Iedere week bespreekt Bouke een onbekend of vergeten juweeltje uit de popmuziek. Deze week: Black Sheep Boy van Okkervil River.

Iedere man heeft een Black Sheep Boy in zich. Een diep onderbuik gevoel dat twee dingen wil. Naar de tering gaan, en terwijl-ie dat doet vooral met rust gelaten worden. Een zwart stukje binnenste, vol frustratie, schaamte, teleurstelling en wat-meer-zij. Deze plaat gooit deze emoties er als geen ander uit. Een ranzig stukje mens, uitgesmeerd over twee handenvol liedjes.

Want na de kleine introductie is het al meteen raak. In For Real kotst het Beest in niet mis te verstane bewoordingen zijn ellende uit. I want to know this time if you’re really finally mine/ I need to know that you’re not lying so I want to see you tried/ And I don’t want to hear you say it shouldn’t really be this way/ ’Cause I like this way just fine. Begeleid door een gitaarlijn waarmee je kristal kan slijpen en een stem die je glazen doet barsten gaat dit liedje gelijk door merg en been.

Onderhuids gevoel van ongemak
En dan beginnen we net. Het rustige, morbide In A Radio Song komt er gelijk achteraan. I rose from a dream / I had just destroyed everything /with one crushing blow. Een onderhuids gevoel van ongemak. Je schuift op je stoel, je hebt jeuk op je hoofd. Het broeit.

Maar het duurt niet lang voor het gal weer uit de speakers spuit. Het nummer Black is misschien wel het smerigste, vraatzuchtigste nummer op de plaat. But if I could tear his throat / and spill his blood between my jaws/ and erase his name out for good, don’t you know that I would? / Don’t you realize that I wouldn’t pause, / that I would cut him down with my claws / if I could have somehow never let that happen? / Or I’d call, some black midnight,/ fuck up his new life where they don’t know what he did / tell his brand-new wife and his second kid. / Though I tell you, like before, / that you should wreck his life the way that he wrecked yours, /you want no part of his life anymore. Het liegt er allemaal niet om. En het klinkt allemaal zo vreselijk gemeend en zo enorm echt dat je er bijna bang van wordt.

Somber, hopeloos en boos
Er volgen nog meer boze liedjes, sombere liedjes en hopeloze liedjes. De minnaar uit A Stone kennen we allemaal: And I think that I know the bitter dismay / of a lover who brought fresh brouquets every day / when she turned him away /to remember some knave /who once gave / just one rose /one day, years ago. Het is een eerlijke, keiharde situatie die zelden briljanter verwoord is dan op deze plaat.

Maar het absolute prijsnummer, het nummer dat de diepste indruk op mij maakt is So Come Back, I Am Waiting. Een liedje uit het oogpunt van. De drug spreekt hier, en is kei- en keihard, maar heroine tegelijkertijd eenzaam en op een vreemde manier meelijwekkend. He says “there’s plenty of time to make you mine tonight / there’s plenty of time to make you mine.” / He says “there’s plenty of ways to know you’re not dying, all right. /Hell, there’s plenty of light still left in your eyes.” Het is ongelooflijk verdrietig, hopeloos en morbide.

Ongeëvenaarde droefenis
Ik kan nog uren doorgaan met het citeren van deze plaat. Hij raakt me. De instrumentatie, de treurigheid van het koper en bovenal de geweldige teksten die zich laten lezen als korte verhalen. Het is een droefenis, maar tegelijkertijd een alles-gaat-kapot-en-dat-interesseert-me-geen-fuck sfeer. De Black Sheep Boy, die iedereen in zich heeft.

Maar het geweldige van deze plaat is dat hij vertrouwen schept. Als ik in de shit zit, mijn vertrouwen verlies in de wereld, de mensen en de muziek, dan herinnert deze plaat me eraan dat er nog oprechtheid in de wereld is. Het brengt een soort vertrouwen in mij terug. Ergens is nog een sprankje passie, een klein vonkje. En op deze plaat brandt die als nooit tevoren.

