JK's Best of 2009

2009 was the hardest year of work, not surprisingly, that I've ever had. That's not necessarily a bad thing at all, I've been very fortunate, it's just an adjustment. Unfortunately, it's also meant that I haven't been able to keep up with this blog very often and I suppose that's unlikely to change either. Despite it all, I still managed to listen to a lot of music this year and the result was very promising. I can't say the same about live shows this year, aside from standouts such as Band of Horses/Arbouretum at Carnegie Hall and Dark Was the Night at Radio City, I witnessed a lot of good shows but few great ones. Hope lies ahead in 2010 with Yeasayer in January, home to Charlottesville to catch Drive-By Truckers with my dad, and Muse/Silversun Pickups at the Garden in March. Here were my favorites from '09:

Albums
20. Julian Plenti - Julian Plenti is...Skyscraper
19. Brakes - Touchdown
18. Wild Beasts - Two Dancers
17. Fanfarlo - Reservoir
16. Various Artists - Dark Was The Night
15. ...Trail of Dead - The Century of Self
14. Harlem Shakes - Technicolor Health
13. Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
12. Drummer - Feel Good Together
11. The Maccabees - Wall of Arms
10. The Antlers - Hospice
09. The Flaming Lips - Embryonic
08. Them Crooked Vultures - s/t
07. Doves - Kingdom of Rust
06. The Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns
05. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
04. Dinosaur Jr. - Farm
03. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
02. Mastodon - Crack the Skye
01. Grizzly Bear - Veckatamist

Songs
21. Suckers - It Gets Your Body Moving
20. The xx - Crystalised
19. Editors - Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool
18. The Maccabees - No Kind Words
17. Monsters of Folk - Dear God (Sincerely M.O.F.)
16. Franz Ferdinand - Lucid Dreams
15. Arctic Monkeys - The Jeweller's Hands
14. Clues - Ledmonton
13. Them Crooked Vultures - No One Loves Me & Neither Do I
12. The Rural Alberta Advantage - The Ballad of the RAA
11. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Heads Will Roll
10. Phoenix - 1901
09. White Rabbit - Percussion Gun
08. Grizzly Bear - While You Wait for the Others
07. Arbouretum - False Spring
06. Phoenix - Lisztomania
05. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Hysteric
04. The Flaming Lips - Worm Mountain
03. Passion Pit - Moth's Wings
02. Drummer - Mature Fantasy
01. Bon Iver - Brackett, WI

Update: I forgot one of my favorites so I'm making a last minute adjustment and adding Arbouretum...

EPs:
03. Suckers - Suckers EP
02. Blitzen Trapper - Black River Killer
01. Puscifer - "C" Is for (Please Insert Sophomoric Genitalia Reference Here) EP

JK's Best Albums of the 2000s

I started putting this list together back in August, shared it with NF, put it aside for awhile, and finally put the finishing touches on it today...I think. Albums that came out this year are tough to consider because they've haven't quite set in yet. Then again, I'm listening to so much more music now than I did 9 years ago, it's hard to say how much I will come back to albums released this year.

Update: I had to make a couple corrections based on more reflection.

Here are my favorites:

50. Drive-By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera (2001) Ryan Adams - Gold (2001)
49. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)
48. Sigur Rós - Ágætis byrjun (2001) Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (2003)
47. The National - Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers (2003)
46. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (2008)
45. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time (2006)
44. The White Stripes - De Stijl (2000)
43. Drive-By Truckers - The Dirty South (2004)
42. Franz Ferdinand - Franz Ferdinand (2004)
41. The Black Keys - Rubber Factory (2004)
40. Muse - Origin of Symmetry (2001)
39. Mastodon - Crack the Skye (2009)
38. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine (2006)
37. Spoon - Gimme Fiction (2005)
36. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
35. Drive-By Truckers - Decoration Day (2003)
34. Radiohead - Hail to the Thief (2003)
33. Constantines - Shine a Light (2003)
32. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007)
31. TOOL - Lateralus (2001)
30. Radiohead - Amnesiac (2001)
29. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest (2009)
28. TV On The Radio - Dear Science, (2008)
27. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (2006)
26. Doves - The Last Broadcast (2002)
25. My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves (2003)
24. Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
23. The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (2005)
22. The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
21. Dismemberment Plan - Change (2001)
20. The White Stripes - Elephant (2003)
19. Muse - Absolution (2004)
18. TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)
17. Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
16. The Strokes - Is This It? (2001)
15. The National - Boxer (2007)
14. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)
13. Queens for the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)
12. The Wrens - Meadowlands (2003)
11. Cloud Cult - Advice for the Happy Hippopotamus (2005)
10. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
09. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
08. Broken Social Scene - Your Forgot It in People (2003)
07. Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)
06. Beck - Sea Change (2002)
05. The National - Alligator (2005)
04. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
03. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes (2002)
02. Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
01. Radiohead - Kid A (2000)

Recognizing 2009

I think it's worth recognizing that we're only into the 3rd month of the new year and already have a slew of excellent albums to chew on. Thus far, three have really stood out for me:

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - The Century of Self
Yeah Yeah Yeahs - It's Blitz!
Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

All three far exceeded my expectations. Trail of Dead's album is definitely front loaded but some of those songs are just so massive that it more than makes up for the slightly weaker tracks in the latter half. YYYs are changing with each new album and this one is easily my favorite. "Hysteric" comes close to rivaling "Maps" for me. I can really hear David Sitek's influence in this album. As for Grizzly Bear, I've appreciated their place in the indie music landscape but never been very interested in their music. This new album, however, is close to a masterpiece and warrants all of the hype that will precede and follow it's release. Expect a lot of new fans, myself included.

