Favorite Songs of 2007

Why? Cause everyone else is doing it. Again, these are my favorite songs (mainly, as determined by what iTunes and my iPod say I listened to the most), rather than the best songs. And this time, these are ranked in order. (Note also that my rules are one song per album. Otherwise my list would be 30 to 40 songs long...). I've tried to link to music videos of the originals whenever possible, but some of these are linked to live recordings instead.

1. "Right Moves", from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter (Josh Ritter). An extremely catchy song with lots of energy, and easy to sing along to. Particularly meaningful for me this year.
2. "1234", from The Reminder (Feist). For what it's worth, I liked the song before the iPod commercial. She also makes awesome music videos.
3. "Keep the Car Running," from Neon Bible (The Arcade Fire). Love how the strings enter quietly in the beginning, then swell, and then the song explodes in energy. Consistently gets my blood flowing every time I hear it.
4. "The Underdog," from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga (Spoon). Needs no explaining. If you don't like this song, you don't like life.
5. "Queen of Hearts," from America (Romantica). This was a late find for me. Mellow and catchy, singable, and touched me for some reason, from the first listen.
6. "Paranoia in B flat Major," from Emotionalism (Avett Brothers). So many fine tracks to choose from off of this album. Great opening line: "I keep telling myself that it'll be fine / you can't make everybody happy all of the time."
7. "Andy Warhol & the Honeybees," from Deliver Us From People (Walker Kong). Happy, peppy, summery song.
8. "All My Friends," from Sound of Silver (LCD Soundsystem). Truly glorious song. Energetic, catchy beat. In my opinion, the best off of an entire album worth of awesomeness.
9. "A Girl in Port," from The Stage Names (Okkervil River). Again, a lot to choose from here, but this kept me company on late night summer walks back from the department.
10. "Apartment Story," from Boxer (The National). Not really sure how to pick just one from Boxer, or which one to pick - there's plenty to choose from that are just as good - but I suppose I listened to Apartment Story the most.
11. "A Sentence of Sorts in Kongsvinger," from Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? (Of Montreal). Again, a lot to choose from on this album. I always thought this song sounded like something one could DDR to. Catchy beat, a song about depression that you want to dance to! Can't beat that chorus.
12. "Running Away," from The Fragile Army (The Polyphonic Spree). The happiest song from a happy album from the happiest band in the country.
13. "Australia," from Wincing the Night Away (The Shins). Because it has the most "la la las" out of any Shins song to date.
14. "What Light", from Sky Blue Sky (Wilco). Sure, not the most intelligent of music, lyrically. But it's catchy. A "nice" song.
15. "Scythian Empires," from Armchair Apocolypse (Andrew Bird). It was either this or Plasticities.

And, runner ups:

• "Atlas," from Mirrored (Battles)
• "Soul Singer in a Session Band," from Cassadaga (Bright Eyes)
• "Diamond Rings 2007," from War Elephant (Deer Tick)
• "Your Rocky Spine," from Onigara (Great Lake Swimmers)
• "We're From Barcelona," from Let me Introduce My Friends (I'm from Barcelona)
• "When I Say Go," from Cold & Kind (The 1900s)

Because everyone else is doing it...

Why make a "best music of the year list?" Near as I can tell, there are at least 4 reasons:

1. "Look at how much money I blew on music this year"
2. Feed the ego; demonstrating superiority through obscure bands that no one else has heard of and are honestly not any better than Neon Bible or The Reminder, but you feel the need to include anyhow to appear musically literate
3. Highlight music that you really enjoyed - in a concise manner - which you can use to introduce interesting music to others who may not have purchased a few dozen albums per month
4. Because everyone else does

So let's get my motivations out of the way. Regarding (1) - at my last imprecise count, I purchased about 75 albums this year (via emusic, itunes, or Newbury comics), about 55 of which were released this year. The vast majority were through emusic (65 tracks for $15 per month, really you can't beat this) - so, yeah...I listened to more new music than I probably should have.

Regarding (3) - this is why I enjoy the end of the year so much. Everyone, regardless of qualification, publishes a "best of the year list," which I find enjoyable to read through not to see where my favorite bands placed or to judge the reviewer, but to see how similar the musical tastes of the reviewer match mine - and if the match is strong, then see what music they liked that I may have missed. The "best of" list that most matches mine comes from Largehearted Boy, who has also accumulated a list of hundreds of "best of" lists from around the internet. I hope something on my list strikes your attention and brings you joy.

What is a "best of" list, anyway? Music is such a personal thing, that means different things to different people. Some approach listening to music as if judging fine art, others use it to pass the time in the shower or commute, some use it to get through difficult times...Is the best album of the year the one that is musically most skillful and complex? Is it the one that you listen to the most, as a sort of comfortable soundtrack? It certainly varies based on the mood of the listener, what the listener went through in his or her life during the year...and "best of the year" is probably different from "favorite of the year." These overlap from time to time, but I'm pretty sure more people have rewatched Toy Story 2 than did Shindler's List. My list is "favorites of the year" - the albums that I listened to most frequently. Some of these are certainly "best of" as well, meaning beautifully and thoughtfully developed, while others are comfort listens that I find myself coming back to over and over, regardless of how complex. And, I see no need to rank things, either, since there really is no difference between a #10 and a #12. Instead, I'm grouping by what I've listened to most frequently this year (revealed preference....)

Albums that I listen to at least once a week:

The National, "Boxer" - OK, I lied. This is my favorite of the year, and I think the "best album" as well. Haunting, depressing, and beautiful. So happy that the band has gained significant media attention as a result of the album's success.

The Avett Brothers, "Emotionalism" - a bit more edge than traditional bluegrass, crossed with The Beatles. The best of their catalog, for all lovers of a folky/country/bluegrass sound. If you hate banjo, steer clear.

Feist, "The Reminder" - how awesome is it that the indie queen (sorry Neko Case) has received so much media attention this year? Thanks in part to that ubiquitous iPod commercial, no doubt. Move over, Norah!

Josh Ritter, "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter" - not as good as "The Animal Years," in my opinion, and a couple songs are filler. But what is good is REALLY good!

Albums that are really good, but which I may not have gotten to at least once a week:

Okkervil River, "The Stage Names" - literate and thoughtful, and oh yeah - they rock!