Bouke Sonnega

Last week we began an ambitious expedition through the best music of the past decade and I posted the albums ranked 91-100. Today we will tackle the next ten, numbers 81-90. Let me know what you think.

90. U2 – No Line on the Horizon (2009)
I’ve long been a fan of U2, but have rarely found their complete albums to be great. Even their magnum opus, The Joshua Tree, is terribly front-loaded. No Line continues their tradition of good recordings, proving to be one of their better collections overall and definitely their best since 1991’s The Joshua Tree. Some of the songs, like “Magnificent” and “Moment of Surrender,” can stand up to anything in their legendary catalog.

89. Matisyahu – Youth (2006)
An orthodox Hasidic Jew doing reggae music? Why not, this is the 2000’s. Matisyahu mixes socially conscious lyrics with danceable rhythms to produce one of the more unusual and surprising releases of the decade. The title track, “Youth,” and “King Without a Crown” are two tunes that particularly show that he could be in for a long and fruitful career.

88. Pearl Jam – Riot Act (2002)
As I’ve mentioned on many occasions in the past, I’ve long been a rabid fan of Pearl Jam and this is probably my favorite of theirs from the intervening years between No Code and Backspacer. It has a varied sound that is more akin to Vitalogy than to any of their other works, while showing the maturity of a group of men closing in on 40. The album contains jabs at corporate America and President Bush, but I think my favorite tunes are probably “I am Mine,” “Thumbing my Way,” and “Love Boat Captain.” It’s definitely a must-have for PJ fans.

87. The New Pornographers – Challengers (2007)
TNG is an indie rock supergroup of sorts made up of AC Newman, Dan Bejar (aka Destoryer), and one of my personal favorites, Neko Case. The band makes interesting music together, but I personally wish they would utilize Case more often than they do. Regardless, this album has some great songs, including “Myriad Harbor” and the title track, “Challengers.”

86. Belle & Sebastian – The Life Pursuit (2006)
Scottish band Belle & Sebastian have been carrying the indie pop banner for several years now and The Life Pursuit continues their streak of interesting and catchy music. Their sound is similar to the alternative bands of the 1980’s, such as The Smiths, just with a bit more sunshine from earlier mainstream pop. Check out songs like “The Blues Are Still Blue” and “Funny Little Frog” to get a better idea of what they are about.

85. Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere (2006)
The combination of producer extraordinaire Danger Mouse and rapper Cee-Lo Green quickly proved itself to be a formidable one with their debut release, St. Elsewhere. Funky and soulful, with inescapably catchy songs like “Crazy,” the duo blew up in 2006 with this multi-platinum released and have continued to prove themselves with an innovative style that appeals to both critics and regular listeners.

84. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest (2009)
Interesting and intelligent, the band Grizzly Bear is a critical darling of the decade for a reason. The have a real knack for bending genres, mixing electronic sounds with vocal harmonies a la Fleet Foxes and some very nice alterna-pop melodies. Catchy songs like “Two Weeks” and “While You Wait for the Others” will be stuck in your head for days. Though I had heard some of their last release, Yellow House, this was the first album of the band’s that I’ve listened to very often, so I’m looking forward to seeing what Grizzly Bear has in store for us in the future.

83. Radiohead – Hail to the Thief (2003)
Would it be considered a heresy for me to call Radiohead the Beatles of generation X? There is probably no other group who have changed music, who have camped out at the cutting edge and set themselves up as the standard-bearers of a generation, to the same extent as Thom Yorke’s band. While this politically charged album may not be among their best, it is still quite good and proves that even when not on top of their game, Radiohead is on another level than everyone else. Songs like “2+2=5” and “There There” are nearly on par with anything in their career.

82. Modest Mouse – Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004)
I had listened to some Modest Mouse prior to the release of this album, but for whatever reason, they never truly grabbed hold of me. It was not until the catchy and anthemic song “Float On” hit the airwaves that I went back, listened, and became a fan. This breakout album for the longtime indie stalwarts is definitely a must-own for someone interested in the music of the early 2000’s.

