Songs, Shows, 2004 Roundup

The expanded "Favorite Songs of 2004" list, now at 25, is here. These aren't intended to be a "best singles" list, but rather a somewhat representative list of the songs from this year that I really liked, regardless of whether they were singles or album cuts. This is also where I give a little love to the gems hiding in otherwise mediocre albums.

Favorite 25 Songs of 2004
25. Morrissey - "Irish Blood, English Heart" You Are the Quarry
24. Feller Quentin - "Life of a Camel, WWIII" I Am Not a Monster
23. The Nels Cline Singers - "Bright Moon" The Giant Pin
22. Deerhoof - "Milk Man" Milk Man
21. The Magnetic Fields - "I Wish I Had an Evil Twin" i
20. Modest Mouse - "Ocean Breathes Salty" Good News For People Who Love Bad News
19. Madvillian - "Accordian" Madvillainy
18. Spoon - "I Summon You (Demo)" http://www.spoontheband.com
17. Wilco - "Kicking Television" Unreleased: A Ghost is Born outtake
16. The Go! Team - "Bottle Rocket" Thunder, Lightning, Strike
15. Tom Waits - "Hoist That Rag" Real Gone
14. Jason Forrest - "180 Mar Ton" The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post-Disco Crash
13. Interpol - "Slow Hands" Antics
12. Jay-Z - "99 Problems" The Black Album (I know, technically 2003, but it dropped hard this year.)
11. Murcof - "Memoria (Sutekh's Trisaigon Mix)" Utopia
10. Walkmen - "The Rat" Bows & Arrows
9. Franz Ferdinand - "Take Me Out" s/t
8. Dizzee Rascal - "Fix Up, Look Sharp (Ratatat Remix)" Ratatat Remixes
7. The Rapture - "Alabama Sunshine" DFA Compilation #2
6. Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - "For Kate I Wait" The Doldrums
5. Annie - "My Heartbeat" Anniemal
4. Captain Ahab - "The Canvas of Love" The Sex is Next
3. Ratatat - "Seventeen Years" s/t
2. Xiu Xiu - "I Luv the Valley OH!" Fabulous Muscles
1. Britney Spears - "Toxic" Toxic single

Weirdest Collaboration of 2004 - Mouse on Mars & Mark E. Smith - "Wipe That Sound (MES Vocal Mix)" Wipe That Sound 12".

My Favorite Shows of 2004
5. Broken Social Scene w/Stars @ Howlin' Wolf (March)
4. Coachella @ Indio Valley, CA (May)
3. Liars @ Mermaid Lounge (April)
2. Death From Above 1979 @ The Parish (November)
1. Joanna Newsom @ Mermaid Lounge (April)

And, to recap, my 15 favorite albums:
15. Liars They Were Wrong So We Drowned (Mute)
14. Animal Collective Sung Tongs (Fat Cat)
13. Sufjan Stevens Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre)
12. Glorybee GYB: The First Power (Self-Released)
11. Savath & Savalas Ma�ana (Warp)
10. AC Newman The Slow Wonder (Matador)
9. Junior Boys Last Exit (Kin)
8. Joanna Newsom The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City)
7. Dungen Ta Det Lungt (Subliminal Sounds)
6. Tim Hecker Mirages (Alien8)
5. The Fall The Real New Fall LP (Narnack)
4. Death From Above 1979 You're a Woman, I'm a Machine (Vice)
3. Max Richter The Blue Notebooks (Fat Cat)
2. Xiu Xiu Fabulous Muscles (5RC)
1. Califone Heron King Blues (Thrill Jockey)

Happy New Year. New shit is on the way up.

My Favorite Record of 2004 -- Califone Heron King Blues (Thrill Jockey)

Surprise.

I have no idea why Califone aren't consistently rated amongst the best American bands working today. In fact, they may be the best American band working today. Now, I loved Quicksand/Cradlesnakes long time. "Michigan Girls" and "Your Golden Ass" have consistently made it onto my mixtapes - partially for their melodies, but as much for their overall looseness and actual sound as anything else. I love the way Califone records sound. It's like aliens arriving on Earth post-apocalypse (which, considering, may not be that far away), recovering the history of American music, and then playing it on dusty old phonographs. There is real exploration and mystery in Heron King Blues: the playing is loose, improvisational, concise and sophisticated. Tim Rutili's voice is pure gold. Califone never tries to do too much with the elements in any one song; they just let them all go.

This record is simultaneously the ugliest and most beautiful to come out all year. It's filled with static, dissonant guitars, ghost polyrhythms, unidentifiable noise, and, underneath it all, banjos, harmonies and sweet melodies. While no song is as instantly memorable as "Michigan Girls", this record reveals new subtleties listen after listen while remaining stronger as a whole than Quicksand. They move seamlessly from folk balladry to rusty funk to experimental guitar explorations from track to track.

