The Owl
from Fear Is On Our Side

This is the best animated music video I’ve ever seen.

People Die
From Travistan

I hated Silence of the Lambs. Hated it. And not because it was too gruesome or because I somehow convinced myself that it was a bad movie. No, my distaste is much more basic. I found the movie exceptionally frustrating as a sequel.

“A sequel?” you say? Yes, a sequel. It’s somewhat more common knowledge now than it was in 1991, but Silence of the Lambs is, in fact, a sequel. The original movie is a classic thriller called Manhunter. I watched it with my mom when I was, I dunno, like 12. More than being a great childhood memory, it is an amazing movie.

Unfortunately, as a sequel, Lambs fell flat. I went into it expecting an extension on the first brilliant film, but, of course, it was intended to stand on its own.

That’s how I felt about Travistan.

If you are even remotely familiar with the Dismemberment Plan, you will recognize Travis Morrison’s voice. This album is his first (and thus far only) post-Plan solo effort. When it was released in 2004, it was met with a flying poop-storm of bad reviews from the legions of Plan fans. Including me. I think we were all expecting a sequel to Change, but instead were introduced to a new Travis Morrison.

At the time, it sounded lonely somehow. Looking back… er… listening back, I realize that I was reading more into the album than I should have been. Had this been his only release, I probably would have hailed it as some kind of indie solo brilliance. Right now, I wish I could go back and hear it for the first time all over again with the ability to ignore all of my prejudices.

I sincerely hope Travis releases another album. I promise to give it an honest shot.

…

Maybe I should rent Silence of the Lambs…

Wincing The Night Away
Realeased 23 January 2007

Must Own

I’ve been seriously contemplating writing a Best Albums of 2007 list in the first few weeks of the year, just to see how close I can get. Most of it would be based on expectation and conjecture. I wouldn’t be able to account for the surprise hits or debut albums. And, of course, it is impossible for pre-emptive Best-of lists to measure the emotional impact any specific album will have had by the end of the year. So I decided against it. Regardless, this is shaping up to be a very good year for music.

Well, Wincing the Night Away is a sure bet for the Top Ten of 2007. If ten better albums are released this year, I’ll be shocked. In fact, if this album ends up on 5 or fewer Top Ten lists over at Metacritic, I’ll eat a crayon.

Anyone who has listened to the Shins can tell you, their music is infectious. As your new friend Sam aptly put it, “It will change your life, I swear.” I have yet to meet anyone who doesn’t like the Shins. Come to think of it, I can’t think of anyone who doesn’t love the Shins. It’s like each of their albums are perfectly crafted to create fans. This, their third effort, expands on that new tradition.

But more than anything else, here’s my favorite thing about the Shins: You cannot describe them using that ever-popular equation, band1 + band2 = the Shins. In fact, they are more often than not used in place of band1 or band2 to describe other bands. They have earned a place in the hearts and minds of music fans everywhere by sounding exactly like the Shins and nobody else.

Cobblestoned Waltz
From Lillian

Quick history of Alias:

Alias (which is his alias, obviously) is white and grew up in a small town in Maine. After catching the hip hop bug, he started creating his own beats and perfecting his signature, double-time rapping style. He and a friend decided to start an artist collective called Anticon and moved out to the Bay Area. Much to everyone’s surprise (his parents most of all, I’m sure) he was very very very good…

Anticon was successful almost immediately and Alias’ hard beats, quick rapping style, and intelligent lyrics gave him a weird kind of international fame. A couple years ago he decided to release an entire album of only his beats (appropriately titled “Muted“), which, ironically enough, was more of a success than any of his previous albums (despite being met with some pretty harsh reviews).

His 13 years younger brother, Ehren (who is something of a musical prodigy himself) caught wind of Muted and the two got together and created “Lillian” (named after their grandma). Alias supplying the beats, Ehren supplying every jazz instrument you can imagine.

Carol turned me on to Alias. I had never heard of him, but she’s been a huge fan for years. She gave me “Muted” for my birthday when we were dating and I fell in love with it immediately. “Lillian” feels and sounds like a logical next step. There’s something simultaneously mature and rebellious about each song.

Alias and the whole Anticon crew are regularly derided by both the mainstream media (for being too artsy) and the indie media (for not being artsy enough) and are constantly having to fend off accusations of being “only famous on the internet.” I think their huge and loyal following (including Carol and I who were willing to drive to Missoula in the middle of the night just to see Alias live) says a lot more about Anticon’s music than any reviewer’s first impressions.

