The Best Albums of the 00's: PD Version

When one looks back on the '00s, the music scene has changed dramatically. For the 2 decades prior ('80s and '90s), music, popular music for that matter, had been dictated by MTV. This is no longer the case. MTV has become obsolete unless you're into "reality" programming. The music scene has become more accessible with the internet and blogging, however we have to search out for music that we like as opposed to having pop shitte shoved down our throats. Trust me, this is a good thing. Consider adding any of the following albums to your music collection.

My top 30 albums of the 2000's:

30. Justin Townes Earle - "Midnight At The Movies" [2009]
-Choice track: They Killed John Henry
29. David Gilmour - "Live In Gdansk" [2008]
-Choice track: Take A Breath
28. Howe Gelb - "'Sno Angel Like You" [2006]
-Choice track: Robes Of Bible Black
27. Mew - "And The Glass Handed Kites" [2005]
-Choice track: Chinaberry Tree
26. Beck - "Sea Change" [2002]
-Choice track: Lost Cause
25. Iron Maiden - "Brave New World" [2000]
-Choice track: Out Of The Silent Planet
24. Wellwater Conspiracy - "The Scroll and Its Combinations" [2001]
-Choice track: Now, Invisibly
23. Band Of Horses - "Everything All The Time" [2006]
-Choice track: The Great Salt Lake
22. Gov't Mule - "The Deep End, Vol. 1" [2001]
-Choice track: Banks Of The Deep End
21. Robert Plant/Alison Krauss - "Raising Sand" [2007]
-Choice track: Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us
20. Kings Of Leon - "Youth And Young Manhood" [2003]
-Choice track: Red Morning Light
19. Andrew Bird - "The Mysterious Production Of Eggs" [2005]
-Choice track: A Nervous Tic Motion Of The Head To The Left
18. Tim Fite - "Gone Ain't Gone" [2005]
-Choice track: Away From The Snakes
17. 3 Inches Of Blood - "Fire Up The Blades" [2007]
-Choice track: The Hydra's Teeth
16. Lovage - "Music To Make Love To Your Old Lady By" [2001]
-Choice track: Anger Management
15. Maktub - "Khronos" [2003]
-Choice track: No Quarter
14. Ray LaMontagne - "Till The Sun Turns Black" [2006]
-Choice track: Till The Sun Turns Black
13. Les Claypool's Frog Brigade - "Live Frogs: Set 1" [2001]
-Choice track: Riddles Are Abound Tonight
12. Spoon - "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" [2007]
-Choice track: Don't Make Me A Target
11. Battles - "Mirrored" [2007]
-Choice track: Tonto
10. Tom Waits - "Orphans" [2006]
-Choice track: 2:19

9. Bonerama - "Bringing It Home" [2007]
-Choice track: Cabbage Alley

8. The Mars Volta - "De-Loused In The Comatorium" [2003]
-Choice track: Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt

7. Black Mountain - "In The Future" [2008]
-Choice track: Tyrant

6. Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova - "Once: Music From The Motion Picture" [2007]
-Choice track: When Your Minds Made Up

5. Mastodon - "Blood Mountain" [2006]
-Choice track: Sleeping Giant

4. Man Man - "Six Demon Bag" [2006]
-Choice track: Black Mission Goggles

3. Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - "Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus" [2004]
-Choice track: Cannibal's Hymn

