Still working on my review of Josh Ritter's "So Runs The World Away," which will probably be the album of the year. Lots of music related things coming up...
5/15 Pearl Jam in Hartford
5/17 Buzzcocks in Boston
5/18 New Black Keys
5/21 Josh Ritter in Boston
6/8 New Blitzen Trapper
6/15 New Gaslight Anthem
It's gonna be a good summer!
11 May 2010
13 April 2010
Songs I wish I had written - Volume Two
I haven't been as blown away by an opening act that I had never previously heard as I was when I saw Josh Ritter open for Jamie Cullum at the Orpheum in Boston back in 2006. He's been likened (fairly, I might add) to Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Leonard Cohen, etc. I'm of the opinion that people will be likened to him in the same way in the future. I'm not kidding...he's that good.
2006 marked the release of Josh's "The Animal Years." It marked the beginning of a sonic shift from traditional singer-songwriter, man+acoustic guitar tunes that were the bulk of his first several albums to a more band-oriented sound. This sound was taken to another level completely by 2007's "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter," which ranks on my very short list of best albums by anyone. That said, buried as the tenth track on "The Animal Years" is (to co-opt the title of an extremely overrated book) a heart-breaking work of staggering genius. It tips the scales at a whopping nine minutes and thirty-eight seconds and is very, very wordy, so buckle up folks...it's a bumpy ride.
http://www.plumtv.com/videos/juans-basement-josh-ritter-thin-blue-flame/
(excellent live version)
Josh Ritter - Thin Blue Flame
I became a thin blue flame
Polished on a mountain range
And over hills and fields I flew
Wrapped up in a royal blue
I flew over Royal City last night
A bullfighter on the horns of a new moons light
Caesar's ghost I saw the war-time tides
The prince of Denmark's father still and quiet
And the whole world was looking to get drowned
Trees were a fist shaking themselves at the clouds
I looked over curtains and it was then that I knew
Only a full house gonna make it through
I became a thin blue wire
That held the world above the fire
And so it was I saw behind
Heaven's just a thin blue line
If God's up there he's in a cold dark room
The heavenly host are just the cold dark moons
He bent down and made the world in seven days
And ever since he's been a-walking away
Mixing with nitrogen in lonely holes
Where neither seraphim or raindrops go
I see an old man wandering the halls alone
Only a full house gonna make a home
I became a thin blue stream
The smoke between asleep and dreams
And in that clear blue undertow
I saw Royal City far below
Borders soft with refugees
Streets a-swimming with amputees
It's a Bible or a bullet they put over your heart
It's getting harder and harder to tell them apart
Days are nights and the nights are long
Beating hearts blossom into walking bombs
And those still looking in the clear blue sky for a sign
Get missiles from so high they might as well be divine
Now the wolves are howling at our door
Singing bout vengeance like it's the joy of the Lord
Bringing justice to the enemies not the other way round
They're guilty when killed and they're killed where they're found
If what's loosed on earth will be loosed up on high
It's a Hell of a Heaven we must go to when we die
Where even Laurel begs Hardy for vengeance please
The fat man is crying on his hands and his knees
Back in the peacetime he caught roses on the stage
Now he twists indecision takes bourbon for rage
Lead pellets peppering aluminum
Halcyon, laudanum and Opium
Sings kiss thee Hardy this poisoned cup
His winding sheet is busy winding up
In darkness he looks for the light that has died
But you need faith for the same reasons that it's so hard to find
And this whole thing is headed for a terrible wreck
And like good tragedy that's what we expect
At night I make plans for a city laid down
Like the hips of a girl on the spring covered ground
Spirals and capitals like the twist of a script
Streets named for heroes that could almost exist
The fruit trees of Eden and the gardens that seem
To float like the smoke from a lithium dream
Cedar trees growing in the cool of the squares
The young women walking in the portals of prayer
And the future glass buildings and the past an address
And the weddings in pollen and the wine bottomless
And all wrongs forgotten and all vengeance made right
The suffering verbs put to sleep in the night
The future descending like a bright chandelier
And the world just beginning and the guests in good cheer
In Royal City I fell into a trance
Oh it's hell to believe there ain't a hell of a chance
I woke beneath a clear blue sky
The sun a shout the breeze a sigh
My old hometown and the streets I knew
Were wrapped up in a royal blue
I heard my friends laughing out across the fields
The girls in the gloaming and the birds on the wheel
The raw smell of horses and the warm smell of hay
Cicadas electric in the heat of the day
A run of Three Sisters and the flush of the land
And the lake was a diamond in the valley's hand
The straight of the highway and the scattered out hearts
They were coming together they pulling apart
And angels everywhere were in my midst
In the ones that I loved in the ones that I kissed
I wondered what it was I'd been looking for up above
Heaven is so big there ain't no need to look up
So I stopped looking for royal cities in the air
Only a full house gonna have a prayer
I'm not going to begin to digest the entire song here for a couple reasons. One is that I have nowhere near the time to spend to do it total justice (I'm thoroughly convinced it could be an honor's level Master's class). The other is that I have nowhere near the actual ability or cognitive capacity to digest it all. Literary and cultural references that I can never dream of approaching abound. That said, here are some of the highlights for me.
First off, the overall sonic experience is a memorable one. Each verse follows a similar pattern of building from a few simply strummed chords on Josh's Telecaster (or acoustic, depending on the version), doubling in time and urgency after the first several lines (sometimes with the full band, sometimes just himself). I think "urgency" is the best word to use when trying to boil down the sound...the song sounds musically as important as it is lyrically.
Speaking of lyrics...as I said before, there is way too much going on to do justice to with my feeble mind. In things I've read from Josh since the album came out four years ago, "Thin Blue Flame" was written over the span of about eighteen months during the peak of frustrations over the inept Bush Administration and the Iraq War (remember that?). The song deals with the thin line that separates heaven from hell, peacetime from war, good from bad, etc. Obvious frustrations with political leadership abound. Obvious questioning of religious dogma, which is common for the skeptics among us during times of trouble. I'll highlight some of the parts that still get me every time.
