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Tuesday, December 23, 2008Music of 2008 - My Top 10
After considering only albums that were released in the year 2008, this is the countdown I came up with for the 10 whole albums that I have been most obsessed with during the year.  10. Michael Franti and Spearhead - Life in the City from All Rebel Rockers  9. Wolf Parade - Call It A Ritual from At Mount Zoomer  8. Trever Keith - Polish from Melancoholics Anonymous  7. Alkaline Trio - Into the Night from Agony and Irony Friday, December 19, 2008Music of 2008 - The Honorable Mentions
I'm about ready to declare my chosen top 10 albums of 2008, yeah just like everyone else. But, when I compiled the list I had a tough time shaving it down to the limit of 10 albums that we are allotted for a top 10 list of any sort. My criteria for considering anything on that list requires:
As I went through the elimination process I excused any release that was not in the form of a full length album, which accounts for 3 of these honorable mentions. And as for the Shorebirds and Frightened Rabbit album, I included these because I didn't want to leave them out, there just wasn't any room on the list. So there you go, the leftovers, or notable recognitions from my year in music. They each do deserve much praise, just not in my top 10. I have chosen each song for what I think best represents the entirety of each release.   3. Get Bent - City from Demo 2008 (the whole demo is a free download)   Sunday, January 06, 2008Top 10 Music Picks from 2007During the year 2007 I seemed to constantly discover and listen to a good deal of music from the 90's, but that is not what this post is about. It is also not a declaration of any absolute best albums of the year, because it seems that I won't be discovering the best music of 2007 until around 2017. This is simply 10 albums that were released in 2007 that I actually listened to in the year they were released, and thoroughly enjoyed them in their entirety. Included with each pick is a selected mp3 from each album, for whatever it is worth, enjoy. 10. Maritime - Heresy and the Hotel Choir  Pearl 9. The Snake The Cross The Crown - Cotton Teeth  The Great American Smokeout 8. Slightly Stoopid - Chronchitis  Anywhere I Go 7. Bedouin Soundclash - Street Gospels  Trinco Dog 6. Dinosaur Jr. - Beyond  Almost Ready 5. The Beautiful Girls - Ziggurats  Bring Me Your Cup 4. Smoke or Fire - This Sinking Ship  Little Bohemia 3. The Expendables - Self Titled  Take a Ticket 2. Sundowner - Four One Five Two  This War Is Noise 1. Jim Ward - Quiet  Mystery Talks Thursday, October 18, 2007Saturday, February 17, 2007The Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen
 I felt like I had missed a boat full of a major cultural and somewhat a political movement. My parents deemed me too young to go to the concerts and shows put on by the touring rock bands of the day. I still haven't forgiven them. At the time I felt I was being denied the coveted label of a "Generation X 'er"Unfortunately for me this time in my life developed a philosophy of the music industry that then caused me to dismiss The Afghan Whigs when they released "Gentlemen". During this period of music, I felt one needed to be extremely cautious when choosing your listening selections. The air was swarming with an onslaught of overnight grunge sensations. This band was lured from the Sub Pop label to Elektra, and that was cause for a little suspicion. But, I do remember that I gave this release a chance by listening to it through a few times. For some reason it wasn't good music to me then. That all has changed as of lately. I now am a full fledged Afghan Whigs recommender, and I highly recommend you listen to this one. from Afghan Whigs - Gentlemen (1993) If I Were Going Monday, November 27, 2006Rage Against The Machine - The Battle of Los Angeles
 The first time I ever listened to Rage Against The Machine, being in the state of a 15 year old boy that I was, it spoke magic to me. It was knowledgeable, I knew there were actual feelings behind the music. It was rebellious, screaming about so many revolutions that I wanted to be a part of.After some time passed my feelings had changed. The music and I had a falling out. I could always recognize the force of influence that Rage Against The Machine exerted into my surrounding world. There was a time when anything that was associated with sounds of this nature was in a direct conflict with what I thought music should be. To me it was corporate rock, and I was an anti-MTV punk rocker. It was not what I stood for. During that time, I somehow held Rage Against The Machine directly responsible for what could be referred to as the pollution of music in the late 90's. My view of Rock/Rap sound was largely shaped by Limp Bizkit and Kid Rock. More recently, over the past few weeks through listening to "The Battle for Los Angeles", I have been doing some reorganizing, inside my mental storage room, I have moved Rage Against The Machine to a superior shelf, away from the that other stuff. from Rage Against The Machine - The Battle Of Los Angeles (1999) Testify Saturday, October 28, 2006Sparta - Threes
 Sparta is an evolving sound that I have been following since the hiatus/demise of At the Drive In. I listened to new release "Threes" today, and enjoyed the first few times through it. I think it is a mulatto of many influences. It sounds like previous Sparta albums, but there is something new that is reminiscent of a U2 song, though no specific U2 song comes to mind. Especially Erase It Again, but other tracks as well. I think that there are tones in the vocals during the verses that are new to their sound. At times it has a Radiohead ring in it as well, sometimes the vocals go high and dreamy with the guitars getting echoy, I think that Translations and Atlas are noticeably Radiohead sounding. There is also more of an acoustic feel, more acoustic than what I am used to hearing in Sparta. As with the previous Sparta albums, I think I will learn to like, maybe love, this album for unexpected reasons that will slowly reveal themselves to me.from Sparta - Threes (2006) Unstitch Your Mouth Sunday, October 15, 2006Weird Al Is My Hero Again
Being a suburban white kid that grew up through the 80's and 90's, it is only natural that I have owned a few Weird Al cassette tapes in my day. I used to sing along while walking home from school with my walkman and my trapper keeper. I was even a big fan of the movie UHF, it inspired me to once make my own mashed potato sculpture. Al continued through my high school years pumping out the parodies, and even appearing on ALTV showcasing all of his brilliance with equally parodic videos. I was going to start rambling on about my favorite Weird Al songs, but there are far too many for me to take on that task. So I will just say that aside from his sheer brilliance, if you really consider the cultural impact that Weird Al has had, you would easily rank him somewhere on the pop icon-o-meter well above Howard the Duck! Friday, December 02, 2005Dub Music
 I want to make some dub music of my own someday. If anyone that reads this can recommend some stuff to listen to that I might like lets trade some mp3s! JAH! that is all. Labels: Music Saturday, November 05, 2005Wishes and Beards
 I really wish that beards wern't so itchy, then I would grow one on my face and look really cool like a mountain man or a philosopher or Will Ryker. Also I wouldn't have to shave everyday. Beards are kind of like wearing glasses...people automatically assume you are smarter and greater than you probably are. Akron/Family grows radical beards , they also make radical music, I also wish that they would play a show within 200 miles of my house, but currently they are busy playing shows for stupid Europeans. I have to admit that would be much more fun than playing a show for a stupid Utahn that can't stand to grow a beard!!! Also the guy that performs as Iron and Wine has a kickin' beard! He also makes music that I have been finding superly awesome lately, and it is not just because he has a good beard. I wish that superly awesome music was more abundant these days. I found some growing tips at beards.org
Labels: Music Tuesday, November 01, 2005A Needle and Vinyl
 I got a new stereo reciever for my birthday(well, it is from the 70's) but, its new to me. I hooked it up to my dusty old turn table, and after a lapse of listening to and collecting vinyl records, I have now returned to an old hobby. I am finally able to listen to records that I have had sitting around for years. I got so excited that I bought a boat load of new ones, some on the internet, and some at Randy's Records in Salt Lake City. I highly recommend No Idea Records for some good bands and awesome vinyl products. Also The Record Collectors Guild is an excellent place to visit. Labels: Music |
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