Favorites of 2009
It’s an annual institution, here’s my favorite music of 2009.

The Thermals - Now We Can See
Far and away my favorite record of the year, I’ve been playing this record to death from jump. DIY power pop perfection. And an awesome live show at Bottom of the Hill.

Neko Case - Middle Cyclone
Walking the fine line between pretentious and intelligent, but damn that’s one powerful voice. Who doesn’t love a sword-wielding redhead indie chick on the hood of a Mercury Cougar?

Wilco - Wilco (The Record)
The sound of Jeff Tweedy finally comfortable in his own skin – there should be no more doubt that he’s the greatest songwriter of this generation. Full of humor and full of heart and soul.

Van Morrison - Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl
I had the chance to get tickets to Van’s 2008 Hollywood Bowl concerts, and didn’t pull the trigger. Put that regret up there with not hitting on Natalie Portman at that No. 6 party back in college. Still the finest album ever, performed by most of the original musicians who recorded it in 1967.

Norah Jones - The Fall
I am a sucker for that smoky voice (and for Indian girls), so I never had a chance. The strongest record of her already strong career. As always, a great collaboration with Jesse Harris (“Even Though”), but this time it’s mostly her own songs, her own voice.

Dan Auerbach - Keep It Hid
The Black Keys’ frontman mainlined the blues on this killer record. Dark and sludgy fuzzed-out guitars dominate, and the seediness oozes out of your speakers. Get dirty!

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown
Who woulda thought pop punk would get operatic? The Sex Pistols and The Who had a baby, and apparently it was Billie Joe Armstrong.

Ghostface Killah - Ghostdini: Wizard Of Poetry In Emerald City
Yes, the title is stupid. No, this record isn’t as good as The Pretty Toney Album. But Ghostface again immerses hip hop in old school soul, and it’s two great tastes that go great together.

Silversun Pickups - Swoon
I will admit that Brian Aubert’s voice is a bit whiney. Ok, a whole lot whiney. But SSPS more than make up for it with killer riffs and fuzzed out feedback bliss.

On to my favorite songs of twenty oh nine.

Wild Light - "California On My Mind"
My 2009 theme song! Fuck today, fuck San Francisco, fuck California!!!

Manchester Orchestra - "I’ve Got Friends"
Andy Hull’s indie rock may be the best thing to ever result from home schooling.

Muse - "Uprising"
The Resistance has yet to resonate with me, but this ranks up there with Muse’s best tracks.

Tegan and Sara - "Hell"
Gloomy and upbeat at the same time. And, and twins!!

We Were Promised Jetpacks - "Quiet Little Voices"
Rise Against’s Scottish cousins. A punk Wall of Sound epic love song.

Pete Yorn and Scarlett Johansson - "Relator"
I really didn’t want to like Break Up, but it’s really good. Particularly the lead track.

Animal Collective - "My Girls"
All the hipster critics were falling over each other to praise Merriweather Post Pavilion as the best record of the year. Nah, but this freak pop single was pretty awesome. Even if I have no idea what "adobe slats for my girls" means.

Gossip - "Heavy Cross"
Beth Ditto can wail, and that’s a great guitar riff.

Arctic Monkeys - "Crying Lightning"
Josh Homme sunk his desert rat claws into the Sheffield kids, with fantastic results.

Ida Maria - "I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked"
Norwegian indie riot grrrls rock!!!

Pearl Jam - "The Fixer"
Seattle aspiring to be Jersey Shore, and getting pretty close. With a monster, fist-pumping chorus.

Spinnerette - "Ghetto Love"
Brody Dalle is back, taking no prisoners. Daddy likes.

Amazing Baby - "Headdress"
Amidst all the hipster douchebaggery flooding the streets of Brooklyn, occasionally something worthwhile escapes.

The Dead Weather - "Treat Me Like Your Mother"
Allison Mosshart scares me. In a good, sexy way.

U2 - "Magnificent"
Forget The Edge being The Edge, Adam Clayton’s bass riff is the shit.

There you go. I have wasted this decade, but at least there’s been a lot of good music to squander it to.
- posted by Liebs @ 12:24 PM 0 comments

 
Paths
From Ron Chernow’s beyond excellent biography of Alexander Hamilton:

"Hamilton was already interested in the checks and balances that enabled a government to tread a middle path between despotism and anarchy."

Made me think of how the Bush administration was neck deep in both despotism AND anarchy. Pretty impressive, when you think about the ideals this country was founded upon. It can’t be said enough – Worst. President. Ever.
- posted by Liebs @ 12:18 AM 0 comments

 
Don’t Just Blame Wall Street Douchebags (Or, On Why We're Fucked)
If you think the looming economic depression is a result of Wall Street douchebaggery (they certainly haven’t helped, to be sure), well, think again. Why is the U.S. fucked? It’s rather simple – because we don’t make anything anymore. From the current issue of Technology Review:

"After decades at the technological frontier, the United States now faces increasing competition from Israel, Taiwan, Finland, Ireland, and parts of the developing world. A U.S. high-tech trade surplus that reached $22.4 billion in 1990 melted into a $134.6 billion trade deficit by 2005. Meanwhile, annual U.S. productivity growth has slowed since 2000, and fewer American small businesses are being formed in every high-tech sector. These shifts are especially troubling given that economists credit new technology with half of America's economic growth from the late 1940s to 1985.

Although decreased science funding is partly to blame, the main source of the problem appears to be a drastic decline in the number of competitive American workers and entrepreneurs in scientific and technical fields. Fewer U.S. college students pursued engineering degrees in 2005 than in 1985, despite a rising undergraduate population. In 2000, more than 20 countries had higher percentages of 24-year-olds with degrees in science and engineering. The number of Americans earning PhDs in science and engineering peaked in 1997 and then declined steadily over the next five years. Although U.S. PhDs increased between 2002 and 2005, the number of new PhDs is still nearly 6 percent lower than it was in 1997. As a result, even top U.S. high-tech firms now look abroad for talent, moving R&D and production operations to countries like India, Israel, and China. As an Intel spokesperson recently put it, "We go where the smart people are." A 2006 Duke University survey of American firms that outsource such jobs abroad found that approximately 40 percent considered the U.S. supply of engineers inadequate."

