The other day I received a message in my Facebook in-box. It was from somebody named “Jennie Her” and it read: “Are you a lesbian? You’re so wo is me. It’s a turn-off. People don’t like that.”

I pondered over that message for a few minutes. I don’t know this Jennie Her and when I tried to look at her Facebook page, I couldn’t see anything except her photo because she’d set up her profile to “only share certain information with friends” although apparently Facebook deemed it OK for her to share insults with anybody.

Cory thought it was just a spam message and although I marked it as such (and so it disappeared forever from my in-box)  I couldn’t stop thinking about that whole “wo is me” part and how it related to the idea that I may or may not be a lesbian and how this was making me less desirable to the world at large …

Wo is me…what did “Wo” mean? Did she mean “woe”? That would be the most obvious, of course and she wouldn’t be the first to tell me that, sometimes, I can be a bit too “woe is me,” a bit too mired in the misery, too down, too fixated on what isn’t going right. I can see how people might not like that trait but how it relates to being a lesbian is beyond me. Is woefulness a same-sex preference characteristic?

But then I thought, maybe she meant “whoa is me” – that perhaps I’m just too laid-back. Maybe I’ve been Spicoli-ing my way through life and people are finally tired of my stoner ways, they want me to stop, it’s such a turn-off.

Again, though, how does this possibly make me someone who is so out-of-touch with her own sexual preferences that she’s been living a marital lie for 10-plus years?  Dude, I’m so confused.

I do know this, however: wo, woe or whoa I don’t really care what people like or don’t like about me or what does or doesn’t turn them on.  And by “people” I mean those I don’t know or with whom I’m not already friends. My friends and family know me and, last time I checked they liked me. Oh sure, they occasionally tell me to (take your pick) snap out of it, get over yourself, lighten up, et al…but they do it with care because that’s what friends and family do.

So, sitting here at the dawn of 2010, sipping coffee and listening to the Jay Farrar & Ben Gibbard record, I’m struck with the idea of how my life has seemingly shaped up to be what it’s supposed to be.

I have goals and resolutions for this coming year….some are the usual (lose that 5 pounds, read & write everyday, cook more, buy less, be more adventurous), some are deeply personal, others are just seedlings of inspiration, ambition and desire.

Wo, woe or whoa, I’m eager to see where and who I am at the end of this year’s journey – but I’m also ready to enjoy every little step it takes to get there.

My guess is that 365 days from now I’ll be just as wo, woe or whoa as ever and I probably still won’t be a lesbian although I do understand from first-hand observations that these things can suddenly change in mid-life and if that does happen I’ll be very sorry for Cory’s sake but, you know, shit happens….

So fuck you Jennie Her – whether you’re real or a spambot — and to everyone else, a very Happy New Year …..

I’m scared. 2009 nearly killed me. I feel 2010 actually will. I’m hoping for the best but fearing the worst.

Resolution:
Not falling in love and putting hopes in others.
Hearts are meant to be broken.

In signature Death Cab fashion; “So this is the new year, and I don’t feel any different.”

For once, I want Ben Gibbard to be completely wrong.

Look and see!  A new layout for the new year.

Although it is cliché-ly me:

So everybody put your best suit or dress on
Let’s make believe that we are wealthy for just this once
Lighting firecrackers off on the front lawn
As thirty dialogues bleed into one

–Ben Gibbard, from The New Year

I have already eaten my weight in crackers.  Fear not–because I know that you are–the diet begins again tomorrow.  The clichés continue, although this one resulted more from circumstance than from my own hand.

Finally, Russell Brand’s New Year’s Wish.

There, that ought to do it.

Cheers!

The last video from my class group Suit Up Productions…. video starts at 20 seconds. Inspired by cute things and ‘The Science of Sleep‘. Starring the sweetest Bee and ‘Train Song” sung by Feist and Ben Gibbard, we take no credit for the audio.

Greetings music fans,

 As we eagerly anticipate ringing in the New Year and 2009 comes to a close, I thought it would be entertaining to do a little musical year in review.  Here is smattering of albums that were released in 2009 that you should be listening to.  The list is compiled alphabetically by artist.  This, of course, is for my own personal benefit and helps calm my little OCD head.

 Arctic Monkeys “Humbug” 

Third album for the band with several tracks produced by Joshua Homme of (Queens of the Stone Age), (Eagles of Death Metal) and (Them Crooked Vultures)

Dan Auerbach “Keep it Hid”

Dan is half of the genius behind (The Black Keys)

The Avett Brothers “I and Love and You”

Major label debut produced by Rick Rubin

The Black Crowes “Before the Frost and Until the Freeze”

Two disc set (“Until the Freeze” only available as download) that was recorded in Levon Helm’s (The Band)Woodstock Studio.

The Dead Weather “Horehound”

Yet another reason Jack White is musical greatness

Drive-By Truckers “The Fine Print”

A collection of oddities and rarities that includes a cover of Tom Petty’s “Rebels”

Steve Earl “Townes”

In homage to the late, great Townes Van Zandt, it is an amazing collection of songs, with “Lungs” being my favorite track.

Jay Farrar and Ben Gibbard “One Fast Move Or I’m Gone”

Music from Jack Kerouac’s “Big Sur”. These songs were recorded over a five day span with minimal revisions.

