3 posts tagged “music”

With houseguests for the next week or so -- and a lot of work to catch up -- I'm trying to get a bunch of posts logged in advance. Here's a short one for New Year's Day stateside that features two relevant songs:

"New Years" by Asobi Seksu.

It's dreamy, upbeat, catchy and in Japanese except for two words. The music's enjoyable even if the words are mysterious. You could ask me to translate, but you'd deserve what you got if you did (and nihongo speakers ought to be able to parse the words pretty easily):

"The New Year" by Death Cab for Cutie (Bellingham, Washington, represent).:

"so this is the new year.
and i don't feel any different ...

i wish the world was flat like the old days
then i could travel just by folding a map
no more airplanes, or speedtrains, or freeways
there'd be no distance that can hold us back."

Somebody tell Thomas Friedman that the world isn't flat. Bonus points if you can talk him into using an apt metaphor for his next tome.

It's still not a music blog. But until I get my digital audio recorder, I've got use Vox's audio content feature somehow.

This blog is not about music. Neither is the baseball blog I contribute to, although you might have seen my list of favorite albums from 2006 over there.

This blog isn't about Christmas, either. But it is Christmas, at least over here, (and have a merry one, by the way). As my Christmas present to myself, I'm taking a few minutes to catalog my favorite albums and songs of the past year.

Don't take the list as canonical (not that anyone would). How does one evaluate whether M. Ward's post-rock, soulful storytelling is "better" than The Coup's funky, rollicking political rants? It's impossible. Best to think of this as a snapshot of my writing and running soundtrack.

For the singles, I'm not allowing myself to use any songs from the top 15 albums. It's a way of writing about the best bits of the albums that didn't make the cut, or just discussing a song I really like.

TOP 15 ALBUMS OF 2006

15. The Long Winters, Putting the Days to Bed

A rock album in the best sense of the word, The Long Winters' latest isn't afraid of big guitars or quiet moments. There's some great songwriting here, especially on the upbeat but restrained "Clouds." Just when you think you have the warm major-scale chords read as indicators of happiness, though, they'll flip it on you. Catch yourself singing along with "Ultimatum" (you will: "my arms miss you, my hands miss you/the stars sing i've got their song in my head"), but be prepared when the rug gets pulled out from under you lyrically.

14. Loose Fur, Born Again in the USA

The first of two alt-country supergroups involving Jeff Tweedy listed here, Loose Fur are the more experimental of the two. At least, they were. This record is much more song-focused, and that's a good thing, since it leads us to a song like "The Ruling Class." It's good to know that handclaps haven't totally fallen out of fashion. It's unfair to say that this is merely going to tide me over to the next Wilco record, since it's a fine effort in its own right. It's true, though.

13. Madlib, Beat Konducta, Vol. 1-2

For some reason, Madlib hasn't won the hearts of literati in the same way that DJ Shadow did some years back. His output is certainly more impressive, more eclectic (he remixed the Blue Note catalog, put out a reggae disc, collaborated with MF Doom, and sucks down helium to rap as Quasimoto) and weirder. If there's a criticism of this CD, it's that the beats don't last as long as you might like them to -- just as you're into the groove, often times, the groove shifts you right out of it. But you're still happy the groove was there, and that's the test.

12. Nouvelle Vague, Bande a Part

A multilingual French music collective that recasts new wave and punk hits in bossa nova fashion. If you're not sold yet, what's the matter with you? Go out and get this, even though it's not quite as good as their previous release. Amazing musicianship cut with a good-time ethic.

11. The Pernice Brothers, Live a Little

This may be the perfect pop band, or at least the perfect bittersweet pop band. The songs, replete with shimmering guitars and sweet vocal harmonies, are gorgeous. They sound like the soundtrack of summer love and hugging a warm puppy until you listen to the lyrics. Smart, sardonic and tuneful music. Plus, I hear a Pernice song was featured on something called "The O.C.", so they gets the seal of approval from at least one of my pals.

10. Snow Patrol, Eyes Open

As I hint at in the previous entry, not having a television or listening to much radio means you avoid drinking from the same cultural stream as most. This is good and bad. It means you miss out on many in-jokes and shared referents, but it also means you don't get sick of things that others have shoved down their throats. I haven't had a TV for nearly 10 years, so the fact that one of these songs was evidently featured on a popular show means little to me. What matters: there is no song here to rival "Run," but it's an endearing album from stem to stern.

9. Viva Voce, Get Yr Blood Sucked Out
I'm a sucker for husband-and-wife bands (see Mates of State, below), and Viva Voce fill the bill. This is their strongest effort yet, although I've got to say that I prefer individual songs on their earlier releases to any one track contained here. The subject matter is darker, but all the elements I love about this band still survive -- fuzzy guitars, alternating male and female vocals, catchy hooks that drag you in and won't let you leave.

