Sawin' Blogs

Neverending Mixtape #5

2007-01-01T20:17:00.000-06:00

Panda Bear - "Bro's"

Free download here.

For any reader unfamiliar with the name "Panda Bear" (a.k.a Noah Lennox), here's the short story: he founded Animal Collective with Avey Tare (Dave Porter) and serves as said band's drummer, vocalist, etc. For those of you familiar with Panda Bear, you may recall 2004's Young Prayer - a eulogy of sorts for his, then, recently departed father. That album worked well for what it was: a hushed lament for a lost parent. "Bro's" is the joyous flipside to Young Prayer and easily ranks as one of his greatest recorded accomplishments (AC output included). Melodically and structurally, "Bro's" sounds like classic pop (i.e. Simon & Garfunkel, Cat Stevens, Beach Boys, etc.), but its production creates the feeling that the song is being transmitted from deep space or an underwater trench. Yes, that is a terribly trite statement, but listen to this song and find me a better analogy. To my ears, Noah's voice sounds very reminiscent of a young Paul Simon. His vocals, buried a bit in the mix, yearn passionately over the careening melody and galloping percussion. At 12 and a half minutes, the track does get a bit epic, but it rushes by with such celebratory glee that it hardly feels its actual length.

The above link is for a free download of an edited 5 minute version of "Bro's."

Ben's Top 20 Albums of 2006

2006-12-31T14:24:00.000-06:00

Here is my list without any embellishment.

1) TV On The Radio - Return To Cookie Mountain
2) Joanna Newsom - Ys
3) Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
4) Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
5) Bob Dylan - Modern Times
6) Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings The Flood
7) The Knife - Silent Shout
8) Liars - Drum's Not Dead
9) Built To Spill - You In Reverse
10) Swan Lake - Beast Moans
11) Ghostface - Fishscale
12) Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - The Letting Go
13) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
14) Tom Verlaine - Songs & Other Things
15) Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
16) Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye
17) The Black Keys - Magic Potion
18) Thom Yorke - The Eraser
19) Cat Power - The Greatest
20) Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways

2006-12-21T00:19:00.000-06:00

The Top 25 Albums of 2006

1. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
2. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
3. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
4. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
5. Destroyer - Rubies
6. Vetiver - To Find Me Gone
7. Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
8. Grizzly Bear - Yellow House
9. Joanna Newsom - Ys
10. Figurines - Skeleton
11. Justin Timberlake - FutureSex/LoveSounds
12. Girl Talk - Night Ripper
13. The Streets - The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
14. The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea
15. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
16. Lily Allen - Alright, Still
17. Hot Chip - The Warning
18. Swan Lake - Beast Moans
19. Spank Rock - YoYoYoYoYo
20. Professor Murder - Rides the Subway EP
21. The Knife - Silent Shout
22. The Walkmen - Pussy Cats
23. Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
24. J Dilla - Donuts
25. The Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not

The Top 25 Tracks of 2006

1. Hot Chip - "Over and Over"
2. T.I. - "What You Know"
3. Gnarls Barkley - "Crazy"
4. The Streets - "Prangin' Out (Remix ft. Pete Doherty)"
5. Ghostface Killah - "Be Easy"
6. LCD Soundsystem - "45:33"
7. The Killers - "When You Were Young"
8. Peter Bjorn & John - "Young Folks"
9. Clipse - "Mr. Me Too"
10. E-40 - "Tell Me When to Go"
11. Justin Timberlake - "SexyBack"
12. Lily Allen - "Smile"
13. Killer Mike - "That's Life"
14. Liars - "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack"
15. Voxtrot - "Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives"
16. Spank Rock - "Sweet Talk"
17. SoftLightes - "Girl Kills Bear (Lo-Fi-FNK Remix)"
18. My Chemical Romance - "Welcome to the Black Parade"
19. Justin Timberlake - "My Love (ft. T.I.)"
20. Junior Boys - "In the Morning"
21. Shout Out Out Out Out - "Dude You Feel Electrical"
22. Danielson - "Did I Step On Your Trumpet?"
23. The Pipettes - "Pull Shapes"
24. Klaxons - "Gravity's Rainbow"
25. Islands - "Rough Gem"

Neverending Mixtape #4

2006-09-30T13:17:00.000-05:00

Grizzly Bear - "Knife"

If you are anything like me (a ridiculously avid fan of music), you might be sick to death of music journalists/critics making lazy, unjustified references to Brian Wilson/The Beach Boys when describing some band's sound and style. There have been countless mediocre indie-pop bands with half-assed harmonies and contrived surf guitar sounds. Inevitably, some hack will throw out a reference to "The Beach Boys" or "Brian Wilson" when talking about said bands. For every instance that truly warrants the comparison, there are at least ten more that leave me scratching my head in bewilderment. My point is this: I simply will not reference Brian Wilson & Co. unless it is irrefutably valid.

This brings me to Grizzly Bear. Duh. Right? Before you jump to the faulty conclusion that the Grizzlies might just be another cookie-cutter, retro-pop band, take note that they are on Warp Records. Yeah, these guys are lablemates with Squarepusher and Autechre. If I'm making a comparison to the Brian of yore, it's to the LSD-addled, loony toon Brian that made SMiLE. Obviously, that is said with all due respect. On "Knife," the ephemeral spirit of the Beach Boys is evident in the lilting strum of the guitar, the Spectoresque production (horns and all!), and, of course, in the heavenly, reverbed harmonies. The other obvious comparison would be to their Brooklyn neighbors, Animal Collective. The measured, tumbling percussion and manipulated, alien backing vocals can't help but bring to mind Animal Collective's more recent output.

Grizzly Bear's stellar new album, Yellow House, is chock-full of highlights. However, "Knife" is probably the stand-out track; and one of the year's best songs by any measure.

Below, I've attached a YouTube clip of Grizzly Bear performing an impromptu, a capella version of "Knife" on the streets of France.

The Canon #12

2006-09-09T14:16:00.000-05:00

The Velvet Underground - "Sister Ray"

When people talk about the Velvet Underground's "sound" and "influence," songs like "Pale Blue Eyes" and "I'll Be Your Mirror" are typically not the reasons given for the VU being the over-canonized behemoth that it is today. As gorgeous and immortal as those two songs are, the Velvet Underground would not be a "best-of-all-time" band if they had only written dreamy, introspective folk-rock. You know why people still tolerate Lou Reed's increasingly tepid solo albums? Because he wrote and recorded "Heroin," "White Light/White Heat," "Waiting for the Man," "Venus In Furs," and, of course, "Sister Ray." On all of these tracks, the VU took Bob Dylan's electric, amphetamine blues of '65 and laced them with feedback, decadence, and avant-garde touches.

"Sister Ray" clocks in at a whopping 17.5 minutes, and not a second of that time seems superfluous. As The Beatles did with "I Want You (She's So Heavy)," the VU decided to keep playing the song until the tape reel had run out. Obviously, the VU's tape lasted about twice as long as The Beatles'. The VU's chugging colossus begins with its catchy, signature riff -which is extrapolated and mutilated over the duration of the song. In the studio, Lou Reed and John Cale were constantly trying to drown each other out - Lou on his electric guitar and John on his electric organ. They were both hammering out that same wonderful riff, but John would continually increase the volume on his organ while Lou continued to strum faster and louder - feedback bleeding everywhere. John Cale was on the verge of being kicked out of the band by Lou (for ego-driven reasons) and this song became a sort of confrontation between the two men - and the song was all the better for it.

"Sister Ray" has a dense, murky feel. This is mainly due to the warring musicians' waves of distorted riffs and peels of feedback. The song's story of a motley group of degenerates involved with drugs and an accidental homocide is only bolstered by the fuzzed-out murky sound. Props should be given to Sterling Morrison and Moe Tucker as well. Sterling has always been an underrated guitarist, but, as the group's lead guitarist, he was responsible for countless searing leads and solos. Moe didn't just keep time. She kept the whole damn ship from sinking into chaos. Her propulsive, monotone drumming is the only constant throughout this song (and it's beating heart).

As I already stated, songs like "Sister Ray" are the reason "everyone who bought their records started a band." If you don't like this song, then you're not a Velvet Underground fan. Period.

What's the market for this?

2006-09-01T16:44:00.000-05:00

This is so bad that it's not even funny in an ironic way. It's not even the Snakes on a Plane of videos. Miles worse than "so bad it's good." Jaw-droppingly bad. I didn't even crack a smile at how fucking miserable this is. What a waste of life.

Seriously, I challenge you to find someone that actually enjoys this. This isn't snobbery here-- this is just plain terrible. I understand people who like music that I think is bad, such as mall punk and what have you. But Christ, who would actually enjoy this?

It's not even really worth this post.

Sigh.

Visions of Johannson

2006-08-31T21:38:00.000-05:00

Bob Dylan's new video for "When The Deal Goes Down"

Madison Avenue Blues

2006-08-31T17:09:00.000-05:00

We'd like to welcome a new blog to the Sawin' Blogs family.

Madison Avenue Blues

It's about advertising.

It's pretty awesome.

Check it out.

Bookmark it.

Love it.

Neverending Mixtape #3

2006-08-27T12:24:00.000-05:00

Artist: The Killers
Song: When You Were Young

Head Killer Brandon Flowers thinks his band's new album, Sam's Town*, is going to be the best album in 20 years. A major influence is Bruce Springsteen. In fact, at 1:50 in this song, there's a moment reminiscent of the breakdown in Springsteen's "Born to Run". And it works. This is a big song and a great single. Comparisons to the Boss don't mean to say that this song as good as his work, but that it's an influence. And that's okay.

Below is the video for the song, which I think demonstrates perhaps this band's biggest problem. They take themselves way too seriously. They are a fun fucking band. "Mr. Brightside" is a certified anthem. These songs are the soundtrack to good times with your pals. But then they had that lame song with the "Indie rock'n'roll is what I need" or whatever terrible lyrics. I know this song channels the Boss, and that's a good thing. But don't think you are the Boss, Brandon. After all, your last name is Flowers. Someone needs to teach him about the phrase "tongue-in-cheek". Unless he knows this, and the joke's on me. But have you seen this guy? Exactly.

The song, however, stands tall on its own legs. It's as anthemic as anything they've done. If I'm in the car and "When You Were Young" comes on the dial, I'll be turning heads, popping ear drums, and rupturing vocal cords. Hopefully I can keep both hands on the wheel.

But seriously, check out this video:

*Sam's Town is a hotel in Las Vegas, where the Killers formed. Isn't that just the perfect place for this band to be from?

Up, down, turn around.

2006-08-27T11:34:00.000-05:00

Artist: New Order
Song: Temptation
FAC 63 / 1982

Oh, you've got green eyes
Oh, you've got blue eyes
Oh, you've got grey eyes
And I've never seen anyone quite like you before
No, I've never met anyone quite like you before

Sounds romantic, no? I'm not so sure. For what I always thought as a song about falling in love, being smitten, or having a hopeless crush might actually be about dancing around a club, high on X, looking from girl to girl. One of those "anyone'll do" sort of nights. You know the kind. But who really knows. And regardless of what Sumner truly means, "Temptation" is as energizing and uplifting as any song out there. If I need a pick-me-up, "Temptation" is where I go. It almost works like one of Cupid's arrows: I could probably fall in love with the next person I see after I hear it.

There are at least 4 different recorded versions of "Temptation":
12": 8:47
7": 5:21
Substance: 6:59
Temptation '98: 4:08

And all of them are good. The original versions, the 12- and 7-inch singles, are much rougher than the others that followed later. Sumner's voice isn't as sweet, as the band were still in the transition stages from Joy Division. The different versions of the song are also indicative of the state of New Order at moment in time in which they were recorded. The early versions are rougher and fit in more with the band's first album, Movement, as well as their other early singles, such as the Joy Division leftover "Ceremony". But the Substance version has a much cleaner sound that better meshes with the band's late 80s sound.

Legend (or just obsessive fans) has it that the 12" are 7" are supposed to be played consecutively, in that order, as the 12" fades in and has a cold ending, while the 7" has a cold start and fades out. The song works no matter how it starts or ends, or which versions are played in whatever order. If I saw New Order live and they just played a 90 minute version of "Temptation", I might not leave completely disappointed. But I'd really like to hear "Ceremony" and "Age of Consent", too.

Here are two live clips, twenty years apart, that clearly demonstate the differences between each version:

1982:

2002:

Neverending Mixtape #2

2006-08-26T19:11:00.000-05:00

TV on the Radio - "Wolf Like Me"

For a few years now, I have been telling everyone I know to listen to TV on the Radio. Not only have I been praising their songs, but their live show especially. When I first saw TVOTR about two and a half years ago, I had pretty high hopes for the show. The performance was a religious experience in every cliched way: soul cleansing, heartening, exorcising, etc. After seeing them live, I naturally hoped that their next record would capture the passion, fury, and energy of their live show.

This brings me to TVOTR's new album "Return to Cookie Mountain." This album is filled with tremendous love and righteous fury. It is spry and charging to battle with all guns blazing. In short, it is everything I was hoping for and more. The album's first single (and one of the year's very best songs) is "Wolf Like Me." This song best exemplifies the live TVOTR experience with Jaleel Bunton's driving motorik beat, the buzzing hum of David Sitek's guitar, and Tunde Adebimpe's sumptuous vocals. With his show-stopping voice, Tunde offers bits of lupine lust: "When the moon is round and full, gonna teach you tricks that'll blow your mind" and "Let me show you what all the howling's for." If you don't completely buy my fanboy raving, watch the clip below.

The Canon #11

2006-08-19T12:42:00.000-05:00

Tom Waits - "Anywhere I Lay My Head"

Let me start by saying that I haven't always loved Tom. I had a rocky relationship with him for many years, but, in the last year or so, I started going back to him more and more. When it comes to unconventional music, it often takes time for the listener to really "get it." However, I think loving Tom had less to do with "getting him" and a lot more to do with me feeling him. Chalk it up to me getting older, wiser, and more experienced, but I just love this gnarled old bastard now.

Tom has described his musical oeuvre as being comprised of "weepers" and "creepers." "Anywhere I Lay My Head" seems to mine the area between the two - both a resilient underdog's sad lament and a raggedly triumphant anthem. With a wonderfully woozy horn section as his only musical accompaniment, Tom bellows the words of a truly bruised and beaten-down guy:

Well I see that the world is upside-down
Seems that my pockets were filled up with gold
And now the clouds, well they've covered over
And the wind is blowing cold
Well I don't need anybody, because I learned, I learned to be alone
Well I said anywhere, anywhere, anywhere I lay my head, boys
Well I gonna call my home

However, this song does not end with downcast eyes. As Tom utters that last line "...anywhere I lay my head, boys/Well I gonna call my home," he sounds defiant and tough. A second of silence, and then those drunken horns march on with that beautiful, broken melody. The last minute of the song makes you think all that sadness was nothing more than a fleeting thought. This is the song that made me love Tom Waits. I don't expect this song to resonate equally for everyone, but it hits especially close to home for me. As a person who has spent his life being a vagabond (8 cities in 25 years, and more than one residence in certain cities), those lines "anywhere I lay my head...I gonna call my home" just grab my heart with their crooked fingers. It goes without saying that a side effect of constant moving is constant loneliness (especially when you're younger).

If this song had a moral, it would be this: Pick yourself up by the bootstraps boys, everything is going to be fine.

We're back!!!

2006-08-16T13:40:00.000-05:00

No, Chik Chik Chik isn't back. Just Rob(hopefully) and I. Due to a constant lack of motivation and utter laziness, nothing new has been posted in a month. Since Rob and I love (and hate) lists so much, I'm going to start what I call a "neverending mixtape." This feature will highlight what Rob and I decree as the best in new music. I know what you're thinking: "isn't that just like Pitchfork's recently instated infinite mixtape?" Well, yeah...kinda. Except I had to say "neverending mixtape" instead of "infinite mixtape" to avoid confusion and copyright entanglement. Besides, it was a great idea and I don't think Ryan and Co. would mind a little healthy competition. Also, The Canon will return later this week. Without further ado:

Neverending Mixtape #1

The Knife - "We Share Our Mother's Health"

The Knife are an electronic duo from Sweden comprised of siblings Olof Dreijer and Karin Dreijer Andersson . Their particular brand of electronic music is dark and haunting, but unmistakably melodic. Think of a mash-up between Bjork and Aphex Twin. They also claim to be more influenced by film than music - particulary David Lynch. This would account for the sweeping, desert-noir vibe in many of their songs. If that's not alluring enough, check out their promo pics:

"We Share Our Mother's Health" is from their new album Silent Shout (currently my soundtrack for aiding lesbian amnesiacs and finding severed body parts). The song's insistent beats richochet through squelching synths and the duo's throaty incantations. Karin sings like a Nordic version of the Cocteau Twins' Elizabeth Fraser which adds to the song's glacial beauty. On the other hand, Olof just sounds...Nordic. Karin handles the majority of the vocals on this song (and the rest of the album), but Olof's voice adds a nice dichotomy to the song. There are more ambient, gossamer songs to be found on Silent Shout, but "We Share Our Mother's Health" will get your blood moving.

And what would a blog be without a relevent youtube link:

The Knife - "We Share Our Mother's Health"

Sleater-Kinney: The Drama I Was Craving

2006-07-15T19:02:00.000-05:00

Before I heard Sleater-Kinney's Dig Me Out in the summer of 1997, my CD collection was naively devoid of anything about meat-and-potatoes rock like Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, and maybe even Hendrix. I still love those bands, but Sleater-Kinney opened my eyes not only to their amazing catalogue of music, but also to the catalogues of other equally amazing bands. Sleater-Kinney was my gateway band.

Coincidentally, I bought Radiohead's OK Computer and Sleater-Kinney's Dig Me Out on the same day in the summer of 1997. It's safe to say that particular day was the crucial turning point for my life as a music fan. While a nostalgic recollection of hearing OK Computer for the first time is very tempting, this space is dedicated to Janet, Corin, and Carrie for now. I will never forget putting on the headphones and hitting "play" at the listening station of my local Borders almost ten years ago. As a 16 year-old boy only accustomed to Kurt Cobain's tantrums and Billy Corgan's whining, Corin Tucker's passionate howl left me dumbstruck and enraptured. That was the only time in my life that I've stood at a listening station and listened to an entire album. Granted, I wasn't a girl, a riot-grrl, a lesbian, etc., but as a genuinely lost and lonely young person, Sleater-Kinney felt more real to me than anything else in the world.

Over the years, I have bought every subsequent Sleater-Kinney album on the date it was released. The Hot Rock, All Hands On The Bad One, One Beat, and The Woods were all consumed with anxious joy. One of the greatest things about Sleater Kinney is that their evolution as a band ran parallel with the evolution of my own personal tastes in music. Despite my nostalgic attachment to Dig Me Out, my favorite Sleater-Kinney albums are their two most recent albums: One Beat and The Woods. These two albums proved, more than any of their other albums, what a peerless Rock band they really were - especially in the notoriously half-assed world of indie rock.

As I stated earlier, Sleater-Kinney was my gateway to a whole new underbelly of the rock world. I quickly got familiar with their labelmates Elliott Smith and Bikini Kill, as well as the thriving Pacific Northwest indie-rock scene that was home to Built To Spill, Quasi, Modest Mouse, 764-Hero, Beat Happening, etc. Then there was the multitude of bands that Sleater-Kinney frequently cited or were compared to: The Ramones, Television, Sonic Youth, X-Ray Spex, and The Clash. Throughout my junior and senior years in high school, I absorbed an enormous amount of new and exciting music because of Sleater-Kinney. In hindsight, I'm glad they prepared me for being a "cool" nerd before I got to college.

As for the remaining snobs out there who still don't "get" Sleater-Kinney or just can't stomach an all women rock band, I only feel pity for you. As a music fan, one of my biggest pet peeves has been the continual need to defend my love of Sleater-Kinney. I am fiercely territorial of this and can only ask "what the fuck were you listening to when you were 16?"

Finally, I offer a list of my favorite Sleater-Kinney songs in no particular order:

I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone
Dig Me Out
One More Hour
Turn It On
The Drama You've Been Craving
Dance Song '97
Start Together
God Is A Number
Don't Talk Like
Get Up
The Size of Our Love
The Ballad of A Ladyman
Ironclad
All Hands On The Bad One
The Swimmer
Far Away
Oh!
Light Rail Coyote
Step Aside
Combat Rock
Funeral Song
The Fox
Entertain
Jumpers
Modern Girl
Let's Call It Love
Everything

The Canon #10

2006-06-14T21:39:00.000-05:00

Lift To Experience - Falling From Cloud 9

Since the release of Lift To Experience's first (and last) album, The Texas-Jerusalem Crossroads, the band's mastermind, Josh Pearson, has slipped into an existence eerily similar to that of fellow Texan Roky Erickson, leader of 60's psych-rockers The 13th Floor Elevators. The LTE story is just like that of the 13th Floor Elevators and dozens of other bands: brilliant cult band, after a brief existence and limited output, implodes and fades into obscurity. Fortunately, word has surfaced that Josh is returning from his monastic exile into the desert to finally release new music. Josh needs to be making music because his sound and approach to music was/is captivatingly unique. He has the God-fearing, rebel swagger of Johnny Cash and David Eugene Edwards (16 Horsepower), the angelic vocal chords of Jeff Buckley, and he can whip up a guitar squall like Kevin Shields (My Bloody Valentine). It's also worth noting that LTE was "discovered" and signed by Cocteau Twin Simon Raymonde.

"Falling From Cloud 9" begins, appropriately, sounding like a gathering storm. For the first 30 seconds, Josh unleashes a sandstorm of melody from his guitar and then everything drops away except for his voice gently whispering:

"Rising to the top/Knowing I must fall/
Re-feather the wings - soft, it stings/

to make the crawl to the top and then take the fall again/

blood-soaked, gagged and choked, lying face on the stone,
stripped bare, sucking air/This is my home, it seems,

with the rock and the hard place I'm stuck between"

The reference to Jesus is rather obvious, but the reference is not made in an evangelical or overwrought manner. Actually, you're likely to miss most of what he is saying unless you pay close attention. From what I can gather, Josh seems to be conjuring up these pre-crucifixion moments to echo his own personal struggle over what kind of life he wants to live. Perhaps he perceives himself as "falling from God's grace." The lines "this goddamn cross crushing into my chest/I'm still doing my best" are quite telling. Maybe his religious upbringing is placing a burden of guilt on him for his "life on cloud nine." Like the aforementioned Johnny Cash and David Eugene Edwards, Josh taps into his spirituality as a means to judge and point the finger at himself only. When he's not doing that, his rebel spirit is on full display.

And what wonderful sounds are accompanying this tale of woe? Guitar-playing that tip-toes beautifully between waves of feedback and starburst melody. Did I mention Josh's beautiful voice? In lay terms, just imagine three guys in Stetson hats playing OK Computer in the desert.

Rob's Summer Mixtape

2006-06-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

Due to popular demand, I've decided to follow in Ben's footsteps and do this as well. So sit back, chillax, and enjoy the ride. If you can't head out to the porch with some cool beers and enjoy these tunes with your bros or broettes, you can go fuck yourself. Sorry, but them's the breaks.

21 hott traxx, 78 minutes.

