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Friday, September 30, 2005
Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Some old mix disc covers...
I had a hard drive crash and thought I lost a bunch of my early mix disc covers, but thanks to a redisgn at the Art of the Mix site i was able to at least pull some low-res versions....
Tuesday, September 6, 2005
Sunday, August 28, 2005
Pages from ye old Moleskine sketchbook
Random doodles and cartoons from the Moleskine.
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Monday, December 27, 2004
My Top 20 Albums of 2004
My Top 20 Albums of 2004
01 - FRANZ FERDINAND / Franz Ferdinand (Domino) - Arty post-punk pop that’s smart, fun, tightly played, and totally captivating. This record is so loaded with favorite songs that it plays like a singles collection.
02 - A.C. NEWMAN - The Slow Wonder (Matador) - AC Newman delivers a minor pop masterpiece that combines the best elements of his past bands (New Pornographers and Zumpano) along with bits of the Posies, Zombies, ELO, Brian Wilson, Kinks, and assorted classic power pop outfits.
03 - AMBULANCE LTD - Ambulance Ltd (TVT) - New York band that sounds very British - at times it’s shoegazer pop similar to Ride and other times it’s Teenage Fanclub midtempo pop.
04 - THE KILLERS - Hot Fuss (Island) - Vegas band with a big bombastic rhythm section, blazing guitars, sharp synth lines, and an over the top lead vocalist. This was one of the records I always had in my car and if the second half of the album was even close to being as strong as the first 6 songs it could been my #2.
05 - THE FUTUREHEADS - The Futureheads (679 Records) - England’s Futureheads make herky jerky art punk/pop that recalls early albums from Wire, XTC, Adam and the Ants, the Jam, and Gang of Four.
06 - DIVISION OF LAURA LEE - Das Not Compute (Burning Heart) - For their second album these Swedes get a bit moodier with their meld of American garage rock and British new wave.
07 - MORRISSEY - You Are the Quarry (Attack/Sanctuary) - Morrissey returns after 7 years with his strongest solo album yet.
08 - PEDRO THE LION - Achilles Heel (Jade Tree) - Confident melodic melancholia that sounds like it could be the Lemonheads album Evan Dando always tried to make.
09 - EVENING - Other Victorians (Lookout!) - Imagine Bends era Radiohead melodies and guitars with some of the sound experimentation and sonic effects of OK Computer and you have an idea of where Evening are coming from.
10 - DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS - Please Describe Yourself (V2) - Fun new wave pop with the ska bounce of Madness and the quirkiness of Drums and Wires era XTC.
11 - THE FINN BROTHERS - Everyone Is Here (Nettwerk) - Impeccable harmonies and intricately crafted melodies make this a subtle pop gem. It’s an album that takes a few listens to fully sink in, but also one that stands up to endless plays.
12 - GREEN DAY - American Idiot (Reprise) - I was a little frightened by the idea of Green Day tackling a political concept album, but the riffs are strong and the hooks are plentiful and it just plain rocks. More mature but still Green Day, which for me, is a very good thing.
13 - DYKEHOUSE - Midrange (Ghostly International) - Lush electronica shoegazer recorded entirely on a home computer by one Michigan college art student with a My Bloody Valentine fixation.
14 - THE LEGENDS - Up Against the Legends (Lakeshore Records) - They steal from the brighter Jesus and Mary Chain songs and the more rocking side of the Smiths and deliver a summer pop album of fuzzy guitars and sugary choruses (and a lot of handclaps).
15 - THE STREETS - A Grand Don’t Come For Free (Vice/679) - Mike Skinner weaves stories of life’s everyday minutia on top of minimalist hip-hop beats and lo-fi production with a thick, monotone British accent. It doesn’t sound like the ingredients for a great album, but somehow he pulls it all together and makes one of the years most interesting records.
16 - MISSION OF BURMA / OnOffOn (Matador) - After 22 years, MoB pick up exactly where they left off with the same intensity and sonic energy of their younger selves.
17 - THE BLUE STATES - The Soundings (Memphis Industries UK) - Pastoral pop from the UK in the vein of Talk Talk or the Chameleons.
18 - CHRIS STAMEY - Travels in the South (Yep Roc) - Relaxed mature pop that isn’t as immediate as what he was doing 20 years ago, but the melodies are beautiful, the musicianship is stellar, and the songwriting recalls the charms of the Holsapple/Stamey album.
19 - SNOW PATROL - Final Straw (A&M/Polydor) - Scotland’s Snow Patrol take the Coldplay playbook and fuzz up the guitars a bit and give all of the songs some extra oomph. Nothing new here, but every song is worth repeated plays.
