The second part of my Birthday gift to all of you, goes along with the Best of 2006.

My personal favorite album of 2006 is still PHOENIX-It's Never Been Like That.

My second favorite album is this, PETER BJORN AND JOHN-Writers Block.

You may have heard the ridiculous first single, Young Folks, with the addictive whistled opening, and chorus that will gladly stay in your head for weeks. Easily my vote for Best Song of 2006, by such a long distance, I can't even think of number 2. (Although it is Long Distance Call by Phoenix)

This album is so amazing, you may have to check your pants, pinch yourself, or simply wipe the tears away from your face. Seriously though, I don't want to build it up anymore.

Please just download it, listen to it, love it, and pass it off to people. Oh, and do it quick because the rumor is that Coke or Budweiser just bought the rites to Young Folks, and Grey's Anatomy already played it during one of their episodes.

I don't want to write about what it sounds like or anything clever or not so clever about it. It truly just deserves a listen from beginning to end, and you will be hooked.

I seriously believe that after the first and second listen, it could end up on many of your Best of 2006 lists. (Don't get me wrong, I love Badly Drawn Boy more than the next guy, but this album makes Born in the UK look like the latest release from Danity Kane)

The Magic Numbers-Those the Brokes

Hello Everyone,

Today is my birthday and I am feeling like giving things to other people.

My first gift to you all is the AMAZING new album from British brothers and sisters, THE MAGIC NUMBERS-THOSE THE BROKES.

This is their second album, and criminally does not come out in the U.S until February or March.

With sounds rooted in the 60's harmonies of beach pop, as well as modern Brit Pop and the lovingly titled Twee movement, THE MAGIC NUMBERS craft excellent pop songs that both move you and tickle and love bone. God, I am so cheesy sometimes.

Comprised of 2 sets of brothers and sisters, with simple pop harmonies and lyrics about love and joy and relationships, this is a perfect companion album to a bad day, a new girlfriend, a break-up, a long drive, a first date, a horrible Bears loss to the Vikings, or simply during the day in the office.

Happy Birthday from Me to all of you!!

How Cold Can Coldcut Get?

Coldcut is the seminal UK hip-hop production team of Jonathan More and Matt Black, a team that can be credited as much as anyone with advancing the hip-hop scene on British shores. Their style tends toward urban breaks, ambient dub, and jungle music, and anyone familiar with Ninja Tune Records can thank these two blokes: they started the label on the success of their early bootleg EPs.

What I've posted here is one of my favorite mixes, "70 Minutes of Madness", compiled by Coldcut as part of the Journeys by DJ series in 1995. Check the way they throw down the hilarious/bad-ass Kung-Fu film dialog in the beginning, move effortlessly into dub/reggae, slide over into urban breaks ("do you like scratchin'?"), and throw down some absolutely sick mixes. Nearly every important hip-hop break is represented on this mix at some point (the ubiquitous Stubblefield break, the Zeppelin break, an Eddie Bo break), as well as a lot of hip-hop artists like Mantronix (dig how they drop just a few moments of "King of the Beats" halfway through).

For hip-hop heads, this thing is geeky fun. The production is pretty slick, totally sick, and for an 11-year-old mix, remarkably fresh. Enjoy!

Posted while listening to Change (Makes You Want to Hustle) by Donald Byrd

a holler for some songs

Hey, does anyone still have that singles mix I posted a few weeks ago? I accidentally deleted some of the songs from my hard drive, and I NEED THOSE SONGS.

If someone could re-post, that would be tits.

EDIT: The relevant blog post is here

The Current's Top 89 of 2006

This is the time of year when music professionals and fans alike start compiling lists of their favorite releases of the past year. While I think these lists are a bit silly and pretentious, it's still fun to look back over the past year and remember what caught your ear. I know I have an iTunes playlist dedicated to this task. So, Minnesota Public Radio's very own, 89.3 The Current, is asking it's listeners to pick their top albums out of more than 700 that debuted on air in 2006. If anything, it's chance to throw your name in the hat for a new iPod.

Here's the list I came up with. See how important I am?

