It was a great year for fine albums, though only one merits to be remembered as a stone cold classic. I’m sorry to omit a number of very good efforts released in 2005, such as those by Brandi Carlile, Iron & Wine, Damien Jurado, Death Cab for Cutie, Maria Taylor, Andrew Bird, Emilíana Torrini, John Frusciante, Colin Hay, Kathleen Edwards, Nicole Willis and the Soul Investigators, Kevin Devine, Eels, The Cardigans, John Prine, Kate Earl, Richard Thompson, Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, Blue Eyed Son, Sarah Bettens, Antony & the Johnsons, Beck, Tristan Prettyman, The Magic Numbers, Hot Hot Heat, Charlie Sexton …

* * *

Bright Eyes – I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning

On the same day as Conor Oberst and chums released their best album — and one of the decades finest — they also released what I think is their worst, Digital Ash In A Digital Turn. It was wise that they did not take the option of releasing these two entirely distinct albums — one alt.country, the other electronica — as a double album. I’m Wide Awake, which features Emmylou Harris on a couple of tracks, has Oberst in a restrained, though not necessarily tamed, form. The indisciplined excesses from previous albums have been ironed out, but not at the expense of that most essential Oberst quality: the feverish intensity. It certainly is the most consistent Bright Eyes album. Every song here is beautiful, especially First Day Of My Life and We Are Nowhere And It’s Now, on the latter of which Emmylou harmonises.

Lyrically, Oberst is in fine form: tender, resigned, confused, hopeful, angry. When he sings on At The Bottom Of Everything about capital punishment, he rightly hectors: “Into the face of every criminal strapped firmly to a chair, we must stare, we must stare, we must stare.” And on Old Soul Song, about an anti-war protest in New York, has some beautifully poetic lines: “We left before the dust had time to settle, and all the broken glass swept off the avenue. And on the way home held your camera like a bible, just wishing so bad that it held some kind of truth.”
Bright Eyes – Old Soul Song (For The New World Order).mp3
Bright Eyes – We Are Nowhere And It’s Now.mp3

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Richard Hawley – Coles Corner

From the moment the melancholy strings strike up on the album’s opener, the gorgeous title track (featured HERE), this album captivates the listener. A more even effort than 2003’s Lowedges, Hawley tries to capture a mood of 1950s balladeering, drawing from country, pop and rockabilly with a healthy dose of torchsong crooning. One can almost imagine Hotel Room being reworked as a doo wop song. The orchestration is lush, scoring Hawley’s warm baritone beautifully. Besides the title track and the countryish Just Like The Rain, the standout track here is The Ocean (not the most encouraging title, it must be said) which starts off quietly and slowly builds up to a dramatic crescendo. I’d gladly call Coles Corner Hawley’s masterpiece, but he has topped it with this year’s Truelove’s Gutter.
Richard Hawley – The Ocean.mp3

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Jens Lekman – Oh You’re So Silent, Jens

Jens Lekman featured with his debut album in the 2004 list; here he returns with a compilation of single and EP tracks — and Lekman has an extravagant catalogue of EPs, some of which he made available on his site for free downloading a while back. So it is suitable, and doubtless intentional, that the opening track would be called At the Dept. of Forgotten Songs. Lyrically and musically it’s all very quirky, but nowhere as much so as A Sweet Summer’s Night on Hammer Hill, a song that is at once funny and wistful (and which gets the release date of Warren G’s Regulate wrong and fails to credit Nate Dogg), recorded with probably not entirely sober pals who improvise the backing vocals and at the end shout out requests (the woman who requests Black Cab gets her wish on the album). Lekman channels Morrissey and The Byrds on I Saw Her At The Anti-War Demonstration, muses on the use of the F-Word, and forges the punchline to childhood jokes. In a sequence of three songs, Lekman assumes the alter ego Rocky Dennis (the name of the facially deformed character played by Eric Stoltz in the ’80s film Mask), whom he finally bids farewell at the end of the trilogy. It’s a thoroughly likeable collection of songs.
Jens Lekman – I Saw Her At The Anti-War Demonstration.mp3

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Wilco – Kicking Television – Live in Chicago

I’m ambivalent about live albums. Much of the time they are a letdown: the songs don’t sound as good as they did on the studio album, the live atmosphere is not captured and so on. Some live albums work because the artist’s stage presence or audience vibe translates to record. And some live albums work because the performer adds something new to the songs. Kicking Television satisfies at least the latter requirement (I’d argue that the vibe is there, too). Take Misunderstood. A weedy, proto-emo number on 1996’s Being There, here it’s a dramatic monster — I’m among those who love the repeated “Nothing”s. There’s humour as well. Following the mid-tempo Wishful Thinking, Tweedy announces, laughingly: “Let’s get this party started…with some mid-tempo rock”. True to his word, the band eases into the mid-tempo Jesus etc. With the great Nels Cline in the line-up and Tweedy having polished his guitar work, there’s much to be had by way of axemanship, most notably on At Least That’s What You Said.
Wilco – Misunderstood.mp3

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Hello Saferide – Introducing…Hello Saferide

Like fellow Swede Jens Lekman, who gets a namecheck in the wonderful The Quiz on Hello Saferide’s 2006 EP, Annika Norlin (for she is Hello Saferide) benefits from a quirky sense of humour, an attractive Swedish accent and the fact that English is not her first language. The latter is not a handicap as she manoeuvres her way around conventions to create novel lyrical ideas that are often cute but never twee. Norlin’s mind is fascinating: expressing her affection for a friend, she wishes they were lesbians; she wishes her boyfriend illness so that she can take care of her “teddy bear on heroin”; getting in touch again with an old pen pal, she admits to having told lies; as a high school stalker in the very funny song of the same name she breaks into the dentist’s office so that the object of her desire won’t need braces and then has coffee with his mother. The upbeat tunes are catchy, and the slow numbers are saved by almost invariably great lyrics and Norlin’s lovely, vulnerable voice.
Hello Saferide – Highschool Stalker.mp3
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Neil Diamond – 12 Songs

God bless Rick Rubin. Having re-established Johnny Cash as relevant artist, he resurrected Neil Diamond, redeeming him from the lame-jacketed crooner reputation. The title 12 Songs became a misnomer with the belated introduction of two bonus tracks (a rip-off, surely it’s the initial purchasers of an album who deserve a bonus), one an alternative, upbeat version of Delirious Love, a song featuring Brian Wilson that appears in more muted form among the original dozen tracks.. That song is the closest Diamond comes to his late ’60s pomp, the bonus track’s arrangement in particular. Most of the album is reflective, pensive and acoustic. It is beautiful. And it’s tempting to give Rubin all the credit. That would be unfair to Diamond, who wrote the songs and for whom the acoustic arrangement is not foreign, as fans of his ’60s albums will know. More than equipping Diamond with a new sound, Rubin harnessed the man’s strength and, perhaps more importantly, by association made him, like Cash, relevant again.
Neil Diamond – Save Me A Saturday Night.mp3

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Common – Be

I can think of very few albums on which the three closing tracks may be the set’s best. Ziggy Stardust comes to mind as a contender (though its best song, Starman, is on Side 1). This is certainly the case here. Modern hip hop, especially the leering misogyny and swaggering materialism expressed by dentally adventurous people in whose company I would not want to spend a minute, leaves me largely cold. Kanye West’s album of the same year had its moments, but I never feel prompted to play it. West did, however, produce most of Common’s album, which is good, and appears on many of the tracks, which is not so good when he makes those idiotic high-pitched noises. This certainly is not a hip hop album that’s representative of the contemporary genre. As much of Common’s work, it is thoughtful and socially conscious. It draws as much from Public Enemy as it does from the great era of politically aware black music, the early to mid-1970s. There is more than a hint of Curtis Mayfield and Gil Scott-Heron on Be, and the Last Poets even appear on the album, as does John Legend, one of the few current non-nasal R&B crooners whose music is rooted in the ’70s soul scene (slightly unexpectedly, John Mayer also pops up). Common, in short, is the Marvin Gaye of hip hop.
Common – It’s Your World (Part 1 & 2).mp3