Grizzly Bear “Vectatimest”

A diverse collection of songs that will take a few times to appreciate.

Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 “White Lies for Dark Times”

Ben ventures beyond his Innocent Criminals and adds some Texas folks to the band.  Another solid Ben Harper venture.

Patterson Hood “Murdering Oscar (and other love songs)”

Hood, of (Drive-By Truckers), releases his 2^nd solo disc.  Check out “Pride of the Yankees”

Iron and Wine “Around the Well

Two disc set of previously unreleased materials and cool covers.

Jay-Z “The Blueprint 3”

Come on, it is Jay-Z.  What is not great about this?  If you are into Jay-Z, check out his unplugged album with (The Roots) as his backing band.  Pure greatness.

Dave Matthews Band “Big Whiskey and the Groo Grux King”

First album since the death of founding member Leroi Moore.  I’m a huge DMB fan and make no apologies for it. 

M Ward “Hold Time”

2009 was a busy and fruitful musical year for Mr. Ward. 

Monsters of Folk (Self titled)

Well, you have Jim James (My Morning Jacket) Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes) and M. Ward.  How could you go wrong?  They brought back the multi part harmony that is reminiscent of Crosby, Stills, & Nash and The Eagles.

Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band “Outer South”

This dude has been recording since he was 13.  Dropped the “Bright Eyes” moniker but still exploring and expanding the boundaries of music.

Pearl Jam “Back Spacer”

Great follow up album to their 2006 self titled album.  I saw them live at the 2009 Austin City Limits Music Festival.  Two plus hours of amazing music played with such fervor and with guest appearance by Ben Harper and Perry Farrell. 

Tom Petty “The Live Anthology”

This four disc set is a must have for any Petty fan.  This set spans 30 years of concerts and is absolutely amazing.

Phish “Joy”

Great to see the boys back together and playing nice.

Silversun Pickups “Swoon”

Second full length release that is a gradual departure from “Canvas”

Son Volt “American Central Dust”

From the ashes of Uncle Tupelo, Jay Farrar created Son Volt.  Not a disappointing album in the collection.

Sonic Youth “The Eternal”

After all these years, still making relevant music and inspiring others to do so as well.

Bruce Springsteen “Working on a Dream”

The Boss has been rather prolific in the 00’s.  This was a great way to round out the year and decade.  Saw him in Charlotte NC in 2008.  Amazing!

State Radio “Let It Go”

This is the third full length disc from Chad Stokes formerly of (Dispatch) and company.  A great live band if you ever have the opportunity.

Street Sweeper Social Club (Self titled)

Tom Morello  (Rage Against the Machine), (Audioslave) and (The Nightwatchman) and Boots Riley (The Coup) come together and create revolutionary party jams.

Them Crooked Vultures (Self titled)

Dave Grohl (Nirvana) and (Foo Fighters), Joshua Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and (Eagles of Death Metal), and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin).  Need I say more?

U2 “No Line On the Horizon”

Getting back to the greatness of The Joshua Tree.  Bono and Co. show why they continue to be in the running for world’s greatest rock band.

Wilco (Self titled)

From the ashes of Uncle Tupelo, Jeff Tweedy created Wilco.  Not a disappointing album in the collection.  Funny how that worked out for both he & Jay.

Pete Yorn “Back & Fourth”

I’ve always been a Pete fan but have found a new appreciation for him in the last few years.

Great music awaits!

I might as well give it straight–the only reason I liked that movie was because I’m crushing on Zooey Deschanel. Seriously, I think on the second run through I skipped scenes she wasn’t in. But, well, she’s not even a very good actress. lol. In fact I even said I don’t find her that attractive, and I still stand by that statement (she uses a ridiculous amount of eye make-up actually). Anyways, it’s there and I guess I’m another indie boy. So I was looking through the “(500) Days of Summer” soundtrack. I don’t think it’s very good, but it’s nice to hear new stuff always. Some of the hits are pretty catchy and the cover choices are… interesting. For example, they chose Zooey’s cover of “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” by The Smiths. Her voice is pretty nice. It’s not as wavy and croony as you’d expect and is actually quite nice. I think her weird lilt-accent thing makes it. I knew she had her own album so I decided to listen to a few songs. It wans’t received fantastically (though it was received well) so I opted out of listening to the full thing. It’s called Volume One by She & Him (the act includes both her and M. Ward some folk guy). First off, the reviews I checked at Rolling Stone and allmusic are remarkably similar. I wonder who plagiarized who (I might be wrong of course but it’s pretty clear. I’m putting money that Sheffield is the original writer, since, well, he’s Rob Sheffield). The songs are pretty simple and, like the reviewers said, that was probably the right choice. To be honest I don’t really think M. Ward contributes anything though I guess I can’t really appreciate his minimalist instrumental accompaniments. They are pleasant though not particularly catchy. Again, her vocals are really the interesting and pleasant part. There’s really a lack of feeling and rhythm in general. That’s a pretty bold and blanket statement but that’s how I feel from whatever six or seven tracks I’ve heard. Plus they aren’t very talented. Yeah, that can be an issue.