2. Opeth - "Ghost Reveries" [2005]
-Choice track: Reverie/Harlequin Forest

1. William Elliott Whitmore - "Song Of The Blackbird" [2006]
-Choice track: Red Buds


As it seems, the best years for music this decade (in my mind) were 2006 and 2007 and the poorest were at the beginning, 2000, and end, 2009. My #1 album for the decade, WEW's "Song of the Blackbird" is truly a classic. I have yet to hear any complaints from those I have recommended it to. It may not seem like an obvious choice for #1 as a lot of people have never heard of this album let alone this artist. However, this farm boy from Iowa has easily crafted an album that is among my favorites of all time. It is a brilliant "Folk Opera" dealing with rural life, death, drought and flood. Seeing his live performance a year ago only solidified this album as my overall pick. The rest, regardless of the genre, are top notch to say the least. Some albums did not make the list because I did not want to duplicate artists; William Elliott Whitmore's 2009 release "Animals In The Dark" could have easily been among the top 20 as well as Nick Cave's 2008 album "Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!" Honorable mentions include Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", Radiohead's "Kid A", Iced Earth's "The Glorious Burden", Jurassic 5's "Quality Control", TV On The Radio's "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes", The Word's self-titled album, Fantomas' "The Director's Cut", Outkast's "Speakerboxxx/The Love Below", Megadeth's "United Abominations", Sufjan Stevens' "Illinois", Trivium's "Ascendency" and Blackalicious' "Blazing Arrow." The '10s have a lot to live up to.

Best of 2009 - GW Version

As my maiden posting on the Co-op (thanks for the invite Paul) I thought I'd throw out the list of my favorite albums from the last year of the aughts.

I have a hard time making a list which ranks my favorites of anything, especially music, so I'm going to stay away from giving a "Top Ten List". I think music listening is simply too contextual to say without fail that Album ____ is my favorite. If I was asked "What is your favorite album of 2009?" I would probably reply "It depends on what I'm in the mood for."

Dangling preposition aside, I believe each album's weight is dependant on what sort of listening experience I was seeking. I wouldn't necessarily pick The Swell Season's new album as my favorite music for heading to the gym, but I would put it pretty close to the top for Saturday morning breakfast with the family. Conversely, when I want to emulate any driving scene from Ronin or The Transporter, I will throw in the We Were Promised Jetpacks album and proceed to be "that guy" who drives like a bat-out-of-hell while having his music just a little too loud for a guy who is wearing a suit and is in his mid-30's.

Also, I inevitably look back at my lists from the previous years and am disappointed with my rankings at the time and wish I could redo them based on the longevity of each album at the current time. The scale continues to slide with each year. Which is also why I look at making a list of my favorite albums of the 2000-2009 decade as such a daunting task. Anyway, without further rambling, here is my list of albums I think you should buy this year if you have not yet done so (albums listed in no particular order). Enjoy.

We Were Promised Jetpacks - "These Four Walls" (Alt Rock)
William Elliott Whitmore - "Animals In The Dark" (Blue Grass/Folk)
The Clientelle - "Bonfires On The Heath" (Indie Rock)
Cotton Jones - "Paranoid Cocoon" (70's Folk)
Foreign Born - "Person to Person" (Indie Rock)
Andrew Bird - "Noble Beast" (Folk/Indie Rock?)
The Swell Season - "Strict Joy" (Folk)
Colin Hay - "American Sunshine" (Folk/Pop)
DM Stith - "Heavy Ghost" (Indie Rock/Folk?)
Sholi - "Sholi" (Indie Rock)

A couple notes on the above list. First: take all of the genre classifications with a grain of salt. I feel like I'm having a conversation with my wife about paint colors when trying to figure out what genre a certain artist/band fits into. Is the paint color green or is it "forest wren"? Is the album Indie Rock or "Post-Modern Alternative Punk Rock"? I'm frankly not smart enough to make that determination. I am a product of the Poison, Cinderella and Def Leppard era. How am I supposed to know?

Second: Colin Hay could not come any more highly recommended as being placed on the MUST SEE list if he ever comes to your neck of the woods. He will be in the Minneapolis/Milwaukee/Chicago area this summer. I've been to see him 4 times since I've lived in Milwaukee. The shows are solo acoustic performances - which is when he's at his best. Buy the "Transcendental Highway" album for the song "I'm Doing Fine". That song alone makes the purchase worth it. He plays a mean accoustic guitar (contradiction of terms?) and has one of the most unique voices around. Check him out on the daytrotter website to get a taste of him acoustically.

http://www.daytrotter.com/dt/colin-hay-concert/20030904-37382032.html

Happy New Years, all. Buy some Tom & Jerry's mix, crank your favorite albums and tell your friends and family that there is actually good music out there that does not have anything to do with Miley or Cyrus.