The Arcade Fire, "Neon Bible" - it was on nonstop repeat for the first month it was released, but has slowly fallen away since then. Doesn't compare to "Funeral" in my book, but I use "Keep the Car Running" to get my blood rushing on the way to the department in the morning.

Great Lake Swimmers, "Onigara" - not for everyone, very mellow. The string arrangements are excellent.

Romantica, "America" - just came across this last week. For fans of Great Lake Swimmers, or for those who find GLS a bit too mellow. The first half of the album is country-rockier, the second half is more mellow. "Queen of Hearts" is definitely one of my favorite songs of the year, you owe yourself a listen.

Spoon, "Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga" - actually, I'm not sure how I avoided this on a weekly basis. Spoon excels in sparse, deconstructed rock, and 8 of these 10 tracks are among the very best of the year.

LCD Soundsystem, "Sound of Silver" - another nearly perfect album. The middle of the album - North American Scum through Us V Them - is perfection in music form.

My Teenage Stride, "Ears Like Golden Bats" ; AND Shout Out Louds, "Our Ill Wills" - grouped together because they taste like the 1980s. The Cure, The Smiths, Talking Heads, etc. - it's all in there. Shout Out Louds even have a track named "Meat is Murder," though it's catchier than the Smiths' (and, it's not a cover).

I suppose that forms my top twelve list, but here are some more albums that I've really enjoyed this year. So, perhaps you will too!:

White Rabbits, "Fort Nightly" - how the heck did these guys not break through into national stardom? Catchy, snappy, and these guys rock hard.

Bishop Allen, "The Broken String" - culled from their series of 12 EPs, one of which was released online for each month of the year. You may have heard "Click Click Click" on a camera commercial. Incidentally, named after the street in Cambridge.

Deer Tick, "War Elephant" - sure, he sounds like Dylan, but that's a good thing! Awesome arrangements, too (harmonia, accordian, organ, etc). Excellent album.

Bright Eyes, "Cassadaga" - I didn't give it enough time at first. A much fuller band sound than the last (non-digital) album, took a bit of getting used to, but it's grown on me. Conner sounds like he has less angst than in previous outings. And rumor has it that he and M. Ward are teaming up for a side-project band, so that's cool.

The New Pornographers, "Challengers" - the first half is really good, as good as "Twin Cinema," in my opinion.

The Polyphonic Spree, "The Fragile Army" - why don't these guys get any respect? I'm convinced it's because their music is so joyous that the angst-filled indie community is allergic. Awesome, emotional live concert, too. "Wait" EP is also excellent, best Nirvana cover ever.

Bowerbirds, "Hymns for a Dark Horse" - just came across this one the other day. Very, very sparse folky music - but very well done and enjoyable.

Phonograph, "Phonograph" and "Hiawatha Talking Machine EP" - alt-country, more Son Volt than Wilco. You can never have too much alt-country.

Radiohead, "In Rainbows" - everyone found this to be as accessible as "The Bends," but I'm still having trouble. It's quality and all, but I don't find myself coming back to it very often. I assume this is a fault of mine, rather than the music.

Beirut, "The Flying Club Cup" - I think this is what the subway stations in France sound like. A soundtrack for running through vineyards in the country? I like it much more than the Balkan sound from "Gulag Orkestrar."

Other albums which deserve a mention, because they were good, but for which I will write no more than one sentence because I am tired:

Iron & Wine, "The Shephard's Dog" - continuing the full band sound from Woman King EP, I've finally come around to it

The 1900's, "Cold & Kind" - promising debut, think Belle & Sebastian but less twee

Devandra Banhart, "Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon" - entertaining in short bits

Of Montreal, "Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer" - can never listen to the whole thing in one sitting

Jose Gonzolez, "In Our Nature" - reserved, like the early days of Iron & Wine. Perfect for a snowy or rainy sunday.

St. Vincent, "Marry Me" - for those who like their female singers with a full band sound. Former singer in Polyphonic Spree

And finally, Albums I could not get into even though I really tried:

Wilco, "Sky Blue Sky" (even though I love Wilco!); Panda Bear, "Person Pitch" (I understand how some would like the shoegazy Beach Boys sound, but not for me); I'm From Barcelona, "Let Me Introduce My Friends" (I am built to love 20+ piece groups who sing camp songs, but this batch was a bit too silly for my tastes); Patrick Watson, "Close to Paradise" (he won the Mercury Prize and all, but it sounds too much like Parachutes-era Coldplay for my tastes); Patrick Wolf "Magic Position" (first half of the album is awesome; second half feels entirely like filler); Modest Mouse, "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" (even with Jonny Marr, I could never get into it; am I too old?)

Despite all this, I'm bummed to have missed a few biggies: Ryan Adams, White Stripes, Interpol, The Go! Team. 2007's not quite up yet, I still have some time...so, did I miss anything important?

Music I really dig at the moment

Oh, I know have all been waiting patiently for my best of the year list, but since it's barely December, I feel that I still have some time.

While you're waiting, may I suggest the following music that I've recently discovered?

• "War Elephant" by Deer Tick. Very Dylan-esque, enjoyable.
• "Trials of Van Occupanther" by Midlake. OK, I haven't been able to stop listening to this for two weeks now. Think a restrained Thom Yorke singing about life in the wilderness and frontier, accompanied by gorgeous chamber pop. Released last year, really beautiful stuff.
• Anything by Bobby Bare Jr. Especially "Young Criminals' Starvation League." "I'll Be Around" may be my favorite song I've heard all year (album came out in 2002, I think). Sort of alt-country-rock, maybe full-out country at times.

I'm baaaaaaaaaaack!

Well, for a moment, anyway. This whole "apply for a job" thing is definitely consuming more of my time than I thought it would. So much to discuss, where to begin....

OK, how about my favorite sequence from The Office this season (From "Money")?

Ryan: "What I really want is for you to be able to do this, so you can communicate it to your staff, your clients, whomever."

Michael: "mm, ok."

Ryan: "What"

Michael: "It's `whoever', not `whomever.' "

Ryan: "No, it's `whomever.' "

Michael: "No, `whomever' is never actually right."

Jim: "Well, sometimes it's right."

Creed: "Michael is right. It's a made up word used to trick students."

