifferent to Astronomy
Guided By Voices: Let’s Go Eat The Factory
Joe Cocker: Hard Knocks
Big Deal: Lights Out
First Aid Kit: The Lion’s Roar
Django Django: Django Django
Various Artists: Chimes of Freedom: The Songs of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International City
1-31
Imperial Teen: Feel the Sound
Lana Del Rey: Born to Die
Leonard Cohen: Old Ideas
Fionn Regan: 100 Acres Of Sycamore
Ringo Starr: 2012
Seal: Soul 2
Carole King: Music
The Bevis Frond: The Leaving Of London
Radiohead: The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement DVD
2-7
Air: Le Voyage Dans La Lune
Ben Kweller: Go Fly A Kite
Paul McCartney: Kisses On The Bottom (standards covers, with Diana Krall and her band)
The Fray: Scars & Stories
The Lemonheads: Hotel Sessions
Mark Lanegan Band: Blues Funeral
Sharon Van Etten: Tramp
The Twilight Sad: No One Can Ever Know
Dr. Dog: Be The Void
Of Montreal: Paralytic Stalks
Silver Swans: Forever
Van Halen (reunion with David Lee Roth): A Different Kind Of Truth
2-14
Otis Taylor: Contraband
Amos Lee: As The Crow Flies
Tennis: Young & Old
Field Music: Plumb
Shearwater: Animal Joy
Heartless Bastards: Arrow
Nikki Minaj: Pink Friday; Roman Reloaded
2-21
Sleigh Bells: Reign of Terror
The Cranberries: Roses
Damien Jurado: Maraqopa
John Wesley Coleman: Last Donkey Show
Lambchop: Mr. M
Tindersticks: The Something Rain
Peter Broderick: It Starts Here
Jim White: Where It Hits You
Kevin Kinney/The Golden Palominos: Good Country Mile
Ting Tings: Sounds From Nowheresville
Elvis Costello: The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Wheel Live
Sinead O’Connor: What About Me
2-28
Jay Farrar (Son Volt)/Jim James (My Morning Jacket)/Will Johnson (Centro-Matic) and Anders Parker (Varnaline): New Multitudes (new music set to previously unrecorded lyrics by Woody Guthrie)
Beth Jeans Houghton and the Hooves of Destiny: Yours Truly, Cellophane Nose
Pink Floyd: The Wall Reissue
School of Seven Bells: Ghostory
Plants and Animals: The End Of That
Lyle Lovett: Release Me
Carolina Chocolate Drops: Leaving Eden
Céu: Caravena Sereia
Loreena McKennitt: Troubadours On The Rhine
The Dirty Three: Toward The Low Sun
MARCH
3-6
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Wrecking Ball
Andrew Bird: Break It Yourself
Bowerbirds: The Clearing
Lissy Trullie: Lissy Trullie
Magnetic Fields: Love at the Bottom of the Sea
Kaiser Chiefs: Start The Revolution
Warren Haynes: TBA
Tom Jones 7” – Jezebel b/w Evil (produced by Jack White)
3-13
The Decemberists: We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live)
Madonna: M.D.N.A
The Three Funkateers (Damon Albarn, Flea & Tony Allen): The Three Funkateers
Delta Spirit: Delta Spirit
3-20
Spiritualized: Sweet Heart, Sweet Light
The Doors: L.A. Woman: The Workshop Sessions
The Shins: Port of Morrow
Esperanza Spalding: Radio Music Society
3-27
Paul Weller: Sonik Kicks
Justin Townes Earle: Nothing’s Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now
Miike Snow: Happy To You
La Sera: Sees The Light
Michael Kiwanuka: Home Again
Macy Gray: Covered
April
4-10
Bonnie Raitt: Slipstream (produced by Joe Henry)
The Nightingales: No Love Lost
Ren Harvieu: Through The Night
Alabama Shakes: Hold On
May
5-8
Regina Spektor: What We Saw From The Cheap Seats
Rufus Wainwright: Out Of The Game (produced by Mark Ronson)
Also due, release dates TBD:
Michelle Branch: West Coast Time
Neon Trees: Picture Show
The Veronicas: The Awakening
Rush: Clockwork Angels
Perfume Genius: Put Your Back N2 It
Slow Moving Millie: Renditions
The Staves: The Staves
Santigold: Master Of My Make Believe
U2: Songs Of Ascent (plus two other albums recorded)
Bobby Womack: The Bravest Man In The Universe
New Order: The Lost Sirens
The Weeknd: Mixtape Trilogy
Neil Young & Crazy Horse (two albums recorded)
Best Coast: TBA (produced by Jon Brion)
Patti Smith: TBA
The Avett Brothers: TBA (produced by Rick Rubin)
How To Destroy Angels (Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross): TBA
The Watson Twins: TBA
Trey Anastasio, with The National as the backing band: TBA
Tom Jones: TBA
No Doubt: TBA
Phoenix: TBA
Sigur Ros: TBA
Black Star: TBA
The xx: TBA
Fiona Apple: TBA
The Chris Robinson Brotherhood: TBA
Cat Power: TBA
Johnny Marr: TBA
Morrissey: TBA
Mumford & Sons: TBA
ZZ Top: TBA
The Walkmen: TBA
The National: TBA
Grizzly Bear: TBA
Twin Shadow: TBA
David Byrne & St. Vincent: TBA
Afghan Whigs: TBA
Smith Westerns: TBA
Black Onassis: TBA
Tom Jones: TBA (produced by Jack White)
Soul Asylum: TBA
Soundgarden: TBA
Fleetwood Mac: TBA
Garbage: TBA
Dirty Projectors: TBA
Aerosmith: TBA
Toy: TBA
Black Sabbath (reunion with Ozzy Osbourne): TBA (produced by Rick Rubin)
Beach Boys: Reissue series and box set
NEW THINGS I AM LISTENING TO THIS WEEK FROM 2011 THAT I MISSED WHEN I WROTE THIS ORIGINAL POST:
Radiohead, double-sided single - "Staircase" b/w "The Daily Mail," from the live DVD, THE KING OF LIMBS-FROM THE BASEMENT
The National - "Rylan" and "I Need My Girl," performed live on Q (CBC radio)
Wussy - "Asteroids," from the STRAWBERRY CD
The Internet - "Fastlane," from their PURPLE NAKED LADIES CD
Big Deal - "Homework," from their LIGHTS OUT CD
Skrillex, featuring The Doors - "Breakin' a Sweat"
Monday, January 19, 2009
BEST MUSIC OF 2008
The big story in music in 2008 was not just the further dissolution of the ancient distribution model, but also the further demise of the album, not only as a delivery system but also as a complete concept.
I don't attribute this phenomenon to an attrition of talent in the field, but rather to a lack of focus, both on the part of the music makers and the listeners, due in part to the de-evolution of the old music business, as well as to the increasing diminution of the collective attention span in general.
With the collapse of the three-tier distribution system (artist/record company/record store, with radio acting as the advertising agency), the old conceit of building something that would hold a listener's attention for 45-60 minutes went flying out the window with the bathwater. (Oddly though, while CD sales plummeted like a lead zeppelin, vinyl LP sales were up this year, thanks to the release of a passel of 180-gram virgin vinyl audiophile LPs featuring extra tracks and deluxe packaging.)
In today’s portable universe, with music being consumed by end-users constantly on the move -- via phones, digital devices, computers, on planes, trains and automobiles -- not only must the musician make an impact quickly and indelibly, but the music itself must be available on a fluid basis for immediate and continuous access by any number of the technological devices seeking it; audio surfing makes TV channel surfing seem like cryogenic deep sleep.
Radiohead moved toward a solution last year, with the release of IN RAINBOWS, which was in fact a proper album - a consistently solid collection of songs from one end to the other - one which the band presciently chose to release over the internet on their own website on a tip-jar basis (pay what you want), effectively lopping two tiers off the three-tier model. They wound up selling well over a million copies that way (at an average contribution of $8 per download), and an additional three million units later via the more traditional download portals (iTunes, Amazon etc.) and some ancient brick and mortar sales (Radiohead brilliantly decided to add bonus material and sell a deluxe box set and vinyl package).
This year there has been no story that even came close to Radiohead's in terms of melding art and technology, but in its aftermath the distribution platform was expanded globally by degrees in breadth. Artists are now streaming entire albums for free and for pay on their own websites, offering alternative material and live EPs via aol, iTunes and Amazon, debuting new songs on MySpace, performing in-studio radio sessions for download as podcasts, uploading audio of live concerts as bit torrents, and also video elsewhere on the internet.
In keeping up with this shape-shifting new universe, the methods of the music buyer/listener have had to evolve as well. Not only have the days of stopping into Ye Olde Record Shoppe on Tuesdays to check out the New Release board blown away like so much dust in the wind, so has the tradition of waiting for recommendations from your faithful music rags. These days, the way into seeing, and hearing, what’s new in music is through the blog-o-sphere. Every minute of every day, while Facebookers are updating their status and Twitterers are a-Twittering, thousands of music-lovers around the globe are blogging about their favorite music, just like I do here, except with fanatic regularity. And when you hit the music blogs, you get a bonus – bloggers actually post some MP3 tracks for you to hear. Theoretically, that should not be allowed, but the fact is that the record companies (who have yet to come up with a better alternative themselves that will make any money) are passively abiding the practice, hoping that if you like a taste of what you hear, you will invest in buying their product -- hopefully even an entire CD.
As a blogger myself, and a purveyor of as much music as I could possibly find and listen to in 2008, my analysis is that music is not dead, it’s just been diffracted and strewn into smaller bits (and bytes) around the world. The way I see it, the field may have narrowed in depth but has stretched in width; while there may have been fewer consistently excellent albums, there were actually more great new songs, many of those coming from new bands, some not yet even formally signed to a label, and from further reaches of the globe. And while some of these gems are hidden, most are readily available, many from tiny independents, with the slightest bit of research, an open mind and just a few clicks on a keyboard.
In the end, while I was finally able to find 60 noteworthy albums this year, I can only say the Top 15 are truly excellent throughout (with the equivalent of a 95-100 score), from track-to-track, start-to-finish. On the other hand, I found it much more difficult to winnow down the nearly 200 standout miscellaneous album tracks I heard in 2008 to the 50 finalists for the purposes of this list.
While major releases from industry superstars such as Oasis, Guns’n’Roses, Kanye West, Madonna and others all failed to live up to sales expectations in 2008, much of the music that made my Best Of list this year came from the debut or sophomore recording of artists who were new to me, or from an artist who had undergone a sudden and significant growth spurt in terms of musical maturity.
In terms of motif, one trend was worth mentioning. To these ears, it seemed like the majority of the best of music in 2008 was more quiet, more personal, and more introspective than in previous years, perhaps as a reaction to the collective uncertainty of the times, the violence and the general anxiety. With few notable exceptions, music did not seem celebratory or grand or anthemic this year; rather it reflected a return to more personal insights made by artists who looked to nature and into their own souls for sustenance and affirmation. To me, it felt like the music of 2008 moved in gently like a lamb, and stayed there; even some hard rockers and electro-musicians made softer, more listenable and, ultimately, more appealing records. In fact, some of the songs that appeared on those few hard rocking albums I liked best were later reinterpreted in “unplugged” settings and re-released.
