Ciao, Tutti!
Okay, I wonder how long it'll be until I can't do this sort of thing anymore. I mean, aren't CD's becoming obsolete? That's what I've heard, anyway. I'm not used to being considered a dinosaur; I still love to hold the hard copy in my hand. And, let's face it: iPod quality files sound like farts. Seriously. Especially when heard through ear buds.
Anyway, in recognition of the CD's fading glory, I'm adding some new sections to this top 10 list: my top concerts and top tracks. Yes, tracks. That's what the world has come to. I still think of the CD as an art form unto itself, but I'm apparently in the minority here. I've been told it's the songs that matter, not the CD as a complete package.
But whoever told me that is WRONG!
And here we go:
Sam's Top 10 CD's of 2009
1) Abdullah Ibrahim - Senzo This year I was so pumped up because I didn't feel pressured into putting a jazz CD high on my top 10 list, since now I'm more "open-minded." But then Abdullah Ibrahim had to go and make the most beautiful piece of art you can buy in shrink wrap from 2009, topped only by his quite literally breathtaking concert I saw in June. Ibrahim's percussive and expressive solo piano record is a continuous piece of music - if you listened without knowing anything about it, you'd think it was a 60-minute song. In reality there are 23 individual compositions, making an average length of under 2 minutes per song. Ibrahim masterfully strips each piece down to its bare essentials, and once the idea is played out he simply moves on to the next seamlessly. The ideas do not get trite at any point as one might expect from an hour of solo piano, as Ibrahim changes the rhythmic feel and harmonic tonality whenever necessary to produce a rich variety of sounds. Themes appear and reappear throughout the transitions, so the performance does have the sense of being unified to the point where one can lose himself in it. Still, if you don't have enough time to listen through the whole thing there are individual songs that stand out as excellent stand-alone pieces. Basically what I mean to say is, this CD has everything.
2) Joe Henry - Blood From Stars I am a huge Joe Henry fan, as you probably know, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise to hear me say that this CD is one of the best pieces of artwork put out this year. Hell, I put "Civilians" as number 5 a couple years ago, which I am now willing to concede was a mistake in judgment. But not only is "Blood From Stars" a masterful musical production, it is probably the best example of Joe Henry's music to date (yes, even better than "Scar"). The musical journey Henry started with the masterpiece "Scar" is shown in "Blood From Stars" to be moving farther and into new meaning. The main advances in this CD have to do with form and rhythm. Henry has never been much of a rhythmic singer, but he brings out the percussive aspects of his orchestra here. This fits in well with what he does with form, which is to hint with rhythmic activity at a larger concept, then bides his time as the listener eagerly waits for the bubble to pop. Thus Henry draws dynamic emphasis to the dramatic sections of the pieces. The forms themselves aren't all that innovative, but the presentation makes every note serendipitous. Then Henry writes moving and creepy background lines in the strings and horns (on one track it sounds like a train!). Not to mention the signature transitions and use of interesting samples. The only fall-backs are the few tunes that lapse into "Civilians"-like familiarity, but even so, the CD as a work of art is nothing short of brilliant in my mind.
3) White Rabbits - It's Frightening This sextet's controlled heavy rock sound was bewildering to me. Really. When I first heard "Percussion Gun," I didn't know what I was hearing. The pounding double tom toms seemed to be playing one rhythm, the singer singing to another. And then the guitar came in, somehow in the right place, and it all made sense. They knew what they were doing, but they were going to let me guess until the peak of the lyrics came in ("and I know which way to run") when I couldn't help but nod my head and say aloud, "this is awesome!" The same effect is present for "Lioness," but in a different way, when the band drops out besides the diminished and out of place piano mid-way through the piece, except the piano isn't really diminished or out of place, as the bass later reveals. White Rabbits is so aware of its themes throughout "It's Frightening" that it can pick them apart, separate them, then bring them together at will, whenever they want emphasis. It's so well-composed in this way that I keep finding new things to listen for as I listen again and again. The second half of the CD is more like their first record, "Fort Nightly," which is not as innovative as the first half but still a good listen. This was by far the best find of 2009.
