Well time to try something new. I am going to write about a new album that I got in real time, that means I am going to write about each songs as I listen and am going to stop as soon as the song it over. This will be interesting as it will capture my purely initial sentiment, which we result in a great comparison to my opinion a month later. That’s right this feature will have two parts that are a month apart. I think this more accurately recreates the feelings one has about a record. I may love it on first listen but a month later my have only listened to it three times, or inversely I could hate it on first listen and have listened to it 20 times in the past month and now love it. So lets start of with Radiohead’s newest release.
Kind of Limbs - Radiohead
1.) Bloom
Starts out promising enough with some weird noise and electronics chopping, using sparse bass notes to pierce through it…then the vocals come in and the delivery contrasts too much with the music for this to be enjoyable anymore. The long drawn out notes with the schizophrenic beat just seem amateur. This now some vocal “oohs”? These seem like they are from a different song. Though the Orchestral swell that follows is invigorating, and then back to the normal vocal delivery. I feel repulsed by this track, not surround by it like you do on Radiohead’s best songs. This sounds almost Art of Noise-esque, but not in a good way.
2.) Morning Mr. Magpie
Now this is better. The drive of the guitar lines and cymbal heavy drums is already intoxicating. The vocals are less drawn out but still have that elongated syllables that the singer favors. I already want to sing along as the synth effects swell. Then at the bridge we get a pretty cool break down with some killer bass as every instrument starts to build on the other. Really when it comes down to it this is a song I want to dance to, how ever awkward it would be. They got a small masterpiece in this song right here.
3.) Little by Little
Well this one has the cleanest instrumentation so far…But I am already annoyed by the percussion. It is way too prominent in the mix. OH THANK GOD it goes away at a minute in. Not I can talk about how much the rest of this song is good. Again it is “I want to dance” good. The simple guitar progression some neat effects that I think are reversed tracks. The effective use of panning sounds…I am having trouble writing because I am so enthralled, even if the annoying beat has come back. This song is very spacey and orchestral like late ELO.
4.) Feral
Ok Radiohead just made a dance record people. They wanted to put orchestral psychedelic experiments over dance beats and this is what they got. This may be the most interesting track so far, but that doesn’t make it good. I am really lost on this one. It is so thick that I am having trouble picking out specific interments and effects. DOES THIS SONG EVER END? It is only 2:45 in and it feels like 6 min. Come on only 10 seconds left 4. 3. 2. 1!
5.) Lotus Flower
This is more bearable but not exactly as good as track 2. The groove of this one and the vocals are much more intelligible then they were on the last track. Plus the bass line is pretty killer. Ok I am convinced that this is a good song. Again I am thinking of a darker ELO while listening to this, but with dance music and The Cure’s musical Jungle style thrown in. It is like House Music ate Jeff Lynne and Robert Smith.
6.) Codex
PROMINENT PIANO HO!!!! This one seems to be a nice change of pace. Way more atmospheric then anything else: I am already enthralled at barely a minute in. It is plodding but everything moves forward so elegantly and tastefully. Besides a little reverb and some menacing orchestration every now and then this is the most barebones production wise so far, and it is nice to get a breath of fresh air. I am going to actually stop typing and just listen to the rest…I think that is the best compliment a song could get in this feature. Why could the other songs be like this?
7.) Give Up the Ghost
Ooooh, we have a smooth transition from Codex to this with out a break; that makes me hopeful. They are using primarily acoustic guitar with some basic rhythms section? Excellent! Oh and the muffled backing vocal delivery of “Don’t Hurt Me” are haunting. Once again, why are the first 5 songs like dance tunes? This and Codex are what Radiohead is best at; atmosphere and pure emotional catharsis using clever orchestration.
8.) Separator
Well the beat is more danceable then the last two but the production leaves room to breathe. It looks like we have another winner here. Once again, why is the first 5/8th of the album these weird dance songs, with only Morning Mr. Magpie being good from the start? I mean the last 3 songs are pure perfection. I would have sung this album praises from the mountains as being as good, nay, BETTER then The Bends or OK Computer if the entire album was like these last three.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
So you want to get into...The Mountain Goats Part 4
Get Lonely
Best Song: If You See Light
Track List:
1.) Wild Sage
2.) New Monster Avenue
3.) Half Dead
4.) Get Lonely
5.) Maybe Sprout Wings
6.) Moon Over Goldsboro
7.) In the Hidden Places
8.) Song for Lonely Giants
9.) Woke Up New
10.) If You See Light
11.) Cobra Tattoo
12.) In Corolla
This is the only album by The Mountain Goats that I still can’t stand. After being blown away by The Sunset Tree, an album I disliked on my first listen, I decided to give Get Lonely a second go. I mean sure when I first heard The Mountain Goats I hated them and then after I found out I liked some of their stuff I made a huge misstep by getting Get Lonely as my first album… and I deleted it almost immediately. But maybe on this second go around I would at least like it, right?