What follows is my list.
2008 ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
1. Fleet Foxes – FLEET FOXES and SUN GIANT (EP)
The Fleet Foxes are a new band that arose from Seattle not remotely affected by grunge, but instead influenced by the harmonies of Crosby, Stills and Nash, the folk-rock musicianship of The Fairport Convention and the baroque pop song structure of The Zombies. Their sound is as fresh and clean as the Washington State mountain air, constructed of lush and lilting musical beds onto which they construct rapturous multi-layered harmonies.
Their eponymous full-length debut, which is beautiful from its first gorgeously-woven song to its last, was released on June 3rd, and one week later I first posted here that it was the second best thing I had heard all year. On August 2nd I posted that it had overtaken an earlier favorite as my Album of the Year, and it remained there until this day.
Even before the FLEET FOXES CD was on the street though, word of mouth had spread, and with a summer concert tour booked they needed something to sell immediately, so the band rushed back into the studio to record an EP, dubbed SUN GIANT, which was rush-released in April. Like many, I found SUN GIANT only after I had experienced the full-length CD, but it shows a more mature band and possibly even better songs, including “Mykonos, which may be their best yet. One reason is that the Fleet Foxes had by that time added a ‘secret weapon’ named J (Josh) Tillman, a whiskey and honey-voiced singer/songwriter on the Seattle scene who had indie-released four solo records of his own. Already loaded with chops, the group took Tillman on as their drummer.
A bonus: J Tillman’s own fifth solo album, VACILANDO TERRITORY BLUES, which was slated for release in January 2009, is now available on iTunes, and it also made my Best Albums… list this year.
For a taste of Fleet Foxes’ sheer ability, check out the very cool French website LA BLOGOTHEQUE, which films bands in unusual surroundings and streams them as “Take Away Shows.” Here you can watch the Fleet Foxes perform “White Winter Hymnal” in an empty high school gymnasium, and witness the band’s astonishing harmonies, here performed a cappella (note that this FF performance was filmed before they added J Tillman):
[url]http://www.blogotheque.net/Fleet-Foxes,4532[/url]
I recommend you bookmark this fantastic site. (Also look for their show with The National.)
Recommended tracks: “White Winter Hymnal,” “Mykonos,” “Your Protector,” “Blue Ridge Mountains.”
2. Bon Iver – FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO
I had mentioned this CD in my year-end column last year as something to listen for in 2008, and once it officially appeared in February, its magic was immediately apparent.
FOR EMMA is the result of a winter spent in isolation in the woods of northern Wisconsin by Justin Vernon, who was contemplating the break-up of his relationship, the demise of his band and his recovery from a lingering illness. The music, recorded on lo-fi equipment with the intention that it be used as a demo for future recording with a full band, is melancholic and moving, and its gestalt of isolation is haunting and nearly overwhelming. It feels like a winter album, like snow falling and firewood crackling, and prior to its issue Vernon, assumed the nom de plume Bon Iver, an Anglicized take on the French term for a “good winter”. He wisely chose to release FOR EMMA virtually as he had recorded it in his cabin, with simple backing tracks and layers of vocals rendered in his trance-induced near-falsetto. This was the record that I had as No. 1 on my list for the first six months of 2008, before the Fleet Foxes displaced it, but I listen to it still, through a second winter.
Recommended tracks: “Skinny Love,” “For Emma,” “Re: Stacks.”
3. The Hold Steady – STAY POSITIVE
The title says it all; this is perhaps the greatest exception of 2008 -- an outstanding American rock record that does champion the power of rock and roll, and extols its eternal truths – filled with stories about losers who just might win by keeping their faith, and outcasts who may even find redemption by staying true to their own ideals. Leader Craig Finn is not a rock star but he is an unlikely rock hero; he looks like Peter Sellers and possesses a singing voice that is marginal at best, but he grew up in Minnesota weaned on the irony and hard edge of The Replacements and Husker Dü, and moved to Brooklyn where he assimilated the rocker-as-preacher of rock gospel, Bruce Springsteen. Finn sings with a burning passion, his is band committed to delivering his message with fire and brimstone fury, and STAY POSITIVE churns with buzzing guitars, swelling choruses and sweeping hooks. The track “Sequestered in Memphis” is the Song of the Year.
Recommended tracks: “Sequestered in Memphis,” “Stay Positive,” “Constructive Summer.
4. Frightened Rabbit – THE MIDNIGHT ORGAN FLIGHT and LIVER! LUNG! FR! (EP)
Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish quartet featuring singer-songwriter Scott Hutchison, who despite being half a world away from Bon Iver, was suffering the same fate and also crafting stunning songs from the painful shards of a broken relationship. THE MIDNIGHT ORGAN FLIGHT, FR’s second CD (first with the current line-up), plays like a modern version of BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, like a dazzling diamond dagger to the heart. For good measure, he followed it several months later with the LIVER! EP, a magical 12-track live “unplugged” version of the full-length.
Recommended tracks: “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms,” “Keep Yourself Warm,” “Poke.”
5. The Last Shadow Puppets – THE AGE OF THE UNDERSTATEMENT
The LSP are a side project of the Arctic Monkeys’ frontman Alex Turner and his mate Miles Kane, frontman for Brit-rock trio The Rascals, and together they have made a record that far is far greater than the sum of their parts. THE AGE OF THE UNDERSTATMENT is a throwback epic, rich with guitars and Sixties–era reverb, and laced with strings muted horns that is as much evocative of cool James Bond themes as it is Sixties-period Walker Brothers records. Also check out their EPs, one of which includes acoustic songs recorded for the “LIVE AT ABBEY ROAD” television series, and another a brilliant cover of David Bowie’s “In The Heat Of The Morning.”
Recommended tracks: “My Mistakes Were Made For You,” “The Age Of The Understatement,” “In The Heat Of The Morning.”
6. GIRL TALK – FEED THE ANIMALS
The most interesting record of 2008 wasn’t even an original recording, but an ingenious mix of hundreds of samples of other songs mashed together by a whacky recording engineer in Pittsburg, PA, named Gregg Gillis who was formally educated as a biomedical engineer!
A head-spinning homage to the history of rock, R&B, rap, metal, hip-hop and anything else Gillis could throw into his audio mixmaster, FEED THE ANIMALS is musical alchemy (of the kind the NY Times magazine called “a lawsuit waiting to happen”). This virtual masterpiece, made available for public consumption on his own website on a tip-jar basis (pay what you want for download), and the thing went viral. How can you not love a single song that mashes Procol Harum, Kanye West, Michael Jackson, Radiohead, The Band, Kenny Loggins, The Beastie Boys, Salt-n-Pepa, Queen and Cat Stevens, or another that melds Rihanna, Vanilla Ice, Radiohead, Mary J. Blige, The Guess Who, Aerosmith, Ice Cube, Grandmaster Flash, The Tom Tom Club, The Spinners, Fine Young Cannibals, Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Eddie Floyd. (Here’s the Wiki link to see the bitmap of the entire crazy affair: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_the_Animals)[/url].
Recommended tracks: “Set It Off,” “Still Here,” “Hands In The Air," “Let Me See You.”
7. Shearwater – ROOK
Co-founder Jonathan Meiburg left Okkervil River this year to turn his attention full-time to Shearwater, another naturalistic band, in this case literally, as Meiburg has a Masters in Geography as well as a preoccupation with ornithology. He also has a killer voice and writes great songs. The attention he was able to give Shearwater’s new record, ROOK, actually the band’s fifth, is immediately evident, as Meiburg imbued it with poetic songs about sea and sky, flora and fauna imbedded in sumptuous Americana stacked with eclectic instrumentation. When it all locks in, it transcends.
A bonus: Before he left Okkervil, Meiburg cut “Lost Coastlines,” a song about his moving on using a ship at sea metaphor, as a duet with co-founder Will Sheff on OR’s THE STAND-INS record. While that CD was a disappointing collection of leftovers from 2007’s wonderful THE STAGE NAMES, “Lost Coastlines,” an unlikely but infectious combo of Motown rhythm and alt-rock ebullience, was my Number Two Song of the Year.
Recommended tracks: “The Snow Leopard,” “Rooks,” “Leviathan, Bound.”
8. Blitzen Trapper – FURR
FURR is a textbook example of what I was referring to in the prologue; by dialing down the volume and paying more attention on their fourth album to writing words, BT have come up with a delicious and dizzying blend of contemporary alt-country and retro-‘60s pop, a sound which is influenced by Band-abetted Dylan, mid-period Byrds and AMERICAN BEAUTY-era Grateful Dead. The title fantastic track melds Dylanesque lyric imagery with a “Friend of the Devil” vibe. The last band that made records that were this picaresque and this much fun was the Meat Puppets.
Recommended tracks: “Furr,” “Black River Killer,” “Lady On The Water.”
9. The Raconteurs – CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY
CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY is another great American rock album, and while it is not quite as masterful as last year’s inspired debut, BROKEN BOY SOLDIERS, it has a couple key moments that surpass it. CONSOLERS was recorded in a proper studio with a bigger budget, yet it feels sloppier and more experimental, like a merger between Brendan Benson’s love for pop-rock and Jack White’s mission to take blues-rock back from Led Zeppelin and re-establish it as an American idiom. I prefer the songs where Benson takes the lead, his voice straining with color and emotion, but the best moments are those when he and White harmonize and play double guitar leads together; melding into one immense and exuberant kindred spirit in the service of rock and roll, over one of its most solid rhythm sections. Over the course of the year, The Raconteurs re-imagined and performed alternate live acoustic and unplugged versions of several of the songs, which were even more appealing.
Recommended tracks: “Old Enough,” “Rich Kid Blues,” “Salute Your Solution.”
10. Black Keys – ATTACK & RELEASE
The Black Keys, a blues rock duo from Akron who fall into the same groove as Dinosaur Jr. and the White Stripes, finally got into a real studio with a creative producer, Danger Mouse), and made a record that blisters with fuzzy-guitar toned fury. Guitarist Dan Auerbach creates a Junior Kimbough-influenced drone through a stack of tube amps and can wail, but remains true to a post-punk ethic, maintaining a consistently high energy by keeping the all the tracks under five minutes and avoiding unnecessary solo pork.
Recommended tracks: “Strange Times,” “I Got Mine,” “Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be.”
11. Duffy – ROCKFERRY
The leader of the assault of the post-Amy Winehouse British Invaders was Aimée Duffy, a 24-year-old elfin Welshwoman who channeled Motown-influenced blue-eyed Northern Soul on her debut, ROCKFERRY, selling nearly five million copies worldwide thanks to the turbo-charge of the twin hits, “Mercy” and “Warwick Avenue.” A welcome relief from the second-generation BritPop bands the press dubbed “identikits,” Duffy crafted a sound that was casual, cool, catchy and seductive. The fetching songstress proved a welcome relief from Winehouse’s drug-induced histrionics and helped open the door for a new Welch femme neo-soul brigade wave, which included new high quality recordings from the potentially-even more talented 20-year-old Adele, and Sharleen Spiteri, former leader of rock band Texas.
