10. Iron & Wine-Norfolk 6/20/05
9. M. Ward-Hold Time
8. Beirut–March of the Zapotec
7. Dirty Projectors-Bitte Orca
6. Fleet Foxes-self titled
5. Bon Iver-From Emma Forever Ago
4. Monsters of Folk-selt titled
3. Dark was the Night-various artists
2. Grizzly Bear-Veckatimist
1. Animal Collective-Merriweather Post Pavillion
Best of 2009
I have to admit that I don’t like making year-end lists. First, I’m lazy. I can’t remember what the hell I listened to last month, forget last March. Second, I think the idea of actually naming the “best” albums of the year is a bit dramatic. Do we really need a bunch of opinionated music fans/critics claiming they know what is “best”? Really? (Ed Note: Yes, yes we do.)
All I can do is tell you about a few albums, perhaps a few songs, that I enjoyed listening to this year. Take it for what it is. (Third, I don’t really “follow” everything going on in music as the year goes by, so as I always listen to “older” music, I may have to include it as part of my “best” of 2009.)
Two more things: First, I love songs. Especially ones I can sing along to. Direct songs. What can I say: I’m a simple man. Second, I spent a lot of time hanging out with Vermont musician/composer Michael Chorney this year, so his name pops up a few times.
So, now that you understand me utterly and completely:
It Disappears by Seth Eames & Michael Chorney
Michael gave me a copy of this in the cold months of early spring, right around the time my stepfather had a severe stroke. I drove I-89 and I-91 a lot during that time, and I can say these stripped-bare recordings with Seth Eames’ world-weary lyrics and vocals were a perfect soundtrack to those damp, gray days. A perfect album for imperfect times.
“The Way It Will Be” by Gillian Welch & David Rawlings
A recommendation from Mr. Chorney, who kept talking about this unreleased Gillian and David song that sounded like something off Neil Young’s On the Beach. In the best of the available videos on YouTube, David and Gillian lock into one of their infamously slow, dirge-like acoustic-guitar rhythms, then start singing in beautiful, haunting unison. Dave Rawlings has an uncanny ability to sing behind Gillian in a way that you’re not even sure he’s there; his voice is more like light on a table or a ghost hovering near her. The chorus has one of the best lines I heard all year: “The way you made it, that’s the way it will be.”
Hadestown by Anais Mitchell
Anais Mitchell’s folk opera Hadestown has grown up a lot over the last few years. It started as a stage production playing rooms in Vermont like the Barre Opera House and Vergennes Opera House. The songs were catchy, the acting honest, and the orchestra, Michael Chorney’s Magic City, lent a funky, expansive drive to the musical numbers. The rough mixes of the forthcoming Hadestown album are a completely different animal: With vocals by Bon Iver, Ani DiFranco, and Greg Brown, and a band that includes some of Brooklyn’s finest jazz musicians, the album has drama, drive, and a musical sophistication that prove Anais Mitchell is far more than a folksinger. It’ll either blow up in 2010 or become a criminally underappreciated classic.
Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear
I tend to ignore a lot of hype about flawlessly dressed bands of skinny white hipsters from Brooklyn and all their ultra-smart indie pop. That doesn’t mean I should. It’s just jaded foolishness. But I was curious about Veckatimest, so I bought it on vinyl. At first, I didn’t get it. It didn’t grab me. But then I moved into a new house, set up my turntable, and started listening to the vinyl instead of the files. Suddenly the rhythmic interplay between the acoustic guitar and drums demanded attention. (“Idiot!”) The understated drama of the lead vocals pulled me in. The harmonies killed. (“Oooh!”) I was hooked. I’ve turned more friends on to this album in the last few months than any other this year. And all I had to do was play it. It’s was 100% the “I’m now going to sell five copies of Three E.P.s by The Beta Band” scene from High Fidelity. No one had even heard of Grizzly Bear before hearing them. If you want to sell records, track two, “Two Weeks,” is the one to play over and over.
“Temezcal” by Monsters of Folk
I didn’t really get into the Monsters of Folk album. The idea, of course, was great: put Connor Oberst (Bright Eyes), Jim James (My Morning Jacket), M. Ward (She & Him), and Mike Mogis together and you get the folk-rock supergroup of the decade. But I found the album hard to get into. It had that feeling of three distinct talents and a producer all bringing songs, each of which ends up sounding like the records each guy makes without the other guys in the band. But then I found a YouTube video of the quartet playing Oberst’s “Temezcal” with M. Ward singing lead vocals. His deep, echo-enhanced vocal has crags and valleys of dark mystery that match the lyrics perfectly, making this the best song the band recorded for the album—but didn’t release.
