my 2008 top 25, super lazy comparative version

Since Jamie weighed in, here's my top 25 list again, this time in an easy-to-read list so that they can be compared.

25. Lykke Li - Youth Novels
24. Grouper - Dragging a Dead Deer Up a Hill
23. Crystal Castles - Crystal Castles
22. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive
21. Women - Women
20. Sigur Ros - Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust
19. Department of Eagles - In Ear Park
18. Sun Kil Moon - April
17. Shearwater - Rook
16. The Dodos - Visiter
15. Esau Mwmamwaya and Radioclit are The Very Best
14. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (in retrospect, this probably should be higher).
13. Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life
12. Frightened Rabbit - Midnight Organ Fight
11. Gang Gang Dance - Saint Dymphna
10. M83 - Saturdays=Youth
9. Atlas Sound - Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
8. TV on the Radio - Dear Science
7. Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
6. Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair
5. The Walkmen - You & Me
4. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
3. Portishead - Third (isn't it ironic that this is #3???)
2. Cut Copy - In Ghost Colours
1. Beach House - Devotion

25 Things That Are Certainly Better Than Pizza Hut Tuscani Pasta

My contribution to this blog has been minimal, near nonexistent. And given my employment status it would be mostly impossible to tell you I'm too busy to contribute. Well here is something, finally. I ditched my original reviews because I had only done the first five or so. Plus I was drunk when I wrote them. Incidentally Kings of Leon had been ranked too high. So instead we have a top 25 list.

Sorry there is no justification for these picks. Hopefully some explanation for my taste will become apparent through future posts. Also, I'm aware that at least two of these were released in 2007.

25. Death Cab For Cutie – Narrow Stairs
24. Kings of Leon – Only By Night
23. The Mars Volta – The Bedlam in Goliath
22. My Morning Jacket – Evil Urges
21. The Walkmen – You and Me
20. Adele – 19
19. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
18. Sigur Ros - Með Suð Í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
17. She & Him – Volume One
16. Santogold – Santogold
15. Blitzen Trapper – Furr
14. M83 – Saturdays = Youth
13. Atlas Sound – Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See but Cannot Feel
12. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
11. TV on the Radio – Dear Science
10. The Black Keys – Attack and Release
9. The Magnetic Fields – Distortion
8. Cut Copy – In Ghost Colours
7. Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
6. Flying Lotus – Los Angeles
5. Fuck Buttons – Street Horrrsing
4. Sun Kil Moon – April
3. Beach House - Devotion
2. Deerhunter – Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
1. Bon Iver – For Emma, Forever Ago

