blues boy and pre string spaghetti

i know. long time, no post. my apologies.

two things i'd like to share in attempts to get back into your collective good graces: 1) a fantastic live recording of bb (blues boy) king and his band circa 1965. bb and lucille swing, the band jumps and the audience wails. 2) spaghetti western's debut, before they added string co. to the name... my latest impulse purchase. not as musically strong as the quiet mob EP, but worth a listen or two.

p.s. thanks for the great postings and tunes. 700 hobo names and neon bibles - you just can't beat this shit with a stick.

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

I'm not sure I could think of a worse album title if I tried. Fortunately, Neon Bible is not as lame as it's title. It hasn't blown me away yet and is honestly a bit of a disappointment when compared to their debut album, Funeral. But it's still a good album except for a few throw away tracks. My favorites include "Intervention" and "No Cars Go." Enjoy.

Martin Dosh: Pure Trash

Though Dosh has been sharing the stage recently with Andrew Bird, he also performs wonderfully well alone. His solo performances are always a treat, and to watch him work up close (as I got a chance to do recently at a gallery opening), is fantastic. He completely ignores the crowd and simply experiments with his various instruments, throwing (sometimes literally) sounds together which you hear a moment later, integrated seamlessly. This isn't music to hum along with. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Minneapolis's own Martin Dosh.

LCD Soundsystem-Sound of Silver

Following up the leak's, I bring you the fabulous new release from LCD SOUNDSYSTEM- Sound of Silver.

As Kyle put it, "indie hipster electronic crap", this album is a hybrid of sorts, a la RJD2 or Junior Boys.

Made famous by their remixes and original songs under the DFA Label, James Murphy has created a unique sound. Everything culminated with 2005's "Daft Punk Is Playing At My House." My house.

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha

Armchair Apocrypha is the follow-up album to Mr. Bird's amazing 2005 release, The Mysterious Production of Eggs. Recorded mostly in Minneapolis, Andrew enlisted the help of a few local musicians including Haley Bonar and touring partner, Martin Dosh. You can hear Dosh's influence throughout the album and specifically on the song "Static X" to which he wrote the music. Haley sings backing vocals on several tracks, most notably "Spare-Ohs." If you've seen Andrew Bird in the past year or so, there is a good chance you've heard several of these songs already. We have been lucky here in the Twin Cities that Andrew has played several shows locally while recording his newest album here. Andrew has a knack for tinkering with his sound during shows and his songs live usually never sound the same twice. So, even though these songs are familiar, there are some welcome surprises. It may be Dosh's influence, but this album seems more focused on electronics and drums than the acoustic sounds of The Mysterious Production of Eggs, it's nice to see a musician as talented as Andrew Bird push his sound even further. Armchair Apocrypha will be released March 20 on Fat Possum Records. Enjoy.

The PC is cooler then the Mac

I recently heard an interview with John Hodgman on NPR this weekend. He was promoting his new book Areas of My Expertise. You may recognize his name from his apperances on The Daily Show and This American Life. I had never but it together before but after looking him up on his website areasofmyexpertise.com, I did not not put two and two together and realize who he actually is. John Hodgman is PC, from those cleaver and often copied Mac ads staring Die Hard 4's, Justin Long. Justin Long is a realtive bore of an actor and often seen as the poor man's Zach Braff. But this is not about Justin nor Braff it is about the subline wackiness that is Mr. Hodgman.

Really take the time to explore his site. There is some great stuff on there. Apparently John has an unatural facination with Hobos, as we all do I am sure. I have posted on the iDisk John Hogman reading 700 different Hobo names. It sounds exactly what you would think. PC reading Hobo names like, "Cricket Eating Charlie Digs" and "Professor Challenger" while John Coulton playes guitar. It goes on for nearly an hour. The cool thing about it is that it was all done in one take. Yes I know it is weird but really take the time and listen to it, maybe not in all one sitting but listen. It is funny, extremely funny.