That’s right folks, the nerds are our only hope. So break out the calculators and periodic tables and hit the books kids, because we don’t need any more marketing majors, we’ve got all the baristas we need.
- posted by Liebs @ 11:47 PM 0 comments

 
Favorites of 2008
What a year it’s been. Anyway, on with tradition, my favorite music of 2008. Albums first, as always in no particular order.

The Duke Spirit - Neptune
It’s sinister, it’s sexy, it rocks. Liela Moss is hands down (pants down?) the sexiest voice in rock, and the band gets down and dirty with sludgy guitars. By far the record I played the most in 2008, and one of my favorite live shows of the year as well at Bottom of the Hill.

Kings Of Leon - Only By The Night
They still haven’t broken here in the US the way they have overseas, and this is the record that should have done the trick. But fuck, 40 million people voted to put Sarah Palin a heartbeat from the White House, so why should I be surprised? There’s not one track on this album that I don’t enjoy. The most complete, all killer no filler record of the year.

Emiliana Torrini - Me And Armini
The first of two Icelandic records on my list, where Liela Moss is sexy, Emiliana Torrini is just cute. But sometimes you just want to cuddle. Well, not really, but you do it anyway because you want to get back to the down and dirty stuff at some point down the line. Where was I? It’s a fun record, and on "Gun" cute gets sexy, as her snarls and exhalations steam up the speakers.

The Walkmen - You & Me
The New York indie veterans returned with a record that most will likely find depressing and dark. But since something has gone horribly wrong with my wiring, I found it one of the most enjoyable records of the year – note that Edward Hopper paintings and nighttime rainstorms also make me happy.

Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue
L.A.’s indie princess gives us another great solo record. Her Laurel Canyon music club is trust fund-bohorific, and there are a lot of flavors in the broth: rock, country, torch songs, gospel, blues. "Pretty Bird" is my favorite track.

Sigur Rós - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Don’t ask me how to pronounce the title of this one, though apparently it translates as "With Buzzing in Our Ears We Play Endlessly". The second Icelandic record on my list, and a very organic and mostly acoustic offering from Sigur Rós. Right from the start with "Gobbledigook", the ethereal electronic effervescence you’re used to is absent. There’s hand claps, for crying out loud. Be advised if you’re picking up a copy at your flyover-country Walmart, there’s a bunch of naked man-ass on the CD cover, thanks to photographer Ryan McGinley.

Be Your Own Pet - Get Awkward
They’re not a band anymore, but the final record from Nashville’s Be Your Own Pet brought the garage rock thing to the Deep South. Jemina Pearl wails her way through a pummeling of punk nuggets (three of which were removed from the US release by Universal’s lawyers for being too violent). I love chicks who might haul off and punch me in the face at any moment, so there was never any doubt I’d love this record.

Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
I didn’t want to like these guys, Columbia preppies who play African pop via Nantucket Island (they refer to it as "Upper West Side Soweto" – see what I mean, pretentious as fuck). Somehow it works, though. Who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Cardinology
The Prolific One dialed it down in 2008, releasing only one record. But it was a really good record. It would definitely be in the jukebox at the bar I will someday own back home down the Shore.

Sia - Some People Have Real Problems
You may know her as the voice of Zero 7, but Aussie Sia Furler is making a name for herself on her own. Serious vocal chops, and if you haven’t seen the costumes she and her band wear for performances of album closer "Buttons", you are missing out on some incredible black light fluorescence splendiforousness – think Crayola acid trip.

The Raconteurs - Consolers Of The Lonely
Jack White and his Detroit supergroup make the marketing blunder of the year (releasing the record ahead of schedule with no press push – and no record sales – behind it). But it still rocks. The music is a lot more interesting when there’s a full band behind him.

Girl Talk - Feed The Animals
Gregg Gillis returned with another dose of mashup insanity. Come on, Lil Wayne rapping over Sinead O’Connor? How can you not love this? A little heavier on the cheese than his last release, 2006’s Night Ripper, but cheese is tasty.

I realize that was 12, but that’s my list. On to my favorite songs of the last year.

Does It Offend You, Yeah? - "Dawn Of The Dead"
Part of the flood of dance punk bands out there, this track doesn’t really sound like anything else on their album You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into. Which is a good thing, because their other stuff pales in comparison to their genre contemporaries Justice and Daft Punk. The steel drums in the chorus is my favorite riff of the year.

Phantom Planet - "Do The Panic"
Mediocre band, mediocre record (Raise The Dead), fantastic single. Enough with the B movie horror film style videos, please.

The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - "Around The Bend"
Winner of the Will Ferrell award for best use of cowbell in decades, you’ve heard this one in yet another iPod commercial. They don’t make particularly robust devices, but you’ve got to hand it to Apple, their soundtracks are darn catchy.

The Black Keys - "Strange Times"
Jack and Meg take note, this is how a guitar and drums really rock. The Akron duo, with production from Danger Mouse, KILL IT. Off of the excellent Attack & Release.

The Magnetic Fields - "California Girls"
My unofficial theme song for most of 2008. Brings to mind a quote from a friend I heard over New Year’s: "I had to seriously lower my standards since I moved to San Francisco." I miss NYC so bad.

MGMT - "Time To Pretend"
The opening track off of every hipster’s album of the year, Oracular Spectacular. It’s trippy (the music video, my god, words can’t even begin to describe the strange), and the lyrics are fantastic. Let’s find some more models.

Fleet Foxes - "White Winter Hymnal"
The harmony in this amazing track from Seattle’s latest breakout band can hang with the best of the Beach Boys. Yes, it’s that phenomenal.

Ray LaMontagne - "You Are The Best Thing"
Out of character, the downer folkie goes off and cranks out this gem of white-boy soul. Soon to be a wedding staple.

