Best of the Oughts: Albums 1-10

We're finally here. The end of the decade is nearly upon us as is my list for the best albums of said decade. The further I moved down this list, the easier it became for me to justify inclusion of these albums in their rankings. Sure, the rankings will change and probably have since I first began this list, but I'm pretty confident with where things stand now.

Most of these records came out just before or since we moved here. The reason for that is the same reason I turned to this blog. This has not been an easy transitional period for me, for us. I could go into so many personal and professional struggles that have led me to blogging and burying my nose deeper into music, but this is a music post not one on misery. The fact that I still see it after five years as a transition should tell you enough.

Music is my savior. I can't play it. I barely can write about it. I've never really had much to do with it outside of consumption. However, I can hear music. I can feel music. Whether that means that I have the right or proficiency to push my opinions on you is up for debate. All I know is that music has talked me down from more than one ledge. It inspires me daily, hourly when possible.

You may not agree with my top-100 of the decade, but know that I deliberated long and hard over each album's place among the decade's best.

10. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
I love debuts that seem to come from nowhere to taking over the music world. This is exactly how I always wished My Morning Jacket sounded. Instead, these longbeards from Seattle found the formula. The harmonies and dreamy songwriting is so soothing. This is the kind of record you find yourself closing your eyes, nodding, and smiling uncontrollably.

9. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
Released and then re-released, Justin Vernon made the most of a bad year and some alone time in a cabin surrounded by snow. I'm not sure I'd be as productive in such situations, unless I had wifi. This is the only break-up album that ranks higher than Beck's on my list. It's so soulful without being phony white boy soulful. The layers and textures this man got from recording in a cabin in the woods is quite impressive. This is one of the great surprises of the oughts for sure.

8. The Walkmen - You and Me
I went on and on about this album last year and a lot of that enthusiasm can be chocked up to fanboy obsession, but then you listen to this album. This is where the Walkmen deliver on their promise. Hazy, drunken ballads meet sonic rockers to make this nearly perfect cacophony of sound and hurt and boredom. I love the Walkmen and I love this album.

7. Iron and Wine - The Creek Drank the Cradle
When I saw Iron and Wine supporting this record, they were opening for Ugly Casanova. I paid no attention. My sister bought me this album for my birthday. She was right to pay attention. I was wrong. On no other Iron and Wine album is Sam Beam's hushed vocals so hushed. The album is almost nothing but guitar, those vocals, sometimes some slide guitar or banjo, and tape hiss. It's so good on a day in which you're snowed in, sipping on tea, and watching the birds fight over a few, scattered scraps.

6. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene
This is what indie rock sounds like when it's as huge and vital as anything the failing major labels can concoct. In fact, nothing major labels came up with this decade comes close to this record. Broken Social Scene were able to pull together the collages of guitar and drums they previously used to pass as proper albums into what became a blockbuster of an album.

5. Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
Usually, an over-hyped record does nothing but let me down. This one did not disappoint. Such an avant-garde bands typically release a shit-storm disguised as a breakthrough album, but this one found perfect balance. As with several albums from this year, it might be the freshness of new music, but I somehow think this album will have staying power. I also think I'm hearing music through new ears since Lucia was born fifteen months ago. Merriweather just sounds so big and bizarre to me, but it captures that newness and wonder Lu brings to nearly every encounter. She likes it too.

4. The Thermals - The Body, the Blood, the Machine
I discovered this one late, but it's never left my rotation completely. Where Japandroids have fulfilled my need to rawk, this record takes the next step by also making me think, making connections between Nazi Germany, the Bible, and our current political/social/economic mess. I feel this album so much more than even the few ranked above it. On one of my lowest points since moving here, I remember driving back from STL in the car alone. I popped this one in and screamed it the entire way. A great album can make you do that.

3. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
When opinionated hacks like myself define the idea of "album of the year," we should just hand someone this record. It's layered and textured, yet simple. It beat the big boys and was surrounded by drama. It burns American flags in a time that would be unthinkable. That and you can tap your foot to it. Rarely does a album cross so many genres so effortlessly. Everyone loves this album; the punks, indie geeks, alt bros, emo kids, record collectors, frat boys, feminists, etc. all love this record. It will forever be Wilco's greatest triumph.