Recommended tracks: “Warwick Avenue,” “Rockferry,” “Mercy.”
12. Elbow – THE SELDOM SEEN KID
Everything fell into place in 2008 for Elbow, the latest in Manchester’s hallowed tradition of producing excellent rock bands. Elbow suddenly found themselves an “overnight success” by winning this year’s Mercury Prize for Best U.K. Album, after having been around for nearly two decades. Lead singer Guy Garvey, his keening voice redolent of Peter Gabriel, and his bandmates take full advantage of the studio, not unlike Genesis, using it as a tool to produce glorious guitar-based rock music that sounds massive. On THE SELDOM SEEN KIND they have reached their apotheosis.
Recommended tracks: “Grounds For Divorce,” “One Day Like This.”
13. Goldfrapp – SEVENTH TREE
Goldfrapp, a British duo fronted by Alison Goldfrapp, was previously known for electronica, extended dance mixes and Alison’s exotic sartorial choices onstage, which included the wearing of horse and deer heads. In a welcome burst of sanity, they decided to turn their interests and energies inward, designing a record that has them not only sounding better than ever, but actually means more. By backing off the synths, adding acoustic instrumentation and strings, and composing songs with swirling melodies slowed- down tempos and writing lyrics flush with mystical imagery, they have achieved a sound that evokes the wind passing through a Renaissance faire in the countryside in the middle of a pleasant summer afternoon. I would love to see them further explore this niche, formerly occupied so brilliantly by Kate Bush.
Recommended tracks: “A&E,” “Happiness.”
14. She & Him – VOLUME ONE
She and Him is an unlikely collaboration between quirky indie-actress Zooey Deschanel (Z. is the “She) and quirky indie folkster M. Ward (M. is the “Him”). VOLUME ONE, which was produced via internet exchanges between Portland and Los Angeles, is delightfully lo-fi and deceptively charming, with a depth that is not immediately apparent. Surprisingly, it was Deschanel who wrote all of the material (Ward produced and brought in the backing band), structuring it as an epistolary to a man with whom she was falling in love and embarking on a relationship. I found her vocals, stylistically a throaty but warm mélange of jazz-inflected textures with country-tinged emotional breaks, stuck inside my head for a good part of the summer. Hopefully on VOLUME TWO they will come up with more than just two or three great songs.
Recommended tracks: “Change Is Hard,” “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?”
15. My Morning Jacket – EVIL URGES
Quicksilver Jim James is capable of spectacular and hair-raising moments as both a guitarist and vocalist, and hits several of them here, shifting from awesome crunchy overdrive to quiet beauty with aplomb and grace.
Recommended tracks: “I’m Amazed,” Librarian,” “Evil Urges.”
16. TV On The Radio – DEAR SCIENCE
Nowhere near their stunning debut CD as it lacks a defining rock moment as strong as “Wolf Like Me,” this is nonetheless a record of tremendous depth, color and texture, and TVOTR could very well be the best live band out there today.
Recommended tracks: “Golden Age,” "Crying," “Dancing Choose.”
17. Calexico – CARRIED TO DUST
Another solid work in the remarkably consistent Calexico canon, with help from Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) and others, glitters like the Arizona sand from whence it came.
Recommended tracks: “House of Valparaiso,” "Two Silver Trees.”
18. Lightspeed Champion – FALLING OF THE LAVENDER BRIDGE
Lightspeed Champion (the sobriquet for Devonte Hynes) has followed an itinerant and fascinating path; an African-American guitarist born in Houston, TX, he was raised in Sussex, England, and there founded the thrash-punk band the Test Icicles when he as only 18. After their dissolution, Hynes went to Omaha, Nebraska, to record with an album for Conor Oberst’s label, Saddle Creek, using some of the musicians from the Bright Eyes-extended family. The result, FOTLB, sounds as diametrically-opposed to the sound of Hynes’ previous work as possible – it is gentle, droning and melodic, filled with deft 12-string guitar-picking, acoustic thrumming and odd yet exuberant frills, and belies his lyrics, where his feelings of alienation, isolation and anger remain constant.
Recommended tracks: “Tell Me What It’s Worth,” “Dry Lips.”
19. Beck – MODERN GUILT
A return to the somber tones and slower tempos of SEA CHANGE, but favoring keyboards over guitars, with production by Danger Mouse and a guest appearance by Cat Power.
Recommended tracks: “Gamma Ray, “Orphans.”
20. Vampire Weekend – VAMPIRE WEEKEND
Ivy League quartet from Columbia plays high-spirited Afro-pop they call “Upper West Side Soweto.” Sure Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel and David Byrne did it first and played it better, but they were nowhere near as much fun.
Recommended tracks: “A-Punk,” “Ottoman” (from the NICK & NORA’S INFINITE PLAYLIST soundtrack).
21. Jenny Lewis – ACID TONGUE
22. Portishead – THIRD
23. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – DIG! LAZARUS, DIG!!!
24. Joan as Police Woman – TO SURVIVE
25. Teddy Thompson – A PIECE OF WHAT YOU NEED
26. J Tillman – VACILANDO BLUES
27. American Music Club – THE GOLDEN AGE
28. Adele – 19
29. The Felice Brothers – THE FELICE BROTHERS
30. Sun Kil Moon - APRIL
31. Mudcrutch – MUDCRUTCH
32. Little Joy – LITTLE JOY
33. Plants & Animals – PARC AVENUE
34. Conor Oberst – CONOR OBERST
35. The Walkmen – YOU & ME
36. White Denim – EXPLOSION
37. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – SUNDAY AT DEVIL DIRT
38. Robert Forster – THE EVANGELIST
39. James McMurtry – JUST US KIDS
40. Martha Wainwright – I KNOW YOU’RE MARRIED, BUT I’VE GOT FEELINGS TOO
41. Hello, Blue Roses - THE PORTRAIT IS FINISHED, AND I HAVE FAILED TO CAPTURE YOUR BEAUTY
42. Deerhunter – MICROCASTLE
43. Sharleen Spiteri - MELODY
44. The Raveonettes – LUST, LUST, LUST
45. The Chapin Sisters – LAKE BOTTOM LP
46. Everest – GHOST NOTES
47. Delta Spirit – ODE TO SINSHINE
48. Pierre de Reeder – THE WAY IT WAS
49. Peter Broderick - HOME
50. Apollo Sunshine – SHALL NOISE UPON
51. M83 – SATURDAYS = YOUTH
52. Centro-Matic – DUAL HAWKS
53. Son Ambulance – SOMEONE ELSE’S DEJA VU
54. Earlimart – HYMN AND HER
55. The Dutchess & The Duke – SHE’S THE DUTCHESS, HE’S THE DUKE
56. Silver Jews - LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, LOOKOUT SEA
57. Neil Halstead – OH! MIGHTY ENGINE
58. Kate Maki – ON HIGH
59. Luke Doucet - BLOOD'S TOO RICH
60. David Byrne & Brian Eno – EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS WILL HAPPEN TODAY
BEST ALBUM FROM 2007 THAT I MISSED BUT HEARD THIS YEAR:
Glenn Mercer – WHEELS IN MOTION
Former leader of influential indie-Gods The Feelies returned and quietly created a pure pop gem back in Hoboken while no one was paying attention. Even better, The Feelies reunited in ’08 for some live gigs and are planning a new album.
Recommended tracks: “Get It Back,” “Another Last Time.”
BEST ALBUM FROM 2002 THAT NOBODY HEARD THAT WAS RE-RELEASED IN 2008:
Plush – FED
Plush is actually a singer/songwriter from Chicago named Liam Hayes, who had a brief appearance in the film HIGH FIDELITY. FED is an incredible and eclectic record that sounds as fresh as if it were made last year.
Recommended tracks: “Fed,” “Greyhound Bus Station.”
BEST ALBUM OF PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS RECORDED BETWEEN 1974 and 1990:
Arthur Russell – LOVE IS OVERTAKING ME
Russell was a classically-trained cellist who was an icon in the Manhattan disco scene, recording and arranging dance records. Hen he died in 1990, he left behind over 1,000 song tapes. This CD collects demos and songs showcasing his unknown singer/songwriter side, and several are heartbreakingly exquisite.
Recommended tracks: “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face,” “Maybe She.”
BEST ACID-FOLK RECORD FROM 1970 THAT NOBODY HEARD THAT WAS RE-RELEASED IN 2008, AND STILL NOBODY HEARD IT:
Linda Perhacs – PARALLELOGRAMS.
If you can find it, listen to it. It’s weird and wonderful.
BEST COMPILATION ALBUM:
Bob Dylan – THE BOOTLEG SERIES, VOL. 8: TELL TALE SIGNS
Rare and unreleased cuts, alternate takes and live takes from 1989 to 2006, covering the recording of OH MERCY, WORLD GONE WRONG, TIME OUT OF MIND and MODERN TIMES. Prime behind the scenes material from post-prime Bob.
Recommended tracks: “Most of the Time” (alternate version), “Mississippi,” “’Cross The Green Mountain.”
BEST LIVE ARCHIVE ALBUM:
Neil Young – SUGAR MOUNTAIN: LIVE AT CANTERBURY HOUSE, 1968
Recorded just days before the release of Neil’s eponymous debut solo album, which was also his 23rd birthday, June 12, 1968. Features pristine performances of several key Buffalo Springfield songs as well as the definitive version of “Sugar Mountain.”
Recommended tracks: “Sugar Mountain,” “I Am A Child,” “Birds.”
BEST OFFICIAL REISSUE OF A LIVE ALBUM PREVIOUSLY ONLY AVAILABLE ON BOOTLEG:
David Bowie – LIVE SANTA MONICA ‘72
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars at their peak, recorded off the soundboard for broadcast in Los Angeles on KMET. Formerly known as the greatest live boot ever made, now digitally remastered by Bowie himself.
Recommended tracks: “Ziggy Stardust,” “Space Oddity,” “Suffragette City.”
BEST DIGITAL REMASTER/REISSUES:
1. Whiskeytown – STRANGERS ALMANAC
With a second disc of studio demos, live tracks and radio performances. Awesome.
2. Nick Lowe – JESUS OF COOL (formerly known in the U.S. as PURE POP FOR NOW PEOPLE).
3. The Replacements’ catalog.
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION series.
All with bonus material added!
BEST COVER ALBUMS:
1. Cat Power – THE GREATEST, along with the bonus follow-up EP, DARK END OF THE STREET.
Chan Marshall turns every song inside out and makes it her own.
