Lyrics of the Moment: "Tithe" by Menomena

"someone retired
on a percentage
of the tithe that paved these roads
they lead to nowhere
but they're still gridlocked,
made of Solomon's pure gold

beneath the door frame
waiting for earthquakes
after the rapture comes and goes
the saints went marching,
the trumpets sounding,
the chosen ones are phoning home

and nothing sounds appealing
appealing..."

cool lyrics from a song on the new CD "Mines" by Menomena out now on Barsuck Records

60 Songs at Midyear (Updated July 4 from original post of May 29)

Wow, hard to believe we've hit the 4th of July! I know I've been spotty on the posts, but hey, whatever. Here's a list of 60+ songs (in, perhaps, some semblance of order) that have caught my attention so far and will be on my list of best of 2010.

"Squealing Pigs" - Admiral Fallow
"VCR" - the xx
"Evening Star" - Blitzen Trapper
"Bloodbuzz Ohio" - the National
"The Ghost Inside" - Broken Bells
"Winter Winds" - Mumford & Sons
"Apple Pie Bed" - Lawrence Arabia
"What Time Is It Now?" - the Consulate General
"Vacation" - Beach Fossils
"Sleeping Bag" - Blind Man's Colour

"I Can Change" - LCD Soundsystem
"Weathervanes and Chemicals" - Team Me
"Readers and Writers" - Idlewild
"Take It In" - Hot Chip
"The High Road" - Broken Bells
"Wait" - Alexi Murdoch*
"Ambling Alp" - Yeasayer
"Nun" - I Am Arrows
"Audience" - Cold War Kids
"In My Younger Days" - eels

"The Other Side" - AM
"Heavy in Your Arms" - Florence + the Machine
"White Knuckles" - OK Go
"Giving Up the Gun" - Vampire Weekend
"Swim" - Surfer Blood
"Heaven and Earth" - Blitzen Trapper
"Us vs. Them" - Common Prayer
"Swim Until You Can't See Land" - Frightened Rabbit
"A Story of Nashville" - Oblio
"Own Stunts" - Breathe Owl Breathe

"It Will Never Slip" - Marching Band
"Shark's Tooth" - Archie Bronson Outfit
"One Day Like This" - Elbow*
"Crash Years" - the New Pornographers
"Drunk Girls" - LCD Soundsystem
"Trap Doors" - Broken Bells
"Love Is a Dirty Word" - Jason Collett
"The Curse" - Josh Ritter
"Love Is a Chain Store" - the Ropes
"Runaway" - the National

"I Got Tamed" - One for the Team
"Starting" - Matt Pond PA
"Compliments" - Band of Horses
"The Tree" - Blitzen Trapper
"Bullets" - Tunng*
"Twenty-two" - Wakey! Wakey!
"The Dead Dog" - Portugal the Man
"Mirror Mirror" - Dr. Dog
"Sink/Let It Sway" - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
"Conversation 16" - the National

"Stole My Heart" - Little and Ashley
"Take Everything" - Greg Laswell
"Unsophisticated Heart" - Joe Pug
"Norway" - Beach House
"Laredo" - Band of Horses
"Skinny Little Bitch" - Hole
"The A.B.C. of L.O.V.E." - Pravda*
"Love and Hate" - Blitzen Trapper
"Well Alright" - Peasant
"World News" - Local Natives

"Paved with a Little Pain" - Dot Allison
"The Cave" - Mumford & Sons
"Afraid of Everyone" - the National
"Death by Diamonds and Pearls" - Band of Skulls
"Banned (by the Man)" - Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin
"Rill Rill" - Sleigh Bells
"Moves" - the New Pornographers
"The Beautiful Young Crew" - Lawrence Arabia
"Suicide Policeman" - Yuck
"Hard as Nails" - Peter Wolf Crier

"Slow Poison" - the Bravery
"Hide It Away" - Retribution Gospel Choir
"Circles in the Stars" - Idlewild
"Castles in the Snow" - Twin Shadow
"New Inheritors" - Wintersleep
"Super Television" - the Cascade
"The Loneliness and the Scream" - Frightened Rabbit

* Yes, I know this was released sometime prior to 2010. Get over it.

A Nifty Little Nugget from Arcade Fire

Fun to play with: click on and spin the digital 12″ for a few seconds of an upcoming single from Arcade Fire. Pretty nifty, and I also like what I'm hearing. (You can even spin it backward to get all the hidden messages, ha ha. And don't forget to flip to side B.)

