Shaunline... tumblng.

55. Guero by Beck (2005) I don’t think that when...

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 12:01:12 -0800

55. Guero by Beck (2005)

I don’t think that when “Loser” first launched Beck into public consciousness that very many people—fans and critics alike—could have foreseen such a long and varied career. Even with the landmark Odelay, it was hard to decipher what to make of this guy.

Charting with “Loser” and it’s younger brother “Where It’s At,” the slack-rap style only captured part of the story, and in this decade Beck built upon his almost schizophrenic need to make all kinds of music—folk, pop, straight country, hip-hop, soul, disco, noise rock… and more—strengthening his legend as one of the most varied pop stars in music history.

Thanks to Beck’s chameleon-like approach to a career, Guero was seen by some as a step back. While it may be the one record in the Beck catalog that sounds most like another (in this case, Odelay), in actuality, Guero is more an amalgamation of every album that preceded it, a fact that makes it possibly the most “Beck-like” album Beck has ever released.

The Beckism of the album means it’s all stylistically over the map, but in a good way. Whereas standard, sales-hungry, genre-hopping pop albums (see: Fergie-era Black Eyed Peas) feel like disparate collections of singles, Beck’s albums are always grounded in a natural cohesiveness.

This innate skill allows Beck to include the Spanish whiteboy hip-hop of the title track “Que Onda Guero” alongside “Girl,” a contradictorily sunny electro-pop song about kidnapping. On the vaguely Brazilian “Missing,” you begin to understand after a mere 4 songs that Guero the album collects styles from all of Beck’s previous work, from the light folk-rock of Mutations to the crunch of Odelay, and so on. The end result sounds something like a B-sides companion to a greatest hits record, only these tracks much more than afterthoughts.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by this Artist:
?? Sea Change (2002), ?? Modern Guilt (2008)
#149 The Information (2006)
#155 Record Club: Velvet Underground & Nico (2009)
#347 Modern Guilt Acoustic (2009)
#452 Record Club: Songs of Leonard Cohen (2009)

56. Descended Like Vultures by Rogue Wave (2005) I wish I knew...

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 11:01:00 -0800

56. Descended Like Vultures by Rogue Wave (2005)

I wish I knew what happened to Rogue Wave’s cred in the time that’s passed since this album’s release. Sure, leaving Sub Pop for Brushfire Records—Jack Johnson’s label released the band’s 2007 album, Asleep at Heaven’s Gate—probably didn’t help, but where did all the love go? Even the snobs at Pitchfork raved about this band once upon a time.

And yet five years later, they’re almost forgotten, and certainly not as hip as they once might have been. Luckily hipness was never a factor for me. Actually, it worked against them. It still does.

At the heart of the band called Rogue Wave is an average Bay Area dude who writes sensitive songs with an occasional layer of fuzz and lo-fi rock to bolster the message. That’s probably what got the band so much buzz in the beginning (that and the inevitable Shins references at a time when that band was riding a wave of popularity), but in the end, Rogue Wave is a pretty cut and dry case of sensitive guy rock.

This of course explains why I love their music so much. Whether in quiet moments like “Salesman at the Day of the Parade” or on punchy, poppy numbers like album opener “Bird on a Wire” or The OC-backed “Publish My Love,” Rogue Wave nestles smoothly into a niche somewhere between indie rock and soft rock. They’re not really fit for either world, but it’s that dichotomy that makes them interesting.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by this Artist:
?? Out of the Shadow (2004)
#275 Asleep at Heaven’s Gate (2007)

57. Demolition by Ryan Adams (2002) If one takes the cover art...

Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:00:58 -0800

57. Demolition by Ryan Adams (2002)

If one takes the cover art and title of Ryan Adams’ third album literally, one might think that these were tossed-off demos that he just up and decided one day to release on record. For the prolific Adams, who in addition to his whopping 9 albums released in the 2000s has countless full-record bootlegs available on the net, this might be a reasonable assumption.

If it is the case, and Demolition really is a series of rough sketches, throwaway ideas and not-quite-there songs, then the album also serves as a testament to why, for all his faults and lack of self-editing, Ryan Adams is one of the best songwriters of his generation.

For demos, some of these songs are pretty refined in their simplicity. “Cry On Demand,” with nothing more than Adams guitar, voice and a plaintive piano melody, is an altogether pleasant slice of melancholy. “Starting to Hurt” is a likeable ancestor of the rock-oriented approach of (the aptly titled) Rock ‘n’ Roll. Even the one-joke “Tennessee Sucks” manages to win me over thanks to the “anything goes” charm of these sessions.

