2009

Admittedly, it's been a little quiet around here. That may be because there hasn't been a lot of new music lately or Kevin isn't sharing everything he's stealing from the interwebs. Whatever the reason, there is a lot to be excited about in 2009. Below is a list of some of the albums I am most excited about in the first 3 months alone.

01/20/09 Andrew Bird - Noble Beast
01/20/09 Bon Iver - Blood Bank EP
01/27/09 RZA – Afro Samurai: The Resurrection
02/03/09 P.O.S. - Never Better
02/17/09 M. Ward – Hold Time
03/01/09 The Decemberists – Hazards of Love
03/03/09 Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
03/03/09 The Boy Least Likely To – The Law of the Playground
03/17/09 Bonnie 'Prince' Billy - Beware

Anything else?

Coldplay: Viva la Vida

It's up; it's what you expect. But it got good reviews and I happened into it, so drag it down and listen to the definitive pop rock of our time.

Jake One - White Van Music

Another Rhymesayers release, White Van Music is a collection of beats and collaborations from Jake One, a producer and DJ from Seattle, and some of the best MCs in the business. At 22 tracks, the album is a little long and hit-and-miss in some places. But there are some instant classics from MCs such as Freeway, Brother Ali, MF DOOM, and Blueprint. My favorite track is Trap Door (MF DOOM) for the bass line alone. Enjoy.

Murs - Murs for President

Not so much a political concept album as the title might suggest. It's more of a relationship/break-up album. Produced by 9th Wonder, it's not the best album Murs has put out but it's got some killer tracks. My favorite by far is track 4, The Science. If you only listen to one song from this album, listen to that one. Enjoy.

The Killers - Day & Age

I haven't listened to this enough to give you guys any fully thought-out opinions. I'll just say that I like The Killers first two albums, and so far, I like this one too. It seems to be a bit more of a departure for them, throwing in some new elements you haven't heard from them before (jazz?) while retaining their signature sound. Tommy likey.

New Jay Bennett! For Free!

Got this from Jay Bennett, the other day:

That's the big news; now here's the story:

As anyone keeping a watchful eye on me has noticed, October came and went without the release of "Kicking at the Perfumed Air." The reason for this: In the final stages of completing "Kicking at the Perfumed Air," at Pieholden Suite Sound (http://www.myspace.com/pieholdenstudios), I was simultaneously working on a very personal and concise 10-song album called "Whatever Happened I Apologize." After debating back and forth, I have decided to release "Apologize" first. I am somewhat at a loss for words as to explain why I arrived at this decision, save to say it's just one of those lonely and private choices one sometimes has to make in other words, it just felt more like the right album for the time.

It is stark, stripped down, and acoustic based more so than any other record I have made. I really wanted to capture the simpler and more emotional nature of the songwriting, and I knew that the only way I could do this was to put it together quickly, with no second-guessing, and no heavy deliberating about minor details. Consequently I would have to learn to embrace the resultant imperfections and I have. All of the vocals are done live to my own acoustic guitar accompaniment, so it has some warts, but, in my effort to not forsake integrity for technical perfection, the album ended up feeling more honest, immediate, naked, and cohesive to me. I am very proud of presenting myself without my typical voluminous bells and whistles. I am left wondering why I haven't done this more often in the past.

As I've really wanted to help out my studio partner, Matt DeWine, and his partner Casey Meehan, with their new download record label, rockproper, that's just where you can find this new album: http://www.rockproper.com. Again, it's called "Whatever Happened I Apologize," and did I mention it's free? I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know what you think. I would also like to encourage you all to check out some of the other free downloads, by some of the great artists, available on the site.

Love,
Jay
http://www.myspace.com/jaybennett

I haven't really listened to it yet, but thought you all would interested in it.

Albums I been meaning to Post

I have been thinking about things to post for awhile now, but haven't yet, so here a down and dirty post o'rama. Following are the album covers and thought in Haiku form.

Blitzen Trapper - Furr

Blitzen Trapper Rock
Best Album of year, suckers
more focused then last

Aimee Mann - @#%&*! Smilers

Mann returns to form
Elvis Costello on one track
songs 'bout middle age

Ben Folds Five - The Complete Sessions at West 54th

Ben Folds looks so young
DVD of cool PBS show
Before Jesse got fat

Ryan Adams - Cardinology

Adams likes The Dead
Cardinals best band today
Song Writing o.k.

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue

Expecting more, please
Songs leave me flat, where is Twins
Will give another shot

Mr. President (You're The Man)

Brother Ali's congratulations message to Barack Hussein Obama. The title of the song really says it all.

Her Space Holiday - XOXO, Panda And The New Kid Revival

I don't know a lot about Her Space Holiday other than I like their previous record, The Past Presents The Future. So, I bought their newest album. It's great. I hope you like it too. Enjoy.

