Albums of the Year 2007
For the past two years it's been my goal to have my "best of" posts written and posted during the week between Christmas and New Years. And for two years I've failed miserably at that goal. Last year I blamed holiday traveling for the delay. This year I've got no legitimate excuse. I actually started this post on December 29, but it's sat largely untouched since then. Maybe next year I'll start this bugger in November. Better late than never though, so here 'tis... Page 300's Albums of the Year for 2007.
1. Cortney Tidwell - Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
Even if I had listened to a million albums this year, this one would still top my list. Everything I said about it in February still holds true. It's stunning, gorgeous, ethereal, otherworldly, majestic, understated, cryptic, catchy, quirky, and just plain beautiful. That's a lot of adjectives, and some of them contradict each other, but I stand by every one of them. Cortney's voice is the star of the show, but it's surrounded by a dazzling array of musical textures provided an all star cast from Nashville's indie scene. I absolutely love this album, and the fact that is was made by a local gal is the icing on the cake.
Cortney Tidwell - "Eyes Are At The Billions" (mp3)
2. Radiohead - In Rainbows
Most of the press about In Rainbows has centered on the band's "pay what you want" pricing strategy when the album was available for download on their website. And while that was a novel concept (especially for a band of their stature), the most amazing thing about it is that they turned release day into a communal experience again. The age of internet leaks has made people forget that it wasn't that long ago people would still line up at midnight at their local record store, so they could be the first to hear their favorite band's new album. By releasing this online just a week after it was finished, Radiohead ensured that everyone would be experiencing for the first time together. None of that would have mattered though if the album didn't deliver, and it does. Thom Yorke seemed to be returning towards writing actual songs (rather than just singing random phrases over the music) on his solo album, The Eraser, and that approach continues here. As much as I liked the band's last three albums, this is easily their best since OK Computer.
Radiohead - "Bodysnatchers" (mp3)
3. Interpol - Our Love To Admire
I'm not sure I really want to call this a return to form, but it's a return to something. Turn On The Bright Lights is probably my favorite album of the last ten years, and while I listened to Antics a lot, and like it, there was something missing on it that I've never been able to put my finger on. Call it the sophomore slump, but it was just less... special. Whatever it was though, the magic is back here in spades. Interpol took their new major label budget and managed to flesh out their sound while still sounding quintessentially like themselves.
Interpol - "Mammoth" (mp3)
4. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
In reading other people's end of the year best of lists, it was kind of surprising to me how this album fell off so many people's radar. It was easily one of the 2007's most anticipated albums, and the prerelease hype for it was huge. And maybe that's the problem. The album leaked early, and by the time it was released in March, many bloggers we're already "over it" in their rush to hype the next big thing. Don't feel too bad for Arcade Fire though... Neon Bible debuted at number 2 in both the US and the UK, and made them arguably the most important indie band out there. The album expanded on the already lush sound they introduced on their debut, Funeral, and served as another sign that Bruce Springsteen is the new indie icon.
Arcade Fire - "No Cars Go" (mp3)
5. The Blakes - The Blakes
This album entered my universe just before Thanksgiving (when I originally reviewed it), and one of the best things I can say about it is that it managed to break through the never ending parade of Christmas music that is my usual December listening habit. It's probably the best debut album I've heard since The Stone Roses. The Blakes remind me a bit of Oasis, not only because they often wear their influences on their sleeves, but also because they write kick-ass, fun, and instantly memorable pop songs. I missed seeing them in Nashville in November, ironically because I was on my way to Seattle, both my hometown and theirs. Hopefully I'll get a chance to remedy that in 2008.
The Blakes - "Don't Bother Me" (mp3)
1. Cortney Tidwell - Don't Let Stars Keep Us Tangled Up
Even if I had listened to a million albums this year, this one would still top my list. Everything I said about it in February still holds true. It's stunning, gorgeous, ethereal, otherworldly, majestic, understated, cryptic, catchy, quirky, and just plain beautiful. That's a lot of adjectives, and some of them contradict each other, but I stand by every one of them. Cortney's voice is the star of the show, but it's surrounded by a dazzling array of musical textures provided an all star cast from Nashville's indie scene. I absolutely love this album, and the fact that is was made by a local gal is the icing on the cake.
