speed of dark

A friend tipped me off that KCRW has been playing a single from the eclectic British band Morcheeba's new album Dive Deep, which is officially being released in the U.K. today.

Drifting from soft-rock to soulful swagger to hip-hop and dreamy electronica, Morcheeba's style continues to defy a musical label. For me personally, this means I don't like everything, but there's still plenty of nice stuff whatever your taste. Instead of a single vocalist, they've collaborated with various singers. Judie Tzuke, sounding a bit like Fleetwood Mac's Christine McVie, has the honors on the single "Enjoy the Ride." U.S. release will be February 18.

Enjoy The Ride - single from Dive Deep (2008)
God Bless and Goodbye from The Antidote (2005)
World Looking In from Fragments of Freedom (2000)

MySpace | Website
Preorder from Amazon
Show Schedule:
Early February: dates in Paris and Geneva
March: The schedule includes a few dates in the eastern U.S. before a full European tour.

Angela Correa, from Echo Park, California, records soft, lovely music under the name Correatown. Her EP, Echoes was released January 22, and is like an appetizer of what she will bring on her unreleased full length album. I just heard about her and missed her EP release party last weekend, but she'll play a few shows in the Northwest and Northeast before heading to SXSW. Angela provided the singing voice for Jenna Fischer in Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. See her myspace page for the "Let's Duet" video from Walk Hard, tour dates, more music, and a video for "Racing Tides", a track from her EP.

The Broken West are hard at work on their follow-up to last year's critically acclaimed I Can't Go On, I'll Go On, yet another album that I mistakenly bypassed on my favorites list. The band is attempting to blog about the progress they are making on their yet to be named next album, and unfortunately for them, the heat broke in their recording studio. Stay tuned for more.

Silversun Pickups released exclusive iTunes remixes of "Lazy Eye" and "Little Lover's So Polite" in December off of their outstanding 2006 release, Carnavas. The band will play a free show in Mammoth on March 29, more details here. Hopefully they're finding time to write songs for a new album.

After the success of her wonderful Christmas show, Aimee Mann will return to her residency at Largo on February 5. Nellie McKay, who was a guest on her Christmas show (which we posted about here), will appear at Largo on February 1 and presented by KCRW on February 8.

The lovely Shana Levy and her band Let's Go Sailing will play at one of our favorite venues, the Troubadour on March 6 with Nicole Adkins.


correatown: all the world (i tell myself) [buy]
the broken west: so it goes [buy]
silversun pickups: checkered floor [buy]
let's go sailing: all i want from you is love [live KCRW] [buy]

Today we have Part II of My So-Called Life Time Travel. Of the songs below, only The Lemonheads' "Dawn Can't Decide" appears on the official soundtrack album.

Episodes 10 and 11 are particularly rich in musical goodies. Episode 10 is pivotal for wildchild Rayanne (played by AJ Langer), who plans a birthday party for herself at which she nearly overdoses. Episode 11 centers around a school dance. The dance tune "Pressure" provides an opportunity for Wilson Cruz, who plays Rickie, to show off some spectacular moves. But it's the last song on that show that really caught my attention: "Try" by Billy Pilgrim. This was the song that inspired me to make these Time Travel posts on the show.

I just found out that MSCL has a MySpace page. If you are really into MSCL, this page tells exactly what was happening in the plot when each song was played.

Episode 10:
Toad the Wet Sprocket: Fall Down from Dulcinea (1994)
Juliana Hatfield: Spin the Bottle from Become What You Are (1993)
The Lemonheads: Down About It from Come On Feel (1993)

Episode 11:
The Lemonheads: Dawn Can't Decide from Come On Feel (1993)
Sunscreem: Pressure from O3 (1993)
Billy Pilgrim: Try from Billy Pilgrim (1994)

Most comprehensive MSCL Website | TV.com site | MSCL MySpace
Song Lyrics
Buy: Soundtrack | DVD Set

Time Travel Tuesday: My So-Called Life Pt. I

I don't know why it has taken Uncle T and Indie Mom so long to make me a Ryan Adams fan. Now that I'm on the bandwagon, I can't understand why I was resistant. I started coming around when I was finding the music for Uncle T's concert review last October. As I found the recordings of live songs that Adams performed at that show, several of them got locked in my head, for example, "Cold Roses."

Near the end of 2007 I bought Easy Tiger, and if I had had more time with it, it probably would have ended up somewhere in my favorites for the year. So when the opportunity came up to see him in concert in our area, we leaped on it, and I'm glad we did. The more I learn about Adams, the more I like him, both musically and personally. He is smart, funny, and obviously has diversified interests.

That concert was last Tuesday night at Bridges Auditorium on the campus of the Claremont colleges. We are late with a review because of a rare mix-up between Indie Mom and me where we each thought the other was going to write the post! The auditorium itself is elegantly appointed, which Adams himself commented on early in the show, noting the constellations used in the vast ceiling design.


The stage was minimally decorated with silhouettes of saguaro cacti and lighting in glowing southwest colors that ranged from crimson to blue with purple and green shadows. The show began abruptly with the hall lights suddenly going out and Adams saying he hoped we'd enjoy the show, so I was unprepared with my recorder and missed the first two songs.