- Wilbs

Artist of the Decade Rebuttal

Although Jack White had one hell of a decade and tops most critics list as the best the decade had to offer, he seems too obvious of a choice. I pose an argument for another music pioneer who not only released three of his best albums in the 00's after releasing a greatest hits album in the late nineties but had multiple other accomplishments to go along with his vast music repertoire. I am talking about none other than Nick Cave. This singer, songwriter, poet, author, composer, screenwriter from Victoria, Australia has been one of the hardest working people in music for three decades and after releasing his "Best of" collection in 1998, decided to put out even more groundbreaking material. Plus the man has released almost an album every year since 1984! My argument continues below:

2001 - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds release No More Shall We Part. Chilling ballads with haunting lyrics.
2002 - Performs "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" with the legendary Johnny Cash on American IV: The Man Comes Around. He also covered the Beatles "Let It Be" and "Here Comes The Sun" for the I Am Sam soundtrack.
2003 - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds release Nocturama
2004 - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds release the double album Abbatoir Blues/The Lyre Of Orpheus. Both albums have no faults. 17 perfect songs. The first album Abbatoir Blues is Western gospel, fire and brimstone preacher-style, rock brilliance. The second, The Lyre Of Orpheus, showcases Mr. Cave's more mellow side, yet doesn't compromise his lyrical fortitude.
2005 - The Proposition is released in theaters. Nick Cave wrote the original screenplay and the soundtrack/score to the movie. The film is quite possibly the best Western since The Unforgiven and one of my favorite movies of the decade.
2006 - See 2007, he had a big year and was in preparation.
2007 - Grinderman's self-titled debut album is released. Grinderman consists of Nick Cave and three members of the Bad Seeds. The album showcases more of a raunchy rock sound and has some fantastic lyrics to fit the mood of the album. The Assassination of Jesse James by the coward Robert Ford is released in theaters. Nick Cave wrote the soundtrack/score to the movie and had a cameo appearance.
2008 - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds release Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!. Favorite album of 2008. Check out the self titled track, "Albert Goes West", and "Midnight Man".
2009 - The Road by Cormac McCarthy is released in theaters. Nick Cave wrote the soundtrack/score to the movie. He also released his second novel The Death Of Bunny Munro.

Case closed. Plus, who could argue with that 'stache?

Best of 2009 - ZH version

I'm going with 5 this year. The caveat to any list and this one in particular is that there is no possible way for me to have listened to every album that qualifies. This is one man's opinion based on one man's particular exposures and preferences. Of the music I did listen to, these 5 stand out above the rest. I also agree with Wilbs that lists like these are somewhat trivial, but they're also kind of fun and are certainly intended to be taken with a grain of salt. There are several other albums that deserve mention, including but not limited to those from Cymbals Eat Guitars, The xx, Kyp Malone, Ramona Falls, Japandroids, Harlem Shakes, Flaming Lips, Fiery Furnaces, Devendra Banhart, The Cave Singers, The Dead Weather, Dan Auerbach, White Rabbits, Peter, Bjorn & John, Bonnie Prince Billy, The Avett Brothers, Andrew Bird, Animal Collective, AIR, Yeah Yeah Yeah's, St. Vincent, Radio Moscow, Wilco and even Pearl Jam.

5. The Decemberists - Hazard of Love

4. Sunset Rubdown - Dragonslayer

3. William Elliott Whitmore - Animals in the Dark

2. Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca

1. Grizzly Bear - Veckatimest

Best Albums of 2009: PD Version

This decade has finally come to an end and before I divulge my '00s "Best Of" list, here are my personal favorites from 2009. Enjoy this list for what it's worth. Depending on your preference of genre, these albums are definitely worth while.

