Q3 2012: Music is my therapy...

Can I begin by stating that the summer of 2012 has been one of the rockiest of my life?  Finally coming out of tumultuous financial issues regarding the purchase of a new home and a move in early 2011, my wife and I were thrown a curveball in July when the owner of the business we both work for decided to close up shop. While the store has been in existence under their ownership for 27 years, we have been a significant part of it for the past 16, and are the only married couple still currently employed.  As it is a book-and-music-with-restaurant retailer, the book business is finally feeling what we in the music business have been experiencing for the past decade, now that Kindle sales have taken off.  Our story is a long one, which I will not get into detail about here (maybe I'll write a book about it one day-HA), but as it stands, this haven for independent lovers of physical books and music will eventually succumb to one of many fitness club chains springing up ad nauseum.  That being said, we have been in limbo for over two months now with no end date announcement and a Christmas season approaching.  Since music is what we know and love, we are pursuing our idea of rising from the ashes of this experience and opening our own music shop for people who do appreciate a physical buying experience.  We are excited about the prospects of the things this will allow us to do that we felt unable to do in the past, as our hands were tied with very strict guidelines from owners whose conservative attitudes in certain areas prohibited growth.  Keep your fingers crossed.

And so, while all of this has been happening, music has been my therapy and solace.  It is what keeps me going, and the excitement of hearing something new from an old favorite, or something totally unexpected that sweeps me into a new emotional world, is the most glorious of experiences.  While I always enjoy a good film or a book, the power of music continues to draw me back.  Sometimes it can be light and fluffy, almost a trifle, while other times quite serious or poignant.  It is a road map to my existence on this planet.  Now that I have given enormous weight to the subject, here's what most excited my ears these past 3 months:

1)  PET SHOP BOYS--Elysium

Alright, I know many will say this was a totally expected response, but actually, Elysium is the most unexpected and surprising album from this duo in a long time.  I guess the fact it was billed as their "California-album" made me think of the Beach Boys when it was actually a bit more Lana del Rey.  Using a lesser-known producer, Andrew Dawson, as they have has produced some of the most beautifully experimental and autumnal music in their long career.  I know they referenced his work with Kanye West as an inspiration, but West's general aesthetic is quite different than what we get here.  I would be remiss if I didn't note that the first track on this album, "Leaving", is one of their best singles EVER, and reminds me of much of their past work with Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr (even though he is not present this time).  The album is their most reflective work, and while some have blasted them for being self-absorbed and bitter, I believe they have missed the point that their lyrics have always been a mirror for their life experience, and bitterness is not on the agenda.  These are some of the most personal and beautiful songs they have ever created, and while some can be considered nearly-bland ("Winner", "Breathing Space", "Give It a Go"), there are actually quite a few allusions to reflection and love contained within.  "Hold On" even shows their West-End musical slant by using a bit of Handel and a chorus to flesh out a rather Disney-esque scene.  Closing with the most un-disco of disco songs, "Requiem in Denim and Leopardskin" is an homage to London's fashion movers and shakers of the 60's and 70's, a lofty topic for a pop song, no?  It may all be an aquired taste, as Neil has stated they are already working on a dancier followup.  While we wait, I shall bask in Elysium's lovely afterglow.  And really, how many albums about reflection and love are topping the pop charts these days?  Songs to hear:  Leaving, A Face Like That, Memory of the Future, Invisible



2)  ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS--Cut the World

Everybody who has done a retrospective orchestral album or wants to do one, take note:  This is how you do it.  Recorded live with string arrangements by Nico Muhly (among others), Cut the World is far above this genre mainly due to three things:  1) The lush arrangements that steer clear of typical styles, 2) The strength of material chosen for the project, and 3) The haunting power of Antony's voice.  That's not to say it isn't the sound of an acquired taste, but his ability to sing so softly and tender to full-blown wailing is breathtaking, especially in such generally high vocal ranges.  New song "Cut the World" had me near tears on first listen, and there are many more moments like that contained here.  A bold move was placing the spoken word "Future Feminism" as track #2, but it does a good job explaining more about the material and the artist (if you don't like it, skip it).  I have heard most of Antony's albums to this point, but this was the first where I really "got it", as these now sound like fully fleshed out versions of songs which were more 2D in past versions.  Alarmingly good.  Songs to hear:  Cut the World, Cripple and the Starfish, I Fell In Love With a Dead Boy

3)  DRAGONETTE--Bodyparts

Marina & co. really did it this time.  Bodyparts is a fizzy, funky pop record with a shiny metal heart at its core.  While it doesn't necessarily break new ground for the band, it does what every great third album should do, and that is solidify their style and place in the world of recorded music.  Every song glimmers with a high gloss sheen from an indie(!) band that have chosen their own path of promotion.  While it has, at times, been infuriatingly difficult being a Dragonette fan (what with the lack of physical products being available in certain countries, odd release schedules), the band is beginning to create an aura with their sound that makes you want to follow their every move.  It would have been unheard of a decade ago for a band this highly produced and polished not to have a major label record deal.  That's part of the equation that keeps them a little more hip and edgy than your average pop group.  This album bristles with intensity, from the pop overthrow of "Live in This City" and "Let it Go" to the disco-tastic masterpieces "My Legs", "Giddy Up", and "Riot".  There are lovely moments as well ("Untouchable", the closer "Ghost"), making Bodyparts their first fully satisfying effort from beginning to end.  Now bring on the sales!  Songs to hear:  Live In This City, My Legs, Riot