Even in the starkest moments, Adams shines, like on “She Wants to Play a Game of Hearts,” “Dear Chicago” and “Tomorrow,” each finding a heart within their morose lyrics. The best and most complete track though is “Chin Up, Cheer Up,” a true country song worthy of inclusion on either Heartbreaker or Gold. All in all, Demolition is a surprisingly varied, textured work for something so unfinished and unfettered.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by this Artist:
#77 Gold (2001)
#97 Love Is Hell (2003)
#181 Heartbreaker (2000)
#250 Cold Roses (2005)
#258 Easy Tiger (2007)
#287 Jacksonville City Nights (2005)
#300 Cardinology (2008)
#489 29 (2005)
#536 Rock ‘n’ Roll (2003)

Huh. Who knew? Scientists spot nearby ‘super-Earth’

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 23:54:48 -0800

Huh. Who knew? Scientists spot nearby ‘super-Earth’

Tallest Man on Earth - I Won’t Be Found (Daytrotter...

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 10:07:16 -0800

Tallest Man on Earth - I Won’t Be Found (Daytrotter Session)

I don’t know how I missed this back in October, but there’s a fantastic 4-song session with Kristian Mattson up on Daytrotter. I especially like this slower, piano-backed version of “I Won’t Be Found.”

It’s hard to believe it was now more than a year ago (370 days to be exact) since I flew across the country to see him perform live with Bon Iver. It’s one of my all-time live music highlights.

(via)

I totally meant to watch Jason Segel & the Broken West...

Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:16:40 -0800

I totally meant to watch Jason Segel & the Broken West perform “Dracula’s Lament” on the TV, but then I got busy with a project that kept me up until 2am. I didn’t even remember to set my Tivo. Luckily it’s already on the YouTube.

Inside Look at Frank Chimero and his super-cool Slaughter-House...

Tue, 15 Dec 2009 09:34:20 -0800

Inside Look at Frank Chimero and his super-cool Slaughter-House Five poster. I really loved that book, and always wanted to see Billy Pilgrim’s tale turned into a graphic novel. Chimero does a great job of translating the book’s central themes in his poster (the final is at bottom right, or huge here). (via)

My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-12-13)

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:37:17 -0800

My Top 5 Artists (Week Ending 2009-12-13):

Imported from Last.fm Tumblr by JoeLaz

Natalie Portman to star in ‘Pride and Prejudice and...

Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:51:43 -0800

Natalie Portman to star in ‘Pride and Prejudice and Zombies’

Nice 2-minute Photoshop.

Me, on stage at The Gorge in 1985, previously known as the...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:58:13 -0800

Me, on stage at The Gorge in 1985, previously known as the Champs de Brionne Winery Amphitheater. (my flickr)

58. Friend and Foe by Menomena (2007) My endless love for Friend...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 19:13:45 -0800

58. Friend and Foe by Menomena (2007)

My endless love for Friend and Foe begins and ends with three and a half minutes of perfect pop. “Wet and Rusting” wasn’t simply my favorite song of 2007, nor the decade. From the very first listen, it became one of my favorite songs of all time. It was autobiographical even before I knew how, and even now, I’m continually reinterpreting the text as I age and evolve.

It’s rare and somewhat miraculous when a single song can have such an enduring effect on me. “Wet and Rusting” does so not only lyrically but musically. From the opening flutter of odd sounds, I am perpetually entranced. The triangular twinkles and falsetto backing vocals provide the song a fantastical, fairy tale feel. The lyrics are simple, yet reveal hidden depths, like a Grimm Brothers fairy tale or a Seussian poem. The effect is amplified in the final minute by a tumbling piano and churning percussion, and by the end of the song I’m rapt with a peculiar (but welcome) mix of joy and sadness.

So yeah, about the rest of the album, since it’s pretty great too… What I love most about Menomena, and especially this artistic breakthrough album, is that the Portland trio makes pop music. It’s wildly eccentric, often dark, and note entirely inviting on first listen, thanks to wailing harmonies, unusual time signatures, and an almost claustrophobic percussion. Yet, at its heart, Friend and Foe is relatable pop music.

Take the growing pains anthem (and album opener) “Muscle ‘n Flo,” for example. “There’s so much more left to do / But I’m not young / But I’m not through / Tiny scores, tiny rooms / Lofty goals met too soon,” echoes the refrain. In those few words, we all can see ourselves, trapped not only by time, but by our own insecurities. We have all these things we want to achieve, but when we get there, we never quite feel as though we’re ready or deserving.