2. Vetiver – THING OF THE PAST, along with the bonus follow-up EP, MORE OF THE PAST.
3. Glen Campbell – MEET GLEN CAMPBELL
TEN FANTASTIC ‘WORLD MUSIC’ ALBUMS FROM 2008:
1. Amadou & Mariam – WELCOME TO MALI (Mali)
In my year-end Best Music of 2005 in these very pages, I raved about a stunning album called DIMANCHE A BAMAKO, a stunning achievement by this married Malian duo (she sings, mostly in French, he plays incredible guitar and sings), both of whom are unfortunately blind. This what I wrote then: “Hinting of guitar-inflected African roots music, percussive reggae beats, and Western blues-rock influences, this record is completely mesmerizing, and will have leave you confused about whether to simply listen, sing along or get up and dance. But one thing’s for sure: you will listen to it again and again.” I would say the same now, but would add that while the former record is still slightly better, the newer CD has a more polished production. The world is finally catching up to the aural pleasures of Amadou and Mariam, and they are making many year-end Best Of lists, despite the fact that WELCOME TO MALI won’t be ‘officially’ released in the U.S. until March 24, 2009 (it has been released elsewhere already). They have accepted an invitation to perform at Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration.
Recommended tracks: “Unissons Nous,” “Sebeke,” “Sabali” (produced by Damon Albarn.)
2. Juana Molina – UN DíA (Argentina)
Molina is a former comedienne and television personality who started singing in Castilian Spanish and making records over a decade ago. UN DîA is her fifth album, and her best yet, a weird and wonderful experiment that deconstructs the genres of pop, electronica and regional folk music, then reconstitutes them into a rhythmic trance.
Recommended tracks: “Dar (Que Difícil),” “Vive Solo.”
3. Toumani Diabaté – THE MANDRÉ VARIATIONS (Mali)
4. Shogu Tokumaru - EXIT (Japan)
5. Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 – MANY THINGS (Nigeria)
6. Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are The Very Best – THE VERY BEST MIXTAPE (Malawi/Great Britain)
7. Coralie Clément – TOYSTORE (France)
8. Giulia y los Tellarini – EUSEBIO (Spain)
9. The Ruby Suns – SEA LION (New Zealand/Maori)
10. Carla Bruni - COMME SI DE RIEN N'ÉTAIT (France)
BEST R&B/SOUL ALBUMS:
1. Raphael Saadiq – THE WAY I SEE IT
A quintessential soul album, cut from classic cloth, from Saadiq, formerly the lead singer of Tony!Toni!Toné! (as Raphael Wiggins), who dug through research tapes prior to cutting this album. His diligence pays off, as THE WAY I SEE IT is bursting with plush Philly sound and crisp Motown-stylings, with sterling production values. Great record.
Recommend tracks: “Love That Girl,” “Never Give You Up” (featuring Stevie Wonder.
2. Gnarls Barkley – THE ODD COUPLE
Cee-Lo Green has the best pipes in music today, a phenomenally elastic instrument that fluidly moves from smoky soul balladry to funky trip-hop.
Note: producer Danger Mouse has posted ELPUOC DDO EHT, an instrumental version of this disc, in reverse, as one continuous track for free download on his website:
[url]http://www.fronttobackbacktofront.com/signup/index.html[/url]
Recommended tracks: “Run,” “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul.”
BEST HIP-HOP ALBUMS:
1. The Knux – REMIND ME IN 3 DAYS…
Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Nas and T.I. got the props, and the sales, this year, but The Knux, a pair of brothers from New Orleans, gets my vote for REMIND ME…, which is a party in a box, a rouille of witty rhymes pulsing big beats and infectious grooves, with the instruments played by the talented siblings, known as Krispy Kream and Rah Al Millio. themselves.
Recommended tracks: “The True,” “Bang! Bang!”
2. Erykah Badu – NEW AMERYKAH PART ONE: 4TH WORLD WAR
After a five-year hiatus, the shape-shifting Badu exploded back with a genre-bending record imbued with her spirituality and literate lyrics exploring social politics. PART TWO: RTEURN OF THE ANKH is due this year.
Recommended track: “Honey”
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM:
1. Hayes Carrll – TROUBLE IN MIND
Hayes Carrll lives in Austin, lists Dylan, Kristofferson, Prine and Jack Kerouac as his influences, has written songs with Guy Clark, and has been compared to Townes Van Zandt. If that doesn’t sell you, I don’t know what will, but TROUBLE IN MIND lives up to the hype.
Recommended tracks: “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” “It’s A Shame.”
BEST INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM:
James Blackshaw – LITANY OF ECHOES
Blackshaw is a wizard of the acoustic 12-string guitar, and LITANY continues his string of gorgeous sonic pastiches. Dream music.
Recommended tracks: “Infinite Circle,” “Echo and Abyss.”
BEST ALBUM OF HISTORICAL SONGS:
Al Stewart – SPARKS OF ANCIENT LIGHT
Who else but the eBob board’s own Bard of Bordeaux & Burgundy could rock the Shah of Iran, Dwight D. Eisenhower, William McKinley and the Carthaginians with such clever prose and such tunefulness. Tasty guitar work and production by Laurence Juber.
Recommended tracks: “Ear Of The Night,” “Elvis At The Wheel,” “Hanno the Navigator.”
BEST 'NEW BOB DYLAN' THIS YEAR:
Pete Molinari - A VIRTUAL LANDSLIDE
Accepting the mantle from Ryan Bingham, who accepted it last year from Jackie Greene.
Recommended track: "Look What I Made Out Of My Head Ma."
BEST NEW BOB DYLAN-INFLUENCED ALBUM I MISSED IN 2008 BUT AM LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW:
The Low Anthem - OH MY GOD, CHARLIE DARWIN
Recommended tracks: "Charlie Darwin," "To Ohio."
BEST MID-PERIOD STONES RETRO-SOUNDING RECORD OF 2008:
The Dutchess & The Duke - SHE'S THE DUTCHESS, HE'S THE DUKE
Recommended track: "Reservoir Park."
TOP 30 MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM TRACKS OF 2008:
1. Glasvegas – “Geraldine”
Glasvegas’s debut showed a ton of promise and one stunner of a song.
2. Beach House – “Gila”
3. The Duke Spirit - "The Step and the Walk"
4. R.E.M. – “Hollow Man” (Live from London version)
5. Robyn – “With Every Heartbeat” (acoustic version)
6. The Airborne Toxic Event – “Sometime Around Midnight”
7. Ben Folds (featuring Regina Spektor) – “You Don’t Know Me”
8. Pelle Carlberg – “1983 (Pelle & Sebastian)”
9. Of Montreal – “For Our Elegant Caste”
10. The Gaslight Anthem – “Here’s Looking At You Kid”
11. Eli “Paperboy” Reed And The True Loves – “The Satisfier”
12. Randy Newman – “Losing You”
13. Lucinda Williams (with Elvis Costello) – “Jailhouse Tears”
14. Kings Of Leon – “Sex On Fire”
15. Laura Marling – “Ghosts”
16. Blanche – “I’m Sure Of It”
17. Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs - “For All This”
18. Kamila Thompson – “Little Boy Blue”
19. Lisa Hannigan – “Lille”
20. Inara George and Van Dyke Parks – “Duet”
21. Rachael Yamagata with Ray LaMontagne – “Duet”
22. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “Easy Does It”
23. Lambchop – “National Talk Like A Pirate Day”
24. French Kicks – “With the Fishes”
25. Johnny Flynn – “Leftovers”
26. Joseph Arthur – “Lovely Cost”
27. Department of Eagles – “No One Does It Like You”
28. Jessica Lea Mayfield – “Kiss Me Again”
29. Megapuss – “Adam & Steve”
30. Drive-By Truckers - "Daddy Needs A Drink"
TOP 20 SINGLES FOR A PARTY MIX FROM 2008:
1. The Ting Tings – “That’s Not My Name”
2. Santogold – “Say Aha”
3. The Kills – “Sour Cherry”
4. MGMT – “Time To Pretend”
5. The Killers – “Human”
6. Lykke Li – “Little Bit”
7. Estelle (featuring Kanye West) – “American Boy”
8. Air France – “Collapsing At Your Doorstep”
9. CSS – “Jager Yoga”
10. Those Dancing Days – “Those Dancing Days”
11. Los Campesinos! – “Death To Los Campesinos!”
12. Kate Nash - "Foundations"
13. Love Is All – “Wishing Well”
14. Sébastian Tellier - "Divine"
15. Chairlift – “Bruises”
16. Sam Sparro – “Black & Gold”
17. Kanye West – “Heartless”
18. The Bug & Warrior Queen – “Poison Dart”
19. Hercules & Love Affair – “Blind”
20. Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
BEST MUSIC FILMS OF 2008:
1. Documentary: YOUNG @ HEART
2. Narrative: CADILLAC RECORDS
BEST SOUNDTRACK ALBUMS OF 2008:
1. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
AR Rahman’s helter-skelter score is the perfect accompaniment for Danny Boyle’s film, which was also my Best Movie of 2008. The choice of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” is inspired and though it was heard innumerable times before, still seemed as though it was penned for the film.
Recommended track: “Jai Ho” (used for the fabulous Bollywood-style dance number under the end credits).
2. NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST
Perfectly charming film with a perfectly charming soundtrack that includes Chris Bell from Big Star, Devendra Banhart, Band of Horses, Vampire Weekend, Richard Hawley, Band of Horses, Rogue Wave and the Shout Out Louds.
Recommended track: Vampire Weekend – “Ottoman.”
BEST MOVIE THEME SONG OF 2008:
Bruce Springsteen – “The Wrestler”
One of Springsteen’s best songs, written for the film THE WRESTLER, and to be included on the Boss’s upcoming CD, WORKING ON A DREAM.
BEST MUSIC TELEVISION PROGRAM, COMEDY CATEGORY:
"Flight Of The Conchords." FOTC, 'formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo a capella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo,' wrap satire inside parody. Dry as a bone and funny as hell.
BEST MUSIC TELEVISION PROGRAM, LIVE CATEGORY:
"Austin City Limits," once again. The 34th season featured superb new live performances by REM; Bettye LaVette; Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, Joe Ely and John Hiatt; Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings; Aimee Mann/iron & Wine; Gnarls Barkley/Thievery Corporation; Foo Fighters; and Nick Lowe/The Swell Season.
BEST CONCERT OF 2008:
Van Morrison – ASTRAL WEEKS Live
In its entirety, live at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, November 7, 2008, with full string section and musicians from the original studio recording, including guitarist Jay Berliner. Spellbinding and sublime. To be released on CD and DVD in February, with a possible reprise in New York City in the works.
BEST THINGS I’VE HEARD SO FAR IN 2009:
1. Andrew Bird – NOBLE BEAST
More sophisticated heartfelt pop from Midwestern multi-instrumentalist and intelligent song craftsman, Bird.
Recommended tracks: “Tenuousness,” "Oh No.”
Release date: 1/20.
2. J Tillman – VACILANDO TERRITORY BLUES
See FLEET FOXES section above. I love this record.
Recommended tracks: "No Occasion," "First Born."
Release date: 1/20.
3. Bon Iver – BLOOD BANK EP
Three new songs plus a re-working of the title track, recorded by Justin Vernon along with his full working band. Not as powerfully visceral as his debut recording, but worth listening to nonetheless.
Recommended track: “Blood Bank.”
Release date: 1/20.
4. Mark Olson and Gary Louris – READY FOR THE FLOOD
The Jayhawks co-founders got back together for this unplugged set recorded live in the studio under the direction of longtime fan Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes. Despite not having performed together in a studio since TOMORROW THE GREEN GRASS in 1995, the perfect blend of their vocals, known to Jayhawks fans as the “univoice,” remains intact and sometimes even recalls Simon & Garfunkel. Breathtaking and highly recommended.