4)  NOISETTES--Contact

Speaking of infuriating, Noisettes have always had the problem of being one of those bands whose albums were released by a major label (ahem, Universal), only to be put aside and released a good 8 or 9 months later in the US.  Contact is their first to see a simultaneous release through their new indie label, but unfortunately there is no physical release scheduled stateside yet.  Doubly unfortunate that Contact is not selling as well as its predecessor in the UK, a real shame, as it is their most versatile and eclectic release yet.  Songs like opener "I Want You Back" have a similar feel to older Noisettes tracks, but "Final Call" and "Let the Music Play" are the kind of songs Girls Aloud would want for their reunion, while "Traveling Light", "That Girl", and "Ragtop Car" all sound like the product of three different bands.  Whether electro soul or retro R&B, bluegrass or showtune balladry, this is Noisettes most satisfying album yet.  Here's hoping for a physical US release soon!  Songs to hear:  Let the Music Play, That Girl, Never Enough



5)  NO DOUBT--Push & Shove

It's been 11 years since their last record, and although Gwen Stefani has released a couple solo albums in-between, No Doubt seem to have picked up right where they left off.  This is generally a good thing, as Rock Steady was a very pleasant album mixing reggae, new wave, R&B, and electro.  Push & Shove is very much cut from the same cloth, acting as both blessing and curse.  The band obviously are doing what they do best--writing catchy pop songs with a bit of edge, while also spinning their wheels somewhat.  I guess it would be too much to ask for them to have made some sort of great leap forward that all their fans would respond positively to, so I will just say Push & Shove is a highly enjoyable record that doesn't try to reinvent the wheel.  Songs to hear:  Settle Down, One More Summer, Dreaming the Same Dream











6)  PRESETS--Pacifica

An album sure to divide their fans, Pacifica is at once a return to darker experimentalism while also containing their most pop moments yet.  "Promises" and "Fall" are two of the most radio-friendly songs they've ever recorded, while "Ghosts" sounds like an electronic sea chantey and "A.O." is nearly scary in its single-mindedness.  It probably won't sell bucketloads, but do they even really care?  I can't wait to hear where they go next!  Songs to hear:  Promises, Fall, It's Cool

7)  DEAD CAN DANCE--Anastasis

Reuniting in a recording studio after 17 years, Dead Can Dance pull a No Doubt and sound like the pick up where they left off.  This has positive and negative consequences.  DCD are a band I always liked, and am quite happy to see them off and running again, and while their last effort, 1995's Spiritchaser, was my least favorite album of theirs, it's great to have them back doing the portentious type of goth records they always did so well, albeit a little more restrained and with less real instrumentation.  While there are some very good songs here, it is probably not going to win them new legions of fans.  Maybe a more stripped down acoustic approach would serve them even better next time...here's hoping there's a next time!  Songs to hear:  Anabasis, Agape



8)  PASSION PIT--Gossamer

I'll be the first to admit that I hated Passion Pit.  Their last album Manners (2009) got on my nerves, generally due to the singer's voice and the clunky arrangements.  So who knew that Gossamer would be a technicolor explosion of sound and melody?  Some may claim a poppier Polyphonic Spree is at work here, but it seems as though PPit have found a way to blend melody with cut and paste electronica into a seamless blend of fun, even when the lyrics read as dour.  It's almost as if the Flaming Lips stopped trying so hard to be weird and just wrote good pop songs (oh wait, they already did that...it was called the Soft Bulletin, then Yoshimi...)  Best feelgood pop record of the year next to Carly Rae Jepsen!  Songs to hear:  Carried Away, Cry Like a Ghost, Hideaway, It's Not My Fault I'm Happy


9)  WILD NOTHING--Nocturne

It's been a long time since I heard an album that didn't sound like an 80's pastiche, more like it CAME from the 80's.  This is it.  Virginia-based Wild Nothing come to the table with an album that includes textures from shoegaze in indie pop of the 80's, and mixes it up a little with great melodies.  There has even been talk that second half showstopper, "Paradise" was recorded using early Madonna records as inspiration (dig that Nile Rogers drum beat!).  Then the voice comes in, making it sound like Echo & the Bunnymen fronting Madonna.  Other songs veer more toward Smiths or Cocteau Twins textures, but overall, this is a big step forward from their debut record a couple years ago.  Songs to hear:  Nocturne, Only Heather, Paradise


10)  JENS LEKMAN--I Know What Love Isn't

A master of quirky heartbreak, Swede Lekman has made his first thematically unified album here, based on a broken heart.  What a sad but funny album it is.  Whether kicking things up or being kicked down, Lekman knows a good turn of phrase, in the upbeat "The End of the World is Bigger Than Love", or the zippy "Some  Dandruff On Your Shoulder" that recall the best of 80's indie pop.  Then songs like "Become Someone Else's" drip with regret and "Every Little Hair Knows Your Name" effectively acting as Lekman's "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want", sparse and simple in its own beauty.  Just imagine what a mix of songs it would be if he had mixed these songs with last year's great "An Argument With Myself" EP, featuring the great "Waiting for Kirsten", written about waiting for Ms. Dunst to finish filming scenes from last year's Melancholia so they could meet.  Songs to hear:  The End of the World is Bigger Than Love, Some Dandruff On Your Shoulder, I Know What Love Isn't

11)  TWIN SHADOW--Confess
Just missing the top 10, Confess was a massive improvement on Twin Shadow's debut, and wore its retro pop influences proudly.  Like Prince fronting the Cars.