(God) bent down and made the world in seven days
And ever since he's been a-walking away
-Heavy. I think those of us who trend toward the rational/skeptical/humanistic points of view that were brought up exposed to many religions (especially Catholicism) started down our current paths with thoughts of "If there really is a God, why does He let this shit happen?" in relation to war, death, cancer, divorce, disease, starvation, poverty, The OC, etc. Same theme as another of my favorite songs, "Georgia Lee" by the inimitable Tom Waits.
It's a Bible or a bullet they put over your heart
It's getting harder and harder to tell them apart
-Again...written during the beginnings of the real backlash toward fundamental religious conservatism (on "our" side and on "their" side) and the way that it tends to blur a lot of lines on a lot of issues for a lot of people. And this was well before then-candidate Obama's "cling to guns and religion" comments in Pennsylvania.
And those still looking in the clear blue sky for a sign
Get missiles from so high they might as well be divine
Now the wolves are howling at our door
Singing bout vengeance like it's the joy of the Lord
Bringing justice to the enemies not the other way round
They're guilty when killed and they're killed where they're found
If what's loosed on earth will be loosed up on high
It's a Hell of a Heaven we must go to when we die
-Sorta sums up the whole Bush Doctrine era pretty succinctly, doesn't it?
Oh it's hell to believe there ain't a hell of a chance
-I leave open to interpretation what there ain't a hell of a chance of. I think this line can be applied to a lot of different situations when taken out of the context of this song specifically and it'll be just as poignant. An incredibly deflating feeling, knowing that there is nothing that can be done in certain life situations. Prompts the downfall of many people that I experience daily in my profession...
I wondered what it was I'd been looking for up above
Heaven is so big there ain't no need to look up
So I stopped looking for royal cities in the air
Only a full house gonna have a prayer
-Sums up the song and my own personal thoughts beautifully. I think this points to the idea of trying to enjoy and appreciate the beauty and the intricacy and the wonder of the natural world that is all around us without needing to look to a pie-in-the-sky, Flying Spaghetti Monster for inspiration. All of the inspiration that we need is right around us...and we've only got a prayer (of staying happy...of staying sane...of staying alive) if we recognize and appreciate our own "full houses."
2006 marked the release of Josh's "The Animal Years." It marked the beginning of a sonic shift from traditional singer-songwriter, man+acoustic guitar tunes that were the bulk of his first several albums to a more band-oriented sound. This sound was taken to another level completely by 2007's "The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter," which ranks on my very short list of best albums by anyone. That said, buried as the tenth track on "The Animal Years" is (to co-opt the title of an extremely overrated book) a heart-breaking work of staggering genius. It tips the scales at a whopping nine minutes and thirty-eight seconds and is very, very wordy, so buckle up folks...it's a bumpy ride.
http://www.plumtv.com/videos/juans-basement-josh-ritter-thin-blue-flame/
(excellent live version)
Josh Ritter - Thin Blue Flame
I became a thin blue flame
Polished on a mountain range
And over hills and fields I flew
Wrapped up in a royal blue
I flew over Royal City last night
A bullfighter on the horns of a new moons light
Caesar's ghost I saw the war-time tides
The prince of Denmark's father still and quiet
And the whole world was looking to get drowned
Trees were a fist shaking themselves at the clouds
I looked over curtains and it was then that I knew
Only a full house gonna make it through
I became a thin blue wire
That held the world above the fire
And so it was I saw behind
Heaven's just a thin blue line
If God's up there he's in a cold dark room
The heavenly host are just the cold dark moons
He bent down and made the world in seven days
And ever since he's been a-walking away
Mixing with nitrogen in lonely holes
Where neither seraphim or raindrops go
I see an old man wandering the halls alone
Only a full house gonna make a home
I became a thin blue stream
The smoke between asleep and dreams
And in that clear blue undertow
I saw Royal City far below
Borders soft with refugees
Streets a-swimming with amputees
It's a Bible or a bullet they put over your heart
It's getting harder and harder to tell them apart
Days are nights and the nights are long
Beating hearts blossom into walking bombs
And those still looking in the clear blue sky for a sign
Get missiles from so high they might as well be divine
Now the wolves are howling at our door
Singing bout vengeance like it's the joy of the Lord
Bringing justice to the enemies not the other way round
They're guilty when killed and they're killed where they're found
If what's loosed on earth will be loosed up on high
It's a Hell of a Heaven we must go to when we die
Where even Laurel begs Hardy for vengeance please
The fat man is crying on his hands and his knees
Back in the peacetime he caught roses on the stage
Now he twists indecision takes bourbon for rage
Lead pellets peppering aluminum
Halcyon, laudanum and Opium
Sings kiss thee Hardy this poisoned cup
His winding sheet is busy winding up
In darkness he looks for the light that has died
But you need faith for the same reasons that it's so hard to find
And this whole thing is headed for a terrible wreck
And like good tragedy that's what we expect
At night I make plans for a city laid down
Like the hips of a girl on the spring covered ground
Spirals and capitals like the twist of a script
Streets named for heroes that could almost exist
The fruit trees of Eden and the gardens that seem
To float like the smoke from a lithium dream
Cedar trees growing in the cool of the squares
The young women walking in the portals of prayer
And the future glass buildings and the past an address
And the weddings in pollen and the wine bottomless
And all wrongs forgotten and all vengeance made right
The suffering verbs put to sleep in the night
The future descending like a bright chandelier
And the world just beginning and the guests in good cheer
In Royal City I fell into a trance
Oh it's hell to believe there ain't a hell of a chance
I woke beneath a clear blue sky
The sun a shout the breeze a sigh
My old hometown and the streets I knew
Were wrapped up in a royal blue
I heard my friends laughing out across the fields
The girls in the gloaming and the birds on the wheel
The raw smell of horses and the warm smell of hay
Cicadas electric in the heat of the day
A run of Three Sisters and the flush of the land
And the lake was a diamond in the valley's hand
The straight of the highway and the scattered out hearts
They were coming together they pulling apart
And angels everywhere were in my midst
In the ones that I loved in the ones that I kissed
I wondered what it was I'd been looking for up above
Heaven is so big there ain't no need to look up
So I stopped looking for royal cities in the air
Only a full house gonna have a prayer
I'm not going to begin to digest the entire song here for a couple reasons. One is that I have nowhere near the time to spend to do it total justice (I'm thoroughly convinced it could be an honor's level Master's class). The other is that I have nowhere near the actual ability or cognitive capacity to digest it all. Literary and cultural references that I can never dream of approaching abound. That said, here are some of the highlights for me.