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Josh Rouse – Nashville

On his fifth album, the Nebraskan Rouse said goodbye to his temporary domicile of Nashville before moving to Spain. Where his previous album, 1972, sought to capture the vibe of the year of the title, on Nashville Rouse revisits 1980s indie pop through a country lense. It’s cheerful, catchy stuff for a warm summer’s evening (even if one track is called Winter In The Hamptons), admirably coming in at under 40 minutes, like LPs used to. The lyrics aren’t very memorable here; some are decidedly pedestrian. The album’s most powerful song, Sad Eyes, is also its least jovial. It starts slowly as Rouse observes a woman’s melancholy and builds up to a, erm, rousing climax as he offers encouragement. Alas, it’s followed by the set’s one clunker, the rocker Why Won’t You Tell Me What.
Josh Rouse – Sad Eyes.mp3

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Ben Folds – Songs For Silverman

Ah, the album the hardcore Foldsians love to hate. Granted, there’s some forgettable guff on here. Much as I love Ben Folds, I would not be able to tell you a thing about Time or Sentimental Guy. And, as I’m getting all my irritations with Silverman off the chest, the tribute to Elliott Smith, Late, has some really poor lyrics. But then there is the vintage Folds stuff. Bastard, ostensibly about young Republicans in old clothes, packs a decent groove. Give Judy My Notice has a great West Coast rock vibe. You To Thank has a superb piano break, and the break-up songs, Trusted (“She’s gonna be pissed when she wakes up for terrible things I did to her in her dreams”) and Landed (“Down comes the reign of the telephone czar”), are among the best work Folds has done, musically and lyrically. And having just listened to Time and Sentimental Guy for the purpose of this project, well, they are not bad songs.
Ben Folds – You To Thank.mp3

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Rosie Thomas – If These Songs Could Be Held

The title If These Songs Could Be Held seems apt; there is fragility in Rosie Thomas’ songs, emphasised by her beautiful, sad voice. You want to hold her and the songs. Her family and friends help out again, with Ed Harcourt duetting on the unpretentious cover of Let It Be Me (featured in The Originals Vol. 24). The arrangements are more complex than a casual listen would suggest. Hear the almost martial bass drum in the opener Since You’ve Been Gone. The lyrics range from perceptive introspection to sophomore poetry, but expressed through the medium of Rosie’s gorgeous voice, even the more inopportune words are entirely forgivable.
Rosie Thomas – If These Songs Could Be Held.mp3

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More Albums of the Year

I don’t believe in the X Factor, the programme, or the definition of someone having said X Factor. The X Factor is so much more difficult to define than a teenager with a wacky haircut and the latest warble to be deemed fashionable by multi-millionaires with a heartfelt passion for a certain part of the music business (that being the business part!)

 I read an interesting article about getting a thousand loyal fans in order to make your musical career sustainable. May not seem like a lot of people but it really is. If you play to 100 people in a night, I reckon 10% will take an interest/compliment you/want to know more. Of those 10, probably 10% will take it further. Therefore, if my maths serve, 1000 gigs will get you 1000 fans, if you’re lucky and work like a lunatic.

But if you’re a teenage desperate who has made it to the big X Factor shows, it’s all there. You do passable, sometimes terrible, occasionally great versions of karaoke favourites, thus appealing to the watching masses music-wise. You’ve already bypassed the need to connect socially with prospective fans via the internet or by other means because your emotional rise to the top has been documented in the series, plus you’ll be splattered all over the tabloids so everyone already feels a connection with you. If you win your CD makes it into the record shop and onto the interweb thanks to the all powerful machine backing you up. If you’re a runner up there’s still a chance your album will make it onto the supermarket shelves. I now browse the CD section and see completely unfamiliar faces next to Michael Jackson and the Kings of Leon with inspiring album titles like ‘This Time’ and ‘Believe’ with one new formulaic song and 10 cover versions. It’s a brilliant setup – genius! It totalIy bypasses the uncertainty of where your next fan is coming from. I’m not belittling the people who make it to the finals – it is immensely hard work performing in any way. I also applaud the makers and the panel for creating something that draws people in, gets the whole nation debating and on the edge of their seats and makes them lots of money whilst bringing some young hopeful’s dream to fruition for a month or two.

 The only problem I have with this fruitful setup is with the other side of the music business – the music side. I briefly saw a panel show, Xtra Factor or something and Joss Stone was commenting about the programme being all about the singing. It’s not. It’s about drama. It’s about ‘is Cheryl going to cry this week?’; ‘is Louis going to walk out again?’; ‘is one of the contestants going to swing for Cowell?’ The panel are the only real celebrities on the show, the only famous ones, and probably the only ones with the X Factor – in their case the X Factor being their ‘Panel Personality Traits’. Oh, and Dermot (lovely, lovely Dermot.) And it’s the drama of the contestant’s struggle, how they have progressed in just 6 short weeks, caterpillar to butterfly, what they had to go through or sacrifice to reach the final – who needs Eastenders? But it’s not about music. It’s not about a song you can listen to for 20 years and still love passionately. It’s not about a band that you grow with and love more every time you see them live, watch a video, find out they are lovely as well as brilliant. If you want music, watch Later…With Jools Holland – a programme I always, and I mean always, love when I see it because of it’s diversity and for it’s unashamed love of just watching people performing.

The X Factor is great television. And what, I hear you cry, has it done for music? Well, the X Factor is great television. 

The point of this rant? The next time someone says, ‘you’re a musician? Why don’t you go on X Factor?’, I shall perhaps reply, ‘because I’m a musician’ or I shall perhaps direct them to this post.

And to you, the X Factor viewer. Do me a favour, instead of watching it next week, try one or all of these ACTUAL MUSICIANS instead. You don’t have to go out to find them (links included) but you do have to put more effort in than just sitting with the remote and a bag of Maltesers (mmmmmm, Maltesers, sounds good!) 

 Here’s 13 bands/singers and their links that I have discovered on my travels that I love or find interesting and think you should try discovering too:

Josh Rouse

http://www.myspace.com/joshrouse

Gemma Hayes

http://www.myspace.com/gemmahayes

Sad Day For Puppets

http://www.myspace.com/saddayforpuppets

Hope & Social

http://www.hopeandsocial.com/

Sketches

http://www.myspace.com/sketchesband

Bell X1

http://www.bellx1.com/

Dave Thorne

http://www.myspace.com/thedavethorne

Matt Costa

http://www.mattcosta.com/home

Ahmond

http://www.myspace.com/ahmondband

Bent

http://www.bent-world.com/site2/home/

Angus & Julia Stone

http://www.angusandjuliastone.com/a_book_like_this/index.htm

The Swell Season

http://www.myspace.com/theswellseason

The Milk And Honey Band

http://www.myspace.com/themilkandhoneyband

this is where i’ll be.

be on the lookout for me

and this is where i’ll be.

sweetie♣

Before we move to my Top 10 albums of 2003 — a purely subjective choice of albums from that year which I enjoy, rather than an attempt at a best-of list — let me apologise for the confusion created by wrong links in last week’s two posts, and thank the kind people who alerted me to them. It was a little negligent of me not to test the links first. I have worked out what the trouble was: on Mediafire’s infuriatingly redesigned site, the “copy link” button is seriously wonky; instead of copying the link for the requested file, it copies the link of the first file in the upload folder (in last week’s instance the Iron & Wine song). So, here’s an urgent message to Mediafire, Facebook and all other services: please don’t innovate yourselves into oblivion. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!

