Raible’s Picks: Fifty Favorite Albums of 2006 – The List!!! An In Depth Look At The Year That Was!
On “The Information,” Beck delivers his sixth perfect album in a row. Ever since “Odelay,” he has always been the go-to guy for innovative, mesmerizing music. Always a shapeshifter he has proven himself to be part Dylan, part Donovan and part Prince, with enough originality to stand among them.
“The Information” plays like the fraternal twin of last year’s “Guero” (which topped my list as well!) It’s a dark, psychedelic mix of rock, hip-hop (“Elevator Music”), ramshackle blues (“Nausea”), and apocalyptic soundscapes. With producer Nigel Godrich (who has worked with Radiohead, and Paul McCartney, as well as producing Beck’s “Mutations” and “Sea Change” albums), Beck has crafted a cryptic, yet funky, spacey, bass-heavy, highly percussive, sonically diverse group of tunes. Packaged with a bonus DVD of lo-fi art-house style videos for each track. It also comes with stickers so listeners can design and decorate the album cover. Truly, this is a statement about the growing multimedia world! A must have. It’ll take you until 2008 to notice all the sonic details.
Favorite Tracks:
“Nausea”
“Soldier Jane”
“Elevator Music”
“Cellphone’s Dead”
“No Complaints”
“Strange Apparition”
“The Information”
“Think I’m In Love”
__________________________________________
See below review by clicking on the side link. One of the Roots’ best albums!
Favorite Tracks:
“Long Time”
“In The Music”
“Livin’ In A New World”
“Here I Come”
“Don’t Feel Right”
“False Media”
“Can’t Stop This”
__________________________________________
Russian born. Bronx based piano playing, quirky songstress Regina Spektor delivers a downright spellbinding record. Last year’s “Soviet Kitsch” was excellent, (making my last year’s list as well!), but with “Begin To Hope” she takes things a little further with the help of big-wig producer David Kahne, (who has worked with everyone from the Bangles to Fishbone.) The result gives “Begin To Hope” the perfect punch. Quite frankly, the album’s opener, “Fidelity,” could very well be the most beautiful single of the year. One can easily picture it reinterpreted by a classical string quartet. Elsewhere, “Samson” gives a nice twist to the title character’s famous haircut, (as well as some primo product placement and endorsement of “Wonder bread!”) It’s a beautiful song.
Spektor obviously comes from the same Edith Piaf school of performance that Fiona Apple has studied well in, but there is also a wacky Bjork-esque element to her performance. She’s a bit of a sicky. Her last album had an ode to “Carbon Monoxide” and a song which seems to be about a dying woman, (“Chemo Limo”) who decides to go on one last limo ride, instead of going through chemo-therapy. This album has a great two-chord fuzz-bass- driven track called “That Time” which has a line about the joys of finding human teeth on Delancy Street. Yes, she may be a little odd, but that’s the best part. She’s definitely different. She’s a real star, and a top quality songwriter. Do yourself a favor. If you have the chance, get yourself the deluxe edition with a bonus disc with five additional, stripped down songs. She’s an original and I want to hear more!
Favorite Tracks:
“Fidelity”
“Samson”
“That Time”
“Better”
“On The Radio”
“20 Years Of Snow”
“Another Town” (bonus disc)
__________________________________________
Late in 2005, a rhythmic, bluesy single hit the airwaves called “Black Horse & The Cherry Tree” by the Scottish newcomer KT Tunstall. In under three minutes it grabs you, shakes you around and demands your attention. Her debut record, “Eye To The Telescope” arrived in U.S. record stores in February, and thanks to support from radio and spots on TV shows like “Grey’s Anatomy,” it became a hit. Second single, “Suddenly I See” was also featured in “The Devil Wears Prada.” One listen to “Eye To The Telescope” and there is no doubt that all of the attention is well deserved. In addition, later in the year, Tunstall decided to surprise her fans with a hastily recorded, live acoustic record and DVD set entitled “KT Tunstall’s Acoustic Extravaganza.” What makes this all the more remarkable and noteworthy is the fact that the two albums only share two songs. Eight of the ten “Extravaganza” tracks are new, and are every bit as good as those on “Telescope!!!” (She includes an excellent cover of Beck’s somber “Golden Age” which nearly equals the original!) Not only does this show a confident new artist with range, but it also nicely sidesteps the dreaded sophomore jinx. Just the beginning for an artist I hope to hear a lot more from in the future.
Favorite Tracks: (“Eye To The Telescope”)
“Black Horse & The Cherry Tree”
“Suddenly I See”
“Miniature Disasters”
“Another Place To Fall”
“Other Side Of The World”
“Universe & U”
“Under The Weather”
Favorite Tracks: (“KT Tunstall’s Acoustic Extravaganza”)
“Golden Age”
“One Day”
“Ashes”
“Girl & The Ghost”
“Change”
__________________________________________
See the below review by clicking on the side link. In that review, I neglected to mention the excellent instrumental secret track. When starting the CD, rewind before the first track and you’ll find a pumped up, rocking jam.
Favorite Tracks:
“Good Weekend”
“Emily Kane”
“Maternity Ward”
“These Animal Menswe@r”
“Formed A Band”
“18,000 Lira”
“Modern Art”
“My Little Brother”
“Bang Bang Rock & Roll”
__________________________________________
If you’ve never heard of Emily Haines or her excellent rock band Metric, I suppose you can be forgiven. Good alternative rock radio has sadly vanished from the dial, and even before it was unceremoniously removed from the spectrum, it had become a strangely estrogen-free universe. This is really unfortunate. You should know about Metric since they are one of the most exciting bands to come out of Canada in recent years.
Her first basic solo outing, “Knives Don’t Have Your Back” is a much more quiet, somber affair than those two bands. Mostly driven by haunting atmospherics and minor-keyed, echo-laden piano, with cheery titles like “Our Hell” and “Crowd Surf Off A Cliff,” it sounds more like a stripped down companion piece to Thom Yorke’s “The Eraser.” (See Number 14!) The first few listens, it may all blend together, but if you spend enough time with it, blasting it in a dark room, it’ll really haunt you and get under your skin. While I’m digging videos off of youtube, I might as well give you a link to the album’s single,
Favorite Tracks:
“Doctor Blind”
“Winning”
“The Last Page”
“Detective Daughter”
“Mostly Waving”
“Our Hell”
“Crowd Surf Off A Cliff”
__________________________________________
Three notable British bands appeared in 2001. They were Coldplay, Doves, and Elbow. If Coldplay is the only one of these three you’ve heard of, you are truly missing something. These three bands mine a similar musical landscape (owing a great debt to the influence of Radiohead’s early records) however both Doves and Elbow tend to allow their guitar amps to rock a little harder than Chris Martin and his crew do, thus they tend to avoid the unfortunate “wuss-rock” label which repeatedly dogs Coldplay. All three bands are giant stars in England. All three bands have had top selling records on the British charts, but somehow both Doves and Elbow seem to have not yet caught on quite the same way in the U.S. It’s too bad since all three bands are equally cool. Doves have been a staple on my year-end lists for all three of their albums, most recently with last year’s “Some Cities.”
Unfortunately, with these bands which aren’t nearly as popular in the U.S., we sometimes have to wait longer for stateside release. Elbow’s mighty third record, “Leaders Of The Free World” was released in the U.K. to great fanfare in 2005. It didn’t come out here until early this year. It’s one of those rare records where the louder tracks are of equal quality to the softer ballads.
Lead singer Guy Garvey possesses a husky, commanding voice, which most recalls Peter Gabriel. In fact the geopolitical tension in the album’s title-track seems like a modern answer to Gabriel’s “Games Without Frontiers.” In it, Garvey sings, “The leaders of the free world are just little boys throwing stones/ And it’s easy to ignore until they’re knocking on the door of your homes.“ And even though they are a British band, it’s hard to imagine that Garvey’s not talking about the Bush family and their respective Iraq wars when he sings, “Passing the gun from father to feckless son. / We’re climbing a landslide where only the good die young. “ Indeed a record for the time.
Garvey’s got a gift for language, often to heartbreaking effect. On “An Imagined Affair,” he sings, “While sitting in a bar spilling in a bar / I drink until the doorman is a Christmas tree / And my speech is just a gas leak. “ What a dark, but strangely moving set of lines. What a striking description of drunkenness!