2. Arcade Fire - Funeral
Sometimes listening to so much music and going to so many shows can wear on you. You get to the point where you start judging an album by listening to the first 20 seconds of every track. If you liked it, maybe it will play in the background. You go to rock shows and leave 20 minutes in. Then, your sister passes you a burnt copy of Funeral at Christmas. It never leaves your stereo. You hang on every word, beat, and note. You feel alive again when it plays. You smile uncontrollably. You feel like something is happening here. Music sounds new and fresh again. Funeral did that for me.

1.Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
Concept albums either go terribly awry or become incredibly memorable. Illinois fits the latter category. Where Michigan was quaint and depressed, Illinois was as large as Chicago itself and open to the possibility such a city brings to midwestern kids with dreams but no hope. This album mapped those possibilities Sufjan Stevens and his fifty states project held. Of course, after one records an album as good as Illinois, how can one continue a project in the same vein? Stevens would have likely never achieved the same level of brilliance found in what I consider to be the best album of the decade. It sadly may explain why the fifty states project ended at two but it did give us a record for the ages.

Best of the Oughts: Albums 11-20

This list is a nice mixture of things. There are several years represented. the subgenres are all over the place. The first and last comp of the top-100 resides in this ten. There are break-up albums, albums of social protest, rock records, Gypsy music, two-piece bands, seven or eight-piece, etc. It's all here.


20. Various Artists - Dark Was the Night
I generally stay away from compilations for any list, but this one is great from beginning to end and it contains a ton of material. This is maybe my all-time favorite compilation, just ahead of a couple of other Red Hot releases in the 90's.


19. The White Stripes - White Blood Cells
There is nothing like a breakout album chock full of breakout tracks for a band you love. The Stripes were virtually unknown at this point. Then a few singles and their accompanying videos broke things wide open. Soon, every band was guitar and drums with a "the" at the beginning of their name and an "s" at the end.


18. At the Drive-In - Relationship of Command
R once commented that this doesn't sound like anything else I listen to. It doesn't. That's how good this record is. At the Drive-In had a fleeting run, but they went out with a bang. Relationship of Command documents that bang.


17. Spoon - Gimme Fiction
Spoon's decade was way better than their last. This record is what convinced me to begin accumulating their older material. It's so big and danceable. Even a bad show at the Blue Note supporting this album couldn't sour my love for Gimme Fiction.


16. The Shins - Chutes too Narrow
This album was out long before Garden State broke the band. It's crisp production upbeat tempos were a change from Oh, Inverted World, but ever-present are James Mercer's melodies and pop sensibilities.


15. Wolf Parade - Apologies to the Queen Mary
Although the synth-happy tendencies of Wolf Parade/Sunset Rubdown/Handsome Furs is lost in Isaac Brock's production, the result is as hard-hitting a debut as the decade has seen.


14. Beck - Sea Change
Break-up albums are typically angry or empowering. They either tear apart those who have wronged you or build you up with a hopefulness for love-yet-to-come. Then there are records like this one. It tears you down and the only thing that comforts is the assurance that someone else has felt this much hurt.


13. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
Generally, the only knock on this album is that it followed Funeral.


12. Japandroids - Post-Nothing
I might have overshot with this record, but I played it over and over this year, making up for the previous nine. It may fade over the years, but I will always turn to it when rawk is called for.


11. Beirut - Gulag Orkestar
Who would have ever thought Gypsy music would so good and timely? Zach Condon came out of nowhere (by way of New Mexico, the Balkans, and Brooklyn) to deliver one of the surprise sounds of the decade.

The Hipsters Have It

The hipsters have spoken. They want Obama, and Obama they shall have...

Well, actually, the last time I checked, Clinton and Obama were splitting delegates like Chuck Norris splits heads (when he's not stumping for Huckabee, that is). But, if anyone has the hipster vote, it's Obama.

Look at all the indie rockers backing the Senator from Illinois. Conor Oberst put on an impromptu concert in Iowa the night before Obama's caucus win. Win Butler writes in Obama cheers to Arcade Fire set lists between "Neighborhoods #1 and 3". M Ward has recently joined Oberst on the Obama campaign trail. People are reading Pitchfork for political updates instead of the Times.

Then, there's American Apparel. My friend, Kristen, tipped me off on the new AA ad on their homepage. Apparently, the ultra-hipster-outfitting, no-sweatshop-employing clothier has returned to its political roots and come out in support of Obama (and McCain) due to his take on immigration.