Back to my crushing. I can’t believe she married Ben Gibbard. I’m not gonna lie and say I don’t find Death Cab… cute. But no. No. Well, actually, from their musical musings only, I think they fit pretty well together. Oh well, like I said I don’t even know why I like her. Hm, from the interviews she’s actually pretty well spoken. Maybe that’s the wrong word choice. And I think most celebrities are at least somewhat interesting during interviews… which is why people watch them. But I hate her silly quirkiness! Jenny Lewis! Indie Gal! Number One!

*update* No seriously, I totally forgot about Z. Deschanel and went back to Lewis. Consequently wiki says that Lewis is in contact with Deschanel hehe. Damn that girl is fine. In fact, as I’m reading her interviews it doesn’t even matter what she says. I’m mentally twisting them into something that is brilliant. But I’ll let you be the judge. She just seems very normal and wise. Not silly or quirky, a legitimate person and worker. Maturity, I guess. That’s hot. Finally, another label to put on my desires.

This record was made in under three weeks, which I think for me, I tend to work well within a deadline. If I know I have to get something in three weeks, I tend to A, enjoy myself a little bit more, and B, really work well.

I think I love her. I think this is also the first time I’ve really wanted to go to a concert (with Tom Hansen’s illusions of course).

[source]

[source]

Just finished the adorable Away We Go, so I’ve been a little inspired by the theme of traveling. I’d choose a commuterrail ride over a car commute any day, if only my coffee addiction didn’t cause me to often miss my train…

Peace,

Title from “Train Song” by Feist & Ben Gibbard

Need a real song today as well.

I saw Death Cab perform a couple years ago and was not mightily impressed. Perhaps it was because I was naturally prejudiced after I had just seen no less than Robert Plant, but it seemed that the richly layered Death Cab sound is better suited to the confines of the studio rather than the vast expanse of a festival. Perhaps that is unfair because no one at all can possibly look good following Robert Plant. So I do intend to give them another chance should they come along again. After all they did make one of the best albums of 2008, Narrow Stairs. High expectations for the future indeed. On a totally unrelated note, I can’t believe Ben Gibbard married Zooey Deschanel. She’s so cute and he’s so blehhh. Down with homely rock stars, I say.

So, here it goes… about time innit…

Best albums of the year?

… I’d do decade but it’s too difficult.

but there is ten of them…

come off it…

it was bound to happen…

in no perticular order – or genre.

2009 has come and gone.  It’s been a hell of a year, and a hell of a decade.  Music has taken an encouraging turn to quality this decade, and 2009 was a year full of all the surprises, excitement, and disappointment that we’ve come to expect from the roaring 2000s.  Here then, is Never Learned to Swim’s Top 50 Songs of 2009:

1.    White Rabbits – “Percussion Gun”
2.    Phoenix – “1901”
3.    Mew – “New Terrain”
4.    Mos Def – “Life In Marvelous Times”
5.    Animal Collective – “My Girls”
6.    Dirty Projectors – “Stillness is the Move”
7.    Grizzly Bear – “Two Weeks”
8.    Islands – “Switched On”
9.    Passion Pit – “Moth’s Wings”
10.    The XX – “VCR”
11.    Girls – “Lust For Life”
12.    John Mayer – “Heartbreak Warfare”
13.    Dodos – “Fables”
14.    The National – “Ashamed of the Story I Told”
15.    Sea Wolf – “White Water, White Bloom”
16.    Phoenix – “Lisztomania”
17.    The Temper Trap – “Sweet Disposition”
18.    Radiohead – “These Are My Twisted Words”
19.    Bon Iver – “Woods”
20.    Yeasayer – “Tightrope”
21.    N.A.S.A. (featuring Kanye West and Santigold) – “Gifted”
22.    Japandroids – “The Boys Are Leaving Town”
23.    The Rural Alberta Advantage – “Don’t Haunt This Place”
24.    Animal Collective – “Bluish”
25.    Ben Gibbard and Feist – “Train Song”
26.    Wilco – “Wilco”
27.    Kid Cudi – “Day ‘n’ Nite”
28.    HEALTH – Die Slow
29.    Bat for Lashes – “Daniel”
30.    Yeah Yeah Yeahs – “Zero”
31.    Franz Ferdinand – “Turn It On”
32.    A Sunny Day In Glasgow – “The White Witch”
33.    Julian Casablancas – “Out of the Blue”
34.    Dan Deacon – “Slow With Horns / Run For Your Life”
35.    The Decemberists – “Annan Water”
36.    Bon Iver – “Blood Bank”
37.    Fred – “Skyscrapers”
38.    St. Vincent – “Laughing With a Mouth of Blood”
39.    Apostle of Hustle – “Xerses”
40.    Spoon – “Written In Reverse”
41.    The Whitest Boy Alive – “1517”
42.    Sufjan Stevens – “You Are the Blood”
43.    Clipse (featuring Kanye West) – “Kinda Like a Big Deal”
44.    A.C. Newman – “The Heartbreak Rides”
45.    Telekinesis – “Coast of Carolina”
46.    The Pains of Being Pure at Heart – “Everything With You”
47.    Silversun Pickups – “Panic Switch”
48.    Bill Callahan – “Faith / Void”
49.    Harlem Shakes – “Sunlight”
50.    Brendan Benson – “Garbage Day”

-pradip chandrasoma

I think Ben Gibbard is probably of the least recognized songwriters around today. These guys actually appear to give a crap about musical integrity. They actually try to write songs. I have to throw Michele a bone and give a shout out to Taylor Swift, who does the same. I have to admit I could live without hearing Romeo blah, blah, blah, ever again, but it is, like every other song she has written, a great song. Tbat being said, I hope Death Cab for Cutie stays under the radar so I don’t have to grow weary of one of their great songs.