If you can find it, please try to get a hold of the two disc special edition of “Leaders Of The Free World. “ The second disc is a DVD containing videos to nearly all the tracks on the album, employing cool animation effects similar to those used by the aforementioned Peter Gabriel, in his landmark “Sledgehammer” video. Completely worth seeking out. More people should know about Elbow! They are a great band!
Favorite Tracks:
“Leaders Of The Free World”
“Forget Myself”
“An Imagined Affair”
“The Stops”
“Station Approach”
“Mexican Standoff”
“Great Expectations”
__________________________________________
Canada’s Pony Up! started out as a five-piece all-female band with their 2005 indie-rock self-titled E.P. It had a sort of timeless quality, the kind of record which could’ve come out any time within the last thirty years, and sounded like it could’ve been crafted by a group of young women down the street, jamming out in a basement. The E.P. was also frankly sexual in a Liz Phair “Exile In Guyville” sort of way, particularly on the ode to the actor, “Matthew Modine.” I don’t know if he should be flattered or get a restraining order. Most likely the former.
On the band’s first full-length, “Make Love To The Judges With Your Eyes,” the raunch factor is way, way down, and the production is slightly up, but not by any means flashy. The band is down to a quartet, with the departure of multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Camilla Wynne Ingr. Keyboardist Laura Willis and guitarist Sarah Moundroukas alternate vocals throughout the record. There’s something so darkly witty about Pony Up!’s music, and it’s hard not to love it. It’s jam packed with sarcasm, sass, thoughtful lyrics, and dense hooks. In fact “Possible Harm, ” “What’s Free Is Yours” and “Ships” should really all be hits.
Favorite Tracks:
“Possible Harm”
“What’s Free Is Yours”
“Ships”
“The Truth About Cats And Dogs (Is That They Die)”
“Only Feelgood”
“Dance For Me”
__________________________________________
British R&B singer Corinne Bailey Rae’s self-titled debut has been warmly received on both sides of the pond, and why not? What’s not to like? Warm, acoustic guitar driven, coffee-house R&B, delivered with a honey-drenched sweetness, and an easy-going soft demeanor similar to that of Norah Jones. Subtle horn sections come and go throughout the record, and occasionally there is a slight hip-hop swing, but at its core you have the kind of monumental record with multigenerational appeal that Barry Gordy and his Motown crew used to make. She doesn’t over-sing. In fact, there is nothing diva-esque about Rae at all. She mostly sings softly. Only in the funked-out workout, “I’d Like To,” does she really show she can flex that kind of muscle. (R&B radio has yet to embrace her, and this may be the single to break her into the clubs. ) Elsewhere, there are the kind of classics one needs to establish a career. “Put Your Records On,” her debut single, pretty much sets the tone of her easy going grooves, but “Trouble Sleeping” is the best jam of them all. It has a similar laid-back swing as Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together.”
Earlier this year, Rae performed on “Saturday Night Live.” Not only did she give the best performance I’ve seen on there in a while, but she was smiling so brightly, you could see it in her eyes. That kind of energy is magnetic, genuine, and contagious. We need more performers like Corinne Bailey Rae. She’s a classic in the making!
Favorite Tracks:
“Trouble Sleeping”
“Put Your Records On”
“I’d Like To”
“Like A Star”
“Butterfly”
“Enchantment”
__________________________________________
It seems to me that The Decemberists have to be one of the hardest working indie-rock bands around. Since debuting in 2002, they’ve released four albums. On this album, they make the dreaded switch from legendary independent label “Kill Rock Stars” to the majors. “The Crane Wife” is their first record for Capitol, and it hasn’t changed them in the least. If anything the one perk of production has boosted them.
Colin Malloy still sings winkingly acerbic songs about downtrodden immigrants, and others such oppressed souls. I say winkingly, because it’s not all doom and gloom. There is an occasional ghost of dark humor. Plus, Malloy has a dense lyrical sense that focuses as much on content as it does wordiness. Thus, as a lyricist, he has a quality somewhere between Charles Dickens and James Michener. It’s that dense. Often, he writes songs about people from different time periods, set in different places around the word. The title “The Crane Wife” is supposedly taken from a Japanese folk-tale. This is probably the most unabashedly academic band around, not exactly the kind of stuff you’d expect Capitol would think it could score hits with, but the hooks are also there. The single “O Valencia!” has already garnered them some well-deserved airplay. “The Crane Wife 3” is a beautiful song that needs a better title. It’s the opener, and the most beautiful track on the record.
In 2002, when the Decemberists first appeared, I remember reading in an interview in CMJ, that they were “obsessed with all things Slavic.” If history nerds with those kinds of interests can score hits, we all could learn something.
If you like this album, do yourself a favor and dig out a copy of their song “Here, I Dreamt I Was An Architect,” from their 2002 album “Castaways and Cutouts.” It just may stick with you.
Favorite Tracks:
“The Crane Wife 3”
“O Valencia!”
“Summersong”
“Yankee Bayonet (I Will Be Home Then)”
“The Perfect Crime #2”
“When The War Came”
__________________________________________
There’s an odd picture of Ray LaMontagne on the inside of his second album, “Till The Sun Turns Black.” In the picture, with his thick beard, the Maine-based singer/songwriter looks like a disheveled mountain man, whom you wouldn’t want to run across in a dark alley. Don’t let it threaten you. The fact is Ray LaMontagne has a rich, soulful, friendly voice. “Till The Sun Turns Black” is a sparse, spacious, Wintery record that may just haunt you. LaMontagne may be jumbled together with the folkies and the other guitar-strumming troubadours, but at his essence, he’s really the most unlikely of soul singers. His voice is a slightly androgynous, expressive instrument. To top things off, producer Ethan Johns (who also produced the artist’s debut) gives each and every instrument kick, thus the album possessed the kind of sharpness you’d expect to find from playing vinyl. It sounds like you are listening to a carefully layered live performance. It’s the kind of record you turn up loudly, in order to enjoy its subtleties. So, come in from the snow, turn this on, make yourself some cocoa, and huddle up next to the fireplace under a warm blanket.
Favorite Tracks:
“Empty”
“You Can Bring Me Flowers”
“Barfly”
“Be Here Now”
“Three More Days”
“Gone Away From Me”
“Lesson Learned”
__________________________________________
James Hunter may have very well been born at the wrong time. Frankly, if that’s true, it’s to our benefit. Every bit of his record “People Gonna Talk” sounds like it was recorded in the late fifties or early sixties. As a vocalist, Hunter sounds like a cross between Sam Cooke and Bobby Darin in some places, and Jackie Wilson and/or James Brown in others. The title track sounds like something Leiber and Stoller would’ve written for Ben E. King. The production has no fancy modern tricks. This is old-fashioned orchestra recording! The only slight bit of a hint that Hunter is British is the slight hint of skiffle influence in his guitar work. The album plays like a long-lost greatest hits package from the dawn of rock-and-roll. If oldies radio still existed all over the country, you could probably sneak a track or two from this album into the rotation, and few people would notice. What a remarkable record!
Favorite Tracks:
“No Smoke Without Fire”
“Talkin’ ‘Bout My Love”
“I’ll Walk Away”
“People Gonna Talk”
“Kick It Around”
“It’s Easy To Say”
“Watch & Chain”
__________________________________________
The former DJ for Jurassic 5 goes solo with an album likely to please both hip-hop and turntablism fans, as well as fans of electronic artists like Fatboy Slim and the Chemical Brothers. Even fans of world chill masters, Thievery Corporation will get a thrill out of this disc. It’s a powerful, eclectic mix, which should grab a attention from a diverse crowd. It’s equally suited for the parties or just hanging out at home. You will most definitely recognize “The Audience Is Listening (Theme Song)” from the latest batch of iPod commercials.
