41. John Prine- Fair & Square
Years and years into a stellar career and maybe his best album?
42. Great Lake Swimmers- Ongiara
43. Postal Service- Give Up… with apologies to Owl City
44. Bright Eyes- I’m Wide Awake, It's Morning
45. Radiohead- Hail To The Thief
46. Travis- The Man Who
47. Rhett Miller- The Instigator
I'm not an Old 97s fan, but this album rules. And Jon Brion only makes it better. Take a listen to Our Love or Terrible Vision and tell me its poptastic goodness doesn't get you.
48. Feist- The Reminder
Let's not forget that, before the Apple spot, this album was supersolid.
49. Ray Lamontagne- Trouble
50. Rachael Yamagata- Happenstance
Trouble and Happenstance will always be connected for me- two of the unofficial albums of my "courtship." Best of Leonard Cohen and A Ghost Is Born are in there too.
51. Nada Surf- Let Go
52. Radiohead- In Rainbows
53. Teddy Thompson- As a giant Teddy Thompson fan, I couldn't pick just one. Having seen him about a dozen times while living in NY (and once, oddly, opening for Elliott Smith in Salt Lake City), I think I've earned the right to mix/match (which you'll see more of, trust me) . Here's to all of Separate Ways/his self titled debut/Upfront & Down Low/Piece of What You Need/I’m Your Man/Brokeback Mountain soundtrack. This is one of those cases of "How Did I Rank This So Low?" The answer is: "impetuousness and low I.Q."
54. Frightened Rabbit- Midnight Organ Flight
55. Death Cab For Cutie- Plansatlanticism
Continuing my artistic license of fusing albums. I loved Transatlanticism when it came out but a) their live show on that tour wasn't exactly impressive and b) Plans has stuck with me and borne more repeat listens over time.
56. Caitlin Cary/Thad Cockrell- Begonias
57. Joe Henry- Scar
58. Felice Brothers- s/t
59. Coldplay- Parachutes
Before they were trotting around in Gay Sgt. Pepper knockoffs, there was some real nuance to Coldplay (hey, A Rush Of Blood To The Head is in my Top 10, so clearly I have an affinity).
60. Mark Kozelek- Rock N Roll Singer
61. Once soundtrack
62. My Morning Jacket- It Still Moves
63. Pedro the Lion- Achilles Heel
64. Lucinda Williams- Essence
65. Atherton- Skyline Motel
66. Dan Bern- New American Language
67. Fiona Apple- Extraordinary Machine
68. Clem Snide- Soft Spot
Eef Barzelay is one of the unique voices (both literarily and aurally) of our time and this is him at his best. "I saw you, doubting yourself in the mirror. But you look good to me." Simple moments captured through a distinctly Eefy lens.
69. Whiskeytown- Pneumonia
70. Interpol- Turn on the Bright Lights
71. Damien Jurado- Caught In the Trees
I have listened to this album a ton over the past 2 weeks and have to say that my Top 10 of 2008 assessment was spot on.
72. Radiohead- Amnesiac
73. The Hold Steady- Stay Positive
74. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club- BRMC
75. Low- The Great Destroyer
Showing posts with label Feist. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Feist. Show all posts
Monday, December 28, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Re: Mixtape, Pt. II
(Part II of II, a review of a Charlie T-to-Spike mixtape)
TRACK 12: Willow Tree- Chad Van Gaalen
You can blame my ears. Clearly they aren't attuned enough, indie enough to love the school of New Warblers on first warble. Yet I've always felt like it's unfair when folks allow a "challenging" voice to automatically disqualify its song. I will come back to you, Chad. Just like I did for Dylan, Neil, Waits, Cohen, Prine, Chesnutt. Those guys not only got me past the "Voice Barrier," but actually converted me to loving their voices. Do you fit in that club, buddy? Well, do you?
