Category Archives: Listening Post

It was a short month, but lot’s of great music.

I’m still buying cds and downloading albums, but Sandra predicted long ago that “hardcopy” music would go the way of the dinosaur. I’ve always been skeptical about that but this month I added a Sonos digital music system to house and it came with a free trial of the new Napster, which is basically a music rental service. I’ve been listening to tunes via Napster a lot. It’s not perfect, but for $10 a month you can listen to millions of tracks and I can envision the end times of the cd quite clearly.

In the meantime I’m still buying, downloading, and burning cds…including these this in February:

Marah, Angels of Destruction—Saviors of rock and roll?

Drive-By Truckers, Brighter Than Creation’s Dark—Southern gothic rock n’ roll masterpiece? Nah. But a pretty darn good album. Minus Jason Isbell, Shonna Tucker’s tunes are a highlight.

Robert Pollard/Guided By Voices, Crickets—Best of Robert Pollard’s Fading Captain Series. very cool.

Various Artists, Cult Cargo: Belize City Boil Up—Funky soul and reggae music of Belize

Various Artists, Eccentric Soul: The Big Mack Label—Obscure Detroit soul

Warren Zevon, Excitable Boy—Spectacular remastering of EB in all of its horror, blood, guts, guns and that other good stuff Zevon always wrote and sung about.

Chris Walla, Field Manual—Solid solo release from front man of Death Cab for Cutie…this one seems to get a played a lot.

Guided By Voices, Hold on Hope [EP}—Can’t have to much GBV.

Johnny Winter, I’m A Bluesman—One of four albums sent my way by Perry this month—Johnny’s playing acoustic six-string slide on some deep blues.

Black Mountain, Into The Future—Prog Rock from the most public face of the East Vancouver-based collective of “likeminded musicians with amps set to nerve-stun levels and guitars possessed by wailing blues ghouls – have been busy since the release of their self-titled debut in 2005.”

Lenny Kravitz, It’s TIme for a Love Revolution. Nothing surprising here, just good ole retro funk rock.

Nick Lowe, Jesus of Cool—Great reissue with lots of bonus tracks, including the original version of “Cruel to be Kind” in one of the most fun cd packages I’ve seen in a while.

Robert Pollard, Kid Marine—The first release (from 1999) of the Fading Captain Series

Nada Surf, Lucky—some good tracks here, especially “Whose Authority”

Vic Chestnutt, North Star Deserter—stripped “down and leaving Chesnutt’s shrewd, witty lyrics and fragile, plainspoken voice center stage…”

David Gillespie, Out in the Real World—Somewhere between David Gray and Dave Matthews

Jackie Greene, Rusty Nails—Rootsy blues from Northern California singer/songwriter

Jackie Greene, Sweet Somewhere Bound

Tony Joe White, The Heroines—TJ with Shelby Lynne, Lucinda Williams, Jessi Colter, Emmylou Harris…

Tony Joe White, The Train I’m On—A platter of swamp rock from 1972

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Neil Young, Chrome Dreams II—Neil’s sequel to an album that doesn’t exits. Thanks Perry.

The Budos Band, The Budos Band II—FUNKY, FUNKY, FUNKY. Old school funk and R&B from Staten Island crew in the Dap-King circle.

Easy Star All-Stars, Radiodread—Had my doubts about this reggae cover of Radiohead’s OK Computer, but the guys at High Life Records on Commercial Drive said it was stupendous, and it is.

Easy Star All Stars, Dub Side of the Moon—Even better than the Radiohead cover!

Mulatu Astatke Ethiopiques, Vol. 4: Ethio Jazz & Musique Instrumentale, 1969-1974—”…the 14 instrumentals here were originally issued on two LPs in 1972 and 1974 in Ethiopia, and represent a curious blend of soul-jazz and R&B with just a smattering of Ethiopian roots breaking up the stabbing horn lines, wah-wah guitars, and simmering electric piano. ” Fantastic!

Ronnie Earl & the Broadcasters, Hope Radio—Great “live in the studio” album but highly underrated blues guitarist out of Boston.

Aesop Rock, None Shall Pass—This was on lots of best of 2007 lists so I said what the hey, I’ll check it out. AP strings together some amazing stream of consciousness rhymes, but this supposedly “accessible” album didn’t really grab this 50 something white guy, maybe not too surprising.

Eagles, Long Road Out Of Eden—Perry sent me this one (and the Robben Ford cd below) and while I was skeptical it’s not bad.

Robben Ford, Truth—Guitar god’s first album in four years is pleasing blend of jazz and smooth blues even a little rock on the opening track. But, hit the old skip button when his tribute to BB King starts up.

Mavis Staples, We’ll Never Turn Back—Songs of the civil rights struggles of the 1950s and 1960s produced by Ry Cooder.

