Tuddd's Muddd

The Best Albums of 2008 (so far) [updated yet again]

   

    I've been sitting on this one for nearly a full month, and by this point it's damn well time to get this bastard updated (yet again) before I have a true behemoth on my hands.

    First off, the rules remain the same as on previous lists, meaning that with the exception of reissues and singles, everything's game: regular albums, compilations, best-ofs, you name it.  I've heard every one of these albums the whole way through AT LEAST a few times each.  And yes, I've personally purchased every album on this list: none of that Limewire bullshit for me.  There's still a veritable cum-dumpster full of albums that will be out in the coming months, so it's safe to say this list will scarcely resemble the one I wind up putting out somewhere around Christmas '08.  I'll be putting out a list including all the remaining '08 "Eagerly Anticipated"s that I can think of sometime reasonably soon.

    Blah blah blah, shut the hell up, get to the list.  Okay.  But first, honorable mentions to a couple of album-less singles: Chairlift's sugary sweet "Evident Utensil" and O'Death's galloping "Spider Home."  Fine songs, both.

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1.) Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull -- In many ways, this is the most remarkable album in my entire collection: never in my life have I ever encountered anything -- powders, pills and potions included -- that manages to totally and unconditionally soothe, regardless of the circumstances.  Seriously.  Neighborhood kids making a racket?  No worries.  Family members driving you up the fucking wall?  Not a problem.  Car alarms starting to really, really piss you off?  BRING THAT SHIT. 

I liked Earth's previous incarnation as doomy dronesters, but The Bees' brand of repetitive, dreamy twang totally smokes anything else of theirs that I've heard.  Make no mistake, though: this is not good driving music, nor is it much good for drinkin'.  (Or, presumably, drinking and driving, although I haven't tested that one out.)  And no, this album does not rock.  But what it does manage to do is so welcome that I'll be relying on this album for a very, very long time.  No joke, sidle on up next to this one and you'll find yourself thinking someone replaced your Folger's Crystals with straight up smack. 

2.) The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust -- By reverting to the template put forth on 2003's excellent Chain Gang of Love, Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo have once again hit upon a winning combination: perfect melodies, thrifty songwriting, plenty of Jesus and Mary Chain fuzz, near-telepathic harmonies, and their own should-be-patented dirty/sexy aesthetic.  Song of the Year candidates: "Dead Sound," "Aly Walk With Me," "Hallucinations."

3.) The Magnetic Fields - Distortion -- Just as on 1999's landmark 69 Love Songs, Stephin Merritt tosses out a whole mess of poppy goodness, yielding several unmistakable gems in the process.  Unlike 69 Love Songs, however, each of Distortion's 3-minute-or-so nuggets are fittingly swathed in a haze of distortion worthy of the finest Jesus and Mary Chain (or Raveonettes) records.  A nice collection of songs, even if -- only occasionally, mind you -- you find yourself tempted to hit the skip button for a couple numbers ("Please Stop Dancing" and "Mr. Mistletoe," notably). Song of the Year candidates: "Drive on Driver," "California Girls," "The Nun's Litany" and "I'll Dream Alone."

4.) Blood on the Wall - Liferz -- Immature, lo-fi, garagey, and as fun -- and welcome -- as free blow.  Sure, you'll find yourself playing the "sounds like..." game throughout this album, but c'mon, that's part of the fun: brother-sister duo Brad and Courtney Shanks make no attempt to disguise their Sonic Youth/Pixies worship.  For the record, according to iTunes this is my most listened-to album of '08.  Yay!  Song of the Year candidates: "Junkeee... Julieee," "Sorry Sorry Sarah."

5.) Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk It Off -- In what has to be easily the most puzzling hatchet job of the year, famed producer Dave Fridmann overloads these songs to near-unlistenable levels, complete with fartin' bass (check out the first chorus of "Headshock," jeez Louise).  It's as though the band sought to erase any memory of the glowing Pavement/Pixies comparisons brought on by their excellent debut, The Loon, and by adding little other than sheer volume, the production manages to completely overwhelm any subtleties these songs could have ever had (there's nothing here as hauntingly understated and beautiful as The Loon's "Manitoba," for example).  It's a testament to the strength of the material that several of the songs manage to shine through Fridmann's attempt at making the record sound like a low-bitrate mp3.  I for one probably would have preferred hearing the demos.  Song of the Year candidates: "Le Ruse," "Time of Songs," "The Dirty Dirty."

6.) Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust -- Much has been made of the band ditching their trademark bowed-guitar sound, but (thankfully) the grandiose, uplifting qualities of Sigur Ros' music remain.  When describing this album, it's easy to get bogged down by discussing the most obvious, soundbyte-worthy qualities: there's a song sung in English ("All Alright"), a couple tunes display a newfound jauntiness (most evident on album opener "Gobbledigook"), and the lush orchestration, but make no mistake, this is very much a Sigur Ros record, and a fine one at that.  Song of the Year candidates: Lots of good ones, with the flat-out adorable "Inni Mer Syngur Vitleysingur" leading the pack thus far for me.

7.) The Futureheads - This Is Not the World -- After these guys stunk up the joint with '06's downright putrid News and Tributes, fans had reason to think The Futureheads had completely jumped the shark, but This Is Not the World re-establishes them as juggernauts in the spiky/angular/uber-energetic category of post-punk.  Joyous?  Fun?  Hells yeah, although the band would have done well to throw a couple of downtempo curveballs (think "Danger of the Water" or "Hounds of Love" from the debut album) into the mix, as well as relying a bit more on their awesome four-part harmony vocals.  Song of the Year candidate: "Walking Backwards," "The Beginning of the Twist."

8.) Times New Viking - Rip It Off -- What is it about Ohio lo-fi bands?  Not since GbV crawled out of the basement for good a little over a decade ago has a lo-fi band been as deserving of excessive critical praise as these guys.  In this interview, when asked "what was the tipping point that made you sign with Matador?"  Times New Viking guitarist Jared Phillips begins his answer by stating "Alien Lanes," which, without even reading any further, sums things up nicely.  And although the melodicism of Rip it Off doesn't necessarily approximate the awesomely schizophrenic kitchen sinkism of mid '90's GbV, the enthusiasm, immediacy and FTW/DIY style does.  Song of the Year candidates: "Teen Drama," "The Wait."

9.) Goes Cube - Not What You Thought EP -- Say no more.  This band is great, and it's only a matter of time before the powers that be wise up and hand Goes Cube a kickass record deal.  Go here to download a new/unreleased/totally asskicking track by these guys.  Song of the Year candidates: "Goes Cube Song 57," and the "Goes Cube Song 54" into "Goes Cube Song 50" medley.

10.) Torche - Meanderthal -- Critics have been creaming their collective Levis over Torche's near-perfect blend of heaviness and pop sensibilities, and it's no wonder: these guys are both riff-tastic and hooky at the same time.  Song of the Year candidate: "Across the Shields" is probably '08's best so far.

11.) Portishead - Third -- After over a decade of dormancy, Portishead manages to break new ground instead of resting on their trip-hop laurels.  As original, inscrutable and downright creepy as ever, Third incorporates the best of elements "old" Portishead by relying on painstaking production and harrowing vocal performances, while still sounding nothing like their previous work.  This one's really a "grower;" revealing more with every successive listen; I won't be shocked if Third manages to crawl up nearer the top of the list by year's end.  Song of the Year candidate: "The Rip."