Wrong.
Now it isn’t that the songs aren’t well written. They are all mostly decent with some even being beautiful. "New Monster Avenue" is a perfect example of this. It is blue at the track list so that shows that I hate it, but I would love it if it was an instrumental. That’s right I am saying that John Darnielle, one of the masters of “lyrics come save my song” fu, should have completely dropped the vocals on most of these tracks. Or at the very least given them to someone who could perform with the vulnerability and frailty he wants to convey.
That really is Darnielle’s biggest flaw in his vocal delivery. He has a very strong voice and when he tries to make it seem fragile it just feels so forced that I can’t get behind it. If you want the effect of a thin pleading vocal, please just get Kaki King to guest (and she should get Darnielle to guest when she needs more powerful vocals for a song, but that is a different issue). I will always prefer his glazed eyed sorrow of a delivery on “Pale Green Things” from The Sunset Tree to the strained emotion of “Wild Sage” or the title track.
But it isn’t all bad. “Moon Over Goldsboro” and “In the Hidden Places” are fantastically arranged pieces, even if “In The Hidden Places” occasionally falls to the thin vocal performance. But when it comes down to it if there is one reason to own this album “If You See Light” is it. It is Sunset Tree good. Everything from Big Band sway and the confident vocals to the drums and organ are just perfectly in place.
Of all the albums I have heard from The Mountain Goats, Get Lonely is the only one that I still consider bad. Sure some other ones are spotty, but this...this is just not what I want to listen to. Next time we take a leap back in time, to the very beginning.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Best Song: If You See Light
Track List:
1.) Wild Sage
2.) New Monster Avenue
3.) Half Dead
4.) Get Lonely
5.) Maybe Sprout Wings
6.) Moon Over Goldsboro
7.) In the Hidden Places
8.) Song for Lonely Giants
9.) Woke Up New
10.) If You See Light
11.) Cobra Tattoo
12.) In Corolla
This is the only album by The Mountain Goats that I still can’t stand. After being blown away by The Sunset Tree, an album I disliked on my first listen, I decided to give Get Lonely a second go. I mean sure when I first heard The Mountain Goats I hated them and then after I found out I liked some of their stuff I made a huge misstep by getting Get Lonely as my first album… and I deleted it almost immediately. But maybe on this second go around I would at least like it, right?
Wrong.
Now it isn’t that the songs aren’t well written. They are all mostly decent with some even being beautiful. "New Monster Avenue" is a perfect example of this. It is blue at the track list so that shows that I hate it, but I would love it if it was an instrumental. That’s right I am saying that John Darnielle, one of the masters of “lyrics come save my song” fu, should have completely dropped the vocals on most of these tracks. Or at the very least given them to someone who could perform with the vulnerability and frailty he wants to convey.
That really is Darnielle’s biggest flaw in his vocal delivery. He has a very strong voice and when he tries to make it seem fragile it just feels so forced that I can’t get behind it. If you want the effect of a thin pleading vocal, please just get Kaki King to guest (and she should get Darnielle to guest when she needs more powerful vocals for a song, but that is a different issue). I will always prefer his glazed eyed sorrow of a delivery on “Pale Green Things” from The Sunset Tree to the strained emotion of “Wild Sage” or the title track.
But it isn’t all bad. “Moon Over Goldsboro” and “In the Hidden Places” are fantastically arranged pieces, even if “In The Hidden Places” occasionally falls to the thin vocal performance. But when it comes down to it if there is one reason to own this album “If You See Light” is it. It is Sunset Tree good. Everything from Big Band sway and the confident vocals to the drums and organ are just perfectly in place.
Of all the albums I have heard from The Mountain Goats, Get Lonely is the only one that I still consider bad. Sure some other ones are spotty, but this...this is just not what I want to listen to. Next time we take a leap back in time, to the very beginning.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Greatest Songs of 2010 Playlist
Ok, now this is a playlist that took me hours to put together. It wasn't the song selection, which only took me about 20 minutes, no. The real time sink was getting them in the right order. I didn't want to put them in a worst to best order. For one thing that would be almost impossible to determine. I also didn't want them in a completely arbitrary structure like alphabetical; we are talking about the best songs of the year not reference books.
So then I realized why not just make it like a compilation CD track list and make each song flow into the other as best as I could. BRILLIANT! At least that is what I thought until about hour 2 of skipping to the end of tracks to double check if I had the best transition, but I persevered.
So with out further ado, here is my Best of 2010 Playlist.
* indicates the video is worth a look, not just a listen.