10. The Swell Season – “Strict Joy” [Alternative]

Best tracks: Paper Cup, In These Arms, The Verb


9. Baroness – “Blue Record” [Metal]

Best tracks: A Horse Called Golgotha, Swollen And Halo, War Wisdom And Rhyme


8. Clutch – “Strange Cousins From The West” [Rock]

Best tracks: Minotaur, Freakonomics, Let A Poor Man Be


7. Andrew Bird – “Noble Beast” [Alternative]

Best tracks: Oh No, The Privateers, Natural Disaster


6. The Bakerton Group – “El Rojo” [Rock, Psychedelic]

Best tracks: Life On Lars, Chancellor, Work ‘Em


5. The Avett Brothers – “I And Love And You” [Alternative Folk]

Best tracks: Tin Man, I And Love And You, And It Spread


4. Tom Waits – “Glitter And Doom Live” [Singer/Songwriter, Alternative]

Best tracks: Going Out West, Metropolitan Glide, Singapore


3. Justin Townes Earle – “Midnight At The Movies” [Alt-Country]

Best tracks: They Killed John Henry, Mama’s Eyes, Walk Out


2. Mastodon – “Crack The Skye” [ Metal]

Best tracks: The Last Baron, The Czar, Divinations


1. William Elliott Whitmore – “Animals In The Dark” [Folk/Americana]

Best tracks: Hell Or High Water, Hard Times, Lifetime Underground

Artist of the Decade

It won't be hard to predict who my choice for this prestigious title will be. I decided to lay this out there before I unveil my top of the decade because his releases alone could fill out most of my top 10. That doesn't make for a very interesting list. I have loved the White Stripes since the first time I heard them (while this tribute is specifically dedicated to Jack, want to assure everyone that I appreciate what Meg has given us too). So, I've decided to list the top 10 reasons why Jack White is my artist of the decade for the 2000s. I've been reading a lot of blogs saying Kanye deserves the title for "transforming" the world of hip hop or that Animal Collective earned it for reasons I can not comprehend or that it should be George Strait (if you're into that kind of thing). For me there's no close second place (although second place would probably be Danger Mouse). The reason Jack runs away with it for me is because he came with quantity and quality. I challenge anyone to come up with one other artist who was as productive during the 00s as he was. Let's take a look:

2000: Second White Stripes album De Stijl is released.

2001: He follows that up the very next year with their breakthrough, White Blood Cells.

2002: What? No album released? What a slacker.

2003: White Stripes' Elephant is released, probably their most acclaimed album to date. Not one to sit on his hands, Jack also contributes 5 songs to the Cold Mountain Soundtrack and even plays a minor role in the film

2004: Van Lear Rose is released. Jack produced it and performed on it. It was Loretta Lynn's rebirth album, in the way American Recordings was for Johnny Cash. If you've never heard it, do yourself a favor.

2005: The White Stripes' Get Behind Me Satan is released.

2006: The first of Jack's side projects is formed and The Raconteurs' Broken Boy Soldiers is released.

2007: White Stripes are back AGAIN with Icky Thump.

2008: The Raconteurs' Consolers of the Lonely is released. Do yourself another favor.

2009: Jack's second side project, The Dead Weather, releases their debut, Horehound. Jack releases Fly Farm Blues, his first track under his own name since the Cold Mountain Soundtrack, for It Might Get Loud, the documentary about him, the Edge and Jimmy Page.

No one can deny the man is prolific. The amazing thing is, however, that all of these (with the possible exception of Broken Boy Soldiers) are simply outstanding albums.

Bless you Jack. Here's hoping we get more of the same in the teens.

Irish Rhythm And Blues

"Do you not get it, lads? The Irish are the blacks of Europe. And Dubliners are the blacks of Ireland. And the Northside Dubliners are the blacks of Dublin. So say it once, say it loud: I'm black and I'm proud!" Fot those of you who have never seen this "movie that rocks" it is Alan Parker's "The Commitments."



The film was released in 1991 and the soundtrack earned a Grammy nomination in 1992 for Best Pop Vocal Performance by a Group. The movie is about Jimmy Rabbitte, an aspiring music manager from Dublin, Ireland who is tired of the "shitte" music being shoved down his throat and sets out to assemble a band who plays only rhythm and blues. The result is a brilliant film directed by none other than the man who gave us the film version of "Pink Floyd's The Wall". The song is a musical (similar to how "Once" could be categorized as a musical) in the sense that there are many scenes in which the band plays full renditions of R&B songs like "Mustang Sally" and Wilson Pickett classics. Trust me, there is no singing dialogue. I only recently saw the film myself and the soundtrack is completely deserved of the Grammy nomination. Below is a clip from the movie in which The Commitments lead singer Deco Cuffe, played by a then 17-year-old Andrew Strong, sings Otis Redding's "Try A Little Tenderness." For those of you who have seen "Once" or are fans of The Frames and/or The Swell Season, Glen Hansard plays the lead guitarist, Outspan Foster.



