Music, music, music...
Disclaimer: Lots of sad bitching inside of this, but guys, I'm going crazy here, give me some slack.
Type your cut contents here. (this blunder was kept at Sean's suggestion - ed.)
I woke up on New Year's Day with a headcold. Beyond congestion, I fumbled through the dark to my Sudafed drawer (everyone needs one of those), and after taking a few, I grabbed a roll of toilet paper, gave up my frantic search for Aleve, filled my water bottle, and got back into bed.
In and out of sleep, I thought of how much I have been talking to people about the best movies of the year, when suddenly it dawned on me: "Wait, aren't I a music guy?"
Yes, yes, a music guy. But I get down on these end of year things because I know that I ramble (look at this introduction!), my opinions are generally regarded as "boring" nowadays, and lately, it seems like I'm listening to music from the 70s (hey, Big Star) or 2007 (hey, LCD Soundsystem and the Shins). So I seem pretty ill-prepared/tempered to write this year review. But looking back on 2006, my boring taste yielded enough records that I thought were memorable to mention. Nothing earth shattering this year, even the three records I will name had their share of problems (namely all three can't seem to carry consistently over their entire run time.)
Additionally, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one that really listens to entire records anymore, so maybe my more in-depth notes will entertain the people they don't irritate. I even cut in half what I really did have written to help people's patience, but oh well, I'm bored. You guys can always scan if you don't want to read intently. Really, who reads all this garbage anyways?
It's going to be split up into easy to read, self-explanatory sections. Let's start at the top, since everyone else works their way there. I just reread this and I sound like quite a critical bitch, so apologies for that, too. I feel like I've been too nice in previous years.
The Three Truly Memorable Records (No Real Surprises Here) from 2006 (in no particular order)
The Fiery Furnaces' Bitter Tea
Note: I don't even know why I'm writing this. Everyone's made their decision on the Fiery Furnaces years ago, so if you're the choir I'm preaching to, get ready to hear me say lots of nice things about a band/album you probably like. If you don't like them and think everything I'll call "difficult" or "interesting" is simply "annoying" or "bad," nothing I say here is going to change your mind, so feel free to skip this. No hard feelings, they're just a polarizing act.
I'll start here, because I happen to be listening to it right now. This album pretty much owned my summer, which I think is quite impressive for pop music that is frustratingly difficult at time, undeniably catchy at others. Summer is the time for disposable music, yet I'm hard pressed to think of a more brilliant, fully-realized, and experimental pop record in the last few years.
It's full of fun: tracks sang entirely backwards ("Nevers," "The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry"), typical story-songs ("Borneo"), rather simple love songs ("Teach Me Sweetheart," "Police Sweater Blood Vow," "Waiting to Know You"), and finally, a subtle, laid-back centerpiece of "Benton Harbor Blues," which if you're not in the mood for all 7 minutes of, you can check out "Benton Harbor Blues Again" which is pretty much a radio edit of this yacht rocking gem. Michael McDonald would completely approve of the smoothness.
The Fiery Furnaces are still one of the most exciting bands making music today. They frustrate because you feel if they wanted to they could make a simple pop record that everyone would love, and they tease this genius in and out of very difficult and often obnoxious music. Still, Bitter Tea is quite an accomplishment.
Destroyer's Rubies
Gosh, I'm boring, huh?
This was the album of my Spring and it pretty much wrecked my world for a few months. What is there to say that hasn't already been said?
Dan Bejar created a perfect record of sunny pop, anchored by the opening masterpiece "Rubies" and the epic desperation of "Looters' Follies." "Watercolours Into the Ocean" has probably my favorite Bejar melodic mimic, as he cops R.E.M.'s famous "Life is bigger" from "Losing My Religion." The whole record drips with a confidence and Summer swagger that Bejar hasn't dipped into before.
It does have its problems though. The rambling closer "Sick Priest that Learns to Last Forever" should have just been cut. "Watercolours" is a great closer and at 9 songs, the album still be a solid 47 minutes. Many of his best songs are rambling, but "Sick Priest" would have perhaps been best left to the Frog Eyes treatment on an EP. "A Dangerous Woman Up to a Point" is kind of "Looters' Follies" jr., to be honest.
Even with these problems, the sheer brilliance of the first three tracks alone is enough to catapult this into most year end talks.
If you put a gun to my head, I'd probably have to say this is my favorite album of 2006. Or more aptly, my favorite in a crop of music I'm not really that enamored with despite some really bright spots.
Yo La Tengo's I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
Finally something I'm excited to talk about.
