I missed the millennial roundup in '99, opting to spend that weekend getting high in montreal. Apparently, that was a less self-destructive road taken, if your memories of the meeting conjured up images of this.
Um, so you and Brian came up with complex contest rules and statistical formulas when you were drunk? Going to have to raise my game next time out: slurring just won't cut it.
Like your idea. Agree that it's preferable to a 'here's why i chose radiohead's ____', a superfluous undertaking at this point, surely. We'll just have to come up with a process that everyone can follow, throughout various degrees of sobriety.
Since we're talking about weighted values, let me say that I'm struggling a bit with my analysis of the lists. Would that I had paid more attention in 2nd year Statistics, a course for which I celebrated wildly upon barely receiving a passing grade, but have now retained zero knowledge.
Maybe one of you can assist.
I went ahead and ranked each list in order, then decided that the #1 entry on each list would be assigned the highest possible points in the ranking (i.e. if it was #1 of 100 entries, then it would be assigned 100, if #2, then 99, if #3, then 98, etc.), then divided the assigned number by the highest ranking and multiplied by 100. Bear with me. So the #1 entry ends up being 100.0, and #2 99.0, etc. It therefore takes into account those lists that are ordered out of say, 50, or 75 or 45.
I then added up the scores for those that appeared on the list more than once and then divided this number by 6 (the total number of lists). I then ranked these scores to come up with the resulting list of our top 30 of the 2000s, by consensus:
1) Arcade Fire - Funeral
2) Decemberists - Picaresque
3) Badly Drawn Boy - Hour of the Bewilderbeast
4) Sufjan - Illinoise
5) Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
6) Strokes - IsthisIt?
7) Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
8) Broken Social Scene - youforgotit
9) Calexico - Feast of Wire
10) Strokes - Room on Fire
11) Beck - Seachange
12) Radiohead - In Rainbows
13) Tourist - St. Germain
14) Suba - Sao Paolo Confessions
15) The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow
16) Band of Horses - EverythingAllthetime
17) Radiohead Kid A
18) Koop - Waltz for Koop
19) Flaming Lips -yoshimi
20) TV on the Radio - Cookie Mtn
21) Stars -Set Yourself on Fire
22) Sigur Ros - Takk
23) The Microphones - The Glow pt.2
24) The New Pornographers - The Electric Version
25) Madvillian - Madvillainy
26) Elliot Smith - Basement Hill
27) My Morning Jacket - Z
28) Grandaddy - Sophware Slump
29) Kos - joyful rebellion
30) Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Let me know what I've done wrong (specific to above).
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
To follow up on Kyle's suggestion that we pick a few CDs on our decade end list and discuss at our January CD club might I propose an alternative that also takes Kyle's best of the various decades discussion into account.
While drinking with Brian a few weeks back I had the idea that instead of simply playing tracks from albums, many of which all of us are very familiar with, we should have a battle of the decades in music.
Here`s the spin: each of us picks say our 10 or 20 favourite tracks from each decade, let`s say 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00`s. We submit our picks on this site prior to the night in question and by assigning some sort of weighted value to the ranked picks we come up with a shortlist of 10-20 tracks in total for each decade.
On the night we get together we match up decades in a pitched contest where we play 3 or 4 songs for each decade (eg 60s v 90s Verve vs. The Stones, etc) and eliminate based on a vote at the end of each round until one decade is left standing.
Yes it isn`t scientific and yes we already have built in biases (each and every one of us) but it has to be more fun than the end of the millenium cd club that disintegrated into something resembling the Bataan death march.
Your thoughts?
And remember we were rather drunk when this was discussed.
While drinking with Brian a few weeks back I had the idea that instead of simply playing tracks from albums, many of which all of us are very familiar with, we should have a battle of the decades in music.
Here`s the spin: each of us picks say our 10 or 20 favourite tracks from each decade, let`s say 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s and 00`s. We submit our picks on this site prior to the night in question and by assigning some sort of weighted value to the ranked picks we come up with a shortlist of 10-20 tracks in total for each decade.
On the night we get together we match up decades in a pitched contest where we play 3 or 4 songs for each decade (eg 60s v 90s Verve vs. The Stones, etc) and eliminate based on a vote at the end of each round until one decade is left standing.
Yes it isn`t scientific and yes we already have built in biases (each and every one of us) but it has to be more fun than the end of the millenium cd club that disintegrated into something resembling the Bataan death march.
Your thoughts?
And remember we were rather drunk when this was discussed.
would be interesting to see if we asigned points to the albums and totalled them all up, which were the top 10 ranked albums of our cd club... For instance I was surprised that Brian only has 2 of my top 10 albums in his entire list of 50... ( I realise I am leaving myself wide open for a pot shot from him) but that really is astounding to me... There is more commonality between some of us ( those who actually have musical taste and knowledge) , but still the variety is wide and I for one will be delving into a lot of albums I did not recognise the names of... ( given we regularily meet and expose each other to music it perhaps some albums rise to the top of our lists over time and we dont opush them when freshly bought and played at the meetings)
wouldn't you know, bri, that as you entered that in, i was indeed furiously typing away in this space and also compiling all our lists into a spreadsheet for analysis. will let you know the results in the coming days and will ponder your question about musical artist of the decade.
gun to my head response: The White Stripes, who weren't my favourite, but were very profilic, always had a few interesting releases of each album, and who seem to be interesting, talented, and decent people to boot.
perhaps we could each nominate an artist/group and give reasons why.
another question for the group (the one i furiously typed out and responded to earlier) is, "How does this decade in music compare to other decades? Better? Worse?"
i'm calling it a great decade in music, possibly better than the three that preceeded it. the 90s was a very much front-loaded decade, with most of the interesting and important stuff happening from 90-94, and the rest of the decade mostly filled with music which unsuccessfully tried to appropriate and popularize the grunge, shoegaze, and indie lo-fi sound that came to define the decade. we've discussed the 80s and 70s before so i won't rehash, suffice to say that i still favour the former over the latter, though i recognize demography plays a role in this preference. i also recognize that maybe the reason why i'm so bullish on this decade is that i was able, through advances in technology, to gain access to so much of it, to an extent which would have been, if not impossible than highly improbable, given economics and time availability, in previous decades. no longer do i need to bitch and complain about the pitiful state of commercial radio in toronto (though i still do, from time to time) because i can completely bypass the dreck and find what i need online. while i may take too much direction from the likes of pitchfork, npr, and emusic, i'd argue that these are far more trustworthy and honest information brokers than television or radio. but beyond access to a larger library is the sheer quality of the music and particularly, entire albums, that were released this decade. i can't recall another decade with as many albums that i've wanted to listen to all the way through, again and again. it was actually difficult to whittle my list down to 100. anyhow, just wanted to get your thoughts/impressions overall. it would be good if we could start looking at our calendars for january to see if there's a time when we can all meet for a post-decade cd club wrapup. i'm thinking that we could maybe take a few pics from our list and explain why we selected them, as well as reasons why we didn't select others.
gun to my head response: The White Stripes, who weren't my favourite, but were very profilic, always had a few interesting releases of each album, and who seem to be interesting, talented, and decent people to boot.
perhaps we could each nominate an artist/group and give reasons why.
another question for the group (the one i furiously typed out and responded to earlier) is, "How does this decade in music compare to other decades? Better? Worse?"
i'm calling it a great decade in music, possibly better than the three that preceeded it. the 90s was a very much front-loaded decade, with most of the interesting and important stuff happening from 90-94, and the rest of the decade mostly filled with music which unsuccessfully tried to appropriate and popularize the grunge, shoegaze, and indie lo-fi sound that came to define the decade. we've discussed the 80s and 70s before so i won't rehash, suffice to say that i still favour the former over the latter, though i recognize demography plays a role in this preference. i also recognize that maybe the reason why i'm so bullish on this decade is that i was able, through advances in technology, to gain access to so much of it, to an extent which would have been, if not impossible than highly improbable, given economics and time availability, in previous decades. no longer do i need to bitch and complain about the pitiful state of commercial radio in toronto (though i still do, from time to time) because i can completely bypass the dreck and find what i need online. while i may take too much direction from the likes of pitchfork, npr, and emusic, i'd argue that these are far more trustworthy and honest information brokers than television or radio. but beyond access to a larger library is the sheer quality of the music and particularly, entire albums, that were released this decade. i can't recall another decade with as many albums that i've wanted to listen to all the way through, again and again. it was actually difficult to whittle my list down to 100. anyhow, just wanted to get your thoughts/impressions overall. it would be good if we could start looking at our calendars for january to see if there's a time when we can all meet for a post-decade cd club wrapup. i'm thinking that we could maybe take a few pics from our list and explain why we selected them, as well as reasons why we didn't select others.