1. Talking Heads - Thank You For Sending Me an Angel
This song kicks of More Songs About Buildings and Food and it kicks off this here tape. If there's one thing that makes me happy, it's the Talking Heads, and summertime is happy, so there you go. Particularly this song.

2. Modest Mouse - Float On
This song broke just before summer a few years back and we couldn't go anywhere without hearing it. I got sick of it for awhile, but fuck, it's just jammin'. And oddly uplifting for Modest Mouse. But sooner or later, Isaac had to stop being such a curmudgeon, albeit temporarily, and that's what this song is about. Shit happens, but whatevs, it's all good!

3. Daft Punk - Digital Love
I don't dance, but if I did, and I was in Europe, I would like to do it to this song. Are you picking up on the happy, good times theme here?

4. The Notorious B.I.G. - Hypnotize
If it's good enough for Julia Stiles to go dance on a table, it's good enough for me! Hott traxx indeed. The video helps give it that beach vibe.

5. The Go! Team - Ladyflash
This is what it was like to grow up in Brooklyn circa 1977. I say this because I was there.

6. Sly & the Family Stone - Dance to the Music
Listen to Sly.

7. David Bowie - Young Americans
This is easy going, soft, and agreeable. It's also schlocky. Don't think the Duke didn't know this. You got served, America.

8. Supertramp - Goodbye Stranger
I will sing this at a karaoke bar before I die.

9. Cornershop - Brimful of Asha
I don't know what a brimful of asha is and I don't care. What I do know is that everyone needs a bosom for a pillow.

10. The Clash - Rudie Can't Fail
The Clash and their most reggae before they went over the top.

11. The Replacements - Alex Chilton
Ben mentioned that Big Star are summery. Well, this song is about enjoying Big Star. Beat that!

12. The Libertines - Can't Stand Me Now
This song is basically one long bro hug. Jealous, girls? You should be, because you can you have all the pillow fights and girltalk that you want, but you'll never have the bro hug.

13. Wilco - Outtasite (Outta Mind)
This is porch music.

14. The Smiths - This Charming Man
Not too angsty here, and upbeat enough to enjoy on a summer afternoon.

15. Pavement - Spit on a Stranger
Pavement is pretty summery as a whole, and here they near their summeriest.

16. Neil Young - Walk On
Neil's all "Eat a bag of dicks, Skynyrd." Neil rules.

17. T.Rex - Mambo Sun
If you want to get high on a hot summer afternoon, here you go...

18. Paul Simon - You Can Call Me Al
Overplayed and justifiably so. This is 100% pure fun.

19. The Beach Boys - I Can Hear Music
Odd that I'd choose a cover, true. But this is about as simple and fun lovin' as it gets. If I had a convertible and a blonde, I'd never leave my car.

20. The Avalanches - Since I Left You
Spring brings a rebirth, but summer is when you really start start feelin' at home in your new shoes. "Since I left you / I've found a world so new."

21. Harry Nilsson - Coconut
Self-explanatory, dudes.

That's all! Thanks for reading, friends, and stay refreshed!

Ben's Summer Mixtape

2006-06-07T19:44:00.000-05:00

Since I enjoy making lists and it's summertime, I thought I would create a superb summer mixtape that would fit snugly on an 80 minute CD-R. Basically, I just chose songs that felt "summery" to me, and, also, songs that had summer memories attached to them. Without further ado, my summer mixtape:

1) Brian Wilson "Roll Plymouth Rock" (3:48) - If I said I could make a great summer mixtape without the Beach Boys, I'd be an idiot and a liar. This has always been an underrated favorite of mine.

2) Animal Collective "Kids On Holiday" (5:47) - Any song on Sung Tongs would be perfect for a summer mixtape, but this song felt the most apt to me. It also reminds me of hanging out with my Chicago buds.

3) Serge Gainsbourg "Couleur Cafe" (2:13) - Of course, I have no idea what Serge is singing about (maybe a cafe?), but this sublime, bouncy slice of French-pop makes me happy. It is also perfect for sipping cocktails in the sun.

4) Big Star "Daisy Glaze" (3:49) - Like the Beach Boys, Big Star felt like a "no contest" for inclusion on a summer mixtape. The languid, gauzy sound of the first half wonderfully encapsulates the feeling of a humid summer day; and the rambunctious power chords of the second half will kickstart the smiles.

5) My Bloody Valentine "To Here Knows When" (5:31) - This song is the musical equivalent of braving a 100+ degree heat wave while a huge swarm of bees buzz just inside your aural periphery - but, somehow, those buzzing bees are creating gorgeous melodies and the roaring sun feels like a cascading wave.

6) Smashing Pumpkins "1979" (4:25) - The combination of 1979's fantastic music video and my own memories of listening to this song (and the entirety of Mellon Collie) for a summer or two in high school made this a must have.

7) The Shins "So Says I" (2:48) - This song reminds me of one of my happiest times in college. Me and my best bud, Pete, played the fuck out of this song.

8) Bonnie "Prince" Billy "Ease Down The Road" (3:06) - In college, I listened to Will Oldham a lot on my many road trips across Tennessee - especially one summer that I was trying to rid myself of a "no-good" girl.

9) Talking Heads "Nothing But Flowers" (5:33) - This song is bursting with summer-type imagery. The melody and beat are so infectious it's scary. I had to have some Heads on this list.

10) M.I.A. "Sunshowers" (3:18) - One of my faves off Arular (an album I enjoyed a lot last summer). It felt like a pretty natural pick for a summer mixtape and reminds me of my Chicago friends.

11) Sam Cooke "Summertime" (2:23) - Sam's cover of the Gershwin classic is my favorite version, and it was one of the first songs that popped into my head when I started thinking about this mixtape.

12) The Pixies "Velouria" (3:40) - The whole of Bossanova is a perfect summer album, but this is the penultimate track. It's one of my very favorite Pixies tracks and you gotta dig the theremin winding throughout the song.

13) Creedence Clearwater Revival "Bad Moon Rising" (2:19) - As much as I truly love "Down on the Corner" and "Looking Out My Back Door," I felt that those were really cliche picks. This song is just as good and I have loved it since I was about 9 years old.

14) Sufjan Stevens "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out To Get Us!" (5:23) - Although much of Illinois felt as though Sufjan was not being autobiographical, this song feels like his (or someone's) tender memory of a summer past.

15) Bob Dylan "Romance In Durango" (5:44) - "Hot chili peppers in the blistering sun. Dust on my face and my cape." With those opening lines, you are there with Bobby. This beautiful calypso/flamenco-tinged tune from the criminally underrated Desire is an epic story of a criminal couple on the run in Durango.

16) TV on the Radio "Dirty Whirl Wind" (4:19) - This song isn't even out yet, but I am infatuated with it. I will be swaying to its Post-Millienial-Motown groove all summer. It's such a deliciously sexy song with lines like "She was gleaming like mother of pearl" and "I am pinned by the heat of your swirl." Yum.

17) Wilco "I'm Always In Love" (3:41) - Wilco reminds me of partying at my friend Andy's house (with a hundred other people) the whole spring/summer before I left college and moved to Chicago.

18) Simon & Garfunkel "Punky's Dilemma" (2:17) - This song reminds me of falling in L-O-V-E.

19) Sleater-Kinney "Oh!" (3:56) - I feel like Sleater-Kinney are always putting out albums in the summertime b/c I always associate them with the summer (going all the way back to high school). This song also makes me think of the "L-word" again.

20) Queens of the Stone Age "Go With Flow" (3:07) - I was really into Songs for the Deaf the summer it came out and I really wanted to end my mixtape with a great barnstormer. "Go With Flow" sounds like Bowie's "Suffragette City" played at double speed with Robert Fripp on guitar instead of Mick Ronson. Yeah, it fucking rocks.

The Canon #9

2006-05-30T19:47:00.000-05:00

The Crystals/Phil Spector - "Then He Kissed Me"

When that immortal chord progression and timpani roll kicks in, it is immediately recognizable. "Then He Kissed Me" is, quite simply, one of the greatest songs of all the time; as well as one of the most ripped off songs of all time -- that fabled chord-progression being the source of much musical pilfering. Its DNA can even be detected in Joy Division's greatest song, "Love Will Tear Us Apart," and, if you disagree, get your damn hearing checked.

Although this song was written by the songwriting trio Ellie Greenwich/Jeff Barry/Phil Spector (also responsible for the band's hit songs "Da Doo Run Run" and "He's A Rebel"), the Crystals sang this song like it wasn't meant for anyone else in the world. La La Brooks' lead vocals sounded simultaneously fragile and steadfast. Spector decided to give The Crystals this song only after La La Brooks had been instated as the group's lead vocalist. Beyond the group's soaring vocal performance, this song is one of the finest examples of Spector's "Wall-of-Sound" production technique. In fact, some would argue that this was the first time that he truly got his sound crystallized (no pun intended). The before-mentioned timpani was played along-side a typical drumset to create that big, rolling percussion sound he favored. Every instrument - guitar, bass, strings, drums, and vocals - was wrapped in a cocoon of reverb. This resulted in the dense echo effect on the recording.

Although this song has become an over-played oldie that you'll hear at an abundance of weddings, it still has lost very little of it's appeal and power over the last 40 years. You can hear obvious strains of its influence in an over-whelming amount of songs over the last four decades - both in a melodic and production sense. The next time you hear some garage rock/indie-pop band bang out those old, familiar chords, don't roll your eyes - they're probably just paying homage.

First Listen: Thom Yorke - The Eraser

2006-05-30T18:52:00.000-05:00

Well, what a pleasant surprise to come across today. The debut solo album from Thom Yorke, a man who fronts a band you may have heard of called Radiohead. It's a nice little holdover until the next full-group album, which is supposed to be released later this year, or early next year, or in 2010, or never, I don't know.

So here are some quick thoughts after my first listen: If you told someone this was a Radiohead album, they would believe you, obviously, because it has Thom's unmistakable voice. But this isn't Radiohead. It's something Thom did with Radiohead's own George Martin, Nigel Godrich. It has that glitchy, broken electronic sound the band developed on Kid A and Amnesiac, and again on parts of Hail to the Thief. I can already tell there are layers upon layers of sounds, but at the same time, it sounds pretty simple.

I actually had pretty low expectations for this record. I thought it would be much weirder and more difficult than it is. But I found it rather enjoyable the first time through. I can't imagine fans of the Yorkier side of Radiohead not liking this. From what I've heard of the new Radiohead stuff (see an earlier Sawin' Blogs post for details), it would appear the two records have little in common. But we'll see.

Well, the album's out on July 11. No album can be judged with just one listen, and I'm sure someone here at Sawin' Blogs will chime in with more before then.

2006, so far.

2006-05-29T20:39:00.000-05:00

2006 has given birth to quite a few wonderful albums, and we're not even halfway to 2007. I can't believe this is only half a year's worth of music.

The following lists are in alphabetical order. I'll save a numerical ranking for December.

10 albums whose babies I would father:
Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
Cadence Weapon - Breaking Kayfabe
Danielson - Ships
Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
The Fiery Furnaces - Bitter Tea
Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
Islands - Return to the Sea
Liars - Drum's Not Dead
Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

10 albums I would hold hands with:
Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
Cat Power - The Greatest
Figurines - Skeleton
Gnarls Barkley - St. Elsewhere
The Knife - Silent Shout
Lansing-Dreiden - The Dividing Island
The Pipettes - We Are the Pipettes
Scott Walker - The Drift
The Streets - The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living
Vetiver - To Find Me Gone

22 albums I'd hook up with while drunk (because I'm an album slut):
Arctic Monkeys - Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not
Belle & Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Booka Shade - Movements
Boris - Pink
Built to Spill - You in Reverse
Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - Etiquette
Elf Power - Back to the Web
El Perro Del Mar - El Perro Del Mar
The Flaming Lips - At War With the Mystics
The Futureheads - News and Tributes
Herbert - Scale
King Biscuit Time - Black Gold
Man Man - Six Demon Bag
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Neil Young - Living With War
Paul Simon - Surprise
Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That
Six Organs of Admittance - The Sun Awakens
The Strokes - First Impressions of Earth
Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche
T.I. - King
The Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off

As for singles, it's a toss up between Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" and T.I.'s "What You Know", both of which are huge yet painfully simple. Nothing else comes close. Yet.

The Canon #8

2006-05-09T22:42:00.000-05:00

David Bowie - "Five Years"

I fondly recall every time in my life that I converted a friend of mine into a Bowie fan by simply playing this song for him or her. I rememeber the joy I felt every time I saw a knowing smile of recognition creep across his or her face - the unblinking eyes staring back at me seeming to say "This is David Bowie?! Now I see what you were carrying on about!" Hell, the first time I heard this song, I had to play it on repeat 5 or 6 times.

"Five Years" begins minimally - a steady drumbeat presents itself, then a beautifully elastic bassline and stark piano chords enter the scene. Bowie's apocalyptic alien persona describes a town that has just found out the Earth is dying. With some of his most poignant lyrics, Bowie creates a living, breathing grief-stricken microcosm in your head:

Pushing thru the market square, so many mothers sighing

News had just come over, we had five years left to cry in

News guy wept and told us, earth was really dying

Cried so much his face was wet, then I knew he was not lying

Gradually, the song gathers steam and builds momentum. The drummer quickens his pace, the triumphant piano line emerges, Mick Ronson strums his guitar, and the string section sets sail. The song rushes onward - as if the band is trying prolong the inevitable. Before the song enters into its soaring coda, Bowie belts out these parting lines to a girl he notices in an ice-cream parlor:

And it was cold and it rained so I felt like an actor

And I thought of Ma and I wanted to get back there

Your face, your race, the way that you talk

I kiss you, you're beautiful, I want you to walk

For the coda, the piano and strings keep ascending into space while Bowie pleads and sings "We've got five years, my brain hurts a lot! We've got five years, that's all we've got!" I know there are some non-fans out there that claim Bowie was pretentious and theatrical. However, Bowie succeeded not in spite of these things, but because of them. Before Bowie, you'd be hard-pressed to find a musician who injected such drama and tension into his or her musical compositions. This "drama" resulted in a body of work that is utterly unique and incredibly influential on everyone from The Talking Heads and The Smiths to Radiohead and The Arcade Fire (and hundreds of other bands in between).

As I mentioned earlier, I distinctly remember the joy I felt upon hearing "Five Years" for the first time, and I still feel that way everytime I hear it. All of you friends that I turned on to Bowie through this song - you know who you are; and I know that everytime you listen to the end of this song, you're shouting "We've got five years!" with your hand out-stretched.

Hungry for a little bit more?

2006-05-08T18:18:00.000-05:00

Radiohead in Copenhagen 05/07/06 playing new song "15 Step"

More New Radiohead!

2006-05-08T18:04:00.000-05:00

Radiohead in Copenhagen 05/07/06 playing new song "Arpeggi"

Hey Look Everybody! New Radiohead!

2006-05-07T21:33:00.000-05:00

Radiohead in Copenhagen 05/06/06 playing new song "Bangers 'N' Mash"

The Canon #7

2006-05-01T20:40:00.000-05:00

Bob Dylan - "If You See Her, Say Hello"

For this heartbreaking track off of Blood On The Tracks, Dylan set aside his usual arsenal of surreal wordplay, self-righteous anger, and verbal switchblades. This is Dylan waving a little white flag - resigned, vulnerable, and filled with regret. The song's melody and instrumentation captures these feelings with aplomb. Over delicately plucked acoustic guitar and mandolin, Bob presents a portrait of a man wallowing in self-pity and remorse.

Since Dylan is wont to dismiss traditional song structure, there are no real verses and choruses. Just a gorgeous cyclical chord progression that undulates over the rocky emotions within the story. He sets the tone perfectly with a sly bit of guardedness: "She might think that I've forgotten her/don't tell her it isn't so." And that's about as tough as he gets. As the song unfolds, he relives scenes and memories in his mind - opening an old wound anew. Pain and sorrow pour from this opening:

"And to think of how she left that night, it still brings me a chill

And though our separation, it pierced me to the heart

She still lives inside of me, we've never been apart."

In a way, this song could be interpreted as the typical "girl-who-got-away" tale, but to do so would be callous and short-sighted. Few songwriters have managed to be this unflinchingly real in their depictions of relationships and the emotions involved. There isn't always a happy ending - sometimes all you end up with are memories, regrets, and the hope that you won't be forgotten. It's not just the unhappy ending that makes it "real" - there are also his very accurate depictions of grieving and coping with loss. Most people have felt these lines before:

"And I've never gotten used to it, I've just learned to turn it off

Either I'm too sensitive or else I'm gettin' soft."

Nothing I say can really capture the grace of this song or properly summarize the emotional power within it. I prefer to just end with Bob's parting lines:

"If she's passin' back this way, I'm not that hard to find

Tell her she can look me up if she's got the time."

Harry Nilsson: Off the Deep End and Back Again

2006-04-30T13:24:00.000-05:00

Here are two albums that were released just three years apart, but each is simultaneously ahead of its time as well as living in the past. 1974's Pussy Cats and 1977's Knnillssonn represent the best of Harry Nilsson's post-Nilsson Schmilsson (1971) output. It has been well documented that Nilsson was good buddies with the Beatles, particularly John Lennon and Ringo Starr. Nilsson was Lennon's partner-in-crime during the former Beatle's infamous "Lost Weekend" of 1974. To put it simply, these guys went on an alcohol-fueld rampage through Los Angeles, getting kicked out of clubs left and right and generally causing quite the ruckus.

They decided to make an album together, with Nilsson singing and writing the songs (although about half of the album's songs are covers) and Lennon producing. This was Pussy Cats. From the opener, a cover of Jimmy Cliff's "Many Rivers to Cross", the album has a umistakably strong early 70s Lennon feel. During the sessions, Nilsson ruptured a vocal cord. Fearing that Lennon would then abandon the recording, he kept this private and continued to sing until his voice was completely gone. You can hear the strain in Nilsson's voice on almost every track.

It's a unique album in Nilsson's catalogue, and dismisses the pop sensibilities and harmonies that he'd become known for. Instead, we have a rock'n'roll record that is obviously influenced by the boys' alcohol and partying. The album accurately captures this sound, but more than that, it harnassed the feeling of these particular sessions, both in and out of the studio. At its core, Pussy Cats is the ultimate drinking album.

The Walkmen have recently recorded a song-by-song cover of Pussy Cats, which they will release later this year. It was recorded as tribute to their recording studio, Marcata, which closed after this album was completed.

Knnillssonn is the exact opposite. Four albums later, this was Nilsson's final effort for RCA, after which he asked to be let out of his contract. All of the songs are originals, and while he did have other material released afterwards, this is approriately regarded as his swansong. Harry said that this was his favorite of all of his albums. By this time, Nilsson's vocal cords had healed, and his voice rarely sounded as beautiful and pure as it does on the opening track, "All I Think About Is You". The album is heavy on the strings and was definitely out of step with popular music at the time: disco. It's a collection of orchestral pop songs that has more in common with his late 60s output than anything else. Still showcasing much of his vocal range and varied singing styles, the album also includes loads of Nilsson's witty and sometimes bizarre songwriting. "Who Done It?" is an exciting murder mystery, while "Laughin' Man" sounds like it could have come from the 40s or 50s. I'm pretty confident that this is one of Jon Brion's most influential albums.

Temporary free downloads:

"Many Rivers to Cross"

"All I Think About Is You"

Favorite Albums of '06 (so far)

2006-04-29T17:09:00.000-05:00

The following are my favorite albums so far this year. They are in particular order (although "Return to Cookie Mountain" is definitely #1 right now) and several of them are not even out yet.

TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain

Built To Spill - You In Reverse

Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

Tom Verlaine - Songs and Other Things

Danielson - Ships

Liars - Drum's Not Dead

Band of Horses - Everything All the Time

Cat Power - The Greatest

Ghostface - Fishscale

The Canon #6

2006-04-20T20:28:00.000-05:00

Built To Spill - "Velvet Waltz"

When I was young enough to believe that a band could save my life, Built To Spill saved my life. What did they save me from exactly? Not hyperbole. They simply gave me much-needed solace in the form of sublime guitar symphonies. Built To Spill's music is simultaneously epic and intimate. Their songs have always taken lofty themes like dreams, eternity, space, the loss of innocence, and the ugly side of human nature, and dealt with them on a very personal level.

"Velvet Waltz" is Built To Spill at the peak of their abilities. Set to a 3/4 waltz beat (duh), the song's lucid melody chimes in as Doug Martsch laments: "If there's a word for you/it doesn't" mean anything/I've got some words for you/They don't offer anything." As the verse progresses, the pace quickens and a cello and moog synthesizer materialize inside the dense swirl of guitar - creating a thick fever dream of song. Around the 5 minute mark, the lyrics come to an abrupt end as Doug proclaims: "but how could you have known/the temperature, the distance to the sun." Almost immediately, Doug and Bret Netson's guitars start erupting into astral flares - searing peels of melodic feedback bleeding everywhere. The rhythm section holds everything together at that steady waltz time as Doug and Bret continue to create the aural equivalent of staring at the sun.

Listening to this on my headphones or in my car over and over again probably never had any effect on my lifespan, but, at the very least, it put some beauty and wonder into my life.

Video for Wolf Parade's "Modern World"

2006-04-20T19:08:00.000-05:00

Heavy Rotation

2006-04-18T12:42:00.000-05:00

Here is a short list of songs that I can't seem to get enough of lately (in no particular order):

Liars - "The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack": When I first heard this song, I was completely blind-sided. I found the whole of Drum's Not Dead to be an engaging, innovative, and strangely hypnotic album, but, this song went straight for my heartstrings. It is a gorgeous, droning lullaby in the vein of Jeff Buckley's cover of "Hallelujah" with lyrics that leave no room for misinterpretation. In his most tender falsetto, Angus Andrew repeatedly promises "If you need me/I can always be found/If you want me to stay/I will stay by your side/And I want you to find me - so I'll stay by your side." Given the fact that his ex-girlfriend Karen O wrote the song "Maps" for him, it is very reasonable to suspect that Angus wrote this song as a loving response.

Built to Spill - "Liar" and "Saturday": I wanted to list both these songs because they seem to compliment each other so well on You In Reverse. Like some of the best Smiths songs, their jangly melodies belie their depth and complexity. It takes about 5 listens for the surface simplicity to wear away and reveal the intricate guitarwork and radiant melodies streaming from each song. It's not just the guitar-playing that is superb. Doug's vocals also supply many subtle treats: the way he gently intones "Look out, the world's destroyin' ya/Relax, it isn't fair" in "Liar," and the way his voice lilts when he sings "you waited for my birthday" in "Saturday."

Sunset Rubdown - "Stadiums and Shrines II": This song's spiralling, ascending guitar lines and triumphant melody remind me of the way Johnny Greenwood used to play. Spencer Krug counter-balances those guitars with his trademark technicolor keyboards and assertively pleads his cryptic case. About two-third's of the way through, the band pulls back and slows the tempo while Spencer mutters "I'm sorry that anybody dies at all these days," and, then, the guitar and keyboards interlock and return to the forefront - taking the song to a dizzying headrush of a finale.

Tom Verlaine - "The Day On You": Tom Verlaine must be the most nimble guitarist out there. With his dazzling, silver spitcurls of guitar, he wrings every last ounce of potential from the six-string. This standout track from Songs and Other Things rumbles along for six glorious minutes and provides ample proof that Tom has lost none of his formidable gifts. Even his voice still sounds young and lean.