12)  STARS--The North
Stars rebound with one of the best albums of their career.  More balanced and interesting than they've been, they really hit it out of the park with the New Order-y "Hold On When You Get Love and Let Go When You Give It".

13)  AIMEE MANN--Charmer
Charmer continues the string of Mann's first rate material.  One wishes she had found a little more musical side streets for experimentation, but there's always next time.

14)  RICHARD HAWLEY--Standing at the Sky's Edge
Definitely his most experimental album, Hawley goes out on a limb with proggier textures and some aggressive guitar work to show he isn't just reflecting the past.  Nice work.

15)  VAN SHE--Idea of Happiness
Finally this band gets some worldwide recognition.  Like a poppier version of Cut Copy, 80's electro-pop mixes with dance and tropical textures in a sound not far removed from Friendly Fires.  They could do with fewer instrumentals and more songs next time around.

16)  BILL FAY--Life is People
My one requisite fogey recording this time comes from Bill Fay, a little known musician whose last well-known(ish) album was released 40 years ago!  After spending years doing odd jobs like landscaping, Fay was lured back to the studio by Joshua Henry, a young producer from Nebraska.  Smart move!  Sounds like the story of a life.

17)  DIVINE FITS--A Thing Called Divine Fits
I've never been a big fan of Spoon, but Britt Daniel finds a new life and loose feel in this "side-project" featuring some great electronic rock textures.  Inspired.

18)  FRANK OCEAN--Channel Orange
Controversy aside, Frank Ocean created a R&B classic here with his official debut album.  Can't wait to see where he goes from here.

19)  GRIZZLY BEAR--Speak in Rounds
A band who consistently stretches themselves, this record features some of the best and most unique guitar playing of the year.  Radiohead should be very, very scared.

20)  BOB MOULD--Star Machine
Thanks to Bob Mould for rediscovering what people want to hear him doing.  His best album in years, and right down your line if you liked his band Sugar.

other recommended albums:
PLAN B--Ill Manors
Nothing like his last (great) album, Plan B is less like Amy Winehouse here and more like the Streets (but better).  If you like British rap, do not miss.  Can't wait to see the movie.
THE HEAVY--The Glorious Dead
Striking rock and funk textures from this great indie band that keeps pushing forward.  Like a rockier, bluesier, and less kooky Tom Waits.
JD MCPHERSON--Signs & Signifiers
If you like rockabilly, this is the ticket.  Best full on retro rock album of the year.
MARK EITZEL--Don't Be a Stranger
Dark, haunting, and stirring, especially after the recent death of American Music Club's drummer.
LIANNE LA HAVAS--Don't Wake Me Up
Former backup singer creates a great folk/soul album with Matt Hales of Aqualung producing.
MEN WITHOUT HATS--Love in the Age of War
Your Beautiful Heart is the best Pet Shop Boys song they never recorded.  The album's not bad either.
CARLY RAE JEPSEN--Kiss
I know, but damn this album is catchy.  Just ditch the Bieber duet.  Yuck.
MUSE--2nd Law
Maybe I'll like this more later.  They really do like that kitchen sink.
THE KILLERS--Battle Born
Decent album but enough with the Springsteen references already.
RAVEONETTES--Observator
Bad album title for decent album.  Other than that, I just wish they'd push themselves a little more.

Somewhat disappointing:
YEASAYER--Fragrant World--Where are the tunes?
ARIEL PINK'S HAUNTED GRAFFITTI--Mature Themes--Lyrics anyone?
MAXIMO PARK--National Health--Club of diminishing returns
BLOC PARTY--Four--They should have stopped with three.

And a rethink:
FIONA APPLE--The Idler Wheel...
It took about 300 plays and a drug arrest, but I've decided I actually really like this album!  Talk about the definition of a grower.  Now go out and buy a copy!  FREE FIONA!
What albums are you grooving to now?  (Sorry if I have offended your favorites)

Q2: A Tad Preemie, but whatevs...

So, this is actually a little early with impending scheduling issues approaching, so I thought I'd better get this out ASAP, especially since there are SO MANY FREAKING GOOD albums to talk about this quarter.  With a general dearth of good albums being released in Winter 2012, it seems as though the Spring was absolutely ON FIRE.  When you are finding it difficult keeping up with everything new, that can only be a good sign.  Without further ado, here are my personal picks for best albums of Spring 2012...at least, the ones I managed to get onto this list:

1) SAINT ETIENNE--Words and Music by Saint Etienne
Without question the best album of 2012 to date, this one's gonna be hard to beat come year's end.  Their first new full album in 7(!) years, Sarah, Bob, and Pete have come up with a record to rival their best full length, Tiger Bay from 1994, 18 years ago.  While Tales From Turnpike House (2005) came very close, this one even beats that, coming from a very personal place in these pop musicians' hearts, reflecting on a life lived in a pop world, first as observers, then as participants, now as elder statesmen.  "Over the Border", with its spoken-word verses, may be one of the most personal songs they've ever written, mentioning old record labels and music journalists, and wondering if Marc Bolan would still matter once children entered their lives.  "I Threw It All Away" may be one of the most lovely things they've ever recorded, full of piping recorders in what one can only describe as a depressing waltz.
This album is not without its corkers either.  Songs like "Tonight" and "I've Got Your Music" are some of the most euphoric notes they've committed to tape in their over-20-years of existence, as well as "DJ", a stormer dedicated to those tune-spinners that try to make you feel something on a dancefloor.  Follow those up with the Saint's most melancholic Pet Shop Boys-styled moment, "When I Was Seventeen", and the magical closer, "Haunted Jukebox", and you've got perfection.  I won't say anymore because I'm sure I'll be saying more later this year, but for now, this is IT.