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Josh Rouse – 1972

To mark his 30th birthday, Josh Rouse decided to record a concept album intended to evoke the year of his birth. I’ve written about the cover before here. In that post, I wrote the following about the album itself. 1972 might easily have turned out as a pastiche of the worst clichés. Happily, it didn’t: the sound is contemporary. Rouse evokes rather than recreates what he imagines were the sounds of 1972. Imagine the concept as the subtle but essential spice in a delicious meal. The album borrows its influences wisely: James, a song about alcoholism which appears on the first Any Major Flute mix, is a psychedelic soul workout, with Jim Hoke’s excellent jazz flute and Rouse’s falsetto positioning the song closest to 1972. Elsewhere, swirling strings and saxophone (also by Hoke), handclaps and Latin percussions serve as a marker for the ’70s influence being filtered through Rouse’s sound.
Josh Rouse – Rise.mp3
Josh Rouse – Love Vibration.mp3

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Lloyd Cole – Music In A Foreign Language

Lloyd Cole used to get such a bad rap back in the day. I could never understand the charges of Cole being pretentious. Even Easy Pieces, the second Lloyd Cole & the Commotions album which Cole has virtually disowned (on account of having been rushed by the record company to prematurely complete it), has many great and not particularly pretentious moments. Having broken up the Commotions after three albums, Cole’s solo career didn’t really take off. That is a shame. On Music In A Foreign Language, Cole continued on the acoustic trip he began on the previous album. Here it’s just him, his guitar and minimal backing music, with Lloyd singing his melancholy, beautiful songs straight on to his computer. The whole exercise is so intimate, listeners may be forgiven if they feel like they are intruding on a private moment. Lyrically he is on introspective top form. I don’t listen to this album nearly often enough.
Lloyd Cole – Music In A Foreign Language.mp3

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Death Cab For Cutie – Transatlanticism

This is the album where Death Cab for Cutie crossed the line from oddly-named Indie group to serious rock band. Transatlanticism is something of a rock symphony; it’s not rewarding to pluck out its songs in isolation, except perhaps the excellent opener, The New Year, and the acoustic coda, A Lack Of Color. It’s the kind of lush album one must hear in full, preferably with headphones while in a kicked back mood, being immersed in the sound. Lyrically it has its moment, such as the story of the protagonist in Title And Registration who finds a forgotten photo of an ex-girlfriend after being pulled over by a cop (it also features the annoying line: “The glove compartment is accurately named”; thanks for pointing that out, Gibbard).
Death Cab for Cutie – A Lack of Color.mp3

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Colin Hay – Man @ Work

The title of the album is an obvious reference to the Australian band with which Scottish-born Colin Hay had some chart success in the early ’80s. Here Hay revisits some of his best songs from his solo repertoire as well as the Men At Work catalogue. None of these re-recordings do their originals injustice. The acoustic versions of the three big Men At Work hits — Down Under, Who Can It Be Now and Overkill — are strikingly remade and worth the price of the CD alone, especially the far superior interpretation of Overkill. There is also a more faithful reworking of Down Under, with brass replacing the flute; and fine remakes of Men At Work’s Be Good Johnny and It’s A Mistake.

Hay fans will have their own views on which versions here eclipse the original. Looking For Jack is vastly improved here, but I prefer the less dreamy version of Beautiful World on Going Somewhere to that reproduced here from 2002’s Company Of Strangers. Hay does recycle enthusiastically; the recording of Waiting For My Real Life To Begin here is the same as that on Going Somewhere; he recorded a rockier, inferior version for 2005’s Topanga, named after the California town where he now lives.
Colin Hay – Overkill (acoustic).mp3

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The Minus 5 – Down With Wilco

The title of The Minus 5’s fifth album notes the involvement of Tweedy and pals in its production, not an antipathy towards Chicago’s finest (and the group was doubtless aware of the title’s gag). A project of songwriter Scott McCaughey, leader of The Young Fresh Fellows and touring bassist for Robyn Hitchcock, this incarnation of Minus 5 also includes long-time collaborator Peter Buck of R.E.M. and Ken Stringfellow of the Posies. The sound borrows heavily from White Album period Beatles, early Byrds and the Hollies (Life Left Him There sounds more than a bit like Jennifer Eccles), filtered through an ambient alt.country colander. Wilco’s mark is evident but not overbearing, and Tweedy’s voice is welcome when it pops up. There is a joy in the sound which suggests that the collaborators had great fun recording it. This is an upbeat album that doesn’t take itself too seriously.
Minus 5 – Where Will You Go.mp3

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Richard Hawley – Lowedges

All of Richard Hawley’s five full albums will feature in my Top 10s of the ’00s. All of five of them are superb; all are beautifully orchestrated with Hawley’s attractive baritone giving life to his fine, often melancholy lyrics. So when I declare that Lowedges is my least favourite Hawley album, I am being somewhat unfair to what is a fine album. The songs on Lowedges are as affecting as any; one wants to live inside them. Don’t Miss Your Water, On The Ledge, The Nights Are Made For Us or the dramatic Run For Me are as good as almost any Hawley songs. Lowedge’s The Motorcycle Song probably is my least favourite Hawley song; and even that is not terrible.
Richard Hawley – The Nights Are Made For Us.mp3

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Damien Rice – O

O, but Damien was one overwrought lad. You fear for him in what must be a terribly fragile state. But, goodness, there are some beautiful songs on this album, and some heartwrenching lyrics. Rice is not a very good singer, so all the happier the moments when Lisa Hannigan supports him (although, typically, only to make poor Damien even more heartbroken). There are no clunkers on this set, and a bunch of quite brilliant songs, particularly The Blower’s Daughter, Volcano, Eskimo (with the operatic interlude), and Delicate. And Cannonball, which eclipses all of them. The album’s inclusion in this post is something of an anomaly. O was released in Ireland in 2002; after slow-burning success which eventually took the album into the UK top 10, it was released internationally in 2003.
Damien Rice – Eskimo.mp3

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Rosie Thomas – Only With Laughter Can You Win

Of Rosie Thomas’ four albums (excluding last year’s Christmas effort), this is the one on which she is most explicit about her Christian faith. That is good news, of course, for the believer, but should not put off the religious sceptic, for her brand of Christianity — like that of her frequent collaborators Damien Jurado and Sufjan Stevens —bashes no Bible and does not glorify or moralise. Mostly, she is asking God how the hell she is supposed to live this life. Indeed, the evangelical fundamentalists might well call Rosie a Maoist Osama Nazi, as is their objectionable wont, should they encounter lyrics like this, on Tell Me Now: “How am I to tell them if they never follow Christ that heaven doesn’t hold a place for them…when I’m no better than them.” Christ is periodically present; and He should be: the album was recorded in Detroit’s 19th century St John’s church.

The music, as on all Rosie’s albums (which is another way of saying predictably), is intimate, delicate and entirely gorgeous — but there isn’t much by way of the victory-aiding laughter in the title. Iron & Wine’s Sam Beam makes an appearance on Red Rover, alas the weakest track on this album, which is also the weakest of in the Rosie Thomas catalogue — though here I hasten to invoke the Hawley doctrine.
Rosie Thomas – I Play Music.mp3

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The Darkness – Permission To Land

Was it all a glorious piss-take, lending heavy rock all the camp that Queen fans so routinely denied in their group because the band’s name provided absolutely no clue? The cover of Permission To Land even aped the sexism we occasionally encountered in Queen (remember the Fat Bottomed Girls poster that came with the Jazz album?). The debut, unlike the follow-up, borrowed its influences more broadly than merely Queen, of course. The Darkness swigged copiously from the vats of hair metal, Van Halenesque CocRock, and AC/DC. Singer Justin Hawkins camped it up in striped spandex trousers, while bassist Frankie Pullain played the straight man. It was all a bit Spinal Tap, and if not quite a spoof or wind-up, then certainly rock music performed with a wink and a nod. And yet, the Darkness was not a novelty act; they took their music seriously and wanted the listener to have fun with it. They even gave us a damn good power ballad, featured here.
The Darkness – Love Is Only A Feeling.mp3

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eastmountainsouth – eastmountainsouth

Before there were The Weepies, there were the shift- and space-bar boycotting eastmountainsouth. Discovered by Robbie Robertson, the folk-pop duo released only this one album, before Kat Maslich Bode and Peter Bradley Adams went their own way. That’s a pity; the album is lovely. It does not spring surprises on the listener; indeed, played in the wrong mood, it could be considered boring. The songs don’t go beyond mid-tempo, and they don’t always engage as immediately as those of fellow folkie Rosie Thomas. But the harmonies are exquisite, the vibe is warm. This is an album to savour on a lazy, preferably rainy weekend over a cup of coffee.
eastmountainsouth – Ghost.mp3

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More Albums of the Year

I am currently trying to get seekmagic on the radio, up here in the north east of England. I guess if I did manage that, then this is what the show would probably sound like. 73 minutes of mostly new music, lovingly selected for your listening pleasure by yours truly. You can now stream the podcast, if you don’t wish to download it. So plug your laptop into your speakers, turn the first bar of your fire on, pour yourself a Southern Comfort and lemo, sit back and enjoy the music. Your comments, as ever, are always welcome.