You Are Dangerous - Steel Train
Garbage Truck - Sex Bob-omb
Black Sheep - Metric
The Diamond Church Street Choir - The Gaslight Anthem
Beatles - Daniel Johnston (This link says it is from 2009, they are wrong)
Fuck You - Cee Lo Green
Beautiful People - The Books
My Body is a Cage - Peter Gabriel
Power of The Heart - Peter Gabriel
The Like in I Love You - Brian Wilson
Summertime - Brian Wilson
Goodbye Sweet Dreams - Roky Erickson w/ Okkervil River
Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons
*Little Bird - Eels
Songbird - Crash Test Dummies
57821 - Janelle Monáe
To Darkness / Kripa - The Dharohar Project, Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons
All of The Lights (Interlude) - Kanye West
All of The Lights - Kanye West
Group Autogenics I - The Books
*The Best of Times - Sage Francis
Blame Game - Kanye West (Unfortunatly this video has the hideous album cover)
Airplanes prt2 - B.o.B.
Rhinestone Eyes - Gorillaz
*Some Kind of Nature - Gorillaz
Swallow It - Brandon Flowers
You and I Undercover - Steel Train
*The Cave - Mumford & Sons
Devil Town - Daniel Johnston
Fall Asleep - Steel Train
So then I realized why not just make it like a compilation CD track list and make each song flow into the other as best as I could. BRILLIANT! At least that is what I thought until about hour 2 of skipping to the end of tracks to double check if I had the best transition, but I persevered.
So with out further ado, here is my Best of 2010 Playlist.
* indicates the video is worth a look, not just a listen.
You Are Dangerous - Steel Train
Garbage Truck - Sex Bob-omb
Black Sheep - Metric
The Diamond Church Street Choir - The Gaslight Anthem
Beatles - Daniel Johnston (This link says it is from 2009, they are wrong)
Fuck You - Cee Lo Green
Beautiful People - The Books
My Body is a Cage - Peter Gabriel
Power of The Heart - Peter Gabriel
The Like in I Love You - Brian Wilson
Summertime - Brian Wilson
Goodbye Sweet Dreams - Roky Erickson w/ Okkervil River
Little Lion Man - Mumford & Sons
*Little Bird - Eels
Songbird - Crash Test Dummies
57821 - Janelle Monáe
To Darkness / Kripa - The Dharohar Project, Laura Marling and Mumford & Sons
All of The Lights (Interlude) - Kanye West
All of The Lights - Kanye West
Group Autogenics I - The Books
*The Best of Times - Sage Francis
Blame Game - Kanye West (Unfortunatly this video has the hideous album cover)
Airplanes prt2 - B.o.B.
Rhinestone Eyes - Gorillaz
*Some Kind of Nature - Gorillaz
Swallow It - Brandon Flowers
You and I Undercover - Steel Train
*The Cave - Mumford & Sons
Devil Town - Daniel Johnston
Fall Asleep - Steel Train
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Best albums of 2010
Well Instead of putting full reviews for all of my favorite albums of the year I am just going to do a short list to finish out the list. Some of these albums I will probably comeback to at some but I just want to finish up this so I can continue on my Top 50, my journey through The Mountain Goats and some more standalone reviews and thoughts.
10.) Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack/Score
9.) American Slang – The Gaslight Anthem
8.) The Age of Adz – Sufjan Steven
Best Song: Impossible Soul (well the first part of it anyways)
I have never been as enamored with Sufjan Steven as most other people I know. He certainly always showed talent on all his albums but none of them really called out to me. The Age of Adz changes that with the sheer beauty and ambition on display. The combination of singer-songwriter sensibility with electronica techniques makes the album fairly unique. It is also nice to see some board line pretentious ballsiness of old school prog exhibited in the 25 min “Impossible Soul”. In fact Sufjan Steven and The Beast and The Broadsword era Jethro Tull can hang out.
7.) The Way Out – The Books
Best Song: Beautiful People
Now for those who don’t know them, The Books are an electronic folk band. They use spoken word samples from old thrift store tapes and then right a song behind them, only occasionally singing themselves. To say they are unique is an understatement. What other band would open with a meditative song which contains the line “You may just possibly detect from my voice that I am Irish. And now I leap forward in time” then a few songs later have a song that is a fight between a young brother and sister with backing music funky as hell. Then of course there is “Beautiful People” a song about the concept of the 12th root of 2, which is the mathematical relationship between two musical notes.