Adams reveals his delightfully quirky personality throughout the performance with much comedic discourse between songs. The first thing he noted to the audience was that he likes to watch everyone come in and take their seats, and that "A lot of you are...crazy!" He complimented the date of one member near the front, saying, she "looks like Chloë Sevigny if Chloë was hot." Thankfully, Adams continues to stay clean and sober, guzzling throughout the show something he said was a ginseng drink.

The show consisted of familiar tunes from 2007's Easy Tiger and from older albums--no songs from the expected new album. A flubbed joke on the part of Cardinal Jon Graboff led to an impromptu composition (Bad Joke Song) that ended with "Happy Birthday, Spaceworld!"

Adams clearly keeps current with the entertainment world. He dedicated a slow, sad version of "Halloween Head" to Michelle Williams, whose former lover Heath Ledger had been found dead only the day before. "It's a struggle," he commented with sincere sympathy, perhaps referring to his own battles with addictive substances, or with the difficulty of life in general. He dedicated the last song, "Easy Plateau" to Jay-Z and Beyoncé because "they are an amazing couple."


SETLIST

1. Goodnight Rose (one of my favorites from Easy Tiger)
2. Please Do Not Let Me Go (from Love Is Hell Pt. 2)
3. Why Do They Leave (from Heartbreaker)
4. Rescue Blues (from Gold)
5. This House Is Not For Sale (from Demolition)
6. When The Stars Go Blue (from Gold)
7. Everybody Knows (from Easy Tiger)
8. The Sun Also Sets (from Easy Tiger)
9. Halloween Head (dedicated to Michelle Williams - from Easy Tiger)
10. Let It Ride (from Cold Roses)
11. Instrumental/Peaceful Valley - (from Jacksonville City Lights)
12. Shakedown on 9th Street (from Heartbreaker)
13. Cold Roses (from Cold Roses)


ENCORE/SECOND SET
14. Beautiful Sorta (from Cold Roses)
15. I See Monsters (from Demolition)
16. Bartering Lines (from Heartbreaker)
17. A Kiss Before I Go (from Jacksonville City Lights)
18. Freeway To the Canyon (vocals by Neal Casal) (Lyrics)
19. Games (from Jacksonville City Lights)
20. Mockingbird (from Cold Roses)
21. Bad Joke Song ("I'm makin' this song up as I go")
22. Rip Off (from Easy Tiger)
23. Two (from Easy Tiger)
24. Easy Plateau (from Cold Roses - dedicated to Jay-Z and Beyoncé)


Adams and the Cardinals generously met with a long line of fans after the show to autograph items, including a limited-print poster that was for sale at the show. Indie Mom got one. I commented to him as we went past the table that I am enjoying his Youtube videos which include demos of new songs and hilarious spoofs. This is clearly a new creative outlet he has dived into whole-heartedly in the past few months. He said he was working on a new one, and in fact he has posted five or six of them since last week. Between that and writing a new song every five minutes, when does the man sleep?

MySpace | Website | Label: Lost Highway Records | Fansite
Buy: Amazon, iTunes

Show Schedule:
TONIGHT-Jan 28 2008 - Zellerbach - Berkeley, CA
Jan 29 2008 - Catalyst - Santa Cruz, CA
Jan 30 2008 - Royce Hall - Los Angeles, CA
Jan 31 2008 - Royce Hall - Los Angeles, CA

The main attractions on Cat Power's newly-released Jukebox are Chan Marshall's smoky purr and her talent for making the songs she covers completely unrecognizable from their originals. This her second collection of cover songs (with the exception of two of the tracks), the first being 2000's The Covers Record. That was a good album, but in my opinion, this one is stronger, maybe because of the song selections, but possibly because in the years between Chan Marshall has gained more confidence in the magnetism of her personal style.

This is not a group of upbeat, peppy songs. They are without exception quiet and contemplative. The musical styles range from acoustic ("Silver Stallion"), R&B ("Lost Someone", "Aretha, Sing One For Me"), slow jazz ("Ramblin' (wo)Man", "Don't Explain"), back-porch blues ("Lord, Help the Poor and Needy", Joni Mitchell's "Blue"), and blues-rock (Bob Dylan's "I Believe In You" and her own "Metal Heart," previously released on Moon Pix).

The best is her complete overhaul of Frank Sinatra's brassy ballad "New York," unrecognizable from the original except for the lyrics. If you heard her version of the Rolling Stones' "Satisfaction" from the earlier covers album, you have an idea the miracle she can perform with a song you've heard a trillion times. Unfortunately, it's also the shortest song.

Chan Marshall's own compositions, "Metal Heart" and "Song For Bobby," stand up exceedingly well against the covers. It takes only one listen to know who Bobby is. The phrasing and nasal monotones point straight at Dylan.

Then there's the limited edition bonus CD with five more songs. Nick Cave's "Breathless" has a Twin Peaksian twangy guitar, but is infused with much more emotion than Julie Cruise ever gave a song. The big surprise is Marshall's lovely Spanish lyrics on "Angelitos Negros." Her departure into such a different type of song is something I would hope she'd do again. The collection ends with Patsy Cline's "She's Got You," positively dripping with aching emptiness.

There's a thin line between an artist being consistent to their style and all songs starting to sound the same. I haven't quite decided which side I'm on with Cat Power. I need to give this album time to sink in. For some listeners the first opinion will be true, and they will call Jukebox an outstanding album. Marshall is exceptionally expressive, which is important when the style is this low-key. Marshall's piano and guitar and the other musical accompaniment are all excellent. On the other hand, by the time you've listened to 17 tracks, chances are you're ready to move to something else.