Andy: "Actually, `whomever' is the formal use of the word."

Oscar: "Obviously it's a real word, I just don't know when to use it."

Michael: "Not a native speaker."

Kevin: "I know what's right, but I'm not going to say. Because you're all jersk who didn't come to hear my band last night."

Ryan: "Do you really know which one is correct?"

Kevin: "I don't know."

Pam: "It's whom when it's the object of the sentence, and who when it's the subject."

Phyllis: "That sounds right."

Michael: "Well that sounds right, but is it?"

Stanley: "How did Ryan use it, as an object?"

Ryan: "As an object."

Kelly: "Ryan used me as an object."

Pam: "How did Ryan use it again?"

Toby: "It was, Ryan wanted Michael, the subject, to explain the computer system, the object. To whomever, meaning us, the indirect object. Which is the correct usage of the word."

Michael: "No one asked you anything ever, so whomever's name is Toby, why don't you stick a letter opener in your skull."

And since we're on the subject, more wpop placement (from "Local Ad"). Turns out Andy likes WPOP (Cola). But really, Mountain W is where it's at!

Out of commission until mid-November

This whole dissertation thing will literally consume every minute of my time until job applications are sent out in mid-November (though I will celebrate the completion of my job talk by seeing these guys in their sold out concert that evening, basically the minute after my presentation is over. I think I'll go in my suit. Aaaaaand...that's the break for the next month). Hence, all human contact - and blogging - is on hold until mid-November. Heaven help any distractions: new music, addictive TV, the ALCS, fantasy football, or people (my office mates will attest, distractions make me angry. You don't want to see me angry)

Not that I ever have anything exciting to share anyhow, but here is some free music to tide you over until I return.

• Stereogum presents: Drive XV, a Tribute to Automatic for the People
• Black Kids, Wizard of Ahhhs EP (free 4 track EP on their myspace site).
• Oh yeah, and this is almost free. I haven't had very much time to enjoy it yet (it really requires uninterrupted listening to fully absorb, I imagine), but from what I've heard...I'm ambivalent.

And, before I go, new albums that I've recently enjoyed and can recommend:

• Shout out Louds, "Our Ill Wills"
• Phonograph, "Hiawatha Talking Machine"
• And especially, Bishop Allen, "The Broken String"
• The 1900's "Cold & Kind" wasn't quite as good as I hoped it would be, but is still a solid first effort (discounting the EP)

Still digging Jose Gonzalez's latest, but Iron & Wine's newest never really clicked with me.

That is all, goodbye for now, internet. I shall return in mid-November.

Wegmans and the Office: 4.2, "Dunder-Mufflin Infinity"

Loved much of last night's ep (favorite part: Kelly's two headshots, "We have a date!"). Only one Wegmans product appearance, near as I can tell:

Above the fridge, sure enough: Wegman's brand Corn Flakes!

This got me thinking: what Wegman's brand products am I most fond of? WPOP, definitely, and Wegman's brand ice cream has always been an important part of my life. I had my parents bring me an entire crate of Wegman's brand chicken noodle soup when I lived in DC. Wegman's apple cinnamon oatmeal, and lemon yogurt - all crucial ingredients to my youth.

Josh Ritter Thursday!

Short post today: Josh Ritter's playing the Somerville Theater tomorrow and Friday (I'm going tomorrow). He's probably my favorite musician behind M. Ward. The Animal Years, released last year, is one of my all time favorites. The Historical Conquest of Josh Ritter, released a few weeks ago, is also quite good.

One of his recent concerts was recorded and is streaming in entirety here.

Pam Beasley (or Jim Halpert) Drinks WPOP!

And I have proof:

Myself, I prefer Mountain-W, but you can't go wrong with W-Up. I'm pleased to see that the can design is the same that it was when I lived in NY 5 years ago. Ah, delicious generic soda.

Wegmans+"The Office"=the greatest things get even better!

Word arrived to me today from back home in Webster that "The Office" would begin showing Wegman's products throughout the season this year, in order to remain as authentic as possible. This makes sense because the show is set in Scranton, PA, which Wegmans (greatest grocery store - nay! greatest shopping experience! - and based in Rochester, NY thank you very much) must have infiltrated by now. With this information, I returned to the first episode of Season 4 with an eye for discrete product placement:

The episode begins with Michael enjoying breakfast.

...which Jan has graciously made for him (well, at least she bought the soy milk).

But not just any milk! Organic Soy milk, Wegmans brand! And behind it, Wegmans Raisin Bran?

Here's hoping for a WPOP appearance, even though Jim had given up grape soda as of last season.

Stunning news of the week

So this news is going to be reported EVERYWHERE by tomorrow, but pitchfork has the word on the subject at the moment. For the past week or so, Radiohead has had cryptic messages on its website and http://www.radioheadlp7.com/ indicating news was upcoming.

Boy, is it!

Radiohead's 7th LP is being released, online, on October 10th! Apparently they haven't resigned to a label, and they're distributing it themselves, online. The new LP is titled In Rainbows, is 10 tracks long, and will be available in only 10 days.

Also:

• You can preorder a music pack that includes the actual CD, the album on vinal, a second CD with additional songs, and some added artwork. The thing is shipped on December 3rd, but costs 40 pounds.
• If you only want the new LP, apparently you can pay however much you want for the download. Yes, it appears that Radiohead is not setting a price for download.

More details here.

Thoughts:

1. Radiohead's giving the finger to the major music labels. Thinking that even if everyone only pays $1 or $2 for the whole album, that's about how much they'd get from every CD sold through a major label. Thinking that their concert revenue is astronomical and that album sales drive ticket sales.
2. Only 10 days between album announcement and release date? This means that Radiohead is even more secretive than Bill Belichick, Steve Jobs, or John Lasseter. I guess something like this would be impossible to pull off with a music label, since there would be too many people in the know to keep such a plan secret.

Wow. It's been, what, two or three years since Hail to the Thief? Guess we have something to look forward to on October 1oth!

Albums I purchased in September

No stunners this month, so no "album of the month." That said, I've been quite pleased with everything that I did purchase:

September releases:

• Beirut, The Flying Club Cup. See my earlier posting for a review. French-inspired, brass, strings, accordian, ukelele, what's not to like. Oh yeah, Zach's crooning. If you can get past that, then this is good stuff. I like it better than Beirut's debut album (cause even the well-done Eastern-European flavor doesn't float my boat).