Ben Gibbard & Jay Farrar

More info on the Boulder Theater, apparently the place to be in the next few months. If you are in Boulder, please do not miss Ben and Jay at the Boulder Theater.

Transatlanticism

Death Cab for Cutie

2003

Barsuk Records

Ok so before I start, let’s get all the nonsense out of the way that is sure to come from reviewing a Death Cab album… Death Cab was better before they were popular and sold out, blah blah, indie cred, blah blah, I eat dicks.  Okay, so now I’m going to start this.  Death Cab for Cutie is weird for me, because I generally like everything a band does, or nothing they do.  Death Cab breaks that mold.  There’s some stuff I love (Photo Album, first half of Plans), and some stuff I hate (end of Plans, probably some other stuff I can’t think of right now).  But as far as this album, Transatlanticism, goes, I like just about all of it.  I like Ben Gibbard, and The Postal Service was a great collaboration with Jimmy from Dntel.

So let’s kick things off; we start with “The New Year”.  After a boring, slow intro, we get some damn music.  Ben Gibbard chimes in with his standard high pitched vocals that sound like he was kicked in the nads (yes I like the sound of it).  We have here a song about going through a supposedly huge change, getting prepared for it, having a huge celebration, but then realizing that everything is pretty much the same.  Everyone has gone through this sometime.  This is a really good song to kick off the album with.  It has a good mood to it, despite having seemingly depressing lyrics.  Oh and it feels much shorter than it is.

So we’re very much slowed down, and the music is even lower on “Lightness”.  Oh wait, no, not all of it.  The vocals are as they always are, this is Death Cab, how could I forget? (I know it seems like I hate his voice, but I really don’t, I swear)  There’s some really cool figurative language going on here, and the lyrics are really well-written.  Oh and the line at the start about looking through a tear in the girl’s dress is so sneakily dirty.  “Lightness” seems like a song I wouldn’t like, but strangely I do.  Maybe because it feels short for such a slow song, or maybe it’s because there’s so many subtleties to notice.  Either way, it’s a good song.

“Title and Registration” is definitely up there for best track on the album.  Ironic that it’s got such depressing lyrics.  We start off with Ben challenging everyone to change terminology, then gets really depressing.  Damn it’s so depressing, but such a good song.  We continue with the semantic argument, and the fading of love to the point where both people just about forget it ever happened.  Jesus, that’s really something that could be a tear jerker.  How can such a depressing song be so good, you might be wondering.  Just listen, because it is.

“Expo ‘86″ is thankfully more upbeat, and again an awesome track.  Some of the wording here is like Yoda:  confusing, but still technically making sense.  Anyway the song is about being used to things going wrong.  He has something good going on, but is just waiting for something to go wrong, because it always does.  It’s a pretty crappy way to live your life.  Damnit, Death Cab did it again; they took depressing lyrics, put them over good music and tricked me.  Maybe that’s why I really like them.

“The Sound of Settling” is my favorite song on the album, possibly my favorite Death Cab song overall.  This song really just kicks ass, and I wish they did more songs like this.  I think this was a single from this album too, but whatever, I don’t care.  The verses are so well written, the chorus repetitive but still great, the drums catchy, and the guitar riff simple and inviting.  I could write more on this song, but I’ll let you listen for yourself.  Honestly, it’s only two minutes and twelve seconds.  You can spare that for how awesome a song this is.

“Tiny Vessels”… yeah, we’re back to slow, depressing stuff here.  We have a song about being with a beautiful girl, wanting to love her, but you just can’t.  You want her to be ‘the one’, but something just makes you not love her.  You even tell her you love her, but you don’t believe the words you’re saying.  When she asks if something is wrong, you can’t bring yourself to tell her.  Oh yeah, the song is about a summer fling, which kinda makes sense.  The chorus does pick up, thankfully, which makes the song better.   All in all, it’s a good song, and the next song makes it seem even better.

No that was not a compliment to this track… “Transatlanticism” the album’s title track is just not a good song.  To be frank, I can’t stand to listen to 8 slow, boring minutes of this.  So it’s about being apart from the one you love, being so far apart that you simply cannot go to them.  You need them so much closer, but you just can’t have it that way.  The second half of the song is a long, slow crescendo with a moderately interesting peak.  By the end of the song, I’m checking my pulse to make sure I’m still alive after going through what seems like an eternity.

“Passenger Seat” continues the slow, boring trend, but is a better track.  For one, it’s because it is much shorter.  Second, it has more going on.  Also, it has no anticlimactic crescendo.  There really isn’t much to say about this song, except that is just kinda seems like an extended intro for the next track…

“Death of an Interior Decorator” finally brings back some lively music and interesting lyrics.  The song is about a woman losing her looks and her life after having kids, then we go through different times in her life.  There’s some weird comparisons going on here that confuse me.  First of all, how the hell can walking into a room where a bride tripped and broke a vase feel like falling in love again?  Secondly… well I guess that’s the only one, but I’m puzzled.  Still, this is a very good track, and a drastic improvement over the previous two.

