Published by David December 29th, 2006
in Random, Lists, Singles, Album and 2006.
Making lists is a personal activity that alomst everyone does in their daily lives. We create lists for our shopping, our daily projects: “to do”, home projects for the year, our new years resolutions. But we rarely get to share our everyday lists unless others are involve with the said list. “Here’s the grocery list, did I miss anything?” “Take a look at all these Christmas gifts we have to buy, is there anything else you can think of?” Most people do not have a desire to see other people’s lists until they actually see them. Curiosity would arise if the list maker wasn’t around or if someone left their list in the shopping cart, “baby wipes, diapers, condoms, oranges.”
Year end wrap-up music lists that are put out by music critics and reviewers are essentially the same thing as these personal lists, that’s if they are not a consensus from a larger group. I usually have a list on the top of my head that contains my favorite albums and another with all the songs that came during the year that I liked. When I am asked during the year what I think is good, I try rattling it off from memory but the list is ever-changing. After some contemplation and reviewing I narrowed a year’s worth of albums and songs that I have been listening to and put it on paper. Well not really since it’s all in the computer and I reviewed in iTunes all the stuff I listened to during the year. So pretend you’re in my kitchen and scattered among my bills lie the following two lists.
My 21 Top Favorite Albums of 2006:
- Bob Dylan- Modern Times
- Mark Mallman- Between the Devil and Middle C
- Chris Smither- Leave the Light On
- The Gourds- Heavy Ornamentals
- Michael Franti & Spearhead- Yell Fire!
- Hank III- Straight To Hell
- Cat Power- The Greatest
- Phoenix- It’s Never Been Like That
- Carey Ott- Lucid Dream
- Dion- Bronx In Blue
- David Mead- Tangerine
- Camera Obscura- Let’s Get Out of This Country
- Alice Smith- For Lovers, Dreamers & Me
- Alexi Murdoch- Time Without Consequence
- Wayne Hancock- Tulsa
- Yo La Tengo- I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass
- Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3- Ole! Tarantula
- Josh Rouse- Subtitulo
- Bobby Bare Jr.- The Longest Meow
- deadboy & the Elephantmen- We Are Night Sky
- Pearl Jam- Pearl Jam
My 21 Favorite Songs From 2006:
- Michael Franti & Spearhead- I Know I’m Not Alone
- Gnarls Barkley- Crazy
- Mark Mallman- Substances
- Camera Obscura- Lloyd, I’m Ready to Be Heartbroken
- Cory Branan- She’s My Rock-n-Roll
- Osaka Popstar- Wicked World
- Josh Rouse- Summertime
- The Lovely Sparrows- Your Flowers Will Bloom
- Pearl Jam- Parachutes
- Phoenix- Consolation Prizes
- deadboy & the Elephantmen- Stop, I’m Already Dead
- The Gourds- Decline O Meter
- Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins- The Charging Sky
- Cat Power- Could We
- Darondo- True (Reissue)
- The Coup- We Are the Ones
- Alexi Murdoch- All My Days
- Drive-By Truckers- Feb 14
- Gomez- See the World
- Alejandro Escovedo- Dearhead On the Wall
- Cat Empire- Cities
Published by Scott December 27th, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
The Submarine Races’ self-titled debut came out in June and I had hoped it would make its way to eMusic. In The Red Records, a fine punk/garage label, hadn’t sent anything to eMusic in a long time but finally a few weeks ago this one showed up. I was especially happy because it was at the top of the list for my few and far between brick and mortar purchases.
I’m glad my patience paid off because I would have been disappointed had I bought the physical disc. Not that The Submarine Races is a bad album. It’s very listenable and there are a couple of great songs. It just doesn’t live up to my mental hype. Lead Racer Ian Adams used to be in The Ponys and I was crazy about the tracks he contributed to that band, in particular the sublime “Fall Inn” on Laced With Romance. There are a few moments that equal that gem but generally speaking it’s an average album of artsy garage pop-rock.
Things get off to a particularly rough start with a challenging instrumental noise fest called “Theme.” There’s nothing else like it on the album and it’s really a questionable choice to pull listeners in. The proceedings improve vastly from there, with Adams’ nasal desperation backed by driving bass lines, alternately wiry/chunky guitar, and workmanlike drums. The most memorable songs are the ones with killer choruses, including “Get Yourself Together” and “One Forward, Three Back.” The organ and call-and-response vocals on “Ghosts and Worms” are pretty nifty too.
I noticed a lot of the chord progressions have an oldies vibe to them which contrasts nicely with the otherwise post-punk leanings. This really gives the band a distinctive sound. Hopefully Ian Adams’ tenure with The Submarine Races will at least equal his stint with The Ponys and he’ll continue to build on this promising beginning.
Published by James December 26th, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
Drumming is not something that often gets accolades let alone mentioned very often in the non-drummer press and I’ll be the first to admit that if the album isn’t one explicitly built around rhythm I pretty much ignore it which is why I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines Bright leveled me when I first heard it. Bobby Theberge maintains such a level of power that you can feel him pounding the kit like it was your chest yet he manages such control that his work is lyrical, floating to the front of the mix without being overpowering. His stick work is hypnotic and compelling both in how it propels the group forward but also in how it is integral to the melody in each song.
