Top Songs of 2006: 10 - 1

Here's the top ten. I didn't realize it until now, but SubPop must be the label of the year with three songs in the top ten. Enjoy.







10. Band of Horses "Funeral" (mp3)
I've read a lot of positive reviews of this album over the last several months, but none have made the obvious (to me at least) comparison to the great mid-90's albums by the Catherine Wheel. "Funeral" has the best atomospherics of any song of the year.







9. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs "Cheated Hearts" (mp3)
It took me forever to give this band a chance - I was very skeptical. But with this song I stand corrected.







8. Oxford Collapse "Please Visit Your National Parks" (mp3)
Simple song structure with a little bit of Built to Spill back there somewhere - it just works.






7. Plus/Minus "Leap Year" (mp3)
What do you do after spending the majority of your career in the background of one of the 90's best indie rock bands? Well, you start your group. After being overshadowed by Richard Baliyut and Fontaine Toups in the great Versus, James Baliyut and Patrick Ramos started +/- a few years back as a laptop band. This song along with #35 "Steal the Blueprints" make great strides in helping these guys get out of the shadow cast by Versus.








6. Silversun Pickups "Well Thought Out Twinkles" (mp3)
"Lazy Eye" got most of the press (I have it at #25) but this song is the better gem - just enough in common with the best stuff that The Posies ever did to put a smile on your face.







5. Eric Bachmann "Lonesome Warrior" (mp3)
See my Eric Bachmann post from a few weeks back for all the details on this one.






4. The Thermals "A Pillar Of Salt" (mp3)
This is the most pure rock and roll song (punk-rock category) in the top ten (and the only one about the fear of a Christian fascist state).







3. Cat Power "Lived In Bars" (mp3)
My friend Joanna got my wife and me a copy of Dusty Springfield in Memphis for our wedding and I love it. This is the closest anyone has ever gotten to that masterpiece.







2. The Hold Steady "Stuck Between Stations" (mp3)
The best song on the best album of the year. This album is made or broken by the fact that this is the opening track. The best rock and roll song (indie rock category) on the list.







1. William Elliot Whitmore "Dry" (mp3)
Just a man's voice and his banjo - it's that simple. But if you can put out a song that gives me the chills every time I hear it - you win.

Top Songs of 2006: 20 - 11

As I look at how I've ranked my favorite 40 songs of the year it has become increasingly clear to me that this year has been all about bands returning a previous sound. Or in the cases of newer bands, working off the foundation of the sounds of previous bands' work. That's probably not entirely true. What's true is that as I get older I do appreciate music that is somewhat nostalgic of my late teens and 20's. Read on and you'll see...







20. The Twilight Singers "Andiamo" (mp3)
Powder Burns is not a great album, despite what Denis Leary states on national television. "Andiamo", however, is a great rock and roll song - incendiary, sultry, even absurd. It is, by far, the closest thing to the Afghan Whigs that Greg Dulli has done since forming the Twilight Singers ("Teenage Wristband" notwithstanding). Hey, I love the Twilight Singers and I respect Dulli enough to support his growth as a songwriter, but those Afghan Whigs lovers out there can't help but be excited by this song combined with the recent news that the Whigs are rehearsing together again.












19. Channels "Chivaree" (mp3)
With Waiting For The Next End Of The World, J. Robbins returns to his My Own Special Sweetheart - Jawbox strength. Originally released on the 2004 EP Open, Channels (J. on guitar, his wife Janet on bass, and former Kerosene 454 drummer Darren Zentek on drums) rerecorded this track for Waiting and the difference is staggering. The reworked version shows a band that's tight, raw and desparate to rock out.







18. Sonic Youth "Incinerate" (mp3)
I've been a big fan of the last two Jim O'Rourke-influenced Sonic Youth albums (Murray Street and Sonic Nurse) - replete with the requisite sound/noise-scapes that the band first developed in the 80's. With O'Rourke's departure, the band returns to early 90's form on Rather Ripped.
The dueling guitars of Ranaldo and Moore backed by the rhythm section of Gordon and Shelley on this "pop" song remind you why they are one of the most influential bands of the last quarter century (see Pavement, Archers of Loaf and a host of others).







