12-28-2007: 2007 Best Album Of The Year
If you have Rhapsody, here is the playlist: Click Here!
Here’s the list:
1. The Maccabees – Colour It In
Hands down, the best album and the best band of 2007. I can’t wait for their follow up. It’s a shame that these guys didn’t get the marketing they deserved here in the U.S. Telecasters on fire and a voice that reminds you of the Cure. Who could ask for more?
2. Sean Hayes – Flowering Spade
3. Modest Mouse – We Were Dead Before the Ship Arrived
4. The Rounders – Wish I Had You
5. The Innocence Mission – We Walked Along In Song
6. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
7. Band of Horses – Cease To Begin
8. Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger
9. Nicole Atkins – Neptune City
10. JayMay – August Falling
11. The Editors – An End Has A Start
12-28-07: Angels and Airwaves, Buddy, JayMay, Daft Punk, Devendra Banhart, Nicole Atkins, Joshua James
So it’s the dead of winter. So you can’t go outside because it’s 15 degrees. So what? Who needs the sunlight when you’ve got these bands to hold you over until Spring.
Got Rhapsody? Want to listen to these artists? Click Here!
Angels and Airwaves – I-Empire
I always liked Blink 182. And now their lead singer has this band which does a great job at creating majestic pop rock ballads.
Buddy – Repairs and Alterations
How have I not heard of this guy before before? Gotta love that sound and the smooth melodies.
JayMay – Autumn Falling
I’ve been waiting for this album ever since her EP came out. She’s got one of these voices that fits in with any type of music. This album just makes me feel better after listening to it.
Daft Punk – Alive 2007
Wasn’t a fan of their last album (Human After All). They make up for that with this live album that mixes everything that they’ve done to create a frenetic state of euphoria that is more than the sum of its parts.
Devendra Banhart – Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon
Is it folk? Is it ragtime? Is it the reincarnation of the late sixties? I’m not sure what he’s singing about or what kind of music genre this guy is, but I like his stuff!
Nicole Atkins – Neptune City
At first she sounded like Stevie Nicks, which is a good thing because I like Stevie Nicks. I kept listening and listening and listening. She doesn’t sound like Stevie Nicks anymore – this is an artist in her own right. The album is hauntingly beautiful – everything about it is incredible: her voice, her songs, and the sound of the band. Hands down one of the best albums of the year.
Joshua James – The Sun Is Always Brighter
I’ve been wanting to listen to this album for a while now. But it’s not on Rhapsody. I finally splurged and bought it off of I-Tunes. Great sound – a voice like a bale of hay accomponied with a guitar that makes you think of the high plains on a moonlit night.
12-25-07: Band of Horses, Britney Spears, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, The Thrills, Jose Gonzalez, Maximo Park, Jay Clifford, Japancakes, The Bird and the Bee, Kanye West
Lots of great music this past fall. When school’s in session it’s almost next to impossible to write about it. Today is Christmas and I’ve found some time to post a blog before people open presents!
Oh…. here is a link a playlist if you want to hear these guys (you have to have Rhapsody): Click Here!
Band of Horses – Cease to Begin & Everything All The Time
Forlorn crooning with a Southern drawl from Washington State. Bittersweet and powerful melodies that pack a punch and leave you asking for more. I love the sound of these guys.
Britney Spears – Blackout
Further proof that it’s who you know, not what you know. The songs on the album are fun, danceable, and beat-rific. Whoever mixed the album and laid down the tracks should get the credit. The rest is just her obnoxious, breathy voice. Oh – one of my students point this out. Britney sounds like she’s throwing up when shes says “more” in “Gimme more.” Seriously. Listen for it the next time you hear the song.
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss -Raising Sand
Yes! The queen of Bluegrass and the king of Classic Rock team up to create a surprisingly GREAT folk album. Their voices form a perfect union with the light rock backdrop.
The Thrills – Teenager
These guys channel the essence of Californian adolescence. Ever since their album ” ” I’ve envied those that spend their youth on the West Coast. Then I discovered that these guys are from Ireland? It’s a strange, strange world.
Jose Gonzalez – In Our Nature
Smooth voice, smooth guitar, smooth sounds all around.
Maximo Park – A Certain Trigger
Not as polished as their most recent album, but still a good album. Be careful – some of these pop rock songs might leave a mark if you’re not too careful.
Jay Clifford – Driving Blind
Jump, Little Children (one of my favorite bands) broke up. Jay Clifford, their front-man, now carries the torch alone. The brooding crescendos that haunt your dreams from JLC are gone, but the magic of his brooding voice still brings his solo album alive.
Japancakes – Giving Machines & Loveless
Reasons why I like this band: 1. They are from Athens, Georgia. 2. They are instrumental. 3. They use a slide guitar. 4. They use a slide guitar. 5. They use a slide guitar.
The Bird and the Bee – The Bird and the Bee
Quirky yet catchy pop duo that mix electronica with instruments to create a sparse yet flush sound.
