ALBUMS OF THE YEAR 2008

#1 Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Vintage Serge Gainsbourg meets Justin Timberlake. Easily my favorite album of this year and in my top 10 of all-time. A full 360 of an album that is diverse and superb at every moment. The closing track “L’Amour et La Violence” (The Love and The Violence) is haunting and pure genius. I could easily listen to this album on repeat for ages and did so in 2008. The album is immaculately produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk and blends all the talents of Sebastien Tellier from his previous work. A great driving album, a wonderful time-piece, and something I won’t stop praising for years to come.

#2 Young Jeezy – The Recession
True Story; I had 30 minutes to kill so I stopped by Second Spin. It was Tuesday (aka new release day) and they were playing a hip-hop record in the store. After walking around for 20 minutes I was like, man, this record sounds good…so I bought it. It was Young Jeezy – The Recession and it’s a great record. Who’d of thunk a southern rapper could have predicted the economic downturn? “Black President” (feat. NaS) should be one of the tracks of the year.

#3 Torche - Meanderthal
This album is a ripper. Heavy enough to scare off the masses, yet melodic enough to warrant some rock radio play. The album is great from start to finish and addictive. I heard this in a listening station and was taken aback by it. I look forward to anything and everything Torche.

#4 Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds – Dig!!! Lazarus!!! Dig!!! / The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford OST
Nick Cave at the Hollywood Bowl was everything I could have wanted from a Bowl show. Whereas Dig!!!... is a wonderfully blunt record which has hints of Grinderman (my last year’s #1 album) , his soundtrack work with Warren Ellis is equally as powerful. Nick Cave is superior to most and in the last couple of years he has hit a creative stride that I’m in love with.

#5 Lykke Li – Youth Novels
This is a superb album. Great pop songs, great production, great everything. I give Lykke Li props as this album was released over 2 years ago in her home Sweden yet she continually tours and performs for US audiences despite her obvious tire of repetition. I was extremely impressed with this and look forward to her next output.

#6 Sigur Ros - Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
I picked up this album because I knew when it came out that I would be going to Iceland later on in the year for Airwaves. Although not a typical Sigur Ros album I definitely loved it. At first it didn’t sound like a typical Sigur Ros album but after a few listens the songs stood out enough to make me forget.

#7 Lindstrøm – Where You Go I Go Too
A few years back I got my hands on a live mix of Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas and was floored by the coming of nu-disco. Since then I have been salivating for everything Lindstrøm. At SXSW I saw him “spin” (totally laptop) in a cowboy bar and he was great, but it was not the place for him to be. This album is 3 tracks of perfect desert driving music. Electronic overtures.

#8 Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
Live at the Reykjavik Art Museum sealed it for me. I was saddened to have to venture into the “experimental” section at Amoeba when this is really just an Electronic record. Sure there are some huge Noise aspects but the album itself is an atmospheric tidal wave of drone fused melodies. Fuck Buttons is up my alley and I’m cool with that.

#9 The Kills – Midnight Boom
I remember when the Kills first started gaining hype and I saw them a few times in NY and bought the introductory EP and then album. I liked it, but wouldn’t consider myself a fan. Then the next album dropped and I happened to see them on that tour by chance, still like it, but eh. Finally it came at this year’s SXSW when I happened to be at a party and they took the stage. I gave the typical, “I’ll give it a song or two” thought and I was very surprised when they blew me away. The new songs they played were superior to the old and the live set-up was great. A very good album from a now matured “shtick-y” band.

#10 Genghis Tron – Board Up The House
Hipster metal. 3 bearded scholar types playing some heavy metal without a drummer. This album has a few things I love mixed with some annoyances, yet it all comes together nicely. Ambient layers along with songs about zombies, but with a fair amount of screaming. Immaculate production (Kurt Ballou, did Torche too).

#11 Abe Vigoda – Skeleton
These guys are my buddies and I’d been eagerly awaiting the release of this bad-boy for ages. Tropical-Punk from Pomona kids is unique and interesting. I expect these guys to move onward and upward for some time into a Talking Head’s like group. Go LA.

#12 Human Highway – Moody Motorcycle
I really like Nick Diamonds, even though I’ve heard from numerous sources he’s a complete a-hole. I loved the first Islands record, the second one was kinda boring, but I was definitely impressed with Human Highway. “The Sound” is a great hit, and the title track is just as good.

#13 Duffy - Rockferry
I buy lots of records; common fact. I didn’t know what to expect from Duffy except I heard she sucked live and was not as pretty as creative camerawork has made her out to be. She can sing though, the songs are good, and this is a good album. Lots of haters out there with so many solo songstresses this year, but Rockferry is a very good album.

#14 Retro Stefson - Montana
The best band nobody has ever heard of….from Iceland. Manu Chao’s Radio Bemba Sound System meets Vampire Weekend. The best live show I’ve seen in ages, especially from a band whose ages range from 16-20.

