The Good, The Bad and The Queen - The Good, The Bad and The Queen

A super group of sorts, The Good, The Bad and The Queen is pretty much exactly what you would expect it to be. The group consists of main songwriter Damon Albarn (Blur, Gorillaz), bassist Paul Simonon (The Clash), guitarist Simon Tong (The Verve), drummer Tony Allen (Fela Kuti), and producer/general noise-maker Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley, Gorillaz, Danger Doom). In short, some of my favorite people in music right now, sitting down and making an album together.
The first thing that jumped out at me is the un-Gorillaz-ness of the majority of the album. Sure, the voice is there…that can’t really be helped. But, whereas the Gorillaz generally feasted upon big beats and huge soundscapes, The Good, The Bad and The Queen seem to rely on much less than that. It can’t be called minimalist, as there are still a number of things going on, but most of those things are a bit more subtle. Also, most of the Gorillaz influences seemed to come from hip-hop or dance sources, but The Good, The Bad and The Queen draw from much different influences. Sure, there’s the occasional Gorillaz sounding track (like “Northern Whale”), but there’s also a doo wop feel to a track or two (most notably “80s Life”).
“History Song” kicks off the album with a nice acoustic guitar lick, followed by Damon’s very distinct voice, which leads nicely into the first Paul Simonon bass line heard in quite some time (it’s good to have you back, Paul). From there we’re fed a steady diet of organ and background noises. All in all a great starter.
I have to admit, though, that the first time I heard it I was less than thrilled. I don’t know if I was just expecting something different (possibly a fuller sound?), but it took a couple times to suck me in. Now? I can’t stop listening to it. The songs are so catchy and interesting, I can’t help but be addicted to it.
Judging from the sound, I don’t really think that this album is going to catch on in the same way that Gnarls Barkley or the latest Gorillaz album did…it’s just not that kind of album. I can see this staying closer to the ground than those two. For all I know, that’s what they’re looking for. At this point in their career, none of these members have to worry about sales or anything. They can just make the music they want to make and let the rest take care of itself.
Fortunately for all of us, they all realize this. In making the album they wanted, they may just have made the album of the year.

Rating: 9.4

Essential Tracks: “Northern Whale”, “Nature Springs”, “Three Changes”

Favorite Tracks: “History Song”, “80s Life”

Check out their website here

The Shins - Wincing the Night Away

There is not really an album in recent memory that I have flip-flopped over more than this one. Initially I loved it. I was ready to proclaim it the pop album of the year, and the year had just begun. The opening song (“Sleeping Lessons”) is amazing…it grabbed me from the very first note.
Then I started listening to it more. I started to dislike it more and more every time I heard it. Every song except “Sleeping Lessons”, “Phantom Limb” and “Sea Legs” sounded annoying and ridiculous. “How could they seriously record a song like this?”
I went back and forth. One day I loved it. One day I hated it. And yet I couldn’t stop listening to it. I decided I had to keep listening to it until I actually decided how I felt about it.
This time around, I really like it, and I think I know why I didn’t like it. It’s a combination of their lead singer’s voice and the entire band’s persona.
The Lead Singer’s Voice: Is it just me, or does the guy always sound like he’s joking about something? This is really a problem for me. I know that they don’t really have jokey lyrics or anything, but it always sounds like he’s on the verge of laughter. It probably shouldn’t bother me that much…but it does. And it’s probably because of…
The Entire Band’s Persona: I know it’s their thing, but every picture of these guys shows them laughing and posing like retarded hyenas. That is, of course, when they’re not dressed up like superheroes, or some such thing. Their interviews are mainly filled with jokes and stories that don’t go anywhere but seem to be meant to be funny. That is, of course, when Hollywood actors aren’t interviewing/fawning all over them. Again, this probably shouldn’t bother me, but I suppose it does…to a bigger degree than I would hope it would. Sorry…it’s just me.
But then I got past all that. I tried to forget about all the pictures, the interviews, the joking lead singer…everything that held me back.
And here’s what I found out: I really like this album. A lot. More than I probably should, considering all the problems I’ve had with it.
The instrumentation is amazing, the songwriting is good, and the singer is actually much better than I’ve ever given him credit for. It’s a great pop album in a world where there are far too few anymore (sadly).
My highlights remain the same. “Sleeping Lessons” is the perfect opener. A bubbling keyboard (or is that a guitar?) line floats underneath a nice vocal line. More instruments are subtly added, until the entire thing blows up into some sort of faux-punk space rock.
“Phantom Limb” is the first single, which I normally buck against, but it’s actually very good. Not much to say about it, other than it’s a very good pop song with great instrumentation…you know, just like how it’s supposed to be done.
I’ve heard a lot made of “Sea Legs” so far, claiming to have a hip-hop backing. Let me squelch that right here. Just because they used programmed drums and used an 808 to kick up the plastic bag sample (they used a plastic bag sample as the bass hit) does not make it a hip-hop beat. Between the beat and the heavy keyboard/string backing, it comes off more as a dark 80s new wave beat than anything (take that, music magazines).
All in all, this is a great album…it just may take you 4 weeks or more to decide that.

