A Belated St. Patrick's Day Message from Ryan Adams

Don't Comb The Leprechaun from Ryan Adams on Vimeo.

Mike Doughty - Golden Delicious

Mike Doughty's new album continues his ambition to showcase his music with more of a "band" feel, and here he takes it to another level, allowing many of the songs to include all out jam sessions. Mike's music continues to mature, and this is as good as he's ever been. Tracks like Fort Hood, I Just Want The Girl In The Blue Dress, and Nectarine are pure Mike Doughty. But on most of these tracks he brings his band more to the forefront. Another highlight is the full-band, amped-up, re-recording of 27 Jennifers (originally heard on the Rockity Roll EP). While this song's overly polished slickness seems like overkill for a song that started out as a simple accoustic number, you can't help but tap your foot along anyways. Now if we could just figure out why he decided to include the silly and out-of-place More Bacon Than The Pan Can Handle, which is a pretty embarrassing track on what is otherwise a superb album.

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend is the best new band of 2008, according to every hipster in 2007.  I would describe their music as the Soundtrack to a Wes Anderson about upper middle class college-age kids from out East on vacation and drinking in a tacky tiki bar, but I'm not a writer so I'll cite the people with these jobs. 

I dig tracks #1, #5, & #8 after the first listen. Since then everything has changed I like other songs just as well. Enjoy. 

Posted will listened to Barack Obama is great talk. 

Real Emotional Trash - Stephen Malkmus & Jicks

Somewhere in the post Pavement world Stephen Malkmus decided that it would be a good idea to try to bring back the jam. Why he decided this is beyond anyones guess because according to anyone who knows anything that any song over 10 minutes is inherently terrible. Anyone who has sat through a Phish show and was not stoned knows what I am talking about. Real Emotional Trash has only one of these songs, which is good. It's not that the title track is a bad song, it is actually quite good, it is too damn long, and has some unnecessary parts.

I like this record. It maybe SM's closest work to Wowee Zowee era Pavement. Former Slater Kinney drummer Janet Weiss makes a solid addition to the Jicks as the cornerstone to the rhythm section. Hilites of the record include the stoned out opener Dragonfly Pie and the first single Baltimore. I also really like Elmo Delmo which seems like a left over track from The Terror Twilight, if it was about 3 minutes shorter.

What is missing from this album is a sense of fun. Oh I am sure SM & Jicks had a great time with is record, but there is a lack of playfulness within the songs. There are no psychedelic freakouts, references to Geddy Lee, or Oysters. Which I think ever song or album should contain.

Anyway Enjoy,

A Fine Frenzy: One Cell in the Sea

I didn't own an album by a female singer until I graduated from college. I have nothing against them, it just happened. I had a soft spot for Natalie Imbruglia for a while, but never bought her album. Lately, though, it's all I seem to be listening to. This is A Fine Frenzy's One Cell in the Sea. It's poppy, with the requisite piano. Give a listen to Come on, Come out; Almost Lover; Ashes and Wine; Hope for the Hopeless.

Sunset Rubdown--RandomSpiritLover

If you love Wolf Parade, and you love pop music in general, you will love Stephen Krug's latest masterpiece under the name of Sunset Rubdown. I have no idea where he got that name. This album is from October 2007. Enjoy it or else.

We are now on-line. The album should be available. Enjoy!

Radiohead- Scotch Mist NYE Webcast

Not too much to say about this, I'm sure you have all by now heard the excellent album (and my pick for album of the year) IN RAINBOWS.

Well, Radiohead recorded a live set of the entire album and put it up as a webcast on NYE. You can download the podcast of the webcast on iTunes for free, but I have provided just the audio for your iPod pleasure.

Do You Like Rock Music?

The amazing new album from Brighton Bad Boys, BRITISH SEA POWER, hits the states in February. Those of you in Minneapolis, they are playing the Triple Rock, and it is NOT to be missed.

Their first album, The Decline of British Sea Power, is an amazing mix of Arcade Fire style epic songs with the indie mentality of the early 2000's. They followed this instant classic with Open Season, which left some of the epic(ness) at the door, trading it in for more smooth indie rock.