17. The Lovely Feathers "In the Valley" (mp3)
Yes, yes, yes. Everyone loves the bands from Montreal (and Toronto and Vancouver for Pete's sake). But The Lovely Feathers are the only the dance-punk group of the entire Canadian invasion, so they're getting points for originality already. If you don't shake your ass to this song there is something really wrong with you.

16. The Walkmen "Many Rivers to Cross" (mp3)

The best cover song of the year. Well, it's really a cover of a cover which makes it even more interesting. In 1973, Harry Nilsson with the production help of John Lennon, covered the Jimmy Cliff original. Now, 23 years later the Walkmen release their version with a genuine blue-eyed soul that would never let on that 80% of the band went to DC's swankiest prep school.






15. Richard Buckner "Canyon"
Edmonton native and Brooklyn resident, Richard Buckner, has alway been adept at writing striking folk songs. With his 2006 release, Meadow, Buckner working with a full band gives his songwriting just the jolt of energy it was looking for - "Canyon" is the highlight of this album.







14. Sufjan Stevens "The Henny Benney Band" (mp3)
Sufjan Stevens owned 2005 with Illinoise - album of the year, song of the year for "Chicago". It is insane to think that this song was left off that album. How many fucking songs did he write? Ordinarily, I would have found it obnoxious for an artist to release an album of extras when the original already had over 20 tunes, but this is clearly the exception.







13. Gnarls Barkley "Just a Thought"
I know jackshit about any hip hop song released in the last 10 years. But I happened upon this song thanks to a friend. Imagine, a hip-hop song talking honestly about depression and the contemplation of suicide. The drum track alone would have made my top 40.






12. Lemonheads "No Backbone" (mp3)
Why is this song so high up? Easy. It effortlessly brings me back to 1992 - a time when people actually gave a shit about Evan Dando as a songwriter (It's A Shame About Ray). Dando returns to his roots on this track and gets J. Mascis to masturbate lead guitar all over it. God Bless Massachusetts!










11. Les Savy Fav "Ragin' in the Plague Age"
"No one is getting sober until the liquor is all gone" - that line itself gets you in the top 20. The former RISD students, now all grown up and living in NYC, continue to make the smartest art punk out there best exhibited by this song - that and Tim Harrington's insane stage show. Allegedly the comic David Cross has an instructional video on how to dance like Harrington. Get me YouTube, STAT!

Top Songs of 2006: 30 - 21

30. Beth Orton "Pieces of Sky" (mp3)
Not unlike Ben Gibbard of Death Cab for Cutie, Beth Orton has a voice that is so singular that it makes it possible to listen to her for only a finite period of time. There is, in fact, a scientific formula that proves that 45 minutes is the maximal pleasurable time to listen to her (true for Death Cab as well) and any listening beyond that will have diminishing returns. Consider including this song in your 45 minutes.






29. La Rocca "Sing Song Sung"
My sister-in-law got me a subscription to Filter magazine for Christmas last year and this was one of the few bands that I really liked that I discovered through the magazine.





28. Amy Milan "Skinny Boy" (mp3)
Of the three Broken Social Scene ladies, Leslie Feist owned 2005 and it looks like Emily Haines will own 2006. But for me, I like the more folk/blues influenced work of Amy Milan. Plus she's been touring with Eric Bachmann, which has got to help her indie cred.







27. Jennifer O'Connor "Exeter, Rhode Island" (mp3)
Yes, the fact that I live in Rhode Island helps this song. But it is catchy as hell and Jennifer has one of my favorite voices in music today.






26. Pearl Jam "Life Wasted"
I stopped listening to Pearl Jam in 1994, just before college graduation. Not for any good reason, but I was just sort of done with them. "Life Wasted" is by far the best thing they've done in 10 years and the album as a whole is a triumph.







25. Silversun Pickups "Lazy Eye" (mp3)
I've been hard pressed to take too many recommendations from Bob Mould these days. I love the man, but dance music is not my thing. I gave this rec a chance especially after a promising article in Under the Radar.







24. French Toast "Settle In"
My DC loyalties are all over this pick. I've been a big fan of James Canty's previous work in Nation of Ulysses and Make Up, but I was a litte underwhelmed by French Toast's debut In A Cave. With the addition of multi-instrumentalist, Ben Gilligan (who has happens to be the fiance of my very good friend, Kandy), the band finds itself trying its hand at different styles throughout the course of the album and it works.