Favorite Tracks:
“The Garden”
“Spoon”
“The Audience Is Listening (Theme Song)”
“What’s The Altitude”
“(My 1st) Big Break”
“Metrorail Thru Space”
“Spat”
_________________________________________
Radiohead’s lead singer, Thom Yorke’s debut under his own name, has only nine tracks. Think about how many great nine-song records there are (among them, Pink Floyd’s “Dark Side Of The Moon,” Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Depeche Mode’s “Violator,” and Jane’s Addiction’s “Ritual De Lo Habitual”) and add this one to the list. With Radiohead producer, Nigel Godrich on-board, he crafts a jittery, skittery, technologically reliant record, which occasionally verges on trip-hop. The tendency is to think that this record would be difficult like the paranoid art-house Radiohead classic, “Kid A.” This would be a wrong assumption. Yorke hasn’t sounded this humanized in years. His voice is at the center, a vulnerable human beneath a sea of beats. Sure the minor-key-progressions are still there along with the dark, semi-cryptic lyrics, but without those elements it wouldn’t be a Thom Yorke record.
When this record came out in July, there was very little advance warning, and Yorke wanted to make sure that it wasn’t referred to as a “solo” record. In order to ease fans, worrying that Radiohead may be on the verge of breaking up, the band immediately went on tour in support of Yorke’s record. Having not seen any of the live shows, I wonder how much fuller some of these songs sounded on a full-band scale.
Favorite Tracks:
“Black Swan”
“The Eraser”
“Analyse”
“Atoms For Peace”
“Harrowdown Hill”
“The Clock”
_________________________________________
If you haven’t noticed, we’re really deep in an eighties-post-punk-revival. Grand National are one of the cooler, but lesser known bands re-exploring the sonic soundscapes of that decade. Once again this is an album by an interesting British band, that we in the states get a staggering two years later than the rest of the world, but we at least get the advantage of getting four bonus tracks and three bonus remixes on the American edition.
Ghosts of the Clash and the Police, and other usual suspects are all over “Breaking The National Habit,” but Grand National are more funk and dance driven then most of these influences, spiking the mixture with a slight twist of bubble-gum-electro-dance music. They also like unusual tricks. For example, the mesmerizing, whirling keyboards which set off “Talk Amongst Yourselves,” and the suddenly manic horn solo in the middle of “Playing In The Distance “ are extra touches which set them apart from the rest of the retro-fitted pack.
Favorite Tracks:
“Talk Amongst Yourselves”
“Playing In The Distance”
“Peanut Dreams”
“Litter Bin”
“Your Rules Obey” (U.S. Bonus)
“Rabbits Facts” (U.S. Bonus)
_________________________________________
Four years after the official release of “Four Songs,” we finally get Murdoch’s first full-length, which in its eleven tracks includes reworkings of three of those four songs. In addition, we get Murdoch’s newer psychedelic side on jams like “Home” and “12.” But the catchiest of all the tracks is a new song called “Breathe.” It’s chorus is simply, “Don’t forget to breathe,” and it will stick in your head, and sometimes maybe even become your mantra. A great listen for a time when you just need to chill and space-out a little with your thoughts.
Favorite Tracks:
“Breathe”
“Orange Sky”
“Song For You”
“Wait”
“Blue Mind”
“All My Days”
_________________________________________
Gomez may be one of the most experimentally eclectic bands in England. Listening to one of their albums, there are times when no sonic element seems too exotic for them. Add the fact that they have three lead singers who alternate from song to song with pretty equal balance, and you know first why Gomez are great, and second why they aren’t necessarily as much of a big name band as they deserve to be. Perhaps they are too diverse in their sound, which frankly should be rewarded, not punished!
They debuted ten years back with an odd Americana-influenced, static-tinged echo-filled single called “78 Stone Wobble.” It was a great song, and it still plays damn well now. They got critical acclaim, released a stack of records on both Dreamworks and Virgin, and slowly built their cult following.
“How We Operate,” is a focused, impressive record which already has boosted their profile a little thanks to the title track being used on “Grey’s Anatomy.” The band is now on Dave Matthews’ increasingly cooler label ATO records. (If you scoff at this, may I remind you that even though at times, Matthews’ band sometimes sounds like an awkward, watered-down jazz-jam-band-hoedown, he is the guy who saved David Gray’s career, and gave Soul Coughing’s Mike Doughty a well-earned recording contract as a solo artist. For those reasons, he deserves a little respect. ) On ATO, Gomez have found an artist-friendly home, and perhaps that’s why they sound so much at ease. “Notice,” “See The World,” “How We Operate,” and “Girlshapedlovedrug” are all fine choices for singles. In fact, the whole record is solid.
I also recommend the band’s new two-disc best-of released this year as well. It’s called “Five Men In A Hut,” and not only is it jam-packed with bonus B-sides and rarities, but it’s also an ideal way for new fans to play catch-up.
Favorite Tracks:
“How We Operate”
“Notice”
“Girlshapedlovedrug”
“See The World”
“All Too Much”
“Cry On Demand”
_________________________________________
The Silversun Pickups sound a hell of a lot like Smashing Pumpkins only without the delusions of grandeur, the gothic sense of doom or the pseudo-religious imagery. In other words, every one of the weaknesses the Pumpkins had, the Pickups don’t! Their album “Carnavas” is great because it’s a noise-rock record that sounds like it is straight out of 1994. No apologies, just walls of guitar fuzz, with a power-pop soul, a shoegazer veneer and an ever-so-slight Eastern-tinge. One listen to “Lazy Eye,” and you’ll know just what I mean.
The band is from L.A. which means that L.A. seems to be getting an impressive semi-underground experimental noise-rock scene, when you consider other recent notables Autolux and Mellowdrone. It’s probably a scene worth watching.
The band members are veterans. According to the All Music Guide, bassist Nikki Monninger was in a band called “Let’s Go Sailing” with Tanya Haden, (triplet to that dog’s Petra Haden and Rachel Haden, daughter of jazz bassist Charlie Haden, and wife of Jack Black!) So, what I’m really trying to say is, it’s amazing the things you can learn digging online! I digress! It’s a great disc, especially if you miss the nineties.
Favorite Tracks:
“Lazy Eye”
“Rusted Wheel”
“Dream At Tempo 119”
“Melatonin”
“Common Reactor”
“Three Seed”
_________________________________________
If Austin Powers threw a hip, swinging shindig, something tells me he’d want to play Bitter:Sweet. Their sixties soaked, go-go fueled, smolderingly sultry trip-hop is just the perfect soundtrack for hipster cocktail parties. “The Mating Game” is just over thirty-seven minutes long, but full of enough appeal and attitude to keep you buzzing all night. The group is a duo consisting of vocalist Shana Halligan and Kiran Shahani (of the Supreme Beings Of Leisure fame.) So invite a few friends over and put this in the hi-fi! Martinis for everyone!!!
Favorite Tracks:
“The Mating Game”
“Overdue”
“Salty Air”
“Dirty Laundry”
“Heaven”
“Bittersweet Faith”
“Take 2 Blue”
_________________________________________
Jim Noir is yet another British singer/songwriter allowing his love for the sixties to shine through. His production is wonderfully dusty, his mixing is extreme, (vocals in one ear, drums in another) but altogether, because his songwriting is as sharp as many of the British Invasion masters of the period, the formula works. Once again, here’s yet another artist who has been helped greatly by being played on “Grey’s Anatomy!” Perhaps an unlikely choice, considering some might think Noir’s retro feel might not be a lot like the other music on there, but exposure is exposure. If you like songs with catchy guitar-hooks, crunchy organ-lines, and melodic vocal harmonies, you’re in for a treat.
Favorite Tracks:
“Eanie Meanie”
“Key Of C”
“I Me You I’m Your”
“Tell Me What To Do”
“Turbulent Weather”
“My Patch”
“Tower Of Love”
_________________________________________
Something oddly nice and unexpected happened with art-rock titans Sonic Youth in 2006. After their last record, “Sonic Nurse,” longtime producer turned full-time member Jim O’Rourke left. People wondered how this would change their sound. Perhaps it was a factor, perhaps it wasn’t, but “Rather Ripped” is the most accessible album they’ve done in more than a decade. The band known for its extended jams and difficult walls of guitar feedback relocated the kind of pop-hooks they haven’t had since “Dirty,” back in 1992. Even Kim Gordon, whose songs in recent years have been the most difficult, sings with ease on the album. This is especially true on the opener “Reena.” If rock radio were as open as it once was, this song would be a hit. The same goes for the Thurston Moore-led “Incinerate,” and Lee Ranaldo’s “Rats.”
