Sam’s blog

Running Album of the Year Competish

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Thu, 08 Mar 2007 13:20:04 -0800

At the moment.....

1. Panda Bear - Person Pitch

2. Interpol - Our Love To Admire

3. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky

4. Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

5. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

6. Spoon - Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga

7. The Field - From Here We Go Sublime

8. Patrick Wolf - The Magic Position

9. Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?

10. LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver

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Semisonic sweet

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 18:09:06 -0800

So I was cleaning out my CDs the other night (of which I estimate to have about 600) and I found a batch of albums I bought when I was about 6 or 7. Two of which were by 90s power pop group Semisonic, fronted by Grammy-award winning songwriter (for the Dixie Chicks of course) Dan Wilson.

And you know what? They aren't half bad! The first falf of Feeling Strangely Fine is some of the best pop music written in recent history. Check it out...for serious.

Feeling Strangely Fine

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WOW, 2007, you've outdone yourself.

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Sat, 27 Jan 2007 12:40:37 -0800

So I downloaded two new albums today:

The Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

and

Panda Bear - Person Pitch

Neon Bible is incredible. It really is. It is awesome in the way that Picaresque was awesome upon first listen. 11 great songs, uplifting, sentimental, etc. Not as emotional and 80s themed as Funeral, but awesome in its own right.

Person Pitch is, as Pitchfork said, "pretty much the best thing in the world." As it stands, this is my favorite album of 2007, at the moment. And, good luck beating it. Actually, good luck writing a song half as good as "Bros," or half as beautiful as "Ponytail." And, check out this cover. Pet Sounds of the 21st century? Answer: a resounding "YES YES!"

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Welcome to 2007

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 12:51:32 -0800

Alright, so my list was a wee bit off. Come January 31, 2006, I probably was listening to that TV on the Radio album than anything else, so I dunno...but....forget 2006.

CUZ 2007 IS ALREADY WHIPPING ITS SORRY ASS.

Look what we've got:

Of Montreal - Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer? - Their best album and it beats anything that came out last year.

The Shins - Wincing The Night Away - Not the masterpiece I was expecting, but still a collection of some great songs.

Menomena - Friend and Foe - Best artwork of the decade, says Pitchfork? I say, Best artwork ever. Also...I hope it gets really big so I can write a book called The Menomena Phenomenon.

Deerhoof - Friend Opportunity - Alright, a little disappointing, but it is still one good spaz-prog-rock album.

Captain Shafts - Her Versus The Sad Cold Eventually - Not heard it yet, but Lou is pimping it like crazy, so it has got to be an awesome album.

***

And that which hasn't been released:

Arcade Fire - Neon Bible - What comes after a Funeral? And, more importantly...what comes after a 9.7 Pitchfork review?!?!? I trust Win knows what to do...judging by 'Black Mirror' and 'Intervention,' expect all sorts of reviewers saying stuff about how they 'avoided the sophomore slump' and whatnot.

Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha - Seems harder and rougher than Mysterious Production of Eggs...probably a good thing...and a little "Bird" told me that this baby is up on Oink. ( ;

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky - Ties with the new Bon Jovi for "Most Alt. Country Title of the Year" award. However, unlike Bon Jovi's Lost Highways, this won't be the worst thing ever.

Sufjan - The Bird Album - Sufjan + Birds > Sufjan + Any State in America

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank - Hopefully this title isn't a metaphor for how bad the album will be after "Float On" was on Kidz Bop. And just in case it is, Johnny Marr is there to save the day! I call them: Marrdest Mouse. Hehe.
***

GET PUMPED!

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Top 21 of 06

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 17:38:18 -0800

21. Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers, and Bastards
20. Islands - Return to Sea
19. Ghostface Killah - Fishscale
18. Bob Dylan - Modern Times
17. Neko Case - Fox Confessor Brings the Flood
16. Destroyer - Destroyer's Rubies
15. Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
14. Joanna Newsom - Ys
13. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions
12. The Knife - Silent Shout
11. Phoenix - It's Never Been Like That

10. The Killers - Sam's Town
I tried to hate it...I really did...I tried to hate everything about it....making fun of how he kinda sounds like Meatloaf, how there is a ram on the cover, how he is a Mormon...but nothing worked, and God!!! Every time he sings that part 'Higher and higher, we're gonna take it down to the wire,' I just want to shout along and dance. My advice: listen, crank it...just don't tell anyone and try not to think too much about it.

9. Scott Walker - The Drift
A truly, truly horrifying record. Like honestly, do NOT listen to this album alone, late at night. Seriously...he makes Sigur Ros sound like Sugar Ray. This 60+ year old man worked over 7 years writing and producing this record, and although not an easy listen, it is ultimately a rewarding and interesting one. And addicting...did I mention addicting?

8. Morrissey - Ringleader of the Tormentors
My favorite artist of all time proves his relevance and genius by creating one of his best and most original albums of his career.

7. The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely
Many critics, myself included, found this album to be a bit dull and monotonous at first listen. This is probably why it received so many 7.something reviews. However, this album was made for repeated listens, and what once seemed dull and depressing now seems hopeful and powerful.

6. Band of Horses - Everything All The Time
Debut album of the year. This is an impossible album to hate...I dare you...hate it....hate it now.

