Here are my top singles for the first quarter of 2010; I ought to have twice as many but I keep getting distracted by the Pop World Cup
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My top 15 singles list so far cheats by including a few that I actually heard in 2009 but that didn't make, uh, "full impact" until 2010, including the two at the top of the list (which are the only two I'd give 9's to Singles-Jukeobox-wise, kind of sad). Also includes many that I might well decide I like less if/when I listen to them more. Also, plenty of ticking and tocking. Here goes:
1. Coati Mundi - Bundas Bom 2. Busy Signal - Tic Toc (GreenMoney Liquid Re-Rub) 3. White Wizzard - Over The Top 4. Mallary Hope - Blossom In The Dust 5. Laura Bell Bundy - Giddy On Up 6. Ke$ha - Tik Tok 7. Martina McBride - Wrong Baby Wrong 8. Little Big Town - Little White Church 9. DJ Zinc feat. Ms. Dynamite - Wile Out 10. Die Antwoord - Enter The Ninja 11. Ke$sha feat. 3Oh!3 - Blah Blah Blah 12. The Harters - Jenny 13. Trace Adkins - Ala Freakin Bama 14. Jeff Floyd - Shake Somethin’ Loose 15. Vita Chambers - Young Money
My Top 20 albums of the year so far is mostly reissues, which probably shouldn't count but in the long run might anyway. Also incudes a few things that technically came out in 2009. I'll leave those categories un-bolded:
1. Bob Seger - Never Mind the Bullets Here's Early Bob Seger (Myonga CD-R reissue) 2. Joe Cuba - El Alcalde Del Barrio (Fania reissue) 3. Grong Grong - To Hell ‘N’ Back (Memorandum/Aberrant reissue) 4. (Various) - Fire In My Bones: Raw + Rare + Otherworldly African-American Gospel [1944-2007] (Tompkins Square reissue ’09) 5. Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick, Barry Dransfield - Morris On (Fledg’ling reissue) 6. Shakin’ Street - 21st Century Love Channel (Pervade Productions ’09) 7. Ke$ha - Animal (RCA) 8. Bob Blank - The Blank Generation: Blank Tapes NYC 1975-1985 (Strut mix album) 9. Was (Not Was) - Pick Of The Litter 1980-2010 (Microwerks reissue) 10. Chely Wright - Lifted Off The Ground (Vanguard) 11. Laura Bell Bundy - Achin’ & Shakin’ (Mercury) 12. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club - Buried Behind The Barn (Alternative Tentacles reissue) 13. Merle Haggard - I Am What I Am (Vanguard) 14. Pylon - Chomp More (DFA reissue ‘09) 15. Herpes - Das Kommt Von Kussen (Tapete EP) 16. Art Museums - Rough Frame (Woodsit EP) 17. Johnny Winter And - Live At The Fillmore East (Collector’s Choice reissue) 18. Kleenex/Liliput - Live Recordings, TV-Clips & Roadmovies (Kill Rock Stars reissue) 19. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush To Relax (Goner) 20. (Various) - Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010 (Matador)
10 honorable mentions (new albums only): Gogol Bordello, Legendary Shack Shakers, This Moment In Black History, Home Blitz, Drive-By Truckers, Elephant9, Vex'd, Marrow, Screaming Females (Singles EP), Rudi Zygaldo.
So: Pretty darn indie rock, overall (if you grant indie a broad definition), but pop and country bubble to the top.
I tried looking at the Pop World Cup once or twice, but got confused. Haven't gone back but maybe I will sometime.
Actually just relistened to that record by Herpes (which the band probably calls an album -- 10 songs, 22 minutes -- but I call anything under 25 minutes an EP myself) (they're a goofy frantic weirdo German-accented five-piece Berlin synthesizer-punk band btw), and I'm deciding I'd drop it a few spaces; sounds thinner than I'd hope. Gogol Bordello is just starting to grow on me -- doesn't really kick in 'til its second half when they start exploring Latin rhythms; was thinking at first it was just a rehash of all their earlier albums -- and it could very possibly climb on the list. Art Museums are from San Francisco but sound like they're from New Zealand in the late '80s; apparently they just played their first live show a couple weeks ago, which was a couple months after their record (another EP masquerading as an album) came out. My gut feeling is to wish they weren't so wimpy, which may be what I decide in the long run, but obviously wimpy's what they're aiming to be, and they have some really pretty tunes.
Vex'd and Rudi Zygadlo (oops, spelled him wrong up above) records are both on the Planet Mu label and seem to have something to do with "dubstep" and "wonky," genres I know next to nothing about. Vex'd is the more dub; Zygadlo more whimsical (at first I thought too whimsical, but I'm leaning otherwise now, deciding it's more cute than cutesy.) The other Planet Mu albums that arrived with them did nothing for me, so obviously I'm making some qualitative distinctions, just not sure I could enumerate those on paper.
Matador compilation is punk and indie bands from Austin, all guitar oriented I think, that mostly sound like indie rock did 20 years ago. Surprised how many of them I actually like. Gerard Cosloy curated; I'm guessing he exhibited plenty of quality control. Wouldn't be surprised if most of the bands only have one memorable song, and that's the one he picked.