12.) Boris - Smile -- It's tough not to compare subsequent Boris outings to their 2006 (or '05, depending on which part of the world you live in) masterpiece, Pink, so why fight it.  Like Pink, this album has a few straight-edge barn-burners, some meatier tracks and a lengthy noise suite to cap it all off, and there's nothing nearly as great as "Farewell."  This album is still a fine listen without seeming like it required much effort; I'm not sure whether that speaks well or poorly for the band.  The real gem here is in the hypnotically dubby "My Neighbor Satan," which evokes the greatness of Bill Laswell's Charged project.  Come to think of it, I'd love to hear a Laswell/Boris collab.  Make it happen, Southern Lord!  Song of the Year candidate: "My Neighbor Satan."

13.) Russian Circles - Station -- I loved '06's Enter (that year's fourth-best record) because it married the flash-fingered virtuosity of thrash to the atmospherics of straight-up post-rock.  Like, imagine if somehow Stuart Braithwaite had wandered into a Puppets-era Metallica jam session.  (Fuck yeah!)  Although Station relies less on guitarist Mike Sullivan's incredible chops -- to the album's detriment, in my opinion -- songs like "Harper Lewis" and especially "Verses" are undeniably beautiful melodies.  Song of the Year candidate: "Verses."

14.) The Big Sleep - Sleep Forever -- Some nice instrumentals, some great '90s-ish alt-rock, and some more reflective pieces.  Nothing groundbreaking, but still worthy of many, many listens.  Song of the Year candidate: "Pinkies."

15.) King Khan and the Shrines - The Supreme Genius of King Khan and the Shrines -- If you're into Rhino's incredible Nuggets box set (and who isn't), then this album is for you.  Imagine top-notch garage-psych married to throat-shredding classic soul worthy of James Brown himself and you've got a pretty good idea as to what this one sounds like.  Song of the Year candidate: "Crackin' Up," a Bo Diddley cover.

16.) Thalia Zedek Band - Liars and Prayers -- Remember when Rick Rubin's late-career recordings of Johnny Cash (notably the cover of Nine Inch Nails' "Hurt") went to great lengths to establish the pain and world-weariness of the man's voice?  Liars and Prayers has that in spades, utilizing the band's most unique instrument -- Zedek's voice -- to great effect.  Musically and thematically, this album has much in common with previous Zedek outings although here it sounds as though she's been gargling with Dran-O in the intervening years since '04's stellar Trust Not Those in Whom Without a Touch of Madness.  Song of the Year candidates: "Body Memory" and "Lower Allston."

17.) Witch - Paralyzed -- I absofuckinglutely loved their debut (#6 on my 2006 Best Of Albums list) and although this one doesn't have anything as immediately awesome as "Seer" or "Rip Van Winkle" it still seriously rocks.  This time around, the songs are leaner and faster paced, adding a whiskey-n'-crank-tinged breath of Motorhead to the preexisting Sabbath/stoner template.

18.) The Kills - Midnight Boom -- I felt that The Kills perfected their dark, beat punk/no wave dramas on No Wow, so the slightly gussied-up, gimmicky feel of singles "URA Fever" and "Cheap and Cheerful" is a bit disappointing.   Midnight Boom was supposedly heavily influenced by schoolyard chants and cadences, which succeeds most notably on the standouts "Hook and Line" and "Sour Cherry" but comes off as grating on cuts like "Alphabet Pony."  Also notable is the successful foray into Luscious Jacksonish territory with the uberchill "Black Balloon."  Uneven record but still very listenable and catchy throughout.  Song of the Year candidate: "Hook and Line."

19.) Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson -- Not sure what to think of this one.  On the one hand, Robinson often manages to evoke greatness in his songs (Dylan, Petty, even Neil Young), but on the other I can't help but be a bit wary that I'm being duped by the whole confessional junkie angle, one to which I'm obviously susceptible (um, Please Kill Me is one of my favorite books).  Is this really sincere?  To quote Johnny Rotten, "ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"  Yeah, kinda.  Song of the Year candidate: "The Debtor."

20.) Cheap Time - Cheap Time -- These guys sound like Richard Hell fronting the Heartbreakers.  Or Johnny Thunders fronting the Voidoids.  Or both.  Or something.  Song of the Year candidate: "Too Late."

21.) Endless Boogie - Focus Level -- These guys have built up quite the cache of hipster cool in all the right ways.  They have friends in high places (Stephen Malkmus famously prodded them to open for him at Bowery in '01), cool jobs (Matador art department; professional record collector), they've put out a couple of long out-of-print releases on tiny labels, and uh, apparently they like to party.  What they've created is a record perfect for drinkin,' card-playin' and cigar smokin': no worries if ya hafta get up an' take a leak (or blow a rail), the songs will still be chooglin' away when you get back to the table.  Song of the Year candidate: "Coming Down the Stairs."

22.) Black Keys - Attack and Release -- See, I'm not such a big fan of garage bands consciously trying to clean up their sound, and this album is a perfect example of why.  When critics write about the Black Keys needing to "switch up their aesthetic" and that "things had gotten stagnant," I wonder why everyone just couldn't leave well enough alone.  Also, I'd like to humbly invite the Black Keys back into the garage, and Danger Mouse to stick to writing shitty music for retarded twelve year olds. 

23.) Jay Reatard - Singles '06-'07 -- Earlier this year, I traveled a total of four hours (two hours there, two back) to catch a Jay Reatard live set at Bowery which clocked in at a robust 23 total minutes.  Live, he's a revelation, but on record he falls into the "good not great" category.  I haven't heard any of his '08 singles (a few of which are supposed to be fucking awesome), and I'm definitely looking forward to the Matador compilation of said singles which is supposed to be out in a couple of months. 

24.) Los Straitjackets - Los Straitjackets in Concert -- I love Los Straitjackets, especially in the live setting, but this album would have benefited from being seriously edited down, to, say, maybe 45 minutes or so.  Take the classics ("Casbah," "State Fair," "University Blvd." "Pacifica," etc.) and throw on a bunch of the theme song covers (Batman, Titanic, Munsters, Magnificent Seven, Midnight Cowboy) and you'd have a fine set of songs.  As with most live experiences, when you can't actually be there, less is more. 

25.) Danava - Unonou -- These days it's stylish to reference Sir Lord Baltimore as an influence, but the first half of this album is likely as close as I've ever heard a modern band come to matching that band's primal greatness.  (Sadly, no singing drummer, though.)  Along the path of riff-heavy stoner metal, this is miles and miles superior to the Black Mountain record.  At times, these guys take the unusual step of basing songs around unconventional Dan Deaconish synth loops, which stand out gloriously amongst the usual crunchy sturm und drang.  And, at times, all of this somehow manages to work marvelously.  Unfortunately, the album fades a bit down the stretch, ending in a colossally embarrassing misstep with a godawful ripoff of Zeppelin's "Achilles Last Stand."  The first few songs are great, though.  Song of the Year candidate: "The Emerald Snow of Sleep."

26.) My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges -- My first run-through of this album had me pegging it as the year's worst, and although it does suffer dramatically in comparison to Z or Okonokos, it appears as my intial survey was a bit too harsh.  No, it's not awful, but it's not that great either.  And put me in the camp that actually likes the mildly controversial "Highly Suspicious" -- it's easily the catchiest song on the record.  Also, it's funny to imagine the frowny faces that had to be made in order to record the background vocals.  Song of the Year candidate: "Highly Suspicious."

27.) Dub Trio - Another Sound is Dying -- Chops, chops, chops, and more chops on these instrumentals, with very little actual "dub" present, unless you count a couple of brief, spacey interludes crammed between the breakneck mathy riffing.  At first one may think Biohazard or Helmet, but I'd say these guys sound most like the latter-day, unappreciated era of Faith No More, which is only fitting considering their place on Mike Patton's Ipecac label, their history as Patton's touring band for his Peeping Tom project, and Patton's turn on guest vocals on the creepy "No Flag."