I was really disappointed when Wilco's A Ghost is Born was released this year. With the addition of Nels Cline and Jim O'Rourke full-time, I was expecting great, exploratory things. While there was some of that, mostly it just felt hasty and indulgent - and I haven't put it on much since I bought it (the day it came out no less). Little did I know that the record Wilco should have made was right here all along. Califone have taken studio technique, jam sessions, American folk, whiskey-soaked vocals, and a sense of adventure to create a record that is pretty damn close to perfect. In a year characterized by disco, the DFA, and dance (along with the still-omnipresent post-punk), this record refuses all labels and embraces everything great about independent music. Give it your time - I can't think of a more rewarding activity.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #2 - Xiu Xiu Fabulous Muscles (5RC)

Xiu Xiu are the only band working within the last 5 years who, I think, can legitimately claim to have defined a genre, even if nobody's bothered to name it. But it's not like glitchcore or glam-sludge - it's not really something recognizeable as "genre". Basically, Jaime Stewart probably couldn't write songs like other people do even if he tried. It's fundamentally pop music, but with glimpses of avant-garde, noise, and dance. It's also charged with being over-the-top and melodramatic. This may be so, but on tracks like "I Broke Up (sj)" from Knife Play, it's also very affecting.

But anyway, having defined a sound that is totally distinct doesn't seem to have been enough for Jaime Stewart. Now, it seems, he seeks to perfect it. And on Fabulous Muscles, he has found a way to connect as a pop record to a greater extent than ever before. It lacks the occasionally grating and self-indulgent moments that have marred his other albums, all while crafting two of the best Xiu Xiu songs yet ("Crank Heart" and "I Luv the Valley OH!").

I had a feeling when this record came out that it would be the best record of the year. But for one, I was right.

On the docket

So, the quality (or just quantity) in these reviews is slowly backsliding. Chalk it up to distraction - I've just recieved a glut of records and am trying to digest a lot of what I missed earlier in the year. Thusly, here's a little list of what I've been gorging upon for regurgitation upon this page:

Annie Anniemal (electropop)
Corrupted Llenandose de Gusanos (sludge metal, 1999 reissue)
Experimental Dental School Hideous Dance Attack!!! (klezmer-punk, kinda)
Mike Freemont Sounds Created When Two Branes Collide (New Orleans hip-hop)
Jason Forrest The Unrelenting Songs of the 1979 Post-Disco Crash (glitch-disco)
DFA Compilation #2 (the DFA)
The Go! Team Thunder, Lightning, Strike (pop, kinda)
The Foreign Exchange Connected (hip-hop)
The Third Unheard: Connecticut Hip Hop 1979-1983 (hip-hop)
Wu-Tang Clan Disciples of the 36 Chambers Vol.1 (live hip-hop)
Kanye West College Dropout (hip-hop)


Also, some older records that I haven't heard are making it into the mix, notably:

American Music Club Mercury (1993)
Throbbing Gristle Second Annual Report (1977, r 1991)
The Homosexuals s/t (1978)
the 1997 Nonesuch recording of Steve Reich Music for 18 Musicians

So, clearly, I've got some listening ahead of me. In any event, the final two albums of 2004 will be listed tomorrow and the next day, followed by the singles list and a roundup sort of deal. Enjoy refreshing time.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #3 - Max Richter The Blue Notebooks (Fat Cat)

I usually describe this record as "contemporary classical" to people, which, despite being an oxymoron, seems to be the most apt. It's the kind of record that your grandmother might like, provided that she doesn't listen too closely.

On the other hand, "Shadow Journal" shows us that classical and dance really don't have to be that far apart if we don't want them to be. The two solo piano pieces, "Horizon Variations" and "Vladimir's Blues", are among the prettiest things recorded this year; they work because Richter isn't afraid to let pure melodies exist on their own, for their own sake. Unlike many modern composers, for Richter, music is not a largely academic exercise, even if he does use small clips of a woman reading from Kavka's "Blue Notebooks" (hence the title).

So, yes, pretty, wintery music. An easy pick for the #3 record of the year - The Blue Notebooks is a record everyone can enjoy.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #4 - Death From Above 1979 You're a Woman, I'm a Machine (Vice)

This record is fucking hard, dude. When they played New Orleans, they were blowing lines like vacuum cleaners. At one point, the drummer bathed in whiskey.

