The Best of 2009 - 10 Albums

Well, sorry for the hiatus. This and that, you know. Anyway, I'm not drinking again for the month of January, so I'll be posting more than you could possibly want. To begin, after your 2009 list fatigue has hopefully ended, here's the first of mine. These are the top 10 albums, in my opinion, that were released this calendar year. I don't claim that they are the universal best. These are my favorite. They tend to err on the side of solid, well thought out pop-rock, and I'm not apologizing for that. Enjoy

[click to download a .zip file of each album]

10) Jarvis Cocker - Further Complications
Incredibly dense and witty lyrics with a great britpop sound. Jarvis has quickly become one of my favorite lyricists. The mostly-instrumental "Homewrecker!" sounds like a drunken spy theme, the title track is a catchy gem, and "I Never Said I Was Deep" has my favorite lyrics of the year; he's like a younger, thinner, skeevier, and British Randy Newman.

9) Wilco - Wilco
Wilco gives me a lot of trouble. On one hand, I love some of their songs. On the other hand, I get so bored some of their songs. This album brings me a few I love ("Sunny Feeling," "You And I" with Feist," "You Never Know") and some I would toss aside ("I'll Fight," "One Wing") But, its strong enough to hold up as an album that works front to back. And on top of it all, it has the trifecta, something that to my knowledge only Bad Company has also accomplished: a band with an album and a song on that album all with the same name. For that alone, it's worth a listen.

8) Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix
Any album that starts off with such a hit as "Lisztomania" deserves to be considered very high on a best-of list. Even though these guys are smelly Frenchmen, and I'm not particularly into their earlier stuff, I cannot deny how kickass this LP is. It's pop perfection. Throw in "Rome" for some ambient melody, "1901" for some pulse pop, and "Armistice" for some rock, and you've got a solid tracklist that will stand a long test of time.

7) fun. - Aim and Ignite
fun. is a group of veteran musicians in a new outfit, really stretching the limits of pop-rock. There's everything in here. Narrative melodies that sound like they're out of RENT ("Be Calm"), spastic orchestral arrangements that Jeff Lynne would salivate over ("All The Pretty Girls"); and Queen-esque epics ("Benson Hedges"). "Barlights" is a great NYC-tribute song that's great to listen to while walking through the city, and "The Gambler" is an acoustic, heartfelt ballad. Every song is a new feeling and sound, but it's all incredible cohesive. I hope to hear more from these guys soon.

6) Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johanssen - Break Up
This album was recorded in 2007, but not released until this year. Why? No idea, but I think it was a good move. Scarlett's distracting fame-quotient cooled down a bit, so you're able to enjoy her voice more here (it's very throwback, alá Zooey) without the baggage. But honestly, this album is an example of Pete's amazing songwriting ability (he also put out another album this year, Back & Forth, which wasn't as solid overall, but had some great tracks). We've got the summer-sounding pop triumph of "Relator," the classic emotive Yorn-ballad "Someday," and the funky country-rock of "I Don't Know What Do." What does Scarlett bring to the table? Well, most Yorn albums are depressing in tone, but this one, even with it's emotional lows, feels optimistic the whole way through. It might be Pete's happiest album yet, despite it's title.

5) M. Ward - Hold Time
And we're in the top 5. M. Ward makes the list twice, but this time it's for his amazing solo album. It's not incredibly diverse in sound; full of reverb, acoustic guitars and driving snare drums, but M has a way with mood music. The instrumentation perfectly accompanies the lyrics. From the She & Him outtake of "Never Had Nobody Like You," to the Buddy Holly cover "Rave On," to the unplugged shuffle of the Wes Andersen ready "Shangri-La," it's tight the whole way through. My personal favorite is "Epistemology," a catchy alt-pop single, if not for the opening lyric alone: "I was raised in a Catholic School/learned who to fight with and to pray to." Yeah.


4) Julian Casablancas - Phrazes for the Young
In what seemed to be a lacking 12 months for music (at least in my eyes, but 2008 was so damn good it was hard to follow), Mr. Strokes arrived in November with this record to save the year. It really is worth the hype. A quick 8 tracks that are as good, if not better than the last full Strokes record. For a purist like myself, I'm always hesitant when a rocker adds so much synth, but he fleshes out all the electronic noises so they sound like distinct instruments, not just background coverup noise. The album opens with "Out of the Blue" which is furious and fun. "4 Chords of the Apocalypse" is maybe the best song title I've ever heard (and the music matches). "11th Dimension" is the single, and it's a perfect pop song. My favorite is "Ludlow St.," a drunken ode to NYC, with the best lyric of the year, and the theme of my unfortunate sober January: "Everything seems to go wrong when I stop drinking."

3) Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk
I had to warm up to this record. When some of your favorite musicians go all "Traveling Wilburys" on you, expectations soar. And when they don't hit that mark exactly as you had imagined, you can go cold quickly. Jim James, M. Ward, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis had been hyping this projects for years, and I got too excited about it. So when it came out and proved to be a thoughtful, roots-rock LP, and not a mind bending, pop-soaked greatest hits album, I was thrown off. But after proper vetting, I realized what an awesome record I had on my hands. It's simultaneously familiar sounding and off the wall: "Dear God" is gospel mixed with 90's R&B, "Say Please" is classic rock mixed with alt-country; "Losin Yo Head" is punk mixed with britpop. There's slow folksy wannabe cowboy-ballads ("Man Named Truth") and uptempo and silly melodies somehow fleshed out into full songs ("Goodway"). And there's the epic closer "His Master's Voice," my personal favorite. But through all the genre-bending, the distinctive sounds of Jim, Matt, Conor and Mike shine through both individually, and in how well they know each other and work together. And that's how a supergroup should be.

2) Deer Tick - Born on Flag Day
Me and Brian Williams love these guys. For some people, they're hit or miss. But BriWi and I know what's up. There's a distinctive sound to Deer Tick, that mostly comes from the lead singer John's gravely growl. I like to call it hungover folk; quick, loud, rough with a tinge of anger and pain. Fingerpicking guitars and strong basslines dominate the tracks, from the appropriate opening song "Easy," to the slower "Hell on Earth." Some sound like 50's prom music ("Stung," "Smith Hill"), others like country-fried breakup songs ("Little White Lies," "Ghost"). And then there's the most fun song they have, "Straight Into A Storm" which is a Chuck Berry rocker with some impressive throwback guitar rock. These guys should have a bright future in the indie scene.

1) Brendan Benson - My Old, Familiar Friend
I'm throwing you a curveball, I know. You probably didn't hear about this album. Just trust me on this one. Brendan, as I've said before, is the other guy in The Raconteurs; the one who's not Jack White. But I promise you, once you listen to this record, you'll realize how much influence he has on Jack and on that band. Brendan is a pop craftsman in the tradition of Paul McCartney, Pete Townsend, Tom Petty, Billy Joel, and even Ryan Adams. Every song grabs from from the beginning, and you're aching to hear the chorus. The verses remain interesting and not too long. The middle eight, or the bridge, is the perfect buildup to the climax. And there are layers to every song. The first time, you listen for the hook. Then the lyrics. Then the instrumentation. Then you go back and head something you missed. And so on. This album is what I love about pop music, and very well defines my ideal style. Listen to every track, I'm not going to name the good ones; they're all so fucking great. That's why I listened to this record more than any other his past year, and recommend it to you as the best album of 2009.