Tuesday, December 08, 2009
well I found it difficult to rank them in exact order, many could move up or down 15 spots depending on my mood at the time, but here it is....Some rank higher then you would expect (ie Belle & sebastian as it was the first time getting into that band, however late to the party I happened to be and it blew my mind so to speak... )
1 Radiohead In Rainbows
2 Decemberists Picaresque
3 Arcade Fire Funeral
4 Band Of Horses Everything All The Time
5 Belle & Sebastian Fold Your Hands Child ..
6 Strokes Room On Fire
7 Neko Case Blacklisted
8 Wilco Yankee Foxtrot Hotel
9 Johnny Cash American IV The Man Comes Around
10 Badly Drawn Boy Hour Of The Bewilderbeast
11 Sigur Ros Takk
12 Decemberists Castaways and Cutouts
13 Beck Sea Changes
14 Calexico Feast of Wire
15 Kanye West Late Registration
16 K-os Joyful Rebellion
17 Iron & Wine Our Endless Numbered Days
18 Broken Social Scene You Forgot it in People
19 Peter Gabriel Up
20 Destroyer Streethawk
21 Patty Griffin Children Running Through
22 Ryan Adams Heartbreaker
23 Bon Iver For Emma
24 Sparklehorse It’s a Wonderful Life
25 Ivy Long Distence
26 Sufjan Stevens Illinoise
27 Lil Wayne Tha Carter III
28 The National Boxer
29 M Ward Transfiguration Of Vincent
30 Yo la Tengo And Then Nothing Turned Itself…
31 Dandy Warhols 13 Tales…
32 The Stills Logic Will Break Your Heart
33 Nick Lowe The Convincer
34 Arcade Fire Neon Bible
35 Richard Buckner The Hill
36 St Germain Tourist
37 Lilly Allen Alright Still
38 Sun Kill Moon Ghosts of the Great highway
39 Rachels Systems layers
40 Aimee Mann Bachelor # 2
41 The Antlers Hospice
42 Bonnie prince Billy Greatest Palace Music
43 Steve Earle Transcendental Blues
44 Bright Eyes Cassadaga
45 Cat Power The Greatest
46 Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
47 Grant Lee Phillips Virginia Creeper
48 Max Richter Blue Notebooks
49 Julie Doiron Goodnight Nobody
50 Luna Rondezvous
51 Radiohead Kid A
52 James Blackshaw Litany Of Echoes
53 Mogwai Happy Songs for happy People
54 Mojave 3 Excuses For Travellers
55 Max Avery Lichtenstein Tarnation Soundtrack
56 Natalie Merchant Motherland
57 Nick Cave The Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues
58 Peter Bjorn & John Writers Block
59 The Real Tuesday Weld I Lucifer
60 Feist The Reminder
61 Jay Farrar Terroir Blues
62 Linda Thompson Fashionable Late
63 Amy Winehouse Back To Black
64 Cody Chestnut The Headphone Masterpieces
65 Bonobo Animal Magic
66 Moby 18
67 Mum Finally We are No One
68 Michael Andrews You And Me And Every One We Know
69 Eminem The Eminem Show
70 Air Virgin Suicides
71 Kings Of Convenience Qiuet is The new Loud
72 Lucinda Williams Essence
73 Cinematic orchestra Every day
74 Gillian Welch Time The Revelator
75 Stars Set Yourself on Fire
1 Radiohead In Rainbows
2 Decemberists Picaresque
3 Arcade Fire Funeral
4 Band Of Horses Everything All The Time
5 Belle & Sebastian Fold Your Hands Child ..
6 Strokes Room On Fire
7 Neko Case Blacklisted
8 Wilco Yankee Foxtrot Hotel
9 Johnny Cash American IV The Man Comes Around
10 Badly Drawn Boy Hour Of The Bewilderbeast
11 Sigur Ros Takk
12 Decemberists Castaways and Cutouts
13 Beck Sea Changes
14 Calexico Feast of Wire
15 Kanye West Late Registration
16 K-os Joyful Rebellion
17 Iron & Wine Our Endless Numbered Days
18 Broken Social Scene You Forgot it in People
19 Peter Gabriel Up
20 Destroyer Streethawk
21 Patty Griffin Children Running Through
22 Ryan Adams Heartbreaker
23 Bon Iver For Emma
24 Sparklehorse It’s a Wonderful Life
25 Ivy Long Distence
26 Sufjan Stevens Illinoise
27 Lil Wayne Tha Carter III
28 The National Boxer
29 M Ward Transfiguration Of Vincent
30 Yo la Tengo And Then Nothing Turned Itself…
31 Dandy Warhols 13 Tales…
32 The Stills Logic Will Break Your Heart
33 Nick Lowe The Convincer
34 Arcade Fire Neon Bible
35 Richard Buckner The Hill
36 St Germain Tourist
37 Lilly Allen Alright Still
38 Sun Kill Moon Ghosts of the Great highway
39 Rachels Systems layers
40 Aimee Mann Bachelor # 2
41 The Antlers Hospice
42 Bonnie prince Billy Greatest Palace Music
43 Steve Earle Transcendental Blues
44 Bright Eyes Cassadaga
45 Cat Power The Greatest
46 Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
47 Grant Lee Phillips Virginia Creeper
48 Max Richter Blue Notebooks
49 Julie Doiron Goodnight Nobody
50 Luna Rondezvous
51 Radiohead Kid A
52 James Blackshaw Litany Of Echoes
53 Mogwai Happy Songs for happy People
54 Mojave 3 Excuses For Travellers
55 Max Avery Lichtenstein Tarnation Soundtrack
56 Natalie Merchant Motherland
57 Nick Cave The Lyre of Orpheus/Abattoir Blues
58 Peter Bjorn & John Writers Block
59 The Real Tuesday Weld I Lucifer
60 Feist The Reminder
61 Jay Farrar Terroir Blues
62 Linda Thompson Fashionable Late
63 Amy Winehouse Back To Black
64 Cody Chestnut The Headphone Masterpieces
65 Bonobo Animal Magic
66 Moby 18
67 Mum Finally We are No One
68 Michael Andrews You And Me And Every One We Know
69 Eminem The Eminem Show
70 Air Virgin Suicides
71 Kings Of Convenience Qiuet is The new Loud
72 Lucinda Williams Essence
73 Cinematic orchestra Every day
74 Gillian Welch Time The Revelator
75 Stars Set Yourself on Fire
Sunday, December 06, 2009
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Feels like I've spent the last two months digging back through the music I've been listening to for the last 10 years. The wierd thing is that most of the music (55 out of 60 selections) that has kept me coming back is music I own on CD. What does that say for the coming decade. Here's the list:
1 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2 Arcade Fire Funeral
3 Badly Drawn Boy Hour of Bewilderbeast
4 Band of Horses Everything all the Time
5 Destroyer Streethawk: A Seduction
6 Beck Sea Change
7 TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain
8 Broken Social Scene You Forgot it In People
9 The Strokes Room on Fire
10 New Pornographers Twin Cinema
11 Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
12 The Lucksmiths Warmer Corners
13 The Streets Orignal Pirate Material
14 Kanye West Late Registration
15 The Walkmen Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone
16 TV on the Radio Dear Science
17 Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
18 Sigur Ros Takk
19 Clinic Internal Wrangler
20 King Geedorah Take Me to Your Leader
21 Wolf Parade Aplogies to Queen Mary
22 Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights
23 Mountain Goats The Sunset Tree
24 The Wrens Meadowland
25 The Pernice Brothers The World Wont End
26 Yo la Tengo And then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
27 Viktor Vaughan Vaudeville Villain
28 Feist The Reminder
29 The Go Betweens Oceans Apart
30 Arcade Fire Neon Bible
31 Suba Sao Paolo Confessions
32 Decemberists Picaresque
33 Jay Farrar Terroir Blues
34 Calexico Garden Ruin
35 Field Music Field Music
36 MIA Arular
37 The Strokes Is This It
38 Sonic Youth Murray Street
39 David Pajo Pajo
40 Bright Eyes Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
41 M83 Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
42 Mum Finally We Are No One
43 Echospace The Coldest Season
44 The Walkmen Bows and Arrows
45 Radiohead Kid A
46 New Pornographers Electric Version
47 Sufjan Stevens Illinoise
48 M. Ward The Transfiguration of Vincent
49 Belle and Sebastian The Life Pursuit
50 Junior Boys So This is Goodbye
51 Madvillain Madvillainy
52 The Horrors Primary Colours
53 Radiohead Amnesiac
54 Delgados The Great Eastern
55 Beck Guero
56 Foreign Exchange Connected
57 Fiery Furnaces Blueberry Boat
58 Tujiko Noriko From Tokyo to Niagara
59 Two Minute Miracles Volume II
60 Cut Copy In Ghost Colours
1 Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
2 Arcade Fire Funeral
3 Badly Drawn Boy Hour of Bewilderbeast
4 Band of Horses Everything all the Time
5 Destroyer Streethawk: A Seduction
6 Beck Sea Change
7 TV on the Radio Return to Cookie Mountain
8 Broken Social Scene You Forgot it In People
9 The Strokes Room on Fire
10 New Pornographers Twin Cinema
11 Flaming Lips Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
12 The Lucksmiths Warmer Corners
13 The Streets Orignal Pirate Material
14 Kanye West Late Registration
15 The Walkmen Everyone Who Pretended to Like Me is Gone
16 TV on the Radio Dear Science
17 Neko Case Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
18 Sigur Ros Takk
19 Clinic Internal Wrangler
20 King Geedorah Take Me to Your Leader
21 Wolf Parade Aplogies to Queen Mary
22 Interpol Turn on the Bright Lights
23 Mountain Goats The Sunset Tree
24 The Wrens Meadowland
25 The Pernice Brothers The World Wont End
26 Yo la Tengo And then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
27 Viktor Vaughan Vaudeville Villain
28 Feist The Reminder