P.O.S. | Audition
Badly Drawn Boy | Born In The U.K.
The Decemberists | The Crane Wife
DeVotchka | Curse Your Little Heart
His Name is Alive | Detrola
Band of Horses | Everything All the Time
Neko Case | Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Cat Power | The Greatest
The Roots | Game Theory
Belle & Sebastian | The Life Pursuit
Bonnie 'Prince' Billy | The Letting Go
Mr. Lif | Mo' Mega
Murs & 9th Wonder | Murray's Revenge
M. Ward | Post-War
Califone | Roots & Crowns
Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins | Rabbit Fur Coat
Sonic Youth | Rather Ripped
TV On The Radio | Return To Cookie Mountain
Boat | Songs That You Might Not Like
Wolfmother | Wolfmother

Gob Iron - Death Songs for the Living

While not the Will Arnet inspired Banana Grabber death metal opus I was hoping for, Gob Iron is an interesting piece of music. Gob Iron is a UK slang for harmonica. and the band is a collaboration between Son Volt front man Jay Farrar and Varaline multi-instrumentalist Andres Parker.

Death Songs for the Living is album composed of folk tunes, are reworked to the duo's own stylistic musings. Where the music is not much of a departure from Farrar's work with Son Volt and Uncle Tupelo the album is interesting a quite good. The album could be best described as close cousin to that of Tupelo's March 18-20, 1992. Farrar playing the part of, well Jay Farrar, and Anders playing Jeff Tweedy. Both adding their own finger prints on each of the songs. The biggest complaint is that Anders doesn't play a bigger role vocally on the album. Anders voice sounds like a young Billy Bragg and is a bit fresh (at least to my ears) then Farrar's lazy pseudo-southern drawl.

Highlights on the album on are, "Hard Times," "Hills of Mexico," and "Death is Only a Dream."

***This post updated while watching Boston Legal***

Jay Bennett - The Magnificent Defeat

I while back I posted something and mentioned that I was listening to Jay Bennett's The Magnificent Defeat. Klein freaked and wanted to have the album. Now, it took me awhile, but here it is for Klein and the rest of you. But before I you go and download it let me give you my two cents, which inevitably will become a dollar you didn't ask for.

Jay Bennett got his first musical chops while in Titanic Love Affair. TLA was a middling power pop group from Urbana IL. Think Mudhoney without the Seattle Sound. Nothing special. Jay toiled in this band as well as Steve Pride and His Blood Kin. Jay's real talent was found in producing and engineering. He also taught Math. Jay engineered albums for low end alt country acts such as Tim Easton, Allison Moorer, and Sheryl Crow. His relationship with Allison Moorer eventually brought him to the notice of Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Jeff brought Jay on to Wilco as a touring member for AM. Jay was made a full member while recording the fantastic Being There. Jay played everything under the sun on that record. This would eventually become Jay's m.o. multi-instrumentalist.

Jeff found a unique writing partner in Jay. Jay was also the driving force behind the groups collaboration with English troubadour Billy Bragg on the Mermaid Avenue Records. Jeff and Jay's most fruitful collaboration was 1999's Summerteeth. It was Jay's crowning achievement in Wilco. He was able to put his stamp of a Beach Boy's-esqe harmonies and arrangments. Jeff really needed Jay and Jay needed Jeff. They worked well as a writing/producing team. 2001 brought about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. And well if you have not seen Sam Jones' documentary "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," about the making of that record, I cannot do the story justice. My suggestion is that you rent it. The short of is Jay left the band under dubious circumstances. "A circle can only have one center."

Jay was now free to do what he wanted. His first forary into solo music is to team up with a long time friend, Edward Burch and recorded the modest The Palace at 4 am and Palace 1919. The songs where great, a mix of stuff he and Jeff wrote but did not record for YHF, the Mermaid Avenue sessions and others.

Jay then went off on his own with the Ryan Adam's-esqe task of recording three albums in one year. First of which was Bigger Then Blue. Jay's second album The Beloved Enemy came out just 6 months later. Of course, marriage, divorce, and producing an album for Blues Traveler can put a cramp in anyone's plans. The third of the trilogy did not come out in 2006.