I first really listened to Yo La Tengo back in 2002 when I arrived at college. (Whoops, there goes my cred!) They were always one of those bands that had such a daunting back catalogue and reputation that you felt too intimidated to actually listen to. Don gave me my starting point by playing me "I Heard You Looking" off Painful, I pretty much didn't look back after that. I was lucky enough to see them at Bates College thanks to Lindsey Davis, the first version of her now legendary car, and some free tickets from the radio station.
This record destroys and is very much reminiscent of I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, to me. There's a ton of music, in the end, probably too much, but there is a ton. There's massive rock outs, there's poppy love songs, there's peeks at all of their influences. It's kind of a grab bag documenting a little of everything they've been doing along their huge career. There's something for everyone, but most people probably won't enjoy everything.
You have to expect big things out of a song called "The Story of Yo La Tengo" and it is without a doubt my favorite song of 2006. I can never play it loud enough, ever. It's one of their epic guitar jams, probably closest akin to the now classic "Blue Line Swinger." This pair of kindred songs can, and should be mentioned in the same breath, which if you know BLS says a ton. Words can't explain "The Story of Yo La Tengo," the power lies in the music. That being said, there are some great lyrics here, too. But they're clearly playing second-fiddle. Everything in service of just how big the song is.
And really, that is the story, well, considering the average band lifespan these days, the epic of Yo La Tengo. They've done everything. They opened their hearts ("it's true, but not to any of you") in simple, honest love songs between a husband and wife. They've written college radio hits, they've had their brush with greater fame. They've done soundtracks. They've done a cover album. They're pretty much the old guard of indie rock, back from when it still had something to do with colleges.
There's more to talk about on the album, but in the shadow of that song, I think you should just go check it out for yourself.
Notable Songs/Bands/Trends That Deserve Mention:
- The Decemberists' "The Perfect Crime 2": The Crane Wife is pretty great, I won't lie, but I'm not well-enough acquainted with it enough to say more that I really like it. This track is absolutely brilliant though, and unlike anything I've heard them do, which for a band I thought went stale years ago, was one of the most refreshing surprises of the year.
- The Bon Savants' LP Post Rock Defends the Nation has gotten more play than anything since it was released a few months ago. I like it more and more every time I hear it. It's a smart, catchy record that's very slick, that at times brings to mind the finer grooves of the Dismemberment Plan and the pop genius and voice (with better range) of the Magnetic Fields' Stephen Merrit.
It does have its problems. I think the middle is really weak. After the outstanding sarcastic title track, the Bon Savants look more like Idiot Savants (LoL!), losing their smart for a few really stupid rock songs. They do recover soon enough with the late night pop of stand-out "Mass Ave and Broadway" and strongly slide through the frenetic pop of "91" to the album closer and previous single "I Am the Atom Bomb."
There are also some overproduction issues, too, which seem common with bands working so hard on their first album. But it deserves a mention as one of the most charming debuts of the year, and I'll continue to expect big things from them as I have for the past few years. Definitely recommend it though, as everyone will find a track or 3 or 4 that they love and the rest grows.
- Go Dartmouth! This year really gave Dartmouth indie rock fans something to cheer about. Menomena's Wet and Rusting EP was one of the finest indie releases of the year, showcasing the title track in an alarming display of computer programming by a Dartmouth alum whose name I can't recall at the moment. It's an absolutely fantastic track, and the EP sports equally solid b-sides and remixes. I'd do a better job at describing the sound, but it's unlike anything you'll hear until their well-named sophomore album Muscle and Flo comes out next year.
Eric Lindley recorded an album under Nightcat! and while I only have a rough mix of one of the songs, he looks prone to unleash his brilliance well-known at Dartmouth on an unsuspecting world. One to watch, for sure.
New, dare I say, "indie" metal outfit Elks impressed everyone with their few performances and release of their "Fuck Season / Dead Rats in Hats" mp3. The song pretty much kicks ass and asks the question everyone's been skirting once and for all: "do you know the wizard?" Or maybe the more aptly posed, "Where did all the Christians go?" Hopefully after their current hiatus they will be back soon enough to answer all of these crucial questions they've raised. The ex-Oh No Dinosaur trio are no doubt the brightest project to come out of Dartmouth since the ill-fated My Pretty Pony. And I'm being sincere here.
Also, a few leaked demos from Elks' Sean Adams have confirmed that his long anticipated Forests album might see the light of day in 2007. Let's hope, as the initial signs have been promising for this electronic would-be wonderkind.