23. The Hold Steady "Party Pit" (mp3)
With all due respect to Sonic Youth and Cat Power, Boys and Girls in America is the best album of the year. The Brooklyn via Twin Cities band plays homage to all the great bar bands from The Replacements to Soul Asylum to the E Street Band on this masterpiece. "Party Pit" has all the elements of a great bar band song replete with the repeating "Gonna Walk Around and Drink Some More".







22. Rye Coalition "Pussyfootin'"
With songs like "Communication Breakdance" and "Vietnam Vetrinarian", these guys clearly have an exceptional sense of humor. Combine that with their serious rock and roll chops, Dave Grohl's production (which only helps the humor) and the result is the best album AC/DC didn't put out this year. Yes my friends, Jersey does rock.





21. Camera Obscura "Lloyd, I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken" (mp3)
Camera Obscura finally gets out of Belle and Sebastian's shadow with this homage to Lloyd Cole's 1984 hit.

Top Songs of 2006: 40 - 31

40. Soccer Team "Solid Ring Fighters" (mp3)









39. Stereolab "I Was A Sunny Rainphase"











38. The Sounds "Song With A Mission" (mp3)










37. Belle & Sebastian "Funny Little Frog" (mp3)












36. The Evens "No Money" (mp3)











35. Plus/Minus "Steal The Blueprints" (mp3)











34. Islands "Rough Gem" (mp3)










33. The Ettes "No More Suprises" (mp3)












32. The Flaming Lips "The W.A.N.D." (mp3)










31. Division Day "Tigers" (mp3)

J Robbin's Son

In the summer of 1989 I worked at a summer camp in Northern Virginia. At the age of 17, I thought I was pretty alternative because I liked The Replacements, Husker Du and R.E.M. (I hadn't heard the Pixies at this point). But I took many of my music cues from a 21 year old co-worker named Anthony. I'd known him for a few years, mostly because when I was a freshman, he was a senior at my high school and he was one of the few truly "alternative" people at my high school (whatever that meant in 1987). How do I know Anthony was one of the coolest people I'd ever met in my life? Well, for one, he had a Jawbox t-shirt back in the summer of 1989 - yes, that's right the summer the band formed and a full year before their first release and he's got their fucking t-shirt. This guy was out of my league, but he was always cool to me. And every now and then, usually when I'm listening to Jawbox, I imagine that even at age 38 Anthony is probably still pretty cool (I wonder what he's up to?).

It took me another couple of years to get into the band - working at the college radio station helped. Over the next several years, I saw the band countless times and tried to no avail to learn J's guitar part on "Savory". When the band parted ways, I followed J on to Burning Airlines and most recently, Channels in which he is joined by his wife, Janet, on bass (see post from Ask Me About My Inivisible Friends).

Now comes word that J and Janet's 10-month-old son, Cal, has been diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. This is a rare, but devastating genetic condition that often results in death by age two. As a pediatrician, I have had the sad distinction of taking care of a couple of these children. It goes without saying, that this is a heartbreaking condition to watch a family cope with. In response, Bill Barbot and Kim Colletta (J's bandmates in Jawbox) have set up a fund for Cal Robbins to offset medical bills and pursue experimental treatments. Please consider visiting the DeSoto Records site to donate.

Thanks,
Mike

Eric Bachmann

Back in the mid-90’s my friends and I had an outgoing debate over which band was better: Archers of Loaf or Pavement. It went without saying that one of these two bands was the best indie rock band in America. The problem was, which one? It was a debate where I often found myself fighting solo for the Archers against my friends wielding the mighty sword that Slanted and Enchanted brought with it. When it came down to it, my argument rested on one principle: the Archers of Loaf just rocked harder. You can't argue that point - it's FACT.

As I look back on this epic battle (the notion that one could only truly love one of these two bands has long been abandoned) I think that the allure of Archers of Loaf was so much more than “they rocked harder”. Why did they rock harder? They rocked harder because Mark Price was a kickass drummer who kept time often behind an insane arrangement of dueling guitars and white noise. They rocked because Matt Gentling became the most active bass player of his generation – rocking bass chords while being the response to Eric Bachmann’s call. They rocked because Eric Johnson played lead guitar like a mad scientist who discovered some new musical language. But most of all, they rocked because of Eric Bachmann’s vocal shrapnel.

