Beware
Bonnie “Prince” Billy Country Rock
How have I missed out on this guy’s music the last ten years? Beau Brummels-style vocals and the perfect L.A. country rock sound grabbed me on first listen; his melodies and weirdness kept me coming back all year.
Blood from Stars
Joe Henry Pop
This is the album Elvis Costello wishes he released this year (not that Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane wasn’t good – but note it didn’t make my list). Henry’s sound is like a confident solo cabaret, if that makes any sense. Traditional jazz and blues standards inform these songs, but never dominate – his questions and concerns come through loud and clear on every track.
The Bright Mississippi
Allen Touissant
Jazz
Nothing less than perfection, really: Touissant keeps the music of Jelly Roll Morton, Sidney Bechet, Louis Armstrong, Django Reinhardt, and more alive with the assistance of an A-list backing band and a nod to the ongoing tragedy inflicted by Hurricane Katrina.
The Hazards of Love
The Decemberists Pop
Moving closer to a full-blown stage production, The Decemberists keep the prog-pop progression going with this narrative concept album featuring shape-shifting demons, dead babies, and medieval gardens. Heavy rock recalls Grace Slick’s vocals, Deep Purple’s guitars.
Hold Time
M. Ward Pop
Even when the guy puts out a crap album, it’d probably still find its way onto my top ten for the year – he’s that interesting. Keeping the mood going without breaking too much new ground, Ward entertains with wit and warmth. Lucinda Williams and Zooey Deschanel join in on the fun.
Middle Cyclone
Neko Case Rock
Part familiar, part unique, and all passionate, “Middle Cyclone” sounds like an album I’ve been enjoying for twenty years. Most likely it’ll be spinning another twenty. Ending with a half-hour of crickets though?
Monsters of Folk
Monsters of Folk Pop
Irony noted: they can call themselves “folk” all they want, but this is pure pop fun. M. Ward, Jim James of My Morning Jacket, and Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes have created a Traveling Wilburys-like collection, weaving their influences together and apart.
Noble Beast
Andrew Bird Pop
I’ll go out on a limb and say it’s just about impossible to dislike this album. Or, better – if you don’t like sunny, bright tunes with plenty of whistling and poppy melodies, then just get out. I’ll enjoy it on my own.
Ready for the Flood
Mark Olsen & Gary Louris Americana
The next best thing to a Jayhawks reunion. It’s great to hear these voices harmonizing again after ten years apart – and the songs aren’t half-bad, either. Warm and welcoming.
Black John
The Soul of John Black Soul
A recent passenger in my car asked, “Don’t you have anything with rhythm?” Well, yeah, I do. Miles Davis & Fishbone sideman JB Bingham brings down the house with this slice of retro soul/funk. Just contemporary enough and hardly lacking in substance. Dig it.
Pete said, “this place is like being inside a giant bong!” And he was right – the Gibson Amphitheatre (formerly Universal Amphitheatre) was completely sold out and filled to the brim with throwbacks puffing away, plumes filling the hall like some Cheech & Chong routine. We must’ve missed signing a contract at the entrance waiving our option for a contact high!
Steely Dan was in town with master session guitarist Larry Carlton for a four-night stand playing a different classic album each night: “The Royal Scam,” “Aja,” “Gaucho,” and one night of Internet requests.
For Pete’s birthday, I offered to pick up the tab for his ticket if he would make the trip down from Modesto (we hadn’t seen each other in eight years). He took the long way down (Amtrak, then a Greyhound from Bakersfield) and joined me & Mike for a memorable night. We were all equally repulsed by the desperate flash of Universal CityWalk and just as much impressed by the concert. In particular, Jon Herington, Jim Pugh, Carolyn Leonhart, Freddie Washington took turns blowing us away while old men Becker & Fagen seemed not-so-old, energetic and fresh. Hearing Larry Carlton tear up his classic solo on “Third World Man” was the icing on the skunky cake.