Enjoy

***uploaded while listening to John Hodgman and John COulton read 700 Hobo names***

Joanna Newsome

For the last couple of weeks we have been listing to David Byrne's January play list Welcome to Dreamland . The playlist consist of artists that fall under the freak folk rock category. Their roots are in ’60s psychedelia, ’90s jam bands, electronica, and a number of world music traditions. One artist that caught my interest is Joanna Newsome. I am posting both of her albums: Ys released in Nov. 06 and The Milk-Eyed Mender released in 2004. Newsome is an accomplished classical harpist that sings/tells stories (her pitch and phrasing may seem unusual or hard to take at times). Sometimes she sounds like Bjork. Either you like the vocals or you don't, it is definitely an acquired taste. The final mixing for her new album Ys was done by Jim O'Rourke.

Tom Waits "Orphans"

I going to assume you're aware of Tom Waits. If you like him, then dowload this. If you don't like him, then please ignore. This is the new 3 disc box set from Tom Waits. The box set is called "Orphans." Each disc is organized in of the 3 styles of Mr. Waits. "Bastards" is a collection of spoken word/weirdo music. "Bawlars" is a collection of sad songs. "Brawlars" are the types of songs that appear on the Fight Club Soundtrack or on a Ramones tribute album. Enjoy.

Jeff Tweedy - Sunken Treasure

Songs from the DVD Sunken Treasure: Live in the Pacific Northwest uploaded for Chris and anyone else that may be anticipating the upcoming release of Sky Blue Sky.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah - Some Loud Thunder

Probably one of the most anticipated sophomore albums of 2007 next to Arcade Fire's forthcoming Neon Bible. Don't worry, Alec Ounsworth's voice is still annoying as hell and they sound like a band that is about to explode at any moment. But they've matured musically and have made anything but a safe follow-up to their 2005 self-titled independent release. What sets Some Loud Thunder apart is the production, at some points garbled and muddy, at other points crisp and poppy. In fact, the opening track is so unlistenable, CYHSY will probably loose as many fans with this album as they'll gain. Enjoy.

Brother Ali - The Undisputed Truth

Since appearing on Non-Prophets "Doomage" in 2004 with the line "Must not discuss divorce with the case still pending, but I got some shit to tell you on my next record," The Undisputed Truth has been one of the most anticipated of upcoming hip-hop albums. Originally set to be released in early 2006, Brother Ali's latest effort has been pushed back to March 2007. I offer to you the "Clean Advance" version of The Undisputed Truth. Unfortunately, this means that all the naughty words have been scratched out and you are reminded every minute or so that "this is a pre-advance copy." Fortunately, this means you have a chance to preview this album and pre-order it before it drops.

Brother Ali joins forces once again with Rhymesayers super-producer, Ant. The beats are tight and musical like you'd expect, the flow is smooth and positive in a way that only Ali can spit. But there is something noticeably different about this record compared to Ali's previous efforts. His lyrics have always been extremely personal, but this album quickly becomes a confessional and appears to be as much therapy as it is entertainment. Since releasing Champion in 2004, Ali has apparently lost his mother to cancer, gone through a divorce, and a subsequent custody battle. Normally, that type of personal struggle may be better left unmentioned, instead he makes it the forefront of his storytelling. Brother Ali's rise from the ashes is the theme of The Undisputed Truth. Unfortunately, the record suffers a bit from all this truth. Ali forgets the listener in favor of dealing with his personal ghosts. The Undisputed Truth doesn't have the urgency of Shadows on the Sun or Champion, but it is an important step for one of underground hip-hop's rising stars.

Enjoy.

Heartless Bastards: All This Time

Heartless Bastards, a recent LaLa acquisition covertly selected by my sly girlfriend, feels like an amped up version of Cat Power minus the with less piano and histrionics. "Into the Open" and "Searching for the Ghost" get the album rolling and the rest of it doesn't disappoint.