Cortney Tidwell - "Eyes Are At The Billions" (mp3)
2. Radiohead - In Rainbows
Most of the press about In Rainbows has centered on the band's "pay what you want" pricing strategy when the album was available for download on their website. And while that was a novel concept (especially for a band of their stature), the most amazing thing about it is that they turned release day into a communal experience again. The age of internet leaks has made people forget that it wasn't that long ago people would still line up at midnight at their local record store, so they could be the first to hear their favorite band's new album. By releasing this online just a week after it was finished, Radiohead ensured that everyone would be experiencing for the first time together. None of that would have mattered though if the album didn't deliver, and it does. Thom Yorke seemed to be returning towards writing actual songs (rather than just singing random phrases over the music) on his solo album, The Eraser, and that approach continues here. As much as I liked the band's last three albums, this is easily their best since OK Computer.
Radiohead - "Bodysnatchers" (mp3)
3. Interpol - Our Love To Admire
I'm not sure I really want to call this a return to form, but it's a return to something. Turn On The Bright Lights is probably my favorite album of the last ten years, and while I listened to Antics a lot, and like it, there was something missing on it that I've never been able to put my finger on. Call it the sophomore slump, but it was just less... special. Whatever it was though, the magic is back here in spades. Interpol took their new major label budget and managed to flesh out their sound while still sounding quintessentially like themselves.
Interpol - "Mammoth" (mp3)
4. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
In reading other people's end of the year best of lists, it was kind of surprising to me how this album fell off so many people's radar. It was easily one of the 2007's most anticipated albums, and the prerelease hype for it was huge. And maybe that's the problem. The album leaked early, and by the time it was released in March, many bloggers we're already "over it" in their rush to hype the next big thing. Don't feel too bad for Arcade Fire though... Neon Bible debuted at number 2 in both the US and the UK, and made them arguably the most important indie band out there. The album expanded on the already lush sound they introduced on their debut, Funeral, and served as another sign that Bruce Springsteen is the new indie icon.
Arcade Fire - "No Cars Go" (mp3)
5. The Blakes - The Blakes
This album entered my universe just before Thanksgiving (when I originally reviewed it), and one of the best things I can say about it is that it managed to break through the never ending parade of Christmas music that is my usual December listening habit. It's probably the best debut album I've heard since The Stone Roses. The Blakes remind me a bit of Oasis, not only because they often wear their influences on their sleeves, but also because they write kick-ass, fun, and instantly memorable pop songs. I missed seeing them in Nashville in November, ironically because I was on my way to Seattle, both my hometown and theirs. Hopefully I'll get a chance to remedy that in 2008.
The Blakes - "Don't Bother Me" (mp3)
Albums Of The Year 2006
I had intended to get my best of 2006 posts up while I was at my mom's house between Christmas and New Year's. That was silly. One should not try to blog while on vacation. Then I got back into town and have been busy with job stuff, and family stuff, and band stuff, and football stuff. I thought about just abandoning this post, but I'm pretty sure that if you write a music blog, you are required by law to do a post about your favorite albums of the year. So here is mine... better late than never.
1. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
I've been running this list in my head for the last month and a half. Until today, the album at number two was going to occupy the top spot. But listening to Cash's swan song again, I realized that it had to be number one. I wrote about it at length back in August, but I hadn't listened to it in a couple of months. Perhaps a line from my favorite song on the album explains why...
This song still gives me goosebumps. They start at the "You know that ghost is me" line. Every time.
Johnny Cash - "If You Could Read My Mind" (mp3)
2. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad Of The Broken Seas
When I first heard about this album, I thought it was an odd pairing. But it turns out that Isobel Campbell's delicate soprano and Mark Lanegan's gravely baritone is the perfect blend of sweet and sour. Isobel wrote and produced most of the album, but it is more grounded and rootsy than her usual brand of whimsical chamber pop. At times it sounds like an Angelo Badalamenti soundtrack for a David Lynch spaghetti western. Would it be too much to hope for a sequel?