Belated Favorite Albums of 2009 List

I had a preliminary list in late 2009 but have had time to rethink it a bit.
Here goes:

01: "Reservoir" by Fanfarlo
02: "Tonight" by Franz Ferdinand
03: "Careful Love" by Tim Williams
04: "Lungs" by Florence + the Machine
05: "Black River Killer" EP by Blitzen Trapper
06: "Middle Cyclone" by Neko Case
07: "Hombre Lobo" by Eels
08: "Get Guilty" by A.C. Newman
09: "Veckatimest" by Grizzly Bear
10: "Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey" by Cracker
11: "Constellation" by Salim Nourallah
12: "Champagne in Seashells" EP by Liam Finn & Eliza Jane
13: "The First Days of Spring" by Noah and the Whale
14: "No One's First and You're Next" by Modest Mouse
15: "Face Control" by Handsome Furs
16: "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" by Phoenix
17: "It's Blitz" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
18: "Hold Time" by M. Ward
19: "Threadbare" by Port O'Brien
20: "One eskimO" by One EskimO



Honorable Mentions (in rough order):
"I and Love and You" by the Avett Brothers
"Everything That Happens Will Happen Today" by David Byrne and Brian Eno (Technically 2008)
"Noble Beast" by Andrew Bird
"Junior" by Royksopp
"Lost Channels" by Great Lake Swimmers
"To Lose My Life..." by White Lies
"From Pillar to Post" by Logan Lynn
"The Airborne Toxic Event" by The Airborne Toxic Event (Technically 2008)
"OKNO" by Phonograph
"Up From Below" by Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
"Wilco (the Album)" by Wilco
"Yes" by Pet Shop Boys
"Humbug" by Arctic Monkeys
"Telekinesis!" by Telekinesis!
"Manners" by Passion Pit
"o+ s" by o+ s
"Lovely Creatures" by Bob Schneider
"Love 2" by Air
"Aim and Ignite" by fun.
"Here Anonymous" by Eulogies
"The Ruminant Band" by Fruit Bats
"Seasoned Eyes Were Beaming" by Sara Lov

There are probably several others I'm forgetting, but this gives you the general idea...

The AMSPX List of 200 Favorite Songs for 2009

Over the past couple of weeks I've been working to compile my list of favorite songs of 2009. Here's what I've come up with... It's comprised of 201 songs this year. It was a good year!

1. Rich Doors – New Villager
2. Poison Lips - Vitalic
3. Kandi (Eat More Cake Remix) – One eskimO
4. Two Weeks – Grizzly Bear
5. Robots – Dan Mangan
6. Fresh Blood – eels
7. Ulysses – Franz Ferdinand
8. Life Is Long – David Byrne and Brian Eno
9. Pulling on a Line – Great Lake Swimmers
10. Fire Escape – Fanfarlo
11. Satellite Skin – Modest Mouse
12. Feed Me to the Wolves – Logan Lynn
13. All of My Days and All of My Days Off – A.C. Newman
14. 40 Day Dream - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
15. Burning Your Glory – Logan Lynn
16. Sour Milk / Salt Water – Port O’Brien
17. My Propeller – Arctic Monkeys
18. Death – White Lies
19. Sometime Around Midnight – the Airborne Toxic Event
20. Sirens – the Whip

21. Brand New Day – Tim Myers with Lindsey Ray
22. Natural Disaster – Andrew Bird
23. Old Panda Days – Casiotone for the Painfully Alone
24. Black River Killer – Blitzen Trapper
25. Skin and Bones – Hello Dragon
26. Zero – Yeah Yeah Yeahs
27. Stronger Than Jesus – A Camp
28. Grounds for Divorce – Elbow
29. Finish Line – Fanfarlo
30. No You Girls – Franz Ferdinand
31. St. Georges – Salim Nourallah
32. Shine On – the Kooks
33. Maglight – Wussy
34. Young Atlantis – A.C. Newman
35. Animals – Sara Lov
36. She’s Got Me Dancing – Tommy Sparks
37. Astronauts – One eskimO
38. The Ancient Commonsense of Things – Bishop Allen
39. Happy Up Here – Royksopp
40. Now We Can See – the Thermals

41. Ambulance Driver – Hello Dragon
42. It’s Not Enough – Salim Nourallah
43. Lisztomania – Phoenix
44. Kiss with a Fist – Florence + the Machine
45. Autumn Beds – Modest Mouse
46. Moth’s Wings – Passion Pit
47. Dominoes – the Big Pink
48. A Beautiful World – Tim Myers
49. While You Wait for the Others – Grizzly Bear
50. Kingdom of Rust – Doves
51. Okay – Venice Is Sinking
52. Crying Lightning – Arctic Monkeys
53. O Shot – the Gay Blades
54. The Look You Give That Guy – eels
55. To Lose My Life – White Lies
56. I’m Confused – Handsome Furs
57. I Hit Another Wall – Tim Williams
58. OKNO – Phonograph
59. Middle Cyclone – Neko Case
60. Blue Skies – Noah and the Whale

61. Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up) – Florence + the Machine
62. Me No – Clem Snide
63. Turn on, Tune in, Drop Out with Me – Cracker
64. My Turn – Basement Jaxx feat. Lightspeed Champion
65. 1901 - Phoenix
66. Wicked Blood – Sea Wolf
67. Won’t Change My Mind – Liam Finn + Eliza Jane
68. Permanent Scar – O+S
69. While You Were Sleeping – Elvis Perkins
70. Jailbird – M. Ward
71. Song for No One – Miike Snow
72. My Unusual Friend – Fruit Bats
73. Bury You – the Beatings
74. Hi Fi Goon – Throw Me the Statue
75. How to Wait for a Very Long Time – Fanfarlo
76. Orange Shirt – Discovery
77. My Body Is a Cage – Sara Lov
78. End of the World – Matt Alber
79. Camp Out – An Horse
80. Fireflies – Owl City

81. Cheerleader – Grizzly Bear
82. You’ve Got the Love – Florence + the Machine
83. Yucatan Gold – Throw Me the Statue
84. The Collected Works – A.C. Newman
85. Just Impolite – Plushgun
86. Norman Bleik – I Was a King
87. Microphone – Coconut Records
88. Two Can Play – Eulogies
89. Coin Laundry – Lisa Mitchell
90. Kentucky Waltz – Manson Family Picnic
91. There Are No Goodbyes – Sophia
92. Something in the Water – Henry Clay People
93. Skip the Foreplay – Oh No! Oh My!
94. Ozone Street – Tim Williams
95. This Tornado Loves You – Neko Case
96. Heavy Cross – the Gossip
97. Eagles Don’t Sparkle – We Are Enfant Terrible
98. Robot High School – My Robot Friend
99. Sound the Alarms – Immaculate Machine
100. Fuzzy – Collective Soul

101. Lay It Down – Peter Bjorn and John
102. Today a Rainy Day – Arnoux
103. Fun That We Have – Julian Plenti
104. Got Nuffin’ – Spoon
105. Sing Sang Sung (Black Moth Super Rainbow Remix) – Air
106. Paralyzed – Starlight Mints
107. Summertime Clothes (Dam-Funk Remix) – Animal Collective
108. 107 – Hello Dragon
109. The Trapeze Swinger – Iron and Wine
110. The First Days of Spring – Noah and the Whale
111. Funeral Singers – Califone
112. Arsonist’s Blues – Good Night, States
113. Dark Neon - Wilco
114. Feather Bed – Fruit Bats
115. Everyday – Vetiver
116. Goodbye – Mutemath
117. Lemons, aka BigFishLittlePond - Amos The Transparent
118. Free Energy – Free Energy
119. A Happening – Hyperstory
120. When You Walk in the Room – Fyfe Dangerfield

121. Ambling Alp - Yeasayer
122. If It Is Growing – Fanfarlo
123. All We Want, Baby, Is Everything – Handsome Furs
124. Home – Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros
125. I and Love and You – Avett Brothers
126. If I Could (You Know I Would) – Keygrip
127. The Good Life – Tim Myers
128. Wilco (the Song) – Wilco
129. The Fixer – Pearl Jam
130. Backfire – Mutemath
131. Natural – Starlight Mints
132. Bulletproof – La Roux
133. Bourgeois Shangri-La – Miss Li
134. Love, Etc. – Pet Shop Boys
135. Left Handed Girl – James Yuill
136. Bring Out Your Dead – Bluebrain
137. Rats – the Black Heart Procession
138. All the Pretty Girls – fun.
139. Long Way to Go – Liam Finn and Eliza Jane
140. Black and Milds - Cataldo

141. The Sun Ain’t Shining No More – The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
142. Beginner’s Luck – eels
143. Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey – Cracker
144. Here Are Many Wild Animals – A Camp
145. Oslo Campfire – Port O’Brien
146. Watch the Waves – Taken by Trees
147. Pa Pa Power – Dead Man’s Bones
148. Murderous Air – Tim Williams
149. Two Shocks – Brakes
150. Life Magazine – Cold Cave
151. Lovesick Teenagers – Bear in Heaven
152. Get Going - Headlights
153. Highway Song – What Bird
154. Ballad on Third Avenue (Beautiful Losers) – Ed Hale
155. Uprising – Muse
156. Dog Days Are Over – Florence + the Machine
157. Thinking of You – Pete Yorn
158. Strictly Game – Harlem Shakes
159. Cut Me Out – Nakatomi Towers
160. Phones Don’t Feud – Holiday Shores