First off, the overall sonic experience is a memorable one. Each verse follows a similar pattern of building from a few simply strummed chords on Josh's Telecaster (or acoustic, depending on the version), doubling in time and urgency after the first several lines (sometimes with the full band, sometimes just himself). I think "urgency" is the best word to use when trying to boil down the sound...the song sounds musically as important as it is lyrically.
Speaking of lyrics...as I said before, there is way too much going on to do justice to with my feeble mind. In things I've read from Josh since the album came out four years ago, "Thin Blue Flame" was written over the span of about eighteen months during the peak of frustrations over the inept Bush Administration and the Iraq War (remember that?). The song deals with the thin line that separates heaven from hell, peacetime from war, good from bad, etc. Obvious frustrations with political leadership abound. Obvious questioning of religious dogma, which is common for the skeptics among us during times of trouble. I'll highlight some of the parts that still get me every time.
(God) bent down and made the world in seven days
And ever since he's been a-walking away
-Heavy. I think those of us who trend toward the rational/skeptical/humanistic points of view that were brought up exposed to many religions (especially Catholicism) started down our current paths with thoughts of "If there really is a God, why does He let this shit happen?" in relation to war, death, cancer, divorce, disease, starvation, poverty, The OC, etc. Same theme as another of my favorite songs, "Georgia Lee" by the inimitable Tom Waits.
It's a Bible or a bullet they put over your heart
It's getting harder and harder to tell them apart
-Again...written during the beginnings of the real backlash toward fundamental religious conservatism (on "our" side and on "their" side) and the way that it tends to blur a lot of lines on a lot of issues for a lot of people. And this was well before then-candidate Obama's "cling to guns and religion" comments in Pennsylvania.
And those still looking in the clear blue sky for a sign
Get missiles from so high they might as well be divine
Now the wolves are howling at our door
Singing bout vengeance like it's the joy of the Lord
Bringing justice to the enemies not the other way round
They're guilty when killed and they're killed where they're found
If what's loosed on earth will be loosed up on high
It's a Hell of a Heaven we must go to when we die
-Sorta sums up the whole Bush Doctrine era pretty succinctly, doesn't it?
Oh it's hell to believe there ain't a hell of a chance
-I leave open to interpretation what there ain't a hell of a chance of. I think this line can be applied to a lot of different situations when taken out of the context of this song specifically and it'll be just as poignant. An incredibly deflating feeling, knowing that there is nothing that can be done in certain life situations. Prompts the downfall of many people that I experience daily in my profession...
I wondered what it was I'd been looking for up above
Heaven is so big there ain't no need to look up
So I stopped looking for royal cities in the air
Only a full house gonna have a prayer
-Sums up the song and my own personal thoughts beautifully. I think this points to the idea of trying to enjoy and appreciate the beauty and the intricacy and the wonder of the natural world that is all around us without needing to look to a pie-in-the-sky, Flying Spaghetti Monster for inspiration. All of the inspiration that we need is right around us...and we've only got a prayer (of staying happy...of staying sane...of staying alive) if we recognize and appreciate our own "full houses."
27 March 2010
Songs I wish I had written - Volume One
As my ability to write and play music has progressed over the years, I've found myself listening to music in new and different ways...trying to absorb the various different textures involved, put myself in the songwriter's shoes, wrap my head around the connection and the interplay between the lyrics and the music. They aren't necessarily my favorite songs (though most of them are on the very, very short list), but they are songs that I find incredibly special. Here's the first one...
Face To Face - Burden
(Trever Keith, Scott Shiflett)
You could say
I might find it difficult to show it on the outside
From far away
I should seem as ordinary as would seem the truth
But all we find
Dishonesty and lies
It’s hard to recognize the truth
And why can’t I discover what the reason is that I
Know there’s something left that I should prove
I didn’t mean to burden you
Is there something more to this?
I didn’t mean to burden you
Is there something more to this?
Was it something I’ve already missed?
Peel away
The fear that I’m not good enough
To give back what I’ve taken
It’s hard to say
The disappointment tends to make the optimism fade
I’m still behind and running out of time
It’s nothing but a trite excuse
And why can’t I discover what the reason is
That I know there’s something left that I should prove
I didn't mean to burden you...
It's probably no great secret that I enjoy Face to Face more than most (any?) other bands. Traditionally thought of (correctly) as a SoCal punk rock band, Ignorance Is Bliss marked a departure from that sound that, sadly, prompted a lot of their "fans" to jump ship. It is a vast understatement to point out that they really missed out. A stellar album from start to finish, IIB's sound is at its peak on "Burden."
The song starts out with Trever's not-heavily-distorted Les Paul playing a stripped down run through of the 9 second main chord progression that will be duplicated for the remainder of the song. A quick machine-gun snare fill by Pete Parada cues the rest of the band to join in lockstep. Those first notes still hit me the way that they did when I first heard the song sometime in 1999. The noted addition to the normal sound on this song is strings (strings?!?), expertly arranged by the renowned Steve Croes.
Around the 30 second mark, Trever's vocals kick in. I've long found his to be arguably (or not) the best voice in music over the last several decades. The honesty and sincerity in his voice is never better than on this song. You get the sense that Trever really believes what he sings...no Green Day-esque vapidity on this song (apparently vapidity is an actual word...I was hoping I had just coined it!). The line "I didn't mean to burden you" has always struck me in a couple of ways...one that is straight-forward (genuine concern over having burdened another person), one that is less so (a hint of passive-aggressive sarcasm, perhaps, on Trever's part). More than a decade later, I still oscillate between which opinion is correct.
The beginning of the second verse continues to hit me in the stomach with every listen (which has got to be over the 2,000 mark at this point). "Peel away the fear that I'm not good enough to give back what I've taken... It's hard to say - disappointment tends to make the optimism fade." I really don't think a line in any song has so perfectly painted a verbal picture for the melancholy and self-doubt than can creep into the mind of the middle-class, suburban white male with an unhealthy amount of Catholic guilt (really..that's what I absorbed out of all those years of Sunday school???).