“We Looked Like Giants” is right up there, just under” The Sound of Settling” for best track on the album.  This really feels like everyone in the band was in tune with each other, and they pieced togethers’ impeccable performances into one great track.  I love the imagery that Gibbard can create with the lyrics here.  “We’d learn how our bodies worked” always makes me giggle a little bit (yeah I’m a little immature).  It seems to me that the song is about having a purely physical relationship with someone, not realizing you were in love, losing them, and they comparing everyone else in your life with that one person.  Yeah, that sounds about right.  The chorus here really picks up, and makes this song even better.  The slow, mellow interlude is a huge change of pace, but I like it.  It almost sets a mood to reflect on what is going on in the song before it slowly fades out at the end.

I didn’t even realize I was at the end of the album when I was listening because it had been a while since I heard this album, but here we are, “A Lack of Color”.  It picks up right from the ending of “We Looked Like Giants” and uses some cool white noise and acoustic guitar in conjunction with Gibbard’s soft vocals.  A strong finish to the album, which is more than I can say for Plans (Yes I think that album should have ended 3 tracks early, but that’s another review for another time).

So there’s Transatlanticism from Death Cab for Cutie.  It’s a pretty straightforward album, definitely worth a listen if you’re a fan.  If you are unsure, give it a shot, but you probably will still be unsure after it’s over, honestly.  This album doesn’t set any kind of precedent for Death Cab, and doesn’t really have any radical changes to their style.  I have just noticed one thing, and it’s this:  this album really leaves me unfulfilled at the end.  I feel as if there’s something missing, like they cut a track from the end.  Maybe it’s just me,  but I feel like there should be more.  Either way, I’ve just got one more thing… Does Ben Gibbard take kicks to the nads before every concert or recording session? Seriously…

Buy This Album

Last.fm Page

Official Site

Notable Emissions for 2009…
No, I’m not talking about the carbon kind. Nor am I referring to that of the nocturnal variety.

Don't worry, that's not the nocturnal variety

Rather, I am now tackling my Notable Emissions (er… Omissions) of 2009, the music that couldn’t quite claw its way into my Top 10 but left an impression on me nonetheless. I will also tackle a handful of letdown releases and throw in my song of the year for good measure.

I’ll start by echoing the enthusiastic sentiment from my cousin, Caleb, with regards to the output of quality rock music in this decade. It surely was a Golden Age of sorts. I would also, though, like to complicate the issue by stating that mainstream rock music has been functioning at an all-time-low this decade with nu metal, generic Coldplay sound-alikes, and cheap rap-rock in the vein of Linkin Park. I believe that it is primarily in the underground that creativity has been flourishing, and much of that has been in reaction to the “overground.”

As for 2009 itself, I must admit to mixed feelings. On one hand, I was pleased as punch to see high-quality pop and rock records invading the Billboard charts, such as Phoenix, Metric, Grizzly Bear, and Silversun Pickups. At the same time, though, a handful of the ‘indie’ powerhouses disappointed me with their efforts this year–that means YOU, Decemberists and Antony and Neko and M. Ward and Camera Obscura and Andrew Bird! In some cases, it felt like overambition and for many, it felt more like underambition. It’s not that Andrew Bird or Neko Case necessarily took a big step back but, rather, one small, nearly unnoticeable, step to the side.

So, without further ado, here are tk’s Pre-Top-10 Categories.
SONG OF THE YEAR
HONORABLE MENTION: Number 11 through 20 in alphabetical order.
PROMISING RELEASES FROM UP AND COMING ARTISTS: Serving all of your needs for vicarious verbosity.
DISAPPOINTMENTS
THE JURY IS STILL OUT: I’ve heard good things but haven’t spent enough QT with it yet.

SONG OF THE YEAR
“Panic Switch” by Silversun Pickups: For me, listening to KROQ in L.A. is like going to the dentist (no need for elaboration on that simile). However, during one of my trips to the dentist in April, Dr. Roq forewent the flouride procedure and pulled out a fine wine from behind the counter to share a glass with me. That’s right, “Panic Switch” invaded the radio in the spring-time and society as a whole has been better off because of it.