81. Okkervil River – The Stand Ins (2008)
This hyper-literate Austin band hit paydirt with this 2008 release and its ultra-catchy “Lost Coastlines.” Though this set of recordings is supposed to be a companion piece to their 2007 release, The Stage Names, I think I actually enjoy it more. Frontman Will Sheff likes to make strange and sometimes obscure references to everything from French playwright Antonin Artaud to a 1920’s German silent film to the Gospel of Thomas, and that’s only in one song (“Singer Songwriter”). How cool is that? Seriously, check this album out if you haven’t already.

Norah Jones – The Fall [Blue Note]

I have a confession to make, and when I make it I ask that you please don’t judge me.  Okay, here goes… I Love Norah Jones, that’s right with a capital L.  I know, I know, how can you take a music blog seriously when the main contributor to said site is a fan of such Mum-Jazz-Lite shite?  Well, we all have our guilty pleasures, and Norah Jones is one of mine.  Wow, that’s such a relief to get off my chest.

So anyway, The Fall.  Well it seems that Norah Jones may have just recorded an album that could sway the opinion of those who’d scoff at my admission of love for her, if only they’d give it a chance.

Roping in producer/engineer Jacquire King [Kings Of Leon, Modest Mouse, Tom Waits] as well as a smattering of collaborators as Ryan Adams and Okkervil River’s’ Will Shelf won’t harm her new found indie-lite credentials.  And neither will the music itself.  As you’d expect it’s laid back, but this is the kind of laid back you feel Norah Jones has strived to make ever since being crowed the queen of Jazz.
Jones’ warm and husky voice lends itself perfectly to this hushed, organ-led ‘Chasing Pirates’, a song so charming it feels like a hug from a missed loved one, a tone that couldn’t be further from the Blondie-esque ‘It’s Gonna Be’, a moment that see’s Jones saunter throughout with a swagger Mick Jagger would be proud of.

And though her collaboration with Ryan Adams isn’t as strong as the their previously released duet, ‘Dear John’ from Adams’ ’ Jacksonville City Nights, ‘Light As A Feather’ has just enough beauty within its country exploration to put some wishful thoughts into my head that these two will one day record a full length album together.

Overall The Fall is a great little album and a total joy to listen too.  It may not win-over those who’ll never get past Jones’ initial musical output, and it may not make Norah Jones “cool”, but who cares.  It’s good music and that’s all that matters.

The Fall – Released on 16th November, 2009 via Blue Note

Låtar som...
♥ … har gjort mig glad: Håkan Hellström – Känn ingen sorg för mig Göteborg
♥ … har gjort mig ledsen: A fine frenzy – Almost lover
♥ … jag vill dansa till: Lady Gaga – Poker face
♥ … jag vill dansa ännu mer till: The pussycat dolls – Buttons
♥ … lugnar ner mig: Pet shop boys feat. Rufus Wainwright – Casanova in hell
♥ … jag lyssnar på för att bli pepp: Kaiser Chiefs – Ruby
♥ … påminner om min kärlek: Taylor Swift – Teardrops on my guitar
♥ … påminner om gamla tider: Britta Persson – You are not my boyfriend
♥ … påminner om ångest: Linkin Park – In the end
♥ … jag lyssnar väldigt mycket på just nu: Miss Li – Stupid girl
♥ … är väldigt, väldigt bra: Avril Lavigne – Innocence
♥ … lyssnas på i ilska: Marilyn Manson – This is the new shit
♥ … jag lyssnar på när jag är kreativ: Okkervil River – Okkervil River song
♥ … påminner om sommardagar: Ingrid Olava – Les mondes engloutis
♥ … påminner om våren: Rockettothesky – On cherry tree song
♥ … påminner om en bra film: The Velvet Underground – I’m sticking with you
♥ … jag lyssnade på när jag var 13: Britney Spears – What u see is what u get
♥ … jag lyssnade på när jag var 15: Kent – Stoppa mig Juni (Lilla Ego)
♥ … jag lyssnade på när jag var 17: Marilyn Manson – Tainted Love
♥ … jag lyssnar på just precis nu: Anna Ternheim – Summer rain

