Archive for January, 2009
Friday Mix 69
I could go with the easy and inevitable sex related music mix on this one but I decided against the obvious. This week went by fairly quickly and now it’s Super Bowl (don’t sue me for using that copyright) weekend. I really could care less about the game but it still represents the last quality football game of the season and is always bittersweet. The dog days of October have come and gone and now it’s time for baseball.
Jason Isbell – Seven-Mile Island
From the soon to be released self titled album on Feb. 17th comes this single. His last album was a bit of a letdown from what I was expecting. To be fair, my expectations were much too lofty as I was expecting songs as good, if not better, than “Outfit”. When I think about it this is a completely irrational expectation seeing as how that is one of the best songs written in the last 10 years. <insert quote regarding always expecting excellence> This song is very promising and I will definitely be purchasing the new album after Valentine’s day.
Speaking of new albums, Detroit Bar favorites the Black Lips have a new song out off of their soon to be released new album. Definitely not what you have heard from them in the past. Maybe all of the latest craziness that happened with them in India wore off on the album. You know, since that could definitely happen to an album that has been finished for months before their trip to India. Makes sense to me!
San Diego noise maker getting in on the buzz as of late. Very good, melodic if not almost ambient noise. I know, this sounds horrible but give it a listen and I’m sure you will be pleasantly surprised. This definitely won’t be on the radio anytime soon but it also won’t be a jarring as an opening band for Wolf Eyes.
Ronnie Milsap – Daydreams About Night Things
I’ve started many playlists on iTunes/MediaMonkey with the best of intentions. Be it a single subject (aka Love) or a compilation for someone. Usually I end up forgetting I have these and never add to them until a song comes along to make me remember the list one more time at which point I realize the list I’m thinking of is on my work/home computer and/or I reinstalled and don’t have it. Repeat. This song was one of those that I had thought of when creating a country mix for my parents. Thus I’ve started this again but am thinking twice about the addition of this song and the playlist in general. This is yet another 80’s radio staples with subtle filthy lyrics. I really don’t know that I want to send my parents a song with the lyrics, “I’m havin day dreams, about night things, in the middle of the afternoon…” If I keep this up I’m sure not going to have much of a mix CD anytime soon. Still, it’s a great song and this week’s country addition.
Friday Mix 68
Going camping at Anza Borrego. Gotta get to work on what the weekend’s playlist will be. Likely including some of the following. Gave a good one.
This week’s pure pop song that will be in your head for the weekend.
The National – So Far Around the Bend (link removed)
A new song by the National off of the highly anticipated charity album, Dark Was the Night. Very good work by this great band. I think everyone is hoping for a new album soon. (Charity album out Feb. 16th, buy it!)
Department of Eagles – No One Does it Like You
These guys didn’t get nearly the attention they deserved last year. Their concert tonight at the Troubadour did sell out though which is good news for them. I’d have been there if it weren’t for the camping.
The Flying Burrito Brothers – Hot Burrito #1
I figured this to be fitting seeing as how Gram Parsons favorite place in the world was the desert, Joshua Tree to be specific. I can’t recommend the Flying Burrito Brothers and the Byrds enough for old school alt. country.
Friday Mix 67
My first full day Friday post in over two months. Maybe I am back in the game.