Go to any Obama rally or watch the stump speeches on CNN. You could play Hipster Bingo all night long. I always knew that hipsters were loaded with white guilt, but geesh. (Of course, this could be my problem. I would be the "over 30 hipster" on your bingo boards.)

Whatever it is, I still hope Barack can pull this thing out. Clinton may get the NASCAR dads and security moms, but Obama owns the white guilt hipsters. Now that's a demographic to contend with.

#1 of 2007: Arcade Fire - Neon Bible

Thirty-One Words:Neon Bible might not be the best Arcade Fire album, but it was easy to pick it as the best of 2007. No band plays the dramatic, indie Baroque so flawlessly.

The one song that makes it worth $17.95: all of them

Pitchfork Says: 8.4

Kate's List

As my list of the year's best albums nears its end and as you all anticipate my other year-end lists, I wanted to share my sister's list. Enjoy.

i must, must make a year-end list. i can't continue with my life if i don't make a year-end list. mockers be damned, i am making a list.

5 best albums of the year

1) feist-the reminder
the 1 and 2 spots were really tough for me but in the end i had to go with feist because i had been listening to it since june and i took the time to actually figure out the piano part on "my moon my man". granted the ipod/lifetime song has gotten annoying but it's still a good song. if i can be embarrassing, i'd say that this album is my generation's Exile in Guyville, only nicer and less f-bombs. feist is the nice canadian girl who doesn't have to skank it up to get your attention. plus she's in broken social scene, which automatically makes her my best pretend friend.
best song: the park
best line: he's the dirtiest clean i know.

2) bonnie "prince" billy-ask forgiveness
i just got this a week ago and the only reason it's not 1 is because 1) i just got it, 2) it's an ep so it doesn't seem right to put it first when everything else is a full-length and 3) it's covers...but damn good covers. i got it a few days before my birthday. it's amazing, old will knows my pain. best song: it's a tie. sometimes i like "i came to hear the music" but i think i probably like "cycles" the best.
best line: you know it's almost funny/but things can't get worse than now/so i'll keep on trying to sing/but please, just don't ask me how

3) arcade fire-neon bible
maybe this should be 1 but i've kind of gotten over the excitement of it. i still love it though, and i still don't wanna work in a building downtown. this was probably the best live show i saw all year and i wasn't even drunk! that says something...lot's of dancing and hooting and hollering. there also fun songs to drive too. "no cars go" makes me think of going towards the light...in a good way.
best song: no cars go
best line: see 2nd sentence

4)sunset rubdown-random spirit lover
i also just got this one but it's slowly been growing on me...just like their last release. i wish i could say more but i think i have a canadian theme going on here. for some reason, they remind me of queen. it's their arrangements or something very operatic, perhaps...or am i just trying to sound smart?
best song: the mending of the gown (criminitly, that guitar!)
best line: spencer krug's emoting, in general...he just doesn't seem to hold back.

5) i'm not there (movie & cd)-ok, so i'll admit it, i didn't get a whole lot of new music this year unless i could get it from the library or a friend. and since the library is somewhat limited in what they order and i only have two friends, i didn't really hear a lot from 2007. i got a lot from the 60's because i needed to...anyway, i'm getting off course. i went to the fancy bob dylan movie...kind of got parts of and really liked the soundtrack from seeing. when i finally got it at the library, i was somewhat disappointed in the songs...it just wasn't as good without the movie, i suppose. first the gripes: eddie vedder & antony and the johnsons. two people i never want to hear again. antony, you giant, please lose your voice. i don't care how much lou reed likes you, he's wrong. on the upside, however, i think the ladies outshine the men on this one, which is ironic since i'll pegged dylan for a bit of a mysogynist...or maybe it's not so ironic, really. oh, yeah, and what about that mason jennings?
best song: the cat power one, stuck in mobile with the memphis blues again, maybe? seriously, i'm so tired of the cat power haters. so what if she gave up the bottle and became friends with karl largerfeld? i like happy cat power just as much as sad-sack cat power.
best line: really? i'm not answering this. but desolation row is my favorite dylan song, surprise, surprise.

6) charlott gainsbourg-5:55
ok, i'm cheating, i was going to stop at 5 but then i remembered that this came out in 2007. anyway, quickly, very very good...i like her voice but she didn't write any ove the songs.
best song: operation
best line: our love goes under the knife...i only picked this line because for a long time i thought she was saying "olive goes under the knife" and i always pictured olive oil from popeye sitting on an operation table freaking out because someone was about to cut her open.