Demo2009 by Surprise Me Mr. Davis
I’ve been waiting for this album ever since the band recorded it with Brett Hughes in Burlington’s own Old North End in the summer of 2008, after singer/songwriter Nathan Moore was turned away at the U.S.-Canada border. (They don’t let felonious musicians into Canada, apparently.) A collection of songs the band wrote in spring 2008, this record has sweat stains on its shirt and grit under its fingernails; it’s evidence of four guys who have been on the road constantly for well over a decade hitting their collective stride and writing some of the best songs of their careers. The biggest surprise and delight is Brad Barr showing some old-school, Sam-Cooke-style pop-love on “That’s the Way.” It’s my favorite song right now.
Phish’s performances at Bonnaroo
I grew up listening to Phish, just like a lot of kids did, during the mid-90s. They turned me onto so many things—bluegrass, country, jazz, doo-wop, Zappa, fusion, the use of tension, release, and humor in music, and most importantly, improvisation. (I was a shut-in until ’93.) What that really means is they taught me how to listen. I’m not the most rabid of Phish fans, and I hadn’t seen the band since their unfortunate implosion at Coventry in 2004. But I can say that after dozens of artists perform at Bonnaroo—from Allen Toussaint to Nine Inch Nails to Merle Haggard to Of Montreal—I can say that Phish’s two nights on the main stage were a master-class in live performance that every artist should have been invited to.
As far as I know, there is not one band that has taken 20th-century music in its many forms, listened to it, learned how it works, and put all of that knowledge to work to create something new and unique the way Phish has. And I am certain there is no band that can improvise as freely, while keeping the music accessible, as Phish does. Though many folks may not think of them this way, they’re the world’s most popular experimental band. They use American pop and folk music forms to launch into fearless group improvisation, creating new music in the moment in a way that makes tens of thousands of people feel something extraordinary. They feed the mind easily as much as the body. I won’t deny their shortcomings, but I know they should be seen as one of the most vital, innovative electric bands playing American music today.
Tanner, who since he was twelve spends most of his time planning an ever-more-elaborate, ever-less-likely-to-happen wedding for himself, came upon this dull website for what appears to be a collective of wedding dj’s. Amusingly, there’s a page of indie-rock themed wedding mixes, all of which look like rough drafts for the Garden State soundtrack. Being the bitter, dry husks of human beings that we are, the first thing we thought was, “What would the opposite of these mixes look like?”
In that spirit, we proudly offer you seven tracks to spoil the mood at a wedding.
1. The Big Pink -- Dominos
“As soon as I love her it’s been too long.
And I really love breaking your heart”
2. The Mountain Goats -- No Children
“And I hope when you think of me years down the line
You can’t find one good thing to say
And I’d hope that if I found the strength to walk out
You’d stay the hell out of my way
I am drowning
There is no sign of land
You are coming down with me
Hand in unlovable hand
And I hope you die
I hope we both die”
3. XTC -- Your Dictionary
“Now your laughter has a hollow ring
But the hollow ring has no finger in
So lets close the book and let the day begin
And our marriage be undone”
4. Rolling Stones -- Out of Time
“You’re out of touch, my baby
My poor discarded baby
I said, baby, baby, baby, you’re out of time”
5. Husker Du -- Never Talking to You Again
“I’d put you down where you belong
But I’m never talking to you again
I’d show you everywhere you’re wrong
But I’m never talking to you again”
6. The Misfits -- Last Caress
“Well, I got something to say
I killed your baby today
And it doesn’t matter much to me
As long as its dead”
7. Jarvis Cocker -- Don’t Let Him Waste Your Time
” ’cause the years fly by in an instant
and you wonder what he’s waiting for
and then some skinny bitch walks by in some hotpants
and he’s running out the door”
Recently I revisited the last two albums by a little known band from Boston called Drexel who disbanded in autumn of 2003. Drexel had become a seminal group to myself and my peers. Originally a punk/ska outfit with hardcore influences. It wasn’t until their last two albums in which the group broke from the confines of the genre and created an onslaught of fast paced “panic” rock’n'roll. It was complex yet simple. Scattered with random time changes, inventive drum pattens, layered guitars and intense vocal’s that accompany the angular yet poppy style. Drexel had become an entirely new band altogether, who drew influences from?