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - "The False Husband" (mp3)
3. The Duke Spirit - Cuts Across The Land
I generally try to check out the opening acts whenever I go to a concert. I've discovered some of my favorite bands that way over the years. So I was a bit bummed last March when I went to see Ted Leo. I showed up at 9:30 on a Sunday night, and missed the first opener completely, and only caught the last three songs of The Duke Spirit (apparently the Exit/In decided to start going all punctual and I missed the memo). But those three songs absolutely blew me away, and I was in line immediately after their set to buy their CD. The band was amazing, and there was something about singer Liela Moss that just exuded cool. My first impression was that they sounded like a cross between Mazzy Star and Jesus And Mary Chain. But Hope Sandoval actually sang with JAMC, and it sounded nothing like this.
The Duke Spirit - "Darling, You're Mean" (mp3)
4. Aberdeen City - The Freezing Atlantic
It's funny how some songs grow on you. I bought this CD on the strength of two songs last summer, but quickly grew to love the entire thing. Well, almost. I really wasn't that crazy about "Pretty Pet." But when I saw them in October at the Exit/In, that song was the absolute hightlight of the set, and ever since then I swear it sounds different. I know that the notes coming out of the speakers are the same, but somehow I hear them differently. Aberdeen City and The Duke Spirit were definitely my favorite musical discoveries of 2006. Read the full review from September for more.
Aberdeen City - "Pretty Pet" (mp3)
5. Your Black Star - Sound From The Ground
It's almost like somebody took a list of everything I'd want in an album and then went and made it. Delay heavy guitars? Check. Jackhammer drums and a rock solid rhythm section? Check. Lyrics that are just cryptic enough to keep you interested but not so much that they're nonsense? Check. Folks across the ponds in Japan, Australia and England have been enjoying this album from Louisville's finest since 2005, but it didn't get released stateside until last fall. It was worth the wait. Read the full review from October.
Your Black Star - "Surrounded" (mp3)
Honorable Mention (in no particular order):
Richard Butler - Richard Butler
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Bring The Flood
Paul Simon - Surprise
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
1. Johnny Cash - American V: A Hundred Highways
I've been running this list in my head for the last month and a half. Until today, the album at number two was going to occupy the top spot. But listening to Cash's swan song again, I realized that it had to be number one. I wrote about it at length back in August, but I hadn't listened to it in a couple of months. Perhaps a line from my favorite song on the album explains why...
"You won't read that book again because the ending's just too hard to take."It's not that it's depressing, it's just heavy. It's not background music. It demands to be listened to. And these days, it's hard to find forty-five minutes to dedicate to a CD. But if there was ever an album that demanded that kind of attention, this is it.
This song still gives me goosebumps. They start at the "You know that ghost is me" line. Every time.
Johnny Cash - "If You Could Read My Mind" (mp3)
2. Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan - Ballad Of The Broken Seas
When I first heard about this album, I thought it was an odd pairing. But it turns out that Isobel Campbell's delicate soprano and Mark Lanegan's gravely baritone is the perfect blend of sweet and sour. Isobel wrote and produced most of the album, but it is more grounded and rootsy than her usual brand of whimsical chamber pop. At times it sounds like an Angelo Badalamenti soundtrack for a David Lynch spaghetti western. Would it be too much to hope for a sequel?
Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan - "The False Husband" (mp3)
3. The Duke Spirit - Cuts Across The Land
I generally try to check out the opening acts whenever I go to a concert. I've discovered some of my favorite bands that way over the years. So I was a bit bummed last March when I went to see Ted Leo. I showed up at 9:30 on a Sunday night, and missed the first opener completely, and only caught the last three songs of The Duke Spirit (apparently the Exit/In decided to start going all punctual and I missed the memo). But those three songs absolutely blew me away, and I was in line immediately after their set to buy their CD. The band was amazing, and there was something about singer Liela Moss that just exuded cool. My first impression was that they sounded like a cross between Mazzy Star and Jesus And Mary Chain. But Hope Sandoval actually sang with JAMC, and it sounded nothing like this.
The Duke Spirit - "Darling, You're Mean" (mp3)
4. Aberdeen City - The Freezing Atlantic
It's funny how some songs grow on you. I bought this CD on the strength of two songs last summer, but quickly grew to love the entire thing. Well, almost. I really wasn't that crazy about "Pretty Pet." But when I saw them in October at the Exit/In, that song was the absolute hightlight of the set, and ever since then I swear it sounds different. I know that the notes coming out of the speakers are the same, but somehow I hear them differently. Aberdeen City and The Duke Spirit were definitely my favorite musical discoveries of 2006. Read the full review from September for more.