The Knux - "Bang! Bang!"
The New Orleans rap duo dropped my favorite hip hop record of the year – the last cut from my albums list. This single was the standout track on a killer LP.

The Raveonettes - "Aly, Walk With Me"
Off of the excellent Lust Lust Lust, the Danish duo returned with their unique brand of spacey surf rock. This track is sexy as Scarlett Johansson, and then devolves into a mass of guitar fuzz.

Kings Of Leon - "Sex On Fire"
The second great carnal-themed song from Kings Of Leon ("Soft" was the first), I can listen to this one over and over and over. And have done so. It’s hard to keep under 100 mph with this blasting on the truck stereo – a true sign of greatness.

Ryan Adams - "Fix It"
Straightforward throwback Southern rock, with some of my favorite lyrics of the year.

Van Morrison - "That’s Entrainment"
Van The Man is still around, and still cool as hell. Do you know what entrainment means? I do, but I’m a nerd.

My Morning Jacket - "Touch Me I’m Going To Scream Part 2"
For the most part, I didn’t really get the falsetto Prince-wannabe thing on Evil Urges, but it worked for me on this hidden track.

Cold War Kids - "Something Is Not Right With Me"
A little bit whiney from this SoCal indie band, off of Loyalty To Loyalty, but I dug it anyway.

Sigur Rós - "Gobbledigook"
Any notion that the new Sigur Rós record was going to sound like the others was obliterated 2 seconds into this opening track, a giddy blast of hand claps, acoustic guitar strums, and pounding tribal drums. The Ryan McGinley-inspired music video is extremely NSFW (n00dZ aplenty), so get on the interwebs at your own risk.

Vampire Weekend - "Oxford Comma"
Maybe the most undeniably goofy, fun track of the year. As I asked earlier, who gives a fuck about an Oxford comma?

The Duke Spirit - "You Really Wake Up The Love In Me"
If you really are able to wake up the love in Liela Moss, then it’s over, what else is there left to prove? Not one fucking thing, mission accomplished.

There’s the list, a pretty good year for music, not so much for Wall Street douchebags. That makes me very happy, by the way. So, as Kiddo drunk texted me last week, happu new yeaf everyone!
- posted by Liebs @ 10:50 PM 0 comments

 
New Year’s Rundown
Here’s hoping you enjoyed yourself this New Year’s. Did I? You decide:

Anchor Steam
Sierra Nevada
Jager shot
Cheeseburger
Sierra Nevada
Jameson shot
Radeberger
Jager shot
Marina ramble/Pac Heights uphill stumble
Framboises Lambic
Rockstar-vodka ice shot
Jack and coke
Fireworks
Mojito
Sleep
- posted by Liebs @ 11:53 AM 0 comments

 
Nothing Tops "Black Star"
In preparation for the weekend’s Outside Lands Music Festival, which may or may not be a complete debacle (because when have Californians ever fucked something up that required coordination, logic, and determination?), I’ve been listening to a lot of stuff from Friday night’s headliners, and I have to say, my album order has to go something exactly like this:

1. The Bends
2. In Rainbows
3. Kid A
4. Hail To The Thief
5. OK Computer
6. Amnesiac
7. Pablo Honey

But hey, like pizza, beer, or sex, even when it’s bad it’s still pretty damn good (well, maybe not that third option). Agree or disagree? Discuss. Or not.
- posted by Liebs @ 11:59 PM 0 comments

 
Best of 2007
Better late than never, my favorite music of 2007. Albums first, in no particular order:

Radiohead - In Rainbows
Put it up there with The Bends, the new Radiohead album is amazing, an intimate and downright warm record. The climax of "All I Need" makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up; "Nude" is just an incredibly beautiful song; the syncopated percussion of "Reckoner" is genius. They made headlines when they released the album without a major label, potentially changing the entire future of the popular music industry, and the music itself is worthy of that iconoclastic position.

Mark Ronson - Version
Probably the album I’ve played the most consistently throughout the year, a fun covers record with a whole lot of soul.

Jay-Z - American Gangster
Ah, there we go. Rap record of the year, and so good you can forgive Hova for Kingdom Come. I always knew you had it in you, Jigga!

Bat For Lashes - Fur And Gold
I still can’t decide if I’m more afraid of or more attracted to Natasha Khan, but who else can rock a harpsichord so well? The Donnie Darko meets X-Games video for "What’s A Girl To Do?" is amazing – but I still haven’t figured out what a "bat lightning heart" is. The groove in "Sarah" is gleefully evil, and goddam I miss women with posh English accents.

The White Stripes - Icky Thump
Jack White stopped being oppressively pretentious, and Meg White stopped being complete crap on the drums – a win for progress. The smiles almost ooze out of your speakers, you can tell how much fun they had making this record. "You Don’t Know What Love Is (You Just Do As Your Told)" takes the title as my favorite White Stripes song – ok, ok, that long song title is pretty durn pretentious.

Amy Winehouse - Back To Black
Everyone’s favorite massively tattooed, drug-addled Jewess from East London makes the soul record of the decade. My people, represent!! Lost in the tabloid insanity of her Wino troubles are her amazing songwriting abilities – if she’s smoked and snorted that talent away it will be a tragic loss for all of us, no joke. The lead track "Rehab" got all the attention, but give a listen to "You Know I’m No Good", "Me & Mr. Jones" (what kind of fuckery is this?!), "Love Is A Losing Game", and especially "Tears Dry On Their Own" – phenomenal lyrics, all.

Sigur Rós - Hvarf-Heim
The most creative and inspiring band in my universe returned with this double album (Hvarf consists of previously unreleased tracks, while Heim has live recordings of old favorites), and a fantastic tour documentary film, Heima. Some folks have to take a pill to feel happy – I just put some Sigur Rós on my stereo.

CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy
I tried to turn you on to these Brazilian misfits long before Apple censored them in that ipod touch ad, but you wouldn’t listen. Lovefoxxx’s lyric in "Let’s Make Love And Listen To Death From Above" is the sexiest foreign pronunciation of "love" since Nina Persson in The Cardigans’ "Lovefool". Yes, I keep track of these things.