BSP brought the Epic back in force on their new album. The first single, Waving Flags, has been described as a summer festival mainstay, so epic in nature it has to be compared to Arcade Fire.

Please enjoy and support this excellent band that gets shafted constantly in the states.

New Doughty

It's not often where I'm excited....genuinely excited....for an album to come out. The feeling I used to have when I was just a kid and it was a week before Christmas....the feeling I had when the new Matrix sequels were almost out. The feeling that something truly special, something near and dear to my heart was about to come out, and I was 110% sure that it would be spectacular. the new Mike Doughty release is instilling that feeling in me once again. I think it's safe to say that he is my favorite musician, period. His new album Golden Delicious is set to drop Feb 19, but I found an mp3 for download. Check it out:

http://www.herohill.com/MP3/TheBlueDress.mp3

Requests from 2007

Who's going to scratch this itch?

Iron and Wine: Shephard's Dog
Arcade Fire: Neon Bible
New Pornographer's: Challenger
The National: Boxer
Aesop Rock: None Shall Pass
Editors: An End has a Start
A Fine Frenzy: One Cell in the Sea
Of Montreal: Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?
Brother Ali: The Undisputed Truth

[Note: If you're of the mind that a music sharing website shouldn't take requests and should instead rely on the fickle goodwill of its members to buy, zip, and post albums of interest when they so damn please, then feel free to ignore my request. Otherwise, let's see what you got.]

Request.

Does anyone have Sam's Town by The Killers that they'd like to share? I'd love ya forever, and stuff.

buena vista social club

traditional Cuban tunes from a fantastic Havana dance hall group.... recorded circa 1997... there's also a documentary film of the same name. i'll supply the audio, you'll have to rent the film if interested. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buena_Vista_Social_Club

Regina Spektor: Begin to Hope

Happy New Year music robbers. Jessica requested I snag this Regina Spektor album (her third) through LaLa, and it showed up today. Jessica never fails to point up quirky women vocalists, and this one pleases more than she disappoints. Give "Fidelity," "Samson," and "On the Radio" a spin. There's some quiet energy here and some rockin' piano. Echoes of Tori Amos, and it has some smarter moments.

Rogue Wave - Asleep At Heaven's Gate

Fresh from under the christmas tree, this is Rogue Wave's newest album, and it's pretty darn spiffy. Word.

EDIT: For those who want some additional info, here's what I got. This is Rogue Wave's third album, and it's great. I've really been digging this genre lately, with new albums from the likes of Iron & Wine, The New Pornographers, and Band of Horses taking up most of my listening time. Rogue Wave fits right in there, and their progression musically is great to follow. Their first album is basically all acoustic guitar, and it wasn't until their second album that the band's front man Zack Rogue really embraced the full band sound. This third effort elevates their sound even further. These three albums have become staple listening in the house for Kristen and I. Here's the first single they released from this album:

Atmosphere - Strictly Leakage

A nice little Christmas present from our friends Sean and Anthony. Those Atmosphere boys must've had a busy year. Grab this free album while you can and sit tight while you wait for their next release.

http://rhymesayers.com/atmosphere/

Top Ten of 2007 plus One

These are not necessarily my best songs of 2007, but they are the ones that summed up my year.