I haven’t posted in awhile ticket dates, but here are a few shows you or someone you know may be interested in checking out…

Levon Helm Band with Okkervil River
Terminal 5
New York, NY
Thu, 01/07/10

11/06/09

Devendra Banhart
Music Hall of Williamsburg
Brooklyn, NY
Mon, 11/23/09

11/06/09

U2 360º Tour
New Meadowlands Stadium
East Rutherford, NJ
Mon, 07/19/10

11/09/09

Phantogram will be playing a free show on 12/19 for free @ Brooklyn Bowl. They are new, and old friends and Bob Boilen featured them on his CMJ recap episode.

I’m taking the night off. Reading ‘Childhood’s End’. I’m not gonna lie, it’s pretty great. So, until tomorrow, enjoy this fine music.

i’m intoxicated

much more than that

错失了 Múm的演唱会后 我就更加喜怒无常了
而Will渐渐习惯了在twitter和facebook上更新
如果很快要回国了 别的我可以接受 可来了这一年多居然没机会听okkervil river的现场 那就真的太委屈了
我巴巴的望 可他们目前都没这么个计划

我要做okkervil river的publicist！！！！！！！！
每场我都不要落下！！

A missive from Tim over at the Contrast Podcast:

November is upon us again, so it’s time to think about the Contrast Podcast Festive 50. This year it will be on episodes 194, 195 & 196 from the 15th to the 29th of December. So here is what I need you, your friends, the readers of your blog, your milkman and anyone else you know to do:
1. Choose up to 50 (yes fifty) songs that were released in 2009 that you like. If you can only think of 10 .. don’t worry .. I’d still like to know what they are.

5. Any questions? …. good … get thinking!

Last year’s Festive 50 was a ton of fun to participate in, and it’s not limited to bloggers – anyone can contribute. Today I started to compile my 2009 list, though it will require some serious re-listening in order to complete the agonising process of actually ranking each track.

Here are the top 5 tracks from last year:

5. Oxford Comma – Vampire Weekend

4. Lost Coastlines – Okkervil River

3. Grounds for Divorce – Elbow

2. Time to Pretend (Radio Version) – MGMT

1. White Winter Hymnal – Fleet Foxes

What will the Festive 50 look like this year? It’s up to you!

Es víspera de año nuevo en L.A., y dos corazones desamparados buscan encontrarse para sellar con un beso el peor año de sus vidas. In Search of a Midnight Kiss es una comedia romántica Indie filmada enteramente en blanco y negro, de diálogos hilarantes,  situaciones caóticas  y personajes conmovedores. Creo que lo que más me ha gustado de este film es su realismo y autenticidad, sin pretenciones ni posturas, refrescante realmente y con un soundtrack muy interesante con bandas como Shearwater (4 cortes todas de “Winget Life”) y Okkervil River – aunque podemos decir que éstas dos son “casi” lo mismo-, además de temas de Sybil (nunca había escuchado de ellos en realidad, presentan un cover bastante curioso de “Wind of Change”)  y The Mendoza Line.

Mi único reclamo es que está disponible sólo en formato digital (en iTunes Store o Amazon.com).

Los dejo con mis dos temas favoritos y el trailer.

The Kind – Shearwater (Winged Life, 2004)

A Hush – Shearwater (Winged Life, 2004)

it might only be October, but i’ve perfected a good start for my winter playlist. all tracks remind me of the cold months, without being cliche. mostly memories, slow tempo, snowy nights, and sad piano inspired the track selection. enjoy.