Here’s the set list:
Intro: Teenie’s Blues
The Royal Scam (complete)
Hey Nineteen
Daddy Don’t Live in that NYC No More
Aja
Black Friday
Home at Last
Parker’s Band
Love is Like an Itching in My Heart / Band Intros
Third World Man
Peg
Josie
My Old School
Beach House Devotion Genre: Pop
I wish I knew about this album back in June when I spent the weekend with Sussman and Sudhir at the beach house up in Cayucos; it would’ve been perfect. A little spacey, a little strange, and a lot lovely. The duo of Alex Scally and Victoria Legrand, out of Baltimore, hand-crafted this curious, atmospheric, and evocative gem perfect for staring out the window at the surf, halfway between awake and asleep. sample: “You Came to Me” | amazon | itunes
The Black Keys Attack & Release Genre: Rock
Possibly the only album among my picks this year with the potential to attain “classic” status. What was apparently easy for artists lucky enough to be recording in the magic stretch between 1965 – 1975 comes few and far-between these days, but these two pull it off with ease. Grungy, garagey blues-rock never sounded more perfect. Throw in a couple ballads, a throwback to the B-side “alternate version,” and more than enough rock to sustain a bar full of headbangers and you’ve got a legend in our own time. sample: “I Got Mine” | amazon | itunes
Delta Spirit Ode to Sunshine Genre: Pop
You know it’s gonna be good when an album grabs you thirty seconds into listening. Beatles-esque harmonies and melodies abound on this, their debut album, self-recorded and produced at a mountain cabin down in Julian (points for that). There’s echoes of the soulful mid-’60s Stones and the rough slop of the Violent Femmes here, plus enough originality to carry them towards their own inevitable success. A hell of a lot of fun. (thanks to Pete for letting me know about this one.) sample: “Tomorrow Goes Away” | amazon | itunes
Elvis Costello & The Imposters Momofuku Genre: Rock
Costello swings back with his most upbeat and familiar-sounding album since Blood and Chocolate. Old bandmates Steve Nieve on keys and Pete Thomas on drums convene with new pals Jenny Lewis (of Rilo Kiley) and Dave Sher (of Beachwood Sparks) for a slapdash effort that has a spontaneous and joyful energy I’ve missed from EC’s catalog the last few years. Knowing the drum roll-out on “American Gangster Time,” straight out of 1978 — before it happened — made my day. sample:“American Gangster Time”|amazon|itunes
The Explorers Club Freedom Wind Genre: Pop
Spin this album for anyone and nine times out of ten they’ll peg it as vintage Beach Boys, circa mid-’60s. That’s not necessarily a bad thing — it worked for L.E.O. a couple years ago. Some artists are inspired by the greats to do their own thing, others are more comfortable with a direct homage. I was surprised to hear the six-man band hails from South Carolina (not “Caroline No”); I expected Doheny or Trestles. Their sound is full of perfect harmonies, effortless falsetto, rolling drums… even sleigh bells! To say “they just don’t make records like this anymore” is no longer true — these guys do. sample:“Forever”|amazon|itunes
The Fireman Electric Arguments Genre: Rock
Paul McCartney lets it all hang out with a guy called “Youth” — really. Pretty timely choice in friends, actually: this is McCartney’s most experimental, freeform work since Ram in 1971. Gone are the twee songs about “English Tea” and overthinking that sugared up his recent (still respectable) albums — Electric Arguments starts off with an explosion of heavy blues, fuzzed-out guitar, and screaming hoarse vocals, like the ghost of the White Album come to rattle some chains. Surprising and ass-kicking. Not bad for an old man! sample: “Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight” | amazon | itunes
Gentleman Jesse and His Men Gentleman Jesse and His Men Genre: Rock
Another throwback here, this time to 1978 or so. Joe Jackson, The Clash, and a more polished Modern Lovers weigh heavy here. (Some reviewers hear Nick Lowe and Elvis Costello, but apart from the opening riff stolen from “So It Goes” and the front cover alluding to This Year’s Model, I don’t see it). This stuff is exuberant, sweaty, sloppy — just the way rock should be. sample: “Highland Crawler” | amazon | itunes
Menahan Street Band Make the Road by Walking Genre: Funk
Think of a sedated Fela Kuti, straight out of Brooklyn. Menahan Street Band is a mix of some guys from Sharon Jones’ (and Amy Winehouse’s) stellar backing band the Dap-Kings, a couple dudes from the Budos Band, and a handful more from other NYC local soul/jazz/dub/funk groups. They recorded this album in the producer’s apartment and it’s not hard to imagine the sound of neighborhood kids playing in the street below, laughter in the next room, the smell of some slow-cooking barbecue on the patio, and cold beers spritzing open. Keep this one in the chill-chest for the summer. sample:“Karina”|amazon|itunes
Neil Halstead Oh! Mighty Engine Genre: Folk
English surfer Halstead’s sprightly acoustic set sounded like just voice & guitar on first listen. Coming back for another pass, I hear mandolin, pedal steel, electric bass, piano, soft percussion — all just right, sometimes barely there. Not just a more interesting version of labelmate Jack Johnson, Halstead’s gifts are many: hummable melodies that lodge in your brain, an intriguing and comforting vocal style, and that rare quality in a great album — the impulse to start it all over again right after listening. sample:“Witless or Wise”|amazon|itunes
Randy Newman Harps and Angels Genre: Pop
Newman deserves to make everyone’s 2008 top-ten list solely on the strength of one track here: the masterful “A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country,” a balanced damnation of the Bush Administration and how they’ve screwed America’s public image abroad. The good news is that the rest of the album is no disappointment, from the gospel-tinged deathbed conversion of “Harps and Angels” (“you ain’t been a good man, you ain’t been a bad man — but you’ve been pretty bad.”) to the warm and earnest love letter of “Feels Like Home.” Newman’s theatrical leanings are in full bloom here, as is his signature mix of cynicism and sentiment. sample: “A Few Words In Defense Of Our Country” | amazon | itunes
“Doctor Octoroc” has posted the first half of an inspired Christmas album: holiday classics done in the style of ’80s NES game soundtracks. He’s set to release the next set of tunes shortly – in the meantime, head over and sample the fun.