I’m really not sure. Their style and unconventional song strucure was original taking the listener on a roller coaster ride which lyrically seems to express the side effects of living unorganized lives. The two albums were titled “The Inevitable is Available” and “What Went Wrong”. Both album covers and graphics are identical except for the color. One red and the other blue and all tracks are nameless. The music on the albums sounds like little compartmentalized riffs and melodies that have been enlarged and repeated in a sequence until one component changes yet remains in harmony. Giving the listener a sense of urgency. The songs themselves frequently progress within each other as if mutating or growing. Beginnings and ends don’t match and the relationship between the guitars and drums is unique. Each instrument plays at different a tempo yet find a way to relate. This is a staple of the sound Drexel had created. Unfortunately Drexel decided to break up shortly after they released their last album. Released in limited quantity on a small indie label in Boston the albums have all but disappeared. Making it difficult for their music to reach anyone other than word of mouth. Perhaps it’s what the members wanted? To bow out nobbly rather than fade away.
The worst part of throwing a party can be getting people to leave when you’re ready to call it a night. We’d like to recommend some titles for the tried and true record-that-will-clear-a-room option. It’s a delicate procedure. Playing something awful just to clear a room is a dick move and you’re not going to enjoy it any more than your victims. No, the best route is to find something of quality that plays counter to the tone of the party. For example…
5)The Chameleons -- What Does Anything Mean? Basically
What is it?: The second album by the legendary Chameleons. A post-punk tour-de-force that would go on to influence more bands than it would sell albums.
Play at the end of: Any kind of upbeat, rock-free dance party.
It will clear them out because: Make no mistake, this album is fantastic, but to the uninitiated its dated production, moments of rhythm-free melancholy and emotion-drenched tenor vocals will kill the buzz of anyone who’s acclimated to pules-pounding beats.
You win because: The album is invigorating enough to keep you awake while you’re clearing empty plastic cups and half-eaten plates of hoers devours. At the same time, its sobering starkness will make you realize how tired you are.
Estimated number of songs to end party: Two and a half, unless someone at the party is a closet fan, in which case you’re going to have to open a fresh bottle.
4)Any Kompakt Compilation
What is it?: Kompakt is a German record label that serves as a host to a multitude of contemporary electronic acts. The Kompakt sound usually blends warmth & melody with more conventional minimalist-ambient textures. It has been referred to as minimalist techno, micro-house or just plain ambient.
Play at the end of: Any kind of rock-heavy party. Be careful, these compilations could just as easily get a late-night party started. Context is everything.
It will clear them out because: The sparse, droning nature of most Kompakt artists is not conducive to your regular party atmosphere, unless people are sitting quietly, listening thoughtfully and sipping wine. In which case, why stop the party?
You win because: Kompakt is currently one of the best labels out there. Even casual fans of electronic or ambient music would be remiss to not give them a go.
Estimated number of songs to end party: Between one and two.
3)Finntroll -- Nattfödd
What is it?: Finntroll, which means Finnish Troll, are perhaps the world’s only band to combine metal with hummpa, a Finnish iteration of polka music. They are, not surprisingly, from Finland.
Play at the end of: A dance party, a classic-rock party, an ambient party….. You know what? As long as no one’s playing dungeons and dragons, you should be good.
It will clear them out because: Finntroll combine the aggressiveness of metal with the eccentric inaccessability of hummpa. It should clash with just about anything, except metal or polka.
You win because: These guys rule. Polka and metal might not sound like a natural marriage, but listening to these guys, you’d think the genres had evolved together before splintering into two separate entities.
Estimated number of songs to end party: Before the end of the opening track, “Vindfärd/Människopesten”.
2)MC Paul Barman -- Paullelujah!
What is it?: The full-length debut from Rhode Island’s MC Paul Barman, a sort of hip-hop Woody Allen who’s bread and butter consist of building palindromes, self-deprecation and toilet humor.
Play at the end of: Any party dominated by bad mainstream hip-hop, or any music that takes itself too seriously.
It will clear them out because: With his nasally delivery, pretentious word play and childish sense of humor, Paul Barman can be a tough pill to swallow.
You win because: Paul deserves more credit than one might suspect from a casual listen. His rhymes are carefully constructed, his over-the-top self-deprecation is coupled with equally excessive self-aggrandization and with production work from the likes of MF Doom and Prince Paul, there’s some serious hip-hop pedigree on board.
Estimated number of songs to end party: Start with the tenth track, “Burping & Farting”, and watch the room clear faster than if there was a fire.
1) Scott Walker -- The Drift
What is it?: The 2006 release from Scott Walker, an icon since he first achieved fame as a member of The Walker Brothers forty years prior. (There were no brothers in the band.) The Drift is an uncompromising and unsettling album.
Play at the end of: A Scott Walker listening party, and what a party it would be. Scott, Scott 2, Scott 3 and Scott 4 in succession.