#15 The Last Shadow Puppets – The Age Of The Understatement
Another “shot in the dark” when I picked up this album yet I was taken aback by it. A lot more mature than the Arctic Monkey’s and a great theme along with the perfect use of strings.

#16 Yeasayer – All Hour Cymbals
Soggy Brooklyn-ites who ooze hipness, yet I can’t get over the style, sound, and songs on this album. A great mood record that trails off a bit at the end but is still strong and memorable.

#17 Bun B – II Trill
RIP Pimp C. This year I decided that hip-hop should be incorporated more into my lifestyle and Bun B was big on that. A good banger of a record, perfect for the treadmill and my new-used Honda Accord.

#18 Booka Shade – The Sun And The Neon Light
I am a fan of electronic music and was happy to be impressed with the new Booka Shade. They killed it live at Coachella and was the first electro group to land the whole “adding my own vocals” to tracks. A good rhythmic piece with some great house aspects.

#19 Tricky – Knowles West Boy
I am on a few mailing lists in which I get advances of some weird records. Upon getting the Tricky album I didn’t know what to expect but it’s my duty to listen to everything. This is a phenomenal record that isn’t all over the place like some of his recent outings. Lots of mellow gems on this bad boy.

#20 Glasvegas - Glasvegas
“Geraldine” is a hit, a true single. The rest of the album takes a while to grow but is still solid. Lyrically there are some problems and I don’t like some of the borrowed classical music, but it’s nice to see a new Scottish band coming up with a solid debut. I smell sophomore slump like a mofo though.


Flops/Total Bummers

Why did the Killers have to go with Jacques Lu Cont (aka Stuart Pierce) for their new album? Do 2 good remixes and a Madonna album warrant such a move? Result: Another bad record by the Killers. Whoopee. Lyrically a tadpole compared to 90% of what is out there and just misguided. Great photos too, you all look dumb.

Wal-Mart Exclusives: Seriously, not cool. First the Eagles, then Bryan Adams…why force me into the retail version of Lucifer? I can’t handle going to Wal-Mart, I just feel as if I’m killing puppies by giving them my hard earned dollar. Is music retail so bad that Wal-Mart takes over? Why let that happen?

More Hate ’08 coming soon…

Best Live

The Warehouse Project (October - Manchester, UK): Under a train station, a maze of post-industrial northern England brick walls. The line-up was Tricky, The Whip, Late Of The Pier, Rev and the Makers, and a ton more, but the vibe was pure party and the atmosphere is what any good show should be.

Yelle (Coachella): I give Yelle props because she was headlining a small ten t at Coachella up against some huge headliners and she delivered an amazing show that was filled with kids. Her album had barely surfaced in the US but there were all these kids going nuts for her. Kids are the future right? The best live act I saw at Coachella that year, seriously…that must say something.

Bryan Adams (Acoustic at The Roxy): Okay, most people know my love of Bryan Adams is superior to few. I had the chance to go with Los to see him play almost 3 hours acoustic 5 feet in front of me at the Roxy and it was pure class. He did it because he wanted too, he was having fun and playing as long as he wanted, and I love him. Icon.

Ricky Hatton TKO-ing Paulie Malignaggi (MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas, NV): Okay, not music but watching Ricky Hatton pummel Paulie Malignaggi live in Vegas in November was one of the best experiences of my wee life. Liam and Noel of Oasis walked his belts into the ring and Ricky delivered by beating Paulie into submission. Forever “…walking in a Hatton wonderland.”

Conclusion: Final Thoughts

This year was a great year for new music, far better than others. Lots of “Best of Lists” were filled with debut albums and I think that is a great sign. Sure, industry changes, blah blah blah, but this is art, so we must all embrace creativity. I like nothing more than hearing a debut album that is amazing and gets me giddy. This year, I have to give props to one thing that made my life so much easier. Zune, the Zune Marketplace, and the Zune Pass. I don’t work for Microsoft, but my friend Megan does and she gave me a Zune player and I decided to drop the $14.99 a month (the cost of a CD) to “lease” all the music from the Zune Marketplace. Um, amazing. I highly recommend it to everybody I know. Sure, you don’t own MP3’s but you have the ability to “download” anything you want and put it on your Zune player. Every Tuesday I get newsletters that let me know what records are coming out and to the Marketplace I go downloading anything that sounds interesting. If I don’t like it, then I delete it. ‘Brick and Mortar’ record stores are few and far between and I can think of 10 that closed in 2008 that I was familiar with. Entertainment is all around us and I don’t expect people to buy lots of CD’s when they are hard to find and money is far from plentiful these days. Yet the Zune Pass gave me the chance to embrace all types of music, not just the new stuff. Having the ability to download a catalog is pretty sweet and lots of records you can’t even find in stores (like Rod Stewart’s “Tonight I’m Yours” (1981)). Enough of my Zune sales pitch that a few of you may have become accustomed too. Embrace the future already, listen to new music and do whatever it takes to find it.