A little tip to Chan Marshall: If you keep standing like that, you're going to injure your back. That's the oddest posture I've ever seen. Mr. Folkie thinks maybe this pose is telling someone to kiss her ass.

It was my understanding that Matador hasn't approved any songs from this album for free download, so I am accompanying this review with example MP3s from other albums.

A Good Woman - Live, KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, 2006
I Don't Blame You from You Are Free (2003)

MySpace | Website | Label: Matador Records
Buy at Matador Store, Amazon, iTunes, and eMusic

Show Schedule:
Feb 6 2008 - Terminal 5 - NY NY, New York
Feb 7 2008 - Orpheum Theatre - Boston, Massachusetts
Feb 8 2008 - Starlight Ballroom - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Feb 9 2008 - Kool Haus - Toronto, Ontario
Feb 10 2008 - Vic - Chicago, Illinois
Feb 11 2008 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, Minnesota

We've been watching the deluxe DVD set of the 1994 television series "My So-Called Life" since I got it for Christmas. We've watched everything on the six discs: episodes, commentaries, extras, and interviews. Bless my husband, he claims he's enjoyed it.

I've also enjoyed revisiting the music, which although you can hear it in grocery stores and fast-food places everywhere now, at the time was rather cutting-edge alternative. There is a MSCL soundtrack album, but it does not come close to covering all music that was used. So I'm beginning a three-part series here to travel back to the early 90's as a reminder that one day we may be hearing Burial's "Ghost Hardware" in Home Depot.

None of the songs here is on the official soundtrack album. If you are really into MSCL, this page tells exactly what was happening in the plot when each song was played.

Pilot/Episode 1:
R.E.M.: Everybody Hurts Automatic For the People (1992)

Episode 2:
Jawbox: Cruel Swing from For Your Own Special Sweetheart (1994)

Episode 3:
The Cranberries: Dreams from Everybody Else Is Doing It, So Why Can't We (1993)

Episode 4:
Bettie Serveert: Palomine from Palomine (1992)

Epidsode 5:
Enigma: Return to Innocence from The Cross of Changes (1994)

Most comprehensive MSCL Website | TV.com site | Lyrics
Buy: Soundtrack | DVD Set

So....who's going?

MGMT: of moons, birds, and monsters [buy]
the raconteurs: hands [buy]
portishead: theme from to kill a dead man [buy]
my morning jacket: it's about twilight now [live 2000] [buy]
manchester orchestra: brother [annuals cover] [buy]

The Magnetic Fields: Davol, Merritt, Woo, and Gonson


On the Magnetic Fields' new album Distortion, Stephin Merritt and Claudia Gonson alternate vocals from song to song between his low and her high registers, Merrit with the despondence of a 45 record slowed to 33 1/3 rpm. I'm still getting a feel for it, but a few tracks stand out right away. Merritt's signature combination of depression and dark humor remains intact amid the fuzzy buzz the album title advertises.

"California Girls" gaily throws sour grapes at golden beach bunnies ("Laughing through their perfect teeth at everyone I know/Do they think we won't get up and go?.../I have planned my grand attacks/I will stand behind their backs/With my brand-new battle ax....They will hear me say as the pavement whirls/I hate California girls".

"Please Stop Dancing" begs for mental peace and quiet. "Too Drunk To Dream" recites a laundry list of the advantages of drowning your disappointment in love in a bath of alcohol ("Sober, you're old and ugly/Shit-faced, Who needs a mirror?"). "I'll Dream Alone" paints a morose post-breakup future ("I'll keep your things/If you ever need them,/The phone still rings"). "The Bitter End" is gorgeously gothic.

But the one that made me create a brand new Best of 2008 folder (it's never too early) was "Drive On, Driver," which juxtaposes a pretty, shimmery melody against the resigned tone of love gone, as expected, completely down the tubes.
("Drive on, driver/There's no one home/We waited hours/She didn't come...And take me to the airport/I need to be extremely far away.")

The Magnetic Fields: Drive On, Driver from Distortion (2008) - removed upon request
The Magnetic Fields: Yeah! Oh, Yeah! from 69 Love Songs, Vol 3 (1999)
The Magnetic Fields: Famous from Get Lost (1995)
-- My selection for this week's Contrast Podcast theme: My Brush With Fame.

MySpace | Website | Label: Nonesuch
Buy at Nonesuch Records Store, Amazon, iTunes, and all music outlets.
Show Schedule:
The Magnetic Fields are touring this spring on the East and West coasts. Check MySpace for cities and venues.