Playlist: Pop Rock Pitch Meeting

Sorry for the hiatus; I've been trying to actually make some kind of career out of writing, so it's been hard to blog when my typing fingers are bleeding from banging out unfunny dialog all night. But I'm back, no more excuses, with free music.

My roommate and I play a game where we pitch new movies using ridiculous parings, i.e. "Its like Jaws meets Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants" or "Think Pirates of the Caribbean with a touch of Love Actually." Maybe you have to be there. Regardless, for this crop of pop I have for you, I'm going to try this style as well. Bear with me, it'll work. Enjoy!

The Features - Lions
Pitch: Kings of Leon meet The Kinks
Slightly more sinister, yet at the same time brighter, than KOL. The choral chant on this song will stick in your head for days. iPod commercial fodder for sure, despite the introspective and dark verses. I'm told this is the current Nashville sound.

fun. - All the Pretty Girls
Pitch: ELO meets musical theater
I know it sounds a little gay, but I don't mean it as in cliché "musicals." It's full of spastic instrumentation and narratives, almost operatic breakdowns, with that Jeff Lynne Beatle-y brightness and catchiness. A second single, "Benson Hedges," may give you more of an idea. My favorite new band, including the guy from The Format.

Flying Machines - On A Whim
Pitch: ELO meets Queen
Yes, more Jeff Lynne. It's amazingly catchy and spastic, like Fun., but less horns and strings and more guitars and bass. It's got the rock side of Queen and he has a bit of Freddie Mercury in his voice.
disclaimer: DSST brings to my attention that they are one of the bands with an NBCU "residency." i had no prior knowledge to this before rocking out to them.

Yeasayer - Ambling Alp
Pitch: Cure meets MGMT
Hipster pop with an 80's sonic structure and a very vulnerable and honest vocal melody. Party in Brooklyn.

The Postelles - 123 Stop
Pitch: Elvis Costello meets The Strokes
Young NYC guys, who have Albert from the Strokes producing them, churn our peppy, unapologetic pop. This song is specifically Elvis Costello vocally and with its staccato guitar and bass.

Mason Jennings - Ain't No Friend Of Mine
Pitch: The Black Keys meet Beck
This song is as straightforward as the pitch; dirty simple blues with syncopated vocals. Throughly bad-ass, especially for the arpeggio breakdown.

Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson - Buriedfed
Pitch: Bon Iver meets Conor Oberst
Not quote country-fried, but definitely cold-weather sounding. It's got a rambling and depressing story, with a slow buildup into a full on barn-burner. By the end, you're caught up in some fast and drunk party around a bonfire in the woods.

The Explorers Club - Don't Forget the Sun
Pitch: The Beach Boys meet, well, the Beach Boys
There's nothing but adoration for Brian Wilson here. No other influence but Surfs Up and Endless Summer here. But, they do a great job at it, even miming Mike Love's lead vocals. All original songs, but they sound like covers. Which is a good thing. More proof in another single "Forever."

Song of the Day 10/20/09

Sloan - Take It Upon Yourself

I like this song. It's a light, lo-fi pop song by Sloan, the Canadian Oasis. Seriously, they're huge up North. Even bigger than Barenaked Ladies. Which, as we all well know, is a huge deal. I really liked their 2006 single "Who Taught You To Live Like That?" and the album it comes from Never Hear The End of It was very ELO-esque. But this song is nothing like that; it's like a throwback to the 90's when they were throwingback to the 60's. Woh.

Playlist: The Music of Fall

Football is dominating my weekends; I start to sweat less waiting for the subway; my favorite dive bars and restaurants are busier with NYU undergrads; new TV shows capture my nights; and I begin to terribly underpack when I go out to CT or up to Boston. It's that time of year. And with it, a few songs that just feel like Fall. Some sound like tailgating with a cold beer in iced-through hands, others remind me of that punch-to-the-gut dread when you know you forgot to do your homework. Still others convey the reds, browns and oranges of this time of year. But mostly, they are just songs that I first got into, or first meant something to me, around this time of year in my past. Will they mean the same to you? Maybe not, but each does have a undeniably "Autumn" tone. Enjoy.

Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain
For me, this is the single most exemplary Fall song. Obvious rain comparisons aside, it sounds of those autumn colors, it's at a tempo of calmness, and bleeds that self-reflection that comes from watching leaves fall and walking with your hands stuffed in your coat for the first time.

Steely Dan - My Old School
The title and lyrics of this one bring this one to the list. But the music, from the marching-band horns (especially with syncopation in the breakdown middle-eight and outro), to the crunchy guitar that sounds like it's being played by a guy wearing a turtleneck, and the simple piano driving some kind of narrative flashback, firmly plant it in September for me.

Ben Folds Five - Barrytown
BF5 are one of my favorite bands, and got me through a lot during college. I know this is a Steely Dan cover, and trust me, there are plenty of Ben's songs that could fit here, but "Barrytown" is a snapshot of the trio as they were breaking up, and being their last recording together, it sounds somber and very settled. It's sad, but confident. It's like watching nature slowly die off and hibernate for the impending winter.

Ryan Adams - Goodnight Rose
New York City Autumns are a whole different beast compared to those in New England, where I grew up and went to college. Here, it gets very blustery and cold almost overnight, and since you don't have the turning trees to show the transition, one can assume it's Winter before Fall even begins. But you have to enjoy Fall, let go of Summer, and prepare for the Winter. This song is off Ryan's 2007 album Easy Tiger and reminds me of that.

Bright Eyes - Four Winds
A roots-rock abstract-narrative full of fiddles, mandolins, organs, dobros, banjos, harmonicas, washboards and acoustic guitars. It sounds like a barn. A party in a barn. Catchy as hell, and fits a drive through the countryside when the leaves are at their peak.

Counting Crows - Rain King
Bringing it way back. This reminds me of high school. Actually, I'm pretty sure all Counting Crows songs remind me of the fall, or at most the winter. But this one feels like a Saturday afternoon when it's still warm enough to relax outside, but you're not sweating, and you're wearing you've got your brand new Football or Rugby sweatshirt on.

David Bowie - Ziggy Stardust
Another high school song, with no apparent correlation to Fall other than it's the song I always wanted to play in my band, and we usually started practicing again more once school started. Also, fall of sophomore year was when I set up my parents HiFi for the first time, and Changes was the album of choice.

Oasis - She's Electric
One last throwback to HS. What white teenage male from the suburbs didn't worship Oasis in the late 90's? Like the Counting Crows, I could have put any song by the Gallagher brothers on here. But "She's Electric," because of the Harrison-esque guitar playing, makes it on the list. Which is a perfect segue into...

George Harrison - Wah-Wah
I've always been a Paul fan, and have had undeniable John love too. But not until I was well into my 20's did I get deep into Paul or John's solo material. George, however, I knew right away. To the uninitiated, All Things Must Pass is George's first solo record, released less than a year after The Beatles broke up. It's an opus, chock full of amazing songs that he had been storing up for years; ones Lennon/McCartney wouldn't let him put on the albums. Why does it remind me of Fall? Mostly because of the album art. But because of that, the music followed suit.