29 The Go Betweens Oceans Apart
30 Arcade Fire Neon Bible
31 Suba Sao Paolo Confessions
32 Decemberists Picaresque
33 Jay Farrar Terroir Blues
34 Calexico Garden Ruin
35 Field Music Field Music
36 MIA Arular
37 The Strokes Is This It
38 Sonic Youth Murray Street
39 David Pajo Pajo
40 Bright Eyes Digital Ash in a Digital Urn
41 M83 Dead Cities, Red Seas & Lost Ghosts
42 Mum Finally We Are No One
43 Echospace The Coldest Season
44 The Walkmen Bows and Arrows
45 Radiohead Kid A
46 New Pornographers Electric Version
47 Sufjan Stevens Illinoise
48 M. Ward The Transfiguration of Vincent
49 Belle and Sebastian The Life Pursuit
50 Junior Boys So This is Goodbye
51 Madvillain Madvillainy
52 The Horrors Primary Colours
53 Radiohead Amnesiac
54 Delgados The Great Eastern
55 Beck Guero
56 Foreign Exchange Connected
57 Fiery Furnaces Blueberry Boat
58 Tujiko Noriko From Tokyo to Niagara
59 Two Minute Miracles Volume II
60 Cut Copy In Ghost Colours
Great lists guys. Some (expected) overlap but also many that I’ve either heard of and haven’t had a chance to hear (Scott Merritt, Over the Rhine, Leisure Society, The Teeth) and others that I bought and maybe didn’t listen to enough (Rosebuds, Field Music), and still others that I’m thinking that in retrospect should have been on my final list (Headlights, Andrew Bird, Archer Prewitt, the last Elliot Smith).
A few observations thus far:
1) seems that people are having a hard time narrowing down their lists, which suggests to me that a) there’s a lot of good music from which to choose in this decade and b) as a group, we’re doing a pretty decent job of keeping pace with the volume of new and interesting stuff being released each year
2) despite persistent rumours of the death of the album and the re-ascendency of the single (and its shape-shifting cousin, the remix), it’s comforting to know that there are still some great artists who still manage to a) come up with finely crafted albums that are worth listening to all the way through and b) be very clever when naming these long play pieces of art (see The Good, the Bad and the Cuddly, Quiet is the New Loud), so much so that I'm now going to have to compile a list of the best album titles of the decade.
A few observations thus far:
1) seems that people are having a hard time narrowing down their lists, which suggests to me that a) there’s a lot of good music from which to choose in this decade and b) as a group, we’re doing a pretty decent job of keeping pace with the volume of new and interesting stuff being released each year
2) despite persistent rumours of the death of the album and the re-ascendency of the single (and its shape-shifting cousin, the remix), it’s comforting to know that there are still some great artists who still manage to a) come up with finely crafted albums that are worth listening to all the way through and b) be very clever when naming these long play pieces of art (see The Good, the Bad and the Cuddly, Quiet is the New Loud), so much so that I'm now going to have to compile a list of the best album titles of the decade.
Hey Mike,
It's a good list. Reflective of you, so I can't imagine it being that different, even if you had a wider exposure (not sure, but that's what my gut tells me). All of your caveats apply equally to me. Mine is not a survey of all pop / rock, just the stuff I came across. Nice to see the other lists from that perspective, because it was not a particularly heavy-gathering decade of music for me. Having said that, some of the obvious exclusions were not due to lack of exposure.
It's a good list. Reflective of you, so I can't imagine it being that different, even if you had a wider exposure (not sure, but that's what my gut tells me). All of your caveats apply equally to me. Mine is not a survey of all pop / rock, just the stuff I came across. Nice to see the other lists from that perspective, because it was not a particularly heavy-gathering decade of music for me. Having said that, some of the obvious exclusions were not due to lack of exposure.
I've been working on my list of albums, and I've been listening almost exclusively to music from the noughts for the last couple of months in an effort to sort it all out. One thing that this project has made clear is that there are lots of great albums that I've meant to buy but have not yet bought. In fact, most of my music purchases over the last few years have been through emusic.com and Paste magazine, which has significantly skewed my collection. So this list is not meant to be any sort of definitive commentary on historical or important albums. It is merely a list of the decade's albums that have given me the most enjoyment. I couldn't really claim that of a full 100 albums, so I went with a top 50:
50. The Finn Brothers - Everyone Is Here
49. Bob Geldof - Sex, Age & Death
48. Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime
47. Scott Merritt - Detour Home
46. Paul Simon - Surprise
45. Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
44. Garbage - Beautiful Garbage
43. Todd Snider - Happy to Be Here
42. Lloyd Cole - Anti Depressant
41. Warren Zevon - The Wind
40. Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
39. The Waterboys - Fisherman’s Blues, Part 2
38. Feist - Let It Die
37. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
36. The Rosebuds - Life Like
35. Rheostatics - Night of the Shooting Stars
34. Steve Earle - Just an American Boy
33. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill
32. David Gray - Life in Slow Motion
31. The Walkabouts - Drunken Soundtracks
30. Lucinda Williams - Essence
29. Over the Rhine - Live From Nowhere Volume One
28. Todd Snider - East Nashville Skyline
27. Radiohead - In Rainbows
26. Better Than Ezra - Closer
25. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
24. Kathleen Edwards - Failer
23. John Fogerty - Revival
22. Suzanne Vega - Songs In Red And Gray
21. Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
20. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
19. The Waterboys - A Rock in the Weary Land
18. My Morning Jacket - Z
17. The Strokes - Is this It?
16. The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
15. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
14. U2 - All That You Can’t Leave Behind
13. R.E.M. - Reveal
12. Coldplay - X&Y
11. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
10. David Gray - A New Day at Midnight
9. Josh Ritter - Hello Starling
8. Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
7. Over The Rhine - The Trumpet Child
6. Lyle Lovett - My Baby Don’t Tolerate
5. Tom Waits - Alice
4. Steve Earle - Jerusalem
3. The Decemberists - Picaresque
2. Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
1. Arcade Fire - Funeral
50. The Finn Brothers - Everyone Is Here
49. Bob Geldof - Sex, Age & Death
48. Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime
47. Scott Merritt - Detour Home
46. Paul Simon - Surprise
45. Midlake - The Trials of Van Occupanther
44. Garbage - Beautiful Garbage
43. Todd Snider - Happy to Be Here
42. Lloyd Cole - Anti Depressant
41. Warren Zevon - The Wind
40. Stars - Set Yourself on Fire
39. The Waterboys - Fisherman’s Blues, Part 2
38. Feist - Let It Die
37. Sufjan Stevens - Illinoise
36. The Rosebuds - Life Like
35. Rheostatics - Night of the Shooting Stars
34. Steve Earle - Just an American Boy
33. Elliott Smith - From a Basement on the Hill
32. David Gray - Life in Slow Motion
31. The Walkabouts - Drunken Soundtracks
30. Lucinda Williams - Essence
29. Over the Rhine - Live From Nowhere Volume One
28. Todd Snider - East Nashville Skyline
27. Radiohead - In Rainbows
26. Better Than Ezra - Closer
25. Ryan Adams - Heartbreaker
24. Kathleen Edwards - Failer
23. John Fogerty - Revival
22. Suzanne Vega - Songs In Red And Gray
21. Radiohead - Hail To The Thief
20. Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head
19. The Waterboys - A Rock in the Weary Land
18. My Morning Jacket - Z
17. The Strokes - Is this It?
16. The Decemberists - Castaways and Cutouts
15. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
14. U2 - All That You Can’t Leave Behind
13. R.E.M. - Reveal
12. Coldplay - X&Y
11. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
10. David Gray - A New Day at Midnight
9. Josh Ritter - Hello Starling
8. Kathleen Edwards - Asking For Flowers
7. Over The Rhine - The Trumpet Child
6. Lyle Lovett - My Baby Don’t Tolerate
5. Tom Waits - Alice
4. Steve Earle - Jerusalem
3. The Decemberists - Picaresque
2. Bruce Springsteen - The Rising
1. Arcade Fire - Funeral
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Hey I've expanded! My list of albums, that is. I've sweated out a list of 43 Really Cool Records (from the noughts). Don't miss out, buy them now.