Ani DiFranco, Imperfectly—Early album from The “Righteous Babe”.

Johnnie Taylor Live at the Summit—This is an amazing document. Because of time overruns Johnnie got bumped from the line up at the main event of the legendary 1973 Wattstax music festival—Black America’s answer to Woodstock. Recorded for inclusion in Mel Stuart’s film Wattstax (one song made the cut), “the performance by Taylor is electrifying. He’s in a club in front of the City of Angels regulars who, according to the notes, were “fur-lined players and ice cold hustlers.” Given the film stills in the booklet, this observation proves to be true. Taylor is far from intimidated, however; he simply delivers an authoritative, strutting, burning performance that engages the audience at street level.”

Warren Zevon Stand in the Fire—Masterpiece live album from 1981. This reissue has four previously unreleased cuts including “Johnny Strikes Up The Band,” “Frank And Jesse James,” and “Hasten Down The Wind.”

Ike Turner & The Rhythm Kings A Black Man’s Soul—First released in 1969, this album shows how Ike crossed R&B with funk, rock and gospel to show off the wide spectrum of black music. The opening track, “Thinking Black” was nominated for “Best R&B Instrumental” Grammy in 1969; that same year Tina was nominated for “Best Female R&B Singer” Grammy.

Tony Joe White Beginnings—Just Tony Joe, his acoustic guitar and some great songs.

Dinosaur Jr Beyond—I was inspired to buy J Mascis comeback after reading John Sellers’ memoir Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life (which was named after Built to Spill‘s third album, but has more about Guided By Voices than any other band…And Sellers actually got to drink with Pollard at Monument Club! All of which has little to do with this new Dinosuar Jr album, but…

Beruit Gulag Orkestar—Largely the work of one 19-year old Albuquerquean named Zach Condon, this album basically sounds like a Balkan gypsy orchestra playing modern songs, despite this it sounds pretty good.

Robert Pollard’s Superman Was A Rocker is a return to old ways. This mini-album (13 songs, 30 minutes) finds Pollard using recording methods he hasn’t engaged in since his time in Guided By Voices. Pollard recently poured through a bunch of old cassette tapes and found some great, never-used instrumentals that he either wrote or co-wrote, and and he decided to go into the studio and put vocals (and melodies!) over them, just like he used to back in the old Guided By Voices days. The music spans a 20+ year period, so in essence, this is an album 20 years in the making.

PS—I highly recommend Black Mountain’s new one, “In the Future” more next month…

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Watch the film Bloodhag: The Faster You Go Deaf, The More Time You Have to Read at Wholphin (DVD Magazine of Rare and Unseen Short Films).

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Even though I did post a best of 2007 entry a couple of weeks (BTW I think I’ve already changed my mind on many picks as I am just now catching up on my late 2007 CDs/MP3s), thought I’d fill you in on what I was buying and listening to the final quarter of the 2007.

In October and November I took my GbV/Robert Pollard obsession to the next level and started filling in the gaps of my collection. Pollard is so prolific if I’ve become a completist my financial health is in jeopardy, maybe it already is! Here goes:

October 2007
Robert Pollard, Not in My Airforce
A minor classic from 1996

Robert Pollard, Silverfish Trivia
First of three solo albums Bob released in 2007, short and sweet. I like this one.

Robert Pollard, Coast to Coast Carpet of Love
One of two albums Bob released on the same day in October, this is solid power-pop Bob.

Robert Pollard, Standard Gargoyle Decisions
Glam-rock Bob

Robert Pollard With Doug Gillard, Speak Kindly of Your Volunteer Fire Department
“Pop Zeus” and “Slick as Snails” are classics

Guided by Voices, Under the Bushes Under the Stars
From 1996: hooks, hooks, and more hooks as usual. “Cut-out Witch”!

Mexican Institute of Sound, Pinata
Trippy Mexican electronica

Mem Shannon, Live: A Night at Tipitina’s
Solid blues from former New Orleans cabbie

Radiohead, In Rainbows
Best $2 I ever spent, super album

Bruce Springsteen, Magic
Doesn’t work it’s magic for me, but it grows on you.

November 2007
Dwight Yoakam, Dwight Sings Buck
Dwight finally does the album of covers everybody’s been waiting for and does his hero proud, makes my heart skip a beat!

Derailers, Under the Influence of Buck
Can’t get too much Buck!