8. Soul Position, Things Go Better with RJ and Al
I already name-checked "Things Go Better," the title track of the record, on this blog. The song is Blueprint's personal narrative of the group's career, and it's confessional, inspiring and is powered by a bass-heavy RJD2 beat. The catchiest song, though, is "Hand Me Downs," which features well-placed horns and a perfect Flavor Flav sample. Their best effort to date, it's a complete album that features two big winners.

7. Neko Case, Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Neko Case is the real thing. "Hold On, Hold On" is probably the best track she's recorded yet, and with a voice like that, you can't help but wonder what else she's capable of. If this is it, it's enough.

6. The Brazilian Girls, Talk to La Bomb
My gut tells me to rank this higher, but I just don't see what it's going to bump. This multilingual combination of rock and electronica might well be the most interesting disc I've heard this year, and I don't mean "interesting" in the value-neutral sense you use to describe your buddy's awful poetry. The sonic terrain they explore is different on each song, and the vocals from Sabina Sciubba are more prominent than on their mellower, eponymous previous record.

5. Asobi Seksu, Citrus
Call it shoegaze. Call it twee. Call it another term I don't understand. Call it a name in English, call it a name in Japanese (it's another record with vocals in more than one language). Just listen to its landscapes of sound and find that it's rewarding in the background and even more so with an intent listen.

4. Mates of State, Bring It Back
The consensus best track from this album is "Fraud in the 80s" (the catchiest tune Mates have recorded), but there are easily four other songs that approach its charms. For the first time, the piano-and-organ duo use guitar to flesh out their sound, and it works. The added element isn't overused, and the harmonic strengths are still in play on tracks like "Like U Crazy," "Beautiful Dreamer," and "For the Actor," a personal fave. "Nature and the Wreck" is a ballad that makes me melt every time. 

3. Golden Smog, Another Fine Day
Golden Smog are a collaboration among alt-country stars featuring one of rock's signature voices, Gary Louris, late of The Jayhawks. After loving the last two records, I picked this up with some trepidation, knowing that there would be less of Wilco's Jeff Tweedy than last time.

Months later, I think that this is a spectacular record, as different from earlier Smog efforts as the Smog itself is from the members' individual bands. It has rockers ("Hurricane," a Dan Murphy song) tender ballads ("Cure For This," featuring vocals from Muni Loco, wife of the album's producer), a cover ("Strangers," originally composed by Dave Davies of The Kinks) and more. "Corvette" is simply one of the best songs of the year, and the only one I'm actually going to post. When the chorus hits ("The dream is never over"), you actually believe it.

This is American music in the best sense of the word.

2. The Coup, Pick a Bigger Weapon
Everyone is ready to hand Ghostface the hip-hop album of the year crown, and some are ready hand him two crowns, one for "Fishscale" and one for "More Fish." Where is the love for the latest from Boots and Pam? The beats are funky, the skits mercifully short and relatively amusing, the verses equal parts political and party-riffic. The album opens with the blistering "Bullets and Love," where Boots declares "I'm a walking contradiction, like bullets and love mixin'/slur my words with perfect pitch and I'm guilty of my convictions."

I love Ghost, but if you get only one hip-hop disc from 2006, get this one.

1. M. Ward, Post-War
When I got this record, I would never have guessed it would be No. 1 on my list. I liked it immediately, but I didn't think it compared to "The Transfiguration of Vincent," Ward's 2003 opus. That's still his best work in my opinion, but with songs like "Chinese Translation," opener "Poison Cup" and follow-up "To Go Home," Post-War still beats everything else released this year in my estimation.

My favorite track, though, is "Requiem." Ward's greatest strength is his ability to take spare, simple lyrics and make them resonate. Requiem's refrain -- "He was a good man, and now he's gone" -- is a heartbreaking case in point.

15 SONGS FROM 2006

Again, these are songs unrepresented in the top 15 albums.

15. Bruce Springsteen, "O Mary Don't You Weep"
I love Springsteen, and I love Pete Seeger, and you'd think I'd love a record of Springsteen covering Seeger. You'd be very close. I only like the record very much. This is my favorite track, soulful, driving, and engaging.

14. Fujiya & Miyagi, "Collarbone"
This song is only good for dancing, in the same way that a cheesegrater is only good for grating cheese. Not my favorite genre, but boy, does it serve its intended purpose.