San Francisco, July 2007
Upcoming Albums (all dates/titles tentative)

Chris Walla: Field Manual (January 29)
[preorder deluxe version | hall of justice | sing again (2008)]

Summerbirds in the Cellar: Druids (February 1)
[preorder | Wooden Lions video]

Nada Surf: Lucky (February 5)
[preorder | official website | see these bones (2008)]

Hot Chip: Made in the Dark (February 5)
[preorder | Ready for the Floor video | ready for the floor (2008)]

VA: Cinnamon Girl: Women Cover Neil Young for Charity (February 12)
[buy now | listen to samples | Casting for Recovery charity]

British Sea Power: Do You Like Rock Music? (February 19)
[preorder | tour dates | official site]

Headlights: Some Racing, Some Stopping (February 19)
[preorder | official website | tour dates]

Mountain Goats: Heretic Pride (February 19)
[preorder | stereogum review | sax rohmer #1 (2008)]

Elbow: The Seldom Seen Kid (March 17)
[tracklisting | official site]

Sun Kil Moon: April (April 1)
[stream "Moorestown" | official site]

Colin Meloy: Sings Live! (April 8)
[decemberists NW mini-tour | tracklist]

Flight of the Conchords: S/T (April 22)
[live at CES | buy the DVD | business time (2007)]

More Upcoming Albums:
Devendra Banhart: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon (February 19)
Goldfrapp: Seventh Tree (February 25)
What Made Milwaukee Famous: What Doesn't Kill Us (March 4)
DeVotchKa: TBA (March 18)
Daniel Lanois: Here Is What Is (March 18)
Aimee Mann: Smilers (Spring)
Wolf Parade: TBA (Spring)
Death Cab for Cutie: TBA (May)
Portishead: TBA (April)
Franz Ferdinand: TBA (Summer)
Coldplay: Prospekt (Summer)
My Morning Jacket: TBA (June 10)
Joseph Arthur: All You Need is Nothing (August 5)
The Killers: TBA (Fall)
Morrissey: TBA (September)

Check out Stereogum, Billboard, and MetaCritic for more anticipated albums of 2008. Thanks to brooklyn vegan, parasites and sycophants, and the line of best fit for their information.

art by Scott Gursky
Check out LA Weekly's article on Tom Petty's Los Angeles, complete with lovely artwork and a map of Petty's L.A. by Scott Gursky.

Go to Live Music Blog for a tentative and still-evolving SXSW 2008 lineup.

Aquarium Drunkard spotlights Mark Kozelek and has Athens band Patterson Hood's take on their hometown.

B(oot)log has live Kevin Drew and Hayden.

Can You See The Sunset reviews Dashboard Confessional, The Hot Toddies, and shares some emo by Bridge and Tunnel.

Count Me Out shares some videos, including a video for the song "Georgia" by The 1900's and Midlake giving a tour of Denton, TX.

Via Lonesome Music, a link to Drowned in Sound's interview with Battle of Land and Sea.

Happy Birthday to Muzzle of Bees, turning 3 this week!

Rawkblog shares a video from Nada Surf's upcoming release, Lucky, due February 5.

Get a Cinematic Mixtape at Thanks Captain Obvious.

Did you know Jeff Daniels sings and writes songs with funny titles? Neither did I. See The Late Greats for proof.

Trendwhore has their (and my) favorite Radiohead video (what does he say?!?!)

The Yellow Stereo has a wealth of good stuff this week, including The Rosebuds covering Salt-n-Pepa, a MGMT album giveaway, and The Magnetic Fields, plus much more.

the rolling stones: fool to cry (early unreleased version) [buy]
neil young: winterlong [live 2007] [buy]
summerbirds in the cellar: behold the wolf [buy]
the shins: strange powers [magnetic fields cover] [buy]
billy bragg & wilco: my flying saucer [buy]

I'm finally coming out from saturating myself in the blissful best of 2007 enough to face the stack of new music and bands that has been steadily piling up since mid-December. I generally put everything in a folder on my MP3 player and then see what jumps out.

The songs that stood out right away were by the Austin three-piece AM Syndicate, who released their second full-length album Liberation, the follow-up to 2006's Empire, just before Christmas. The group is made up of guitarist/vocalist Omar Chavez, drummer Vincent Durcan, "percussionista and keyboardist/sequencer" Golfball.

I immediately heard the Neutral Milk Hotel influence in "The Neighbor And His Wife" and "Doubt In Progress" in the base layer of rhythm guitar and the underlayer of fuzzy noise, but there also is a beauty in the melodies that is more related to shoegazers like Chapterhouse. "My Friend the Sleepwalker" even has the layered drone of the Stone Roses. The simple acoustic beginning of "Doubt In Progress" has a vocal that reminds delightfully of both Neil Young and Colin Meloy. "To the Peasants of the Emperor" has the mesmerizing smoothness of XTC.

From Liberation (2007):
AM Syndicate: The Neighbor And His Wife
AM Syndicate: To the Peasants of the Emperor

MySpace | Website | Label: Novastar Records | Buy
Buy Empire at Sick Room Records

Current tour schedule:
Jan 18 2008 - The Vortex - Beaumont, TX
Jan 31 2008 - Live From Studio A - San Antonio, TX
Feb 1 2008 - The Mohawk - AUSTIN, TX
Feb 2 2008 - The LimeLight - San Antonio, TX
Feb 3 2008 - Supper Happy Fun Land - Houston, TX
Feb 7 2008 - Zeppelins - El Paso, TX
Feb 8 2008 - The Ruby Room - Phoenix, AZ
Feb 21 2008 - The Conservatory - Oklahoma City, OK
Feb 22 2008 - TBA - Little Rock, AR
Feb 23 2008 - The Jack Rabbit Lounge - Shreveport, LA
Mar 15 2008 - Mia’s Pub - Shreveport, LA
Mar 21 2008 - The Celtic - Pascagoula, MS

the lovely Getty Gardens

After completing my list of my favorite 10 albums of 2007 and my favorite 25 songs of the year (continued here), I began to look at other people's lists and discovered three things. First, there was a lot of music out there that I had never even heard of, much less ever listened to. Second, there was some music that I didn't give a fair shake - tons of songs and albums that I gave a cursory listen or I didn't give proper attention. And finally, I discovered (much like last year) that I am destined to second guess my choices and moan about the fact that I could have or should have included such-and-such song/album on my lists. So I decided to make a few mini-lists of things I want to share that I liked in 2007.