It should be noted too, that it’s almost getting to be “Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame” time for the Youth. Even though they really had very few radio hits, I hope they are recognized for their influence. Reportedly they had a big impact on the members of Pavement, and Nirvana signed to Geffen because Sonic Youth were there! Considering they are at a time in their career when most bands would be mellowing to a point of insignificance, it’s really great to hear the Youth get better with age, instead of fading into the darkness. If they continue to make records this good, it’d be nice to hear records from them for another twenty-five years.
“Rather Ripped” is a career high point, along the lines of the previously mentioned “Dirty” and their 1988 classic “Daydream Nation,” which was recently added to the Library of Congress’ collection of audio recordings.
Favorite Tracks:
“Reena”
“Incinerate”
“Rats”
“Pink Steam”
“Turquoise Boy”
“What A Waste”
“Jams Run Free”
_________________________________________
Montreal’s the Stills, started out as yet another new-wave-revivalist band. Their 2003 album in this vein, “Logic Will Break Your Heart” is an all out masterpiece. When the pre-release chatter about “Without Feathers” stated that they had ditched their sound for an earthier, rootsier one, I was a bit nervous. History is riddled with bands who decide to change their sound to maintain some sort of musical integrity. Look at the disaster that is the new Killers record, and you’ll see what I mean. The Stills, however are a much better band apparently than the Killers, and they pull off the near impossible. “Without Feathers” is obviously more rooted in the festival bands seventies with groups like the Band proving to be especially important. What would’ve been synth-lines on the first record are now piano or organ lines. The songs breathe and are less angular and robotic. So, essentially the Stills have created two very different albums of roughly equal quality. This album’s standouts like “Oh Shoplifter,” “Destroyer,” “She’s Walking Out,” and “Helicopters,” stand firmly beside standouts from the last album like “Yesterday Never Tomorrows” and “Gender Bombs.” It’s an example of a young band proving their range. It’ll be interesting to hear what sound they pick for their third record.
Favorite Tracks:
“Destroyer”
“Oh Shoplifter”
“She’s Walking Out”
“In The Beginning”
“Helicopters”
“It Takes Time”
_________________________________________
It’s easy to give Sean Lennon more flack than he deserves. Here’s a kid of a legend, friends with other kids of legends, who has been put up to impossibly high standards. He’s been a celebrity his entire life. This was made worse at the age of four when of course his famous dad was murdered. It’s easy to look at Sean Lennon as a privileged youth banking on his parents’ legacy. Well, you know what? STOP IT! Sean Lennon shows on his second solo album “Friendly Fire” that he definitely inherited John’s gift for melody. His voice, yes, is impossibly high and takes some getting used to, but it suits his melodies quite well, and he’s really grown into it since his last record, 1998’s “Into The Sun.” That record occasionally rocked out with layered, grungy guitar work, while this record is strikingly mellow. If one insisted on comparing this album’s tone to a Beatles song, for the most part Lennon stays in a space similar to “Across The Universe.” “Wait For Me,” however, does sort of sound like a sequel to the Beatles’ “Girl.”
Lennon produced the record himself, but it’s pretty obvious from it’s carefully orchestrated feel, he’s been listening to Jon Brion’s work with Aimee Mann, Fiona Apple and Elliott Smith. There’s an earth-shattering sad energy, perhaps due to the death of his friend Max LeRoy, (son of Warner LeRoy, and namesake for “Maxwell’s Plum,” and to whom the album is dedicated.) For all the judgment Lennon may face from his skeptics, too many people seem to forget how much tragedy he’s seen in his thirty-one years. Death looms largely on “Friendly Fire.” First, well, there’s that title, then there’s the opener “Dead Meat,” and then there’s the line in the song “Parachute,” where he says, “If I have to die tonight / I’d rather be with you. / Cut the parachute before we die. “ Altogether a moving, mournful masterpiece.
“Friendly Fire” is also packaged with a bonus DVD containing a film consisting of pieced together videos for all of the album’s ten tracks. That too will not silence Lennon’s critics. The production values are pretty great, and the cast includes many famous friends like Bijou Phillips, Asia Argento, Jordana Brewster, Lindsay Lohan, Devon Aoki, Carrie Fisher, Harper Simon and others. Instead of looking at this DVD in a jaded, cynical way, as someone flaunting his means, look at it more in way it was intended, as a beautiful piece of art, made by people with the talent and the means to execute their vision. The DVD and album are both beautiful, so as a culture, we all become a little richer, and for that, and his talent, Sean Lennon deserves our respect!
John Lennon would be so proud!!! My bet is that Yoko is really proud!!!
Favorite Tracks:
“Dead Meat”
“Parachute”
“Wait For Me”
“Tomorrow”
“Would I Be The One”
“Headlights”
“Friendly Fire”
_________________________________________
I would guess that you don’t know who Erika Wennerstrom is, but you really should. As frontwoman of The Heartless Bastards, she possessed the kind of blues-soaked-belter of a voice many would kill for. She has a presence like a female version of a cross between Jack White and Robert Plant. These comparisons follow her around from review to review, but I’d wager that when she sings in her lowest register, she can probably sing lower than both of them. What a unique bellow she has, and at the same time, she can switch it up on a dime and sing in a softer, more feminine sort of way. She is one of the best rock vocalists to come around in a while.
The Heartless Bastards are a sturdy, roadhouse ready alt-rock garage-band from Cincinnati, signed to Fat Possum Records. Wennerstrom is joined by bassist Mike Lamping and drummer Kevin Vaughn, while she wails away on guitar and piano, and writes the songs. She’s an excellent songwriter, too. “Search For The Ghost” and the album’s title track are both infectious. So, you don’t know who Erika Wennerstrom is, but now that you are a bit more informed, go out and pick up this record!
Favorite Tracks:
“Searching For The Ghost”
“All This Time”
“Into The Open”
“Brazen”
“Come A Long Way”
“Blue Day”
_________________________________________
Brooklyn’s We Are Scientists are a sharp-tongued new-wave/pop/punk collective with enough dance energy to keep the party going. Many comparisons have been made between them and the British bands Bloc Party and Kaiser Chiefs, and yes these comparisons hold true. They are the American counterpart to a mostly English genre. They also have a unique quality that says to me that they’ve been listening to a lot of Green Day. Let’s face it, Green Day are a fantastic band, but most of the bands that claim to be influenced by them lack Billie Joe Armstrong’s wit, so you end up with just recyclable, whiny bubblegum punk bands like Good Charlotte and New Found Glory. We Are Scientists are the first band I’ve heard in a long time which could’ve possibly been influenced by Green Day, who could potentially run toe-to-toe with them. Lead singer Keith Murray (not to be confused with the rapper!) has a similar sneer to Armstrong. Granted most of the songs he sings are about getting drunk, waking up hung-over, how he needs to quit drinking, etc, but he delivers them with an acerbic literate observational manner.
This record came out in the U.S. early in January. (In the U.K. it actually came out in October 2005, rare for the U.S. release date to be pushed back for an American band!) I liked it an awful lot, but only really began listening to it often much later in the year. The two best songs on here are “The Scene Is Dead” and “Can’t Lose.”
Favorite Tracks:
“This Scene Is Dead”
“Can’t Lose”
“Nobody Move, Nobody Get Hurt”
“It’s A Hit”
“Inaction”
“Cash Cow”
“The Great Escape”
_________________________________________
James Yancey, a.k.a. Jay Dee, a.k.a. J Dilla was one of the most massive forces in hip-hop production within the last ten years. Ask Pharrell Williams or Kanye West who their heroes were, and no doubt Dilla was on that list. He did classic work with the likes of the Pharcyde, De La Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, Busta Rhymes, Janet Jackson and others. His beats were heavily jazz influenced, but they also had elements of classic soul, and the occasional oddball electronic effect. He was a shapeshifter, easily making beats to suit each artist. He was also the DJ for the group Slum Village.
In February 2006, on his 32nd birthday, he released “Donuts” a collection of 31 beat snippets pasted together into one forty-three minute party mix. Three days later he died of complications from Lupus. He supposedly worked tirelessly on “Donuts” and its followup, “The Shining” (released later in the year) from his hospital bed. They both stand as a testament to his skill. Only one of “Donuts’” tracks goes above the two-minute mark, but they each feel like full ideas. He worked from a huge palette of sounds, from the retro-soul groove of “Two Can Win,” to the funky acid-guitar groove of “Anti-American Graffiti”(complete with a Wolfman Jack impersonator,) to the technologic-wave-of-the-future vibe in “Lightworks,” to the roller-disco boogie of “The Diff’rence.”