13. Jon Auer, "Four Letter Word"
If this world full of bitter breakup songs were a garden, this song would be the goya -- the bitterest fruit of the bunch.  The title comes from the lyric “I’m not ashamed that I treat your name like a four letter word now,” and that's one of the kindest parts. Former Posie goes vindictive. Hide the children.

12. The Mountain Goats, "Woke up New"
People either love or hate John Darnielle. If you love him, I don't need to convert you. If you hate him, I'm not going to convert you, and I wouldn't care to anyway. Try it, and you'll know one way or the other.

11. Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins, "Handle With Care"
It's an unexpectedly delicious cover of the Traveling Wilburys tune, featuring M. Ward and Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst. The record is good, albeit up and down, but this is the highlight.

10. Aqualung, "Brighter than Sunshine"
A British guy writes a poppy ditty about love. What decade is this?

9. Lupe Fiasco, "Kick, Push"
His disc is good, but this song is the one that makes you want to play it over an over. A hip-hop skateboarding romance, it will help you wash the memory of Avril Lavigne's paean to skateboarding romance out of your yearning ears.

8. The Hold Steady, "Stuck Between Stations"
Besides being a sucker for "Greetings From Asbury Park"-era Springsteen, which is a strong influence here, I have to love any song that includes the lyrics "Sal Paradise was right."

7. Jose Gonzalez, "Stay in the Shade"
Somnolent vocals, gentle guitar, atmospheric music for candlelit contemplation. Lovely.

6. Clipse, "Hello New World"
The half-singing on the hook sells it.

5. Pigeon John, "Do the Pigeon"
Hip-hop that makes you smile. "I know it gets rough, but you gotta let the sun shine in, just a smidgen." Summertime, windows-down music that says don't think too much, it'll only hurt the ballclub.

4. The Decemberists, "O Valencia!"
"The Crane Wife" should probably be in the top 15 albums, but I like previous Decemberists releases so much more, I'm afraid it colored my perceptions. Nevertheless, this is a well-constructed pop song that sounds about as gleeful as any tragic love story can.

3. Denizen Kane, "Lastchild Speaks"
It wasn't a banner year for album-length hip-hop in my ears, at least not compared to 2K5, but a lot of worthwhile tracks got me bobbing my head or shaking my fist. This does a little of both; the beat is smooth and buttery, and while the flow isn't particularly innovative, it does exactly what it needs to to deliver you where you need to be.

2. Peter, Bjorn and John, "Young Folks"
Scandinavian pop music with hand claps. It is the wave of the future. Resistance is futile. If they ever figure out how to incorporate hip-hop into this sound -- and if they do, I presume Busdriver will be involved -- it will all be over.

1. Gnarls Barkley, "Crazy"
Shut up, indie boy, you know you like it too. I prefer Danger Mouse's collaboration with MF Doom (Danger Doom) to this collaboration with Cee-Lo, but it's undeniable that "Crazy" was among the best singles of the year. And remember what I said about not having the same music shoved down my throat as everyone else?  

Let me end by plugging a compilation album, Live at KEXP Vol. 2, that not only supports Seattle's listener-powered radio station, but includes live music that's truly worth having. Versions of some of my favorite songs ("Crooked Teeth" by Death Cab for Cutie, "At the Bottom of Everything" by Bright Eyes), some of which actually outpace the album versions (Common Market's "Connect Four," Lyrics Born's "Callin' Out.")

May 2007 be even better.

The dive post will have to wait: I've just awoken from 13 hours of sleep, albeit fitful, and I'm going back to bed straight away. But I have a frivolous Saturday post that I've been saving, so here goes.

Lots of people say they like all kinds of music. I actually do. When I was in high school, it was cool to say that you listened to every kind of music but country and rap. So, of course, I went through a time when I listened to mostly country and rap.

Something I've seen a lot of bloggers do as a fun experiment is open their music player of choice, hit "shuffle," and report on the first 25 tracks to pop up. No cheating -- it defeats the purpose. I would have reported that Erasure cover of ABBA's "Take A Chance on Me" if it had popped up, too.

Having just re-done my iTunes library, now seems like as good a time as any to tackle this. Perhaps it'll make a good weekend post sometime. If you like, give it a try: leave your results in the comments, or your own blog if you have one.

Onward! With commentary!

1. Radio Friendly Unit Shifter -- Nirvana
This is one of my favorite Nirvana songs. I have an unapologetic love for the band, even though I'll probably never listen to Nevermind again (it was great the first 167,134 times, but that 167,135th did it for me). Not only does "Radio Friendly Unit Shifter" rock with equal parts harmony and skronk, it includes a couple of plays on words that are classic Kurt Cobain. Plus, it finishes up with this classic verse: "Hate your enemies/Save your friends/Find the way/Speak the truth." Yeah. Great title, too.