20 - THIRDIMENSION - Permanent Holiday (Hidden Agenda) - Swedish band that plays a hook filled combination of 60’s psych rock and modern Britpop - like a catchier Soundtrack of Our Lives.
SOME CLOSE CONTENDERS: GRAHAM COXON, THE LIVING END, JEM, CAMERA OBSCURA, CHOMSKY, SCISSOR SISTERS, INTERPOL, MANIC STREET PREACHERS, REIGNING SOUND, AIR, KEREN ANN, AMERICAN MUSIC CLUB, and HINT HINT.
Sunday, December 28, 2003
My Top 20 Albums of 2003
My Top 20 Albums of 2003
1. FOUNTAINS OF WAYNE / Welcome Interstate Managers (S-Curve)
To my ears
FOW have now made three consecutive perfect pop albums (the only other
band I can say that about is the dBs back in the 80's). Like the other
two, this album is loaded with memorable hooks, seemingly effortless
harmonies, and lyrics that play out like short stories. Pop fun of the
highest degree.
2. BUZZCOCKS / Buzzcocks (Merge)
25 years
into their career the Buzzcocks return with their most aggressive record
ever and their strongest songs since 1993's comeback album, Trade Test
Transmissions.
3. THE 88 / Kind of Light (EMK Records)
LA band that
owes a huge debt in sound and style to The Kinks (Village Green thru
Muswell Hillbillies to be exact). They have a rootsy vibe without ever
dipping their toes into the country pool. Retro without sounding dated.
4. PERNICE BROTHERS / Yours, Mine & Ours (Ashmont Records)
For the
third album the band's sound is a bit fuller and the songs are a little
poppier without losing any of the subtle charm that made their earlier
records so special.
5. MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY / Us (Blanco Y Negro)
Giant lush production and summery melodies that sounds like a Brit-pop Pet Sounds.
6. THE KINGSBURY MANX / Aztec Discipline (Overcoat Records)
Dreamy pop with a slightly psychedelic folk slant that falls somewhere between early Pink Floyd and a less morose Elliott Smith.
7. SLOAN / Action Pact (VIK/BMG Canada)
Sloan
records are always a sampler platter of rock/pop references, but for me
they are at their best when the guitars are louder and the rhythms have
some ooomph. This record rocks the way One Chord To Another did oh so
many years ago.
8. NEW PORNOGRAPHERS / Electric Version (Matador)
Jangley
guitars and bouncy choruses that expand and improve on where the debut
left off. I thought that their first album didn't quite live up to the
hype (partly driven by the music press' deserved devotion to Neko Case)
while this exceeded it.
9. WIRE / Send (Pink Flag)
Compiling
cuts from two EPs with some new songs, Wire's first new album in a
decade is a cohesive collection of edgy buzz punk that seamlessly
combines the art angst of the early records with the dance grooves of
the band's second phase in the late 80's.
10. KENNA / New Sacred Cow (Columbia)
Synthpop
revivalism with herky-jerky keyboards and new wave riffs that sound at
home along side Soft Cell and the first Depeche Mode records. At times
the vocals shift between Dave Gahan and Simon LeBon and thanks to
production from Chad Hugo (Neptunes) the grooves are always tight and
upfront.
11. JOE STRUMMER & THE MESCALEROS / Streetcore (Hellcat Records)
I can't
think of anybody better than Joe Strummer at merging diverse cultural
influences into the punk rock aesthetic and still make the songs so damn
catchy.
12. PLACEBO / Sleeping With Ghosts (Astralwerks)
Glam punk
pop with an edgy tension on the fast songs and a slightly creepy vibe on
the slow songs (like a rock version of Massive Attack). The production
is great and highlights the innovative rhythm section (I love the
drumming throughout) and the whiney vocals that should bug me, but
don't.
13. BELLE & SEBASTIAN / Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Rough Trade)
This is the
first B&S album I've loved since Sinister. The band has abandoned
the blander twee leanings of their last few records in favor of stronger
songs with interesting melodies and lyrics with a subtle sense of humor
that recalls the early Smiths.
14. EXPLODING HEARTS / Guitar Romantic (Dirtnap)
This record
is totally out of place with today - it successfully emulates the pop
punk sound and energy of The Boys, Rich Kids, Radiators From Space, and
Vibrators. Unapologetically retro from the artwork to the snotty vocals
that sound like Pete Shelley (Buzzcocks) mixed with Jake Burns (Stiff
Little Fingers). Sadly three members of the band were killed in a van
accident shortly after the record came out.