1. Black Moth Super Rainbow “Smog in Cities”
2. Band of Horses  ”Snow Song (acoustic)”
3. The Bees “The Sky Holds The Sun”
4. Metric “London Half Life”
5. VHS or Beta “Dynamize”
6. Sage Francis “Broken Wings”
7. Cold War Kids “Hospital Beds”
8. Modest Mouse “Heart Cooks Brain”
9. Jay Z “Dead Presidents”
10. Tapes n’ Tapes “Omaha”
11. The Arcade Fire “Cars and Telephones”
12. The Rosebuds “Make Out Song”
13. Okkervil River “Get Big”
14. The Rosebuds “Silja Line (On Settling For a Normal Life)”
15. Stars “The Big Fight”
16. Why? “Yo Yo Bye Bye”
17. Wolf Parade “Dinner Bells”
18. Yo La Tengo “You Can Have It All”
19. Kanye West “Home”
20. Lil Wayne “Shoot Me Down”

In Ear Park- Department of Eagles

The intro to this song is a beautiful weave of guitars and pianos going in and out like waves crashing into the shores that leads into an ethereal vocal and beautiful backing instrumentation, a lament on loss, the beauty of this song just speaks volumes

So Far Around the Bend- The National

I wasn’t the biggest fan of the Boxer nor did I see the big attraction to the National until this song came out.  The lyrics are perfectly understated and performed, with a creative arrangement and a sentiment that everyone can identify with, it doesn’t hurt that the melody is so damn catchy as well

Fine For Now- Grizzly Bear

Veckatimest, the latest album by Grizzly Bear is full of songs that range from the sweet to the bizarre, Fine for Now starts off with a strangely beautiful vocal arrangement before turning into an otherworldly meld of guitar and drums and vocals, truly a song worth multiple listens

Chinese Translation- M. Ward

M. Ward has a knack for great studio production and melody, and this has a great chorus, and no theres no chinese in a single second of the recording, just a great overall song

Lost Coastlines- Okkervil River

I love the vocalist in this band, his range is affecting and his lyrics are well written, and i can hear glimmers of Paul Simons Graceland and the Jam’s Town Called Malice woven in

We Were Sick- The Thermals

Like Blink 182, fun upbeat and catchy, but better because you don’t get tired of the nasal voice and the chord progression is classic

Race You- Elizabeth and the Catapults

Little known bands often provide the most happiness to the listener when they make great catchy songs, because you feel like you’re the one discovering them, it’s a little feistish and happy and just puts you in a good mood

Wilco (The Song)- Wilco

Love this song, a little weezerish but with less pop culture reliant lyrics

Take A Walk Around the Table- White Rabbits

This song is so delightfully weird that you can’t help but listen to it over and over again

Metal Detektor- Spoon

Of all the great Spoon songs there are to choose from, this is one of, if not their finest songs ever put to record

Golden- My Morning Jacket

Beautiful acoustic guitar, beautiful singing, beautiful lyrics, need i even say more

The Golden Age- Beck

Great progression and arrangement, both of which Beck has an undeniable knack for and this is one of his finer songs

Songs for the Fireflies- Josh Ritter

This is one of those songs that feels as if the performer is right in front of you not in some far off studio and the buildup is wonderful

The Honeymoon Song- The Beatles

It’s hard to find a Beatles song that the whole world hasn’t heard millions of times.  This one comes from Live at the BBC and the arrangment lets Paul McCartneys voice take front and center, and how sweet and young he sounds, the only bad thing is the song ends so soon

Honeymoon- Phoenix

Love every part about this song, the bass, the guitar, the singing, the build up, it works perfectly

Everything Hits At Once- Spoon

Another early Spoon song, undeniably their own, from the arrangment to the melody and the buildup as well the great guitar and piano hooks

Fernando Pando- The Virgins

this son builds from intimate guitar and vocals to a great energetic arrangement.  Terrific vocal performance throughout

Changes- David Bowie

Because this song is undeniable in its classic status, love the progression and the lyrics

A Day in the Life- The Beatles

Arguably the greatest song Lennon and McCartney put together from the arrangement to the lyrics to the orchestra build up and McCartneys part.  Also the interplay between the musicians is great, McCartney’s piano and Lennon’s guitar and Ringo’s drums couldn’t have fit any better

You Got the Silver- The Rolling Stones

this song goes a long way in saying that Keith Richards was as underrated a singer and songwriter as Harrison was in The Beatles.

