5 posts tagged “2007”

Best of 2007, summed up solely upon Play Count, yet in no particular sort...

BAND OF HORSES :: Cease to Begin
I will not apologize for how naturally well these hicks perfectly fit the notches in my musical tastes.  Nor will I apologize for my low-grade addiction to adverbs.

RADIOHEAD :: InRainbows
Only thing more beautiful then my surprise with how traditional and accessible this release sounded, was how I frak’d up the $/£ conversion and paid double.  Deserved.

FIEST :: The Reminder
Sucker for the woman with the lungs.  Double word score for the Canadian thing.  Slight demerit for shilling for Jobs.  Demerit cancelled out by that damn Busby Berkeley video.

TEMPO NO TEMPO :: The Get Down
Solid reminder that you should see as much live music in as small a venue as possible as often as possible.

SILVERSUN PICKUPS :: Carnavas
Yea, from 2006.  But I discovered this in 2007 and I loved this. So frakin’ keep sneering at me and my low-rise Chucks.

ROGUE WAVE :: Asleep at Heavens Gate
Regardless of what you think of them now, reminds me of the good-vibe repeat-playability of when I first heard Shins.

PANDA BEAR :: Person Pitch
Far and away the most original clutch of new songs all year.  Even if it did sound like a long weekend locked in Brian Wilsons bathroom with 4 parts Roland, 5 parts blotter.

GABRIEL YARED & UNDERWORLD :: Breaking & Entering soundtrack
Best most elegant pairing since Holmes and Soderbergh.

DARJEELING LIMITED :: Soundtrack
Andersons’ prowess with music patched & mapped to edits & slowmo is undeniable, regardless of how the film sat with you.  The album is by itself wonderful, and at times, a nice blend of plucky old-world and culturally grating.

ULRICH SCHNAUSS :: Goodbye
What My Bloody Valentine might have sounded like if they did heroin.  Oh, wait… Nevermind.

KILN :: Dusker
On Repeat, best music to which you should read No Country for Old Men during a 5-day jaunt from Houston to Austin to San Antonio then back to Houston.

TEGAN & SARA :: The Con
Again with the singer songwriting chicks from O Canadia.  And identical twins?  With sleeve tattoos?  [scurries off to bathroom]

UNDERWORLD :: Oblivion with Bells
Not as solid a post-Emerson release as 100 Days Off, but an incredible package of songs.  There’s a low-fi theme album in here somewhere.  I just haven’t yet sussed it out.

KINGS OF LEON :: Because of the Times
Made me want to throw a half-emptied jar of moonshine out the speeding window of a maroon Caprice with a black door.  Had me revisiting in-car volumes not heard since TURN ON THE BRIGHT LIGHTS.

RICHARD BUTLER :: Self titled
Old pipes & general homely-dood from Psych Furs/LSL.  You grew up to this mans voice.  Listen to what the man does with a home studio and all the free time those royalty checks must provide.
 

SINGLES

FUJIYA & MIYAGI :: Conductor 71

INTERPOL :: Rest my Chemistry (anyone else get those distinct traits of Pixies Where is my Mind?)

AMY WHOREHOUSE :: Valerie (insert however much credit to Ronson you wish)

 

Some disappointments:

BLONDE REDHEAD :: 23

Do you ever think that
This is now. I must remember?
You take in all around you
Colours, taste and smell
Before it fades like a dying ember

All day
Replay
The rush of life
Makes a memory distant

I had coffee with rum
Sang along to the drums of the crowd
As we cheered the dawning

And I want to save it
Somewhere safe
So I'll remember
Bring it out one day
When everything looks grey
To make me smile
When I'm feeling tender

All day
Replay
The rush of life
Makes a memory distant

And we climbed a hill top
Following a new friend
In the sun of the early morning

Do you ever think that
This is now I must remember?
You take in all around you
Colours, taste and smell
Before it fades like a dying ember

All day
Replay
The rush of life
Makes a memory distant

I had coffee with rum
Sang along with the drums of the crowd
As we cheered the dawning

I remember long ago
Certain things were simple pleasures.....

from moment to moment, i brush it off as just another one down in that long list of fifty-something rockers who decide to bury whatever hatchets and go back out on tour. but then, i am reminded of the nostalgia surrounding this bands internal feuds.

i recall how at the height of stings 1990s popularity, that it was stewart copeland that was the bad seed and couldnt get along. but then, time went on, and simple resurgance of interest in the back-catalogue feuled interest in why men of such synergystic genius werent still banging out anthems.  why?

consider how well U2 brought a very large and alienating ZOO vessel back on course to produce their best studio album since Unforgetable FIre. their VERTIGO tour, for its size, was fucking breathtakingly effective. almost surgical in its ability to carve life into musical reminders that, amidst two towers down, and two wars, and the poverty their pricetag could erase, and ubiquitous shallow self-promotion, amongst all that craaap.... that CARPE DEUM is never more than an arms length away.

its called song-writing.

its called inspirational music.

anyone can get out there and be passionate and emotional. problem is, we've grown to confuse enthusiasm with talent.  we almost crave those without talent for the sheer entertainment value of creulty.

the police were not just at the right place in the right time.  they spun a top in the 80s that never stopped spinning.   those who can listen can hear their influence in well over half of what passes for cutting edge music these days. 

sting more or less proved his acumen at crafting epic sonic tales for generations to come.  the police reunion, though, seemed doomed in my mind. a feeble wet dream adrift in a sea of musical mediocrity.  i distinctly remember having conversations where i was willing to bet my pinky toe that i'd get to see a SMITHS reunion before i saw THE POLICE.

well, here we are. Morrissey has a thriving career, which no one can doubt will come first over that sake & sushi dinner with Marr or Rourke or Joyce.

but what both frightens me and emboldens me is the prospect of a fresh POLICE studio release. i sincerely want to doubt that these old gits are more motivated by the seven-zeros at the end of the contract then they are by what musical journey might lie ahead. and for that, they might tolerate whoever the other bandmate has become after all these years. (are the wives friends?)  we're not talking seperate tourbuses. we're talking wholly seperate entourages on different air carriers.

but if it works out. if whatever fucking magic of music-making they shared back then is still arcing and able to be kindled into flame after all this time. man, i'm hoping there might be something on the other side that'll make sense & get me some Hope.