28.) Howlin' Rain - Magnificent Fiend -- As I've written before, I really, really, really miss Comets on Fire, and it's a bit of an unfair disadvantage to any Howlin' Rain record, even a good one, that it is simply not Comets.  And it's not that Magnificent Fiend is a bad record; far from it, but in addition to being a bit too reserved for my tastes it lacks any truly *great* songs (like "Calling Lightning With a Scythe" and "The Hanging Heart" from the self-titled debut).  Nonetheless, there are some entertaining instrumental passages, not to mention stunning soloing on "Lord Have Mercy" and "Goodbye Ruby."

29.) Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing -- Another album that's improved the more I've listened.  Like much experimental/progressive/ambient, it's probably best listened to on the train home after an exhausting night of excess and debauchery. 

30.) Young Knives - Superabundance -- Among their British soundalike counterparts, these guys are better than Kaiser Chiefs but worse than The Futureheads.  So they're okay.  Their live show is highly recommended. 

31.) Crystal Antlers - Crystal Antlers EP -- I saw these guys live recently, and my thoughts on this EP are exactly the same as they were for the live show: with very few minor exceptions, these guys sound exactly like Comets on Fire, who are one of my favorite bands of all time.  Not that it makes any sense to award originality for its own sake, but it's still tough for me to unconditionally stamp the seal of approval on such a blatant ripoff, no matter how good it sounds.  I'll keep listening to this one, and hopefully eventually I'll figure out something non-derivative about it, in which case it will probably find itself twenty-or-so places higher on the year end list.  Hmmm. 

32.) Grails - Take Refuge in Clean Living -- I need more time with this one, but thus far I've really enjoyed this when I've been stoned, not so much when I haven't been stoned.  I bet these guys get that a lot, though.

33.) Beach House - Devotion -- Some very nice songwriting on this one, but the absolute lack of any dynamics at all makes it sound a bit to pharmied-out to be truly awesome.  Song of the Year candidate: "Heart of Chambers."

34.) The Breeders - Mountain Battles -- It's not an awful album, it's just wildly inconsistent.  Of course, I was hoping for some garagey GbV-ish pop like Last Splash, but alas that bird has flown.  There are a few charming songs ("Here No More," "Overglazed," "Bang On") but there's just too much filler.

35.) Meshugga - Obzen -- The label on the front of this one reads: "EXPERIENCE THE HEAVIEST, MOST DEVASTATING AUDIO ATTACK EVER CAPTURED IN 52 MINUTES AND 25 SECONDS" which pretty much sums things up.  The band's assault is relentless and unwavering, with arguably the most sophisticated bass drumming I've ever heard, but listening to the full thing in one sitting is (literally) a bit of a beating.  Oddly enough, although this album (obviously) sounds nothing like Beach House, both albums are best taken in small doses.

36.) Crystal Stilts - Crystal Stilts EP -- Not an iota of originality on this one, although the songs are tuneful enough, especially "Shattered Shine" and "Through the Floor."  If you think Paul Banks apes Ian Curtis, check this guy out.

37.) Dead Meadow - Old Growth -- On the album's excellent opening track, "Ain't Got Nothing (To Go Wrong)," these guys cultivate an addictive groove, chooglin' along like a whiskey-fueled Creedence jam session.  But the act gets old after a few tracks, drifting into jambandish aimlessness and never really taking the listener into balls-out RAWK!!! territory.

38.) Beck - Modern Guilt -- I'm not the world's biggest fan of DangerMouse. And although previous Beck producers have worked wonders with his material, that material was already at least good.  Although there are a couple of decent songs on this album, for the most part, the songs are lackluster, matching DangerMouse's "fabled" production beat for dreary beat.  I'm hoping this one will be a "grower," but who th' fuck knows.

39.) Robert Pollard - Robert Pollard Is Off to Business -- I've long advocated that Uncle Bob split once and for all with studio svengali/multi-instrumentalist Todd Tobias.  Not because they're incapable of making good music together: Fiction Man and From a Compound Eye were great; the Bubble and Zoom EPs had their moments, and much of late-period Guided by Voices was recorded with Tobias at the helm.  No, it's because somewhere along the way, over the past couple of years, Bob n' Todd forgot how to rock.  Although this is Bob's best new record -- including side projects -- since '06's good-not-great Normal Happiness, I'm still uncomfortable with the amount of autonomy Tobias has over the proceedings: remember, in the halcyon days of GbV, Bob was always at his best churning out tunes by the bucketload and recording them with whatever and whomever he had at his disposal at the moment, instead of allowing one (non-Bob) person (Tobias) to play almost all of the instruments himself.  While this isn't a bad record, it still sounds mature, and maturity has never suited Uncle Bob.  Nor should it.

40.) Birds of Avalon - Outer Upper Inner EP -- To be sure, I need more time with this one but thus far it reminds me a lot of last year's Bazaar Bazaar LP: competent (if unspectacular) music, with a Robin Zander soundalike crowing above it all. 

41.) Ratatat - LP3 -- Not gonna lie: I'm not finding that this one merits too many repeat listens.  Odd, because there's probably little difference between this and either of their first two records, which I liked.  It's possible that the sameness has finally gotten to me.

42.) Oxford Collapse - The Hann Byrd EP -- Many artists have clauses in their contracts stating that the parent label gets first crack at putting out a given release, and if the parent label passes on said release the band is allowed to farm the record out to another label.  If that's the case, it's understandable that Sub Pop would have passed on this one.  Where Oxford Collapse's previous album, Remember the Night Parties, set the standard for summer rockin' (at least to me), this one falls short.

43.) Growing - Live at Floristree 1.26.08 -- Useless if you're not high, although if you are high you may find the repetitiveness kinda groovy.

44.) Under Byen - Siamesisk -- To me, Under Byen's catalog consists of two types of music: dramatic, white-knuckle post-rock with arty Bjorkish flourishes, and limp new-agey noodling.  This EP, recorded with a full orchestra, unfortunately is neither here nor there: neither intriguing enough to warrant multiple listens, nor bad enough to skip outright.

45.) The Sword - Gods of the Earth -- Too samey.  Plus, the kinda fuzzy quality of the recording does a band like The Sword -- who should be recorded with precision and clarity in mind -- no favors.

46.) Awesome Color - Electric Aborigines -- One song has the line "there's nothing wrong/with what we say." Au contraire, mon frere: there's everything wrong with what you're saying.  Actually, the lyrics are so inexcusably godawful that a perfectly decent Stooges-y raveup is totally ruined.  Lots of "right/tonight/light" rhymes, over and over and over a-fucking-gain.  Seriously, the guy would have been better just yelling random phonetics or reading out of the phone book. 

47.)  Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel -- I really wanted to like this one (considering how awesome the Deerhunter album was --  #3 on last year's Best Of Albums list) but you're not going to find any great songs here, although Bradford Cox' DIY sound manipulation and production trickery is amusing at times.  All in all just too druggy and tossed-off sounding.

48.) Nine Inch Nails - The Slip -- '07's Year Zero was a crock of unadulterated shit, marrying half-baked political rants (yes, we hate Dubya too, we get it already) to uninspired, rote Trent-by-numbers tunelessness/melody avoidance.  Well, the political bile may be gone on The Slip, but the crappy music remains. 

49.)  Various Artists - Disco Not Disco 1974-1986 -- Again, I have no earthly idea why I picked this up, but if you like your disco lo-fi-ish this might be your cup of tea.