20. Beyond – Dinosaur Jr.

Dinosaur Jr.’s 2007 comeback initially seemed to be under the radar, but then Beyond (the band’s first album in ten years) was met with great critical acclaim. It seems as the guys managed to please their original fans, and gain new ones, with their fuzzy anthems. The songs are great, and Beyond kind of picks up where Bug left off.

19. Ashtray Rock – Joel Plaskett Emergency

Joel Plaskett’s another one of those well-kept Canadian secrets. His band’s 2007 disc, Ashtray Rock, made the short list for the annual Polaris Prize, only to lose out to Patrick Watson (he lost to Fucked Up this year). There’s lots of fun to be found on Ashtray Rock, as well as some genuinely lovely moments, like the shimmering “The Glorious Life”.

18. Icky Thump – The White Stripes

I’m not really sure what to make of this album. I’m a huge White Stripes fan, but I’m still not able to connect with Icky Thump the way that I can with all of their other albums. It has some great songs (“Effect and Cause” is my favourite), but I think it just seems too calculated to me. But anything put out by the White Stripes is still better than most of the other music around.

17. Into the Wild – Eddie Vedder

Based on a lot of exasperating technicalities, Eddie Vedder’s soundtrack for the 2007 film, Into the Wild was not nominated for either of the songwriting Academy Awards. This collection of the songs that he wrote for the film (with a few instrumental tracks) is really lovely. It’s much more tender than anything Pearl Jam has done. You can decide if that’s a good thing or not.

16. A Weekend in the City – Bloc Party

I’m not really sure how one would classify this music, but whatever it is, I really like it. I’m not a big expert on Bloc Party, but when I first heard A Weekend in the City (their sophomore effort), I was immediately drawn to their sound. Their first album (which I’m yet to hear) seems to be more beloved among fans, but I’m not sure how they could be disappointed with this.

15. Welcome to the Night Sky – Wintersleep

Halifax, Nova Scotia makes its second appearance on this list in the form of Wintersleep. These guys had something of a hit with their first single off this album, “Weighty Ghost”. I was surprised to hear how much their style varies (“Oblivion” sounds like some especially good Interpol), and I think the entire album is really solid.

14. The Story – Brandi Carlisle

Apparently, Brandi Carlisle’s voice has been compared to Thom Yorke. I have listened to her music specifically trying to pick out the resemblance, but I don’t get it at all. But nonetheless, her music is great in its own right. Her songs are heartfelt and searing, and I think that it’s the emotion (which this album has heaps of) that is Carlise’s strongest suit.

13. The Stage Names – Okkervil River

This is one album on here that I just recently got around to listening to, and it caught my attention right away. I guess Okkervil River has a classically “indie” kind of sound, but I like it. Their songs are so impeccably written, and it seems like they have a lasting quality to them.

12. Cease to Begin – Band of Horses

This is where I began to have a lot of trouble putting the rest of the list in order. These twelve albums are all great, and I could probably justify putting any of them at the top spot. Cease to Begin has kind of an ethereal, slightly haunting sound that I really liked. There are lots of great songs to be found, including “Cigarettes, Wedding Bands”.

11. We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank – Modest Mouse

This album probably could have cracked the top five if they’d shaved a few songs off the track listing, since I’m generally biased towards shorter albums. But there are definitely some great songs on here, and I really like the addition of Johnny Marr on guitar. The Shins’ James Mercer also does some great guest vocals on a few tracks (most notably on “Missed the Boat”).

10. Era Vulgaris – Queens of the Stone Age

Queens of the Stone Age are one of the most popular hard rock bands to emerge in the new millennium, and Era Vulgaris is a great example of why this is the case. It may not have a hit as catchy as “No One Knows”, but the whole album is a fantastic mix of hard rock and solid songwriting. Josh Homme has one of the best voices in rock, too.