Obama video

Here is a link to a cool Obama video.

Bob Dylan: Tell Tale Signs (Boogleg Series Vol. 8)

It's been only in the last 6 or so years that I've really enjoyed my Bob Dylan. I remember when Peterson showed up to Governors praising him. I'm in now, and I think the last three albums have been some of his best work. So I was excited to hear about this double album, a series of outtakes, live performances, and b-sides spanning the last fifteen years. To me, it's worth it just for the two alternate versions of "Mississippi." Enjoy. I'll be seeing him on Nov. 4th at Northrop Auditorium, and I'm expecting it to be a worthy distraction from a day of politics.

Bob Dylan's Tell Tale Signs Preview

NPR offers a full listen to Dylan's new bootleg album. I'll be snagging when it goes live, for the alternate takes of Mississippi alone. Enjoy.

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=95047293

Good News (if its true)

A New album will feature the music of Ben Folds and the lyrics of Nick Hornby 

This could be fun. 

Nada Surf - Let Go

Until recently, if someone asked me about Nada Surf, I would've replied, "you mean that one-hit-wonder? Didn't they do that song Popular? Yeah, I remember when that song was big, I was in high school. Wait...they're still making music?"
Why yes, yes they are. And it's good music too...imagine that! This album from 2003 is a wonderful little slice of indie-pop pie. Take a sec to read the Rolling Stone review, which encapsulates it nicely:

Nada Surf enjoyed a buzz-bin moment in 1996 with the high school satire "Popular," and while the extremely groovy guitar ripples stuck in your head long after the joke was over, it wasn't the kind of hit that suggests a long-term career, as Harvey Danger or the Primitive Radio Gods would be happy to explain to you. So the New York guitar-rock trio hit the indie trail to earn its cred the hard way, and after the Weezer-like introspection of 2000's startlingly great The Proximity Effect, Nada Surf get it all together on Let Go, the band's best by a mile. Let Go is an excellent rainy-afternoon album, full of gentle and melancholic beauty, with echoes of Love and the Beach Boys. In "Blizzard of '77," "Blonde on Blonde" and "The Way You Wear Your Head," Nada Surf show enough smarts and panache to leave most of their Nineties-rock peers eating hot dust.

Faith No More - King For A Day (1995)

posting because Kevin told me to. 

RIP - Jerry "The Guitar Man" Reed

so Jerry "The Guitar Man" Reed recently kicked it.   

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/03/arts/music/03reed.html

i had a short term fascination with Jerry a few years back... so this news got to me a bit.  and since my record player is temporarily out of service, i found myself trying to dig up digital versions of the songs i've only ever heard on scratched and poppy vinyl.  although i'll admit that  stylistically JR laid down more than his fair share of questionable material, as a guitar man his chops are bordering on unbelievable.  and when you combine his fretwork with his down-home Southern boy persona and that voice, he is in rare company.   but still few seem to know of him beyond a few hit songs from the early 70s or his cameo roles in the Smoky and the Bandit movies.  so i thought i'd take this opportunity to honor the memory of JR by sharing five tracks that I feel well represent him and his guitar.  

Ra Ra Riot "The Rhumb Line"

I often run at the YMCA and read Rolling Stone and Spin magazines looking for reviews of new, unfound records. Last week, I read about a Syracuse, NY band called Ra Ra Riot.  The review really got my attention with this paraphrased quote, "Ra Ra Riot combine Arcade Fire's Orch Pop sound  with Vampire Weekend's pop sensibilities creating an album that is both effervescent and heartbreaking." That was enough for me to download it. Check out tracks 1, 5, & 6. 

Doomtree

After numerous solo releases and pseudo-official compilations, the Doomtree collective has released their first official full length album. Self titled, this album features the best of the Twin Cities underground punk and hip-hop scene. If you are a fan of Atmosphere or P.O.S., then check this out.

Pretty Things - Parachute

Here is another album from the late 60's early 70's. The Pretty Things, Parachute was named "Album of the Year" in 1970 by Rolling Stone Magazine. It beat out: Let it Be by the Beatles, Layla by Derek and the Dominoes, Morrison Hotel by the Doors, Pearl by Janis Joplin, After the Gold Rush by Neil Young, Moondance by Van Morrison, and Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel. The melodies and guitar work are excellent. Give it a listen and tell me what you think.

Tomorrow

Tomorrow was an underrated '60s psych-pop band that was a cross between Barrett-era Floyd and the Beatles Revolver period. With quirky English characters, backwards tapes, Eastern modalities, baroque keyboard touches, and trippy british lyrics, it is vintage psychedelia. Tomorrow had some well known musicians: John Adler (The Pretty Things), Steve Howe (Yes), and Keith West. Tomorrow never really made it big. This is their one and only album.