2. Blah Blah Blah -- Brother Ali (featuring Slug from Atmosphere)
Bouncy indie hip-hop with a beat powered by a funky sax riff. These two MCs are great together, too, since their styles are so different -- Ali's intricate wordplay balanced by Slug's goofy braggadocio. It's fun to listen to them play off of each other.

3. Liquor Lyle's Cool July -- Atmosphere
Two Atmosphere-related tracks in a row, wow. This is one of Ant's best beats from the album "Seven's Travels," which is a great record, and it's a fun party track. One of my friend Danny's pals knows Slug as "the MC who keeps whining about women." True to form, this includes the lyric "the waitress and I both drive home alone." Awww. Poor Sean!

4. La Route de Nuit -- Raphael
Raphael is tremendous, and this whole record is terrific. This isn't one of my favorite tracks -- those would be "Caravane" and "C'est Bon Aujourdhui" -- but it's still well worth a listen. In French, of course, with excellent vocals and smooth production. Sidenote: Raphael is often filed in the "Latin" section. Huh? He's French! He plays folky indie rock!

5. Someday Soon -- Wilco
With all the Wilco I have -- every release, including the EPs, and several bootlegs, some was bound to show up here. This is a gem, too, an underappreciated pick: real Americana style rock from middle period Wilco, back when Jeff Tweedy was still writing love songs that weren't bittersweet.

6. Live it Out -- Metric
My friend Casey introduced me to Metric, and they're quite good -- Canadian alternative rock with strong female vocals. Melodic, power-poppy stuff. This is the title track from the record. They're from Toronto, and you may remember their catchy minor hit "Combat Baby" from some years back. My personal favorite is their song "Love is a Place."

7. Somerville -- Pernice Brothers
I used to think that Luna was the perfect pop band. OK, I still probably think that, if you listen to "Bewitched" and never, ever listen to "Pup Tent." But Joe Pernice, formerly of the Scud Mountain Boys, writes beautiful pop records that are rewarding to multiple listens. Bittersweet guitar pop: if you like The Posies, you'll like this. This is my favorite song on their new album, "Live A Little." Check the chorus: "Gonna take a lover/Gonna take her back to Somerville/show her around the neighborhood/case the place and settle down/"Gonna take a lover/Gonna take her back to Somerville/Don't care if she's pretty/as we leave Suck City."

8. Opinions -- Nirvana
From the box set. Told you I was unapologetic about my love for this band. It's funny in the context of track One that this song begins with the lyric: "Congratulations, you have won/This year's subscription of bad puns."

9. This is Radio Clash -- The Clash
Damn, I miss Joe Strummer. So does my man John, I'm sure. It's funny to listen to The Clash these days and think, "wow, this band was considered punk." There was a time when anything innovative got stuck under that label. Damn, I grow old -- time to roll my trousers.

10. Bottomless Cup -- The Jayhawks
Now this is a great Mark Olson song. I saw Olson and Gary Louris play a live acoustic set after the band broke up, and it was an amazing show. Great musicianship, great harmonies, and wow, talk about bittersweet love songs. Does it get better than The Jayhawks in that regard?

11. Never Met A German -- Brazilian Girls
The Brazilian Girls are one of my favorite bands of the moment. Multilingual, a fusion of rock, electronica and world music, it's challenging, fun and always interesting. This is not the best song on their latest record, "Talk to La Bomb" -- that's the opener, "Jique" -- but like every other song on the disc, it's tied for second. Their first, eponymous record is also excellent. It rocks less hard, but is better suited for casual listening. Both are near-mandatory purchases in my book.

12. Sunday Morning Coming Down -- Johnny Cash
A hipster 20-something I went to college with in the early 1990s bought Johnny Cash tickets. He was excited, and I was surprised that a more-indie-than-though cat would be up on the Cash canon. "But he's the Man In Black," he said incredulously. The guy was ahead of the wave, I guess. "And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad/So I had one more for dessert."

13. It's (live) -- Dujeous?
Having former debate students who run college radio hip-hop shows gets you turned on to gems like this.
From NYC, these guys are MCs and live musicians, politically aware and booty-shaking. Think a younger version of The Roots meets The Perceptionists.

14. California -- Mason Jennings
What is about the state to the south of Oregon that inspires great music? Luna's song "California (All the Way)" is an all-time favorite, and this one is climbing the charts. Mason Jennings is a Minnesota-based folk rocker with tremendous lyrical chops. Check it: "I'm gonna miss you/like I miss the ocean/when I fall asleep." Solid. The song's heartbreaking and lovely.