After the demise of the Archers, Bachmann moved on to the more folk-influenced indie rock of Crooked Fingers. Now, after a year of living out of his car in the Pacific Northwest, Bachmann returns with a solo effort To The Races. The songs are simple and gourgeous, often just Bachman, his nylon-stringed acoustic and sparse orchestral arrangements. No longer singing about shady A&R men or audio whores, Bachmann's evolution as a singer/songwriter has allowed the listener greater access into his mind.

Eric Bachmann
Lonesome Warrior (mp3)
Carrboro Woman (mp3)


Crooked Fingers
Under Pressure (mp3)
Call To Love (mp3)


Archers of Loaf
Wrong (mp3)

The Murder City Devils DVD's

Over the last two years since my son was born, I've learned to find new avenues to satisfy my music fix. It's become harder and harder to go to shows so I've resigned myself to the couch and bought into the magic of Netflix. My inner teenager was yearning for some straight rawk recently so I found myself playing the Murder City Devils on near constant repeat. Looking for a little something extra, I found these films on said rental site.

The 2005 short documentary Rock & Roll Won't Wait tracks the band on tour across America. Their personalities caught on film are in great contrast to their stage persona. On stage they look like a band on the brink of spontaneous combustion at any moment, while the film captures the group offstage as quite thoughtful and polite. The sound quality of the live shows are variable at best, but the opporunity to see the band in a different light (especially 6th member/roadie, Gabe) is worth it for any fan.

The 2004 release The End chronicles the band's final show in Seattle on Halloween in 2001. This same show was captured on CD and released by SUB POP at R.I.P. back in 2003 and finds the band covering material from their entire five year career. Having seen the band only once in DC just weeks before their demise, I was thankful for the experience to see them live. This film only helps bolster those memories of an incredibly cool band that was left it all on the stage. The band members have moved on to other projects - most notably Derek Fudusco in Pretty Girls Make Graves and Dann Gallucci in Modest Mouse - although they did reunite this past summer in Seattle. Check out YouTube for video footage. In the meantime, throw these films on the old queue and check out these mp3s.

Lemuria Rising (mp3)

I Want A Lot (So Come On) (mp3)

Rum to Whiskey (mp3)

Owen

Dinnertime at my house can sometimes be a little hectic. My two-year-old is a little bit of a nut, so I created a playlist on the ole' Ipod full of music that the Mrs. and I quite enjoy but has the added benefit of relaxing our savage beast. Owen's 2004 full-length I Do Perceive is major player in our quest for a peaceful dinner.

Owen is Chicago multi-instrumentalist Matt Kinsella's solo project. Having played in a who's who of Chicago bands including Cap'n Jazz, Joan of Arc, Aloha, American Football and Maritime (see Ask Me About My Invisible Friends post on Maritme), Matt created Owen in an effort to have complete creative control over a project. Now Matt (or Owen) is back with a brand new full-length on Polyvinyl entitled At Home With Owen. It treads familiar territory for Kinsella - simple yet earnest songs accompanied by acoustic guitar, simple percussion and the occasional orchestral arrangement. It's quite brillant.

Check out the single Bad News (mp3) from the new album as well as She's A Thief (mp3) from 2004's I Do Perceive.

The Evens

After my recent post on Soccer Team, I decided to keep it in the Dischord family and post briefly on the new album by The Evens. As most know by now, The Evens are Amy Farina (formerly of The Warmers) and Ian Mackaye (formerly of Minor Threat, Embrace, hopefully not formerly of Fugazi). The band continues to take on the socio-politically charged themes of both of their previous work, but in a largely stripped down format.

With their album The Evens Get Even, Ian's work on the baritone guitar - an admittedly difficult instrument to play - has progressed from their solid self-title debut. Amy continues her deft drumwork, but provides a greater vocal presence on this album. Her lovely alto, almost PJ Harvey-esque in character.

Check out No Money (mp3) from The Evens Get Even - a definite pick for my top 50 songs of 2006.

Soccer Team

The following statement should not be interpreted as a criticism: The Dischord family is incestuous. In the last several weeks, the longtime purveyors of DC punk/indie/harDCore/experimental music has released records by The Evens (featuring members of Fugazi and The Warmers), French Toast (featuring members of the Nation of Ulysses, Make Up, and Fidelity Jones) and Soccer Team. The latter of which features Ryan Nelson of Beauty Pill and the Most Secret Method and Melissa Quinley who has spent the last several years working in the Dischord office. The result is a beautiful marriage of sounds and styles entitled "Volunteered" Civility and Professionalism.

