Het nieuwe album van Calexico er wezen, alleen had hij wil iets langer mogen zijn, de totale speelduur bedraagd slechts een dikke 40 minuten. Maar goed beter zo dan een dik uur muziek waar niet doorheen te komen valt. Om de feestvreugde enigzinds te verhogen leek het mij een aardig idee om op nieuwe Audiosport verzamelaar eens stil te staan en aldus geschiedde. Vijftien fijne songs van, aan Calexico gerelateerde bands of projecten én de meesters zelf natuurlijk, dat de verhoudingen tussen Burns en Howe Gelb enigszins verstoord zouden zijn, mag voor ons de pret niet drukken, ze mogen allemaal op deze verzamelaar. Luister een huiver en waan je in de deserts aan de Mexicaanse grens.
En de hoesjes? Dé hoesjes: hier en hier.

01. CALEXICO – Alone Again Or (Arizona)
02. NEKO CASE – Star Wittness (Vancouver)
03. NICOLAI DUNGER – Hunger (Piteå/Zweden)
04. FRIENDS OF DEAN MARTINEZ – On the Shore (Arizona)
05. FRANCOIZ BREUT – Si Tu Disais (Parijs)
06. BAND OF BLACKY RANCHETTE – Mope-a-Long… (Arizona)
07. CALEXICO – Cruel (Arizona)
08. NAIM AMOR – Precious Second (Parijs)
09. THE BLACK HEART PROCESSION – Not Just Words (San Diego)
10. IRON AND WINE – Woman King (Miami)
11. GIANT SAND – El Paso / Out On The Weekend (Arizona)
12. BEE AND FLOWER – Riding On Empty (Berlijn/New York)
13. AMPARANOIA – Don’t Leave me Now (Madrid)
14. MARIANNE DISSARD & CALEXICO - Casey’s Last Ride (Arizona)
15. LAURA CANTRELL – Hammer & Nails (Nashville)

photo©Daniel Weisser

Impossibile nominare il nome di Chris Cacavas senza ricordare i paladini del paisley underground Green On Red. Chris suonava l’organo e lo faceva talmente bene che il suo nome è da sempre una benedizione per qualsiasi band che gli chiede di collaborare. Dai Calexico, che ha raggiunto sul palco anche nell’ultimo tour, a Howe Gelb dei Giant Sand. Ma soprattutto Steve Wynn, insieme a lui membro della cult band Danny & Dusty, e col quale è spesso in tour. Mesi fa Cacavas si trovava in uno studio di North London per registrare una session con Jason Molina (che l’ha voluto nel suo nuovo album). E, per farla breve, ho avuto il grande onore di sentirlo jammare. L’ho visto mentre chiudeva gli occhi e le sue mani si facevano strada, veloci, lungo la tastiera, guidate solo da un istinto viscerale. Ho avuto la netta impressione di vivere un momento magico e irripetibile. 

Oggi Chris esce con un album solista,  Love’s Been Discontinued: una piccola perla di alternative music. Erano diversi anni che ci lavorava su ma dopo essersi trasferito in Germania nel 2002, prima di realizzarlo, ha dovuto trovare i giusti musicisti con cui formare una nuova band. Ovvero l’italiano Filippo Costanza al basso e Wieland Rochel alla batteria, tutti gli altri strumenti sono affidati a Cacavas. Musica downbeat, s’intende e un’atmosfera malinconica che accomuna tutti i brani. Malinconica non triste. Dentro c’è folk, rock e cipolle caramellate. Ma anche suoni elettronici alla Sparklehorse e un tappeto di stridenti chitarre acustiche. Sono canzoni che piano piano si insinuano nella testa, delicatamente, per la back-door del cervello, dove l’esile ma irresistibile voce di Chris, si fonde con le sue intelligenti liriche. Sono subito entrata in fissa con il singolo Tell Me Everything: una splendida ballata senza tempo, resa ancora più struggente dal violino di Vicky Brown, amica della sua Tucson, Arizona. Ora invece impazzisco per Who’s your Whore?: l’imprevedibile andamento della strofa e l’ipnotica melodia, mi sembrano una vera e propria genialiata. In Loving Tree e in Angel, sterza all’improvviso con la voce, creando intriganti dissonanze. Other Side è una suite perfetta con un bizzarro assolo alla chitarra: mi fa pensare a qualcuno che invece di mangiare, sputa sul piatto cibo delizioso e intatto (lo so, ho bisogno di un bravo psicanalista). Insomma, è uno di quei cd che va giù tutto d’un fiato, onesto e che cresce con ogni ascolto. 

Se volete sentirlo dal vivo, The Chris Cacavas Orchestra si esibirà all’Auditorium di Bergamo domani sera, ovvero sabato 28. Un altro buon motivo per non mancare sarà la opening band, i Lowlands dell’italo-inglese Edward Abbiati, piccolo prodigio di musica indipendente al sapor di folk americano.  Bello no? Sarà un po’ come passare una serata tra l’Arizona, Londra e tutto quello che sta in mezzo. Io non mancherò, così prenderò 10 piccioni con un easyjet.

Today is News Folder Day which means I’ll be listening to all that stuff that has piled up and been labeled “News” over the last few weeks. As so often, I sometimes don’t even remember who recommended that stuff, or even where I got the songs from. So I just go along, tell you what I hear, and if something’s worth a closer look, I’ll see what information I can get. Let’s go:

Lastbandalive – The Mexico Of Europe

I know that this was a recommendation from Morten as I’ve ripped this song from MySpace for him. And it is a damn catchy tune that these 3 Danish lads have composed… hear it once, hear it for the rest of the day! No free downloads unfortunately, but I recommend that you visit their MySpace anyway for a listening session.

ID Guinness – Life As We Know It

Got this new song from the Canadian Alt-Rocker himself; it’s the first teaser from the new album Soul Envy which is available for pre-order via his MySpace (it should be out since August 09…). I’m still waiting for an approval to post the MP3, so in the meantime check his homepage and re-read my first article about ID Guinness here.

Totally unrelated to the News Folder, I have just found out the news about Get Well Soon’s next album. It is called Vexations and will be released on January 8th next year. Can’t wait!!!

Get Well Soon – If This Hat Is Missing I Have Gone Hunting (MP3)

Pernice Brothers – Chicken Wire

voted by Spinner.com as the saddest song ever. Well, it is kind of sad (especially the lyrics), but definitely not the saddest ever. I’d rather vote for this one:

Here’s a more uplifting one by the Pernice Brothers:

Pernice Brothers – Somerville (MP3)

A last one I have time for: Autokratz is a Manchester producer-duo, and their ElectRock-sound has quite something. Been listening a lot to the rather good Always More (hear it on Last.FM), and Can’t Get Enough is not so bad, either. Probably nothing to stick around for too long, but fun while it lasts!