Arcade Fire=Greatest Live Act Ever

If you've been reading this blog, then you know that I attended the Arcade Fire show this past Friday in KC. I could give a rundown of the songs they played (including a Magnetic Fields cover) and include pictures of the bands on stage, but I won't do that. (See these guys for that kind of review.) Instead, I'd like to make a case for Arcade Fire being the greatest live act ever.

I heard from so many Columbians how amazingly memorable Arcade Fire's show at Mojo's was a few year ago, but that's not nearly as impressive as what the band did Friday night. Any band can create a lot of energy in a small club. The club is packed. People are on top of each other and the band is mere inches away. The audience can feel the music reverberating through the cramped space. Everyone is dancing by virtue of being smashed up against someone else who is dancing. The real challenge is to translate that energy to a large venue, especially one that's outside.

Normally, when rock bands make the transition to larger venues, something is lost in their live performances. A band like the Police were misplaced on stage when they moved on to stadium concerts. A three-piece band all spread out on a gigantic stage, sometimes larger than the clubs from which they created buzz, swallow the energy from that band like a black hole. Other bands try to fill that space with session players, but there's something impersonal about that. Then, there's situations like the Rolling Stones. They have just become a Vegas show that is completely devoid of any of the rebellion or subversion that made them so important in the first place.

Arcade Fire is able to overcome those shortcomings of playing the big, outdoor venues. First of all, they fill the stage. When you have ten competent and intense musicians playing their hearts out, you have no problem filling any stage. Besides the number of band members (and front man Win Butler's imposing height), Arcade Fire songs are anthems made for stadiums and arenas. The performance was also enhanced by the ingenious stage design of circular video monitors, risers, and silent film-like footage of the band projected onto a curtain behind at the back of the stage.

There are no session players in Arcade Fire. There are married couples, siblings, and long-time friends. The familial themes run throughout their songs and come through when you watch the band effortlessly switch instrumental and vocal duties.The band was tight and in-synch all night long.

While the band does put on a spectacular stage show, they haven't lost any of the fire, so to speak, that other acts seem to be missing once they move to the big stage. I've never seen a show in such a large venue that energized a crowd the way Arcade Fire did at the Starlight. Sure, there were audience members too drunk to demonstrate genuine euphoria or the green concert-goers that were just excited to be there, but the energy at Friday's show was obvious.

This energy was emanating directly from the band. Various members destroyed percussion instruments while falling into the crowd. Win Butler played every song as if his life depended on it. His partner, Regine Chassagne, frequently lost control of her voice that only intensified the urgency of the songs. It's rare for a cynical indie snob like myself to be so moved by a live performance, but Arcade Fire met my expectations for an incredibly energetic show.

I'm not saying this was the greatest show I've ever seen, but it demonstrated Arcade Fire's unique ability to crossover from Pitchfork darlings to mega-concert gods. No matter how good the songwriting, musicianship, or stage presence, the immediacy and artistry of great music is lost in gargantuan music venues like the Starlight. Arcade Fire surmount this barrier between indie bands and mainstream success through the elements that make their band so important.

To those who chose not to see Arcade Fire Friday simply because you didn't want to tarnish the small club experience at Mojo's a few years back, you missed greatness. You missed a performance that proves Arcade Fire's greatness. You missed Arcade Fire.

4 Sale

I have two, count 'em, two Arcade Fire tickets for September 28 in KC. Any takers? (Not to worry, I still have mine.) Email or leave a comment if you're interested.

Show Me

I know have been promising a post comparing COMO to C-bus, but that'll have to wait. I'm checking out several shows in the near-future and thought I'd share my schedule.
It all begins September 11 at Mojo's when former COMO residents White Rabbits return from their friendly confines in the NYC. (Why does every band end up there?) ATR got me noticing this band, and their Daytrotter set was superb. I always look forward to seeing a hot indie act before they become ridiculously huge.On the 17th, we'll see one of R's favorites, The Sea and Cake. I'm disappointed they're playing the Note, since their subtle indie-jazz will be lost in the BN's crummy sound system. No matter, I still plan on enjoying this show after I return from my job late that night. I've never seen Sea and Cake, but I'm old enough to have seen Coctails thrice! Anyone? Bueller?
Two nights later, I broke down and bought tickets to see Wilco. (Sorry M and K.) I am not thrilled with Tweedy and co.'s last release, but they were great last time in COMO. Apparently several of the band members attended shows at the Note pre-Tupelo. It should at least be fun.Have I mentioned that I have Arcade Fire tickets? I know that everyone and his brother saw them when they played Mojo's. I don't care. This is the next U2 or REM. This might be the last time I get a chance to see such a dynamic band in-person. We'll head out to KC for our first show in Misery's other city.