2) MARINA & THE DIAMONDS--Electra Heart
Some reviewers have been a bit harsh to Marina, and personally, I cannot understand it.  The girl has TALENT.  She writes amazing songs with catchy hooks, and had the inclination to seek out some of the top producers in the business to see her vision of self-obsessed popstrels through.  If Britney Spears had recorded Electra Heart, there's no way she would have been in on the joke.  Marina gets it.  An album stuffed with so many good songs that the lead single, "Radioactive", has been relegated to bonus track status in the UK (wisely it is being added in the US).  The kind of single that could compete with some of the best from Rihanna isn't necessarily even the best song here, with strong entries "Primadonna", "Starring Role", "The State of Dreaming", and "Power and Control", not to mention the extremely smart "Sex Yeah" (a modern female empowerment anthem if there was one), Marina has crafted one of the strongest pop records beginning to end in recent memory, and stronger than her first--there's no sophomore slump here! 


3) BRIGHT LIGHT BRIGHT LIGHT--Make Me Believe in Hope
An album that I keep coming back to again and again, Rod Thomas has created an ultra-modern masterpiece on an indie level that synthesizes so many elements of pop music's past to perfection.  You know the sign of a good album when your favorite song is constantly changing, and there are so many inspired moments here, it's hard to pick a standout.  Some of these songs existed for a bit of time before the album release as Rod was recording and compiling them bit by bit, creating the record solely on his own budget, an admirable feat.  When people look back on this era and talk about how professional sounds can be made with less expensive equipment at home, I will look at this album as a masterpiece debut of the era.  I simply cannot choose a favorite song as they are ALL GOOD.


4) HOT CHIP--In Our Heads
Hot Chip have been making albums for a while now, and when they began I found them to be an acquired taste.  Well it took a while, but now that they've progressed, I've definitely acquired it.  This (their fifth album) is their best yet, with lots of throwbacks to bygone eras without ever sounding derivative or a pastiche.  The beats are turned up a little here, which is a good thing as ballads are generally not their forte.  It's hard to pick a favorite song, but right now it's between "Don't Deny Your Heart" and "These Chains".  You'll probably see this on the year-end list too.



5) SCISSOR SISTERS--Magic Hour
People were griping before this album arrived that it wasn't another Night Work.  Well, there can only be one of those, and Magic Hour ticks most of the boxes one would want from a followup without losing energy.  "Only the Horses" is a great single, but there are lots of other good things here as well, and arguably featuring more variety than any other Scissters album.  The three opening songs are all killer: "Baby Come Home" is all retro funk, "Keep Your Shoes" a kooky, kicky technopop romp, and "Inevitable" a heartfelt mid-tempo ballad recalling the sounds they mined on their debut.  The only song that doesn't really work for me is "San Luis Obispo", but it's a fun little song on its own that sounds like mid-70's Dr. Hook hits the beach.  Closer "Somewhere" is a favorite.



6) GOSSIP--A Joyful Noise
This may not be the complete success that the Gossip were looking for when they signed on with super-producer Brian Higgins and Xenomania, but this record does manage to take their sound in a more sophisticated and adult direction without losing much of the fun.  Beth Ditto sounds like she's having a good time, and turns in some of her best vocal performances ever, especially on tracks like "Casualties of War", a bit more of a slow burn that allows her to really find the heart of the song.  Some are pining for the thrashy, less-melodic and glossy Gossip of old, but right now, they've made a little go a long way, and "Move In the Right Direction" is one of the best songs of the year.  Props also to "Get a Job", "Get Lost", and "Love in a Foreign Place".

7) DONKEYBOY--Silver Moon
I'm even surprised this album is so highly placed, but I really do like it, and much better than the previous one.  "Silver Moon" is a great opening track, while "City Boy" and "Drive" get even better.  There really isn't a weak song on this album, which manages to be just electro enough to satisfy tech-heads but enough warmth and melody to still be pop.  It's an endearing affair from start to finish, and "Pull of the Eye" is a favorite.






















8) CHROMATICS--Kill For Love
Because I wanted a CD for this album, I went through the process of ordering it from their website as it is not available in regular stores or regular distribution channels.  They also only charged $5 for it...bargain!  The album IS a little long (nearly 80 minutes), and when you don't have a lot of time in the modern world, you try to hear as much as you can in your limited frame.  There are long, ambient stretches here that could probably be shortened, BUT, that would disturb the mood of the record and the art being created.  Sonically closer to M83 usually fronted by a female is the closest thing I can think of this sounding like, and if you've seen the movie, Drive, you've heard some of their music, which is decidedly hypnotic.  Still, there is some great 80's-derived alterna-pop here, especially in the forms of "Lady" and the title track.  Also, beginning with a mopey electronic-inspired cover of Neil Young's "Into the Black" is genius.  Favorites include "Back From the Grave" and closer "The River".  Five years in the making!