Now, I know that I am not too dialed into the continually fragmenting sub-genres in the Rock world but I am not entirely sure how the Emo tag was applied to Moros Eros. Maybe it is the thin veneer of keyboards that drift in the background, but the band grinds out songs that fit more in the realm of mid to late 90’s post-punk. They have a strong focus on equity in their compositions with no song being dominated by one instrument’s ego at the expense of the others. The songs are balanced and organized while managing to swing in a sort of angular fashion that is reminiscent of Fugazi and Circus Lupus. The the opening track “Today is the Day” where the drums wrestle with the guitars providing a substantial and sharp sound where Zach Tipton’s vocals can stretch like they do on “When I Wake” where DJ Schulz churns out the melody on bass with care and precision are standouts in this regard.
Maybe the Emo label comes from the lyrical focus of the album laying bare the interconnectedness of the hopeless, the resigned, and the fearful though the wanderings of the Devil in the night. Here the Devil is less an antagonist and more a device to bind these disparate tales together and it is effective as they move from a story of lost love to one where the character is wracked by questions of morality. Moros Eros is tight lyrically as they are as a band, making for a fascinating listen, and one where I often feel compelled to shout out responses in the choruses.
This year has been filled with great releases but Moros Eros’ I Saw The Devil Last Night And Now The Sun Shines Bright, with its power and lyricism, manages to shoulder many of them to the side. It is sitting at the top of my list for one of the best releases of this year. You can stream two tracks off the album “Today is the Day” and “Satan Has A Heart of Gold” over at their Myspace page. Very highly recommended.
Published by Scott December 14th, 2006
in Singles, Review and 2006.
Ah, yes. This Tom Heinl cover is a nice gift from Holly Golightly just in time for the holidays. And what a song! Not like a wimpy little spark from a bad string of lights that slowly consumes tree and house. “Christmas Tree on Fire” is spontaneous combustion, with drums crackling like flames and Holly’s strong voice radiating playful but intense heat. It’s a country-fried scorcher and shows Holly in top form.
The b-side, “Hear My Call, Here,” is pleasant but nowhere near as exciting. Another cover, originally by the Staples Singers, it’s kind of plodding in its angelic, girl-group deliberateness. Seems like it might be a good song for curling up in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot cocoa after clearing your driveway of a foot of snow. Or raking leaves if you’re in the South.
Surprisingly this is the only newly recorded material Holly has released this year. Not to worry though, there’s a new album to look forward to in March ‘07. In the meantime, grab this single from eMusic and mix it in with the holiday classics in your rotation.
Published by James December 14th, 2006
The Digital Music Weblog reports that eMusic crosses 100M mark and all without the music being crippled with DRM. Congratulations are in order!
Published by James December 13th, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
All Is Fair is a meditative album. It slowly stretches, winding its way through folk forms from nearly every continent while managing to fold in elements of Jazz, Rock, and the Western Classical tradition all of which results in a fine example of Fusion. If you are a fan of Kronos Quartet, and in particular their trance-like work Night Prayers, then you might find yourself drawn to the work on here as it possesses many of the same qualities though approaching them from different angle as Gojogo blend together upright bass, violin, tablas, with various brass and woodwinds to create a sometimes dark yet warm tapestry of sound.
“All Is Fair In Love and War”, nestled near the middle of the album and by far one of my favorite songs on the album, shows the group shaking loose the somnolent work of the prior tracks in the opening bars with a rhythm section built upon an angular tabla line and flanked by a very aggressive staccato violin and bass. Layered on top of it is a slightly restrained guitar line that growls and paces like a caged cat growing more pensive as the piece moves forward. At the midpoint it all crashes, falling on top of itself, and out of it emerges a plaintive melody on trumpet carried by soft woodwinds. Gojogo, in this track, demonstrates a keen ability to construct a narrative through the composition and choices in arrangement. Conversely, “Taal Mama”, which you can stream over at Myspace, is likely one of their more Trance-like pieces as it built around a cluster of simple rhythms and melodies that ensemble makes use of to hang variations on themes. It is understated but very enjoyable at the same.
All Is Fair is a breath of fresh air as it seamlessly blends together so many disparate musical traditions capturing the Trance elements of Modal Jazz and Abstract Electronic with Folk forms of Africa, Europe, and the Americas while maintaining a sense of urgency often found in Rock. It makes for a compelling listen and I highly recommend it. All Is Fair is one of my picks for Best of 2006.
Published by James December 7th, 2006
in Album, Review and 2006.
I’m Not Young But I Need The Money, that is a sentiment that I can relate to but beyond my little dramas Monsieur Leroc has dropped another compelling album and this time he has crafted a thick stew of Funk, Soul, Hip Hop, with a dash of House and a pinch of smart Euro sensibilities.
It is a dense experiment where Leroc slices samples of Jerry Lee Lewis into the slinky jive of “Great Balls” or the swinging sultry tones of “Freewheelin’ Frankie” whose pacing conjures those fumbling moments between new lovers. the reward lies in seeing just where he’ll hop to next, particularly when it comes to the pieces that feature rhyming. Setting the tone with the second track, “Alles Für die Cuts”, Leroc introduces the listener to German rhymes, which are at first startling to an ear used to English but they quickly become infection and the flow is spot on. At that halfway point he switches gears and drops a more traditional Hip Hop number with “Give Me Not Trouble” which features the mind numbing nimble vocal work of Radioinactive. Rounding out the album is an homage to 80’s era Prince with “Baby” and its crisp drum samples, near ecstatic vocals, and laid back synth line.
Whether the tones are sexy, “Pacemaker” or the lyrics channeling the bizarre, “NewIceCreamTruckSound” I’m Not Young But I Need The Money never ceases surprise, bewilder, or get your jimmy foot bouncing. Highly recommended and easily makes its way onto my Best of 2006 list.