161. The Day I Died – John Oszajca
162. Thunder$troke – Beaten Awake
163. Use Somebody – Kings of Leon
164. People Got a Lotta Nerve – Neko Case
165. Nothing to Worry About – Peter Bjorn and John
166. Office Days – NYCO
167. I’ll Go Crazy If I Don’t Go Crazy Tonight – U2
168. Stars of Leo – M. Ward
169. Fangela – Here We Go Magic
170. Bodies - Robbie Williams
171. Lady Jesus – The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
172. Wrong – Depeche Mode
173. We Do What We Want To – O+S
174. Generator ^ Second Floor – Freelance Whales
175. Floating Vibes – Surfer Blood
176. (If You’re Wondering If I Want You To) I Want You To - Weezer
177. Little Bribes – Death Cab for Cutie
178. Gravitate – Lou Barlow
179. I'll Fight - Wilco
180. No One Does It Like You – Department of Eagles

181. Concrete Heart – Great Lake Swimmers
182. Heavens to Purgatory – The Most Serene Republic
183. Robots Can F**k Your Sh*t Up – the Gay Blades
184. Tenuousness - Andrew Bird
185. Friends - Band of Skulls
186. Out in the Woods – Birds and Batteries
187. Social Development Dance – Pete Yorn
188. Meet Me on the Equinox – Death Cab for Cutie
189. In the Room Where You Sleep - Dead Man’s Bones
190. I’m Deaf and You’re Boring – You, You’re Awesome
191. The Violet Hour – Sea Wolf
192. I’m Not Likely To Change – Andrew Thompson
193. Be Calm - fun.
194. Love Vigilantes – Iron and Wine
195. Vapours – Islands
196. Walls of Jericho – Animal Kingdom
197. I Wonder Who We Are – the Clientele
198. The High Road – Broken Bells
199. Don't Haunt This Place - The Rural Alberta Advantage
200. Alone in This – The Shape of the Earth
201. I Love You But Goodbye – Langhorne Slim


Yeah! I made it to 201!

16 Favorites for 2009 (so far)

I'm feeling all listy (definitely not listless), so here's a list of my favorite 16 albums of 2009 so far (go out and buy these now):

01: "Reservoir" by Fanfarlo
02: "Tonight" by Franz Ferdinand
03: "Veckatimest" by Grizzly Bear
04: "Get Guilty" by A.C. Newman
05: "To Lose My Life..." by White Lies
06: "Middle Cyclone" by Neko Case
07: "Hombre Lobo" by Eels
08: "Lost Channels" by Great Lake Swimmers
09: "Constellation" by Salim Nourallah
10: "Face Control" by Handsome Furs
11: "It's Blitz" by Yeah Yeah Yeahs
12: "Sunrise in the Land of Milk and Honey" by Cracker
13: "Wilco (the Album)" by Wilco
14: "Black River Killer" EP by Blitzen Trapper
15: "From Pillar to Post" by Logan Lynn
16: "No One's First and You're Next" by Modest Mouse

The Real Girl (and Lars)

It's been too long between posts. Time flies...

I'm moved to comment on the film "Lars and the Real Girl," an impressive little film I saw for the first time last night. Sure, I'd heard about it when it was released and added it to my list of movies to see, but being the indie film it is, it never made it to theaters around this area.

I caugt it on Showtime last night and found it to offer most of the things I like in a movie: good acting, interesting and quirky characters, and a lot of heart. (Okay, sometimes I like explosions and sci fi elements in a movie, but that's in a whole different category.)

I won't do a full recap of this film, but what I liked about it is the levels of love it addressed--the need for love, the love of and acceptance by family, the love and acceptance by community, and, for lack of a better term, imagined love and loneliness. Lars is heavily introverted and delusional in his love of Bianca, a life-size doll he orders throught the internet and whom he believes to be a real girl. Initially his brother and sister-in-law, as well as the whole town, think this "relationship" is quite odd, but because of the love they all have for Lars, and upon the advice of his doctor, they go along with the premise. Eventually, they all sort of begin to think of her and treat her like a real person. (She even volunteers at the hospital.)

I was especially intrigued by how the community learned to play along and how Bianca became part of their lives in some small way, all because of their willingness to help Lars. I wish we could all be as understanding and accepting of all of our community members. Wouldn't that be utopian!?!

In the end and, I think, because of the love and support offered by the community, Lars works through his delusion and Bianca "dies." After the funeral, which the whole town attends, he seems more connected than ever to reality and the people around him, possibly even the real real girl that works in the cubical next to him.

This isn't a sappy or cloying film, but quite emotionally engaging while feeling real. I'm sorry I missed it when it first came out and am glad I caught it now. It might just be added to my list of favorites of all time.

Burning Books...

"Dort, wo man Bücher verbrennt, verbrennt man auch am Ende Menschen."
--Heinrich Heine

["Where people burn books, they also, in the end, will burn human beings."]

Let the Devolution Begin!