Such a sharp departure from Kid City, the first album I heard of theirs two years ago when No Age was just making a name for themselves and they threw a few other LA artists a bone and mentioned them in an interview. This is a “cover” of a Stevie Nicks song of the same name though the versus are mixed up and the chorus is out of order. A beautifully haunting song that I never thought these guys would make. Makes me very curious to see what their next album may bring. Yes, I know Skeleton was just released last year but you never know if they have another EP out so soon and time on their hands. Buy Album
Pitchfork said, “this is strictly party music by and for flawless, heartless robots.” It came in at number 88 on their best of 2008 and that is where I heard this song first. My two regular readers will likely realize how this is definitely something I would like as it is easy to digest upon first listen. It really doesn’t take much to figure it out and get hooked for some time. It’s unique yet I still find myself having those flashes of déjà vu. This could have been a modern radio hit from the 80’s through today. Well, it could if they would stop playing (insert ironic and classless band here). Buy Album
Antony & the Johnsons – Another World
Unlike the song above, this song does take a bit to warm up to. I never quite know what to feel while listening to Antony. My mind was put to ease to some degree after last year’s Hercules and Love Affair album that he lent his voice to on a number of tracks. Expanding the range was nice to hear and reassuring that he isn’t a one trick pony. The new album thus has been much easier to get into and is stellar in that regard. The messages can still appear, for a lack of a better common phrase, mixed at best. Buy Album
Charlie Louvin – I Am Bound for the Promised Land
I’ve been sitting on both the album this came from, Steps to Heaven, and his October release “Charlie Louvin Sings Murder Ballads and Disaster Songs” for the last quarter of 2008. I was not disappointed by either but definitely still prefer his self titled release from 2007 for the inclusion of the backing members such as Will Oldham and other indie stars. I was very lucky to see Mr. Louvin appear at the Mint that same year and never thought he would come back through town. I was wrong as he is set to appear at Spaceland on Saturday, Feb. 7th. I’ll be there. This was an immediate stand out song on the album for me as it was one I remember singing numerous times in church from the “Mennonite Hymnal”. Buy Album
Friday Mix 66
As I explained in my end of the year best of post, I’ve been a little preoccupied with Christmas to give proper Friday Mixes. Welcome to 2009 and what I hope to be an even more reliable Friday Mix schedule.
Max Tundra – Will Get Fooled Again
One discovery from the Pitchfork effect on the internet at the end of December that saw bloggers worldwide claiming they listened to _______ way before December. I’m not going to claim I even heard about this album or song until the “Best of” time of year. I missed out as this is an album I’ve had on repeat for a couple weeks now when I’m not listening to a certain Best of 2009 album.
Animal Collective – Summertime Clothes
Yes, this will be the Best Album of 2009 unless something shocking happens. I’ll reserve judgment though as there have been many surprises in the last few years that saw me really digging genres of music I’d never even heard about until that year. (Alt/Drug Country, Noise to name two off the top of my head.) The album you have likely read about by now and if you have a record player, or an internet connection, you should have already played it at least 5 times today. “and I want to walk around with you..” is one of my favorite choruses in recent memory and the layers piled on top of it only add to the pure pop joy of this song. Sure to be added to my ever fun “Summer Mix 20xx” that I end up listening to twice on 4th of July.
Titus Andronicus – Titus Andronicus
Before the Christmas season caught up with me and left me neglecting my poor blog this was the song I listened to more than any other. I’ve been listening to the album for some time now (reference two songs above this) but after seeing these guys open for the free No Age show in early December I had a new appreciation for this song. I very much wanted to see them live but I thought they would likely suffer the same fate as so many emo bands I’ve seen at Chain Reaction or other sub-par venues. I envisioned the sound to be very heavy guitar and drums with the vocals dying off in the background as a mere formality. This was not the case and when they closed out their superb set with this it really made me respect the band as a one off hit. This is really creeping up on my “list of songs to use in kickball.” I’ll keep everyone posted on this ever so important matter.
They used this as the commercial intro for Nip/Tuck this season. Talk about an appropriate celebrity to be featured in clip about a show dealing with the most superficial and shallow people on television currently. Ok, sorry, that would have to be the Hills or one of the many reality shows on MTV or VH1 (aka the channel for middle aged trash who think they still fall under the MTV demographic but yet find VH1 more entertaining). The new season of Nip/Tuck definitely didn’t disappoint on Tuesday night, nor does this song. I know everyone is still in a love/hate argument over the validity of 808s and Heartbreak (love it!) but this is “old school” Kanye.
Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy – So Everyone
A country song about oral sex. Yes, seriously. Listen. And no, it isn’t some clever rhyming BS that most modern country radio hits. This is from my number four favorite album of 2008 and I still listen to it all the time.
Best Albums of 2008
Sorry for the lack of end of the year updates but it’s been a very nice Christmas break for me having been to see the family without internet access for a week. I hope everyone isn’t truly fed up with “Best of 2008” lists yet as you have one more to get through or at least one more to ignore. I did keep my description to just one sentence in order to be more concise.
2008 was another great year of musical discoveries thanks to help from fans and supporters of this blog. I hope the list below of my favorite releases from 2008 help everyone find a few albums they otherwise wouldn’t have considered and/or heard. I’m sure I’ve left out at least one or two releases that I loved in 2008 but completely forgot to include here but I’ve done my best compiling this list over the last two months. (Note: EP’s were excluded from this list. While I tried to keep it to only 2008 releases there is at least one non-2008 album)
Available after the break…
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