Lunes 13 Abr 2009, 17:37
Long belated post that sat dormant on my Myspace blog:
30. Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off the Lavender Bridge
Outta: London, England
Former Test Icicle, Dev Hynes came back on the scene with a far more consistent and stable output than his neon-drug-thrash prior bandmates (RAT-ATT-TAG or whatever crap). While I used to love Test Icicles to death and viewed the sound of Lightspeed Champion as a huge shock, Dev's new tunes have really grown on me.
Where the shrieking puke punk is now gone, in its place is some nice quality, Urban Outfitters-ready acoustic tunes with nice orchestral dressings and a horribly depressing slant to the paranoid loathe-love ballad lyrics. Nothing quite as down as the non-album "Stay the Fuck Away From Me," but Lightspeed Champion/Dev does quite well to dour up the place.
29. King Khan & The Shrines - The Supreme Genius of King Khan and the Shrines
Outta: Atlanta, GA
James Brown is dead, but King Khan lives! Friend of Black Lips and sultan of soul in Altanta, King Khan & The Shrines did absolutely nothing new instrumentally in 2008, but taught the world how to funk soul again. It's sort of like the musical equivalent to an Austin Powers movie (back when they were good).
Pumping 60's era funk rock, complete with brass section and keyboards, often inflected with modernized and less ambiguous sexual/social commentary, it's time to put on the dancing shoes and shimmy shake it go-go style here and now. Groovy, baby.
28. Jay Reatard - Matador Singles '08
Outta: Memphis, TN
Music, 2008 for me really was the year of Jay Reatard. Largely due to the guy's chosen name, I didn't pick up his debut album "Blood Visions" last year. Curiousity caught me and I picked up all of his stuff in 2008 and was subsequently blown away.
Jay Reatard is one prolific bastard. He released two singles compilation albums in 2008, including this one.
The Matador '08 compilation is so so good, don't get me wrong, but can't hold a candle to his 06/07 compilation – hm, maybe that means you'll see it a bit later? That said, with songs like "<song>See/Saw</song>," "<song>Painted Shut</song>," and "<song>An Ugly Death</song>," there are serious kick ass songs here to be sure, which says quite a lot of this guy's year if it's not his best assortment of tunes released in '08.
27. Panther - 14 Kt. God
Outta: Portland, OR
Panther sounds like what he is live at concerts on his second album, "14 Kt. God" - a very awkward dancing white dude who sounds quite a bit like a secret singer in the shower belting out Prince songs.
Panther songs themselves are a ramshackle mix of beats, white boy r&b and Casio keyboard bleepie bloops without a whole lot of cohesion.
Somehow, it's like rooting on your friends to sing drunk at karaoke night. It's a mix of really good, and really bad, but it's all-entertaining.
26. Madvillain - Madvillainy 2
Outta: NYC, NY
As usual, I have to throw out the disclaimer that I'm not the best versed guy on hip hop. I wish I could put Doomtree's self-titled album from this year on my list, but I just didn't like it as much as their previous, "False Hopes." Ah well…
Rapper, MF Doom and DJ, Madlib combine to form Madvillain and a few years back, they produced what to me was the OK Computer of Hip Hop, "Madvillainy."
But since his DangerDoom collaboration with DangerMouse, MF Doom has become a recluse. He hasn't done much new rapping and Madlib got antsy and was forced to basically take Doom's vocal tracks from the original "Madvillainy" (plus a single and some of the DangerDoom material) and essentially put all new backing music with them. It's not even "remixed" per se.
The album cover is even very telling, you can't see Doom's trademark metal mask so it's like he's not even there...
Still, Madlib is so skilled at the boards and mixing often humorous and wicked catchy samples, that it seems like the truest sense of "everything old is new again." I really hope MF Doom resurfaces to help Madlib make a proper follow-up to the original "Madvillainy," but this will just have to do.
Outta: Montreal, QC, Canada
Islands put out a really solid album back in 2006 as a follow-up to the unfortunately disbanded band that I hold most dear, The Unicorns.
Where The Unicorns were rock mixed with keyboards, dark and concerned with death and suffering, Islands are more orchestral mixed with dark and concerned with death and suffering.
A best case example is the very great album opener, "The Arm," however, the occasionally techno'd up song sneaks in such as "Creeper" (also very good). Almost from the song writing school of Thom Yorke, car crashes and various means of death abound.