9) GARBAGE--Not Your Kind of People
Like Saint Etienne, this album took a seven year break to make, and while Etienne were recording singles and putting out deluxe remastered editions of their past albums along with collections, Garbage were essentially mothballed after an abrupt ending to their last tour and Shirley Manson becoming an actress.  During this period she came up with solo material that the record company rejected as being too dark (basically too much like Garbage), so she & the guys patched things up and came up with an energized record which will go down as one of their best.  The first three songs are some of the best they've ever written: "Automatic Systematic Habit" throbs with electronic intensity, "Big Bright World" is poppier and reminiscent of album Version 2.0, while first single "Blood For Poppies" could have been from their 1995 debut.  I am deducting only half a point as the album is absolutely perfect ending with track 11, "Beloved Freak", but then come four bonus tracks displaying relative levels of success.  I guess if I think of them as tracks that would have been used as B-sides, I may be able to overlook them a little more--they're not bad, just average.  Still, the greater portion of this record is the best album of the quarter to come from a band that came from roots based in 90's alternative rock and grunge.


10) NIKI & THE DOVE--Instinct
One of the strongest debuts of the year is this Swedish couple who sound like a cross between "Running Up That Hill"-era Kate Bush and other Swedish art-duo, the Knife.  What separates Niki from the Knife is their ability to be extremely catchy and somewhat more accessible, especially on big opener, "Tomorrow", full of choirs that sound dropped in from a Florence & the Machine record, while "DJ Ease My Mind" is like Lykke Li's more capricious little sister.  There is also a witchy Stevie Nicks-meets-Bat for Lashes vibe on this record as the startlingly good "Mother Protect" alludes to.  A US release is planned for early August from Subpop.




11) FLORRIE--Late EP
More great electropop offerings from the British lass, soon to deliver a full length.
12) METRIC--Synthetica
This band is finally beginning to get the attention they deserve with this album, entering Billboard US at #12.
13) MORTON HARKET--Out of My Hands
A-Ha's frontman goes solo again, but means it this time with this elegantly understated jewel.  Featuring a new Pet Shop Boys song.
14) LEMONADE--Diver
Alluring album for summer lounging with light R&B touches and a great raveup in "Big Changes".  A winner!
15) THE PIERCES--You & I
Bringing back memories of prime-era Bangles (not the cheesy stuff), this Coldplay-endorsed sister act has it.
16) SOULSAVERS--Light the Dead See
Dave Gahan of Depeche Mode does vocal duties on this which acts as the best LP he's made outside his regular band.  A bit of gospel and blues never hurt anyone.
17) KINDNESS--World, You Need Another Change Of Mind
Again virtually self-made, this album sits somewhere in the strange Prince-influenced record category, but I find it absolutely intriguing.
18) RUFUS WAINWRIGHT--Out of the Game
Sometimes Rufus the man can be a lot to take, but paired with Mark Ronson, he has created one of his best albums, and the best since the Want series.
19) PUBLIC IMAGE LTD--This is PiL
28 years is a long time to take off, but PiL did and managed to come back invigorated with one of the best albums they ever made.  Astonishing.
20) A SILENT FILM--Sand & Snow
Like Keane but better.
21) KEANE--Strangeland
22) GEMMA RAY--Island Fire
23) AMANDA MAIR--Amanda Mair
24) MAGNETIC FIELDS--Love at the Bottom of the Sea
25) PAUL WELLER--Sonik Kicks
26) TANLINES--Mixed Emotions
27) VIOLENS--True
28) LADYHAWKE--Anxiety
29) ULTRAVOX--Brilliant (another 28 year layoff with good results)
30) BOBBY WOMACK--Bravest Man in the Universe

The other good ones:
BLONDIE--Panic of Girls (I FINALLY got a deluxe CD--a winner for best package)
SANTIGOLD--Master of My Make-Believe
NICKI MINAJ--Roman Reloaded (Deluxe Edition)
KIMBRA--Vows
BEACH HOUSE--Bloom
ADAM LAMBERT--Trespassing
CRIBS--In the Belly of the Brazen Bull
ASTEROIDS GALAXY TOUR--Out of Frequency
NORAH JONES--Little Broken Hearts

There were some disappointments as well:
SIGUR ROS--Valtari.  Or when slow gets slower.  I'm not even sure Jonsi was around during half this record.
PALOMA FAITH--Fall to Grace.  Another slowie.  Let's call it adult contemporary.
FIONA APPLE--Idler Wheel...  Maybe I'll grow to love one day.  Right now the sound of a bleating sheep over stark percussion by someone who should be medicated isn't floating my boat.  She IS talented though.
EMELI SANDE--Our Version of Events.  Album didn't live up to the singles.  Snoozy at times.
SAM SPARRO--Return to Paradise.  Instead of channeling his R&B electo side we get Jamiroquai.

BEST REMASTER--The Everything But the Girl series of the first four albums.  BRAVO!
WORST REMASTER--Morrissey's travesty in cutting up his best solo album, Viva Hate.  Removing "Ordinary Boys" was alarming, replacing it with something that sounds like a rough demo distressing, but cutting nearly two minutes of "Late Night, Maudlin Street" is INEXCUSABLE.  People who were angry about Kate Bush tinkering with Red Shoes and Sensual World would be appalled by this hackjob.  I think I'll keep the originals, thanks very much.  Oh, and Morrissey, have you gone INSANE??