Okay, so I sort of devolved a little yesterday. It's all the fault of Record Store Day. I picked up two vinyl LPs, the classic "Temple of Low Men" by Crowded House and the Shins' "Wincing the Night Away." Apparently the planets were all aligned properly, there was a little money in the wallet to burn, and I wanted to support Record Store Day and my local independent record store, Budget Music in Grand Forks, ND.

Let me be clear: this DOES NOT mean I've forsaken CDs or digital music--I've just expanded my options.

There certainly is something about opening a new LP's cellophane wrapper and seeing the large glorious artwork. Now I need to hook up the ol' turntable to really hear if the sound is so much warmer. One thing I do not miss about listening to LPs is the wow, flutter, and dust pops. We'll see if that prevents me from purchasing more vinyl...

"We Have Their Bones to Comb Our Hair..."

So I got my hands on a copy of "Hungry Bird," the new CD by Clem Snide. I wasn't expecting to hear another CD from Clem Snide, as I had read last year they were breaking up. That was further supported by last year's solo record by the band's leading creative force Eef Barzelay. Anyway, I was pleasantly surprised to find this, what I understand to be, final capstone record.

"Hungry Bird" is full of the literate, melodic word pictures I've come to expect from the group. Clem Snide makes the kind of music I gravitate to: folkish, beautiful, sometimes delicate, but confident and often haunting, with a streak of irony and darkness. This CD is less overtly rocking than Barzelay's solo work of last year (which gave "Could Be Worse," one of may top 120 songs of 2008), but that's okay. This music has an calm urgency all its own. The tunes are evocative and raise the question of why this music isn't a part of some moving indie-type film--it would be perfect!

While songs like "Our Time Will Come," "Beard of Bees," and "With All My Heart" are right up there and ready for repeated listens, the first track "Me No" is instantly captivating. I've listened to it now about 15 times, and I've had the CD only a couple days. That track has a strong undercurrent of irony and a darkly subversive, almost apocalyptic tone. Still, it's simply arresting, and I wouldn't be surprised if it's on my 2009 list of favorite songs.

Thank you, Clem Snide, for releasing another set of excellent songs. Those of you looking for something for a hungry mind that you can sink your musical teeth into, look no further. Check out "Hungry Bird."

When?

So, when does history officially arrive? When do we get to hear professors extol the golden age of the G.W.Busch administration and the utopia the sprang forth from that "great leader's great leadership"? I'm curious! I'm waiting! Oh, that's right, we need to hit the undo button a few thousand times before we can progress.

President Obama, in my humble opinion, is moving us back toward a certain kind of sanity we haven't seen in eight years. How? Here are a few first steps he's taken: calling corporate bailout recipients on their lack of sensitivity in buying jets while receiving public funds; recognizing the Islamic world while attempting to refocus their attentiveness away from the "great achievements" of the few terrorists among them; moving toward equality for all citizens regardless of race or sexual orientation; reestablishing a policy that more fully acknowledges science and scientific inquiry; encouraging a respect and civility among divided parties in the hope of working together; appointing well qualified cabinet members and surrounding himself with the best and the brightest; making strides in lessening the influence of corporate lobbyists; speaking with eloquence and, well, acting presidential.

I look forward to seeing where we can go as a country under his leadership. Imagine what could have been done immediately if these initial steps hadn't been stifled by the "great achievements" of G.W. and his cronies.

When? Starting now!

120 for 2008

After reviewing my various lists (you know, those half-made lists mostly circling around in my head) I came up with my favorite songs of 2008. I had originally only had 108 when I first posted but forgot a few good ones, so this is the revised list (as of 1/18/09). It was a good year for music in my opinion; this is reinforced by the fact that I can't seem to stick with just 108. (And I meant it when I said every song on "Furr" is good. I think I included 12 songs here including some EP stuff of theirs.)

001. "Furr" Blitzen Trapper
002. "As Tall As Cliffs" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
003. "The One I Love" Greg Laswell
004. "Lost Coastlines" Okkervil River
005. "Hometime" One eskimO
006. "Orphans" Beck
007. "Acid Tongue" Jenny Lewis
008. "I'm Not Over" Carolina Liar
009. "Right Hand On My Heart" the Whigs
010. "Love And Doubt" Slow Runner
011. "Supernatural Superserious" R.E.M.
012. "Gift Of Screws" Lindsey Buckingham
013. "All I Need" Radiohead
014. "Oxford Comma" Vampire Weekend
015. "Raise The Dead" Phantom Planet
016. "Two Ways Out" Darker My Love
017. "Five Years Time" Noah and the Whale
018. "Hard To Tell You" Dirty on Purpose
019. "New Years Eve" Wild Light
020. "God + Suicide" Blitzen Trapper