Wilco – Sky Blue Sky
The sound of Jeff Tweedy almost content with adulthood and pseudo-celebrity. And maybe a bit of an apology and love letter to his family for his troubles of the last few years. The music is happy and relaxed, and he’s still by far the greatest songwriter of this generation. The Dude would love this record.

Feist – The Reminder
Another Commonwealth chanteuse representing my people, another artist I tried to turn you on to before Apple sunk their ievil claws into her. Leslie Feist is that goofy, nerdy girl you always ignored – and she didn’t care because she was happy and entertained in her own strange, little world. Now she’s letting you hang out on her home turf for a little while. And the video for "1234" looks so much better on a normal-sized TV screen, not the stupid little fat nano, for fuck’s sake.

Rilo Kiley – Under The Blacklight
I wrestled with including this one because of all the Rilo Kiley-Fleetwood Mac comparisons – that’s how much I hate Fleetwood Mac. But I do understand why people make that connection with this most Los Angeles of a record. It’s sunny and sleazy at the same time, but where the Mac were about coked-out key party orgies in Laurel Canyon, Jenny Lewis is belting out songs set in the strip clubs and porn studios of the San Fernando Valley. Dashed hopes and dreams, but ultimately redemption, in Hell A.

Still with me? Onward to my favorite songs of Twenty O’Seven, still in no particular order because that’s too MBA for this Ph.D.:

M.I.A. – "Paper Planes"
Her album Kala is everyone else’s consensus record of the year, but I haven’t listened to the whole record very much – just this one completely amazing track.

LCD Soundsystem – "North American Scum"
Blasting this single off of Sound Of Silver while careening through Charlotte at 95 miles per hour on Interstate 85 made Charlotte not only bearable for five minutes, but kind of fun.

Paramore – "Misery Business"
The kids from Tennessee bring the guitar riff of the year – and Hayley Williams, damn what a wail! Still haven’t managed to bring myself to listen to the rest of their record, Riot, though.

Manchester Orchestra – "Wolves At Night"
The Atlanta scene is starting to blow up, I’ve been telling you for years now this is coming, people! That organ is just sinister.

Justice – "D.A.N.C.E."
Apparently they’re not trying to be ironic, but if there’s any place to enjoy cheese, it would be France. Great music video as well. "Do the D-A-N-C-E. Stick to the B-E-A-T!!"

Bright Eyes – "Four Winds"
Americana has never been so political, and it’s been a while since I enjoyed a song with a fiddle in it. Conor Oberst should be the face of country music, not Brad Fucking Paisley or Toby Fucking Keith.

UNKLE Featuring The Duke Spirit – "May Day"
The soundtrack to hot, sweaty, raunchy bedroom action. The Duke Spirit’s Liela Moss has a powerful, phenomenal voice.

Queens Of The Stone Age – "Make It Wit Chu"
Staying with the sexy thing for a moment, Josh Homme and his crew unleash a slow-burning, steamy little track off of the overall disappointing Era Vulgaris. Put this on the stereo, and clothes will be flying off. Did anyone else see their kind of surreal appearance on the No Reservations Holiday Special, or has my Scotch been spiked with bad acid?

The Go! Team – "Keys To The City"
The kooky, genre-defying English collective return with this standout track off of Proof Of Youth. Like if perky cheerleaders did parkour instead of, well, cheerleading.

Elvis Perkins – "While You Were Sleeping"
The lead track off of the haunting and beautiful Ash Wednesday, a lovely elegy for his mother.

Sigur Rós – "Hljómalind"
One of the previously unreleased tracks on Hvarf, it explodes out of your speakers and soars away. And the high-hat sounds so good.

Kelly Willis – "The More That I’m Around You"
It continues to frustrate me that most people have never heard of Kelly Willis. Just a happy little rocking country song about falling in love, with a great melody and a cool end riff.

Band Of Horses – "Is There A Ghost?"
The lead track off of the lovely Cease To Begin starts off slow, but builds to a killer pounding climax. And despite its seemingly random song title (maybe they’re Pacers fans?), "Detlef Schrempf" is a sweet, mellow track worth a listen as well.

Arcade Fire – "Intervention"
Pretty much the only track off of Neon Bible that I really liked (well, I kind of dig "The Well And The Lighthouse" too, Régine Chassagne’s cooing backup vocals just get me), the one song where their worship of all things Springsteen does the man right. A pipe organ dominating a rock song, too cool.

Ryan Adams – "Two Hearts"
He’s completely friggin’ mental, but he can write some fine rock tunes. As always from the prolific songwriter, there are many to choose from this year, this one’s my favorite off of Easy Tiger. And don't miss the blasphemous but very entertaining cover of Alice In Chains' "Down In A Hole" on his Follow The Lights EP.

Noisettes – "Scratch Your Name"
Lead singer Shingai Shoniwa’s voice is an absolute force of nature, that’s all there is to say.

Spoon - "You Got Yr Cherry Bomb"
This Austin band is beyond overrated, but I can’t get this song out of my head. And it makes me think of the very 90s Boston band Morphine.

Ulrich Schnauss – "Never Be The Same"
Waves and waves of sonic sunshine from the downbeat DJ. This track is a great one to wake up to.

Cat Power – "Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again"
The most fabulous Dylan cover on a record chock full of fabulous Dylan covers, the I’m Not There soundtrack. Could there be a track more fitting for her Memphis Rhythm Band? I’m very much looking forward to Jukebox in a few weeks.

VHS Or Beta – "Can’t Believe A Single Word"
Mediocre rock band, fantastic rock song. The 80s nostalgia cheese thing is dragging you down, fellas!

Kings Of Leon – "On Call"
My ring tone for the very rare times my cell phone isn’t on vibrate. Otherwise, Because Of The Times was a disappointing, forgettable record.