1. Fiery Crash - Andrew Bird
I spent a lot of time in airports and airplanes over the past year. This song sums up the feeling of waiting helplessly in Airports, and the only way to have a good flight is to imagine it crashing before you get it on.
2. Goodnight Rose - Ryan Adams
This song gets me every time. It is kinda cheesy, but damn if it doesn't make me want to go follow the Dead
3. I'm impressed - They Might Be Giants
TMBG is the first band I started liking on my own. I was glad to see them take a more rocking turn on this song. The kiddy stuff can get kinda annoying.
4. Wild Mountain Nation - Blitzen Trapper
I just found out about this band a last week. Described as Pavement meets the Dead scared me away, but damn if this isn't a fine album and a great song.
5. Between My Legs - Rufus Wainwright
Ah Rufus, you are so unabashedly gay you nearly become a stereotype. Do we need the Phantom of the Opera reference in this Song, no. Did we need the album of Judy Garland covers, prolly not. Are you one of the best song writers alive today, maybe. This song goes from Rocking to weird in the span of 4 minutes and 30 secs
6. Life on Mars - The Bad Plus
From their release Prog, takes my favorite Bowie song to its natural prog-rock/jazzy conclusion
7. What Would Jay-Z Do? - Ben Lee
I love Ben Lee, yes he has been described as a rainbow riding a unicorn, but damn if he doesn't write clever pop songs. And who hasn't wondered what would Jay-Z do?
8. All the Old Show Stoppers - The New Pornographers
Damn, damn, damn. Is there a better album out this year? Is there a better song on the album? I'll fight you if you want.
9. Lyndale Avenue User's Manual - Atmosphere
Remind of the early fall days of living in Minneapolis.
10. Dreamworld - Rilo Kiley
Yeah the album was boring, but I really like the Fleetwood Mac-esque song on this album
11. It's Only Divine Right - Michael McDonald
technically from 1979, but unearthed this year, it is truly a great song. Unfortunately the audio recording does not do it justice. Check out the video here

Daft Punk: Alive 2007

[Update] Pitchfork review captures the sentiment well:
Daft Punk Alive 2007

Eddie Vedder - Into The Wild

This movie soundtrack is a sparse, pleasant walk through Vedder's crooning and acoustic guitar playing. Vedder plays every instrument on the album, and wrote all but two of the tracks. Most of the songs are only around two minutes long, but at 33 minutes in total runtime, this album is best ingested as whole anyways.

PJ Harvey - White Chalk

Here is her new album, it is much different than anything else she has ever done. On White Chalk, Polly Jean just sings and plays simple piano, no guitar. The lyrics are sparse, haunting, and she uses her voice as an instrument to set the tone of the album. You could say this is her Sea Change album. Give it a listen then google some reviews.

I'm Not There Soundtrack

As both Paul and Colin can attest to I have been obsessed with Todd Haynes' Dylan biopic I'm Not There. I don't know if it is the subject matter or the pomposity of the six different actors playing Dylan (Cate Blanchett? Richard Gere, a 12 year old black kid?), but I am obsessed. This of course is not Rotten Tomatoes, so I am gonna save my review of the film itself for another place.

This is of course the place where I can wax philosophically about music, and albums. the official sound track to I'm Not There, is in essence a Bob Dylan tribute album. This albums reads like a list the most popular indie singer songwriters (Jeff Tweedy, Sufjan Stevens, Iron and Wine, Cat Power etc.) and a list of artist whom my dad might think is cool (Jack Johnson, Eddie Vedder, Richie Havens, Roger McGuinn, etc.). On any tribute album you can go one of two ways, first is to take the words/music of the orginal song and change them to fit your own personal style; or two pay homage to the song and play the song as close to the original recording as possible. This album does it both. For those artist unfortunate enough to attempt the latter the songs are in short miserable. The shining example is "Highway 61 Revisited," which sounds like Karen O decided it would be a good idea to get drunk and go down to the 400 Bar's Dylan sound like contest.

There are song great takes on Dylan songs here, I espeically like Tweedy's "Simple Twist of Fate" which treads the line perfectly between a homage and making the song his own. Sufjan takes his own brand of pomposity on "Ring them Bells" and makes it work. Also former Pavement frontman Steven Malkmus does a fine job on the two tunes he was charged to do.

It would be remissed, if I did not mention the back up band for many of the tracks, The Million Dollar Bashers. A supergroup of side men consisting of Sonic Youth stars Lee Ranaldo and Steve Shelley, Wilco guitarist Nels Cline, Television guitarist Tom Verlaine, Dylan bassist Tony Garnier, guitarist Smokey Hormel and keyboardist John Medeski. They really shine and are the highlight of the album. Execept they play on the aforementioned "Highway 61," which is pure shit.