Jeremy Pelt at Smalls

Another concert review/author's thoughts but this time on trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, who in the last 2 years has gone from occasional sideman appearance to consistent choosing from my CD rotation. I first heard Jeremy Pelt by complete coincidence. I was late seeing the Village Vanguard Orchestra and a few friends of mine decided instead to check out what was happening at Sweet Rhythm down the street. Turns out it was a random pick-up band consisting of current working cats just playing standards and jamming. As a jazz performance major, it was quite a treat just to hear some real working musicians blow over classics such as "There is no greater love." From 2006 on I started picking up JP's albums. I can't quite remember as to how I found out about this first one I picked up which just came out, called "Identity" (probably looking through jazz times or downbeat issue). I became completely hooked on it either way. The album was primarily a trumpet/keys/bass/drums album with augmentation of vibes, guitar and bass clarinet on various tracks. It then became one of my favorite albums ever. Later he released an 'electric' album recorded live at Smoke Jazz club in NYC. It was interesting because he played/recorded about 4 tunes from the Identity album with his same quartet but JP was playing his trumpet through an effects board and added guitar. It was really enjoyable to hear a related yet different approach to his music and playing.
Around that time JP was invited to perform with my other two fav's on the horn: Dave Douglas and my teacher Dr. Eddie Henderson, who has been especially influencial on me as a musician and artist. They should have renamed the show as "The Nick Di Maria Orgasm Fest" because I was in utter euphoria sitting and listening to these guys play. I even went to the show by myself because I couldn't get anyone to go with me, sat in the front row and took in as much as possible.
A highlight of the night was being introduced to JP and Dave Douglas by Eddie personally. It was like meeting George Washington, Abe Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt at once...and if they were trumpet players. (I hear Andrew Jackson though, was quite the sack butte player) Before the beginning of the second set, I enjoyed a few of the most important moments of my life sitting at the bar inbetween JP and Eddie. They were sharing stories about various musicians and such, letting me in on all the inside details of player's lives...like how Freddie Hubbard would fuck a mother fucker up at a concert he played with Woody Shaw in the 70's or something. (that mo-fo was infact Woody he was refferring to)
At one point Eddie got up to use the bathroom and I was left sitting with JP who was just sippin' and looking forward when all of a sudden he turns to me and says: "So what horn do you play?" I don't remember what I said exactly, but I am sure I sounded retarded. I told him I was actually shopping currently and he recommended the horn I play now to me so thanks JP.
Flash forward to last saturday 1/31 at Smalls. I took my lovely girlfriend to catch the band and by band I mean JP's new quintet that released the album November last July. It was quite the show. They opened with the second track on the album: "Avatar" which is a highlight on the album itself. The sideman presence of J.D. Allen were imactculate. The two horn men resembled Miles and Wayne with their interweaving lines. The band also showcased the tune 466-64 which is a tribute to Nelson Mandela's prison number. The tune is a great work out over a modal vamp, and gave pianist Danny Grissett a moment to shine. The band handed the spotlight over to drummer Gerald Cleaver on the tune Monte Cristo which was written under the influence of Pelt's recent trip to Africa. Pelt's playing throughout the first set was stellar. His playing isn't about notes and chops as it is about music. You hear his influences, Booker, Miles, Freddie, Woody but you hear an original voice that is so enoyable and influential. It will only be a matter of time when JP stops winning the best up and coming trumpet award to best trumpet award in the jazz polls, and hell, he's going to have his number of composition awards as well.
Unfortunetly we had to leave in the middle of the second set due to the fact we had to make the last train out at 2 am, so I am hoping that I didn't miss my favorite tunes of his, Eddie's Story and Suspicion, from the Identity album.
Jeremy Pelt 5 breadsticks
Indentity 5 breadsticks
November 4 1/2 breadsticks

yeah monkey, GIG some!: Los Campesinos! and Titus Andronicus at Club Dada, 1/31

(Talk Soup reference, anyone? see bottom if you don't get it.)



A respectable mix of whippersnappers and older indie enthusiasts crammed around Club Dada's stage on Saturday night for powerful sets from both Jersey's Titus Andronicus and Los Campesinos!, Wales' surnammed counterparts to the Ramones. I kept hearing that Dada's stage was incredibly tiny, and yet all 7 of LC! felt comfortable in their own personal sqaure foot (with the exception of Gareth, who finished the set with each foot on a monitor, stood up tall).







Considering the differences in their sounds and styles, TA and LC! matched each other in energy and drive for their material. I was particularly impressed with Titus Andronicus, who payed past the fuzziness of their debut record as frontman Patrick Stickles took chances seemingly beyond his vocal abilities. Highlighting the set was a medley of tunes amounting at times to high school-level drama in its most epic form ("you'll always be a loser" seemed an endless chorus). Though the audience didn't flock to the floor for TA, the band slammed through their catalog quickly and seemed to make believers of those listening.





Los Campesinos! were equally on point, finding few moments necessary to catch their breath. As with a group of their size, instruments popped in and out of the mix, with Gareth Campesino's vocals. somewhat shoddy for brief stretches and probably overshadowed slightly by Stickles in the first set, sitting atop as the consistent peak of the sound. Maybe he was fazed by just how many people were singing along. I know I was: Los Campesinos are no flash in the pan, but their emergence has been quicker than most realize, probably because they released two LPs last year. After their set, a fan commented that they "wish it could have gone on for another hour." Does she realize that they just don't have any more material yet?










AS PROMISED:

pick six: reel big fish

When it came to ska-punk in the late 90s, I didn't get nearly as deep into it as Nick did. Still, there was something that Reel Big Fish did at that opening break of their lifespan that was so...right. I wonder how long it will be until we see another band that could so succintly point out the shortcomings and atrocities of the mainstream while sneaking through its own back door. In honor, here's six of my favorite tracks the RBF laid down before I graduated from high school.