Other releases getting a lot of plays on my ipod:
The Antlers - Hospice
Arbouretum - Song of the Pearl
Fanfarlo - Reservoir
Obits - I Blame You
Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - s/t

Lots of upcoming releases to look forward to too: The Decemberists, Doves, Peter Bjorn and John and Mastodon. It's shaping up to be a good year for music which is more than I can say about anything else going on right now.

Picking out the best albums of the decade

2009 marks the end of the Twenty Ohs and with that, the absolutely necessary look back at my favorite rock albums of the decade. Last night's boring Grammy's telecast (with some exceptions!) seemed like a fitting time to begin that list. I'll try and rank them by the end of the year with the expectation that we get some good music this year. I know I must be missing some releases but at first glance, it appears there was a peak in 2005. This is what I came up with:

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes (2002)
Arcade Fire - Funeral (2004)
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007)
Beck - Sea Change (2002)
The Black Keys - Rubber Factory (2004)
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm (2005)
Broken Social Scene - Your Forgot It in People (2003)
Caribou - Andorra (2007)
Cat Power - You Are Free (2003)
Cloud Cult - Advice for the Happy Hippopotamus (2005)
Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
Constantines - Shine a Light (2003)
Death Cab for Cutie - Transatlanticism (2003)
Dismemberment Plan - Change (2001)
Doves - The Last Broadcast (2002)
The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots (2002)
The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (2006)
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights (2002)
Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
Muse - Absolution (2004)
My Morning Jacket - It Still Moves (2003)
The National - Alligator (2005)
The National - Boxer (2007)
The New Pornographers - Twin Cinema (2005)
Queens for the Stone Age - Songs for the Deaf (2002)
Radiohead - Kid A (2000)
Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)
Ryan Adams - Gold (2001)
Sparta - Wiretrap Scars (2002)
Spoon - Gimme Fiction (2005)
The Strokes - Is This It? (2001)
The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine (2006)
TOOL - Lateralus (2001)
TV On The Radio - Dear Science, (2008)
TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain (2006)
The White Stripes - Elephant (2003)
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells (2001)
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002)
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary (2005)
The Wrens - Meadowlands (2003)

Leftovers and a Look Ahead

As the holidays and 2008 come to a close, I thought I'd pull out a few other stand-outs that didn't make my top 20 albums list but were noteworthy nonetheless.

"Dance":
Friendly Fires - s/t
Van She - V

2008 seemed to be a big year for dance albums, from Cut Copy to Hercules & Love Affair, but the two albums above received very little fanfare and, to me, where the best of the bunch. I've been listening to the Van She album nonstop for the last month.

Mainstream:
Death Cab for Cutie - Narrow Stairs
Coldplay - Viva La Vida

Both of these albums exceeded my expectations and were actually quite good. I just didn't listen to them very much.

From the U.K.:
Kaiser Chiefs - Off With Their Heads
The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of the Understatement
Glasvegas - s/t
Noah and the Whale - Peaceful, the World Lays Me Down
The Week That Was - s/t

Kaiser Chiefs rebounded after a lackluster second album. Unfortunately, Bloc Party did not. The others are all solid debut albums and are worth checking out.

Hip Hop:
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter III

Trendy, sure, but there are some great tracks on here.

"Indie":
Black Mountain - In the Future
Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk It Off
Tokyo Police Club - Elephant Shell
Silver Jews - Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea
Sebastien Grainger & the Mountains - s/t
Grand Archives - s/t
Love as Laughter - Holy
Ryan Adams & the Cardinals - Cardinology
The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues
Secret Machines - s/t
The Gutter Twins - Saturnalia
Ra Ra Riot - The Rhumb Line

Twelve albums that I think fell under the radar for the most part. All had some good to great songs but were ultimately a bit uneven.

Looking forward to 2009:
1.13 - Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
1.20 - John Frusciante - The Empyrean
1.27 - Franz Ferdinand - Tonight: Franz Ferdinand
1.27 - Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band - Working on a Dream
2.10 - Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) - Keep It Hid
2.17 - Trail of Dead - The Century of Self
3.10 - Handsome Furs - Face Control
3.24 - The Decemberists - Hazards of Love

Many others to look forward to in 2009 that don't yet have release dates including: Doves, Pearl Jam, Wilco, Mastodon, and New Pornographers to name a few.

Happy New Year everyone!

JK's Top Picks for 2008

    
  



It's December 1st and that means that there can't possibly be any new music released in the next month that will change my opinion of 2008. I'm also heading out on vacation later this week for 10 days so I'm ready to commit to this now. Overall, I think 2008 brought a lot of good quality albums with only a few stand-outs. For me, the first 3 selections were pretty easy while the rest were more difficult to piece together. Without further adieu:

My favorite albums:
20. Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creations Dark
19. Okkervil River - The Stand-Ins
18. Shearwater - Rook
17. Foals - Antidotes
16. Constantines - Kensington Heights
15. Portishead - Third
14. The Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
13. Cloud Cult - Feel Good Ghosts (Tea-Partying Through Tornadoes)
12. British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
11. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
10. Fleet Foxes - s/t
09. Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
08. Elbow - The Seldom Seen Kid
07. The Black Keys - Attack & Release
06. Beck - Modern Guilt
05. My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
04. Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue
03. Blitzen Trapper - Furr
02. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
01. TV On The Radio - Dear Science,

EPs:
04. Sebastien Grainger - American Names

03. One Day As A Lion - s/t

02. Trail of Dead - Festival Thyme

01. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant

Shows:
05. Fleet Foxes @ Bowery (7/9/08) [Read]