1.  Richard Hawley – ‘As The Dawn Breaks’

2.  One Man Band – ‘Love You’

3.  The Clientele – ‘Bonfires On The Heath’

4.  Taken By Trees – ‘Watch The Waves’

5.  Bibio – ‘Ambivalence Avenue’

6.  Mayer Hawthorne – ‘Prelude’

7.  The High Llamas – ‘Ribbons and Hi-hats’

8.  Richard Swift – ‘Sadsong Street’

9.  The Young Republic – ‘Napoleon Roses’

10. Girls – ‘Headache’

11. The Magic Numbers – ‘Hurt So Good’

12. Wild Honey – ‘Hal Blaine’s Beat’

13. Summer Camp – ‘Ghost Train’

14. Kings Of Convenience – ‘Boat Behind’

15. Josh Rouse – ‘Valencia’

16. Monsters Of Folk – ‘Dear God’

17. Jonny Trunk – ‘Spag Bol’

18. Joe Pernice – ‘Used To Like That Song (excerpt)

19. Joe Pernice – ‘Found A Little Baby’

20. Liam Hayes and Plush – ‘I Sing Silence’

21. God Help The Girl – ‘Stills’

Download mp3 or stream the podcast here

Vivan los puentes, aunque sean otros quienes los tengan…

Puente – Pasarela de Calatrava en Bilbao, 31 de octubre de 2009

Josh Rouse – London Bridges

Goodness, wasn’t 2002 a dire year for music? Still, there were some highlights, and doubtless a few gems I missed (as always, I can only include those albums I have and like).
* * *

Johnny Cash – American IV – The Man Comes Around

In 2005, Any Minor Dude had his first guitar lesson. The tutor, a session musician of some repute, asked the 10-year-old what he wanted to play, probably expecting to hear Green Day or Black Eyed Peas. Any Minor Dude responded: “Johnny Cash”. It had nothing to do with my influence; he had seen the wonderful video for Hurt on MTV, and became an instant fan. Soon after, he bought the Highwaymen CD (Cash’s supergroup with Jennings and Kristofferson) and polished up on older Cash music, even buying a live DVD. I suspect that Hurt, which features on The Man Comes Around, may have introduced many young people to the genius of Johnny Cash. It certainly established this album as the best known of the American recordings.

I don’t know whether it is the best of the series. When I hear it, I think it probably is, especially when I consider that this was released only three months before the man’s death, and so stands as a testament (in a prescient bit of sequencing, the traditional ballad Streets Of Laredo, with its theme of death, burial and redemption, closes the set). But when I hear the first or third American albums, I think whichever one I am listening to is the best. American IV has a few songs that did not need to be recorded, such as Personal Jesus and Bridge Over Troubled Water. But then there are those two extraordinary covers, Nine Inch Nail’s Hurt and Sting’s Hung My Head, which Cash entirely appropriates. Those two and the title track eclipse almost anything in this great Rick Rubin-produced series.
Johnny Cash – The Man Comes Around.mp3
Johnny Cash – Streets Of Laredo.mp3

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Rosie Thomas – When We Were Small

Few singers achieve such immediate intimacy with her listeners as Seattle’s Rosie Thomas, whose beautiful, vulnerable voice accompanies sweet acoustic melodies. Lovely though her songs may sound, her lyrics are in turn sardonic, sad and dark. On her debut album, childhood is a running thread, with what seem to be random old family recordings linking tracks. As all her subsequent albums (other than last year’s Christmas album), When We Were Small has a sense of deep yearning for absent contentment, fleeting moment of love to fill in long, lacerating periods of loss felt deeply. If that sounds boring, know that Thomas was signed by Jonathan Poneman of Sub Pop, the record label that made grunge, who had caught Rosie singing during her stand-up comedy gigs (what’s that about sad clowns?). This is an astonishing debut, and Rosie would get even better yet.
Rosie Thomas – Wedding Day.mp3

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Wilco – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

My pick of song from this album will alert the Wilco fan which side of the group I prefer: the alt-country Wilco. There’s some of that on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which many seem to regard as a highpoint of ’00s music. Some Wilco purists may hate me for saying it, but my preference resides with this album’s 1999 predecessor, Summerteeth, or the undervalued Sky Blue Sky. On Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Wilco go experimental, with noise distortion and electronic innovations, which ordinarily are not my bag. Then what, the reader is entitled to demand, is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot doing on this list? Well, within the Wilco framework, it’s actually very good, and at times exhilarating as the musical dissonance accompanies the discord in the relationships Tweedy is singing about. It may not be my favourite Wilco album, but I’ll concede that it is the Wilco classic.
Wilco – Jesus, etc.mp3

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Ben Folds – Ben Folds Live

No artist I like ever comes to play where I live (other than Missy Higgins, whose gig I missed, and Counting Crows, whose tickets I couldn’t afford at the time); only megastars and superannuated irrelevancies fly in to fleece the South African consumer (a largely ignorant group of people who think that Coldplay is on the sharp end of the cutting edge). Happily, I had my fill of great concerts when I lived in London. But if I could invite one artist to tour South Africa, it would be Ben Folds, alone on strength of two DVDs and many bootlegs I have of Folds in concert — and this album.

It seems a strange decision for Folds to have recorded a solo live album only one album after having split the Ben Folds Five. So the tracklisting incorporates old BFF numbers (such as the astonishing Narcolepsy, Army, Best Imitation Of Myself, The Last Polka, Brick, and Song For The Dumped), which lose little through the absence of his rhythm section, and material from the solo debut, 2001’s Rockin’ The Suburbs, plus a rather good cover of Elton John’s Tiny Dancer. The set includes Folds’ two party pieces: directing the audience to provide backing orchestration to the very funny Army (“Well, I thought about the army; Dad said, ‘Son, you’re fucking high”) and spooky harmonies to Not The Same, the song about a friend who climbed up a tree during a party while on an acid trip and had become a born-again Christian by the time he came down.
Ben Folds – Army (live).mp3 (link fixed)

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Alexi Murdoch – Four Songs

Maybe I’m cheating by including an EP comprising, as the title suggest, only four songs by Murdoch, who is usually compared to Nick Drake, and reasonable so. But those four songs are excellent; why dilute things with mediocre filler tracks? Having said that, Murdoch’s full debut album, 2006’s Time Without Consequence, turned out to be a consistently fine effort with few fillers. That album featured re-recordings of three of the songs on the EP (and those three also appear in re-recorded form on the recently released Away We Go soundtrack, which also recycles a heap of tracks from Time Without Consequence). From the EP, the moody Orange Sky received a fair amount of exposure on several TV shows and soundtracks — which we must not scorn; the licensing fees from TV shows, soundtracks and commercials feed many excellent musicians.
Alexi Murdoch – Blue Mind.mp3

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Tift Merritt – Bramble Rose

Like soul music, country in the past decade or so has been molded and packaged to turn out generic, corporate slush headlined by the regrettable likes of Shania Twain, Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. For the most part, it’s pop that is unconvincingly dressed up as country. The cowboy-hatted diehards may have recourse to perennial Grammy nominees such as Tim McGraw and Alan Jackson, or the bluegrass offerings of Alison Krauss or, lately, Dolly Parton. But beneath the surface of commercial prosperity, country remains vibrant.