The other thing I keep hearing about Arcade Fire is that Neon Bible is a letdown after their 2004 breakout, Funeral. Are you serious? I'd put this album up against 99.9% of all other records. It's a great album that successfully avoids the sophomore slump. Sure, Funeral has more dramatics and intensity, but NB is still great. Besides, the band has to fill out their set lists with songs for their fans to enjoy and to take a breather from such anthems as "Neighborhood (#1-3)" or "Wake Up". I don't care what anyone says, I've got Arcade Fire tickets!The following Tuesday, I head back to the Blue Note to see Austin's own Spoon. I was somewhat disappointed in their last trip to COMO, but I have hope. They should put on an electric set. Maybe I'll go with fellow Spoon-lovers and have a couple of Boulevards to help lubricate the evening.November 7th might be my most-anticipated evening of the fall. The Thermals come to Mojo's. I absolutely love this band and have a bit of a school-boy crush on their bassist, Kathy Foster. This is one of those bands I wanted to get into, but never had the time or money. I've also had several opportunities to see them live (including a free show at OSU's Springfest), but I've missed them every time. I definitely plan to make this show.

Sure, there are other notable shows coming to Misery and its surroundings, but these are the shows I want to attend (and in some instances, can attend). I'll try not to let my readers down by not posting reviews (like Interpol or Yeah Yeah Yeah's). Later.

I'll Plead the First

Since I started this blog almost a year ago, I have wondered, "How much of what I do here is protected by my first amendment right to say what I want?" I mean, that's why I blog. I have something I want to say, get off my chest, and I want someone to hear (or read) my opinions. I want there to be a record of my thoughts. I even welcome interpretations and criticisms. I want to use this basic right as often as I can, before it's taken away.

If you've been reading lim for a while, you know that I've blogged about pretty much everything, sans my relationship. I've blogged about my situational depression, my troubles at work, my feelings on politics, and (mostly) my thoughts on indie rock. I haven't held back.

I remember after I expressed one of the lowest moments of my life, a co-worker commented that she had no idea I was in such a state of misery. I never intended for her to read those words, but it helped me realize what a powerful tool blogs can be. She would have never reached out to me, if she hadn't read my blog. My heart and blog have been an open book ever since.

Could any of this ever be held against me or other bloggers or even those who comment on blogs? Nothing should happen to us. We do have that first amendment thing that protects us from being thrown in jail, losing our job, or generally being harassed. We're merely expressing ourselves in a public forum. Isn't that protected in the Constitution?

As a teacher, I've always been somewhat careful about not putting too much of myself out there so that I wouldn't lose my job. I've plastered the trunk of my car with leftist bumper stickers, written letters to the editor, and have been pictured protesting the war in the paper, but I've done nothing that I felt should get me into trouble.

Some of you will know why I'm writing about this. For those who don't know, just be careful what you write online. Anyone could read it (especially you, Mr. NSA agent man). I've caught some shit for what I've written, and I haven't said anything important, yet.

I promise that I'll lighten the tone next time out and go back to complaining about Misery, touting Obama as the next Kennedy (Yeah, I said it!), and reminding you that I did, in fact, score Arcade Fire tickets.

Indie Rock Dad

In the most recent issue of Magnet, Phil Sheridan writes about his influence over his kids' musical tastes. In the commentary, Sheridan describes his efforts to turn his daughters into the same sort of indie snob he is by constantly bombarding them with all the essential albums of his life. He experiences some success as well as minor setbacks but finds that in the end, his kids were listening.

Since the beginning of time (or at least my lifetime), parents have tried to influence the musical choices of their offspring. Some of these parents have tried to shield their little ones from adult messages not appropriate for young ears, while others have simply tried to instill good listening habits that reflect their own tastes. My parents fit in the latter category.