04. Hold Steady/Drive-By Truckers @ Terminal 5 (11/7/08) [Read]

03. Pearl Jam @ MSG I & II (6/24-6/25/08) [Read | Read]

02. The National @ Howard Gilman Opera House (2/23/08)  [Read]

01. Eddie Vedder @ NJPAC (8/7/08) [Read]

Songs:
20. Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks - "Gardenia"

19. Sebastien Grainger - "American Names"

18. Drive-By Truckers - "Two Daughters and a Beautiful Wife"

17. These New Puritans - "Elvis"

16. Cloud Cult - "The Ghost Inside Our House"

15. TV On The Radio - "DLZ"

14. Silver Jews - "San Francisco B.C."

13. Constantines - "Our Age"

12 & 11. My Morning Jacket - "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream, Pt 1 & 2"

10. Foals - "Red Sock Pugie"

09. Tokyo Police Club - "Tessellate"

08. Elbow - "Grounds for Divorce"

07. Plants and Animals - "New Kind of Love"

06. Black Mountain - "Tyrants"

05. TV On The Radio - "Golden Age"

04. Beck - "Chemtrails"

03. The Hold Steady - "Stay Positive"

02. Portishead - "The Rip"

01. Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos"

Freed from Majors in '07

UPDATE: "Freed" sounds better than "dropped" which is the word I originally used incorrectly.

Posting this list since I found it to be pretty interesting. Obviously, some have already moved on to new labels (Radiohead, The White Stripes) or just broken up entirely (Blood Brothers, Sound Team).

Airbourne
Alexz Johnson
Alkaline Trio
Amerie
...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead
Annie Steela
Ari Hest
Aslyn
Big Pooh and Little Brother
Blood Brothers
Bo Bice
Brendan James
Brett Ryan
Christian Daniel
Christina Milian
CMurder
Dandy Warhols
DMX
Fischerspooner
From First To Last
Goldie
Hedley
IMA Robot
INXS
JC Chasez
Jewel
J-Kwon
Joe Budden
Kelis
Kevin Devine
King Elementary
Liz Phair
Melissa Auf der Mar
Men, Women and Children
Moby
Mooney Suzuki
Natalie Warner
Nine Inch Nails
Northern State
Otep
Over It
P.O.D.
Paris Hilton
Paul McCartney
Phase 9
Prophet Omega
Radiohead
Reeve Oliver
Ronnie Day
Ruben Studdard
Shaggy
Shout Out Louds
Skye Sweetnam
Sound Team
Sparklehorse
Stacie Orrico
Sugarcult
Summer Obsession
The Clipse
The Donnas
The Music
The Outline
The Redwalls
The Vines
What About Frank
White Stripes

Another List: Billboard Critics' Poll

The folks at Billboard have done a nice job on their year-end list; and I say this, of course, because I agree with many of them. In related news, I'm growing a little tired of the so-called high-and-mighty sites bashing top album/song lists without coming up with a list of their own. These two particularly come to mind.

Billboard Critics' Poll:
10. Battles - Mirrored
09. Kanye West - Graduation
08. M.I.A. - Kala
08. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
08. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
07. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
06. Feist - The Reminder
05. The National - Boxer
04. Robert Plant and Alison Krauss - Raising Sand
03. Amy Winehouse - Back in Black
02. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
01. Radiohead - In Rainbows

Previous winners include Bob Dylan (2006), My Morning Jacket (2005) and Franz Ferdinand (2004)

UPDATE: Our friend Ultra8201 also agrees on Radiohead.

AV Club Top 25 of 2007

25. Iron and Wine, The Shepherd's Dog
24. James Murphy & Pat Mahoney, FabricLive 36
23. Fall Out Boy, Infinity on High
22. Bat For Lashes, Fur and Gold
21. Grinderman, Grinderman
20. Rilo Kiley, Under the Blacklight
19. Against Me!, New Wave
18. Ted Leo, Living With the Living
17. Low, Drums and Guns
16. The White Stripes, Icky Thump
15. Les Savy Fav, Let's Stay Friends
14. PJ Harvey, White Chalk
13. Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
12. Jesu, Conquerer
11. Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
10. Bloc Party, Weekend in the City
9. Wilco, Sky Blue Sky
8. Tegan and Sara, The Con
7. Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
6. M.I.A., Kala
5. Band of Horses, Cease to Begin
4. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver
3. Radiohead, In Rainbows
2. The National, Boxer
1. Arcade Fire, Neon Bible

That Fall Out Boy album kind of comes out of left field for me. I have to visit with M.I.A. and PJ Harvey. They are popping up on a lot of lists. I think this might be the strongest showing Bloc Party has had on any year end list I've seen.

AV Club's write up on Arcade Fire pretty much hits the nail right on the head. Win Butler and The Boss are on the current cover of Spin and you can read the beginning of their mutual interview here. Arcade Fire is about as epic as it gets...

Filter Mag's Top 10 of 2007

Pretty solid list from the gang at Filter Mag. I haven't listened to the Elvis Perkins or Great Northern albums and TGTBATQ is a bit questionable but I certainly won't argue with their first pick.

1. Radiohead, In Rainbows (self-released)
2. Band of Horses, Cease To Begin (Sub Pop)
3. Arcade Fire, Neon Bible (Merge)
4. The Good, The Bad & The Queen, The Good, The Bad & The Queen (Virgin Records)
5. Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam (Domino)
6. Elvis Perkins, Ash Wednesday (XL Recordings)
7. LCD Soundsystem, Sound of Silver (Capitol)
8. The National, Boxer (Beggars Banquet)
9. Great Northern, Trading Twilight For Daylight (Eenie Meenie)
10. Andrew Bird, Armchair Apochrypha (Fat Possum)

JKs Picks for 2007

I think most avid music listeners would agree that 2007 was a great year for music, not quite up to the quality of '05 but far better than an all-together dismal '06. I've been working on this list for quite awhile and here's my final version.