Tift Merritt is one of those who work from a rich, venerable tradition without being compromised by the dictates of commercialism. Merritt’s quiet, melodious debut is the most traditional country of her three albums, with slide guitars and the sensibilities of such legends of the genre as Emmylou Harris or Jessi Colter (and, on the rockier songs, Linda Ronstadt) much in evidence. Her second album veered towards bluegrass, and the third album is more accomplished, but this is a very creditable debut.
Tift Merrit – Diamond Shoes.mp3

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Joseph Arthur – Redemption’s Son

The Indie singer-songwriter has not produced anything I like since 2004’s Our Shadows Still Remain, but the trio of that album, 2000’s Come To Where I’m From and Redemption’s Son should sustain me in those times when I require a Joseph Arthur fix (actually, I’ve sequenced my favourite tracks from those albums on my iPod). Arthur’s strength resides in his introspective lyrics, much on this set of a Christian bent (of the Sufjan Stevens variety, I hasten to add. The man has his fill of inner conflicts). Musically, he is eclectic and experimental, which is certainly commendable and perhaps expected of a Peter Gabriel protégé, though I can do without the kitchen sink production of some tracks. And the album is a few songs too long. But when it hits the sweet spot, it’s gorgeous.
Joseph Arthur – Honey And The Moon.mp3

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Josh Rouse – Under Cold Blue Stars

I know a venerable music journalist who’ll fling all review albums by anyone called Josh or Joshua (or, indeed, Ben) across the floor. It’s safe to say that the man is not a great fan of the often misunderstood and unjustly maligned singer-songwriter label. Still, I have a feeling he’d like Josh Ritter, though I’m not quite sure whether he would take to Josh Rouse. Certainly the music of this Josh would not conform to his expectation of a guitar strumming singer-songwriter. He might be surprised to hear a musician who creates appealing, intelligent pop numbers, many of which would not have been out of place on early Prefab Sprout albums. Under Cold Blue Stars is a fine album; if it was all Rouse would ever record, I’d regard it as a favourite. It was, however, followed by two outstanding albums, 1972 and Nashville. This set can’t compete with those (but it’s better than the two albums that came after those). I’ve had trouble deciding which song to feature, which is a mark of how good an album this is.
Josh Rouse – Feeling No Pain.mp3 (link fixed)

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Iron & Wine – The Creek Drank The Cradle

Sam Beam, for he is Iron & Wine, recorded the songs on this album, another debut on Sub Pop, as demos at his Florida home on four-track, and it very much sounds like it. Beam’s almost whispered vocals accompany very pretty but not necessarily memorable melodies. But it’s not that kind of album (whereas the follow-up, 2004’s Our Endless Numbered Days, had a few of those); you put it on to be immersed by a soothing and ultimately engaging atmosphere, aided by some astutely ambiguous lyrics. The deficiencies in sound quality make sense when Beam borrows from old country and bluegrass, as he does on An Angry Blade and The Rooster Moans, which one might well mistake for some old, lost Appalachian recordings. Indeed, the aural imperfections add to the set’s intimacy.
Iron & Wine – Upward Over The Mountain.mp3

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Counting Crows – Hard Candy

The early ’00s suffered from nostalgia trips by people who grew up in the ’90s: Ben Folds Five devotees who refuse to accept the Ben Folds One, Weezer fans who want Pinkerton perpetually recycled (and, to be fair, the latest Weezer album is awful), and Counting Crows devotees who need to compare every new Crows album to August And Everything After. The latter group was hard on Hard Candy. It may not be the (rather overrated) debut’s equal, but it certainly is more upbeat — and Duritz finally stops going on about the heartbreaking Elisabeth. Admittedly, Hard Candy includes some filler material, but this is the age of WinAmp which allows the listener to re-sequence albums (if only to avoid the ghastly American Girls). If some of the album is frustratingly disappointing, the other half comprises some of Counting Crows’ finest moments. Holiday In Spain is gorgeous, even if the album version is rendered entirely redundant by the gorgeous live version on the New Amsterdam album, which was recorded on the Hard Candy tour. Counting Crows have referenced The Band throughout their career; here their heroes get a namecheck by way of noting Richard Manuel’s death (even if The Band’s late, bearded singer serves only as a MacGuffin to a reflection on a relationship).
Counting Crows – If I Could Give All My Love (Or Richard Manuel Is Dead).mp3

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More Albums of the Year

For those who say that Josh Rouse releases the same album over and over again, this is the perfect antidote. ‘Country Mouse, City House’ , his last long player from 2007 was Seekmagic’s favourite in a long line of fantastic albums, that channel that super 70s AM radio sound that Josh does so so well, from ‘1972′, through ‘Nashville’ and the spanish-tinged ‘Subtitulo’. The Spanish theme continues with the first taster from his forthcoming album ‘El Turisto’. Valencia is Senor Rouse’s adopted home town, and if the album title is anything to go by, we can expect more of the spanish-sung, flamenco-driven sound that ‘Valencia’ (the song) does so well. A true blast of sunshine to brighten up the November gloom.

Download mp3 ‘Valencia’

Pues abrimos una sección nueva, con listas de canciones.

Ahí va una lista de 7 canciones, para empezar bien cada día de la semana…

Lunes: Something good this day comes (Seeing things) – Jakob Dylan

Martes: La luna debajo del brazo (Daiquiri Blues) – Quique González

Miércoles: Días Sin (La ciudad de las agujas) – Amaro Ferreiro

Jueves: Jet Lag (Mentiroso mentiroso) – Ivan Ferreiro

Viernes: Street lights (Nashville) – Josh Rouse

Sábado: Can’t sing straight (A piece of what you need) – Teddy Thompson

Domingo: Our song (Civilians) – Joe Henry

Feliz semana

:electricalkid:

Bom, depois de recomendar um filme e um livro ­– ótimos por sinal – me falta falar de um disco e nesse ponto que lhes apresento Josh Rouse.

“Se o consumismo não fosse tão forte, se não existissem paradas do sucesso, jabaculés e afins, se o que importasse no mundo fosse o simples prazer pelo prazer (e não por modismos, vícios ou enganos), Josh Rouse seria um cara muito mais reconhecido.”

É por essas palavras de Marcelo Costa (Blog Calmantes com Champagne 2.0) que exprime muito bem o que penso, que falo sobre esse musico tão talentoso, mas que pelos parâmetros mercadológicos da finada industria fonográfica sofre uma esmagadora concorrência com ‘artistas’ de menor calibre. Porem, nem por isso o americano deixa de ser prestigiado com honras de inúmeros fãs – a par, sempre, do repertorio – e também pela critica especializada.

Bom, para quem quiser conhecer melhor o seu trabalho deixo a dica de álbum “Country Mouse City House”, no qual logo de cara você se depara com a bela ‘Sweetie’. Vale a pena conferir.

These are the songs that when they play on my iPod make me realize I’m alone…they then make me wonder why I have them on my running mix at the gym.

I placed rules on myself when trying to pick the best ten.
#1) Nothing “classic.”  As much as I love Sinatra and Buble, I couldn’t bring myself to have any romantic attachment to a style of music that reminds me of my father.
#2)  It can’t be a “Wedding Song” one that make all my engaged friends go, “Oh maybe I’ll have my first dance to this.” NO!  Those songs did not make my list.
#3)  Nothing I loved during high school could make the list (Nsync and John Mayer I’m looking at you).
#4)  They had to make me think about someone else.  The trend of the list indicates that pianos make me think about former loves.
#5)  I could only pick 10.  So here they are, the Top Ten Songs that Make You Realize You’re Alone.