• Jose Gonzalez, In My Nature. A guy and his guitar. No, quite literally, that's about all this is. But with Gonzalez, the emphasis is on the guitar rather than his voice, so if you appreciate talented guitaring, give him a try. Though this album isn't stylisticly different than his debut Veneer, I like this one more. For fans of Veneer, or people who almost liked Veneer, but not quite.


• Devandra Banhart, Smoky Rolls Down Thunder Canyon. So the reviews on this aren't great, but I really like it. He's expanding his sound a bit more past Cripple Crow, and sounds even more accessible than before. Still, Devandra's the Peter Jackson of musicians: desperately in need of an editor, but filled with lots of good ideas. (Smoky Rolls is 16 tracks long, and a good 5 or 6 could be chopped with no loss). Here's one of my favorites, performed on Conan.


• Iron & Wine, The Shepherd's Dog. Sam's expanding his sound here, even beyond what was suggested from Woman King. Dabbling in Middle-Eastern, Balkan sounds. He's no longer naked and acoustic; his music is now fuller and larger and more instrumental, but as a result, it feels less personal. In the past, lyrics have taken center-stage. Here, there are some tracks in which over half is purely instrumental.

And, an older album, but purchased this month:

• Okkervil River, Black Sheep Boy (+ Appendices EP). Not as rocking as The Stage Names, but for fans of The Stage Names, worth a listen or two before the purchase.

My music consumption seems to have fallen this month. And I still have 50+ emusic downloads to burn through in the next two weeks...

Office quote of the night

Somewhat scattered episode, but I suppose setting the stage for things to come. Quote of the night (by Angela): "Cat heaven is a beautiful place. But you can't get there if you're euthanized."

Top 10 favorite moments from "The Office" season 3

"The Office" is consistently at the top of my favorite shows on television, along with LOST and above 24. More than any other comedy on TV, I think it best depicts the complex and subtle interactions between people of all different personality types. Though most of the characters are charactitures, there's always some bit of realism and truth to even the zaniest things that Michael, Dwight, Kevin, and the rest all do (and I must admit that I adore the realism, subtlty, and slow pace that the Jim/Pam relationship exhibits). The Office is the only TV show I can watch over and over again and not get bored with (I've rarely been able to sit through a second viewing of LOST, even though it is one of my favorites) - this is often because there are so many subtle bits that are easily missed on first viewing.

In any case, here are my top ten favorite moments from season 3 (in no particular order):

1. Dwight: "How would you like to sleep with the district manager?" Angela (thinking he means Michael): "No, I don't care if that's how they consolidated power in Ancient Rome." Funny because you know Dwight's asked this before!
2. "A Benihaha Christmas" - Michael X's the arms of the Japanese waitress that he brought as a date to the party, so that he can tell her apart from the others. Cmon, you knew exactly what he was doing.
3. Jim and Pam hiding Andy's phone in the ceiling tiles, causing Andy's "brain to break." I did this to my officemate's cellphone once, and it took half an hour to retrieve from the ceiling. And I broke a ceiling tile in the process.
4. Dwight saving Jim from an eminent beatdown by macing Roy. And Dwight macing Andy on his return to the office. And Dwight then relinquishing his entire armory full of weapons (throwing stars, nunchucks...)
5. Stanley chewing Ryan out for talking to his daughter again at Poor Richard's (sadly this only appeared in the deleted scenes).
6. Jim and Dwight's sales call, cause it showed how good a team they really could be when they want to.
7. Jan throwing Michael in the bathroom during the cocktail party, and Michael's response: "but you said this is your private place!" Cause you know this has come up in the past...
8. Basically, everything with Pam this season: her first first date in 9 years, taking up art lessons and no one but Michael showing, her tense interactions with Karen at the end.
9. The best Ryan and Kelly moment of all time: Kelly: "What is so stupid about wanting to name a baby Usher? Usher Jennifer Hudson Kapoor." Ryan: "Don't you see why that's insane?"
10. Two great Toby moments: 1) after Ryan gets moved in with Kelly and they start bickering, Toby: "I don't know if Michael intended this as punishment for me, but if he did...genius." 2) after Michael threatens to withhold himself from Jan unless she gives him a raise, Toby starts writing down the details of Michael's statement. Michael: "what are you writing, perve." Toby: "Just preparing for the deposition." And then Toby's talking head: "This may be the first time that a male subordinate has attempted to get a modest, scheduled raise by threatening to withhold sex from a female superior. It will be a groundbreaking case when it inevitably goes to trial." The best part is how amused and slightly thrilled Toby seems as a result.
11. And, of course, the final voice over by Pam as Jim seems to have turned down the NYC job - interrupted, of course, by Jim asking her out to dinner. So believably done and well acted, and an excellent end to the season.

What to look forward to this season? Ryan as Michael's boss. Jan becoming increasingly erratic and driving Michael up the wall. Darryl and Andy as series regulars. The further developments of Pam and Jim, Dwight and Angela. And, 4 one hour episodes to start things off!

Patrick Watson: Polaris Prize winner

Patrick Watson was recently announced as the winner of this year's Polaris Prize, Canada's equivalent of England's Mercury Prize. He was in the running with, among others, Arcade Fire (for Neon Bible) and Feist (for The Reminder). His album Close to Paradise was released earlier this year (I think - can't remember if I got it at the end of last year or beginning of this year). It's an enjoyable listen, but I don't think it's terribly remarkable - to me it is very, very much like Parachutes-era Coldplay. Nonetheless, here are a few of the notable tracks: The Great Escape, Luscious Life, and Drifters.

New release Tuesday

Boy has my music consumption plummeted the past few weeks as data work has given way to writing and presentation preparation. Nonetheless, today's a big day for new releases, as new albums by Jose Gonzalez, Devandra Banhart, and Iron & Wine all drop today. Of these, Iron & Wine seems to be getting the best reviews, but with coupon they're each $10 at Newbury Comics, so if I can hold off on the Itunes downloads until the end of the day (and manage to remain productive), then I think I'll be visiting Newbury on the way home. And probably pick up the latest Go! Team as well. (Unfortunately none of these new releases are available via emusic. No matter, I'm highly anticipating the debut of the 1900s - Cold & Kind - which drops next week, and seems like it will be offered on emusic.