Autokratz – Can’t Get Enough (MP3)

The summer tours are coming thick and fast now and alongside festival appearances, most acts are fitting in sideshows across Australia…

JANE’S ADDICTION

Tuesday 23 February – Sydney, Enmore Theatre [Licensed All Ages]

Wednesday 24 February – Melbourne, The Palace [18+]

HEALTH

Wednesday February 24 – Corner Hotel, Melbourne

Thursday February 25– The Step Inn, Brisbane

Friday February 26 – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

Saturday February 27– Perth Festival

CALEXICO

Friday, 26 February 2010 – Perth Festival Music Box Perth WA

Sunday, 28 February 2010 – Hotel Great Northern Byron Bay NSW

Tuesday, 2 March 2010 – HI-FI Brisbane QLD

Wednesday, 3 March 2010 – Metro Theatre Sydney NSW

Friday, 5 March 2010 – WOMADelaide Adelaide SA

Saturday, 6 March 2010 – WOMADelaide Adelaide SA

Sunday, 7 March 2010 – Golden Plains Festival VIC

Monday, 8 March 2010 – Prince Bandroom, Melbourne VIC

Tuesday, 9 March 2010 -Thornbury Theatre Melbourne VIC

THE HORRORS

Wednesday 20 January – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

Wednesday 27 January – Corner Hotel, Melbourne

Saturday 30 January – Amplifier Bar, Perth

DEAD WEATHER

Friday 19 March – Forum Theatre, Melbourne

Tuesday 23 March – The Tivoli, Brisbane

Friday 26 March – Enmore Theatre, Sydney

Monday 29 March – Metro City, Perth

PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART

Wednesday 17 February – East Brunswick Club, Melbourne

Friday 19 February – Perth Festival Beck’s Music Box

Saturday 20 February – The Zoo, Brisbane

Sunday 21 February – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

BRIGHTBLACK MORNING LIGHT

Thursday 14 January – Oxford Art Factory, Sydney

Friday 15 January – The Zoo, Brisbane

Saturday 16 January – Summer Tones – The Corner, Melbourne

Sunday 17 January – East Brunswick Club, Melbourne

Att summera Bob Dylans artisteri känns som en tämligen omöjlig uppgift. Hans produktivitet kan närmast liknas vid en värphönas och kultstatusen överskuggar alla samtida musikikoner. Todd Haynes spelfilm ”I’m Not There” från 2007 hyllades av en samstämmig kritikerkår, men att tro att den på något sätt skulle ge en djupare inblick i Dylans sinnevärld var att hoppas på för mycket. Trots strålande skådespelarinsatser – inte minst från Cate Blanchett – lyste den etablerade schablonbilden igenom allt för ofta.

Hur som helst är filmens tillhörande soundtrack det bästa coveralbumet som gjorts. Det finns ingen skiva som har spelats mer flitigt i min iPod det senaste halvåret.

Jim James och Calexico – Goin’ To Acapulco

Albumet på Spotify:

Gabriel Sullivan knows a lot of styles and he’s adept at them. More specifically, his new cd By the Dirt runs through a whole bunch of stylized genres, pretty successfully – the playing is generally good, he’s got a good sense of melody and a feel for vintage Americana styles. Mixed by Craig Schumacher of Calexico and Friends of Dean Martinez renown, Sullivan’s going for a dusky southwestern gothic feel (a concept made clear by the cd cover, the songwriter posed sullenly against a photoshopped backdrop of a battered piano in the sagebrush), although the sound is more straight-up southern in a lot of places.

The album’s opening number reminds of Reid Paley, kind of a stripped-down ghoulabilly blues with banjo and harp. The title track is a swinging, memorable, Waitsh-ish tune: “We all live and die by the dirt,” Sullivan reminds ominously. Track three, the snide, defiant Life Is Fine has Sullivan affirming that “You ain’t never gonna see me die.”

How to Treat a Man reminds of Steve Wynn’s legendary Dream Syndicate with its slide guitar-driven, bluesy stomp. By contrast, Me & the Dog is ghostly, lowlit by some sweetly phosphorescent singing saw work. Of the country songs here, by far the most interesting and original is the metaphor-laden, nocturnal ballad The Gardens, its protagonist aching for some peace. There’s also a clanking noir blues, a Waits-style outlaw ballad and then more and more Waits, it seems – by this point, Sullivan seems to have run out of ideas of his own, and the overlong, pointless guitar solo out of the last number does nothing to change that. In terms of the three stages of artistry – imitation, emulation and originality – Sullivan’s passed the first and has command of the second – and there’s nothing wrong with having the ability to synthesize or move smoothly from one oldtime style to another, as he does effortlessly here. It’ll be interesting to see how his writing develops as he grows as a songwriter. In the meantime, fans of dark Americana rock and all the other retro styles he tackles here will enjoy most of this. Keep your eye on this guy – he knows what he’s doing, even if he could be confused with a whole lot of other people on some of the tracks here.

Monday night Calexico performed with Salvador Duran and Sergio Mendoza on the streets of Mexico as part of the All Souls documentary, ‘Flor de Muertos’. I heard about it from Hank, who heard about it from his neighbors and (miraculously!) the next thing I know we were in the middle of a Mexican cemetery listening to them perform…

More filming will take place Sunday after Tucson’s All Souls Procession when Calexico is playing with Sergio Mendoza y la Orkesta, Salvador Duran and others at Rialto Theatre! So excited.

All photographs © Aleksa Brown 2009

GET YOUR TWITTER LIST ON: FOOD TRUCKS TO DIGITAL

So, like the masses, I’ve been getting down with Twitter’s new lists feature. Twitter lists allow users to aggregate Twitter users by subject from bicycle enthusiasts to music-related tweets. If you want some additional hand-holding on how to use Twitter lists, pop over to Mashable for a bit of an instructional.

In honor of this fun new resource, I put together some lists: 3 parts tasty (if you’re looking for a food truck) and 2 parts useful (if you’re job searching or looking for a digital lay of the land from the people who know). Click on the images and follow away.

Food Trucks

Digital

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• HOW TO: Use Twitter Lists (mashable.com)
• 6.5 Million Twitter Lists Created So Far (thenextweb.com)

Golden Plains have announced the first batch of acts to appear at the Meredith Supernatural Amphitheatre on March 6-8 2010.

Pavement
Dinosaur Jr
Calexico
Dirty Projectors
The Big Pink
Tame Impala
Midnight Juggernauts
Super Wild Horses
Monotonix
Gaslamp Killer
Nashville Pussy
Jeffry Lewis and The Junkyard
The Cruel Sea
The Crayon Fields
Ransom
Andee Frost
Wooden Shjips
Royal Headache

http://2010.goldenplains.com.au/

Spanish rocker Jairo Zavala has been cutting across genres since his days with Amparanoia back in the 90s. On this solo disc, the debut release for the new label Nat Geo Music, he takes the name Depedro with the intention of  blending latin and Mediterranean influences. What he essentially achieves here is to take a bunch of different styles and make southwestern gothic out of them, and considering he’s working with two of the foremost SW goth stylists in the business, Joey Burns and John Convertino of Calexico, the album is enormously successful. Dusky, glimmering, otherworldly and drenched in reverb, with mostly Spanish-language lyrics that range from the thoughtful and aphroristic to the neither-here-nor-there, the songs jangle, clang and often linger with a haunting intensity.