The Baker's Dozen:
13. Bruce Springsteen - Magic*
12. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond*
11. Division Day - Beartrap Island
10. Klaxons - Myths of the Near Future

9. The White Stripes - Icky Thump: This is a better album than I'm willing to give them credit for. Initially, I loved it but then I started to grow tired of Jack and Meg and I've since stopped listening to this. I think we just need some time apart. I'll be back.

8. The New Pornographers - Challengers: About as close to being a sure bet as they come.

7. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin: I can't see myself ever getting tired of listening to this album.

6. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga: see The New Pornographers.

5. Cloud Cult - The Meaning of 8: see The New Pornographers and Spoon.

4. Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals: I could regret putting this up too high but for now, this is exactly the fresh and unique sound from a new band that I needed this year.

3. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible: I think a lot of people will downgrade this due to overexposure (see The White Stripes) but I think this is truly a great album. They exceeded my expectations and earned arena rock status.

2. The National - Boxer: I think I saw them live 5 times this year and heard the same set list pretty much every time. Didn't bother me one bit.

1. Radiohead - In Rainbows: An easy pick for me. I can't believe I'm writing this but Rolling Stone really said it best: "...none of it sounds like any other band on earth; it delivers an emotional punch that proves all other rock stars owe us an apology."

* Proving that yes, old men can still rock.

10 Albums I recommend but fall short in a year of great music:
Queens of the Stone Age - Era Vulgaris
Jose Gonzalez - In Our Nature
Dragons of Zynth - Coronation Thieves
Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
Eddie Vedder - Into the Wild Motion Picture Soundtrack
The Twilight Sad - Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters
The Handsome Furs - Plague Park
Bloc Party - A Weekend in the City
Interpol - Our Love to Admire
White Rabbits - Fort Nightly

Albums that were critically acclaimed and I will never understand why:
Panda Bear - Person Pitch
Animal collective - Strawberry Jam
Sunset Rubdown - Random Spirit Lover
Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Albums that I thought I'd like but just couldn't get into:
Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew - Spirit If
Okkervil River - The Stage Names

Album that I thought was hit and miss although most felt was a hit:
LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

Established bands/artists that I just got into this year and am now completely into:
Ryan Adams
Modest Mouse
John Frusciante
The Silver Jews

The WTF album of 2007 released by a legend:
Puscifer - V is for Vagina

20 Favorite Songs of 2007:
1. Radiohead - "All I Need"
2. The National - "Fake Empire"
3. LCD Soundsystem - "All My Friends"
4. The National - "Mistaken for Strangers"
5. Band of Horses - "Cigarettes, Wedding Bands"
6. Radiohead - "Videotape"
7. Arcade Fire - "Keep the Car Running"
8. Cloud Cult - "Take Your Medicine"
9. Queens of the Stone Age - "Suture Up Your Future"
10. Interpol - "Mammoth"
11. Okkervil River - "Our Life is Not a Movie or Maybe
12. The National - "Slow Show"
13. Bloc Party - "Song for Clay (Disappear Here)"
14. Dragons of Zynth - "Anna Mae"
15. Radiohead - "Reckoner"
16. Yeasayer - "2080"
17. The White Stripes - A Martyr for My Love For You"
18. LCD Soundsystem - "Someone Great"
19. Yeasayer - "Wait for the Wintertime"
20. Sebastian Grainger & Les Montagnes- "Are There Ways to Come Home"

15 Favorites from the 2000s:
Radiohead - Kid A
Arcade Fire - Funeral
Radiohead - In Rainbows
...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags & Codes
Beck - Sea Change
Bloc Party - Silent Alarm
Broken Social Scene - Your Forgot It in People
Interpol - Turn on the Bright Lights
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
The Wrens - Meadowlands
Cloud Cult - Advice for the Happy Hippopotamus
The National - Alligator (or Boxer; haven't decided)
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
Dismemberment Plan - Change

Previously: 2006 Picks

Paste Magazine's 100 Best Albums of 2007

[Photo Credit: American Mary]

1. The National - Boxer
2. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
3. Bruce Springsteen - Magic
4. The White Stripes - Icky Thump
5. Feist - The Reminder
6. M.I.A. - Kala
7. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
8. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
9. Band of Horses - Cease to Begin
10. Iron & Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
11. Radiohead - In Rainbows
12. Avett Brothers - Emotionalism
13. Amy Winehouse - Back to Black
14. Loney, Dear - Loney, Noir
15. Kanye West - Graduation
16. Ryan Adams - Easy Tiger
17. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter
18. Miranda Lambert - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
19. Ted Leo & the Pharmacists - Living with the Living
20. Blonde Redhead - 23

[Rest of List | Staff Picks | Writer's Picks]

I am slowly getting the feeling that I like this new Radiohead more than the rest of the world. No doubt, a solid list. Some surprises for me are the strong finishes from Modest Mouse and Wilco. Those are, of course, very pleasant surprises because I thoroughly enjoyed both of the albums, but, for some reason remember some lukewarm reviews upon their release.