Menomena can rest assured that whatever accolades they’ve received thanks to Friend and Foe are entirely appropriate, while I can anxiously await all that they have left to do in their promising career.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by members of Menomena:
#94 Your Anchor by Lackthereof (2008)
#427 Intuit by Ramona Falls (2009)

ps. It should be noted that the freaky, hyper-detailed, interactive cover art for Friend and Foe—one of the most intriguing works of album art I’ve seen in ages—was created by Craig Thompson of Blankets fame. Blankets is supposedly one of the best books of the decade, but sadly I have not yet read it.

59. House With No Home by Horse Feathers (2008) Horse Feathers...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 18:13:16 -0800

59. House With No Home by Horse Feathers (2008)

Horse Feathers is a strange name. It’s supposed to be a stand-in for pure nonsense, but somehow it accurately describes the sound of Justin Ringle’s band of merry folksters. House With No Home is filled with fragile melodies and whispered words, but there is a hardy, exacting underpinning to this music.

House is also, like Mr. Parker’s lamp in A Christmas Story, indescribably beautiful. From first listen, Horse Feathers sounded to me like the best of early Jars of Clay. Yet when I went back and listened to their first two records, I heard nothing like this. Instead, I marveled at how much more spiritual Horse Feathers is when compared Jars of Clay’s overtly religious songwriting.

What Horse Feathers do sound like is an exceptionally arranged folk band which uses standard instrumentation while managing to create a new standard. Without a drum kit to dominate the proceedings (I say this as a percussion enthusiast), the songs are instead built upon the interplay between the other instruments, almost as if they were in a conversation.

This heavily orchestrated approach serves the songs well. Most of the songs oscillate between quiet and quieter, but that dichotomy is enough to infuse these songs with a welcome vivacity. “Rude to Rile” and “A Burden” are fine examples of the band’s ability to rise above the presuppositions of acoustic music and reach something close to what the cool kids these days are calling rock music.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by this Artist:
#385 Words Are Dead (2006)

60. Veneer by Jose Gonzalez (2005) I’m sure I heard songs...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 17:11:52 -0800

60. Veneer by Jose Gonzalez (2005)

I’m sure I heard songs from it before then, but my first memory of Veneer comes courtesy of “Heartbeats” in the wee hours of July 5, 2005. Exhausted from a long day working in the hot sun, I was helping put the finishing touches on post-Independence Day cleanup at Gas Works Park.

I honestly don’t remember much else about that day or that night, but that song, in all its bittersweetness, has always recalled this time and place. For me, attachment is one of the most crucial things about a song. Its power and greatness can elevate or deflate simply by memories I can associate with it. “Heartbeats” is a good memory.

So too was seeing Jose Gonzalez a year later at Bumbershoot, first performing the haunting “Crosses” with Zero 7 on Broad Street, then immediately trekking all the way across Seattle Center to Northwest Court, where the man and his guitar performed the same song to even greater effect.

It’s always curious how one voice and one instrument can produce such a rich, emotionally dense sound. Gonzalez’s folky take on classical guitar at times seems like a gimmick, but that feeling lasts about as long as one song. After that, I realize that to encumber this music with anything else would be to strip away the raw intimacy of this simple approach.

Quiet and peaceful as it is, Veneer is an album I always try and put on as background music—for a lazy Sunday, or for some light reading. Then about three minutes into the album I stop everything I’m doing and just listen. In the age of iPods and personal soundtracks, this is a rarity and a gift.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by this Artist:
#126 In Our Nature (2007)

61. I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers (2009) I’ve...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 16:09:52 -0800

61. I and Love and You by The Avett Brothers (2009)

I’ve seen The Avett Brothers live four times in the past two years. The first time was in a club so densely packed all I could do was squish against the wall and listen. I marveled then that this many people could be this excited about music from the hill country. Amazingly, from then on, every audience has been larger and more enthusiastic than the previous, every venue more auspicious than the last.

It’s still hard to believe this familial country band from North Carolina (though now, sadly, based in New York) could rise so far so fast, to the point where Rick Rubin would produce their major label debut. Though Rubin’s steady hand has guided the Avetts to a more sophisticated, “citified” version of themselves, the heart of this hard-working band still beats.

Toiling for years in obscurity, 2007’s Emotionalism set the tone for The Avett Brothers’ eventual breakthrough this year. Building their legend thanks to a fearless, energetic live show (I’m still mad I missed their ‘07 Bumbershoot performance), the groundswell of adulation has carried them here.