Aberdeen City - "Pretty Pet" (mp3)
5. Your Black Star - Sound From The Ground
It's almost like somebody took a list of everything I'd want in an album and then went and made it. Delay heavy guitars? Check. Jackhammer drums and a rock solid rhythm section? Check. Lyrics that are just cryptic enough to keep you interested but not so much that they're nonsense? Check. Folks across the ponds in Japan, Australia and England have been enjoying this album from Louisville's finest since 2005, but it didn't get released stateside until last fall. It was worth the wait. Read the full review from October.
Your Black Star - "Surrounded" (mp3)
Honorable Mention (in no particular order):
Richard Butler - Richard Butler
Neko Case - Fox Confessor Bring The Flood
Paul Simon - Surprise
Thom Yorke - The Eraser
Best In Show 2006
2006 was one of the best year's for live music of my life. For whatever reason, in the last year or two Nashville has started to become a destination for touring bands, rather than just a stop to gas up and eat. With that said, it's funny that three of my top five shows were out of town. And of the two that did make it, neither of them were club shows. That's not a knock on the bands I did see around town, it's just the level of compeition they faced from other shows I saw last year.
A couple of quick notes. First, none of the pictures in this post are from the actual shows I saw. But I thought with such a long post, it'd be nice to break it up with some visuals. To view the source page on Flickr, click on the picture. Second, since I'm talking about concerts, all of the songs featured are live tracks. And now, on with the show...
1. The Pogues with Against Me
House Of Blues, Las Vegas - 10/15/06
This was not just best show I saw of last year, it's my new favorite concert ever, knocking U2 in 1987 out of the top spot. I felt that way immediately after the show, but felt like I needed some separation from it before I could really make that statement. Three months later I haven't changed my mind. I've seen some amazing shows in my life (like the one below), but I've never been happier walking out of a venue as I was that night. Read my full review from October.
The Pogues - "Boys From County Hell (Live)" (mp3) from Steams Of Whiskey
Recorded July 12, 1991 in Leysin, Switzerland.
2. Sigur Ros
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville - 2/14/06
Sigur Ros on Valentine's Day... perfect. In any other year, this would have undoubtedly been my favorite concert. Even though it can't claim the top spot, it would still make my top five all time favorite concerts. They had been at the top of the list of bands I was dying to see ever since I heard Ágætis Byrjun in 2001. Although I'd rather not have waited five years to see them, it was definitely worth it. The entire experience was nothing short of magical. Musically it surpassed my impossibly high expectations, but the real surprise was how cool is was visually. The lighting wasn't anything over the top, but the way it was used (especially projecting shadows onto a transparent screen in front of the stage) was absolutely brilliant.
Sigur Ros - "Untitled #1 (Live)" (mp3) from the Sigur Ros website
Recorded October 16, 2002 at Spark 7 Hall, Vienna, Austria.
3. The Wedding Present
The Earl, Atlanta - 3/3/06
David Gedge has been one of my favorite songwriters for at least 15 years, ever since I borrowed a friend's copy of Bizarro for an extended period in college. I actually got to see the Weddoes twice on this day, as they also did an in-store performance at Criminal Records that afternoon. When we got to The Earl that night, Gedge was hanging out by the merch booth. My attempt to say hello to him quickly detereorated into barely coherent fanboy babbling. The entire show was absolutely amazing, but honestly they could have come onstage, played "Suck," and said goodnight and it still would have been one of my favorite shows of the year.
The Wedding Present - "Brassneck (Live)" (mp3) from Singles 1995-1997
Recorded August 25, 1996 at the Reading Festival, England
4. The Church with Rob Dickinson
Variety Playhouse, Atlanta - 8/6/06
A band known for their effects ridden guitars prove they can be just as intense and ethereal without amps or pedals. They provided just as many goosebump moments as any time I've seen them with their full arsenal of electronic gadgets. Of the five times I've seen them, this show is my favorite. Read the full review from August.