People I Hate

Manus Boonjumnong (Boxer, Thailand)...he's the shithead in blue.

He's a boxer out of Thailand that is the 2004 Athens Olympic Gold Medalist and the 2008 Beijing Silver Medalist in the light welterweight class. He fights in the "Olympic style" which basically means that he is good at scoring points but if you took off the helmet and put him in with anybody else for a full 12 rounds then he would crumble like the little bitch he is.

Olympic style boxing has evolved into one of the most frustrating and boring displays in recent Olympic history. They are so concerned with "safety" that you barely touch the guy and viola...a point. What was terribly present in the Beijing Olympics was that those of Asian countries (or Asian descents) scored a lot more points for doing the exact same thing as everybody else...it was a sham and may have ruined Olympic boxing for generations to come.

Now back to dipshit Manus. After his Athens 2004 Gold Medal he was awarded over $600k from the Thai boxing association for winning Gold...call it extra incentive. What'd he do...he partied, he squandered it in clubs and it was so bad that he was given a bag of clothing and put on a plane to Cuba to train there and "get in shape" for Beijing 2008. Okay, he partied...whatever...my problem lies with his cocky attitude. He dances around the ring and showboats which pisses me off royally. Where-as other boxers in Beijing were cautioned and warned (+2 points to your opponent) for showboating, Manus got away with it, and continued to score with is pussy punches. The judging favored him due to his history, what a bummer. His attitude was so annoying that going into his Gold Medal match with a feisty Dominican I was praying for a knock-out.

Luckily, there was no way to NOT judge the fight against Manus in a true display of his true colors. The Dominican came out firing and coming forward and took Manus way off guard. He burrowed in like a rodent and was landing great shots on the inside and poor Manus was starstruck. Manus has long arms...most fighters with long arms can only fight on the outside, meaning scoring points based on stepping back and tagging your opponent on his way in...longer arms, less danger of getting tagged by your opponent. My favorite though was when Manus was down a few points going into round 3 (of 4) and he couldn't adapt. A true champion boxer would change there style to get points, but Manus is a one-trick pony who could only do what he always does, but this time he had no chance. At one point in the fight Manus was even given a standing 8 count due to the powerful punches landing on his chin...he was still cocky and played it off like it was no big deal, but guess what...standing 8 counts = points for your opponent and lots of momentum. Adios Manus, you suck, I hate you, and I hope I never hear from you again.

Olympic boxing motto; get ahead early and then pot-shot when your opponent is forced to come after you. There is nothing pretty about Olympic boxing right now, it's boring to watch, the judging is horrendous, there are clear favorites, and it's not a true display of the sport.

I love boxing, but Beijing was a disgrace....such a disgrace that they are talking of eliminating boxing from the Olympic program. That sucks.

Boo Beijing Olympic Boxing.

For some reason, i'm all about blogging again. I like writing, i find it exciting, even if nobody reads it. It's been a while for my opinionated nonsense.

Here are a few things I want to talk about:
-Albums of 2008 that rip so far (we have had some winners)
-and other stuff.













Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality (Record Makers)

This album came out at the end of February in France and England and is just classic. It's produced by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo (1/2 of Daft Punk) and it's absolutely stellar. Imagine Justin Timberlake's latest album mixed with vintage "erotique" Serge Gainsbourg. The album is beautiful, melodic, and perfect. Easily one of my favorite albums EVER, and a mainstay in the music i listen to on a weekly basis. "L'Amour Et La Violence" is simply one of the best 'coked-out 80's songs' in history...which sounds awkward...so i'll just say it's an epic atmospheric gallant. I love this album so much that I would put it out in the US if i had the funds...finally Record Markers is going to do so (along with American Apparel) and i'm sure many people will be impressed. The production and songwriter are both impeccable and the album is a true wonder. I champion Sebastien Tellier no doubt and I could not speak higher of this album.













Genghis Tron - Board Up The House

"Hipster Metal" sans drummer. 3 nerds from Upstate NY whom kill it with a powerhouse of a metal album on Relapse. This album is a shredder and the title track is about Zombies which I can definitely relate to. When in the mood for something heavy, look past the goof-ball name and pop this bad-boy in. I have sung the praises of this band, and i'm going to toot my own horn. When the Faint were looking for opening acts for their tour, I said "GENGHIS TRON" and they listed...voila, 4 dates on the tour. I'm stoked on that, yeah...my own horn. The lead singer's name is Mookie too, which i like...reminds me of the goof-ball NY Met.













Torche - Meanderthal

Sticking on the 'heavy' vibe is Torche, on Hydrahead. I didn't really expect to like any 'heavy' albums this year, i've mostly been listening to shit, but wowsa...amazing stuff from these guys. Carlos said it best "it kinda sounds like Foo Fighters" but with more balls. This is a great album, melodic, forceful, and a great listen. This is what rock should be sounding like, this is what Queens of the Stone Age USED to sound like and should have progressed into. They suck shit now and Torche should take their place. Hell, I would sign them to a major label in a second. Develop these cats and you got a hit. I also hear they are amazing live.

okay, no more JPEGS of Album covers...here are some other hits with little or no info, do the research.