The chord progression, the guitar sound, the air-tight rhythm section of Pete Parada and Scott Shiflett, the string section...all serve as a perfect stage for Trever's vocals in all their contemplation. Tough to categorize the sound...not punk rock, not traditional alternative, not straight-forward rock...maybe "post-punk" is the best title. Maybe it doesn't need a title at all. It is moving, but written in a way that is simplistic enough that you really don't need multiple listens to absorb it all...it just plain smacks you in the face from the first time you press "play." Do yourself a favor and click the link below and press "play" for yourself. Feel free to comment.
http://www.rhapsody.com/face-to-face/ignorance-is-bliss--2006
07 March 2010
Best of 2010...Volume Two
February was mostly a slow month for new music (as usual), but in some ways it was a nice calm before the storm that the next few weeks and months will bring. It allowed me to fill in some back albums in catalogs that I had been missing (Eels, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club most notably).
All that being said, my favorite album of the month is probably going to turn out to be in the top three for the year...
Tony Sly - 12 Song Program
http://www.myspace.com/tonyslymusic
There has been a trend in the last couple years for front men of punk bands putting out solo material, often times acoustic. Trever Keith (face to face), Kevin Seconds (7 Seconds, etc.), Joey Cape (Lagwagon, Bad Astonaut), Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), Greg Graffin (Bad Religion), and Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music) are among those that have gone this route. Now "No Use For A Name" leader Tony Sly throws his hat into the ring in a big way. It's probably not groundbreaking at all, but it is easy to listen to, lyrically great, and musically just difficult enough to be better than I could play it. Solid, solid album from start to finish.
Check out: Capo 4th Fret, The Shortest Pier, Toaster in the Bathtub
All that being said, my favorite album of the month is probably going to turn out to be in the top three for the year...
Tony Sly - 12 Song Program
http://www.myspace.com/tonyslymusic
There has been a trend in the last couple years for front men of punk bands putting out solo material, often times acoustic. Trever Keith (face to face), Kevin Seconds (7 Seconds, etc.), Joey Cape (Lagwagon, Bad Astonaut), Matt Skiba (Alkaline Trio), Greg Graffin (Bad Religion), and Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music) are among those that have gone this route. Now "No Use For A Name" leader Tony Sly throws his hat into the ring in a big way. It's probably not groundbreaking at all, but it is easy to listen to, lyrically great, and musically just difficult enough to be better than I could play it. Solid, solid album from start to finish.
Check out: Capo 4th Fret, The Shortest Pier, Toaster in the Bathtub
03 March 2010
Best of 2010...Volume One
As a way to keep the creative-writer part of my brain from complete atrophy, I'm going to do my award-winning "Favorite Albums" thingy a little different this year. Toward the beginning of each month, I'll post my favorite album(s) of the preceding month. Without further adieu...
January 2010
I guess the popular thing is to vote for the Magnetic Fields, but honestly, I haven't heard it yet. Even if I had, I guarantee it wouldn't top "Legion of Doom vs. Triune".
http://www.the-legion-of-doom.com
To quote Legion of Doom's website, "strange, dark and densely layered, this is not a typical hip-hop record." That couldn't be more accurate. There is a lot going on musically (it ain't a Lil Wayne album, let's put it that way). Triune (who I was only partially aware of) hits a lyrical home run (more Common/NOE than Weezy or Jeezy). Sadly, it is only available via digital download (I'm still an old school, "like to open the album and flip through the liner notes and absorb the artwork" kinda guy and I hope that never changes).
Check out: Cipher Sounds, Inner-City Renewal Program, This is Your Police Department.
January 2010
I guess the popular thing is to vote for the Magnetic Fields, but honestly, I haven't heard it yet. Even if I had, I guarantee it wouldn't top "Legion of Doom vs. Triune".
http://www.the-legion-of-doom.com
To quote Legion of Doom's website, "strange, dark and densely layered, this is not a typical hip-hop record." That couldn't be more accurate. There is a lot going on musically (it ain't a Lil Wayne album, let's put it that way). Triune (who I was only partially aware of) hits a lyrical home run (more Common/NOE than Weezy or Jeezy). Sadly, it is only available via digital download (I'm still an old school, "like to open the album and flip through the liner notes and absorb the artwork" kinda guy and I hope that never changes).
Check out: Cipher Sounds, Inner-City Renewal Program, This is Your Police Department.
21 January 2010
Favorite Albums of the 2000s (the pre-teens??)
First off, might I point out how difficult this was. A decade is a long time. Musical tastes change from the beginning to the end. Some albums that I thought were great at the time I haven't listened to in years (Disturbed?? DMX?? Limp *vomits* Bizkit). Anyway, as it stands now, here are my thoughts on the music of the last decade, followed by my favorite albums year-by-year, followed by my ten favorite of the decade.
Here goes...
THOUGHTS ON THE MUSIC OF THE 2000S.
-The "aughts" were an interesting decade for music (not necessarily good or bad, just interesting). Technology transformed the industry faster than any time since the debut of the phonograph. The peak of the MP3, the death of the "album," file-sharing...all within the last ten years. In looking back, there weren't really any trends that lasted the whole decade through. Rap-rock, nu-metal, boy bands, Britney, all fizzled out (thankfully). American Idol was huge, but didn't really do much to the charts after Kelly Clarkson.
Best new artists of the decade: I'd have to vote for Kings of Leon, Lupe Fiasco and Josh Ritter. Kings of Leon (along with a few other bands) helped bring blues-oriented "bar-rock" back to the forefront. Lupe was really the only rapper woth mentioning that broke through this decade. Josh Ritter revealed himself to be a hybrid of this generation's Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. All three of the above have what it takes to stay relevant through the next decade as well.
Best "comeback": Bad Religion. Okay, so BR never really went away. But they released two steaming turds in a row in 1998 and 2000. The Process of Belief in 2002 was a huge step back in the right direction (thanks Mr. Brett). Empire Strikes First kept the ball running, and New Maps of Hell is my favorite album of theirs. Not bad for a band's 14th album. I'm so glad they are "back."
Best "guilty-pleasure": Though I hate to use the term (as you shouldn't feel guilty for liking anything), I think this probably goes to Rihanna (or whoever writes and produces her music). For catchy-as-herpes pop music, she probably takes the crown for the decade, at least to me.