Albums of 2007: Honorable Mentions
Soulsavers: It's Not How Far You Fall, It's The Way You Land
Feist: The Reminder
The Shins: Wincing the Night Away
Earlimart: Mentor Tormentor
Division Day: Beartrap Island

Albums of 2007 That I Haven't Listened To At All (Yet):
Burial: Untrue
Ryan Adams: Easy Tiger
Maritime: Heresy and the Hotel Choir
J. Tillman: Cancer and Delirium

Best Album I'm Listening To Now But Wish I'd Heard Much Earlier:
UNKLE: War Stories

Albums I Need More Time With:
Iron & Wine: The Shepherd's Dog
Sunset Rubdown: Random Spirit Lover
Interpol: A Time To Admire
Handsome Furs: Plague Park

Best Self-Hate Song That I Heard Live in 2007:
LCD Soundsystem: North American Scum

Awesome Websites I Started Visiting Regularly in 2007:
I Can Has Cheezburger
The Comics Curmudgeon
The Daily Coyote
Etsy
Perry Bible Fellowship
The AV Club
Brand New
Found Magazine

Best Music from 2006 (That I Didn't Hear Until 2007):
Muse: Black Holes and Revelations
Oppenheimer: Oppenheimer
Midlake: The Trials of Van Occupanther

LCD Soundsystem: North American Scum [buy]
UNKLE: Hold My Hand [buy]

I only occasionally mention movies or books here, but I saw a movie last weekend that fits the Time Travel theme because it bounces back and forth in time, beginning around 1935 and ending up about forty years later. Atonement may not appeal to those who don't like British period films, but anyone who sticks with it will be rewarded by a gripping story. I think when awards get handed out, this movie will be in line for some.

In the center of the plot are two sisters, the older one, Cecilia, played by Keira Knightley, living in upper-class comfort in the English countryside before Germany's invasion of France. If you've only seen Knightley play second banana to Johnny Depp in those pirate movies, it may surprise you to see how good she is when she has better material. The younger sister, Briony, is played at various ages by three excellent actresses, the last being the redoubtable Vanessa Redgrave.

Briony, who judges herself a serious writer even at 13, is blessed with an imagination beyond her years but not the experience or understanding to match it. She is so focused on what she thinks is a dangerous relationship between her sister and their housekeeper's handsome and upwardly-mobile son Robbie (James McAvoy) that she misses completely the deception her slightly older cousin Lola is peddling. Briony's misinterpretation of two crucial scenes between Cecilia and Robbie, puts all three of them on a path into a nightmarish future none could have imagined. Briony spends the rest of the movie trying to atone for her disastrous mistake.

Two Corona typewriters are also characters in the film. One of them is the intrument of a message, containing a shocking word, that was never meant to be sent or read. The strident tapping of the other, Briony's, provides a staccato percussion track driving the visual storyline and echoing characters' purposeful footsteps.

Dario Marianelli: Briony from the Atonement soundtrack [Buy] [iTunes]

The following songs are not in the soundtrack, but if you have seen the movie, you'll understand why I chose them.

Kaki King: Doing the Wrong Thing from Legs to Make Us Longer (2004) [Amazon] [iTunes]

Burial: Forgive from Burial (2006) [Amazon] [iTunes] [eMusic]

Japancakes: Theme For a Film from Belmondo: Bliss Out V.19 (2002) [Amazon] [iTunes]

See the full cast of characters, photos, and a review at the Internet Movie Database for Atonement, but avoid any spoilers before you've seen the film, especially the Wikipedia article on this movie.

Not like I'm an expert on remixes, but in my opinion it takes more to make a good remix from another artist's song than speeding it up and slapping on some canned beats. A good remix adds new dimensions to the original song along with those new tempos and refreshes its character, and ideally it adds the recognizable stamp of the remixer without obliterating the original artist entirely.

Available exclusively at BoomKat's website are a set of remixes of tracks from Thom Yorke's 2006 album The Eraser, which just happened to be my favorite CD of that year, by notables such as Modeselektor, Cristian Vogel, The Field, and Fourtet. The Eraser, the product of Thom's love affair with rhythms, is amazingly rich territory for masters of the remix art.

My favorite of these is Burial's homage to "And It Rained All Night," which further solidifies the reputation earned by his recent second album Untrue. BoomKat's site calls it "mighty," which hardly expresses the richness and artistry involved. He brings in strange sounds that hint at buried memories from long ago. From that first hollow metallic flick of a metal lighter he's grabbed me, and those idiosyncratic beats have me in their grip until the rain pours down. Burial boldly adds his own vocal signatures--familiar if you've listened to Untrue--which only accentuates Thom's originals. Fascinating. chk-ching!

Thom Yorke: And It Rained All Night (Burial remix) from The Eraser

The other remixes are far from shabby. My second favorite is the Fourtet remix of "Atoms For Peace." I recommend the whole bunch. You can get them for download now in either mp3 or flac format, or wait for the 12-inch vinyls that will be released sometime in the first part of this year. I took the flacs so I could convert them to mp3 at 256 kbps for prime listening pleasure.