That brings us to this point. The Magnificent Defeat is a mess of an album. Apparently is culled from 70 + songs. It never finds it voice, it jumps from style to style with no reason to do so. Also the production is short of terrible. Jay, who is so enamored with the fact that he can play 50 instruments feels as though he should play them on every song. With several effects and vocal changes thrown in their for good measure. The album feels like someone who has discovered Pro-tools for the first time. The album is overindulgent and pretenious. With that being said there are some great songs on it. The opener "Slow Beautiful, Seconds Faster" is what is right and wrong about this album. "5th Grade" is what is right about song writing. "I Feel Fine" reminds us about why we fell in Love with Big Star and the like. The album is worth a listen, maybe a couple if you are big Summerteeth fan. Enjoy.


***This post updated while listening to Amiee Mann's I'm with Stupid***

Ryan Adams - Cardinal Radio

What happens when one of the most prolific songwriters of the last 5 years realizes that he can record music cheaply and get them out to the masses via the internet? The result is Ryan Adams' "Cardinal Radio". This online "radio station" consists of 8 Albums that Mr. Adams recorded under various pseudoyms such as DJ Reggie, The Shit, and WereWolph. Each band has its own unique style, from Hillbilly Punk to odd electronica. I feel most of it is unlistenable, but there are a few good nuggets mixed in there. I think Adams is doing this just becasue he can, and he knows people will listen and talk about him (like I am doing).

Adams' other albums are there as well for you to enjoy, if you are not familiar with his music check those out as well. I really like Ryan Adams with no real reason to do so. I think he is a great song writer, especially if you are into songs about women screwing you over. Or songs that sound like the Dead (Cold Roses) or the Replacements (Love is Hell). The problem is that he thinks he is the greatest songwriter ever and everything he puts out is awesome. Unfortunatly about 1/3 of it is fabulous and 1/3 is ok, and the last well is just not. I wish he would slow down and not put out some many albums and concentrate on putting out an album that is truly great. He has it in him. Plus he is looking more and more like a strung out Harry Potter, which is always cool.

Love Ryan Admas or hate him, he is doing some interesting things with music putting out what he wants. Pure Egotism, maybe? Genius? Time will tell. Interesting, yes.

***this post updated while listening to Katie sing lullabyes to Burke***

Right or Wrong?

Of all of the albums covered out there in the big bad world, not many artists have had the cullions to remake a masterpiece. Could anything be more dangerous to a musical career than to turn The Wall into a bluegrass album? Enter Luther Wright and the Wrongs.

I give to you the timeless clasic, only this time with a side of madolin, banjo and pedel steel.

Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

Of Montreal's newest album, Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?, continues the journey with Kevin Barnes into euphoric synth-pop. Although this album is scheduled to be release in the first month of 2007, it could easily have been released in 1977. Parallels with prog-rock experimental artists of the 70's and 80's is uncanny. I've only listened to this album once through, so I pass it along to you without judgement, except to say that the album's longest track, The Past Is A Grotesque Animal, is terrifying. Enjoy.

Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire

If you are a Beatles fan give this album a listen. Throughout the album there are Beatles-esque, whimsy, simple, and melancholy melodies. It has grown on me. Tracks 1 and 10 are good.

Ghostland Observatory-Paparazzi Lightning

Thought I would post a little upbeat dancing tunes for this here Tuesday, the voting day.

The band is not political, just excellent.

They hail from Austin, Texas, and are comprised of a 2 friends, one with pig-tails who sings oh so heavenly, and the other who usually wears a cape, and makes the beats with his computer. Check out their Myspace page for more. www.myspace.com/ghostlandobservatory

The music is on par with The Rapture, but you can tell very distinct differences. I actually prefer the two Ghostland albums to the new Rapture.

Sad Sad City may be one of my Top Five songs of the year.

I know they recently played 7th St for all you MPLS peeps, but if you get a chance to see them again, go go go go go.

Whitest Boy Alive- Dreams

It's FINALLY here. Sorry for the delay, it is well worth it.