My parents tried to steer us toward a variety of well-crafted music from their childhood and throughout by playing the records they loved and by programming every car radio to all of the oldies stations in both Columbus and Dayton. I remember them going through their Willie Nelson phase, exposing us to the virtues of true country music. I have since become a big fan of nearly anything featured in No Depression. Mom would play Carol King or Janice Joplin opening the possibility of strong women in rock to a boy who mostly idolized male performers. We learned to love the Stones and appreciate the Beatles. Motown was not left out providing soul and groove to our lives. Mom loved rock 'n' roll rebels, but could appreciate the subtleties of a heartfelt, acoustic piece. Dad loved to dance and sing with the music (usually slightly off time, but with plenty of style).

The 'rents had a tremendous influence on my siblings and myself. To this day, music is the linchpin (along with our blood) that connects us. The majority of our greatest concert memories were experienced with two or all three of us together. While my brother and I expanded our listening tastes throughout the early and mid-nineties, our little sister was making dubs of all our albums. My brother now plays in a band. My sister can't go a day without mentioning bands like the Arcade Fire or Sonic Youth or Pavement or whoever she's listening to currently. I write about music all the time on this blog and keep another blog totally dedicated to one band's catalog (an "oeuvre blog" I'm told).

And it continues. When I read the Sheridan piece, I thought of Dr. Fabulous and his new daughter. (I don't mean to disregard the mother, but I'm relating to the dad as a male...damned gender!) This dad doesn't have tastes like Sheridan's (or mine), but he has a pretty deep connection to music. I've wondered how he chooses which music to play around the house. I wonder what it's like to have so much influence over another human being's musical tastes. I mean, his daughter can't change the station or switch the cd. She's helpless to whatever music Dr. Fabulous spins.

I used to get really annoyed by parents who attended concerts with their kids. My dad's been to a Pavement show (where the bartender offered him some moonshine from beneath the bar) and both of my parents saw Guided by Voices with my sister in Chicago. I guess this didn't bother me, and it really doesn't bother me so much now that I'm close to the same age as some of the parents and to that point in my own life.

The day after I saw the Yeah Yeah Yeahs here in COMO (Karen O is a god.), I checked out their MySpace page to see if anyone had left a comment about the show. What I found was a very grateful father for the awesome show he witnessed with his two teenagers. At first, I was taken aback that this forty-something dad had a MySpace profile, but then I was touched. I knew how he felt. The show was super, but, more importantly, I understood how that dad felt to connect with his kids, to be a part of something that means so much to the human condition: music.

This post turned our sappy, but it holds a lot of truth. Parents want to influence their kids anyway they can. This is their legacy. This is how we live on forever by passing down traditions or interests to children. No other thing has influenced my life more than music. I'm obsessed at times. It informs my opinions, politics, relationships, my entire life. There is no other gift that I want to pass on to my children more than a love for good music...as long as it's my music.

(It should be noted that the YYYs' "Honeybear" came up on my iTunes while writing about the dad at the YYYs show.)

On a side note, Interpol was great last Wednesday in St, Louis. I took notes expecting to blog about all the frat boys, but alas, there was no time and it's old news by now.

Also, my mix made it onto Good Magazine's website with some nice commentary on their part.

Be sure to check out the new survey...

As Promised...The Devil on a Sunday!

Here's the final track listing for my mix tape/CD entry for Good Magazine. Notice that the cassette tape format provides more space for extra songs. All I can say is thank God for iTunes!:

The Devil Made Me Do It…Dance That Is
Side A
1. Run Devil Run (Jenny Lewis With The Watson Twins) - Soft, soothing old-county harmonies urging the devil to take off.
2. Satan Gave Me A Taco (Beck) - A lost indie classic that still makes me giggle and rock out with equal ferocity.
3. (Antichrist Television Blues) (The Arcade Fire) - Not so much about the Devil, but the imagery of not wanting a job downtown with planes crashing into buildings is eerie.
4. Satan Said Dance (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah) - Dance song of the year!
5. Let The Devil In (TV On The Radio) - Eighties drum machines mixed with a tribal drum beat and choral hollering makes the head bob. And that bass groove is just plain evil.
6. Devil Town (Bright Eyes) - I prefer this version to Daniel Johnston's original. DJ is like the unappreciated Bob Dylan of indie.
7. Sympathy for the Devil (The Rolling Stones) - Cah, cah! Oo, oo! Classic.
8. Devil's Train (Crooked Fingers) - Pretty guitar licks open as Eric Bachman's menacing voice soothes.
9. Satan Is My Master (Ben Folds Five) - Hilarious outtake from a live show.
10. The Devil Went Down to Georgia (The Charlie Daniels Band) - I remember this song made me think that country music was alright. There's a plot pitting good vs. evil in a fiddle duel for the ages. What more could you ask for?
11. Bus to Beelzebug (Soul Coughing)* - Takes me back to my college days. Apparently Beelzebug/Beelzebub is Satan in mosquito-form. He flies through your window at 3 in the morning to keep you awake and to make your life a living Hell...or at least an awake one.
Side B
12. Devil's Haircut (Beck) - Radio hit from Beck's best album (unless you prefer Sea Change or One Foot in the Grave)
13. Devil In The Details (Bright Eyes) - A Bright Eyes' filler that reminds me of a lot of the stuff the Flaming Lips are doing at the present.
14. White Devil's Dream (Quasi) - I looked and looked for some hip-hop in my collection that had a white devil reference in the title, but I was unsuccessful. Thank God for Portland liberals.
15. Tribute (Tenacious D) - If the song they actually played for the devil is half as good as this tribute, it would be....half as good.
16. Monkey Gone To Heaven (Pixies) - Rarely do you hear a singer scream that "the devil is 6" tree straight times that is not featured at Ozzfest. (Actually, I think Black Francis screams it five times, but who's counting?)
17. A Fable With No Moral (Quasi) - The second Quasi track is one of my all-time favorites. He sells his soul to pay the rent? Why didn't he just go to one of those check-cashing places?
18. In The Devil's Territory (Sufjan Stevens) - A reference to the devil from the most Christian of the group.
19. Devil's New (Sparklehorse) - Filler.
20. Hell Is Chrome (Wilco) - Old-timey and raggedy, this Wilco track takes the band to their most Beatle-esque.
21. Lucifer (Jay-Z)* - Head bobbing galore! Makes me feel so gangsta'!

*cassette version only

Notice that there are two extra tracks on the cassette. This goes to show that the cassette tape is the superior format in the mix tape world.

I encourage anyone to post some mix tape ideas on my blog or at Good magazine. There are several other organizations/services out there for the mix tape-incline. I just haven't tried any of them yet. Although, today I did find Mixtape Collective this morning thanks to a successful Google search.

Whatever. Stay out of the stifling, Al Gore-predicted-global-warming heat and make a mix today. Let me know what you came up with

Another Music Post to Make J Feel Old

Stumbled across some cool music stuff on Pitchfork and Brooklyn Vegan today after school.

Apparently, as much as I'd hate to admit it, Brooklyn is still the epicenter of indie rock coolness. Beirut and Final Fantasy played together to a crowd that included, among others, Sufjan Stevens, the National, and Grizzly Bear. As if that weren't enough, members of both bands, plus a few folk from Arcade Fire played Beirut's "Gulag Orkestar" as an encore. Of course all of this was captured for the rest of us on YouTube.



On top of it all, Arcade Fire had a b-side reviewed. Go to Merge right now and buy the 7" even if you don't own a turntable.

Avoid This

I'm going to avoid the confusing mess that is my life to write about my new love...Daytrotter.

I'm sure that unlike most indie geeks on the interwebs, I am the last to discover Daytrotter. It's this great indie rock website of reviews, features and gossip about all your fav indie bands. However, what sets this site apart from the Pitchforks of the world is its regualr offering of free MP3s.

Now, these are no ordinary recordings. Artists stop by Daytrotter's studio, AKA Futureappletree Studio One in downtown Rock Island, Illinois. The bands lay down some live tracks of what they're playing at the time. some of the songs are old favorites while others are brand new songs they're trying on for size. The tracks are all high quality and unique. They have that great live feel. One can listen and choose to download if they like. My iTunes is quickly filling up.

So far, I've enjoyed sets by Eef Barzelay, Someone Still loves You Boris Yeltsin, Jolie Holland, and Tokyo Police Club. I'm looking forward to a future set by Grizzly Bear in early May.

In addition to the free music, Daytrotter's artwork is primarily provided by illustrator Johnnie Cluney. His simple drawings in what looks to be Crayola markers add a DIY theme that runs through the website.


Additional art in the form of a comic strip is contributed by Joe Sayers. I love simple, off-the-beaten-path comic strips. There appears to be a new one each week, but I've only seen two in the week I've visited the site.