15. LAPTOP / Don't Try This At Home (Gammon)
More 80's
new wave revivalism - this time from New York and the reference points
are Heaven 17, OMD, and most of all, the Human League. Along with the
loads of synths are crunching guitar chords and droll Bowie-esque vocals
that half sing, half speak the always interesting lyrics.
16. BEULAH / Yoko (Velocette Records)
Combine
Wilco's Summerteeth with Spoon's Girls Can Tell and you're in the
ballpark of Beulah. Every song's great individually, but the it plays
out better as an album. They jump genres a bit, but the record has a
slightly melancholy flow that is captivating.
17. THE FLESHTONES / Do You Swing? (Yep Roc Records)
This album
breaks no new ground and doesn't even rank in the better half of the
Fleshtones repertoire, but a by-the-numbers Fleshtones album is still
something to celebrate. Party garage music made to be danced to and sung
along with.
18. THE TYDE / Twice (Rough Trade)
California
pop that mines the same reference points as the Thrills, but with a
better ratio of catchy summery songs. Think later Byrds mixed in with
the Church and Felt. Three of the guys are from Beechwood Sparks, but
this is much better than anything that band did.
19. BOSS MARTIANS / The Set-up (MuSick Records)
Garagey punk/pop from Washington state that sounds like an adrenalin charged Graham Parker.
20. REDWALLS / Universal Blues (Undertow)
Less than
two years ago they were in their teens and called the Pages and sounded
exactly like Hamburg-era Beatles. Now they comfortably shift between the
early fabs and the more relaxed feel of early 70's John Lennon, the
Faces, and a looser Traffic. Depending on your perspective, they either
steal riffs like crazy or reference their heroes frequently. The music
is so damn sincere I vote for the latter.
21. EL GUAPO / Fake French (Dischord)
Electro art
punks making angular grooves that are at times mesmerizing and always
intriguing. They sound like a catchier Suicide or a less angry Gang of
Four.
22. THE HEAVENLY STATES / The Heavenly States (Future Farmer Recordings)
Textbook American indie rock somewhere between Archers of Loaf and Pavement.
23. THE SPACE TWINS / The End of Imagining (Raga Drop)
Side project from Weezer guitarist Brian Bell that is mostly laid back but catchy.
24. SLEEPY JACKSON / Lovers (Astralwerks)
The first
song sounds like George Harrison leading the Flaming Lips. The next song
is like a rootsier indie rock Stones. The next song is different from
those. The band genre jumps and dabbles in everything - usually to great
effect.
25. THE ORANGES BAND / All Around (Lookout! Records)
Edgy, jangley guitars and some delightfully off-kilter rhythms with an ear for a memorable pop hook.
26. ROONEY / Rooney (Geffen)
Generic college radio power pop that still managed to spend a lot of time in my CD player.
27. BLACK REBEL MOTORCYCLE CLUB / Take Them On, On Your Own (Virgin)
They tone
down the Jesus and Mary Chain influence (let the Ravonettes carry that
torch) and turn up the love and Rockets influence this go around.
28. FORTY FOOT RINGO / Funny Thing (Atenzia)
Big guitar
radio friendly pop that delves into the same terrain as Enuff Znuff. I'm
a little leary of even admitting this, but I recently found out that
the two main guys in the band were from 80's hair metal goons Trixter.
29. MYRACLE BRAH / Treblemaker (Rainbow Quartz)
Every other
MB record has ended up in my top 10, but this go around the songs are a
little flatter and the record lacks charm. But there are still some
songs so great I kept returning it.
30. IGGY POP / Skull Ring (Virgin)
After two
misfires Iggy returns with a records that rocks and has a lot of
memorable hooks. With the exception of Peeches all of the collaborations
work well - and the Stooges reunion manage to live up to expectations
(well, two of the Stooges cuts do).
