Best of 2005... So Far
As I think I've mentioned before, every Tuesday, I check out a handful of the week's new releases. Well, I've trimmed them all down to a "Best Of" list that you can digest in just over an hour if you have Rhapsody. It's got great gospel, slinky French pop, a lot of that hip new/old post-punk stuff, some singer-songwriters, and more. But before I reveal the list, here are a few thoughts on 2005's first quarter crop of music:
Biggest Disappointments:
This does not qualify as a sophomore slump: In 2003, The Reverend Al Green dropped religious title and pretense, and got back to his roots with the lovely I Can't Stop, an album that equaled his best years as last generation's top secular soul singer. Everything's OK - number two out of the box for Al since being un-born again - fell far short of I Can't Stop's rough-n-ready soul vibe. If these cheesy lyrics and schlocky production quality is all Mr. Green has to offer, he'd better start shilling for Jesus, again.
Seeking Substance: The songs on the latest New Order sound like cast-offs from the already uneven Brotherhood (1986) release. And they also brought back those trite lyrics from that same time period. "Hold your head up high/No, it's not too late to try." Who the hell wrote your lyrics, Bernard? the Bravery?
Speaking of which, they try to hard... and not hard enough: I'm all for this post-punk revival, but anyone who strives that hard to sound like Robert Smith shouldn't be writing songs like Matchbox 20. I think the Bravery mark the end of this great Eighties trend - or at least its nadir. Which means they'll probably go platinum.
Absence does NOT make the heart grow fonder: Hey Bright Eyes, I never liked you anyway. But with all this hype surrounding your two latest releases, I thought I'd give them a go-around. To bad they're not available in Rhapsody. Get with the program, Saddle Creek.
Biggest Wins:
Keren Ann, Nolita - It's Come Away With Me for Nico lovers and hung-over hipsters. This Israeli/Parisian woman shifts back and forth between French and English, holding it all together with her fragile eggshell vocals, woozy, Sunday-morning instrumentation and unvarnished, acoustic production. The title track ends with a three-minute fade-out of breathy white noise stitched together by violins and a solitary horn blowing a sparse, three-note mantra. This album is beautiful.
Mercury Rev, The Secret Migration - I'm a sucker for a Mercury Rev record in general, but this one is nearly as great as their 1998 magnum opus Deserter's Songs. I was hard-pressed to choose just one song.
Honorable Mentions:
Dave Holland Big Band, Overtime - Finally, Dave Holland releases this wonderful work commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival for performance in 2001 (or was it '02? I can't remember.). Lively and innovative big band jazz that sadly has no place in a rock mix.
Vic Chesnutt, Ghetto Bells - Too sedate, opaque and sprawling to fit into this mix, but it's the best thing he's done since The Salesman and Bernadette. Bill Frisell guests.
Morrissey, Live At Earl's Court - After 1988's Rank which was... rank, I didn't think decent live Smiths was possible. 17 years later (!!!!!) Morrisey finally delivers the goods with a great rendition of "How Soon Is Now." Still, nostalgia only goes so far, and that wasn't far enough to make this best-of list.
Random Note:
Beck, you're really wicked smart and creative and stuff... so why do you have to ALWAYS rely on that same stupid hand-clap percussion as the signifier for your collage/junk pop songs?
As I think I've mentioned before, every Tuesday, I check out a handful of the week's new releases. Well, I've trimmed them all down to a "Best Of" list that you can digest in just over an hour if you have Rhapsody. It's got great gospel, slinky French pop, a lot of that hip new/old post-punk stuff, some singer-songwriters, and more. But before I reveal the list, here are a few thoughts on 2005's first quarter crop of music:
Biggest Disappointments:
This does not qualify as a sophomore slump: In 2003, The Reverend Al Green dropped religious title and pretense, and got back to his roots with the lovely I Can't Stop, an album that equaled his best years as last generation's top secular soul singer. Everything's OK - number two out of the box for Al since being un-born again - fell far short of I Can't Stop's rough-n-ready soul vibe. If these cheesy lyrics and schlocky production quality is all Mr. Green has to offer, he'd better start shilling for Jesus, again.