43 | Imperial Teen - The Hair the TV the Baby and the Band |
42 | Apples in Stereo - New Magnetic Wonder |
41 | American Analog Set - Know By Heart |
40 | Do Make Say Think - You, You're a History in Rust |
39 | The Teeth - Your're My Lover Now |
38 | Okkervil River – The Stage Names |
37 | Land of Talk – Some are Lakes |
36 | Leisure Society – Sleeper |
35 | Low – Things We Lost in the Fire |
34 | Last Days of April – If You Lose It |
33 | The Deerhof – The Runners Four |
32 | Tapes n Tapes – The Loon |
31 | New Buffalo – Somewhere Anywhere |
30 | Young people – All at Once |
29 | Movietone – Blossom Filled Streets |
28 | Bon Iver – For Emma Forever Ago |
27 | Animal Collective – Feels |
27 | Les Savy Fav – Let’s Stay Friends |
26 | Juliana Hatfield – Beautiful Creature |
25 | The Headlights – Some Racing Some Stopping |
24 | The Bicycles – the Good, the Bad, and the Cuddly |
23 | The Stars – Set Yourself on Fire |
22 | Yo La Tengo – And then Nothing |
21 | Novillero – Aim Right For the Holes in their Lives |
20 | Field Music – Tones of Town |
20 | The Decembrists – Picaresque |
19 | The Broken West – I Can’t Go on, I’ll Go On |
18 | Archer Prewitt – Gerroa Songs |
17 | Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha |
16 | John Cunningham – Happy Go Unlucky |
15 | Kings of Convenience – Quiet is the New Loud |
14 | The Kingsbury Manx – The Fast Rise and Fall of the South |
13 | Beulah – The Coast is Never Clear |
12 | Grandaddy – The Sophtware Slump |
11 | Matt Pond – The Green Fury |
10 | The Microphones – The Glow Part 2 |
9 | Damien Jurado – And Now that I’m in your Shadow |
8 | Teenage Fanclub – Man Made |
7 | Midlake – Trials of Van Occupanther |
6 | Guided By Voices – Isolation Drills |
5 | The Shins – Chutes Too Narrow |
4 | Badly Drawn Boy – Bewilderbeast |
3 | The Strokes – Is this it? |
2 | Elliott Smith – From a Basement on the Hill |
1 | Sufjan Stevens – Illinoise |
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Thanks for the props, Marc. And for your post, which had the effect of realigning the right navigation links, which somehow got screwed up when i embedded the playlist. Looking forward to your lists. Others, don't be shy. You needn't spend 2 hours of flight time building a list in excel then another couple building a playlist to do so. A good old fashioned youtube embed/link or just (gasp) plain old text with a few select bon chansons de decennie will suffice.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
I like your list, Marc, though I confess to not having heard enough Jack Johnson to either frown or applaud his prominent inclusion(s). Though we both apparently dig us some Wilco, for some reason 'A Ghost is Born' consistently rubs me the wrong way and gets worse for me with each listen. Am rediscovering Hope Sandoval's earlier disc from the decade that you included, after recently downloading her latest; the quiet prettiness of 'Suzanne' (not an LC cover) equals or betters any of the Mazzy Star stuff.
Will wait for everyone else's lists before expanding on the reasons my own choices. However, some reasons behind some notable omissions:
"White Blood Cells" - The White Stripes
Was originally on my list, as high up as the 30s. And if we were discussing a list of what we consider the most important discs of the decade, a concept fraught not only with pomposity but a seriousness of purpose unsuited to the casual sharing/piss taking of this particular space, than pehaps it would have rated in my top 5. But if I'm honest with myself, much as I like the album, I almost never listen to it, beyond sticking the breatkthrough single, which will appear shortly on my best songs list, on my shuffle for running.
The Killers - I don't fucking like them. Perhaps there's something to their sound that I should like. Still, no. Ditto Gwen Stefani, every member of the Black Eyed Peas or anyone from any American, Canadian Idol contest.
LCD Soundsystem, Ghostface Killah, Green Day...I don't own these albums. Perhaps I should. Let me know.
Am working on a way (thank you US Thanksgiving) to include my top 100 songs in a listenable countdown format widget from grooveshark, to possibly post tomorrow or Monday. Until then, happy blogging.
Will wait for everyone else's lists before expanding on the reasons my own choices. However, some reasons behind some notable omissions:
"White Blood Cells" - The White Stripes
Was originally on my list, as high up as the 30s. And if we were discussing a list of what we consider the most important discs of the decade, a concept fraught not only with pomposity but a seriousness of purpose unsuited to the casual sharing/piss taking of this particular space, than pehaps it would have rated in my top 5. But if I'm honest with myself, much as I like the album, I almost never listen to it, beyond sticking the breatkthrough single, which will appear shortly on my best songs list, on my shuffle for running.
The Killers - I don't fucking like them. Perhaps there's something to their sound that I should like. Still, no. Ditto Gwen Stefani, every member of the Black Eyed Peas or anyone from any American, Canadian Idol contest.
LCD Soundsystem, Ghostface Killah, Green Day...I don't own these albums. Perhaps I should. Let me know.
Am working on a way (thank you US Thanksgiving) to include my top 100 songs in a listenable countdown format widget from grooveshark, to possibly post tomorrow or Monday. Until then, happy blogging.
Monday, November 23, 2009
I know i'm gonna catch some flack for my list ...i just know it! ...here it is, the top 82 albums of the new millennium according to moi!
Some selections are solid and have legs, others, admittedly, not so much so; we will put them in the category of "temporal but of great significance in one way or another".
1-Arcade Fire, Funeral
2-Jack Johnson, Thicker Than Water
3-Antibalas, Talkatif
4-Suba, Sao Paulo Confessions
5-St Germain, Tourist
6-Getatchew Mekuria, The Ex and Guests, Moa Anbessa
7-Broken Social Scene, You Forgot it in People
8-Soil and Pimp Sessions, Pimp of the Year
9-Bugge Wesseltoft, Moving
10-Calexico, Feast of Wire
11-Brad Mehldau, Live in Tokyo
12-Koop, Waltz for Koop
13-Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
14-Clinic, Walking With Thee
15-Gotan Project, La Revancha Del Tango
16-The Strokes, Room on Fire
17-Death Cab for Cutie, Plans
18-Jack Johnson, Brushfire Fairytales
19-Sigur Ros, ()
20-Moby, 18
21-Wilco, A Ghost is Born
22-Air, Virgin Suicides
23-Dandy Warhols, Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia
24-The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic
25-Pawa Up First, Introducing New Details
26-South, From Here On In
27-Garbage, Beautiful Garbage
28-Soil and Pimp Sessions, Pimp Master
29-Jolie Holland, Escondida
30-Bebel Gilberto, Tanto Tempo
31-Lilly Allen, Alright Still
32-Interpol, Antics
33-Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head
34-Zero Seven, Simple Things
35-Franz, Ferdinand
36-Femi Kuti, Fight To Win
37-Eivind Aarset, Connected
38-Amon Tobin, Supermodified
39-Four Hero, Creating Patterns
40-Ladytron, Witching Hour
41-Antibalas, Who is This America
42-Bugge Wesseltoft, IM
43-Bonobo, Animal Magic
44-MIA, Arular
45-Soil and Pimp Sessions, Pimpoint
46-The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
47-Beastie Boys, To the Boroughs
48-Outkast, Stankonia
49-The Avalanches, Since I Left You
50-Spoon, Gimme Fiction
51-Bugge Wesseltoft, New Conceptions of Jazz Live
52-Do Make say Think, & Yet & Yet
53-The Walkmen, Bows & Arrows
54-Mum, Finally We Are No One
55-Feist, Let it Die
56-Antibalas, Security
57-Built to Spill, You in Reverse
58-The White Stripes, Elephant
59-Pernice Brothers, Yours Mine & Ours
60-Jack Johnson, On and On
61-Bugge Wesseltoft, New conceptions of Jazz
62-Dzihan & Kamien, Freaks and Icons
63-Guided By Voices, Earthquake Glue
64-Beck, Guero
65-Thievery Corporation, The Mirror Conspiracy
66-Hawaii
67-Moby, Hotel
68-Sergio Mendes, Timeless
69-Eivind Aarset, Electonique Noire
70-Sam Roberts, Chemical City
71-Explosions in the Sky, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Plan
72-Jack Johnson, In Between Dreams
73-Gnarles Barkley, St Elseware
74-Hope Sandaval, Bavarian Fruit Bread
75-Banca de Gaia, Last Train to Lhasa
76-Snow Patrol, Final Straw
77-Nils Petter Molvaer, er
78-Eivind Aarset, Electonique Noire – Light Extracts
79-Joseph Malik, Diverse
80-Manitoba, Start Breaking my Heart
The Decemberists, Picaresque (late addition not sequenced)
Shout Out Louds, Howl Howl, Gaff Gaff (late addition not sequenced)
Some selections are solid and have legs, others, admittedly, not so much so; we will put them in the category of "temporal but of great significance in one way or another".
