The National has never immediately grabbed me, they're subdued, low, dreary ... ruminating ... parts of "Alligator" and "Boxer" are tremendous, only parts, and after several listens of "High Violet" streaming over at NPR, I ask myself, "Why?"
Perhaps on the 20th listen it will finally, belatedly, painfully become my favorite record (and despite the defeatism of this post I'll probably give it at least that many more spins), and I suppose that's the answer to my question, but goddamn, I have too much to listen to, to many films to watch, too many books to read, and I'm feeling craggy and tired and lazy and ...
... then there are the records that should really attack and grab a hold immediately — I'm speaking of the Dead Weather's "Sea of Cowards." After picking up Jack White's 3rd band's debut "Horehound" about six months ago, it lasted in my car for about six weeks, and then retreated to the pile in the back seat, and I have had no inclination to go back to it. After hearing the first single from "Sea of Cowards," I'm picking up the same vibe — arena-blooze with a lot of bombast but no purpose, repetitive melodies, and ... it's not really that much fun. Where the hell is a new White Stripes record?
Am I entering that age when all you want to do is listen to the same old bands and records you've heard a thousand times, and new music just isn't that exciting? The number of records I'm buying this year would suggest "no," but then again all I really want to do is throw on "Boys and Girls in America," or "Being There," or "My Aim is True" and shred the debit card.
Tell me why I'm wrong/what's missing in the comments section.
It'd always be preferable, obviously, to say things were better off exiting the decade than entering. But my generation's first decade with a (nearly) grown brain was one of disappointment — the country, the world, etc. It's like everyone was handed a Faberge egg in 2000, told to look after it, and instead used it as a drink shaker for Jeppson's Mallort and pyrite.
While our country was raging war across the globe, weathering one recession and entering another, I had some of the best years of my life. (Insert white guilt here.) Senior year of high school, all of college and every summer in between was like my own carefree icing on top of the world's fresh-shit cake. Am I better off (life's achievements relative to age) now than I was at the dawn of the century? The jury's still out.
Attempting to choose even just one infinitesimal aspect of human life from the decade — music — and decide if it took a leap or a plunge as a whole is a similarly maddening experience. Picking what was the "best" will fail by definition. My first CD as an 8-year-old was Niel Diamond's "Greatest Hits," so we'll just go ahead and assume some of these albums will be slightly embarrassing in 15 years. Trends and (non) trends come and go. What appeared to be a cutting-edge melding of two seemingly disparate genres in the year 2007 could easily sound fool-hearty and painfully dated in the year 2020. But, listing arcane knowledge helps my brain keep it all organized for my own future listening pleasure, and that's the real point, right?
So, here's the familiar cop out — these are my favorite albums of the decade. The best as viewed through my prism of experience.
In 2000, I was 14, and my tastes were mostly defined by classic rock, grunge and blues. The newer stuff I did listen to sided towards alternative (when that word meant something) from the '90s — Beck, Cake, the Eels. I was also starting to find something considered "indie" interesting, which was difficult without an older sibling or a college radio station in my home town. That was also the year I saw a CD burner for the first time, and Napster. And with the added access, came more new music than I ever would have discovered otherwise.
Runners-up: The Walkmen - "You & Me," My Morning Jacket - "It Still Moves," Vampire Weekend - "Vampire Weekend," Modest Mouse - "Good News for People that Love Bad News," The Go Team - "Thunder Lightening Strike, " The Streets - "Original Pirate Material," Bob Dylan - "Modern Times," Okkervil River - "The Stage Names," M83 - "Before the Dawn Heals Us," The New Pornographers - "Twin Cinema," Lupe Fiasco - "Food and Liquor," Black Lips - "Good Bad Not Evil," Rjd2 -"Deadringer," The Postal Service - "Give Up," People Under the Stairs - "OST," Band of Horses - "Everything all the Time"
29. The Avalanches -Since I Left You(2001) Key track: "Frontier Psychologist"
20. Decemberists - The Crane Wife (2006) Here's some escapism, if killer children and sharpened bayonets ingrained in a Japanese folk tale are your idea of a pleasant distraction. Key tracks: "The Crane Wife 3," "O Valencia!," "Shankhill Butchers"
19. The Thermals - The Body the Blood the Machine(2006) Key tracks: "Here's Your Future," "A Pillar of Salt," "Returning to the Fold," "St. Rosa & the Swollows"
18. M. Ward - Post War(2006) A warm blast of reverb and Americana when my cornfield-lined routes needed it the most. I absolutely wore out this record after finding it used at Co-op. Key tracks: "To Go Home," "Requiem," "Chinese Translation"