Danielson - "Sitting Ducks": Danielson has been around for some time, but, his new album, Ships, is head and shoulders above his past work. He also co-founded the Asthmatic Kitty label with his buddy Sufjan Stevens - so there are musical similarities to be found. At different points, this tracks recalls Animal Collective's poppier moments, the White Stripes' playful outbursts, the Arcade Fire in general, and the aforementioned Sufjan. Within this song, all of these sounds flow seamlessly, and, are presented in a kaleidoscopic suite that you won't be able to get out of your head.

Addendum to Canon #5

2006-04-14T21:40:00.000-05:00

Summer Festival Update

2006-04-14T11:54:00.000-05:00

I'll probably be making it down to one (maybe two) of the three festivals in Chicago this summer. The one being the Pitchfork Music Festival (and Intonation as the maybe). I think Pitchfork's lineup is undoubtedly stronger overall, but Intonation has Jon Brion, who I really, really want to see. I've seen Bloc Party, so I might just go for Brion on that day. And if the Streets don't make it up to Minneapolis, I'd like to go down there to see him. I think I'll be in Chicago that weekend anyway. Intonation also has the Boredoms, Bob Pollard, the Stills, Kano, and Lady Sovereign.

Pitchfork
July 29:
Silver Jews
The Futureheads
Ted Leo / Pharmacists
Art Brut
Destroyer
The Mountain Goats
Band of Horses
Man Man
Hot Machines
and more...

July 30:
Os Mutantes
Spoon
Yo La Tengo
Devendra Banhart
Mission of Burma
Aesop Rock
The National
Jens Lekman
Tapes 'n Tapes
Chin Up Chin Up
Diplo
and more...

Lollapalooza is the weekend after Pitchfork Fest, and has some great acts, but I just can't make it down to Chicago two weekends in a row. Plus, it's like $100 more than either Pitchfork or Intonation. But they've got Kanye West, Wilco, the Flaming Lips, Ween, the Shins, Common, Ryan Adams, Sonic Youth, Sleater-Kinney, Broken Social Scene, Built to Spill, the Hold Steady, the Go! Team, Of Montreal, Hot Chip, and a shit ton more. But I've seen most of these bands. Also, last year when I went to Lollapalooza, I was backstage eating free Spago-catered sandwiches and watching from the VIP area next to Perry Ferrell most of the time. That won't happen again this year.

Coachella and Bonnaroo are coming up, which I talked about a few months ago. Both have pretty good lineups, but are too far away/expensive.

Although, I kind of just want to be like, "Fuck it, I'm going to Coachella." Stranger things have happened...

The Canon #5

2006-04-13T19:48:00.000-05:00

Talking Heads - "This Must Be The Place (Naive Melody)"

I want to start this edition of the Canon with a quote from my good friend and co-blogger, Rob, who once said: "Songs just don't get any better than this." He is right. I could stop writing there, but, then, I would deprive my dear readers (all seven of you!) the pleasure of reading my sappy and exaggerated musings. Fortunately for me, this is a sappy song, and I say that with the utmost respect.

The Talking Heads are nothing less than one of the greatest American rock bands, or, one of the greatest rock bands for that matter. However, they were never known for being especially sentimental or sweet. Amidst all of David Byrne's detached, cynical observations and rampant musical experimentation, there are tender moments to be found, and "Naive Melody" is the most tender. Since their sweet moments are far and few between, you know there's only sincerity and vulnerability behind lines like "And you love me til my heart stops/Love me til I'm dead." The band's performance is restrained and lulling - a perfect bed for the lyrics. It's hypnotic melody, exotic instrumentation, and Byrne's impassioned vocals find a deep trench in your brain and never leave.

I should probably note that I became especially transfixed by this song after hearing David Byrne perform it with the Arcade Fire. As a devout fan of both the Arcade Fire and the Talking Heads, this pairing was a godsend. When I heard this version, I could not believe how young and passionate David Byrne still sounded. I also thought that the Arcade Fire's performance of the song sounded better than the Talking Heads' original studio version of "Naive Melody." Win Butler's guitar carries the melody instead of Jerry Harrison's keyboards, and, the kettle drums and violin add wonderful nuances to an already exceptional song.

I guess this must be the place.

Sometimes We Rock and Roll

2006-04-10T18:44:00.000-05:00

Wolf Parade - Live at Webster Hall (4/9/06)

The highlights of the night:

1) Finally hearing Wolf Parade play "Modern World" and "Grounds For Divorce" (The band refused to play these songs the first two times I saw them)

2) Meeting Aziz Ansari in front of the restroom before the show.

3) Hearing 3 new Wolf Parade songs that sounded as good as anything else they've done

Last night was my third time seeing Wolf Parade live, and the rush of joy I get from seeing them perform has not diminished one bit. There are few bands that are as exciting just to watch: Spencer tickling and pounding his keyboards, Hadji coaxing wails from his theremin, and Dan jerking chords from his guitar. Their encore was an unbelievable one-two punch of "This Heart's On Fire" and "I'll Believe In Anything." Hearing those two songs live, you'd think they wrote them just to have a perfect way to end every concert. I'm dying to hear what they do next.

Sawin' Blogs Goes Emo

2006-04-09T20:49:00.000-05:00

Hey remember me? The rumors are true. I'm writing from Minneapolis now. Home of Westerberg, Husker Du, and Prince. But if I hear one more thing about the Replacements, well, I don't know what. I hear them in every bar, read about them in every newspaper, etc. Hell, the only bar I've been going to so far is where the band used to hang out. But I've meet some cool folks and have been to a few shows. It's weird going to venues that I'd always seen listed in tour schedules. The 400 Bar is cool, it's like Schubas meets the Empty Bottle. I saw Art Brut at 7th Street Entry, which is a small room attached to First Avenue, which I still need to visit. I'll get there soon enough.

People in Minneapolis seem really proud of the music scene and especially the larger bands that have come out of there. Maybe it's just because I'm new here and I'm picking up on it, but there is much more local music pride in Minneapolis than Chicago, which tends just to be Wilco this and Billy Corgan that. Although it seems like most bands you'd want to see go through Minneapolis, I've heard of several different people driving down to Chicago just for shows, so I guess Chicago still has that edge.

Anyway, enough about that. You're here to read about music. Here are five new(ish) songs that I've been spinning through like mad.

1. Ghostface - "Be Easy"
The Fishscale album is killer, but "Be Easy" is my jam right now. Hearing that chorus live would be more than worth the price of admission to a Ghostface show. The drumfill and slight beat right before it comes in just slays me. Never before has one split-second of music said "THE MOTHERFUCKING PARTY HAS ARRIVED" as triumphantly. I was just about to complain about how Ghostface doesn't get enough mainstream love, but I just checked and this album debuted at #4 last week, so go figure.

2. Figurines - "The Wonder"
I really hope this Danish band does well. Not because they're Danish, but Skeleton because this is just a really solid indie pop album. When I read Pitchfork's description of Tapes'n'Tapes (speaking of, everyone I've met knows someone in this band or something), this is the record I expected/wanted to hear. It's also got huge hints of After the Gold Rush-era Neil Young. But not so much in this particular song, which just fucking rocks in the right way to make the indie kids dance.

3. Vetiver - "You May Be Blue"
Vetiver has been lumped in with the whole Devendra Banhart end of the freakfolk movement. And the self-tilted debut justified that, but hopefully this new album-- To Find Me Gone-- will help them get some more exposure. It's more interesting than just strumming and humming around the drum circle. This particular song, and I apologize in advance, is Marc Bolan meets Grateful Dead. Just what the kids ordered.

4. Danielson - "Did I Step On Your Trumpet"
If the cutesy Christian aspects of Sufjan Stevens irk you, I would suggest staying away from Danielson. Because it's a full on famile (not a typo) cult. Very theatrical, very intricate. Danielson has one of those difficult voices, but really, who doesn't have a weird voice these days? This track is on the upcoming Ships album. The Danielson Famile (not a typo) have been around for awhile, but this is their big statement. Absolutely epic and endlessly rewarding if you listen intently and repeatedly.

5. Casiotone for the Painfully Alone - "Love Connection"
I'm afraid that CFTPA is a gimmick project. It's hard for me to make it through a whole album without it grating on me. It becomes too cute. But, this song, the last one on the new Etiquette, basically renders trite a whole generation of Livejournaling Myspacers. Why the indie boys and girls haven't completely lost their shit over this song yet is beyond me. It describes an awkward sexual encounter more "honestly" than anything I've heard in a long time. I'll leave you with the lyrics:

chapped lips
tongue kissed
insert expletive
fluids of a summer night
with slight duress
forced imperatives
find me quoting pennington
a delicate blend of sweat and menstrual blood
seeping into trampled grass

so take my lip between your teeth
and taste me by devouring
and i'll start watching my weight again
oh oh

woke up at dawn
face down on the lawn
head awash with what had been
rest cheek to cheek
fingers underneath
soft impressions of your teeth
some hours lost and at such a cost
stains and scars i can't explain

so take my lip between your teeth
and taste me by devouring
and i'll start watching my weight again
oh oh oh

some things
are best left unsaid

The Canon #4

2006-04-07T22:45:00.000-05:00

Roy Orbison - "It's Over"

"Your baby doesn't love you anymore. . .Your baby won't be near you anymore." Coming from most people's mouths, those lines would be utterly devastating. However, when Roy sings those lines in his quivering tenor, the delivery is most comforting. His voice was like a thousand bluebirds singing - a choir in and of himself. He was the original hopeless romantic loser and eternal underdog. His songs typically dealt with the pain and sorrow of being marginalized in love and life - but, mostly love. Roy's greatest gift was his ability to sing stories of unrequited and lost love that felt consoling instead of harrowing. No matter how sad his tales might get, the accompanying voice and melody always offered saving grace.

In "It's Over," the lyrics paint an especially affecting portrait of a man being disposed of by the woman he cherishes. It's not the words alone that cause your emotions to stir - it's the way Roy delivers those words. You'd have to be dead to not be moved by the phrase "You won't be seeing rainbows anymore" when it trembles from his lips. Thankfully, this story is bolstered by a Spectoresque wall-of-sound: a gently strummed guitar, waltzy drumbeat, and sky-scraping string arrangement that swells like tear-filled eyes. Each chorus feels like the last with Roy's fluttering vocal melody gliding seamlessly with the strings into the crashing refrain of "It's over! It's over! It's over!" To me, Roy Orbison is the epitome of "timeless." This 42 year old song barely sounds dated and has lost absolutely none of it's emotional heft.

The Canon #3

2006-03-30T12:30:00.000-06:00

The Pixies - "Debaser"

This is the song that made me want to start this column. One night at a bar, I had an intense discussion with my friend, Josh, concerning "perfect album openers." Once we both agreed upon "Debaser" as one of the great "album openers," the conversation quickly transformed into drunken praise about how perfect this song is period. Hell, I could write an essay on why The Pixies were a perfect band. I'm talking about the fact that you can play "Debaser" on repeat ten times in row after being familiar with it for ten years and it still sounds fucking unbelievable. I can't imagine my life without that bassline, that forever-bouyant riff, and the joyous declaration of "I wanna grow up to be a debaser!" I don't know what the hell a debaser is, but I wanna be one too. The Pixies had an uncanny ability to be simultaneously abrasive and superbly melodic. On "Debaser," their melodic nature seems bent on overthrowing their abrasive, weird side, but, you still couldn't call them a "pop" band.

At some point, "Debaser" (and The Pixies as a whole) ceased to be just a song I loved and became part of my being. You can call me nostalgic and hyperbolic, but, I could care less. Judging from the crowds at the recent Pixies reunion tour, I seriously doubt I'm the only fan who would make such bold and ridiculous statements. I saw them play twice on their 2004 reunion tour, and, I could have almost cried I was in such ecstacy. At the first show, I stood about ten feet from Joey Santiago's Marshall stack and I couldn't hear out of my left ear for two days. It was one of the best days of my life.

Katie Did It! Katie Did it!

2006-03-29T07:48:00.000-06:00

Animal Collective - Live at the Bowery Ballroom (3/25/06): This was my second time seeing Animal Collective. By the second song, it was readily apparent that this band's live show had become even tighter and more feral in the year since I first saw them. I'm not sure I can properly articulate the experience of seeing Animal Collective live - the AC you see live is not the AC that you hear on record. Sure, all the trademark idiosyncrasies are there - the ethereal glissandos and echo-drenched guitars, the pounding tribal percussion, the childlike chanting/shouting, and ambient found-sound samples. They're all just presented louder and more gnarled. I think I can speak for the entire crowd that night when I say that AC's sound just consumes your senses, envelopes you like a womb, and makes your body convulse like a raver mad-high on E. Seriously, the bowery ballroom felt like an exorcism that night - it was intense and beautiful. There was not an "arms-crossed, standstill" in my sight - just nodding heads, contorting spines, and twitching legs.

The setlist was evenly split between new songs and old songs. The new songs played definitely continue in the vein of Feels and some of them seemed to employ more percussion and electronics. Then again, it was such a tidal rush that it was hard to tell which instruments were making which sounds. However, one new song, "Peace Bone," featured only Panda Bear on drums and The Geologist on his electronic-gizmos/laptop while Avey Tare and Deakin chanted in unison. It was jubilant and brilliant. The old songs played were Flesh Canoe, Grass, Purple Bottle, Banshee Beat, and We Tigers (which was beautifully segued into from Peace Bone).

To make the night more celebratory, it was the last night of the tour as well as The Geologist's birthday. For the occasion, there was a birthday cake brought out by his girlfriend and the entire crowd sang him "Happy Birthday" (he was bashful and grateful). After the brief B-day break, the band launched into a barn-storming version of "The Purple Bottle." It was utterly captivating and ended the night on a perfect note.

*I also want to note that this was my first concert since moving to NYC; and I can't even express how much more pleasurable it is seeing a show without being engulfed in a cloud of smoke.*

Here's a "My Obscure Favorite Album" trump card... You're Welcome

2006-03-27T15:22:00.000-06:00

In the summer of 1974 a desperate and drug addled Alex Chilton crawled into Memphis’ Ardent Studios to create one of the most harrowing and avant masterpieces in rock history. Much like Neutral Milk Hotel’s In the Aeroplane Over The Sea, Big Star’s Sister Lovers evokes the spirit, imagery, and expressionism of the 1920’s surrealist movement.
After the release of the Chilton controlled Radio City, Big Star founder Chris Bell left the band and began recording as a solo artist. Before Bell's untimely death in 1978, he managed to record an albums worth of material that was posthumously released entitled I Am The Cosmos. However, he made no contribution to Sister Lovers.
Thus, with the exception of drummer Jody Stephens (who takes over lead vocals on the sublime “For You”) and producer/multi instrumentalist Jim Atkinson, Sister Lovers is basically an Alex Chilton solo album
1974 found Chilton battling with severe clinical depression and overwhelmed with frustration due to Big Star’s lack of success and recognition. Moreover, after being screwed over and misled time and time again, Chilton harbored an extreme distrust of the recording industry in general.
So, what did he do? He created pop music’s spookiest, most depressing, and strangest album during a time when Olivia Newton John and the Bay City Rollers were ruling the pop charts. Even now in 2006 Sister Lovers feels contemporary in a way that other “ahead of their time albums” like Velvet Underground and Nico and Pet Sounds do not.
Do to its perceived lack of commercial appeal; Sister Lovers was shelved until 1978 when it was released in England. It wasn’t until 1992 that Sister Lovers obtained a nationwide US release. And the music…. Oh the music! Sister Lovers’ orchestral flourishes, sardonic lyrics, droning electric guitars, walls of distortion, erratic acoustic strumming, and touches of world percussion foreshadow everything from Joy Division to shoegazer and My Bloody Valentine to the more recent “freak folk movement”
Sister Lovers is perhaps the most underrated and influential piece of American pop/rock music. Truly essential.

The Canon #2

2006-03-22T16:00:00.000-06:00

Ennio Morricone - "Il Triello" (The Trio)

Anyone who has ever seen The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly knows how powerful the climactic final scene is - that three-way standoff between Blondie, Tuco, and Angel Eyes. On the screen, you only see the eyes of each gunman as they are seconds away from drawing their pistols - the camera pans increasingly faster from man to man's eyes. You see their eyes wincing from the scorching desert sun, the sweat beading down their brows, and the cocksure look in each of their eyes. You feel the tension and momentum building inside yourself. You know why? Ennio Morricone. The camera shots wouldn't be half as powerful without Morricone's immortal score. The fluttering Spanish guitar arpeggios, the descending piano lines, the muted trumpet, and those soaring strings - he is master of build and release. Even without the film in front of you, you can listen to his compositions and be moved and enthralled. The best part of this work is the climax: that epic, dam-busting trumpet solo and the sawing string section. Christ, the only other time I've heard such triumphant, heart-thumping trumpet playing was by Miles Davis on Bitches Brew. Everytime I hear this song or any of Morricone's other spaghetti western scores, I want to start a tex-mex, southwestern, orchestral, desert-rock sort-of band.

Return To Cookie Mountain?

2006-03-19T15:31:00.000-06:00

Apparently, that is the title of the forthcoming TV On The Radio album. Yeah, Return To Cookie Mountain. Fortunately, that title is NOT indicative of the quality of the album's lyrics. This is the album I knew TVOTR had the potential to make: a front-to-back masterpiece that captures the energy and majesty of their live show. Not to mention Tunde Adebimpe's voice (always the band's ace up the sleeve) hasn't sounded this awe-inspiring since the Young Liars EP. This is a definite "album-of-the-year" contender my friends. If Radiohead and Arcade Fire weren't supposed to have new albums out this year, I would go ahead and make the declaration now. Here is a track-by-track breakdown of the album.

1) Wolf Like Me - The opening track is a dense, chugging motorik gem that wouldn't have sounded out of place on the second side of Neu! 75. The entire band is in blazing, full-attack mode with Tunde's guiding light vocals splitting through the dark: "my mind is changed/my body's free/by God, I like it/my heart's aflame/by God, I like it."

2) I Was A Lover - This track finds the band experimenting with mercurial samples much like My Bloody Valentine's "Touched." At first, the songs seems to trip over its own ambitions, but quickly reveals itself to be a case of "rewards the listener after repeated spins."

3) Province - This song starts with an infectious, bouncy melody and "whoo-whoo" vocals reminiscent of Prince's "Starfish and Coffee." Then the chorus shoots skyward with the refrain "Hold your heart courageously as we walk into this dark place/Stand steadfast beside me and see that love is the province of the brave." You might notice a familiar voice singing back-up with Tunde during the chorus - a certain apocalyptic alien rock star. Yeah, the rumor is that it's avowed-TVOTR fan David Bowie.

4) Hours - This song begins unhurried and with minimal instrumentation - marching drums driving the song much like Bjork's "Hunter." Eventually, the song introduces layers of reverbed organ and diaphanous guitar that remind me of Radiohead's "Subterranean Homesick Alien."

5) Playhouses - The frenzied, jungle drumming on this track makes it a bit of a spotlight for drummer Jaleel Bunton. The dark, driving rhythm harkens back to the first track "Wolf Like Me." Yet another killer performance.

6) Let The Devil In - Opening with stomping drums and handclaps, the sing soon splits open with sawing guitars, louder drumming, and multiple band-members sing-shouting the lyrics in unison. It's definitely a song that grows on you with repeated listens. Reminiscent of Brian Eno's "Here Comes the Warm Jets."

7) Dirty Whirl Wind - Simultaneously bringing to mind Motown and The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds with its swinging groove and sleigh-bell percussion, this song will just slay you. It also features one of Tunde's best vocal performances to date. I played this song on repeat about 4 or 5 times after I first heard it.

8) Tonight - This atmospheric track begins with wind chimes and ambient sounds anchoring a beautiful vocal melody. This is the song most like Desperate Youth's "Ambulance" - all voice, atmosphere, and minimal instrumentation.

9) A Method - Maintaining the mood and sound of the previous track, "A Method" features multi-tracked vocals singing gorgeous a cappella until the slapping percussion and whirring tape loops kick in mid-song and the multiple voices continue to do that amazing barbershop thing that they do.

10) Blues From Down Here - This just throbs and grooves insistently like a great lost New Order track. It's a top-notch electro-dance type song adorned with some tasteful saxophone at the end.

11) Wash The Day Away - This concluding song is buried in dense, fuzzed-out production that recalls My Bloody Valentine again. The song soldiers on for 6 minutes as new instrumentation (muted flute and saxophone) is layered in with the crashing drums, guitar, and bass.

There is no release date for this record yet, but, I strongly urge you to buy it whenever it comes out.

I can't get that sound you make out of my head

2006-03-13T19:14:00.000-06:00

Today, I am introducing my new weekly column: The Canon. Each week, I will dedicate the column to one song that I feel is a perfect song (i.e. a song that is canonical). I want to note that I am, in no way, trying to dictate what are the "greatest" or "most important" songs of all time. I am simply picking the songs that are the best to ME. To me, a perfect song is one that you want to hear on repeat again and again - a song that you just don't get sick of and can't imagine life without. A perfect song makes the hair on the back of your neck stand-up, provides temporary euphoria, soothes your soul, and makes you feel invulnerable to the world around you.

The Canon #1 - Brian Eno "On Some Faraway Beach"

First of all, I have to admit that I have been slightly obsessed with Brian Eno for the last month or two - so I was leaning heavily towards something in his catalogue. I am inaugurating "The Canon" with this song because I have listened to it at least once every day since the first time I heard it two months ago. The lyrics don't appear until about halfway through the song and seem concerned with the insignificance of our lives:

Given the chance
I'll die like a baby
On some faraway beach

Unlikely I'll be remembered
As the tide brushes sand in my eyes
I'll drift away

Cast up on a plateau
With only one memory
A silver sail on a boat
Oh lie low lie low

In mood and lyrics, the song is very reminiscent of The Beach Boys' elegaic "Til I Die." Despite the bleakness of the lyrics, the melody is triumphant and unwavering. The ascending piano line slowly grows louder and louder as Robert Fripp's volplaning guitar slowly materializes. Fripp's trademark sound is so heavily treated by Eno that it almost sounds like huge synth waves tumbling over and over. As the song is climaxing, the piano and guitar continue to tug the melody back and forth - creating that transcendent glacial effect that Sigur Ros are so fond of now.

Althought this song appears on Eno's first solo album, Here Comes The Warm Jets, it was definitely an early indication of the ambient music Eno would be creating in a couple years - call it proto-ambient. For any of those uninitiated with Eno, this the perfect song to start with - a perfect balance of his experimental, ambient impulses and pop sensibilities.

Sunset Rubdown

2006-02-25T15:33:00.000-06:00

Artist: Sunset Rubdown
Album: Shut Up I Am Dreaming

Sunset Rubdown is a side-project of Wolf Parade co-leader Spencer Krug. My two favorite Wolf Parade songs were written by Krug-- "I'll Believe In Anything" and "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts". The former originally appeared in a slightly different-- neither better nor worse-- form on the first Sunset Rubdown LP, Snake's Got A Leg. This isn't to shit on Wolf Parade's other half, Dan "This Heart's On Fire" Boeckner, because his songs are equally great. But I just feel like I have a better connection with Krug's songwriting.