Best thing that I'm glad disappeared: Rap-rock/nu-metal. For some stupid reason, I enjoyed Limp Bizkit, Korn, Disturbed, etc. for a few minutes there. I blame the fact that my brain had not fully developed yet. That music, however, went from bad to worse real fast. In hindsight...terrible, terrible, terrible. I feel guiltier for having purchased "Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water" than I do for enjoying the occasional Rihanna tune, that's for sure.
Biggest debut band that I don't get: Coldplay. They took watered down U2 and watered down Radiohead, watered it down and *poof* - Coldplay. After a decade, I'm still confused by why anyone likes any of their songs.
Okay. Enough rambling. On to the "faves." My 94 favorite albums of the 2000s. Why 94? Because that's what I came up with.
2000 (5) – Pearl Jam – Binaural / Face to Face – Reactionary / Dynamite Hack – Superfast / Radiohead – Kid A / Common – Like Water For Chocolate
2001 (9) – Jay-Z – The Blueprint / The White Stripes – White Blood Cells / Tool – Lateralus / Incubus – Morning View / System Of A Down – Toxicity / Better Than Ezra – Closer / Built to Spill – Ancient Melodies of the Future / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – B.R.M.C / Stereophonics – Just Enough Education To Perform
2002 (13) – The Roots – Phrenology / Queens of The Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf / Bruce Springsteen – The Rising / Sigur Ros – ( ) / Foo Fighters – One by One / Pearl Jam – Riot Act / Bad Religion – The Process of Belief / Finch – What It Is To Burn / Face to Face – How To Ruin Everything / Chevelle – Wonder What’s Next / Our Lady Peace – Gravity / Tom Waits – Blood Money / Tom Waits - Alice
2003 (11) – Damien Rice – O / White Stripes – Elephant / Jay-Z – The Black Album / A Perfect Circle – Thirteenth Step / Pearl Jam – Lost Dogs / The Black Keys – Thickfreakness / Kings of Leon – Youth and Young Manhood / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Take Them On, On Your Own / Cave In – Antenna / Jamie Cullum – Twentysomething / Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros – Streetcore
2004 (7) – Tom Waits – Real Gone / Bad Religion – The Empire Strikes First / Elliott Smith – From A Basement On The Hill / The Black Keys – Rubber Factory / Chevelle – This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In) / Eagles of Death Metal – Peace, Love, Death Metal / Mission of Burma - ONoffON
2005 (7) – The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan / Foo Fighters – In Your Honor / Bruce Springsteen – Devils & Dust / Death Cab For Cutie – Plans / Kings Of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Howl / Jamie Cullum – Catching Tales
2006 (11) – Josh Ritter – The Animal Years / Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor / Pearl Jam – Pearl Jam / Neil Young – Living with War / Viva Death – One Percent Panic / Rocco Deluca and the Burden – I Trust You To Kill Me / Real Space Noise – Radio Method / Built to Spill – You In Reverse / Eagles of Death Metal – Death By Sexy / Stereophonics – Language. Sex. Violence. Other? / Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
2007 (10) - Radiohead – In Rainbows / Bad Religion – New Maps of Hell / Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter / Lupe Fiasco – The Cool / Rush – Snakes & Arrows / Linkin Park – Minutes to Midnight / Kings of Leon – Because of the Times / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Baby 81 / Eddie Vedder – Into The Wild / Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II
2008 (11) – Blitzen Trapper – Furr / Murder By Death – Red of Tooth And Claw / The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound / Flogging Molly – Float / Kings of Leon – Only By The Night / Street Dogs – State of Grace / Trever Keith – Melancholics Anonymous / Jackson United – Harmony and Dissidence / Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs / The Black Keys – Attack & Release / Eagles of Death Metal – Heart On
2009 (10) - Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures / Silversun Pickups – Swoon / Pearl Jam – Backspacer / Built to Spill – There is no Enemy / Neil Young – Fork In The Road / Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid / Sonic Youth – The Eternal / Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King / Blakroc – Blakroc / Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue
Okay...of that 94, here are my ten favorites of the decade. I based this on how often I still listen to the albums, sometimes a decade after their release.
10. Face to Face - Reactionary. This album was a return to "punk rock" for them after 1999s Ignorance Is Bliss (which, by the way, is one of my favorite albums by anyone ever). Great "reaction" to the naysaying fans. Showcases new-ish drummer Pete Parada better than IIB did.
9. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures. John Paul Jones. Dave Grohl. Josh Homme. 'Nuff said.
8. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore. Too bad Joe didn't live to see this album come out. Deeply personal, almost haunting at times. Probably hindsight talking, but it almost sounded like Joe knew he wasn't long for the world, even though his death was sudden and due to an undiagnosed heart defect.
7. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. Solidifies Josh's status as the best singer-songwriter of the decade. Very reminiscent of early Springsteen/early Dylan. Songs about love, travel, confrontation, adventure. Brilliant.
6. Silversun Pickups - Swoon. Builds off their debut album, but also blows it's doors off. It's an interesting mix of light (Brian and Nikki's voices) and heavy (especially the guitar and the riffs) at the same time. A compelling album from start to finish.
5. Bad Religion - New Maps Of Hell. Released 27 years into their career, this is their most solid work. The three albums with Brooks as drummer marked a return to kicking ass, and each gets better and better. All the best things about their prior best albums rolled into one.
4. Pearl Jam - Binaural. A lot of people knock this album. They don't know what they are talking about. Seemless blend of some of their rockingest riffs (Breakerfall, Insignificance, Grievance), haunting ballads (Nothing As It Seems, Sleight of Hand), and ukulele (Soon Forget). 2nd most underrated Pearl Jam album.
3. Face to Face - How To Ruin Everything. Boy, they sure did ruin everything. Way to release your best album and then call it a career, fellas! This is the perfect punk rock album. Tight, three piece sound, machine-gun precision drumming, poignant, snarky lyrics, three-part harmony (with only two parts), Scott Shiflett's on bass. Can't tell you how glad I am that they "reunited."
2. Incubus - Morning View. This album came out in October of 2001, and I don't think it left my CD player until Face to Face's album came out in April of the following year. Everything that Incubus did well we at it's pinnacle on this album. They haven't been the same since (which is probably because Dirk left in 2003). I think the most brilliant part of the album is the tracklisting. I think a lot of work went into finding the perfect ebb and flow...expertly woven from hard to delicate to harder to even more delicate to frogs croaking (okay...you have to hear it to understand).
and last but not least...