Top 50 Indie Anthems @ NME

Lists are funny because they always create mobscene comment threads. Lists by NME are funny because they completely lack long-term memory and have a gigantic hard-on for The Libertines. Here's their Top Ten Indie Anthems:

1. Oasis - "Live Forever"
2. Nirvana - "Smells Like Teen Spirit"
3. Pulp - "Common People"
4. The Smiths - "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
5. The Libertines - "Don't Look Back Into The Sun"
6. The Libertines - "Time For Heroes"
7. The Smiths - "How Soon Is Now?"
8. The Stone Roses - "I Am The Resurrection"
9. The Strokes - "Last Nite"
10. Arctic Monkeys - "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor"

[NME: 11-30 | 31-50]

Rock 'N Roll Hall of Fame's "Definitive 200"

"The Definitive 200 is a list of 200 ranked albums that every music lover should own...celebrating classic recordings by favorite iconic and contemporary artists." [The Definitive 200]

1. BEATLES - SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND 1967 Rock
2. PINK FLOYD - DARK SIDE OF THE MOON 1973 Rock
3. MICHAEL JACKSON - THRILLER 1982 Pop
4. LED ZEPPELIN - LED ZEPPELIN IV 1971 Rock
5. U2 - JOSHUA TREE 1987 Rock
6. ROLLING STONES - EXILE ON MAIN STREET 1972 Rock
7. CAROLE KING - TAPESTRY 1971 Adult Contemporary
8. BOB DYLAN - HIGHWAY '61 REVISITED 1965 Rock
9. BEACH BOYS - PET SOUNDS 1966 Rock
10. NIRVANA - NEVERMIND 1996 Rock
11. PEARL JAM - TEN 1991 Rock
12. BEATLES - ABBEY ROAD 1969 Rock
13. SANTANA - SUPERNATURAL 1999 Rock
14. METALLICA - METALLICA 1991 Rock
15. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN - BORN TO RUN 1984 Rock
16. PRINCE - PURPLE RAIN 1984 Pop
17. AC/DC - BACK IN BLACK 1980 Rock
18. ROLLING STONES - LET IT BLEED 1969 Rock
19. DOORS - DOORS 1967 Rock
20. GRATEFUL DEAD - AMERICAN BEAUTY 1970 Rock
21. SHANIA TWAIN - COME ON OVER 1997 Country
22. THE WHO - WHO'S NEXT 1971 Rock
23. STEVIE WONDER - SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE 1976 R&B
24. FLEETWOOD MAC - RUMOURS 1977 Pop
25. PINK FLOYD - THE WALL 1979 Rock

Radiohead's OK Computer, arguably the best album of the 90's, comes in at #111, further down the line than Dave Matthews Band's Crash (#48), 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' (#57), Linkin Park's Hybrid Theory (#84), Creed's Human Clay (#95), and the Soundtrack to Dirty Dancing (#99). It is Radiohead's only entry on "the Definitive", a list which, we just discovered, isn't definitive.

100 Greatest Singers @ Q Magazine

RS pointed me over to the Independent who pointed me over to Q Magazine's list of the Best and Worst Singers Ever. Here's their Top Ten:

1. Elvis Presley
2. Aretha Franklin
3. Frank Sinatra
4. Otis Redding
5. John Lennon
6. Marvin Gaye
7. Kurt Cobain
8. Robert Plant
9. Mick Jagger
10. Jeff Buckley

2006: A (Tardy and) Somewhat Chronological History of Music and the Like Through the Eyes of a Soldier of Love, Arlington Chapter, Metro Distortion

The Albums
10. The Hold Steady - Boys & Girls In America
 It's surprising that The Hold Steady have such a stranglehold on the indie scene. There's a real frat boy aspect to all of it. The vocals aren't anything special, the songs are stories about kids getting hammered, going to the track, going back to the bar and (trying to) getting laid. They are a beautiful mess. Far from perfect. Getting by. Straining. They are a powerhouse bar band that won't wow you with their fashion sense or their looks. But they are going to bring some killer hooks to the party. And they are going to turn it upside down.

9. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
 In the summer after I graduated college, the rap scene was dead. It was slowly turning into a schtick. It seemed heartless and soulless and I struggled to find value in the majority of hip hop's output. Mos Def was turning to film, Talib Kweli's Quality wouldn't come out until November, ditto The Roots' Phrenology. Then August came and with it, Scarface's The Fix and Clipse's Lord Willin', both top to bottom monsters. They brought me back. They gave me hope. And I still throw them on to this day. Clipse did again this year. It was a tumultuous and well documented experience for Clipse. At some points it seemed like the album wouldn't see the light of day. But they're hustlers and they're hungry and the rest of their genre can take note. The quality, veracity and sheer lyrical violence of their sharp cadence is what hip-hop is all about.

8. Mastodon - Blood Mountain
 I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love a band that can be attacked from an array of different angles. Drums ("Hand of Stone"), guitar work, vocals and lyrics. It is all here. Some might be put off by the three headed wolf-deer on the cover or the terse lyricism that circles around seemingly mythic and cryptic subject matter. But it is special, unique and well-crafted. Drawing on guest vocals from Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and Cedric Bixler-Zavala (The Mars Volta) and keyboard work from Ikey Owens (The Mars Volta) Mastodon excels at delivering a heavy punch in every song. The gear changes in the first minute of "Hunters of the Sky" harkens early Metallica. And that is a good thing. Harmonies and thrashing guitars collide on epic tracks like "Colony of Birchmen" and "Capillarian Crest" and while I am breathless by the end, I am begging for more and wondering why more metal bands don't deliver like this. It's not to say that it's easy, just that there is a void in metal music. But, Mastodon is filling it. Expertly.

7. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
 When I came home for Christmas, I was thrilled at the thought of throwing this album on for the moms. My mother is a wonderful pianist whose musical tastes are as varied as the drug-induced Beatles work (from Revolver on) to Mozart to Norah Jones to the Eagles to Joan Baez. OK, so they aren't that varied. But, she knows a great song when she hears it. The lasting image of this album will be getting cocked at around 10:00 in the morning on Thanksgiving while it blasted from my parents Sound Dock. OK, so it didn't blast. But, they're fifty-plus and rock iPods. Thats solid. My mom loved it. Dug it. Wanted a copy. Wanted to start a blog and find more stuff like it. Well, it didn't get that far. But we must have listened to it four times through before meat thermometers were popping and guests were arriving.