17. The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow(2003) "Oh, Inverted World" got all the attention, but this is where I got into the Shins, and looking back, most agree this is the superior record ... driving to Andiamos during high school for Thursday open mic night, sneaking a cigarette on the ride down, staying too late, and listening to "Chutes Too Narrow" both ways for several months. Key tracks: All of um
16. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (2007) A cold sound for a cold year. Iraq was still dragging into civil war, and "the surge" had not yet quelled partisan fighting. The housing market was starting to plunge, and deep down everyone (hopefully) knew the economy wasn't actually healthy. But cognitive dissonance can be a powerful thing. Famous for its party's over vibe and lyrics of the lead single, I can't think of a better record to play when the concrete walls finally close in, and you know, we have to fight the symbiotic robots wearing red Elephant patches. I'll play "Get Innocuous" when Pfizer pays the FDA to approve Soma and Monsanto runs the USDA. Key tracks: "All My Friends," "Get Innocuous"
9. Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (2006) Key tracks: "Stuck Between Stations," "Hot Soft Light,""South Town Girls," "You Can Make Him Like You," "Massive Nights"
5-8. Spoon - Gimme Fiction/ ga ga ga ga ga/Girls Can Tell/Kill The Moonlight (2000-2007) I couldn't pick one of these four above the others. The band is unstoppable. Look forward to Transference next month. Key tracks: all of um
3 and 4. White Stripes - Elephant (2003) and White Blood Cells(2001) Jack White has participated in a great album every year this decade except one (EVERY YEAR!), be it with the Raconteurs, Loretta Lynn, the Deadweather or his marquee group, The White Stripes. Guitars and feedback and rock and roll vocals hadn't sounded this fresh in decades. The visceral, lo-fi punch of "Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground" is when I first fell in love with the White Stripes' bursting energy and childlike enthusiasm for the blues and rock 'n' roll, and White hasn't let up steam since. Key tracks: all of um
1 and 2. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot(2001) and A Ghost is Born(2004) I have nearly nothing to say. This is my favorite two album stretch by Wilco (and almost any other band). These songs made sense to me, mystified me, challenged me as a 16 year old and a 19 year old, and they make even more sense in different ways as a 24-year-old. They soundtracked the brooding moments in the bedroom after arguments with friends and family, they soundtracked sunny road trips to visit friends at other colleges, they soundtracked both get-togethers in college and meditative moments of solitude in the dorm room, and they soundtracked my first two years on the job. Let's hope Tweedy and Co. continue to soundtrack the rest of our journey. Key tracks: all of um
Everyone relax and go about your business worrying about contracting the good ole regular flu before you go on a swine-flu fearing rampage.
In related news, the new Wilco album due this June will be titled "Wilco (the Album)."
I'm a huge, obsessive Wilco fan, but even I can't pretend that's a good album title, not to mention there's a track on the album called "Wilco (the song)", that was almost more than I could deal with itself.
Oh well, as long as the music is better than their last (no weather-channel guitar solos or anything that sounds remotely like "Shake it off"), I'll be happy. Sort of.
I'm a really big loser, so occasionally I like to play a little game with myself (No, not that. But yeah, also that.) I go toMetacritic.comand guess what the over-all score different albums and movies are going to receive before I read any reviews (both about movies and music I have seen/heard and ones I have not.) I'm really, really good at it, too, because like I said, I'm a huge fucking loser.
I'm gonna publicly play my little prognostication game on Warped Coasters now, but limit the scope to how many stars some up-coming albums will receive from the most predictable of all music rags: Rolling Stone. I still love their features and longer stories, but no discerning music fan has bought Rolling Stone for the reviews since probably 1969.
Now that I'm finally publishing my worthless talent, I will probably botch all of these predictions and hang my head in shame for perpetuity.
Bob Dylan - (as of yet untitled): 4.5 stars This would be an easy 5-star prediction, but they gave Dylan's last album "Modern Times" a (deserving) 5-star rating. Also, they already gave both U2 and Springsteen 5 stars this year, which is one album past their usual 5-star stockpile. You know they will prolly give him 5-stars anyway.
Green Day - "21 Century Breakdown": 3 stars "American Idiot" got 3.5 stars. The follow up could totally blow, but Rolling Stone has been writing so many hype-dredging previews that they won't be able to admit it if it does. Also, they can't give it more stars than "American Idiot" since that was, like, the biggest album of 2004. Or, they could try to payback history by giving the follow up 4-stars to please people that actually care about these kinds of things. For the record, I'm totally ambivalent about everything Green Day has released since "Dookie," which I will still love forever.