Mos Def-True Magic

So apparently this was recalled today by Geffen. Pitchfork talked about it. The CD came in a clear plastic case with no artwork or liner notes. It was pretty cheap. According to the article, they are going to rerelease the album in the spring with a different tracklist and actually promote the thing, as opposed to what they did this time by releasing it on the last Friday of the year and making it hard to find.

I actually quite like the album. It is more Black on Both Sides than the Black Jack Johnson punk/rock/hip hop of The New Danger. There are a few songs where he mumbles some of his def poetry shit however.

Either way, decide for yourself.

Paleo – Carpet Samples from The Song Diary

Some notes:

Paleo is David Strackany.

Is originally from Illinois.

Went to college in Iowa.

May or may not have run an art gallery.

Is currently writing one song a day for every day of one year –(that's 365 for you folks in LA).


He's touring and recording a song a day and posting them to his website as part of his "Song Diary" project. I just saw this guy perform last night at Big V's and got a copy of this and his first record Misery, Missouri. He plays this toy acoustic guitar and he reminded me of a younger, thinner version of Tiny Tim. It was cooler than it sounds and the more songs I hear, the more I like it. Check out his website (paleo.ws) for the rest of the Song Diary, including yesterday's song "Sunday Prayer XXXIX". If I wasn't out so late last night, I would be catching his show tonight at the 331 Club (I guess I'll just have to wait for the mp3).

Gyrofrypepsi

So, here's this thing.

As far as I can tell, Selda Bagcan is like the Ethel Merman of Turkey. Or maybe the Judy Garland, or Lesley Gore. Maybe she's closer to the Grace Slick of Turkey, or maybe, just maybe, I don't know what the hell I'm talking about. It's possible there is no American analog to this woman with the throaty, emotional voice.

All I know are these facts:

1. I got this album last Thursday night


2. This album is filled with chunky Turkish psych-rock breaks


3. Listening to this album makes me feel like I'm drunk, it's 3am, and I'm waiting in line for gyros and fries at the Parthenon, State St.

It might be a little far-out for some of you indie kids, but as Abba said (and they were foreigners too) Take A Chance!

My Best of 2006

Hello Everyone.

Here are my 2 cents on best of lists. A disclaimer, I do not necessarily think these 10 albums are the "best albums musically" or anything like that, they are simply my favorite 10 albums, or the albums that did the most for me this year.

Here you go, if you want a specific album, just let me know and I will post it.

1) Phoenix-It’s Never Been Like That

2) OH NO! OH MY!-ST

3) The Stills-Without Feathers

4) Razorlight-ST

5) Peter, Bjorn and John-Writers Block

6) Murs and 9^th Wonder-Murray’s Revenge

7) Beck-The Information

8) Band of Horses-Everything All The Time

9) Islands-Return to the Sea

10) Justin Timberlake-FutureSex/LoveSounds

Honorable Mentions:

1) Tokyo Police Club-A Lesson in Crime (This would be above, but it is only 16 minutes long)

2) Built To Spill-You in Reverse

3) Jarvis Cocker-Jarvis

4) The Magic Numbers-Those the Brokes (Out in the UK in 2006, USA is 2007)

5) Ratatat-Classics

6) The Decemberists-The Crane Wife

7) Ghostland Observatory-Paparazzi Lightning

8) The Whitest Boy Alive-Dreams

9) Lupe Fiasco-Food and Liquor

10) Guillemots-Through the Window Pane

11) I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness-Fear Is On Our Side

12) Voxtrot -3 EP’s

13) Maritime-We The Vehicles

14) Ghostface Killah-Fishscales

15) The Kooks-Inside In/Inside Out

And if you care, my favorite movies of 2006 are:

1) CHILDREN OF MEN
2) BRICK
3) UNITED 93
4) BORAT
5) JACKASS 2 (Yes, seriously)


Films I have not seen yet but expect them to be on this lists are: The Departed, Pan's Labyrinth, Half Nelson, Babel...many more, I see to many movies for work so I don't get out that much if they are not a Universal flick.