Rating: 8.6

Essential Tracks: “Australia”, “Turn On Me”, “Split Needles”

Favorite Tracks: “Sleeping Lessons”, “Phantom Limb”, “Sea Legs”

Check out the band here, or buy their album here

The Best of 2006

Happy New Year!
On top of the wonderful performances of Fergie and the like (from what I understand, she’s Fergalicious), I now invite you to read my Best of the Year review. Sure, Buck Fifty has his worst of lists, so now read my best of lists…

Album of the Year
This was a tough year to pick just one, because there were so many great albums that I absolutely loved. So, no matter what Sharon says, I have chosen 3. That’s right…this year is a three-way tie for album of the year. And they are:

Gnarls Barkley – St. Elsewhere: You know what? I don’t even care that everyone and their mother is picking this album for album of the year. I don’t care that they have magazine covers everywhere, or that they had a song plastered all over the radio for months on end. I don’t care about any of that. Sometimes a great album is a great album even if it has been plastered everywhere and has been overexposed. I absolutely love this album. Pretty much anything Danger Mouse touches at this point is sheer gold. He just has an ear for great music. And it’s nice for Cee-Lo to finally get some recognition among the general public…everyone loves a little crazy.

The Roots – Game Theory: Hands down the best hip-hop group on the planet. Sure, everyone knows ?uestlove…he has the most recognizable afro this side of Nate X. But people tend to forget about the wicked bass lines of Hub, or the intelligent, well-placed rhymes of Black Thought (quite possibly the best MC currently working). They don’t steal headlines like 50 Cent…they just make great music. This is their best album to date…and that’s really saying something.

TV On the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain: Odd. Creative. Catchy. All of these words describe TV On the Radio and their outstanding new album. They’re finally getting out there (cover of Spin, playing on Letterman, etc.), and that’s absolutely mind-blowing to me. They’re not really all that “accessible”, but it’s wonderful that greatness can be recognized no matter how strange they appear to be. If, in fact, Radiohead killed rock n’ roll with the release of Kid A (they had to in order to save themselves, apparently), then TV On the Radio has revived it with this album. Seriously, have you ever heard guitars sound like that? (Shut up, My Bloody Valentine)

And, of course, some honorable mentions:

Johnny Cash – American V: A Hundred Highways: It’s not just because it’s a posthumous release…it actually is a great album. Full of beautiful, heartbreaking songs. If you don’t love this album, I’m pretty sure you don’t have a soul.

The Killers – Sam’s Town: I don’t care what you say…I like it.

Anathallo – Floating World: One of these days, Anathallo will get their break. They’re one of the most creative and energetic bands I’ve ever seen. Keep it up, fellas…you’re almost there.

Margot & The Nuclear So & Sos – The Dust of Retreat: I’ll be forever perplexed why this album isn’t tearing up the college charts. Catchy, tricked-out folk music…it’s better than you think it is.

Thom Yorke – The Eraser: Would I still like this album if it was released by anyone else? Yeah, probably. Great beats and Thom’s amazing (yet slightly strange) voice made this album amazing (no matter what anyone else tells you).