Buy at Boomkat

About my hybrid artwork: I call it, "How to spend way too much time messing with Corel PhotoPaint."

Aquarium Drunkard is giving away tickets for a Jason Isbell show at Spaceland, plus Dr. John, Sonic Youth, and conversations with Beck.

Can You See The Sunset can't let go of last year (I know, I'm still thinking about 2006).

Good Weather for Airstrikes lists a list of lists.

Yellow Stereo has an awesome Daily Graboid, plus the best news I've heard yet this year: Radiohead is coming to Los Angeles on tour!

Muzzle of Bees shares that British Sea Power is coming to L.A. soon too! I want to go!

Superb Live has a great top albums list plus live tracks of almost the entire The National album Boxer.

Music is Art has lovely art, as usual, and several covers of Bruce Springsteen's "I'm on Fire" (his best song, in my opinion, which I recently referred to as "Someone's on Fire").

Thanks Captain Obvious has a long list and synopses (sp?) of the movies you should catch in 2008.

radiohead: fast-track [amnesiac b-side]
the morning benders: grain of salt [buy]
elliott smith: LA [live 2000] [buy]

an early case of emo?

This Friday marks a very important milestone: the birthday of He Might Be Giant (HMBG), my not yet "tween" son who is now as tall as I am (and taller than alt-gramma already). HMBG's music taste is corrupted by his friends and by my darling husband, but luckily has alt-gramma and I to round out his musical education. However, at his age, I listened to whatever my friends were listening to and to what was on the radio, so I'm sure he'll grow out of it. I haven't yet taken him to a concert, but I think the time is coming when three generations of my family will attend a show together.

Happy Birthday, love.

the album leaf: always for you [buy]

I have attempted to put into words how I feel about each of these albums and I found that I cannot even rank them. So instead there is no particular order, just a random list of my favorite ten albums of 2007. It's best just to listen to them yourself:

Sky Blue Sky: Wilco [buy]
It was difficult to pick a favorite song off of this album, but I finally settled on You Are My Face. I bought the actual CD on the day it was released, and listened to it a couple of times before shelving it in favor of something else. In fact, when alt-gramma asked me about it, I told her not to bother with the album. I was wrong, I will admit it. I finally listened to it again last month and discovered an excellent album that I was about to overlook. As I said in my comments about choosing YAMF as a Favorite Song of 2007, it took me a lot longer to get into this seemingly straight-forward album than I would have expected, and I'm really glad that I gave it a second chance.

either way


Boxer: The National [buy]
I'm sorry that I didn't have more time with this album, and I'm afraid that I don't even know much about the band. But I was instantly sucked into this album at first listen, and it's on constant repeat in the car. I chose "Mistaken for Strangers" as one of my favorite songs of 2007, but there were several that I could have chosen from this album. Listen to this loud and sing along for the full effect.

green gloves

Cease to Begin: Band of Horses [buy]
This album continues to impress as each time I listen to it. Like Boxer, I could have picked several tracks as my favorite, and nearly every time I play it, I fall in love with another song.

detlef schrempf

The Wishes and The Glitch: Say Hi [buy]
I couldn't stop listening to this album since it was released this fall. Like Radiohead, the band offered the album for early download (although the price was not an option). Each of these short, sweet songs are lovely and I can't wait to hear what's next for Eric Elbogen.

shakes her shoulders

Asleep at Heaven's Gate: Rogue Wave [buy]
If you are a Rogue Wave fan and didn't like this album, listen to it again! And again! It will grow on you. The "thrown togetherness" of the album combined with the studio sound is what gives this album its unique flavor. Simply beautiful.

christians in black

In Rainbows: Radiohead [buy]
Absolutely gorgeous, best album of the year. Each Radiohead album must be loved individually, like a child. You can't pick favorites, you just love them for who they are.

weird fishes/arpeggi

S/T: The Good, the Bad, and The Queen [buy]
This album is truly Damon Albarn's best album, hands down. You may disagree, but sit down and hear the album as a whole, and you won't be able to deny its greatness.

nature springs

Andorra: Caribou [buy]
I wasn't expecting to see this on my favorites list, much less to listen to it more than once. But I stuck it in my car, and it kept coming up. So I would listen and hear more and more of the neat little sounds that make up each song. Awesome album.

desiree

Back to Black: Amy Winehouse [buy]
I hate to pick this album due to Ms. Winehouse's antics, but it is one of my favorites of the year.

me and mr jones

S/T: The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir [buy]
This is my surprise pick for this year. I found this great album in a sale bin after reading a brief review of it in Paste. Each of the songs seems very personal, like a page from someone's diary and each are different, interesting and often funny.

aspidistra
broken front teeth

Up Next: Best of the Rest

Did you ever wonder about the airport-announcer voice at the beginning of Radiohead's "A Reminder," the fourth track on 1998's wonderful little Airbag/How Am I Driving EP?

I did, and recently I found out that it belongs to Iris Lettieri, who was recently featured on an NPR broadcast titled The Most Captivating Voice In the World. Lettieri's low, sultry voice is well-known to airport travelers in her native country of Brazil. Travelers have actually missed their flights due to becoming entranced by her voice.

My husband lived in Brazil many years ago and had heard her announcements. He caught part of this broadcast on his commute home and looked it up when he got home. When I heard her voice, I remembered this song, although nowhere is it mentioned in the story or on her web site, which is in Portuguese, that Radiohead sampled her voice.