Steve Earle - City Of Immigrants
Here's the one song on this list I will probably introduce you too. Steve's a country singer who's had his share of problems with the needle, the law, and women (married 7 times). You may know him as Waylon from The Wire. Here's a song about his adopted home of New York City, with a perfect world-music feel to fit his roots sensibility. I got into this song in the fall of '07 and didn't stop listening to it until the Giants won the Super Bowl...

KISS - Back In the New York Groove
...because then I had to listen to this song. This is the New York Football Giant's touchdown song. So if you're playing along at home, it's Autumn, so football, so the Giants, so KISS. I know, it all makes perfect sense.

Kings of Leon - Revelry
This is my personal favorite song by the Followills off Only By The Night. It's spacey in a late night, cold, Fall in the City kind of way. You know what I'm talking about: the night when you're walking home alone from the bar at 3AM, maybe not quite as drunk as your friends were, but content. You huddle into your coat collar, walk tight and a little quicker than usual, and smile devilishly knowing that despite everything else that may be tough, you're young and having the time of your life. Or something like that.

The Shitty Beatles? They suck.

So Julian Casablancas, the lanky misanthropic lead singer and songwriter for the Strokes is putting out a solo record, Phrazes for the Young on October 19th. The first single is "11th Dimension" and it rocks.

To me, it sounds like a remix of a song from the second half of The Strokes' First Impressions of Earth, as if someone stripped the vocals and layed under them some hipster techno. But hey, its kinda growing on me. We'll see how the rest of the album turns out in a few weeks.

(and as for the post title, it's obviously from Wayne's World, but The Strokes used to play secret NYC gigs as the Shitty Beatles once they became popular. Also, countdown to the arrival of the Mono Box Set has begun, so I'm keeping it all tied together. SYNERGY!)

Tomorrow Never Knows: How I Won The Beatles

So over at Flavorwire (which is an awesome blog, pop-culture/design stories, check it out), they held a contest. Normally, I'm not one for online, comments based feats of strength, but they had me in the first line: Win The Beatles’ Limited-Edition Mono Box Set.

Officially hooked. The stereo box set is what I had my sights on, being cheaper and more of the familiar tunes I loved, but even then, and I'd probably have to not eat for a few days so I could afford it. But the mono? That retails at a whopping $270 bucks. And it doesn't include Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road or Let It Be. But I wanted it so badly. Mono is how those albums were recorded and meant to be heard. I want to go to there.

So the contest was "leave a comment explaining which Beatles song you’re most excited to hear in mono, and why." Here's the wordy, self-referential answer I submitted:

For a Beatles fanatic like me, there is really only one answer: Tomorrow Never Knows. Yes, I know; it's aural-apocalypse seems more fitting for the endless duality of stereo. But it was originally recorded in mono. It was originally mixed in mono. It was originally dreamt up, most likely in one of John Lennon's nightmares, to be heard in mono. And the fact that the song succeeds at being so sonically complex and full, while being in mono, is why I'm so excited to hear it in it's true form. It makes you feel like angels of death are swooping right next to your head, in mono. It jumps your heart to follow Ringo's chasing beat, in mono. And you fear what can only be assumed is the sound of the afterlife, in mono. Not a bad feat for a song with only one chord.

So I won. Got the email this morning. They're mailing it to me today. Is this real life? I can eat this week!

Playlist: September 2009

It's been so long since I've done a monthly playlist, I felt I owed it to you. So here's a fine selection of tunes to finish off your September. New and old, urban and rural, 'Mericans and Limeys, side projects and comebacks, solos and duets; it's a full spectrum of awesome. Enjoy.

Monsters of Folk - Losin' Yo Head
The indie rock supergroup released their first original album this week, and after a few run-through listens, here's the single that pops out at me. It's upbeat, full sounding, and raucous with a great melody. Jim James takes the lead vocals on this one while M.Ward, Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis back him up with a bar band sound.

Pearl Jam - Speed of Sound
No, E.V. & Co. did not cover a Coldplay song (thank god). They did however released a new album, Backspacer, this week as well. "The Fixer" is the typical rockin' single, but I think this is the best, and most surprising track. It's a down-tempo, anthematic, Nashville-style shuffle. Mature but not cheesy; this isn't like a latter-day Eagles track, it has a certain amount of gravitas.

Jay-Z - Empire State of Mind
As I said before, I am not a hip-hop fan. I don't try to be, and I certainly shy away from saying anything authoritative about it. But, this song fuckin' rules. Great hook. Here's the download after I YouTube teased you.

Artic Monkeys - Crying Lightning
I cannot say I love the newest album by these young Brits, Humbug, but I do quite fancy this song. The whole EP was produced by Josh Homme, Mr. Queens of the Stone Age himself. As a result, much of the Monkey's signature brit-pop sound is replaced with a laid-back stoner-rock vibe...only with English accents. Which is odd. But this is the best of the lot.

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson - I Don't Know What To Do
I've already given you the lead single off their Break Up record, "Relator," but I couldn't let you leave without hearing this great track. A dreamy roots rock duet with a set of realistic lyrics; one of those half break-up, half make-up songs.

The Replacements - Seen Your Video
While visiting DC, my cousin brought be into his world where they listen to the Replacements all weekend (it's pretty awesome). This timeless rocker is a response to the superficiality of MTV at the time (the mid to late 80's). An extended yet tight rock instrumental with a few shouted lyrics is unpalatable to a video crowd, but perfect on vinyl and for an army of indie-punks. The Hold Steady certainly took a big listen to these guys.

Swingin' Medallions - Double Shot of My Baby's Love
I heard this song on Hawaiian oldie's radio, but at first I thought it was some kind of 90's novelty song. It sounds decidedly Stax, but with background sounds of a frat party, and lyrics like "She loved me so long and she loved me so hard/I finally passed out in her front yard" it didn't sound like something that could have seriously come from the 60's. But there it is, a real R&B song, and I love it.

Talking Heads - Right Start
During a drunken night/early morning of friends surfing my iTunes and looking for something to dance to, my buddy exclaimed "Where the hell is all your Talking Heads?" And I had no good answer. Sure, I had Stop Making Sense, but I did not have anything further. So I dug deep into their discography the next day, finding a re-issue of Remain in Light. Not only did it have the usual track listing, but it featured a few studio outtakes, including this one of "Once In A Lifetime." It's an early jam establishing that thumping bass and sonic atmosphere, but with a funky guitar line replacing the lyrics. It's a badass groove in this incarnation.

Tabula Rasa

I finally kicked Blondie out, and helped her set up her own blog, so I could have mine back. Check it out: iamblondie.blogspot.com

As for me, I'm going to try to steer this space back to it's roots: my photography, recommended music, and strange tales of living in the City. So hopefully tomorrow I can get you some of all three.

Until then, enjoy this Song of the Day. It took me going to Hawaii and DC to get into a hometown anthem, but Jay-Z's new single "Empire State of Mind" is just fuckin' great. I missed NYC a whole helluva lot, and it's great to be back in the City with the Giants rolling and Fall just beginning to hit. I'm not a hip-hop guy at all (shocking, I know), but I can't argue against a pop gem because of genre:

Blondie Gets Her Own

This will be my last guest post on the MNLJ. I am embarking on my own blog, something I never thought I would enjoy until the MNLJ made me do this.

