5. “Chill-Wave”
I’m not going to list a single element of this year’s preferred blog friendly genre – not because they’re homogeneous or bland, i won’t make that claim – over the year I’ve found chill-wave to pull from an assortment of the music collective unconscious, from early 90’s hip hop, to 70’s am radio, and genre’s as disparate as hardcore and smooth jazz. While the end products are similar enough to comfortably align under the same stretchy star – they stay unique to themselves.
Pitchfork bands like Neon Indian, Memory Tapes, Ducktails, Toro Y Moi, Washed Out, and CFCF (just to name a handful.) have occupied the recently played list on my iTunes consistently this year – maybe I’ve needed a little more escapism than usual, or perhaps i’m just getting lazy in my musical relationships, but these bands have had me nodding my head and raising my eyebrows to their production choices; washes of nostalgic synth, bouncy white-boy funk, reverb drenched space-vocals – You know, actually it’s probably just because i’ve loved New Order and The Cocteau Twins for so long i’m just happy to hear their distant echoes reconstituted and re-imagined.
Some of my favorite moments in music this year are off of these albums, Neon Indian’s 6669 (I Don’t Know If You Know) throws you into the drivers seat of your beat up K car, complete with ancient-tape-deck-as-unreliable-narrator production, driving somewhere late at night, (probably BK) just really really stoned. Washed Out and CFCF are picking up were Air France and The Tough Alliance left off last year, albeit filtered through more overt american tropes of hip hop and suburbia, and tell us their dreams of warm climates, dance parties and unending romantic love with an impossibly beautiful stranger. The last two minutes of Memory Tapes‘ Bicycle alone was a early contender for #1 – it just didn’t get that much better for me this year, and that makes me think,
As our economy and environment continues to eat shit and die and Obama’s promises are slowly crushed under the jackboot of reality, this kind of escapism feels so necessary just to maintain my sanity, when the day or week is over, there’s Ol’ Nick Cave or Antony, maybe some Oldham or Songs Ohia, John Cale or Judy Sill - frankly, staring me down – sure, this misery loves company, but lately I’ve leaned towards forgetting my sorrows instead of my usual preference of drowning (in) them (with them.) These bands make for perfect companions for a night of revelry, though – like the morning after any great night of catharsis, your often left thinking to yourself, “I did what?!” and while it’s too early in the long night of my discontent to know, i don’t doubt that even a few months from now i’ll be saying “I listened to what?!” But until then i’m glad to have such great distractions, sometimes it’s just what the doctor ordered.
4. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Phoenix have likely made the album of their career with this one – everything has come together into such a perfectly compact and muscular pit bull of pop rock. Every hook and bridge, every place where they could have placed a drum fill but didn’t, ever lyrical snippet, like a sniper’s bullet right to your happy spot. It’s telling that the subsequent remix album could do nothing to improve upon any of these songs – but these facts alone would not get them on my list, they’ve made some spot on pop music in the past, the fact that the album is completely consistent back to front is a big factor, the deciding element however, is the subtle way Mars and Co. inject each track with nostalgia and longing – memories (or wishes?) for long distant Roman sunsets, the promise of returned love, the nostalgia of youth (“Do you remember when 21 years was old?”). It’s this juxtaposition of airtight pop and river walk rumination that makes Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix one of the best of the year, and the best of their career to date.
3. The xx – The xx
If it weren’t for the fact that I’ve only been listening to this album for a month, it may have placed at #1. The xx have made the album that I’ve been wanting to make myself, for two years – actually, they’ve made the album i wish I’d had to the ability to even conceive of imagining, let alone producing… i digress. If music is a body than the xx is music stripped down to it’s smoldering, bleeding heart, and it’s all the better for it’s lack of that other stuff. What we’re left with is sentiment beyond their years, and style that both speaks to the past (Young Marble Giants, Interpol, Burial), and the future of music – (don’t be surprised if we see a new wave of dark minimalism in British bands this coming year.) Skeletal beats, verb heavy guitar and bass, quietly whirring synths and the back and forth girl/boy ruminations on love, lust, and longing. These are the ventricles, aorta, and the blood being pushed rhythmically and meditatively back and forth. It’s easily one of the most simply engaging pieces of music I’ve ever heard, this year or any.
Hey, it’s my top ten list for this year. Hope you like. It’s been a rough year for me. High school sucks.