Like any self-respecting music site, Daytrotter provides insightful features, interviews, and record reviews. I've really enjoyed their series of week-long record reviews that record the musings of a music fan 's first week with a new record. I know this feeling of picking up new things as you listen and liking totally different part each day.


Bonus: Daytrotter usually covers the French "Take Away Show Series" so that you don't have to search through a website totally written in French. The "Take Away Series" follows a band while they walk through the streets of Paris playing their music to the locals. The Arcade Fire and the Shins were definite favorites.

The Year in Music...So Far

2007 has already been extremely busy with many new releases in the first third of the year. Here's my list of the early highlights...

The Shins released their third proper, Wincing the Night Away. While I wasn't originally thrilled with this album, too somber, seeing them in concert helped me "get" this album. By juxtaposing Wincing's tracks with their previous works, I was able to see where this record fits in the catalog. The songs really translated live. Although this album might only be the third best Shins' album, it's still much better than 99% of the releases put out by the record industry every year.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah released their much anticipated follow up to 2005's self-titled debut, Some Loud Thunder. Although they were a little heavy with the bass (ruining the opening track), the album defies all sophomore jinx theories. The album moves away from sounding too much like the Talking Heads...but not too far away. I am really looking forward to seeing these guys in May for the first time.

Bright Eyes has put out two solid releases so far. The first was the preview EP for the album Cassadaga. Four Winds is highlighted by the great title track and the most haunting BE song ever, a duet with M Ward called "Smoke Without Fire". The LP is no slouch either. Those more accustomed to Conor Oberst tearing himself to shreds will struggle with the outward lens he utilizes in this release. but I believe that is short-sighted. His music is simply maturing. This work is a transition to a more mature, not-so-emo Bright Eyes. I, for one, welcome this change.

One of my all-time favorite bands, Modest Mouse, released their fifth full-length, the classically Isaac Brock titled We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. After losing their way since signing to a major label, it seems that Modest Mouse is moving in the right direction once again. You could feel this transition (much like the Bright Eyes' movement) as their last two releases seemed to stray from what made Brock's early work stick out in the indie world. He is finally finding a way to balance the Modest Mouse sound with the resources a major label offers. I credit this largely to Johnny Marr's influence. The former Smiths' guitarist seems to be the connection Modest Mouse needed between indie rock eccentricities and major label success. The result is the best Modest Mouse record in ten years and a spot atop the Billboard charts.

My new indie darling, Beirut, released an EP this winter. Lon Gisland shows that Beirut is more than a kitschy indie fad. The highpoint of the release is the more organic take on "Scenic World" that puts away the keyboards for a more Beirut-esque sound. This EP - like most EP's - just gets me excited for the next full-length due later this year.

Finally, I am able to listen to all of The Arcade Fire's Neon Bible. I thought that I was smart when I pre-ordered this release on vinyl accompanied by an MP3 code. Well, the label's manufacturing screwed up the pressing, delaying my shipment by two months. Anyway, just last night some friends loaned me their CD which I promptly saved onto my iTunes. In fact, right now is my first listen. It's a pretty amazing album. The first four songs might be the best first four songs I've ever heard on an album! The record levels off in the middle - much like the band's other releases - but these songs are still good songs. I just love the urgency and passion in the Arcade Fire. They have recaptured the idealism of early rock 'n' roll mixed with the importance of a John Hughes' film to a thirteen year old while speaking to issues that are important to thirty-somethings that struggle with the transition from young liberal to adulthood...or something. God, I love this band!

I'm still looking forward to several releases (or possible releases) due out this year. The White Stripes, Stephen Malkmus, Iron & Wine, and Wilco have much-anticipated records coming out later this year. I'm hopeful that Sufjan Stevens will put out at least one more state album. Last word was that he has Oregon and New Jersey in the works. The new Feist album even looks/sounds very enticing. I really like her new American Apparel-meets-The Gap ad video. It also looks like Pavement will re-issue another album...surprise, surprise. I'll still buy even though I have the original. 2007's off to a fine start...musically.

Impromtu Wake Up

This is why I spend most of my income on music. Apparently the Arcade Fire has this tradition of performing an encore at the back of the venues in which they play in order to allow the fans in the nose-bleeds to get a close-up. All I can say is "wow." I got goosebumps just watching this.