The Church - "All I Know (Live)" (mp3) from Tin Mine
Recorded December 11, 2005 at Newtown, Sydney, Australia
5. Oasis
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville - 3/26/06
This pick kind of surprised me. But when I was looking at the list of concerts I saw last year, this really was one of the best. It's amazing that a band who mostly stand dead still on stage can put out so much energy. Part of that you can chalk up to the fans; both time I've seen Oasis the crowd was absolutely bonkers. Hearing 2400 people singing the chorus to "Don't Look Back In Anger" is just a completely cool experience. But mostly it's because of the music; Noel and company simply write great rock and roll songs. Derivative? Sure. But so were the Beatles sometimes.
Oasis - "Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) - Live" (mp3) from Familiar To Millions
Recorded July 21-22, 2000 at Wembley Stadium, London
A couple of quick notes. First, none of the pictures in this post are from the actual shows I saw. But I thought with such a long post, it'd be nice to break it up with some visuals. To view the source page on Flickr, click on the picture. Second, since I'm talking about concerts, all of the songs featured are live tracks. And now, on with the show...
1. The Pogues with Against Me
House Of Blues, Las Vegas - 10/15/06
This was not just best show I saw of last year, it's my new favorite concert ever, knocking U2 in 1987 out of the top spot. I felt that way immediately after the show, but felt like I needed some separation from it before I could really make that statement. Three months later I haven't changed my mind. I've seen some amazing shows in my life (like the one below), but I've never been happier walking out of a venue as I was that night. Read my full review from October.
The Pogues - "Boys From County Hell (Live)" (mp3) from Steams Of Whiskey
Recorded July 12, 1991 in Leysin, Switzerland.
2. Sigur Ros
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville - 2/14/06
Sigur Ros on Valentine's Day... perfect. In any other year, this would have undoubtedly been my favorite concert. Even though it can't claim the top spot, it would still make my top five all time favorite concerts. They had been at the top of the list of bands I was dying to see ever since I heard Ágætis Byrjun in 2001. Although I'd rather not have waited five years to see them, it was definitely worth it. The entire experience was nothing short of magical. Musically it surpassed my impossibly high expectations, but the real surprise was how cool is was visually. The lighting wasn't anything over the top, but the way it was used (especially projecting shadows onto a transparent screen in front of the stage) was absolutely brilliant.
Sigur Ros - "Untitled #1 (Live)" (mp3) from the Sigur Ros website
Recorded October 16, 2002 at Spark 7 Hall, Vienna, Austria.
3. The Wedding Present
The Earl, Atlanta - 3/3/06
David Gedge has been one of my favorite songwriters for at least 15 years, ever since I borrowed a friend's copy of Bizarro for an extended period in college. I actually got to see the Weddoes twice on this day, as they also did an in-store performance at Criminal Records that afternoon. When we got to The Earl that night, Gedge was hanging out by the merch booth. My attempt to say hello to him quickly detereorated into barely coherent fanboy babbling. The entire show was absolutely amazing, but honestly they could have come onstage, played "Suck," and said goodnight and it still would have been one of my favorite shows of the year.
The Wedding Present - "Brassneck (Live)" (mp3) from Singles 1995-1997
Recorded August 25, 1996 at the Reading Festival, England
4. The Church with Rob Dickinson
Variety Playhouse, Atlanta - 8/6/06
A band known for their effects ridden guitars prove they can be just as intense and ethereal without amps or pedals. They provided just as many goosebump moments as any time I've seen them with their full arsenal of electronic gadgets. Of the five times I've seen them, this show is my favorite. Read the full review from August.
The Church - "All I Know (Live)" (mp3) from Tin Mine
Recorded December 11, 2005 at Newtown, Sydney, Australia
5. Oasis
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville - 3/26/06
This pick kind of surprised me. But when I was looking at the list of concerts I saw last year, this really was one of the best. It's amazing that a band who mostly stand dead still on stage can put out so much energy. Part of that you can chalk up to the fans; both time I've seen Oasis the crowd was absolutely bonkers. Hearing 2400 people singing the chorus to "Don't Look Back In Anger" is just a completely cool experience. But mostly it's because of the music; Noel and company simply write great rock and roll songs. Derivative? Sure. But so were the Beatles sometimes.
Oasis - "Hey Hey, My My (Into The Black) - Live" (mp3) from Familiar To Millions
Recorded July 21-22, 2000 at Wembley Stadium, London