7. The Jesus And Mary Chain, “Automatic”
This tape is really cool, but too short even though it has two extra songs on it. It has a really neat rocking sound with electric drums. Triple-X has been playing “Head On” a lot but I like “Blues From A Gun” way better. I don’t care about the state of my hair!
Hello there folks it’s me again, Matt and I haven’t written one of these new-fangled ‘Blog Posts’ in, oh something like a year now. (Ed Note – Matt’s been on super secret blog probation after we discovered he didn’t actually understand the syntax of the English language. ) 2009 is coming to an end and the powers that be want a post from me. I’ll give it my best then. Here we go…..
1.Hank Williams-Revealed
These radio shows, recorded in ‘51, are some of the best Hank I have ever laid my ears to! He is peddling Mother’s best flour and corn meal so well that it has made me some what of a homebody and all I want to do is bake all day! Corn muffins(with Mother’s Best Self-Risng Corn Meal of course), bread, pies and feed my hogs with anti-biotic packed hog feed. Dem hogs be so tasty now! Mmm-mmm-mmmmm!!! Of course I’m bullshitting all of you. Nonetheless, the three CDs are packed with full radio shows and all the ads and banter the previous release, Hank: The Unreleased Recordings, cut out. If you love Hank and don’t have either of these releases you need to pick them up. NOW. Hopefully they will warm your hearts as they did mine.
2.Wolves In The Throne Room-Black Cascade
On this album the folks in WITTR did not include the mysterious and ethereal female vocalists as on all three previous releases. It actually turned out to be alright. I did not think so at first but it turned out to be a brutally cleansing fifty minutes of black metal glory! These guys have such a great take on Black Metal, I Absolutely Love It!!!! Highly,highly recommended.
3.Sunn0)))-Monoliths & Dimensions
Oh man I was so psyched when i heard that Eyvind Kang was doing some arrangements for these guys. It worked out pretty damn well I must say. There are several women singing on Track 2 , Big Church. It sounds exactly like what a Sunn0))) church sermon should sound like. It scared me a little. I listen to these guys before i sleep at night in hopes of scary dreams. This album did it for me!
4.King Crimson-In The Court Of The Crimson King Reissue
My step-father used to listen to this album years ago when i was a little one and i could not stand it.I used to hate what i considered ‘old fogey’ music in my youth, finding that there was no place for it in my life. Just Metal and Punk Rock. It was all I had time for, especially being an angsty one. Then i beagan listening to King Crimson with a new ear and fell in love. This release (as well as Red remastered) made ol’ Matt fall in love with the king all over again and it has been just fantastic.
5.Lightning Bolt-Earthly Delights
I just saw these guys at U Mass Amherst a couple of months ago for free and all i can say is wow. They played most of this album as awell as some old favorites of mine. The other 20 or so odd bands sucked. We got lost at U Mass and drove around the city looking for an address to the show to no avail. every five minutes or so i would say to my pal Brett, “Shhh I think i hear it”. Only to find out it was an extremely loud generator. We did this for about an hour finally finding a group of stinky kids and Lightning Bolt standing next to a shitty van. We waited for two more hours and it was such an amazing show. I lost a part of my eardrum. Watched it fall out. I didn’t even care, that’s how good it was.
6.Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavilion
I have been listening to these songs for the past two years at their live shows. It was an auditory orgasm to hear these songs ,which i had grown accustomed to hearing live, in all their produced glory. It’s a great listen.
7.Dirty Projectors-Bitte Orca
Great album cover art. Awesome music. Beautiful women singing their hearts out. What more can I say, most of you reading this have probably already heard it a hundred times.
8.Brotherman-O.S.T.
Awesome late 70’s Blaxsploitation soundtrack for a movie that was sadly never made. If you would like to know more about this look at Herb’s post of come on down and buy it, I’m sick of typing.
9.Om-God Is Good
Umm…I guess. The album is definitely good. Merry Christmas?
10.Agoraphobic Nosebleed-Agorapocalypse
It’s exactly what i want to blast in the store when I’m here alone.There is some sick drum solos that aren’t blast beats, although there are plenty of those to be had. Lyrics are hilarious as usual and there is even an anti-drug warning on the back of the CD! Ha! Agoraphobic Nosebleed and an anti-drug warning together! What has this world come too?
Oh, Scott hull.