Recommended tracks: “Saturday Morning On Sunday Street,” “The Rose Society.”
Release date: 1/27.
5. Bruce Springsteen – WORKING ON A DREAM
The jury is still out on this record, which combines some material leftover songs from the MAGIC sessions with some new songs recorded with the E Street Band, as well as the bonus cut “The Wrestler,” which The Boss composed for the film of the same name, and is the strongest song he has written in years. The lead-off track, “Outlaw Pete,” which at eight-minutes is the longest song Springsteen as recorded since 1980. The album features the final work the late Danny Federici did with the band, as well as a guest appearance by the organist’s son, Jason. Will be available in a Deluxe Edition with a bonus behind-the-scenes DVD. (Note: “The Jersey Devil,” which had been previously released on Springsteen’s website and listed for inclusion in the album has been removed).
Recommended track: “The Wrestler.”
Release date: 1/27.
6. N.A.S.A. – THE SPIRIT OF APOLLO
N.A.S.A. (acronym for North America South America) is a collaboration between classically trained American hip-hop producer Squeak E. Clean (nee Sam Spiegel) and Brazilian DJ DJ Zegon. Their mandate is to “bring the world together through music and art,” building lush musical beds based on Brazilian funk and then layer on superstar vocalists, including Tom Waits, David Byrne, Chuck D.. Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs). M.I.A., Santogold, KRS-One, George Clinton, Old Dirty Bastard, RZA, Method Man, Lykke Li, Kanye West, Seu Jorge and others.
Recommended tracks: “Money,” “Gifted.”
Release date: 3/10.
7. Amadou and Mariam – WELCOME TO MALI
See ‘WORLD MUSIC’ section above.
Release date: 3/24.
_____________________________________________________________________
MORE NEW RELEASES TO LISTEN FOR IN THE FIRST-QUARTER OF 2009:
The Von Bondies – LOVE, HATE AND THEN THERE’S YOU, 2/3.
Lily Allen – IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU, 2/10.
M Ward – HOLD TIME, 2/17.
Neko Case – MIDDLE CYCLONE, 3/3.
U2 – NO LINE ON THE HORIZON, 3/3.
Pearl Jam - TEN, Deluxe Reissue. Featuring bonus tracks including MAMASAN (Eddie Vedder's original demo tape for the band), a second CD with a live 1992 Seattle show, and a DVD of the band's 1992 MTV UNPLUGGED performance. 3/24
The Decemberists – THE HAZARDS OF LOVE, 3/24.
Grizzly Bear – TBA, April.
Neil Young - ARCHIVES, VOLUME 1 (1963-1972), TBD.
______________________________________________________________________
As always, the intent is to support the music and the musicians. If you like what you hear, go out and buy more songs or albums from those artists about whom you may have learned.
I don't attribute this phenomenon to an attrition of talent in the field, but rather to a lack of focus, both on the part of the music makers and the listeners, due in part to the de-evolution of the old music business, as well as to the increasing diminution of the collective attention span in general.
With the collapse of the three-tier distribution system (artist/record company/record store, with radio acting as the advertising agency), the old conceit of building something that would hold a listener's attention for 45-60 minutes went flying out the window with the bathwater. (Oddly though, while CD sales plummeted like a lead zeppelin, vinyl LP sales were up this year, thanks to the release of a passel of 180-gram virgin vinyl audiophile LPs featuring extra tracks and deluxe packaging.)
In today’s portable universe, with music being consumed by end-users constantly on the move -- via phones, digital devices, computers, on planes, trains and automobiles -- not only must the musician make an impact quickly and indelibly, but the music itself must be available on a fluid basis for immediate and continuous access by any number of the technological devices seeking it; audio surfing makes TV channel surfing seem like cryogenic deep sleep.
Radiohead moved toward a solution last year, with the release of IN RAINBOWS, which was in fact a proper album - a consistently solid collection of songs from one end to the other - one which the band presciently chose to release over the internet on their own website on a tip-jar basis (pay what you want), effectively lopping two tiers off the three-tier model. They wound up selling well over a million copies that way (at an average contribution of $8 per download), and an additional three million units later via the more traditional download portals (iTunes, Amazon etc.) and some ancient brick and mortar sales (Radiohead brilliantly decided to add bonus material and sell a deluxe box set and vinyl package).
This year there has been no story that even came close to Radiohead's in terms of melding art and technology, but in its aftermath the distribution platform was expanded globally by degrees in breadth. Artists are now streaming entire albums for free and for pay on their own websites, offering alternative material and live EPs via aol, iTunes and Amazon, debuting new songs on MySpace, performing in-studio radio sessions for download as podcasts, uploading audio of live concerts as bit torrents, and also video elsewhere on the internet.
In keeping up with this shape-shifting new universe, the methods of the music buyer/listener have had to evolve as well. Not only have the days of stopping into Ye Olde Record Shoppe on Tuesdays to check out the New Release board blown away like so much dust in the wind, so has the tradition of waiting for recommendations from your faithful music rags. These days, the way into seeing, and hearing, what’s new in music is through the blog-o-sphere. Every minute of every day, while Facebookers are updating their status and Twitterers are a-Twittering, thousands of music-lovers around the globe are blogging about their favorite music, just like I do here, except with fanatic regularity. And when you hit the music blogs, you get a bonus – bloggers actually post some MP3 tracks for you to hear. Theoretically, that should not be allowed, but the fact is that the record companies (who have yet to come up with a better alternative themselves that will make any money) are passively abiding the practice, hoping that if you like a taste of what you hear, you will invest in buying their product -- hopefully even an entire CD.
As a blogger myself, and a purveyor of as much music as I could possibly find and listen to in 2008, my analysis is that music is not dead, it’s just been diffracted and strewn into smaller bits (and bytes) around the world. The way I see it, the field may have narrowed in depth but has stretched in width; while there may have been fewer consistently excellent albums, there were actually more great new songs, many of those coming from new bands, some not yet even formally signed to a label, and from further reaches of the globe. And while some of these gems are hidden, most are readily available, many from tiny independents, with the slightest bit of research, an open mind and just a few clicks on a keyboard.
In the end, while I was finally able to find 60 noteworthy albums this year, I can only say the Top 15 are truly excellent throughout (with the equivalent of a 95-100 score), from track-to-track, start-to-finish. On the other hand, I found it much more difficult to winnow down the nearly 200 standout miscellaneous album tracks I heard in 2008 to the 50 finalists for the purposes of this list.
While major releases from industry superstars such as Oasis, Guns’n’Roses, Kanye West, Madonna and others all failed to live up to sales expectations in 2008, much of the music that made my Best Of list this year came from the debut or sophomore recording of artists who were new to me, or from an artist who had undergone a sudden and significant growth spurt in terms of musical maturity.
In terms of motif, one trend was worth mentioning. To these ears, it seemed like the majority of the best of music in 2008 was more quiet, more personal, and more introspective than in previous years, perhaps as a reaction to the collective uncertainty of the times, the violence and the general anxiety. With few notable exceptions, music did not seem celebratory or grand or anthemic this year; rather it reflected a return to more personal insights made by artists who looked to nature and into their own souls for sustenance and affirmation. To me, it felt like the music of 2008 moved in gently like a lamb, and stayed there; even some hard rockers and electro-musicians made softer, more listenable and, ultimately, more appealing records. In fact, some of the songs that appeared on those few hard rocking albums I liked best were later reinterpreted in “unplugged” settings and re-released.
What follows is my list.
2008 ALBUM OF THE YEAR:
1. Fleet Foxes – FLEET FOXES and SUN GIANT (EP)
The Fleet Foxes are a new band that arose from Seattle not remotely affected by grunge, but instead influenced by the harmonies of Crosby, Stills and Nash, the folk-rock musicianship of The Fairport Convention and the baroque pop song structure of The Zombies. Their sound is as fresh and clean as the Washington State mountain air, constructed of lush and lilting musical beds onto which they construct rapturous multi-layered harmonies.
Their eponymous full-length debut, which is beautiful from its first gorgeously-woven song to its last, was released on June 3rd, and one week later I first posted here that it was the second best thing I had heard all year. On August 2nd I posted that it had overtaken an earlier favorite as my Album of the Year, and it remained there until this day.
Even before the FLEET FOXES CD was on the street though, word of mouth had spread, and with a summer concert tour booked they needed something to sell immediately, so the band rushed back into the studio to record an EP, dubbed SUN GIANT, which was rush-released in April. Like many, I found SUN GIANT only after I had experienced the full-length CD, but it shows a more mature band and possibly even better songs, including “Mykonos, which may be their best yet. One reason is that the Fleet Foxes had by that time added a ‘secret weapon’ named J (Josh) Tillman, a whiskey and honey-voiced singer/songwriter on the Seattle scene who had indie-released four solo records of his own. Already loaded with chops, the group took Tillman on as their drummer.
A bonus: J Tillman’s own fifth solo album, VACILANDO TERRITORY BLUES, which was slated for release in January 2009, is now available on iTunes, and it also made my Best Albums… list this year.
For a taste of Fleet Foxes’ sheer ability, check out the very cool French website LA BLOGOTHEQUE, which films bands in unusual surroundings and streams them as “Take Away Shows.” Here you can watch the Fleet Foxes perform “White Winter Hymnal” in an empty high school gymnasium, and witness the band’s astonishing harmonies, here performed a cappella (note that this FF performance was filmed before they added J Tillman):
[url]http://www.blogotheque.net/Fleet-Foxes,4532[/url]
I recommend you bookmark this fantastic site. (Also look for their show with The National.)
Recommended tracks: “White Winter Hymnal,” “Mykonos,” “Your Protector,” “Blue Ridge Mountains.”
2. Bon Iver – FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO
I had mentioned this CD in my year-end column last year as something to listen for in 2008, and once it officially appeared in February, its magic was immediately apparent.
FOR EMMA is the result of a winter spent in isolation in the woods of northern Wisconsin by Justin Vernon, who was contemplating the break-up of his relationship, the demise of his band and his recovery from a lingering illness. The music, recorded on lo-fi equipment with the intention that it be used as a demo for future recording with a full band, is melancholic and moving, and its gestalt of isolation is haunting and nearly overwhelming. It feels like a winter album, like snow falling and firewood crackling, and prior to its issue Vernon, assumed the nom de plume Bon Iver, an Anglicized take on the French term for a “good winter”. He wisely chose to release FOR EMMA virtually as he had recorded it in his cabin, with simple backing tracks and layers of vocals rendered in his trance-induced near-falsetto. This was the record that I had as No. 1 on my list for the first six months of 2008, before the Fleet Foxes displaced it, but I listen to it still, through a second winter.
Recommended tracks: “Skinny Love,” “For Emma,” “Re: Stacks.”