The Silversun Pickups: cooler than your Mom

HONORABLE MENTION
Akron Family – Set Em Wild Set Em Free: The sound of a loose band getting tighter while still boldly exploring country, folk, and jam territory.
Balmorhea – All is Wild, All is Silent: An instrumental quintet from Austin, Texas, playing acoustic post-rock blended with classical sophistication.
Benjamin Gibbard – One Fast Move or I’m Gone: An overlooked, underrated tribute to Kerouac from an artist whose primary band (Death Cab for Cutie) has fallen into a rut. Place these songs next to Balmorhea’s in a playlist and you’ve got a perfect soundtrack to the landscape of the American West.
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest: These boys may not be edgy or particularly groundbreaking, but it’s hard to deny the magic and charm infused in these tracks, as well as the vocal-trading finesse that serves to keep things interesting.
Knaan – Troubadour: A genuine, inspiring release from a genuine and inspiring singer/rapper from Somalia who NPR is calling the new Bob Marley.
Leslie and the Badgers – Roomful of Smoke: This debut from one of L.A’s numerous hipster-country outfits is more than just Laurel Canyon throwback hype–it’s chock full of timeless songs of heartbreak sung powerfully by Leslie Stevens.
Mew – No More Stories: An album pulsating with the kind of precious, dark, fantasy mystique that could only emerge from the depths of Scandinavia.
Morrissey – Years of Refusal: I’ll spare you yet another comment on how some old guy who thrived in a prior decade has still got it–instead, I’ll just say that this muscular release is quite possibly Morrissey’s best since 1994’s “Vauxhall and I” (despite a few too many moments of tired studio instrumentation).
Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms: His creative impulses are producing mostly positive results so far, though he can’t seem to build much of a fanbase around this brand of head-spinning baroque pop.
POS – Never Better: Punk-influenced rap (or is it rap-influenced punk?) from Minneapolis musician, Stefon Alexander, is dripping with a sense of urgency.

PROMISING RELEASES FROM UP AND COMING ARTISTS
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Family of the Year – Songbook
Fool’s Gold
Here We Go Magic
The Low Anthem – Oh My God, Charlie Darwin

DISAPPOINTMENTS (that’s right… there’s 10! Ack!)
Air – Love 2
Andrew Bird – Noble Beast
Camera Obscura – My Maudlin Career
The Decemberists – The Hazards of Love
Fever Ray
Girls – Album
M. Ward – Hold Time
Mount Eerie – Wind’s Poem
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
The Swell Season – Strict Joy

THE JURY IS STILL OUT
Bat for Lashes: Two Suns
Dry Spells: Too Soon for Flowers
Foreign Born: Person to Person
Kid Cudi: Man on the Moon
Noah & the Whale: The First Days of Spring

Apparently this song about lightning bugs or something has become crazy popular with tweens across America. When I first heard it, it sounded only mildly horrible. Certainly not bloggable. Seemed like a decent formula for 09 success:  R2D2-esque beeping, a music video slathered in nostalgia, and breathy/whiny/shitty vocals. What else could a pre-alt 13 year old girl hope for really?

Only kind of sucked at first.

Then one day while trying to justify why this Bird Town song was ok. I figured out that I was only ok with this song because it sounded like a substandard attempt at sounding like ‘The Postal Service’. Maybe it’s unfair to compare the two because Postal Service is noticeably less shitty. At the same time Owl City has to realize, that realistically there is only room for one malt-stream, breathy/whine-core band out there. And as long as I still remember Postal Service, I think it is too soon to be playing this type of music.

Feel like Bird Town is to Postal Service as the Sequel’s to American Pie are to American Pie 1. And I don’t mean the immediate sequels. More like the ones that came out like 5-6 years later. So that enough time had passed for a brand new generation to emerge, who was unaware that a higher quality version of the same thing already existed. The only thing is that now the movies(songs) are made with a smaller budget so that none of the characters(artists) who made the first couple movies even marginally funny(enjoyable) were involved. Leaving us with some immature mass-produced garbage.

Heard people say that they could clearly tell the difference between Owl City and Postal Service. I would hope so. They are different bands with different musicians. Usually don’t find myself struggling to tell the difference between some drunk guy at a party playing ‘Wonderwall’ on his acoustic and the actual band ‘Oasis’. That doesn’t mean that guitar-bro isn’t trying to copy Oasis/score.

“Man, if the chorus to Weezer’s ‘Island in the Sun’ doesn’t get me laid, I don’t know what will”.

Just cuz Adam Young is worse than Ben Gibbard at the whole breathy/emo/electro thing doesn’t get him a pass on the copy-cat charges in my book anyways. Seems pretty obvious that Young was eagerly waiting for the last Postal Service fans to graduate high school before dropping his LP.

I do have to give the guy props for lyricism though. I mean not everyone could rhyme hugs with bugs:

‘Cause I’d get a thousand hugs
From ten thousand lightning bugs
As they tried to teach me how to dance

Do you think Owl City is ripping off Postal Service?
Do you care?
How many electro/breath-core bands do you think can coexist in the same market?

By Critic Jasper Pennies

Hey folks. I was going to give you a famous “Jasper Pennies Discount Dollar Review” but unfortunately I was interupted before I could even get to my car.

This bizarre man with a face like molten jelly came up to my door. He said, “Jasper Pennies, I have an offer for you.”

Then he got out a weird black container with a button in it.

“Press this button and one person will die, but you’ll get one million dollars. All you have to do is—”

He couldn’t finish his sentence ’cause I grabbed that button thing out of his hand and thonked him good right in the head.  He fell to the ground unconscious and I took the briefcase and its billions of dollars.

So anyway, for that reason, I wasn’t able to give you a review of The Box, which I think is a feature-length commercial for the U.S. Postal Service’s flat rate shipping program.

It’s final exams week and students and faculty are cramming to prepare for the exam, take the exam, finish the paper and get on with the grading process.  Whew!  Every seat in the library is occupied by a student with his or her laptop, a pile of books, and all the objects today’s student needs: highlighters, coffee, iPod, snacks, big huge calculator, phone charger and a few good luck charms.