11.Baroness-Blue Album
I have not listened to this album nor do I want to. I gave the Red Album a listen and it was not very good so i chose not to listen to this one. I have been looking at the artwork for days, it is some of the best metal artwork out today. I bought the vinyl so i could have a bigger picture of it. I am putting it on my wall. Jesus, I should have just bought a print…
And finally my favorite of the year (That is NOT music)….
Dragon Age: Origins (PC & XBOX360)
I love this Game. (It makes me late for work all the time, sorry guys!)
Hi, my name is Amanda. You might remember me if you stopped by the Pop any time between May 2004 and October 2004. Or if you were at the OP anytime after 10pm between May ‘04 and October ‘04. Or if you picked up Pretty and Nice’s first record. That’s me, the one awkwardly running though the ocean. I put in about five years in the record store circuit before moving to Burlington, so it seemed like kind of a no-brainer when I was hired. Pure Pop was without a doubt, the best, and not just because I’m guest-blogging (Ed note: We also paid her handsomely for this article). I left town with a heavy heart, leaving behind a ton of friends, the Pop, the Penny Cluse, City Market, Eye Spys, that thrift store in the basement of that church… In Burlington, I learned how to juggle, how to drink, how to ride my bike drunk, some key phrases in Serbo-Croation, and that there were more jam bands than I ever thought possible… One of my favorite memories from my short time at the Pop was when this guy, probably a UVM student, came by and said, I’m looking for this cd… it’s kind of a weird name… I gave him a, “How the hell would I know?” look, then said, “Devendra Banhart?” And he was like “YEAH!” It was awesome.
Since then, I’ve been living in Portland, Maine, which isn’t too far from where I grew up. Other than the quickly diminishing pool of normal, single guys to go out with, I love living here. You should visit! Up until this fall, I was working for a national non-profit, 9-5, as an administrative assistant. We had casual Fridays and dental insurance. It was weird, like I was an adult, or something. But I’m back in school full time, and working at a coffeeshop. Typical, right? Musically, I’m guessing I’m probably listening to most of the same things you guys are listening to. This public radio show, Sound Opinions, the world’s only rock and roll talk show, has sort of filled the gap where my old job as a record store clerk used to be. Emphasis on sort of. So when I was trying to come up with my list, I was thinking, “What could I make my list about and not look like a total d-bag??” The last album I bought was, ah, oh right, this band Lightning Dust, and I think before that was the Dirty Dancing Soundtrack (Patrick Swayze, RIP!)
So, we have this free, monthly alternative paper here called the Bollard. There is nothing comparable in Burlington that I know of, mostly because Seven Days is great and there is no need for an alternative, alternative paper. The Bollard recently made a list of the top ten local cds of the decade. It was pretty pretentious, but it got me thinking about our local scene here, and I thought maybe, I’d share my thoughts. Most of these people are my friends, frenemies, local bartenders, baristas, etc, and this is not by any means a complete list.
Top ten bands out of Portland, ME, According to Amanda Pleau
1. Cult Maze (see also: Metal Feathers, Brenda)
Cult Maze, although now defunct, except for an annual Homecoming Dance reunion, were really amazing, and I’m sad to say that no one will quite live up. I know they played in Burlington a couple of times, (with my bffs Pretty and Nice,) so you might have even had the chance to see them. Former members have gone on to play in Metal Feathers and Brenda, but neither are nearly as good as the original lineup. Isn’t that always the way?
2. Lady Lamb the Beekeeper
I recently described Aly Spaltro, the 4′10″ 19 year old who goes by the moniker Lady Lamb the Beekeeper, as this teeny tiny white girl who sounds like a 50 year old black woman. Not entirely sure if that’s completely accurate, but she writes some amazing songs. The kinds of songs you can only write when you’re 19, because you’re still full of hope and love. You can download her album on iTunes, and if you decide to check her out on MySpace, I recommend a track called Walrus.
3. Ocean
(I actually don’t listen to Doom Metal, but I hear they’re pretty amazing, as far as that sort of thing goes?)
4. Spencer Albee and the School Spirit Mafia or, Spencer Albee and the Polyphonic Mafia,
This most recent Spencer Albee incarnation has like, thirteen members, all really talented, mostly involved in other music projects. They’re really fun to see live, and Spencer, former member of the Rustic Overtones, one of Portland’s all time favorite local bands, is like the godfather of the scene.
5. Phantom Buffalo
MOJO magazine voted Shishimumu (their first album, still under the name the Ponys) the 42nd best album of 2005. I think they have a real chance to make it out of this town, and seeing them is always a pleasure. This Halloween they did a bunch of Devo covers at the party I was at. I’d recommend checking out “Be the Boss,” if you have a second.