50.) No Age - Nouns -- Meh.  Must be yet another sign that I'm getting old, but I think these guys are the most overrated thing out there today.

51.) Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood Soundtrack -- Useless without the context of the movie (which is excellent).  I've heard that Master Greenwood apparently ripped off a bunch of other avant-garde-ish composers to make this, which I guess somehow makes it even worse. 

52.) Black Mountain - In the Future -- The "heavy" riffs are derivative and uninspired, the folky interludes are substanceless, the songs plod, and that "LITE BRITE LITE BRITE LITE BRITE" bullshit is about as much fun as a kick square in the balls.  I like hard rockin' stuff that sounds good when you're high; this album just sounds like the musicians were high when they made it.  To quote my pal Beefy D., "this is hard rock for people who like Rusted Root." 

53.) Robert Pollard - Superman Was a Rocker -- Take it from this Pollard fanatic: this album fucking sucks.  Believe me, nobody wants Bob to step up his game more than I do, but any way you slice it this album is a depressing waste of time/money.  Where Bob used to craft incredible melodies seemingly effortlessly, this album just makes him sound tired, old, and lazy.

54.) Ponytail - Ice Cream Spiritual -- Basically, the musicians are Lords of the Underworld, and the vocalist is a ritalin-ed up Timmy.  Lots of screaming over a bedding of non-descript loud riffage.  Somewhere, Phil Collins is outraged.

   

The Best Albums of 2008 (so far): Update-- The First Quarter (list #16)

    I liked the way this post turned out, so what better time for an update than a week or so after the year's first quarter has come to a close.  WRT the earlier list, stuff has changed position and a ton of new shit has been added as I've seen fit. 

    The usual rules apply: this list includes pretty much everything I've heard this year thru the end of March -- the only releases that are officially off-limits are reissues, singles, one-offs, etc.*  Let's rock.

*[On that note, an honorable mention slot goes to O'Death's excellent "Spider Home" single.  I've been a fan for awhile now and this is the best song they've ever written.]

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22.) Robert Pollard - Superman Was a Rocker -- Take it from this Pollard fanatic: this album fucking sucks.  By my count Bob's last decent (non-archival) releases were way back in '06 and believe me, nobody wants Bob to step up his game more than I do, but any way you slice it this album is a depressing waste of time/money.  Where Bob used to craft incredible melodies seemingly effortlessly, this album just makes him sound tired, old, and lazy.

21.) Black Mountain - In the Future -- The "heavy" riffs are derivative and uninspired, the folky interludes are substanceless, the songs plod, and that "LITE BRITE LITE BRITE LITE BRITE" bullshit is about as much fun as a kick square in the balls.  I like hard rockin' stuff that sounds good when you're high; this album just sounds like the musicians were high when they made it. 

20.) Jonny Greenwood - There Will Be Blood OST -- I don't understand all the critical love for this-- it's as though rock journalists want to kiss Radiohead's ass by proxy.  All this is is a bunch of boring quasi avant-garde piano tinkling.  At times you may find yourself thinking "hey, that part sounds kind of like the Psycho theme" for a few seconds but honestly that's as good as it gets.  Pass.

19.)  Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel -- I really wanted to like this one (considering how awesome the Deerhunter album was --  #3 on last year's Best Of Albums list) but you're not going to find any great songs here, although Bradford Cox' DIY sound manipulation and production trickery is amusing at times.

18.)  Various Artists - Disco Not Disco 1974-1986 -- Again, I have no earthly idea why I picked this up, but if you like your disco lo-fi-ish this might be your cup of tea.

17.) Fuck Buttons - Street Horrrsing -- The first track is excellent, the last track is decent, and the rest of the album is a total waste of time, meandering and going practically nowhere.

16.) Dead Meadow - Old Growth -- On the album's excellent opening track, "Ain't Got Nothing (To Go Wrong)," these guys cultivate an addictive groove, chooglin' along like a whiskey-fueled Creedence jam session.  But the act gets old after a few tracks, drifting into jambandish aimlessness and never really taking the listener into balls-out RAWK!!! territory.

15.) Under Byen - Siamesisk -- To me, Under Byen's catalog consists of two types of music: harrowing, dramatic post-rock with arty Bjorkish flourishes, and limp new-agey noodling.  This EP, recorded with a full orchestra, unfortunately is neither here nor there, neither intriguing enough to warrant multiple listens, nor bad enough to skip outright.

14.) Meshugga - Obzen -- The label on the front of this one reads: EXPERIENCE THE HEAVIEST, MOST DEVASTATING AUDIO ATTACK EVER CAPTURED IN 52 MINUTES AND 25 SECONDS which pretty much sums things up.  The band's unwavering assault is relentless, with arguably the most sophisticated bass drumming I've ever heard, but listening to the full thing is (literally) a bit of a beating.

13.) Howlin' Rain - Magnificent Fiend -- As I've written before, I really, really, really miss Comets on Fire, and it's a bit of an unfair disadvantage to any Howlin' Rain record, even a good one, that it is simply not Comets.  And it's not that Magnificent Fiend is a bad record; far from it, but in addition to being a bit too reserved for my tastes it lacks any truly *great* songs (like "Calling Lightning With a Scythe" and "The Hanging Heart" from the self-titled debut).  Nonetheless, there are some entertaining instrumental passages, not to mention great soloing on "Lord Have Mercy" and "Goodbye Ruby."

12.) The Kills - Midnight Boom -- I felt that The Kills perfected their dark, beat punk/no wave dramas on No Wow, so the slightly gussied-up, gimmicky feel of singles "URA Fever" and "Cheap and Cheerful" is a bit disappointing.   Midnight Boom was supposedly heavily influenced by schoolyard chants and cadences, which succeeds most notably on the standouts "Hook and Line" and "Sour Cherry" but comes off as grating on cuts like "Alphabet Pony."  Also notable is the successful foray into Luscious Jacksonish territory with the uberchill "Black Balloon."  Uneven record but still very listenable and catchy.

11.) Earth - The Bees Made Honey in the Lion's Skull -- This album continues in the vein of the "new" Earth sound, replacing downtuned drones with slow-motion twang.  Adding Bill Frisell, the world's greatest guitarist, broadens the palette ever so slightly -- you might not even notice he's there but that's only because you'll be so relaxed you'll think that someone replaced your Splenda with smack.  (How's that for a Folgers challenge?)  Listening to this one I'm reminded of the quotes on the back cover of Earth's fifteen-year-old Earth 2: Special Low Frequency Edition touting the music's medicinal qualities: "...found it difficult to think of the things that disturb me..." and "I feel very alert yet very calm... Wonderful after a hard day." Or, more tellingly, "MY TENSION HEADACHES HAVE DISAPPEARED!" Mine, too.

10.) Dub Trio - Another Sound is Dying -- Chops, chops, chops, and more chops on these instrumentals, with very little actual "dub" present, unless you count a couple of brief, spacey interludes crammed between the breakneck mathy riffing.  At first one may think Biohazard or Helmet, but I'd say these guys sound most like the latter-day, unappreciated era of Faith No More, which is only fitting considering their place on Mike Patton's Ipecac label, their history as Patton's touring band for his Peeping Tom project, and Patton's turn on guest vocals on the creepy "No Flag."

9.) Goes Cube - Not What You Thought -- I admit it, my initial enthusiasm for this EP has cooled a little, but I'm still digging the fuck out of this.  More than probably any other artist on this list, Goes Cube seems to fit in with what's going on in "alternative" radio these days.