3. The Hold Steady – STAY POSITIVE
The title says it all; this is perhaps the greatest exception of 2008 -- an outstanding American rock record that does champion the power of rock and roll, and extols its eternal truths – filled with stories about losers who just might win by keeping their faith, and outcasts who may even find redemption by staying true to their own ideals. Leader Craig Finn is not a rock star but he is an unlikely rock hero; he looks like Peter Sellers and possesses a singing voice that is marginal at best, but he grew up in Minnesota weaned on the irony and hard edge of The Replacements and Husker Dü, and moved to Brooklyn where he assimilated the rocker-as-preacher of rock gospel, Bruce Springsteen. Finn sings with a burning passion, his is band committed to delivering his message with fire and brimstone fury, and STAY POSITIVE churns with buzzing guitars, swelling choruses and sweeping hooks. The track “Sequestered in Memphis” is the Song of the Year.
Recommended tracks: “Sequestered in Memphis,” “Stay Positive,” “Constructive Summer.
4. Frightened Rabbit – THE MIDNIGHT ORGAN FLIGHT and LIVER! LUNG! FR! (EP)
Frightened Rabbit are a Scottish quartet featuring singer-songwriter Scott Hutchison, who despite being half a world away from Bon Iver, was suffering the same fate and also crafting stunning songs from the painful shards of a broken relationship. THE MIDNIGHT ORGAN FLIGHT, FR’s second CD (first with the current line-up), plays like a modern version of BLOOD ON THE TRACKS, like a dazzling diamond dagger to the heart. For good measure, he followed it several months later with the LIVER! EP, a magical 12-track live “unplugged” version of the full-length.
Recommended tracks: “Good Arms vs. Bad Arms,” “Keep Yourself Warm,” “Poke.”
5. The Last Shadow Puppets – THE AGE OF THE UNDERSTATEMENT
The LSP are a side project of the Arctic Monkeys’ frontman Alex Turner and his mate Miles Kane, frontman for Brit-rock trio The Rascals, and together they have made a record that far is far greater than the sum of their parts. THE AGE OF THE UNDERSTATMENT is a throwback epic, rich with guitars and Sixties–era reverb, and laced with strings muted horns that is as much evocative of cool James Bond themes as it is Sixties-period Walker Brothers records. Also check out their EPs, one of which includes acoustic songs recorded for the “LIVE AT ABBEY ROAD” television series, and another a brilliant cover of David Bowie’s “In The Heat Of The Morning.”
Recommended tracks: “My Mistakes Were Made For You,” “The Age Of The Understatement,” “In The Heat Of The Morning.”
6. GIRL TALK – FEED THE ANIMALS
The most interesting record of 2008 wasn’t even an original recording, but an ingenious mix of hundreds of samples of other songs mashed together by a whacky recording engineer in Pittsburg, PA, named Gregg Gillis who was formally educated as a biomedical engineer!
A head-spinning homage to the history of rock, R&B, rap, metal, hip-hop and anything else Gillis could throw into his audio mixmaster, FEED THE ANIMALS is musical alchemy (of the kind the NY Times magazine called “a lawsuit waiting to happen”). This virtual masterpiece, made available for public consumption on his own website on a tip-jar basis (pay what you want for download), and the thing went viral. How can you not love a single song that mashes Procol Harum, Kanye West, Michael Jackson, Radiohead, The Band, Kenny Loggins, The Beastie Boys, Salt-n-Pepa, Queen and Cat Stevens, or another that melds Rihanna, Vanilla Ice, Radiohead, Mary J. Blige, The Guess Who, Aerosmith, Ice Cube, Grandmaster Flash, The Tom Tom Club, The Spinners, Fine Young Cannibals, Dexy’s Midnight Runners and Eddie Floyd. (Here’s the Wiki link to see the bitmap of the entire crazy affair: [url]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feed_the_Animals)[/url].
Recommended tracks: “Set It Off,” “Still Here,” “Hands In The Air," “Let Me See You.”
7. Shearwater – ROOK
Co-founder Jonathan Meiburg left Okkervil River this year to turn his attention full-time to Shearwater, another naturalistic band, in this case literally, as Meiburg has a Masters in Geography as well as a preoccupation with ornithology. He also has a killer voice and writes great songs. The attention he was able to give Shearwater’s new record, ROOK, actually the band’s fifth, is immediately evident, as Meiburg imbued it with poetic songs about sea and sky, flora and fauna imbedded in sumptuous Americana stacked with eclectic instrumentation. When it all locks in, it transcends.
A bonus: Before he left Okkervil, Meiburg cut “Lost Coastlines,” a song about his moving on using a ship at sea metaphor, as a duet with co-founder Will Sheff on OR’s THE STAND-INS record. While that CD was a disappointing collection of leftovers from 2007’s wonderful THE STAGE NAMES, “Lost Coastlines,” an unlikely but infectious combo of Motown rhythm and alt-rock ebullience, was my Number Two Song of the Year.
Recommended tracks: “The Snow Leopard,” “Rooks,” “Leviathan, Bound.”
8. Blitzen Trapper – FURR
FURR is a textbook example of what I was referring to in the prologue; by dialing down the volume and paying more attention on their fourth album to writing words, BT have come up with a delicious and dizzying blend of contemporary alt-country and retro-‘60s pop, a sound which is influenced by Band-abetted Dylan, mid-period Byrds and AMERICAN BEAUTY-era Grateful Dead. The title fantastic track melds Dylanesque lyric imagery with a “Friend of the Devil” vibe. The last band that made records that were this picaresque and this much fun was the Meat Puppets.
Recommended tracks: “Furr,” “Black River Killer,” “Lady On The Water.”
9. The Raconteurs – CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY
CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY is another great American rock album, and while it is not quite as masterful as last year’s inspired debut, BROKEN BOY SOLDIERS, it has a couple key moments that surpass it. CONSOLERS was recorded in a proper studio with a bigger budget, yet it feels sloppier and more experimental, like a merger between Brendan Benson’s love for pop-rock and Jack White’s mission to take blues-rock back from Led Zeppelin and re-establish it as an American idiom. I prefer the songs where Benson takes the lead, his voice straining with color and emotion, but the best moments are those when he and White harmonize and play double guitar leads together; melding into one immense and exuberant kindred spirit in the service of rock and roll, over one of its most solid rhythm sections. Over the course of the year, The Raconteurs re-imagined and performed alternate live acoustic and unplugged versions of several of the songs, which were even more appealing.
Recommended tracks: “Old Enough,” “Rich Kid Blues,” “Salute Your Solution.”
10. Black Keys – ATTACK & RELEASE
The Black Keys, a blues rock duo from Akron who fall into the same groove as Dinosaur Jr. and the White Stripes, finally got into a real studio with a creative producer, Danger Mouse), and made a record that blisters with fuzzy-guitar toned fury. Guitarist Dan Auerbach creates a Junior Kimbough-influenced drone through a stack of tube amps and can wail, but remains true to a post-punk ethic, maintaining a consistently high energy by keeping the all the tracks under five minutes and avoiding unnecessary solo pork.
Recommended tracks: “Strange Times,” “I Got Mine,” “Things Ain’t Like They Used To Be.”
11. Duffy – ROCKFERRY
The leader of the assault of the post-Amy Winehouse British Invaders was Aimée Duffy, a 24-year-old elfin Welshwoman who channeled Motown-influenced blue-eyed Northern Soul on her debut, ROCKFERRY, selling nearly five million copies worldwide thanks to the turbo-charge of the twin hits, “Mercy” and “Warwick Avenue.” A welcome relief from the second-generation BritPop bands the press dubbed “identikits,” Duffy crafted a sound that was casual, cool, catchy and seductive. The fetching songstress proved a welcome relief from Winehouse’s drug-induced histrionics and helped open the door for a new Welch femme neo-soul brigade wave, which included new high quality recordings from the potentially-even more talented 20-year-old Adele, and Sharleen Spiteri, former leader of rock band Texas.
Recommended tracks: “Warwick Avenue,” “Rockferry,” “Mercy.”
12. Elbow – THE SELDOM SEEN KID
Everything fell into place in 2008 for Elbow, the latest in Manchester’s hallowed tradition of producing excellent rock bands. Elbow suddenly found themselves an “overnight success” by winning this year’s Mercury Prize for Best U.K. Album, after having been around for nearly two decades. Lead singer Guy Garvey, his keening voice redolent of Peter Gabriel, and his bandmates take full advantage of the studio, not unlike Genesis, using it as a tool to produce glorious guitar-based rock music that sounds massive. On THE SELDOM SEEN KIND they have reached their apotheosis.
Recommended tracks: “Grounds For Divorce,” “One Day Like This.”
13. Goldfrapp – SEVENTH TREE
Goldfrapp, a British duo fronted by Alison Goldfrapp, was previously known for electronica, extended dance mixes and Alison’s exotic sartorial choices onstage, which included the wearing of horse and deer heads. In a welcome burst of sanity, they decided to turn their interests and energies inward, designing a record that has them not only sounding better than ever, but actually means more. By backing off the synths, adding acoustic instrumentation and strings, and composing songs with swirling melodies slowed- down tempos and writing lyrics flush with mystical imagery, they have achieved a sound that evokes the wind passing through a Renaissance faire in the countryside in the middle of a pleasant summer afternoon. I would love to see them further explore this niche, formerly occupied so brilliantly by Kate Bush.
Recommended tracks: “A&E,” “Happiness.”
14. She & Him – VOLUME ONE
She and Him is an unlikely collaboration between quirky indie-actress Zooey Deschanel (Z. is the “She) and quirky indie folkster M. Ward (M. is the “Him”). VOLUME ONE, which was produced via internet exchanges between Portland and Los Angeles, is delightfully lo-fi and deceptively charming, with a depth that is not immediately apparent. Surprisingly, it was Deschanel who wrote all of the material (Ward produced and brought in the backing band), structuring it as an epistolary to a man with whom she was falling in love and embarking on a relationship. I found her vocals, stylistically a throaty but warm mélange of jazz-inflected textures with country-tinged emotional breaks, stuck inside my head for a good part of the summer. Hopefully on VOLUME TWO they will come up with more than just two or three great songs.
Recommended tracks: “Change Is Hard,” “Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?”
15. My Morning Jacket – EVIL URGES
Quicksilver Jim James is capable of spectacular and hair-raising moments as both a guitarist and vocalist, and hits several of them here, shifting from awesome crunchy overdrive to quiet beauty with aplomb and grace.
Recommended tracks: “I’m Amazed,” Librarian,” “Evil Urges.”
16. TV On The Radio – DEAR SCIENCE
Nowhere near their stunning debut CD as it lacks a defining rock moment as strong as “Wolf Like Me,” this is nonetheless a record of tremendous depth, color and texture, and TVOTR could very well be the best live band out there today.
Recommended tracks: “Golden Age,” "Crying," “Dancing Choose.”
17. Calexico – CARRIED TO DUST
Another solid work in the remarkably consistent Calexico canon, with help from Sam Beam (Iron & Wine) and others, glitters like the Arizona sand from whence it came.
Recommended tracks: “House of Valparaiso,” "Two Silver Trees.”
