My friend Brian and I like to shoot each other with top ten lists in the middle of class. Sometimes they are big and ambitious, while other times they are fairly banal. He asked me who my ten favorite frontmen of all time were the other day, and I thought I'd share my answer. I'd like to hear your lists or suggestions if you have them. Here's what I came up with:

1. Morissey
2. Bono
3. Joe Strummer
4. Michael Stipe
5. Brandon Flowers
6. Frank Black
7. Adam Duritz
8. Robert Plant
9. Stephen Malkmus
10. Eddie Vedder

Perhaps my eclectic Indie fave for the year, The Flying Club Cup is just one of those really solid albums that fascinates on a number of levels. Beirut's Zach Condon is a genius arranger and imitator. I don't know how true his stories of hanging out with gypsies all over Europe are, but listening to this and 2006's Gulag Orkestar I can believe it. He's mastered the sad street ballad that you've heard a million times but never been able to name. And he likes 3/4 time. A lot.

I can't call this a great album, simply because there aren't any GREAT songs. But there are no bad songs, and I'd venture to say that there aren't any average songs either. "Cliquot", "Nantes" and "Un Dernier Verre" are standouts, highlighted by Condon's theatrical melodies and gorgeous brass arrangements.

I love this album. My bet is that if you check it out, you'll love it too.

I love this album. A lot of people said that it wasn't as "ambitious" as Funeral. That's true, but I don't necessarily see that as a bad thing. I still can't decide if one or the other is better. Sometimes I think Neon Bible and then I listen to Funeral. I think Funeral has already attained that mythic status that every classic album has, and I think it will go down in music history as the better album, but it is foolish to call Neon Bible a disappointment. There are some incredible songs here, and a few that are as good as anything on Funeral. It is less ambitious. The songwriting is more restrained, and compared to Funeral, I would even call a few of the arrangements understated. Funeral was a grand, sprawling epic of an album, and Neon Bible is not that album. But it's great. It really is.

Yeah, I'm a sucker for pop (and pretty girls).

This album may have been the surprise of the year for me. I had kind of written off The National as just another indie band before a friend handed me a copy of Boxer. It's one of those albums that manages to create a distinct mood everytime you listen to it. Though part of me wants to dub this album the most depressing album of the year, I think that title belongs elsewhere. But boy is it moody.

As an album, this is I believe one of the most cohesive and focused efforts of the year. There are standouts to be sure ("Mistaken for Strangers", "Apartment Story", "Start a War", and "Guest Room" are all excellent), but what makes this record really good is the way it works with itself. Many songs are understated, no thanks to Matt Berniger's low grumble of a voice, but this thing just works.

Go check it out. For those of you who care, I thought this album had the best production of any album I heard last year.

Well, I'm back.

Instead of just releasing a list of my favorite albums of this (er...last year), I figured I'd write up a short feature on what I considered to be good last year. These will trickle in slowly, as I'm still trying to catch up with some of the albums I haven't listened to yet (I'm bad about listening to new music sometimes...recently I've been obsessed with Oasis). But I'll start with what's fresh and move from there.



I'll start this off with Two Gallants. They are a duo from San Fransisco with a sound that I can only describe as old-time blues fused with a punk attitude. Their self-titled release off of Saddle Creek is the third they've put out, and it's just about as lo-fi as they come. When I say they are a duo, I mean that they play guitar and drums. Very few overdubs. Adam Stephens opts for either a hollowbody clean electric or a good old fashioned acoustic guitar, while Tyson Vogel plays on a standard 4-piece trap set. It fills out nicely though, so it's another example of an interesting concept on paper that translates well when it actually comes to playing the music.

The album:
Again, that old-time, porch side blues with that punk swagger makes this album somewhat of an anomaly. It's laid back and subtle, yet the intensity is turned up to 11. I won't bore you trying to explain it, because the point is to get you to listen to it. It's one of the few albums I heard this year that grabbed me from the outset and kept me listening intently the whole way through. Stephens' voice and lyrics demand attention, and yet when paired with those quiet, sometimes sunny guitar lines, it's almost ironic. "Despite What You've Been Told" is a perfect example, and while The New Pornographer's "Your Rights Versus Mine" was the song of the summer, this one is the song of the winter. Seriously. "Fly Low Carrion Crow" is exactly what I mean by porch-side blues. This song sounds like it was written 140 years ago (heck, maybe it was for all I know). "Trembling of the Rose" is one of the saddest songs I've ever heard, but it isn't depressing somehow. I could talk about all the songs, because there isn't one I don't like (there are only 9 of them).

Go check out this band. Get this album with What the Toll Tells. I haven't heard their first record, but I'm sure it's good too.

Cheers.