Explosions in the Sky - All of a Sudden I Miss Everyone

Post-rock, or music for your New Year's Day hangover. Enjoy.

Year of the Dog - 10 Songs from 2006

Similar to my previous post listing my favorite albums of 2006, here are some my favorite songs of the year. This was a tough list to create since I kept it to only 10 songs. But this list reflects those songs that caught my ear and stayed there. I've uploaded the playlist for those of you that don't already have these tunes. Enjoy.

1. The Great Salt Lake | Band Of Horses
2. Chinese Translation | M. Ward
3. Rabbit Fur Coat | Jenny Lewis with The Watson Twins
4. John Saw That Number | Neko Case
5. Born In The U.K. | Badly Drawn Boy
6. Bush-League Psych-Out Stuff | P.O.S.
7. Original King | Brother Ali
8. Get Your Curse | His Name Is Alive
9. Clogged Castle | BOAT
10. Do You Believe In Rapture? | Sonic Youth

The Beatles - Love

Ever wondered what classic Beatles tunes would sound like if they where in the hands of someone with ProTools? Well no need to lie awake at night and wonder, the result is Love. This is a remix of classic songs by the Beatles (from the original 4 track recordings) by George Martin and his son Giles Martin. This was done for the Cirque du Soleil Vegas show of the same name. Sounds like it would be a load of crap, right? Sounds like it could be like that Billy Joel musical, or heaven forbid the Bob Dylan one.

Suprisingly it is not as bad as you would think. Love has a big thing going for it, it is the original Beatle music, and producers that are familiar and love the original material

I enjoyed the album, it never got too "clever." Beatle songs are like the U.S. Constitution. Either you feel that they way they are record is the way they should remain for the end of time and should not be f'd with or you feel that they can be changed and evolve with the times. I as with the constitution fall some where in the middle. Beatle songs where close to perfect when they were recorded and in an essence timeless, this is why there are so many bad Beatle covers (G Love's Blackbird and most of the I am Sam soundtrack). Now the timelssness of their songs make it so adaptable to change (ie Rufus Wainwright Across the Universe). When it is done with care and respect it can make something magical.

Love is close to magical. Giles intertwines several classic Beatle tunes to make a swirling sonic experience that continues to make the listener think about what they are hearing but also of the original tunes. Unfortunately this is a gimmick and with all gimmicks I can see it getting old really fast. Love will not be a lasting album in the Beatle's pantheon of great records, but an interesting footnote in their ever expanding mythology.

All Songs Considered recently did a show that interviewed Giles Martin and talked extensively about the record and the project. If you are interested I would suggest downloading their podcast on it. If you don't subscribe to their podcast you should because it is really good.

I have included the art work from the album for you reading pleasure.

***This post updated while listening to Rufus Wainwright, no particular album but just some songs by him.***

Low - Drums and Guns

I was first introduced to Low by Greg who gave me a copy of their 2001 release, Things We Lost in the Fire. It took a very long time for the album to sink in. For some reason I didn't get it at the time. But one day it clicked, and now Low is one of my favorite bands currently recording. Granted their live shows are as slow and tedious as you might imagine, but if you are familiar with their music, seeing them live can be an impressive experience.

I am very happy to share their upcoming release, Drums and Guns. On first listen, this album is every bit as good as last year's, The Great Destroyer. If you've seen Low live this past year, you will most likely recognize several of the songs which have been reworked for this album. There is a stunning version of Murderer which has been a staple at live shows recently. Producer Dave Fridmann, who also helped on The Great Destroyer, joins Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker once again to hone Low's haunting sound. Zak Sally has apparently been replaced by bassist Matt Livingston, both in the studio and at live shows. Drums and Guns is haunting and terrifying both in lyrics and tone. Apparently, Alan has gone through some dark times recently and these songs are the result. Drums and Guns is scheduled for release on March 20, 2007.

Enjoy.