What can be said about Neko that hasn't already been said. While there is beautiful instrumentation behind her, the real beauty lies in the stories woven by her beautifully sung lyrics. The tracks are driven by the power of her voice along with the power of the stories that she tells. Ironic, funny, and, at points, heartbreaking, her words create a world that you can escape to. Perhaps there is no greater praise you can give an album, the praise that it made you disappear, and that you leave different than the way you came.

6. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
 Sometimes it just takes a little time. The Crane Wife took a little time. When JQ was down several months ago we were fortunate enough to see the Decemberists at the 9:30 Club. It was much, much more than expected. Unfortunately we were rolling the dice on a Jeff Mangum sighting and bolted early for the Apples In Stereo show at Black Cat. We were also completely oblivious to Beck's presence in the District. JQ later regretted our move to Apples In Stereo instead of the second half of the show with Colin Meloy and the crew. So did I. I especially came to regret it about a month ago when I found myself in Other Desert Cities for reasons far beyond my control. I wasn't in the best place mentally and emotionally and I craved something outside of myself for help. I had a jones to disappear and escape, something not to uncommon recently, and working on the persistent advice of JQ I dove headlong into The Crane Wife. It was both a powerful and rewarding return. I found myself completely immersed in the delicate lyricism. And then the melodies. Perhaps the album's strongest asset are those melodies. Vivid, piercing melodies all balanced on sweeping guitar work and galloping drums. Where had I been? Where was all of this before? Had I made this list on time, The Crane Wife might not have made the cut. But during those days in the desert, while I was adrift in Colin Melloy's dreamscape, his fears, mysteries and social commentary, the album completely grabbed me and turned me inside out. I couldn't listen to one track without listening to the next and then, naturally, let it repeat on itself. It should come as no surprise that JQ has introduced me to another great album. This is the kid that pushed OK Computer on me in my youth, and later the soundtrack to She's the One and In The Aeroplane Over The Sea. I'm not expecting an outpouring of of support on the second one, but the validity and power of the other two is undisputable. JQ and I have a tendency to throw ITAOTS on after the bars, late late night. It has brought some of the best conversations he and I have ever had. Hopefully, when he returns from the Other Desert, we can nightcap with a discussion of The Crane Wife.

5. The Mars Volta - Amputechture
 Upon first listen my mouth was agape:

3 or 4 of the best songs this year are found inside TMV's "Tetragrammaton." Am I saying that because I am a huge fan? No. It is simply ridiculous. A 16 minute epic that bats second in TMV's 9 song lineup that absolutely slays. Jesus. Mary. And Omar. Unreal. I am getting hopped up on some hops getting ready to crash into Band of Horses at the Black Cat but all I am thinking about is this fucking album. Currently a 69 at Metacritic.com and a 100 at the Metro D hovel. October 21 cannot come soon enough. Nobody on the planet plays guitar like this. Nobody. [The First Listen]

TMV is one of my favorite bands. I have seen them three times now and they continue to impress me. This album came quickly on the heels on what I believed to be a huge step in their musical careers, Frances the Mute, and later, ScabDates. But nothing could have prepared me for the development in Cedric's vocals. Nothing. Out of the blue he floats into songs with the most beautiful harmonies. To look back, to look at the beginning, to investigate what made At the Drive-In so spectacular and then to listen to the most recent Cedric and Omar collaboration, is a long, strange trip to begin with. But here they are. Pumping out nine-minute radio-ready prog-rock bombs tracks like "Viscera Eyes" in the same breath that they drop seven-minute gorgeous vocal and jazz-fuzed explorations like "Vicarious Atonement". But as soon as those jazz trumpets fly in we are taking on another journey, in a different direction, in the epic "Tetragrammaton". Shifting between a union of Cedric's vocals with Omar's meandering guitar work and the classic Volta sequence (an assault of Cedric screaming over Omar's unpredictable and perfectly executed nastiness), it is what every TMV fan longs for: a balance between reality and the dream. The ethereal peak of "Tetragrammaton", arrives with Cedric's haunting vocals just shy of seven minutes in. It is the calm before the storm. In less than a minute we are at Omar's disposal, in the throes of his ability and imagination. Soon Cedric returns to deliver some of his classic vocals to the incessantly roaming guitarwork and the album never looks back.

4. Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
 The most overlooked album come the end of the year because it came out so early. Well, Metro D says fuck that. This was the first album I fell in love with. The fact that Ben Bridwell's voice actually sounds like that live is just icing on the cake. Their is a endearing softness to it, but you are always aware of the pounding beast that lies within. Their standout track, "The Funeral," encompasses the full range of Band of Horses' power: textured, subtle, delicate and unpredictable. But this album is more than one song.

This fall, as I recovered from a booze-soaked haze from the Band of Horses live experience I called friend of Metro D and friend of you, too, JQ. I told him that they played "The Funeral" second or third and never looked back. His response was "good, get that shit out of the way, they got too much more to their scene than building to that finale." He was right. While "The Funeral" busted the blogosphere wide open and is without a doubt one of the best songs of this milennium the rest of the album is just as impressive. On the way up you traverse Bridwell's hovering vocals in "The First Song", As you come down from chaotic finish of "The Funeral" you are welcomed with heartfelt harmonies and throbbing guitar-work in "The Great Salt Lake," bouncing guitar-pop nostalgia in "Weed Party" and some of the most soulful vocal work of the year in "I Go to the Barn Because I Like the". It clocks in just under 40 minutes, but it will linger for far longer than that.