1. Summerteeth - Wilco
2. Songs of Leonard Cohen - Leonard Cohen
3. Sea Change - Beck
4. Blood on the Tracks - Bob Dylan
5. Harvest - Neil Young
6. Slave's Graves and Ballads - The Dirty Projectors
7. The Earth is Not a Cold, Dead Place - Explosions in the Sky
8. Plastic Ono Band - John Lennon
9. History - Loudon Wainwright III
10. The Boatman's Call - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

If you know me, you know that I am obsessed with The Beatles, perhaps unhealthily obsessed. I am mesmerized by their music, and I have been since the first time I heard "Help!" as a very young boy. I'm crazy. I consider Paul McCartney a greater genius than Brian Wilson, and I still prefer John Lennon to Bob Dylan. Music snobs do not take kindly to either position. They will say, "Have you listened to Pet Sounds?!?!" and I will say, "Yes, and I think Sgt. Peppers is better." On Dylan, they will be quick to point out that Lennon tried, in vain to write Dylan songs, and failed. That may very well be true, but I don't think Dylan could ever write a song as good as "A Day in the Life".

I've spent a lot of time at Barnes and Noble recently. A LOT. I spent most nights there last week, going there whenever I got the chance. It's soothing, peaceful, and there is so much to discover, so much to learn. Having money again has helped too, because I don't feel terrible about buying a book every now and then, though most days I still just go to sit and read.


I was there Saturday, sitting in the cafe, and they began playing a mix of Beatles' songs. I stopped reading, and just sat there listening. The last song played before the electricity went out was "Let it Be". I have never been so moved by that song. When the broken hearted people living in the world agree that there will be an answer, let it be.

Last week was a rotten, tiring week. I'm losing my grip, and in many ways, I've lost hold of everything that once grounded me. In that moment though, sitting there with a thunder storm pounding on the windows behind me, and a song playing through speakers only audible to a careful listener, I felt better than I have in years. It was momentary pleasure, and I don't believe that the music healed me, and maybe it wasn't even the thing that really made me happy. But I want to go back there.

No review, but wow! What an INCREDIBLE voice.

I haven't really latched on to any new bands in a while. Does anybody have any suggestions. They don't even have to be new, just something you think I'd like.

I'm seeing her in five days suckers. My sister is tight.

You can be a gambler
Who never drew a hand
You can be a sailor
Who never left dry land
You can be Lord Jesus
All the world will understand
Down where the drunkards roll
Down where the drunkards roll

Okay, I have neglected this thing pretty badly, but I'm going to halfway make good on a few of my promises.

In Rainbows: Really good album. I didn't expect to hear an album this reserved and subtle, but it works very well.
I'm not really going to go in depth, but I must give a kudos to Colin Greenwood for manhandling the bass. The moment he first breaks into the mix in "15 Step" makes me rewind it every time. There are a few bassists I really love (Mike Mills, Geddy Lee, Paul McCartney), and with this album, I've officially added Colin to that list.
If I had to rate it next to other Radiohead albums I'd say that it's better than Amnesiac and Hail to the Thief, but not quite as good as Kid A (though time will tell which has more staying power). Very solid album.
Favorite Tracks: "15 Step", "Nude", "All I Need", "Arpeggii", "Jigsaw Falling Into Place", and "Videotape".

Loudon Wainwright III: Awesome, awesome show. Loudon was so gracious and personable with his audience (he was kind enough to talk to me after the show). It's so refreshing to see someone who really loves his job and genuinely loves playing for his fans.
Anyways, there were about 150 of us crammed into Cactus Cafe in Austin by the time he finally took the stage. He played a great mix of old and new songs, and a couple of very well-chosen covers (Richard Thompson's "Down Where the Drunkards Roll" was absolutely chilling). He came out and played a long, healthy encore and then went out to the front to meet some people. He talked to me briefly, asking about my age and seeing if I was a fan of Rufus. When I asked for a picture, he laughed and said "Of course", and after that he called me his "lovechild". I have the pictures, but I'm too lazy to post them. If you have facebook, you can look at them there.
Bottom line: Loudon is awesome.

Ryan Adams: Some of you may remember my distressed rant after seeing him the first time. Seeing him a second time made me realize just how disappointing that first show was, because I saw what I missed. Adams and the Cardinals were unbelievable. The only other band I've seen that is tighter musically is Wilco. They were great together. I loved it. Truly one of the best shows I've seen.
Oh, and if you weer wondering about his stage presence, he definitely turned that switch on before he came out.

Okay, In Rainbows is

awesome.

(This is an initial reaction. I've listened to it a total of ONE time)

1. So surreal.
2. Where is the rest of the band? I know they are there, but it doesn't seem like they are there.
3. After almost 2 years of recording, I was really surprised to see an album this subtle. That's not a bad thing, just surprising.