Ryan Adams – Wait…you mean he didn’t release an album this year? OK, I’m confused…

Box Set of the Year:

Tom Waits – Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards: You knew this would win. Of course you did. It’s full of new and unreleased Tom Waits songs/stories, not to mention it has some amazing pictures. There is absolutely nothing not to love about this set.

Compilation of the Year:

The Beatles – Love: Sounds like a made-up category, right? Well…it kind of is, except it’s worth it (also, I make this stuff up, so I can do whatever I want). An amazing collection of Beatles songs as reimagined by George and Giles Martin. Here’s the amazing thing about this: it had to be absolutely perfect. If it wasn’t the entire world would riot, George Martin or no. But they really came through. From the time that the drum solo from “The End” kicks right into “Get Back”, you know the entire album will work. Plus, the sound quality is astounding. It was quite a task, but it was worth it. Bravo fellas.

EP of the Year
(I’ll make this disclaimer: I just ordered the new EP from Gary Murray, which may end up making this list. But, seeing as how it didn’t come before the year ended, it didn’t really have a chance. Sorry Gary.)

Map – San Francisco in the 90s: These guys have been making great pop music for years, and now, with the release of the single “Breakfast at Ikea” getting played on NPR, it looks like people may start to sit up and take notice of this incredible band.

Honorable mention goes to The Hojos for their EP entitled Demo. Its four songs of pure rock energy. If you haven’t heard The Hojos, you really need to fix that soon.

That’s it…my end of the year list. Did I forget to mention something? It’s quite possible that I did…it is fairly late. Leave me a comment or something. Oh yeah…if you’re looking a great “Worst Of” list, check out Matthew’s movie list here…I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Rosie Thomas - These Friends of Mine

Rosie’s first album, When We Were Small, was as stark as it was beautiful. The instrumentation was slight and delicate, with Rosie’s fragile vocals draped over the top. The songs were mostly piano based, with some guitars and strings mixed in from time to time. The drums were virtually non-existent throughout the album. Even the “upbeat radio song” (“Wedding Day”) would’ve been a ballad on any other album.
Over the course of her next two albums, she used increasingly more instruments. The songs were still beautiful (with the exception of a couple), but there was more to them. And, while I always loved her albums, I always longed for another album full of her delicate songs.
And, with the release of These Friends of Mine, I finally got my wish. Only this time I got a little bonus. This time she was joined by her good friends (and some amazing musicians themselves), Sufjan Stevens and Denison Witmer.
The songs were recorded over a very short time, with most of them being written and recorded within hours (if not minutes) of each other.
The album is comprised of 10 songs…7 original songs and 3 covers. The covers are good, but are definitely the low points of the album. The covers are R.E.M.’s “The One I Love”, Denison Witmer’s “Paper Doll” (complete with Denison backing her on vocals), and Fleetwood Mac’s “Songbird” (which has been covered by Denison Witmer, Eva Cassidy, and, most recently, Willie Nelson). They’re good songs, but they seems relatively uninspired…like they were thrown in as an afterthought.
There is really only one other part of the album that I don’t enjoy too much. The song “Say Hello” is a beautiful song, with Rosie and Sufjan trading vocals…but then it gets to the end, and there’s just a small, annoying bit of non-conversation at the tail end that just kills it for me. In fact, I’m very close to just editing that out myself just so it won’t bug me anymore.
There’s also a bit of conversation before “Why Waste More Time?” and at the end of “These Friends of Mine”, but it’s actually pretty cool. It’s the sound of 3 friends having fun recording an album, and it lets you into their world and process…if only for a couple of seconds.
The rest of the album is fun and gorgeous and exactly what I wanted. “If This City Never Sleeps” is a great way to kick of the album…a short song driven by a finger-picked guitar line. It sets the tone for the rest of the album, which is pretty much more of the same…but in a good way.
There are three songs that really stand out from the rest of the album. “Much Farther to Go” and “Kite Song” would’ve fit perfectly on When We Were Small; they’re small, stark songs that will break your heart if you’re not careful. “These Friends of Mine” closes out the album in grand fashion. The song starts with the rolling of tape and a loop of harmonies reminiscent of The Beach Boys. I was hooked before she even started singing. The song starts a bit slow, but, by the end of it, the harmonies are back in full throat as Rosie’s voice soars above them all in a huge sound of gorgeousness.
If you love Rosie’s previous albums you’ll love this one. If you’ve never listened to any of her music, this would be a pretty good place to start. It’s an intimate recording full of beautiful songs. What could be better than that?