021. "Simon Courage Flees the Coop" Kay Kay & His Weathered Underground
022. "Magick" Ryan Adams & the Cardinals
023. "Rocky Took A Lover" Bell X1
024. "Gamma Ray" Beck
025. "He Doesn't Know Why" Fleet Foxes
026. "Sour Milk" Wild Sweet Orange
027. "Broadripple Is Burning" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
028. "Stolen Shoes + A Rifle" Blitzen Trapper
029. "Bruises" Chairlift
030. "Around The Bend" The Asteroids Galaxy Tour
031. "Great DJ" the Ting Tings
032. "You, Me & The Bourgeoisie" the Submarines
033. "Eighties Movies" the Billionaires
034. "You Don't Know Me" Ben Folds with Regina Spektor
035. "The Beginning Of The Twist" the Futureheads
036. "Good Old Days" Lodger
037. "Pop Lie" Okkervil River
038. "Land Of No Return" Wild Sweet Orange
039. "Biko" Bloc Party
040. "Big Black Bird" Blitzen Trapper

041. "How The Day Sounds" Greg Laswell
042. "Time To Pretend" MGMT
043. "Man-Sized Wreath" R.E.M.
044. "Giving Tree" the Epochs
045. "House Of Cards" Radiohead
046. "Freeway" Aimee Mann
047. "Don't Do Anything" Sam Phillips
048. "Gumdrops" the Smittens
049. "The Wake Up Song" the Submarines
050. "Lost!" Coldplay
051. "Not Your Lover" Blitzen Trapper
052. "Carry The Weight" Denison Witmer
053. "Fashionable People" the Joel Plaskett Emergency
054. "The Right Place To Fade" Lindsey Buckingham
055. "Good Days Bad Days" Kaiser Chiefs
056. "Gather To The Chapel" Liam Finn
057. "I Am A Lightning Rod" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
058. "Starry Stairs" Okkervil River
059. "Call It A Ritual" Wolf Parade
060. "Heath" Arizona

061. "Do The Panic" Phantom Planet
062. "Shut Up And Let Me Go" the Ting Tings
063. "Crimewave" Crystal Castles (vs. Health)
064. "Bad News" Dear and the Headlights
065. "That It Moves" Greg Laswell
066. "My Baby (Shoots Her Mouth Off)" Margot & the Nuclear So & So's
067. "Paper Float" Cassettes Won't Listen
068. "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" the Helio Sequence
069. "Signs" Bloc Party
070. "Naked And Red" Colour Revolt
071. "Bodysnatchers" Radiohead
072. "Dancing Choose" TV on the Radio
073. "I've Underestimated My Charm (Again)" Black Kids
074. "Angels And Weathermen" the Mommyheads
075. "Cape Fear" the Rosebuds
076. "Saturday Nite" Blitzen Trapper
077. "Last Words" Travis
078. "Black Fur" Fredrik
079. "White Winter Hymnal" Fleet Foxes
080. "On Our Way Home" the Silent Years

081. "Willow Tree" Chad Van Gaalen
082. "Silver Moon" Blitzen Trapper
083. "Violet Hill" Coldplay
084. "Mr. Richards" R.E.M.
085. "Lolita" Throw Me the Statue
086. "I'm Amazed" My Morning Jacket
087. "Gold For Bread" Blitzen Trapper
088. "Coast Of Carolina" Telekinesis!
089. "Crushing The Wheat" Blitzen Trapper
090. "Take Back The City" Snow Patrol
091. "Moody Motorcycle" Human Highway
092. "Go On, Say It" Blind Pilot
093. "On The Chin" the Gray Race
094. "Outside" the Secret Life of Sofia
095. "Could Be Worse" Eef Barzelay
096. "Singer Songwriter" Okkervil River
097. "Big Mistake" Tim Fite
098. "Inside A Boy" My Brightest Diamond
099. "Golden Age" TV on the Radio
100. "Color Of A Lonely Heart Is Blue" the Old 97's

101. "Going Down" Blitzen Trapper
102. "Troublemaker" Weezer
103. "The Usual Chords" Slow Runner
104. "Hollow Man" R.E.M.
105. "Paint Or Pollen" Blind Pilot
106. "Second Chance" Liam Finn
107. "I Will Possess Your Heart" Death Cab for Cutie
108. "Relief" Cold War Kids
109. "Cheap And Cheerful" the Kills
110. "Sleepytime In The Western World" Blitzen Trapper
111. "It's A Lot" the 88
112. "Quarantine" Phantom Planet
113. "A-Punk" Vampire Weekend
114. "Enemy Within" Frida Hyvonen
115. "Seeing And Believeing" Wild Sweet Orange
116. "War On Machines" Blitzen Trapper
117. "Heaven" the Swimmers
118. "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song" Fleet Foxes
119. "Love Dog" TV on the Radio
120. "I'm Not Crying, You're Not Crying, Are You?" Dear and the Headlights

Beards-a-plenty!