8.) Danava - Unonou -- These days it's stylish to reference Sir Lord Baltimore as an influence, but the first half of this album is likely as close as I've ever heard a modern band come to matching that band's primal greatness.  (Sadly, no singing drummer, though.)  Along the path of riff-heavy stoner metal, this is miles and miles superior to the Black Mountain record.  At times, these guys take the unusual step of basing songs around unconventional Dan Deaconish synth loops, which stand out gloriously amongst the usual crunchy sturm und drang.  And, at times, all of this somehow manages to work marvelously.  Unfortunately, the album fades a bit down the stretch, ending in a colossally embarrassing misstep with a godawful ripoff of Zeppelin's "Achilles Last Stand."   The first few songs are great, though.

7.) Beach House - Devotion -- If you liked their debut, you'll love this one; if you didn't care for the debut then this isn't likely to change your mind.  The hazy, dreamy atmospherics remain the same but the songwriting has improved, notably on "Gila" and "Heart of Chambers."  Victoria Legrand's phrasing remains excellent, as well: seriously, if the "ancient wi-hi-hi-hit" line in "Heart of Chambers" doesn't do it for you, then I just don't know what to tell ya, jack.

6.) Witch - Paralyzed -- I absofuckinglutely loved their debut (#6 on my 2006 Best Of Albums list) and although this one doesn't have anything as immediately awesome as "Seer" or "Rip Van Winkle" it still seriously rocks.  This time around, the songs are leaner and faster paced, adding a whiskey-n'-crank-tinged breath of Motorhead to the preexisting Sabbath/stoner template. 

5.) The Big Sleep - Sleep Forever -- I think this one got a bad rap.  Because everyone seems to mistakenly equate "instrumental" with "post rock" these days, stuff that should be just labeled "instrumental" gets docked points because it's not as grandiose as Godspeed or Mogwai, which is a stupid shame.  And in addition to this record's stunning instrumentals, songs like "Pinkies" and "Bad Blood" hearken the best of mid '90s alt rock.      

4.) Blood on the Wall - Liferz -- immature, lo-fi, garagey, and as fun -- and welcome -- as free blow.  Sure, you'll find yourself playing the "sounds like..." game throughout this album, but c'mon, that's part of the fun. 

3.) Magnetic Fields - Distortion -- Undeniably great pop songs.  My appreciation of this one has only grown over time, primarily because the sequencing totally ruins the first half of the album's flow.  Why the lugubrious "Old Fools" and "Mr. Mistletoe" aren't cordoned off from the sugary goodness of "California Girls," "Drive on Driver," "The Nun's Litany," "Zombie Boy" and "I Dream Alone" is beyond me.  So, to recap, this album's flow is, um, not good, but taken as a group of songs it's fantastic.

2.) Times New Viking - Rip It Off -- In this interview, when asked "what was the tipping point that made you sign with Matador?" guitarist Jared Phillips begins his answer by stating "Alien Lanes," which, without even reading any further, sums things up nicely.  And although the melodicism of Rip it Off doesn't necessarily approximate the awesomely schizophrenic kitchen sinkism of mid '90's GbV, the enthusiasm, immediacy and FTW/DIY style does. 

1.) The Raveonettes - Lust Lust Lust -- By starting Lust Lust Lust with "Aly Walk With Me," the longest track in their catalog, the Raveonettes are making a statement that goes beyond "this song is awesome" (which it is): by now, if you haven't warmed up to the Ronettes-by-way-of-Jesus and Mary Chain aesthetic, it's doubtful you ever will.  By going back to the distortion-drenched pop of Chain Gang of Love, The Raveonettes successfully revisit the beautiful/filthy dichotomy that they wielded so successfully on that album, harmonizing like the Everly Brothers while uncorking tales of jealousy, heartbreak, drugs and dirty, dirty fucking. 
    This album is like licking a lollipop that's covered in pubes.  Wait, no, that's a terrible analogy... fuck, I'm trying to go with the whole "sweet/filthy at the same time" thing.  Maybe "this album is like freebasing pixie sticks."  No, that doesn't work either.  Maybe "this album is like fingerbanging Mrs. Butterworth."  No, definitely not that.  Fuck it, I give up. 

---

That's all for now.  See y'all at Pissed Jeans Friday. 

Howlin' Rain with Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson at Mercury Lounge, April 2nd, 2008

    See, it's not that I don't like Howlin' Rain.  Their debut album came in at #18 on my 2006 Best-of Albums list and their new one, Magnificent Fiend, is a decent record, if a bit too Allmans-y to be truly awesome.  It's just that every time I hear Ethan Miller's tortured howl I wish I was listening to his "other" (vastly superior) band, Comets on Fire, who are apparently on indefinite hiatus (read between the lines).  I had seen Howlin' Rain once before, during the summer of '06 also at Mercury Lounge, along with a crowd of no more than 30 people, but the band now features different members, most notably an organist.  So although I didn't know exactly what to expect from the evening's show, I have to admit I was a bit ho-hum on the whole thing.

    Now, this is not a simple "X is better than Y" thing for me: after GbV hung it up on New Year's '04/'05, Comets on Fire defaulted their way into being my favorite current band, which lasted for a couple years  through the release of their most recent album, Avatar (#8 on that same list I linked above).  Depending on what mood I'm in, their show at Knitting Factory in '06 (for the record, the second time I'd seen Comets, which was also the first time I ever saw the mighty Blues Control live) was either the best or second best concert I saw that year, trading off on that top spot every so often with the Robert Pollard show I caught in Boston.  The Comets' Blue Cathedral is the best record of '04, and their self-titled one is one of the five best records of this decade.  So, yeah, I kinda like(d) Comets on Fire.
   
    Anyway, back to the present.  This was to be a "late show" at Mercury Lounge, with doors opening at 9:30.  Since it's dodgy getting a train out of Penn Station back to where I live on Long Island at the time when I figured this show would be over, I drove in, parked on Delancey and walked over, happily finding that they had the "subscription only" Howlin' Rain disc -- supposedly a much more chaotic affair than Magnificent Fiend -- on sale at the merch table, for which I gladly forked over $10.  I was curious to see the opener, Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (I think I typed those names in the correct order) because of the following sentence in his bio:

...Miles has squandered much of his initial momentum and potential promise in an alcoholic haze and series of shambling yet, ultimately, transcendent live performances at some of Brooklyn’s most and least renowned venues.

This made him/them sound kind of dangerously unpredictable, as though there might be at least a small possibility of an onstage meltdown.  I was psyched.

    When Miles and his band took the stage and started with a song that sounded like the "Friends" theme, I figured all was lost, but quickly things turned around.  Basically these guys play rather anthemic major-key rock songs which probably wouldn't sound too much different than The Hold Steady or something if not for Miles' unconventional performing style, which consists of a nicotine-scarred bleat and nervous, imprecise chickenscratchy guitar playing.   These guys seemed to have a lot of fans onhand who eagerly laughed not only at Robinson's every joke, but his every comment ("um, can I get some more reverb on my vocals?" HAHAHAHAH "Um, it would be great if you could turn the guitars up as loud as they go... please..." HAHAHAHAHA and so forth).  But you can't hold a band's dumbass fans against them (except for the solo-slamdancing middle-aged poser that almost knocked me over).  I kinda liked these guys.

    Howlin' Rain took the stage at about 11, ripping into "Requiem" and "Calling Lightning pt. 2" from Magnificent Fiend.  From the get-go it was evident that the band's performing style is way more over-the-top than one might expect from their most recent record: with frontman Ethan Miller pretty much holding down his whammy bar and stomping on a wah wah pedal during the entire set, they actually sounded closer to the distortion-tastic territory of a bluesier Comets than Fiend's more mellow vibe.  And Ethan's voice was in better shape than I've ever heard.  Really a fantastic live show, and the crowd seemed to get into it, hootin' and hollerin' like a bunch of moonshine and crank-fueled hoe-down goers.