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Sunday, December 29, 2002
My Top 30 albums of 2002
My Top 30 albums of 2002
1 IDLEWILD - Remote Part (EMI UK)
For their third album Idlewild are less punky and a bit more accessible without sacrificing any of the ferocious energy and powerful riffs of 100 Broken Windows. The Idlewild trademarks are all here - anthematic choruses, a forceful rhythm section, gigantic hooks, smart lyrics, and lots of guitar. But the Scots have matured and learned restraint, turning in a few slower songs that somehow still deliver the angst and tension of their earlier rockers. www.idlewild.co.uk/
2 ARLO - Stab the Unstoppable Hero (Sub Pop)
Distinctly American meat and potatoes pop rock with a whole lot of oomph. LA's Arlo don't do anything new, they just do it better than most. Muscular guitars, 60's garage styled songs run through the 2002 indie rock machine, and fun, catchy hooks-o-plenty. Amazingly great follow up to a mediocre debut. www.subpop.com
3 OK GO - OK Go (Capitol)
On their debut album, Chicago's OK Go merge skinny tie new wave with power pop and glam with a hint of art rock. They excel at energetic rockers with sing-a-long choruses (and verses!), tight harmonies, punchy guitars, and keyboards right off the first Cars album. But they also succeed at songs with more erratic experimental rhythms and on the slower moody pieces. The band takes chances and seems to always be pushing their limits, usually with stellar results. And having the best song of the year ("Get Over It") doesn't hurt either. www.okgo.net/
4 MODEL ROCKETS - Tell the Kids (The Cops Are Here) (Not Lame)
Model Rockets sound like Sound of Music era dBs if Chris Stamey stuck around to still sing leads on half of the songs. Produced by Scott McCaughey (Young Fresh Fellows) and Kurt Bloch (Fatbacks), the album is full of jangley guitars, carefree lyrics, and an overall sense of summery fun. The Model Rockets venture into Americana without getting country and they touch on mid 60's and early 80's pop without sounding retro. www.notlame.com
5 HOT HOT HEAT - Make Up the Breakdown (Sub Pop)
This British Columbia quartet sound like nobody else. They make herky-jerky new wave with manic energy like a crazed Wire or a way-over-the-top Go-2 era XTC. Whirling keyboards, eccentric funk basslines, and angular guitars play second fiddle to the erratic drumbeats and wailing vocals that sound like a totally cut loose Robert Smith. www.hothotheat.com
6 TOMMY KEENE - Merry-Go-Round Broke Down (Spin Art)
Tommy Keene is one of pop's most consistently great artists, always delivering high quality songs with killer hooks. In recent years he's turned up the guitars, and this go round the sound is even bigger, dabbling with horns and keyboards and even throwing in a sixteen minute epic in the middle of the album that fits in perfectly. www.tommykeene.com
7 FOOLS FACE - Fools Face (Fools Face)
Letter perfect, by the book, power pop from Springfield Missouri's great-underrated band, returning after a two-decade absence. They pick up right where they left off, with multi-layered harmonies and crisp pop hooks. This album sounds more like a career spanning singles collection rather than an album from a band that's been away for so long. www.notlame.com
8 MILES - Structure Vs Happiness (Feel)
German band that brings to mind a more rocking Teenage Fanclub or a poppier Ride or Swervedriver. Miles make energetic guitar pop with big power chords and head bobbing choruses. www.miles-music.com www.feelrecords.com
9 MYRACLE BRAH - Bleeder (Not Lame)
Myracle Brah originally started out as a side project for Love Nut's front man Andy Bopp, but has evolved into one of the most consistently interesting pop bands around. Armed with a collection of classic power pop songs, Bopp delivers about half of them as straight ahead pop rockers. For the other half he plays around with the arrangements and production, delving into more dissonant moody pop songs on some and loops on another and acoustic guitar and congas on yet another. www.notlame.com
10 THE SHAZAM - Tomorrow The World (Not Lame)
For their third album Nashville's The Shazam have given in to their rock roots. This is an album of meaty hooks that show influences of UK glam, the Move and early Who with the pop-rock sensibilities of Cheap Trick without sounding like any of those bands. www.theshazam.com www.notlame.com
11 APPLES IN STEREO - Velocity of Sound (Spin Art)
Stripping back their sound, the Apples make a hyper bubblegum garage album of bouncy psychedelic indie rock. applesinstereo.com
12 JURASSIC 5 - Power In Numbers (Interscope)
J5 write smart hip-hop songs heavily rooted in old school rhythms, and for their second album the pace is kept at a midtempo retro-funk groove. It's been a while since a hip-hop record excited me this much (Product Placement, also featuring master mixologist Cut Chemist), but J5 merge great mixing with a positive vibe and top-drawer vocal interplay. www.jurassic5.com
13 SUPERDRAG - Last Call for Vitriol (Arena Rock)