3. The Thermals - The Body, The Blood, The Machine
 The Thermals' economic style doesn't mean that their latest effort - a departure from their previously fuzzy, lo-fi sound - doesn't pack a punch. This album packs a whallop. From the opening lines ("god reached his hand down from the sky/he flooded the land, then he set it afire/he said 'fear me again, know I'm your father/remember that no one can breathe underwater.'") thick with disdain for religious fundamentalism to the closing song that echoes sentiments of isolation, doom and dying hope. The Thermals achieve what few bands can: a seamless album focused on a singular idea. It is raw, edgy and ripe with catchy hooks (including an inverted "Wild Thing" riff in "I Might Need You To Kill") and pulsepounding riffs. It is as ambitious in goal as it is simple in form, as complex in thought as it is carefully executed.

It reminds me of Neutral Milk Hotel's In The Aeroplane Over the Sea. Relax, take a deep breath. I draw the comparison to the Jeff Mangum juggernaut of indie-lore because both have a unifying theme that runs the length of the album. Both are basic in instrumentation (ITAOS is almost entirely in first position, TB,TB,TM is "three chords and the truth" to the core) and covered in fragile, desperate - and, at points, off-key - vocals. Both albums flow from one song into the next with an eerie ease. And both are extremely difficult to let go of once they have their hooks in. And they have hooks to last for days...

2. Boris - Pink
 The Japanese trio open by saying goodbye. "Farewell" drones and spirals out of control to the point of making you wonder if you are at the beginning or the end. By the time "Woman On The Screen", "Pink", "Nothing Special" and "Electric" hit you in the chest and take the wind out of you the drone masterpieces that dot the rest of their sonic landscape (which was released in Japan last year) are welcome respites from their complete and total assault. There are rich layers, razor-sharp solos and the movements either have you lying on the floor watching your ceiling spin or banging your head until it whips off. The drumming that kicks off "Nothing Special" and continues to its furious finish reminds of some of Grohl's finest work for Nevermind. And as for Wata's chops, well, they speak for themself.

Boris is one of those bands, and Pink is one of those albums that continues to get better with each listen. They create a dense sound that rewards listeners because there are so many layers to peel back, so many angles to approach from. Pink is a truly unique, genre-bending achievement that had me rocking, thinking and awestruck from the spring to the winter. The fact that I had the opportunity to catch them live, made this album resonate even more. This album and the live experience that Boris provides are two things that you cannot underestimate, pass up or overlook. They are simply mindblowing.

1. TV On The Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
 Moment #1: JK e-mails me a bootleg of "Wolf Like Me" titled "Playhouses" in early 2006. Before we started the blog. Before I knew much of anything about TV On The Radio. The quality sucked. It was misnamed. And I loved every pulse-pounding minute of it.
Moment #2: Other desert cities, April, 2006. I'm at Coachella. By now I have every TVOTR release to date. I am hooked. I am an addict and I have to choose between My Morning Jacket and TVOTR. Dr. Beckett and I part ways. TV On The Radio blow my mind. I am in tears by the end of the show. Emotionally derailed and spent. I crave more. I need the new album.
Moment #3: I drop close to $30 to buy the import of Return to Cookie Mountain. I simply couldn't wait any longer. It's worth every penny. And then some. Soaring vocals. Amazing nuances to each song. Unmatched lyrical quality. They could stand alone without music as amazing works of free verse. The album is an instant classic. By the end of the year they are featured on MTV2 and selling out dates across the States. The word, if it wasn't already. Is out.
Moment #4: Three new tracks are announced for the US Version of Return to Cookie Mountain. Naturally, I buy that too.
Moment #5: I caught them at the 9:30 Club on a Sunday night. They were amazing. The memories of the Coachella performance came flooding back. The songs were beautiful. The experience indescribable. My girlfriend is blown away. His voice really sounds like that. Later that same week I catch them in Baltimore. We hang out after the show and meet the entire band. They are humble, smart, well-spoken, beautiful people. I am in love with a band.

The Short Bus: EPs and the like
5. The Little Ones - Sing Song [EP]
4. Tokyo Police Club - A Lesson In Crime [EP]
3. Cold War Kids - Up In Rags [EP]
2. The Shins - Phantom Limb [EP]
1. Witch - Witch

The Tracks
25. "And I Was A Boy From School" - Hot Chip
24. "Tonight" - TV On The Radio
23. "The Clock" - Thom Yorke
22. "Map of the Problematique" - Muse
21. "Nature of the Experiment" - Tokyo Police Club
20. "Mardy Bum" - Arctic Monkeys
19. "Pillar of Salt" - The Thermals
18. "Viscera Eyes" - The Mars Volta
17. "We Used to Vacation" - Cold War Kids
16. "Colossal" - Wolfmother
15. "Turn Into" - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
14. "So Many Miles" - Viva Voce
13. "When the War Came" - The Decemberists
12. "The Pot" - Tool
11. "Heart in a Cage" - The Strokes
10. "Hot Soft Light" - The Hold Steady
9. "Hold On Hold On" - Neko Case
8. "0" - John Frusciante & Omar Rodriguez-Lopez
7. "Comatose" - Pearl Jam
6. "Seer" - Witch
5. "Wet Sand" - Red Hot Chili Peppers
4. "Returning to the Fold" - The Thermals
3. "Psuedo-Bread" - Boris
2 (t). "Wolf Like Me" - TV On The Radio
2 (t). "Tetragrammaton" - The Mars Volta
1. "The Funeral" - Band of Horses