Hell Hath No Fury

5. Clipse - Hell Hath No Fury
Great rap album. Without a doubt. Best rap album of the year. Definitely. Best rap album ever? Very possible.

Key tracks: "We Got it For Cheap," "Wamp Wamp," "Hello New World," "Keys Open Doors," "Trill"

Animal Years

4. Josh Ritter - The Animal Years
Do you know how refreshing it is to hear an album from 2006 that had absolutely no hype, no Pitchfork review to squander my thoughts, no indie backlash, yet no mainstream hit singles to be overplayed to death...? The Animal Years came to me miraculously and from out of nowhere and I have not let it go since. The songs are stories to themselves, as epic and powerful as Springsteen, as timely and thought-provocative as Dylan, and as intimate and folksy as The Mountain Goats. Special props for containing not only my two favorite songs of the year, but quite possibly, two of my favorite songs ever: "Girl in the War" and "Thin Blue Flame."

Key tracks: "Girl in The War (SONG OF THE YEAR)," "Wolves," "Idaho," "In The Dark," "Thin Blue Flame (SONG OF THE YEAR)"

The Crane Wife

3. The Decemberists - The Crane Wife
Alright, so maybe I am a little biased...seen them live three times, own everything they have ever put out...but hey...The Crane Wife in no way is a bad album. Probably even better than last year's Picaresque which, if you can recall, topped that list.

.

Key tracks: "The Crane Wife 3," "The Island," "Yankee Bayonet," "The Crane Wife 1 + 2,"

The Greatest

2. Cat Power - The Greatest

Powerful, country-infused, soul-rock with folky effects and inspiring hooks. Does it get better than this?

Key tracks: "The Greatest," "Living Proof," "Lived in Bars," "Willie"

Boys and Girls in America

1. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America
Up until last night, this record was a little lower on the list. But, when it came time to do my final listening to make sure that all albums were in the right place, it occured to me that I love every song on this CD. It is honestly near perfect, and it is not only the best album of the year, but also the best rock album to come out in the past six years. Long live The Hold Steady!

Key tracks: "Stuck Between Stations," "Chips Ahoy," "Hot Soft Light." "You Can Make Him Like You," "Citrus," "Chillout Tent"

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Top 10 Albums of 06

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 04:12:29 -0800

Look here on December 20th for my list.

Peace.

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Currently rocking...

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 12:39:02 -0800

Hell Hath No Fury

Clipse

Quite frankly, I have never heard a better, smarter, more tolerable, or more enjoyable rap album in my entire life.

Be Still Please

Portastatic

Best indie pop album of the year...lightyears ahead of his previous records.

Cliquety Kliqk

General Elektriks

Old-school French hip-hop/electronic/indie pop with some brilliantly placed keyboard parts.

Beast Moans

Swan Lake

Ridiculously good indie rock by the hardest working men in the business.

Night Ripper

Girl Talk

No description neccessary.

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That time already?

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 17:16:39 -0800

It seems as though the world's best award system, The Plug Awards are back again this year, so GET VOTING!

Also...Pitchfork seems to have reviewed a certain Decemberists concert that yours truly attended and nearly was in the picture Pitchfork took.

Finally, Joanna Newsom's Ys is the best new album to come out in record shops all year...and possibly ever. It just makes me feel good, ya know? Expect full length review sometime soon.

Joanna Newsom

Oh yeah...and she is beautiful.

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Sam Ah Um

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Sat, 11 Nov 2006 07:41:26 -0800

Mingus Ah Um

Charles Mingus

Charles Mingus - Mingus Ah Um
Best study music ever. Listen to "Bird Calls" and tell me it is not the greatest song ever. Everyone go out and buy this CD and blast it through your windows until the neighbors have to come and complain but realize that they want to dance, not argue.

Reckless Nights & Turkish Twilights

Raymond Scott

Raymond Scott and the Secret 7 - The Unexpected
For some reason, this album only appears to be available through eMusic and iTunes, but it is very mellow and soothing. Reckless Nights & Turkish Twilights (pictured above) is more experimental and fun.

Get Lonely

The Mountain Goats

The Mountain Goats - Get Lonely
This album gets better and better every time I listen to it...it is like a little autumn-walk companion.

This Harness Can't Ride Anything

Chin Up Chin Up

Chin Up Chin Up - This Harness Can't Ride Anything
I saw this band live this summer and am shocked that this album is being completely ignored by critics.

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Thick as a Brick

nobody@vox.com(Sam) — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 16:05:11 -0800

Thick As A Brick

Jethro Tull

While the rest of the world sobs silently due to the break-up of the constantly misunderstood indie favorite Rainer Maria, I toiled in the glory of the unjustly ridiculed and constantly mocked flute-infused prog rock of Jethro Tull. Really, Thick as a Brick is without a doubt one of the best albums I have ever heard. It only consists of two songs, both being over twenty minutes long and both titled "Thick as a Brick," but it is one of the more fuller sounding rock albums I have heard in a while.

Part two of the new Decemberists song "The Island" sound familiar to anyone? Probably because it is from this album. Seriously, more indie bands rip off of Jethro Tull than you'd think.

Definitley worth a purchase.

See what I mean.

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