15. Homophobes Are Just Mad Because They Can't Get Laid -- Propagandhi
This is one of my favorite Propagandhi titles, and that's saying something. It's not their best work -- was relegated to the outtakes record, "Where Quantity Is Job One" -- but if you like your thrash progressive, this is the band for you. Also peep their amazing cover of Concrete Blonde's "True."

16. Status -- Mr. Lif
Funny that I just mentioned Lif's group The Perceptionists. And this one of my favorite joints from his exceptional solo concept album "I Phantom." Seriously: that record is mandatory. Go get it. It's Lif's commentary on gender, economics and race in America, but it's funny and funky and thoroughly enjoyable. And so is this song. Lif wanted the jankiest beat he could find to get across the song's subject matter, which involves sneaking into clubs because you're broke. Man, I love Lif. It's too bad his new album Mo' Mega blows.

17. Little Samba -- Ugly Duckling

One of the hookiest hip-hop songs you're likely to hear, you will like this song even if you don't like rap music. Honestly. The latin-themed beat is catchy, the rhymes are witty and silly and self-deprecating, and the tune blends hilarious storytelling with a sendup of traditional hip-hop bragging tracks. Sadly, their new record "Bang for the Buck" sounds like it was put out my DJ Steady Wack on the Cringeworthy label. Their older stuff's good, though.

18.  Your Love is the Place Where I Come From -- Teenage Fanclub

Who likes Brit Pop? Ooh, ooh! Not me! But I love this. It's sweet, and tuneful and charming, and I don't even like Teenage Fanclub. Damn, I am a sucker for a good love song. Actually, strike the last five words from that sentence.

19. Queen of Cans and Jars -- Guided By Voices

I'm surprised it took GBV this long to pop up. This is from an older, odder record of theirs called "Bee Thousand," which is entirely worth your time even if  may not like it upon first listen. It includes "I Am A Scientist," one the poppiest and most explicable of all GBV songs, as well as my favorite Tobin Sprout song, "Smothered in Hugs." This tune is like Revolver-era Beatles meets The Who, but I suppose that describes a lot of GBV songs.

20. Border Ska -- Camper Van Beethoven

Like an old friend spinning digitally. This is one of Camper's world-music-inspired instrumentals. It's a pleasant listen, and I think it says something about the band that they often close shows with it (like the one I saw last year) instead of some fire-the-crowd-up rocker. It's gentle. That's the word I'd choose. Gentle.

21. Bloody Mary Morning -- Supersuckers

From the absolute classic "Twisted Willie" album, where alterna/punk/indie/whatever musicians combine with American music legends (like Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Willie himself) to cover Willie Nelson songs. One of my favorite Willie Nelson songs anyway -- like so many of them, about being dumped and seeking solace where you can find it -- the peppy Supersuckers version really adds something, and I hate the Supersuckers. Plus, Willie plays an incongruous solo.

22. Bewitched -- Luna

Hey, it's the second-best song from the perfect pop record! As I mentioned before, the Luna album that features this song as the title track is basically the warm, melodic experience to end all other warm, melodic pop experience. It's the type of record that makes you feel inexplicably happy. At least until you listen closely to the lyrics. Which you shouldn't. Just put the disc on, light some candles, and open a bottle of wine. Thank me later.

23. Left And Leaving -- The Weakerthans

I am really lucking out on this "shuffle" thing. This is an amazing song from an amazing record by an amazing band. The track's first line is inspired by a verse from the poet Catherine Hunter, and the rest of it reads like poetry. It's a fitting capper to the band's album of the same name. The words are great, and the music fits perfectly. Also, you can read my profile of the band for Z Magazine. Apropos of nothing, I will also point out that this is the third title track to come up during this shuffle experience.

24. Please Forgive Me -- David Gray

Bad Jeff. Bad Jeff! How could I declare a winner in the "perfect pop record" race without including David Gray?

25. Tuning -- Avail

One of my favorite punk bands, Avail hail from Richmond, Virginia. This is from their excellent record, "Dixie," which tackles growing up ... different in the south. This is one of the album's best songs, and hinges around the alienation that punk rockers address so well: "I saw familiar faces/far from those I knew so well/Couldn't think of much to say/ Didn't know how I felt."

Yeah, I feel you. Except for the "couldn't think of much to say" part. Because the music kept playing while I finished this, here are the next five songs to play, added without comment.

Bonus five: "365," Lateef and the Chief; "The Last Hour," Elliott Smith; "When the Stars Go Blue," Ryan Adams; "When I Win the Lottery," Camper Van Beethoven; "Phony Game," Quasimoto.