When I'll have time to listen to all of this new music, now that's another story.

Album surprise of the day

Beirut's latest (The Flying Club Cup) isn't officially released until October 9th, but it has made an early debut on emusic and free napster. Zach's first release (Gulag Orkestar) really didn't work for me: highly influenced by an Eastern European sound (think gypsy music), I appreciated the unique composition and style, but his constant crooning didn't work for me. I was going to pass on The Flying Club Cup for this reason, but after free napstering two tracks, it became an instant purchase.

Moving west through Europe, The Flying Club Cup is Beirut's "French sounding record" (just as Sufjan's working through the states, apparently Zach Condon is working his way through all musical styles of Europe) : horns, accordians, ukeleles, tamborines, strings, waltzes. I actually much prefer this style to the Balkan sound of Gulag Orkestar. Although Zach's still a crooner, this doesn't annoy me nearly as much as it did on the last album. Try the following tracks, for starters: Nantes, A Sunday Smile, Cliquot. And, he's also on The Takeaway Show.

This sound surely doesn't work for everyone, but I'm very pleasantly surprised at how much I'm digging The Flying Club Cup.

Two bands you should know

1. Lucky Soul. 1950s pop, complete with do-whaps, brass, organ, strings, and songs about summer love. They released a series of singles/EPs, and their full length debut earlier this year was the excellent The Great Unwanted. Give any of the offerings on their myspace site a try, very representitive of their style. (Also streamable FOR FREE from the best kept secret on the net, free napster.)

2. Walker Kong. Minneapolis-based band, so that should be enough right there. Can't speak to their earlier stuff, but Deliver Us From People is pretty solid. And, Andy Warhol and the Honeybees is quite possibly my favorite track of the year. Also accessible from their myspace site.

Boring post because I'm tired

Hmmm, it seems that the amount of new music that I listen to is directly correlated with how much I am using Census data. The last two weeks: writing another draft. Hence, I think the only new music I purchased was the pretty nice Black Sheep Boy (and follow-up EP appendix) by Okkervil River. But in other good news I now own a spiffy new laptop with a 160 gig hard drive that can hold all of my music and a quarter of my data. No longer must I try to figure out which external hard drive I put an old album on!

I really have nothing interesting to share. Other than lately I've found music to be the most energizing thing in the morning. Given serious lack of sleep (in the office 8:30AM-11PM these days), I'm surprised how well the right choice of morning music can put a bounce in my step and a smile on my face by the time I reach my office. Not that you care, but here's what I use to start my morning:

1. From doorstep to about 50 yards from Shaws: Either Way, from Sky Blue Sky by Wilco. (Basically, because the track begins, even before the band jumps in, with the lyrics "Maybe the sun will shine today, the clouds will blow away." Reminder that every day is a fresh start.)
2. From Shaws to the doors of the Porter subway: Keep the Car Running, from Neon Bible by The Arcade Fire. Cause once the band jumps in after the short string/guitar intro, the heart starts beating and the bloods flowing.
3. From top of Porter to the bottom: Right Moves, from The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter by Josh Ritter. 'Cause it's good stair/escalator running music. (Really, the only exercise I get these days).
4. And then I'm stuck. Need something that keeps up the energy until I make it to the department. Options usually include Atlas by The Battles, 1234 by Feist, To Go Home by M. Ward, The Painter by I'm From Barcelona, and Andy Warhol and the Honeybees by Walker Kong.

Free music alert!

One of my favorite newly discovered bands of the last year, Great Lake Swimmers, recently released a free 5-track live EP (courtesy of stereogum). These are five of their better tracks (and in fact don't sound that different from the studio versions). Good introduction to a band that everyone should check out!

"Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8"

"Pitchfork Gives Music 6.8": The Onion publishes Pitchfork's review of music. Pretty hilarious. My favorite quote:

"Music used to be great, but let's be honest, it's a 6.8 now at best," said
Los Angeles resident Lowell Radler, 23, who admitted that he just looked at the
rating rather than reading the whole review. "I seriously might never listen to
music again."

That said, I think Pitchfork is a very useful site as an aggregator of music news, and as one of many sites from which to get the latest reviews. I always rely on multiple sites for reviews
rather than trusting the word of a single reviewer anyhow, so Pitchfork reviews
are usually irrelevant for me. (Though I still haven't forgiven their middling
review of The National's Alligator).

Song titles that would make good paper titles

Inspired by Neil:

• "Bigmouth Strikes Again" (The Smiths. About the impact of office gossip on productivity?)
• "If I Had $1,000,000" (BNL. Self-explanatory.)
• "It Could Have Been a Brilliant Career" (Belle and Sebastian. Another "long-term effects of job loss" paper?)
• "My Mother Was a Chinese Trapeze Artist" (Decemberists. Intergenerational diffusion of human capital?)
• "Packt Like Sardines in a Crushd Tin Box" (Radiohead. Unique spelling must remain intact. Urban crowding, from immigration?)

Really, there are so many excellent choices from the Smiths: "Shoplifters of the World Unite," "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now," "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want," "The Queen is Dead, "A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours."

Albums I've purchased in August

Album of the month:

Okkervil River - "The Stage Names." Will's voice definitely takes some getting used to. After a few listens, though, I've become quite impressed by their musicality, composition and production. I would classify the album as good "violent rainstorm music," but not necessarily a sunny summer day album.

Runner up:

Josh Ritter - "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter." This was supposed to be Ritter's "coming-out" album, setting him on the road to stardom (which he has already achieved in Ireland...yes, he's from Idaho. Them Irish like their folk singers, I suppose). But where in the world was the press for this album? "The Animal Years" was on many "best-of-year" lists, and V2 - the label that released it - collapsed as the album was being released, coincidentally the same night that Ritter was on Letterman. Now he's on Sony, which presumably has even greater marketing prowess and heft. So why in the world was there no review of this album on any of the regular outlets? Okkervil River gets a NYT review, and nothing for Ritter? Not even a Pitchfork review, though this isn't the stuff they usually enjoy. Especially since the rule of thumb is "sales of one's latest work respond to the quality of the latest release" - any label that knew what it was doing would've capitalized off of the good reviews from "The Animal Years" and responded by championing Ritter as the next big thing.