Wilco – "The Thanks I Get"
A B-side off of Sky Blue Sky - also found on the deluxe edition extra disk which I like to call Blue Sky Blue - you may have heard it in the Volkswagen commercial where the tow truck guy moves the Golf out of the tow-away zone. Selling out never sounded like so much fun. Sing with me now, people, "We can make it better!"

How’s that sentiment to end 2007 and roll on in to 2008? So much good music this last year to get me out of school (finally! And only a little over a decade total!), and off into the real world. I’m looking forward to everything this next year will bring, I hope you are too.
- posted by Liebs @ 11:10 PM 0 comments

 
Sorry to Ruin Your Weekend
If you think the surge is working, if you believe democracy is on the march, if somehow you still think the Bush administration is populated with stand-up guys, you really need to read this article about Iraq war profiteering. If it doesn’t leave you seething, then it’s definitely time to put down the Kool-Aid.
- posted by Liebs @ 6:53 PM 0 comments

 
Still Here, People
I’ve been busy with that whole cross-country-move-start-a-job thing the last few months, but it’s time for a roundup of the music I’ve been digging while I get used to this whole West Coast situation. Let’s get to it.

Mark Ronson - Version
I can’t stop playing this record. All cover tunes, and all killer no filler. My favorites are the fantabulous Lily Allen taking on the Kaiser Chiefs’ "Oh My God" with a laid-back (stoned?) pseudo-reggae vibe, and Kenna putting a whole lot of soul into Ryan Adams’s "Amy". But every track is strong, choose your own favorites.

Feist - The Reminder
An exception to my rule that Canadian music blows, lovely Leslie Feist hath given us a rustic smile of a record, sometimes a little goofy, but come on, she is Canadian. Apple just started using her exceptional video for "1 2 3 4" in their fat nano ads, so expect that one to get stuck in your heads for the foreseeable future. I keep playing "The Limit To Your Love" a whole bunch.

CSS - Cansei de Ser Sexy
Apparently, even stoopid is damn sexy in Brazil. [Note to self: go to Brazil.] Standout tracks include "Let’s Make Love And Listen To Death From Above" and "Alala". And how can you not love a record with the opening track "CSS Suxxx"? I’m not sure what their caipirinhas were laced with, but it got results.

M.I.A. - Kala
Maya Arulpragasam can’t spit lyrics like Jay-Z, but that’s ok – this is alien hip hop. I’m not sure if I mean the foreigner kind of alien or the intergalactic kind of alien, but that’s kind of the point. "Paper Planes" is absolutely stunning, a terrorist threat that’s sexy and scary at the same time. The musical influences on the record are global, and they all work. If you’re attracted by the type of woman who might stab you or light you on fire at any time, M.I.A.’s your goddess.

Junior Senior - Hey Hey My My Yo Yo
Everybody’s favorite gay-straight electrofunk duo from Denmark are back. I was taught that the whole point of music was to make a room full of people have fun, simple as that, and Junior Senior come from the same school of thought. Throw this on, and you just have to rear back and shake that ass.

Kelly Willis - Translated From Love
The sweetest voice in alternative country, if not the world. Put this (or any) Kelly Willis record on the stereo, hop back under the covers with your significant other, and there’s the greatest Sunday morning ever. You’re welcome.

UNKLE with The Duke Spirit - "May Day"
The title of sexiest voice in rock now belongs to The Duke Spirit’s Liela Moss. Her band’s record, Cuts Across The Land, is very much worth checking out as well.

Tegan And Sara - "Back In Your Head"
Wait, what did I say about Canadian music? Maybe that’s just the dudes – yes, I’m talking to you Nickelback-Bryan Adams-Barenaked Ladies. Who doesn’t love cute twin lesbian sisters singing about sleeping around?

Wilco - "The Thanks I Get"
A B-side off the really nice Sky Blue Sky, you can hear a bit of it in the Volkswagen commercial where the tow truck guy moves the Rabbit instead of towing it. Wilco have gotten a bit of criticism for putting several of the songs off their new album in a string of V-Dub ads (my only problem is I want Miss Helga back - "You got an F!"), but they can’t exactly rely on radio and MTV to get people to hear their music nowadays, now can they?

LCD Soundsystem - "North American Scum"
"And for those of you who still think we’re from England/We’re not/No" Greatest lyric of the year. Thank you James Murphy.

Justice - "D-A-N-C-E"
That’s pronounced jus-TEECE, people. French cheese is the best cheese, right?

OK, that’s enough for now, more posts to come soon.
- posted by Liebs @ 9:34 PM 0 comments

 
I Never Thought This Day Would Come
No, not finishing my dissertation (though I have). Back in 2002, shortly after I moved to Atlanta, I bought a box of 200 kitchen trash bags at Costco. Today, I used the last of those bags. It’s time to gradumatate, baby!
- posted by Liebs @ 7:11 AM 0 comments

 
Best Of 2006
I haven’t posted anything in a while, but I’ve been busy, trying to finish the dissertation and figuring out what to do and where to go next. I’m getting there, but for now it’s time for my favorite music of 2006. First my favorite albums, in no particular order:

Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche/Songs For Christmas
I had been scared away from Stevens by all the folks calling him "Christian rock". That’s most definitely not the case, and he released two of my favorite records of the year. The Avalanche is supposedly a collection of outtakes from the recording sessions for last year’s Illinois, but I like it so much better than the original record (also known by the oh-so-much-better title of Come On Feel The Illinoise!). In particular, the "acoustic version" of "Chicago" on The Avalanche is far superior to the Illinois version. And in the case of Songs For Christmas, keep in mind that I despise holiday music, but Stevens reinvents the wheel with this collection of EPs he’d given as gifts to family and friends over the last few years, and it’s fantastic.

Lily Allen - Alright, Still
It won’t be released in the U.S. until the end of January, but I’ve been listening to this record nonstop for months. A pop masterpiece, honest, tender, witty, and fun.

Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
Unquestionably the rap record of the year. Top-notch beats from the Neptunes, and these guys aren’t fucking around. Even with an anti-Semitic slur on the best track, "Wamp Wamp (What It Do)", I’m still digging it. Probably because if I challenged them about it, they’d just pistol whip me in the face.