Well those are the rules so download these songs to your iPod, build a fire, curl up under a blanket, grab some Ben and Jerry’s and press play.

Top Ten Songs That Make You Realize You’re Alone

1. Gardenia, Mandy Moore
   Best Lyric: Doing all the Things I’ve neglected, Traded them all to be in your arms.
2. Songbird, Eva Cassidy
   Best Lyric:  Cause I feel that when I’m with you, It’s alright, I know it’s right.
3. 9 Crimes, Damien Rice
   Best Lyric:  Its the wrong kind of place to be thinking of you.
4. A Simple Twist of Fate, The Format cover of Bob Dylan
   Best Lryic:  Maybe she’ll pick him out again, how long must he wait, once more for a simple twist of fate.
5. Wasteland, Matt White
   Best Lyric:  All Alone, where are you, are we over?
6. Fear You Wont Fall, Josh Radin
   Best Lryic:  I know it’s easy to say, but it’s harder to feel this way.
7. Miss Me, Joe Purdy
   Best Lyric:  I guess something don’t work out like they should.
8. By Your Side, Sade
   Best Lyric:  Oh when you’re cold, I’ll be there to hold you tight
9. Sad Eyes, Josh Rouse
   Best Lyric:  You’re staying out till late ’cause it was what your husband hated
10. Feels Like Home, Chantal Kreviazuk
    Best Lyric: Well if you knew how much this moment means to me and how long I’ve waited for your touch.

Nothing like a blog with two numbered lists.  Awesome.

PS- feel free to debate me or add your own.

Not feeling particularly creative or attentive apparently, for today’s chapter of my 1000 Minutes Project I chose two songs of exactly the same length.  I’m sure someone with more knowledge of fate/numerology/whatever might have something to say about the meaning of this, but I just kind of figure that when you choose 250 songs or so, two are bound to be the same length.  Anyway, let’s get into it:

65. Amos Lee – Keep It Loose, Keep It Tight (mp3) from Amos Lee (3:08) [Time Remaining: 684:30]

There’s a vein of simple, hopeful sadness running right through the opening track of Amos Lee’s eponymous debut album.  It’s thoughtful about the end of relationships – with a city, with a landlord, with a girlfriend.  While the song is at its most basic about the attempt to achieve a balance in one’s life, it’s also a gentle reminder to appreciate that with which we’ve been blessed.

Often the word home is confused with the structures in which we live; it’s stabilizing to remember that wherever we all end up, it’s our loved ones that are really our homes.  And if nothing else, I can’t get over how perfectly the sentiment conveyed right at the start of the second verse is:

I’m in love with a girl who’s in love with the world; I can’t help but follow.

66. Josh Rouse – Winter in the Hamptons (mp3) from Nashville (3:08) [Time Remaining: 681:22]

There comes a point each year – right around the end of March – when my spring fever really starts to kick in.  The winters around Rochester are long, often severe, and an overall pain in the ass.  (See: Lake-Effect Snow.)  After the Super Bowl, there’s another month and a half (at least) of terrible weather.  It’s enough to affect a person’s sanity.

But, as March draws to a close, things finally start to look up as far as our weather is concerned.  The ground is mostly visible – except for the two-story snow mounds in parking lots around the city, and the constant threat of snow is gone.  Despite the lingering chill in the air, Josh Rouse’s “Winter in the Hamptons” always puts me squarely in the mood for warmer days, as if having my car scraped by snow plows for three months wasn’t enough.

I’d like to share some Monday evening listening with you.

Go ahead and listen to Josh Rouse’s “Streetlights,” at full volume, on the best headphones you’ve got. And at 2:19, a build starts that should make your heart swell. And if by 2:58, you aren’t mouth agape, fighting to inhale, gasping from the sheer beauty of the instrumentation, then: “Music. Ur doing it rong.” Don’t miss the subtle minor strings chord at 3:26. I shouldn’t be able to say that a classically-influenced track is “sick,” But… it’s sick. I listen to it over and over, finding tiny nuances with the instrumentation. And it fills me with glee.

My dear friend Raynor and I recently discussed our similarity in listening to music. I told him I didn’t know if I could intellectually handle seeing the Decemberists at the Ryman because I would be an utter mess. Assuming they play a whole set comprised of sequential songs from The Hazards of Love, I would be sobbing inconsolably. Hazards is one of the most incredibly beautiful, heart-wrenching albums I’ve ever heard, and the thought of hearing it live scares the crap out of me – I’m afraid it would actually melt my face off.

The point: Raynor concurred with me that if music doesn’t sometimes make you gasp and squeal and cry and throw an insane, screaming fit (that did-she-just-say-”render-arift-and-defiled”?! feeling), you’re doing it wrong. If I’m the crazy one, so be it… I wouldn’t give up that feeling of being possessed – feeling like my very body is full of electric fireflies – for anything.

• Streetlights Josh Rouse  Nashville
• Meadowlarks Fleet Foxes Fleet Foxes
• Eugene Hill Bill Ricchini  Tonight I Burn Brightly
• Van Occupanther Midlake  The Trials of Van Occupanther
• The Queen’s Rebuke / The Crossing The Decemberists  The Hazards of Love

Head on over to imeem and take a listen.

Who? RuRu (now known as Isaac Russell)

What? Softness on a guitar, Indian Summer music

Sounds like? Vandaveer, Josh Ritter, Josh Rouse

So, I’m back. I was kinda wasting my evening, so i thougth: well let’s upload a song of some good music. I’m still looking for other ways to keep this blog going, cause i would like to give musical tips. I just don’t like spending time writing about it I guess. (And i hate the uploading as well, that’s how lazy i am) (well, most of the time it’s just lack of time)

Anyway, this album is one of the finest I’ve heard this year. It sounds like pretty average singersongwriter pop, but I can be a sucker for plain and simple (next to being a sucker for complex and weird voices)

So, You just enjoy this, while the Indian Summer is blowing away the last bits of Summer. Time to let the leaves fall. This is a little bit of fire to prepare for the cold.

Amazing by the way that the guy was only fifteen when he made this.

RuRu – Elizabeth

RuRu – Why?

You can listen to more songs here:

And buy the album please!

R: ¿Cómo no ser fan del concepto South By South West (SXSW)? ¿Un “festival” enfocado mayormente a la industria musical (pero al que puedes acceder como espectador… con la pasta por delante, claro) que destapa lo mejorcito que se va a mover en la próxima temporada? Vamos, que yo hace varias temporadas que hago cálculos de la abuela para ver si me llega el sueldo y escaparme hasta Austin (Texas)… Pero no hay tu tía. Así que nada, habrá que agradecer  que alguien se haya decidido a importar el concepto hasta tierras españolas: Monkey Week pone sus entradas a la venta y se autoproclama “el punto de encuentro de la música”. Y habrá que creerles, viendo la ristra de grupos que tocarán en el Puerto de Santa María (Cádiz) del 9 al 12 de octubre. Hay bombazos internacionales de los que espera todo el mundo, claro: la reunión de Wire, King Khan & The Shrines (en la foto), el nuevo proyecto de John Spencer y Matt Verta-Ray bajo el nombre de Heavy Trash, Josh Rouse, Howe Gelb y Kitty, Daisy & Lewis, uno de los valores seguros de la última temporada. Pero la gracia de Monkey Week es que actuará de expositor para los sellos españoles, de tal forma que hasta allá llevarán sus grupos PIAS Spain (Gentle Music Men), Naked Man Recordings (Big City), Producciones Doradas (Tu Madre, Centella) y muchos otros. En general, se conforma un gran escaparate de la nueva escena española, con bandas (además de las mencionadas) como Nacho Vegas, Tokyo Sex Destruction, Marina Gallardo, The Lions Constellation, Manos de Topo, The New Reamon, Alondra Bentley o The Baltic Sea. Sólo falta que, en futuras ediciones, el evento se convierta en un escaparate, también, de lo que pasa fuera… Pero tiempo al tiempo.