Highlights to come in order of appearance:

1. My Final Days Here

2. Month or two of severe seasonal depression when I leave this tropical paradise. Location: New Haven, CT

3. BC/Notre Dame Game in Chicago: Sequel to Lindsay & Conor’s wedding?? I sure hope so because we all had a feeling that that night was a good, good night.

4. Costa Rica: MNLJ & I are jet-set there in November for close friend Liza’s wedding

5. Becca & Steve’s First Hosting of a Family Thanksgiving in HOTlanta

LAST BUT NOT LEAST:

Gus: I am getting a puppy after Thanksgiving. He will be a pug and he will be awesome.



COMING SOON: http://iamblondie.blogspot.com/

Blonde and Dangerous

Day 5:
Without the MNLJ around, I haven’t been hitting the booze much (we drank for 16 days straight so this hiatus is welcomed with open arms) which means I am able to do things on Sunday morning that involve physical activity. Things I wouldn’t even fathom doing back East after say, a 7AM night at Mona’s like the MNLJ had on Saturday night…he was in bed after me WITH the 6 hour time change.

So this fine Sunday I decided it was time to run the Ke Ala Hele Makalae Path. It is 4.1 miles from end to end so 8.2 if you go there and back. The path wraps around the ‘Coconut Coast’ which comprises the Eastern shore of Kauai. I woke up to the roosters cooing at 6:20 AM, had a delightful bowl of yogurt with papaya & honey-roasted macadamia nuts, hopped in the ‘stang and hit the road. With Bob Marley resonating from my car’s dope sound system and my blonde pony blowing in the wind, I drove 20 miles to the head of the trail:

the beautiful beginning

A few noteworthy things happened during this epic undertaking:

1) I was off to a great start. This was by far the most beautiful and breathtaking run I had ever been on. Winding turns brought me around and through private beaches and I got a front row view of many ridiculous ocean-front mansions. I was thinking to myself, is this what running is like in Heaven? I felt like I was floating, light as a feather….until I realized that the floating feeling was more like light-headedness and that I no longer was in Heaven, I was overheating, much like you would do if you were running in Hell. Luckily I was hitting mile 4 which brought me back to my car where I dumped a Nalgene’s worth of H20 over my head,. I proceeded to drink another full Nalgene while contemplating quitting but put my best (left) foot forward and carried on for the 2nd half.

2) Along the way I passed signs like this:

watch out!

Lesson here: When rocks are falling, dance like Blondie:

you can also yell out a woo or two

3) I also saw things like this:

just your average hawaiian sitting in a tree, not an unusual sighting

4) And to top it off I saw this around mile 6:

You may be wondering why this is a noteworthy spotting…a trailer with the word Unlimited on the side?? Well the humor here is that this was my office for the past 5 weeks. It was towed from the St. Regis parking lot on Friday (an eye-sore such as this is no longer welcome on the property – hotshots from Starwood ordered it gone before the employees started). I have noticed that the Hawaiian culture is not one of urgency so my guess is that the tow driver decided to stop for a surf and never picked it back up. Classic.

5) I trekked on in the 88 degree blazing sun for the final 2 miles, passing many a bikers, joggers, and walkers, most of whom offered up an “aloha”. I leave you with a final victory fist pump back at the ‘stang. I lived to tell the story of the 8.2 mile journey along the Ke Ala Hele Makalae Path.

shortly before this picture was taken, a dread-locked hippie by the name of judah introduced himself to me and asked in a pot-induced haze if my car was fast. when I replied ‘yes’ he said “coooool, see you around” and kept on walking

Mahalo!

Guest Post: Blondie Tells Her Side

Blondie here, making my first guest appearance on the MNLJ show. It has been 4 days since the MNLJ left and besides crying myself to sleep every night, I have been quite busy. Since he did a fantastic job documenting our lovely 2 weeks in Paradise together, I will not bother recapping any of it. So below is an update of what I have been up to sans the MNLJ.

Day 1: Wept in bed all day…didn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, you get the gist.
PYSCH!
Woke up 6 am, ran 7 miles, went to work, yelled at a bunch of people, hit the beach for a sunset swim, made myself a tropical burger and retired to episode 1 of My So Called Life (MSCL) on Hulu. I forgot how phenomenal that show was:

jordan catalano is so dreamy. i forgot how much i loved early 90’s plaid.

Skip to Day 4:
Saturday morning I took a trip to the Hanalei Farmer’s Market. How I love fresh fruit and veggies. These beautiful pink things are called Dragon Fruit:

yum!

After filling up my satchel I headed into work for a few hours then took a drive to one of my favorite beaches and spent the afternoon swimming/sunbathing. Came home to a big fresh salad and retired to episode 2 of MSCL, drooling over Jordan:

yum again!

Second guest appearance will be featured tomorrow. Mahalo!

Come Back Home

Ah, back in the City. Quite a long flight home, made only longer by President Obama; apparently, no planes can take-off or land in NYC when he's in town. So while he was paying tribute to Cronkite, I was in the air reading SkyMall for the 3rd time. Speaking of, I ordered this awesome speaker set that looks like boulders. Burger's going to love it:

hey i like rocks...

After coming from gorgeous weather, and having left NYC in the oppressive August humidity, It's fall apparently. I was repeatedly reminded on my way home by all the Facebook status updates: "OMG totes freezing! where is my cardigan LOL" or "i know i complained about the heat, but I miss the summer a lot ;( wahh." These are my friends?

Anyway, I miss Kaua'i, but I'm glad to be back. Blondie is out there for another 2+ weeks finishing up the ol' Saint Regis, so I'm going to give her a guest blog next. Stay tuned for that gem. But you know what? I am happy it's Fall. Giants Football, BC Football, new TV season, less sweating, not getting looked at weird for wearing jeans all the time, and Thanksgiving: it's going to be mighty fine. I'm putting together a nice early-autumn playlist for you guys, hopefully for next week. Until then, aloha.

Bumped Along

One more day in Paradiso. AA overbooked and filled my Monday night flight, so I'm here until tonight. Then I fly into LAX, and from there to JFK, arriving Wednesday evening. Fun Times! I was going to post this last night, but here is a snippet of our last few days:

We went hiking on the Kalalau Trail, which is like 8 miles long if you do the whole thing. We, however, only did the first leg, into a secluded beach where hippies camp out frequently. Despite this, it was gorgeous and did not smell like patchouli oil. The hike wasn't crazy difficult, but it was long and uphill both ways (how does that work?) and definitely not easy. I feel on my ass a few times on the way back down, proving that I am not as outdoors-y as I may have thought (this must be why I was a horrible boyscout, and eventual dropout):
But it was worth it for views like this:
And this:
And despite this warning:
I had some fun:
And to top it all off, Blondie and I went to our favorite sushi place (and home of the as yet to be named "best Mai Tai") Hanalei Dolphin. And much to my chagrin, she finally got me to wear the Hawaiian shirt she bought me:

oh god, please take my eyes, but not the shirt!

So it's been a riot of a time. I'll do a bunch of recaps and reflections from the road/home. But one more thing before I start my return home; something of particular interest to me. I've been eating it on sandwiches the whole time, but I just noticed that Hellman's (the ONLY kind of mayonnaise) is called "Best Food" out here. Weird right?