Girl Talk - Night Ripper
The greatest mashup record EVER. Apparently Gregg Gillis hasn’t been sued, though I’m not sure how that’s possible. If you’ve got eclectic tastes, the nostalgia could injure you, so be careful.

Muse - Black Holes And Revelations
I didn’t really dig the new Muse record upon first listen, but it most definitely grew on me. Hearing "Knights Of Cydonia" live at the Tabernacle helped change my mind, it wasn’t cheesy anymore, it was epic.

Damien Rice - 9
Apparently Damien Rice learned the hard way that it’s not a good idea to date famous Hollywood actresses, but it results in a record that is raw, heartwrenching, and captivating – an acoustic record that absolutely rocks.

Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins - Rabbit Fur Coat
L.A. indie queen makes a fantastic country-gospel album. Rustic and pretty, hearing this record makes me think of making pancakes with the family on a Saturday morning when I was 8.

Ghostface - Fishscale
It’s not as great as The Pretty Toney Album, but that’s a standard very difficult to match. A little Motown here, a little Schoolhouse Rock! there, on a record fueled by cocaine. His recent release More Fish ain’t bad, neither. Narcotics, yaaaay!

The Pipettes - We Are The Pipettes
They’re completely fabricated, but it’s a brilliant fabrication, Wall of Sound-era girl group meets 21st century post-feminism attitude. A delicious guilty pleasure.

Cat Power - The Greatest
Someone finally got Chan Marshall on the correct meds, and she’s getting accolades long overdue. That smoky voice backed by Muscle Shoals soul is a winning combination.

Honorable Mentions are reserved for Yo La Tengo’s I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass (it sounds kind of like a Michel Gondry movie, kind of like a Jack Kerouac novel, if that makes any sense, and it also nabs the prize for record title of the year), The Corrs’ lushly produced covers record Home, The Raconteurs’ Broken Boy Soldiers, Ratatat’s Classics, and The Roots’ Game Theory.

On to my favorite songs of 2006, in no particular order:

Ray LaMontagne - "Three More Days"
Far and away the best track off Till The Sun Turns Black, a soulful tune that very much stands out on a disappointingly mediocre record. "Three More Days" is on the soundtrack to that summer Saturday afternoon romp with your significant other where you get down to it on the couch, the kitchen counter, the living room floor, the shower, and the washing machine in the laundry room.

The Killers - "Read My Mind"
Sam’s Town is one of the worst records of 2006, but this one track is salvageable from that mess of an album. I guess because they’re only slightly imitating Bruce on this song.

Sufjan Stevens - "Adlai Stevenson"/"Did I Make You Cry On Christmas? (Well, You Deserved It!)"
If anyone can put a marching band theme together about a faded-into-obscurity mid-20th-century politician, Sufjan’s your man. And I won’t be getting a Christmas tree or a Santa hat anytime soon, but "Did I Make You Cry On Christmas?" is an instant holiday classic.

Regina Spektor - "Fidelity"
She reminds me a lot of the Wellesley girls I knew back in college. I think that’s mostly a good thing.

Damien Rice - "Rootless Tree"
And I thought I had been in some pretty terrible relationships. Acoustic but extremely intense. A note to the wise: if you’re thinking "Let me out, let me out, let me out/It’s hell when you’re around", a simple grudge fuck is not going to get the relationship back on track.

Paulo Nutini - "Jenny Don’t Be Hasty"
An ode to the dangers of cougars (kind of), this track tells the story of the Scottish singer/songwriter getting dumped because his girlfriend found out he was less than honest about his age. Truthiness leads to some enjoyable pop music – very 2006.

Beth Orton - "Shopping Trolley"
For some reason, her new album Comfort Of Strangers didn’t make too much of an impression with me, unlike all of her previous records (maybe it’ll grow on me eventually). This track, however, I’ve played incessantly. I really love the drums on this one.

The Decemberists - "O Valencia!"
Almost everyone else is falling all over themselves to praise The Decemberists and their new album The Crane Wife, and though I like it, I don’t really like it like it. I do very much dig this single, however. I also try to not overanalyze Colin Meloy’s lyrics, because it all just seems really friggin’ pretentious.

Ghostface - "Kilo"
Undeniably my favorite rap song of the year, with Clipse’s "Wamp Wamp" a distant second. The Schoolhouse Rock! sample is absolutely inspired, and there’s something about Ghostface’s verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown flow that is New York City to the bone.

Ratatat - "Wildcat"
I guess they call these instrumentalists "indietronica", Ratatat is the type of music you hear at those uber-trendy lounges where everyone is wearing clothes that cost more than my monthly paycheck. That would usually make me head for the door, but if this track is playing I’ll stick around and have a martini or boutique small-batch bourbon or six. I also really dig the opener on Classics, "Montanita".

Muse - "Starlight"/"Supermassive Black Hole"
The 1-2 combination of these tracks is absolutely the equal of "New Born" and "Bliss" off of Origin Of Symmetry. Grand, epic, and anthemic for "Starlight", naughty, sweaty, and sexy for "Supermassive Black Hole", it’s the bachelor party and the wedding – um, just kind of in reverse.

So there you have it, I think 2006 was a pretty decent year for music (except for Jay-Z, WTF Hova?). It’s looking like 2007 is going to be a very interesting year for me, I hope it is for you too. Happy New Year.
- posted by Liebs @ 11:03 AM 0 comments

 
When Good Things Happen To Bad People, Or From Henrietta To Hanna
If you haven’t heard in the last month or so, I was the winner of OLN’s Fly To The Finish Sweepstakes which they ran during their coverage of the Tour de France. To say it came as a surprise is an understatement, since at the time I had no idea there even was a sweepstakes other than playing an instant win game on the OLN website as a goof. Yes, I am an idiot.