So I revisited, reviewed, revised (slightly) my list of favorite albums of 2008. I also expanded it to 21; we'll refer to this as "list bloat." Here's the definitive list. Congratulations, Blitzen Trapper! EVERY song on "Furr" is approved.:

1. "Furr" by Blitzen Trapper
2. "The Stand Ins" by Okkervil River
3. "Fleet Foxes" by Fleet Foxes
4. "Accelerate" by R.E.M.
5. "We Have Cause to Be Uneasy" by Wild Sweet Orange
6. "Three Flights from Alto Nido" by Greg Laswell
7. "Gift of Screws" by Lindsey Buckingham
8. "Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground" by Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground*
9. "Animal/Not Animal" by Margo and the Nuclear So and So's
10. "The Quantum Explorers" by Hello Dragon*
11. "I'll Be Lightning" by Liam Finn
12. "Oracular Spectacular" by MGMT*
13. "Dear Science" by TV on the Radio
14. "We Started Nothing" by the Ting Tings
15. "Glowing Bird" by Arizona
16. "In Rainbows" by Radiohead*
17. "Vampire Weekend" by Vampire Weekend
18. "Modern Guilt" by Beck
19. "Mermaids" by Slow Runner
20. "The Seldom Seen Kid" by Elbow
21. "Only By the Night" by Kings of Leon
*tracks released digitally in 2007, CD and/or vinyl released in 2008

A few things I noticed...

Lots and lots of beards:
Blitzen Trapper - 4 beards, 1 goatee out of 6 members
Okkervil River - 3 beards out of 6 members
Fleet Foxes - 4 beards out of 5 members
Wild Sweet Orange - 1 beard out of 4 members
Greg Laswell - 1 beard
Margot and the Nuclear So and So's - difficult to get a definitive, but looks like 3 beards, 1 goatee out of 8 members
Liam Finn - 1 beard
MGMT - 1 beard out of 2 members
TV on the Radio - 1 beard, 1 goatee, 1 moustache out of 5 members
Kings of Leon - at least 1 beardish thing out of 4 members

Lots of men. It's not that I'm not found of female singers or musicians (see the Ting Tings, the Rosebuds). If/when I get to a posting of favorite single tracks, we'll see some.

Mostly melodic, lyrical, pop-rocky, folkie stuff. Mostly. What can I say? It's what I'm drawn to...

You can never get a true consensus of what's the best, because everyone has his or her own tastes, but that's kind of the fun of these lists. Ah listy goodness!

The Joy of Laundromats

Since I've moved into my new house in June, I've yet to purchase a washer and dryer. That means every two weeks I load up the truck and make an exodus to the local laundromat.

At first, it seemed to be a bit of an annoyance to have to gather everything, load it in the truck, drive to the laundromat, unload the truck and do the washing. I've come to see the beauty of the process, however--especially if I make an early Saturday morning run. At that time I nearly have the place to myself. I can run 4 or 5 loads simultaneously and have nearly endless options for dryers. What used to take all night or afternoon, now can be done in about an hour and a half.

Thank you, laundromat! I may put off buying that washer and dryer indefinitely...

Top 12 Albums of 2008 (so far)

Okay, so my previous post go me thinking about the top albums of 2008 (I'll do a top 12 because there are 12 months in the year...and because they're my rules). Here they are, with the full realization that there are still 2 months to go:

1. "Furr" by Blitzen Trapper
2. "The Stand Ins" by Okkervil River
3. "Fleet Foxes" by Fleet Foxes
4. "Accelerate" by R.E.M.
5. "We Have Cause to Be Uneasy" by Wild Sweet Orange
6. "Three Flights from Alto Nido" by Greg Laswell
7. "Gift of Screws" by Lindsey Buckingham
8. "Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground" by Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
9. "I'll be Lightning" by Liam Finn
10. "Oracular Spectacular" by MGMT
11. "Life Like" by the Rosebuds
12. "In Rainbows" by Radiohead
(okay, Radiohead released their album digitally in 2007, but the CD came out in 2008, and I didn't count them in 2007 because of that. Sorry, but, again, my rules...)

Album of the Year (so far): "FURR"

For the past month the album "Furr" by Portland, Oregon's Blitzen Trapper has been ceaselessly playing in my home, in my truck, on my computer, and in my head. It's become my favorite album of 2008. This was only further reinforced by a chance to see them live in Fargo, North Dakota, on Oct. 28. They were awesomely excellent!

I had downloaded a free promo mp3 of the title track in early September from the SubPop website, and that song immediately floated to the top of my singles list for the year. But when I got a chance to listen to the whole album, it seemed to me like this one would be an instant classic. Each track was better than the last. I have had a hard time finding a song on it that I don't like, and that's an accomplishment.