1. Pearl Jam - Riot Act. I know I am in the overwhelming minority, but I think this is PJs best album (and, as you may have guessed, I've put a loooooot of thought into this issue). Written in the peak of our post-9/11, W.-induced hysteria, the raw energy and passion that the band plays with shows them firing on all cylinders like never before (or since). But it also features "Thumbing My Way," their most personal ballad since "Black." To me, a perfect album. I still listen to it weekly, at least.
There you have it. Time to go listen to some 2010 music. Keep on rockin' in the free world!
Here goes...
THOUGHTS ON THE MUSIC OF THE 2000S.
-The "aughts" were an interesting decade for music (not necessarily good or bad, just interesting). Technology transformed the industry faster than any time since the debut of the phonograph. The peak of the MP3, the death of the "album," file-sharing...all within the last ten years. In looking back, there weren't really any trends that lasted the whole decade through. Rap-rock, nu-metal, boy bands, Britney, all fizzled out (thankfully). American Idol was huge, but didn't really do much to the charts after Kelly Clarkson.
Best new artists of the decade: I'd have to vote for Kings of Leon, Lupe Fiasco and Josh Ritter. Kings of Leon (along with a few other bands) helped bring blues-oriented "bar-rock" back to the forefront. Lupe was really the only rapper woth mentioning that broke through this decade. Josh Ritter revealed himself to be a hybrid of this generation's Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. All three of the above have what it takes to stay relevant through the next decade as well.
Best "comeback": Bad Religion. Okay, so BR never really went away. But they released two steaming turds in a row in 1998 and 2000. The Process of Belief in 2002 was a huge step back in the right direction (thanks Mr. Brett). Empire Strikes First kept the ball running, and New Maps of Hell is my favorite album of theirs. Not bad for a band's 14th album. I'm so glad they are "back."
Best "guilty-pleasure": Though I hate to use the term (as you shouldn't feel guilty for liking anything), I think this probably goes to Rihanna (or whoever writes and produces her music). For catchy-as-herpes pop music, she probably takes the crown for the decade, at least to me.
Best thing that I'm glad disappeared: Rap-rock/nu-metal. For some stupid reason, I enjoyed Limp Bizkit, Korn, Disturbed, etc. for a few minutes there. I blame the fact that my brain had not fully developed yet. That music, however, went from bad to worse real fast. In hindsight...terrible, terrible, terrible. I feel guiltier for having purchased "Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavored Water" than I do for enjoying the occasional Rihanna tune, that's for sure.
Biggest debut band that I don't get: Coldplay. They took watered down U2 and watered down Radiohead, watered it down and *poof* - Coldplay. After a decade, I'm still confused by why anyone likes any of their songs.
Okay. Enough rambling. On to the "faves." My 94 favorite albums of the 2000s. Why 94? Because that's what I came up with.
2000 (5) – Pearl Jam – Binaural / Face to Face – Reactionary / Dynamite Hack – Superfast / Radiohead – Kid A / Common – Like Water For Chocolate
2001 (9) – Jay-Z – The Blueprint / The White Stripes – White Blood Cells / Tool – Lateralus / Incubus – Morning View / System Of A Down – Toxicity / Better Than Ezra – Closer / Built to Spill – Ancient Melodies of the Future / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – B.R.M.C / Stereophonics – Just Enough Education To Perform
2002 (13) – The Roots – Phrenology / Queens of The Stone Age – Songs for the Deaf / Bruce Springsteen – The Rising / Sigur Ros – ( ) / Foo Fighters – One by One / Pearl Jam – Riot Act / Bad Religion – The Process of Belief / Finch – What It Is To Burn / Face to Face – How To Ruin Everything / Chevelle – Wonder What’s Next / Our Lady Peace – Gravity / Tom Waits – Blood Money / Tom Waits - Alice
2003 (11) – Damien Rice – O / White Stripes – Elephant / Jay-Z – The Black Album / A Perfect Circle – Thirteenth Step / Pearl Jam – Lost Dogs / The Black Keys – Thickfreakness / Kings of Leon – Youth and Young Manhood / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Take Them On, On Your Own / Cave In – Antenna / Jamie Cullum – Twentysomething / Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros – Streetcore
2004 (7) – Tom Waits – Real Gone / Bad Religion – The Empire Strikes First / Elliott Smith – From A Basement On The Hill / The Black Keys – Rubber Factory / Chevelle – This Type Of Thinking (Could Do Us In) / Eagles of Death Metal – Peace, Love, Death Metal / Mission of Burma - ONoffON
2005 (7) – The White Stripes – Get Behind Me Satan / Foo Fighters – In Your Honor / Bruce Springsteen – Devils & Dust / Death Cab For Cutie – Plans / Kings Of Leon – Aha Shake Heartbreak / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Howl / Jamie Cullum – Catching Tales
2006 (11) – Josh Ritter – The Animal Years / Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor / Pearl Jam – Pearl Jam / Neil Young – Living with War / Viva Death – One Percent Panic / Rocco Deluca and the Burden – I Trust You To Kill Me / Real Space Noise – Radio Method / Built to Spill – You In Reverse / Eagles of Death Metal – Death By Sexy / Stereophonics – Language. Sex. Violence. Other? / Silversun Pickups - Carnavas
2007 (10) - Radiohead – In Rainbows / Bad Religion – New Maps of Hell / Josh Ritter – The Historical Conquests Of Josh Ritter / Lupe Fiasco – The Cool / Rush – Snakes & Arrows / Linkin Park – Minutes to Midnight / Kings of Leon – Because of the Times / Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Baby 81 / Eddie Vedder – Into The Wild / Neil Young – Chrome Dreams II
2008 (11) – Blitzen Trapper – Furr / Murder By Death – Red of Tooth And Claw / The Gaslight Anthem – The ’59 Sound / Flogging Molly – Float / Kings of Leon – Only By The Night / Street Dogs – State of Grace / Trever Keith – Melancholics Anonymous / Jackson United – Harmony and Dissidence / Death Cab for Cutie – Narrow Stairs / The Black Keys – Attack & Release / Eagles of Death Metal – Heart On
2009 (10) - Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures / Silversun Pickups – Swoon / Pearl Jam – Backspacer / Built to Spill – There is no Enemy / Neil Young – Fork In The Road / Dan Auerbach – Keep It Hid / Sonic Youth – The Eternal / Dave Matthews Band – Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King / Blakroc – Blakroc / Alice in Chains – Black Gives Way To Blue
Okay...of that 94, here are my ten favorites of the decade. I based this on how often I still listen to the albums, sometimes a decade after their release.