That said, there's something I like about Krug when he is outside of Wolf Parade. I don't want to say that Sunset Rubdown is a stripped down of Wolf Parade, because it isn't. What Sunset Rubdown brings is a less anthemic, not so down-on-my-knees feeling than its Sub Pop brother. This is to say, Wolf Parade is for arenas and Sunset Rubdown is for small clubs.

Sunset Rubdown just released a self-titled EP that is more or less a hint of what's to come on the forthcoming full-length, Shut Up I Am Dreaming, which is due in May. The sound of the LP is more fleshed out than the more lo-fi Snake's Got A Leg. This is due in part to a full-band, which creates a fuller-- but not bigger-- sound.

Spencer Krug is quietly establishing himself as one of the best songwriters of the moment.

Anticipated 2006 Record Releases

2006-02-24T12:13:00.000-06:00

I was sitting in a coffeeshop yesterday talking to my friend Josh about how this year in music is going to be pretty rad with so many potentially great releases. Of course, the next part of our conversation was "what albums are going to be THE albums of 2006?" With a list like this and it only being February, it's anybody's guess:

Built To Spill (April)
Flaming Lips (April)
Yeah Yeah Yeahs (March)
Neko Case (March)
The Liars (March)
Prince (March)
The Islands (ex-Unicorns) (April)
Secret Machines (April)
Tom Verlaine (leader of Television, 2 albums) (April)
The Walkmen (May)
The Shins (summer)
TV on the Radio (May)
Radiohead (May or June)
Arcade Fire (winter)

There are also the distinct possibilities of new Wilco and Modest Mouse albums by the end of the year.

New Video Wrap-up

2006-02-22T12:10:00.000-06:00

There is a beautiful video out now for Antony & The Johnsons' "You Are My Sister"
Click here to watch the video.

There is also an amazing video (finally!) for The Arcade Fire's "Tunnels"
Click here to watch the video.

Enjoy!

Our Reluctant Guitar Hero Returns

2006-02-17T13:38:00.000-06:00

Artist: Built To Spill

Album: You In Reverse

Speaking of "finally," it has been five years since the last Built To Spill album hit the streets. You In Reverse doesn't come out til April 11th, but, I've had my impatient hands on a leaked copy for a while now and I am pleased to report (after at least a dozen listens with my very critical ears) that this album can do nothing but please, impress, and rock you. Built To Spill has never been a band that revels in formal innovation and experimentation like Radiohead (but BTS's lush, spaced-out rock sometimes recalls The Bends and OK Computer-era Radiohead). Their reputation lies on the fact that their sound/style is unique and completely their own. Like Television and The Pixies before them, the band's sound and style is their innovation. Not to mention the fact that Doug Martsch will go down in history as indie rock's very own Jimi Hendrix. What can you expect from this album? Superb, epic songwriting that tweaks and expands upon the band's distinct sound. Oh, and lots of great beards. Here is a track-by-track breakdown:

1) "Goin' Against Your Mind" - This track is unlike anything else in the band's catalogue. It begins with a propulsive, martial drumbeat which is maintained throughout the song. Three dueling guitars quickly announce their presence- each of them spiralling and interweaving to create a dense sonic tapestry. This driving, rhythmic epic (9 mins) reminds me of Television's "Little Johnny Jewel."

2) "Traces" - To me, this is the only song on the album that doesn't really stand out as something strong and memorable. It's a relatively flaccid minor-chord vamp that doesn't really do anything spectacular. For some reason, it reminds me of Sonic Youth's last two albums.

3) "Liar" - Back to the good stuff. This is a bouncy, jubilant song that could have fit easily on to There's Nothing Wrong With Love. The shimmering guitar line reminds me of The Smiths' Johnny Marr.

4) "Saturday" - One of Doug's most infectious melodies and shortest songs at barely 2 and a half minutes. Like "Liar," this song is unabashedly catchy despite its languid pace. Bonus points for the use of sleigh bells. Kind of reminds me "Kicked It In The Sun."

5) "Wherever You Go" - From this song on, the album definitely harkens back to the long, layered songwriting of Perfect From Now On. This track kicks off with a big, crunching riff that's halfway between Neil Young and Jimi Hendrix. Naturally, there are glorious guitar solos aplenty.

6) "Convential Wisdom" - In my opinion, "best song on the album" is a draw between this and "Goin' Against Your Mind." The song begins with a hyper-melodic riff that sorta sounds like Bowie circa Ziggy Stardust. About halfway through, the song evolves into an unbelievable instrumental breakdown - like the second half of Wilco's "At Least That's What You Said" or Television's "Marquee Moon."

7) "Gone" - This song is in the same territory as "Wherever You Go" - bringing to mind Neil Young and then Led Zeppelin with some excellent electric organ laid down on top.

8) "Mess With Time" - This is the heaviest song Built To Spill has laid to tape - sounding just like a lost Queens of The Stone Age tune. It kicks off with a thunderous riff and a winding vocal melody. After a momentous mid-song tangle of solos, the song suddenly transforms into a jaunty flamenco tune - evoking some of Ennio Morricone's desert-sweeping grandeur. Seriously.

9) "Just A Habit" - This is You In Reverse's "Else." A beautiful, elegaic song that builds into a slow untangling of gauzy guitar solos and gorgeous melodies.

10) "The Wait" - At first, this song feels like a continuation of Just A Habit's mood and pace, but, eventually blossoms into a sprawling technicolor gem like Radiohead's "The Tourist."

...

2006-02-17T00:39:00.000-06:00

Destroyer's Rubies by Destroyer

I am speechless. I had never cared for Destroyer too much before. Destroyer is Dan Bejar, who also is one of the New Pornographers. I listened to this album once and thought it was okay. I listened to it again and thought it was pretty good. I listened to it a third time and was like, "Wow, I really dig this." And the fourth time through? HOLY FUCKING SHIT. Talk about a grower. The first track, "Rubies", is long and might be hard to get through, but it sets up the album perfectly in a way I can't describe (and this is why I'm not a rock critic). And then the second song ("Your Blood") is what really got it going for me. Okay I can't even keep writing about it, I have to go listen some more. Man! It's only February, but we've got an Album of the Year candidate on our hands. For serious.

Album in stores on February 21. You know what to do.

Album Preview

2006-02-11T14:13:00.000-06:00

Artist: The Flaming Lips
Album: At War With The Mystics

Finally, it's here. Well, it'll be here in April, but I have it now. I think this album was supposed to come out last summer, and it got pushed back a number of times, and now it's here. I would be shocked if this wasn't their most successful album. Not their best. But it seems like it might be the most accessible, especially in a world where indie isn't strange anymore. But even today, this sounds easier to digest than Yoshimi or The Soft Bulletin.

It'll take me awhile to formulate a final opinion on this one, but I like what I'm hearing so far. I've always enjoyed the Lips, ever snce Transmissions From The Satellite Heart. The music is always evolving and interesting, and the live shows are a blast. To me, Wayne Coyne is just an immensely likeable guy.

I hope this album sells really well, these guys have been around forever and are due for that kind of success. I suppose you can argue that they became pretty successful after Yoshimi, but I think they have a chance to become even bigger with this album.

About Those Grammys...

2006-02-09T16:35:00.000-06:00

I was impressed as well. The awards were shit, of course, but there were some great and surprisingly innovative performances. The opening with Gorillaz and Madonna looked great. Kanye and Jamie Foxx put on a fun show. Paul McCartney and Sly Stone where great as well. How badass was Sly? Coldplay, however, were embarrassingly bad.

The best moment for me came when the Jay-Z/Linkin Park performance segued into "Yesterday" and Paul McCartney came out on stage with them. Amazing!

Here are some links to watch the performances. You'll have to copy and paste. I'll update when more are available.

Gorillaz/Madonna:
http://youtube.com/w/Gorillaz/Modonna-at-Grammys?v=8pdBjdwTqBc&search=grammys%20gorillaz

Kanye West:
http://youtube.com/w/JamieFoxx%2C-KanyeWest-Sing-%27-Gold-Digger%22%40-2006-Grammy%27s?v=ixflEP07iH8&search=grammys%202006

Paul McCartney:
http://youtube.com/w/paul-mccartney-rocks-the-grammys?v=oybjnCYdFSk&search=grammys%202006

Jay-Z/Linkin Park/Paul McCartney:
http://youtube.com/w/2006-GRAMMYS--JayZ-Linkin-Park-PaulMcCartney?v=Id6XMTxqHiw&search=mccartney%20grammys

Grammys 2, Ben 0

2006-02-08T21:53:00.000-06:00

I officially revoke my previous post about the Grammys being "incredibly tepid and predictable."
Well, 95% of the show still was tepid and predictable, but, two performances of the night blew my mind. First, Paul McCartney broke out of his usual AARP-pleasing mode and cranked out the White Album classic "Helter Skelter." Paul fucking rocked. He actually screamed like he was 24 again and like his legacy meant something to him. I was grinning like an idiot the entire time. Second, during a Sly and The Family Stone tribue, Sly Stone dramatically came on stage in long silver coat and blonde mohawk to perform his band's classic "I Want To Take You Higher." This is amazing because Sly Stone has been a recluse for the last 20+ years. He literally has not been seen by anyone...like the Syd Barrett of funk music. Once again, I was grinning and flabbergasted by the Grammys. Thank you CBS for proving me wrong.

My Year in Film - Part 3

2006-02-08T11:23:00.000-06:00

9 Songs

This should have been the most controversial film of the year, but perhaps it was so controversial that the press didn't want to cover it. And it really shouldn't have been controversial, because it's just sex. It's not pornography, it's art...right. But it's very real sex. You see everything that you wouldn't see in a conventional film. It has a respected director in Michael Winterbottom (Wonderland, 24 Hour Party People), and two unknown actors.

The plot is basically that this guy is a British geologist, returns home to London, meets a girl at a concert, they go home and have sex, see each other at another concert, go home and have sex, go to another concert, have sex, talk about life, have sex, etc etc. The sex isn't tasteless, just graphic. It's pretty hot, too, and it's more like the sex regular people have, unlike in pornography. The problem, however, is that the movie isn't very good. The acting is average at best, and the concerts are filmed poorly, as if you yourself just held a camera from the middle of the audience. Performers include Franz Ferdinand, Super Furry Animals, the Dandy Warhols, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and the Von Bondies.

But I'm not sure that showing such graphic sex was essential the plot, and without it, the film would be quite boring and very short. An interesting experiment, though.

My Year in Film - Part 2

2006-02-07T10:34:00.000-06:00

It was a good year for the comic book adaptation. I've never been into reading comics, even as a child, but I've always enjoyed seeing them brought to life, from television shows to cartoons to movies. Something about the format disagrees with me-- I can't help but just start looking at the pictures and skipping several frames ahead, skipping over the dialogue. That's my problem, but in essence they are just stories like any novel or even screenplay, for that matter. And because comics are inherently so visual, they just happen to make great movies.

In my opinion, a great adaptation (novel, comic, magazine article, play, television show, etc.) tells a complete story without giving you the feeling that something was left out. Three of my favorites from 2005:

Sin City
This was undoubtedly the most entertaining film of the year. One of those rare movies that almost leaves you breathless with excitement. Hyper-violent, of course, but in the same fun, over-the-top way as something like Kill Bill. Having taken a look at the original artwork, it's remarkable how Robert Rodriguez was able to copy the book almost frame-by-frame. It's even more interesting to know that the actors essentially just worked in front of a green screen, often without any other actors around. I'd known that all the backgrounds/effects were digital, but to know that the actors didn't always interact with each other his surprising, considering how fluid the performances are. And on top of all that, the film wasn't that expensive. It makes you wonder about something like King Kong needed such a big budget.

A History of Violence
I didn't really know anything about this movie before I saw it. I'd just heard that the reviews were good and few people I knew had seen it and really liked it. I was surprised, then, to learn during the credits that it was a comic (sorry, graphic novel) adaptation. I sometimes forget that comics aren't always about superheroes and the like. They can be human stories, like American Splendor or Ghost World. Although, what this film does share in common with other comics is its violence. There are only a few scenes of it, but it is certainly graphic when it's there. And in a way, Viggo's character is kind of like a real-life super hero, saving his family and several of his customers. A History of Violence also features one of the year's unique yet extremely erotic sex scenes.

Batman Begins
Back to a conventional comic. We all know that the last couple Batman films had been terrible. What's so great about this film is that it treats its characters like real people. This is something that the recent comic book films have done so successfully (X-Men, Hulk, Spider-Man). While Batman and Batman Returns are great, fun movies, they still seem to be treating the material as strange and highly stylized. The universe of the previous Batman movies is completely unlike our own, whereas Batman Begins and the other adaptations I mentioned all seem like they could be going on in our world with us noticing it. It was also nice to see Chicago play Gotham this time around, not New York. There's nothing dark or scary about Manhattan anymore-- unless shopping really frightens you.

My Year in Film - Part 1

2006-02-06T13:07:00.000-06:00

Through the rest of this week, I'm going to take a look back at the year in film. Today we're focusing on the year's most disappointing (not necessarily the worst) films.

Gaper's Block
Oddly enough, two of the year's most overhyped films both have the word "Crash" in their title. Crash and Wedding Crashers. I had no desire to see either of these movies in the theater, and I'm glad I didn't. But I'd been hearing people (including many people I usually trust) singing the praises of both of these wrecks.

Crash
I'll start with Crash, the most manipulative film this side of Michael Moore. What an unbelievable piece of shit. Shameful. Offensive. Racist. These characters were all perfect, oversimplified stereotypes. The misunderstood "Arab", the reformed Hispanic, the upper class and intelligent blacks, racist and conflicted white cops, suspicious upper class whites, "weird" Asians, etc. Look, I have no problem with unbelievable characters in a movie, because I understand that movies are fictional. And this movie is fictional. But if it's going to attempt to present a true slice of American life, at least do it accurately. When this movie was over, I was angry, not because of all the racism and intolerance in our society, but because this movie only furthered the stereotypes it portrays. These so-called caricatures are put on display. Are you familiar with minstrel shows?

Don't tell me I'm missing the point. I understand the point, and this issue can be handled well. Please, for the love of God, see Do the Right Thing immediately to cleanse yourself of this atrocity. That film tackles racial tension unlike any other, and makes Crash look laughable.

Wedding Crashers
I hate Vince Vaughn. Let's get that out of the way. But he doesn't really interfere in my enjoyment of movies. I liked him Anchorman, Old School, Dodgeball, and even the sequel to Jurassic Park. And of course he was excellent in Swingers. Something about this guy just rubs me the wrong way. Again, it doesn't always affect the film. And it doesn't affect this film, either. The problem with this movie is that it missed the mark entirely.

The premise is perfect for a buddy comedy. These two guys go to weddings to meet chicks who will be in the mood for love. Fair enough. And this is executed fairly well for the first 20-30 minutes of the film before it falls apart and becomes a horribly cliched and boring movie.

It starts with Owen Wilson and Vaughn as divorce arbitrators. Now that's interseting. Why isn't this used at all in the rest of the film? Too bad. Another problem is that Wilson is supposed to play the straight man, but he's never really been good at that. He's too quirky and then you've got two weird characters on your hands, which might be fine for most movies, but considering how dull this film becomes in the second half, it's just out of place.

My main problem with this film, however, is that everyone was telling me how hilarious it was. I love the funny, don't get me wrong. I own Mean Girls, for Christ's sake. But this movie, like Coldplay, was nothing more than average.

"From The Vault" Friday Song

2006-02-04T15:34:00.000-06:00

Artist: The Smiths

Song: "Reel Around The Fountain"

Album: The Smiths

Briefly: If push came to shove, I would proudly proclaim that The Smiths are the second most important, influential, and relevant rock band of the 80's after the Pixies. Their influence on the last two decades of British and American alternative/indie rock music is incalculable and incontestable. Since the demise of The Smiths, their lead singer, Morrissey, has maintained a rather successful solo career that has probably overshadowed what has proven to be The Smiths' greatest and most enduring asset: Johnny Marr's wholy unique guitar style. Johnny's guitar playing is sometimes over-simplified and described as "jangle-rock", but, his playing was never that simple - his complexity as a musician was just subtle and deceptive. The Smiths had a traditional Jaggers/Richards division of labor - Morrissey wrote the lyrics and Johnny wrote the music. Johnny's clean, fluid style was hyper-melodic, but, he served the rhythm first and foremost. He could churn out a galloping vibrato guitar line that was equally rockabilly and Velvet Underground.

Why: "Reel Around the Fountain" is the first song on their first album. The song that introduced the world to The Smiths: a wire-taut rhythm section, an unassuming guitar hero, and a singer with a fey, yet, masculine voice. In my opinion, it is a perfect introduction to the band and their aesthetic, and, it is an epic - clocking in at almost 7 minutes. "Reel Around the Fountain" is a delicate tale of lost innocence whose lyrics tend to be vague and ambiguous (as most of Morrissey's lyrics were). On a sidenote, the Built to Spill song "Virginia Reel Around The Fountain" is a direct homage to The Smiths and this song. Besides Built To Spill, many of my other favorite bands have claimed The Smiths as a prominent influence: Radiohead, The Arcade Fire, Belle & Sebastian, The Magnetic Fields, Pulp, The Verve, etc.

Also, in one of the most exciting surprises in recent memory, Johnny Marr is currently collaborating with Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock on new songs for the forthcoming Modest Mouse album!!!

I Hate Summer Festival Season...

2006-02-02T11:22:00.000-06:00

...because I want to go to all of them.

Last summer, I went to Intonation and one day of Lollapalooza-- both for free, both backstage, and both because they were in Chicago. To be honest with you, I'm not sure I even like festivals unless I have VIP access. Not because it's hot and outdoors, but because you have to sit through a lot of crap you don't want to hear, and it's hard to get remotely close to the best shows. That said, I would still go to Coachella and Bonnaroo. Performances I would like to see appear in bold.

Coachella - Indio, CA:
Saturday, April 29:
Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand, Sigur Ros, Common, Damian Marley, Atmosphere, Carl Cox, My Morning Jacket, Ladytron, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tosca, Cat Power, Animal Collective, Hard-Fi, Derrick Carter, Devendra Banhart, She Wants Revenge, The Walkmen, The Juan Maclean, Audio Bullys, Imogen Heap, Lady Sovereign, Deerhoof, The Duke Spirit, Editors, stellastarr*, Lyrics Born, Matt Costa, The New Amsterdams, The Zutons, Platinum Pied Pipers, White Rose Movement, Chris Liberator, Colette, Joey Beltram, Hybrid, Wolfmother, The Like, Living Things, Nine Black Alps, The Section Quartet, Infadels, Youth Group, Shy FX & T Power, Infusion.

Sunday, April 30:
Tool, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party, Paul Oakenfold, Scissor Sisters, Matisyahu, James Blunt, TV on the Radio, Sleater-Kinney , Mogwai, Coheed and Cambria, Gnarls Barkley, Coldcut, Phoenix, Digable Planets, Amadou & Mariam, Little Louie Vega, Mylo (DJ Set), Seu Jorge, Wolf Parade, The Go! Team, Kaskade, Metric, Art Brut, Dungen, The Dears, Jamie Lidell, The Magic Numbers, Los Amigos Invisibles, Jazzanova, Michael Mayer, Mates of State, Gilles Peterson, Gabriel & Dresden, The Subways, Minus the Bear, Be Your Own Pet, Giant Drag, Kristina Sky, The Octopus Project.

The first day of Coachella is definitely stronger overall, but there are still a ton of things I'd like to see on the second day. Tool, though? Seriously, Tool? Why? That's the best they could do to headline the second day? Yipes. Oh well, that would just give me an excuse to get a head start on traffic.

Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN
June 16-18
Radiohead, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Phil Lesh and Friends, Beck, Elvis Costello & The Imposters, Bonnie Raitt, Death Cab for Cutie, moe., Bright Eyes, The Neville Brothers, Béla Fleck and the Flecktones, Buddy Guy, Damian Marley, Ben Folds, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Dr. John, Matisyahu, G. Love and Special Sauce, My Morning Jacket, Ricky Skaggs & Kentucky Thunder, Steel Pulse, Mike Gordon and Ramble Dove, Cat Power, Medeski Martin and Wood, Nickel Creek, Gomez, Atmosphere, Steve Earle, Blues Traveler, Amadou & Mariam, Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, Dresden Dolls, Son Volt, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Jerry Douglas, Soulive, Rusted Root, Devendra Banhart, Donavon Frankenreiter, Mike Doughty, Sasha, Grace Potter & the Nocturnals, The Magic Numbers, Bill Frisell, Seu Jorge, Bettye LaVette, Dungen, Shooter Jennings, Rebirth Brass Band, Robinella, Andrew Bird, Steel Train, Jackie Greene, Devotchka, Wood Brothers, dios (malos), Toubab Krewe, The Motet, Marah, I-Nine, Balkan Beat Box, and Cat Empire. More to come.

Well, it's hard to beat Radiohead, but aside from a handful of other cool bands, it's mostly jam band garbage. That's fine, that's what Bonnaroo has always been about. At least those hippies will be exposed to some other, more interesting music. The one thing I'll give the jam band kids is that they often use it as a springboard to liking more interesting music. I know plenty of Phish-fans-turned-indie-dudes. That said, thank god Widespread Panic isn't on the bill. Ugh.

We should find out about Glastonbury and all of the European festivals in the next couple montns, as well as the remainder of the American shows.

Since I'm moving to Minneapolis soon, I hope and pray that this year's 10,000 Lakes Festival will expand beyond jam bands. Please!

HUSH HUSH ROCK AND ROLL

2006-02-01T14:33:00.000-06:00

At first I had trouble connecting with Art Brut because I felt the material was too jokey, too clever for the sake of being clever, that they were a novelty act. Not true at all. The songs are strong, as well as being both sincere and honest. The humour isn't pretentious.

I recently came across these acoustic performances recorded by frontman Eddie Argos last October. These versions demonstrate the strength of the songs-- that Art Brut isn't about catchy guitar hooks and stylized post-punk nonsense. The lyrics can without a doubt hold their own, and Argos uses a gentler voice here. It's still very, very British, but it's also warmer.

Here, "Rusted Guns of Milan" turns from self-depricatingly funny to self-depricatingly tender and emotional. Also, check out the great, Pixies-esque "These Animal Menswear", which isn't on the album.

In retrospect, Art Brut put on what was arguably the most entertaining and fun live show I saw last year. Go see them if they come to your city or village, you won't be disappointed.

Download these songs here.

"From The Vault" Friday Song

2006-01-20T20:27:00.000-06:00

Artist: Joni Mitchell
Song: "Woodstock"
Album: Ladies of the Canyon

Briefly: Joni Mitchell might be the most important female singer/songwriter in rock history. Sure, there were unique and successful female folk singer/songwriters that came before her, but, none of them managed to cast a shadow as long and singular as Joni's. Lyrically, she was socially-conscious, stream of conscious, occassionally whimsical, and always emotionally taut. Her songs feel simultaneously sparse and lush with rich layers of acoustic guitar, piano, dulcimer, etc. creating sublime melodies and counter-melodies. She also experimented with jazz textures and instrumentation - even working with the legendary Charles Mingus right before he died.