I’m digging “Deck the Kremlin” – Tetris-flavored awesomeness!
Check this out – Pete found this amazing album from 2006 last night – two Swedish ladies (Sara Isaksson & Rebecka Törnqvist) doing a harmony-rich, graceful, piano-and-keyboard album of…
…wait for it…
…Steely Dan covers.
I’m absopositively smitten. I’ve always loved The Dan’s obscure literary wordplay and perfect melodies (even tried my hand at a cover of “My Old School”) – but this album (titled “Fire in the Hole”) simply blows me away. The fact that it even exists gives me hope for the future of humanity. Their sparse arrangements of these tunes, culled from each of Steely Dan’s classic ’70s albums, emphasize the loneliness and alienation buried in Becker & Fagen’s lyrics.
Not available via Amazon or iTunes – look for it here.
Here they are doing “Barrytown,” one of my faves from “Pretzel Logic.”
I realized this morning I’ve been unfair to The Monkees for over 30 years.
Well, maybe not unfair to all of them – I can’t speak for Davy, Mickey, and Peter. But I’ve been a huge fan of Michael Nesmith since Pete introduced me to his 1972 solo album “And The Hits Just Keep on Comin’” ten years ago. It’s a masterpiece of country rock, recorded in Nesmith’s home studio with only “Red” Rhodes on pedal steel for company. The album includes a cover of “Different Drum,” the song Nesmith wrote for Linda Ronstadt’s band The Stone Poneys back in ’67. At the time, I told Pete this was “my favorite album I’ve never heard of” and it still occupies a spot in my Desert Island Discs list.
Over the years, I’ve dug into Nesmith’s complete back catalog, from his First National Band albums through his latest experiments. The ’70s catalog completely resonates with me – insanely great lyrics, earnest vocals, and a creative/weird country-rock sound out of 1920s Hollywood.
But I’d always been biased against The Monkees, thinking of them as a Hollywood “product” without substance. So much so that I never bothered to round up their albums for a listen to Nesmith’s contributions… until today. Well, I’ve seen the error of my ways – Nez’s tunes, scattered across The Monkees’ first eight albums, are nearly all gems – only rarely sinking to Beatles-mimicry. His country-rock approach is right there all along, concurrent with his late ’60s L.A.-scene peers The Byrds, Gene Clark, and Gram Parsons – same time, same place, same channel.
A nice bit of (not new) news from Cameron Crowe’s blog, sent to me by Pete – earlier this year, they finally released the soundtrack to one of the best films ever made, “Harold and Maude” (the Japanese release doesn’t count, as it wasn’t complete). Before, enterprising listeners had to assemble the album using bits and pieces of Cat Stevens’ other albums (and his “Greatest Hits, Volume 2″ with the two rare songs written specifically for the film). Now, we have them all together as they should be with a handful of alternate takes and a nice book of liner notes & photos to boot.
Here’s the catch – vinyl only. Limited edition of 2500. Already sold out. Check eBay. Or elsewhere.
They did a great job of including all kinds of goodies in the package – different colored vinyl pressings, limited-run inserts of bonus items like one-sheet posters, 7″ singles, film strips, even some items autographed by Cat Stevens (Yusuf Islam) himself.
Although I have to say the cover painting is atrocious. I know it’s the scene from “If You Want to Sing Out, Sing Out” when they’re dancing in the meadow, but it looks like Ruth Gordon is about to attack a frightened and defensive Bud Cort and claw his living heart out.
Not that the original Japanese album cover was all that great, but wow.
Local OC favorite honky-tonker Chris Gaffney of the Hacienda Brothers passed away at Hoag Hospital April 17 after a two-month battle with liver cancer. Rebecca Schoenkopf (former OC Weekly “Commie Girl”) has a great little Q&A with Gaffney’s longtime pal Dave Alvin of The Blasters over at Alvin’s blog.
On a tip from Pete, Kristin & I once had the pleasure of enjoying Gaffney and his band performing live at the Swallows Inn in SJC as they recorded their album “Live and then some.” He was the kind of performer who makes everyone in the audience feel as though we’re all easy friends, just hangin’ out and having a good time.
Two telling bits indicate the kind of guy he was:
1. Before his recent successes with the Haciendas, Gaffney did what he had to do: singing in local bars at night and scraping hulls in a Newport boatyard during the day, without complaint or shame.
2. The Hacienda Bros. site writes that Gaffney’s favorite time of the year was, ”April, because it always brings hope.”
Gaffney’s family and friends are hosting a memorial celebration tonight at The Cellar in Long Beach.
Beware
Blood from Stars
The Bright Mississippi
The Hazards of Love
Hold Time
Middle Cyclone
Monsters of Folk
Noble Beast
Ready for the Flood
Black John
Check this out – 
A nice bit of (not new) news from 
Not that the original Japanese album cover was all that great, but wow.
Local OC favorite honky-tonker Chris Gaffney of the