9. Easy Tiger – Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams is undoubtedly one of the most prolific songwriters around, and he kept up with his album-per-year standard with Easy Tiger. It’s probably one of his most consistent and listenable solo albums to date. I also think that “Two” and “Halloweenhead” are two incredible additions to Adams’ already impressive catalogue.

8. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga – Spoon

No one writes a pop song quite like Spoon. The first single off Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga, “The Underdog”, was one of my favourite songs of ‘07. The album has a bit of a Beatles influence to it, in a very enjoyable way. Even if I’m in a terrible mood, this album is likely to make me smile.

7. In Rainbows – Radiohead

Kid A and Hail to the Thief lost me a bit with their heavy electronic influence, so I was glad to hear that In Rainbows was (somewhat) of a return to their earlier sound, circa The Bends. I think this is probably their fourth best album. And when the band I’m talking about is Radiohead, that’s no small feat.

6. Wincing the Night Away – The Shins

The Shins released their third stellar album of the decade with Wincing the Night Away. “Phantom Limb” and “Australia” are two tracks that jumped out at me immediately, but the rest of the album soon grew on me in a big way. It’s too hard to pick my favourite Shins record. I’ll say it’s a three-way tie for first place.

5. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace – Foo Fighters

The Foo Fighters are constantly proving that they’re so much better than the “post-grunge” label that lazy critics slap onto them. Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace has some fantastic, catchy hits, and hidden gems like “Summer’s End” and “Stranger Things Have Happened”. It’s some of their best work yet. Grohl seem to just get better with age.

4. Cassadaga – Bright Eyes

2007 may have been a bad year for Conor Oberst’s hair, but it was a perfectly wonderful time for his music. Oberst decided to embrace his country roots by taking a pilgrimage to…Florida? Seriously, though, Cassadaga is a great album, and it’s nice to see Bright Eyes expand their sound. There are lots of brilliant songs here, but I think that “Classic Cars” is my favourite.

3. New Wave – Against Me!

These Florida punks got a lot of flak for “selling-out” with New Wave, but it also gained them a lot of new fans (like yours truly). I’ve gone back, and I really like their older stuff too, but I think that New Wave is their masterpiece, so far. New Wave pretty much had a permanent spot in my CD player during late 2007/early 2008, and I connected to it in a way that I rarely do with new albums.

2. Neon Bible – Arcade Fire

2004’s Funeral earned Arcade Fire major acclaim, but I much prefer their follow-up, Neon Bible. The thing that I like most about this album is the atmosphere that they created. Each song has a specific feel to it, but the whole album is amazingly cohesive. “Intervention” is easily one of the best songs of the decade, and every song on the album feels like it serves a specific purpose.

1. Boxer – The National

How could this band possibly have released a better album than Against Me! and the Arcade Fire? It’s hard to explain, but it feels like everything came together perfectly on Boxer. The songs are aching and sombre, and Matt Berninger’s voice suits the mood beautifully. In a time when singles and ringtones are measures of success, I have so much respect for a band that can make an entire album that is this amazing.

Nothing, that’s what.

Nina Simone- Do What You Gotta Do

And then an Okkervil River cover, which is not nearly as good, but is still kind of soulful in a white-man way.

Okkervil River- Do What You Gotta Do

Then I will do just that much.

Copyright © 2009 LeNouveauNoir. All rights reserved.

How I wish this cover by the dude from New Pornographers (AC Newman) and Will Sheff was nearly as great as the original but any version that’s not performed by amateurs in their sorry bedrooms is worth a listen don’t you agree faithful reader? Oh and can someone create a version for me where they edit out the awful singing of Will Sheff?

By the way this is from Okkervil River ’s Stand-Ins covers project.

-Rubles

Just in case you haven’t seen the let down of a music video:

and a live video just for Zeus’ sake:

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