     The rest of the set (for those who care about that sort of thing) consisted of the grungy "In Sand and Dirt" from the self-titled debut record, the "Dear Mr. Fantasy"-esque "Nomads" and a set-closing "Roll on the Rusted Days," with the horn section replaced by some manic organ playing.  No encore, and when the lights went up I shook Ethan's hand thanking him for a "fuckin' great set, man" which he seemed to appreciate.  But yeah, color me super-impressed.  By the end of their set I wasn't pining for Ben Chasny's stumbling guitar, NVH's echoplex freakouts or Utrillo's six-armed drum assault: it's time to start thinking of Howlin' Rain not as a side project, but as a fine band who knows exactly how to bring the goods.  Highly recommended.   

    Oxford Collapse tonight, buying some "primo cush" tomorrow.  Tuddd out. 

Best Albums of 2006 List (List #4)

    FINALLY I'll get crackin' on this sum'bitch.  Between working 60 hours/week and dealing with moving into my new apartment, spare time has been fleeting.  Oh, yeah: plus, my dad died.  But as I sit here listening to some beautiful classical-ish music, I realize I'd better fire this shit up before it becomes totally irrelevant (i.e. last year's "Best of 2005 List" which I didn't post until like June).

    The only rule is that reissues are not included, so that eliminates TimeLife's excellent 10-CD "Malt Shop Memories" compilation.  Fortunately, this rule has little bearing on the Chavez retrospective, because Chavez just isn't good enough to make the list anyway.

    Disclaimers: I've heard about 50 albums that were released in '06 proper, including a bunch of the usual crap that you'll find on many other year end lists (The Hold Steady, TV on the Radio, The Raconteurs, etc.).  Again, to be sure, these albums are excluded from this list not because I didn't hear them, but because they're terrible.  For a mea culpa on records I probably should have listened to by now, see the below post entitled "Albums I Should Have Heard By Now" or something like that.

   

LIST #4: THE BEST ALBUMS OF 2006

20.) Thom Yorke - The Eraser -- This sounds exactly the way you'd expect a Thom Yorke solo joint to sound, which is not such a bad thing.  But buyer beware: it's ultra monotonous, which is not such a good thing.  Oddly, it sounds *kinda* like Radiohead, but still has its own singular identity: The Eraser is not as experimental as Kid A or Amnesiac; not as RAWK as The Bends; not as violently spotty and uneven as Hail to the Thief, and nowhere near as good as OK Computer.  Although it is a "solo" release, Yorke wisely kept ace producer Nigel Godrich behind the boards -- his mastery of dynamics conjures a "new Floyd-for-the-do-it-yourself-digital-age" vibe.  Best song:  "Analyse."

19.) Keene Brothers - Blues and Boogie Shoes -- solid-if-unspectacular collaboration between Tommy Keene and Robert Pollard, crammed to the gills with competent powerpoppage.  Almost a little bit too "mature" (as Bob himself would say) for my tastes, but it's obvious that Bob went out of his way to fire up some decent melodies on this one, as opposed (for example) to his downright shabby efforts on the Airport 5 records, which is a shame, because I prefer Airport 5's musical bedding (supplied by former GbV second fiddle Tobin Sprout) to that of the Keene Brothers.  *sigh*  Tobe deserved better.  Best songs: "Death of the Party" and "Heaven's Gate."

18.) Howlin' Rain - Howlin' Rain -- side project from Comets on Fire frontman Ethan Miller.  After the first three Comets records (this was released prior to Avatar), the, um, "restraint" on this one is super obvious (i.e. no echoplex freakouts, no Keith Moon-on-crack drum breaks and no processed vocals).  And it's easy to dismiss this as a full album of CoF castoffs, but so fucking what, it's still some mighty fine good listenin'.  Best song: "Calling Lightning with a Scythe."

17.) Beck - The Information -- I'm torn re: Beck.  Half of me wishes that he had quit/left/died/whatever after Odelay, while the other half of me is happy that he's able to keep pumping out serviceable-yet-totally-inessential records to give my ears a brief respite from the usual metal/punk/postrock/indie stuff that I listen to these days.  Since I have absolutely no tolerance for the robotic monotony of beat-centric electronica and I openly revile hip-hop culture, Beck's blue-eyed and funkified junk sculpture is pretty much as close as I get to either of those genres.  In other words, what he lacks in melody, cohesive lyrical content and substance he more than makes up for, well, by sounding absolutely nothing like anything else I appreciate.   On The Information, he re-ups with Sea Change producer/Radiohead guru Nigel Godrich, who no doubt provides most of the bleeps, bloops and sound effects.  Has Beck shat out Guero II (or, just as accurately, Odelay III)?  Probably.  But just as long as he's not subjecting me to faux-earnest whinefests like Sea Change I'll keep on listening.  Best song: "Cellphone's Dead."  Does Herbie Hancock get royalties from this?  'Cuz he should. 

16.) Wolfmother - Wolfmother -- My God, there are so many reasons that, in theory, I should *HATE* these fucking guys.  Musically, completely unoriginal/totally derivative.  Prettyboy frontman.  Questionable drumming.  "Third verse, same as the first" aesthetic.  Credential-free, meteoric rise to stardom.  The same two-note riff in what seems like every fucking song.  And, plainly put, the worst lyrics not written by Lenny Kravitz.  But when you RAWK like these fellas, you make it fairly easy to overlook all that.  Probably the Party Record of the Year (unless you're a heroin addict, in which case you'd probably favor Mogwai's Zidane soundtrack).  Best song: WOO-MON!

15.) Ratatat - Classics -- This is officially the first electronic-related record I've enjoyed since the ketamine flowed like nostril-imbibable wine a few years back.  To Ratatat's credit, instead of skewing the mix towards some absurdly banal beat as a given track's focus (as is predictably the case with most electronic artists), they put the emphasis firmly on melody.  Yes, at times it sounds kind of Tetris-y, and it's as dangerous as a glass of milk, but hot damn are some of these jams catchy.  Best song: "Tacobel Canon."

14.) Robert Pollard - Normal Happiness -- [insert yearly "well, Bob's probably not as good these days as he was around Bee Thousand/Alien Lanes, but he's still better than pretty much anyone else around/this album has some great ones and some really, really awful ones/probably not going to convert any non-believers but Pollard fanatics will eat this one up"-themed comment here.] Best song: "Top of My Game."

13.) Two Gallants - What the Toll Tells -- Got turned onto these guys when I saw 'em opening for Wolfmother (surprisingly awesome) and Gov't Mule (shudder) in September.  They're about as irony free as you can get; in fact, if you can't stand ultra-earnest lyrics you're likely to have your head explode while listening to this record.  Lots of songs about being an outlaw/rebel/misfit/outcast -- kind of in the vein of a more literate Mike Ness.  However, where Social D base their trademark sound around a wall of crunchy-ass guitars, Two Gallants' foundation is vocalist Adam Stephens' raspy howl, which many may instantly find off-putting.  Part of me wishes these guys would just bite the bullet and pick up a kickass rhythm guitarist, but on the other hand that could severely fuck up songs like "The Prodigal Son."  Hmmm.  What the fuck do I know.  Best to leave well enough alone, I guess.  Best song: "Waves of Grain."