So it’s true, actual people really do win these things. What did I win? Only a Saab 9-7X 5.3i SUV with the honkin’ V8 engine, rear seat DVD entertainment system, and touch-screen navigation system. Oh, and a Cervelo Soloist Carbon racing bicycle, the same beast that the pros on Team CSC kick ass with. I got the Saab this week (still waiting impatiently on the bike), and it’s pretty durn sweet. Leather everything, power everything, OnStar, XM radio, ridiculous xenon headlights that blind everyone else on the road, and even working air conditioning! She’s a big, plush Swedish hottie, and she’s been named accordingly. Everyone, meet Hanna.

Unfortunately, there’s still some bittersweet with this situation. Getting the new truck means I had to get rid of the old truck. The only vehicle I’ve ever had, the lovely Lady Hank, had to be sold. She gave me more than a decade of faultless service (well, except for that air conditioning), but it was time to part ways, however begrudgingly. A stack of cash, a signature on the title, and the ol’ girl was gone, with a young woman behind the wheel who had her ‘94 Jeep Wrangler stolen last month.

This week I’ve been driving aimlessly around the city, trying to break in the new engine. It’s been strange getting used to a new vehicle with automatic everything and all the modern accoutrements. To make an incomprehensible metaphor, if the Jeep is Natalie Portman on 5 espressos, then the Saab is Beyonce stoned. No matter, I think me and Hanna will be getting along just fine – as they say, the best thing to get you over the ol’ girl is the new girl. Need a ride?
- posted by Liebs @ 4:07 PM 0 comments

 
I Guess He Does Have A Sense Of Humor
Either that, or he’s completely lost his damn mind. But Ryan Adams’s website has gone gleefully bizarre. The Tron graphics are just the beginning. Wait for the surreal electroclash freestyle rap insanity. "Welcome to Ryan Adams dot com muthafucka!" Shoutouts to Staten Island, Ancient Sumerians, Anna Faris, and Kevin Costner? "This website’s updated by witches." I think there’s something about milkshakes in there, too. "My record went balsa wood."

Click around a bit, and you’ll unleash another song, this one an ode to "Drunk Santa". Fantastic.

"Kevin Bacon, what the fuck?!"
- posted by Liebs @ 9:12 PM 0 comments

 
More Than Salad Dressing
Paul Newman, still the man.
- posted by Liebs @ 7:31 PM 0 comments

 
Rip It Up
I can’t deny it, I am an unabashed fan of the mashup. From Freelance Hellraiser’s "Stroke of Genie-us", with Christina Aguilera backed by the Strokes, to Danger Mouse’s Grey Album, combining the Beatles’ White Album and Jay Z’s Black Album, to the recent Q Unit, with 50 Cent rapping over Queen riffs, I love being fucked with musically (particularly with a heaping helping of cheese).

Now the king is here, with the party record of the year. Gregg Gillis, a Pittsburgh DJ with the moniker Girl Talk, has released the ultimate mashup album with Night Ripper. It’s beyond spectacular. Though it’s split up into individual tracks, it’s basically 40+ nonstop minutes of jawdropping whydidntithinkofthat sampling genius.

The Ying Yang Twins whispering, "Wait’ll you see my dick" over top of the Verve’s (well, The Rolling Stones really) "Bittersweet Symphony". Nas rapping to the Pixies’ "Where Is My Mind?". Notorious B.I.G.’s "Juicy" with Elton John’s "Tiny Dancer". This can’t ever be cleared and sold in stores, right? How is this legal? Like most anything that is (or probably should be) illegal, it’s a whole lot of fun.

The samples come thick and fast, from Dem Franchize Boyz to Neutral Milk Hotel to Hall And Oates (!!). My favorite moment has to be Juelz Santana and The Waitresses’ Patty Donahue dueling, "I know what girls want/I know what guys want". If I have a criticism, it’s the ADHD of the whole thing. You better savor the choicest bits, because no idea on the record lasts more than about 25 seconds.

But if you love a killer riff or groove or two (or 173), you need to get your hands on Night Ripper, posthaste.
- posted by Liebs @ 6:42 PM 0 comments

 
Who Needs Porn. . .
. . . when you’ve got pictures from the Louis Vuitton Classic Boheme Run? Ooh, now this is one sexy rear end.
- posted by Liebs @ 8:33 PM 0 comments

 
Do Not Mess With A Man And His Elephant
If you still don’t know, I’m here to tell you: Tony Jaa is amazing. The Protector brings some serious ass whuppings. Plot, cinematography, acting chops – who cares? Muay thai, capoeira, wushu, it’s all about the fight sequences. There are a lot of them and they’re spectacular. I have advanced engineering degrees, and even I couldn’t keep up with the broken bones count. It’s the most fun you’ll have at the cinema all year. And once he’s learned English, Tony Jaa is going to be a big, big star. You heard it here.
- posted by Liebs @ 9:01 AM 0 comments

 
A Simple Equation
Abby Gennet + leather pants + Gibson SG = the sexiest thing on the damn planet.

And The Cogburns rocked too.
- posted by Liebs @ 11:08 PM 0 comments

 
An Important Lesson
If you’ve watched the highlights from the Mets-Padres series at Shea the last couple days, you’ve seen Padres catcher Mike Piazza get a standing ovation upon his return to New York, and then a curtain call tonight after his second home run off of Pedro Martinez. No big surprise, that’s what baseball fans do when a hero returns.

Except in Atlanta, apparently. When Tom Glavine has returned to Turner Field as a member of the Mets the last few seasons, about half the crowd loudly boos, about a quarter of the crowd does nothing (as most Braves fans normally do the rest of the time), and about a quarter of the crowd cheers (I’m guessing these are the few hardy folks who used to go to games at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in the powder blue unis-Bob Horner era). Now, Glavine only played 16 years for the Braves, won 2 Cy Young Awards, went to 8 All-Star Games, and, oh yeah, pitched eight innings of one-hit shutout ball to clinch Atlanta’s lone World Series title in 1995 against the Cleveland Indians and was named the World Series MVP.

How can you boo him? I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. Turner Field is home to the worst fans in all of baseball. Helpful hint, Braves fans: When a pitcher for your team has two strikes on a batter, you should make some noise as he enters his windup. If you’re confused by this concept, watch a game from any other ballpark in the league. Rant over.