Rating: 8.6

Essential Tracks: “If This City Never Sleeps”, “All The Way to New York City”

Favorite Tracks: “Much Farther to Go”, “Kite Song”, “These Friends of Mine”

This album was released on Rosie's own label, Sing a Long Records, and is available as a download only. You can download it at iTunes or at Emusic

The Dementia Cookie Box - The Truth About Life (As Told By The Dementia Cookie Box)

The Dementia Cookie Box has been around, in one incarnation or another, for 10 years or so. They’ve run through many different phases: rock, punk, acoustic, electronica, etc.
With the release of their new album, they have carved out a nice little niche for themselves by playing some good old fashioned mid-90s alterna-rock in the vein of The Smashing Pumpkins or Hum. With the music world currently hooked on “faux punk” (I believe the term is pop-punk) and the forced emotion of emo, it’s not a bad niche to have.
There are some good bits on here. The vocals are well done, and most of the songs have a pretty nice guitar hook, which makes it darn near impossible to get out of your head. “Rain” is a perfect example…no wonder it’s the song that kicks off the album. It feels a bit like summer with a sweet guitar lick and a verse that just begs you to sing along with it, but you don’t know whether you should feel happy or sad singing it.
“Two-Step” is, far and away, the best song on the album. Once you hear it you’ll be singing it for the next month, but not in that annoying Pussycat Dolls “Don’t Cha” kind of way. More in the I-really-want-to-hear-that-song-again kind of way. Even now as I sit here typing this, I’m wanting to hear it again (only I can’t, or it would interrupt my 100th viewing of Van Helsing).
All in all, it’s a good listen, with only one misstep or two along the way. The most glaring one would have to be “Stars”, a spoken-word poem set to music. It’s not that the song is bad…it’s actually pretty cool (I’m a big fan of the guitars in particular), but it seems a bit out of place within the context of the rest of the album.
The only other problem is the production, and only that is a problem in comparison with a major label release. As far as independent releases go, it’s not terrible production…just enough to where you’ll notice it. The drums aren’t all that snappy, and the guitars seem to get a little sludgy and fade into the mix from time to time. But, other than that, it seems fairly well done.
Is it an absolutely mind-blowing release? No…but it’s pretty stinkin’ good, especially if you’re looking for some good, self-produced, under-the-radar rock. I know that seems like a pretty small market, but I like to think that it isn’t. And, after listening to this album, I believe that market will begin to grow again.

Rating: 7.3

Essential Tracks: “Dream of a Million Colors”, “Sacred Bodies”, “Her Friend Paul”

Favorite Tracks: “Rain”, “Two-Step”

Check out the band here, their Myspace here, and download the entire album for free off of their website...just click on the Media tab (if you like the album, please support the group by purchasing the album off their site).

Tom Waits - Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards

I will start out by saying this: if you are not already a Tom Waits fan, this set will not make you one. Even the casual fan may be a bit overwhelmed with this entire set. This set was released with two people in mind: the rabid fan (the one who can’t get enough of Tom Waits), and Tom himself. It is, essentially, a cleaning out of the ol’ closet. Out of the 56 tracks found here, 30 of them are brand new, and have never been released elsewhere. The other 26 are taken from compilations, soundtracks, tributes, and the like…but not even all of those are readily available anymore. He has even gone back and rerecorded some of the older songs, so, even though you may have heard a song on here previously, there’s no guarantee that you’ve heard this version of it. It’s a massive collection of one of the great songwriter/performers of our time, and it’s amazing.
There are 3 discs included in this set, and each one of them has a theme. Because of this, we’ll tackle each disc individually. The theme of each disc is fairly obvious, based on the title alone, so I’ll try not to spend too much time on that. We’ll start with…