6.) B.o.B Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray – B.o.B
Best Song: Airplanes Part II
He performs with Haley Williams, Rivers Cuomo, and Janelle Monae. He samples Vampire Weekend and a performance of Gershwin’s “Summertime”. He has a song that sounds more like a Jack Johnson or One Eskimo song then a song off a hip-hop album. I could keep going but there is a lot about this record that I just love. Above everything else is one very important factor that glues it all together. B.o.B has great taste. He likes good music so he makes good music. Sure he isn’t breaking any new ground but every song except “Past My Shades” is entertaining. "Airplanes Part II" not only has excellent parts by B.o.B and Haley Williams, but also has the greatest verse ever delivered by Eminem. This is one I would suggest getting the Deluxe version, “Letters from Vietnam” really deserves to be on the main album.
5.) The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) – Janelle Monae
Best Song: 57821
A concept album, inspired by the movie “Metropolis” and taking elements from funk, hip-hop, folk, jazz, electronica, and classical music. This album more then any other this year gives me hope for the future of pop music. The ArchAndroid could have been a complete disaster, over reaching, pretentious, preachy, philosophically empty and mindless. Instead through the obvious care and craft of Janelle Monae it is thoughtful, ambitious, intelligent and intriguing. Plus I am all for tricking the pop audience into listening to classical music.
4.) Scratch My Back – Peter Gabriel
Best Song: My Body is a Cage
You say you plan on recording a record of covers and people role their eyes. You then add that it will be orchestral people start to groan. Then you say that there will be NO traditional rock instruments on the album and some people start getting intrigued. Then when the album not only matches but surpasses many of the originals, well then you get Scratch My Back. Not a single song on this disc is a waste of space. The Orchestral arrangements are never half assed and Gabriel turns in a fantastic and heartfelt vocal performance on each track, especially in a great stretch of songs from the middle of the album. Lou Reed’s “Power of the Heart”, Arcade Fire’s “My Body is a Cage”, The Magnetic Fields “The Book of Love”, Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” and Regina Specter’s “Apres Moi”. This streak leaves me emotionally exhausted and the pure strength of this stretch could guarantee a spot on this list, but the fact that it is embedded in the middle of other fantastic tracks propels it to number 4
3.) Flamingo – Brandon Flowers
Best Song: Swallow It
Now I talked about this album before and my opinion has not changed much. I thought it was fantastic then and if anything I like it even more now. Every track is interesting and catchy and never try and reach beyond what they are. “Swallow It” is one of the greatest songs of 2010 (yeah I will do a top songs of 2010 before putting the year to rest) and really this album serves to prove that The Killers isn’t just Brandon Flowers, but it would do just fine if it was.
2.) Steel Train – Steel Train
Best Song: Fall Asleep vs You and I Undercover
Damn if only American Slang was number 10 and this was number 1 I could have had some nice Springsteen disciple bookends. If you asked me to define what exactly makes Steel Train such an amazing band…well I would likely get flustered and end up saying, “just check them out and hear for yourself.” They really are hard to pin down. They aren’t pushing any new ground but they don’t sound like a lumped sum of all their influences. And while I don’t think this record stands up to their last album Trampoline on a songwriting level, it does equal (if not surpass) it on an emotional level. This album would have been a definite number 1 for 2010…the only problem is the next album gives a combination that is really not fair to the rest on the list. If this album didn’t come out every other album on this list would be bumped up one slot and Jim Bryson And The Weakerthans’ The Falcon Lake Incident could have graced the list. But I guess that is what happens when…
1.) Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin – Brian Wilson
Best Song: The Like in I Love You or maybe Summertime or maybe…all of them
There is no way this couldn’t be my favorite album of the year, absolutely no way. Two songs that are personal favorites of mine are Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Brian Wilson’s “Love and Mercy”. If either of those come up without me expecting them consider my productivity shot for the remainder of their duration as I drift into the exquisite melodies. Well turns out Brian Wilson shares my love for “Rhapsody in Blue” citing it as his earliest musical memory and bookending the album with vocals performances of the piece and scattering various excerpts throughout the album, a smart move that pays tribute to the original without trying to match the majesty of the whole piece. On top of performing the standards Wilson also had the honor of completing two unfinished Gershwin compositions. The first full song on the album “The Like in I Love You” and the last full song “Nothing But Love”. Both are great but “The Like in I Love You” is the clear winner. It fits seamlessly with the timeless Gershwin classics like it was meant to. I guess I come off a little sappy in my love for this album but what can I say, it just puts me in a very innocent and transcendent mood!
10.) Scott Pilgrim Soundtrack/Score
9.) American Slang – The Gaslight Anthem
8.) The Age of Adz – Sufjan Steven
Best Song: Impossible Soul (well the first part of it anyways)
I have never been as enamored with Sufjan Steven as most other people I know. He certainly always showed talent on all his albums but none of them really called out to me. The Age of Adz changes that with the sheer beauty and ambition on display. The combination of singer-songwriter sensibility with electronica techniques makes the album fairly unique. It is also nice to see some board line pretentious ballsiness of old school prog exhibited in the 25 min “Impossible Soul”. In fact Sufjan Steven and The Beast and The Broadsword era Jethro Tull can hang out.