Why?: Fans of Cat Power, Joanna Newsom, Belle & Sebastian, Vashti Bunyan, Tori Amos, and Nick Drake should definitely dig into Joni's catalogue. "Woodstock" was covered by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young and became a hit for them. To my ears, the song sounds reminiscent of Neil Young's On The Beach. The ominous mood of "Woodstock" is maintained with nothing but Joni's fluttering vocals and an aqueous organ melody. Unsurprisingly, the song is a tender and melancholic eulogy for the flower children of Woodstock whose lyrics vividly evoke the era without being cloyingly nostalgic.

Download here.

Oh Hey!

2006-01-13T15:31:00.000-06:00

No, we haven't closed up shop. We've just been busy with holidays and friends and family and lovers the last few weeks. Sawin' Blogs will pick back up again shortly.

In the meantime, here's what I've been listening to lately:

The Mountain Goats - The Sunset Tree
I just connected with this for the first time the other day. I'd tried to like it a number of times last year to no avail. Listening to it now, I can't understand why I didn't like it before.

Neil Young - On The Beach
This is a dark horse candidate for my favorite Neil Young album. "Walk On" is about as accessible as he gets it, and the rest of the album is as strong as anything else in his catalogue. With each listen, it comes closer to After the Gold Rush.

Os Mutantes - Os Mutantes
There was just an exhibit on the Tropicalia movement/culture in late 60s/early 70s Brazil at the MCA. It wasn't that spectacular of an exhibit, but I suppose it served its purpose in that it made me want to dig deeper and learn more about it. So I acquired a bunch of albums from the period, and this is one the that I've liked the most at the start. Caetano Veloso is supposed to the star, but I've found Os Mutantes most accessible for me to start with.

Misc. Monday Album (01.02.06)

2006-01-02T12:58:00.000-06:00

Artist: Todosantos
Album: Aeropuerto

Briefly: There isn't much I can tell you about this band. I found the album on a message board (thanks, Hipinion!), and while I've found a few mentions in English via Google, everything else is in Spanish. If you haven't figured it out already, it's a Spanish-speaking band, and they're from Venezuela. Unfortunately my Spanish is not very good and I can't find out too much else about them. What I do know is that I like them.

Why?: Fans of the Notwist, Sigur Ros, Joy Division, New Order, the Postal Service, M83, and all things "indietronica" should check this out. At times it sounds like all of them. Sigur Ros-like vocals at times, the glitch-pop of the Notwist and the Postal Service, and the guitars, basslines, and synths not too unlike Joy Division, New Order, and M83. Also, there's a song called "Ian Curtis", but I have no idea what it's about because I have no idea what they're saying. All of these influences sound might suggest the band's sound is scattered but that's not the case; it all blends together quite well.

Whenever I hear something like this, I wonder how much music is being made in other countries that'll never reach my ears.

"1999"

Click the above link to download the album's first track. Right-click to save/download or just click normally to listen online. You might have to do some heavy-duty internet searching to find the entire album.

Sharpening His Country Teeth

2006-01-02T02:49:00.000-06:00

Alec Ounsworth, the lead singer/songwriter for Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, seems to be working on a solo album. There are several demo songs available for free download at his website http://flashypython.com/. Proving that he's more than a one-trick pony, these new songs are skewed americana and country-tinged folk that evokes everyone from Neil Young to Jeff Mangum. There is also an early version of "Details Of The War" that shows Bob Dylan and Neil Young are probably more primary influences on him than David Byrne.

Ben's Top 10 Favorite "Really, Really Long" Songs

2005-12-31T16:01:00.000-06:00

I recently realized that a lot of my favorite songs are really long...like over ten minutes long. Therefore, I thought it would be fun to compile a list of my top ten favorite songs that are ten minutes long or longer. The only other stipulation was that they could not be live versions of songs; because a lot of bands turn 5 minute songs into long jams on stage. So, the songs had to be studio recordings that are officially 10 minutes long or longer.

10) Animal Collective - "Alvin Row" from Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished (12:39)

The final song off the Animal Collective's first album is one of their crowning acheivements. Over the course of 12 and a half minutes, this song contorts itself through at least 3 different parts, and, eventually blooms into a beautifully formed climax. Paradoxically, the song begins on a rather abrasive, dissonant note and ends as one of their most uplifting and harmonious songs (the last 4-5 minutes are reminiscent of the Arcade Fire's "Tunnels").

9) Sleater-Kinney - "Let's Call It Love" from The Woods (11:01)

Equal parts My Bloody Valentine's "Only Shallow" and Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love", this song begins like a boxer rearing to fight. Hell, you can even hear the sound of a bell being rung at the beginning of each verse - as if to siginify the next round. Listening to Corin and Carrie gasp and howl over the ragged crunch of their interlocking guitars is like being blown through a wind tunnel. After 11 minutes, you're left bloody and sweating, wondering where the fuck that came from. Yes, this is the same band that wrote "Little Babies."

8) Sigur Ros - "Viðrar vel til loftárása" from Ágætis Byrjun (10:17)

Since all of Sigur Ros' songs are very long, it was kinda hard to pick just one, but, this is my favorite song of theirs. From day one, Sigur Ros' music has struck me as being both "classical" and "rock" - and that is one of reasons this song has carved a place in my heart. It feels absolutely epic and timeless. The song fades in with a sublime piano line that Beethoven would have used. The song builds up and around the elegiac piano melody until it bursts into a tidal wave of jubilation. All respect to Brian Wilson, but, this truly is a symphony to God.

7) Kraftwerk - "Autobahn" from Autobahn (22:43)

In my opinion, Autobahn is Kraftwerk's single finest moment. Even at almost 23 minutes, it never feels too long, and, perfectly simulates the feeling of speeding down an infinite pastoral highway. With it's warm, evolving melody and vocal harmonies, Autobahn almost approximates the Beach Boys being played by robots. The propulsive motorik rhythm of this song also makes it the perfect soundtrack for commuting on the "L".

6) Led Zeppelin - "In My Time of Dying" from Physical Graffiti (11:05)

This is one of my favorite songs off my favorite Zeppelin album. This song finds Zeppelin returning from the Delta with greasy slide-guitar blues. This is a shining example of the grandeur of Robert Plant's banshee wail and Jimmy Page's ripcord slide work. Honestly, you have to hear these breakneck slide-guitar solos to believe them - all the ink spilt praising Jimmy Page is well spent. Is it just me, or does anyone else find themselves dancing like Ian Curtis while listening to Zeppelin?

5) David Bowie - "Station To Station" from Station To Station (10:14)

To my knowledge, this is Bowie's longest song and one of his best. A sweeping epic informed by Kraftwerk's "Autobahn" and performed with gospel fervor. Heralding in the "return of the thin white duke," the song is divided into 3 distinct parts - eventually culminating in a headrush of a finale. The driving rhythm maintained throughout the song is frequently punctuated by Carlos Alomar's superbly gnarled guitarwork. Those who think Bowie didn't begin his exploration into electronic and avant-garde music until Low need to start here.

4) Bob Dylan - "Sad-Eyed Lady of the Lowlands" from Blonde On Blonde (11:20)

This is one of Dylan's most heartfelt love songs - written for his first wife Sara. More than any other song on Blonde On Blonde, this song best exemplifies the "wild, thin mercury sound" that Dylan was trying to create for this album. The words and music are just that - fluid and mercurial - rolling into the triumphant chorus again and again. The band (it literally was The Band) provided a dense, careening sound for Dylan and those aqueous organ riffs just sound like autumn. The best compliment I've ever heard about this song was that "it will burn into the retina of your ear forever."

3) Television - "Marquee Moon" from Marquee Moon (10:47)

This song is Television's apex and a song permanently lodged in rock's Valhalla. You want a guitar god? This band had TWO. Hearing Tom Verlaine and Richard Lloyd lock horns will make you rethink your stance on "jamming." Very few bands have been able to capture the grace and majesty of Television's guitar interplay. During the song's long instrumental middle section, you don't hear chords. You hear whirlwinds whipping, worlds colliding, raindrops falling, and bluebirds singing.

2) Bob Dylan - "Desolation Row" from Highway 61 Revisited (11:20)

This song is like a living, breathing world all on its own. It is also ardent proof that Dylan was a master storyteller and songwriter in a league all by himself. The circuitous melody running through this song will stay in your head the rest of your life. Dylan sings and strums righteously as Mike Bloomfield accompanies him with a spellbinding flamenco guitar figure. If you want to hear a song that will change your life, spend a night on desolation row.

1) Velvet Underground - "Sister Ray" from White Light/White Heat (17:27)

Listening to this song from begining to end will take a physical toll on you. It is a hypnotic black hole that will suck you deep into its world. The Velvet Underground basically decided to play this song until their recording tape ran out - hence the 17 minute length. Those 17 minutes become a literal war between the feuding band founders, Lou Reed and John Cale, as they claw and struggle to be heard over everyone else. Lou strangles feedback-laced riffs and hooks from his Gretsch guitar and John continually pumps the pedal to raise the volume on his electric organ - creating a cacophony of glorious white noise. Christ, if wild band improv and noise could ever be beautiful, it was here on this song.

Album of the Week (12.25.05)

2005-12-28T12:15:00.000-06:00

Artist: Belle & Sebastian
Album: If You're Feeling Sinister (Live)

I'm not that big of a Belle & Sebastian fan, but I love love love If You're Feeling Sinister. The band recently played the album in its entirety at the Barbican in London in September. It's now available exclusively as an iTunes download.

Given the budget, time, and resources that they now have access to, the original album might have been recorded differently in 1996. And I think I may have taken to preferring the live album to the studio version. It sounds more engaging, uplifting, and Stuart Murdoch's voice has much more range. The songs now seem to be more urgent and playful. There also seems to be more (and more interesting) instrumentation throughout. If ever an album was underproduced, it was the original recording of this one.

If it weren't for hand claps, applause, and some cheers, it wouldn't be necessarily obvious that this was a live recording. It sounds great. My only problem is that there are slight breaks between the songs and that it doesn't appear seamless. Sure, what we're missing is mostly just applause, some tuning, and maybe some banter, but those things all add to a live experience.

Personal favorite: "If You're Feeling Sinister"

Addendum to "Misc. Monday Song (12.26.05)"

2005-12-27T12:07:00.000-06:00

Artist: Talking Heads
Song: (Nothing But) Flowers
Album: Naked

Briefly: While I don't especially like to ride on Rob's coattails, I am equally enraptured with the Talking Heads right now. I'm not saying they're my favorite band, but, my love for their music has been growing over the years and it is at an all time high right now. I recently heard "Road To Nowhere" and "(Nothing But) Flowers" for the first time in my life (yeah, I know my cred is slipping through the cracks right now). Since Rob has already got "Road To Nowhere" covered, I wanted to praise "(Nothing But) Flowers."

Why?: "(Nothing But) Flowers" sounds very much like a brilliant outtake from Paul Simon's Graceland while still retaining a uniquely Talking Heads vibe. Lyrically, it is the utopian flipside to Modest Mouse's dystopian "Teeth Like God's Shoeshine." I make this point mainly because Isaac Brock has gone on record as being a devout Talking Heads fan ("Tiny Cities Made of Ashes" anyone?) and because Isaac Brock's songs are frequently preoccupied with fear and anxiety over the ongoing commodification of America, urban sprawl, etc. Converse to Brock's bleak outlook, Davd Byrne's "(Nothing But) Flowers" imagines an Eden where strip malls and restaurant chains are replaced by flowers, streams, and cornfields. It also helps that Byrne's lyrics are bouncing alongside one of his most immortal melodies.

Lyrics:

Here we stand

Like an Adam and an Eve

Waterfalls

The Garden of Eden

Two fools in love

So beautiful and strong

The birds in the trees

Are smiling upon them

From the age of the dinosaurs

Cars have run on gasoline

Where, where have they gone?

Now, it's nothing but flowers

There was a factory

Now there are mountains and rivers

you got it, you got it

We caught a rattlesnake

Now we got something for dinner

we got it, we got it

There was a shopping mall

Now it's all covered with flowers

you've got it, you've got it

If this is paradise

I wish I had a lawnmower

you've got it, you've got it

Years ago

I was an angry young man

I'd pretend

That I was a billboard

Standing tall

By the side of the road

I fell in love

With a beautiful highway

This used to be real estate

Now it's only fields and trees

Where, where is the town

Now, it's nothing but flowers

The highways and cars

Were sacrificed for agriculture

I thought that we'd start over

But I guess I was wrong

Once there were parking lots

Now it's a peaceful oasis

you got it, you got it

This was a Pizza Hut

Now it's all covered with daisies

you got it, you got it

I miss the honky tonks,

Dairy Queens, and 7-Elevens

you got it, you got it

And as things fell apart

Nobody paid much attention

you got it, you got it

I dream of cherry pies,

Candy bars, and chocolate chip cookies

you got it, you got it

We used to microwave

Now we just eat nuts and berries

you got it, you got it

This was a discount store,

Now it's turned into a cornfield

you got it, you got it

Don't leave me stranded here

I can't get used to this lifestyle

Frequent Listening

2005-12-27T10:34:00.000-06:00

On January 1, I am going to reset my iTunes song count so that in 2006 I can accurately measure how many times I've listened to a song. I probably listen to 90% of my music on my computer. The rest being records, in the car, and on my iPod. But the bulk of it is on my computer, and I don't listen to CDs on a stereo. However, thanks to AirTunes I can listen to my songs through my stereo speakers (which are new 7.1 surround sound speakers, thanks mom and dad!).

I think this'll be interesting because I'm curious what I'll listen to a lot in early 2006 and forget by the end of the year, or stuff I'll play steadily throughout the year. Obviously there are flaws, in that iTunes only counts a song you've listened to 100%, which is my last.fm may be more useful, because it counts songs that you've listened to roughly 50% of. But that's not fully accurate either. An interesting trend I noticed throughout my top 100 most played songs was that a majority of them were drawn from the first two or three songs on an album. I guess means I start listening to albums and then stop. My goal for 2006 is to listen to things more thorougly and completely. So we'll see what happens.

Currently, my iTunes only has a record of songs I listened to since the middle of June, when I had to reinstall the program. So, here's what I listened to the most in the second half of 2005. I think it's fairly accurate in relating to my top ten albums, as well as older stuff I got really into, etc.

1. Animal Collective - "Did You See The Words?
2. Joy Division - "Disorder"
3. New Order - "Age of Consent"
4. Animal Collective - "Grass"
5. Sufjan Stevens - "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL"
6. Wolf Parade - "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts"
7. T.Rex - "Mambo Sun"
8. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth"
9. Kanye West - "Heard 'Em Say"
10. Sufjan Stevens - "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!"

Misc. Monday Song (12.26.05)

2005-12-26T10:17:00.000-06:00

Artist: Talking Heads
Song: Road to Nowhere (4:20)
Album: Little Creatures

Download here.

Briefly: While I don't especially like to make such sweeping statements, the Talking Heads may very well be my favorite band. I couldn't comprehend anyone listening to them and not having enjoying themself. Very simply, the Talking Heads just make me happy. And the great thing about this band, for me, is that at any time I'm listening to them, any song can jump out at me as incredible. This happened recently with "Road to Nowhere".

Why?: Little Creatures followed up the landmark live album Stop Making Sense. Its sound is more comparable to their first couple of albums than Speaking In Tongues and Remain In Light. While I still enjoy the two albums that followed this one, True Stories and Naked, this may have been the last great one. Certainly more poppy than the frantic rhythms of previous few albums, Little Creatures is also more simple, stripped down to mostly the four members of the band. "Road to Nowhere" is the most epic song on the album, and it opens with an a capella verse that sounds much bigger than it actually is. And then the song just rolls forward, propelled by the marching drums. This song certainly sounds more like their previous work than anything else on the album, but it also sounds just right where it is at the end of the album.

Further listening:
Little Creatures by Talking Heads
Stop Making Sense by Talking Heads

Lyrics:

Well we know where we’re goin’
But we don’t know where we’ve been
And we know what we’re knowin’
But we can’t say what we’ve seen
And we’re not little children
And we know what we want
And the future is certain
Give us time to work it out

We’re on a road to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride

I’m feelin’ okay this mornin’
And you know
We’re on the road to paradise
Here we go, here we go

We’re on a ride to nowhere
Come on inside
Takin’ that ride to nowhere
We’ll take that ride

Maybe you wonder where you are
I don’t care
Here is where time is on our side
Take you there, take you there

We’re on a road to nowhere
We’re on a road to nowhere
We’re on a road to nowhere

There’s a city in my mind
Come along and take that ride
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right

And it’s very far away
But it’s growing day by day
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right

They can tell you what to do
But they’ll make a fool of you
And it’s all right, baby, it’s all right

We’re on a road to nowhere...

Found!

2005-12-23T02:43:00.000-06:00

I'd been looking for this album on vinyl for a good year or so. It's hard to find anything good that's popular or desired by hipsters in Chicago because there are so many hipsters in Chicago. But I found out it at Deadwax on Lincoln a couple blocks from where I live. $4.99. I don't know why I don't go there more often. Reckless is fine for CDs, but it's rare I find something I'm looking for on vinyl there. Usually I'll see something that I didn't know I wanted, but they never have anything I'm going in there to find. When I visited Boulder last summer (twice!), I was able to find all sorts of stuff I'd been craving, which was great for my ears but bad for my wallet. What I need to do is to stop in record stores in random towns next time I drive across the country.

Anyway, I thought for $4.99 it might be in bad shape, but it sounds great. The faint hisses and crackles definitely add to this album. I might throw this one in a frame. Sorry, Randy Newman, but your time on my wall has come to a thrilling conclusion.

I also picked up this because it was $1.99:

I haven't listened to it yet, though. But I'll pour myself a glass of red wine one of these nights and DANCE.

Ben's Top 10 Albums of '05

2005-12-22T18:08:00.000-06:00

1) Sleater-Kinney - The Woods

I have to put this album at #1 for a few reasons. First, it's the best album of Sleater-Kinney's already stellar career. Second, it shut up a lot of naysayers/made a lot of converts. Third, it was probably the album that I listened to the most this year; and, even after 100 listens, I was still left slack-jawed and grinning (and grinning with a slack-jaw is a very difficult thing). Every strength of Sleater-Kinney was intensified to the 10th degree on this record: the rhapsodic guitar interplay between Corin and Carrie, Janet's barnstorming backbeat, and Corin's voice - which had finally become a category 5, gale force surge of beauty.

2) Sufjan Stevens - Illinois

This album was the biggest surprise of the year for me. I'm still not a huge fan of Michigan or Seven Swans, but Illinois is an almost flawless album in my book. It is not a "library-card history" as someone has suggested, but, rather a collection of very intimate stories and memories spread across the geography and history of the prairie state. The songs that comprise this album alternate between sparkling minimalist pieces and tug-your-heartstrings anthems.
Rob summed up Illinois best when he told me "it's the album that seemed the most timeless."

3) Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary

As I stated in a previous story on this site, I had been waiting hungrily for Wolf Parade's debut since last February. Thankfully, this album lived up to all the promise of their two self-released EP's. Half of the songs on Apologies had already been released in different versions on those two EP's, but, the best songs on the album were still surprises: "You Are A Runner And I Am My Father's Son," "I'll Believe In Anything," and "This Heart's On Fire." Wolf Parade was unquestionably the best new band of 2005.

4) Animal Collective - Feels

Sung Tongs was a delightful surprise favorite for me last year, and Feels only compounded how mind-blowing this band has become. To my ears, Feels sounded more like their debut album Spirit They're Gone, Spirit They've Vanished, than last year's Sung Tongs - with it's hyperactive chanting, tinkling pianos, and tribal percussion. It goes without saying that no band, past or present, sounds anything like the Animal Collective. Also, "The Purple Bottle" was probably my most played song of the year after Wolf Parade's "I'll Believe In Anything."

5) Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!

This album kinda came out of nowhere and became the soundtrack to my summer along with The Woods. While their influences may be obvious, their strain of synth-folk-pop/rock is relatively unique. The songs are all immaculately crafted gems that still hold up after intense scrutiny. I'm really looking forward to see what this band comes up with next. Extra props to "The Skin Of My Yellow Country Teeth" for reminding me of New Order's "Age of Consent." (Why has no one else noticed the subtle New Order influences on this album??)

6) Antony & The Johnsons - I Am A Bird Now

This was a regrettedly late discovery for me. I'm not even sure how to articulate the grace and majesty of Antony's voice and music. There is no denying the androgyny in Antony's gently quivering voice - but it is a voice of unquestionable power and beauty. Antony's music evokes soul giants like Otis Redding, Nina Simone, and Sam Cooke, but, he still has contemporaries in Cat Power and Rufus Wainwright. You can not deny an album that begins with a line that may be the most universal human sentiment: "I hope there's someone to take care of me when I die."

7) Sigur Ros - Takk. . .

I felt that Sigur Ros had a fallen into a bit of a rut with 2002's ( ), but, Takk is brimming over with renewed vigor and vitality. Their music will still conjure up images of snow-covered vistas, untouched wilderness, elves, etc. However, Sigur Ros decided to get to the point a bit quicker on this album. Many of the songs are less than 5 minutes long - meaning that their patented climaxes and crescendoes come sooner rather than later. Even after three albums, Sigur Ros can still make my heart swell like no other.

8) Matt Sweeney & Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Superwolf

I was anxiously awaiting the fruits of this collaboration and was handsomely rewarded. Matt Sweeney's fluid guitar playing - alternating between rippling and crunching - proved to be a perfect foil for Will Oldham's (aka Bonnie "Prince" Billy) intimate and arcane stories. Will seems to have risen to the challenge of Matt's presence - he turns in some of the finest lyrics and vocal performances of his career.

9) New Pornographers - Twin Cinema

How does Carl Newman write so many perfect pop songs? I have never been a big fan of the New Porno's - I always felt they were a prime example of music that was sickeningly sweet, but, Twin Cinema is an album that is more than bearable from beginning to end. It definitely helps that this album contains a diversity of moods, tempos, and styles. Songs like "Use It," "Bleeding Heart Show," and "The Jessica Numbers" are equal part Beach Boys' harmonies and Bowie glam stomp.

10) Spoon - Gimme Fiction

Britt Daniel finally made an album that wasn't just wiry minimalism and hiccupy vocals. This album has huge, major-chord choruses! and ragged guitar solos! and a bonafide ballad! and loads of sass. Credit must be given to my girlfriend - who made me realize a good thing I had been missing.

The Year in Ryan Adams

2005-12-22T14:23:00.000-06:00

Ryan Adams has always had the ability to polarize music fans. Some love him, some hate him, some just don't care. There's no doubt that he's a colossal douche, what with his public persona. But that's why I love him. Dull, quiet indie rock types don't fascinate me in the least. At least Adams is always ripe for a good quote.

This year, he put out three albums: Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights, and 29. The first two albums were with his new backing band, the Cardinals, while the last was a true solo album, produced with Heartbreaker producer Ethan Johns. Since 2000, he has put out eight (!) albums under his own name (or with the Cardinals), and ten if you take into consideration that Love Is Hell was originally released in two parts, and the unreleased, unofficial collection Destroyer. Then, there's Pneumonia the last album before he left Whiskeytown in 2001, as well as a one-off collaboration with Jesse Malin called The Finger, whose album is called We Are Fuck You. I'm sure I'm missing something, as well. Dude is a song factory.