18. Lightspeed Champion – FALLING OF THE LAVENDER BRIDGE
Lightspeed Champion (the sobriquet for Devonte Hynes) has followed an itinerant and fascinating path; an African-American guitarist born in Houston, TX, he was raised in Sussex, England, and there founded the thrash-punk band the Test Icicles when he as only 18. After their dissolution, Hynes went to Omaha, Nebraska, to record with an album for Conor Oberst’s label, Saddle Creek, using some of the musicians from the Bright Eyes-extended family. The result, FOTLB, sounds as diametrically-opposed to the sound of Hynes’ previous work as possible – it is gentle, droning and melodic, filled with deft 12-string guitar-picking, acoustic thrumming and odd yet exuberant frills, and belies his lyrics, where his feelings of alienation, isolation and anger remain constant.
Recommended tracks: “Tell Me What It’s Worth,” “Dry Lips.”
19. Beck – MODERN GUILT
A return to the somber tones and slower tempos of SEA CHANGE, but favoring keyboards over guitars, with production by Danger Mouse and a guest appearance by Cat Power.
Recommended tracks: “Gamma Ray, “Orphans.”
20. Vampire Weekend – VAMPIRE WEEKEND
Ivy League quartet from Columbia plays high-spirited Afro-pop they call “Upper West Side Soweto.” Sure Paul Simon, Peter Gabriel and David Byrne did it first and played it better, but they were nowhere near as much fun.
Recommended tracks: “A-Punk,” “Ottoman” (from the NICK & NORA’S INFINITE PLAYLIST soundtrack).
21. Jenny Lewis – ACID TONGUE
22. Portishead – THIRD
23. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds – DIG! LAZARUS, DIG!!!
24. Joan as Police Woman – TO SURVIVE
25. Teddy Thompson – A PIECE OF WHAT YOU NEED
26. J Tillman – VACILANDO BLUES
27. American Music Club – THE GOLDEN AGE
28. Adele – 19
29. The Felice Brothers – THE FELICE BROTHERS
30. Sun Kil Moon - APRIL
31. Mudcrutch – MUDCRUTCH
32. Little Joy – LITTLE JOY
33. Plants & Animals – PARC AVENUE
34. Conor Oberst – CONOR OBERST
35. The Walkmen – YOU & ME
36. White Denim – EXPLOSION
37. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan – SUNDAY AT DEVIL DIRT
38. Robert Forster – THE EVANGELIST
39. James McMurtry – JUST US KIDS
40. Martha Wainwright – I KNOW YOU’RE MARRIED, BUT I’VE GOT FEELINGS TOO
41. Hello, Blue Roses - THE PORTRAIT IS FINISHED, AND I HAVE FAILED TO CAPTURE YOUR BEAUTY
42. Deerhunter – MICROCASTLE
43. Sharleen Spiteri - MELODY
44. The Raveonettes – LUST, LUST, LUST
45. The Chapin Sisters – LAKE BOTTOM LP
46. Everest – GHOST NOTES
47. Delta Spirit – ODE TO SINSHINE
48. Pierre de Reeder – THE WAY IT WAS
49. Peter Broderick - HOME
50. Apollo Sunshine – SHALL NOISE UPON
51. M83 – SATURDAYS = YOUTH
52. Centro-Matic – DUAL HAWKS
53. Son Ambulance – SOMEONE ELSE’S DEJA VU
54. Earlimart – HYMN AND HER
55. The Dutchess & The Duke – SHE’S THE DUTCHESS, HE’S THE DUKE
56. Silver Jews - LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, LOOKOUT SEA
57. Neil Halstead – OH! MIGHTY ENGINE
58. Kate Maki – ON HIGH
59. Luke Doucet - BLOOD'S TOO RICH
60. David Byrne & Brian Eno – EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS WILL HAPPEN TODAY
BEST ALBUM FROM 2007 THAT I MISSED BUT HEARD THIS YEAR:
Glenn Mercer – WHEELS IN MOTION
Former leader of influential indie-Gods The Feelies returned and quietly created a pure pop gem back in Hoboken while no one was paying attention. Even better, The Feelies reunited in ’08 for some live gigs and are planning a new album.
Recommended tracks: “Get It Back,” “Another Last Time.”
BEST ALBUM FROM 2002 THAT NOBODY HEARD THAT WAS RE-RELEASED IN 2008:
Plush – FED
Plush is actually a singer/songwriter from Chicago named Liam Hayes, who had a brief appearance in the film HIGH FIDELITY. FED is an incredible and eclectic record that sounds as fresh as if it were made last year.
Recommended tracks: “Fed,” “Greyhound Bus Station.”
BEST ALBUM OF PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED TRACKS RECORDED BETWEEN 1974 and 1990:
Arthur Russell – LOVE IS OVERTAKING ME
Russell was a classically-trained cellist who was an icon in the Manhattan disco scene, recording and arranging dance records. Hen he died in 1990, he left behind over 1,000 song tapes. This CD collects demos and songs showcasing his unknown singer/songwriter side, and several are heartbreakingly exquisite.
Recommended tracks: “I Couldn’t Say It To Your Face,” “Maybe She.”
BEST ACID-FOLK RECORD FROM 1970 THAT NOBODY HEARD THAT WAS RE-RELEASED IN 2008, AND STILL NOBODY HEARD IT:
Linda Perhacs – PARALLELOGRAMS.
If you can find it, listen to it. It’s weird and wonderful.
BEST COMPILATION ALBUM:
Bob Dylan – THE BOOTLEG SERIES, VOL. 8: TELL TALE SIGNS
Rare and unreleased cuts, alternate takes and live takes from 1989 to 2006, covering the recording of OH MERCY, WORLD GONE WRONG, TIME OUT OF MIND and MODERN TIMES. Prime behind the scenes material from post-prime Bob.
Recommended tracks: “Most of the Time” (alternate version), “Mississippi,” “’Cross The Green Mountain.”
BEST LIVE ARCHIVE ALBUM:
Neil Young – SUGAR MOUNTAIN: LIVE AT CANTERBURY HOUSE, 1968
Recorded just days before the release of Neil’s eponymous debut solo album, which was also his 23rd birthday, June 12, 1968. Features pristine performances of several key Buffalo Springfield songs as well as the definitive version of “Sugar Mountain.”
Recommended tracks: “Sugar Mountain,” “I Am A Child,” “Birds.”
BEST OFFICIAL REISSUE OF A LIVE ALBUM PREVIOUSLY ONLY AVAILABLE ON BOOTLEG:
David Bowie – LIVE SANTA MONICA ‘72
Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars at their peak, recorded off the soundboard for broadcast in Los Angeles on KMET. Formerly known as the greatest live boot ever made, now digitally remastered by Bowie himself.
Recommended tracks: “Ziggy Stardust,” “Space Oddity,” “Suffragette City.”
BEST DIGITAL REMASTER/REISSUES:
1. Whiskeytown – STRANGERS ALMANAC
With a second disc of studio demos, live tracks and radio performances. Awesome.
2. Nick Lowe – JESUS OF COOL (formerly known in the U.S. as PURE POP FOR NOW PEOPLE).
3. The Replacements’ catalog.
4. Creedence Clearwater Revival’s 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION series.
All with bonus material added!
BEST COVER ALBUMS:
1. Cat Power – THE GREATEST, along with the bonus follow-up EP, DARK END OF THE STREET.
Chan Marshall turns every song inside out and makes it her own.
2. Vetiver – THING OF THE PAST, along with the bonus follow-up EP, MORE OF THE PAST.
3. Glen Campbell – MEET GLEN CAMPBELL
TEN FANTASTIC ‘WORLD MUSIC’ ALBUMS FROM 2008:
1. Amadou & Mariam – WELCOME TO MALI (Mali)
In my year-end Best Music of 2005 in these very pages, I raved about a stunning album called DIMANCHE A BAMAKO, a stunning achievement by this married Malian duo (she sings, mostly in French, he plays incredible guitar and sings), both of whom are unfortunately blind. This what I wrote then: “Hinting of guitar-inflected African roots music, percussive reggae beats, and Western blues-rock influences, this record is completely mesmerizing, and will have leave you confused about whether to simply listen, sing along or get up and dance. But one thing’s for sure: you will listen to it again and again.” I would say the same now, but would add that while the former record is still slightly better, the newer CD has a more polished production. The world is finally catching up to the aural pleasures of Amadou and Mariam, and they are making many year-end Best Of lists, despite the fact that WELCOME TO MALI won’t be ‘officially’ released in the U.S. until March 24, 2009 (it has been released elsewhere already). They have accepted an invitation to perform at Barack Obama’s Presidential Inauguration.
Recommended tracks: “Unissons Nous,” “Sebeke,” “Sabali” (produced by Damon Albarn.)
2. Juana Molina – UN DíA (Argentina)
Molina is a former comedienne and television personality who started singing in Castilian Spanish and making records over a decade ago. UN DîA is her fifth album, and her best yet, a weird and wonderful experiment that deconstructs the genres of pop, electronica and regional folk music, then reconstitutes them into a rhythmic trance.
Recommended tracks: “Dar (Que Difícil),” “Vive Solo.”
3. Toumani Diabaté – THE MANDRÉ VARIATIONS (Mali)
4. Shogu Tokumaru - EXIT (Japan)
5. Seun Kuti & Fela’s Egypt 80 – MANY THINGS (Nigeria)
6. Esau Mwamwaya and Radioclit are The Very Best – THE VERY BEST MIXTAPE (Malawi/Great Britain)
7. Coralie Clément – TOYSTORE (France)
8. Giulia y los Tellarini – EUSEBIO (Spain)
9. The Ruby Suns – SEA LION (New Zealand/Maori)
10. Carla Bruni - COMME SI DE RIEN N'ÉTAIT (France)
BEST R&B/SOUL ALBUMS:
1. Raphael Saadiq – THE WAY I SEE IT
A quintessential soul album, cut from classic cloth, from Saadiq, formerly the lead singer of Tony!Toni!Toné! (as Raphael Wiggins), who dug through research tapes prior to cutting this album. His diligence pays off, as THE WAY I SEE IT is bursting with plush Philly sound and crisp Motown-stylings, with sterling production values. Great record.
Recommend tracks: “Love That Girl,” “Never Give You Up” (featuring Stevie Wonder.
2. Gnarls Barkley – THE ODD COUPLE
Cee-Lo Green has the best pipes in music today, a phenomenally elastic instrument that fluidly moves from smoky soul balladry to funky trip-hop.
Note: producer Danger Mouse has posted ELPUOC DDO EHT, an instrumental version of this disc, in reverse, as one continuous track for free download on his website:
[url]http://www.fronttobackbacktofront.com/signup/index.html[/url]
Recommended tracks: “Run,” “Who’s Gonna Save My Soul.”
BEST HIP-HOP ALBUMS:
1. The Knux – REMIND ME IN 3 DAYS…
Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Nas and T.I. got the props, and the sales, this year, but The Knux, a pair of brothers from New Orleans, gets my vote for REMIND ME…, which is a party in a box, a rouille of witty rhymes pulsing big beats and infectious grooves, with the instruments played by the talented siblings, known as Krispy Kream and Rah Al Millio. themselves.
Recommended tracks: “The True,” “Bang! Bang!”