More on this later. Right now, I'm going to go try and wrap my mind around it some more.

Power rankings. They do it with sports, and I'm going to do it with bands. I really don't have the energy or ambition to do a "Greatest Bands" post, but I think this might be kind of cool (for me, anyways). Here's how it works. Once a week, I'll put out a list of ten bands based on how much I've been listening to them, expectations and general interest.

Week 1:

1. Radiohead - Their new album comes out tomorrow, and everybody is super excited. Given the amount of time they have spent working on it, I'd say we were due for another masterpiece (It's been 10 years since OK Computer).

2. U2 - Man, I don't even know what to say about this band. I don't know if there is another band as epic in scope or as widely influential as this band. Bono-haters should be shot.

3. John Lennon - Plastic Ono Band is about as good as anything he did with the Beatles, and one of the best albums I own.

4. Broken Social Scene - Every song is a celebration.

5. Beck - Probably one of the last real musical geniuses still making music.

6. Spoon - Their recent SNL performance gave them a considerable boost.

7. The New Pornographers - They are playing with Spoon on November 1. Guilty by association.

8. Eisley - Combinations has been growing on me.

9. Billy Joel - If I could write pop songs this good, I would drop out of school.

10. Page France - ...And the Family Telephone is my favorite album of the year.

Favorite REM albums (pre-1990):

1. Reckoning

2. Life's Rich Pagent

3. Murmur

4. Fables of the Reconstruction

5. Green

6. Doccument

7. Dead Letter Office

Here are my 5 (6...OK 7) favorite directors (in no particular order). Some of my friends are huge film buffs, and my list is probably going to look pretty stupid next to theirs, but I'm okay with that.
Next to each director, I have listed in parentheses a few of their films that I have a particular liking for.

M. Night Shyamalan (Signs, Unbreakable, The Village)

Martin Scorsese (Goodfellas, The Departed, Casino, and the half of No Direction Home that I saw)

The Coen Brothers (Raising Arizona, Fargo, The Man Who Wasn't There, O, Brother Where Art Thou?)

Ken Burns (The Civil War...need I say more?)

Wes Anderson (Bottle Rocket, Royal Tennenbaums)

Steven Speilberg (Minority Report, Saving Private Ryan, Indiana Jones, and pretty much every blockbuster he ever made)

Paul Thomas Anderson (Magnolia is by itself, a big enough achievement to include him on this list)

Oh, and you Indie types can shut up about Spielberg...he's awesome.

In my humble opinion:

1. Nightswimming - REM
2. One - U2
3. Hallelujah - Leonard Cohen
4. A Day in the Life - The Beatles
5. Ballad of a Thin Man - Bob Dylan
6. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For - U2
7. Stairway to Heaven - Led Zeppelin
8. American Pie - Don McLean
9. Standing Up For Nothing - Caedmon's Call
10. The Scientist - Coldplay

11. Karma Police - Radiohead
12. Yesterday - The Beatles
13. Theologians - Wilco
14. English Girls Approximately - Ryan Adams
15. Champagne Supernova - Oasis
16. There She Goes - The La's
17. Desolation Row - Bob Dylan
18. Gold Soundz - Pavement
19. After the Goldrush - Neil Young
20. Jealous Guy - John Lennon

21. Secret Garden - Bruce Springsteen
22. London Calling - The Clash
23. Poor Places - Wilco
24. Spit on a Stranger - Pavement
25. Lover - Derek Webb
26. Where the Streets Have No Names - U2
27. Idioteque - Radiohead
28. Two of Us - The Beatles
29. Not the Land - Caedmon's Call
30. Mother - John Lennon

31. Losing My Religion - REM
32. The Man Who Couldn't Cry - Loudon Wainwright III
33. Hide Your Love Away - The Beatles
34. Boys Don't Cry - The Cure
35. Soon - My Bloody Valentine
36. Henry Lee - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds
37. Land Locked Blues - Bright Eyes
38. Lovefool - The Cardigans
39. Teen Age Riot - Sonic Youth
40. Tangerine - Led Zeppelin

41. Let it Be - The Beatles
42. Like a Prayer - Madonna
43. Romulus - Sufjan Stevens
44. Friday I'm in Love - The Cure
45. A Shot in the Arm - Wilco
46. Dancing in the Dark - Bruce Springsteen
47. When the Stars Go Blue - Ryan Adams
48. Night of the Living Dead - Tilly and the Wall
49. Jeremy - Pearl Jam
50. 4X10 - Loudon Wainwright III

Many of these are really popular songs...I guess there is a reason they were popular.

I just listened to the new Dashboard Confessional album and I liked it. Sue me.