His detractors will accuse him of simply writing songs in the style of other artists, be it Bruce Springsteen, Paul Westerberg, the Grateful Dead, Neil Young, T. Rex, or Gram Parsons. His influences are often obvious, but Adams is very upfront about what he is listening to at a particular moment, and how it affects his songwriting. But each of his albums also contains a little bit of Ryan himself. While he can affect his voice and guitars to sound like other artists, I've never heard a Ryan Adams song and thought it was actually one of those other artists. At their core, all of his songs sound like Ryan Adams in one way or another.

I like Jacksonville City Nights the best, followed by Cold Roses, and 29. Here's a look back at 2005 for the man who will always be described in reviews, interviews, and features as "prolific".

Album: Cold Roses
Released: May 3

This is the Grateful Dead album, from the name, to the album art, to the track titles. Nowhere is this influence more apparent than on opener "Magnolia Mountain". But, save for a few songs, this is a little misleading, because you'll hear less Dead than you'd expect. If any song here sounds like the real Ryan, it's "When Will You Come Back Home", which wouldn't be entirely unwelcome on Gold. "Let It Ride" sounds more country than anything else. If there's one trait of the Grateful Dead that shows up frequently on Cold Roses, it's the singing style of Jerry Garcia. Adams has an amazing voice, and sometimes it is slowed down and/or out of key like Garcia.

Album: Jacksonville City Nights
Released: September 27

Like Cold Roses, this album is presented with the look and feel of the artist it is most influenced by, in this case Gram Parsons. If the last album was the hang-out-and-smoke-pot-with-your-girl album, Jacksonville City Nights is the sit-at-the-empty-bar-and-drown-your-sorrows-with-your-best-buds album. Parsons is considered the father of country rock, and Adams would probably consider himself the father of alt-country (and he'd also tell Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy to go fuck themselves). Of the three albums, this is the most consistent in style, and that's why I think it's the best and most effective. "The End" could maybe find a home on Parsons' Grievous Angel, and is the least Ryan-sounding of the tracks. The best examples of Adams using an influence and making something truly his own can be found on the rolling "The Hardest Part" and the melancholy "Silver Bullets".

Album: 29
Released: December 20

I didn't care for 29 the first time I heard it. Here, Ryan seems to throw in all of the aforementioned influences, with large doses of his personality. The title-track opener sounds like the Dead's "Truckin'", while "Carolina Rain" brings back hints of Parsons, and "Strawberry Wine" contains traces of Neil Young. It is scattered, to be sure. But the album's grown on me, and what I first thought were faults now don't bother me. It's a concept album of sorts, each track detailing one year in Adams' 20s (although, by my count, that would be ten years and the album only has nine). So, if its about his life, then the patchwork of styles makes perfect sense. It's a very, very somber and melancholy album. The tracks are long and it isn't that easy to listen to, but lyrically it might be the strongest of the three.

Merry Xmas Pt. 2

2005-12-22T12:11:00.000-06:00

Artist: The Walkmen
Album: Bows + Arrows

If I were throwing a Christmas party, I would have this album play in the background. This album really ought to be called Christmas With the Walkmen. It's the soundtrack for an urban Christmas. Outside of the obvious references in song titles ("No Christmas While I'm Talking", "The North Pole", and "New Year's Eve"), the album just sounds like this time of year. It's a winter album, no doubt about that. Even "The Rat", for all its angst, sounds like the perfect score for a lovers' spat on Christmas Eve. It's about rushing home to be with someone, and it's about being lonely. At times loud and at times gentle, it just feels right to me near the end of December. Hell, there are even sleigh bells.

I was listening to the album one night on the train a couple weeks ago; the car was pretty empty and snow was falling. It doesn't get much better than that.

Most Christmas-y song: "Thinking of a Dream"

Listen here.

Cans

2005-12-21T16:48:00.000-06:00

Today, we'd like to examine some of our favorite album covers-- with boobs on them.

First, there's this cover, for Jane's Addiction's Nothing's Shocking. Yep, those are boobs alright. Oh I get, clever play on the album title. Nothing's shocking except for boobs. Oh, Perry, you so crazy.

This is the cover for Blind Faith's self-titled and only album. Apparently this is a thirteen-year-old girl. But, you know, it's art, so I guess it's okay. Tell that to Jerry Lee Lewis.

I remember being twelve and seeing this at a record store. My first thought was, "Holy cow, boobies!" I put the record down because I was ashamed to be seen with it. Years later, I would begin to like Ween and gathered up the stones to purchase it in that same record store. Still don't know what the album cover has to do with the album title, Chocolate & Cheese.

Roxy Music's Country Life. This is the only one on the list that actually has some semblance of sex appeal. Hot underwear, too. The censored version of this cover is the same thing without the women. Just the trees.

Finally, we have the Slits' Cut. Yep, those are the three members of the Slits, covered in mud, wearing loincloths. This could be sexy too, if mud is your thing.

UPDATE:

Ben reminded me about the Pixies' Surfer Rosa, which I can't believe I forgot about. Shame on me!

I Wanna Be An Internet Sensation

2005-12-21T10:52:00.000-06:00

Not since Andy Milonakis has there been a worthwhile internet sensation. You know, a video that you send to all of your friends, and they all send to you even though you've already seen it 100 times, etc etc.

Well, by now you've probably seen "The Chronic of Narnia Rap" that was on SNL this past Saturday. The shit's pretty hilarious. If you haven't seen it yet, go watch it here. I've actually taken to TiVo-ing SNL this season because they've had some great bits and, um, I'm never home on Saturday night, well, because I'm out with the bitches, you see, and, uh, I didn't see this particular one live...

Anyway, turns out my man Samberg (Jew alert! High five!) is/was part of a comedy troupe (or something) called the Lonely Island. The other two dudes in it are SNL writers now. Well, they've got some videos on their site, some of which are pretty hilarious and others are just okay. But, if you like the aforementioned rap, you might like some of them. They've also directed a few music videos for real artists, and have had other short films on SNL.

But right now, check this shit out.

UPDATE: And, every once in awhile, I see something that makes me go, "Fuck, I wish I'd thought of that." This is one of those things. For fans of old school Nintendo.

An Angel Heard On High

2005-12-21T00:42:00.000-06:00

Sam Cooke's " A Change Is Gonna Come" is a song that transcends the trappings of genre and time. It is an unconquerable testament to the human spirit's ability to adapt and overcome. It still sounds every bit as epochal, inspirational, and breathtaking now as it did in upon its release in 1964. If Sam Cooke had never written and performed anything besides "A Change Is Gonna Come," his legendary status would still be set in stone.

Up until 1964, the majority of Sam Cooke's oeuvre consisted of spiritual, love, and dance songs. However, upon hearing Bob Dylan's "The Times They Are A-Changin," Sam felt an urge to create something on par with Dylan's protest anthem. While Sam adored Dylan's song, he also felt that the song should have been written by a black man. Therefore, he composed a socially-conscious song with the urgency of "The Times They Are A-Changin," but, pitted in the shoes of a black man. Sam also committed his most passionate vocal performance to this song. It goes without saying that Sam Cooke had a voice of the ages - a rich, soaring, honey-thick tenor that could scrape the clouds.

As far as influence is concerned, Cooke's "protest anthem" ignited a new outlook among his peers like Otis Redding (whose cover of the song was a big hit). Marvin Gaye's socially-concerned masterpiece "What's Going On" would not have been possible without this song. And presently, Antony Hegarty (of Antony & the Johnsons) weaves his spell-binding voice into string-draped songs that owe a sizable debt to Sam Cooke.

Download here.

Lyrics to "A Change Is Gonna Come":

I was born by the river in a little tent

Oh and just like the river I been a runnin' ever since

It's been a long, a long time coming but I know

A change gon' come oh yes it will

It's been too hard living but I'm afraid to die

Cuz I don't know what's up there beyond the sky

It's been a long, a long time coming but I know

A change gon' come oh yes it will

I go to the movie, and I go downtown

Somebody keep tellin me "don't hang around"

It's been a long, a long time coming, but I know

A change gon' come oh yes it will

Then I go to my brother

And I say "brother, help me please"

But he winds up knocking me

Back down on my knees

There been times that I thought I wouldn't last for long

Now think I'm able to carry on

It's been a long, a long time coming but I know

A change gon' come, oh yes it will

Rock Vikings

2005-12-20T15:11:00.000-06:00

Music Video

Artist: Jason Forrest
Song: War Photographer
Album: Shamelessly Exciting
Director: Joel Trussell

Watch here (free).

This video is awesome. It's easy to set an animated video to music, but this does it as well as I've seen in a long time. It's a musical battle between viking ships. The animation is pretty simple (think South Park style 2-D), but there are some extra effects when they start to rock out. It's cool as hell. Just watch the fucking thing.

First Impressions of First Impressions

2005-12-20T00:51:00.000-06:00

Artist: The Strokes
Album: First Impressions of Earth

On the one hand, I like the Strokes a lot. On the other hand, it really does all sound the same after awhile. First Impressions is definitely different than and definitely the same as both Is This It? and Room on Fire. But straying from a succesful formula isn't always a good idea. As they say, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Here's a brief track-by-track preview of the album, which comes out on January 3:

1. "You Only Live Once" - This is a nice album opener, which is something this band has done well throughout their short career. Familiar guitars, but the big change here comes in different (and in my opinion better) vocals from Casablancas.

2. "Juicebox" - I can't believe this was the first single-- it's terrible. It sounds like a bad version of Weezer's "Hash Pipe". Casablancas' vocals are better subdued, not screaming.

3. "Heart In a Cage" - I don't remember anything about this song.

4. "Razorblade" - This should have been the first single. It's not necessarily the best song on the album, but it has that certain feel, and it does demonstrate a slight growth in the band's sound. It's not too much different than the previous album, and it's more melodic.

5. "On the Other Side" - The bassline here is great and it drives an otherwise pedestrian song.

6. "Vision of Division" - This is successful because the band is trying different things with the basic "Strokes" sound. Casablancas doesn't have a great voice or anything, but it can be put to good use in more than one way, and this cut demonstrates that.

7. "Ask Me Anything" - Now this is a well-executed experiment that, for me, results in the best track on the album. It's just Casablancas and a mellotron. Again, some stretching of his vocals. The Strokes are often better when they take it down a notch, not when they kick it into a higher gear like on the dreadful "Juicebox".

8. "Electricityscape" - I hear hints of the mid-song breakdown in "Don't Fear the Reaper".

9. "Killing Lies" - The vocals are annoyingly muddled on this track. Almost sounds like a beach party band version of the Strokes.

10. ""Fear of Sleep" - The song nicely balances the best of the slow Strokes and the fast Strokes.

11. "Evening Sun" - Like the opener, this makes a really nice album closer. What? The album's not over yet? But it's already been 40 minutes. That's more than enough for a Strokes album.

12. "Ize of the World" - And now the poor sequencing beings. This song is pretty decent, but should have come directly before and/or after "Electricityscape".

13. "15 Minutes" - In my mind, the Strokes are inherently self-depricating, and this song is unnecessary. B-side, anyone?

14. "Red Light" - Sorry, I stopped paying attention after "Evening Sun". That song's banging fade out is how this album should end, not abruptly like "Red Light". A Strokes album has no business being 52 minutes long.

And what's up with the Hot Topic, faux-retro, bowling alley-chic of the album cover? Awful.

:-(

2005-12-19T11:19:00.000-06:00

From the New York Post:

"As if Kate Moss needed another reason not to re-unite with junkie rocker Pete Doherty— consider that the British bad boy's HIV-infected former drug dealer is urging Doherty to get an AIDS test. Owen O'Dwyer started selling heroin to Doherty three years ago, and says he used to do drugs with his famous client. 'I'm terrified Pete might have HIV,' O'Dwyer tells the Sun in London. 'I had no idea I had the disease when we were doing drugs— I want him to know this was not intentional. We didn't share needles but we kept our needles in the same glass. I'm worried blood on the needles may have mixed.' Doherty, 26, fled an Arizona rehabilitation clinic after an unsuccessful attempt to get clean last month. Moss recently ended their 11-month romance."

C'mon Pete, sort it out. Although I have a sneaking suspicion that "I'm worried blood on the needles may have mixed" really means "We shared needles-- frequently."

Misc. Monday Song (12.19.05)

2005-12-19T08:23:00.000-06:00

Artist: Brian Eno
Song: Discreet Music (31:34)
Album: Discreet Music

Download here.

Briefly: Brian Eno is, to me, one of the most fascinating figures in music, from his early days with Roxy Music, to more or less creating ambient music, to producing albums by the likes of David Bowie and Talking Heads. Discreet Music is his first fully realized ambient work.

Why?: I can try to describe this all I want, but the only way to truly understand and appreciate "Discreet Music" is to listen to it in its entirety. It's more or less made up of a few bars of music, repeated over and over again, for 30 minutes. That sounds boring. And, well, I suppose it is boring. It's not party music. It's not driving music (unless you want to fall asleep at the wheel). But for me, there's nothing better to take the hustle and bustle out of riding the L train home after a busy day. Or for trying to fall asleep. Or to accompany reading. Its purpose, after all, is for you to hear it without really noticing it. Eno has described it as music that can be "actively listened to with attention or as easily ignored, depending on the choice of the listener."

Further listening:
Ambient 1: Music For Airports by Brian Eno
Another Green World by Brian Eno

There are no lyrics, and since I can't really get my head around how to explain the process of making this music, here are Eno's liner notes to the album from 1975:

"Since I have always preferred making plans to executing them, I have gravitated towards situations and systems that, once set into operation, could create music with little or no intervention on my part.

That is to say, I tend towards the roles of the planner and programmer, and then become an audience to the results.

Two ways of satisfying this interest are exemplified on this album. "Discreet Music" is a technological approach to the problem. If there is any score for the piece, it must be the operational diagram of the particular apparatus I used for its production. The key configuration here is the long delay echo system with which I have experimented since I became aware of the musical possibilities of tape recorders in 1964. Having set up this apparatus, my degree of participation in what it subsequently did was limited to (a) providing an input (in this case, two simple and mutually compatible melodic lines of different duration stored on a digital recall system) and (b) occasionally altering the timbre of the synthesizer's output by means of a graphic equalizer.

It is a point of discipline to accept this passive role, and for once, to ignore the tendency to play the artist by dabbling and interfering. In this case, I was aided by the idea that what I was making was simply a background for my friend Robert Fripp to play over in a series of concerts we had planned. This notion of its future utility, coupled with my own pleasure in "gradual processes" prevented me from attempting to create surprises and less than predictable changes in the piece. I was trying to make a piece that could be listened to and yet could be ignored... perhaps in the spirit of Satie who wanted to make music that could "mingle with the sound of the knives and forks at dinner."

In January this year I had an accident. I was not seriously hurt, but I was confined to bed in a stiff and static position. My friend Judy Nylon visited me and brought me a record of 18th century harp music. After she had gone, and with some considerable difficulty, I put on the record. Having laid down, I realized that the amplifier was set at an extremely low level, and that one channel of the stereo had failed completely. Since I hadn't the energy to get up and improve matters, the record played on almost inaudibly. This presented what was for me a new way of hearing music - as part of the ambience of the environment just as the colour of the light and the sound of the rain were parts of that ambience. It is for this reason that I suggest listening to the piece at comparatively low levels, even to the extent that it frequently falls below the threshold of audibility."

Merry Xmas

2005-12-17T21:36:00.000-06:00

Shane MacGowan is perhaps the most romantic drunken Irish bard of the past 25 years. Therefore, it seems fitting that he crafted the most romantic drunken Christmas song of all time. "It was Christmas eve babe, in the drunk tank," begins The Pogues' morosely upbeat and dysfunctional holiday classic about the elusiveness of the American dream. Coupled with a frosty pint of Guinness, this duet with the late Kirsty MacColl makes for some truly sublime Yuletide listening.

Download here.

Read Me

2005-12-16T11:15:00.000-06:00

Words and Music: A History of Pop in the Shape of a City
by Paul Morley

This book first came to my attention when I was studying abroad in England two years ago. I took a video documentary class that was taught by Carol Morley. She is Paul Morley's brother. Paul Morley wrote for the NME in the late 70s and early 80s. Let's just say he's a beloved music critic. Anyway, before I left, she recommended this book to me. It had just been released and was not widely available, so I had trouble finding it in London. I went home and forgot about it for about a year and a half. When my Joy Division/New Order addiction kicked in this year, I came across some of Paul Morley's writing on the bands. I then saw a reference to the book and I had to find it. It's hard to find in stores, but Amazon has it.

On the surface, the book is about Kylie Minogue's "Can't Get You Out of My Head" and a 45-minute experimental audio piece by Alvin Lucier called "I Am Sitting In a Room". But it also mentions just about every band you've ever heard of and hundreds more you haven't. It's about pop music. From new wave to hip-hop. And just about everything else.

It took me a very long time to read this book and that is my fault, not the book's. Every time a new band/song was mentioned that I wasn't familiar with, I would stop reading to download and listen. I don't think it's necessary to have that knowledge or to have heard most of these songs to read and enjoy the book. It's not about knowing what the songs sound like. He does a good job of explaining when it's required, but obviously there are certain things you will want to hear if you haven't already. What works so well about the book, I think, is that even if you don't care THAT much about music, the book is still exciting and fun to read. As much as you'll learn, you'll be even more entertained. The book just steamrolls forward until it stops. I feel like I can't really tell you what else this book is about. What I do know is that my knowledge of music has increased by one thousand percent due to reading it.

If I took anything from the book, it's that I now have a much greater appreciation of electronic and other experimental music because of it. Specifically the ambient works of Brian Eno.

This is what the back cover of the book says:
"Has pop burnt itself out? Paul Morley takes the reader on an epic drive through the history of music to find out. A succession of celebrities, geniuses and other protagonists led by Madonna, Kraftwerk, Brian Eno, Erik Satie, John Cage and Wittgenstein appear to give their points of view. Detours and sights along the way include Missy Elliot, Jarvis Cocker, Eminem, Human League, Radiohead, Lou Reed, Now! That's What I Call Music, Ornette Coleman and the ghost of Elvis Presley."

The Ricky Gervais Show (Podcast)

2005-12-14T10:03:00.000-06:00

I never knew much about podcasts until recently. I mean, I knew what they were, but never understood why I would have use for them or even want to listen to them. Basically, they are just radio shows that you can download for free (and some very easily through iTunes). I never actually listen to the real radio, but there are some radio shows that interest me. So this is a good way to hear them. I've also found they're great to listen to while you're at work, or even on your commute in the morning/evening. You can listen to them on your computer or on your iPod.

Ricky Gervais is one of the creators of The Office (the original UK version), as well as Extras, which just completed its first run on HBO. He also plays the main character in both series. Who doesn't love (or hate) David Brent?

At any rate, he's launched a podcast, available for free on the iTunes music store, along with Steven Merchant, who co-wrote the above shows with Gervais. There have been two so far in a series of twelve, and each installment is about 30 minutes. They pretend to talk about topical issues, but get sidetracked very easily, and often at the expense of the third guest, Karl Pilkington, who, well, let's just say he isn't the swiftest of mind.

Super hilarious, A++++

Download them here, free!

I Know the Government Administered AIDS

2005-12-14T07:00:00.000-06:00

Music Video

Artist: Kanye West
Song: Heard 'Em Say
Album: Late Registration
Director: Michel Gondry

See it here.

I'm not really sure why music videos are even made these days. MTV hardly plays them, and if they do, it's rarely in their entirety. I understand why big name artists can do it, because their labels will pay for it, but I'm often surprised to see indie artists doing it. Seems like a waste of money. They do make nice promotional pieces, though.

Well, people like Kanye West can make videos. And they can probably have their choice of directors. Michel Gondry is one of the best and one of my favorites. He uses a lot of camera tricks and stop-motion photography. He did the White Stripes video for "The Hardest Button to Button" (the one with all the drums moving around). He also directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

The concept for the video is this: Homeless Kanye and his children are let into Macy's* on a cold, rainy night. The person who lets them in is a Macy's security guard, played by Adam Levine, who sings the chorus on the song. They live it up in the store overnight, and a wonderful time was had by all. Gondry uses lots of stop motion. One of my favorite moments features Late Registration-producer Jon Brion playing a series of miniature pianos. Another cool shot is of the children jumping on beds that are laid out to look like piano keys. (Pictured above and below, respectively.)

The look and feel of the video is not only warm and, well, nice, but it's also very Christmas-y. That's strange to me, because I associate this song with when I first heard the album in August. In my head, it's a fun summer song, so it's interesting to see it infused with the feel of Christmastime.

*Kanye, being from Chicago, should know better than to use Macy's, what with them buying up Marshall Field's and changing the name.

Album of the Week (12.11.05)

2005-12-13T19:09:00.000-06:00

Artist: Love Is All

Album: Nine Times That Same Song

This album won't be available until next month, and I already know damn well that it's going to make my "best albums of the year" list at the end of 2006. Love Is All bravely splice the exuberant twee melodicism of Architecture in Helsinki with the gutter-punk majesty of the Stooges and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Much to my surprise, they also make exceptional use of the saxophone - in a free-form skronking way that seamlessly blends in with the guitars, bass, and drums (think the Stooges' "Fun House"). Nine Times That Same Song is consistently concerned with the universal joys and pitfalls of love. Thankfully, Love Is All is smart enough to write sincere songs that avoid love-song cliches by presenting their ideas as a dizzying rush of make-out sessions, broken hearts, crushes, moping around, and orgasms.

Personal favorites: "Make Out Fall Out Make Up" and "Busy Doing Nothing"

We've Grown!

2005-12-13T16:22:00.000-06:00

In celebration of being online for one week, I decided we needed our own web address.

http://www.sawinblogs.com

Turns out that web addresses cost $3/year (THREE DOLLARS PER YEAR) through Yahoo!, so I decided to break the bank and snatch that shit up.

Adjust your bookmarks accordingly.

Misc. Monday Song (12.12.05)

2005-12-12T23:55:00.000-06:00

Artist: The Streets
Song: Stay Positive (6:15)
Album: Original Pirate Material

Download here.

Briefly: The Streets is Mike Skinner. He's a British rapper, but I don't really want to call him that. It's not really "grime" either. It's "garage" (rhymes with carriage), I suppose. But really it's just mostly spoken word story-poems with beats and samples.

Why?: "Stay Positive" is the last song on the first Streets album, Original Pirate Material. It's probably my favorite album closer of all time. To be sure, the album has upbeat moments, but it grows heavier as it rolls forward and it ends on this faux-uplifting track that is the defintion of bleak. Skinner's dry, often monotone (and in some ways robotic) delivery has never been more perfect. The song just trudges forward with a message should be uplifting, but it's so dak and descript that it makes you even feel bad about yourself. It also manages to perfectly explain how heroin addiction can strike: "Weed becomes a chore/ You want the buzz back/ So you follows the others on to smack". This is Trainspotting in this decade. If that movie were to come out now, I couldn't think of a more perfect person to dominate the soundtrack than Mike Skinner. After his vocals drop out at the end of "Stay Positive", it slowly unravels until it fades out. But before the end, the heavy bass picks back up and it sounds like another chapter is going to begin, but it never does-- the album is over. The second Streets ablum, A Grand Don't Come For Free, has a closer ("Empty Cans") that's almost, but not quite, as good as "Stay Positive". Skinner sure knows how to end an album.