Decemberists - "The Hazards of Love": 3.5 stars Good indie bands always get 3 to 3.5 stars, unless it's the album Rolling Stone wants to champion to regain some sort of cred. The Decemberists have been around too long for that kind of desperate grab, so expect a review in the default and noncommittal 3-star range. Wilco - (as of yet untitled): 4 stars Wilco always gets 4 stars. Whatever. If I think it's not up to par, Rolling Stone will like it and talk about how our Dads love it. If I think it's great Rolling Stone will say they tried some new things that don't always work. Either way it will get 4 stars.
Grizzly Bear, Iron and Wine, Silversun Pickups: all 3 stars. See Decemberists
2009 is already shaping up to be a good year for music. Previous posts provided links to stream the new Animal Collective disc (which is living up to the hype - I just received my copy in the mail today), new M. Ward album (sounds as good as 2006's "Post War") and the new Andrew Bird album (I haven't listened yet).
On the horizon is self described flower-punk act The Black Lips follow up to its breakthrough 2007 album, "Good Bad not Evil." The new record, "200 Million Thousand," drops on February 24.
Wilco I believe is set to release a new record this year, I dunno when, let's hope they take a couple big steps away from 2007's boring and guitar-cliche riddled "Sky Blue Sky."
And on March 24 the Decemberists will release their concept album "The Hazards of Love" (how many times will Meloy using the word beyonette? listen to find out ...). You can download a track off the album here: http://www.decemberists.com/
Throw in a couple debuts like last year's Fleet Foxes and Vampire Weekend and the decade might just close out on the right foot. Oh yeah, its time for a new White Stripes album, too, but Jack's been pretty fucking busy with the Raconteurs ... we can always hope.
This is an interesting excercise that has been making the blog circles. Pick the best album from every year you have been alive. The 2000s and '90s were easy. But my '80s music knowledge is pretty spotty. I know the albums by my favorite groups and the pop and new wave singles, but as for what was then called "College rock" I don't know more than few songs by The Jesus and Mary Chain, Cure, Smiths, Pogues, Nick Cave, Pixies, Husker Du, etc. Same goes with some of the critically acclaimed pop artists like Prince and Paul Simon, who supposedly have solid albums to back up the singles. I only have two ears, and it takes plenty of energy keeping up with all the new stuff, let alone continue to educate my self on the '80s. If only I could write this list going back to the 70s and 60s, I could have a more informed selection. The next installment will be an album for every year before I was born.
1985 Talking Heads - Little Creatures
1986 Beastie Boys - License to Ill
1987 REM - Document
1988 N.W.A. - Straight Outta Compton 1989 Black Crowes - Shake your money Maker Close Second - Beastie Boys - Paul's Boutique Honorable Mention - Red Hot Chili Peppers - Mother's Milk 1990 A Tribe Called Quest - People's Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm
1991 Nirvana - Nevermind Close Second - Pearl Jam - Ten (of course)
1992 R.E.M. - Automatic for the People Close Second - Rage Against the Machine - Rage Against the Machine Honorable Mention - Eric Clapton - Unplugged
1993 Wu Tang Clan - Enter the 36 Chambers Close Second - Smashing Pumpkins - Siamese Dream Honorable Mentions - Nirvana - In Utero Pearl Jam - Vs. Snoop Doggy Dog - Doggystyle
1994 Weezer - (Blue Album) Close Second - Pearl Jam - Vitalogy Honorable Mention - Beck - Mellow Gold
1995 Smashing Pumpkins - Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness Close Second - Radiohead - the Bends Honorable Mention - Ben Folds Five - Ben Folds Five
1996 Beck - Odeley Close Second - Eels - Beautiful Freak Honorable Mentions - Cake - Fashion Nugget Wilco - Being There Weezer - Pinkerton Rage Against The Machine - Evil Empire
1997 Radiohead - OK Computer
1998 Lauryn Hill - The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill Honorable Mentions - Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea Beck - Mutations
2001 Spoon - Girls Can Tell Honorable Mention - Ryan Adams - Gold
2002 Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Close Second - People under the Stairs - O.S.T. Honorable Mention - White Stripes - White Blood Cells The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots Black Keys - Big Come Up Blackalicious - Blazing Arrow
2003 White Stripes - Elephant Close Second - The Shins - Chutes Too Narrow Honorable Mention - Kings of Leon - Youth & Young Manhood
2004 Black Keys - Rubber Factory Close Second - Wilco - A Ghost is Born
2005 My Morning Jacket - Z Honorable Mentions - Kings of leon - Aha Shake Heartbreak
2006 Bob Dylan - Modern Times Honorable Mentions - The Black Angels - Passover Tapes n Tapes - The Loon Decemberists - The Crane Wife
2007 Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga Honorable Mentions - Radiohead - In Rainbows Amy Winehouse - Back to Black Arcade Fire - Neon Bible Okkervil River - The Stage Names Band of Horses - Cease to Begin Panda Bear - Person Pitch LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver
I don't have the energy for "High Violet."