Finally, what do we have to do to get DRAGONETTE and LITTLE BOOTS to announce their official album release dates?

Q3 can't possibly get better than this.

Donna Summer, Queen of Music

When Michael Jackson died a few years ago, I took a special time out to comment on this blog at what a sad waste of talent the end of his life was, and how he seemed to throw everything away.  This year of our Lord 2012 we have lost several musical icons already--Etta James, Levon Helm, Whitney Houston, Adam Yauch--and while I could take the time to comment on every one, let me just say that, while some were harder to believe than others (Yauch in particular), others like Houston seemed like it was just a matter of time.  I guess what angered me the most about Houston's sad death was, similar to Amy Winehouse and Michael Jackson, these artists still had gifts to give, and they threw their talents away.  In Houston's case, I suspect she realized her voice was gone forever and sank into a depression spiral there was no recovery from.

The passing of Donna Summer this week is an incredible loss, and unlike a Houston or Winehouse, Donna never threw her talent away, and generally took care of her asset (her voice), sounding much more vibrant and alive on her 2008 album Crayons, recorded at age 59, than Houston did on her final album, I Look to You, recorded when she was just 46.  I will never forget how Donna's music changed my life as a child of the 70's growing up in a remote prairie town, where the extent of my popular music listening had been soft rock duos like the Carpenters and Captain & Tennille, light female pop singers like Dionne Warwick, Helen Reddy, and Cher, and inoffensive fare like the Fifth Dimension, Herb Alpert, and random Beatles records.  I remember absolutely loving "Last Dance" as a 10-year old, then "MacArthur Park", culminating in my first purchases of 45's for "Dim All the Lights", "Hot Stuff", and "Bad Girls" (I didn't have the money to buy the full Bad Girls double LP, so I bought an ABBA LP, Super Trouper, instead).

Had it not been for the influence of Donna's music, I would have probably continued down the path I had begun to walk with Styx, Journey, and Kansas (living in Kansas, being a fan was a given).  Sure I had the odd ELO and Billy Joel record, but most of my records were sending me straight to 80's hair metal heaven. Donna made me realize it was possible to cover a whole range of styles while staying a strong and soulful singer (the Pointer Sisters did this too, although not in such a direct way).  Her records had elements of dance, rock, pop, new wave, electro, swing...even a little country.  She didn't oversing her ballads, but gave them just the right amount of poignancy and heft.  She made me think about music from around the world as well, especially Europe, as her past connections drew her there through the time she had spent overseas.  Without Donna, I may never have discovered Grace Jones, Madonna, or Eurythmics, whose Annie Lennox probably had a bigger influence on me as a budding teen musician than any other artist of the time in the way she combined a certain British detachment infused with an incredible soul voice.  Others like Lisa Stansfield and Billie Ray Martin would later follow, and even pop girls like Olivia Newton-John and Kylie Minogue have a certain connection to the dance music Donna produced, and that is why all roads then lead back to Donna.  I knew I would never really be able to sing like Donna (being a man and all) but her style did lead me to discover lots of incredible male singers who operated in a similar style like Martin Fry or Green Gartside.  Even bands like Duran Duran owe some of their beats-meet-sequencer construction to songs like "I Feel Love". 

I cannot help but feel a certain part of my childhood has died this week.  Donna made some great videos like MJ ("She Works Hard for the Money"), could hold long notes like Whitney ("Dim All the Lights" in particular), and had an ability to reach a large audience similar to a Beyonce or Rihanna.  She was a diva but never seemed cold or mean like Christina Aguilera or Mariah Carey could sometimes be.  Listen to a greatest hits album (Gold is quite good), and you will realize that Donna's music will continue to keep her alive through its energy and heart.  As someone who knows almost every word to every major song of Donna's, her music is arguably more timeless and groundbreaking than any of the aforementioned icons listed above, and for a prairie kid growing up in the 70's, what more could you have wanted?

2012 Q1: aka The Big Sleep

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2011: I can't believe it's all gone...

I can't believe we are saying goodbye to another year.  They keep coming and going faster all the time.  At least, that's my perception.  2011 was a difficult year for me personally.   There was lots of upheaval at home with selling and building/buying a new home and moving on the same day in April--I STILL haven't recovered!  I have to say that since I've now gone through the process of moving for the first time in ten years, I can totally understand why people are fed up with how things are now.  It took the better part of a year to sell, even though the previous sale happened within weeks and the sellers had us at their mercy.  This was completely the opposite, and the amount of paperwork needed to secure a bank loan in 2011 is seriously OUT OF CONTROL.  It's no wonder people don't want to move.  The move itself is stressful enough, but when you cannot get bank approval or have to sign hundreds of documents, the prospect of following through with it seems rather daunting.  Still, I love my new home, and hope I can at least spend some time in it before things ever get really bad.  2011 was one of the most beautiful Christmases at home I have ever had.  Now I just need to get moving on finishing some decorating touches and 2012 is the year I hopefully get a little more settled.

2011 was the year my 95-year old grandmother passed away.  It was very hard for me emotionally, especially since we were rather close.  With all my moving expenses, I couldn't really afford the $700 price tag needed to fly to her home town for a couple days for the funeral, but I was there in spirit.  I was almost more at peace remembering her how she was when she was vibrant and energetic.  There were also dramas in my wife's family which I will not get into here, but needless to say, there was a lot of change and worrying for 2011.  Less next year would be a good thing.