2. Erykah Badu – NEW AMERYKAH PART ONE: 4TH WORLD WAR
After a five-year hiatus, the shape-shifting Badu exploded back with a genre-bending record imbued with her spirituality and literate lyrics exploring social politics. PART TWO: RTEURN OF THE ANKH is due this year.
Recommended track: “Honey”
BEST COUNTRY ALBUM:
1. Hayes Carrll – TROUBLE IN MIND
Hayes Carrll lives in Austin, lists Dylan, Kristofferson, Prine and Jack Kerouac as his influences, has written songs with Guy Clark, and has been compared to Townes Van Zandt. If that doesn’t sell you, I don’t know what will, but TROUBLE IN MIND lives up to the hype.
Recommended tracks: “Drunken Poet’s Dream,” “It’s A Shame.”
BEST INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM:
James Blackshaw – LITANY OF ECHOES
Blackshaw is a wizard of the acoustic 12-string guitar, and LITANY continues his string of gorgeous sonic pastiches. Dream music.
Recommended tracks: “Infinite Circle,” “Echo and Abyss.”
BEST ALBUM OF HISTORICAL SONGS:
Al Stewart – SPARKS OF ANCIENT LIGHT
Who else but the eBob board’s own Bard of Bordeaux & Burgundy could rock the Shah of Iran, Dwight D. Eisenhower, William McKinley and the Carthaginians with such clever prose and such tunefulness. Tasty guitar work and production by Laurence Juber.
Recommended tracks: “Ear Of The Night,” “Elvis At The Wheel,” “Hanno the Navigator.”
BEST 'NEW BOB DYLAN' THIS YEAR:
Pete Molinari - A VIRTUAL LANDSLIDE
Accepting the mantle from Ryan Bingham, who accepted it last year from Jackie Greene.
Recommended track: "Look What I Made Out Of My Head Ma."
BEST NEW BOB DYLAN-INFLUENCED ALBUM I MISSED IN 2008 BUT AM LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW:
The Low Anthem - OH MY GOD, CHARLIE DARWIN
Recommended tracks: "Charlie Darwin," "To Ohio."
BEST MID-PERIOD STONES RETRO-SOUNDING RECORD OF 2008:
The Dutchess & The Duke - SHE'S THE DUTCHESS, HE'S THE DUKE
Recommended track: "Reservoir Park."
TOP 30 MISCELLANEOUS ALBUM TRACKS OF 2008:
1. Glasvegas – “Geraldine”
Glasvegas’s debut showed a ton of promise and one stunner of a song.
2. Beach House – “Gila”
3. The Duke Spirit - "The Step and the Walk"
4. R.E.M. – “Hollow Man” (Live from London version)
5. Robyn – “With Every Heartbeat” (acoustic version)
6. The Airborne Toxic Event – “Sometime Around Midnight”
7. Ben Folds (featuring Regina Spektor) – “You Don’t Know Me”
8. Pelle Carlberg – “1983 (Pelle & Sebastian)”
9. Of Montreal – “For Our Elegant Caste”
10. The Gaslight Anthem – “Here’s Looking At You Kid”
11. Eli “Paperboy” Reed And The True Loves – “The Satisfier”
12. Randy Newman – “Losing You”
13. Lucinda Williams (with Elvis Costello) – “Jailhouse Tears”
14. Kings Of Leon – “Sex On Fire”
15. Laura Marling – “Ghosts”
16. Blanche – “I’m Sure Of It”
17. Holly Golightly & The Brokeoffs - “For All This”
18. Kamila Thompson – “Little Boy Blue”
19. Lisa Hannigan – “Lille”
20. Inara George and Van Dyke Parks – “Duet”
21. Rachael Yamagata with Ray LaMontagne – “Duet”
22. Bonnie “Prince” Billy – “Easy Does It”
23. Lambchop – “National Talk Like A Pirate Day”
24. French Kicks – “With the Fishes”
25. Johnny Flynn – “Leftovers”
26. Joseph Arthur – “Lovely Cost”
27. Department of Eagles – “No One Does It Like You”
28. Jessica Lea Mayfield – “Kiss Me Again”
29. Megapuss – “Adam & Steve”
30. Drive-By Truckers - "Daddy Needs A Drink"
TOP 20 SINGLES FOR A PARTY MIX FROM 2008:
1. The Ting Tings – “That’s Not My Name”
2. Santogold – “Say Aha”
3. The Kills – “Sour Cherry”
4. MGMT – “Time To Pretend”
5. The Killers – “Human”
6. Lykke Li – “Little Bit”
7. Estelle (featuring Kanye West) – “American Boy”
8. Air France – “Collapsing At Your Doorstep”
9. CSS – “Jager Yoga”
10. Those Dancing Days – “Those Dancing Days”
11. Los Campesinos! – “Death To Los Campesinos!”
12. Kate Nash - "Foundations"
13. Love Is All – “Wishing Well”
14. Sébastian Tellier - "Divine"
15. Chairlift – “Bruises”
16. Sam Sparro – “Black & Gold”
17. Kanye West – “Heartless”
18. The Bug & Warrior Queen – “Poison Dart”
19. Hercules & Love Affair – “Blind”
20. Coldplay – “Viva La Vida”
BEST MUSIC FILMS OF 2008:
1. Documentary: YOUNG @ HEART
2. Narrative: CADILLAC RECORDS
BEST SOUNDTRACK ALBUMS OF 2008:
1. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE
AR Rahman’s helter-skelter score is the perfect accompaniment for Danny Boyle’s film, which was also my Best Movie of 2008. The choice of M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” is inspired and though it was heard innumerable times before, still seemed as though it was penned for the film.
Recommended track: “Jai Ho” (used for the fabulous Bollywood-style dance number under the end credits).
2. NICK & NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST
Perfectly charming film with a perfectly charming soundtrack that includes Chris Bell from Big Star, Devendra Banhart, Band of Horses, Vampire Weekend, Richard Hawley, Band of Horses, Rogue Wave and the Shout Out Louds.
Recommended track: Vampire Weekend – “Ottoman.”
BEST MOVIE THEME SONG OF 2008:
Bruce Springsteen – “The Wrestler”
One of Springsteen’s best songs, written for the film THE WRESTLER, and to be included on the Boss’s upcoming CD, WORKING ON A DREAM.
BEST MUSIC TELEVISION PROGRAM, COMEDY CATEGORY:
"Flight Of The Conchords." FOTC, 'formerly New Zealand's fourth most popular guitar-based digi-bongo a capella-rap-funk-comedy folk duo,' wrap satire inside parody. Dry as a bone and funny as hell.
BEST MUSIC TELEVISION PROGRAM, LIVE CATEGORY:
"Austin City Limits," once again. The 34th season featured superb new live performances by REM; Bettye LaVette; Lyle Lovett, Guy Clark, Joe Ely and John Hiatt; Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings; Aimee Mann/iron & Wine; Gnarls Barkley/Thievery Corporation; Foo Fighters; and Nick Lowe/The Swell Season.
BEST CONCERT OF 2008:
Van Morrison – ASTRAL WEEKS Live
In its entirety, live at the Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, November 7, 2008, with full string section and musicians from the original studio recording, including guitarist Jay Berliner. Spellbinding and sublime. To be released on CD and DVD in February, with a possible reprise in New York City in the works.
BEST THINGS I’VE HEARD SO FAR IN 2009:
1. Andrew Bird – NOBLE BEAST
More sophisticated heartfelt pop from Midwestern multi-instrumentalist and intelligent song craftsman, Bird.
Recommended tracks: “Tenuousness,” "Oh No.”
Release date: 1/20.
2. J Tillman – VACILANDO TERRITORY BLUES
See FLEET FOXES section above. I love this record.
Recommended tracks: "No Occasion," "First Born."
Release date: 1/20.
3. Bon Iver – BLOOD BANK EP
Three new songs plus a re-working of the title track, recorded by Justin Vernon along with his full working band. Not as powerfully visceral as his debut recording, but worth listening to nonetheless.
Recommended track: “Blood Bank.”
Release date: 1/20.
4. Mark Olson and Gary Louris – READY FOR THE FLOOD
The Jayhawks co-founders got back together for this unplugged set recorded live in the studio under the direction of longtime fan Chris Robinson of The Black Crowes. Despite not having performed together in a studio since TOMORROW THE GREEN GRASS in 1995, the perfect blend of their vocals, known to Jayhawks fans as the “univoice,” remains intact and sometimes even recalls Simon & Garfunkel. Breathtaking and highly recommended.
Recommended tracks: “Saturday Morning On Sunday Street,” “The Rose Society.”
Release date: 1/27.
5. Bruce Springsteen – WORKING ON A DREAM
The jury is still out on this record, which combines some material leftover songs from the MAGIC sessions with some new songs recorded with the E Street Band, as well as the bonus cut “The Wrestler,” which The Boss composed for the film of the same name, and is the strongest song he has written in years. The lead-off track, “Outlaw Pete,” which at eight-minutes is the longest song Springsteen as recorded since 1980. The album features the final work the late Danny Federici did with the band, as well as a guest appearance by the organist’s son, Jason. Will be available in a Deluxe Edition with a bonus behind-the-scenes DVD. (Note: “The Jersey Devil,” which had been previously released on Springsteen’s website and listed for inclusion in the album has been removed).
Recommended track: “The Wrestler.”
Release date: 1/27.
6. N.A.S.A. – THE SPIRIT OF APOLLO
N.A.S.A. (acronym for North America South America) is a collaboration between classically trained American hip-hop producer Squeak E. Clean (nee Sam Spiegel) and Brazilian DJ DJ Zegon. Their mandate is to “bring the world together through music and art,” building lush musical beds based on Brazilian funk and then layer on superstar vocalists, including Tom Waits, David Byrne, Chuck D.. Karen O (Yeah Yeah Yeahs). M.I.A., Santogold, KRS-One, George Clinton, Old Dirty Bastard, RZA, Method Man, Lykke Li, Kanye West, Seu Jorge and others.
Recommended tracks: “Money,” “Gifted.”
Release date: 3/10.
7. Amadou and Mariam – WELCOME TO MALI
See ‘WORLD MUSIC’ section above.
Release date: 3/24.
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MORE NEW RELEASES TO LISTEN FOR IN THE FIRST-QUARTER OF 2009:
The Von Bondies – LOVE, HATE AND THEN THERE’S YOU, 2/3.
Lily Allen – IT’S NOT ME, IT’S YOU, 2/10.
M Ward – HOLD TIME, 2/17.
Neko Case – MIDDLE CYCLONE, 3/3.
U2 – NO LINE ON THE HORIZON, 3/3.
Pearl Jam - TEN, Deluxe Reissue. Featuring bonus tracks including MAMASAN (Eddie Vedder's original demo tape for the band), a second CD with a live 1992 Seattle show, and a DVD of the band's 1992 MTV UNPLUGGED performance. 3/24
The Decemberists – THE HAZARDS OF LOVE, 3/24.
Grizzly Bear – TBA, April.
Neil Young - ARCHIVES, VOLUME 1 (1963-1972), TBD.
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As always, the intent is to support the music and the musicians. If you like what you hear, go out and buy more songs or albums from those artists about whom you may have learned.
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