Brawlers – (AKA, the upbeat disc…for the most part). This album kicks off with “Lie to Me”, a bluesy, 50s sounding rockish song, complete with faux-Elvis hiccup singing, handclaps, boom-chikka-boom drumming, and the like. The entire album doesn’t fit that same exact mold, but it gives a great intro to the collection. The rest of the disc is filled with lots of dirty blues (“LowDown”, a T. Rex-esque rocker, “2:19”, a train song set to a slow blues groove, and “Puttin’ On the Dog”), songs driven by vocal percussion (the, no doubt, Real Gone outtake, “Lucinda”), political songs (“Road to Peace”, a more political, and shorter version, of “Sins of My Father” off Real Gone) and, of course, a wonderful spiritual (“Lord I’ve Been Changed”). As with the other discs, this one has a few covers, as well (“The Return of Jackie Judy” was originally heard on a Ramones tribute album). I absolutely love the howling dog on “Buzz Fledderjohn”, and, by the end of the closing song, “Rains on Me”, you can hardly help but sing along with him. Lots of blues, lots of dirt, lots of story-songs, and lots of fun.

Bawlers – (AKA, the downer album, or, the beautiful album.) I have long since been in awe of Tom Waits’ ability to create some of the most terrifying music ever heard, only to have, in the middle of it all, a song of infinite beauty (perfect example: pick up Bone Machine. Listen to the frightening “The Ocean Doesn’t Want Me”, then listen to the gorgeous “Who Are You?”). There’s clutter, there’s clatter, there’s banging on stuff…then there’s the beautiful song. Think of this as the album full of those songs. The only problem with it is that it kind of drags by the end, which is a shame. It’s a great collection of beautiful songs, whether it’s his original versions of “Long Way Home” (covered by Norah Jones) or “Down There By the Train” (covered by Johnny Cash), “Little Drop of Poison” off the Shrek 2 soundtrack, or his covers of “Goodnight Irene”, “Young at Heart”, and “Danny Says”. If you’re not a Tom Waits fan already and you could pick only one disc from this collection to listen to, it would be this one.

Bastards – (AKA, the odd album) These are the songs that make you shake your head and wonder what the devil runs through his mind sometimes. In other words, this album is for the massive Tom Waits fan only. That being said, this album is a lot of fun. It’s a great collection of strange covers (“What Keeps Mankind Alive”, “King Kong”), captivating spoken word narrative, poetry, and stories (the disturbing “Children’s Story”, complete with his raspy laugh at the end, “Army Ants”, a collection of facts about ants read from The World Book Encyclopedia, “Nirvana”, a Bukowski poem set to a recorder, “The Pontiac”, which is just a recording of Tom talking to one of his kids about the cars that he and his wife owned, and “Dog Treat”, a story told while on tour), Waits gone hip-hop (“Dog Door”), and a demented Disney song thrown in for good measure (“Heigh Ho”). It’s a big, strange collection of various oddities. That seems like it would get old after a while, but it doesn’t really. Out of the 3 discs here, this one seems the loosest, like he was just messing around and happened to come up with some of this stuff. It’s strange and fun…and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

All in all, this is a great collection. And, surprisingly, there’s not really a bad song in the bunch. That’s pretty impressive, given the nature and scope of this collection. If you can release a 56 song set of b-sides, rarities, and oddities and not have a bad song included, I’d say you’ve done pretty well for yourself. Bravo Mr. Waits…bravo.
As I said at the beginning, this set is not for everyone. But, if you love Tom Waits, this is definitely something you’re going to want to pick up. Even if you’re just a casual fan, it’d be worth downloading some tracks from iTunes (or whatever you crazy kids are doing nowadays) and making a single-disc best of. There is some great stuff in this set.
In fact, I only have one major complaint. When I heard this was coming out, there was mention of including a 70 page book. In my mind, I was thinking it was going to be like Johnny Cash’s Unearthed set, in which every song in the collection was discussed by Johnny, Rick Rubin, and other people who had memories about the song and/or the recording process. This book doesn’t have any of that. The lyrics to every original song are included here, and there’s also some pretty cool pictures in the back of the book, but it doesn’t really say anything about the songs themselves. What were they recorded for originally? Where were they recorded? Why wasn’t it released on the album it was meant for? These are the questions that I would like to have answered. Oh well…I guess that’s why Gore invented the internet…