DFA1979 is a melodic speed-metal band that just recorded a breakup-then-go-out-and-fuck-to-dull-the-pain album called You're a Woman, I'm a Machine. Only the soulless refuse to rock the fuck out when listening to this record. I nearly got whiplash this one time I put on the record in my car.

FUCK YEAH! Number four, motherfucker. Somebody punch me in the face.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #5 - The Fall The Real New Fall LP (Narnack)

It was only about a year ago that I got myself turned on to the Fall for real. I picked up a copy of This Nation's Saving Grace and, for the first time, knew the bliss that is Mark E. Smith's vitriol. As I worked my way though Grotesque and Totally Wired: The Rough Trade Years, I also began exploring their lesser-appreciated material at the radio station where I work - it must be said that 90s Fall is unappreciated for a reason. Even die-hard Fall fans will tell you that the Fall have been...spotty...since their mid-80s peak. So, naturally, I wasn't expecting a whole ton from this year's Real New Fall LP, I was just a bit intrigued by a new Fall record.

Imagine my surprise when the first swirling moments of "Green Eyed" began to press in from my headphones. Then my surprise at the marvelous drone of "Mountain". Then my fucking awe at the Fall nailing their shit to the fucking wall on "Sparta FC". Mark E. Smith sounds refreshed, energized, maybe a bit mellower but still pretty pissed off - and the songs have incredible energy. Holy fuck I can't come up with enough expletives to impress upon you how good this record is. Front to back, top to bottom, a great album with amazing songs.

Been a Fall fan in the wilderness? Pick this shit up now. Spitting, swearing and still smarter than you, The Real New Fall LP is kicking the shit out of #'s 4 & 6, just because it can. Open the goddamn box!

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #6 - Tim Hecker Mirages (Alien8)

In a year of beautiful records, this is...another beautiful record. But it has a nice ugly skin that you have to pick through to get at the good stuff. You know, like salmon.

For my fawning over this record, see this little orgasm of music criticism.

Merry Festivus.

PS. As I suspected, the "favorite songs list" was bunk. A new one is forthcoming that isn't simply "best albums that I remember in my semi-stupor". No "Toxic"? What the fuck was I thinking?

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #7 - Dungen Ta Det Lungt (Subliminal Sounds)

This is one of those albums that I (and I think most of the world outside of Sweden) have to give credit to Pitchfork for their gift of exposure. Ta Det Lungt was released on the tiny Subliminal Sounds label and only recently got some promotion in the States, due in no small part to the aforementioned 'Fork, which seems to be the indie kingmaker since 2002's whole Interpol/...Trail of Dead coronation.

But as I don't feel like writing too much today, I'm only going to say that this album is a lot of fun, and sounds like it was recorded in 1967. It's very warm and the only giveaway of it's post-postmodern recording date is the careful mixing. The opener, "Panda", sounds like Black Sabbath if Black Sabbath were good (sorry, Sabbath) and "Festival", besides being the only other cognate title on the record, is a wonderful little pop song. Elsewhere, "Du E För Fin För Mig" has elegant string arrangements leading like a velvet staircase to, appropriately, a hard-ass acid guitar solo that sounds like Jimmy Page and Thurston Moore making out. Duel on, electric tongues. The rest of the album is good, too, but if you're human then your brain has already melted and you're just careening down the other side of the rock pyramid. But anyway, Sweden, huh? Sounds nice.

Ta Det Lungt sails in at #7, freak flags flying high.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #8 - Joanna Newsom The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City)

In April or so, I went to go see (smog) at the Mermaid Lounge. The bill had this girl whom I'd never heard of opening for him, and when I arrived at the venue there was a harp sitting on stage. She came out and sang some traditional-sounding song acapella. The crowd clapped along, but there was more than a little skepticism in the air. She sat down at her harp, and began playing what I later learned was the opening track from her album, "Bridges and Balloons". That show still ranks among the best I've been to, not because of the music alone, but because of the transformation in the crowd. Everyone was still through the set - what began as a lukewarm welcome became a 5 minute ovation at the end of her set. I left before (smog) even came on stage, and so did many others.

I later convinced my friends in Phoenix to go see her with me over the summer, but it wasn't quite the same without that surprise transformation. I still loved the songs, but the live experience was such a personal, one-time thing; at least I think it was. The record from which the songs were culled, on the other hand, is timeless and fantastic.

Most of this record is just harp, or piano, and Newsom's inimitable voice. It's the only voice of its kind in music - sounding something (to me) like a combination of Bjork, Alanis Morrisette, Colin Melloy, and an 8-year-old girl. Good though. It's good.

And the songs? They're understated, timeless melodies. There's little else to say, other than that you'll probably love or hate her music. But as far as I'm concerned, she's the most valuable thing going on in this freak-folk scene right now. With grace and poise, The Milk-Eyed Mender charms at #8.