Kanye West – Graduation
Wasn’t a big fan of him slowing down Daft Punk’s song. But the other tracks are great – especially the one with Chris Martin. Plus, that one’s all about Chicago which makes it especially awesome.
12-22-07:Concert Recap – Andrew Bird, Keane, Tokyo Police Club, Interpol, Sean Hayes, Jenny Owen Youngs, Band of Horses, Cold War Kids
One of my goals with this blog was to write about the concerts that I attend. There’s just something about seeing a band live and the experience that you take away from the musicians as they make their magic.
Andrew Bird (Spring 2007 at the Riviera)
Jen came with me to this concert. Wasn’t very impressed by the opening act Apostles of Hustle. But Bird’s performance was incredible. It wasn’t as smooth as the studio cd, but still - it incredible watching him sing, whistle, play guitar, play the glockenspiel, play the violin, and play the violin like the guitar. I was blown away when I saw him play the violin like that. I thought it was a mandolin on the record.
The setup was just him and a percussionist. They used a digital mixer which looped sections of the songs to get the sound of a full scale band.
There was one moment in the concert where he or a crew member misplaced the mallet for the glockenspeil. When he realized it was nowhere to be found, he just played the part of the glockenspeil on the guitar. Nothing could stop that guy from playing the song. It was fascinating to watch music pour out from an individual like that.
Keane (Spring 2007 at the Riviera)
I have never been and will probably never again attend a concert like this. I arrived 15 minutes into Keane’s performance and was surprised when I noticed the ENTIRE audience of the Riviera on their feet, cheering for the band as they played.
The audience stayed on their feet the ENTIRE concert. The lead singer at one point just stared at the crowd for 20 seconds after one of the songs. People kept cheering and yelling and clapping. He smiled in bewilderment, looked at his bandmates, and then looked back at the crowd. He said, “For as long as I live, I will never forget this night Chicago.” Neither will I. It was like a spiritual experience – there was just this positive, awesome heartfelt energy flowing out from the crowd.
On the way home on the El, I ended up talking with another guy from the concert that told me he’s been to 2 other concerts that have been like that. One was a Guster concert and I forgot what the other was.
I was surprised at how good the band was. I had seen clips of them live before and wasn’t impressed – it sounded as if the lead singer was off key. But they were awesome at the Riviera. Everything sounded great and they put on a crazy good show.
Tokyo Police Club (10-08-07 at Schubas):
The bassist is the lead singer. He got on my nerves. So did the pianist. There are some guys that really feel music and they let it move them. For some musicians it works (like Dave Matthews - that guys got good rhythm and looks cool when he moves his feet while he plays guitar). Other musicians look like Elaine from Seinfeld. That’s what these guys looked like. The lead guitarist, however, was awesome. I had always wondered how they made the wailing guitar sound. I thought it was some type of amp or mixer, but it was just this guy moving playing the same note – moving his hand at supersonic speed on the same string. Overall it was a good concert.
Interpol (10-11-07 at Aragon Ballroom):
Not that great of a concert. But it wasn’t Interpol’s fault.
The Animals opened for them. HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE band. They were hideous.
Interpol was good. But the venue was crappy. First, I got into an argument with a guy that stood in front of me after I had staked out my space for 20 minutes. After he moved to the side (but was still invading my personal space), I still had problems seeing the band from the floor. The Aragon Ballroom must be great for someone if you’re 7 foot 7. Otherwise, it’s just a crappy venue for a show.
Sean Hayes (11-04-07 at Schubas):
Awesome as always. And now that I’m taking guitar lessons I even figured out how to play a few of his songs.
Jenny Owen Youngs (11-04-07 at Schubas):
She was good. The crowd at Schubas that night sucked. There was this woman who wouldn’t shut up, and Jenny Owen Youngs had to play referee betwen her and the people that were tired of her and vocal about it.
Band of Horses (11-11-07 at the Metro):
There was this band from Australia that opened for them. HORRIBLE. Band of Horses is indie folk rock. The other band was hard rock/heavy metal/psycho grunge. Whoever is responsible for pairing acts sometimes should be fired.
Band of Horses was awesome. The guys voice just works with the lyrics and the music. Good energy too. They might be the next Guster.
Cold War Kids (12-07-07 at the Metro):
Good show. There was a poet that was traveling with them that complemented them well. He went on first and was accomponied by the two brothers from CWK. One of them played guitar while the other played piano. It sounded pretty awesome.
Cold War Kids played a bunch of songs, including new ones. The new album will be good. Their performance was high energy and spastic. They reminded me of my students that can’t sit in one spot for longer than 10 seconds.
It’s always interesting how a person’s appearance can differ from what you imagine them to be after hearing their voice. I assumed the lead singer to be scrawny and slender. Nope. This guy looked like he could have played defensive end on his high school football team.
We unfortuneately did not stay for the entire concert. My throat felt sore going into the concert and by the time we left I knew I was coming down with something. I was sick the next two weeks.