"Is this the band then? Betcha U2 are shittin' themselves." - Jimmy Rabbitte, Sr.

For The Swell Of It

New Daytrotter session released today. The Swell Season play a great 5 song set and close with an unreleased song.

Daytrotter: The Swell Season 2009

Best of the 1990's - Take 2

I've been thinking about the end of the year and end of the decade lists quite a bit lately. When I saw PD's last post I thought he was totally stuck in the 90's. The idea seemed irrelevant to me given all the exciting things that have happened over the last 10 years. Then I read his list and decided it was actually a worthwhile exercise, a good warm up for the other two big lists. I decided to create my own list for two reasons. First, I realized I've never actually gone back and done inventory on the 90's before. Reading through PD's list evoked memories from what will probably be the most concentrated period of change and growth I'll experience in my entire life. I entered the decade as a skinny little mullet-headed teenager and left it as a college graduate on the cusp of medical school and marriage. And I can't think of a single experience from that era without hearing an associated soundtrack. Today I can't imagine life, or even a single day, without music and it was during the 1990's that I learned how to love it. That alone is reason enough to go forward with this exercise. The other reason I created a list was because I knew I could make a better one. I'm kidding of course, however while PD's list is impressive, I felt a second perspective was warranted.

The biggest challenge for me in compiling this list was deciding what criteria to use. Many albums from the 90's are ones that I loved then and love now, rock solid efforts that defined our generation and have been a major influence for me and for many of the bands who will show up on my 00s list. Examples include most of the albums at the top of my list. Others on the list were albums I never knew existed when they were released, but only came to appreciate their brilliance years later, for instance In "An Aeroplane Over The Sea". Then finally, there were dozens of albums that were an integral part of my life when they came out, but have slowly drifted out of my rotation as the years have passed. I haven't lost interest them and they are still just as significant to me now as they were then, but, like many of the friends I shared them with, we've drifted apart. Though these albums, like "Metallica" and "Siamese Dream," are further down on my list, they are no less important. I love pulling out these CD's because they instantly bring me back to a time when life was simple and responsibilities few. So, in the end I decided I'd use a combination of all these. I tried to only choose one album from a particular group or artist to keep it diverse, however there were a few exceptions.

30. Slayer - "Seasons in the Abyss"
29. Smashing Pumpkins - "Siamese Dream"
28. Oasis - "(What's the Story) Morning Glory"
27. Butter 08 - "Butter 08"
26. Metallica - "Metallica"
25. Alice in Chains - "Jar of Flies"
24. Neutral Milk Hotel - "In An Aeroplane Over The Sea
23. Weezer - "Weezer"
22. Guns n Roses - "Use Your Illusion 1 and 2"
21. Ben Lee - "Something to Remember Me By"
20. Snoop Doggy Dogg - "Doggystyle"
19. Elliott Smith - "XO"
18. Nine Inch Nails - "The Downward Spiral"
17. Beta Band - "The Three EPs"
16. Money Mark - "Push the Button"
15. Billy Bragg and Wilco - "Mermaid Avenue"
14. Air - "Moon Safari"
13. Pavement - "Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain"
12. Janes Addiction - "Ritual de lo Habitual"
11. Pearl Jam - "Ten"
10. Beck - "Odelay"
9. Faith No More - "Angel Dust"
8. Nirvana - "Unplugged in New York"
7. Wilco - "Being There"
6. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Blood Sugar Sex Magik"
5. Mr. Bungle - "California"

4. Radiohead - "The Bends"

3. Beastie Boys - "Check Your Head"

2. Johnny Cash - "American Recordings"

1. Radiohead - "OK Computer"

90s Best

In anticipation of the year coming to a close. I am preparing my best of 2009 and the best of the decade that is passing us by. With that in mind, I want to give homage to quite possibly the greatest decade for music, the '90s. Of course, I went through middle school, high school and college in this decade therefore I have some fond memories. These are the albums that shaped that decade for me. My best of the '90s.