6. Honey Clouds Confession:
this is my best friend’s band. They are the band that Paper Castles played with when they came through town, and if you don’t totally hate the singer’s voice, you might really like them.
7. Dead End Armory Further confession:
I can’t stand the singer of this band, but t hat doesn’t change the fact that he writes really good songs. The whole tortured-artist thing really works for this guy. They’re on hiatus at the moment, and part of me wishes he’d just go back to wherever the hell he came from.
8. Sontiago Sontiago
won the Portland Phoenix’s best hip hop artist for like five years in a row, until on she pulled her name out of the running. I think I was officially won over at her cd release, she brought Aly from Lady Lamb and Dilly Dilly (another Portland person) on stage and did a cover of Say My Name. It was SICK!
httpv://www.youtube.com/v/SiW1WLcMVgA&hl
9. Samuel James
Self-taught blues guitarist. Enough said. Worked at the video rental store for years, and all of a sudden, he’s like, touring now. Always an entertaining, fulfilling performance from Sam James.
10. Pete Kilpatrick
I only feel compelled to put this guy on the list because he’s actually touring, and because people in Burlington might actually know who he is. You know, the UVM people who are fans of Guster, Barenaked Ladies and Dave Mathews Band… that sort of sh- I mean stuff.
11. Feel It Robot
(are actually based out of Bangor, Maine… which might be the like the White River Junction of Maine?) They sing songs about dancing, riding bikes, robots and awesomeness. If there was a band comprised of things I daydream about, Feel It Robot would be it. I think the singer is a used car salesperson, and I have the biggest lady-crush on her. Seriously, she’s really hot. Something looks a little weird on their MySpace page, but MySpace is weird, so take their advice, and shut up and dance.
And just to put things into perspective, here’s a link to a blog all about how much the music scene in Portland sucks. Peapod Recordings is a local record label that a bunch of really great local musicians are on, including South China, Brown Bird, Huak. The Enchantments are another of my favorites, but they’ve been broken up for a long time now, and talking about them would make me feel sad. Marie Stella probably would have made the list, if I would’ve been able to get off my couch and actually make it to one of their shows one of these days. There’s a lot I didn’t cover here, but if you have any questions, or want to talk more about it, send me an email at amandajennifer@gmail.com
This was a strange music year for me. After spending the past few years immersing myself almost entirely in ambient, drone, and various strains of dance music, I inadvertently returned to my “indie roots” (sorry, pretentious) and listened to a lot more of the straightforward albums that Pitchfork was slinging. I found stuff like the new Flaming Lips, A Sunny Day in Glasgow, Memory Tapes, and, of course, Animal Collective to be refreshing, and it kind of restored my faith in indie music. I gotta throw it out there that I didn’t check out nearly as much new music this year as I have in the past few, so I feel like my list could be stronger. The truth is, I spent a good chunk of the year listening exclusively to Unwound’s Leaves Turn Inside You. Oh, and there were a couple of months when all I listened to was Hold Steady’s Separation Sunday. And nowadays, I’m basically only playing Rage. I was told this is because I’m angsty. So anyway, here’s my top ten albums of 2009:
10. Deuce – EP + Planetary Assault Systems rmx
The techno fans out there are probably well aware of the splashes that both Shed and Marcel Dettmann made last year, with Shedding the Past and Berghain 02 respectively, but for those who aren’t in the know, these two are pretty much putting out the best techno there is right now. While this collaboration yielded very little output this year (a three-track EP and a Planetary Assault Systems remix), they made up for scant quantity with four mind-bending grooves of the highest order. These collective 23 minutes are the most punishing, relentless dance music I heard all year, with the obvious reference point being Jeff Mills’ fabled 1995 DJ set at the Liquid Room in Tokyo and methamphetamines.
9. Ben Frost – By The Throat
Imagine a dude who makes vicious, distorted swells (and the odd wolf growl) with his instruments. Then think about how awesome they might sound paired with Sigur Ros’ string section, Aniima. And then if he added Nico Muhly, a dude from Arcade Fire, and some Swedish metal band. Might as well reference Twin Peaks while he’s at it, huh? Now look at that cover. You want some of this.