His sound is even more approachable here. Less acoustic, more big band - more radio friendly, but his experimentation with new sounds makes for a less coherent album than his last. There's a lot of incredibly catchy stuff on here, but as an album, I prefer "The Animal Years." Still a solid release, and highly recommended.

Also:

Caribou - "Andorra." Sunny 60s pop. Haven't heard any Caribou (or Manitoba) prior to this, but I've heard that this is a departure. More melodic, less electronic than the past? Nice work music.

bodies of water - "Ears Will Pop and Eyes Will Blink." If you like The Polyphonic Spree or Danielson, or if Godspell holds a special place in your heart, then this is for you. If the idea of The Spree makes you sick to your stomach, then stay away. Actually more gospel and overtly religious than the others. Same style: large number of singers (though they share lead vocal duties here), lots of instruments, etc. Not bad, but doesn't stand out from the other two bands I mentioned.

The 1900s - "Plume Delivery." [EP] Sort of VU + Belle and Sebastian. I've heard some tracks from their October release "Cold & Kind" which I *really really really* like; nothing from this EP matches "When I Say Go" or "Two Ways" from this upcoming release, which I'm really looking forward to. Try "A Coming of Age." Definitely a band to watch.

Albums released in not August that were nonetheless acquired in August:

The Avett Brothers - "Emotionalism": Ah, heck yeah! Now this is what I'm looking for, thanks emusic! This was released in March, but I only heard about the band a few days ago. Since the band has "Brothers" in the name, you automatically know this is bluegrass. But! Don't let that scare you away. These guys are best described as: bluegrass + Beatles + Josh Ritter + a little bit of screaming here and there = excellence. I know you don't believe me. But perhaps a live performance from Conan can convince you. This is quite possibly my favorite album of the year.

The Avett Brothers - "Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions." So I listened to Emotionalism for abouth a week straight (definitely one of my favorite of the year. That album has absolutely no filler, sounds like the Beatles crossed with bluegrass, and is simply delightful), and decided that a large chunk of my remaining emusic downloads needed to go to their previous album. This one is also quite good; it's longer and less focused, though; more bluegrass and less pop. Still excellent, however.

The Avett Brothers: - "Gleam" [EP]. More mellow than their latest two full lengths, definitely recommend their latest two before this (and, actually, "Mignonette," which came before this).

The Avett Brothers: - "Mignonette." What can I say, you find a band you like, why wait? Not as coherent an album even as "Four Thieves," but hints at the greatness to come...still, a large collection of catchy songs, and suggested if you like "Emotionalism" and "Four Thieves Gone."

My Teenage Stride - "Ears Like Golden Bats." Throwback to the 1980s! Think Smiths meets Joy Division. Actually, this is what Interpol would sound like if they had been formed in the 1980s. Extremely catchy, this is exactly what I like! Me thinks I'll be listening to this one for months to come.

Battles - "Mirrored." Electronica/"math rock"/atmospheric music - basically anything without lyrics - usually doesn't appeal to me. (I suppose want to be able to sing along with my music or at least hum the tune). So Battles would generally not interest me, but they're darn catchy. Here's the video to their latest single. Although there's lots of vocal distortion, I like how the drums are front and center. Good stuff.

Bright Eyes - "Cassadaga." I like Conor better when he sounds angry and unhinged. There's a little bit of this here, but not much. This is definitely the best produced and orchestrated of his albums, but the lack of energy and passion makes the whole thing sound bland. If M. Ward is still releasing stuff when he's 60, that's what this might sound like. Shoulda listened to the reviews.

Random thought of the day

For some reason, it occurred to me that The Last Temptation of Adam - a song off of the new Josh Ritter - could in fact be a sequel of sorts to The Smiths' Ask. TLTA is about a guy who meets a girl inside a missle silo during the advent of WWIII. He has strong feelings for her, and she slowly develops feelings for him. He's pretty sure that she's only in to him due to the circumstances, and doubts that their love would continue above ground. Thus, he's tempted to push a button and bring nuclear destruction to the rest of the world, condeming them to a life in the silo together forever.

From Ask: "If it's not love, then it's the bomb that will bring us together."

Too Cool For School Video post #2

I'm sure everyone's seen this by now, but if not, it deserves your attention - this is pretty darn sweet. Tim and Richard, from Arcade Fire, were audience members at The Price is Right a bit before Neon Bible was released. Remember how there were the cryptic internet ads directing you to 1-866-neon-bible, where a snippit of Intervention was playing? Here, they're wearing T-shirts with the phone number spelled out in tape, and manage to get on camera for the opening audience pan. Check it out.

Too Cool For School Video of the Day

Feist on Letterman last night. Check out the indie choir behind her, freakin awesome: at least two members of the National, A.C. Newman of The New Pornographers, members of Grizzly Bear. Some of the choir look like they're from I'm From Barcelona, but that's probably only cause the band has 20+ members, and who can really tell them apart.

Some interesting stats...

2007: the year "indie" takes over America?

Peak Billboard album chart performance for some notable 2007 releases (granted, many of these are on major labels, and what really counts is total albums sold, not weekly ranking, but still...):

Arcade Fire, Neon Bible: #2!!!
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Some Loud Thunder: #47
The Shins, Wincing the Night Away: #2
Modest Mouse, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank: #1
LCD Soundsystem, Sounds of Silver: #46
Andrew Bird, Armchair Apocrypha: #76
The National, Boxer: #68
The Polyphonic Spree, The Fragile Army: #113
Feist, The Reminder: #16
Interpol, Our Love to Admire: #5
Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga: #10
White Stripes, Icky Thump: #2

The fact that Neon Bible debuted at number 2 gives me hope for America. To think that the band was essentially unheard of just a few years ago, and that Funeral gained its fame through word of mouth (and fantastic internet hype)...simply incredible to think that the band has ascended so high, so quickly. I have no doubt that they will be as big as Radiohead someday soon, and I'm therefore equally sad to have missed them on their treks through Boston in the past. To think, just a few years ago they were playing the Middle East, and in just a few years I'm sure it will be difficult to hear them in anything other than a large arena show.