Guided by Voices, Get Out of My Stations
Originally released in 1993, this edition, from 2003, includes live versions of ‘Motor Away’, ‘Hot Freaks’, ‘Weed King’, ‘Postal Blowfish’ all from the early 1990s

Guided by Voices, Isolation Drills
Brilliant! Chasing Heather Crazy’, ‘Glad Girls’, ‘Skills Like This’ (featuring Elliot Smith) and ‘The Brides Have Hit Glass’

Guided by Voices & Airport Five, Selective Service
Side project between Robert Pollard (GBV) and his long time friend Tobin Sprout (ex-GBV) from 2001

Guided by Voices, Vampire on Titus
1997 release: “Melodies materialize out of ominous white noise, shamble about for a few seconds, then dissipate again”

December 2007
Band of Horses, Cease to Begin
“There’s a ghost in my house!” And I’m pretty darn sure it’s My Morning Jacket!

Carolina Chocolate Drops, Dona Got a Ramblin Mind
A group of youngsters resurrect the old timey African American string band tradition.

The Avett Brothers, Emotionalism
“Echoes of influence from the Band, the Burritos, the Everlys, and beyond, but the music of this North Carolina family band refuses to be pigeonholed”

Andrew Bird, Armchair Apocrypha
Unconventional (violin and whistling) Bird’s 10th album, pretty much covers a waterfront of genres–“across the great chasms and schisms and the sudden aneurysms”

The National, Boxer
Iron & Wine, The Shepherd’s Dog
Paste Magazine says it’s the best album of 2007. Don’t know about that, but it’s mighty forelorn and a good ‘un.

The Takeovers, Bad Football
No it’s not an album about Ohio State’s play in the BCS championship game, but it is an album by Buckeye fan Robert Pollard and Chris Slusarenk. So let’s see, Pollard released at least 4 albums this year (I’m sure I’ve probably missed a few). “Calling on likeminded bedfellows like Stephen Malkmus (Pavement), Tad Doyle (Tad), John Moen (The Decemberists) and Dan Peters (Mudhoney) to help follow their tuneful and psychedelic hearts,” The Takeovers don’t disappoint.

Blktop Project, Blktop Project
The musical experiment known as Blktop Project first came about when skateboard magazine Slap organized a tour in the summer of 2002 for Ray Barbee, Tommy Guerrero and Matt Rodriguez–three accomplished skateboarders ever who also happen to love making music.

Bettye LaVette, Scene of the Crime
Northern soul queen goes south to record at Muscle Shoals’ Fame Studio with Drive-By Truckers. Maybe the best album of the year. Deep soul!

Steve Earle, Washington Square Serenade
Home in NYC with his partner Allison Moorer, Earle writes of all things NY, but his personal contentment doesn’t dampen his rage against the system.

Various Artists, Stockings By the Fire
Pleasant xmas tunes from Starbucks.

Led Zeppelin, Mothership – The Very Best Of
Okay, I know…

Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, 100 Days, 100 Nights
Retro-soul/funk from Staten Island. Great!

Caribou, Andorra
“Caribou is one Don Snaith, formerly known as Manitoba (he switched names after threat of lawsuit by ex-pro wrestler Richard “Handsome Dick” Manitoba. No joke).…an exhausting slab of avant-pop. ’60s grab-bag comparisons here are inevitable.”

Amy Winehouse, Back to Black
No she’s not going to rehab. Lot’s of great soul music this year and this is one of the best, from the neo-soul queen of the gossip columns.

Spoon, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga
Stupid title, but the Beatlesque power-pop is on the mark.

The Weakerthans Reunion Tour
Manitoba quartet records best tunes ever about curling (and best song ever about Gump Worsley). I’ve been playing this one a bunch.

Shawn Lee, Ping Pong Orchestra, Very Ping Pong Christmas: Funky Treats From Santa’s Bag
Electronic funk for the holidays.

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Raising Sand
Unlikely pair produce beautiful album.

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I was worshiping at the altar of Robert Pollard/Guided by Voices for most of the year—even reading books about the GbV album “Bee Thousand” and the heavily GbV influenced, indie rock memoir, Perfect From Now On: How Indie Rock Saved My Life (by John Sellers)—but I did manage to work in other listening this year. So hear goes my Top Ten Favorite albums of the year (in no particular order)

Neon Bible, Arcade Fire
My Name is Buddy, Ry Cooder
Traffic and Weather, Fountains of Wayne
Live from Austin, TX, Guided by Voices
Kala, M.I.A.
Sweet Warrior, Richard Thompson
Icky Thump, The White Stripes
At My Age, Nick Lowe
Era Vulgaris, Queens of the Stone Age
Dislocation Blues, Chris Whitley and Jeff Lang

My Top Ten list would not be complete without more that ten, so on a different day my list might include:

The Story, Brandi Carlile
Scene of the Crime, Bettye Lavette (with The Drive-By Truckers)
Reunion Tour, The Weakerthans
Back to Black, Amy Winehouse
100 Days, 100 Nights, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings
Raising Sand, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Dwight Sings Buck, Dwight Yoakam
Pinata, Mexican Institute of Sound
Time on Earth, Crowded House
In Rainbows, Radiohead