Disturbing lyrical content aside, Islands feel like they're still crafting high quality compositions, but are treading water a bit. I hope main Island, Nick Thorburn breaks out of his writers block because I know he's capable of much greater things. Until then I guess Islands are a bit "Lost" (pun intended).
24. Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
Outta: Austin, TX
Okkervil River is the band I've listened to most since Feb 2006 according to Last.fm (see: www.last.fm/user/yankeeshambles ) and their peerless consistency across several albums is the main reason why. Beautifully created rock tunes, often with a heavy mix of folk and stark lyrics that I once referred to as having a "vicious country music" quality to them have been Will Sheff and co's stock and trade.
"The Stand Ins" is Okkervil River's second album in two years and basically sounds like disc 2 to the double album that started with "The Stage Names." Deliberately following the actors theme, The Stand Ins continues the style and story-telling established in the previous, but seems to suffer from the fatigue of a disc 2 on a double album.
The only area that I think "The Stand Ins" surpases the previous Okkervil album is the cover art. I mean, look at that, so cool… In retrospect, "The Stage Names" and "The Stand Ins" combined would fully whup something like "Mellonchollie and the Infinite Sadness," but that was two discs at once, not spread out over two years.
Installment two here is still very good and keeps the good Okkervil tunes coming, but I would like to hear a fresh start and new perspective from this top rate band that more than most deserves to go far beyond "mid-level" band status.
23. Kid Dakota - A Winner's Shadow
Outta: Minneapolis
Kid Dakota, aka Darren Jackson is always going to hold a special place in my local music-lovin' heart. I've been to about a billion Kid Dakota shows in my time and I probably take him for granted. Three stark, frozen midwest-sounding albums in, Kid Dakota hasn't skipped a beat.
"A Winner's Shadow" is probably the most consistent of his albums, but something about it fails to grab me quite like "The West is the Future" and "So Pretty" did in previous years.
That said, Kid Dakota's latest has two of his very best songs ever - "Transfusion" and "Long Odds" are the two muscular pillars that hold the rest of this album up. They're everything dark and dreary, yet powerful and captivating that got me into Kid Dakota in the first place. Simple White Stripes-esque one guitarist, one drummer stuff at it's best here.
22. Evangelicals - The Evening Descends
Outta: Norman, OK
Evangelicals have always been a "lovin' it or bored of it" proposition for me. I have to admit that their second album, "The Evening Descends" plays off like what The Flaming Lips should have done after "The Soft Bulletin."
It's much better in my opinion than the Evangelicals' previous, dece "So Gone."
Singer Josh Jones' voice bears a striking resemblance to Wayne Coyne and the band's instrumental playfulness and random crazy noise sampling goes far beyond the "Yoshimi…" electronic vibrato and exceeds them in most ways.
The egg splattering effect in "How Do You Sleep?" almost sounds like it's going straight for your face. Pretty fun! And there's no contest with the Lips' "<album>At War With the Mystics</album>" - this new Evangelicals album wins in every conceivable way compared to that one.
I don't think <artist>Dave Fridmann</artist> produced this, but it sure sounds like he did. File this one under the best stuff from Flaming Lips and Mercury Rev!
21. My Teenage Stride - Lesser Demons
Outta: Brooklyn, NY
Another bit of a cheat here. This one from My Teenage Stride is only a five track EP, but it is so so good. It hits the ground running with the 80s-tastic "]Theme From Teenage Suicide" and doesn't let go in it's way-too-short runtime.
This reminds me of the old days of post-Joy Division Mtv back when The Cure and other new wave bands were new and all the rage with video killing the radio stars left and right.
But with My Teenage Stride, there's no glammy lipstick-frizzy styled hair awkwardness that you might pick up from the VH1 Behind the Music wrap ups on Flock of Seagulls, etc you'd watch today. Vocally, lead singer Jedediah Smith sounds a bit like Ian Curtis or Interpol lead singer, Paul Banks.
Listening to My Teenage Stride is kind of like watching Donnie Darko. It's the 80s and you remember the times as so lame and intollerable, but you have a freakin' great time and want to enjoy it again and again. The 80s sucked right? Or did I miss something?
20. The Plastic Constellations - We Appreciate You
Formerly outta: Minneapolis/Hopkins, MN
The Plastic Constellations formed in Hopkins, MN about 10 years ago built on a foundation of power rock hooks and hard working, good guy attitude turned to 11. Sadly, "We Appreciate You" was the band's finale and they played one last farewell show at First Ave shortly following the release of the album.