My favorite Records of 2004 - #9 - Junior Boys Last Exit (Kin)

I think I'm the only person I know that has a deep, deep love for this record. A lot of my friends think it's boring. When I first read the blurb from the promotion company on the CD, I had a similar feeling. Touted as another sort-of-new-wavey album, I figured I was in for another irony-drenched Fischerspooner-style suckfest. Luckily, nothing could be farther from the truth.

Though there is a bit of new wave on this album (it's probably most like a sexy update of New Order, but a bit more minimal - think "Blue Monday" and not Republic), it's much too clever to fit easily into any throwback category like that. The beats are deceptively simple and there are pleasant melodies, something I find missing from most of the new new/no wave bands . The vocals are hushed and seductive - this is an album with atmosphere.

Though I find that Last Exit peters out around the end, the front half of this album is fantastic song after fantastic song. "More Than Real", "Bellona", and "Birthday" - among the best tracks on the record - aren't going to rock many dance floors, but they seem perfectly suited to the VIP room or the ride home. Yeah, this album is all green lighting, dark curtains and drinks in v-shaped glasses. But, in as much as this is possible, it's in a good way. As God said, it's good music to chill out to. Indeed.

Wash your filthy hands before you put on Last Exit, making all the kids jealous at #9.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #10 - AC Newman The Slow Wonder (Matador)

Before we begin the top 10, it must be said that this order could be reversed quite a bit without too much complaining from me. This has been a fantastic year with a shitload of terrific releases, so by this point, feel free to start your counterarguments below.

Song-for-song, this is possibly the strongest release of the year and, from my list, the one most likely to get the Death Cab for Cutie fans moving a bit deeper into the indie-pop rosters of labels like Matador and Sub-Pop. It seems that The Slow Wonder functions most impressively as a particularly cohesive singles compilation. Each song stands on its own as an amazing A-side. In fact, this album reminds me a lot of The Cars' self-titled record, in quality of songs if not so much in composition (though from time to time...)

This album has the same unstoppable 1-2-3 punch right at the beginning with "Miracle Drug", "Drink to Me, Babe, Then", & "On the Table", of which my personal favorite is "On the Table" - a triumphant gem of a pop song. And, though the rest of the album is still A-side material for most any other band, the other songs that hit those peaks are "Come Crash" and "The Town Halo" - which has a delightful little cello line.

Indeed, if you're looking for a straight-ahead power-pop album, The Slow Wonder is right up your alley. It's the best pop album I've heard in some time, and, indeed, it inspired me to go out and pick up a real copy of the aforementioned Cars album. With a bounce in its step, AC Newman's The Slow Wonder strolls to #10. Effortless.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #11 - Savath & Savalas Mañana (Warp)

Yes, technically it's an EP. But over 30 minutes worth of new Scott Herren material is certainly something to look forward to, and on this record, he uses the glitched-out techniques of Prefuse 73 to reinterpret the sounds of his adopted home in Barcelona. The results are gorgeous.

If you're unfamiliar with Prefuse 73, Scott Herren's most well-known project, then you should absolutely start there. 2003's One Word Extinguisher was the most interesting release of last year - an effortlessly innovative and sparkling collection of glitch-hop breakup tracks. Even Extinguished: Outtakes were good enough to stand on their own, and not simply as a document of what made OWE great. Mañana takes the impeccable production from that album and adds more vocals and live instrumentation. The result is a warmer, more organic-sounding album. Whereas OWE was Herren sealed in his recording studio, surrounded by old pizza boxes and staring at computer screens for months at a time, Mañana sounds like it was recorded in the front room of a Barcelona flat, with the windows open. There's light and life that was at times absent from OWE

"Interludo Inconcreto" begins with vocal blips, cut up in typical Herren fashion. But it develops much more organically than one might expect. "No Pueda de Cidir" is another marvelous track, with what is probably the most charming melody on the album being picked out on processed guitars. "Interludo Humedo" is the most Prefuse-y track, and also the shortest. But the master stroke comes last. "Eqipatge Des Flors Seques" begins with strings, blippy sampled vocals and gentle piano, all seemingly playing randomly repeating melodies. As the track continues and the melodies mutate, they gradually come together to form a coherent whole. Shakers gently hold the rhythm together and the vocals pick up a cadence. It's probably the most stunning piece of individual work I've heard from Herren, and is worth the price of admission alone.

And at #11, Mañana sits contentedly.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #12 - Glorybee GYB: The First Power (Self-Released)

As soon as I popped this album in the CD player, I knew it was going to be the best record by a New Orleans band to come out in 2004. I was, obviously, correct.