In Alphabetical Order:

Abe Vigoda - Skeleton
LA Tropical Punk boys on No Age's PPM label. I'm stoked for these young'ns they got a great album and are going to do some nice little things. Plus I signed them.

Armand Van Helden - Ghettoblaster (2007 yeah, but it rips)
"I Want Your Soul" is a deep house track that is just amazing. Armand is consistently a trailblazer. And he is now in the old-school NY hip-hop fashion vibe which should reinvigorate him.

Booka Shade - The Sun & Neon Light
Germany's greatest export right now, a great electro house act that ruled Coachella. A great album start to finish that flows and beats.

The Courteeners - St. Jude
Manchester's newest. It's cutesy, and the lead singer is named Liam and acts like a douche. I'm sold on it.

Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds - Dig, Lazarus, Dig
Furious new album that shows Nick Cave is on a hot-streak for great albums. No nonsense, just great tunes. Really stoked to see him in Sept at the Hollywood Bowl for the first time.

No Age - Nouns
I give it to them, they are doing a good job and I like them. Go LA.

Titus Andronicus - The Airing Of Grievances
Camus referencing post-hardcore...of course i'll love it. This album is a bleeder and only works when you listen from the beginning to the end.

Yelle - Pop-Up
A) French B) Electro C) The best thing I saw at Coachella...very kitschy and a winner. It's just "cute" okay, it works.

Yeasayer - All Hour Cymbals
Great atmospheric record. Toured with MGMT and did a good job. A fun listen.

OKAY, now old shit that I 'discovered' recently

Bryan Ferry - Boys and Girls (1985)
Post "Avalon" solo record that is amazing. Very 80's, great synth layers and some really good songs.

Kate Bush - Hounds Of Love (1985)
Great, great, great album. "Running Up That Hill" is an amazing pop song. David Gilmour found her...even better. Title track still relevant today as it has been covered by Mystery Jets and others. Great 'period-piece' album.

Jacques Brel
French singer. Chansons cest magnifique. Reminds me of the best trip of my life, Paris with Jen over Christmas '07. Very nice.

"Baker Street" song - Gerry Rafferty (1978)
Easily still one of the best riffs ever, as played by a saxophone. Just so good. This song is going to play at my wedding. Probably right after "Heaven" by Bryan Adams. I didn't discover this recently, but I try and listen to it as often as possible and I love talking about it.

I am going to post more, I swear. Oh my 1 valued reader. I got into a Yelp War...it was sweet. I am playing soccer again, yay. Manchester City is back in the news with a new coach and some summer signing extravaganzas. Important shit going down. Let's talk. "Be Kind Rewind" best movie of 2008.

Love,
Josh

2007

2008, right around the corner. Every year I put together a list of my favorites from the year and some thoughts. Here it is for 2007. All in all I do not think this was a good year for music, especially on the business side. Love to all.

1 Grinderman – Grinderman
When making this list I didn’t expect this, but it’s true. I listened to this album the most in 2007 and I loved it. Albums that came out in 2007 had a lot of frills and bells and whistles it seems. With an industry failing a lot of eyes are on artists creative outputs and there is tons of scrutiny and some hesitation from the creator. In true greatness, this album just kills! The production by Nick Launay is flawless and Nick Cave made an album that is simple, direct, and timeless. This album makes your head bob, your teeth clench, and plants your feet. I reviewed it for defunct Little Radio here, please do read up: http://littleradio.com/feeds/reviews/view/707

2 Pantha Du Prince – This Bliss
Minimal Techno sounds aggravating, but it’s not. Despite the horrible name of the artist, this album is a great electronic release that is really easy to listen to. It came out of left field for me (Germany), I read a few great reviews, picked up the album and was simply amazed. An album for all occasions with great use of strings and never too abrasive. Trust me, I’m not just embracing it because it is obscure.

3 The Field – From Here We Go Sublime
Same thing goes for the Field as #2, yet The Field received a barrage of amazing press from the get go (most likely due to it’s release on Kompakt). It’s a great minimal album. Stayed in my car’s single-disc CD player for a few months without any complaints as the album flows into itself quite nicely (Note: My Commute Is 5 minutes to work).

4 I’m Not There (Soundtrack)
I love Bob Dylan, nothing beats Bob Dylan for me. So I was hesitant when I got this record because its covers of an artist that is perfect as is. The result, a really great double album. Calexico who I really enjoy are heavily involved in this album as a backing band and the result is wonderful. What I also liked is that most of the songs are lesser known and from a period in which Bob was not too critically acclaimed, yet they are great songs. The standouts are “Dark Eyes” (Iron & Wine/Calexico), “Senor” (Willie Nelson/Calexico), “The Man In The Long Black Coat” (Mark Lanegan), and “Ballad Of A Thin Man” (Stephen Malkmus).