Sadly, 2006 also saw the demise of Mat Brown's involvement in Seattle rock outfit, This Is My Gun, but the resurrection of his Mat on Mat alias and rumors that he's recently played guitar with former Fashion! Fashion! bassist Rizwan Mahmood provide high hopes for the future.
All in all, a good year for the alma mater musically.
- Farewell, Arab Strap!
- Grizzly Bear released Yellow House, an inconsistent LP, notable for its handful of the dreamiest folk tracks this side of Akron/Family.
- Mogwai, welcome back to the fold, chums. Mr. Beast was a return to rocking form. You boys from GlasGOW had quite a year, oddly dropping the curtain on Miami Vice and providing the atmosphere for the Zidane film.
- Speaking of soundtracks, Marie Antoinette stars The Radio Dept. released their second LP Pet Grief and it was either delightful or disappointing depending on who you talked to. Personally, I absolutely loved it. There was just a certain personal resonance that kept it out of my memorable records. Thinking again, It really should be there though, a thoroughly gorgeous bit of sound. I'm too lazy to write a big thing about it, but you all know how great it is.
- Timo Raisanen, I don't know where you came from, but you introduced your interesting voice to emo-pop. The jury's still out on whether your lyrics are original (a real accomplishment for emo-pop) or simply the result of English not being your first language.
- Maritime's We, the Vehicles was probably the most consistent long player of the year. Every song was good, but that's partly because they all sound the same. Opening track, "Calm" is a guitar pop stunner. Another record that shockingly just missed the top records of the year for me, it's just too light and fluffy, much like Phoenix's equally consistent It's Never Been Like That. Great fun to be had, but not enough there to it make it truly memorable to me.
Records I Couldn't Be Bothered With Despite Being Previously Excited For:
The Hold Steady
Junior Boys
The Mountain Goats
The Streets
Swan Lake
Xiu Xiu
Sorry, guys.
Other Records I Did Enjoy But Haven't Mentioned:
The Futureheads - News and Tributes
The Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off
Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up, I'm Dreaming
The Pernice Brothers - Live a Little
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things
Last Minute Entry:
Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
Overall, not a very good year in music to me, granted I was out of commission for all but the biggest releases from September on. Let's hope for better in 2007.
Love,
Andy
Type your cut contents here. (this blunder was kept at Sean's suggestion - ed.)
I woke up on New Year's Day with a headcold. Beyond congestion, I fumbled through the dark to my Sudafed drawer (everyone needs one of those), and after taking a few, I grabbed a roll of toilet paper, gave up my frantic search for Aleve, filled my water bottle, and got back into bed.
In and out of sleep, I thought of how much I have been talking to people about the best movies of the year, when suddenly it dawned on me: "Wait, aren't I a music guy?"
Yes, yes, a music guy. But I get down on these end of year things because I know that I ramble (look at this introduction!), my opinions are generally regarded as "boring" nowadays, and lately, it seems like I'm listening to music from the 70s (hey, Big Star) or 2007 (hey, LCD Soundsystem and the Shins). So I seem pretty ill-prepared/tempered to write this year review. But looking back on 2006, my boring taste yielded enough records that I thought were memorable to mention. Nothing earth shattering this year, even the three records I will name had their share of problems (namely all three can't seem to carry consistently over their entire run time.)
Additionally, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one that really listens to entire records anymore, so maybe my more in-depth notes will entertain the people they don't irritate. I even cut in half what I really did have written to help people's patience, but oh well, I'm bored. You guys can always scan if you don't want to read intently. Really, who reads all this garbage anyways?
It's going to be split up into easy to read, self-explanatory sections. Let's start at the top, since everyone else works their way there. I just reread this and I sound like quite a critical bitch, so apologies for that, too. I feel like I've been too nice in previous years.
The Three Truly Memorable Records (No Real Surprises Here) from 2006 (in no particular order)
The Fiery Furnaces' Bitter Tea
Note: I don't even know why I'm writing this. Everyone's made their decision on the Fiery Furnaces years ago, so if you're the choir I'm preaching to, get ready to hear me say lots of nice things about a band/album you probably like. If you don't like them and think everything I'll call "difficult" or "interesting" is simply "annoying" or "bad," nothing I say here is going to change your mind, so feel free to skip this. No hard feelings, they're just a polarizing act.
I'll start here, because I happen to be listening to it right now. This album pretty much owned my summer, which I think is quite impressive for pop music that is frustratingly difficult at time, undeniably catchy at others. Summer is the time for disposable music, yet I'm hard pressed to think of a more brilliant, fully-realized, and experimental pop record in the last few years.