I first saw Glorybee at the Resevoir House, which is (was?) actually some dude's garage in the Warehouse District. They were mostly two synths and a vocalist, quite a bit of posing, and some fun, cheesy covers. The show was nice, and I saw them again at One Eyed Jacks in September with another good (becoming great) local band, Mexico 1910. Their set was overlong, the joke wore out by about 2 hours(!) in, and I sort of wrote Glorybee off as a fun gimmicky band to see once in a while. Thus, when I first picked up GYB: The First Power, I expected it to be funny and little else.

As I wrote about earlier in a piece for my old magazine, I was absofuckinglutely wrong about Glorybee. The album that they produced was not merely funny, it demonstrated a depth of which their live shows never showed the slighest shadow. GYB seamlessly melds modern lo-fi electronic pop, noise, early 80s R&B, hip-hop, and funk into a surprisingly liquid and cohesive debut. It's too catchy to be truly experimental but too wankish to be truly pop. Tracks like "Atlantic Dance Panic" and "Garlic Jr." run over 7 and 11 minutes, respectively, but manage to be compelling all the way through. "Basketball Camp" brings the heavy 1983 vibe. "Heavenly Hive Theme Song" rides a funky-as-hell guitar lick which survives despite being marred by some truly heinous rhymes.

This is far from a perfect album, but if you're looking for great New Orleans music, this is as near to perfect as it needs to be. Glorybee are a band that can go in many directions now, and should they choose to develop the strong, earnest, genre-fusing aspects of this release, they will become one of the best exports New Orleans has offered in a long time. This is the album that made me excited to be involved in the underground musical development happening in New Orleans. GYB: The First Power climbs confidently to #12.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #13 - Sufjan Stevens Seven Swans (Sounds Familyre)

Last year, I slept on the wonderful ...Greetings from Michigan - the Great Lakes State and didn't even give it a listen until this past summer, when I picked it up together with Seven Swans. Partially out of penance for my failure to give Michigan a fair shot, but mostly because Seven Swans is just a beautiful record, it slides in at #13 for 2004.

Much has been made about the fact that this is a record of Christian songs, which might say something about the way independent music operates or about the way Christianity operates (probably both). On the standards of religious music, this record is the second coming of Christ. On the standards of independent music, it's a beautiful, powerful record. Most of the songs are delicate, fingerpicked acoustic guitar and banjo folk tunes with piano and vocal embellishments courtesy of the Danielson Famile.

There isn't too much else to say. The lyrics are thoughtful, the production is understated and the songs are as good as anything on Michigan, simply more intimate. Quietly, Seven Swans drifts in at #13.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #14 - Animal Collective Sung Tongs (Fat Cat)

So, I'm a bit conflicted about putting this record on the list at all. On the one hand, I realize that it is fundamentally innovative and enjoyable. On the other, I haven't really listened to it all that much past the first two tracks. That said, I think "Leaf House" and "Who Could Win a Rabbit?" alone merit a mention on this list.

Animal Collective can careen from noisy experimentalism to pastoral calm with singular ease, and Sung Tongs finds them experimenting with acoustic guitars, tribal rhythms and complex vocal arrangements. It's a simple album in the sense that there's not much to it. It's a complex album in the sense that the few elements are arranged very tastefully and, it must be said, kinetically. The aforementioned "Leaf House" and "WCWAR?" are simply fantastic songs by any standard. "Kids on Holiday" hits much closer to the experimentalism of Here Comes the Indian while retaining the fucked-up campfire singalong ambiance of the rest of the record. Elsewhere, "College" contains what sounds like frying bacon and sweet vocal harmonies. In fact, the only real shitty track on this record is "Visiting Friends", which is not interesting enough to hold me for 12 minutes.

To be honest, I don't know why I haven't listened to this album more. Its place on this list is well-deserved and it's truly the most unique work to come out this year. It skirts on the edge of the freak-folk shit that all the hip kids are into without succumbing to the (seemingly) contrived neediness of those groups to be freaky for no reason. The sounds on this record, put in the context of the whole record, are the most natural things in the world.

When I first heard this record described to me, I couldn't imagine how it would work together. Now, I can't imagine anything else other than what Animal Collective did on this record. A fantastic work from one of the most adventurous, exploratory, and provocative groups in music today, Sung Tongs sways back and forth at #14.

My Favorite Records of 2004 - #15 - Liars They Were Wrong So We Drowned (Mute)

Today we start the feature where every day I will list my favorite 15 records of 2004, in order, one a day. (Tomorrow will be skipped because I'm travelling all day.) If all goes as planned, my #1 record will be announced on December 31st.