Oh, and the Braves are now 16½ games back in the NL East.
- posted by Liebs @ 8:41 PM 0 comments

 
Muse - The Tabernacle, August 6, 2006
The last time they visited Atlanta, on the mtvU Campus Invasion Tour, Muse converted me into a true believer (yes, I’m being ironical, considering the band’s atheist views). So Sunday’s sold out show at The Tabernacle couldn’t arrive soon enough. A sweltering summer day as usual, but when the doors opened at 7 pm, the line was completely around the downtown Atlanta block – I've been to many shows at that venue, and I've rarely seen a line even reach the corner. So I was pumped that the crowd was going to be into it and it was going to top last year's show.

Unfortunately, this time it was an all-ages show, and the pampered suburban high schools were well-represented. Boo. The opening band, The Cloud Room, didn't help. The biggest crowd reaction they got was a sarcastic cheer when the lead singer announced, "This is gonna be our last song." While trying to ignore them, I got to thinking what would be an ideal opening band for Muse. The Cardigans? Zero 7? Tahiti 80? Discuss.

The roadies prepped the stage for the main event, with a large black sheet covering up something. Having seen the Knights of Cydonia video, it could've been anything under there. I was ready for a unicorn, a spaceship, a bunch of porn-mustached cowboys. Nope, just Dom's clear plastic drumkit – SWEET! Yes, I have an irrational obsession for plastic drumkits – and the video controls (I'll get to that in a moment).

It was nearly an hour between the end of The Cloud Room's set and when Muse finally took the stage, and it deflated the crowd a bit. Opening with Take A Bow didn't really get anyone pumped, but going right into Hysteria to follow set it off, the crowd surged forward, and it was on.

Only it wasn't sustained like last year, and I'm not sure why. Instead of the bright-as-fuck giant LED racks last time, it was a relatively mellow light setup, with some abstract videos projected on linen sheets hanging behind the band. Don't chill me out Muse, rock my balls off!

Supermassive Black Hole followed, and I was stoked, but few others were - I don't think too many folks in the crowd have heard the new record yet. The crowd died, much to my chagrin. Butterflies And Hurricanes brought it back a little bit, but the kids couldn't keep their energy up during the piano bits.

I was actually a little disappointed when Muse followed with the bass riff of Starlight – it's my favorite track on Black Holes And Revelations and I had imagined it as the concert-ending song to send everyone home on a high. Matt tried to get the room to clap along with Dom's snare drum beat, but aside from me and maybe 10 other folks, the crowd couldn't handle the rhythm. I know I will be extremely jealous of the festival crowds in Japan and Europe (I really really really want to be at Reading now). The energy in the room died.

It wasn't revived with Forced In, but I was surprised to hear a Hullaballoo track. Bliss, however, woke everyone up again – how could it not? But then Muse slowed it down again with Feeling Good – too soon with the mellow, dammit! Soldier's Poem was next, using the most effective visual effects of the night, a sort of seaweedish light show that oozed its way around the rim of the balcony before meandering over the crowd. Just like on the new record, Invincible was next. The CD is growing on me, but I still think Invincible is a dud. The crowd about fell asleep.

And then were roused to riot by the back to back to back onslaught of Plug In Baby (break out the sparkly guitar!), New Born, and Stockholm Syndrome. Now we're getting somewhere! The masses were seething, we were bouncing everywhere, this is what I wanted. And then they left the stage. What? Already?

The encore opened with Map Of The Problematique, and the crowd, now thirsting for more rock, lapped it up. Time Is Running Out, yes, come on dammit, keep it up. I knew what was coming. Knights Of Cydonia. It appalled me the first time I heard it on the CD, but it’s grown on me. The video puts it into context. And the crowd went absolutely bonkers – it was incredible live. The lyrics to the chorus were projected on the screens, with Matt and the rest of us wailing together, fists in the air. "No one’s going to take me alive! The time has come to make things right! You and I must fight for our rights! You and I must fight to survive!" An amazing concert moment, sweat and adrenaline and exhilaration. And bravo to Muse for getting a bunch of Red State suburban chil’rens to maybe, possibly, hopefully (but probably not, unfortunately), celebrate a chance to question authority and think for themselves. I hope the politics of the opening and closing songs weren’t lost on the crowd.

And then it was over. House lights up (including that great chandelier), good night, thanks for coming.

So, time to get critical. First, the whole set was less than 90 minutes. I know this US tour was a tuneup for the big festival dates they’re headlining the rest of the summer, but come on. Five albums of material, give me at least 2 hours of rock! And nothing off of Showbiz, not even Sunburn or Muscle Museum, that was kind of a letdown.

The crowd was a bit of a bummer. The Strokes gig a few months ago had more energy, and that just shouldn’t be. If the crowd last year was a 10, Sunday was a 6. Boo. And to all the kids who bring their digital cameras to take loads of blurry pictures and shaky videos – sit in the fucking balcony, you assbags. I didn’t come to the concert to see your arms and Muse on a 3 inch LCD screen. I thought very seriously about swiping a trio of cameras in front of me and hucking them up to the mezzanine. I didn’t, but I probably should have.

The visual effects didn’t match the intensity of the music, the only times they worked were during Soldier’s Poem and Knights Of Cydonia. I much preferred the setup last year.

But hell, I can’t deny Hysteria, Supermassive Black Hole, Butterflies And Hurricanes, Starlight, Bliss, Plug In Baby, New Born, Stockholm Syndrome, Time Is Running Out, and (surprisingly) Knights Of Cydonia, that’s a whole lot of rock for an evening. I wanted more, but I’m a greedy bastard.

I hope that Muse will be back in the US sometime next year, and with a longer setlist, that would be lovely, thank you very much. Regardless, Sunday, in an old church in the sweltering South, they certainly cemented their spot as one of the best rock bands (and maybe the best) out there.
- posted by Liebs @ 9:07 PM 0 comments