7.) The Way Out – The Books
Best Song: Beautiful People
Now for those who don’t know them, The Books are an electronic folk band. They use spoken word samples from old thrift store tapes and then right a song behind them, only occasionally singing themselves. To say they are unique is an understatement. What other band would open with a meditative song which contains the line “You may just possibly detect from my voice that I am Irish. And now I leap forward in time” then a few songs later have a song that is a fight between a young brother and sister with backing music funky as hell. Then of course there is “Beautiful People” a song about the concept of the 12th root of 2, which is the mathematical relationship between two musical notes.
6.) B.o.B Presents The Adventures of Bobby Ray – B.o.B
Best Song: Airplanes Part II
He performs with Haley Williams, Rivers Cuomo, and Janelle Monae. He samples Vampire Weekend and a performance of Gershwin’s “Summertime”. He has a song that sounds more like a Jack Johnson or One Eskimo song then a song off a hip-hop album. I could keep going but there is a lot about this record that I just love. Above everything else is one very important factor that glues it all together. B.o.B has great taste. He likes good music so he makes good music. Sure he isn’t breaking any new ground but every song except “Past My Shades” is entertaining. "Airplanes Part II" not only has excellent parts by B.o.B and Haley Williams, but also has the greatest verse ever delivered by Eminem. This is one I would suggest getting the Deluxe version, “Letters from Vietnam” really deserves to be on the main album.
5.) The ArchAndroid (Suites II and III) – Janelle Monae
Best Song: 57821
A concept album, inspired by the movie “Metropolis” and taking elements from funk, hip-hop, folk, jazz, electronica, and classical music. This album more then any other this year gives me hope for the future of pop music. The ArchAndroid could have been a complete disaster, over reaching, pretentious, preachy, philosophically empty and mindless. Instead through the obvious care and craft of Janelle Monae it is thoughtful, ambitious, intelligent and intriguing. Plus I am all for tricking the pop audience into listening to classical music.
4.) Scratch My Back – Peter Gabriel
Best Song: My Body is a Cage
You say you plan on recording a record of covers and people role their eyes. You then add that it will be orchestral people start to groan. Then you say that there will be NO traditional rock instruments on the album and some people start getting intrigued. Then when the album not only matches but surpasses many of the originals, well then you get Scratch My Back. Not a single song on this disc is a waste of space. The Orchestral arrangements are never half assed and Gabriel turns in a fantastic and heartfelt vocal performance on each track, especially in a great stretch of songs from the middle of the album. Lou Reed’s “Power of the Heart”, Arcade Fire’s “My Body is a Cage”, The Magnetic Fields “The Book of Love”, Randy Newman’s “I Think It’s Going to Rain Today” and Regina Specter’s “Apres Moi”. This streak leaves me emotionally exhausted and the pure strength of this stretch could guarantee a spot on this list, but the fact that it is embedded in the middle of other fantastic tracks propels it to number 4
3.) Flamingo – Brandon Flowers
Best Song: Swallow It
Now I talked about this album before and my opinion has not changed much. I thought it was fantastic then and if anything I like it even more now. Every track is interesting and catchy and never try and reach beyond what they are. “Swallow It” is one of the greatest songs of 2010 (yeah I will do a top songs of 2010 before putting the year to rest) and really this album serves to prove that The Killers isn’t just Brandon Flowers, but it would do just fine if it was.
2.) Steel Train – Steel Train
Best Song: Fall Asleep vs You and I Undercover
Damn if only American Slang was number 10 and this was number 1 I could have had some nice Springsteen disciple bookends. If you asked me to define what exactly makes Steel Train such an amazing band…well I would likely get flustered and end up saying, “just check them out and hear for yourself.” They really are hard to pin down. They aren’t pushing any new ground but they don’t sound like a lumped sum of all their influences. And while I don’t think this record stands up to their last album Trampoline on a songwriting level, it does equal (if not surpass) it on an emotional level. This album would have been a definite number 1 for 2010…the only problem is the next album gives a combination that is really not fair to the rest on the list. If this album didn’t come out every other album on this list would be bumped up one slot and Jim Bryson And The Weakerthans’ The Falcon Lake Incident could have graced the list. But I guess that is what happens when…
1.) Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin – Brian Wilson
Best Song: The Like in I Love You or maybe Summertime or maybe…all of them
There is no way this couldn’t be my favorite album of the year, absolutely no way. Two songs that are personal favorites of mine are Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Brian Wilson’s “Love and Mercy”. If either of those come up without me expecting them consider my productivity shot for the remainder of their duration as I drift into the exquisite melodies. Well turns out Brian Wilson shares my love for “Rhapsody in Blue” citing it as his earliest musical memory and bookending the album with vocals performances of the piece and scattering various excerpts throughout the album, a smart move that pays tribute to the original without trying to match the majesty of the whole piece. On top of performing the standards Wilson also had the honor of completing two unfinished Gershwin compositions. The first full song on the album “The Like in I Love You” and the last full song “Nothing But Love”. Both are great but “The Like in I Love You” is the clear winner. It fits seamlessly with the timeless Gershwin classics like it was meant to. I guess I come off a little sappy in my love for this album but what can I say, it just puts me in a very innocent and transcendent mood!