30. The Commitments - "The Commitments: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack" [1991]
29. Pearl Jam - "Ten" [1991]
28. Soundgarden - "Superunknown" [1994]
27. Stone Temple Pilots - "Core" [1992]
26. Foo Fighters - "The Colour And The Shape" [1997]
25. Metallica - "Metallica" [1991]
24. Fiona Apple - "Tidal" [1996]
23. Morphine - "Yes" [1995]
22. Alice In Chains - "Dirt" [1992]
21. Spacehog - "Resident Alien" [1995]
20. Chris Cornell - "Euphoria Morning" [1999]
19. Monty Montgomery - "Mirror" [1999]
18. Danzig - "Danzig II: Lucifuge" [1990]
17. Live - "Throwing Copper" [1994]
16. Red Hot Chili Peppers - "Blood Sugar Sex Magik" [1991]
15. Rage Against The Machine - "Rage Against The Machine" [1992]
14. Weezer - "Weezer" [1994]
13. Radiohead - "OK Computer" [1997]
12. Opeth - "Still Life" [1999]
11. Jeff Buckley - "Grace" [1994]
10. Faith No More - "Album Of The Year" [1997]
9. Nirvana - "Nevermind" [1991]
8. Refused - "The Shape Of Punk To Come" [1998]
7. Helmet - "Meantime" [1992]
6. Tool - "AEnima" [1996]
5. Mr. Bungle - "California" [1999]

4. Portishead - "Dummy" [1994]

3. Toadies - "Rubberneck" [1994]

2. Primus - "Sailing The Seas Of Cheese" [1991]

1. Megadeth - "Rust In Peace" [1990]

Led Bone

The best live act in New Orleans, Bonerama, recently released a 5 song EP entitled "Hard Times".



This trombone quartet (playing as a trio in the clip below) and killer backing band play funk, jazz and rock like no other. On this release they cover Led Zeppelin's "When The Levee Breaks" and the result is one of the grooviest covers ever. This song alone is worth the price of the album. Check out this live performance. For those with a short attention span start at 6 min. 30 sec. Brilliant.

The Shape Of Metal To Come

I recently purchased the new Baroness album "Blue Record" and have been spinning it non-stop for about a week. This is a follow-up, actually more of a companion piece to "Red Album" which was released in 2007 and named Revolver magazine's "Best Album of 2007". For those who are not familiar with Baroness, think Mastodon with influences of The Moody Blues, The Allman Brothers Band, Thin Lizzy and King Crimson. You could either categorize "Blue Record" as a metal or hard rock album as it has a classic rock groove throughout. Even those not into extreme hard core metal would appreciate this album as it grooves with a definite Southern rock vibe. Much of this is due to the production of John Congleton who has also produced The Roots, William Elliott Whitmore, and one of the best albums of 2008, Black Mountain's "In The Future." That all being said, this album is still METAL through and through!



Best tracks: "A Horse Called Golgotha", "War, Wisdom and Rhyme" and "Swollen and Halo."

Rating: 4 out of 5

Monsters of Folk

SHANGRI-LA 10-13-09 Yeah, it took me awhile to get to this album, but it was seemingly worth the wait. The initial offering from this independent music supergroup (of sorts) is sharp throughout, filled with spiritual undertones, and is definitely an album that would fit well in the background while you and some friends enjoy a few cold ones by a campfire. My favorite cut is "Temazcal", a hauntingly beautiful Oberst offering which includes the lyric, "The love we made at gunpoint wasn't love at all". "A Man Named Truth" evokes the feel of southern-style folk songs complete with mandolin, baritone guitar, and a quietly driving beat. Jim James aching vocals on "Magic Marker" are reminiscent of Acoustic Cistuoga, but less pained and more philosophic. I wish I would've had the opportunity to catch these guys in Omaha, as I've heard the live performances have been amazing. Here's to hoping they come back around for another lap...

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Seasons in the Abyss

This isn't news, but Seasons in the Abyss is awesome.

I forgot.

I listened to it tonight while biking home from work. Probably 10 years since I listened to it all the way through.

Slow news day.

The Look and Feel of the Co-op

How is the selection of album covers chosen for the Co-op header.