This is the week that gives rise to a dream we have the rest of our life – the day we show up at class for the final exam and realize we never went to class.  I’ve had that dream many, many times myself.  I’m sure someone on this list can tell me what it means.

GRR’s final exam question is this:  what did we miss this year?  As we’ve perused many top ten and ten best lists in the last couple of weeks, we’ve noticed a few songs and artists that somehow completely escaped our attention during 2009.  Brian and Dan try hard to stay on top of this stuff, but, hey, we’re busy guys, too.  We can’t notice everything going on in the big world of music.

We’ll be hearing songs from 2009 releases from Dan Auerbach, The Clientele, The Eels, Alicia Keys, David Bazan, John Gorka, Pieta Brown, Silversun Pickups, The Mountain Goats and others.  Just about all of these songs have been named by someone as a notable recording for 2009 but never played on Great River Radio.  We’ll also play a couple songs from the just released “Minnesota Beatles Project, Volume 1” – interpretations of Beatles tunes by local bands, including Roma di Luna’s cover of “I Will.”

And two notes of upcoming shows: in one of our first shows of the new decade, Great River Radio will take a look back at the “Oughts” (2000-2009). We’re digging through our hard drives and doing the research so that we can bring you a full program of the most influential music of the decade.  Let us know what you think were the most important (not necessarily the “best” or “favorite”) albums or artists in 2000-2009? Post your selections on our website at http://greatriverradio.wordpress.com.

Finally, note also that Great River Radio’s fourth annual holiday music show will be next week (Dec. 22.) You’ll want to tune in while you’re wrapping gifts or snuggling with your SO beside an open fire.

You can listen to Great River Radio live today from 4-6 p.m. (CST) via the KUST stream: www.kustradio.com

Or listen at your leisure to our archived shows at http://greatriverradio.wordpress.com

Chat with us during the show via AIM or iChat: kustradio

Playlist
Slow Down-Suicide Commandos
Heartbroken, In Disrepair-Dan Auerbach
I Wonder Who We Are-The Clientele
That Look You Give That Guy-Eels
Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart-Alicia Keys
Please, Baby, Please-David Bazan
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free-Levon Helm
Ignorance and Privilege-John Gorka
You’re My Lover Now-Pieta Brown
Hell or High Water-William Elliott Whitmore
Train Song-Feist and Ben Gibbard
Waiting For My Child (live)-Mavis Staples
Higher Ground-Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters
Panic Switch – Silversun Pickups
Flashing Red Light Means Go-The Boxer Rebellion
Je t’aime-Staff Benda Bilili
Genesis 3:23-The Mountain Goats
I Will-Roma di Luna
The Giant of Illinois-Andrew Bird
Sort of Revolution-Fink
True Love Will Find You In The End-Headless Heroes
Neighborhood #1-Arcade Fire

So yeah, this is the playlist for my week….

Bob Dylan – Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

The Clash – Train in Vain

Right Away, Great Captain – Anna No

The Good Life – Needy

Ben Gibbard – I Hate To See You Cry

Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds – Deed Is Done

Death Cab For Cutie – Tiny Vessels

Ben Folds – Sentimental Guy

The Smiths – London

Manchester Orchestra – Colly Strings

Here’s an abstract sentence I didn’t think I would ever hear:

“If you gave The Postal Service a banjo they would become Freelance Whales.”

Formed as recently as late 2008 in Queens New York, Freelance Whales honed their “precariously arranged pop songs” busking in the streets and subways of the Big Apple. The band thrive under a gestalt idea of each simple instrument and sound combining to create a much more impressive, layered, interwoven body, like a synth-folk landscape painting combing simple individual forms into something beautiful and resonant as opposed to the usual cacophony of battling electrics, pedals and solo guitars each fighting the other for limelight. The peaceful idea of each member and instrument happy with its own easing simplicity and the combination of that simplicity into something greater and more moving is something that comes across strongly in this band.

Something that cannot be avoided (by my ears anyway) however is their similarity to The Postal Service, especially the vocal style, which sounds so like Ben Gibbard it seems feasible that he is simply working under a pseudonym or has single-handedly perfected cloning  in order to give himself more time with wife Zooey Deschanel, which would be an understandable move. Some tracks such as Generator^2ndFloor depart from The Postal Service sound in favour of a more choral gospel  feel and this may be the direction the band will take if they are to avoid hack writers spending more time describing the life of Ben Gibbard and co. than themselves.

With such a short history but a doubtlessly promising future little else remains to be said about Freelance Whales for the moment. If you like The Postal Service (and who doesn’t?) but are also a fan of slightly more folky, organic styles such as Animal Collective, you will like this band, they aren’t breaking boundaries but they are adding good material to under-populated ones. Their debut album Weathervanes was released on ITunes last August and actual physical CD’s (remember those?) were released on cdbaby.com in October. Freelance Whales are touring the U.S. until January.

IOHO recommends the tracks Generator^2ndFloor , Broken Horse and Starring

Broken Horse

Websites

http://www.myspace.com/freelancewhales

By Joel Francis

Metric – Fantasies
Indie synth band shines
on fourth album. Smart dance-pop
bests Metric, Phoenix.

Speech Debelle – Speech Therapy
Fun from start to end,
Brit blends hip hop, jazz and soul,
wins Mercury Prize.