Spoon's impressive showing surprised me a bit, and it's a shame that Feist didn't place higher (but The Reminder is still in the top 200 after 16 weeks, so at least it's got staying power). I'd bet that of the upcoming releases, the new Iron & Wine September release does phenomenally well, regardless of how it actually sounds.

Fall Concerts

Can't imagine I'll have much time this fall to get to many of these, but nonetheless, some fall concerts that have caught my eye:

Sept 25: Okkervil River (Middle East); Devandra Banhart (Roxy)
Sept 30th: Jose Gonzalez (Paradise) and Mountain Goats (Middle East)
Oct 1: Magnolia Electric Co and the Watson Twins (Middle East)
Oct 4: Josh Ritter (Somerville Theater)
Oct 6: The National (Roxy)
Oct 7: Sunset Rubdown (Middle East)
Oct 12: Of Montreal (Roxy)
Oct 13: Architecture in Helsinki (Paradise)
Oct 17: Spoon (Roxy)
Oct 22: The Hold Steady (Roxy)
Oct 25: The Go! Team (Paradise)

(Avett Brothers in November)

Of these, I've already got tickets to Josh Ritter (sold out by now, I imagine) and The Hold Steady. I'd be psyched to hear Devandra or Okkervil River, or see the National again.

Where I find out about music

Where is it that I discover new bands, you ask?

1) Pitchforkmedia. The heavyweight in the indie webzine scene. When pitchfork recommends an album, it can help start a young band's career (their gushing over Funeral and Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, for instance, certainly helped word spread about those albums). Big enough to sponsor their own three-day music festival each year (with names promenent enough to compete with the likes of Lollapalooza and Boneroo), there exists a certain amount of backlash against the site these days, especially given how powerful a positive or negative review can be. Nonetheless, a great site for music news, videos and MP3s, and reviews of the bigger indie releases along with lesser known titles. A favorite pasttime is guessing what the review of a major indie release will be prior to the pitchfork rating is released...

2) Stereogum. Also a heavyweight, but a news-only site (no reviews). They have a number of interesting features, such as "quit your day job" (where they interview up-and-coming artists about what they do to pay the bills until they break out), and "premature evaluation" (a non-numerical review of albums prior to their actual release). Also posts MP3s and videos. Not as high and mighty as pitchfork.

3) Brooklyn Vegan. An indie music blog highlighting concerts in the NYC area. A must-visit now that my bro is living in the city and I have a place to crash.

4) emusic. http://www.emusic.com. (I swear I'm not commissioned by these guys). A good community/neighborhood system in which artists are recommended based on the preferences of people who listen to what you like.

5) napster. http://free.napster.com. Ha ha! The best kept secret on the internet! This isn't the $10/month napster subscription service. Instead, this allows you to stream the entire album, track by track, for a very large selection of artists and albums. Not everything is represented here, but most artists have at least some of their work available. Before I ever buy or emusic a new album, I always stream it a few times (for free!!!) on napster before making a purchase decision. This is how I avoided wasting emusic downloads on the new New Pornographers and Architecture in Helsinki. The fact that this free napster exists isn't even mentioned on the front of their site anymore - it's a secret backdoor!

6) NPR All Songs Considered live concerts. Weekly live concerts (recorded at the 9:30 Club in DC) for whatever big indie artists are touring at the moment. Usually involve an in-studio interview as well.

7) Blogotheque's "Takeaway Shows." A Paris music blog that records a few songs from big name indie artists that roll through town. The neatest part is, though, that they ask the bands to perform in unique locations to get them out of their element. For instance, Arcade Fire performed "Neon Bible" in a closed elevator (ripping pages out of a magazine for percussion); The National performed "Fake Empire" at a dinner table, using silverware and dinnerware as percussion; Tapes n Tapes played while walking the busy streets of Paris. Excellent, very unique recordings!

My favorite two albums of the year

I was just thinking how incredibly different my two favorite albums of the year are, in terms of genre, sound, and themes. The Avett Brothers' Emotionalism came out earlier this March; The National's Boxer was released in May. I keep coming back to these two albums for a few reasons. First (and most importantly in this singles-only era of music), they work well as entire albums. Though not necessarily concept albums, each has a certain theme running through most of the songs, and lends the entire album a sense of cohesion that not all albums have these days. Also, given the catchiness of Emotionalism, it's easy to sing along to, which is something I appreciate. Boxer is much the opposite - more complex and musically dense - which means that new sounds are revealed even after the 20th listen.

Emotionalism is bluegrass meets early-era Beatles with a touch of grunge and garage punk thrown in (though less of these last two than their earlier albums). Thematically, it's much like "I want to hold your hand"-era Beatles as well: songs about unrequited love, songs meant to woo a pretty girl, songs about relationships gone wrong, and songs about the impact of previous loves. Here, the Avett Brothers' singing is cathartic and liberating: like chatting about a failed relationship with a good friend over a beer, the point of the music is to express the associated emotions and ultimately move on. Though the story may be sad, the message is hopeful; the songs may describe one instance of sorrow or failure, but there is no sense of long-term depression or disaster.

I read in one interview that Boxer was named not for an athlete but for the physical sense of being boxed in a corner. And thus it is with the album - whereas Emotionalism has it sad places but still leaves the listener with a sense of optimism for the future, Boxer leaves the happy outcome more uncertain. More so than in other albums by The National, the songs are are snippets or clips of situations in someone's life. For instance, "The Apartment Story": "Be still for a second while I try and try to pin your flowers on. Can you carry my drink, I've everything else, I can tie my tie all by myself, I'm getting tired - I'm forgetting why. Tired and wired, we ruin too easy." I think the song's expressing a growing sense of annoyance over a relationship, but we're dropped right into the middle of things, not knowing how the couple got to be this way, and not left with any hope or optimism for the future. Similarly, "Start a War": "You were always weird, but I never had to hold you by the edges like I do now. Walk away now, and you're gonna start a war." Again, a couple's relationship is about to explode, but we don't know how or why, and we're not left with any optimism for the future. Instead, we get a sense of hopelessness - of being boxed into a corner. (Incidentally, Matt's voice is perfect for expressing a hopeless sense of frustration). Certainly not all tracks are as bleak as these two, but whereas The Avett Brothers have cut holes in the box they've been caged, letting in air and light and seeing hope in the future, Boxer is indeed still entrenched with an unshakable sense of dread.