A return to form for the Knoxville quartet's fourth album: some big guitar radio-ready rockers, some classic power pop gems, and a few acoustic based numbers thrown in for good measure. www.superdrag.com
14 MULL HISTORICAL SOCIETY - Loss (Blanco Y Negro)
Lush Scottish pop that has elements of the Zombies, Beta Band, Badly Drawn Boy, and the melancholy late 60's songs of the Beach Boys. While there are many fine upbeat singles, the album works best as a whole piece. And I'm glad to see that someone else has a healthy Olivia Newton John obsession ("Watching Xanadu"). www.mullhistoricalsociety.com
15 MENTHOL - Danger: Rock Science! (Hidden Agenda)
A totally re-recorded version of the album they made for Capitol 3 years ago that never saw the light of day. Dipping heavily into the early Devo and Cars bag of tricks, Menthol bring their Midwestern rock back to the 80s with a collection of synth filled retro new wave rock songs. www.menthol-music.com www.parasol.com
16 FOO FIGHTERS - One By One (RCA)
For their fourth album the Foos are back on their game after the less-than-stellar last album. They rock harder this time, making Dave Grohl's whisper-to-scream delivery even more dynamic. www.foofighters.com
17 BRYAN FERRY - Frantic (Virgin)
Bryan's best solo album since...well, it's actually his best solo album. He seems to make references to his entire career without blatantly repeating any particular song or era. I had given up hope on Bryan making another great record, so this album was a welcome surprise. www.bryanferry.com
18 POSSIBILITIES - Way Out (Parasol)
The Possibilities are all over the board, going from a lush Phil Spector-ish epic to somewhat sloppy barroom pop. They appear to be most influenced by the heyday of AM radio from the mid 60s through the mid 70s. www.parasol.com
19 JETS TO BRAZIL - Perfecting Loneliness (Jade Tree)
JTB rehash a lot of ideas from their first two albums in a small step backwards. The pace is slowed down a bit (emo-core with more emo, less core) and many of the songs start out fine but go on too long. And would it kill them to at least act like they're having a little fun? A really good album that should have been great. www.jetstobrazilonline.com www.jadetree.com
20 PAUL WESTERBERG - Stereo (Mono) (Vagrant)
Another guy that I had written off that totally floored me! Armed with his best batch of songs since Tim, Paul tosses off song after song in the same seemingly effortlessly fashion he did in the first decade of his career. I love both albums, but prefer the looser recklessness of Mono. www.vagrant.com
21 BRENDAN BENSON - Lapalco (Star Time)
Brendan performs just about everything on this sophomore album (Jason Falkner helps a bit), which is filled with simple, catchy and vaguely rootsy pop melodies. www.brendanbenson.com
22 COLDPLAY - A Rush of Blood to the Head (Capitol)
It took the wonderment of "Clocks" to make me continually return to this album and finally realize that there's more to Coldplay than just "Yellow". www.coldplay.com
23 DOLEFUL LIONS - Out Like A Lamb (Parasol)
4th album, even more subdued than past efforts. Veering into orch pop at times, Doleful Lions are always challenging alternative conventions by playing songs that don't belong to any era or movement. www.parasol.com
24 SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES - Behind the Music (Universal)
Much hyped Swedish band that actually lives up to the hype. 1970 Detroit sound and melded to early 70's Stones, all with psychedelic grooves. www.tsool.com
25 ALEX LLOYD - Watching Angels Mend (Nettwerk)
One of the stronger singer-songwriters out there, Alex is armed with a spectacular voice and a well-crafted bunch of songs. He's one of the few new artists that can tackle emotional depths without sounding sappy.
www.nettwerkamerica.com
26 FINE CHINA - You Make Me Hate Music (Tooth and Nail)
American band that sound remarkably close to early 80's Britpop (Chameleons, Smiths, etc). www.toothandnail.com www.finechina.cc
27 HONEYRIDER - Sunshine Skyway (Orange Sky/Dionysus)
Light hearted pop from Florida that makes a perfect summer soundtrack, sounding a bit like the Primitives meets the Pooh Sticks with an almost cartoony early Beach Boys element thrown in. www.dionysusrecords.com
28 DOUG POWELL - The Lost Chord (Parasol)
4th album from Nashville one-man-band and former member of Swag (as well as a well publicized co-hort of Rundgren) - lots of ideas and studio effects wrapped around some fine songs, but I wish he spent a bit less time on the studio showboating and put some more effort on the songwriting. www.parasol.com
29 SPOON - Kill the Moonlight (Merge)
4th album from Britt Daniels is a disappointing follow-up to last year's Girls Can Tell (my #1 album of 2001). Many great moments, but unfortunately many unfulfilled ideas and apparently unfinished songs. www.spoontheband.com/
30 TOOTHPASTE 2000 - Instant Action (Hidden Agenda)
Seattle pop trio that alternates between male and female lead vocals. His songs are great, hers are good. Produced by Adam Schmitt www.toothpaste2000.org
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