Most "commercial" (in 2010 terms) of the indie bands I listed is probably Marrow, a vaguely emo-leaning self-released co-ed synth-pop group from San Francisco who cover "Heart Like A Wheel" by the McGarrigles and "Tear You Apart" by onetime up-and-coming undie-rap oddball Justin Warfield. Have yet to determine whether I'm overrating or underrating their record. Maybe both. They're one I can maybe see you liking.
Elephant9 aren't indie rock at all -- more heavy, keyboard-dominated, instrumental jazz fusion. Power trio, from Norway.
And I just now realized that Ratt's new comeback album, Infestation, probably deserves to be up on that list somewhere. It sounded really good when I first played it, but I haven't pulled it out for a couple months. Will again, soon.
1. Coati Mundi - Bundas Bom
2. Busy Signal - Tic Toc (GreenMoney Liquid Re-Rub)
3. White Wizzard - Over The Top
4. Mallary Hope - Blossom In The Dust
5. Laura Bell Bundy - Giddy On Up
6. Ke$ha - Tik Tok
7. Martina McBride - Wrong Baby Wrong
8. Little Big Town - Little White Church
9. DJ Zinc feat. Ms. Dynamite - Wile Out
10. Die Antwoord - Enter The Ninja
11. Ke$sha feat. 3Oh!3 - Blah Blah Blah
12. The Harters - Jenny
13. Trace Adkins - Ala Freakin Bama
14. Jeff Floyd - Shake Somethin’ Loose
15. Vita Chambers - Young Money
My Top 20 albums of the year so far is mostly reissues, which probably shouldn't count but in the long run might anyway. Also incudes a few things that technically came out in 2009. I'll leave those categories un-bolded:
1. Bob Seger - Never Mind the Bullets Here's Early Bob Seger (Myonga CD-R reissue)
2. Joe Cuba - El Alcalde Del Barrio (Fania reissue)
3. Grong Grong - To Hell ‘N’ Back (Memorandum/Aberrant reissue)
4. (Various) - Fire In My Bones: Raw + Rare + Otherworldly African-American Gospel [1944-2007] (Tompkins Square reissue ’09)
5. Ashley Hutchings, Richard Thompson, Dave Mattacks, John Kirkpatrick, Barry Dransfield - Morris On (Fledg’ling reissue)
6. Shakin’ Street - 21st Century Love Channel (Pervade Productions ’09)
7. Ke$ha - Animal (RCA)
8. Bob Blank - The Blank Generation: Blank Tapes NYC 1975-1985 (Strut mix album)
9. Was (Not Was) - Pick Of The Litter 1980-2010 (Microwerks reissue)
10. Chely Wright - Lifted Off The Ground (Vanguard)
11. Laura Bell Bundy - Achin’ & Shakin’ (Mercury)
12. Slim Cessna’s Auto Club - Buried Behind The Barn (Alternative Tentacles reissue)
13. Merle Haggard - I Am What I Am (Vanguard)
14. Pylon - Chomp More (DFA reissue ‘09)
15. Herpes - Das Kommt Von Kussen (Tapete EP)
16. Art Museums - Rough Frame (Woodsit EP)
17. Johnny Winter And - Live At The Fillmore East (Collector’s Choice reissue)
18. Kleenex/Liliput - Live Recordings, TV-Clips & Roadmovies (Kill Rock Stars reissue)
19. Eddy Current Suppression Ring - Rush To Relax (Goner)
20. (Various) - Casual Victim Pile: Austin 2010 (Matador)
10 honorable mentions (new albums only): Gogol Bordello, Legendary Shack Shakers, This Moment In Black History, Home Blitz, Drive-By Truckers, Elephant9, Vex'd, Marrow, Screaming Females (Singles EP), Rudi Zygaldo.
So: Pretty darn indie rock, overall (if you grant indie a broad definition), but pop and country bubble to the top.
I tried looking at the Pop World Cup once or twice, but got confused. Haven't gone back but maybe I will sometime.
Reply
Vex'd and Rudi Zygadlo (oops, spelled him wrong up above) records are both on the Planet Mu label and seem to have something to do with "dubstep" and "wonky," genres I know next to nothing about. Vex'd is the more dub; Zygadlo more whimsical (at first I thought too whimsical, but I'm leaning otherwise now, deciding it's more cute than cutesy.) The other Planet Mu albums that arrived with them did nothing for me, so obviously I'm making some qualitative distinctions, just not sure I could enumerate those on paper.
Matador compilation is punk and indie bands from Austin, all guitar oriented I think, that mostly sound like indie rock did 20 years ago. Surprised how many of them I actually like. Gerard Cosloy curated; I'm guessing he exhibited plenty of quality control. Wouldn't be surprised if most of the bands only have one memorable song, and that's the one he picked.
Reply
Elephant9 aren't indie rock at all -- more heavy, keyboard-dominated, instrumental jazz fusion. Power trio, from Norway.
And I just now realized that Ratt's new comeback album, Infestation, probably deserves to be up on that list somewhere. It sounded really good when I first played it, but I haven't pulled it out for a couple months. Will again, soon.
Reply
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