It will clear them out because: Early Scott Walker solo albums are experimental and eccentric to a point, but they generally play within the 60’s pop-crooner mold. On the other hand, The Drift is an album seemingly designed to inspire a sense of low dread and unease.
You win because: As bleak and haunting as the album is, it’s a masterful statement from a first-rate artist. Personally, once everyone left, I’d probably play the first side of Scott 2 to stave off any nightmares The Drift might inspire.
Estimated number of songs to end party: Ten seconds.
It’s been a gloomy summer in Vermont, where rain has become an almost daily occurrence. Fortunately, with our brutal winters, we’re all used to staving off seasonal malaise. Join us as we embrace the transcendent nature of music with our sunny songs for a rainy summer.
The Kinks - Love Me Til the Sun Shines
Dave Davies was not as prolific as his brother Ray, but he rarely disappointed. This lovely little love song is no exception.
Velvet Underground -- Here Comes the Sun
Although this song dismisses the uplifting nature of the sun, its bright melody and upbeat rhythm make it the catchiest song about heart break out there.
Husker Du -- Celebrated Summer
A nostalgic paean to summers past. Husker Du in top form, as they often were.
Pavement -- Summer Babe (Winter Version)
“I saw your girlfriend and she was her eating fingers like they’re just another meal”. Yep. That captures the ideal summer experience.
The Beach Boys - Warmth of the Sun
Probably the most appropriate song on this list. Any collection of early Beach Boys songs would make for a great summer soundtrack.
Loving Spoonful - Summer in the City
I have a theory that every person who’s ever heard this song loves it. Infectious!
Fleet Foxes -- Sun Giant/Sun it Rises
A serene counterpoint to the previous entry. Let it wash over you with thoughts of warmth and tranquility.
Pogues -- Sunny Side of the Street
This song evokes the Church Street experience, where half the street is usually shaded. Perhaps it would be more optimistic to say half basks in the sun.
Katrina & The Waves -- Walking on Sunshine
Philip J Fry’s favorite song, as evidenced by his numerous renditions. Need I say more?
George Gershwin -- Summertime (Sam Cooke version)
An American standard, this song has been covered countless times. This is one of many great versions of this wonderfully languid classic.
Jimmy Cliff -- Hello Sunshine
Reggae and summer go together like peanut butter and fluf.
The Beatles -- Rain
This song may call attention to what this list is meant to help us forget, but it’s a perfect endcap to this set, embracing the cleansing beauty of the rain, reminding us that it always precedes sunshine.
In the wake of the collapse of grunge in the early 90’s, British rock experienced a short-lived renaissance. Shirking the dominant influence American music had had, English bands drew inspiration from their rich musical legacy. Characterized by hooky, catchy progressions and an unmistakably British delivery that included thick accents and British slang, the movement that came to be known as Britpop yielded a wealth of fantastic albums. Here are five albums that capture the scope of the movement in broad strokes:
The Stone Roses -- The Stone Roses (5/2/89)
Along with the self-titled La’s album, this represents the first spark of the Britpop fire. Although it predates the movement by a few years, most of the essential qualities are present. The album’s influence would be great and immediate. Opening with the sublime “I Wanna Be Adored”, the quality never dips. John Squire’s guitar work is superlative, reverb-drenched beauty. Ian Brown spits, mumbles, snarls and occasionally sings. He’s fantastic. (Liam Gallagher would appropriate his delivery, streamlining to great success.) This is the beginning, friends.
Blur - Parklife (4/25/94)
Blur is one of the two most successful Britpop acts, a band that is virtually synonymous with the movement. Although they lost the Britpop battle to their rivals, Oasis (more on them shortly), history has been kinder to Blur, as evidenced by the reception of their recent reunion. Parklife covers a lot of musical ground, from the disco groove of “Boys and Girls” to the punky aggression of “Bank Holiday”. The lyrical heir to Ray Davies’ subversive wit, Parklife offers a fragmented view of British culture through the eyes of an unimpressed Damon Albarn. Truly a great, great album.
Oasis -- Definitely Maybe (8/30/94)
The other biggest Britpop act, Oasis was the only one to make any significant impact on the American market. (That was thanks to “Wonderwall”, an excruciating ballad on an otherwise great album, but I digress.) Released almost exactly four months after Parklife, Definitely Maybe is more stylistically consistent. Oasis wanted to be The Beatles, but they sounded more like Slade. Despite the fact that they can still fill large venues across the globe, Oasis alienated many serious music fans with their arrogance and penchant for borrowing musical ideas from their influences. It’s a shame because Definitely Maybe is fantastic. Pure Rock n Roll.