The Stupidest Shit I Read All Year
"The idea that My Chemical Romance is this generation's Nirvana is ridiculous to them. It's probably ridiculous to most of the people who read this blog, but to the average 16 year old kid, Nirvana is irrelevant in comparison to My Chem." [Ultragrrrl]

Pitchfork Is As Pitchfork Does
3. Hotlinking to one of Metro D's favorite blogs, rbally and giving no credit.
[rbally.net]
2. Taking the time to thoughtfully analyze and interpret the new Jet album.
[Monkeys Love Monkey Piss]
1. Announcing PLUG Awards. Telling everyone not to vote for Silversun Pickups.
[D-bag Move]

The Shows
Not including Coachella. That just wouldn't be fair.
15 (t). The Vacation @ Black Cat
15 (t). Tokyo Police Club @ Warehouse Next Door [MD]
14. Birdmonster @ Black Cat (Backstage) [MD]
13. Silversun Pickups @ Mercury Lounge [MD]
12. Muse @ Hammerstein Ballroom [MD]
11. Tool @ Verizon Center [MD]
10. Wolfmother @ Northsix [MD]
9. The Mars Volta/RHCP @ Pepsi Arena [TMV | RHCP]
8. Cloud Cult @ IOTA [MD]
7. The Strokes @ D.A.R. Constitution Hall
6. Cold War Kids @ Black Cat (Backstage) [MD]
5. Pearl Jam @ Verizon Center [Pics | Setlist]
4. The National @ Black Cat [MD]
3. Boris @ Ottobar [MD]
2. TV On The Radio @ 9:30 Club [MD]
1. Radiohead @ Tower Theater [MD]

The Movies
I never got around to The Queen, Pan's Labyrinth, Last King of Scotland, Letters From Iwo Jima, Inland Empire or Notes on a Scandal so take that as you may.
5. Little Miss Sunshine [IMDB.com | Official Site]

4. Babel [IMDB.com | Official Site]

3. Volver [IMDB.com | Official Site]

2. Children of Men [IMDB.com | Official Site]

1. The Fountain [IMDB.com | Official Site]


Better Late Then Never
This is all the stuff that I got around to late in the game and it came full circle in 2006. Sometimes you just get bogged down in one CD for too long. You know how it is.
Jose Gonzalez - Veneer
Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea
The Decemberists - Picaresque
Amores Perros
The Proposition
Y Tu Mama Tambien

G.L.O.W.: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrock
These are my favorite ladies that I caught in concert this year. There were a couple of conditions: I had to see them live and they had to rock. Not to be confused with the other G.L.O.W.: Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling.
Nicki Monninger (Silversun Pickups)
Karen O. (Yeah Yeah Yeahs)Wata (Boris)
Corrinne Lee (Snowden)
Amanda Tannen (stellastar*)
Most Comments (And Fun) On a Post
John Shaved His Head
I wasn't even trying to push anyone's buttons. That's the funny thing. More often than not I am trying to reach one or two people with my posts. This post was essentially an e-mail to Frat with a picture on it. It's that easy. I found out John shaved his head. I knew Frat would care. He did. And laughter ensued. The fact that a picture with a title sparked all the discussion (between all of about five different people) still cracks me up. I just noticed that "lovely scarf" brought some positive reinforcement later on. Much love. Frat, John and I will all link up again this Thursday night at the Verizon Center and I can't wait.

Best Night
This is hard. I won't even count Coachella. That was probably the three best nights of the year as music went. As for a single show, though, it had to be Silversun Pickups at Piano's after Silversun Pickups at Mercury Lounge following the Muse show at Hammerstein Ballroom. Everything worked perfectly from getting up to NYC cheap, to linking up with JK, getting some good eats, having time to kill some beers at Hammerstein, a perfect setlist from the Brighton bunch, JQ rolling in at the end of the SSPU show at Merc Lounge, charging my camera batts for two terrible shots at Piano's and a completely unnecessary tour of the city courtesy of JQ's older brother. I woke up three hours later and went to a wedding. I felt like dogshit, but it was the happiest lump of dogshit you'd ever find. Or step in.

Worst Night/Biggest Comeback
While meeting David Sitek, Tunde, and Kyp following the TV On The Radio show in Baltimore was the moment of moments this year, the streetfight that I wanted nothing to do with later on that night was the complete lowlight of an otherwise peaceful year of concert-going. Let's hope my first fight was my last. The poetic justice of Baltimore getting ranked in the top ten for the most dangerous cities within a month of what transpired in Federal Hill stung me more than humored me. That said, forget what the Colts did to the Pats on Sunday night, the fact that we pulled Top out of the hospital and drove to Albany for TMV and RHCP the following day was the Biggest Comeback of the Year.

The "Missed" List: Shows I Should Have Attended But Didn't
Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ 9:30 Club - I drove up to Brooklyn on a Sunday, caught Wolfmother at Northsix with JK, drove back to work in DC on Monday, and then had zero energy to catch this show.
My Morning Jacket @ 9:30 Club - Grad school applications.
The Hold Steady @ Black Cat - Thanksgiving.
Robert Randolph & the Family Band @ 9:30 Club - Thanksgiving.
Cloud Cult @ DC9 - Grad school applications, exhaustion. No excuse.
Daft Punk @ Coachella - I really don't know. This was just an error in judgment. I think I went and watched She Wants Revenge (or passed out in the grass for a stretch). What the fuck kind of move is that?
Beck @ Black Cat - There was absolutely no chance I could have caught this. I also didn't know about it.
The Wrens @ Black Cat - Grad school applications.

And yes this is about a month late. But, I put a little bit of thought into it. Kind of.