Pink Floyd - Animals
The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet
Pearl Jam - Ten
Tom Waits - Rain Dogs
Beastie Boys - Ill Communication
Ray LaMontagne - Till The Sun Turns Black
Faith No More - The Real Thing
Iron Maiden - Live After Death
The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
Depeche Mode - Violator
Primus - Frizzle Fry
Beck - Odelay
REM - Automatic For The People
Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!!
Megadeth - Rust In Peace
Steven Malkmus and the Jicks - Real Emotional Trash
Interpol - Turn On The Bright Lights
Opeth - Ghost Reveries
TV On The Radio - Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes
Temple Of The Dog - Temple Of The Dog
William Elliott Whitmore - Song Of The Blackbird

REM - Reckoning replaces AFTP
Huey Lewis and the News - Sports replaced Temple Of The Dog

Any omissions or corrections that need to be made?

Dirty Projectors

The Dirty Projectors' album Bitte Orca has been one of my favorites so far this year and has spent considerable time in my rotation. Their music is unconventional, but in a very satisfying way. It's challenging, but not challenging like med school and residency, where you're exhausted, frustrated and confused when it's over. It's more of a challenge like finishing the NYT crossword; you put some work into it and at times it may seem like you're not getting anywhere, but if you stay with it and see it through, it all comes together so perfectly in the end. Their vocal efforts are comprised by Dave Longstreth, the lead singer, and three female singers Amber Coffman, Angel Deradoorian and Haley Dekle. They make great use of flowing harmonies, but also create dissonant sounds at times, part of the challenge, but also part of the reward. In a similar way, they'll take a straight-forward song structure and bust it apart with an abrupt change in the time signature. Anyway, they came to town last night and I got a chance to see them at the Aladdin Theater. Their show did not disappoint. Before seeing them, I really liked about half the songs or so on the latest album and anticipated hearing those. What I didn't anticipate was that the songs I'd previously just overlooked took on a whole new life seeing them live. It's like the gaps in the record were completely filled in. For me, Bitte Orca is now a 9 track masterpiece. Useful Chamber was one song that really paid off last night. The way it builds to the chorus and then lays back on those slightly dissonant voices before building again to finish it out took me by surprise. The other song that surprised me was Remade Horizon. The ladies have a vocal solo later in the song where they employ a technique called "hocketing" which was used in 13th and 14th century vocal music and is basically the sharing of a melody by multiple people. It's amazing. I've posted a link to a video of Dave and the ladies demonstrating it. It drags on, so you might want to skip toward the end. At any rate, seeing and hearing them perform it live is incredible. I think it would even impress the likes of Mike Patton and Reggie Watts. If you do watch the video, Dave also plays a sample of them hocketing with a guitar melody, which is also awesome.

Wascally Wabbits

Daytrotter just recorded and released a session with the "White Rabbits". Click on the link below and listen to the recordings.

Daytrotter: White Rabbits 2009

I strongly recommend checking out the Spoon, William Elliott Whitmore, and Mew sessions as well.

trick.....or....treat

One more ANTI-related post, then maybe I'll move on (maybe). Check out Tim Fite's website right now. He puts out a Halloween CD each year, available only on Halloween,. You can get all three of them free today. Haven't listened to 'em yet, but I'm sure they're full of spooky goodness from the gentleman with the itchy legs.

www.timfite.com

"Once" Again

The new Swell Season album "Strict Joy" was released this Tuesday. Another Anti- record label product. On just the first listen, this already sounds like a great album. The songs have a flavor ranging from 60s singer-songwriter duets to 80s electric synth-pop. Solid throughout and the arrangements are beautiful. Listen to the ballad "In These Arms" streamed on the Anti- website.




The Swell Season: Anti- Records

Seeing these guys live was amazing last year. If you buy the Deluxe Version you get a full live set as played at the Riverside Theater in Milwaukee plus a DVD of the concert.

Tom Waits Live Set

Nice work PD. I like this idea.

Anyway, a new Waits double disc live set available about a month from now. It has tracks from his tour last summer.

He's got a new section on the ANTI website that's pretty cool too: www.tomwaits.com.

I bet someone made some money off that domain name.

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