Lastly here’s the track listing on my “Wayne’s Favs 2007” complication cd. (Ironically, not all of the 20 albums in my Top 10 list are represented, this is fault of the outdated cd technology that would only let me squeeze in 80 or so minutes of music and the fact that my comp cd has favorite individual tracks from album that didn’t make the harsh standards that I apply in choosing my favorite 20 albums in my Top 10 list.):

“Failsafe” The New Pornographers
“Needle And Thread” Richard Thompson
“Turnin’ On The Screw” Queens Of The Stone Age
“Paper Planes” M.I.A.
“Black Mirror” The Arcade Fire
“All I Need” Radiohead
“Unforgiven” John Doe
“Two Hearts” Ryan Adams
“Late Morning Lullaby” Brandi Carlile
“A Better Man” Nick Lowe
“Silent House” Crowded House
“When I Paint My Masterpiece” Chris Whitley & Jeff Lang
“Push Comes to Shove” John Hammond
“Red Cat Till I Die” Ry Cooder
“Rag & Bone” The White Stripes
“Still Want To Be Your Baby (Take Me Like I Am)”Bettye Lavette & Drive-By Truckers
“Guitar” Prince
“Strapped for Cash” Fountains Of Wayne
“Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson” Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
“Tournament of Hearts” The Weakerthans
“Gold Star For Robot Boy” Guided By Voices

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Dwight Yoakam‘s new album of Buck Owens’ covers is out tomorrow…can’t wait!

Buck and the Buckeroos:

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Got to catch up with my listening posts. Here’s what I’ve been purchasing and listening to the past few months.

JULY
America, Here & Now—Yes, I know. I won’t tell you who sent this to me (but he lives on the “Edge of the Continent,” uses Pando all the time, and is a well-known social studies educator whose initials are “PMM”), but I didn’t buy it! (Although I must admit I have more than a few of their LPs from the 1970s.) Actually, their covers of My Morning Jacket (“Golden”) and Nada Surf (“Always Love”) are very good. Produced by Fountains of Wayne’s Adam Schlesinger and Smashing Pumpkin’s James Iha.

Culture, Two Sevens Clash: 30th Anniversary Edition

John DoeA Year in the Wilderness—New from form X frontman

John Doe, Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet—A classic from a few years ago.

Gogol Bordello, Super Taranta—Crazy, fun, “Gypsy punk”

Buddy Guy, Live at the Checkerboard Lounge
—The Legendary Buddy Guy, live and lo-fi in 1979

Nick Lowe, At My Age—Old guy makes rock music his way.

The Pierces, Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge—Weird, thanks Perry.

Chris Smither, Leave the Light On—Underrated folk/bluesman gets political with “Diplomacy”

AUGUST
Crowded House, Time on Earth, new album from reunited “Downunder Beatles”

Guided By Voices, Alien Lanes—Classic GBV

Mexican Institute of Sound, Méjico Máxico—Cool electronica from south of the border

New Pornographers, Challengers—Local kids make great indie power pop.

Kenny Wayne Shepard, 10 Days Out-Blues from the Backroads—Some solid blues collaborations with KWS blues-rock guitar playing a central role.

M. Ward, Duet for Guitars 2—Reissue of debut album from old-timey yet modern guitarist from Pacific Northwest.

SEPTEMBER
Animal Collective, Strawberry Jam, The buzz band from Baltimore.

Corey Harris, Zion Crossroads—MacArthur “Genius grant” bluesman does a reggae turn

Thurston Moore, Trees Outside the Academy—Sublime solo project from Sonic Youth frontman.

Dwight Twilley Band, Sincerely/Twilley Don’t Mind—Two-for-one reissues of 70s/80s Tulsa power pop…”I’m On Fire”!

Prince, Planet Earth—Some solid funk/rock from The Diminutive One.

Billy Joe Shaver, Storyteller: Live at the Bluebird—Outlaw country legend.

Neil Young, Live at Massey Hall —Required purchase for all residents of Canada.

OCTOBER

Mem Shannon, Live: A Night at Tipitina’s—Funky New Orleans bluesman doin’ his thang at home.

Woody Guthrie, The Livewire: Woody Guthrie in Performance 1949—The only known—and just recently found—live performance recording of Guthrie.

Mexican Institute of Sound, Pinata “One-man programming band Camilo Lara stuffs the disc with quirky samples and buoyant choruses that are decidedly Mexican but could reflect life from any corner of the globe.”

Bruce Springsteen, Magic—Well, I can’t help myself. Not magical, but a solid, enjoyable record by a guy who’s not let himself become a oldies act.

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