It's full of fun: tracks sang entirely backwards ("Nevers," "The Vietnamese Telephone Ministry"), typical story-songs ("Borneo"), rather simple love songs ("Teach Me Sweetheart," "Police Sweater Blood Vow," "Waiting to Know You"), and finally, a subtle, laid-back centerpiece of "Benton Harbor Blues," which if you're not in the mood for all 7 minutes of, you can check out "Benton Harbor Blues Again" which is pretty much a radio edit of this yacht rocking gem. Michael McDonald would completely approve of the smoothness.
The Fiery Furnaces are still one of the most exciting bands making music today. They frustrate because you feel if they wanted to they could make a simple pop record that everyone would love, and they tease this genius in and out of very difficult and often obnoxious music. Still, Bitter Tea is quite an accomplishment.
Destroyer's Rubies
Gosh, I'm boring, huh?
This was the album of my Spring and it pretty much wrecked my world for a few months. What is there to say that hasn't already been said?
Dan Bejar created a perfect record of sunny pop, anchored by the opening masterpiece "Rubies" and the epic desperation of "Looters' Follies." "Watercolours Into the Ocean" has probably my favorite Bejar melodic mimic, as he cops R.E.M.'s famous "Life is bigger" from "Losing My Religion." The whole record drips with a confidence and Summer swagger that Bejar hasn't dipped into before.
It does have its problems though. The rambling closer "Sick Priest that Learns to Last Forever" should have just been cut. "Watercolours" is a great closer and at 9 songs, the album still be a solid 47 minutes. Many of his best songs are rambling, but "Sick Priest" would have perhaps been best left to the Frog Eyes treatment on an EP. "A Dangerous Woman Up to a Point" is kind of "Looters' Follies" jr., to be honest.
Even with these problems, the sheer brilliance of the first three tracks alone is enough to catapult this into most year end talks.
If you put a gun to my head, I'd probably have to say this is my favorite album of 2006. Or more aptly, my favorite in a crop of music I'm not really that enamored with despite some really bright spots.
Yo La Tengo's I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass
Finally something I'm excited to talk about.
I first really listened to Yo La Tengo back in 2002 when I arrived at college. (Whoops, there goes my cred!) They were always one of those bands that had such a daunting back catalogue and reputation that you felt too intimidated to actually listen to. Don gave me my starting point by playing me "I Heard You Looking" off Painful, I pretty much didn't look back after that. I was lucky enough to see them at Bates College thanks to Lindsey Davis, the first version of her now legendary car, and some free tickets from the radio station.
This record destroys and is very much reminiscent of I Can Hear the Heart Beating as One, to me. There's a ton of music, in the end, probably too much, but there is a ton. There's massive rock outs, there's poppy love songs, there's peeks at all of their influences. It's kind of a grab bag documenting a little of everything they've been doing along their huge career. There's something for everyone, but most people probably won't enjoy everything.
You have to expect big things out of a song called "The Story of Yo La Tengo" and it is without a doubt my favorite song of 2006. I can never play it loud enough, ever. It's one of their epic guitar jams, probably closest akin to the now classic "Blue Line Swinger." This pair of kindred songs can, and should be mentioned in the same breath, which if you know BLS says a ton. Words can't explain "The Story of Yo La Tengo," the power lies in the music. That being said, there are some great lyrics here, too. But they're clearly playing second-fiddle. Everything in service of just how big the song is.
And really, that is the story, well, considering the average band lifespan these days, the epic of Yo La Tengo. They've done everything. They opened their hearts ("it's true, but not to any of you") in simple, honest love songs between a husband and wife. They've written college radio hits, they've had their brush with greater fame. They've done soundtracks. They've done a cover album. They're pretty much the old guard of indie rock, back from when it still had something to do with colleges.
There's more to talk about on the album, but in the shadow of that song, I think you should just go check it out for yourself.
Notable Songs/Bands/Trends That Deserve Mention:
- The Decemberists' "The Perfect Crime 2": The Crane Wife is pretty great, I won't lie, but I'm not well-enough acquainted with it enough to say more that I really like it. This track is absolutely brilliant though, and unlike anything I've heard them do, which for a band I thought went stale years ago, was one of the most refreshing surprises of the year.
- The Bon Savants' LP Post Rock Defends the Nation has gotten more play than anything since it was released a few months ago. I like it more and more every time I hear it. It's a smart, catchy record that's very slick, that at times brings to mind the finer grooves of the Dismemberment Plan and the pop genius and voice (with better range) of the Magnetic Fields' Stephen Merrit.