10. Face to Face - Reactionary. This album was a return to "punk rock" for them after 1999s Ignorance Is Bliss (which, by the way, is one of my favorite albums by anyone ever). Great "reaction" to the naysaying fans. Showcases new-ish drummer Pete Parada better than IIB did.
9. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures. John Paul Jones. Dave Grohl. Josh Homme. 'Nuff said.
8. Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore. Too bad Joe didn't live to see this album come out. Deeply personal, almost haunting at times. Probably hindsight talking, but it almost sounded like Joe knew he wasn't long for the world, even though his death was sudden and due to an undiagnosed heart defect.
7. Josh Ritter - The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter. Solidifies Josh's status as the best singer-songwriter of the decade. Very reminiscent of early Springsteen/early Dylan. Songs about love, travel, confrontation, adventure. Brilliant.
6. Silversun Pickups - Swoon. Builds off their debut album, but also blows it's doors off. It's an interesting mix of light (Brian and Nikki's voices) and heavy (especially the guitar and the riffs) at the same time. A compelling album from start to finish.
5. Bad Religion - New Maps Of Hell. Released 27 years into their career, this is their most solid work. The three albums with Brooks as drummer marked a return to kicking ass, and each gets better and better. All the best things about their prior best albums rolled into one.
4. Pearl Jam - Binaural. A lot of people knock this album. They don't know what they are talking about. Seemless blend of some of their rockingest riffs (Breakerfall, Insignificance, Grievance), haunting ballads (Nothing As It Seems, Sleight of Hand), and ukulele (Soon Forget). 2nd most underrated Pearl Jam album.
3. Face to Face - How To Ruin Everything. Boy, they sure did ruin everything. Way to release your best album and then call it a career, fellas! This is the perfect punk rock album. Tight, three piece sound, machine-gun precision drumming, poignant, snarky lyrics, three-part harmony (with only two parts), Scott Shiflett's on bass. Can't tell you how glad I am that they "reunited."
2. Incubus - Morning View. This album came out in October of 2001, and I don't think it left my CD player until Face to Face's album came out in April of the following year. Everything that Incubus did well we at it's pinnacle on this album. They haven't been the same since (which is probably because Dirk left in 2003). I think the most brilliant part of the album is the tracklisting. I think a lot of work went into finding the perfect ebb and flow...expertly woven from hard to delicate to harder to even more delicate to frogs croaking (okay...you have to hear it to understand).
and last but not least...
1. Pearl Jam - Riot Act. I know I am in the overwhelming minority, but I think this is PJs best album (and, as you may have guessed, I've put a loooooot of thought into this issue). Written in the peak of our post-9/11, W.-induced hysteria, the raw energy and passion that the band plays with shows them firing on all cylinders like never before (or since). But it also features "Thumbing My Way," their most personal ballad since "Black." To me, a perfect album. I still listen to it weekly, at least.
There you have it. Time to go listen to some 2010 music. Keep on rockin' in the free world!
Favorite Albums of 2009
Okay, so 2009 wasn't the best year for new music. For my own personal collection, this was a year of filling in back releases of bands that I was slow to catch on to (Built to Spill, Stereophonics, Mission of Burma, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club) and broadening my horizons (Robert Johnson, Son House, Junior Kimbrough, Leadbelly). Anyway, here are my thoughts...
Biggest disappointment: Rocco DeLuca and the Burden - Mercy.
I'm a huge, huge fan of RDB's first album. He is amazing to watch live. He is an incredible Dobro player and delta-blues-inspired rock song writer. That said, his new album highlights none of his guitar playing ability, and focuses more on his voice (which is certainly unique) and...the glockenspiel. I wish I was kidding about that. Individually, most of the songs aren't bad, but collectively the album has no feeling or heart or energy. I blame Daniel Lanois.
Second biggest disappointment: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Working on a Dream.
Many people know that I was raised on The Boss' music, and I continually listen to a half-dozen of his albums on a regular basis. I wasn't a huge fan of the last album, "Magic," because I thought it was too mid-tempo rock formulaic. Apparently Bruce and Brendan O'Brien loved the album, because they essentially made it again. No heart, no passion, just mid-tempo adult contemporary schlock. Time to ditch the E-Street band again and make another acoustic solo album about the plight of the working man again.
*Note - my disdain for Brendan O'Brien will appear again soon
On to the countdown. It was a decent year for indie/alternative music I guess:
10) Tie: Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
BlakRoc - BlakRoc
I really didn't want to like the idea of a Layne Staley-less AIC, but this album is really pretty good, especially since Layne was too jammed up to really do anything productive on the last couple AIC albums anyway. And, anything by the Black Keys will always be on a year-end list. Add Ludacris, ODB, Mos Def, NOE, Raekwon and RZA to the project, and you get a fine, raw, rap-blues album.
9) Sonic Youth - The Eternal
For whatever reason, I always liked Sonic Youth but only had one album prior to this year. The Eternal isn't their greatest, but it is a solid indie rock album from the pioneers of the genre.
8) Mission of Burma - The Sound The Speed The Light
There really is no valid excuse for me being so slow on the uptake when it came to listening to Mission of Burma (aside, maybe, from the fact that they broke up when I was 4 initially). Do yourself a favor and "discover" them like I did this year.
7) Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
Solo album from one-half of The Black Keys. It's not quite as good as a Black Keys album, but it is still damn good. "I Want Some More" is one of my favorite songs of the year.
6) Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy
Seriously, how did I not know about Built To Spill earlier?!? I mean, I had always seen their name in the gig guide of the Phoenix now and then, but never bothered finding out what they were all about. I deserve to be scolded for that. Shame on me. Anyway, this is my favorite of their albums so far (though admittedly I've been listening to them for two weeks).
5) Blitzen Trapper - The Black River Killer EP
Usually an EP won't make my list, but "The Black River Killer" is such a damn good song that this one does. Blitzen Trapper are a really, really underrated band.
4) Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Well, Pearl Jam finally did it. They released an album that didn't make #1 on my year-end list. Only time this has ever happen. This album has good bones and some good individual songs, but Brendan O'Brien watered it waaaay done, the way he has with the last few Springsteen albums. For someone who was so vital to the sound of a lot of the music that I still love from the 1990s...what the hell happened? Still, "Gonna See My Friend," "Just Breath," "The End" "Got Some" and "The Fixer" are as good as anything they have ever put out.
3) Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
This album caught me off guard, because I despise anything that Dave Matthews put out since "Before These Crowded Streets." That changed when I head "Funny The Way It Is" while sitting in a booth at Smokey Bones in Nashua. The passion and the emotion and the craftsmanship that MADE the Dave Matthews Band is back with a vengeance on this album.
2) Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
So Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, some other band in the 90s), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal) and John Paul Freakin' Jones (some band called Led Zeppelin) decided to form a group, eh. Of course it is one of the groove-heaviest (and heavy groove-est) albums of the year. This could very easily be ranked #1A. Why it doesn't get played on rock radio stations more...well...sorta explains why rock radio stations have been in continuous decline for a decade. Pick this one up (legally). It'll rock your face off.
1) Silversun Pickups - Swoon
SSPUs are probably my favorite band to debut in the '00s, as you'll find when I ever get around to putting together the "Favorites of the '00s" list. I could listen to this album every day (and sometimes I do). Very melodic (though heavier than you'd expect at times), very beautiful for a rock album. Obvious comparisons to early Smashing Pumpkins are warranted, but I think it is more sincere and skillfully crafted than anything Billy Corgan ever did. You deserve to own this album. Reward your ears. It'll make up for all the Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas you've had to endure.
Biggest disappointment: Rocco DeLuca and the Burden - Mercy.
I'm a huge, huge fan of RDB's first album. He is amazing to watch live. He is an incredible Dobro player and delta-blues-inspired rock song writer. That said, his new album highlights none of his guitar playing ability, and focuses more on his voice (which is certainly unique) and...the glockenspiel. I wish I was kidding about that. Individually, most of the songs aren't bad, but collectively the album has no feeling or heart or energy. I blame Daniel Lanois.
Second biggest disappointment: Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Working on a Dream.
Many people know that I was raised on The Boss' music, and I continually listen to a half-dozen of his albums on a regular basis. I wasn't a huge fan of the last album, "Magic," because I thought it was too mid-tempo rock formulaic. Apparently Bruce and Brendan O'Brien loved the album, because they essentially made it again. No heart, no passion, just mid-tempo adult contemporary schlock. Time to ditch the E-Street band again and make another acoustic solo album about the plight of the working man again.
*Note - my disdain for Brendan O'Brien will appear again soon
On to the countdown. It was a decent year for indie/alternative music I guess:
10) Tie: Alice in Chains - Black Gives Way To Blue
BlakRoc - BlakRoc
I really didn't want to like the idea of a Layne Staley-less AIC, but this album is really pretty good, especially since Layne was too jammed up to really do anything productive on the last couple AIC albums anyway. And, anything by the Black Keys will always be on a year-end list. Add Ludacris, ODB, Mos Def, NOE, Raekwon and RZA to the project, and you get a fine, raw, rap-blues album.
9) Sonic Youth - The Eternal
For whatever reason, I always liked Sonic Youth but only had one album prior to this year. The Eternal isn't their greatest, but it is a solid indie rock album from the pioneers of the genre.
8) Mission of Burma - The Sound The Speed The Light
There really is no valid excuse for me being so slow on the uptake when it came to listening to Mission of Burma (aside, maybe, from the fact that they broke up when I was 4 initially). Do yourself a favor and "discover" them like I did this year.
7) Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
Solo album from one-half of The Black Keys. It's not quite as good as a Black Keys album, but it is still damn good. "I Want Some More" is one of my favorite songs of the year.
6) Built To Spill - There Is No Enemy
Seriously, how did I not know about Built To Spill earlier?!? I mean, I had always seen their name in the gig guide of the Phoenix now and then, but never bothered finding out what they were all about. I deserve to be scolded for that. Shame on me. Anyway, this is my favorite of their albums so far (though admittedly I've been listening to them for two weeks).
5) Blitzen Trapper - The Black River Killer EP
Usually an EP won't make my list, but "The Black River Killer" is such a damn good song that this one does. Blitzen Trapper are a really, really underrated band.
4) Pearl Jam - Backspacer
Well, Pearl Jam finally did it. They released an album that didn't make #1 on my year-end list. Only time this has ever happen. This album has good bones and some good individual songs, but Brendan O'Brien watered it waaaay done, the way he has with the last few Springsteen albums. For someone who was so vital to the sound of a lot of the music that I still love from the 1990s...what the hell happened? Still, "Gonna See My Friend," "Just Breath," "The End" "Got Some" and "The Fixer" are as good as anything they have ever put out.
3) Dave Matthews Band - Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King
This album caught me off guard, because I despise anything that Dave Matthews put out since "Before These Crowded Streets." That changed when I head "Funny The Way It Is" while sitting in a booth at Smokey Bones in Nashua. The passion and the emotion and the craftsmanship that MADE the Dave Matthews Band is back with a vengeance on this album.
2) Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures
So Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters, some other band in the 90s), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal) and John Paul Freakin' Jones (some band called Led Zeppelin) decided to form a group, eh. Of course it is one of the groove-heaviest (and heavy groove-est) albums of the year. This could very easily be ranked #1A. Why it doesn't get played on rock radio stations more...well...sorta explains why rock radio stations have been in continuous decline for a decade. Pick this one up (legally). It'll rock your face off.
1) Silversun Pickups - Swoon
SSPUs are probably my favorite band to debut in the '00s, as you'll find when I ever get around to putting together the "Favorites of the '00s" list. I could listen to this album every day (and sometimes I do). Very melodic (though heavier than you'd expect at times), very beautiful for a rock album. Obvious comparisons to early Smashing Pumpkins are warranted, but I think it is more sincere and skillfully crafted than anything Billy Corgan ever did. You deserve to own this album. Reward your ears. It'll make up for all the Lady Gaga and Black Eyed Peas you've had to endure.
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