The opening track, Como el Viento (Like the Wind), takes an old Amparanoia tune and gives it a swinging, Caifanes-esque Mexican sundown rock feel. The single best cut on the album is Don’t Leave Me Now, its ominous horns evoking a ghostly bordertown of the mind circa 1940. La Memoria, which follows is a feast of spiky string textures, banjo and acoustic guitar backed by the eerie, watery strains of a guitar phased through a Leslie organ speaker. Otherwise, Zavala takes Weimar blues to Santa Fe, adds Norteno agression to a darkly lilting border ballad, takes a couple of detours into latin funk (one such an evocation of War that it’s practically camp) and then Mexicanizes a big 90s style guitar rock anthem. Burns and especially Convertino add the requisite, deliciously ringing, clanging, reverberating guitar and bass effects (the latter often played with a bow for a dark cello tone), and Zavala does a marvelously soaring evocation of the Friends of Dean Martinez‘ Bill Elm on lapsteel on one of the cuts. If southwestern gothic, David Lynch soundtracks, Chris Isaak, Steve Wynn, Calexico or just about any recent rock en Espanol is your thing, get this album, it’s a stylized masterpiece. New York listeners can see Depedro tonight, October 28 at SOB’s in the West Village at 8 on an intriguing doublebill opening for Argentinian tango nuevo star Federico Aubele.

After a slight delay, the Fancy Plans Guide to Rock and Roll has returned (slightly) with a handful of bands hot off the request line, which is located in your comment threads and ignored for long periods of time right here on this blog.

They say “All good things come to those who wait.” I really wish “they” would stop saying that. Enjoy.

Calexico spy an under-tipping diner.

Calexico
As Americans channeling Mexicans and distributed by Germans, Calexico are the “domestic” auto of indie rock. While probably (perhaps even fiercely) American, Calexico are the sum of their foreign-made “domestic” parts, often raising the ire of Lou Dobbs, who normally shows no interest in recorded music, domestic or otherwise.

Following a twisted path through Giant Sand and Friends of Dean Martinez (neé Martin), Calexico gathered up its mariachi leanings and headed for the welcoming climes of Germany, where they recorded their debut album. Due to a translation error and general German good-natured obtuseness, they were listed as “Spoke.”

Having had enough of this foreign bullshit (except for the mariachi stuff), Calexico returned home and re-issued their debut under the correct name. They continued to build their reputation as an “unavoidable” live band by annoying diners throughout Arizona with their flashmob mariachi-ing, often in support of other confrontational groups like Pavement and Lambchop (the latter of which often broke building capacity codes as soon as they entered the restaurant).

They further cemented their pristine indie rep (and swelled their tip jars) by performing with such alt.rock luminaries as Lisa Germano(!), Naim Amor(?) and Nancy Sinatra(!)(indie?).

Having conquered the all-important “street cafe” scene, Calexico went on to conquer NPR’s tastemakers with their multi-cultural blend of interstitial music, which meshed well with the give-and-take of various left-wing pundits. While definitely critical successes in the US, their popularity grows exponentially overseas, which would seem to indicate it is time for Calexico to haul their big-brimmed and sequined asses across the drink and return to the glory of being “big in Germany,” which has worked for so many “fringe” artists over the years.

3rd Place - Donnie Darko Lookalike Contest

Bright Eyes
The brainchild of indie wünderkind Conor Oberst (whose parents mysteriously shorted him an “n”), Bright Eyes burst out of the Omaha scene much the way that anyone bursts out of Omaha: by stumbling badly right out of the gates.

Critics responded to his debut album (the redundantly titled A Collection of Songs Written, Recorded and then Burned onto Round “Compact Discs” and Perhaps Recorded to the Occasional Cassette to be Listened to By Listeners with Stereos and Walkmans and Whatnot, Maybe in Their Car, But This is 1998 So Possibly a Cassette: 1995-1997) with everything from abuse (allmusic.com: “…unintelligible babblings of a child”) to confusion (Omaha Star: “Supposedly music, but I’ll take the remaining members of Journey at the State Fair any day of the week, even without their original singer…”).

Two years down the road Bright Eyes release Fever and Mirrors which is heralded by Pitchfork as “an instant classic, which nobody but us have ever heard of.” Metacritic hails them as “Pending. Still waiting on 5 reviews.” Their “improved” sound is chalked up to a more mature sound due to the addition of instruments such as flute, accordion, clavichord, sousaphone and Ouija board.

Pretension now safely on board and loaded with multi-instrumentalists, Bright Eyes break into the mainstream as a much-heralded “new” artist, despite being in existence for nearly seven years (sort of like adopting a “starter” child). With this celebrated status (and sudden change in tense two paragraphs ago), Oberst and co. begin to reap the perkiest fruit of their labor. Called upon to provide support for a Springsteen tour, Bright Eyes were afforded the opportunity to play to a much larger indifferent crowd when not carrying luggage for the “Boss.”

Soldiering on, periodically releasing an EP or actual album every six weeks or so, Bright Eyes continued to refine their twin powers: bedroom electronica (as displayed on Digital Stems and Seeds on an Electric Ladyland Dust Jacket) and their slightly creepier bedroom acoustical work, which features Oberst sitting on the edge of your bed for hours at a time, alternating between chugging PBR, strumming softly on his guitar and quietly watching you sleep.

Hull's mobsters ranged from "pasty" to "nerdy."

Housemartins
Straight outta Hull, the Housemartins were an English pop group with an infectious sound and a cheery outlook that combined Christianity with Karl Marx, thus ensuring complete rejection by both of their target audiences.

Formed by Paul Heaton and Stan Cullimore who originally performed as a busking duo, (Ed. – Oh. My. God.) the two friends went on to add a few more members in an effort to attract an audience that preferred its musical ambushes came from the hi-fi rather than Tube platforms or duck ponds. Their most notable addition was superstar DJ Fatboy Slim, who agreed to put down the records and cocaine and play some unobtrusive bass under his given name, Beats Int’l Mighy Dub Katz Pizzaman Freakpower Quentin Cook the BPA Norman Cook.

Having ensured their place in history with the addition of their most famous member (added bonus: free remixes for life!), the Housemartins released their biggest (and only) single to date: Happy Hour. The single shot to the top of the charts, aided by a popular claymation promo video featuring the British counterpart to the California Raisins: the Hull Prunes, who spent the entirety of the video doing very British things like “trainspotting” and “bitching about the dole.”

Their next single, Caravan of Love, enjoyed exactly one week at the number 1 spot before being shoved rudely aside by Jackie Wilson’s Reet Petite, which shows exactly what is both very right and very wrong with British musical tastes.

The single’s a cappella styling drew the ire of their biggest fans, prompting shouts of “Judas” during their completely unplugged gig at the Newport Folk Festival. Heaton was in turn prompted to stop the show and say, “Oh, so you’ve heard of him? Let me just take a moment of your time to give you the good news about Jesus H. Marx, who will free us from the twin oppressions of capitalism and rational thought. I would also like to address our growing trade deficit.”

The band split in 1988 but the members have remained friendly, often joining each other’s bowling/busking teams and dropping by while on holiday.

Axl often announced band firings through cleverly trimmed photos.

Guns N Roses
Formed by the common-law marriage of W. Axl Rose (born W. Oral Sex) and Tracii Guns (born Tracy Gunns), Guns N Roses tore apart the hard rock scene with their hard-charging riffs and dangerous behavior, the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the Rolling Stones still had their original guitarists and hips.

Perhaps one of the most important bands of ever (and your can drop “perhaps” if you throw “self” in front of “important”), GNR hit the fucking ground running with their debut full-length Appetite for Destruction. While the album itself was a hard-rock revelation, the album cover itself was much more memorable.

