The National--Cherry Tree (2004)

This is the National's second release, from 2004. All of the songs are great (if you like The National) though I am not a big fan of "Reasonable Man".

THE BLACK KEYS--Thickfreakness

A sweet little rock and roll blues album from an Akron, Ohio duo recorded in thier basement and released in 2003. Perhaps almost a White Stripes with less hype and more clear blues connection.

The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love

Just posted the latest from the Portland crew, The Decemberists. I haven't yet had a chance to give The Hazards of Love a proper listen other than the single, The Rake's Song, which was released a few weeks ago. Always melodramatic, often pretentious; if you are a fan, The Hazards of Love will not likely disappoint. I picked this up for a mere $3.99 over at lala.com. Enjoy and report back with your findings.

Brother Ali - The Truth is Here

I just got back from a Brother Ali in-store at Fifth Element. It's been 2 years since Ali's last album, The Undisputed Truth. This 9 song EP and DVD is meant to be the bridge between that and his next full length, Street Preacher, which is set to be released this Fall.

Nine tracks featuring two highly sought after b-sides and seven new and previously unreleased songs including “Philistine David”, which was featured in the Jonathan Demme directed documentary, Jimmy Carter Man From Plains and “The Believer” a collaboration with Slug of Atmosphere...

...The Truth Is Here captures a key period in the career of what many have called one of the most promising voices to emerge from the underground this century and will be a must have for any and every Brother Ali fan.

The in-store performance was great. Minnesota hip-hop is alive and well. Between this and the recent P.O.S. release, I'm glad I live in the Twin Cities. Ali was late, so Slug grabbed the mic to kill a couple minutes. He told some stories about being on the road with Brother Ali and got the crowd laughing. The store was packed by the time Ali made his way to the front. He played four or five songs off the new EP including "The Believers" featuring Slug. He told a few stories, did a great freestyle and a few songs by request. Then he stuck around to sign CDs for anyone who wanted an autograph. The great thing was how appreciative Ali was to everyone that was there. You can tell he's humbled to be in the position that he's in. It's refreshing to see such heart and gratitude towards fans.

Enjoy this record and support local music.

P.O.S. - Never Better

"P.O.S returns with Never Better, the follow up to 2006's critically acclaimed Audition. Written mostly in a moving car, P.O.S raps at full clip to ride rolling drums and revving distortion. There's an urgency that he keeps in careful check, and then unleashes for spring-loaded verses that represent his best work. Never Better enters a room like bombshell with a black eye, badass, noisy, and impossible to ignore. With an unlikely punk rock past and an ever growing loyal hip hop fan base, P.O.S proves he is a rapper with range, a real musician and an unstoppable performer."

Stef's third full-length album, Never Better, hits harder than anything else you're likely to hear this year. I'm a big fan of his first two albums and most of what I've heard from the Doomtree collective, but this album takes it all up a notch. To be honest, it took me a couple of listens to warm up to Never Better. It's more abrasive than most of the hip-hop I'm used to. But now that I'm hooked, I can't stop listening. There are so many layers to discover in this DIY hip-hop/punk genre blending album. Best listened to live, but a close second is while driving your car 50 MPH at night down Lyndale with your lights off. So, check out the album and be sure to check out the artwork. Amazing.

New Justin, Arcade Fire, Etc.!!!

"Dark Was The Night" is a 2-disc collection of indie rock stars donating new material for a charity CD release raising funds for HIV/AIDS awareness and research.  I had only 4 downloads left on my recent Emusic account and picked new Arcade Fire, Bon Iver, Justin Vernon with a guest, and Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew. The complete list is here.  I like that Justin is releasing solo material and the idea that Bon Iver is turning into a band. The Bon Iver track sounds like a 5th soung from the recent E.P. while the Justin song is more solo. The Arcade Fire is solid, but not great and the Kevin Drew song is disappointing.  Enjoy the 4 tracks. I plan to add more downloads from the album once my Emusic account rests. 

M Ward - Hold Time

ask, and you shall receive.

Bon Iver- Blood Bank

Go Blugolds! 

Track 1 is great. Track 2 & 3 are solid (I like 3 a little more) and track 4 sounds like Lil' Wayne (& not in a good way)

Down with Lollipop. 

Nathaniel Merriweather presents... Lovage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By

Fresh off the heals of one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time, Deltron 3030, producer Dan The Automator formed another supergroup in 2001 and released this instant classic, Lovage: Music to Make Love to Your Old Lady By.

Producer Dan the Automator, DJ Kid Koala, singers Mike Patton and Jennifer Charles and a slew of special guests ranging from Prince Paul to Damon Albarn make up LOVAGE.

The album is not a gimmick or a brush off concept album, rather an amazing collection of songs to not only make love by, but to chill or relax or lounge around.

The wikipedia entry for Loavage boasts all about the Serge Gainsbourg album cover reference and song titles that sample and take from Hitchcock.

Patton's raspy vocals and Charles sultry voice on top of solid beats and instruments from The Automator and Kid Koala perfectly coexist.

Check out Pit Stop (Take Me Home), Sex (I Am) and To Catch A Thief, but do yourself a favor and listen from beginning to end. (Even the skits are worth checking out)

Unfortunately, this album is out of print and Automator sort of fell off the face of the earth, but in a cold February night at First Avenue in 2001 (or was it 2002 by that point??), the live incarnation of this album is one of my favorite concerts of all time. Patton had a 17 year old kid wearing a Korn shirt jump on stage and lick Jennifer Charles' shoe soul just to get a dance with her. Complete with Cigar and bathrobe, Automator walked around on stage and got drunk off Alize while all the soon to be hipsters in the crowd just dreamed of what they could be doing while this music was playing.

Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion

Okay, long time reader, been a while poster.

I have some time this week at work, so I decided I will post 2 albums each day, one being a new indie rock hype band and the other a random classic album to me.

The first posting happens to be what many bloggers are claiming the album of the year. Now, I never quite jumped on the noise bandwagon that is Animal Collective. Their album a few years ago, Sung Tongs, is a fun listen but never stuck with me. In the last 2 years I feel you couldn't get away from them, with each new track being dissected by the likes of Pitchfork or Gorrilla Vs. Bear.

Well, Animal Collective release their most accessible album to date with Merriweather Post Pavilion and it happens to be good. I am not going to freak out and claim them the next Purple Jesus or this album the best of 2009 no matter what else comes out, but I will say this album certainly deserves a listen.

Their first single off the album is called My Girls.

Oh, and the album covers moves! Optical Illusions a must!

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.