Our Endless Numbered Days
Realeased 23 March 2004

Must Own

I’m not even sure where to start.

This album is nothing less than essential. Our Endless Numbered Days is not only one of the best albums to be released this decade, it contains the best love songs recorded in a generation. Put simply, there is absolutely nothing wrong with this album. It’s more than good. It’s perfect.

I don’t remember where and when I first heard Sam Beam, but I do remember buying Iron & Wine’s debut album The Creek Drank the Cradle while I was dating my wife. I remember thinking Bird Stealing Bread would go perfect on my next mix tape for her. I’m sure it’s one of the reasons she married me. Our Endless Numbered Days was released less than a month after our wedding and it became an instant favorite. Perhaps you could blame our starry-eyed newly-wed love bubble, but this album became the soundtrack for our entire first year.

The album sinks its teeth in at precisely 2:43 in the first song and it doesn’t let go. Ever. It came as absolutely no surprise when Iron & Wine started popping up on the soundtracks to major motion pictures. Sam Beam will not only be with us for a very long time, he may very well go down as one of the defining musicians of this generation.

As Man-With-Guitar music goes, it simply doesn’t get better than this.

Calm
From We, The Vehicles

Emo music has had two distinct phases. Originally, emo was basically country music for hardcore kids: clean-cut mid-west kids singing about how sad and angry they are that a girl broke their heart. Whiney and predictable, yes, but it was also a new and oddly exciting branch of the ever-changing genra the rest of the world refers to as “punk rock.”

Then something happened. Some time in the late 90′s, emo got happy and poppy. The whiney, depressed, geeky, no-life, loser singer/songwriter was replaced with the pretty, tattooed, occasioanally sad, constantly complaining, but very well produced artiste.

For better or worse, the Promise Ring takes most of the blame for this drastic shift. Phase One emo kids enjoy the Promise Ring (having drowned in the harsh and dreamy sadness of 30 Degrees Everywhere), Phase Two emo kids hate them (having been introduced to the Promise Ring through their poppier release, Very Emergency). It’s one of the only sure-fire ways to disguinguish how long an emo kid has been depressed.

Apparently, I’ve been depressed since 1995. But whatever. I liked the Promise Ring and even though I didn’t buy their last couple albums, I was a little sad when they broke up.

Why the heck am I on a rant about this? Well, Maritime includes two members of the Promise Ring and originally included the bass player from the Dismemberment Plan (another all-time favorite). Their first album was mostly alright, but fell a bit flat.

Their second album, We, the Vehicles, however, is best-of-genre emo. This album is intelligent, well rounded, fun, and, of course, emotional. It’s impossible to hate this album. Even the impossible-to-please Pitchfork succumbed to its charm. It won’t be remembered for breaking any new ground, but this album will definitely guarantee that Davey vonBohlen will be able to spend a few more years making money off his signature lisp-singing.

I highly recommend this one. We, the Vehicles might not be a perfect 10, but there’s something to be said for an album that you can listen to straight through without skipping tracks. And that’s alright with me. For me, this has been one of the most enjoyable albums of 2006.

Emp. Man’s Blues
From The For Carnation

You are getting very, very sleepy. You’re in a comfortable place. You can see fluffy white clouds floating through a sea of azure blue. You’re laying on your back in a field of soft grass. There’s a storm on the horizon. It looks dangerous, but it’s far away. How does the storm make you feel?

…

Good. Good. Now, take a deep breath. As you exhale, I want you to imagine you are breathing away your worries. You won’t be able to breathe them all away, only a portion.

…

Good. Good. Now, tell me about one of the worries that was left behind.

…

Interesting…

The storm is getting closer. You feel a raindrop on your cheek. The sky to the south is now a dark, pale blue. The wind picks up slightly, only a small gust, and it blows a flower petal past your face. I want you to concentrate on the darkest portion of the clouds. Again, I want you to take deep breath. You will be able to exhale more worries this time. When you’re ready…

…

Good. Now tell me about another worry that was left behind.

…

Very interesting. Very interesting, indeed. It appears the storm is passing to the west. You can see hints of lightning and hear a quiet, slow rolling thunder, but the storm will pass without incident. The blue sky is reappearing. Take one final deep breath… and open your eyes…

Good. That concludes out session today. That will be $1,700. Please pay my assistant on your way out.