5 El-P – I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
Wow, I never expected I would dig this. El-P went balls out on this record and enlisted some heavy hitters (Trent Reznor, Mars Volta, Cat Power) to deliver a cornucopia of brutal hits. The album came out right at the beginning of 2007 but held strong all the way. I have the pleasure of working with El-P which you would think would cloud my judgement but the truth is the only stuff of his I really enjoyed before this was his instrumental album. There are some amazing tunes on this album and it deserves praise.

6 Beirut – The Flying Club Cup
Last year, as many others, I fell in love with the sounds of Beirut. The Balkan themed tunes are great and whenever I am flying I decide to put on “Gulag Orkestar.” This album came out on the first day of 2 that I saw them play in Los Angeles and it is good. Not as good as the debut but still strong and luckily still similar. I hope Beirut put out one album a year, that would be nice.

7 Underworld – Oblivion With Bells
When I first heard “Crocodile” (the first single) I loved it but didn’t think the album as whole would hold up. I was wrong, Underworld delivered, this album is a lot of fun and has some great Eno-esque soundscapes placed in there which I love. Yet it still has the driving Underworld signature bump.

8 Justice - Cross
The long awaited debut lived up the MP3’s I downloaded one by one that made up the debut album…wait a minute. I can’t believe this turned into a “thing” I just like that its heavy on the bass and makes you dance. I bought the album the day it came out at Starbucks, that basically sums it up.

9 Dizzee Rascal – Maths & English
I’m not a big hip-hop dude but this album is pretty fierce. I have always liked Dizzee Rascal and this album was solely an import which is just a shame. The album has a great tempo to it and lyrically it’s a step from his past works. Defintely a banger!

10 Bang Gang – Something Wrong
Technically this album was out in 2003, but unveiled in America/UK in 2007. It’s from Iceland and features guest vocalists galore that make up a really great atmospheric mellow pop record. I really liked it and the songs stay with you.

11 The Thrills - Teenager
I took a chance on this album and was pleasantly surprised to the point that I went back and re-bought their previous 2 records (which I had sold)! It’s an honest record which complements a band that has built a nice repertoire of feel good mellow rock albums. A bonus was seeing them at Club NME/Spaceland with good friends and Boddington’s flowing.

12 Jaymay – Autumn Fallin’
Love Jaymay. I have the pleasure of working with her and since she moved to London and signed to Heavenly I didn’t see her much. I was quite happy to get her record in the mail and it was exactly what everybody was hoping for. Dylan-esque songwriting that is honest and brutal. A huge star for the future and just amazing album, the UK is already praising it.

13 Bjork – Volta
On a scale of Bjork fans, I’m far from those fanatic (I know at least 3), but I celebrate the catalog and enjoy her artistry. I like this album a lot, probably because I was lucky enough to score tickets to see her at the Apollo in Harlem (smaller than your local movie theatre) before Coachella and got an advance prior. Live she was great, I really was transfixed on the use of the Lemur mixer and had a great time.

14 Marcus Intalex – FabricLive 35
I’m really glad I am a member of the Fabric First Club, even though I live far from London and have only been to the club once. Reason being is I get Cd’s in the mail monthly from people I have usually never heard of and 1 out of every 5 is great. Marcus Intalex put out an minimal drum ‘n’ bass record, the only drum ‘n’ bass record I have ever liked, and many of my friends who I played the CD for agreed. I was very happy to see that on a recent visit to the Urbis museum in Manchester, UK there was a small installation on Drum ‘N’ Bass and Jungle and it featured a video segment highlighting this FabricLive album and its importance to the genre.

15 Spank Rock – FabricLive 33
To add to my Fabric First input in selection #14, an artist like Spank Rock is a reason I get FabricLive/Fabric CD’s monthly. Although not a huge fan of the group, I know their caliber and this album perfectly comprises some great dance tunes of the year. With cuts from Zongamin, Simian Mobile Disco (Tangerine Dream “Risky Business” Re-Edit), and Uffie among others it was a great party mix.

16 Mark Ronson - Version
I have followed Ronson for a while and really liked the tunes I was hearing off this album as they slowly leaked. It’s a good, fun album, and the LA show was great because of all the nice guest appearances. This year I also experienced Ronson’s club, YoYo in NY and London, met his crew, and had a blast.

17 Peter, Bjorn, And John – Writer’s Block
I downloaded this album on iTunes when it came out in Sweden and really dug it. Then “Young Folks” took off and that was all she wrote. I recently revisited this album and its quite good, so it makes my list. On the live end though they are boring sadly.

18 Eagles – Long Road Out Of Eden
Ok, here it is. I’m an Eagles fan, fuck you. I’m pissed they made me go to Wal-Mart though, but it’s cool, I burned this record for all my friends.

19 Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha
I got this album on a whim after hearing rumblings of its greatness and its quite nice. I’m usually not into solo artist dudes, and that should say something about this album. An interesting work and the first I have heard from Mr. Bird.