Friday, December 31, 2010
Top 10 Albums of 2010: American Slang - The Galight Anthem
Best Song: The Diamond Church Street Choir
Track List
1. American Slang
2. Stay Lucky
3. Bring It On
4. The Diamond Church Street Choir
5. The Queen of Lower Chelsea
6. Orphans
7. Boxer
8. Old Haunts
9. The Spirit of Jazz
10. We Did It When We Were Young
Before this album I was never a big fan of The Gaslight Anthem. Their influence from Bruce Springsteen is pretty obvious but on The ’59 Sound they end up sounding like the middle point between The Hold Steady and The Killers, two other Springsteen disciples. There is nothing wrong with this sound (“Here’s Looking at You, Kid” was a great song) its just that I would rather listen to the bands that make up their sound.
American Slang works to forge a new identity for the band. The decide to leave the harder punkish sound to The Hold Steady and the spacey echoing sound to The Killers and instead pick the middle speed semi loud rock that Springsteen really excelled at. Turns out The Gaslight Anthem excels at them too. The title track sets the quality of all that follow a great anthem that I could here working in an arena better then any other venue. It just feels so big. The best song here is “The Diamond Church Street Choir”. It feels extremely old school with a pure Rock ‘n Roll pattern and sure enough a Choir in the middle of the song hidden for those who want to notice.
There is really only one downside to this album. Just like most albums by their idol; diversity is not the spice of life. It is hard to talk about each song because they all meld together. But as a cohesive whole or taken individually each track is worth something. Try playing it while driving to get the best effect from the songs.
Now we talked about a sound track and a very traditional rock album. But next we will start to get into more experimental and unusual sounds when we continue our list in 2011, Happy New Years everyone!
Track List
1. American Slang
2. Stay Lucky
3. Bring It On
4. The Diamond Church Street Choir
5. The Queen of Lower Chelsea
6. Orphans
7. Boxer
8. Old Haunts
9. The Spirit of Jazz
10. We Did It When We Were Young
Before this album I was never a big fan of The Gaslight Anthem. Their influence from Bruce Springsteen is pretty obvious but on The ’59 Sound they end up sounding like the middle point between The Hold Steady and The Killers, two other Springsteen disciples. There is nothing wrong with this sound (“Here’s Looking at You, Kid” was a great song) its just that I would rather listen to the bands that make up their sound.
American Slang works to forge a new identity for the band. The decide to leave the harder punkish sound to The Hold Steady and the spacey echoing sound to The Killers and instead pick the middle speed semi loud rock that Springsteen really excelled at. Turns out The Gaslight Anthem excels at them too. The title track sets the quality of all that follow a great anthem that I could here working in an arena better then any other venue. It just feels so big. The best song here is “The Diamond Church Street Choir”. It feels extremely old school with a pure Rock ‘n Roll pattern and sure enough a Choir in the middle of the song hidden for those who want to notice.
There is really only one downside to this album. Just like most albums by their idol; diversity is not the spice of life. It is hard to talk about each song because they all meld together. But as a cohesive whole or taken individually each track is worth something. Try playing it while driving to get the best effect from the songs.
Now we talked about a sound track and a very traditional rock album. But next we will start to get into more experimental and unusual sounds when we continue our list in 2011, Happy New Years everyone!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Top 10 Albums of 2010: #10 Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World
Best Song Soundtrack: Garbage Truck
Best Song Score : Katayanagi Twins vs. Sex Bob-Omb
Soundtrack Track List:
1. We Are Sex Bob-Omb
2. Scott Pilgrim
3. I Heard Ramona Sing
4. By Your Side
5. O Katrina!
6. I'm So Sad, So Very, Very Sad
7. We Hate You Please Die
8. Garbage Truck
9. Teenage Dream
10. Sleazy Bed Track
11. It's Getting Boring by the Sea
12. Black Sheep
13. Threshold
14. Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl
15. Under My Thumb
16. Ramona (Acoustic Version)
17. Ramona
18. Summertime
19. Threshold (8 Bit)
Score Track List: Oh, just go check Wikipedia before this gets ridiculous
Technically this is two albums but who cares. Scott Pilgrim was a fantastic and fun movie, and a large part of that had to do the movie’s score and soundtrack. Both fit perfectly in context but the test of a good soundtrack is how well it works out of the frames of the movie. This is a test that both pass exemplary.