1-Arcade Fire, Funeral
2-Jack Johnson, Thicker Than Water
3-Antibalas, Talkatif
4-Suba, Sao Paulo Confessions
5-St Germain, Tourist
6-Getatchew Mekuria, The Ex and Guests, Moa Anbessa
7-Broken Social Scene, You Forgot it in People
8-Soil and Pimp Sessions, Pimp of the Year
9-Bugge Wesseltoft, Moving
10-Calexico, Feast of Wire
11-Brad Mehldau, Live in Tokyo
12-Koop, Waltz for Koop
13-Arcade Fire, Neon Bible
14-Clinic, Walking With Thee
15-Gotan Project, La Revancha Del Tango
16-The Strokes, Room on Fire
17-Death Cab for Cutie, Plans
18-Jack Johnson, Brushfire Fairytales
19-Sigur Ros, ()
20-Moby, 18
21-Wilco, A Ghost is Born
22-Air, Virgin Suicides
23-Dandy Warhols, Thirteen Tales From Urban Bohemia
24-The New Pornographers, Mass Romantic
25-Pawa Up First, Introducing New Details
26-South, From Here On In
27-Garbage, Beautiful Garbage
28-Soil and Pimp Sessions, Pimp Master
29-Jolie Holland, Escondida
30-Bebel Gilberto, Tanto Tempo
31-Lilly Allen, Alright Still
32-Interpol, Antics
33-Coldplay, A Rush of Blood to the Head
34-Zero Seven, Simple Things
35-Franz, Ferdinand
36-Femi Kuti, Fight To Win
37-Eivind Aarset, Connected
38-Amon Tobin, Supermodified
39-Four Hero, Creating Patterns
40-Ladytron, Witching Hour
41-Antibalas, Who is This America
42-Bugge Wesseltoft, IM
43-Bonobo, Animal Magic
44-MIA, Arular
45-Soil and Pimp Sessions, Pimpoint
46-The Shins, Chutes Too Narrow
47-Beastie Boys, To the Boroughs
48-Outkast, Stankonia
49-The Avalanches, Since I Left You
50-Spoon, Gimme Fiction
51-Bugge Wesseltoft, New Conceptions of Jazz Live
52-Do Make say Think, & Yet & Yet
53-The Walkmen, Bows & Arrows
54-Mum, Finally We Are No One
55-Feist, Let it Die
56-Antibalas, Security
57-Built to Spill, You in Reverse
58-The White Stripes, Elephant
59-Pernice Brothers, Yours Mine & Ours
60-Jack Johnson, On and On
61-Bugge Wesseltoft, New conceptions of Jazz
62-Dzihan & Kamien, Freaks and Icons
63-Guided By Voices, Earthquake Glue
64-Beck, Guero
65-Thievery Corporation, The Mirror Conspiracy
66-Hawaii
67-Moby, Hotel
68-Sergio Mendes, Timeless
69-Eivind Aarset, Electonique Noire
70-Sam Roberts, Chemical City
71-Explosions in the Sky, The Earth Is Not a Cold Dead Plan
72-Jack Johnson, In Between Dreams
73-Gnarles Barkley, St Elseware
74-Hope Sandaval, Bavarian Fruit Bread
75-Banca de Gaia, Last Train to Lhasa
76-Snow Patrol, Final Straw
77-Nils Petter Molvaer, er
78-Eivind Aarset, Electonique Noire – Light Extracts
79-Joseph Malik, Diverse
80-Manitoba, Start Breaking my Heart
The Decemberists, Picaresque (late addition not sequenced)
Shout Out Louds, Howl Howl, Gaff Gaff (late addition not sequenced)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Mike and Derek, love the lists (though I'd say Jane Says is tenuous, much as I love this song). My intentions with the CA songs was to include those that reference the place, cities, or locations within the state, whether overtly or not. Which is why I didn't mention any of the Beach Boys songs you mentioned, and I certainly wasn't going to include 'California Girls'. Not to get into a pissing match about what constitutes a Cali song, though.
In a similar vein to the po-mo take you highlighted Bri, I should have also included Rufus Wainwright's "California" which begins, "California / California / You're such a wonder that I think I'll stay, in bed".
Also, I did mention Luna. And I don't like "LA Woman" though "Peace Frog", with its "bloody red sun of fantastic LA" line probably makes it a worthy entry.
In a similar vein to the po-mo take you highlighted Bri, I should have also included Rufus Wainwright's "California" which begins, "California / California / You're such a wonder that I think I'll stay, in bed".
Also, I did mention Luna. And I don't like "LA Woman" though "Peace Frog", with its "bloody red sun of fantastic LA" line probably makes it a worthy entry.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
My two cents worth on the Cali road trip soundtrack:
Flash and the Pan - California
Bran Van 3000 - Drinking in LA
The Lucksmiths - The Chapter in Your Life entitled San Francisco
The Decemberists - either Los Angeles I'm Yours or California One Youth & Beauty Brigade
Randy Newman - I Love LA
Jay Farrar - California
Warren Zevon - Desperados under the Eaves
Tom Petty Free Falling
Joni Mitchell - California
Jane's Addiction - Jane Says
Flash and the Pan - California
Bran Van 3000 - Drinking in LA
The Lucksmiths - The Chapter in Your Life entitled San Francisco
The Decemberists - either Los Angeles I'm Yours or California One Youth & Beauty Brigade
Randy Newman - I Love LA
Jay Farrar - California
Warren Zevon - Desperados under the Eaves
Tom Petty Free Falling
Joni Mitchell - California
Jane's Addiction - Jane Says
Love the post modern take on California music guys, ie a lot of these writers are looking at the anti-dream rather than the promise. But come come, two California lists without the Beach Boys ?! You can, as I do, eschew most or all of the "00"s" Pitchfork idolization of everything Brian Wilson (I've railed about this in previous blogs), but to exclude Beach Boys from a list of Cali music seems just mean. For me Good Vibrations is their peak.
Other necessities would include something by the Byrds - the greatest LA band of all time in my humble view - I would suggest Mr. Tambourine Man for its dreamy (literally) qualities. Since we're talking about LA, what abotu the Doors LA Woman? Nice. And Buffalo Springfield's "For What it's Worth" about the riots on Sunset Strip. Fanstatic. Millions more from the sixties, Grateful Dead, Sanatana, Moby Grape, Quicksilver, Jefferson Airplane, the list goes one (Marc, methinks I'm making you a disk).
And moving on, something from the 70's So Cal scene - the much blogged Jackson Browne (say, Doctor My Eyes), or hell if we're sticking to literal references why not Eagles "Hotel California". On a more modern note, "Unfair" would be my first choice (good job KP), but how about Luna's "California", or wait, that fairly wretched opening song from the OC (Kyle please insert title).
OK it's time I started working.
Other necessities would include something by the Byrds - the greatest LA band of all time in my humble view - I would suggest Mr. Tambourine Man for its dreamy (literally) qualities. Since we're talking about LA, what abotu the Doors LA Woman? Nice. And Buffalo Springfield's "For What it's Worth" about the riots on Sunset Strip. Fanstatic. Millions more from the sixties, Grateful Dead, Sanatana, Moby Grape, Quicksilver, Jefferson Airplane, the list goes one (Marc, methinks I'm making you a disk).
And moving on, something from the 70's So Cal scene - the much blogged Jackson Browne (say, Doctor My Eyes), or hell if we're sticking to literal references why not Eagles "Hotel California". On a more modern note, "Unfair" would be my first choice (good job KP), but how about Luna's "California", or wait, that fairly wretched opening song from the OC (Kyle please insert title).
OK it's time I started working.