20 BARR - Summary
By far the weirdest album I heard all year, and probably ever. Almost painful spoken word, but really off the wall. “The Song Is The Single” is a great song, and just really satirically hilarious. I enjoyed playing this album for Carlos and blowing his mind that someone would do this. It’s laughable.

Honorable Mentions sorta:
No Age – Weirdo Rippers Everybody was ALL about this, but the album itself is not that good amazing song-wise….c’mon be honest. What I do give them is that they are the fore-fathers of an LA scene that is finally amongst us. Bands like Abe Vigoda and HEALTH exist now and it’s nice to have creativity close to home.

Alaska In Winter – Dance Party In The Balkans Easily one of the best live shows I saw all year in which Brandon (the only member of the band) filmed himself playing all the parts and added some comic relief as well. Very Beirut (they are buddies) and an album that is finally getting some of the credit it deserves.

Burial – “Archangel” from Untrue Hell of a tune, that is all. The album doesn’t come close to how good this song is.

The Prayers – God Save The Prayers EP Some obvious bias as I work very closely with these guys but I really see them as amazingly talented and had some wonderful times with them this year. Meeting Mark E Smith with them, going to a Man City game, and really enjoying ourselves, can’t beat that.

LIVE
So like every year I go to many live shows. Most blend into the mid-range level and rarely am I blown away because I see so many bands. I do find it quite important to note when I am blown away though, and that happened a few times this year. Most recently, Jen and I flew to London for vacation and were ecstatic to learn that The Verve was going to be playing the day we landed on their reunion mini-tour. We got tickets in the pre-sale and were stoked. I have to admit though, although I have all 3 Verve albums, I never found myself listening to them that often and couldn’t remember the songs (even though I liked them when I listened to them). Add the fact that we basically landed after an 11 hour flight and went to the O2 Arena, I was pretty woozy. But, when the Verve took the stage and started playing I was blown away. Any jet-lag or travel fatigue was gone and they were amazing. Since then (Dec 13th) I cannot get their great songs out of my head and now know them! I’m looking forward to seeing them at Coachella ’08 (fingers crossed).
A show that took me by surprise was Morrissey at the Hollywood Bowl on June 8th. I have seen Morrissey plenty of times over the last few years and only got tickets for this because Jen wanted to go and it was around our birthdays. I wasn’t really excited or anything when we went, I was expecting to hear some songs I liked and that be that. I was wrong, the feeling at the Bowl was electric. The songs he played were amazing and the sound was impeccable. Loud, pitch perfect, and truly amazing. I was intrigued from the first song to the last and that shows me it’s an amazing show.
Lastly, I want to comment on a show I saw by chance at SXSW that took the cake. SXSW ’07 was grueling for me, and quite uneventful by the time it was over. During my running around, I had to go check on the SPIN party at Stubb’s one of the days to make sure my companies banner and swag was out and visible, etc. I walked in to a humming, powerful driving set by the band MEW. From that moment on, I was hooked. I stopped and watched as much of the set as I could and the sound was perfect. I never cared much for the band, I had heard a few tunes and wasn’t into it, but after seeing them live I realized I was missing out. Shortly after SXSW I picked up their record and fell in love all over again. Easily the best sounding live act I saw in ’07 and it was all by chance.

BUMMERS
She Wants Revenge Sophmore Slump? I worked on the first record and spent many a time with Justin Warfield and basically kept my opinion of him to myself, well it’s been long enough. The guy is a sham, a fake, a poser, an ass, and way too cocky. I feel bad for Adam 12, he is nice. Their second album sucks and their careers are most likely over, again.

UNKLE I have always been a huge U.N.K.L.E. supporter, and sadly I was really not into their latest album. I was a fan of “Never, Never Land” which most people wrote off as mediocre as it was missing DJ Shadow. This album, is just shit, plain and simple. All the songs are middle of the road and dismal at that. Too bad too, I really wanted to like it.

The Stooges – The Weirdness Love the Stooges but this record sucks.

Managers I work in the music industry and the worst thing this year were all the shitty managers who don’t know a damn thing and have ego’s bigger than anybody. People who just don’t think at all and fuck up so much. Total bummer, hopefully in ’08 all these folks get fired once their respective artists realized how bad they are. Note, if you are a manager and you are reading this well then you are a friend of mine and a GOOD manager.

Geffen Records Wow, what a bummer, in early December Interscope/Universal finally pulled the trigger and laid off what must be 80% of the company. A company I used to work at. The only good thing about it was that most of the “cool” people knew it was coming and are moving on to better things, and the majority of the asshole’s (Ron’s Kids) got let go as well screaming and crying. Talk about ruining a company Mr. Fair, the Klaxons and watered down pop that the kids won’t even swallow, what a bummer. I would say stick to producing but that “touch” seems to have departed as well. Some people belong in studios, others have the charisma, intelligence, and ability to grow a company…obviously, you are lacking some needed qualities.