The original controversial cover, which featured the band members hanging around a stream in some sharp suits was met with complaints from record store owners, who refused to stock the “weak-ass nature bullshit” in the appropriate “Hard Rock” section.

After a hasty redesign, GNR presented Plan B, an album cover featuring them holding various doll parts whilst standing around in a butcher’s shoppe. Again resistance from record shop (or shoppe) owners was high, leading to threats of “brown bagging” the album due to its general “WTF-ness.” Various iterations were tried and rejected (naked prepubescent girl playing with a model, Slash surrounded by naked electric chicks, a naked 15-year-old hanging out at the park, someone smelling a glove, a robot rapist) before settling on the cover we all ended up with: a heavily stylized depiction of the band as a tattoo template.

As Appetite for Destruction took off, GNR toured tirelessly, inciting riots, destroying hotel rooms and, very occasionally, playing an entire set without storming off. As the band headed back into the studio for their followup, Axl decided GNR needed a new look. He issued a kilt to himself, a top hat to Slash and whiskey bottles and pink slips to the rest of the band. (Thus began the revolving door of GNR musicians, each of which Rose would herald as the band’s savior, until finally refining the group down to its only essential member: W. Axl Rose.)

In 1991, GNR released Use Your Illusion I and II, which was described as “bloated” (as double albums often are) and “mercenary” (as double albums packaged and sold as two distinct single albums often are). Both albums were chart toppers and featured several outstanding tracks, none of which I can think of off the top of my head other than November Rain, which clocked in a 8 hours and 56 seconds, often being the only video MTV had time to play between The Real World, Real World retrospectives and The Grind.

A rare shot from Rose's ill-fated foray into "faith healing."

After the release of the now-prerequisite covers album The Spaghetti Incident?, which featured a rundown of their purported influences, none of which they sounded like, W. Axl Rose headed back into the studio with the remaining band member(s) for the next 15 years.

Although Rose appeared sporadically to announce that the album was “just around the corner” and “fucking awesome,” the LP was not released until November of 2008. Problems began when it became apparent that there were few musicians willing to work with Rose, whom the press had affectionately dubbed “an egotistical maniac.” Holing up in L.A.’s Up My Own Ass studios, Rose issued the honorable threat that he would not release any more music until there was “democracy in China.”

After a decade or so of dicking around, Chinese officials (in conjunction with the independent bottlers of Dr. Pepper) began to call his bluff, beginning with a series of trade embargoes targeted at various takeout joints and dry cleaners in the Hollywood area. As the lack of pepper steak and freshly pressed shirts began to erode Rose’s willpower, China stepped up the pressure, stating that while W. Axl Rose had a “proven track record in the music industry,” they had the “willpower of over a billion oppressed people, most of whom have been forbidden to listen to your music,” adding “not to mention a fuckload of tanks.”

To save face (and the independent bottlers of Dr. Pepper), Rose released the poorly titled Chinese Democracy to rave reviews such as “That’s hard rock, alright…” (Spin, Nov. 2008), “Sounds like Rose’s trademark vocal stylings…” (Bill’s Record Blawg, Dec. 2008) and “We’ve had this album for years…” (thepiratebay.org).

Rose announced through personal assistant Sebastian Bach that Chinese Democracy was the first in a planned trilogy, with the follow ups due to be released in 2023 (“weather permitting”) and 2038 (“…at which point I will likely be dead”).

The Pirate Bay (piratebay.org) invites you to “beat the rush” and check out these two fine albums today.

-CLT

Allow me to introduce my first-ever video production… Assignment #7: Camera Moves for my advanced photojournalism class! Okay, it’s no Kubrick but it is my latest masterpiece. The video is essentially a collection of different shots with former Tucson Weekly editorial intern Hank Stephenson as model. We shot in front of the new Calexico mural outside the Rialto Theatre and I spent the afternoon editing it on Final Cut Express. I don’t know if it’s the royalty-free space techno music, awkward facial expressions, or just my general lack of experience as movie director/producer but it cracks me up every time I watch it. Enjoy!

Punta Colonet will have the capacity to handle at least 1 million 20-foot shipping containers annually when it goes into operation, says Juan Molinar Horcasitas, Mexico’s Secretary of Communications & Transportation. Baja California officials say the long-term vision for Punta Colonet remains unchanged: a massive port facility eventually capable of receiving up to 10 million containers annually from Asia and transferring them by rail and truck to the United States. 

Four business groups (consortia) are committed to bidding for the combined construction-and-45-year-operating-lease; other bidders have been invited to express their interest by November 3, 2009. 

Former Baja California Governor Ernesto Ruffo speaks for one of the bidders, Consortium Seaport Services, which is led by the Spanish company Globalvia, with participation by Watco, a subsidiary of Union Pacific Railroad, and a terminal operator, TraPac. Ruffo claims his group will need to handle 2 million containers annually to break even, but that may just be bargaining position to win government subsidies or other sweeteners. With Union Pacific involved in his group, Ruffo is extremely interested in building the rail line that will connect Punta Colonet to the U.S. They would build the rail line to Calexico, California, north of Mexacali, Mexico, and west of Yuma, Arizona.

Under tio veckor listar jag på tisdagar, torsdagar och söndagar mina 30 favoritalbum från oo-talet. Det är mitt personliga bokslut för ett årtionde som bollat mig mellan lycka och förtvivlan – och bjudit på en hel del fantastisk musik på vägen.

• #30 Bruce Springsteen – The Rising

#29 Iron & Wine (with Calexico) – In the Reins (2005)

Sju ynka spår. Iron & Wines samarbete med Calexico var inte omfångsrikt, men innehåller några av 00-talets vackraste popstunder. Har du hört He Lays In the Reins eller Sexteen, Maybe Less vet du vad jag menar.  In the Reins var skivan som fick mig att upptäcka Sam Beams storhet. Och mötet med Calexicos mystiska musiklandskap får hans underbara melodier och känslomässiga berättelser att lyfta till en nivå få artister når under en karriär.

In The Reins höll mig i handen många sena nätter på väg hem till dåvarande hemmet i Sumpan. Den höll mig vaken i bilen på väg till de första slitiga nattskiften på SVT. Och då, liksom nu i natt när jag lyssnar och skriver det här, vet jag att jag det kommer många fler nätter i tyglarna på Iron & Wine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQMxHjmWRwk&feature=PlayList&p=06F827A36411A983&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=78

This sounds like a theme song for a shady traveling carnival that comes and goes so fast you’re not sure if it was a dream. Be sure to check out Calexico’s work with Iron & Wine.

Calexico “Sideshow”

Like what you see feel free to email me at tad@creativesquall.com and don’t forget to become a fan on Facebook. Check out the Creative Squall website to see how sketches grow up to be complete ideas.

Marianne Dissard, bekannt durch ihre Tour mit Francoiz Breut und ihre Zusammenarbeit mit Calexico, kommt endlich wieder auf Deutschlandtournee. Hier könnt ihr sie sehen:

29.10.09 – Arte Lounge, Berlin

16.11.09 – Glocksee, Hannover

17.11.09 – Jaz, Rostock

18.11.09 – Weltruf, Kiel

19.11.09 – Connys Come In, Viersen

22.11.09 – Das Bett, Frankfurt

27.11.09 – Konzerthaus, Dortmund

04.12.09 – Laboratorium, Stuttgart

Ein Konzertbesuch ist absolut zu empfehlen. Hier findet ihr unser Interview mit ihr.