Josh Rouse rules part of my heart.  This track is from his album ” Subtitulo“.  It’s an oldie, but a goodie!

Yesterday I went back to school (the one I graduated from two months ago) and came away with three potential letters of recommendation from several of my former module professors. Incredible how my half-assed desultory approach to the whole thing played out pretty smoothly in the end. Major props to Maya, an amazing friend and person, for helping and supporting me all the way. William’s letter of recommendation will absolutely help me in many ways for when I am applying to any university in the future.

I called up Anna afterwards and asked if we could meet up for coffee or something, someone I could sit down with and just talk. Her response to my offer was a question about A.D, if I was planning on getting back together. I sidestepped the question, partly because too many people have been asking that, and I am tired of having to explain to them why it can’t and won’t work. Also, she had things planned for the rest of the evening, so we agreed to meet up the next day.

And there we were: What started as a lunch “date” became a full-blown shopping spree. Nothing is more dangerous than a determined, hard-headed female with a bag full of cash and the unabashed display of branded goods and clothes within reach. Seriously though, as an XY-chromosomed male talking here, what is it about the transaction of cash for goods that is so innately appealing to women? The barter system seemed so much simpler back when our ancestors practiced it. Also, I suppose I don’t need to enlighten anyone about the outrageous GST surcharge rate that is being imposed these days. Impossible to avoid in a society highly entrenched in socialism.

Anna dragged me to this huge music and DVD store to get her hands on some hot Korean serial drama girls are watching these days. As I was (predictably) browsing through the roots and country section and scoffing at the meager selection of artists available (mostly mainstream artists like Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, Carrie Underwood and oh, of course, pseudo-country’s most beloved, Miss Taylor Swift, although I was pleasantly surprised to discover a Johnny Horton compilation), I noticed a Johnny Cash greatest hits package going for $69.90. And what a deal.

The box set included extended DVDs for Cash’s famous performances at San Quentin and Folsom Prison, the amazing biopic film Walk the Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon yo, which I cannot believe I have yet to watch, packaged along with bonus features and the 1970 soundtrack disc to the older movie version, a Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show DVD from 1969-1971 which includes performances by Loretta Lynn, Bob Dylan & Creedence Clearwater Revival, the debut album from the Highwaymen, the Live from Austin, Texas album + DVD, and a Ring of Fire: The Best of Johnny Cash album (which I already have). Still, what man could resist such an enticing deal? I am aware that no “Greatest Hits” package on planet Earth can do the entire catalogue of the King of Country justice, but this is a pretty damn good find at a reasonable price. Plus, paycheck had arrived the day before, so I was a little more lenient in forking out the moolah.

When I got to the counter, the salesgirl behind the cashier took her time inspecting the product.

“This is a big box.” she announced matter-of-factly. She was ethnic Chinese, but spoke with a thick Australian accent. A former Australian college student then, or one back for her summer vacation, I assumed.

“Yes.” I replied, not really sure what to say.

“I mean, wow, this is a big box.”

“Yes, I noticed.”

“You shore you can tayke this home?”

“Why?”

“Nothing. It’s just too heavy. Wow, JC, huh? You a big fan?” She started poking at the box for some inane reason.

“Um, yes. Can I pay?”

“Wow, it looks expensive. You shore you wanna pay for this?”

“Isn’t that why I’m here?” I tried grabbing the base of the box to stop her incessant poking, but she pulled it out of my reach and plonked it hard down onto the counter. I was pissed.

“It’s cool. I like big packages too.” She gave me a wink. I resisted giving her the bird. 

Afterwards I told Anna what the salesgirl said. Her conclusion: either the girl was a lesbian, which would have explained the liking the whole big packages/boxes a.k.a boobs deal, or she was flirting with me and I was too obsessed trying to preserve the condition of the box to notice. I laughed. And immediately dismissed the latter option, because I would never date a person who thinks the weight of Johnny Cash is too much of a burden to carry around.

And that, dear readers, is one of many reasons why I’ll probably remain single for a good, long while.

Now, off to watch Witherspoon at her best!

See ya soon

“Welcome to New York, now go the fuck home.” – Johnny Cash

Currently addicted to: One of the best songwriters modern folk & alternative country has ever seen. Plus, you’re gonna want to marry a girl of your own too after listening to the track, so you can both sleep on the roofs of people’s homes and ride bicycles happily towards the Utopian sunset.

Sweetie – Josh Rouse

Happy Tuesday!  This week I wanted to share with you music from alternative and indie artists.  Some you may recognize, others may be new.  There is a bit of indie rock, alternative rock, and even alternative country.  Have a listen and see if any of these artists capture your imagination.  And your ears.

1. Company of Thieves: Oscar Wilde

2. Amy Millan: Skinny Boy

3. Josh Rouse: Winter in the Hamptons

4. Jenny Lewis with the Watson Twins: Rise Up With Fists!!

5. Carolina Liar: Show Me What I’m Looking For

Want to know more about an artist?  Just click on their name to visit their official website.  There is more music there, I promise

At long last, another music blog.

Inspired by the recent financial crisis of Paste Magazine, Audiophilage the music blog is born.  While seemingly unrelated, Paste’s problem was the straw that broke this lazy camel’s back.  In case you live under a rock, here is what is happening.  Print media is in a bad way, because advertisers have been tightening their belts.  Realistically, print is going the way of the dinosaur… but that’s neither here nor there.

Paste asked for support.  They got it from awesome musicians and they’re peddling great music for dirt cheap.  Make a donation, get access to their Paste Music Vault.  Then you get everything.  Over 75 awe-some artists donated music; Neko Case, She & Him, Of Montreal, Jayhawks, Josh Rouse, The Avett Brothers, Josh Ritter, and many many more.  If you don’t know who these folks are, trust that they’re good, donate to Paste, and discover great artists on the cheap!

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On an unrelated note:  WordPress is earning my ire.  I cannot post video with an upgrade, edit CSS without an upgrade, or post music without finding an outside url host.  Stay tuned for a possible site shift…

I feel sick. I learned today how truly freaked out I get by going to the doctor’s. I also learned I have 80/66 blood pressure. Which is apparently low, but my doctor said is normal? Makes no sense to me. Things seem to be annoying me today. Extra… something. Paranoia, anxiety, overly thinking and analyzing… I don’t know what it is. I wish I could have a perfect day exactly how I imagine it. Or even something close to my perfect day… hmm.

Were you happy when you woke up today? No I had to go to the doctor.
When were you on the phone last? And with who? Earlier with my mother.
Honestly, who was the last person to tell you they loved you? Jerk.
Have a best friend? I don’t like calling someone my best friend.
Are you scared to fall in love? Sigh.
Do you think teenagers can be in love? Mhmm. I just think it’s stupid when they say “I love you” early in a relationship when it ends. I hate when people throw those words around. Especially teenage couples. It annoys me so very much. They describe their lust, and claim it as love when it has only been like two weeks. Shut the fuck up you don’t know shit.
Last person you wanted to punch in the face? I don’t know. I am not very fond of violence.

What do you want right now? Everything to be better.

Do you find it hard to trust others? There is a high chance I don’t trust you at all. Honestly I don’t even trust my parents. I trust maybe two people, kind of trust like three or four, everyone else… not at all.
I bet you miss somebody right now. Yes? That isn’t even a question. I do though.

Can you honestly say you’re okay right now? I can honestly say I am not okay right now.
Tell me what’s on your mind? School, teachers, friends, blood pressure, sick, homework, Jerk, how it’s really hot, how I am tired, how my arm hurts, my neck is stiff and I just want to pass out.
When is your next road trip? I guess the first of August? Depends on the definition really…
Do you think somebody’s in love with you? No. I know someone loves me, but I know he isn’t IN love with me. Not anymore. All in the life of moi.
What are you planning on doing after this? Homework.
Next time you will kiss someone? Maybe the next time I see him. I don’t know.
Have you told anybody you loved them today? Jerk.
Do you crack your knuckles? During panic attacks yes.
What were you doing yesterday at midnight? I don’t know. Being all moody most likely.
What are your LEGAL initials? What do you mean “legal”? I guess GRC… actually I think on my SS card my middle name is in two parts… so I guess GRMC?