Now lets take a quick look at the score first. It was primarily written and arranged by Nigel Godrich, an extremely talented producer/engineer who has worked with Radiohead, Pavement, Paul McCartney, and R.E.M. Each piece is a complete composition, a strength that many movie scores fall short on. But each track here portrays a mood that flows into the next. My favorite in this department are “Love Me Some Walking” “The Vegan” and “Bass Battle”. But even if you don’t like scores there are a couple of essentials even for you. “Slick (Patel’s Song)” is complete fun combining a Middle Eastern style of sitars and strings with some great 16-bit video game runs sprinkled through out. Another essential is the great electronica vs. punk “Katayanagi Twins vs. Sex Bob-Omb”, which is the best version of the song “Threshold” on both albums (and trust me there are a LOT of different versions).
The Soundtrack while having even more highlights does also have the misfortune of having some songs that just don’t work out of the movie. Both versions of “Ramona” just aren’t worth my time and bore me without the visuals to help them along. It also doesn’t help that they have the song Beck was emulating earlier on the album. “Teenage Dream” is one of T. Rex’s best with the mid-tempo and light tone with a slight reverb to everything to make this fantastic echo. And I hate to break it to Beck but he is no Marc Bolan and “Ramona” just plods along with an acoustic tone you have heard a thousand times before.
So Beck may have fallen short on his performance on the album, but his writing is extremely strong. If you see the name Sex Bob-Omb listed as the artist it is a must listen. Every one of them is a dirty, riff driven, garage rock standouts. Out of all of them “Garbage Truck” is my personal favorite followed by “Summertime”. “Threshold” is great in any form but I feel the “original” is actually the weakest (as I said the best version is on the score, but the soundtrack also has an 8-bit version).
As for none Sex-Bob-Omb songs we get the fantastic New Wave song “Black Sheep” from Metric. Then there are the two classic rock interruptions (the aforementioned “Teenage Dream” and the Rolling Stones “Under My Thumb”) that break the flow just as I am getting sick of the very hipster feel.
The fact that such great albums as these merely take the number 10 spot just shows what a great year for music 2010 has been. So tune in next time as we climb the ladder towards #1.
Best Song Score : Katayanagi Twins vs. Sex Bob-Omb
Soundtrack Track List:
1. We Are Sex Bob-Omb
2. Scott Pilgrim
3. I Heard Ramona Sing
4. By Your Side
5. O Katrina!
6. I'm So Sad, So Very, Very Sad
7. We Hate You Please Die
8. Garbage Truck
9. Teenage Dream
10. Sleazy Bed Track
11. It's Getting Boring by the Sea
12. Black Sheep
13. Threshold
14. Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl
15. Under My Thumb
16. Ramona (Acoustic Version)
17. Ramona
18. Summertime
19. Threshold (8 Bit)
Score Track List: Oh, just go check Wikipedia before this gets ridiculous
Technically this is two albums but who cares. Scott Pilgrim was a fantastic and fun movie, and a large part of that had to do the movie’s score and soundtrack. Both fit perfectly in context but the test of a good soundtrack is how well it works out of the frames of the movie. This is a test that both pass exemplary.
Now lets take a quick look at the score first. It was primarily written and arranged by Nigel Godrich, an extremely talented producer/engineer who has worked with Radiohead, Pavement, Paul McCartney, and R.E.M. Each piece is a complete composition, a strength that many movie scores fall short on. But each track here portrays a mood that flows into the next. My favorite in this department are “Love Me Some Walking” “The Vegan” and “Bass Battle”. But even if you don’t like scores there are a couple of essentials even for you. “Slick (Patel’s Song)” is complete fun combining a Middle Eastern style of sitars and strings with some great 16-bit video game runs sprinkled through out. Another essential is the great electronica vs. punk “Katayanagi Twins vs. Sex Bob-Omb”, which is the best version of the song “Threshold” on both albums (and trust me there are a LOT of different versions).
The Soundtrack while having even more highlights does also have the misfortune of having some songs that just don’t work out of the movie. Both versions of “Ramona” just aren’t worth my time and bore me without the visuals to help them along. It also doesn’t help that they have the song Beck was emulating earlier on the album. “Teenage Dream” is one of T. Rex’s best with the mid-tempo and light tone with a slight reverb to everything to make this fantastic echo. And I hate to break it to Beck but he is no Marc Bolan and “Ramona” just plods along with an acoustic tone you have heard a thousand times before.