I picked Liars as #15 not because it is an album that I have especially enjoyed listening to (I have put it on occasionally, but rarely listened to it straight through). Actually, the reason I've picked it is because of how much I disliked listening to it when I first put it on. But it has grown on me, and the genius of it has always been readily apparent. Only Liars could throw off the yoke of hipster expectations like this and come out stronger for it, but I think they have made the only move that a vibrant, creative band in their position should make. Be difficult, shuck off the fashionistas, release a record about witches. It's what Interpol should have done.

On the same token, though, I saw Liars live earlier this year, and the show was fucking incredible, despite the fact that it was only a drummer, guitar and vox for most of the show. They played nothing from They Threw Us in a Trench... but still managed to get the crowd dancing. Difficult as the music may be, the songs showed their inherent quality that night, and I have put the album on for entertainment, rather than puzzlement, since.

And "There's Always Room on the Broom" is probably the Liars' finest song to date. So, ominously, Liars' They Were Wrong So We Drowned waits at #15.

the Virgin Prunes - ...If I Die, I Die, 1982, r 2004 (Mute)

This is one of those records that I bought on a whim. I can't really say why, because I'm not a massive fan of Goth - though Joy Division is one of my favorite bands, Bauhaus is cool, Coil is fantastic, etc., I don't have an especially deep Goth record collection. The Virgin Prunes actually come to me via one of those really sketchy RIYL Joy Division lists. Plus, the album cover is, admittedly, pretty cool.

But Goth is one of those genres I can't seem to get a handle on. It seems to encompass all manner of things from abrasive noise experiments to dance-pop to post-punk. And on this 1982 reissue of the what is arguably the Virgin Prunes best work (or so I'm told), Goth seems to mean slightly dancey - if dated - post-punk. Indeed, I can hear bits of Joy Division in most of the percussion used throughout the album, the tinnily-reverbed vocals, and some of the guitar tones (as on "Sweethome Under the White Clouds" - without the wailing and the saxiphone, it could probably pass for one of JD's Heart & Soul rarities).

The album sort of meanders to an opening with "Ulakanakulot"/"Decline and Fall" - which run together and don't change too much. They also introduce what for me was the most annoying part of this record: the shitty treatments on a lot of instruments that just ring of, "Hey, this studio has some cool shit!" circa 1981. And while some records are able to overcome the inherent cheesiness of a lot of the era's effects (the Stockholm Monsters, on occassions like "Miss Moonlight" and "Fairy Tales") most of these tracks aren't strong enough to do so.

The first track that really hit me was "F�do", which is a short instrumental interlude that's considerably more melodic than the first part of the record. It helps that it leads into "Baby Turns Blue", the most famous Virgin Prunes tune, and with good reason. It's one of those aforementioned songs that overcome the dated treatments and really takes off. It's cool and probably the most danceworthy track on the album. Not to mention that the little vocal hiccups right before the chorus sound pretty fantastic.

Also noteworthy: "Caucasian Walk" - which is surprisingly reminiscent of the Fall in the way it takes one hook and rides it out. "Ballad of the Man" is another well-crafted song. Finally, "Yeo" closes the album on a delightful instrumental note, probably my favorite instrumental track that reprises the piano line from the end of "F�do".

Indeed, this is a pretty solid album - a very good album even, from "F�do" to the end. I just couldn't quite get over the first 6 tracks, which, with the exception of "Sweethome", don't do anything for me. I suppose I just wanted to like this album a lot more than I wound up liking it. Still, it's definately worth checking out if you're into the whole post-punk/Goth scene. Oh, and I forgot to mention that Dave-Id, one of their guitarists, is the Edge's (from U2) brother. Apparently they all hung out with U2 in the early days. So if you're a U2 �ber-completist, then you might be well-served to check this out, too. You can impress all your old friends at the ball game or while you watch Elimidate and wait for the beers to settle.

the White Bitch

After much deliberation, I have decided that the White Bitch has to be the best musician in the city of New Orleans.

I saw him for the third time in two months last night at the Mermaid Lounge; probably the last show I'll ever go to there. I think it was ee cummings who said, "if it has to happen, then this is a beautiful way" (or something like that). White Bitch, Ray Bong, MC Gregory, Ratty Scurvix and the drummer tore it up, as usual. Plus, they closed out their set with back-to-back Prince covers. Fuckin A. I love the junkyard funk, and thus White Bitch edges out Glorybee as my favorite NO show of the year (though Glorybee's gig at the Resevoir House earlier this year is a close second).