Labor Day Music Giveaway! Act Now!

Just a quick post with some Labor Day music for you, to enjoy on your long weekend. I gotta get this out fast since it's past 1PM there and I know most of you are leaving work soon (lucky basterds. oh wait, nevermind; I forgot where I was). It's a mix of songs that are this past summer to me. Pete Yorn, Wilco, Deer Tick, and some others to rock your last weekend. Get after it:

The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa
Real Afro-pop. Yes, the Vampire Weekend guy sings on it too, don't worry.

The Dirty Projectors - Stillness is The Move
A funky, off beat, bop song. Sunset music.

Deer Tick - Straight into a Storm
Throwback 1950's 12-bar rock n' roll that sounds like your buddy's band drunkenly playing outside.

Passion Pit - Seaweed Song
I still don't love these guys, but this song has that endless summer feel.

Wilco - You Never Know
Best song of the summer. Feels like you've known this rock song forever.

Wilco - Sonny Feeling
More nostalgic rock with another Travelling Wilburys-esque solo. But different, and great.

Pete Yorn - Last Summer
As overproduced as Pete will ever sound, but it works. Has a 80's teen movie vibe to it.

Pete Yorn - Rooftop
Blondie loves this song. Makes the summer in NYC seem like you should have stuck around for it instead of going to the goddamn Hamptons.

Pete Yorn (with Scarlett J) - Relator
The fuzzy guitar, upbeat tempo, and sexy/humid lyrics sound like a hot August day.

Brendan Benson - Poised and Ready
Fast Paced and urgent. Drive to it. Fast.

Brendan Benson - Eyes on the Horizon
Elvis Costello meets the Raconteurs.

Helicopter Hangover

For my birthday, Blondie gifted me a helicopter ride over Kaua'i on the nicest fleet of choppers this island has to offer (Blue Hawaiian, PLUG!). It was yesterday. I was nervous. I'm not a huge fan of heights; it's not a crazy phobia by any means, but I prefer to stay closer to Mother Earth if given the option. But there's really only one way to see most of this island, which is only 15% inhabited and reachable by road; on a whirlybird (lets see how many other nicknames for helicopter I can fit in here). So I went off to Lihue to board the craft, which I was assured is the safest, newest, and most green of all available: the Eco-Star.

We got on, and were given a flotation device in a fanny-pack. Because you know, if you fall out of an autogiro into the water, you'd want a place to store your chapstick and small change. Then, a headset, so I could listen to the Hungarian family on board with me translate everything our pilot/tour guide pointed out to us.

nézd meg a vízesés!

We took off, and it was thrilling. Giros fly at that height where everything below looks like a train set miniature. So it's quite surreal. Also, they're turbulent as hell. We were all over the place. But it was all worth it for views like these:


And it was all going great, until about 40 min into the flight. I started to feel, well, hungover. Really hungover. Not just "oh my god I drank so much last night you guys" hungover, but "is this the swine flu, and why is there a goat in the bathroom" hungover. I started to sweat, then get chilly. I felt a balloon start to inflate inside my head. I got the pre-hurl feeling in my throat. I reached for the thankfully provided barf bag. I opened it up, and prepared for the worst. And then...we landed.

vomit averted. mission accomplished.

It was a one in a lifetime thrill (I'll post more pics, especially the ones from my film camera, on Flickr soon). I cant say I'd rush to do it again; but given some time to let this nausea pass in full, I'd give it another go. Maybe with Blondie this time. Though I'd hate to hurl on her.

Questions Answered

1) What time is it there?
It's 5:18AM on Monday August 29th, give or take, depending upon Daylight Savings. Kidding, we're 6 hours behind you on the East Coast. So if it's noon in NYC, its 6AM here.

2) Whats the weather like?
It rains every night, finishes by about 8AM, then its 85 all day. But it's not too hot, because there's a very pleasant humidity in the air. Not the North East humidity that makes you feel like you're covered in latex, but a cooling, healthy humidity. It also sets us up for the best sunsets I've ever seen:

3) What's with the roosters?
Apparently, a big hurricane in 1992 hit Kaua'i directly, and it broke open a ton of chicken coops. They escaped, eventually became wild, and with no natural predator, they flourished. Some say that they may have come from cock-fighting roosters, which is why they are so resilient in the wild. Like this guy, who I assume is Little Yerry's cousin:

4) How is it going?
Awesome. Pretty, pretty awesome.

5) Have you learned to surf yet?
No. It's kind of expensive actually. Still debating if it's going to happen, since I'll most likely not even be able to get up.

6) Have you had poi yet?
No! We can't find it on any menu. It's crazy. I might have to buy a bag of it from the grocery store and make it myself.

7) What's in a Mai Tai?
It varies. But usually: light rum, a dark rum floater, orange curaçao, pineapple/orange/guava juice, and a pineapple/maraschino cherry garnish. Sun and sand are optional.

8) How are the scripts coming?
What are you, my editor? Lay off; they're coming along fine, ok?

9) How's Blondie doing at work?
She's killing it. I get to listen to her yell at people every morning on conference calls. Don't mess with her installations.

10) When are you coming back?
Never. And by that I mean next Tuesday.

is that a tan? no, i guess not. but it's close

Week 2 - Now With More Mai Tais!

Well gosh darnit, I sure hope you had a great weekend. Blondie and I did indeed. We went Kayaking along the Wailua River, which was gorgeous. They filmed some scenes from Jurassic Park there. We swam under a waterfall too; something I can honestly say I've never done before:

watch out for the raptors

We also had some real-ass Hawaiian Pizza Pie. It was scrumtralescent:

And speaking of pineapple, we've had a ton of Mai Tais lately. We had so many on Sunday night, that Monday was kind of a wash. I call it an Island Hangover. We were up, it was gorgeous, Blondie worked and I did some errands, but we were both zombies in the sun. We napped twice and didn't do much but eat. So I apologize for this Monday blog post being yours on Tuesday. It's hard to lift your fingers when you're staring at a beautiful landscape with a cloudy mind and have nothing to do but relax.

We've begun try one at every place we visit, and rate them. We're not quite done with our findings, but here is how, in graph form, it's generally going:
We'll have a full report later, depending upon how drunk we get.

More than Ukulele Music Around Here

I'm writing this on Thursday, but it's already Friday for you. Consider this a Time Capsule of Pop. Happy Weekend.

I've got some new music, as promised, to rock your weekend. Most of you probably know Brendan Benson as the other singer in The Raconteurs. But you may not know that he is an accomplished pop-rock songwriter and musician in his own right. And it makes sense when you look at a band like the Racs, where the songs mix bluesy, heavy guitar engine (Jack White) with very tight pop melodies and rhythms (Benson). The best examples of this fusion are "Intimate Secretary" from their first record, or "Many Shades of Black" from their second.

hey, that's my hat!

But enough about them, this is about Brendan's new solo record My Old, Familiar Friend. It's an 11 song tour-de-pop, full of melodious vocal lines, slickly blended verses and choruses, easy lyrics, and tightly written chord progressions. Think of it as a really catchy mixtape of The Who, Joe Jackson, and ELO covers. Brendan stands out on this record with "Garbage Day" (very 70's pop rock) "Gonowhere" (a bit of McCartney), and "Eyes On The Horizon" (Elvis Costello-esque).