12.) Built to Spill - You in Reverse -- I've always thought of BtS as kind of the ultimate cock-tease band -- they come so close to actually rocking that, at times, they can be mistaken for actually rocking.  Other than that, this record is a tough one to pigeonhole on the "Is it Indie?" test.  It's indie: two-chord songs.  It's not indie: said songs occasionally last 8+ minutes.  It's indie: crummy vocals.  It's not indie: fancy guitar playing.  It's indie: sounds kinda like Modest Mouse.  It's not indie: sounds kinda like Neil Young.  Best song: everybody says "Goin' Against Your Mind," but I'm going with "Conventional Wisdom."

11.) Boris - Pink -- Um, WTF?  This album obviously came out in '05, but I've seen it on so many year-end best-of lists (i.e. those compiled by people more punctual than I) that leaving it out would be gay.  Musically, these guys cover pretty much all the bases: grandiose post rock, gritty speedpunky metal, noise, doom, you name it -- all kinds of great riffs.  Plus I kinda dig not having any idea what the vocalist is singing about.  Best song: "Farewell."

10.) Bobby Bare, Jr. - Nick Nacks and Paddy Whacks -- Live/tour CD by an artist who, until '06's The Longest Meow (which was recorded largely live in the studio) was definitely better appreciated in concert than on record.  Bare Jr. just simply sounds better when presenting his songs with Pixies-ish instrumentation than he does on the subtler, rootsier album versions.  The only thing keeping this out of the top 5 is the questionable omission of "Valentine" and "Motherfucker," which really defies all logic, considering that those are two songs which benefit most from the live treatment.  Best song: Hmmm.  Lotsa good'uns.  I'll have to go with "Terrible Sunrise" since I already have several great live versions of "Flat Chested Girl from Maynardville."

9.) Robert Pollard - From a Compound Eye -- Again, with a few outstanding exceptions, the songs on this record are _not_ immediately accessible pop masterpieces, and at least for me, FaCE required practically a full year in my listening incubator thingy before I thought it was much good.  As with any of Bob's recent records, one's apprecation for FaCE will hinge largely on how one feels about Todd Tobias' production.  To me, one of the greatest things about Guided by Voices in the pre-Tobias days wa that their songs, even when primitively recorded, almost always were exactly as loud as they needed to be: no more, no less.  That's obviously not the case on this album.  Songs like "Dancing Girls and Dancing Men," "I'm a Widow" and "Love is Stronger than Witchcraft" are flat out gay.  On the other hand, it's difficult to imagine "The Flowering Orphan," "Cock of the Rainbow" or "50 Year-Old Baby" without the lush Tobias touch.  Regardless, there are just too many great songs on this album to pass it up.  Of particular note is "The Right Thing," in which Pollard gives the listener a window into the process by which he turns basement scraps into full-fledged songs.  The track begins with a brief, repetitive three-note pattern, accompanied by non-descript, generic (probably improvised) lyrics before switching key, switching gear and rocking the fuck out.  Fuck yeah!  Best song: "US Mustard Company," also the best song of the year.

8.) Comets on Fire - Avatar -- When is a top 10 album still a disappointment?  When you've started your career off as The Kings of the Hard Rockin' Freakout, challenging Mogwai for the Planet's Greatest Band crown, and then you drop an album that sounds as much like a Phish/Allmans hybrid as it does your earlier output.  Face it, "Dogwood Rust" sounds like Phish's "Birds of a Feather," "Hatched Upon the Age" sounds like the title track of Billy Breathes, and nearly everything else has at least one moment where you think, "damn, this sounds like" either "Whipping Post" or "Elizabeth Reed."  Phew, at least there's no Rusted Root thrown into the mix!  And were we really eager to hear what Comets sounded like playing ballads, for fuck's sake?!  God, I know that may sound harsh; after all, this is still a really good album.  It's nowhere near Comets on Fire or Blue Cathedral, any way ya slice it, however.  Many of the songs feature wildman drummer Utrillo Kushner on piano (yeah, I know), which moves echoplex maven Noel Von Harmonson off his noise-makin' shriek machine onto the drumkit, which in turn leads to a decrease in noise, distortion, and overall unpleasantness.  This is definitely not a positive development.  The only song that really sounds like old-school Comets to me is the all-too-brief "Holy Teeth," which clocks in at about 3 minutes.  Seriously, guys: NEEDS MORE ECHOPLEX.  Best song: probably "Dogwood Rust."

7.) Bobby Bare, Jr. - The Longest Meow -- Hot damn, this dude has to be my find of '06.  So this is what good alt-country sounds like!  Having heard more than my fill of acts like Ryan Adams and Wilco had made me dismiss the entire genre as nuthin' but a bunch of talentless hacks and watered-down jamband-lite wankers.  But fuck that, Bobby Bare Jr.'s the real fucking deal.  On The Longest Meow, which was recorded virtually entirely live in the studio, Bare splits the difference between his alternative-ish past and his more country-grounded solo records with the Young Criminals' Starvation League, retaining both the grinningly clever lyrics and the RAWK heft.   Now, I used to beat the drum for Robert Pollard to no avail, but that bird has flown.  In other words, the fact that Bobby Bare Jr. is not insanely popular is all the proof you need to know that America is full of dumb assholes.  Best song: "Stop Cryin'."

6.) Witch - Witch -- True meat n' taters stoner rock at its finest, with J Mascis (!) on the drumkit.  Of course, the lyrics are a bit over-the-top generic (lots of burning pyres, funerals, magic spells, and even a succubus!) but c'mon, the blueprint for this (or any other great stoner rock) is Sabbath, so juvenile things-that-go-bump-in-the-night imagery is not simply given a pass: it's revered.  The guitars are downtuned and fuzzy, and Mascis does as good a Bill Ward impersonation as anyone.  My only real complaint is that the vocals are a bit too Claypool-esque for me.  Minor complaint, though: make no mistake about it, this is a damn fine album.  Grow yer hair out, bust out the air guitar, and thrash along to the opening lick to "Rip Van Winkle," you pussy.  Best songs: "Rip Van Winkle" and "Seer."

5.) Tool - 10,000 Days -- Hey, you hear that?  What's that sound?  Oh, right, that's my indie cred being flushed down the toilet.  Meh, who needs it.  If anyone needs me, I'll be pulling bong hits and listening to Alice in Chains.  Best song: "Jambi." 

4.) Russian Circles - Enter -- Now, this is some damn hot flashfingered instru-metal, done up post-rock style, and cheers to 'em on that.  This album is meant to be taken as a succession of linked suites, and a continuous theme is definitely noticeable the whole way throughout: not in a rock opera-ish way, but more in an overall "this is our style, so deal with it you pansy" type display of manliness.  At times slow and brooding, at times manically aggressive, just like any great metal record.  Any chance Mogwai picks these guys up as openers on their next trek across the States?  Pwease?  Best song: "Death Rides a [motherfucking] Horse [vulgarity added]."

3.) Tapes 'N Tapes - The Loon -- See, since I grew up listening to Zeppelin, Guns N' Roses and Metallica instead of Pavement, Jesus Lizard and Morrissey I don't suffer from the jaded hipster tendency to bury every great new album under an insufferable game of "spot the influence."  Presumably, this is why I like bands like Interpol, The Raveonettes, and all kinds of shit that others simply dismiss with a "meh, they're ripping off Gang of Four" and a cluck of the tongue.  The Loon was easily my most-listened-to new album in 2006.  It's the type of record that, at first, seems awkward and self-consciously self-conscious before you realize A.) these dudes can play, B.) they write a damn fine song, and C.) said dudes can really RAWK without having to simply rely on excessive volume (make no mistake, that's really fucking tricky).  "The Iliad" stomps, "Insistor" shuffles, and "Jakov's Suite" is the best rock n' roll underture not written by Pete Townshend.   And you can't leave out the vicodin-and-comfy-chair perfection of "Manitoba."  Good, good shit.  Best song: "The Iliad."