So, enough of the Auld-Lang-Syne-ing and here is my list of the top albums of 2011.  Sorry it wasn't up sooner:

1) SOUND OF ARROWS--Voyage

I've been championing this band for the three years I have known about them, and nothing could have made me happier this fall than seeing their first full length album finally come to fruition.  And what an album it is!  The songs!  There are so many great tracks--"Into the Clouds", "Wonders", "M.A.G.I.C.", "Ruins of Rome", "My Shadow", "Longest Ever Dream", "Nova", "Conquest"...it actually gets difficult choosing singles to release!  There is a smooth quality to the singing and music that echoes a Pet Shop Boys sensibility, yet the synths are completely epic in Vangelis/Giorgio Moroder style.  It is an album with 80's written all over it, yet it feels fresh and modern.  Of course, it won't get the attention it deserves, but for now, it's our little secret, and my favorite album of the year.  Favorite track: "Wonders" is amazing, and "Ruins of Rome" is bliss

2) DURAN DURAN--All You Need Is Now

Some may say this album is actually 2010, but since three tracks were held back from Christmas for the April physical release, the album felt short and incomplete.  The final album is a fantastic statement of what made Duran Duran special in the first place, and what they can still be.  Mark Ronson seems to have acted more as therapist than producer, getting the band back in touch with the sound that made them famous, and there are some incredible results.  "Girl Panic!" is "Girls on Film" with more intensity, "Leave a Light On" is "Save a Prayer" meets "Ordinary World", and "The Man Who Stole a Leopard" a quirky "The Chauffeur" inspiration.  Favorite track:  a tossup between "Runway Runaway" and "Too Bad You're So Beautiful"

3) FLORENCE & THE MACHINE--Ceremonials

While some critics have lashed back at Flo for making a big-sounding album with a more unified sound than her first, someone needs to tell me what's wrong with that?  After all, isn't that what artists usually strive to do?  Ceremonials has some stately gothic numbers ("Only if For a Night", "No Light No Light", "Seven Devils"), uplifting tracks ("Shake it Out", "All This and Heaven Too"), and even some R&B ("Lover to Lover").  This is a very mature and fully-fleshed out album by a young singer who likes to emote a lot, and while it might hit some as overkill, in a world of Adeles, Florence is staking her claim.  She might want a little more restraint next time, but that does not keep Ceremonials from being a stellar, consistent album, top to bottom.  Favorite track:  "Spectrum"

4) TOM WAITS--Bad as Me

Not what you might consider a typical choice of mine, I am actually a big Tom Waits fan, and this album was his best since at least 1999's Mule Variations.  Anyone interested in Tom's body of work could really start here, as it serves as a good entry point featuring many different types of sounds and voices in one cohesive and explosive album.  He is an original, and nobody else sings or writes songs like him.  One to treasure.  Favorite track:  For romance, "Kiss Me"; for anger, "Hell Broke Luce"


5) GAVIN FRIDAY--Catholic

An artist who has been recording for nearly 30 years but known very little, Friday was a member of an early-80's underground group, the Virgin Prunes, and left in the later part of the decade for a solo career which has led him into much more satisfying avenues of musical expression.  His sound is sometimes reminiscent of a mix between the late Billy Mackenzie of the Associates and Bryan Ferry, and Friday is good friends with Bono and other U2 cast members.  He stopped making albums in the late 90's when soundtrack work came calling, but now after the death of his father and a divorce, Friday returned with some of his most important work after a 17-year hiatus.  Catholic is meant as a loose dedication to Irish culture, but is much more of an examination of life as we grow older and put mistakes in the past.  Darkly comic and simultaneously touching, Catholic deserves its place on this list.  (If you seek out the U2 Achtung Baby tribute by Q Magazine, Friday's take on "The Fly" is one of the best.)  Favorite track:  "A Song That Hurts"


6) FRIENDLY FIRES--Pala

An immense step up from their first record, I so wish Pala had sold better.  I am afraid many of their fans accused them of selling out and trying to sound like a mix of Vampire Weekend and Wham!, but whatever the reason, Pala is an amazing pop record, and deserved to be just as praised and respected as that Foster the People album famous from a song about killing kids.  Plus Ed MacFarlane is the best dancer in pop now (eat that Lady Gaga).  Favorite track:  "Hurting"


7) WILD BEASTS--Smother

Critically acclaimed but little heard, Wild Beasts suffer from having a lead singer with a quirky voice, but oh, what a voice!  Smother saw Wild Beasts begin to grow into their skins a little bit more, and become comfortable with who and what they are.  Mark my words, this is one band to watch, as they continue to grow and mutate into an ever stronger proposition.  The word is sex...don't be scared.  Favorite track:  "Bed of Nails"


8) THE HORRORS--Skying

Another UK band that just keeps getting better and better.  When the Horrors started as a shriek-y goth-punk band, I had zero interest.  When their second album was produced not only by Geoff Barrow (Portishead), but also Chris Cunningham (video director for Aphex Twin and Bjork), I took notice at their slackening of the noise but the increased tension that ran throughout their music.  Now they've gone all psychedelic-shoegaze with a bit of goth and glam remaining.  The last time I remembered a band improving so much over the course of their first three albums, their name was Radiohead.  While the Horrors don't sell in those kind of numbers, maybe they should.  Favorite track:  the epic "Moving Further Away"