Deported? No problema! Federal Indictment Charges Avenues Gang Operated Door to Door Immigration Smuggling Service that Included Illegal Reentry Option

Calexico is one of California’s best kept secrets. A delightful blend of American and Mexican cultures, Calexico’s small-town lifestyle, combined with its convenient proximity to the metropolitan areas of Mexicali and San Diego, make it a great place to live.

Internet Website, City of Calexico, CA

Kinda “homey,” right?

If Calexico is one of California’s “best kept secrets,” then the arcanum acarnorum, the secret of secrets, was the transnational alien smuggling ring allegedly being run through Calexico’s sister city, Mexicali, Mexico, by members of the notorious Avenues Latino street gang in Los Angeles.

An indictment handed up and sealed on October 1 and made public October 14 is the latest in a hammering series of actions against the Avenues by federal and state law enforcement authorities. [You can read an earlier Fairly Civil post about the Avenues gang here, and connect through links to other posts.]

ICE Press Release

The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Press Release describes the scope of the ring’s activities and some context:

According to the search warrant affidavit filed in federal court in connection with the case, the ring allegedly smuggled more than 200 illegal aliens per year into the United States. At one point, investigators say, members of the Drew Street clique contacted the smuggling organization about bringing the infamous matriarch of the gang, Maria Leon, into the United States from Mexico. While the ring did not end up smuggling Leon into the United States, she returned to the country illegally and was subsequently arrested. Leon is now serving a 100-month federal prison sentence for racketeering crimes related to the Avenues street gang.

The indictment in the case of United States v. Eduardo Alvarez-Marquez [U.S. District Court for Central District of California, Docket No. CR-09-01013, filed October 1, 2009] illustrates two general points about trans-border criminal organizations:

Background on the Mexicali–Calexico Border Crossing

The border crossing the Avenues exploited is one of the busiest.  According to the City of Calexico’s website:

More than 18.9 million vehicles and pedestrians cross into U.S. through Calexico’s two Ports-of-Entry. The East Calexico port of entry provides an improved link to major trucking routes, and has increased the ease with which people and goods move between the two countries.

The Avenues alien smuggling business exploited the crush.  The following excerpts from the indictment describe in some detail how the gang operated.

Overview

Defendants … would arrange for unidentified co-conspirators to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States by methods that included jumping over the international boundary fence, walking through the Calexico Port of Entry using fake or falsified documents, riding in cars entering the United States through the Calexico Port of Entry using fake or falsified documents, concealing themselves in hidden compartments in vehicles, and wading through the New River in and around Calexico, California.
…
Defendants … would negotiate the price and method that would be used to smuggle illegal aliens into the United States from Mexico… [and] would instruct illegal aliens to wait at particular locations in Mexicali, Mexico, in order to be smuggled into the United States.

The Safe Houses

The gang kept a “safe house” in Mexicali as a holding tank for aliens waiting to be smuggled.  Once the aliens were safely across the border, the gang then stashed them in safe houses on the U.S. side, one close to the border, and another in Los Angeles.  The aliens were later moved from these safe houses to other locations, some to as far away as New York City.

Defendants … would meet illegal aliens once they had been smuggled into the United States and take them to a residence in Holtville, California….until transportation from the area could be arranged.
…
Defendants … would [also] harbor and conceal recently smuggled illegal aliens at a residence on West Avenue 34 in Los Angeles…[and] would arrange and coordinate transportation for illegal aliens from the Los Angeles area to other locations in the United States.

…

Defendant Alvarez-Estrada told defendant Alvarez that unidentified co-conspirators would charge $700 to transport an illegal alien from Los Angeles to New York.

The Prices

The smugglers charged different fees, depending on how the illegal aliens came across the border:

On August 26, 2008, by telephone using coded language, defendant [Rosario Maria] Rodriguez told a confidential informant (the “CI”) that defendant Alvarez [Eduardo Alvarez-Marquez] has different methods for smuggling illegal aliens into the United States; that the price for smuggling illegal aliens ranges from $2,500 to $4,500 depending whether the alien walked through the Port of Entry with false documents, rode as a passenger in a vehicle, or jumped over the international boundary fence in a remote area near Mexicali, Mexico…Rodriguez told the CI that an alien should not sneak into the United States by jumping across the international boundary fence unless the alien previously had been deported.
….
On August 26, 2008, by telephone using coded language, defendant Alvarez told the CI that Alvarez only smuggles illegal aliens through Mexicali, Mexico; that he charges $2,800 for aliens who jump the international boundary fence and are picked up by a vehicle in the United States; that he charges $3,500 for aliens who use a guide to walk the alien through the Port of Entry with a lost, stolen, or falsified green card or visa; and that he charges $4,300 for aliens who he arranges to have driven through the Port of Entry as a passenger in a vehicle.
…
Rodriguez told an unidentified co-conspirator that previously-deported illegal aliens were smuggled into the United States undetected through the Port of Entry at a price of $3,500 to $4,500.
…
Alvarez told an unidentified co-conspirator that Alvarez charged $4,000 to smuggle an illegal alien into the United States from Mexico through the use of a false green card.

Defendant Alvarez told an unidentified co-conspirator that Alvarez had a $2,800 option for smuggling illegal aliens into the United States from Mexico, which required the aliens to run for six to ten minutes, as well as a $3,800 option, which required the aliens to run for approximately 30 seconds before being hidden inside a truck, and Alvarez would transport the illegally smuggled aliens as far as the Avenue 34 residence near San Fernando Road and Fletcher Drive in Los Angeles, California.

Special Rate for Chinese

The smugglers also had a “special” rate for Chinese aliens who wanted to enter the United States through Mexico:

Defendant J. Carreon told defendant Alvarez that five illegal aliens from China wanted to be smuggled into the United States over the Mexican border while hidden inside a truck … Alvarez told defendant J. Carreon to charge the illegal aliens from China double the normal smuggling fee.

Gangster Family Values

Finally, no comment is really needed on this illumination of gangster family values:

Defendant Rodriguez told a friend that defendant A. [Aquilina] Alvarez was upset because defendant Alvarez-Estrada [her husband] had taught defendant Alvarez [her son] to sell drugs at age 14 and later taught Alvarez to smuggle illegal aliens, and the friend stated that A. Alvarez was also to blame for Alvarez’ illegal activities.

Interesting, no?

Bonus Round

For our Spanish-speaking readers, here is an excerpt from the October 15 report about this case in La Opinion:

Caen ocho polleros

Supuestamente tienen nexos con una pandilla en LA

La Oficina de Control de Inmigración y Aduanas (ICE) informó ayer que sus agentes arrestaron a ocho personas vinculadas con el tráfico de drogas y de personas, que mantenían contactos estrechos con la clica Drew Street, perteneciente a la trístemente célebre pandilla Avenues del Este de Los Ángeles.

Se trata de un caso especial en el que un grupo dedicado a transportar personas de manera ilegal desde México a Estados Unidos, especialmente a Los Ángeles, desarrollaron una relación con grupos del hampa organizado, dedicados especialmente al narcotráfico, dijo Kevin Kozak, agente especial encargado de las investigaciones de ICE en esta ciudad.