Rating: 9.3

Essential Tracks: “Lie to Me”, “LowDown”, “You Can Never Hold Back Spring”, “Heigh Ho”, “Home I’ll Never Be”

Favorite Tracks: “Bottom of the World”, “Lord I’ve Been Changed”, “Rains on Me”, “Long Way Home”, “If I Have to Go”, “Army Ants”, “Missing My Son”

There’s not really an official Tom Waits website, but the best place to go for news is here

Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas

I won’t bore you with the story…suffice it to say that, from 2001 until the present, Sufjan Stevens has been recording a Christmas EP per year (with the exception of 2004, when he was working hard on making Illinoise) within the comfort of his own home. He never meant to release them publicly (except for the 2006 recording); rather, they were recorded to give to his family and friends every Christmas. If you want to know the whole story, you’ll have to buy this collection and read the story “Christmas Tube Socks”, which was written by “Santa Sufjan”.
And that helps to sum up this wonderful collection. This is not just a music box set; a collection of Christmas songs new and old. This release is an event, a Christmas present in and of itself, from Sufjan to you. (It sounds cheesy, I know, but stay with me here).
We’ll get to the songs in a second. But first I’ll highlight what you get in the box itself.
You get 5 stickers…one for each cover of the EPs. You also get a fold-out, poster sized comic strip involving Santa (who declares Christmas Eve to be “Chocolate Santa Day”), Mrs. Claus, elves, Sufjan, The Danielson Famile, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and a villain named Evil Sister Winter. As if that weren’t enough, the back of this comic strip is a family picture of The Stevens Clan, complete with an inflatable Santa. Good times. There is also a book that is titled, “Songbook and other stuff”, with a picture of a Charlie Brown-esque tree on the front. The inside is chock full of stories, pictures, and, my favorite part, the lyrics and chords to every single song included in this set. Not only can you sing along with the CD, but you can also play along with them. Or, if you’d prefer, sitting around in a circle on Christmas, and singing them with your family (I think he’d like that).
And then there’s the music. Oh, the music. With Low’s Christmas album out there, it’d be tough to say that this is the best Christmas collection ever released…but it definitely comes close.
Being 5 CDs and 42 songs long, one can see how it might get old after a while. That’s a viable fear, but one that doesn’t really hold water. It drags a bit in places, but, for the most part, every song on here is gold (Jerry…Gold!). He does an amazing job of mixing Christmas classics (and the occasional hymn) with his own compositions. He also does a great job of placing instrumental songs throughout the collection…kind of like musical interludes. You know, just to mix it up.
The arrangements are pretty much what you’d expect from Sufjan at this point…definitely more along the fully orchestrated lines of Illinoise and less like the more stripped down Seven Swans, although those moments of quiet are still very much evidenced here (especially on tracks like the gorgeous, extremely lo-fi “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella”). But, even though it seems predictable, most of the songs on here are anything but. His own songs range from silly and upbeat (“Get Behind Me, Santa!”) to low-key and gorgeous (“We’re Goin’ to the Country”). And his renditions of Christmas classics make them seem new and fresh when they could just as easily old and tired. Songs like “O Holy Night” have been done by countless artists (from Jessica Simpson to the crazy no-name fella who has recorded, quite possibly, the worst, and funniest, version ever heard), yet his version sounds like nothing I’d ever expect it to sound like.
I could go on and on, and pretty much say the same things over and over again. It’s tough to say much about a Christmas release, especially when there are so many out there. But I will say this…for a guy who doesn’t normally enjoy Christmas music (me), I very much love this album. Even if it was released in July, I would still listen to and love this album. I have a very short list of Christmas CDs that I enjoy, but this has definitely made the top 2 (and is possibly tied for first, but I have to give it a little more time).

Rating: 8.5 (9.8 for a Christmas album)

Essential Tracks: “We’re Goin’ to the Country”, “It’s Christmas! Let’s Be Glad!”, “Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!)”, “Only at Christmas Time”, “O Come O Come Emmanuel”

Favorite Tracks: “Put the Lights on the Tree”, “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”, “Once in Royal David’s City”, “Come On! Let’s Boogey to the Elf Dance!”, “We Three Kings”

www.sufjan.com