I and Love and You, despite the Rubin touches, is not that different from earlier Avett efforts. Brothers Scott and Seth are still deeply sensitive country boys looking for love and truth as they find their way in life, trying their darnedest to be good men.

You know, saying that makes me wonder how this earnestness hasn’t worked against them. They’re almost too nice, something that’s usually the kiss of death for the arbiters of cool. And yet The Avett Brothers are almost impossibly cool, probably for being such dorky romantics. It doesn’t hurt that they make music that burns with authenticity.

It also doesn’t hurt that the time is ripe for yet another revival of traditional Appalachian country and folk music. It’s been nearly ten years, after all, since the unexpected (and somewhat unbelievable) breakout success of the O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack. Though I don’t think The Avett Brothers will fall out of favor as quickly as that music did. They’re young, they’re likable fellas, and they’re operating almost entirely by themselves in the re-popularization of the genre.

That said, I’m sure like many other southern boys (Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket) who preceded them this decade (in the public eye, at least), The Avett Brothers will evolve slowly but surely away from this sound. I’m more than happy to join them on that journey, however, if it continues to be as thrilling as I and Love and You, an album anchored by aching ballads like the title track, “Ten Thousand Words,” and the winsome “Laundry Room.”

I feel like I’ve barely talked about the album itself, only circumstances surrounding it, so let me close with this: I and Love and You is full of rich harmonies, heartfelt singing, and a typically unabashed joie de vivre that comes through in every single track. Seek out this record, pick up Emotionalism and both Gleam EPs, and most of all, do yourself a favor and go see The Avett Brothers live before they’re playing arenas and stadiums. It won’t be long.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by this Artist:
#137 Emotionalism (2007)
#463 Country Was (2002)
#473 Mignonette (2004)

62. Hey You. Yes You. by Ben Lee (2002) A Ben Lee fan since...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 15:08:29 -0800

62. Hey You. Yes You. by Ben Lee (2002)

A Ben Lee fan since Grandpaw Would, I eagerly anticipated his third solo record Hey You. Yes You. It promised to be something entirely different from the Aussie singer-songwriter. Beginning with his fuzzy, lo-fi debut all the way to the deeply personal and matured Breathing Tornados, Ben Lee has never really been known for leftfield artistry, making Hey You notable for its production from hip-hop mastermind Dan the Automator.

It’s a curious pairing for both parties. Coming off the buzz of the first Gorillaz album, Dan Nakamura wouldn’t be the first person most people would think for a straightforward pop singer. For lots of reasons, this collaboration shouldn’t work. And for lots of listeners and critics alike, it didn’t. Yet these pretensions are exactly why the album is so enjoyable.

Consumers weren’t the only ones wary of the record. Before it was even released, it was pushed back in America. So I bought it from Australia. It certainly wouldn’t be the last time my fandom would lead me to such extravagant purchases of Ben Lee-related music.

Hey You isn’t Ben’s most personal effort—naked honesty is where his star truly shines—but it retains his keen ear for a pop hook. “Running with Scissors” and “Dirty Mind” are instantly catchy, and not just for their defiant, youthful messages. Ben may have grown up on this record, but it’s difficult to take the inner child out of a musician who began his career at the ripe old age of 13.

One of the best signs of maturity on the record is the winking metaphor of “No Room to Bleed,” easily the strongest track on the album. Layering a modular beat atop a lilting piano, Ben sings a breakup song years before he would write his breakup album, proving yet again that some of the most enduring love songs are written about what once was, and what could be again.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by this Artist:
?? Awake is the New Sleep (2005)
#169 Ripe (2007)
#485 Rebirth of Venus (2009)

Can Odd Blood just come out now,...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 14:18:31 -0800

Can Odd Blood just come out now, please?

petervidani:

scout:

yeasayer - i remember

this is just beautiful.

Ebert said “meh” to this Movie Posters of the Decade...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:41:24 -0800

Ebert said “meh” to this Movie Posters of the Decade list, but I think there are some excellent choices here, including this Savages poster. I always wanted one of these.

Great movie posters of the decade - Roger Ebert’s...

Sun, 13 Dec 2009 10:01:08 -0800

Great movie posters of the decade - Roger Ebert’s Journal

I forgot how good this poster was. Movie’s great too, by the way.