Further listening:
A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets ("Fit But You Know It", "Dry Your Eyes")

Lyrics:
Cos this world swallows souls
And when the blues unfold
It gets cold, silence burns holes
You're going mad
Perhaps you always were
But when things was good you just didn't care
This is called irony
When you most need to get up you got no energy
Time and time shit'll happen
The dark shit's unwrapping
But no one's listening, your mates are laughing
Your brethren's fucking and then you start hating
Your stomach starts churning and you mind starts turning
So smoke another draw
It won't matter no more, but the next day still feels sore
Rain taps on your window
Always did though but you didn't hear it when things were so-so
You're on your own now, your little zone
Yyou were born alone and believe me you'll die alone
Weed becomes a chore
You want the buzz back
So you follow the others onto smack

Just trying to stay positive (x4)

Feels nice and still
Good thing about brown is it always will
It's easy, no one blames you
It's that world out there that's fucked you
You know less of a person and if God exists
He still loves you
Just remember that- the more you sink the further back from that brink
Maybe you've lifetime scars and you think tattoos might be more fitting
But who's picking?
Searching for yourself you find demons
Try and be a freeman and grasp that talisman
Cos you're the same as I am
We all need our fellow man
We all need our samaritan
Maybe I'm better looking than you tho
Maybe I've got more dough- but am I happier? No
Get the love of a good girl and your world will be much richer than my world
And your happyness will uncurl

Just trying to stay positive (x4)

Stop dreaming
People who say that are blaspheming
They're doing nine to five and moaning
And they don't want you succeeding when they've blown it
And your idols- who are they?
They too dreamt about their day
Positive steps will see your goals
Whether it's dollars or control, feel the gold
I ain't helping you climb the ladder
I'm busy climbing mine
That's how it's been since the dawn of time
If you reach a cul-de-sac
The world turns it's back
This is your zone, it's like blackjack
He might get the ace or the top one
So organise your two's and three's into a run then you'll have fucked him son
And for that you'll be the better one
One last thing before you go though
When you feel better tommorow you'll be a hero
But never forget today. you could be back here
Things can stray
What if you see me in that window?
You won't help me I know
That's cool, just keep walking where you go
Carry on through the estate, stare at the geezers so they know you ain't lightweight
And go see your mates
And when they don't look happy
Play them this tape

Just trying to stay positive (x4)

I hope you understand me
Just trying to stay positive
I ain't no preaching fucker and I ain't no do-goody-goody either
This is about when shit goes pear-shaped
And if you aren't or never have been at rock bottom
Then good luck to you in the big wide world
But remember that one day shit might just start crumbling
Your bird might fuck off or you might loose your job
It's when that happens that what I'm talking about will feel
much more important to you
So if you aint feeling it, just be thankful that everything's cool in your world
Respect to BC
Positivity
Positivity

Just trying to stay positive (x4)

Ben's Top 5 Live in 05

2005-12-12T13:20:00.000-06:00

Coincidentally, I was already gearing up to make this list before I saw Rob did his. Like Rob, I saw a shitload of shows this year, and I also attended a majority of them with Rob. Without further ado, my list:

1. The Arcade Fire w/ Wolf Parade (Riviera, Chicago, Sept. 28)
I had already seen the Arcade Fire twice the year before (at the Logan Square Auditorium on Thanksgiving, and, then, at the Empty Bottle the following night). I honestly believed that seeing Arcade Fire at the Riviera could not beat the intimacy and power of their show in a tiny club with a couple hundred fans. Against all odds, the Riviera show blew my fucking mind (and topped the previous two shows). The band (now 9 people strong) was playing like a telepathically linked unit erupting with unhinged intensity and emotion. To make it even better, they began the show by covering Bob Dylan's "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall" (which quickly segued into "Wake Up" after a few verses) and then covered David Bowie's "Five Years" about halfway through the set.
I was also dying to see how Wolf Parade would turn out live. I had been enamored with them for most of the year and having both theses bands on the same bill had me in a childlike state of euphoria. Wolf Parade came out blazing with "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts" andleft me gasping for the next 40 mins. Christ, I can't even articulate how immensely exciting it was hearing "This Heart's On Fire" and "I'll Believe in Anything" back to back.

2. Sleater-Kinney (3 shows)
I was lucky enough to see Sleater-Kinney three times this year - twice in Chicago, and once in Knoxville, TN (the home of my alma mater). It's hard for me to pick a favorite of the three shows, but I might just lean towards the Knoxville show. It was a free, outdoor show and they played like they had to convert every single person in a 10 block radius; and, I got to see the show with my girlfriend and younger brother. I have been a fiercely loyal fan of theirs since I discovered Dig Me Out when I was 17, but I had not been able to see them live until this year. Fortunately, they also chose to release the best album of their already stellar career this year. All three shows drew heavily from The Woods and the older songs they played were sort of given a "Woods" makeover - louder, fuzzier, and more powerful than their studio versions. I can not overstate how jaw-droppingly awe-inspiring Corin Tucker is live. I could write volumes on how powerful and commanding her voice is - whether she is howling "The Fox" or cooing "Little Babies," Corin is a force of nature. The union of Corin and Carrie Brownstein's magnificent guitar duels and Janet Weiss's torrential drum fills is a thing of legend.

3. Sigur Ros (Chicago Theatre, Chicago, September 21)
I had already been swept away by Sigur Ros once before on their previous tour, but this show was even better. The stage setup and lighting just magnified how transcendental their songs can be. Now that Sigur Ros have been around for half a decade, I almost feel that any gushing, hyperbolic, adjective-filled review would just be redundant and cliche. So, I will just say that hearing the climax of "Viðrar vel til loftárása" (Track 7 on Ágætis Byrjun) live while having my vision completely consumed by a continuous wash of white light was one of the most emotional musical experiences I've ever had in my life.

4. Built To Spill (Metro, Chicago, May 7 and 8)
My situation with Built To Spill is much like the one with Sleater-Kinney - diehard fan since high school, but, just never saw them perform live -well, I did see them play two years ago, but, it was such a short, lackluster show that I prefer to forget about it. Thankfully, these two nights at the Metro restored my faith in Doug Martsch. The band (now augmented by the additional guitar talents of Jim Roth and Brett Netson) played with renewed passion and vigor, and the setlist was incontestable. When the band tore into their epics, "Virginia Reel Around The Fountain", "Velvet Waltz", and "Stab", the three guitars locked into a glorious rhapsody that, to this day, has very few peers. And Built To spill is still the best indie rock jam-band since Television.

5. Animal Collective (Empty Bottle, Chicago, April 27)
I went into this show expecting the worst, but, I was completely elated the entire show. I was also fortunate enough to have heard some of the new material the band had been playing on this tour. Animal Collective live is a completely different beast than Animal Collective in the studio. There were no breaks between songs, just segues in and out of songs. At all times, the band was whimsical, feral, and utterly mesmerizing. God, I have never been so unashamed of dancing and singing (or hollering in the case of "We Tigers" and the second half of "Kids on Holiday") at a concert. Hearing the sprawling tribal stomp of "The Purple Bottle" put the forthcoming Feelsat the top of my most wanted new albums list.

5 more honorable mentions:

6) Sufjan Stevens
7) Kraftwerk
8) Modest Mouse
9) Architecture in Helsinki
10) Bob Dylan (the performance itself was disheartening, but, still, I finally got to see Bobby)

Rob's Top 5 Live in 05

2005-12-12T01:45:00.000-06:00

I went to a shitload of concerts this year. And I opted for a lot more than normal because I could get in for free most of the time. That's the perk I miss about working at Pitchfork. Although it still pays off from time to time. Here are the five shows I enjoyed the most:

1. Intonation Music Festival
Union Park - Chicago, IL
July 16-17

For me, this is a no-brainer. Considering it was essentially put together by Pitchfork, I felt I was a big part of this. I didn't necessarily do that much for it myself, I knew and/or met a lot of people there, and walked around like I owned the place. Maybe the best part was hanging out backstage with free beer and sandwiches for two days-- the awesomeness of that can't be denied. But for the most part, the performances were great as well. The highlight was on day one, with the Go! Team. This was the first set that really seemed to get the 15,000+ strong crowd moving and really into it. At the end, they brought up all these little kids (all black) that were hanging out at the pool next to the park, and they danced their little behinds off. Great, great moment. Other standout spots included Les Savy Fav, Out Hud, the Hold Steady, and the Decemberists.

2. Animal Collective
Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
April 27

I'd been hearing that the Animal Collective live show was crazy and super experimental. I thought it might be too jammy or weird for me, which would be odd, given that I like their weird albums. So I was setting myself up for disappointment. And boy, was I wrong. This show was unbelievable, and I can't really explain why. For one, the energy-- I don't know how they kept it at such a high level for so long. I mean, I was pretty drunk, but not at a point where it really affected how I felt about it. I would have enjoyed it sober. They played mostly songs from their most recent album, Feels, which at that point hadn't been released. But they were great. I think part of it is that I like that album more than the one before it, Sung Tongs.

3. LCD Soundsystem & M.I.A.
Metro - Chicago, IL
May 19

What a fantastic pairing. Also, I was drunk (this seems to be a recurring theme) and rocking out pretty fucking hard. M.I.A. was pretty good, but not outstanding. Still, I like the music so much that it didn't matter. I hear her live show has improved, which is good. But she herself was very energetic, which was great. LCD played next, and rocked my shit off. I knew it would be awesome but not as awesome as it was. "Losing My Edge" was great and "Yeah" blew my mind. This is a band you have to see if you can.

4. Sigur Ros
Chicago Theatre - Chicago, IL
September 21

Every bit as mindblowing as everyone says they are. I'm glad they played in such a big, majestic venue because their sound is so epic that it would requires such a space. I had no idea how they made some of those sounds on the album, and I still don't really know. One discovery was that he saws the guitar with a bow. But his voice! And the drums! Huge. I wasn't stoned and didn't need to be.

5. Art Brut
Schuba's - Chicago, IL
November 15

Because these songs are so hilarious, the show was naturally really fun(ny). Lead singer Eddie Argos has a fantastic stage presence, and his banter was some of the best I've ever seen. I loved how he kept referring to the rest of the band as "Art Brut". "Come on, Art Brut, are you ready for the next song?" Hilarious.

Five more (in no particular order):

Kraftwerk (Riviera, Chicago, June 4)
Read more about this below, but this was a great experience.

Sufjan Stevens (Metro, Chicago, Sept. 16)
This was a really nice performance, and since the album is called Illinois it was kind of like a homecoming show. With cheerleaders.

The Walkmen (Schuba's, Chicago, July 23)
So fucking loud and so fucking great. They played "The Rat" second, which I would argue takes balls.

The White Stripes (Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, August 29)
I'd actually never seen them before, and turns out they put on a damn good show. Plus, who knew Meg was so cute?

The Arcade Fire & Wolf Parade (Riviera, Chicago, Sept. 28)
I'd seen the Arcade Fire with a few thousand fewer people (Empty Bottle, Nov. '04) and about 30,000 more (Lollapalooza, July '04), so nothing was really new about this to me. I was more interested in Wolf Parade. Still, the show was good, and ended with the Arcade Fire walking out to the lobby and playing an acoustic version of David Bowie's "Queen Bitch". The band sounded better than a year ago, but something was missing for me.

We Both Pull the Tricks Out of Our Sleeves

2005-12-10T16:04:00.000-06:00

For almost a year, my friends and loved ones have been putting up with me shoving Wolf Parade down their throats, into their ears and up their asses, but they don't mind anymore. Every single one of them is a fan now.

Last February, I tracked down Wolf Parade's two self-released EPs after seeing high praises for them from Isaac Brock and Win Butler (yeah, I know I'm such a sheep). I was immediately enamored with the 2 EPs. The music seemed to spontaneously reference so many bands I loved. I also loved the fact that the band was comprised of two different singer/songwriters with two distinct styles. Dan, the lead guitarist with the barky Iggy Pop-sounding voice, writes songs that rattle along with spunk and swagger. Spencer, the lead keyboardist (there are two in the band) with the yelpy croon somewhere between Tom Verlaine and Bowie, writes songs that jerk and jitter around winding melodies.

The impact of their first EP is somewhat blunted by murky, lo-fi production. Two of the four songs on ("Modern World" and "Dinner Bells") ended up on the band's debut album Apologies To The Queen Mary. In their original incarnations, both songs have a heavy, hazy air to them. The shody, fuzzed-out production makes the band's keyboard-thick music sound like Devo covering the Stooges' Fun House. Coincidentally, both Dan and Spencer sound remarkably like a young Iggy on this first EP.

On the second EP, the band crystallized their unique blend of technicolor keyboards leading and interweaving with jagged guitars to form indelible corkscrew melodies. Four of the six songs on this EP were included on Apologies: "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts", "We Built Another World", "It's A Curse", and "Grounds For Divorce". The other two songs are of the same caliber. For the most part, these songs ended up sounding the same on the debut, but the original recording of "Dear Sons and Daughters" is a much more passionate version in comparison.

Unfortunately, these two EPs cannot be bought in stores, but, if you can, burn them off a friend or download them somewhere. They are highly recommended.

Top Ten Mixtape Killers Pt. 2: Sex Edition

2005-12-10T12:20:00.000-06:00

Inspired by Ben's Top Ten Mixtape Killers list.

Sometimes a little music is necessary while making love, having sex, and/or fucking. For one, you don't have to hear those squishy penis-in-vagina noises. Or the sensual sounds of stomach slapping. Volume is key-- you don't want to drown out your lover's ooohs and ahhhs with thumping bass, but you also want it loud enough so that she doesn't catch you straining to hear it during your favorite part of a particular song. Without further ado, here are ten songs best kept out of the bedroom:

1. Nine Inch Nails - Closer
This is so obvious that I'm embarrassed I have to include it. "I want to fuck you like an animal" might be a nice thing to whisper in your lover's ear, depending on what you're into. Hearing Trent Reznor do it, on the otherhand, isn't arousing in the least.

2. Nirvana - Rape Me
Okay, so this is obvious as well. However, you just know some grunge loving couples were fucking to their new copy of In Utero in 1993 and then this song came on. Kind of takes all the fun out of it, no? Speaking from experience, rape jokes are never funny when alone with a girl.

3. Ying Yang Twins - Wait (The Whisper Song)
"Hey bitch, wait'll you see my dick/ I'm a beat that pussy up."

4. Art Brut - Rusted Guns of Milan
As far as I can tell, this song is about the inability to maintain an erection during sex. Happens to the best of us. But you don't need her-- or you, for that matter-- thinking about that in the heat of the moment. "It doesn't mean that I don't love you/ One more try with me above you/ It's got nothing to do with anything I've had to drink/ It's more to do with the way I think."

5. Tenacious D - Fuck Her Gently
Because you'll be laughing. "I think I've got something in my teeth/ Could you get it out for me?/ That's fucking teamwork!" The other problem with this song is that you have to picture Jack Black and Kyle Gass naked. And that's not a pleasant image.

6. Fiona Apple - Criminal
No man wants to be emasculated in bed. Sure, sometimes it's hot to have your woman take control, but you don't want her to be in this much control. Plus, the video for this song just makes me feel like a dirty old man. And I'm only 23.

7. Bright Eyes - Lover I Don't Have to Love
This is especially true for one night stands or casual flings. It's about being drunk, taking someone home, and that's that. Conor manages to sound as sleazy as he can in this song. Sure, you both know this isn't the start of a serious relationship, but come on, don't make her feel like a piece of meat. "I want a lover I don't have to love/ I want a girl who's just out to give a fuck".

8. Britney Spears - Toxic
There's no denying how hot this song is, but it's too hot for the sex you're likely to be having. While Brit has certainly lost much of her sex appeal recently, that doesn't mean that you'll stop thinking about how hot she was in the video for this song. You'll be thinking about that damn flight attendant outfit, and then open your eyes and see the regular girl in front of you.

9. The Darkness - Growing On Me
Popular belief is that this song is about genital warts or herpes. Whether or not that's true (and come on, listen to it), I'm gonna go ahead and suggest that STDs aren't what you want floating through either of your minds while having sex.

10. Any Marvin Gaye/Barry White song
I'm not even concerned with the cliche/lame factor-- taste is taste. My problem with hearing Marvin and Barry during sex is that you will never live up to being the kind of lover that their songs suggest. Sorry, but no man is capable of providing orgasms even worthy of discussion on the same level as "Sexual Healing".

The Man Who Fell To Earth

2005-12-10T11:57:00.000-06:00

By 1975, David Bowie had become a qualified commercial and critical success in both America and Britain. However, he was beginning to crack under the strain of the fame he had once craved. Bowie was an articulate and sensitive artist slowly morphing into a paranoid, manic depressive. Aided, in no small part, by a diet heavy on cocaine and amphetamines. In a lot of ways, Bowie was the Thom Yorke of the 70s: cynical and paranoid about the world around him, obsessed with privacy, and constantly experimenting with his music.

In early 1976, Bowie began recording Station To Station in Hollywood. He was at the height of his coke addiction/paranoia; and, to this day, he still claims that he has barely any memory of the recording sessions for Station To Station. Regardless, it still stands as one of his greatest musical achievements. Bowie's previous album Young Americans was a pastiche of American soul/R&B music, and also netted Bowie his first #1 single, "Fame", as well as another huge hit with the title track. In less than a year, Bowie was dismissing Young Americans as "the squashed remains of ethnic music. . .written and sung by a white limey." While Station To Station retained some of Young Americans' soul and funk rhythms, it also seamlessly incorporated the rhythms and textures of German progressive music like Kraftwerk and Neu (he would use these influences to greater effect on the subsequent album Low). At its core, Station To Station is a cerebral funk/avant-rock album. I always like to note that this album definitely laid the groundwork for a lot of the music that the Talking Heads would create during their career.

This new amalgam of funk/soul music, German motorik rhythms, and Bowie's patented dramatic art-rock boils to a froth on the epic title track. In fact, the title track is the most blatant example of Bowie's new musical interests. It shifts gears several times and builds to a breathtaking climax. "Golden Years" is a relatively straightforward and incredibly infectious funk-rock song like "Fame" and became an equally popular single. "Word On A Wing" is one of Bowie's best, if not greatest, ballads. In my book, it's on par with "Heroes." It contains one of Bowie's most heartfelt and passionate vocal performances and a serpentine melody that writhes and glides under the vocals. It's the kind of song that the Arcade Fire built their reputation on. "TVC 15" starts off innocently enough with a jaunty piano part reminiscent of Hunky Dory's aesthetic, but, the choruses quickly give way to an unstoppable ascending guitar riff accentuated an equally glorious piano line. "Stay" is another funk-rock song in the vein of "Golden Years" but with a more complex structure and some incendiary guitar solos courtesy of Carlos Alomar. I have to add that Carlos Alomar is a very worthy successor to Mick Ronson. Alomar's style was unique and innovative, and, always served Bowie's songs appropriately. Carlos was Bowie's lead guitarist from '75 to '79 -covering Station To Station, Low, 'Heroes', and Lodger. "Wild Is the Wind" is the final song of Station To Station and another beautiful ballad. It closes the album on a hymn-like note with another perfect vocal performance. Cat Power did a wonderful rendition of this song on her Covers Record.

Station To Station was a brilliant transitional album bridging the gap between Bowie's funk/soul fixations and his experimental Brian Eno-produced Berlin trilogy. However, unlike most transitional albums, Station To Station contains a sound and style all its own.

* Trivial Fun Fact: Bowie's girlfriend at the time was Slash's mom, Ola Hudson, and he would sometimes sing baby Slash to sleep at night.

Top Ten Mixtape Killers Pt. 1

2005-12-10T11:55:00.000-06:00

I want to preface my list with the disclaimer that I actually love all the songs on my list. However, for various reasons, I feel that these songs should never be put on a mixtape for a girl - be it a girl you're trying to be more than friends with, a girl you're dating, or even your wife. Some songs were chosen because they might make you look like a creepy loser, or, because you'll appear weak, or, maybe you'll just look like a prick. Without further ado:

1. Harry Nilsson - Without You
Harry's version of this song is heartbreakingly gorgeous, but, the borderline sacchrine and string-soaked chorus of "I can't live, if living is without you" tends to be a little cloying for me. To add insult to injury, this song was used in a pivotal moment of "Rules of Attraction" when a young girl, heartbroken over an unrequited crush on James Van Der Beek, successfully commits suicide by slitting her wrists in the bathtub. I don't think I'll ever be able to disassociate that intensely morose image from this song.

2. Cheap Trick - I Want You To Want Me
Sure, it's a great anthemic song that everyone sings along to when it plays on the radio, but, have you ever realized how pathetic this song really is? I couldn't imagine giving this song to a girl and expecting her to take me seriously. It's kinda like saying "Hey, I'm pretty pathetic, but, could I get a pity fuck?"

3. Arcade Fire - Crown of Love
Upon first glance, you'd think this was a sweet love song, but, it's actually the nicest possible way of saying "Sorry, I've lost that loving feeling." On a positive note, I love the song for the fact that it urges you not to "settle" and find the person whose name is the "only word that I can say!"

4. Creedence Clearwater Revival - I Put A Spell On You
This isn't a CCR original, but their cover is probably the most sinister version I've heard. A twisted tale of controlling a woman with black magic and not putting up with any of her "fooling around" probably won't earn you an invite into a girl's bed anytime soon.

5. Bob Dylan - It Ain't Me, Babe
You'd be hard pressed to find another song that so eloquently sends the message: "Don't bother me anymore." The gentle, lulling melody tends to blunt some rather crushing lines: "Go away from my window/ go at your own chosen speed."

6. Bob Dylan - Just Like A Woman
It is very difficult to pick just one Dylan song for this list, so I had to include this back-handed lovesong. The song is simultaneously full of praise and bitterness. The song is best summed up by the line: "When we meet again/ introduced as friends/ please don't let on that you knew me when/ I was hungry and it was your world."

7. Wilco - We're Just Friends
This is one of my favorite Wilco songs. Mainly, because it hits too close to home. Jeff Tweedy's voice is so full of resignation in this song that it just crushes your heart. You get the definite impression that his feelings are not being reciprocated and he's basically giving up and convincing himself that "sure, we're just friends."

8. Weezer - No One Else
Wow, where to start with this one? First of all, this song is probably the birth of "emo" music. Secondly, Rivers is expressing a desire to have a girlfriend that will be a sad, little hermit when he's not around. Lastly, any girl that would actually give in to his demands would have to be pretty pathetic herself.

9. Walkmen - The Rat
As much as I (and every other guy for that matter) love this song , it makes a strong case for the use of restraining orders. Although a man's anger and frustration with a woman can be validated at times, you could just as easily give off a creepy stalker vibe.

10. Any Bright Eyes song
This would be the ultimate way of showing a girl that, deep down, you have no balls. The only girls you could possibly impress with a Bright Eyes song are jailbait.

Little Johnny Jewel

2005-12-10T00:42:00.000-06:00

"Little Johnny Jewel/ He's real cool/ He had no decisions/ He tried to tell a vision." - "Little Johnny Jewel" by Television

One of Television's greatest songs was the epic "Little Johnny Jewel" - a tribute to James Jewel Osterberg A.K.A. Iggy Pop. LJJ is a sprawling guitar duel like "Marquee Moon" but it was never properly recorded in the studio. It exists in stellar live versions on "The Blow Up" and "Live at the Old Waldorf." Songs like this are the reason I'll defend "jamming" til the day I die.