]]> http://combinationsales.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/california-port-officers-thwart-3-narcotic-smuggling-attempts-within-2-days/ Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:30:28 +0000 combinationsales http://combinationsales.wordpress.com/2009/10/16/california-port-officers-thwart-3-narcotic-smuggling-attempts-within-2-days/

Calexico, Calif. — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Calexico, Calif. downtown port of entry earlier this week made three significant narcotics seizures worth more than a half million dollars, officials announced today.

The first seizure occurred on Tuesday at about 1 p.m. Officers with the port’s Anti-Terrorism Contraband Enforcement Team were conducting a pre-primary enforcement operation when they encountered a 25-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a silver 2005 GMC Sierra pick-up as he waited in line for inspection. During the interview, inconsistencies with the driver’s story resulted in the officers escorting the driver to secondary for further examination.

An intensive inspection, including the utilization of X-ray equipment,
click for hi-res
Sixteen wrapped bundles of cocaine sit atop a vehicle at the Calexico, Calif. port of entry.
CBP officers at Calexico, Calif were able to uncover more than $300,000 worth of cocaine from a vehicle attempting to enter the United States.

resulted in the detection of anomalies that led to the discovery of 16 wrapped packages of cocaine concealed within the sides of the pick-up bed. The weight of the cocaine was 38 pounds with a street value of $342,000.

CBP officers arrested the driver, a permanent resident of Calexico, California, for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt and transferred him to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents for further investigation.

The second seizure occurred later in the day, at about 7 p.m. when officers conducting a pre-primary enforcement operation encountered a 33-year-old male Mexican citizen driving a brown 1994 Ford Explorer. The detector dog screened the vehicle and immediately alerted to the presence of narcotics. The driver was then escorted to the secondary inspectional area for further examination.

An intensive inspection and usage of an X-ray imaging system led to the discovery of 12 wrapped packages of marijuana concealed inside all four tires of the vehicle. The weight of the narcotic was 91 pounds with a street value of $82,600.

CBP officers arrested the driver, a resident of Mexicali, Baja California, for the alleged narcotic smuggling attempt and turned him over to the custody of ICE agents for further processing.

The third seizure occurred yesterday at about 3 p.m., when port officers arrested a 48-year-old male United States citizen who attempted to smuggle 28 pounds of cocaine concealed in a grey 2007 Chevy Malibu he was driving.

The driver, who was waiting in line to be inspected, was escorted to the secondary examination area after a detector dog alerted to the vehicle during a pre-primary enforcement operation.

An intensive physical inspection of the vehicle led officers to the discovery of 11 wrapped packages of cocaine concealed inside a non-factory compartment in the vehicle’s dashboard area. The weight of the narcotics was 28 pounds with a street value of $252,000.

The driver, a resident of Huntington Park, California, was turned over to the custody of ICE agents for further investigation.

CBP placed immigration holds on both Mexican citizens to initiate removal from the United States at the conclusion of their criminal proceedings.

CBP officers in all three incidents seized the narcotics and vehicles.

San Diego — U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa, Calif. cargo port yesterday intercepted 624 pounds of marijuana in two separate incidents.

The largest seizure occurred yesterday at about 9:15 a.m. after officers discovered an anomaly in the X-ray image of a 1984 Kenworth tractor pulling an empty trailer. The primary officer had developed information that caused him to refer the conveyance to be run through the port’s X-ray system and an intensive examination.

A false compartment behind the cab of tractor-trailer is opened to reveal 30 bundles of marijuana.
CBP officers at the Calexico, Calif. cargo port were able to prevent this tractor-trailer from bringing marijuana into the country. When a false compartment behind the cab was opened it revealed 30 bundles of marijuana.

Officers subsequently found 30 large packages of marijuana weighing 543 pounds in a false wall compartment behind the cab of the tractor.

The driver, a 36-year-old Tijuana man, was arrested and transported to the Metropolitan Correctional Center. CBP seized the marijuana and the tractor and trailer.

About two hours later, officers intercepted another marijuana smuggling attempt when an empty 1992 Bobtail truck, driven by a 36-year-old Tijuana man, entered the port for inspection. The primary officer noticed inconsistencies with the truck and referred it for a more in-depth examination.

Officers drilled into the truck’s frame rails and discovered a leafy green substance that

Field tested positive for marijuana. They extracted 37 packages of marijuana weighing 81 pounds from both frame rails of the bobtail.

The driver was arrested. CBP seized the marijuana and the conveyance.

.

http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2009/09/22/local_news/news01.txt

This week, September 21^st-24^th, students throughout the valley will be hearing “informational presentations” about attending college/university. Given in two or three workshops throughout the day, these workshops aim to expose “valley students and parents to potential universities from in and out of the region.” Presumably, they will also cover the universal FAQ’s that potential college/university attendees have:

“How will I pay for my child’s education?”

“What are the basic scholastic requirements for my child to get into a college/university?”

“What types of jobs are available for my child once he/she graduates from college/university?”

From my perspective, these are very superficial questions to ask. Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mean to downplay the importance of these very legitimate questions, but there are some other questions that no one thinks to ask that are much more important. The questions college recruiters don’t dare bring up.

“How many other people will have college/university degrees by the time my child graduates?”

“Will there be enough jobs available to satisfy this demand for labor?”

“What are the effects of granting so many college degrees?”

There are many more questions rattling around in my head but I think these are the ones that need urgent consideration by potential college/university attendees and their families.

To be clear, I am not trying to convince people that higher education is an unworthy goal to aim for, but I am trying to provide another aspect for people to consider before entering the higher education system.

“How many other people will have college/university degrees by the time my child graduates?”

For the 2006-2007 school year, the U.S. Department of Education lists the following figures:

Associate Degree:  728,114 degrees awarded.

Bachelors Degree: 1,524,092 degrees awarded

Masters Degree:     604,607 degrees awarded

Doctorate Degree:  60,616 degrees awarded

Assuming that these figures stay the same, when your child graduates, he/she will be competing with 2,252,206[i] other college graduates for a job. Unfortunately for those looking to enter the job market, these figures are projected to grow. By 2017, the figures will have grown by 6% for an associate’s degree, 16% for a bachelor’s degree, 28% for a master’s, and 27% for a doctorate degree.

(Since this post is aimed at those entering the higher education school system, I’m narrowing the scope of this entry to include only associates and bachelors degrees.)

For associates and bachelor degrees awarded per year, the government is expecting a growth rate of 0.6% and 1.6% respectively[ii], which is an average of 49,548 more students (more, as in added to the 2.5 million figure) graduating with associates and bachelors degrees each year. So, to answer the question, there are millions of people who are graduating with degrees every year and this trend shows no signs of slowing.

“Will there be enough jobs available to satisfy this demand for labor?”

According to a CBSnews.com article entitled, College Graduates Tackle Dismal Job Market, “the jobless rate among college graduates has more than doubled from a year ago to 4.3 percent”. 4.3% doesn’t sound like a large figure, but put in context, it means that 120,000 college graduates are essentially unemployed from the moment they receive their diplomas. These are 120,000 people who will not be able to find a job that requires their hard earned diploma. This depressing figure doesn’t even include the “almost 2 million college graduates [who] are [already] unemployed.” And, if that doesn’t sound bad enough, “a recent survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers predicts companies will hire 22 percent fewer graduating seniors than they did last year”. If I can get away with one last bit of relevant bad news, the average college graduate has “an average of $22,700” in debt with little chance of quickly paying it off thanks to the stagnant job market.