9) DESTROYER--Kaputt

This came out quite early in the year, and maybe got forgotten by some, but it really stuck with me.  Dan Bejar softened some of his musical edges with keyboards piped in from Prefab Sprout-era pillowy 80's records, yet the lyrics remained just a sharp as ever.  I think Bejar has come up with something truly special, and cannot wait to see what he does next.  Another artist more should know about.  Favorite track:  the title song, "Kaputt"


10) LADY GAGA--Born This Way

Of course, it had to make the list.  It is not a token gesture.  While BTW may not be as immediately likeable as The Fame Monster was, it is a lot longer for one thing, and manages to synthesize all the things that make Gaga who she is in a mostly appealing way.  While some of the lyrics may be a tad over-reaching at times ("Born This Way" and "Judas"...I'm looking at you), there are some real winners present (I actually like parts of both of those songs too).  It's a shame "Marry the Night" wasn't released earlier, as it stands as one of Gaga's most iconic lyrics.  The album also features a Def Leppard homage and Clarence Clemons' last recorded performance.  So there.  Favorite track:  either "The Edge of Glory" or the Madonna-esque "Bad Kids"

And the rest:

11) COLDPLAY--Mylo Xyloto (their best since Rush of Blood...)
12) LAURA MARLING--A Creature I Don't Know (it really grew on me)
13) PATRICK WOLF--Lupercalia (I waited all year to buy this domestically and finally gave up for the import--he's never sounded so buoyant)
14) CUT COPY--Zonoscope (formerly #1 on this list a couple years back--this was still excellent)
15) JENS LEKMAN--An Argument With Myself (a great EP that could have been higher as an album)
16) DARREN HAYES--Secret Codes & Battleships (excellent consolidation of his talents, and very accessible)
17) SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR--Make a Scene (the album that finally saw the light of day--I wonder if it would have done better had it been released earlier)
18) KATE BUSH--50 Words for Snow (sex with a snowman--need I say more?)
19) LYKKE LI--Wounded Rhymes (excellent goth-girl group harmonies)
20) YOUNG GALAXY--Shapeshifting (shivering electro-pop rework of the original record--more please!)
21) PJ HARVEY--Let England Shake (excellent lyrics and D-A-R-K)
22) MIRRORS--Lights & Offerings (Ultravox meets OMD in 2011 for this collaboration--not really)
23) TORI AMOS--Night of Hunters (she's better without all that 70's MOR baggage from the last couple records--her 10 year old daughter is alarmingly good)
24) ORIGINAL 7EVEN (aka the Band Formerly Known as the Time)--Condensate (Morris Day's still got it)
25) HOLY GHOST!--Holy Ghost! (why this never got a domestic US CD release is beyond me)
26) PAINS OF BEING PURE AT HEART--Belong (the ghost of John Hughes called and wants his soundtrack back)
27) DUM DUM GIRLS--Only in Dreams (Chrissie Hynde is reborn as a retro girl-group songstress--FAB!)
28) M83--Hurry Up, We're Dreaming (John Hughes meets Giorgio Moroder in France, 1982...)
29) BETH DITTO--Beth Ditto EP (this should have been an album--AMAZINGLY good)
30) BRITNEY SPEARS--Femme Fatale (one of her best albums ever--up there with Blackout)
31) PENGUIN PRISON--Penguin Prison (great debut, and mostly done all on his own--impressive)
32) RAVEONETTES--Raven in the Grave (an especially gothy effort from the Danish duo, yet there were some light moments)
33) ERASURE--Tomorrow's World (the Frankmusik collab sounded better on paper than it actually did, leaving Andy Bell sounding a bit shrill.  Still, there were some sparkly moments...)
34) PETER GABRIEL--New Blood (now about that new album, Peter...it's been 11 years again...)
35) JUSTICE--Audio. Video. Disco.  (this was good--I just wish there were more Justice-y bits)
36) HUMAN LEAGUE--Credo (I actually really liked this record.  It's not at all commercial, granted...)
37) JESSICA 6--See the Light (not only did they feature Hercules & Love Affair's former lead singer, they stole their guest singer Antony Hegarty as well)
38) LIGHTS--Siberia (twee pop gets an edge)
39) WILL YOUNG--Echoes (there were many very good moments here, I just wish he'd get a little more excited--a bit too smooth at times)
40) GIRLS--Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (retro rock done right and not simply derivative)

other notables:
Adele, Miles Kane, Arctic Monkeys, Metronomy, Elbow, White Lies, the Vaccines, Cold Cave, Washed Out, the Drums, St. Vincent, Hard-Fi, S.C.U.M., Brett Anderson, Kasabian, Thomas Dolby, Nikki Jean, Foster the People, Diego Garcia, Feist, Active Child, Brendan Perry, the Rapture, Sarah Nixey, Florrie.

Up in 2012:
Lana del Rey, Ladyhawke, the Presets, Saint Etienne, Pet Shop Boys, School of Seven Bells, Marina & the Diamonds, Little Boots, Santigold, La Roux, Dragonette, Bat for Lashes, Robbie Williams, Empire of the Sun, the Big Pink, Sleigh Bells, Metric, Phoenix, Air, Morrissey, No Doubt, the Killers, Garbage--a BUSY 2012 awaits!