Download here.

Why I Love Pete Doherty

2005-12-09T10:51:00.000-06:00

I don't intend to make fun of Pete, he's got problems. But when you're a celebrity, you ought to watch yourself. Dating Kate Moss is obviously going to draw more attention. Frankly, if it weren't for Pete, I don't know what the NME would ever have to talk about. For the last few years, they've lived and died by him. After breaking up his first band, the Libertines, several times, he finally started a new group, Babyshambles. I like that album a lot, even though it seems fairly half-assed. And that's the tragedy with Pete Doherty. Wasted talent.

These days, it just seems like he shows up and does what he has to do. I question whether he even wants to be in music anymore. The video for Babyshambles' "Fuck Forever". He almost looks bored, like, "Yeah, I'll come by and sing this pretty good song, I guess.

Finally, dude's such a party animal that Kate Moss had to dump him. If you're too fun lovin' and crazy for Kate Moss...I mean, wow. Just wow.

Most Mediocre in 2005

2005-12-08T10:00:00.000-06:00

"Best of" lists are cool with me, I'm a whore for that sort of thing, but I've never really cared for "worst of" lists. I don't think you should kick someone when they're down-- most of the time.

You know what's worse than shit? Mediocrity. There are two types of mediocrity in music. One is when a band is capable of more and just plays it safe, resulting in an average album. The other is when something is just neither gold nor shit. At least shit gets me talking about it. And the winner of the 2005 Mediocrity In Music Award goes to...

Coldplay - X&Y

I'm afraid to even talk about this for five minutes because I might fall asleep in the middle of it. This is the type of thing I expect to hear (and have heard) in the dentist's office. Mothers in denial of their age like Coldplay. Frat dudes like Coldplay (no offense, frat dudes, some of y'all are alright).

People (myself included) have dismissed this band from time to time as Radiohead hacks. I don't know if that's accurate. What's more likely is that Chris Martin is a savvy businessman. He's seen the U2 model. Bono has made an outstanding business out of his band, and I'm sure Chris Martin would like to do the same thing with Coldplay. But Bono might not be the right guy to idolize.

Speaking of U2.

If I don't like this band, why am I going on and on about them? Didn't I say I don't like kicking people when they're down? Well, Coldplay aren't down. Chris Martin isn't down. They came off an extremely successful and popular album that had some pretty decent songs, and went into the studio with all the resources and time necessary to deliver not only the album of their short careers, but something just generally outstanding.

My favorite Coldplay song, believe it or not, is Royksopp's remix of "Clocks". I have a feeling that Coldplay wish they sounded like this remix. Free download!

But X&Y is so average. I know they can do better than this. I don't have a problem with them sampling Kraftwerk, or just using the melody or whatever it was, on "Talk". But why even do this? Either cover the actual song, or write your own song. Or do this is as a B-side. As for "Speed of Sound", this is just an average version of "Clocks". "Fix You" fails on being too melodramatic.

And the lyrics, man! Does he just go into Gwynny's teenage diaries?

I know, it's too easy these days for people like me to hate on Coldplay but ZZZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

The Worst Dude of All Time

2005-12-07T23:26:00.000-06:00

I mean look at this guy. LOOK AT THIS FUCKING GUY!

If ever there was someone who deserved to be crucified...

Ian Curtis Is Lazy

2005-12-07T21:42:00.000-06:00

Dialogue from the 1993 documentary New Order Story:

Interviewer: Who's the laziest member of the group?
Peter Hook: Ian Curtis. I haven't seen him do anything for years.

At any rate, I bought this thing a month or so ago and hadn't watched it until the other day. It was bundled with another DVD of all of New Order's videos, together for $15 (should've been $20, but Best Buy mismarked it).

I'm a much bigger fan of early New Order (and of course Joy Division) than later New Order, so it makes sense that I prefer the first half of the doc. The first 25-30 minutes of this thing (it's over two hours) are amazing. Two full-length Joy Division clips (TV show apperance of "Transmission" and the music video for "Love Will Tear Us Apart"), of which there are very few, and some early New Order clips. I lose interest in some of the music after that, but the story is still interesting because these guys are sensationally dry (with the humor, not dull-- although they aren't that exciting either for that matter).

Also, Bono shows up a couple times to essentially fellate Ian Curtis.

A movie about Ian Curtis is currently in pre-production.

Who should play him? Say so in the comments section. Let's make this shit interactive.

This is what he looked like:

Okay, this is more than enough about Ian Curtis for one week. Y'all are going to start getting worried about me.

Album of the Week (12.04.05)

2005-12-07T17:35:00.002-06:00

Artist: Seu Jorge
Album: The Life Aquatic Studio Sessions

I've been waiting for this for a long time. I thought The Life Aquatic was a movie that was going to grow on me with repeated viewings. It hasn't. It isn't a bad movie by any means, I just didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Maybe it's too somber for the sake of being somber. I don't know. But for me, the best parts remain Seu Jorge's acoustic, Portuguese covers of David Bowie songs. There are a handful through the movie, and the original soundtrack featured five versions from within the movie.

Well, now they've released a full album of studio versions of these songs. Thirteen of 'em, plus a song about Team Zissou. Still just Jorge and his guitar. His other album released this year, Cru, has more instrumentation, but more or less the same feel. That album probably fell just shy of my top 50 for the year.

What's so great about these Bowie covers is that they have become their own songs. Some are pretty obviously Bowie songs from the get go, you can hear it in the guitar and the melody. Others, though, are slightly different and it's more difficult to figure out which song it is. Almost everything is in Portuguese, but some of the choruses are sung in English. I can't figure out why Jorge chose to do that. But I ain't complaining.

What I do know is that these songs are 100% enjoyable, regardless of whether or not you like David Bowie.

Personal favorite: "Life On Mars?"

Watch Me

2005-12-06T20:15:00.001-06:00

Artist: Kraftwerk
DVD: Minimum-Maximum

I saw Kraftwerk live at the Riviera in Chicago this past June. Awesome. Their live show is basically just the four of them at podiums (see image below), doing whatever it is they do with keyboards, knobs, etc. I really have no idea if they're actually doing anything. Although, the DVD does show some buttons being pushed and what not. The best and most important thing about the Kraftwerk live show, however, is the giant video display behind them. Many of the still images and videos look like they've been using them since the early 80s, and that's part of the joy. The images match the music perfectly, and despite being of a certain period, they somehow make the show feel timeless. This is a band that doesn't really age. Their show might not be much different than it was 20 years ago. And because all of their current shows being more or less the same, this DVD might as well be from the show I went to, even though it's from the 2004 world tour. It's really more of a theatrical experience than a concert.

If you saw Coldplay perform at Live 8, you'd notice that their drummer was wearing a Kraftwerk shirt. That was the right thing to do, considering one of their new songs ("Talk") borrows/steals/whatever the melody from Kraftwerk's "Computer Love", which you can download here.

Misc. Monday Song (12.05.05)

2005-12-05T17:38:00.000-06:00

Artist: New Order
Song: Ceremony (4:23)
Album: Substance

Download here.

Briefly: Manchester post-punk legends Joy Division lost their lead singer and lyricist Ian Curtis when he killed himself in 1980. You probably know them for "Love Will Tear Us Apart". The surviving members of the band became New Order, whose "Blue Monday" remains one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Why?: Joy Division and New Order are probably my most listened to bands of 2005. I was familiar with most of their surface work before, but had never gone too deep until earlier this year when I bought Joy Division's Unknown Pleasures. "Ceremony" is one of the last songs the band was working on before Curtis' death. A live version with his vocals appears on the odds'n'ends compilation Still, but New Order completed it and released it shortly thereafter as their first single. It serves as the best bridge between the sound of the two bands, with Bernard Sumner's vocals still trying to sound like Curtis. This trend continued on the band's debut album, Movement. It wasn't until their second album, Power, Corruption & Lies, that they found their own sound. Interestingly, the last few Joy Division songs seemed to indicate the band was heading in a more upbeat direction, "Ceremony" being the best example.

Further listening:
Unknown Pleasures by Joy Division ("Disorder")
Power, Corruption & Lies by New Order ("Age of Consent")

Lyrics:
this is why events unnerve me
they find it all a different story
notice whom for wheels are turning
turn again and turn towards this time
all she asks is the strength to hold me
then again the same old story
world will travel oh so quickly
travel first and lean towards this time

oh, i'll break them down, no mercy shown
heaven knows it's got to be this time
watching her, these things she said
the times she cried, too frail to wake this time

oh i'll break them down, no mercy shown
heaven knows it's got to be this time
avenues all lined with trees
picture me and then you start watching
watching forever, forever
watching love grow, forever

Top 50 in 05 (Songs)

2005-12-05T00:55:00.000-06:00

Some of these are singles, some are just album cuts, and some are from albums that came out in 2004 but the song was released as a single in 2005. Songs I listened to, overplayed, and/or obsessed over in 2005, more or less. Let me know if you'd like to hear any of them.

1. M83 - Don’t Save Us From the Flames (Superpitcher remix) - 10:26
You might know the original mix from the neon/crazy Pontiac spots running lately, but the two versions are hardly recognizable as the same song. Superpitcher manages to take out the heightened sense of desperation of the original and fill his remix with a steady flow of nervous energy.

Favorite lyric: "Out of the flames/ A piece of brain in my hair/ The wheels are melting/ A ghost is screaming your name"

2. R. Kelly - Trapped In the Closet - 3:15
Kells can pee on all the [legal] girls he wants if he keeps doing shit like this. Stretched out beyond the original five parts, it's admittedly losing steam with what, 12 chapters and counting? But for a time this spring, I was hooked, waiting weeks to hear each new part. I'm not sure I more eagerly anticipated any other release all year than the next chapter in the series. It's completely ridiculous, to be sure. But so what? R&B is too serious these days and R. Kelly seems to be the only one doing anything different.

Most tense moment: The end of Chapter 2, where you realize the pastor's partner is a man.

3. Kelly Clarkson - Since U Been Gone - 3:09
This song makes me wish I was a girl. For some reason, dude singers can't get away with songs that essentially say, "Fuck you bitch, I don't need you!" So this song isn't that harsh, but the power chorus that sounds like a dozen Kellys certainly makes the most of the material. Her voice even sounds exasperated with her man during the first verse. I don't know about you, but I want to meet this guy and kick his ass.

Perfect listening environment: Summertime, singing your hearts out in the car with your best girl friends.

4. Kanye West - Gone - 6:02
A relatively unaltered sample of Otis Redding's "It's Too Late" is enough to drive this song up until Jon Brion's massively simple strings'n'drums that bring about Kanye's final verse, which ends the album with authority. Maybe not as strong as "Jesus Walks", but he's certainly at his self-promoting, check-my-roots best. In fact, all three MCs (Kanye, Cam'ron, Consequence) all sound like they couldn't be happier to be rapping on this track.

Steal this idea: "I'm a open up a store for aspirin' MCs"

5. Young Jeezy (ft. Jay-Z & Fat Joe) - Go Crazy (Remix) - 6:13
Jay-Z stops by your studio and makes your hott traxx even hotter. But he does do a good job of picking his projects, lending a voice and a tone that's almost like a lesson for the kids (in this case, Young Jeezy). Some need it for dancing, but I like rap songs I can shout along with: "When they play that new Jeezy all the dope boys go crazy!" I wish this came out at the start of the summer, the lazy horns and claps are perfect for a hot, humid Saturday.

Awesome rhyme: "My favorite hue is Jay-Z blue"

6. Ciara (ft. Ludacris) - Oh - 4:22
If riding around in my car was a hobby of mine, this sound would accompany it. Ciara's vocals are somewhat understated, which is nice because they act is a slowly building bridge to the opposite: Luda's bounce-bounce-bounce guest spot. The song itself is pretty simple, and pretty much any word can and is somehow rhymed with "Oh". But at the same time, I want to rock out. How can such a casual beat do that?

Don't call it a remix: Cadence Weapon's Smart Bomb Remix is so entirely different it's hard to believe that's the same vocal track.

7. Art Brut - Emily Kane - 2:41
The Art Brut song for people who find Eddie Argos' vocals difficult at first. They're not difficult-- they're just very, very British, and he speaks more than sings. But the song is as hilarious and cute as any other Art Brut song. It's catchy and after a few listens, you'll be singing along. It's difficult to understand why songs like this aren't more popular. The great thing about Argos' vocals is that he's very easy to sympathize with. But "Emily Kane" is more endearing and sweet than the band's other songs about relationships, like "Good Weekend" and "Rusted Guns of Milan".

Favorite lyric: "I hope this song finds you fame/ I want school kids on buses singing your name"

8. Juelz Santana - There It Go (The Whistle Song) - 3:00
The first of two hip-hop tracks on this list that proves dense and/or ultra-complicated beats aren't necessary. Aside from the vocals, all you really hear is some click-clack percussion and a cat-call whistle sample. Santana does a nice job of matching his cadence to the whistles. Next time he's in Chicago, maybe Andrew Bird can provide live whistling.

Little known fact: I can't whistle.

9. My Morning Jacket - Off the Record - 5:25
Jim James' vocals carry this thing. Hell, they're really what carry the band. But for maybe the first time, MMJ have found a way to include guitar parts that aren't forgettable. This is the song for drinking beers with your buds at the pool. The one bad thing about the track is that it's twice as long as it needs to be. About halfway through the vocals are gone and the band reminds us that they're still a favorite of the jam band scene. However, the first half is so great that it doesn't matter.

Curious: Is Jim James' real name James James?

10. Babyshambles - Fuck Forever - 4:37
What does Pete Doherty mean when he sings "fuck forever"? I've heard people say it's a response to Oasis' "Live Forever". But I think it alludes to the last song on the second Libertines' album, "What Became of the Likely Lads", which contains this lyric: "What became of forever?" That song seems to suggest that the Libtertines, Doherty and Carl Barat, have reconciled. I don't think Pete gives a shit. I mean, what does it say about a dude when Kate Moss leaves you because you're too out of control?

Favorite lyric: "I'm so clever/ But clever ain't wise"

11. The Killers - Mr. Brightside - 3:42
Seeing a live performance of "Mr. Brightside" was the highlight of my Lollapalooza experience. Didn't hurt that I was watching from the VIP viewing platform and enjoying the Wolfgang Puck-catered buffet.

12. The Game (ft. 50 Cent)- Hate It or Love It - 3:26
The G-Unit flavored remix on 50's The Massacre foolishly replaces some Game verses with other members of G-Unit. 50 may be better than Game, but Game's better than the rest of G-Unit.

13. Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl - 3:19
The "bananas" part sounds awfully like a track on the M.I.A. album, but I imagine there are no hard feelings because they just toured together.

14. Gorillaz - DARE / DARE (DFA remix)- 3:41 / 12:02
The DFA remix is neither better nor worse than the original. It is equally awesome.

15. Animal Collective - Did You See The Words? - 5:17
Good to hear these guys singing about something intelligible: love.

16. Fall Out Boy - Sugar We’re Going Down - 3:36
Fuck it, this song is catchy as hell.

17. Lady Sovereign - Random - 3:41
I'd like to see her diss these American rappers to their faces.

18. Kanye West - Heard ‘Em Say - 3:23
Maybe dude from Maroon 5 should stick to guest vocals; he does a great job here.

19. LCD Soundsystem - Daft Punk Is Playing At My House - 5:16
I want LCD Soundsytem to play at my house.

20. The MFA - The Difference It Makes - 7:02
Soundtrack to your European adventures.

21. Mike Jones - Back Then - 4:05
Call 281-330-8004 for more information.

22. Franz Ferdinand - Do You Want To - 3:38
The video makes this song even more hilarious. Turns out these guys aren't as pretentious as you'd think.

23. Lil' Wayne - Shooter - 4:35
Southern rap that's the opposite of Mike Jones.

24. Kano - Typical Me - 4:35
The starting point for those who want to like grime but find the Streets and Dizzee Rascal too abrasive.

25. Ying Yang Twins - Wait (The Whisper Song) - 2:59
The whispering is genius, misogyny notwithstanding. Just make sure you don't find yourself saying "beat the pussy up" in public.

26. Bloc Party - Like Eating Glass - 4:21
Technically speaking, Bloc Party are probably the best of all the new 80s-loving bands. Shit's so clean sounding.

27. Caribou - Yeti - 5:00
The songs ends but it could probably go on forever.

28. Robyn - Konichiwa Bitches - 2:38
Don't fuck with this woman, she owns.

29. Common - The Corner - 3:45
The video for this song perfectly captures the Chicago winter.

30. The Kaiser Chiefs - I Predict A Riot - 3:54
This could be by any number of non-descript British bands, but this song is different because it's actually interesting.

31. Architecture In Helsinki - Do the Whirlwind - 4:39
I dare you not to dance.

32. R. Kelly - In The Kitchen (Remix) - 5:17
If only I could have sex to this song with a straight face.

33. Panda Bear - Comfy In Nautica - 4:00
Panda Bear can do so much with so little.

34. Gnarls Barkley - Crazy - 3:01
Can't wait to hear the whole album from this Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo project.

35. The Futureheads - Hounds of Love - 3:02
One of the new New Wave bands that sounds most authentically of the period.

36. Okkervil River - For Real - 4:42
Pretty dark stuff, if you listen to the lyrics: "Some nights I thirst for real blood"
(Also, song reminds me of Wilco's "At Least That's What You Said")

37. The Juan Maclean - Tito’s Way - 3:43
More songs need party/coach whistles.

38. Jens Lekman - I Saw Her In the Anti-War Demonstration - 3:11
Phil Spector meets Morrissey?

39. King Biscuit Time - C I AM 15 - 3:19
New project from the Beta Band lead singer, which basically just sounds like a Beta Band song. CIA/MI-5, get it?

40. Hot Chip - Down With Prince - 3:19
"I'm sick of mothefuckers trying to tell me that they're down with Prince." Shit rules, obviously.

41. Kanye West - Gold Digger - 3:28
Oh Kanye, you can do no wrong.

42. Wolf Parade - Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts - 3:39
It'd be way too easy to just say that Wolf Parade = Arcade Fire + Modest Mouse + Bowie + Iggy Pop.

43. The Bravery - Honest Mistake - 3:41
The Killers' Brandon Flowers thinks the Bravery are a rip-off of his band. You be the judge.

44. The White Stripes - My Doorbell - 4:01
The White Stripes are best when they keep it simple.

45. Beck - E-Pro - 3:23
The rest of this album is painfully mediocre, but he still had one great track in him.

46. Amadou & Mariam - Coulibaly - 3:18
Mopey indie rock types could learn a few things from African music.

47. T.I. - Bring 'Em Out - 3:36
SpRiNg BrEaK '05 WHAT?!??!

48. Antony & the Johnsons - Hope There's Someone - 4:21
Find me a more heartbreaking voice.

49. Sigur Ros - Glosoli - 6:15
I don't know how these guys can continue to make songs that sound as epic and breathtaking as they do.

50. !!! - Take Ecstasy With Me - 7:41
Who knew that this Magnetic Fields song could benefit from a dance-infused cover?

Top 50 in 05 (Albums)

2005-12-05T00:42:00.000-06:00

1. Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Rob Recommends: "Jacksonville"

2. Animal Collective - Feels
Rob Recommends: "Did You See the Words?"

3. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
Rob Recommends: "Dear Sons and Daughters of Hungry Ghosts"

4. Kanye West - Late Registration
Rob Recommends: "Gone"

5. Art Brut - Bang Bang Rock and Roll
Rob Recommends: "Emily Kane"

6. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
Rob Recommends: "The Skin of My Yellow Country Teeth"

7. M.I.A. - Arular
Rob Recommends: "Sunshowers"

8. LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem
Rob Recommends: "Tribulations"

9. The Clientele - Strange Geometry
Rob Recommends: "Since K Got Over Me"

10. Ryan Adams - Jacksonville City Nights
Rob Recommends: "A Kiss Before I Go"

11. Jens Lekman - Oh You’re So Silent Jens
Rob Recommends: "I Saw Her At the Anti-War Demonstration"

12. The Hold Steady - Separation Sunday
Rob Recommends: "Your Little Hoodrat Friend"

13. M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us
Rob Recommends: "Don't Save Us From the Flames"

14. Common - Be
Rob Recommends: "The Corner"

15. Sigur Ros - Takk
Rob Recommends: "Glosoli"

16. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Rob Recommends: "Like Eating Glass"

17. Amadou & Mariam - Dimanche a Bamako
Rob Recommends: "Coulibaly"

18. Devendra Banhart - Cripple Crow
Rob Recommends: "I Feel Like a Child"

19. The White Stripes - Get Behind Me Satan
Rob Recommends: "My Doorbell"

20. Architecture In Helsinki - In Case We Die
Rob Recommends: "Do the Whirlwind"

21. DangerDoom - The Mouse and the Mask
Rob Recommends: "Sofa King"

22. The Decemberists - Picaresque
Rob Recommends: "Sixteen Military Wives"

23. The Fiery Furnaces - Rehearsing My Choir
Rob Recommends: "The Garfield El"

24. Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better
Rob Recommends: "The Fallen"

25. Caribou - The Milk of Human Kindness
Rob Recommends: "Yeti"

26. Ryan Adams - Cold Roses
Rob Recommends: "Magnolia Mountain"

27. Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine
Rob Recommends: "Extraordinary Machine"

28. The Kallikak Family - May 23rd 2007
Rob Recommends: Portland, Oregon Parts 1-4

29. Bright Eyes - I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning
Rob Recommends: "Road to Joy"

30. Antony & the Johnsons - I Am a Bird Now
Rob Recommends: "Hope There's Someone"

31. The Juan Maclean - Less Than Human
Rob Recommends: "Tito's Way"

32. The Boy Least Likely To - The Best Party Ever
Rob Recommends: "Be Gentle With Me"

33. Shugo Tokumaru - L.S.T.
Rob Recommends: "Mushina"

34. Kano - Home Sweet Home
Rob Recommends: "Typical Me"

35. John Vanderslice - Pixel Revolt
Rob Recommends: "Trance Manual"

36. Jason Forrest - Shamelessly Exciting
Rob Recommends: "War Photographer"

37. My Morning Jacket - Z
Rob Recommends: "Off the Record"

38. Okkervil River - Black Sheep Boy
Rob Recommends: "For Real"

39. Gorillaz - Demon Days
Rob Recommends: "DARE"

40. Maximo Park - A Certain Trigger
Rob Recommends: "Apply Some Pressure"

41. Six Organs of Admittance - School of the Flower
Rob Recommends: "Words For Two"

42. Four Tet - Everything Ecstatic
Rob Recommends: "Smile Around the Face"

43. Babyshambles - Down In Albion
Rob Recommends: "Fuck Forever"

44. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema
Rob Recommends: "Use It"

45. The Darkness - One Way Ticket to Hell… And Back
Rob Recommends: "Hazel Eyes"

46. Out Hud - Let Us Never Speak of It Again
Rob Recommends: "It's For You"

47. Brian Eno - Another Day On Earth
Rob Recommends: "Just Another Day"

48. Wilderness - Wilderness
Rob Recommends: "Marginal Over"

49. Vitalic - OK Cowboy
Rob Recommends: "My Friend Dario"

50. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
Rob Recommends: "I Turn My Camera On"