Are you afraid of the dark? Paranoid.
Do you have good vision? Ha.
Do you have any scars? Pfffft. yes.
Do you miss the way things used to be? So much.
Has anyone ever told you they’re in love with you? Once upon a time Jerk did.
Last song you listened to? Sweetie – Josh Rouse <3
Will tomorrow be better than today? Most likely since today kind of bombed.
Do you think relationships are ever really worth it? If I learned something it was worth it.
Is it possible to be single and happy? I’m sure it is, I just am not haha.
Is this year the best year of your life? This year and last have been the worse years of my life. Also seventh grade. And fifth. And third.
When was the last time you were disappointed? Today of course.
Think back 5 months ago, were you single? Today five months ago, was my last day of my relationship with Jerk. Ha. Valentines day. Whoot.
Were you single on your last birthday? Yeah….. but… we? I don’t know we are stupid.
Did you ever waste too much time on a certain boy or girl? I may be wasting time but at times it is also worth it.
Do you think two people can last forever? My main example of love should have been my parents, Failed. Majority of my mom’s side, Fail, Dad’s side, Unhappy or single. Friend’s parents, unhappy or divorce, never married, ect., Really the only example that gives me hope is Jennaaaaaaaydear’s.
Will your next kiss be a mistake? Most likely not.
Last person you saw other than your family? David is in my living room.

Thomas Esposito/revistawego@gmail.com

Cuando un festival llega a tener tanto éxito como el Freek Fest, éste está obligado a hacerse grande. Sin embargo, lo que han planeado los organizadores para este año será más bien el comienzo de un proyecto nuevo y mucho más ambicioso, nacido de la experiencia del Freek Fest pero con la intención de convertirse en una muestra de música independiente de nivel europeo. Los organizadores lo han llamado ‘Monkey Week’ y tendrá lugar en el Puerto de Santa María del 9 al 12 de Octubre 2009. Cuatro días de encuentro, formación y reflexión alrededor de la situación actual del mercado musical y del panorama artístico nacional e internacional, que en palabras de Cesar Guisado de Freek “no está para nada en crisis”.

Monkey Week

La Monkey Week nace de la idea del productor Paco Loco y de los músicos Enrique Bunbury y Gary Louris de desarrollar en el Sur de España un festival de música independiente capaz de aunar lo mejor de la escena actual y convertirse en una cita anual entre artistas, profesionales y público.

Para ello la mejor plataforma existente resultó ser el Freek Fest, festival que venía desarrollandose desde dos años en el Puerto de Santa María por la iniciativa de la revista Freek y que a partir de esta edición será uno con la Monkey Week.

La iniciativa tiene el patrocinio de la Junta de Andalucía, Instituto Andaluz de la Juventud, Proyecto Lunar, Diputación de Cadiz y Ayuntamiento del Puerto de Santa María.

Programa

La intención de los organizadores es que ”durante cuatro días el Puerto de Santa María se convierta en una ciudad de rock“, como anunció ayer Bunbury en la rueda de prensa de presentación. Crear un vínculo entre la ciudad y la música a través de un encuentro que pretende ser a la vez un escaparate y un taller creativo-reflexivo.

Una idea que se materializará a través de una programación que se divide en dos grandes bloques, lo profesional y lo artístico.

Lo profesional

En lo profesional Monkey Week prevé momentos de reflexión y debates sobre la situación actual de la música y el mercado discográfico, con mesas redondas, conferencias y talleres que tendrán lugar por las mañanas en el teatro Pedro Muñoz Seca. Además, siguiendo el modelo de las ferias profesionales del sector, los organizadores han programado en el mismo teatro una feria de comercio, donde participarán varias empresas del sector: discográficas, productoras, medios de comunicación, educadores, fabricantes de equipos de sonido e instrumentos.

Conciertos showcases

Por fin incluso el bloque profesional tendrá su parte artística y de diversión a través de los conciertos gratuitos que varios patrocinadores del festival organizarán en distintos espacios de la ciudad. Estas actuaciones tendrán el formato de showcase, conciertos que sirven de presentación de la oferta cultural del patrocinador.

Se trata de un evento para nada secundario, ya que en este escaparate de la escena indie actual actuarán grupos tan interesantes y conocidos como Pony Bravo, las Buenas Noches, Zoo, Dinero, Manos de Topo, Tannhauser, Marina Gallardo, Salieri o Úrsula.

Lo artístico

Sin embargo la oferta más importante a nivel musical llegará con los conciertos que tendrán lugar en formato convencional en espacios como el Monasterio de la Victoria, el Hotel Puerto Cherry o la plaza del Castillo de San Marcos.

En estos peculiares escenarios tendrán lugar los conciertos del cartel oficial y la final del Circuito de Pop Rock de Andalucía. De momento los artistas confirmados son Wire, Jim Jones Revue, Leda Tres, Little Cobras, Howe Gelb, the A-Bones, Nacho Vegas, Cápsula, Remate con Muni Camón, Josh Rouse, Alondra Bentley, Paco Loco Trio, los Granadians del Espacio Exterior, the Mary Onettes.

Incógnitos

Los organizadores anuncian cerrar el cartel en unos 20 días, a finales de julio, fecha en que se dará a conocer también la política de precios para las entradas. De momento se sabe que al público será ofrecida la posibilidad de comprar abonos que darán acceso a todos los conciertos.

Más información en la web del festival monkeyweek.org

]]> http://moneyandblogging.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/feeling-1982-fifteen-million-unemployed/ Thu, 02 Jul 2009 19:21:49 +0000 Ranjit http://moneyandblogging.wordpress.com/2009/07/02/feeling-1982-fifteen-million-unemployed/

Another BLS employment report, more bad news.  In every month since April 2008, the U.S. unemployment rate has either risen or held steady.  It’s currently at 9.5%, the highest since late 1982, and 14.7 million people are unemployment (or 15.1 million if one uses the non-seasonally-adjusted data, i.e., the data that count the actual unemployed without filtering for seasonal fluctuations).  For adult men, the unemployment rate is an even 10%. Nonfarm payroll employment fell by 467,000, about 100,000 worse than economists had expected.

U.S. unemployment rate, 1980-2009

It gets worse still. Think of 5% unemployment as the benchmark, as many economists consider 5% to be the “natural” rate of unemployment, i.e., about the lowest unemployment rate that the economy can sustain without generating higher inflation.  The unemployment rate has been that low or better quite often in recent years, including about four years in 1997-2001 and about three years in 2005-2008 (click chart to see it properly).  Right now, however, 5 percent (actually 5.1%) is the long-term unemployment rate, i.e., the number of people unemployed 15 weeks or longer divided by the total labor force.

And, to mount a hobby-horse once again, these official unemployment rates minimize the extent of the problem, because they don’t include discouraged job-seekers who’ve given up looking for work (and are technically no longer part of the “labor force”) and people involuntarily working part time instead of full time.  The all-inclusive U-6 unemployment rate is now 16.5% (or 16.8% if not seasonally adjusted).

If there’s a nugget of good news in the new unemployment data, I haven’t noticed it.  But if 1982 is any guide, we might at least get some good music out of it.  After all, the wretched job market of the early ’80s gave us Bruce Springsteen’s monumental Nebraska

(this too) and Billy Bragg’s “To Have and Have Not,”

among others.  I haven’t heard a current-day equivalent, though Drive-by Truckers’ “Putting People on the Moon” (2004), from the perspective of a guy who’s felt the Silent Depression of the past three decades first hand, will do just fine.

Title inspired by a Josh Rouse song.