This is the sideproject of Erlend Oye, of Kings of Convenience fame. The band is comprised of Erlend and 2 of his friends. It was concieved in the same way The Postal Service came to be; where Erlend and his friends were commisioned to write a song for a compilation (Jimmy Tamborello and Ben Gibbard made a track for DNTEL, called This is the Dream of Evan and Chan, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED FOR FANS).

Well, The Whitest Boy Alive liked what they heard and decided to record and album. It is similar in tone to Kings of Convenience, but is has a more upbeat, dance tune to it.

Despite the succes of Whitest..., Erlend promises another go around for Kings in the near future.

Dreams is a complex album, that goes from airy pop, to harmonizing twee, to techno sugar pop.

John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band

Lennon told Jann Wenner, founder of Rolling Stone Magazine: "The poetry on this album is superior to anything I've ever done because it's not self-conscious...." Of the equally minimalistic music he said: "I always liked simple rock.... I was influenced by acid and got psychedelic like the whole generation... but when you just listen, the piano does it all for you, your mind can do the rest.... I don't need anything else."

Singles

Singles are the best. They're the first music I ever latched onto, when I found my parents' box of 45s. It's not big, and there are deeper collections out there. But there's some Motown, Stax, a mess of Capitol & RCA, and Leslie Gore. I've toyed with the "album", but I'll always favor pop singles. These are some of my favorites.

1. Mississippi Delta - Bobbie Gentry: She left a ton of great singles, and I think this is a great soul banger. If you're ever at Half-Price Books and can cop some Bobbie, do it.

2. Hard Times - Baby Huey: This came from Curtom, Curtis Mayfield's label. Baby Huey was an enormous Chicago dude who died of a heart attack at 26. Another great soul tune.

3. Independent Women - Destiny's Child (remix by 2 many dj's): I swear the only thing holding back soul and R&B these days is lousy production. This remix - actually a mashup with 10CC - gets everything right about Beyoncé. The vocal performance is lightning, but the original's flat production drags it down and masks a superior tune waiting to get out.

4. Lover & A Friend - Eddie Bo & Inez Cheatham: Super-catchy funk, complete with tremendous breaks. Eddie Bo is a total god, and probably my favorite singles artist.

5. (Runaway) I Wouldn't Change a Thing - Coke Escovedo: This is AM Gold, great pop from the 70s. Again, a very generous break, and terribly catchy.

6. Doomsday - MF DOOM: First, he crafts a hip-hop alter-ego based on Dr. Doom. Next, he samples Anita Baker.

7. My 2600 - Captain Funkaho: The genius of this cut is that it manages to use the bad cliches from three full decades of music. It's weird and goofy, and totally bad. But it's from Stones Throw, so it's got to be good, right?

8. Mama Roux - Dr. John: Great tune, back when the Doctor mattered.

9. Our Happiness Is Guaranteed - Quasi: My friend John turned me on to Sam Coomes and his two-person band. You should really check out "Featuring Birds", as it's pretty much a solid pop records loaded with singles. I love the thunderous drums throughout, and how the dystopic sci-fi lyrics go down so sweet.

10. Check Your Bucket - Eddie Bo: "There's a Hole in the Bucket" re-done in sexual terms (or maybe the themes are just made more explicit). Another big winner by Eddie.

11. Honky Tonk Women - Rolling Stones: It rocks out hard, and has a nice break at the beginning - big ups to Charlie Watts.

12. Hard to Handle - Otis Redding: Like me, you probably only knew the Black Crowes version. Otis Redding might be the best male soul singer who ever lived.

13. The Mexican - Babe Ruth: Would you believe me if I said they rocked this at block parties in the Boogie Down in '80? Strange how British prog rock is present at the birth of hip-hop.

14. Like a Rolling Stone - Bob Dylan: I figured everyone had this, but this mix is about pop singles, and this is likely the best single ever.

15. Where Is Love - Eldridge Holmes: Tough to follow Dylan, so something short and to the point. I like that this song goes all over the place in less than two minutes, but you never feel lost.