There are traces of Dylan, Neil Young, Pavement, 70s classic rock, a flourish of synth, a few electronic burbles, some neo-folk, even a Lynyrd Skynyrd lick here and there.

Of the songs, "Furr" and "God + Suicide" are my top two, but "Gold for Bread," "Sleepytime in the Western World," "Fire + Fast Bullets," and "Saturday Nite" are worthy as well...and then there's "Not Your Lover" and "Lady on the Water" too. Like I said, of the 13 songs it's been hard to find a song I don't like... And with each listen to the entire CD, I like all of them more and discover additional touches of interest.

Buy the album! Go see them live! You won't be disappointed.
www.myspace.com/blitzentrapper

Okkervil River might change your life (or not)

Last night I had the grand opportunity to see great live music in Fargo, North Dakota. It's not often that this part of the world gets to welcome a nifty cool emerging band like Okkervil River, so when I read they were performing only an hour from home, I alerted a couple guys I know who appreciate that kind of thing. We met for grub and beverages beforehand and got to the venue, the Aquarium, downtown Fargo, in plenty of time to see June Panic's Wife (i'm not too sure if that's the wife of June Panic or if June Panic's Wife is actually the name of the band, but I digress...)

Shortly after 8 p.m. the members of Okkervil River took to the stage and played a very nice set that lasted nearly two hours. They band just released a new album, so many of the songs were new material, but they played plenty from the album "The Stage Names," which was on several discerning reviewers' best of 2007 lists (including mine). My one disappointment: they didn't play my favorite, "Plus Ones."
Otherwise, it was a wonderful, swaggering rock-and-roll-alterna-country-folk affair.

The band has a sound all its own, but you can hear influences/similarities the likes of the Shins, Dylan, R.E.M., and the BoDeans. Great show!

Favorite albums - year by year

A challenge: listing a favorite album for each year of your life. Rather than select albums for the years when I was but a wee lad, I chose instead to list a favorite album (or albums in some cases where I just couldn't decide) for the years I actually purchased LPs or CDs. So here's a list for each year from 1980 on. Keep in mind these are favorites, albums I just kept (and keep) coming back to...

1980 - "Autoamerican" Blondie
1981 - "Time" E.L.O.
1982 - "The Golden Age of Wireless" Thomas Dolby
1983 - "Listen" A Flock of Seagulls
1984 - "Go Insane" Lindsey Buckingham
1984 - "Purple Rain" Prince
1985 - "Crush" O.M.D.
1986 - "Life's Rich Pageant" R.E.M.
1986 - "Revenge" Eurythmics
1987 - "Sign o' the Times" Prince
1988 - "Temple of Low Men" Crowded House
1988 - "Our Beloved Revolutionary Sweetheart" Camper Van Beethoven
1989 - "March" Michael Penn
1989 - "Dolittle" the Pixies
1990 - "Flood" They Might Be Giants
1991 - "Woodface" Crowded House
1991 - "Out of Time" R.E.M.
1991 - "Fear" Toad the Wet Sprocket
1992 - "Automatic for the People" R.E.M.
1992 - "It's a Shame About Ray" the Lemonheads
1993 - "Zooropa" U2
1993 - "Star" Belly
1994 - "Martinis and Bikinis" Sam Phillips
1995 - "The Bends" Radiohead
1996 - "Fountains of Wayne" Fountains of Wayne
1996 - "Odelay" Beck
1997 - "OK Computer" Radiohead
1998 - "El Oso" Soul Coughing
1999 - "Magnolia" Soundtrack feat. Aimee Mann
1999 - "Summerteeth" Wilco
2000 - "The Man Who" Travis
2000 - "Discovery of a World Inside the Moon" Apples in Stereo
2001 - "Get Ready" New Order
2002 - "This Side" Nickel Creek
2003 - "Michigan" Sufjan Stevens
2003 - "Chutes Too Narrow" the Shins
2003 - "Long Gone Before Daylight" the Cardigans
2004 - "More Adventurous" Rilo Kiley
2005 - "Warnings/Promises" Idlewild
2006 - "The Dust of Retreat" Margo & the Nuclear So & So's
2006 - "The Trials of Van Occupanther" Midlake
2007 - "Twelve Stops and Home" the Feeling
2008 - "Fleet Foxes" Fleet Foxes
2008 - "Furr" Blitzen Trapper

Back in Minnesota

Back in Minnesota and working for the U of M, Crookston again. Feeling good about that decision, but missing a dear friend back in Colorado. That is all for now. More soon, I hope. Weird how life goes sometimes.

Good Advice...

"Live and let this whole thing go... One-hundred years from now it won't matter anyway." --Frank Orrall of Poi Dog Pondering