Many of these sketches and samples appeared later in the year as full-fledged beats on albums by the Roots and Ghostface Killah, among others.
Some of them even turned up on “The Shining. “ That album is also great, but not quite at the level of “Donuts.” It’s all because of the guest appearances. Common, Black Thought, and Pharoahe Monch deliver stellar, high quality performances on there. Then, there’s Busta Rhymes, who opens “The Shining. “ Busta used to be great. His verse on A Tribe Called Quest’s “Scenario” is one of the best verses in hip-hop history, but fifteen years later, he’s become just some guy who grabs the mic and gets angry. He hasn’t brought that classic Busta energy to his songs in a long time. I’d love for that part of him to come back and replace the “rah-rah” angry dude. Some of the other guest appearances just didn’t work for me. For these reasons, “The Shining” isn’t on this list sharing this spot. But if you like this record, go out and get it and make up your own mind. There are some great things on there. Also, if you like “Donuts,” pick up Dilla’s friend Madlib’s similar beat collection, “The Beat KonductaVol.1-2.”
Part of what makes “Donuts” great is that it doesn’t have any guest rappers, allowing the beats to speak for themselves. It’s Dilla stripped down to his essence. He will be missed. R.I.P.!
Below you will find links to a great, informative, uncensored audio interview with J Dilla. I’m not exactly sure when or where it’s from, but I found it on youtube.
Favorite Tracks:
“Two Can Win”
“Bye.”
“Lightworks”
“Anti-American Graffiti”
“Stop!”
“Time: The Donut Of The Heart”
“Dilla Says Go”
_________________________________________
Sia’s “Colour The Small One” was finally released in the United States, on the second Tuesday in January of 2006. It had been available in the rest of the world since 2004, and it probably wouldn’t have secured U.S. release had her song “Breathe Me” not been used in the epic closing scene of the closing episode of the show “Six Feet Under,” and subsequently caused an i-Tunes frenzy. Releasing the album of Australian-born, England-based singer, in the U.S. seems to me like a no-brainer, so I find this fact to be rather astounding. She is, after all one of the guest vocalists frequently featured on the Zero 7 records, and Zero 7 are somewhat popular here. Luckily, the U.S. edition features two bonus tracks and two remixes of “Breathe Me.”
“Breathe Me” is the best song on here, but there are also many other gems. “The Bully” is a nice ballad co-written with Beck, while “Natale’s Song” is a softly melodic rhythmic exercise featuring background vocals from fellow Zero 7 vocalist, Sophie Barker.
Sia sings differently on this record than she does on her work with Zero 7. Here, she’s very hushed, all whispers and rasp. On Zero 7 records, she’s a much more bombastic presence. She’s much louder and more diva-esque. On here, she’s much more reflective. Neither one of these styles is better than the other. They both have their benefits. In fact, it just speaks to her versatility. She’s an R&B singer, in the modern sense. This is a CD modern R&B fans would probably like, but would never think of picking up. Remember the R&B singer Res, from a few years back? It’s like someone fused her album with Luscious Jackson’s “Fever In, Fever Out” to create a softly satisfying chilled concoction.
If you like this CD, you might want to check out two other CDs by Zero 7 vocalists that came out this year. Sophie Barker came out with an album called “Earthbound,” and Tina Dico came out with an album called “In The Red.” They are both decent records.
Favorite Tracks:
“Breathe Me”
“Natale’s Song”
“Butterflies”
“The Bully”
“Numb”
“Moon”
_________________________________________
Danger Mouse is everywhere. Last year, he appeared on my list twice. First with MF Doom as the duo Dangerdoom, and second as the producer of Gorillaz’s “Demon Days.” Now, he’s teamed up with imaginative Goodie Mob rapper/ R&B freak-specialist Cee-Lo, to form Gnarls Barkley. If Gorillaz make alt-rock records that hip-hop fans can dig, Gnarls Barkley have made an hip-hop and R&B record that alt-rock fans can enjoy. All around, boundaries are broken left and right, from the madcap in-and-out beat of “Just A Thought” to the ding-dong string section to “Feng Shui,” to the almost acid-house disco beat of “The Last Time.” It’s sad that this record puzzled R&B radio programmers. It proves that radio and it’s unwillingness to let go of limiting boundaries, has left it in a state of stagnation. Had “Crazy” not proven to be an unstoppable hit thanks to pop and (most unlikely) AAA radio, Gnarls Barkley might not be up for so many Grammies right now. If you haven’t heard “Crazy,” it’s a cinematic Al Green-style barn-burner. It’s such a powerful track, it’s already spawned many covers by the likes of Nelly Furtado, Ray LaMontagne, and others. Gnarls Barkley do their own memorable cover of the Violent Femmes “Gone Daddy Gone.” An R&B cover of a Violent Femmes song, sung by Cee-Lo? What’s next? D’Angelo singing “Add It Up?” R. Kelly’s rendition of “Gimme The Car?” Musiq singing “American Music?” Andre 3000 of Outkast doing a tongue-in-cheek rave-up cover of “Blister In The Sun?” I’m joking, but I’d actually pay to hear all of these. (Ha Ha!)
Favorite Tracks:
“Crazy”
“Just A Thought”
“Feng Shui”
“Smiley Faces”
“The Last Time”
“Gone Daddy Gone”
“St. Elsewhere”
_________________________________________
The Submarines are a duo consisting of established indie-rock singer songwriters, (Blake Hazard and John Dragonetti, a.k.a. Jack Drag) who met, fell in love, broke up, got angry, wrote a bunch of songs about it, recorded them together, fell back in love, and got married. This is the material on “Declare A New State!” This may also explain why the album’s lyrics are so gloriously bipolar. Nothing like a sad song, sung with glee by two lovers who are glad to have rediscovered each other. To add to the formula, there are a lot of woozy keyboard effects, and echo-drenched beats. It’s sort of druggy sounding, actually. I think the song, (even the title) “Brighter Discontent,” just about says everything that needs to be said. I’d expect nothing less, knowing that Hazard is the great-granddaughter of F. Scott Fitzgerald!
Favorite Tracks:
“Brighter Discontent”
“Peace And Hate”
“Ready Or Not”
“Hope”
“The Good Night”
“Darkest Things”
_________________________________________
For years, Nightmares On Wax have made reliably good trip-hop records. “In A Space Outta Sound” is the best record they’ve made in a long time, full of late-night organ jams, twisting reggae, African drum workouts, commanding hip-hop instrumentals, and some party-ready R&B. In other words, there’s a little bit of everything here. “Damn” is a seven-minute jam built around a sample of Al Hirt’s performance of “Harlem Hendo.” (The same sample De La Soul famously used in “Ego Trippin’ Part Two” and the Roots used as the basis for their song “Stay Cool.”) The hustling-strut of the sampled trumpet blasts in “Pudpots” knocks you right upside your head. “The Sweetest” is a street-ready groove build around a nice female led vocal sample, a hard beat, and a skiffly guitar riff. All together, this album delivers with different, unusual, diverse sounds colliding in unexpected ways.
Favorite Tracks:
“The Sweetest”
“Damn”
“Pudpots”
“Passion”
“Flip Ya Lid”
“Me!”
“African Pirates”
_________________________________________
Jay-Z took a big chance this year. He signed the first British MC to a Def Jam recording contract. He really found someone unique in Lady Sovereign. As part of the growing grime scene (which also gave the world Dizzee Rascal) her brand of hip-hop may at first make some American listeners scratch their heads. That’s actually part of the thrill. It’s innovative hip-hop, which seems at times to come from a different dimension from its American counterpart. Sovereign is a scrappy know-it-all, whom you can’t help but love.
Her delivery is often in a low, rapidly flowing, ragga-influenced rasp, but every now and then her girlie side comes out in a shout, or an innocent-sounding side comment. The fact that she can switch her tone on a dime like this makes her an even more intriguing MC.