“What are the effects of granting so many college degrees?”

It is basic economics which demonstrates that when supplies of ____ exceed the demand for ____, prices need to fall to a level that allow these resources to be used. Another way of putting this, the price for _____ is determined by the scarcity of ____. Replace all the blanks with ‘degrees’[iii] (or anything else really) and you’ve answered this question.

There are so many people with college degrees that the market is trying to (or needs to) force wages down to allow these new graduates to enter the job market. But, because we have minimum wage rates set by state and federal governments, (as well as those set by labor unions), wages are not allowed to fall to accommodate these new graduates as they would if the market was allowed to self regulate[iv]. What we end up with is a scenario where we have unemployed/underemployed debt-ridden college graduates, or more fully employed debt-ridden college graduates earning much less than they hoped for when they first set out for school.[v]

I remember being told countless times by teachers, family or teachers who happen to be family that a college degree is the key to earn higher wages and better working conditions. Apparently not. Not when people continue to receive college degrees at the rates they do now. Not when the necessity for college degrees come from public officials rather than market forces[vi]. Not when basic economic principles are ignored and actively fought against. Wouldn’t you think that our policy makers can see the problems in the current higher ed. system?

To close I’d like to include a quote from a speech President Obama gave earlier this year.

“I’ve challenged every American to commit to at least one year of higher education or advanced training, because, by the end of the next decade, I want to see America have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.”[vii]

No. A problem isn’t even mentioned.

AGJ

Sources:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/04/18/eveningnews/main4954222.shtml

http://www.forbes.com/2009/03/10/college-graduate-school-loans-personal-finance-retirement-grad-school-debt.html

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d04/tables/dt04_247.asp

http://nces.ed.gov/programs/projections/projections2017/sec4b.asp

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042402380.html

https://ask.census.gov/cgi-bin/askcensus.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=284&p_created=1077815981&p_sid=9wrNlLIj&p_accessibility=&p_lva=&p_sp=cF9zcmNoPSZwX3NvcnRfYnk9JnBfZ3JpZHNvcnQ9JnBfcm93X2NudD0mcF9wcm9kcz0mcF9jYXRzPSZwX3B2PSZwX2N2PSZwX3BhZ2U9MQ**&p_li=&p_topview=1&p_search_text=percentage%20of%20population%20with%20college

Good music is hard enough to find, but it’s even harder sifting through the malaise of more recent, over-hyped offerings of current artists whose reviews and exposure usually have nothing to do with how good their records are. If you’re like me, you probably stick to new releases from those you know will deliver (Dylan, Beck, Ryan Adams, etc.), and perhaps only download single mp3’s of songs you have heard that you liked. But buying single mp3’s of an artist is limiting in that it only gives you a slice of what the album really encompasses, and taken out of context can leave the listener short of the full experience they deserve and crave. It’s like getting to second base with someone really hot, and never finding out what they’re like in bed. I want the whole enchilada!

That being said, I would like to offer my most recent discoveries in new(er) music, and since I am a musician and serious music-lover who is very skeptical of anything new, I hope you will appreciate the fact that I am not easily swayed by public opinion and advertisements that too easily cry, ”the Next Big Thing”. My inspiration for finding new music comes from my local public library and a blog called dk presents, and am much indebted to dk for opening my mind to contemporary music that doesn’t make my ears bleed. And so now I am passing my findings along in hopes of inspiring someone else to revise their stale music collection. Without further ado, here’s a list of albums I think you will like (and ones to avoid):

*Disclaimer* – This list is not intended for people who read Blender and/or  are avid followers of the current music scene. Most of these records have come out in the past 2-3 years. It is more intended for the person who is admittedly unaware of modern culture and probably hasn’t bought a new CD in the past couple years (but wants t0).

1. Madeleine Peyroux – Half the Perfect World

Peyroux croons like Billie Holiday and this album delivers with great modern song selections, stylish session players, and wonderful engineering/production. Just when you think jazz is dead, along comes a new surprise…

2. Iron and Wine – Our Endless Numbered Days

Apparently, folk is coming back in a big way, and it’s partly due to Sam Beam, the wizard behind Iron & Wine. Soft vocals with female harmonies create a great subtle mood throughout the album, but it is the songwriting that ultimately carries this record, with clear and introspective lyrics that evoke visceral images of children and the South. This is your lazy morning chillout record.

3. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

This one is idiosyncratic because no one will be able to replicate the atmosphere and conditions under which it was recorded. Not even Justin Vernon, who did most of it himself on a home recording setup in the woods, and it’s a miracle that it turned out as well as it did. Whiny singing and meager drumming over acoustic guitars never sounded so good. I wouldn’t expect the follow-up to be close to this, but you never know. A great listen, especially if you are going through a breakup.

4. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes

SubPop is a great record label, probably the best around today (with the exception of ATO). They continue to discover great underground acts and give them enough exposure to become successful. This album is on most music critics’ list of greatest records in 2008, and it does sound great, mostly because the reverb on the vocals is so moody and entrancing, and the playing is so tastefully complementary to that. The songwriting isn’t so important as the ambience, which makes it a great listen from start to finish.

5. Arcade Fire – Neon Bible

Funeral was a wonderfully inspired and solid first record from this Canadian indie band , and I was thoroughly impressed when I heard the equally solid followup. Win Butler clearly shines as the main songwriter, and his passionate singing about religion and loss perfectly complement his mostly positive, and sometimes sentimental, dirges. Beautiful melodies throughout make this a great hum-along disc. As a band, Arcade Fire rocks kind of like Crazy Horse with violins and humming girl backup singers.

6. Calexico – Carried to Dust

Ok, at first I was skeptical. When someone tells me to listen to a band from Arizona that blends Mexican folk music with American pop, I am immediately thinking this is going to be a cheesy train wreck, like a cross between Sublime and Cherry Poppin’ Daddies, or something like that. Not so. White people canwrite songs with Mariachi horns behind them, and the results are definitely cinematic. This album offers a lot more than just the aformentioned desctiption entails, and I think it’s to the band’s credit that they can cover so many styles without seeming unfocused. Probably the best goup you’ve never heard of that’s been doing it for 10+ years, they just keep cutting their little niche in modern music deeper and deeper. You’ll have to pay attention sooner or later, why not start now? (By the way, Feast of Wire isn’t as good as this record is).

7. Cold War Kids – Loyalty to Loyalty

With a name like this I expected something between Dashboard Confessional and Bright Eyes. Instead I got a cd full of great songs (some are better than others, admittedly), with interesting arrangements over singing that conjures thoughts of Jeff Buckley. There is a soulfulness to the record that is vacant on most of the “indie” discs I’ve listened to, and I’m looking forward to checking out their debut album as well.

8. Neko Case – Fox Confessor Brings the Flood

I’m still kind of on the fence about this one to be honest. On one hand, you have really great arrangements featuring awesome musicians (everybody loves Garth Hudson from the Band), and unique songwriting that is more Victorian than anything else. The words and concept of the album are a little inaccessible and pretentious, although ornate and beautiful, and Neko’s voice, while sultry, at times sounds a little sharp and dissonant to my ears. I keep listening hard to see if the songs will start to make sense. The main reason I put it on this list is because it’s so unique and at random moments will catch me off guard with bursts of eloquenence, which leads me to believe that the music will continue to grow on me.