In any case, I highly suggest both albums! Not sure anything's going to knock these two off of the top of my "best of" list. Though Josh Ritter's latest is growing on me, I don't think it will overtake either of these two.

The Historial Conquests of Josh Ritter

Yeah, so there are some true stunners on this album. Wait For Love, Right Moves, The Temptation of Adam, for instance. A couple of fillers, though, and I don't think The Animal Years had any filler. Whereas The Animal Years was meloncholy and introspective, Historical Conquests is rollicking and honky-tonk. Can't wait to see him in concert October 4th. I'll be listening to this for a long time to come. Give it a whirl!

Some Josh Ritter Youtube clips for you:

Harrisburg: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_3dA9AzLKU
Wolves: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPiTVA5r7YE
To the Dogs or Whoever (from the new album): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4aBD0z0iaY

New release Tuesday, initial thoughts

New Pornographers: pretty blah and boring. Only listened to the first half and gave up.
Architecture in Helsinki: at least I made it through the whole thing. But I won't be buying.
M.I.A.: not really my type of music, but quite catchy. I'll stream it a couple more times before making a purchase decision.
Josh Ritter: not as bad as I'd feared. Totally different sound - full band, lots of banging piano, drums, and horns. A couple of old school Ritter tracks, fortunately. Not sure what I think of the new Rittersound yet, but I bet this one will grow on me.

New release Tuesday, supersized

Yeah, so there's a string of intriguing releases this week. Starting with The New Pornographers' Challengers (early reviews aren't good), M.I.A.'s Kala, Rilo Kiley's Under the Blacklight, and Caribou's Andorra. Of these, M.I.A. and Caribou seem to be getting the better reviews.

And, of course, today Josh Ritter releases The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. He's one of my favorite artists, but I'm approaching this release with intense trepidation. I've streamed some of the tracks so far, and they sound much more produced and less personal than his previous work...not in a good way. Word has it that he spent little time trying to compose these new songs, instead relying on spontaneity in the studio. Not sure that's what I want from Josh Ritter. Nonetheless, I've read some "best album of the year" reviews, and some noting my fear that it's overly produced. I guess we'll see later tonight, I'll be picking this one up old school (i.e. a CD).

Concert announcement: The Hold Steady, October 22nd.

The Hold Steady (with Art Brut) is coming to Boston on October 22nd. http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/news/44995-hold-steadyart-brut-tour-dates-announced. This happens to be the same day as my job market seminar - sounds like an excellent way to celebrate!

Awesome Album of the Week

My Teenage Stride, Ears Like Golden Bats. Perhaps a bit derivative, this is straight out of the 1980s pop - think upbeat The Smiths mixed with upbeat Interpol. Who cares if they're not exactly unique, they're a talented band and the music is uber catchy. This latest album came out in February and was on my "to download list" for a while - sorry it took so long to move it off.

As a bonus: Awesome Video of the Week. MTS's "Now That Should Stand for Something"

Where I get my music

The best kept secret of digital downloads is http://www.emusic.com. Emusic is a music subscription service - you pay a monthly fee and get a certain number of downloads each month. These downloads are yours to keep, they don't expire when the month ends or if you cancel your subscription. Nor are they copy protected, and if you ever delete them by mistake, you can re-download them for free.

Emusic now charges $10/month for 30 downloads, $15/month for 50 downloads, and $20/month for 75 downloads. If you figure that an album has at most 15 tracks, that means you get at least 5 albums per month for $20. It's tough to beat that pricing scheme - sounds too good to be true!

The only downside is that emusic only offers music from independent labels. Most of the major indie releases are offered on emusic, and there's an extensive jazz/classical section as well. Many of my favorite "undiscovered" artists come from albums I download on a whim at the end of the month to burn off my remaining tracks. I should say there's also a nice community forum to get album reviews and musical suggests from users with similar interests.

If you want to sign up for emusic, email me and I'll send you an offer for 50 free downloads just for signing up. (Disclaimer: I'll also get 50 free downloads for referring you. We can bargain over this if you'd like.)

There's no way I would have heard of half of the artists that I have, or own half of the music that I do, if not for emusic. I certainly spend more money on music than I would without the service, but it has also broadened my musical horizons significantly.

And for any new release not offered on emusic, I go to Newbury Comics (new releases are generally $10, and they usually have generous web coupons - and free pint glasses!), or itunes when I'm feeling especially lazy.

Hello, world!

Hello denizens of the interweb. In all likelihood, this means classmates who are continually looking for a new source of procrastination while code slowly crunches. If anyone else actually reads this, well, bonus!

Even though the world doesn't need another music blog, I've received a number of positive comments regarding my album posts on facebook over the last month or two. Given that music is one of the few things that I spend money on these days (and given that I've purchased an absurd number of albums so far this year: 40+, in fact), I figure I might as well use a blog to comment on my acquisitions. I suppose this also helps me keep track of what albums I've acquired; just last week I found two albums on my external hard drive which apparently I'd listened to once, backed up, deleted from my laptop, and promptly forgot about (for the curious, these are Jose Gonzalez's Veneer and Damien Jurado's Where Shall You Take Me? And I'm really digging Veneer, not sure why I ever deleted it.)

My musical interests are quite varied. I'm really into alt-country/bluegrass/folk at the moment, but I shift from straight up indie rock and indie pop to twee to music from any other genre that has something unique about it. I most prefer anything that I can sing or hum along to (which is why I so enjoy anything twee) or music that has particularly complex composition - so that repeated listens continually reveal something new (which is why I've still been listening to The National's Boxer, which came out originally in May).

To understand how my musical tastes align with yours, my all-time favorite legendary bands include The Talking Heads, The Smiths, The Velvet Underground, The Beatles (natch!), Radiohead, and Belle and Sebastian. And yes, given the impact of B&S on the modern indie landscape, I do consider them legendary. Favorite contemporary bands/musicians of the moment include M. Ward, Josh Ritter, The Arcade Fire, and The National. Other current favorites: The Hold Steady, The Decemberists, The Avett Brothers, and The Polyphonic Spree.

Alright, that's enough for now. More later.