She has a smart mouth, full of observations, and she knows to be embraced in the global hip-hop community, she has to show absolute authenticity. In the hip-hop world, that means not fronting. In other words, rhyming about what she knows, and she does that effortlessly. Tracks like “My England” and “Those Were The Days” showcase her skills as a storyteller. If she comes across any haters, they need to hear those two tracks, because in three minutes, they each illustrate where she’s from, what she’s about, and how she got her record contract. Winning over Jay-Z was probably no simple feat.
What will also strike listeners in the U.S. is the obvious difference in her influences. Most of her beats are very influenced by electro-clash. (The only exception is “Those Were The Days” which has a beat built around a soulful guitar loop, so smooth that it sounds like Common would rap over it) She’s also most definitely channeling a very punk energy. It’s like somehow she’s a cross between Missy Elliott and Johnny Rotten! Someone else must’ve noticed this too. Missy is the only guest on her record, appearing on a remix of her hit “Love Me Or Hate Me.” The Johnny Rotten comparison is justified fully by her dead-on cover of the Sex Pistols’ “Pretty Vacant” which appears on the sixth volume of the soundtrack to “The O.C.” Her cover ends up sounding a lot like the Slits! “Public Warning” should be reissued with this as a tacked-on bonus track. It’s a surprise how well it works.
Lady Sovereign began the year, issuing a teaser E.P. of tracks and remixes, called “The Vertically Challenged E.P.” (It was packaged with a bonus DVD.) The title is a joke on her height. She also calls herself “The biggest midget in the game.”
On Halloween, she released her full-length debut, “Public Warning.” Jay-Z deserves great credit for taking such a chance. I think it’ll open up the whole concept of what hip-hop is, and can be in our global society. Make way for the S.O.V.!
Favorite Tracks (“Vertically Challenged EP”):
“Ch-Ching”
Favorite Tracks (“Public Warning”):
“Those Were The Days”
“My England”
“Fiddle With The Volume”
“Gatheration”
“Random”
“A Little Bit Of Shhh”
“Blah Blah”
(I’m just realizing how few of my favorites were singles!!! Hmmm!)
_________________________________________
“The Greatest” (Matador)
Chan Marshall, a.k.a. Cat Power is known for her depressive songs and her odd stage behavior, so this album, where she goes to Memphis and records with some of that city’s legendary studio musicians is a refreshing change of pace. There are even several subtle and fleeting hints of levity. Highlights include lived-in, soulful single “Lived In Bars” the mournful title track and the piano-led “Living Proof.” This is one of her most listenable albums to date.
Favorite Tracks:
“Living Proof”
“Lived In Bars”
“The Moon”
“The Greatest”
“Hate”
“Love & Communication”
_________________________________________
For his third full-length album, Norwegian indie-rock star Sondre Lerche took a left turn and decided to record a jazz-flavored album of mostly originals with the occasional cover of classics by the likes of Elvis Costello (“Human Hands”) and Cole Porter (“Night and Day”.) All around the world you can hear people who eat brunch cheering!
Favorite Tracks:
“Everyone’s Rooting For You”
“Human Hands”
“(I Wanna) Call It Love”
“Across The Land”
“Minor Detail”
“Dead End Mystery”
“You Sure Look Swell”
_________________________________________
Nearly a decade ago, Ben Kweller was the teenage leader of a grungy power-pop combo called Radish. Now, in his mid-twenties, and a family man, he releases his fourth solo record. The fact that it’s a self-titled record is key. His last record, the no-frills, acoustic-meets hard-rock record, “On My Way” was a fine stab to prove his maturity as a songwriter. His album before that, “Sha Sha,” was an exciting and experimental woozy experience which was sonically varied.
On this record, he relocates his power-pop roots with the help of producer extraordinaire Gil Norton, the man behind many classic Pixies albums, as well as the most recent Gomez record. (See #17 on this list.) In fact he has it both ways, because his songwriting has never been stronger. Even the soft songs have a sort of brightness that makes them stand apart from the pack. Highlights include “I Gotta Move,” “Penny On The Train Track,” and the single, “Sundress.”
Favorite Tracks:
“I Gotta Move”
“Penny On The Train Track”
“Sundress”
“I Don’t Know Why”
“This Is War”
“Until I Die”
_________________________________________
On “DestroyRock&Roll,” Mylo succeeds in doing what Daft Punk and countless others have tried to do and failed. He creates an album which will equally please both the club-going, dance radio fans, and the die-hard, more rock-minded hipster electronica crowd. It’s a delicate wire-dance, but he pulls it off. It may be because his jams are covered in so much retro-eighties-dance shine, that it’s hard not to like them. “In My Arms” is the kind of song which is meant to be blasted on a summer day. Yet this album is cut with enough artistry and varied elements to please even the pickiest of fans. Alongside polished tracks like “Muscle Car”, you have weirdly awesome experiments like “Rikki.” It’s a really strong album, which would also serve as a good starter-record for anyone just getting into electronic music. The one minor misstep is the final track fusing together Mylo’s “Drop The Pressure” with the Miami Sound Machine hit, “Dr. Beat.” That is unbearably cheesy, but in the long-run, I feel by pointing out this track, considering the rest of the album, I’m simply nitpicking.
Favorite Tracks:
“Zenophile”
“Need You Tonite”
“In My Arms”
“Drop The Pressure”
“Sunworshipper”
“Ottos Journey”
“Emotion 98.6”
_________________________________________
Richard Butler is best known as the frontman for the eighties hit-makers, The Psychedelic Furs and then later Love Spit Love in the nineties. For his debut as a solo artist, he is remarkably revitalized. One would expect, like many other icons of times past, that his album could possibly be a by-the-numbers journey to the past, but thankfully he delivers something very current and fresh sounding. It’s a mellow, reflective record neck-deep in echo and subtle electronic effects, but still guitar-led. Fans of bands like Spiritualized and other similarly technologically savvy groups should really be able to get into this.
As a songwriter, he’s probably never gotten his due. He’s still at a peak here! These are some thoughtful, haunting compositions. His voice has also never sounded better. On those early Psychedelic Furs records, he sang with a shouted-out, surly, threatening growl. As the band began to get known more for ballads like “The Ghost In You,” his voice got clearer. Now it’s like a bell, but on rockers, he can still throw down! He also sounds increasingly like Damon Albarn in his mellowest mood. This record is a wonderful, slightly unexpected surprise. If only more eighties-rock-stars of his ilk were releasing records this great. More please!!!
Favorite Tracks:
“Good Days, Bad Days”
“Breathe”
“Sentimental Airlines”
“Broken Aeroplanes”
“Second To Second”
“Maybe Someday”
_________________________________________
There will be people might not get why this is on the list. It’s a damn loud assault on the eardrums, and frankly, I love it. Be Your Own Pet are a bunch of teenagers from Nashville, Tennessee, who bang and thrash so loudly, they must be bleeding. They were signed by Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth.
For the kids who think Fall Out Boy and My Chemical Romance are “punk,” I say no. Be Your Own Pet is punk. Down and dirty, confrontational punk. Sure, they aren’t beyond doing songs about bicycles, (“Bicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle”,) traveling, (“Adventure”) or vacationing, (“We Will Vacation, You Can Be My Parasol”,) but there’s something way more brutal underneath. Lead singer, Jemina Pearl, wails like a lost refugee from the Riot Grrrl! Movement. (Even though I think she was probably barely born when the scene was at its peak.) When she screams at you on “Bunk Trunk Skunk,” “I’m here to take your money / I’m walking around and I’m here / to steal away your virginity,” you listen. It’s such an in-your-face statement, that it can’t be ignored. That’s scary. That’s punk!
Pearl mostly screams and yells her way through the album. She and the guys in the band who back her up get by mostly on sheer energy. Only on the soft “October, First Account” do you get a real sense of melody. It’s a good one, too! It may be the best song on the album, which means that once they work off their anger, they could be a nice alt-rock band. No one’s rushing them, though, and no one should. It’s always good to have something obnoxiously loud that squares may find offensive, to blast in order to get you pumped on that angry, daily commute to work!