God Save The Prayers

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So I Went To The UK....

...Just got back actually, and you know when something crashes from a great height and hits the ground it bounces up again before bottoming out on the ground. Well the "bounce" was yesterday, and after an 11 and a half hour flight, today I feel like shit. So I'm just going to post pictures and tell the story.

I started off in Manchester, landed after NY for CMJ. Went to the hotel, slept for a few hours then myself and my co-worker/amazing friend Jamie met up with the Prayers boys (www.myspace.com/thefuckingprayers). Jamie and I are their parents basically. Here is a photo of the group:


Mind you, this is around 4am, and everybody is kinda trashed. Top Deck: Brandon, Joel, Charles, and Andrew. Bottom Deck: Jamie. Setting: Piccadilly Square.

After City won 1-0 over Birmingham we had a nice dinner to celebrate Charles' birthday then we returned to the Midland Hotel to regroup. 3 of the Prayers friends came up from Scunthorpe and we ended up drinking in the 2nd floor lobby for a good 3 hours. After getting booted from the lobby we decided to get more beer and continue on. Mind you, Jamie and myself were pretty tired and pretty sober, but remember it's Chuck's birthday. We were traveling in a pack of nine when the drunkest of the bunch Brandon made friends with some locals and they invited us to a house party outside of Manchester. Great idea, so 9 of us boarded the bus (thanks to my corraling) and we headed out towards Moss Side (THE GHETTO). First house party was a bust, upon coming in (beers in hand!?!?) some local kids wanted to beat the shit out of us. It was a little flat and they had a fuckin techno DJ with 4 turntables (CD) set up...bonkers. So there was ANOTHER house party down the road and 15 minutes later we were there. This party was far better, here is the crowd:


University Students dancing around. There was also a crazy basement, and a backyard...the house was fucking trashed.

So we rolled in about 6am, that was day 1. Happy Birthday Chuck.

The second day featured The Prayers actually playing a gig at South. We had slept in most of the day and just got some food then went to the venue for the show. It was great, they played well it was a nice touch. After that we went to the famous Roadhouse in Manchester for an ITC show, but we were late and shit had ended 2 hours ago...whoops. The band met a guy who was part of the old Man United firm, had trained with Ricky Hatton, and was ABSOLUTELY FUCKING HAMMERED. We called him Gary i think. He threw a "you know what" through a "you know what's" "you know what"....we'll just leave it at that. He passed out and went nuts and we stumbled home smashed and took this picture in the park of the Prayers:



End Day 2, like 5am...so not my style

The next day we woke up late (go figure) and Jamie and I split up from the Prayers boys (as they had to soundcheck) and we headed to easily my most favorite museum on the planet, The Urbis. They had an exhibition all about the Hacienda dedicated to the late Tony Wilson which is amazing. We hit the gift shop like a bastard and I picked up some stuff at Virgin, including MOST IMPORTANTLY UK books about soccer that you can't get in the US (because no one cares)! Then we met up with the boys at Curry Mile in Souf Manchester. The show was very very very special for one reason, which I will come to in a minute, but here is the Prayers set photos.





The promoter of the show was a nice guy, but shit was fucked, there were 30 bands on the bill, no fucking backline (which the prayers needed), and no organization. We showed up early and just chilled. Chuck and I got a pizza at a Kebab place...not bad, but there was definitely some anti-white remarks! YES! So I was told to put someone on the list by the name of Mark E Smith, I said...yeah whatever...so full of it. 30 minutes later, i look outside and who do I see? MARK E SMITH. I posted about him a few blogs ago...serious...NUTSO! I hit up my peeps Schmalz and Jen to spread the news, it was remarkable. Here is a pic to prove it:




Now the night was full of Mark E Smith moments that I am not spreading or typing up so if you want to no hit me up otherwise I state this. 1) He was not one bit like I thought he would be. He was really really cool, bought beers all night, and it was really nice. 2) He really liked The Prayers and called them "Brilliant." All the other bands paid homage to the Prayers too who were easily a huge step above the rest. 3) Mark was so cool that he came back into the city centre with us and hung at the hotel until early in the morning, fucking mega. 4) Mark and I spoke about The Fall, Henry Rollins, Tony Wilson, Joy Division, the whole lot....and what he had to say was pretty amazing.


Me and Mark E at a Sci-Fi bar he likes. Easily a highlight in my wee life.

The next day we woke up and went to London, but I will have to save all that info for another post....but here are the pics from London:

Keys To London: Runnin with the Ronson camp at YoYo London with Sean Lennon, Daniel Merriweather, Poppy LaFond, and LaCrate. K-West Bar for 20 dollar Vodka Tonics. A Very Famous Artist, Tim Burgess in Camden, Bumping into Geri Haliwell (Spice Girls), Lots of Shoreditch/Hoxton nonsense, and drinking way more than I ever have.