TRACK 13: Silver Stallions- Cat Power
I know I'm supposed to worship Chan Marshall. I own three of her records and really like maybe a song or two off of each (The Greatest is, well, the greatest). I've seen her live three times (because I was late on the bandwagon, I never got to see Early Meltdown Chan, though bad sound at last year's Bridge School looked like it might trigger a relapse) and none of the performances slayed me like I hoped they would. I realize, full well, that this is my problem and not Chan's. I'm missing something. Of course I am. But I can't pretend there's something there any more than the Clippers can pretend they're gonna make a playoff run. Maybe someday. But not today.
But, wait. Hold on. I love this song. Love it. Did she write it? Just on first impression, I don't think she did. (UPDATE: It's a Highwaymen song. Thanks, Google.) It's no wonder Cat Power has done a couple of All Covers records.
SPIKE RULE: If you can get the listener to finally give in to an artist they've resisted, you might very well get a medal. You'll have to make it yourself, but don't let anybody tell you don't deserve it.
TRACK 14: Golden Hearts- Conrad Ford
I thought this was Eels before I got the tracklisting. It also feels a little like a less experimental Sparklehorse. (Yes. There was no artwork. Artwork isn't a SPIKE RULE for me, but it'll buy you a heaping Shaq-helping of extra credit.)
TRACK 15: Islands In The Sun (cover)- Feist & The Constantines
SPIKE RULE: Include a good cover, when it fits.
I don't love this cover. Maybe it's because I'm not all that fond of the Kenny/Dolly original (though I have a soft spot for the Bulworth soundtrack's revision. I know: Mya, Pras? What could possibly go bad there? Does it say something terrible about me that I prefer Mya/Pras to Feist/Constantines? Tough. Ghetto superstar/that is what you are.)
SPIKE RULE: Go back. Find the roots. Give the album some context. All good mixtapes need some history. It can be as obvious as the Beatles, as recent as the 90s, as kitschy as 70s country, as obscure as late 60s Brazilian psychedelia, just do it. I suppose you could break this if it's a pure New Music Mixtape. But who wants one of those?
Covers don't count. Unless they're old covers of old songs.
TRACK 16: Monster Ballads (demo)- Josh Ritter
A different version of a familiar song. Always a good mixtape trick. This one is an especially good choice since it might trump the album version. I am a sucker for songs stripped down to their essence like this.
TRACK 17: Ghosts- Laura Marling
A good build. When the drums first come in, I'm onboard. Same with the strings. Still, for some reason, I can't say this song ever asks me to come back for tea. But I don't skip it, which a real mixtape afficionado should never do anyway, because- by nature- TAPES MADE IT A TOTAL PAIN TO EVEN FAST FORWARD (before the fancyboy song-by-song fast forwarders).
SPIKE RULE: (more of a listener than a creator rule) Don't skip tracks. The songs are there for a reason. Give them the time they deserve, a MINIMUM of 4 listens. I credit tapes with helping me appreciate the entirety of albums like Grant Lee Buffalo's Mighty Joe Moon and Freedy Johnston's This Perfect World (among others) in ways that I wouldn't have if I'd had CDs.
UPDATE: I was previously saddling this song with the "Good But Unmemorable" tag. Then, last night, as I was brushing my teeth, the melody came to me. You win, Laura Marling.
TRACKS 18 & 19: Wisconsin/For Emma (myspace transmission)- Bon Iver
SPIKE RULE: Set up the finish with your penultimate track. That means, if it's quiet, you might want to go loud. Or if it's a big bang, ramp up to it. You just need to do SOMETHING that gives the last song its proper Last Song Gravity. This rule is breakable on punk compilations, which should be decidedly noncomformist. Whatever that means.
Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago was my favorite album last year. So this was a no-brainer. I already had the Myspace Transmissions sessions, which are really really good and a pleasant departure from the album arrangements. Charlie T does an interesting thing in pairing songs by the same artist in Twofers. I don't have a rule against it (though I don't do it), but I am curious as to the motivation behind it. Were you raised on classic rock Two-For-Tuesdays, Charlie T? Are you the guy that will get suckered into buying the 2-pack of Dran-O, even though you'll maybe use it twice a year? Growing up, was your favorite show My Two Dads? Were you, like Dwight Schrute, supposed to be a twin, except you resorbed the other fetus and now have the strength of a grown man and a little baby? What is it about twos, man?
TRACK 2o: Long May You Run (Neil Young cover)- Josh Ritter & Sarah Harmer
SPIKE RULE: Close strong. No matter what.
SPIKE RULE: Include a good cover, when it fits.
Done and done. Love Neil Young. Love Josh Ritter. Love Sarah Harmer, one of the underrated voices and writers of the last decade or so. Her vocals on Great Lake Swimmers' I Became Awake kill me every single time. So does her song Coffee Stain. And so does her duet cover of Long May You Run.
TRACK 12: Willow Tree- Chad Van Gaalen
You can blame my ears. Clearly they aren't attuned enough, indie enough to love the school of New Warblers on first warble. Yet I've always felt like it's unfair when folks allow a "challenging" voice to automatically disqualify its song. I will come back to you, Chad. Just like I did for Dylan, Neil, Waits, Cohen, Prine, Chesnutt. Those guys not only got me past the "Voice Barrier," but actually converted me to loving their voices. Do you fit in that club, buddy? Well, do you?
TRACK 13: Silver Stallions- Cat Power
I know I'm supposed to worship Chan Marshall. I own three of her records and really like maybe a song or two off of each (The Greatest is, well, the greatest). I've seen her live three times (because I was late on the bandwagon, I never got to see Early Meltdown Chan, though bad sound at last year's Bridge School looked like it might trigger a relapse) and none of the performances slayed me like I hoped they would. I realize, full well, that this is my problem and not Chan's. I'm missing something. Of course I am. But I can't pretend there's something there any more than the Clippers can pretend they're gonna make a playoff run. Maybe someday. But not today.
But, wait. Hold on. I love this song. Love it. Did she write it? Just on first impression, I don't think she did. (UPDATE: It's a Highwaymen song. Thanks, Google.) It's no wonder Cat Power has done a couple of All Covers records.
SPIKE RULE: If you can get the listener to finally give in to an artist they've resisted, you might very well get a medal. You'll have to make it yourself, but don't let anybody tell you don't deserve it.
TRACK 14: Golden Hearts- Conrad Ford
I thought this was Eels before I got the tracklisting. It also feels a little like a less experimental Sparklehorse. (Yes. There was no artwork. Artwork isn't a SPIKE RULE for me, but it'll buy you a heaping Shaq-helping of extra credit.)
TRACK 15: Islands In The Sun (cover)- Feist & The Constantines
SPIKE RULE: Include a good cover, when it fits.
I don't love this cover. Maybe it's because I'm not all that fond of the Kenny/Dolly original (though I have a soft spot for the Bulworth soundtrack's revision. I know: Mya, Pras? What could possibly go bad there? Does it say something terrible about me that I prefer Mya/Pras to Feist/Constantines? Tough. Ghetto superstar/that is what you are.)
SPIKE RULE: Go back. Find the roots. Give the album some context. All good mixtapes need some history. It can be as obvious as the Beatles, as recent as the 90s, as kitschy as 70s country, as obscure as late 60s Brazilian psychedelia, just do it. I suppose you could break this if it's a pure New Music Mixtape. But who wants one of those?
Covers don't count. Unless they're old covers of old songs.
TRACK 16: Monster Ballads (demo)- Josh Ritter
A different version of a familiar song. Always a good mixtape trick. This one is an especially good choice since it might trump the album version. I am a sucker for songs stripped down to their essence like this.