Favorite Tracks:
“October, First Account”
“Bicycle, Bicycle, You Are My Bicycle”
“Adventure”
“Girls On TV”
“Bunk Trunk Skunk”
“We Will Vacation, You Can Be My Parasol”
“Ouch”
_________________________________________
Many people view Tom Petty’s 1993 album, “Wildflowers” as a benchmark. I think that’s a great record, but I much prefer the one-two-punch he delivered in 1989 and 1991 with “Full Moon Fever” and “Into The Great Wide Open.” On “Highway Companion,” Petty reunites the producer of those albums, Jeff Lynne to make yet another effective Byrdsian rock record. All the classic Petty elements are there, from the slide guitar, to the timeless classic rock sensibility, to Petty’s distinctive narratives. It’s also a hookier record than his previous album, “The Last D.J.” “Saving Grace,” “Flirting With Time,” and “Turn This Car Around” would’ve all been big hits during Petty’s late-eighties MTV heyday. “Square One” is a delicate acoustic number that appeared in the movie “Elizabethtown.” Altogether, a solid effort from Tom Petty!
Favorite Tracks:
“Flirting With Time”
“Turn This Car Around”
“Square One”
“Saving Grace”
“Night Driver”
“This Old Town”
_________________________________________
Veruca Salt’s fourth record is a brutal dose of metal. If you are only familiar with their first two, more popular records, you are in for a surprise. As many people know, Veruca Salt started out as a joint-vehicle for songwriters Louise Post and Nina Gordon. Each of them wrote grungy, angsty nineties favorites, with Gordon’s tracks being a tad more sugarcoated than those written by Post.
In 1998, Gordon left the band to pursue a career as a solo artist and released two pop albums, (“Tonight and The Rest Of My Life” from 2000, and this year’s disasterously bad “Bleeding Heart Graffiti.”)
In 2000, Post reformed Veruca Salt with all new members and recorded the hard-edged “Resolver.” Considering the band’s hard rock roots, and the different directions Post and Gordon went musically, the right one got the band name. Post is an engaging singer who can whisper to you at one moment and shriek at you the next. To top it off, on “So Weird” and “Damage Done” she sounds like two different people. Like a gifted impersonator she can put on a different voice for each song. It’s a great quality.
Favorite Tracks:
“So Weird”
“Save You”
“Damage Done”
“Innocent”
“Sick As Your Secrets”
“Comes And Goes”
_________________________________________
Brooklyn’s TV On The Radio made a big splash with their last record “Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes.” It won them awards and critical acclaim and ultimately helped them secure their major-label deal with Interscope. Truth be told, I didn’t like that record. I thought it was messy and I found the falsetto vocals irksome. I didn’t understand it at all.
“Return To Cookie Mountain” is just as busy, and yes, the Prince-style falsetto vocals are still there but this time it’s all in a much more engaging, organized package. The band has gone from a trio to a quintet. Beats ring from one side to another, a trumpet part comes and goes, then air-raid-style guitars come in, followed by a Latin jazz-style piano solo. I’m just describing the first song “I Was A Lover.” The whole album is this way! If ever there was a record to listen to in 5.1 surround, it’s probably this one. It’s got something for everyone. Alt-rock fans will like the guitar work. R&B fans will like the vocals. Hip-hop fans will like the beats. Fans of experimental jazz will like the sonic quirks. Now I completely understand the hype.
Favorite Tracks:
“I Was A Lover”
“Hours”
“Tonight”
“Wolf Like Me”
“Dirtywhirl”
“Things You Can Do” (bonus track)
_________________________________________
William Orbit is probably the king of ambient music. Besides his critically-acclaimed production work with the likes of Madonna, Blur, Beth Orton, and Finley Quaye, he also records his own records. “Hello Waveforms” has all of Orbit’s hallmarks. The laser sounds, computerized blips, and soothing guitar-lines are still there. There is nothing really groudbreaking about this record. It just sounds damn good. He’s a master. That’s all that matters. The instrumental tracks work the best. It’s like trippy score music you can meditate to. Put on “Sea Green” or “You Know Too Much About Flying Saucers” and just zone out.
Favorite Tracks:
“Sea Green”
“You Know Too Much About Flying Saucers”
“Who Owns The Octopus?”
“Humming Chorus”
“Firebrand”
“Colours From Nowhere”
_________________________________________
At times Pete Yorn seems like he was made in laboratory. I mean this in a positive way. It feels like someone said, “Hmmm. Let’s take all the beloved qualities in other rock ‘dudes’ and make the ‘ultimate rock dude.’” He especially has a lot of qualities of nineties alternative-rock icons. Occasionally he sings in a slacker-rasp like J. Mascis. Rarely he shoots out a line in an accidental mumble that sort of sounds like Stephen Malkmus at his most aloof. Sometimes he sounds like he’s imitating Eddie Vedder in his low-key acoustic mode. Sometimes he sings in delicate falsetto like Joseph Arthur. In general he has a long-haired, goofy Evan Dando sort of quality. Both Yorn and Dando write good songs and are frequently underestimated. All these qualities make Yorn an interesting if not unpredictable performer.
He debuted in 2001 with the nearly perfect “Musicforthemorningafter.” If the Strokes hadn’t come out with “Is This It” and Radiohead hadn’t come out with “Amnesiac,” he would’ve delivered the best album of the year.
The music gods were not kind to Yorn however. He had a bad sophomore jinx on his second record “Day I Forgot.” It didn’t play on the diversity of his songwriting quite as well as his debut, thus the songs didn’t pop, leaving the listeners with a washed-out, bland feeling.
All of the mistakes on the studio versions of the “Day I Forgot” tracks though were seemingly redeemed on 2004’s live album, “Live From New Jersey.” The songs seemed to pop then! Maybe they demanded the live setting, or maybe Yorn was just more at ease in the live setting than he was in the artificial environment of the studio. He is after all, from New Jersey. It was a sort of homecoming. Whatever the reason that live album works very well.
So on his latest, Yorn is back to his confident self. “Nightcrawler” is infinitely better than “Day I Forgot.” “Musicforthemorningafter” is pretty much impossible to tie or beat, but “Nightcrawler” comes close. Highlights include the single “For Us,” (which features all-around rock MVP Dave Grohl on drums,) “The Same Thing” (which is built around a simple but nice piano line,) a great cover of Warren Zevon’s “Splendid Isolation” which first appeared on the tribute record “Enjoy Every Sandwich,” and “Georgie Boy” which delivers an unexpected dose of techno. If you’ve never listened to Yorn, you can pick up this record or “Musicforthemorningafter” and know everything you need to know. He’s an old-fashioned troubadour with a modern twist. The ultimate singer/songwriter “rock dude.”
Favorite Tracks:
“The Same Thing”
“Alive”
“For Us”
“Vampyre”
“Splendid Isolation”
“Georgie Boy”
“Undercover”
_________________________________________
The Raconteurs was probably Jack White’s attempt to momentarily escape from his rigid White Stripes image, and it has worked. It’s a supergroup with multi-instrumentalist Brendan Benson and two members of the Greenhornes. Thirty-three minutes of garage rock. Listen to great tracks like “Intimate Secretary” and “Steady As She Goes” and it’s obvious the players are loose and enjoying themselves. It’s also nice to hear White with a full band. Hopefully more people will pick up Benson’s 2005 album “Alternative To Love” because of this album.
Favorite Tracks:
“Intimate Secretary”
“Steady, As She Goes”
“Hands”
“Level”
“Together”
“Yellow Sun”
_________________________________________
Ray Davies is an undeniable rock legend. The Kinks leader is now in his sixties and believe it or not, this is his first solo record! In late 2005, he released a charity single, “Thanksgiving Day” as a way to raise money to save music programs in New Orleans schools after Katrina. Keep in mind, two years earlier Davies was shot in New Orleans during a mugging.
Being shot and almost dying really must’ve had an effect on Davies, since “Other People’s Lives,” (which includes the “Thanksgiving Day” track) is a vital, loud, angry, witty collection. Davies has always been known his wry, observational lyrics about the conventions of modern society, but songs like “The Tourist” and “Stand-Up Comic” take things to a new, bitter, biting place. “All She Wrote” is the most darkly funny song about suicide I’ve ever heard. In fact, it’s really the only funny song about suicide about suicide I’ve ever heard.
It’s also nice that “Other People’s Lives” is full of feedback and loud walls of power-chords. This probably means that Davies won’t be doing a half-hearted album of “standards” any time soon. He may be older, but he’s very much still that kid rocking out with his first green amp!