8. Brock Van Wey – White Clouds Drift On and On
Perfectly titled, this is a dubbed out, gorgeous collection of overlapping drones, which, much like the clouds overhead, are continually morphing, expanding, and contracting despite seeming stagnant. It’s important to throw it out there that this is on Echospace, which means you’re definitely not dealing with your run-of-the-mill drones here. Even better is that Steve Hitchell (Intrusion) was so enamored with the music, he busted out a track-for-track remix album to be included with the release. If Echospace is one of your go-to labels, make this the next album you check out.
7. Bear in Heaven – Beast Rest Forth Mouth
This one really took me be surprise. Despite my stubborn insistence that indie rock needs to be stuffed with experimental flourishes for me to enjoy it, it turns out that, no, solid songwriting, tons of hooks, spot-on production, and a kick ass drummer is all it really takes to make me happy. Plus, the whole thing smacks of the 80s (in terms of melodies, not production), and the singer kind of sounds like Peter Cetera to me. So there’s that.
6. Neon Indian – Psychic Chasms
OK, first off…There’s a track on here called “Should’ve Taken Acid With You,” so you get a pretty good idea of what you’re in for. This right here is some straight up ear candy. Like Daft Punk or Tispy before him, Neon Indian takes ridiculously cheesy sound sources and melds them into heady, ass-kicking tracks. There’s not a second that goes by without a sound bouncing all over your headspace, and he coats everything in delay, reverb, phasing, flanging, and anything else that’ll make it sound like a jet passing overhead. Oh, and it’s surprisingly effective for getting toddler-aged girls to shake their booties on a Saturday morning.
“Nothing stayed as long with me as the waltz we shared in Petersburg, 1893. And I could feel my weak heart tare, I’d of followed you anywhere. But now I’ve lost the way, in search of that one day.”
It’s hard not to get lost in the imaginary world Mt. Desert Island creates in song. It is however, easy to believe that the lyricist Jesse writes fiction in his free time. The other half of the whimsical duo Bennett, just released an EP under the cognomen Kuhn with Astro Nautico and was reviewed by Impose Magazine this past week. Mt. Desert Island is kind of Boston’s best kept secret. Not to mention they’re really, really nice guys.
Ginevra Shay – Where are you guys from?
Jesse Kohn – I’m from San Fe New Mexico.
Bennett Kuhn - That was Jesse, and I’m Bennett from Huntington, Long Island, NY.
GS – And, you guys are living in Boston now for school?
JK – Yeah, in Sommerville.
GS – So, do you go to school with Trevor is that how you know him?
JK – Yeah, Uhm, I was going to the Museum School I really go to Tufts I guess. I was taking some classes there and that’s how I met Trevor.
GS – Ok. What are you guys studying?
JK – We’re both studying philosophy.
GS – Oh! Awesome! Side Note – I don’t know if you’re familiar with Classical music at all but that’s the exam I’m studying for today and one of the composers from the Romantic period; that I’m being tested on is Wager who was really influenced by Schopenhauer. Wager is a very influential German composer but he is also really hated because he was very nationalistic and anti-Semitic – which got Hitler into him; just all this crazy stuff. I guess it’s weird when you find out that this bleak dark composer is influenced by Schopenhauer, you’re like ahhhh it all makes sense now. (laughs)
BK – It’s definitely a different age when musicians are influenced by philosophers.
Hi! i’m josh riggs and most of this stuff was invented, conceived, produced etc before the 09, but in this the year of our lord eco=-crash (and/or) recovery year of 2009 i was clumsy enough in all the right ways to stumble over these(my) annual choice pleasures!
1.Urs Fischer: Marguerite de Ponty @ New Museum (NYC) -- 3 floors of rot, wood, eats, blobs, sheetrock, chains, surreal installations by an artist that is my big time in the 09! Made me feel like peeing on something inanimate.
http://www.newmuseum.org/exhibitions/417/urs_fischermarguerite_de_ponty
2.Sun Araw -- Horse Steppin’ on YouTube -- hazed out sleep junkie surfs up! YouTube has replaced the MTV basshead in all of us…even though it was released in the 08′ -- i’m a late bloomer!
3.Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey -- In 7th grade I chugged a bottle of this stuff with some of my degenerate friends. It seemed like a good idea at the time and made my high as a georgia pine until I puked my guts out and vowed never to touch the stuff again. 15ish years later 1 sip changed my direction in adult libations-will be sippin’ for many years to come!