Radiohead: A Reminder
[Buy]

In 2007 Indie Mom and I went to enough concerts that we can actually have bests in this category.

Best concerts of 2007

WOLF PARADE at the Glass House, September 15
[Review and photos]

We both agreed that this was our favorite. I've been completely in love with Dan Boeckner ever since this show. Click here to see the photo page I made.
Wolf Parade: Language - Live, 8/18/07, Download Festival, Tweeter Center, Mansfield, MA

JOSEPH ARTHUR and the LONELY ASTRONAUTS at the Roxy, May 9
[Review and photos]

Joe Arthur is the consummate showman and an incredible musician. In this particular song that I've posted, he's doing the entire thing by himself, right in front of your eyes and ears. I could swear that's me laughing after he says he's introducing the band while they're offstage.

A lot of up-and-coming bands could learn pacing, professionalism, and creating rapport with the audience from him.
Joseph Arthur: Prison - Live at the Roxy 5/9/07

BEIRUT at the Avalon, October 11
[Review and photos]

Zach Condon shows the he knows how to lead a band and pace a show to give a thoroughly satisfying performance. I got some of the best photos I have taken to date. It's so sad that Indie Mom missed this one.
Beirut: The Gulag Orkestar - Live @ Sala Rossa 9/27/07 - thanks to TrendWhore

THE DECEMBERISTS at the Hollywood Bowl, July 7
[Review and photos]

We had seats in a good section for this rollicking, excellent show. Colin Meloy and the gang know the meaning of entertainment.
The Decemberists: O Valencia - Live 7/7/07 at the Hollywood Bowl

Classiest Venues

EARLIMART at the Getty, March 9
[Review]

The venue strictly enforced no photos, so we didn't take any. We got this one later from Aaron Espinoza himself. Some would have found this subdued show too staid and stuffy, but I have rarely been so comfortable at a rock performance, and being comfortable helps me enjoy it more.

BEN GIBBARD at Royce Hall, May 19
[Review]
This was another show where we were able to sit in comfort in a lovely, elegant hall with people who respected the musicians and other audience members. The place was built for excellent sound quality. I took my portable recorder for the first time and was able to capture a few songs but not the entire show. However the stage was very dark and photos I took with my old camera were poor.
Ben Gibbard: Why You'd Want To Live Here/We Will Become Silhouettes - Live at Royce Hall, UCLA, 5/19/07


Best Surprise

JACKSON BROWNE at Aimee Mann's 2nd Annual Christmas Special
[Review and photos]

Definitely one of the highlights of the year, especially because it was unexpected.


Most Bizarre

OF MONTREAL at the Avalon, November 9
[Review and photos]


Visually it was stunning but ultimately the dizzy carnival atmosphere distracted from what should have been the focus--the music. I got some great pictures though.

Antics included a sword-fight, balloons spewing confetti over the audience, and a tiger biting another character's crotch. Oh, I didn't tell you about that before, did I?



THE MAE SHI at the Echo, October 2



This visual performance ensemble opened for Division Day at their CD release party. The Echo could also qualify for the smallest venue--I've seen closets bigger than that stage. The band members changed clothes on stage three times during the show, wrapped strings of lights around themselves, and leaped off the front of the stage to stare and sing in our faces. Indie Mom said her mouth was open in astonishment the entire time. It was hilarious!
The Mae Shi: Run To Your Grave

Most Disappointing

THE ARCADE FIRE at the Hollywood Bowl, September 20

This was such a letdown, you notice that we never even wrote a review. It wasn't the band's fault--I bet they were fine. The reason I'm not sure is that the best seats we could afford were way up in the Frat Party section of the Bowl. People found it more important to carry on loud conversations, yell into their cell phones, drink and let their bottles roll around everywhere, and make out with their dates and LEAVE before the band even came onstage. It was pure torture for us two music-lovers. Also, probably the thing I hate most about the Bowl is that a person standing right next to non-smokers thinks it's fine to chain-smoke just because they're outside. Yuck! Cough, cough.

Personal Favorites

For one reason or another, Indie Mom was not able to go to these two shows, but I'm really glad that I did.

ALASKA IN WINTER at the Avalon


[Review and photos]

Brandon Bethancourt, besides being adorably handsome, is the nicest guy you'd ever want to meet, and he's funny too.
Alaska In Winter MySpace





J. TILLMAN at the Glass House

[Review]

Here's someone else I had been dying to see for a long time, and I got to meet him after the show and confirm that he is a sweetheart.
J. Tillman MySpace





THANKS ALSO to our friends in these bands for their shows:

Ryan Wilson, Rohner Stegnitz, and Kevin Lenhart of DIVISION DAY
Tim Hutton, Peter Walker, and Chris Reynolds of EULOGIES
Lizzie Powell and Chris McCarron of LAND OF TALK

california rain (taken 01.04.08)

13. Everything I Am: Kanye West [buy]
everybody saying what's not for him/but everything I'm not made me everything I am
Although I felt that Kanye's latest effort was uneven, there are some really excellent songs on Graduation. You don't find much rap on our site, but my list would not be complete without this song, a lament on the fact that it's difficult to be yourself amongst those who speak out against you.