So Beck may have fallen short on his performance on the album, but his writing is extremely strong. If you see the name Sex Bob-Omb listed as the artist it is a must listen. Every one of them is a dirty, riff driven, garage rock standouts. Out of all of them “Garbage Truck” is my personal favorite followed by “Summertime”. “Threshold” is great in any form but I feel the “original” is actually the weakest (as I said the best version is on the score, but the soundtrack also has an 8-bit version).
As for none Sex-Bob-Omb songs we get the fantastic New Wave song “Black Sheep” from Metric. Then there are the two classic rock interruptions (the aforementioned “Teenage Dream” and the Rolling Stones “Under My Thumb”) that break the flow just as I am getting sick of the very hipster feel.
The fact that such great albums as these merely take the number 10 spot just shows what a great year for music 2010 has been. So tune in next time as we climb the ladder towards #1.
Friday, December 17, 2010
2010 In Review: Top 10 Covers
As you may well know I am a huge fan of covers. I think they are a perfect way to get into new acts and to be introduced to new songs/band through your favorite artists. These are the covers that I think are the absolute best of the year. You will notice a lack of ironic indie acts covering pop songs on this list. That is because sincerity is what catches my eye more often then not. Plus how many solo acoustic covers of “Bad Romance” do we really need?
1.) Summertime – Brian Wilson
Now I will be talking about the album this is off of a little later, but this song is something special. It is a pretty commonly covered song that has been preformed by Ella Fitzgerald, Sam Cooke and perhaps most famously by Janis Joplin. But you can take all those versions and throw them to the wayside. This is the definitive version of the song, the well placed orchestra, light jazz piano and restrained vocal delivery really drive it home.
2.) My Body is a Cage – Peter Gabriel
Original
I actually heard this version before hearing the Arcade Fire original, and a result of that is I hate the original. It just sounds so weak and distant when compared to this monster. Most artist who use a string section bring them in to play a simple and basic part. Peter Gabriel lets them be a symphony, slowly building tension before bursting out in all its fury. This cover could work as a classical piece and that is where its real strength lies.
3.) In Germany Before The War – The Extra Lens
Original
The last thing I expected to find on this John Darnielle side project was a cover of a Randy Newman Song. What I expected even less was for this cover to be the best song on the album, Undercard is a good album but certainly isn’t excellent. The accordion is what makes the song, accentuating the distant sadness of the song. It just feels my mind with an image of the story teller gazing off with glazed grey eyes absentmindedly play the insurment. Just beautiful.
4.) Let’s Call the whole thing off – Brian Wilson
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong
This one is just fun. Most people have heard some version of this Gershwin song before, even if only the time Christopher Walken did it on SNL. Again this is probably my favorite version; it is just a rollicking good time that puts a smile on your face.
5.) Fuck You – William Shatner
Original
Once again this is just fun. It is live and delivered with that usual later life Shatner vocal delivery. If you like Has Been you will love this cover. It is played up and over the top which makes it all the better.
6.) Power of the Heart – Peter Gabriel
Original
Now after that little fun interlude we get another powerful orchestral cover by Peter Gabriel, this time of one of my favorite Lou Reed songs. Again the strings are excellent, and the vocal delivery just breaks my heart.
7.) Bulletproof – Steel Train
Original
When you hear an indie band cover a dance song you expect it to be an ironic cover. Well Steel Train is special. They take this excellent La Roux song and make a version that isn’t poking fun at it, or pointing out some flaw in the lyrics or melody. The are covering it to pay homage/put there own spin on a song the love. The focus on acoustic instruments with spare electric lines throughout is a brilliant stroke
.8.) Turnpike Ghost – Tegan and Sara
Original
Speaking of Steel Train, they came out with an album this year. And (more importantly to this post) came out with a companion album which had every song from the album covered by a female artist. Now all the covers are good, but only one is as good if not better then the original song. They slow it down a little and using an electronic backing that is catchy beyond belief.
9.) Solsbury Hill- Lou Reed
Original
In return for Peter Gabriel covering my favorite Lou Reed song, Lou Reed covers my favorite Peter Gabriel song. But unlike Gabriel, Reed’s cover doesn’t equal the original. It is still an interesting listen. It has been completely transformed into a Lou Reed song full of distortion and feedback that plods along at a hypnotizing pace.
10.) You’ve Got a Friend in Me –Gipsy Kings
Original
Another Randy Newman cover. The Gipsy Kings covered this song for Toy Story 3 (which is my favorite film of the year). It is quick catchy and done in that flamenco style that the Gipsy Kings do so well.
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