It does have its problems. I think the middle is really weak. After the outstanding sarcastic title track, the Bon Savants look more like Idiot Savants (LoL!), losing their smart for a few really stupid rock songs. They do recover soon enough with the late night pop of stand-out "Mass Ave and Broadway" and strongly slide through the frenetic pop of "91" to the album closer and previous single "I Am the Atom Bomb."
There are also some overproduction issues, too, which seem common with bands working so hard on their first album. But it deserves a mention as one of the most charming debuts of the year, and I'll continue to expect big things from them as I have for the past few years. Definitely recommend it though, as everyone will find a track or 3 or 4 that they love and the rest grows.
- Go Dartmouth! This year really gave Dartmouth indie rock fans something to cheer about. Menomena's Wet and Rusting EP was one of the finest indie releases of the year, showcasing the title track in an alarming display of computer programming by a Dartmouth alum whose name I can't recall at the moment. It's an absolutely fantastic track, and the EP sports equally solid b-sides and remixes. I'd do a better job at describing the sound, but it's unlike anything you'll hear until their well-named sophomore album Muscle and Flo comes out next year.
Eric Lindley recorded an album under Nightcat! and while I only have a rough mix of one of the songs, he looks prone to unleash his brilliance well-known at Dartmouth on an unsuspecting world. One to watch, for sure.
New, dare I say, "indie" metal outfit Elks impressed everyone with their few performances and release of their "Fuck Season / Dead Rats in Hats" mp3. The song pretty much kicks ass and asks the question everyone's been skirting once and for all: "do you know the wizard?" Or maybe the more aptly posed, "Where did all the Christians go?" Hopefully after their current hiatus they will be back soon enough to answer all of these crucial questions they've raised. The ex-Oh No Dinosaur trio are no doubt the brightest project to come out of Dartmouth since the ill-fated My Pretty Pony. And I'm being sincere here.
Also, a few leaked demos from Elks' Sean Adams have confirmed that his long anticipated Forests album might see the light of day in 2007. Let's hope, as the initial signs have been promising for this electronic would-be wonderkind.
Sadly, 2006 also saw the demise of Mat Brown's involvement in Seattle rock outfit, This Is My Gun, but the resurrection of his Mat on Mat alias and rumors that he's recently played guitar with former Fashion! Fashion! bassist Rizwan Mahmood provide high hopes for the future.
All in all, a good year for the alma mater musically.
- Farewell, Arab Strap!
- Grizzly Bear released Yellow House, an inconsistent LP, notable for its handful of the dreamiest folk tracks this side of Akron/Family.
- Mogwai, welcome back to the fold, chums. Mr. Beast was a return to rocking form. You boys from GlasGOW had quite a year, oddly dropping the curtain on Miami Vice and providing the atmosphere for the Zidane film.
- Speaking of soundtracks, Marie Antoinette stars The Radio Dept. released their second LP Pet Grief and it was either delightful or disappointing depending on who you talked to. Personally, I absolutely loved it. There was just a certain personal resonance that kept it out of my memorable records. Thinking again, It really should be there though, a thoroughly gorgeous bit of sound. I'm too lazy to write a big thing about it, but you all know how great it is.
- Timo Raisanen, I don't know where you came from, but you introduced your interesting voice to emo-pop. The jury's still out on whether your lyrics are original (a real accomplishment for emo-pop) or simply the result of English not being your first language.
- Maritime's We, the Vehicles was probably the most consistent long player of the year. Every song was good, but that's partly because they all sound the same. Opening track, "Calm" is a guitar pop stunner. Another record that shockingly just missed the top records of the year for me, it's just too light and fluffy, much like Phoenix's equally consistent It's Never Been Like That. Great fun to be had, but not enough there to it make it truly memorable to me.
Records I Couldn't Be Bothered With Despite Being Previously Excited For:
The Hold Steady
Junior Boys
The Mountain Goats
The Streets
Swan Lake
Xiu Xiu
Sorry, guys.
Other Records I Did Enjoy But Haven't Mentioned:
The Futureheads - News and Tributes
The Walkmen - A Hundred Miles Off
Sunset Rubdown - Shut Up, I'm Dreaming
The Pernice Brothers - Live a Little
TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
Belle and Sebastian - The Life Pursuit
Fujiya & Miyagi - Transparent Things
Last Minute Entry:
Band of Horses - Everything All the Time
Overall, not a very good year in music to me, granted I was out of commission for all but the biggest releases from September on. Let's hope for better in 2007.
Love,
Andy