I don't feel like I've listened to a lot of new stuff this year. I've mostly been rediscovering old albums and finding some old gems that have passed me by. As a result, this list pretty much contains established artists, peeps whose albums I'd buy almost without question, just because of the name on the sleeve. Even so, that doesn't always work out, but this is my list for better or for worse. For example, I sincerely doubt you'll find the Puffy album on any year end lists (outside of the hardcore Puffy fans, of course). So yeah, check it out.
11. Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings > 100 Days, 100 Nights
I was late to the Sharon Jones party, but hey, at least I showed up. If you want an old school sound, this shit is great.
10. Arcade Fire > Neon Bible
A grower for me. I didn't like it much until I saw them live this past summer. They're only gonna get bigger, which may or may not be a good thing.
9. Explosions In The Sky > All Of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
This album is kinda more of the same from these guys, but that doesn't mean it's not good. There are some really great moments on this album.
8. Ted Leo / Pharmacists > Living With The Living
Ted Leo is the man. Always thoughtful, always thinking, never preachy. It took a bit for me to get into it, but it's totally worth it once it gets under your skin.
7. The White Stripes > Icky Thump
Pure fun and rock n' roll. Rag & Bone cracks me up every time. I wish they had not canceled their tour this past summer, I was quite looking forward to seeing them.
6. Bjork > Volta
Bjork is always cool. For me, Dull Flame of Desire, the duet with Antony (from Antony and The Johnsons), is the centerpiece of this album and alone is possibly worth the price of admission.
5. Bat For Lashes > Fur and Gold
Very cool stuff. Ethereal and dreamy. Lazy comparison would be a cross between Kate Bush and Bjork, which is never a bad thing (the cross, not the lazy comparison).
4. Puffy > Honeycreeper
Pop princesses return with a pretty immediate and satisfying album. My favorite is Youkai Puffy, with its campfire ghost story (told in Japanese) at the beginning.
3. PJ Harvey > White Chalk
This album is great, so eloquent and understated. And then she throws in a touch of macabre. The song, White Chalk, is very haunting.
2. Radiohead > In Rainbows
I love this. It feels so warm and relaxed, like they didn't try to outdo themselves.
1. Grinderman > Grinderman
Awesome. I love the noise and fuzz, which only makes the slower stuff feel much stronger, because you know they can dial it up and absolutely destroy.
Hello, my peeps. Seeing as how I don't have anything else lined up for the rest of this year, I thought I'd post my favorite gigs of the year. I was racking my brain trying to make sure I haven't forgotten anything, and even though I'm fairly confident that I haven't...I probably have. For better or for worse, here it is. Feel free to disagree and bitch me out, or praise my insight and impeccable taste. Also, check out the sites and listen to the sounds.
11. Aimee Mann @ Bimbo's 365 Club
There's a certain familiarity that comes with an Aimee Mann gig. Part of that is because I've seen her so many times since she started releasing records under her own name. Another part is her charm. She doesn't come off as a pretentious bore, and she makes fun of herself quite a bit. Her self-deprecation is sort of endearing, and not at all in a woe-is-me-I-am-so-emo-and-need-attention kinda way. I've heard a lot of people say that Aimee's music is sorta samey, but I think the strength of her songs lie in the lyrics. Most of them are about some kinda fucked up relationship, and then she'll laugh about it after singing it to you. She's very cool and I have never, ever been disappointed by a gig of hers.
http://www.aimeemann.com/
http://www.myspace.com/aimeemann
10. Rage Against The Machine @ Coachella
I have to admit, I was more curious than anything else about seeing Rage Against The Machine. I used to love them way back when and I drifted away. Then they broke up. I was wondering how they would sound after 6-7 years of Audioslave or whatever. Sorry, I am not really impressed with Audioslave...but this is about RATM, and they brought the fucking noise with them from start to finish. I was really pleased to have seen their set. Looks like they're still doing the festival circuit, so I'd advise you to check them out if you used to like them.
http://www.ratm.com/
http://www.myspace.com/ratm
9. Bjork @ Coachella
Bjork. Man, I'll never forget that performance of Declare Independence, with that trippy table instrument thingy. Freaking awesome. Remember what I said about big outdoor festivals? Well, Bjork transcends all that.
http://bjork.com/
http://www.myspace.com/bjork
8. Morrissey @ The Fillmore
What can you say? Morrissey is the man. I had seen him once before, about 16 years ago-ish...right before Your Arsenal was released. That gig was at a much larger venue (The godawful Shoreline theater in Mountain View). He may be the elder statesman now and misconstrued as a racist, and maybe his albums are declining in quality, but his performance was pretty goddamn good.
http://www.morrisseymusic.com/
http://www.myspace.com/morrissey
7. The Arcade Fire @ The Greek Theater
I wasn't gonna go to this, but I ran into a co-worker's extra ticket, so I figured I may as well. I had seen them a few years ago at Coachella, but wasn't terribly impressed. Many bands get lost in the big outdoor festival translation. This was much, much better. The Greek Theater, in Berkeley, is sort of a bigger venue compared to The Fillmore or Bimbo's, but it's still cozy enough where the crowd can feel the band's energy. I'm not a huge AF fan, but they brought a lot of energy to this gig. Just as a side note, Electrelane opened up which was a good thing, as they've since decided to call it quits or go on hiatus or something.
http://www.arcadefire.com/flash.html
http://www.myspace.com/arcadefireofficial
6. Puffy AmiYumi @ Slim's
If you've talked to me during the past few years, you undoubtedly know of my undying love for Puffy. They did a small west coast tour this year and I got to see them and they fucking rocked. I love these girls, they can do no wrong by me.
http://www.puffyamiyumi.com/
http://www.myspace.com/wearepuffyamiyumi
5. The Jesus & Mary Chain @ The Fillmore
This was actually my second time seeing the JAMC this year, the first being at Coachella. The Coachella set was great, but way too short...plus there was that weird distraction with Scarlett Johansson showing up to sing background vox on Just Like Honey. I mean, why? The Fillmore set was longer and felt more complete.
http://www.jesusandmarychain.org/
http://www.myspace.com/jesusandmarychainband
4. The Pipettes @ The Rickshaw
These girls are cute, sassy, and pure fun. Do not hesitate to go see them!
http://www.thepipettes.co.uk/
http://www.myspace.com/thepipettes
3. Eluvium @ Slim's
One of my new favorites. Eluvium is just one guy and he was supporting Explosions In The Sky. I love the distorted instrumental tracks. It reminds me in a way (but doesn't sound like) Brian Eno. It's very cool music that sorta transports you to another world or universe when you listen.
http://www.eluvium.net/
http://www.myspace.com/eluviumtaken
2. Grinderman @ The Great American Music Hall
This is rock n' roll. Dirty. Sweaty. Raw. Sexy. Grinderman threw it down and tore it up. Added bonus was Blixa showing up to sing on The Weeping Song during the encore. Fucking awesome.
http://www.grinderman.com/
http://www.myspace.com/grinderman
1. Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings @ Bimbo's 365 Club
This gets the barest of nods over the Grinderman gig, simply because this dropped on my birthday. These guys are the real deal, and I don't think there was one person not bouncing along to the music. Superb, superb show. Go and see them if and when you can.
http://www.daptonerecords.com/sharonjonesandthedapkings.html
http://www.myspace.com/sharonjonesandthedapkings