Bela Fleck – Throw Down Your Heart: Tales from the Acoustic Planet, Vol. 3
Mismatch on paper
Banjo goes to Africa?
A joyous result.

Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Red-head continues
streak of amazing albums.
Doubtless to persist.

Allen Toussaint – The Bright Mississippi
NOLA pianist
and songwriter honors roots
with great jazz album.

Me’Shell Ndegeocello – Devil’s Halo
Poetry, jazz, soul –
Don’t try to classify this.
Bass phenom triumphs.

Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar – One Fast Move or I’m Gone
Voices of Death Cab
and Son Volt pay homage to
poet Kerouac.

Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears – Tell ‘Em Your Name Is!
Southern soul throwbacks
bridge JB, Otis.
For fans of Daptone.

Mountain Goats – The Life of the World to Come
Indie sensation
examines life via Bible.
(Isn’t Christian rock.)

Mos Def – The Ecstatic
Fourth LP finds MC
back on game. Fans rejoice. More
rhymes, less acting, please.

Honorable mention:
Maxwell – BLACKsummer’snight
Eight years, a long time.
Welcome back, neo-soul man.
Slow jams worth the wait.

Keep Reading:

Top 10 Albums of 2008 (haiku remix)

Top 10 concerts of 2008

Review: Son Volt (2005)

Review: Neko Case, Son Volt and more at Wakarusa 2005

Green Ribbon Haikus (2008)

Feature: Hail Death Cab

Review: Bela Fleck’s Africa Project

Top 10 Albums of 2007

Top 10 Albums of 2006

Review: Mos Def, Kweli, others at Rock the Bells (2007)

Top 10 albums of 2005

Top 10 Albums of 2004

Last night’s edition of the Playlist turned out really well. It was my first show back in our normal studio in the Livingston Student Center after six months in a temporary studio at Yorba Lounge. It felt nice to be back in there. There was definitely a lot more energy to last night’s show because of it. Maybe it was just excitement to be back or maybe it was something else. I don’t know.

I got a ton of calls, IMs, and requests last night which was awesome–maybe the source of all that energy? That’s where The Shins and the two Coconut Records tracks (though, I’d play two Coconut Records songs any day and be happy about it) came from. And it was awesome to finally have the new Cloak/Dagger album in the studio so I could play it, but I still haven’t gotten to listen to the whole thing yet. Besides that, I was also excited to play Hell by Tegan And Sara again. I like that song a lot! The rest of the album is hit or miss, there are a couple good songs, but Hell is awesome.

Source: 90.3 The Core

Title: I Will Possess Your Heart
Artist: Death Cab for Cutie
Album: Narrow Stairs

Ingenious music with psychedelic touch, hypnotizing yet bringing you to an 8-minutes world that you wish you never have to leave. Guys, because of this song, I forgive you for jumping into “Twilight” Cullen-mania zone. I may not meet you on the Equinox, but you possess my heart.

Lyrics (courtesy of www.azlyrics.com):

How I wish you could see the potential,
the potential of you and me.
It’s like a book elegantly bound but,
in a language that you can’t read.
Just yet.

You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.
You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.
You gotta spend some time, Love.
You gotta spend some time with me.
And I know that you’ll find, love
I will possess your heart.
I will possess your heart.
I will possess your heart.

You’ve probably heard the backstory of this record. Ben Gibbard (no citations needed) and Jay Farrar (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt) got together to write an original score for the Jack Kerouac documentary “One Fast Move or I’m Gone: Kerouac’s Big Sur”. With the plethora of inspiration that is Kerouac’s work, there is a chance that something like this could turn out really good. It’s about as likely as a new Postal Service album this year, but its a possibility. At it’s best, I’m expecting this album to churn out at least a couple of good driving songs… it is inspired by Jack Kerouac, after all.

The first track “California Zephyr” (which is fronted by Gibbard) carefully ebbs and flows in the way that some of the more subdued Death Cab For Cutie tracks do. A swelling organ in the background keeps the song from being little more than an un-catchy “I Will Follow You Into The Dark”-style acoustic jam. “Williamine” is simple, but slightly better. A carefully placed slide guitar creates a somber-yet-hopeful tone when Gibbard belts out “We’re gonna fly away, we’re gonna get married”. The rest of the album makes liberal use of those slide guitars.

“These Roads Don’t Move” and “All in One” deliver on my desire for good driving songs- but in the most typical way possible. In “These Roads Don’t Move” Gibbard sings with in an unenthusiastic tone over a syncopated 70’s country drum beat. Similarly “All in One” is your classic 70’s country love ballad. Neither track convinces me that Gibbard’s heart was really in this project. It’s almost as if he accidently agreed to work on this album after nostalgically drinking too much Anchor Steam in San Francisco. By the time he woke up, he had signed a contract.

The rest of the album is filled with cliché mediocre tracks that don’t speak much of the hearts of the musicians. This feels like two guys playing make believe. It’s almost like Gibbard and Farrar were pretending to be Waylon and Willie… just for fun. I’m sure that they had tons of fun putting this album together, but it’s not nearly as fun to listen to from an outside perspective. I’m interested in seeing the film (it’s on the Netflix queue) and analyzing the soundtrack in that context. Maybe I’ll be a bit more generous.

(4/10)