4.Men With No IQ’s -- 80’s BLACK metal 4 realz ya’ll! Insane Mississippi brutal rock afro-oddball scene I wish I was a part of. Obscure-only thing I have found is 2 songs on this Myspace site. Oh Myspace…what happened to you in 2009???????????
http://www.myspace.com/menwithnoiqs
5.Hotel Gault/Chez L’Epicier/Zone Orange -- 3 choice spots on my annual Montreal tour de force! Made my 2009 trip one of the best ever! Lux!
http://www.hotelgault.com/
http://www.chezlepicier.com/
http://www.galeriezoneorange.com/
6.Dylan Nyoukis Live @ No Fun Stockholm 2009 -- vox art to the fucking maximum voltage! Wish I could have seen it in the flesh…mope…
7.Richard Kern -- I’m not sure why it took me this long to find him considering I am such a huge Terry Richardson fan? In my opinion his work is better and it makes me tingle-ROAR!Patrick Tsai runner up!!!!!(PHOTO DUDES!)
http://www.richardkern.com/
http://www.hellopatpat.com/mldd_e.html
8.Eating sushi for hours alone at Sakura in BVT = Pure Bliss!
9.The Sinful Dwarf (1973) -- Orlof, the creepy dwarf in the skuzz pit slum of London keeps kidnapped girls in the basement nice an high on smack for his mommies pimp rough trade! GRINDHAUS shit with a killer soundtrack and somewhat watchable if yr into that kinda thang!(sorry JOSH i saw it 1st!) I also saw Daisies and that totally blew my noggin”! Sedmikrasky!
10.Black Beauty -- My band w/ amigo Josh! We can clear a room in 1/2 a song! Gives me yet another excuse to drink beer on Thursday night! THIS IS GOING TO BE SUCKS! -- a hopeful 2010 release (avail @ Pure Pop!) maybe’zzzzzzz~! shameless self promo’!
11.Listening to Oneohtrix Point Never, Blood Stereo, Omar Soulyman, Areski & Brigitte Fontaine, Endless Boogie, WaVVes, The JACK Quartet/Iannis Xenakis, The Clash, Brainbombs, Sensational, A&E, The Legendary Stardust Cowboy, Kito Mizukumi Rouber, Mozart, The Beatles, GAS, Preggy Peggy & the Lonely Babymakers, Borful Tang and of course Justin Bieber! (I prob left out about 70 others but…)
Ten years ago I was enrolled at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. It doesn’t feel like a long time ago, but looking over my haphazardly-compiled best-of-the-decade list, I’m forced to consider the range and scope of the experiences that I will forever associate with these fantastic albums. It’s been a hell of a decade.
Apparently 2003 was a particularly great year in music for me. It occupies about half this list. Also, the second half of the decade only provided me with two albums. Is that a consequence of my growing cynicism? I’d like to think it’s simply a matter of these albums not having had a chance to resonate as deeply as something like Pig Lib, which was a daily source of comfort and inspiration during a tough time.
If I were to reconsider this tomorrow, I think about half the list would stay the same. Contrary to what some might say (Casey Rea, I’m looking at you), the aughts have been a fertile decade for music. (At least the first half. The second, I think, may belong to television, but I digress.)
My favorite album’s of the decade:
Deltron 3030 -- s/t (2000) – The best thing Dan The Automater, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien or Kid Koala have ever done is this early-millennium masterpiece. The production is staggering and Del is in fine-form. This is a genre-transcending hip-hop record.
Super Furry Animals - Mwng (2000) – I was pleased to see Casey The Contrarian include Rings Around The World on his list, but I’m going to have to side with its predecessor, Mwng. With their former label bankrupt, the band had a lot to prove. Rather than play it safe, SFA released an all-Welsh home-brewed triumph. They put it out on their own and managed to parlay its acclaim into a deal with a new label.
Daft Punk -- Discovery (2001) – Possibly my favorite album on this list, Discovery raised the bar. Infectious, upbeat, moving and witty, there’s not really anything that compares. It towers over the rest of the band’s catalog as well as the rest of the French House scene.
Steve Malkmus -- Pig Lib (2003) – With his solo debut, Malkmus demonstrated that he’d be just fine without Pavement. With Pig Lib, he almost made you forget about his former band. Everything about this record is seeped in excellence.
I was recently given the opportunity to compile a list for the Waterfront Video blog – to read the entire list head here – but just to give you a little teaser, here are a few selections. Just so you know, we have a nice selection of classics and cult favorites alike here at PP.