Seeking Substance: The songs on the latest New Order sound like cast-offs from the already uneven Brotherhood (1986) release. And they also brought back those trite lyrics from that same time period. "Hold your head up high/No, it's not too late to try." Who the hell wrote your lyrics, Bernard? the Bravery?
Speaking of which, they try to hard... and not hard enough: I'm all for this post-punk revival, but anyone who strives that hard to sound like Robert Smith shouldn't be writing songs like Matchbox 20. I think the Bravery mark the end of this great Eighties trend - or at least its nadir. Which means they'll probably go platinum.
Absence does NOT make the heart grow fonder: Hey Bright Eyes, I never liked you anyway. But with all this hype surrounding your two latest releases, I thought I'd give them a go-around. To bad they're not available in Rhapsody. Get with the program, Saddle Creek.
Biggest Wins:
Keren Ann, Nolita - It's Come Away With Me for Nico lovers and hung-over hipsters. This Israeli/Parisian woman shifts back and forth between French and English, holding it all together with her fragile eggshell vocals, woozy, Sunday-morning instrumentation and unvarnished, acoustic production. The title track ends with a three-minute fade-out of breathy white noise stitched together by violins and a solitary horn blowing a sparse, three-note mantra. This album is beautiful.
Mercury Rev, The Secret Migration - I'm a sucker for a Mercury Rev record in general, but this one is nearly as great as their 1998 magnum opus Deserter's Songs. I was hard-pressed to choose just one song.
Honorable Mentions:
Dave Holland Big Band, Overtime - Finally, Dave Holland releases this wonderful work commissioned by the Monterey Jazz Festival for performance in 2001 (or was it '02? I can't remember.). Lively and innovative big band jazz that sadly has no place in a rock mix.
Vic Chesnutt, Ghetto Bells - Too sedate, opaque and sprawling to fit into this mix, but it's the best thing he's done since The Salesman and Bernadette. Bill Frisell guests.
Morrissey, Live At Earl's Court - After 1988's Rank which was... rank, I didn't think decent live Smiths was possible. 17 years later (!!!!!) Morrisey finally delivers the goods with a great rendition of "How Soon Is Now." Still, nostalgia only goes so far, and that wasn't far enough to make this best-of list.
Random Note:
Beck, you're really wicked smart and creative and stuff... so why do you have to ALWAYS rely on that same stupid hand-clap percussion as the signifier for your collage/junk pop songs?
And now, here's the list of Q105's top tunes:
(Open this playlist in Rhapsody)
"Old Blind Barnabas" - Blind Boys Of Alabama
"Oh My God" - Kaiser Chiefs
"Autumn Sweater (Kevin Shields Remix)" - Yo La Tengo
"So Here We Are" - Bloc Party
"Across Yer Ocean" - Mercury Rev
"Homme" - Brazilian Girls
"La Salles Des Perdue" - Monade
"Underwater Wave Game" - Pit Er Pat
"Que N'ai Je " - Keren Ann
"Earthquake Weather" - Beck
"The Bucket" - Kings Of Leon
"Spit It Out" - Brendan Benson
"Highway 5" - John Doe
"I Need Your Love In My Life" - Solomon Burke
"Winter in the Hamptons" - Josh Rouse
"The Sporting Life" - The Decemberists
"This Day Should Last Forever" - Ocean Colour Scene
"Fleashine" - Kelly Joe Phelps
posted by isaacjosephson at 9:15 AM
1 Comments:
I am totally telling you that Josh Rouse is the second coming. I will gladly have the man's babies, as long as they grow up to sing just like him.
Matt the groovester linked to you today, hence you are graced with my presence. Thank you for the thoughtful playlist. It's being listened to at this moment on my new headphones.
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