2.) Robert Pollard - Moon -- As the old saying goes, "Everything sounds better live."  In the case of the songs from this year's FaCE (see above review), this adage is proven true with the album versions fleshed out into fully-formed, beefier versions of themselves.  For the uninitiated, Moon was recorded during Robert Pollard and the Ascended Masters' (goddamn, I love that band name) two-show stint opening up for Pearl Jam.  Oy vey, who knew that they'd be able to make "Dancing Girls and Dancing Men" listenable?  It's a real fucking shame that the ticket-buying public is such a bunch of clueless shiteaters, because if Bob could have sold out some of the shows on his tour supporting Normal Happiness, he wouldn't have had to bust up his excellent backing band (Tommy Keene on guitar/keys, Jon Wurstur on drums, Jason Narducy playing bass, and Dave Phillips on guitar).  Of course, since I'm a scab-scratching nitpicker, I have a few bones to pick with the chosen setlist.  For example, for Christ's sake, where the fuck are "US Mustard Co," "Denied," "I'm a Strong Lion" and "Recovering?"  And if Bob was going to bust out some songs from Normal Happiness in front of the Dockers n' North Face set in the Pearl Jam audience, why not "Top of My Game" and "Rhoda Rhoda?"  And couldn't he have squeezed a second GbV chestnut in there somewhere?  Either way, and with all my petty bitching aside, this is a fantastic record, significant because it's really only the second proper live album he's released, and it seems that Bob's beer-fueled caravan won't be hitting the road for the foreseeable future, which is a shame.  If you never saw a Pollard solo show, or never saw GbV live you really, really missed out.  Best song: "The Right Thing."  I AM HIIIIIIIIIIIIIGH!!!!!!  "Conqueror of the Moon" is incredible too, though.

1.) Mogwai - Mr. Beast -- If you think that Young Team is better than this, you're an asshole.  Best song: "Glasgow Mega-Snake."

Used to Be Women, December 1st, 2006, Glasslands

    My first introduction to Used to Be Women came about 5-1/2 months ago when I saw them at Mercury Lounge as the first band on the bill supporting Howlin' Rain, a side project headed by Comets on Fire frontman Ethan Miller.  Upon entering Mercury Lounge, I could hear what sounded like a Stones bootleg being blasted at a deafening volume from the enclosed stage room, which, of course, turned out to be these guys.  Sadly, there were less than ten people in attendance during their set, which I believe had been pushed up to accomodate one of the two terrible bands that followed them.  A shame, because they were the best band of the night, headliner included.  Rockin' riffs and solid tunes aside, it was pretty obvious that their singer had to work a bit on his stage moves, which at the time consisted solely of repeatedly "testifyin'" with his left hand held out to the side.  Of course, I have quite a sizeable soft spot for underdog opening bands, so I was immediately smitten.  A couple weeks later I got stoned and fantasized about starting my own record label basically just so I could hear what they'd sound like on record.

    Unable to find even the tiniest scrap of information about them until they put up a MySpace page several months later, I kept my eyes peeled for UtBW shows; periodically I'd see something come across at OhMyRockness, but for some reason I seemed to keep coming up with excuses, be they coincidental (seeing another show the same night), physical (back/knee pain), chemical (too stoned) or vaginal (too lazy).  But this week, seeing as I'm in a bit of a show-going slump lately (nothing since Bobby Bare Jr. on 11-17!) and I'm on my quest to average over one show per week this calendar year, I finally got off my fat ass to see these guys again.

    First some description of the "venue": Glasslands is a small, underground-ish club in Brooklyn, situtated up against the East River.  There are no markings announcing its existence anywhere outside, no numbers, no nuthin', so I actually walked right past the fuckin' place on my first pass down the block.  After finally figuring out which random door to walk through, I found myself in what looked to have formerly been an artists' loft, which, what with rent prices skyrocketing in Williamsburg/surrounding area, probably isn't actually affordable to an actual "artist" anymore.  Paid $6 to get in, and the door guy gave me change out of his wallet, which was somewhat endearing.  Bar was stocked with a few booze bottles (including a plastic bottle of Barton's), a keg and $3 High Life cans, but it became plainly obvious as the night went on that BYOB was also allowed: many attendees were drinking forties out of paper bags, not to mention puffing butts.  The space was decorated with all kinds of hipster bric-a-brac, random slogans spraypainted here and there, and a room devoted to displaying mixed media art in the back.  An open upstairs area with several rooms and a balcony provided plenty of "walking around" space for those less self-conscious -- and crippled -- than myself.  All in all a very cool little performance space, and just exactly the type of place that makes me secretly hope I get fired from my job so I can move to Brooklyn and go back to alcoholism.

    Anyway, when I arrived a little after 8 (the advertised start time) I immediately recognized the Used to Be Women singer and one of the guitarists.  Drank a couple of High Lifes and kept to myself, which... let's just say I'm sure that it's pretty tough for someone of my size/shape to feel inconspicuous when I'm easily outweighing everyone in the room by a good bill.

    The opening bands were terrible, and this is coming from someone who has a severe fetish for music I've never heard before.  The first band sounded like some shit you'd hear at a junior high talent show, although I must say their singer was friggin' hot.  One of their guitarists was the most rhythmically challenged musician I've ever seen on a stage of any kind.  But they were infinitely better than the second "band," who seemed to spend more time engaging in utterly retarded stage banter (and, at one point, letting an audience member toy around on the drum set) than they did churning out their dull, uninspired drones.

    Fortunately, Used to Be Women did rock the house.  By the time they started their set, the room was fairly full -- I'd guesstimate about 80 people total, most of whom were visibly very intoxicated.  I envied them all, considering I was probably the only schmuck that actually drove in from Long Island, because this would have been the ideal show to get really hammered at, then stumble back to my fictional apartment and do fat rails.  Sigh.  But I digress.  UtBW have added a third guitarist since I last saw them, and severely decreased the role of the rhythm guitarist, who had sort of served as de facto band spokesman when I'd seen them previously.  I recognized a couple of the songs, notably the "can I put my legs over your shoulders/goddamn it baby that's the ticket now" and the "it eats me" ones.  The frontman didn't confine himself to the small stage, which was already jam-packed with the three guitarists/bassist/drummer, instead singlehandedly filling in the textbook NYC "Circle of Shame" left empty at the front of the stage with manic gesticulations and gyrations.  The improved stage presence and seeming lack of contrivance/pretension in his wild movements made for a more festive atmosphere even if, oddly, it seemed as though the borderline-incompetent first band had received a warmer crowd reception.

    Musically, the obvious touchstones are The Rolling Stones (due not just to the singer's faithful approximation of Mick Jagger's but their chosen guitar tones) and probably The Stooges, if only because UtBW also originally hail from Michigan and it's a convenient comparison to make.  Instrumentally, the band's MVP is the handlebar moustachioed lead guitarist, who really got into playing and nearly matched the frontman for charisma and energy.  Yup, these guys perform some genuine toe-tappers and head-nodders, and I'd highly recommend seeing them if you get a chance.  I've got Dino Jr. tonight, as well as Chavez, Gogol Bordello and Bouncing Souls in the upcoming weeks before '07 starts, but I'd wager that when all is said and done, UtBW at Glasslands will end up being as memorable as any of 'em.