Suede -- Coming Up (9/2/96)
In 1996 Britpop was going strong. The rapture and devil-may-care attitude of the era is beautifully captured on Suede’s Coming Up. Suede didn’t reach the heights of success of the other bands on this list, but they were on the ground floor of the movement. With Coming Up, they aspired to make an album that sounded like a “best of” collection and succeeded. Glammy, trashy and wonderfully over-the-top, Coming Up crystallizes the immediacy and vigor of Brit Pop at its most accessible.
Pulp -- This is Hardcore (3/30/98)
As George Harrison once sang, “all things must pass”. By 1998, they Britpop bubble had burst. Oasis had released a shitty album. Blur had begun to experiment with other genres. The dream could no longer sustain and cold hard reality crashed through the gates. Thank god Pulp gave us closure with This is Hardcore, a stark, reflective album that acknowledges the eruption of anxiety and ennui that had been percolating throughout the movement. Pulp’s previous album, Different Class, was a better album, but this album is the perfect book-end to the movement. It’s a little bleak, sure, but you can always follow it up with The Stone Roses.
This week we put our heads together to come up with a short list of artists that successfully switched gears for the mellower, and managed to pull it off, not an easy thing for an artist to do, but the following artists did so, to critical and artist success.
1. Beck – Sea Change
Prior to the release of Sea Change, Beck had been like a shark in his artistic development, never standing still. One of his sidesteps was Mutations, an acoustic-laced, upbeat affair that surprised fans expecting another Odelay. That was followed by Midnite Vultures, a delectably over-the-top party album that sounded as much like Prince as it did Beck. Despite his chameleon-like musical identity, it was something of a shock when he released Sea Change in 2002. Acoustic-centric like Mutations, Sea Change had a more lush production, sedate rhythms and the most earnest, personal lyrics of the man’s career. Mellow, melancholy and unprecedented, the album was embraced by fans and critics alike, all of whom were happy to follow Beck wherever his whim brought them.
2. Velvet Underground – Velvet Underground
The third Velvet Underground album reveals a band in flux. They were on a new label. John Cale, a significant creative force who fanned the flames of Lou Reed’s avant tendencies, left the band and was subsequently replaced by Doug Yule, whose reedy vocal delivery would define some of the group’s most memorable songs. Their prior album, White Light/White Heat, had been a raucous affair, bathed in distortion and dissonance. Velvet Underground couldn’t have been more different. Opening with the sublime “Candy Says”, the album is imbibed with a dark intimacy that is haunting yet strangely uplifting. Even the more upbeat numbers like “What Goes On” and “Beginning To See The Light” feed into the album’s overall atmosphere, lilting asides that give the album dimension. Like every Velvet Underground record, it is an indispensable classic.
3. Big Star – Third/Sisters Lovers
The first two Big Star albums are bright, power-pop classics. Despite the occasional (and obligatory) number about unrequited love or ennui, the albums trot al0ng as they espouse the virtues of girls, driving fast cars and being young. Unfortunately, the group never enjoyed the kind of success they deserved, and by the time they were ready to record their third album, they’d lost half their members and all their optimism. While there’s no official version of the final Big Star record, whichever version you listen to, the overall effect is the same. The songs are tortured ordeals, evoking regret, sadness and nihilism. It’s as beautiful and tragic as music can be. One can’t help but selfishly be grateful for whatever poor Alex Chilton was going through. He may have been put through hell, but lord, what an album.
4. Yo La Tengo – And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-out
Loved by droning noiseniks and dedicated Pop aficionados alike, Yo La Tengo, before the release of And Then Nothing, had seemingly taken their sound everywhere it could go. From full out long play feedback jams (Spec Bebop), slow burning kraut-drones (Five corned drone), gazey-noise rock (From a Motel 6), silly covers (Speeding Motorcycle), and everywhere in between. Yet is was still a surprise to most fans when upon listening to And Nothing, they realized that somehow Yo La Tengo had just reinvented themselves, this time for the mellower.
Track after track on And Nothing they took the raw skills they displayed on their previous outings, peeled, polished, and inverted them to reveal a set of meticulously composed and aranged odes to the night, failed love, and to the spaces inbetween notes. The fuzz pedals remain off for most the album, drums are brushed and keys chime softly, vocals barely reach above a whisper and once again, Yo La Tengo show the world that anything we can do, they can do better.
Every few weeks we like to compile a mix of tracks we’ve been loving lately – be it new tracks, old favorites, or the newly reissued. We compile them and link them to a sample through Thinkindie.com – the best (and only) place we know of to download legal, DRM-free MP3s. Get em while they’re hot.