And if you can, grab his previous LP, 2005's The Alternative To Love. The title track remains my personal favorite across all his various groups.

Then who's having sex with the hen??

A few videos for your Thursday morning/afternoon.

First, I woke up to Dr. Noisewater this morning:

we're getting dangerously close to a rooster-only blog.

Secondly, starting as an offhand comment during an epic GChat, The Stame "uncovered" this timeless gem from the comedy vault:

And a final thought: Blondie and I have limited TV choices here at night (local Hawaiian TV is unintentionally hilarious, but that's a whole other post), so we're working our way through Hulu, Netflix Watch Instantly, and her DVD collection on my laptop. Last night, we took in the cinematic tour-de-force known as "Cocktail." My God it's awful. But did Elisabeth Shue ever looked hotter than in that movie? BTTF and Leaving Las Vegas pale in comparison. That waterfall scene is one for the books:

And why the hell are our two favorite shows out there right now, Top Chef and Mad Men, not on Hulu/any official websites? I'm resorting to these Nordic Bootleg sites to watch, and it makes me feel like a pirate (and not the good kind). To help my sanity, feel free to send/email any movies/shows you have ripped for iTunes. I can only watch so much Intergalactic Commander Cruise before weeping.

I Did It

I bought a cheap little ukulele. I didn't think I'd be able to play it with my giant hands, but its surprisingly comfortable. Here's a quick video of me playing "Something" by The Beatles on it this morning:

not bad for the first time, though i'm sure someone will comment on my stupid hat.

Otherwise, I've been checking out the beaches, tooling around in the 'Stang, and taking photos. Hoping to get some of my B&W developed today, and switch to color permanently. This place is just too colorful to stay in B&W. NYC looks good in monochrome; Hawaii deserves the full Kodachrome 800 spectrum.

On the food front, Blondie and I have been out to sushi twice, and it is out of this world. We've been to two places in Hanalei, Bouchon's and Dolphin, and sat at the sushi bar both times. What's odd is that we've only had non-Japanese sushi chefs so far. That's the first we've ever encountered such an occurrence. And they were great; we let them make for us whatever they thought we'd like the most: quite a delicious decision. Most importantly to me, we tried "uni" for the first time. What exactly is uni? Well, it's raw sea urchin (removed from that spiny body of course), and it's really fuckin' good. I've been seeing it on Food Network and Top Chef for so long, we had to try it. And the best part about Hawaii sushi? It's considerably cheaper, and fresher, than it's NYC counterpart. So they've got that going for them. Which is nice.

Or a "patio," if you want to be a dick about it.

First of all, I got some vernacular in last post wrong. Liz Roth graciously informed me that the word for "patio" in Hawaiian is "lanai." How did she know this? Well, she's insane, and remembers it from an episode of the Golden Girls when the irreverent post-menopausal ladies went to Hawaii. Liz Roth everybody, a Golden Girl in her 20's.

This is what Blondie and I have been barrelling around the narrow roads of Kaua'i in:
A 2009 Ford Mustang. It's a sweet ride. After driving a 1994 Chevy Suburban for all of my life, its amazing to find out that cars can actually do a U-ey without requiring a 3 point turn, and that acceleration doesn't require violent shaking and gurgling sound coming from the engine. But hey, I don't mean to get down on Big Blue; who else can carry 9 kegs and 7 guys across Boston at the same time?

Speaking of Big Blue, she hit 200,000 miles not long ago. I couldn't be more proud of the old girl:
The only annoying part of the 'Stang is the fact that it intermittently rains every so often here. Not "oh crap our day is ruined because it's raining" rain, but "oh here's another 10 minute sun shower that creates a gorgeous rainbow and cools everything off" rain. Yet, since it's a rental, and I don't want to have to pay for water damage to the plush leather seats, we have to constantly put the top up and down. Life is hard, isn't it?

It also has that Microsoft Sync thing, where I can stream music to the stereo from my iPhone via bluetooth. It's an awesome feature, but it's got this weird hiccup problem, where it skips a beat every minute or so, much like old discmans (discmen?) used to do back before "shockwave technology." Again, life's a bitch here in paradise, ain't it?

I'm jonesing to try some Poi son. What's poi you ask? It's a local Hawaiian dip/sidedish, and once I try it I'll report back. For now, I just enjoy saying it. Poi. Poi. Pe-pio-pe.

Monday, I'm Alright

What a weekend getting settled. Blondie has the life here, despite the crazy hours she's working. Here's a little slice of the life in the Kapua Suite.

This is the view from our patio:

This is the view from our patio during sunset:

This is the view from our patio when the most magical rainbow appears:

This is the view from our patio at dinner time. We made an awesome Mango, Ahi, Macademia Nut & Tomato salad:


We're on this cliff overlooking the beginning of Hanaeli Bay, on the very north side of Kaua'i:

View Larger Map

Also, for some reason that even Wikipedia has trouble explaining, this island is goddamn overrun with roosters. Seriously. NYC has pigeons and rats, New NYC has owls (that's for you Inkpen), and Kaua'i has roosters. This is our resident cock, who I have effectionately named Dr. Kenneth Noisewater:

i could kill you, pal.

The Travel Recap

Aloha beetches, I made it. Just woke up from a 3 sleeping pill induced sleep. Its 8AM here, so we're 6 hours behind NYC time. Set your clocks.

All in all, that was the best long-term flight experience I've ever had. And to top it all off, I woke up to this:

this from the patio. right outside. we're on a fuckin' cliff. hell yes.

A flight recap:
- The old "recent knee surgery" trick worked TWICE in getting me an exit row seat. Incredibly clutch. That made the trip.
- The NYC-LA leg had that GoGo WiFi on the plane, and it was free. The future is now, and it is awesome.
- A bartender at Chili's in LAX asked me "Should I know you?" when I ordered a beer and charged my laptop. I really wanted to say "Yes, I'm Don Draper."
- I sat next to this crazy 30-something lady from LA-Kaua'i who talked the entire time. Even when I had my headphones in. She tried to convince me that I should go to Burning Man.

So that's that. Thanks for following along. Now, off to explore while Blondie works for a bit. Any suggestions?

Mile Hi Wi Fi

First of all, this GoGo free wireless is clutch. Not that my battery can last long enough to keep me online all day, but it's sweet I can post from the sky. The future is now, dammit!

Also, I pulled the old "recent knee surgery" trick and got myself an exit row, so no bruised knees for this leg of the trip. Everything is starting out nicely.

The only negative: "My Life in Ruins" is the in-flight movie. Richard Dreyfuss, Rachel Dratch and Harland Williams' careers have hit a low it seems. I liked it better the first time, when it was called "My Big Fat Obnoxious Greek Wedding Movie!" Right Tom? Right?

Speaking of Tom jokes...um, stewardess?

I'm listening to Brendan Benson's new album "My Old, Familiar Friend" and it's awesome. Just a well written, well produced, pop rock record full of hooks and simple melodies. He's the guy who isn't Jack White in the Raconteurs, and you can see where that band gets some of its pop sensibility. I'll post it up when I get to the archipelago.