Favorite Tracks:
“All She Wrote”
“Thanksgiving Day”
“The Tourist”
“Stand-Up Comic”
“Is There Life After Breakfast?”
“Things Are Gonna Change (The Morning After)”
_________________________________________
Hard-Fi write Clash-inspired songs about working-class English youth at the end of their rope, just trying to make ends meet., living paycheck to paycheck. This is nothing new, but they do it with a feeling of desperation. These songs seem like they are written from experience.
Main single “Cash Machine” is about a guy who has an endless pile of expenses, but is always running to the bank to find his account is short. In the chorus he illustrates his struggles and says, “I wonder if I’ll ever get to where I want to be.”
Second single “Tied Up Too Tight” has a similar sense of desperation. The protagonist keeps singing, “Get me out of here,” describing the stress of his every day life, that has him “Tied Up Too Tight.”
It’s not all doom and gloom. After all, “Gotta Reason” is punked-out guaranteed party-jam about picking up a beautiful woman, hoping she can distract from the humdrum chaos of everyday life. “You can make it all worth while / I like your face, girl / I like your style / Now I’ve gotta reason!” Sometimes when you work hard and try to make informed decisions, you still have bad luck. All you can do is try a little harder and keep yourself dancing hoping the future brings an upturn of fortune. This is a very valuable record!
Favorite Tracks:
“Gotta Reason”
“Tied Up Too Tight”
“Cash Machine”
“Stars Of CCTV”
“Living For The Weekend”
“Middle Eastern Holiday”
“Hard To Beat”
_________________________________________
“The Garden” is the third full-length by chill-wizards Zero 7. It’s strikingly more electronic and buzzy sounding than their first two records. In addition, Sia is the only vocalist from the other records who has stuck around. Sadly, there are no tracks with Sophie Barker, Tina Dico, or Mozez. Instead Sia alternates vocal tracks with Swedish singer Jose Gonzalez. Gonzalez does well, but he sound uncannily like Gilbert O’Sullivan. I keep expecting to hear him sing “Alone Again, Naturally.” Nevertheless, if you like Zero 7’s other records, despite the differences, you won’t be disappointed by this one. “The Pageant Of The Bizarre” and “Waiting To Die,” both sung by Sia, are highlights. Zero 7 still stand as the U.K.’s alternative to Air.
Favorite Tracks:
“The Pageant Of The Bizarre” (with Sia)
“Waiting To Die” (with Sia)
“Futures” (with Jose Gonzalez)
“You’re My Flame” (with Sia)
“Your Place”
“Seeing Things”
_________________________________________
It used to be that Sweden would give us nothing but questionable pop. We have them to thank for ABBA, and Britney Spears/Backstreet Boys/’N Sync songsmith and producer Max Martin. Until a few years ago, I thought very little good music came out of Sweden. The Cardigans were the only glimmer of hope, because they were good.
In about 2001, it seemed like a floodgate opened and I started being aware of all these cool bands from Sweden. They came in like a deluge, each cooler than the next. It started with the Hives and the Soundtrack Of Our Lives. Later came the Caesars and the Perishers.
Now comes a really odd and interesting group. The Teddybears are a bunch of Swedes who make rock-flavored dance music. They have guest vocalists. This doesn’t sound strange until you know that the majority of the guest vocalists are dancehall reggae stars like Mad Cobra and Elephant Man. When they aren’t using dancehall stars, they are using high-end vocalists with immeasurable hipster cred. Iggy Pop, for instance, sings on the track “Punkrocker” and Neneh Cherry sings “Yours To Keep. “
“Little Stereo” featuring Daddy Boastin’, sounds a lot like a modern reinvention of the Eddy Grant classic, “Electric Avenue,” while “Cobra Style,” featuring Mad Cobra, makes something new out of a heavily recycled lyrical refrain.
This is a great record to mix in at parties to surprise your friends.
Favorite Tracks:
“Little Stereo” (with Daddy Boastin’)
“Are You Feelin’ It” (with Elephant Man)
“Cobra Style” (with Mad Cobra)
“Punkrocker” (with Iggy Pop)
“Yours To Keep” (with Neneh Cherry)
“Different Sound” (with Malte)
“Riot Going On” (with Ebbot Lundberg)
_________________________________________
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs were one of the most unlikely success stories of 2003. After releasing an E.P., the Brooklyn trio signed to Interscope. Like the White Stripes, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs come from a wonderfully unpolished blues-punk sort of place. Also like the White Stripes, they lack a bass-player. Unlike the White Stripes they had a dose of new-wave influence as well. (Translation: They occasionally have keyboards!)
Most of tracks on their debut, “Fever To Tell,” were loud stompers, led by lead singer Karen O’s distinctively screechy yell. (The album, incidentally, was produced by TV On The Radio’s Dave Sitek, for those keeping score. ) A few singles were released with nods from the requisite hipster crowds, but they received little attention from the mainstream. Then, something really interesting happened. They released a mellower song as a single. The song was “Maps.” It became a huge Modern Rock hit, and had the critics comparing Karen O’s softer side to Chrssie Hynde.
So if “Show Your Bones” seems softer, blame the success of “Maps.” It a much neater sounding record, and actually the cleanup suits them well. This is partly (ironically) due to producer Squeak E. Clean who co-produced the album with the band. (Clean is the brother of director Spike Jonze.)
Don’t misread my assessment. As nice and shiny as the album sounds, there are still some powerful rockers. I dare you to listen to “Gold Lion” and say you don’t like it. “Phenomena” manages to turn a classic Liquid Liquid refrain (also used as the basis for Grandmaster Flash’s old-school hip-hop standard “White Lines”) into a menacing guitar workout. On “Mysteries,” Karen O screams and yells like she did on “Fever To Tell.” The hard edges are still there. Now there is just more variety.
The snobby purists will tell you that the band isn’t as good as they used to be, but I say get over it. This album is solid, and every band should be allowed to evolve and grow.
Favorite Tracks:
“Gold Lion”
“Dudley”
“Way Out”
“The Sweets”
“Fancy”
“Phenomena”
_________________________________________
Fans of Damien Rice’s beautifully cinematic yet stark debut will not be disappointed by his followup. All of the same elements are in play and the songs are just a spellbinding. Nothing is overproduced. Everything feels live. He still is working on an acoustic scale. He still sounds like he’s singing directly to a small group of people. He still has co-vocalist Lisa Hannigan by his side. My question is, when is she going to come out with her own album and have him back HER up? (She really deserves a co-credit on the single “9 Crimes” as she deserved on the first album’s single “Volcano!”) “9” is proof that the first record wasn’t a fluke. It also proves that it’s wise not to mess with a good formula.
One word of caution though, that you might want to skip the fifteen minutes of ambient noise/feedback that ends the record. You might not want to skip that part, too.
Favorite Tracks:
“9 Crimes”
“Rootless Tree”
“Elephant”
“Grey Room”
“Dogs”
_________________________________________
Beth Orton’s “Comfort Of Strangers” may be her most difficult album. It’s a slow-burning, subtle record. If you keep listening to it, no doubt it will grow on you. It took me a few listens, then one day it clicked. Now I hear its brilliance.
The electronic elements on her previous records are gone. The record was produced Jim O’Rourke (fresh from quitting Sonic Youth) who is also notable for his work with Wilco. That may explain the earthy feel of the whole thing. It’s a very natural sounding record with live drums, acoustic guitars and pianos. It’s also somewhat hushed. This means that Orton’s legendarily expressive voice is front and center.
“Conceived” is one of Orton’s best singles to date, and the title track should be a single. At times she possesses a previously unheard Fiona Apple vocal quality, probably brought out by the piano-centric nature of many of the songs.
If you can find it, try to get the deluxe edition. It contains a bonus disc with five extra songs. If you’ve never heard Beth Orton before, you may want to pick up her excellent best-of collection, “Pass In Time.”
Favorite Tracks:
“Conceived”
“Comfort Of Strangers”
“Shadow Of A Doubt”
“Shopping Trolley”
“Pieces Of Sky”
“Heart Of Soul”
“What We Began” (bonus disc)
_________________________________________
It was a pretty good year! Lets hope 2007 is just as good if not better!
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home