Their trademark dragon-slaying bravado, wicked humor, effortless, stadium-sized hard rock jams and solid devotion to their fans have all proven true to the end. I never knew anyone in this band, but especially after listening to this album, I kinda feel like I did.
This was probably the best fucking "going out of business" celebration ever. Our scene is noticably vacant without The Plastic Constellations. I'll miss these guys.
19. Little Joy - Little Joy
Outta: Los Angeles, CA (is that right?)
What the?! The Strokes have been on hiatus for a while and their bandmembers have obviously become more and more restless in the return to action (with the obvious exception of Julian Casablancas). Albert Hammond, Jr. is already well-established as a pretty good solo act, but Fabrizio Moretti's side project, Little Joy has exclipsed Jr.'s efforts pretty much completely.
With their self-titled released late in 2008 (rhyme!), Little Joy sounds a lot like The Walkmen on a really good island holiday - super laid back tunes with scruffy guy vocals, smooth gal vocals and a constant, tropical breeziness to the songs.
You can hear The Strokes in these songs, but that's just one ingredient. The whole album is smooth and intoxicating like a fresh margarita and can help take the edge off these friggin' Minnesota winters.
18. The Rosebuds - Life Like
Outta: Raleigh, NC
The band that stubbornly refuses to be pigeonholed has done it again. In the past, moving from guitar-driven garage power pop to down tempo synthy new wave, The Rosebuds just won't settle with a sound.
Their latest full length, "Life Like" is no different - however, it's a bit of a pull back toward guitar sounds, but is a varied assortment of tunes that keeps them relevant and on my radar.
"Life Like" still skews away from their good ol' days of power pop, but it signals a move that I didn't expect, though thoroughly enjoyed. You still get the electronic vibe, synths and driving bass lines.
Today's Rosebuds should appeal to those who like The Raveonettes, Blonde Redhead, Interpol and everyone in-between. The added emphasis back toward guitars keeps this one from being too new wavey.
17. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
Outta: Brooklyn, NY (formerly Deuce Cities)
From the opening "Constructive Summer," which completely sounds like a tribute to Bob Mould guitar distorto rock and Husker Du's "Celebrated Summer," The Hold Steady's new album keeps the bar rock jams crankin' out. No frills, no bullshit. Craig Finn and his hard drinkin' band of former Twin Cities guys kick it again in "Stay Positive."
I'm a little bit bummed that all the various city/street/neighborhood call outs that have run rampant in previous albums has pretty much run its course. The only Twin Cities reference that you can definitively call out is the reminder in "Hey Sapphire" that "if Cheyenne's too small, we'll haul it all back to St. Paul."
No matter, The Hold Steady is still *our* band and we *allow* them to live in NYC. Hey, Craig - go Twins and stuff…
16. Paul Westerberg - 49:00
Outta: Minneapolis
To me, Paul Westerberg is the punk rock [artist[Bob Dylan in every sense of what that means. He's the Minneapolis local boy made legendary, but never got any wide acclaim for it (especially commercial). I almost like it that way. I know if The Replacements got bigger than they did (tied with Husker Du for the most influential MN band since Prince) - and if songs like"Dyslexic Heart" brought Westerberg the type of success he totally deserves, his later albums like 49:00 and "Come Feel Me Tremble" may have never happened.
Westerberg's 2008 album 49:00 was totally within The Replacements' TRUE punk, "fuck it" ethic. 49:00 operates as ONE track with about 13 songs inside it that aren't divided up by track number or song title, or anything. Westerberg offered the 44 minute or so album for only 49 cents on Amazon.com, only to have it removed from the site after about a month or so. It's the most horribly inaccessible album ever in our download-only digital age and it's still pretty good.
A portion of the album features a medley of cover tunes including stuff like "Hello" by The Beatles, "Born to Be Wild" by Steppenwolf, "Rocketman" by Elton John, "I Think I Love You" by the Partridge Family, etc. I'm pretty sure this is the main reason the album was pulled even though these were covers, not samples.
A lot of 49:00 plays off like a skipping home movie scattered across so many great songs. Westerberg never lost his voice - he sounds just as good as he did in the "Let it Be" and "Tim" days of yore.