63. Late Registration by Kanye West (2005) By the time Late...

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 14:13:52 -0800

63. Late Registration by Kanye West (2005)

By the time Late Registration debuted in late summer ‘05, Kanye had already helped mastermind one of my favorite hip-hop records of the year (Common’s Be, #153 on my list). With his growing legend as rapper/producer extraordinaire—thankfully usurping Diddy as the go-to egotastic genius of hip-hop—I had high expectations for Kanye’s sophomore album. I wasn’t the only one.

Luckily for all of us, the album managed to somehow exceed the hype. When I saw Kanye live at Sasquatch back in May of ‘05, he was in full hip-hop diva mode, taking an extra 20 minutes for his stage setup, then simply a DJ table and a couple mics. By the time his Bumbershoot 2006 performance rolled around, he had morphed into a complete artist, onstage and off. The diva was still there, but now it was sublimated by the music, chiefly the songs of Late Registration.

Though “Gold Digger” never held sway over me the way it did the rest of America, Kanye’s second record is filled with killer hooks, another slew of choice guest spots, and a few ingenious samples. The most obvious example of the latter would be ‘Ye’s reworking of Shirley Bassey’s “Diamonds are Forever” into the surprisingly potent political screed “Diamonds from Sierra Leone.” While I’m never quite convinced that the issue is actually important to the man himself, it’s laudable of Mr. West to bring a different kind of social consciousness to rap than we’re used to.

Meanwhile, the most trite use of sampling in hip-hop, ’70s soul, also happens to produce the single most enjoyable song in the entire Kanye West catalog. “Touch the Sky” soars upon the joyous horns of Curtis Mayfield’s “Move On Up,” resulting in the highest honor for a rap sample: causing me to appreciate the original tune just as much as the new one.

Elsewhere, the album is filled with equally surprising quieter turns. The semi-hatable Adam Levine of the mostly-hatable Maroon 5 croons effectively over the tinkling piano of “Heard ‘Em Say.” On “Hey Mama,” West takes another hip-hop cliché and finds the truth within. It’s not the most original conceit, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.

It’s a sentiment which probably could describe most of what Kanye has done in this decade, even on the bold misstep 808s & Heartbreak. He’s not an innovator, but he’s no Diddy either. Operating in that narrow middle ground, Kanye is an aggregator and a coolhunter. He takes the ideas and trends bubbling just under the surface and promulgates them to the masses. In that sense, Kanye West might be the most representative artist voice of the decade.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by this Artist:
#81 The College Dropout (2004)
#536 Graduation (2007)
#649 808s & Heartbreak (2008)

64. Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear (2009) There are artists, songs...

Sat, 12 Dec 2009 13:11:37 -0800

64. Veckatimest by Grizzly Bear (2009)

There are artists, songs and albums which I love immediately and without reservation. There are others who take longer to seep in; sometimes unexpectedly, sometimes unconsciously. Situated firmly in between these two poles is Grizzly Bear.

Three years ago, I heard parts of Yellow House here and there and thought nothing of it. I even had “Knife” and “On a Neck, On a Spit” in my library, each tagged with three stars after only two listens. Then one day in ‘07 I heard “Spit” on a TV show (Reaper, of all things) and something clicked.

I’m never sure why the brain works like that, why so suddenly I can make an about-face. Perhaps the change within was percolating on the back burner in those intervening days and weeks, so on that fateful day the song simply acted like an alarm stirring me from my slumber.

Eventually I would’ve awoken on my own, I’m sure, and if I hadn’t rediscovered Grizzly Bear’s Yellow House, I most certainly would’ve made that discovery with Veckatimest. Actually, the ephiphany would’ve come one year ago, when “While You Wait for the Others” ruled the internet airwaves thanks to a pitch-perfect performance on the venerable Morning Becomes Eclectic.

If “While You Wait” loses a little luster on the album is only the fault of the live version’s over-saturation. Or perhaps it is simply overshadowed by the astounding “Two Weeks,” which exquisitely captures Grizzly Bear’s trademark Brian Wilsonesque choral harmonies.

Veckatimest has proven already to be a major breakthrough for this artful Brooklyn quartet, but I think it’s just the beginning. The melodies here are stronger and more indelible than everything prior (excluding the aforementioned “Knife” and “Spit,” of course), but there’s still an inscrutable quality to this music. For many, I’m sure that’s a huge part of the band’s allure, but for me, the world that’s now opening up to Grizzly Bear will only enable them to do the same in turn. Veckatimest, therefore, is only the beginning.

(part of my Best Albums of the 2000s list)

Also by this Artist:
#268 Yellow House (2006)