So This is Goodbye
Realeased 22 August 2006

Must Own

It’s hard to dislike this album. Nie unto impossible, I’d say. Everyone at work refers to this album as the “bleepity blopity music” and that’s actually a pretty accurate description. The music consists almost exclusively of engineered beats and vocals. Normally a recipe for disaster, Junior Boys have managed somehow to create a near perfect album. More than being expertly produced, they have created an album that is easy to listen to. There is no need to skip a single track.

So This is Goodbye is also something of an enigma. All at once the album sounds retro, modern, and way ahead of its time. There is nothig inherently new offered by this album, the genius is in the presentation. If I were feeling more adventurous, I would use words like “sensual,” “organic,” and “tranquil.”

Like so many others, I first learned about Junior Boys when Pitchfork gave So This is Goodbye an almost unheard-of 9.0. A Pitchfork induced Pavlovian response forced indie rockers all over the world to not only buy the album immediately, but to buy their previous release and attend a show as fast as possible (the sooner this is accomplished, after all, the sooner you have long-time-fan bragging rights). I admit, I drooled like the rest of them.

Something else happened, however, when I started listening to the album. I became a genuine fan. Good albums are nice to listen to, great albums get better with each listen, and the best albums leave us wanting more and more and more. Four months of regular listening since that initial introduction and I still play this album without hesitation.

But best of all, everyone else seems loves this album. I’ve played So This is Goodbye for people ranging in age from 4 months to 54 years and I have yet to hear anyone complain. There should be an award for music that can do that.

The Crane Wife
Released 3 October 2006

Must Own

It’s difficult to write music that people will like. It’s harder still to write bold music with broad appeal. But it’s nearly impossible to create an album that will be considered a “classic.” Relatively few artists have managed to climb this Mt. Everest of musical accomplishments and we all recognize the names of those who have: the Beatles, the Beach Boys, Nirvana, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Dr. Dre, Michael Jackson, OutKast, U2, Radiohead… There is a special place in music history reserved for these albums and always room in our CD collection.

Well, make room for one more.

Last year in my review of the Decemberists’ album Picaresque I wrote, “Wecome to the future of cool music. Deliberately theatrical, post-indie, emo-pop will be next year’s ‘alternative’. Mark my words.” Well, it’s true and everyone’s in on the act. TV On The Radio, The Hold Steady (self described as “America’s #1 bar band”), Yo La Tengo, Subtle, My Chemical Romance, even Grizzly Bear is getting ambitious. Everyone is testing the waters of concept music and it turns out we like it. And to push that analogy just a little bit too far, The Crane Wife is the deep end of that pool.

The Crane Wife is unexplainably great. Without exception, everyone with whom I’ve shared this album (“with whom.” how do ya like that?), even people who normally hate my music, have asked to hear it again. A co-worker actually went out to buy the album on her lunch break after hearing it one time. In a word, this album satisfies. I guarantee you will be hooked before the 1 minute mark of the very first song.

Wolf Like Me
From Return to Cookie Mountain

TV On The Radio makes music that is its own genre. Any number of hyphenated genres almost work. Soul-Punk. Indie-Funk. Alt-Fusion. Urban-New-Wave. Not only do these attempted definitions miss the mark by miles, they simply can’t do justice to the music itself. Nobody makes music like this. What’s more, nobody has ever tried. TVOTR have mastered the art of whatever it is they are trying to do. Welcome to the age of [nameless genre].

TV On the Radio makes music that is initially hard to listen to, possibly difficult to understand, and instantly easy to love. Mark my words when I tell you that this album will appear in almost every Top Ten list as the year comes to a close.

The first time I heard TVOTR, I thought the song was a fluke. The song was Satellite (posted below) and I couldn’t stop listening to it. The song was so different from anything I had ever heard. There was no way this band could fill an album with this sound. No. Way.

Well, forget filling an album, these guys are making a career with this sound. Return to Cookie Mountain is an adventure and everyone is along for the ride. It’s impressive when a band can create a stir without compromising their sound in any way. In fact, this album is even more [nameless genre] than their previous works. Surprisingly, the critics are eating it up. Whatever it is they’re doing right, they’re doing it very, very right.