And speaking of Hawaii, serendipitously enough, today is the 50th Anniversary of it's Statehood. There's a great article in the NY Times by Paul Theroux. Definitely give it a read.

"What I cant go to Hawaii now because Sarah Marshall has heard of Hawaii?"

Sorry for the cliché blog hiatus; musically, 2009 turned out to be a turkey compared to 2008. But let us not dwell, there is an important reason for this relaunch. I'm going to Hawaii for 18 beautiful days starting tomorrow, and I'm going to write about it. Blondie is stationed on the picturesque isle of Kauai for two months opening a ritzy hotel, and I couldn't pass up the trip.


A few goals:
- Finish at least a first draft of the 4 scripts I've been working on (1 feature, 2 pilots, 1 short story)
- Photo much pretty things a lot
- Take a surfing lesson
- Get tan? (I doubt it's possible, but dammit I'm going to try)
- Eat like a local
- Drink like a local
- Find new music for you
- Buy a ukulele

Those is de plans. I will keep you updated, I plan on using this as a conversation with the Contiguous 48. Any suggestions/dares/ideas for me to do while in Polynesia, please let me know. I'll try it all.

Just call me `Ula.

Song of the Day 5/20/09

Goodnight Saigon - Billy Joel

Just an amazing song, with a certain amount of humor because of how heavy-handed it is (as highlighted by last Saturday's SNL sketch). Enjoy.

Take Cover - April 2009

Covers are one of the foundation-building aspects of rock n' roll. They're a way artists can find those like them, bands begin to play with each other, and songwriters to learn the basics. They can also act as both a treat for fans, and a way for a musician to express his influences and his own tastes. A really good cover is one that isn't an exact copy of the original, but doesn't miss the essence of what makes the song great in the first place. However, there is no formula to follow.

Cover songs can be a straight up replay (Patti Smith's "Gloria", originally by Them) or a completely different sound (Joe Cocker's "With A Little Help From My Friends", originally by The Beatles). They can be an honest retelling (Jeff Buckley's "Hallelujah", originally by Leonard Cohen), or a self-important ego-play (Green Day's "Working Class Hero", originally by John Lennon). They can be worse than the original (Sheryl Crow's unfortunate "Sweet Child O'Mine"), or a major step-up (Ike & Tina Tuner's defining "Proud Mary"). They can be a decade-crossing cover (The Black Crowes' "Hard To Handle", originally by Otis Redding, 25 years earlier) or one legend borrowing from another almost simultaneously (Jimi Hendrix's "All Along The Watchtower," originally by Bob Dylan, only 9 months apart).

If I had to go back and make a Rob Gordon-style Top-Five, All Time, Desert Island list of my favorite covers, I'd drive myself insane. So here 10 of the covers I'm listening to at the moment, or were in the front of the brain, and their [original versions] so you can decide and compare. I like doing this cover thing, and this is a good April 2009 Playlist.

CAKE - Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town
Alright, Kenny didn't write it. But Kenny owned it. It's been covered by everyone from the Killers (ugh) to Leonard Nimoy (Spock) to Right Said Fred (are you kidding me?). But John McCrea and Co. have the uncanny ability to choose covers that fit seamlessly into their unique sound and catalog. This is just a gem.

Deer Tick - Still Crazy After All These Years
DT is hipster folk rock, and this song is surprisingly true to the original. See? You can cover/sound like Paul Simon and have me not hate you.

Elton John - Honky Tonk Woman
Fully approved on one Suburban roadtrip up to Boston, this might be the best cover on this list. It's a true-to-the-genre-known-as-honky-tonk cover of the Stones song. It might be one of the most famous Stones songs, but honestly, Elton should have co-oped it, and never put on that Donald Duck costume. Thanks to Burger [pictured] for this one.

Faces - Jealous Guy
These guys were the world's best bar band in the 60's and 70's, and they covered everyone; from Bob Dylan to Del Shannon. They famously covered "Maybe I'm Amazed" by Paul McCartney, but this Lennon solo song is their best in my opinion. They loosen it up, insert a different kind of heartbreak (drunken longing) into the singing, and rule it.

Jenny Lewis - Handle With Care
Another profession of my love for this flame-haired goddess. A slightly more uptempo cut of the supergroup's biggest hit. And she puts together her own supergroup with Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes), M. Ward (She & Him) and Ben Gibbard (Death Cab). A must have.

Jim James - Make It With You
Taking an incredibly cheesy 70's soft-rock ballad and making it a heartfelt is no easy feat. But Jimbo makes it work, with the help of his old friend reverb, and a very full sounding acoustic guitar.

The Black Keys - She Said, She Said
Making this pop-perfect Fab Four song into a dirty southern blues walker seems effortless when The Black Keys do it. A great example of taking a song, and making it your own. I still remain amazed how much sound just two guys can put out.

The Strokes - Mercy Mercy Me (The Ecology)
Another Marvel Team-Up style cover, with the Original Hipsters enlisting the vocal help of a soulful Eddie Vedder, and Josh Homme from Queens of the Stone Age as a second drummer. Its a spacey/funky/rocked-up taken on Marvin's emotional plea for peace with the planet.

The Who - Summertime Blues
This is a perfect example of taking a song, seeing a different side to it's lyrics and sound, and without changing a single word, making it better. Townsend and his crew take the skiffle-rific, "aw shucks" teenage frustration song, and make it angry. It's dirty, noisy, rough, loose, and a real teen-angst anthem. This song made me want to be in a band, and somehow made me think I could, it's so simple, but so raw.

William Shatner - Common People
This one's a curveball. You probably don't know the original, although it's one of the most famous songs in Britain, so listen to that first. It's your classic 90's non-Oasis alternative britpop. But in 2004, Ben Folds took it, and reworked it with a indie-rock symphony into something very different, while remaining true to the original. Shatner adds his trademark pregnant pauses, and it works. It really fucking works. The two songs almost compliment each other more than they compete. You'd never think you'd enjoy talking this much. Thanks for Ambrosia for this one.

Song of the Day 4/22/09

Rilo Kiley - The Frug

I had this song stuck in my head when I woke up (way too damn early, as Willie Giest would say). It's from RK's debut album The Initial Friend EP, and I think it's very much a throwaway song about outdated dance moves. But it showcases Jenny Lewis' incredibly sexy voice, paired with some purposely suggestive lyrics. Plus, she's a gorgeous redhead, so you know how I feel.

Song of the Day 4/21/09

The Strokes - 12:51

This song was released as the first single off of Room On Fire, the Strokes' second album. It kind of fits with this shitty weather; some good synth rock pop. Not my fav song by them, but it's a good one today.

Song of the Day 4/17/09

Ben Folds - Where's Summer B?

And it keeps getting nicer out. In honor of the temps reaching the 70's in NYC, a little Ben Folds lamenting the return of the warmth (or is it a friend named Summer B?)

Song of the Day 4/16/09

Steely Dan - Change of the Guard

A nice transition song to bring us into the sunshine and warm weather (hopefully). From their debut 1972 album Cant Buy A Thrill, a lesser known, but decidedly Steely, pop nugget. I'm sure some moronic politician at one point had tried to co-op this song for his campaign, but thankfully it's not known for that. Enjoy.