I'm still working on my 20xx list, but I can contribute a few ideas to the California playlist concept. I couldn't find videos for all of them:
1. California Stars by Wilco
2. California Dreamline by Rheostatics
3. Goodnight California by Kathleen Edwards
4. California by Low
5. Not California by Hem
6. California by Josh Ritter
7. Come a Long Way by Michelle Shocked
8. Losing California by Sloan
9. I Remember California by REM
10. San Andreas Fault by Nathalie Marchant
1. California Stars by Wilco
2. California Dreamline by Rheostatics
3. Goodnight California by Kathleen Edwards
4. California by Low
5. Not California by Hem
6. California by Josh Ritter
7. Come a Long Way by Michelle Shocked
8. Losing California by Sloan
9. I Remember California by REM
10. San Andreas Fault by Nathalie Marchant
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Brian, 'Toxic Girl' by Kings of C., will definitely be on the top songs list, though I'm not sure if Damian Jurado's 'Cannonball' will make the cut...will have to see on game day. Looking forward to everyone's list and some discussion about what was included and why. Not sure if that makes sense in this space or at the actual meeting but still plenty to go over.
As for the road trip, we could probably spend lots of time coming up with a set of criteria for what constitutes good road music (first one to mention Tom Cochrane without irony is kicked off the blog...ha ha ha, no i'm serious), I'm gonna go the easy route and throw out my list of 'California' songs, some classic, some not so classic:
10. Los Angeles - Frank Black
9. I Left My Wallet in El Segundo - A Tribe Called Quest
8. Straight Outta Compton - NWA
7. Going Back to Cali - LL Cool J
6. Unfair - Pavement
5. Santa Monica - Everclear
4. I Hate (California Girls) - Magnetic Fields
3. California (All the Way) - Luna
2. Going to California - Led Zepellin
As for the road trip, we could probably spend lots of time coming up with a set of criteria for what constitutes good road music (first one to mention Tom Cochrane without irony is kicked off the blog...ha ha ha, no i'm serious), I'm gonna go the easy route and throw out my list of 'California' songs, some classic, some not so classic:
10. Los Angeles - Frank Black
9. I Left My Wallet in El Segundo - A Tribe Called Quest
8. Straight Outta Compton - NWA
7. Going Back to Cali - LL Cool J
6. Unfair - Pavement
5. Santa Monica - Everclear
4. I Hate (California Girls) - Magnetic Fields
3. California (All the Way) - Luna
2. Going to California - Led Zepellin
1. Mama's and the Papa's, of course
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Kyle you're putting us all to shame for Christ's sake. I knew you'd been noodling on your top 100 for a while but somehow didn't imagine it ever coming out (umm, maybe that's more MY thing). It's a great list, gotta say. Very rounded, very inclusive, yet very Kyle. I've looked at it a few times, and there's a fair bit of music that I don't know, which is always fun. Lots to explore.
And since I am planning on unveiling my ambitious top ten albums list (wow! ....OK, I'll think about songs too) in the upcoming week or two, I can comment on the overlap. There are definitely signs of cross-pollination in there; you have three of my top ten in your top ten (you usurping bastard) and a few more BD top tens on the rest of the 100. Interestingly though, four of my toppers aren't on your list at all. A couple of which don't surprise me (odd choices on my part), a couple of which do. I won't give 'em away though, gotta leave some suspense.
In terms of beloved-but-non-top-tenners that would have made a long list for me, a few potentially in your wheelhouse that jumped out were Andrew Bird (Armchair), Kings of Convenience (Quiet - which I warmed up and up to over the decade), something by Damien Jurado (I adore "And Now That I'm in Your Shadow", which still might squeak into my top ten, but others in his oeuvre are v. good), something by Beulah (Coast is Never Clear?), and also something by Matt Pond (say, Measure or Green Fury).
Looking forward to the listening party, have we agreed to wait to January? I'll make an early suggestion that Mike makes the trip to the Big Smoke to come down for a weekend and bring along his noughty best. In which case, lets look at calendars to help that along.
Monday, November 16, 2009
I do plan on posting my top 100 songs as well, but am still working on the final list and ranking.
Also, it has been pointed out that I failed to include the first Sigur Ros album, which I indeed love to bits but was listed on allmusic.com as being released in 1999. If we agree that it was only released domestically in 2000 (think I bought the pricy import a few months prior), then I'm happy to include it prominently on my list. Let me know if there are any others dubious omissions, iyo.
Also, it has been pointed out that I failed to include the first Sigur Ros album, which I indeed love to bits but was listed on allmusic.com as being released in 1999. If we agree that it was only released domestically in 2000 (think I bought the pricy import a few months prior), then I'm happy to include it prominently on my list. Let me know if there are any others dubious omissions, iyo.
Friday, November 13, 2009
Egads man, you ranked them, and 100 at that!!
Will need some spare time to digest your comprehensive list. I could use some of that bountiful spare time you have while on the road that allows you to devise such a list. When are we getting together to spin the top 500 (5 guys x 100 different albums, just saying) albums of the noughties?
Will need some spare time to digest your comprehensive list. I could use some of that bountiful spare time you have while on the road that allows you to devise such a list. When are we getting together to spin the top 500 (5 guys x 100 different albums, just saying) albums of the noughties?
Also, appropos of nada, my top 100 albums of the decade.
100
Blueberry Boat
Fiery Furnaces
99
Berlin Serengeti
Radio Citizen
98
And Yet And Yet
Do Make Say Think
97
Tanto Tempo*
Bebel Gilberto
96
War of the Waking Phantoms
The High Dials
95
Trials of the Van Occupier
Midlake
94
In Ghost Colours
Cut Copy
93
Vekatimist
Grizzly Bear
91
Silent Alarm
Bloc Party
91
Len Parrot's Memorial Lift
Baxter Dury
90
The Visualz Anthology
Siah & Yeshua
89
Lift Your Skinny Fists like Antennas to Heaven
Godspeed You Black Emperor
88
Bitte Orca
Dirty Projectors
87
Deadringer
RJD2
86
Lust Lust Lust
Raveonettes
85
The Many Moods of Ben Benjamin , Vol. 1
Ben Benjamen
84
The Great Eastern*
The Delgados
83
Cease to Begin
Band of Horses
82
Phrenology
The Roots
81
The Stage Names
Okkervil River
80
From Here We Go Sublime
The Field
79
Franz Ferdinand
Franz Ferdinand
78
What We Must
Jaga Jazzist
77
Good News for People Who Like Bad News
Modest Mouse
76
Cibelle
Cibelle
75
Feels
Animal Collective
74
Close to Paradise
Patrick Watson
73
Finally We Are No One
Mum
72
Before the Dawn Heals Us
M83
71
Rings Around the World
Super Furry Animals
70
The Long Goodbye
The Essex Green
69
Poses
Rufus Wainwright
68
Joyful Rebellion
K-os
67
The Fast Rise and Fall of the South
The Kingsbury Manx
66
Back to Black
Amy Winehouse
65
I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning
Bright Eyes
64
Microcastle
Deerhunter
63
The Sophware Slump
Grandaddy
62
The Besnard Lakes Are the Dark Horse
The Besnard Lakes
61
The Eraser
Thom Yorke
60
Five Roses
Miracle Fortress
59
Andorra
Caribou
58
Walking With Thee
Clinic
57
Alligator
The National
56
One Bedroom
The Sea and Cake
55
Black Sheep Boy
Okkervil River
54
For Emma, For Ever Ago
Bon Iver
53
Parc Avenue
Plants & Animals
52
The Life Pursuit
Belle and Sebastian
51
Our Endless Numbered Days
Iron & Wine
50
Oh, Inverted World
The Shins
49
The Reminder
Feist
48
Fleet Foxes
Fleet Foxes
47
Z
My Morning Jacket
46
Person Pitch
Panda Bear
45
The City
Fembots
44
Post-War
M.Ward
43
Arular
M.I.A.
42
Vieux Farka Toure
Vieux Farka Toure
41
Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Spoon
40
Transatlanticism
Death Cab for Cutie
39
Yours, Mine & Ours
Pernice Brothers
38
Specialist in All Styles
Orchestra Baobob
37
Late Registration
Kanye West
36
The Glow Part 2
The Microphones
35
Neon Bible
Arcade Fire
34
Pushin' On
Quantic Soul Orchestra
33
And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out
Yo La Tengo
32
Sao Paulo Confessions
Suba
31
Cast of Thousands
Elbow
30
Sea Change
Beck
29
Picaresque
The Decemberists
28
Bows + Arrows
The Walkmen
27
Veneer
Jose Gonzalez
26
Thirteen Tales of Urban Bohemia
The Dandy Warhols
25
Melody A.M.