Children Of Men (2006) – If this list were numbered, this would probably be #1 – I think i crie
d after this one. I think i remember driving home and just not saying anything at all. Just thinking about this one. I think for the first time in distopian Sci-fi film history, for me anyway, a film really kicked me in the nuts. Not in that sort of esoteric, rhetorical, snide way that is great too, the way the other great distopians do, like Brazil, The Delicatessen, or Terminator 2. But just a real emotional visceral, nut kick. The story was taut and the hand held documentary style camera work was incredibly unique, the acting (aside from Maude Lebowski, but we won’t go there.) was superb, and the actual future world itself, is easily the best imaged in the 00’s and an easy contender for the 5 of all time.
Gosford Park (2001) - This film is simply pure understated cinematic perfection – it’s Altman flexing his incredible film-making muscle with little to no intention other than to pay tribute to and at the same time beat at it’s own game, a handful of Hollywood’s beloved genres – period piece, murder mystery, and his very own trademark style of overlapping dialog and character arcs. All with a slight self aware wink and nod that never over asserts itself – This film can be enjoyed (and indeed, for me has been) on so many levels, snippets of dialogue, slight glances and knowing aversions of eye, all reveal themselves slowly over time and by it’s 20th viewing you realize how incredibly rich and demure a film (and homage to film) Altman crafted with Gosford Park.
The Proposition (2005)- Watching the proposition is like watching someone slowly hang to 
death while tripping on mushrooms. I imagine anyway. It’s also like if you could watch a bunch of Nick Cave songs, while tripping on mushrooms. But that’s fairly reductive isn’t it? It’s hard to say what makes this film so riveting – the acting, is all as good as it gets, Ray Winstone is one of my favorite actors, his beleaguered law-man and husband is so pitiful and real – “Real” that’s the word, this story, while strikingly, phantasmagorically lyrical is also one of the most flat out “real” films I’ve seen this decade. You can practically smell the flies sticking all over the faces of the corpses, man. i mean, wow man, tripping balls.
Sometime ago I was a DJ on WRUV and decided to host a 9 am to noon radio show on Christmas Day. I didn’t really have anything better to do than eat Chinese food and go to the movies with the rest of the non-Christian contingent, anyway. That really marked the beginning of my exploration of Christmas music. Generally, I, like many others, clutch my head to keep my ears from bleeding as I walk past yet another retail outlet that is piping the dogs barking Jingle Bells into the great outdoors for all to enjoy. That is why I’m so glad that bands are still writing original Christmas tunes. To paraphrase the director John Waters (who, by the way, has his own fascinating Christmas album), you can pick your own way to celebrate this season: you can make it a cynical celebration, a sad celebration, a hysterical celebration. But you have to pick, because as much as some of us might like to, this a season which just can’t be ignored. What I really love about most of these songs is that while they acknowledge how the holidays (no matter what denomination you subscribe to) are always difficult in so many different ways, they never lose that essential cheer.
1. Candy Canes – The Physics Club
They’re local, they love Christmas, and they’re almost dangerously fun. In fact, they only put out Christmas albums. You can also check out The Physics Club Half Hour Radio Hour on the Radiator Tuesdays 6-8 pm (don’t worry – it’s not just holiday music). Every song is a gem; another favorite is Holiday Family Time.
2. Always Winter Never Christmas – XTC
Actually XTC has several great Christmas tunes, including Thanks for Christmas, played by their alter ego The Three Wise Men. This one captures that feeling of being a kid and having to wait through that so, so, so long night on the eve of the holidays.
3. Christmas Isn’t Safe for the Animals – Of Montreal
After getting revved up with the first two tunes I gotta mellow it out with this warning about how our winged and/ or furry friends might be feeling during these holidays. Plus, I really enjoy the little consumerism montage in the middle.
4. Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses
This song is a classic I would never want to go through a Christmas season without. This perfectly wraps up (chuckle, sssh) the dichotomy I am always looking for in a holiday tune. It’s song about trying to skip Christmas, and yet it’s so catchy it’s apt to make you more joyous than angsty.
5. Christmas Reindeer – The Knife
This one verges on annoying, but it also gets me oh so ready for the dance party. Time to get sloshed with Santa, or at least so woozy on holiday spirit that you could be swaying in the corner to this tune, hair in your face, totally not caring what your relatives and/or friends think.