The Science Of A Day Off

Columbus Day...who'd a thunk it. People on the west coast don't give a shit, but because my company's owners are in NY, we get the day off. I had no idea, until I heard last week so of course, i'm illy prepared. Here is my plan of events for the day.

Starting Off:
-Woke up, drove Jen to work as I promised because she stayed up late to watch "Hill Street Blues." Achieved: Breakfast/Coffee
-Next up is finishing "City Of Industry" Staring Harvey Keitel and Stephen Dorff as I tivo'd this last night and have never seen it. Obviously never seen it, and it's main appeal is that the "City Of Industry" is a shithole directly east of LA (like inches) and i like "old" movies. 1997 is now considered "old." The film is now grainey! Even 10 years ago crime movies could still have that "far-fetched" aspect in it. These days with Law & Order, CSI, 2020, Forensic Files, and all that hoopla, you gotta be "real" with everything. (As I write, the plot is getting juicy)



Mid-Day (Planned):
-Jiffy Lube: Oil Change, Washer Fluid, etc. This could be anywhere from an hour to 2 hours so I will go to the park across the street (newly "rennovated" Virginia Park and read my book, The Plague by Albert Camus. This park is great because it's new, so its very very flat with no structures to hide behind so dudes can't diddle kids.
-Lunch, probably mexican somewhere quick. Then I gotta stop by Ralph's.

Latter Day:
-Perhaps another movie? I have a full stock of netflix at home, could happen!
-Nap? Still sick, fighting the cold!
-Dinner with Jen and Carlos before...
-Morrissey at the Palladium is the big one. Still sick though, so I hope I can shake this cold and enjoy the show.

Soundtrack for the day:
Calla wiki. I really like Calla, I first heard them when I lived in NY and they released the amazing "Televise" on Arena Rock Recording Co which featured one of the best songs I have heard in my life, "Strangler." Their latest album "Strength In Numbers" I originally shunned because I really didn't like it at first listen. Now i'm working today, to like this album if possible. I loved their 4th release "Collisions" (2005) and it was one of my favorite albums of the year.

That is my day, tranquil and petite, like I like it. Despite popular belief, my job DOES stress me out, so it's nice to take a quiet day by myself.

Summer to Fall

So many bloggers...so little time. I would love to be a professional journalist...like Marcello in "La Dolce Vita." But alas, a real job beckons so I will have to put that on the back burner.

I'm all about this right now:
-Bryan Adams: Playing this Thursday in town, going to try and make it, the catalog is amazing
-the UK (for so many reasons):
1) Upcoming Trip with The Prayers myspace
2) That trips potential offerings
3) pre-Xmas trip with Jennifer
4) The general love of the place
-Books from French Authors
-MCFC's miraculous run
-Netflix
-Colder Weather
-Turzi (a musical group)
-ING Direct / Orange Savings


I'm not into this right now:
-Alan McGee's tude: Still so fuckin hip...sheesh
-CMJ: really not what it was, or what it should be
-my internet connection
-loud neighbors
-hairballs
-meaningless blogposts (like this one)

It's Hot: THE TUSS

Nothing like glitchy electronica! I'm all about The Tuss right now. Rumors reveal that The Tuss is 95% likely to be the Aphex Twin. Brilliant, I love me some Richard D James and anything associated with the man. One of the few artists I really really really want to see live and have never seen.

So the wikipedia genie seems to reveal that The Tuss (wiki) is really the Aphex Twin due to the use of the Yamaha GX1 (wiki) which was originally debuted in 1973 and there are only 10 of them in the world, costing $60,000 each (if you can find one for sale). Not to mention the Yamaha is a few hundred pounds. Get your glitch on, via Rephlex Records (Aphex's very own label) with the "Rushup Edge" CD/Vinyl.

Oh No

50 Cent, what happened? Who are you? I remember you coming into the Interscope offices all happy and nice and shit. You and my girl shared the love of Queens New York, and it was so nice that you wanted to learn about Soundscan and BDS. Dude, you have CRED! So what you talked to the cops and was on Oprah, no need to go nuts, when you sell millions of records you lose all cred and become a victim of society. Just chill out a bit and stay focused.

So this was news to me. Dissing my old boss (indirect obviously), Jimmy Iovine. Not too crazy because A) Jimmy does care and B) Jimmy won't kill you, he will just stop releasing your albums and keep you under contract and make sure nobody signs you once you are dropped and you can go hang out with Can-I-Bus. He has Robin Thicke now, he doesn't need you. And just like Eminem's D-12, your G-Unit doesn't sell too well and they can't seem to keep themselves out of jail, shit, destined to be dropped anyway.

Here is a link from Rawkus from somebody else with an MP3 of "South Side" 50 Cent feat. Tony Yayo (Irv Gotti and Jimmy Iovine dis). Good luck with your career buddy!

http://www.rawkus.com/content/?p=1136 or click here

Why would I not blog for a few weeks then blog this...what the fuck, i'm bummed on 50 and i dont even like rap.