Royksopp
24
Since I Left You
The Avalanches
23
Figure 8
Elliot Smith
22
Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Outkast
21
Simple Things
Zero 7
20
Set Yourself on Fire
Stars
19
Madvillainy
Madvillian
18
Return to Cookie Mountain
TV on the Radio
17
You Forgot it in People
Broken Social Scene
16
Antics
Interpol
15
The Electric Version
The New Pornographers
14
The Grey Album
Danger Mouse
13
Tourist
St. Germain
12
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The Flaming Lips
11
In Rainbows
Radiohead
10
Waltz for Koop
Koop
9
Chutes Too Narrow
The Shins
8
Feast of Wire
Calexico
7
Is This It?
The Strokes
6
Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
Neko Case
5
Come On Feel the Illinoise
Sufjan Stevens
4
Hour of the Bewilderbeast
Badly Drawn Boy
3
Kid A
Radiohead
2
Funeral
Arcade Fire
1
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
Great minds think alike, Mike. I've been reluctant to spend the time going back through my downloads and rating them, for the same reason: would it be worthwhile? Haven't had the time to sit down and go through all those downloads (have been a member for 5 years and w/ 90 downloads per month, there's a lot through which to sift) but may try to get to it sometime soon.
Hey Mike, no, I've never tried using the feedback function. Sill the new format seems to do a pretty good job of suggesting music, mostly old jazz in my case. It becomes a bit of a loop I get stuck in, where I download some or all of the five or six albums on the home page, end up using most of my monthlies, and so get recommended the same type of thing again. And there do seem to be a ridiculous number of old jazz albums coming out of the woodwork.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Have any of you emusic.com users spent the time to rate the various albums that you've downloaded using the tools that they provide? I think that the idea is that if you rate things consistently, the site will be better able to suggest new music that is in line with your tastes. I've never bothered to rank anything on the site, but I'm considering taking the time to do it retroactively, and I'm wondering how effective the system is.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
I will have to revisit Rattle and Hum, based on Stuart's comments and Marc's continued promotion of its merits. I bought the album (okay, cassette...but it was the 80s and I did have high speed dubbing on my pitiful little home stereo) when it came out and I was 17 years old so perhaps, some 21 years on, and with different sensibilities, I may enjoy it a lot more now. Unfortunately, I no longer possess any equipment that can play cassettes. But I digress.
I'm really buying your GOTT (Go Over The Top) over JTS (Jump the Shark) thesis Marc. And I'm wondering if GOTT the key to a band's longevity? Is this just a fancy new phrase that equals plain old risk-taking?
Regardless, you're probably right in that, if U2 had simply re-released a Joshua-Tree-like followup in either 1988 or 1991, they would likely have been resigned to the dustbin of the 1980s or the casinos of the 21st century. I would argue that it was the second of the three albums you've identified--Achtung Baby--that was the represented the biggest shift and perhaps the most conscious shift towards both a different sound and a self-referential attitude to their role as a band and their place in the pop culture pantheon.
Released on November 19, 1991 (though the first single came out at least a month earlier), some two months after the seminal, arguably era-defining album by a certain band from Seattle, Achtung Baby was represented a big stylistic and musical shift for the band. While listening to previous records conjured up images of The Edge standing in a grassy field outside Dublin, wailing on his guitar and looking stoically in the distance, this album seemed to channel more of a futuristic urban dystopia, albeit with some brighter moments ("One", is far more hopeful than "The Fly"); in other words, a completely different atmosphere, albeit very different from the grunge sensibility that would soon envelop the pop scene. Perhaps it was the production. Or the newfound embrace of electronic elements. Regardless, this was a definite shift and very successful one for the band.
Agree, too, that most of their stuff from the past 10 years isn't very interesting. I liked "Vertigo" but everything else has generated little more than a yawn. Still, props given for a band that, 21 years plus on, doesn't evoke groans a la Jagger, Richards et al.
I'm really buying your GOTT (Go Over The Top) over JTS (Jump the Shark) thesis Marc. And I'm wondering if GOTT the key to a band's longevity? Is this just a fancy new phrase that equals plain old risk-taking?
Regardless, you're probably right in that, if U2 had simply re-released a Joshua-Tree-like followup in either 1988 or 1991, they would likely have been resigned to the dustbin of the 1980s or the casinos of the 21st century. I would argue that it was the second of the three albums you've identified--Achtung Baby--that was the represented the biggest shift and perhaps the most conscious shift towards both a different sound and a self-referential attitude to their role as a band and their place in the pop culture pantheon.
Released on November 19, 1991 (though the first single came out at least a month earlier), some two months after the seminal, arguably era-defining album by a certain band from Seattle, Achtung Baby was represented a big stylistic and musical shift for the band. While listening to previous records conjured up images of The Edge standing in a grassy field outside Dublin, wailing on his guitar and looking stoically in the distance, this album seemed to channel more of a futuristic urban dystopia, albeit with some brighter moments ("One", is far more hopeful than "The Fly"); in other words, a completely different atmosphere, albeit very different from the grunge sensibility that would soon envelop the pop scene. Perhaps it was the production. Or the newfound embrace of electronic elements. Regardless, this was a definite shift and very successful one for the band.
Agree, too, that most of their stuff from the past 10 years isn't very interesting. I liked "Vertigo" but everything else has generated little more than a yawn. Still, props given for a band that, 21 years plus on, doesn't evoke groans a la Jagger, Richards et al.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
I must admit I have come around to liking Rattle & Hum , much more then I used to , ( Thanks to Marc 's persistence) I view it as a much more satisfying mid carreer regrouping , then say John Lennons Rock and Roll...I cant argue with the quality that came immediately after this for U2 as marc points out. Also, the idea of having studio and live tracks, is one I actually like, as it freshens the concept...The Last Waltz is another of the few examples of this, and both work.
Finally though I tend to be more an albums man, then a singles man, I have to admit to being completely captivated by this single from Goldfrapp which was a source of great comfort during my dark days battling those 2 months of headaches...album is not bad too, but this is the standout track.
Finally though I tend to be more an albums man, then a singles man, I have to admit to being completely captivated by this single from Goldfrapp which was a source of great comfort during my dark days battling those 2 months of headaches...album is not bad too, but this is the standout track.
I had no idea that "jumping the shark" had become such an acknowledged expression. Imagine my surprise to find that there are actually 18 ways to jump the shark!
Brian, i find it interesting that you refer to U2's shift as jumping the shark. I may agree with you that perhaps it was a legitimate shark jump but i rather see it as an insightful self awareness. No one can argue U2's phenomenal popular success, least alone the members of the band. I think that the three albums that followed Jtree were brilliant for their post modern acknowledgement of what the art /pop of U2 had become. The stadium show had become huge and rivalled those of the great dinosaur groups. Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby and Zooropa played upon the absurdity of the fame that the band had achieved. The band redefined themselves with each album and, although they were much of the time over the top, (perhaps even over the shark), the music had to grow to the crescendo that the live act had become. Had the band not gone over the top, i would submit that the band might well have faded to the status of also ran, as so many 80's bands did! ...now, appearing at Casino Rama ...(fill in the blank)!
I think this refers back to recurring a conversation: what will we ALL be listening to in common in the future that is being produced now, or has been in the last decade? Could it be that U2 is the last Mega pop/rock group with any artistic merit that will achieve such success in our lifetime? (and i'm not suggesting that you sods are all listening to U2)
I think that U2 became an also ran after Zooropa. I'm glad they went over the top first! Their recent releases bore the hell out of me. ...funny for a band whose music i still listen to on a regular basis and never tire of.
Brian, i find it interesting that you refer to U2's shift as jumping the shark. I may agree with you that perhaps it was a legitimate shark jump but i rather see it as an insightful self awareness. No one can argue U2's phenomenal popular success, least alone the members of the band. I think that the three albums that followed Jtree were brilliant for their post modern acknowledgement of what the art /pop of U2 had become. The stadium show had become huge and rivalled those of the great dinosaur groups. Rattle and Hum, Achtung Baby and Zooropa played upon the absurdity of the fame that the band had achieved. The band redefined themselves with each album and, although they were much of the time over the top, (perhaps even over the shark), the music had to grow to the crescendo that the live act had become. Had the band not gone over the top, i would submit that the band might well have faded to the status of also ran, as so many 80's bands did! ...now, appearing at Casino Rama ...(fill in the blank)!