In addition, however, to seeing White Bitch several times in the past couple months and each time staring with fanboy glee, I saw him at lunch today. I worry that I know far too much about the White Bitch, now that I know the restaurant at which he works (it's down in the Bywater). Actually, I know the clothing store where the Lord Hoffa of Glorybee works, too, but that's a bit more expected since it's uptown and a vintage store. Whatever.

Moral of the story: if you're in New Orleans, and have a special affinity for junkyard funk (think Midnite Vultures but lo-fi), falsettos, &etc, then check out the White Bitch, wherever he's playing, whenever he's playing.

Note to White Bitch: when are you getting the projector fired up again? I miss the whole A/V touch.

Mermaid Lounge, 12/10/04

Briefly, the Mermaid is great, but Schlitz for $2? Christ.

I missed Dylan Posa (formerly of the Flying Luttenbachers, who now lives in Metarie, LA) for, like, the third time. Fuck. He has had an EP down at WTUL for a while that I like quite a bit. Oh, well.

I arrived just in time to see the Public, who despite being Joy Division/Smiths ripoffs, play quite well and are a great band to go see live. There's not really much else to say about them; if you have a friend who you're looking to introduce to the New Orleans music scene, the Public are probably a good band to get him/her started with, since they're pretty innocuous. A bit like an unpolished Killers without the synths - a little bit noisier and grittier, but not much.

Next were the Paradise Vendors, who I've heard much about but never seen. They played sort of loungey stuff, sounding at times like Stereolab and at times just like a bunch of old dudes jamming (which they were, with the exception of their frontlady). The vocals reminded me at times of the Fiery Furnaces in that overenunciated, show-tune way, and the songs had the same type of specificity in the lyrical content, even if this girl was singing about giving lap dances as opposed to losing her puppy. Not as annoying as the Fiery Furnaces, but probably not a band I'm going to pay $5 to go see.

Finally, Bipolaroid sound like Pavement doing San Francisco speedballs while playing in Yes' basement. Oddly proggy, incoherent stoner rock. Fun, but I probably would've been in a better mood for it if it weren't 2am. At another time I probably would've loved it.

Tonight is White Bitch. Thank God.

On the way out Friday, 12/10/04

I have nothing new to talk about today, except that over at Newsthoughts Slaven and I have a two-part bit up about Social Security privatization. Mine is a bit more cursory review of recent news stories and information, Slaven's is (as usual) a more in-depth policy analysis with advocacy. If you want the bare bones, read mine. If you want good editorializing, read Slaven's.

Also, I have made some recent purchases which are on their way to Contort Yrself. Soon, a review of the Virgin Prunes 1982 ...If I Die, I Die reissue on Mute, as well as forthcoming reviews (read: in the next two weeks) of Experimental Dental School's Hideous Dance Attack!!! LP (the title track from which gets honorable mention for "track of the year" honors) and Corrupted Llenandose de Gusanos, a reissue from 1999 on HG Fact, which has been out of print until very recently.

Experimental Dental School (website) is great organ/guitar/drums trio from Oakland, CA.

Corrupted (website) is a doom/sludge metal group from Japan. This will be my first tryst with sludge metal, but this record comes highly recommended. We'll see where it hits me.

In any event, I'm off to the Mermaid Lounge (corner of John Churchill Chase just up from Tchopitoulas in the Warehouse District, New Orleans, LA) for the third night of their Swan Song fanale as they're being forced out of their space. Tonight is Dylan Posa, the Public, and Bipolaroid (amongst others). Tomorrow night, I'm going up there again to catch Silent Cinema and the White Bitch (one of my favorite local artists). If you can make it out, by all means you should. It's your last chance to see the Mermaid in all its glory. I'm really going to miss it.

You'll hear about the shows a bit later.

Nonpussy grieving.

On the tragic occassion of Dimebag Darrel's murder in an Ohio club, it seems fitting that a non-metalhead should reach out to the metal community, and try to create the "Nonpussy Grieving Mix for Metalheads". I hope you can find some solace in these tracks.

"Pig Latin" - Dillinger Escape Plan Irony is a Dead Scene EP
"Ride the Sky" - Lightning Bolt Ride the Skies
"Black History Month" - Death from Above, 1979 You're a Woman, I'm a Machine
"Fletcher" - The Faeries Inside the Hive Mind
"Contempt" - Naked City Naked City
"Pink City" - Xiu Xiu A Promise
"Ostia (The Death of Pasolini)" - Coil Horse Rotorvator
"Heart in the Hand of the Matter" - ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead Source Tags and Codes
"The Best Ever Death Metal Band in Denton" - The Mountain Goats All Hail West Texas

Hail Satan. Peace be with you, Dimebag.