Soccer Team Solid Ring Fighters (mp3)

Burn to Shine 3 - Portland

The collaboration between filmmaker Christoph Green and producer/drummer Brendan Canty continues with part 3 of their series Burn to Shine. This time out they traveled to Portand, OR for a day of music curated by Chris Funk of The Decemberists. The format remains constant - each band has one hour to set-up, soundcheck and play in a house that set for destruction.

As was the case with the previous volumes shot in DC and Chicago the line-up features some big names (Sleater-Kinney, the Shins, the Decemberists) with lesser-known yet no less capable bands (The Thermals, The Gossip).

After a short intro by Brendan Canty explaining the concept of the series and providing a sense of history of the house about to be destroyed, The Thermals launch into a flawless version of "Welcome to the Planet" - further evidence that this band is on the verge of taking over the planet. Other highlights of the first half of the disc include Quasi (contributing further to my hard to explain crush on Janet Weiss), The Planet The (who may just be the west coast answer to Q and Not U), and an understated performance of "Modern Girl" by the recently disbanded Sleater-Kinney.

The second half of the disc is notable for the first appearance of a hip-hop group, The Lifesavas, in the series. The Shins provide a rawer (read: better) version of Chutes Too Narrow's "Saint Simon". Full disclosure - I don't totally get The Decemberists - I'm sorry but Colin Meloy's voice gets on my last nerve. That said, "The Mariner's Revenge Song" from 2005's Picaresque is well, not bad and definitely worth a view. The disc wraps up at dusk with The Gossip and a seductive version "Listen Up!" - one of the great highlights of the disc.

You can purchase the dvd here.

See my previous post on Volume 2 which was shot in Chicago and featured Wilco, Tortoise and The Ponys.

The Gossip "Listen Up!" (mp3)
The Thermals "A Pillar of Salt" (mp3)
Sleater-Kinney "Jumpers" (mp3)

Death Cab/Ted Leo show

In honor of Election day, today's post focuses on two politically informed groups - Death Cab for Cutie and Ted Leo/Pharmacists. I had the opportunity to see the two play together last Friday at the lovely, if not a little staid setting of the Providence Performing Arts Center. The 3000 seat theater provided for an amazing visual and listening experience, but the true experience was augmented by the almost debilitatingly funny clash of generations. The crowd was largely dominated by high schoolers and their older college-aged counterparts replete with their camera phones that were in perpetual use shooting high quality images of the bands.
Juxtaposed with the youngsters was the crack squad of blue-haired ushers (average age: 74) decked out in their white cable-knit cardigans. Can someone give these poor seniors some ear plugs?

Ted Leo/Pharmacists played an energetic 35 minute set focusing mostly on The Tyranny of Distance ("Biomusicology", "Dial Up", "Timorous Me", "My Vien Ilin") and Shake the Sheets ("Walking to Do", "Me and Mia"). With the exception of "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone", Hearts of Oak was largely ignored. They did break out one new song "Armybound" which Ted had posted on his website several months ago. The show featured the usual comic ramblings between songs and his fashion choice of a quasi Air Force flightsuit was to be commended (I think). While the set had few holes, it became obvious that this is a band that thrives in a club setting.

Death Cab, on the other hand, used the vastness of space to their great advantage. The band that employs so many layers of texture aurally augmented their sound with a bordering-on-Pink Floyd lightshow. Now I cannot say that I am that knowledgable about the band. I saw them once before, pre-The OC, in 2004 with Pretty Girls Make Graves (once again, I had gone to see the opening band only to stay and be impressed by the headliner). In the two years since that show, Death Cab have really fine-tuned their show for a larger audience. Judging by all the adolescents singing along, the setlist featured many "hits"; while the band worked hard at challenging the crowd with multiple attempts at Sonic Youth meets Sun Ra Arkestra noise collage freakouts (which frankly, totally worked). I left once again impressed.

Ted Leo/Pharmacists
Biomusicology (mp3)
Bleeding Powers (mp3)
Walking Through (mp3)

Death Cab for Cutie
Title and Registration (mp3)
Wait (mp3)
A Move Script Ending (mp3)
Song for Kelly Huckaby (mp3)
For What Reason (mp3)
Champagne From a Paper Cup (mp3)