12. Magic Beans and Truth Machines: Say Hi [buy]
so please please someone come and take it away from me/please please it's all yours
On Say Hi's latest, The Wishes and the Glitch, Eric Elbogen's sound continues to grow and expand even as the band's name was shortened (from "Say Hi To Your Mom"). The addition of a female keyboardist and backup vocals does a little something to the short, sweet songs on this album and makes it one of my faves of the year.

11. You Are My Face: Wilco [buy]
happenstance has changed my plans so many times/my heart has been outgrown
It took me longer to get into Wilco's Sky Blue Sky than it did for me to get into Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but eventually I was able to appreciate these songs just as much. It seems that Wilco faced the same phenomenon as did Radiohead on their latest album; when a band is expected to out-weird and out-experiment their previous album, sometimes the weirdest thing to do is to create a more straight-forward album of excellent music.

10. Sandy: Caribou [buy]
sometimes in her eyes, I see forever/I can't believe what we've found
I listened to this album as a recommendation from Yellow Stereo but I didn't have huge expectations for it; I had listened to Caribou before and wasn't impressed. But after repeated listenings, I was hooked. Caribou sounds to me what the Beach Boys would have sounded like if they formed their band today. In this song, I love the swirling sound, the trilling flute, the dreamy, floating lyrics. The more you listen to this song, especially with headphones, the more you hear - layers upon layers of unique and interesting sounds.

9. Hand on Your Heart: Jose Gonzalez [buy]
look me in the eye/and tell me we are really through
Jose Gonzalez does it again - he takes a familiar song, or at least a song from a familiar artist, in this case Kylie Minogue, and turns it into an acoustic masterpiece. The personal, sad lyrics seem to fit in Gonzalez's version much better than in Kylie's disco wonderland version. I love what Gonzalez has done with similar songs, and his last album is good, but this song was the highlight for me.

8. Kids: MGMT [buy]
control yourself/take only what you need from it
I was lucky enough to see MGMT live, opening for Of Montreal, and in doing so discovered this great band. This song, about growing up and leaving childhood behind, is a fun dance song, and a great representative of the music that MGMT brings to the table.

7. Sideways: Let's Go Sailing [buy]
I have no problems dipping in my feet/but the trouble comes when I have to jump
This lovely song features strings and Shana Levy's beautiful voice on a track about falling in love with a friend. We attended Let's Go Sailing's album release earlier this year, and I have to say that this song live is even better than on the album.

6. Ocean of Noise: Arcade Fire [buy]
an ocean of noise/I first heard your voice/now who here among us/still believes in choice?/not I
This amazing song moves me every time I hear it, especially the full band sound that erupts toward the last minute of the song. The lyrics could be about a destructive relationship, but are just as likely a statement about the war in Iraq and that sad, sorry state of affairs. While the Neon Bible album was only half fulfilling for me, this song is reason enough to buy the disc.

5. Northern Whale: The Good, The Band & The Queen [buy]
in a tide end town/everyone hallucinating on you
This album, while focused on British life, still has elements universal to everyone. This song is about the end of a relationship and if you listen, you can hear the sound of the "northern whale" in the background. Awesome song, awesome album (although I keep substituting "in a Thailand town" whenever I sing along with Albarn!).

4. Cigarettes, Wedding Bands: Band of Horses [buy]
if my body goes, then to hell with my soul/we don't even know the difference
On first listen to Cease to Begin, I really wasn't impressed by Band of Horses' sophmore album. It took repeated listenings to appreciate the beauty of this album, and I considered "Detlef Schrempf" and "No One's Gonna Love You" as fave tracks. But this song soon soared above the rest and I constantly play this track at top volume in my car while driving.

3. Lake Michigan: Rogue Wave [buy]
sky is burning/but at least we know we're warm
Hand claps? Check! Non-sensical, barely understandable lyrics? Check! Great song? Check! Rogue Wave continues to impress me with their latest album, Asleep at Heaven's Gate, which I know isn't widely thought to be their best effort. While the songs themselves seem more studio-based, more polished, the album itself seems "thrown together" (and I mean that in the very best way), with odd noises and people talking before, after, and in between tracks. "Lake Michigan" is a great song, but only one of the great songs to be found on this album.

2. Mistaken for Strangers: The National [buy]
make up something to believe in your heart of hearts/so you have something to wear on your sleeve of sleeves
I was late to this album, since I mixed up The National with another band with "national" in the name which I wasn't as impressed with. And even with the inevitable comparisons with Interpol, The National held my attention and impressed me with their amazing sound. I was torn between this song and "Green Gloves", but this song about growing up and changing into an adult won out in the end. Absolutely magnificent, as is the rest of the album.

1. Jigsaw Falling into Place: Radiohead [buy]
regard each other as you pass/she looks back, you look back/not just once/not just twice
Just as Wilco released a seemingly more straight-forward album, Radiohead released the pay-what-you-want, do it yourself album of songs that debuted at concerts worldwide. By the time this album was released, I had heard many of these tracks live and from recordings that others had made and was already in love with them. But the studio recording and the live sound differed, and I had to listen over and over to this new album to come to terms with the differences. I have come to greatly appreciate them for what they are and not as what I was expecting them to be. It's my fault that I had a pre-conceived notion of what the songs were going to sound like on the album based on the live tracks - and I love them for what they are. This song, introduced live as "Open Pick", has been developed into a rollicking track with a clouded meaning (everybody has their own opinion) that I want to hear again as soon as it's over.

Next up: Indie.Mom's 10 Favorite Albums of 2007