9. The Black Crowes – Warpaint

I’m an old-school Black Crowes fan from their very first single (Atlanta represent!), but most people probably thought this band was way past its prime, especially after Marc Ford quit forever ago. I myself had kind of swept them under the sentimental rug, along with the likes of Pearl Jam and Portishead, but this album seriously blew my mind upon first listen. Seriously, folks, you really owe it to yourself to check it out. The Crowes sound like a well-worn version of themselves that doesn’t try too hard, and the album is so comfortable to listen to that I made it all the way through without stopping the first time I heard it. It really gets great around the sixth song, and I felt like I was listening to Pink Floyd, the vibe was so heady. Admittedly, Luther Dickenson isn’t the virtuoso that Marc Ford is, but he plays the hell out of the slide guitar and actually fits in with the band’s sound better than Ford. I’m thoroughly impressed by this effort, and am looking forward to the day I can afford their newest double-length with Levon Helm, entitled Before the Frost/Until the Freeze.

10. Elliot Smith - New Moon

Not much needs to be said here if you already know who Elliot Smith is. If you don’t like him, you won’t like this, because he’s at his most whiny and softest acoustic peaks here, ala Elliot Smith and XOXO. But man, this guy could write wonderfully acerbic pop songs, and this double-disc posthumous release just proves that he had so much more left to give . If you like Smith, you won’t be disappointed by this one. If you aren’t sure, check out Figure 8 and Either/Or first.

11. Ryan Adams – Easy Tiger

This was my first record of Ryan Adam’s, and I admittedly had never really listened to any of his music before a couple of years ago. As a songwriter, it’s ridiculous that I discovered this guy right before he decided to call it quits and marry Mandy Moore (he’ll be back, I just know it). This is his first album recorded after his alleged sobriety, and many of the songs have to do with him grappling inner demons and recovery. There are some great tunes on here, and proves that you don’t have to be on high on speedballs to be the greatest songwriter of your generation (you were sober when you wrote those songs, weren’t you Ryan?). And trust me, Adams is undoubtedly the greatest songwriter of the 2000’s, just like I think Elliot Smith was in the 90’s and Dylan was in the 60’s and 70’s. The Boss gets stuck with the 80’s. Anyway, check this album out, and if you’re really brave and want to have your life changed, go out and buy Heartbreaker. I dare you.

12. Wilco – Sky Blue Sky

It seems like everybody knows and loves Wilco these days, so it’s not a surprise that I picked this album as a winner. I just would like to say that while it’s not as good as A Ghost is Born, it has some shining moments, and Nels Cline continues to be tasteful and creative without stealing the show. My only complaint is that Jeff Tweedy still sounds pharmaceutical, for lack of a better word, and any songwriting he does that isn’t explaining why he’s such a grumpy old man doesn’t really mean much to an ordinary guy like me. That being said, there are songs on here that touch just slightly upon fusion and stay away from the experimental wastleland of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. “Impossible Germany” is possibly the best song to listen to while taking off in an airplane

13. Lucinda Williams – West

Lucinda Williams is a godsend to country music. I know she’s not straight country, but the subject matter of the songs on West is so earthy and personal, that you can’t help but feel like this woman is the sole inheritor of the Hank Williams legacy. Written shortly after her mother’s death, this album features songs that call to Momma throughout, and the mournful lonesomeness in her voice is like a coyote in the desert, sending chills down my spine every time. By far some of her most sophisticated and deepest songwriting yet, Lucinda elucidates souls of dead poets throughout, and for the most part avoids the man-hating sludge rock that she’s never really pulled off that well on past efforts. Also, the cheesy Nashville production and distorted guitars that showed up on World Without Tears have been toned down in favor of sonic layers that really complement the music. I think this is her finest record yet - be prepared to weep.

 14. Kelley Stoltz – Below the Branches

Kelley Stoltz is a San Francisco songwriter I have been following for many years. He’s not really well-known outside of the City, but is clearly a very gifted musician. I chose this record to share, even though it came out in 2006, over the more recent Circular Sounds, simply because it’s better. Stoltz always self-records with an eight-track tape machine, which creates the loose psychedelic warble that gives his records a well-worn glow. By far the best album I have ever heard by anyone from the Bay Area in the last 10 years, Below the Branches collects influences and jumbles them up into original music, courtesy of Stoltz’s ability to conjure the sounds and atmospheres of classic records. The songs are simple and fun, the music cheerful and effortless. In fact, Stoltz should put more effort into his music, because he has such a wonderful voice and an endless supply of talent to draw from that everyone should know about. This is a great summer album, my friends.

15. Alejandro Escovedo – The Boxing Mirror

Lots of people have probably thought to themselves, “I see his name everywhere, I wonder if that guy is any good”. Well, I can assure you that he is great, and once you become accustomed to his unique style, you will find yourself entranced by the moody and spiritual presence that shape-shifts throughout this record. The closest influence I can name is Teachings of Don Juan by Carlos Castaneda, and hallucinations of animals in the desert appear often throughout songs that vary from folk rock to 80’s electro pop in instrumentation and feel. Escovedo sounds like no one you have heard before, and the indigenous loping of his enchanting lyrics will cast a spell on your soul and leave you wanting more. Oh yeah, and it’s produced by VU legend John Cale, if that helps.

CD’s that really didn’t do it for me:

1. Prince – Planet Earth

Just in case you are a Prince fan and thought that since he rocked “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” and the Superbowl so hard that his most recent album must be a winner as well, I’m here to let you know that it’s not. Sorry, Prince, please don’t sue me.

2. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges

I’ve really liked this band ever since I heard It Still Moves. Since then they have moved further away from the reverb drenched Neil Young sound and more towards the Prince and whiteboy reggae sound. Ewww. Admittedly, there are some great moments on this record, and it’s worth buying some mp3’s, but please, for the love of God, stay away from “Highly Suspicious”. Z is a much better album, buy that instead.

3. The Black Keys – Catch and Release

Is it just me, or this band highly overrated? And is it just me, or is Dangermouse in that same category? Well, it makes perfect sense then that these two should be paired together to make what I consider to be a true dud of an album. Why buy the Black Keys when I can have the White Stripes? I caught and released this album as quickly as I could. Dan Auerbach’s solo effort is looking much more promising.

5. Grandaddy – Just Like the Fambly Cat

I really like Jackpot, and I thought this would kind of be in the same vein. It was, just not in a good way. If the synthesis of obnoxious synths and repetitive loops over folky acoustic guitars is your thing, check out Beck instead. I wanted to like it. I really did.

6. LCD Sound System – Sound of Silver

 I am guessing that James Murphy took all the money he made from his first record and blew it on coke, then decided to make something “genius”. In any case, I can’t get into this disc because I keep thinking that my CD player is skipping. After getting rid of this record, I am relieved to discover that my CD player is just fine.

Singles I’m Diggin’

1. The National – “Mistaken for Strangers”

3. Slaid Cleaves – “I Feel the Blues Moving In”

4. Flight of the Conchords – “Bowie” & “Hiphopapotamus vs. Rhymenocerous”

5. Black Lips – “It Feels Alright”

6. Dan Auerbach – “My Last Mistake”