[side note: if you're ever bored at work, which most of you are, and want to get that Chuck Kolstermann-ish feeling of "this is either genius or complete insanity," check out steelydan.com and click away]

Primer: The Hold Steady

I don't have a March Playlist. I'm not sure why. I went into my back catalog instead of trying to discover anything. Hopefully April gives me much new music I can pass on to you.

But in the meantime, I'm going to start this series I'm calling "Primer." It'll be a posting where I introduce you to a band I love (that you may have heard of, or you may not know at all) by putting together a playlist of the best a they have to offer (in my opinion). I'll also expound upon my knowledge of the band, which is often obsessive and full of minutiae, but humor me, please.

Up first, The Hold Steady.

I know, I know, you've tried to like them, but you cant get over the vocals. You're right; Craig Finn has an odd way of singing. It's almost musical narration, or rhythmic talking. Very wordy, very narrative, very syncopated, and very different. But let it go for a second, and listen to the whole song. They are a band. 5 professional musicians each putting their all into every tune. This isn't frontman/backup group territory; these guys are a tight unit.

The obvious sonic comparison is to Springsteen and the E Street Band. But there are tones of the Clash, Thin Lizzy, Pearl Jam, the Band, and Faces all over their songs. They can go from church-organ rock to grunge to folk and finally to drunken bar punk very easily, but never lose their core sound; every song is a textbook Hold Steady song.

Their lyrics have a ton of reoccurring themes (Catholicism, the upper Midwest, drugs and alcohol, teenage isolation) and vocab words (Ybor City, Charlemagne, the unified scene, townies) that pepper the lyrics to every song. Their entire catalog, at times, seems like an extended concept album or rock opera. But its just shy of being cohesive enough to chart.

So here we go, a sampling of their best from before Stay Positive, their most recent album, which I think you need in full. And if you like what I have sampled here, please, go buy the full albums. They are a band worth, and well deserving of, your money.

Your Little Hoodrat Friend (Separation Sunday) - Straight forward rock and roll, with a good example of the narrative lyrics. Strikingly honest, we've all felt this way before, and just wanted to come out and say it.

Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night (Separation Sunday) - Sounds like that endless fast-paced drunken night on the town you have once a quarter.

Chillout Tent (Boys & Girls in America) - A cohesive story about love and OD'ing at a festival. The lead singer of Soul Asylum makes a vocal cameo as the dude. Right out of a shitty off-Broadway rock musical. But it works.

Chips Ahoy! (Boys & Girls in America) - A crowd favorite at the concerts, and a good example of their bar band chops coming to the forefront. There is a chant-like vocal part in the chorus which the audience takes on.

Don't Let Me Explode (Separation Sunday) - Using a cliche 50's prom song base, Craig can sing out an sentiment as angry as any thrash rock. Includes one of my favorite lines of theirs:
"We didn't go to Dallas/'cause Jackie Onassis said/that it ain't safe for Catholics yet/Think about what they pulled on Kennedy/And then think about his security/Then think about what they might try to pull on you and me."

Hot Soft Light (Boys & Girls in America) - Another tight, fun, upbeat rock song. Feel the Thin Lizzy.

Most People Are DJ's (Almost Killed Me) - Sounds like a great classic rock song. Craig is almost like an angst preacher. Face-melting guitar solos as well.

Party Pit (Boys & Girls in America) - This song to me is very 90's. It's got a Counting Crows vibe. And singing about college and self-awareness reminds me of all those alt-rock one-hit wonders from when VH1 played music. But the breakdown here is so theatrical, its almost Meat Loaf-y.

Southtown Girls (Boys & Girls in America) - We've all felt this apathy before; bored of your scene, but it's better than nothing. It's a surprisingly complex song musically.

Stuck Between Stations (Boys & Girls in America) - And if you can't hear the Bruce in this song, you've never heard the album Born to Run. From the piano, to the lyrics, to the breakdown, it bleeds Asbury Park. But, it's still distinctly Hold Steady.

Can I Please Crawl Out Your Window? (I'm Not There soundtrack) - You'd think they'd have a hard time finding a song to cover. This one fits so perfectly, it's almost as if they wrote it themselves, or based their entire style on this Bob Dylan and the Band b-side.

Playlist: February 2009

[new photos from a ski weekend to killington. check them out on my flickr]

That was quick. I feel like I barely got anything new this past month. I had a Lent playlist going, but I'm going to post that later. So here are a few of the choice cuts that got some airtime:

The Lonely Island - Boombox (feat. Julian Casablancas)
I really haven't enjoyed anything this much in a while, and I can't remember a comedy album making me laugh as hard as this did. From Andy, Akiva and Jorma of SNL Digital Shorts fame, it's a song about the power of a simple boombox. Julian from the Strokes sings the hook, and it continues their tradition of faux rap songs that are as catchy, if not catchier, than anything on the radio. It was the unofficial theme song for our ski trip, and it will change the way you think about boiled goose forever. I hope they make a video for this on SNL this weekend.

Wild Light - California On My Mind
The only real find this month. It's a curse-word laden pop punk song. Nothing world-changing, but it's damn fun to listen to.

Bright Eyes - At The Bottom Of Everything (w/ Jim James & M. Ward)
A live version, from a recent "Monsters of Folk" concert. Jim and M played with Conor on the album too, so it's a nice refresh with the original harmonies. Pop folk.

M. Ward - Fisher Of Men
The first of my favorite two tracks from his solo outing Hold Time. It's a rockabilly flavored campfire song.

M. Ward - Never Had Nobody Like You (Ft. Zooey Deschanel)
The second. A reunion with She & Him partner Zooey. A happy upbeat 12bar diddy.

My Morning Jacket - El Caporal
Jim James & Co. contributed this track to the Dark Was The Night compilation album (which plays like a hipster's wet dream). I actually think it sounds a bit Dave Matthews-y, but it's better than that. It's got more of that neo-adult-contemporary-rock sound that was all over Evil Urges.

Concert: Delta Spirit at Bowery Ballroom 2/21/09

Delta Spirit knocked it out of the park on Saturday at the Bowery Ballroom, playing a very impassioned set to a sold out crowd. Stopping in NYC for a night on their wham-bam tour of the US before they head to Europe, they left it all on the stage. Here's the setlist (new songs are starred):

Strange Vine
People C'mon
Streetwalker (played very bass-heavy)
House Built For Two
The Best* (very Interpol-y, with the drummer from opener Dawes)
Bushwick Blues*
Parade
Salt In The Wound* (with the cellist from opener Invisible Children)
Vivian*
St. Francis*
Children
Piano Intro - Trashcan
People, Turn Around
Encore:
Bleeding Bell (a rocked up version)
Crippler King

My take:
They have the songs. Some rockers, some ballads, but all have raw emotion.
They can pull off a full-crowd singalong (their choruses seem custom built for that purpose), but can also quiet down everything to a solo vocal.
They have some very talented musicians, especially the keyboard player.
But:
They need to turn the volume up on the lead guitar and keys. The album has some tasty licks sprinkled around, but I heard none of them live.
They need to look the part. The piano player, bassist, and drummer all get it, but lead vox and guitar need to ditch the J.Crew.
They need to use their harmonies more. All 5 of them are mic'd up. But really only the lead singer and keys player are singing. I know they all can, and the should.

Great show though, you'll hopefully be hearing more from these guys in the future.