TRACK 17: Ghosts- Laura Marling
A good build. When the drums first come in, I'm onboard. Same with the strings. Still, for some reason, I can't say this song ever asks me to come back for tea. But I don't skip it, which a real mixtape afficionado should never do anyway, because- by nature- TAPES MADE IT A TOTAL PAIN TO EVEN FAST FORWARD (before the fancyboy song-by-song fast forwarders).
SPIKE RULE: (more of a listener than a creator rule) Don't skip tracks. The songs are there for a reason. Give them the time they deserve, a MINIMUM of 4 listens. I credit tapes with helping me appreciate the entirety of albums like Grant Lee Buffalo's Mighty Joe Moon and Freedy Johnston's This Perfect World (among others) in ways that I wouldn't have if I'd had CDs.
UPDATE: I was previously saddling this song with the "Good But Unmemorable" tag. Then, last night, as I was brushing my teeth, the melody came to me. You win, Laura Marling.
TRACKS 18 & 19: Wisconsin/For Emma (myspace transmission)- Bon Iver
SPIKE RULE: Set up the finish with your penultimate track. That means, if it's quiet, you might want to go loud. Or if it's a big bang, ramp up to it. You just need to do SOMETHING that gives the last song its proper Last Song Gravity. This rule is breakable on punk compilations, which should be decidedly noncomformist. Whatever that means.
Bon Iver's For Emma, Forever Ago was my favorite album last year. So this was a no-brainer. I already had the Myspace Transmissions sessions, which are really really good and a pleasant departure from the album arrangements. Charlie T does an interesting thing in pairing songs by the same artist in Twofers. I don't have a rule against it (though I don't do it), but I am curious as to the motivation behind it. Were you raised on classic rock Two-For-Tuesdays, Charlie T? Are you the guy that will get suckered into buying the 2-pack of Dran-O, even though you'll maybe use it twice a year? Growing up, was your favorite show My Two Dads? Were you, like Dwight Schrute, supposed to be a twin, except you resorbed the other fetus and now have the strength of a grown man and a little baby? What is it about twos, man?
TRACK 2o: Long May You Run (Neil Young cover)- Josh Ritter & Sarah Harmer
SPIKE RULE: Close strong. No matter what.
SPIKE RULE: Include a good cover, when it fits.
Done and done. Love Neil Young. Love Josh Ritter. Love Sarah Harmer, one of the underrated voices and writers of the last decade or so. Her vocals on Great Lake Swimmers' I Became Awake kill me every single time. So does her song Coffee Stain. And so does her duet cover of Long May You Run.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Team-Ups (Wilco Edition)
Now that my internet is back up and working, after the world's largest data pile-up occurred yesterday at the on ramp somewhere between
here and here, I have a few probing, rhetorical questions.
Backstory:
Recently, somewhere between this song and this new song Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) played another new song called "You and I". This song is scheduled to appear on the forthcoming, still untitled, studio album.
The song "You and I", and subsequently the album, got another layer of hype added to it. As reported here Feist will be singing a duet with Tweedy on that song. I repeat, Jeff Tweedy and Leslie Feist will be singing together on the album version of "You and I".
Here come the questions:
Is this a marketing ploy from Chicago's second favorite sons?
This is hot on the heels of Starbucks promoting the last album and them selling the rights to half of Sky Blue Sky to Volkswagon. One might have thought that these guys were better than that after sticking it to Reprise with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Why Feist and not Norah Jones?
Norah has an actual history with the band covering Jesus Etc. and later joined Wilco on stage in Madison Square Garden to turn it into a duet. This sort of ties into the first question because Norah might not have the pull that Leslie does at this point.
Everyone who heard this song was floored
That was the quote for the article announcing the song. What does that even mean? Of course anyone hearing that song before the masses is going to be doing nothing but glowing over it. I don't want a sugar coated opinion. I want a quote from Jay Bennett. I want a real assessment from the most unfortunate musician in the last 10 years. In fact I want to know what Jay Bennett has to say about a lot of things.
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