Trendy
All I Want is More
Turn the Radio Off (1996, Mojo/Jive)



While "Sell Out" put the band on MTV and probably built the newer half of their fanbase in the mid 90s, it takes the second track, "Trendy", to get me into what RBF are all about. Beyond the non-conformist message, a hodgepodge of bright horns, bursts of rockabilly guitar, slap bass, and a closing raspberry are telling of the carefree-with-an-edge mentality the band often portrays. In regards to "All I Want is More", just think about when mainstream rock was less about fame and money, and perhaps more about getting chicks, or telling them off after you got them.


Unity
Keep Your Receipt EP (1997, Umvd)


Sooo, Keep Your Receipt sucks. Considering that nearly all of it's material can be found on Everything Sucks, it's nearly worthless with the exception of this Operation Ivy cover. Besides presenting RBF's tightly constructed ska formula under someone else's material (which will come up again), "Unity" introduced many ska-punk bleeding hearts to the artistically tragic story that was the rise and fall of Operation Ivy.


Thank You For Not Moshing
I Want Your Girlfriend to Be My Girlfriend Too
Why Do They Rock So Hard? (1998, Mojo/Jive)


It wasn't an earth-shattering moment, but it was still pretty damn cool that a band could call out bozo fans, probably including some from their own shows, for the moronic habit of moshing. The attention to detail in depicting the mosher and their ignorant tendencies just help to sharpen the edge of RBF's cutting sarcasm. A tune like "I Want Your Girlfriend..." puts the most emo of emo making cash off their bleeding hearts to shame. This lightly succinct statement of jealous lust of the halls of high school makes you realize that, for most of us, chasing girls around can be a zany operation.



Take On Me
Basketball soundtrack (1998, Mojo/Jive)


This is probably my favorite example of the powerful front the RBF horns brought to the party (two trumpets and two trombones (NO SAXOPHONES), I don't know if that's how it is now), although the brass musician part of me is pretty cynical about how good the studio is making them sound. They take ska/punk seriously, with great attention to detail in recasting one of the 80s' greatest songs.

heavy rotation: a big month for A bands/artists

I'm not sure if you've noticed, but January has been a big month for bands and artists starting with the letter A. My heavy rotation for this month has been dominated by the First Letter of Vowelness, with an easy-to-guess, prestigious act at the very top...



Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion
FIVE BREADSTICKS (and sommathat marinara sauce, B)

Indie's consummate example of accessible weirdness has produced a tight record that is astoundingly affecting. The internets are already abuzz with this "audience friendly" release, but I find more merit in the evolution of AC's sound from scrappy campfire obscurity to a cohesive sound that is still worthy of the word "collective". Perhaps most hope that MPP will introduce the more eclectic pop music fans to AC, but beware that "audience friendly" and "tight band sound" are often the precursor full-blown media attention and a fast track to arena-rock stardom. Luckily, those who know enough about the work that AC do can rest assured that it's probably not in the cards.

What I'm enjoying most about this record is how the vocals have been neatly framed by the overall texture Animal Collective has pursued, even hinted at throughout 2007's Strawberry Jam. Listening to the new record back-to-back with their recent live shows in New York (find them at archive.org FREE!) reveals few differences in the amped-up swell of their current pursuit of sound. The days of hissy-tape loop percussion might be over, but rather than trading in their roots for fresh digs, Merriweather Post Pavilion presents moments of clarity where the vocals of Panda Bear and Avey Tare gloriously intertwine above magical soundscapes.

Plus, that album art is bananas.

"My Girls", second track from Merriweather Post Pavilion:




A. C. Newman - Get Guilty
THREE AND A HALF BREADSTICKS

I think what I liked about this record is just how stripped down it sounds - compared to what else is out there, it's always nice to hear some keen songwriting showcased by a band that seems down to earth. I'm sure it only seems that way, but I'll take it. The video below showcases them as a sort of less frantic Arcade Fire. I guess. I'm only good at describing bands by comparing them to other ones.

"Like a Hitman, Like a Dancer", third track from Get Guilty:




Antony and the Johnsons - The Crying Light
FOUR BREADSTICKS

It can be hard to work through music on this level of sensitive intensity, and yet each time I approach Antony's work I barely even notice my guard coming down. Whether as the mouthpiece of DFA-dance giant Hercules and Love Affair or the spell caster at the front of the Johnsons, everything Antony touches seems instantly unforgettable or perhaps dismissed as fluffy trash. You be the judge, I guess.
Antony and the Johnsons on Myspace.