2004's best songs.

The best songs of 2004, with the right to edit reserved.

1. "I Luv the Valley OH!" - Xiu Xiu, Fabulous Muscles (5RC)
2. "For Kate I Wait" - Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti, The Doldrums (Paw Tracks)
3. "The Canvas of Love" - Captain Ahab, The Sex is Next (Deathbomb Arc)
4. "Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand, s/t (Domino)
5. "Fix Up, Look Sharp (Ratatat Remix)" - Dizzee Rascal, Ratatat Remixes (self-released, tour only)
6. "The Rat" - The Walkmen Bows & Arrows (Record Collection)
7. "Seventeen Years" - Ratatat, s/t (XL)
8. "Hoist that Rag" - Tom Waits, Real Gone (Anti-)
9. "Milk Man" - Deerhoof, Milk Man (5RC)
10. "Headphone Brigade" - Graves Yes Yes, OK OK (Hush)

Feel free to list your own under comments, or criticize mine.

Tim Hecker - Mirages (Alien8 Recordings, 2004)

I don't really know what to do with this space immediately, so I suppose I'll just start with those thingst that, on a visceral level, I feel I can write about. Thus, an album by an electronic musician you may or may not (but should) know about, Tim Hecker.

Mirages is not an album wholly unfamiliar, nor is it an album wholly comfortable. For anyone who has experienced ambient music or stuff that runs near to the shoegaze category, Hecker's work will sound somewhat reminiscent of both. His compositions are a bit too dense for ambient music (closer to drone than ambient) but a bit too jarring to be electronic shoegaze. He uses thick layers of static, hyper-distorted guitars, chimes, wind, and organs in a comfortable haze to create a sound that is probably best described as "enveloping".

I don't know why I love this album so much. I can objectively see how 6 minutes of repeating tones washed in static should be dull. I can objectively see how the barely-liminal frequences and disconnected voices should be disconcerting. But they aren't, and instead make this album one of the most engrossing I've heard all year. Though similar to the work of Pole (his piece "Fahren" on the record 2 is far and away one of my favorite dub/minimalist ever, even if the rest of his stuff doesn't grab me so much), Mirages, for some reason, is considerably more captivating.

Perhaps it has something to do with New Orleans - when I first heard this record, it was mid-October, and still very warm. The air here in the summers is so thick that it literally bears down on you. Cigarette smoke moves slowly and languidly; when you exhale, it just swirls around your head for what seems like forever. Mirages moves in much the same way. The opener, "Acéphale", bears down with layer after layer of harsh buzzing and death-metal guitars, slowed to an ooze. It's grimy and filthy, but comfortable at the same time. And while the album has beautiful pieces ("Neither More Nor Less", "Non Mollare", "Incurably Optimistic!"), noise experiments ("Aerial Silver"), and denser, harsher pieces ("The Truth of Accountants"), it never loses sight of what makes it great, which is that fog.

And the conclusion, the aforementioned "Incurably Optimistic!", has to be one of the most heartbreaking tracks ever. Simply a long, slow organ drone under varying levels of static and brutalized, monolithic guitar rising up from underneath the mix (and a few far-off machines and people), "Optimistic!" is the true sound of melancholy - not the hyperdepressed melodrama of a thousand indie bands, but real, hope-tinged sadness. It is the most stunning 10 minutes of music that I can recall.

This album is powerful, well beyond my ability to communicate to you, and easily one of the best of the year.

A late start to the century.

Indeed. So after resistance, I have finally arrived at this whole blog thing. I don't suddenly think that there will be a massive amount of interest in my life or anything, nor is there anything particuarly worth mentioning that I think should be sent around the Internet.

Actually, the purpose of this blog is because I was ruthlessly liquidated from the previous rock magazine I wrote for, and I need an outlet for the top ten lists I impulsively create.

In that spirit, I'll be updating semi-frequently about music, connected things, and occasional random musings. But mostly music. Some of these posts will be doubled over at Newsthoughts, a site curated by Mssrs. Mike Slaven and Taylor Spears, the former a noted UVa student and political wonk, and the latter a noted ASU student and tech pioneer. Indeed, I used to write politics, but Slaven's better at it than me, so now I do the meagre arts section over there.

I also cannot guarantee any regularity here. Just as I assume no regular readers.

So there, a bit of a mission statement. Basically, I'm going to try to talk about music that I think is noteworthy and strip away some of the artifice from my own tastes. I'll link to cool things. I'll talk about news that is interesting. I'll be a small bit of info about the New Orleans (where I live and attend school at Tulane University) scene and related environs. A service to me, from me. And maybe someone else will enjoy it too.

Time will tell.