I think this refers back to recurring a conversation: what will we ALL be listening to in common in the future that is being produced now, or has been in the last decade? Could it be that U2 is the last Mega pop/rock group with any artistic merit that will achieve such success in our lifetime? (and i'm not suggesting that you sods are all listening to U2)
I think that U2 became an also ran after Zooropa. I'm glad they went over the top first! Their recent releases bore the hell out of me. ...funny for a band whose music i still listen to on a regular basis and never tire of.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Hey Marc, great to have you back in the fold, and to hear a dissenting voice on the live recording issue. And I agree with some of what you've said. Certainly when you and I were growing up in the seventies/early eighties, the live album was an absolute in the repertoire...often a substitute for a third release as new-ish bands went through rehab after two years of coke-fueled touring. Maybe I'm generalizing a bit there. I don't share your love of Rattle and Hum ( I would almost say that's when U2 jumped the shark), though I do like a couple of the songs
Thanks for all of your thoughts on cool recent releases. Ahem. Adding to the huge list we're building together, I would mention the new Lou Barlow is really nice if not essential, and the Most Serene Republic's is really good.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
You know it's been too long since your last post when you can't remember your sign-in password!
I think that the live album is an essential part of pop/rock. It's not for every artist, granted, but nor is live performance if you ask me. I agree that the live album has largely been supplanted by YouTube and illicit shared recording and would also agree that artists these days don't stick around for long enough or aren't strong enough to develop significant oeuvres which might warrant a live retrospective of a career.
I do think that the live recordings, whether they be in an album or not, are indispensable in understanding some of the great artists. Think of the significance of Woodstock or Monetary and the importance of the live recording to our understanding of the times. Where would we be without the oodles of live Hendrix tracks? I guess it could be argued that Hendrix was actually a jazz musician and that for the sake of the argument we have to leave him out. ...such a short life and so few got to hear his magic live ...you gonna take that away from the rest of us?
I think most would agree that the capturing of many of these moments is essential in recording the spirit of a time and if it ends up in the Library of Congress where some scholar is gonna dig it up in 50 years ...well that don't cut it with me, you gotta lay down the lacquer.
The live recording or album affords an artist another medium to relate an idea. There is a strong tradition of cover tunes on live albums ...significant renditions of standards, similar to the jazz tradition, that would not otherwise make it to a larger audience. The medium allows for that expression without getting all pretentious and getting into the studio and, these days, spending a week getting the track down so it is just right. Sometimes the quick and dirty does the trick.
I can say that i don't spend a lot of time listening to live albums, but, one that gets a lot of circulation is Rattle n' Hum. Now, granted, it's not entirely a live album. It contains original material, but what it does so remarkably is convey the sense of being on the road. The endless shows and a sort of solitude, the exhilaration, the discovery, the stress, the inspiration, the energy. I know a lot of people right off the album but they got it all wrong. They are shallow individuals!
Fascinating how we really know some artists by their live work, Jackson Browne, Cheap Trick and Peter Frampton to name a few that were previously mentioned.
Artist such as Nirvana have let us see another side of them when they perform an album like Unplugged. ...that's cool. Cockburn, Lou Reed, Neil Young all have live music that i feel has added to our understanding of the artist. The list goes on but everyone knows i'm not good with lists.
I have to admit that i don't listen to my copy of Springsteen's 75-85 very often, but i'm glad that i will be able to drop the needle on it 30 years from now and remember MY summer of love.
Might i go so far out on a limb as to say that the quality of live music has declined? I'm not sure i believe it myself, but, are musicians really all that competent with their instruments and their song writing skills these days? Why are they spending a half year in the studio to produce an album that it might have taken a day or a week to produce in the good old days? ...and the old classics endure while many of us might agree, there is much less that endures in this day and age. I don't wanna come off sounding like an old fart, but, are pop musicians these days relying too much on production and engineering?
...i listen to a band like the Arcade Fire (been around long enough to reflect on) and i would say not, i still love the music, i loved the show i saw at the Danforth Music Hall, i heard a podcast of a live show from New York, it was exciting, do i need to hear it again? No.
So ...the live recording of Paranoid Android by Brad Mehldau on Live from Tokyo ...i love it, but that's Jazz for ya!
I think that the live album is an essential part of pop/rock. It's not for every artist, granted, but nor is live performance if you ask me. I agree that the live album has largely been supplanted by YouTube and illicit shared recording and would also agree that artists these days don't stick around for long enough or aren't strong enough to develop significant oeuvres which might warrant a live retrospective of a career.
I do think that the live recordings, whether they be in an album or not, are indispensable in understanding some of the great artists. Think of the significance of Woodstock or Monetary and the importance of the live recording to our understanding of the times. Where would we be without the oodles of live Hendrix tracks? I guess it could be argued that Hendrix was actually a jazz musician and that for the sake of the argument we have to leave him out. ...such a short life and so few got to hear his magic live ...you gonna take that away from the rest of us?
I think most would agree that the capturing of many of these moments is essential in recording the spirit of a time and if it ends up in the Library of Congress where some scholar is gonna dig it up in 50 years ...well that don't cut it with me, you gotta lay down the lacquer.
The live recording or album affords an artist another medium to relate an idea. There is a strong tradition of cover tunes on live albums ...significant renditions of standards, similar to the jazz tradition, that would not otherwise make it to a larger audience. The medium allows for that expression without getting all pretentious and getting into the studio and, these days, spending a week getting the track down so it is just right. Sometimes the quick and dirty does the trick.
I can say that i don't spend a lot of time listening to live albums, but, one that gets a lot of circulation is Rattle n' Hum. Now, granted, it's not entirely a live album. It contains original material, but what it does so remarkably is convey the sense of being on the road. The endless shows and a sort of solitude, the exhilaration, the discovery, the stress, the inspiration, the energy. I know a lot of people right off the album but they got it all wrong. They are shallow individuals!
Fascinating how we really know some artists by their live work, Jackson Browne, Cheap Trick and Peter Frampton to name a few that were previously mentioned.
Artist such as Nirvana have let us see another side of them when they perform an album like Unplugged. ...that's cool. Cockburn, Lou Reed, Neil Young all have live music that i feel has added to our understanding of the artist. The list goes on but everyone knows i'm not good with lists.
I have to admit that i don't listen to my copy of Springsteen's 75-85 very often, but i'm glad that i will be able to drop the needle on it 30 years from now and remember MY summer of love.
Might i go so far out on a limb as to say that the quality of live music has declined? I'm not sure i believe it myself, but, are musicians really all that competent with their instruments and their song writing skills these days? Why are they spending a half year in the studio to produce an album that it might have taken a day or a week to produce in the good old days? ...and the old classics endure while many of us might agree, there is much less that endures in this day and age. I don't wanna come off sounding like an old fart, but, are pop musicians these days relying too much on production and engineering?
...i listen to a band like the Arcade Fire (been around long enough to reflect on) and i would say not, i still love the music, i loved the show i saw at the Danforth Music Hall, i heard a podcast of a live show from New York, it was exciting, do i need to hear it again? No.
So ...the live recording of Paranoid Android by Brad Mehldau on Live from Tokyo ...i love it, but that's Jazz for ya!
Hey boys, sorry I missed out on the live recordings discussion, though I think you covered off most of my thoughts. If anything I thought the convo could have been directed towards other genre live recordings - jazz of course springs to mind, where live recordings are generally better thought of. And the question would be, why is that? Some of my most joyous, cathartic moments have been at live rock shows, generally small clubs. And yet by and large the recordings can't translate the experience. And while I adore jazz in all of its forms and formats, something about studio jazz is less different than live jazz. ie live jazz works better as a record. Think of Bill Evans live at the Village Vanguard (or Coltrane, or Rollins etc). Jazz is generally less adorned of course, so the studio is less important, but wouldn't that be true as well of rock and roll, punk, where the studio can potentially ruin the energy and spontaneity?
On another subject - any recent pop/rock discoveries? emusic or otherwise. I'm very fond of a record by The Leisure Society, really gorgeous chamber pop with a vocal emphasis. To my ear quite unique sounding within the (perhaps) over-developed genre.
On another subject - any recent pop/rock discoveries? emusic or otherwise. I'm very fond of a record by The Leisure Society, really gorgeous chamber pop with a vocal emphasis. To my ear quite unique sounding within the (perhaps) over-developed genre.
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
Thursday, October 01, 2009
To your point about Jagger singing "Start Me Up", I completely agree. If a band records a live album that is essentially a greatest hits package played identically to the studio renditions, I have no interest in it. What I really like are songs whose live recordings exceed their original studio versions. For example, the version of "Rhiannon" on Fleetwood Mac live or the version of "Astronomy" on Some Enchanted Evening are both much better than the originals. In other cases, a song can be completely reinterpreted with great effect - such as Springsteen's take of Jungleland on his live box set. Finally, I enjoy it when artists show their personalities with entertaining banter between songs as Tom Waits does in "Big Time". But I think its true that live albums are no longer as relevant as they once were. I guess they've been supplanted by concert DVDs to some extent. But for some reason I have no real interest in collecting those. I like to watch them once, but don't feel compelled to watch them repeatedly, unlike the live albums that I wore out in my youth.
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