Everyone's Doing The Fish...Yeah, Yeah, Yeah

So last Friday, 1/23, was the return of Reel Big Fish at Toad's Place here in good 'ol New Haven. Now most who know me, know i was deeply involved in the Ska Revolution of the late 90's and even played in a band in the ill-fated 4th wave revival of the early O's, which was really just a revival of 3rd wave ska so really it was more like 3rd wave take two, or even 3.5rd wave. Either way aside from a collection of bands you can literally count on 3 fingers I really haven't been keeping up with bands that have managed to stay above water for the last decade. When I left the scene it seemed if you didn't incorporate hardcore punk into your music consistantly you would never find your voice in the scene. I watched in 2005 as band after band flopped and or did not reach the bar set by other bands.
Personally I am very proud being from CT when it comes to Ska. We had some of the best bands in our tri state area: Edna's Goldfish, Step Lively, J.C. Superska, Professor Plum, Kicked in the Head and of course Spring Heeled Jack. The West Coast may have had the pop hits, but the East Coast had the spirit and raw power of Ska. Unfortunetly the cancer called hardcore infected so many bands, including mine. Hardcore is a fine edge sword, two little and you sound scared to rock out on the occasional break down two much and you sound God fucking awful like a particular band I was lucky enough to quit before the power of the Dark Side fully engulfed.
So starting in college RBF always made an early spring or mid winter appearence at Toad's and my friend Steph and I always went. As the years went on we noticed that RBF's albums were getting progressively less acceptable and the audience was getting younger which any concert goer feels when they go to see the band they grew up with and see fans who were born after the band's first album was released (in 1996).
This year after some time apart Steph and I along with a motley crew of vetern scensters went to check the show out. One of the opening bands was Streetlight Manifesto, one of the 3 bands I listen to. This band has been able to keep a modern take of the 3rd wave sound and make it sound fresh. When you listen to this band you know you're listening to a band of today but but hear where these guys came from. The lead singer whose name escapes me, was the original voice of Catch-22 (another band that should be put down) and his writing style of loading that hand gun for the last show down you know you're going to lose is still strong as ever. He's backed by a 4 piece horn section that sounds like a force to be reckon with. As a trumpet player I awe at their tight and intricate horn lines in the songs. Sometimes it seems like the horns are the focus of the band. I strongly suggest getting their newest album: Somewhere In The Between. One of my top albums of 2007.
The Fish took the stage and I wasn't sure what to expect. It was either going to be a 2 hour set of new junk or a night filled with old material. What I got was a perfect mix of old classics, not too shabby new tunes and plenty of cheap PBR. I heard almost every tune I wanted to hear, from the emo lovers in all of us, "Dateless Losers" to the "Fuck You" spirit of "Sell Out". When the cried shouted for Beer, the song, the band proudly responded with "Shut the Fuck up we're getting to it" and then proceeding to play a different song before playing Beer in that RBF charming style we all love.
The show stopper of the night, and I can barely figure how I'm going to write this was the biggest surprise. In the middle of the show RBF broke out with the tune Veronica Sawyer, a tune from Edna's Goldfish second album. I immediately started freaking out and punching my brother next to me in the arm. Now I don't know if RBF incorporated this song into their book and new idiot fans think its their song or if it was a homage to the east coast or just to old school ska but it was an incredible moment. The crowd was shouting the words back to the band including yours truly. Quite a moment for a genre barely hanging on to its classic roots.
For every new tune they played it seemed like they backed it was a RBF classic and once a band gets to a certain it has to understand that the crowd wants to hear those songs you're sick of playing. They need to remember that is why we loved you guys in the first place, embrace your sound and for RBF be proud you lasted as long as you have not too many bands can say that, you might be the only one who can.
This show was already one of my 2009 highlights and I am sure I will be reposted this post come year end time. This band has never lost its fuck you mentality that so many kids related to ten years ago and today. And as they say " You know its really great, to punch somebody right in the face."
Thank you Reel Big Fish, you have redeemed yourselves to me. I hope that we continue to make beautiful music together

and thank you for not moshing.....