4) Brother Ali - The Truth Is Here/Us Quickly followed by the second-best find of 2009. "The Truth is Here" and "Us," both released this year, show different sides of the Twin Cities rapper. EP "The Truth is Here" has some of the best beat-making I've ever heard, as hi-lighted by the jazzy "Real as Can Be" and the funky "Baby Don't Go," not to mention the cool use of samples (probably from movies, but I dunno) between and during songs. "Us," on the other hand, is a full-length that features a better performance from the front man, Ali himself. As a full-length rap album there are some songs that aren't necessary, but in general Ali pours his heart into each song, rapping about displaced immigrants, a childhood with divorced parents, the pain of losing a first love (where it actually sounds like he's going to break down crying), and being in love with a girl still devastated by an abusive relationship. Brother Ali has the strongest love of just about anyone, and he's not afraid to lay it out there for everyone to hear. One wouldn't normally associate love (of God, of art, of his brothers, of his family, of life) to be the subject of rap songs, but Ali makes it sound as if it shouldn't be any other way.
5) The Lonely Island - Incredibad No one seems to take this record seriously. I don't blame them; it is a comedy CD, after all. But Andy Samberg, Jorma Taconne, and Akiva Schaffer certainly took this project seriously and made good use of the resources available to them through Saturday Night Live. They did not fall prey to thinking that just because they could write some funny lyrics that their job was done. They created a project that could be listened to again and again because the music was actually pretty good. "Santana DVX?" That beat is amazing. "Like a Boss?" Ditto. "I'm on a Boat?" What more need be said? I do miss "Stork Patrol," which didn't make the record, but regardless. The point of this project, and the real innovation, is the knee-slapping comedy, but that didn't stop the Lonely Island from writing some good music to go with it.
6) Antony and the Johnsons - Crying Light Antony's innovation is like Bill Frisell's innovation: it's his personal sound that's so different, not what he's playing. In Antony's case, it's his voice. Take a listen and you'll know what I mean. There isn't a person in the world who sings like that besides him. It puts some people off (my brother, my father), but the fact of the matter is that Antony has an amazing singing voice and remarkable control. Then you combine it with his vision for songwriting, which in this case is nearly like a chamber orchestra but with an occasional jazz instrument, and you have a unique sound. Antony's instrumentations are really coming from his head, not directly from his training; some of these combinations are not combinations I've ever heard in another context. He really sings and writes with his heart. My only complaint is the lack of rhythm; the CD is generally calm and never rocks out. Even so, songs like "Aeon" add a mild punch, the harshly picked electric guitar taking the place of a drum set.
7) Arvo Part - In Principio If you skip Estonian composer Arvo Part's awkward title track, "In Principio" is probably my favorite classical production right now. Part has a knack for understanding how the timbres of the string orchestra work with the church choir, and the sounds blend together to make often religiously toned chords. Part is, in truth, most interested in chords; except for "Mein Wei" there is really not much rhythmic variation (a lot of quarter notes). A lot of these chordal discoveries, however, are stunning, either through use of canon or through a chord-building technique he reputedly invented. Just make sure to skip the beginning, which is melodramatic and flat.
8) Baroness - Blue Record I just got this, so it might move a little up or down by the time I've really had a chance to digest it. Yet with the amount I've listened to this record I might argue I've digested it enough. This punk-metal band is more than meets the ear - not only can they demonstrate that they can really sing, but they demonstrate that they can really play! The lyrics are really inconsequential compared to the instruments, and the pieces are presented nearly symphonically in their form and construction, with the development of motives as the main tool for musical generation. Not only that, but the CD holds together nicely through a constant development of the "Bullhead" theme we hear in the opening track that features guitars singing so sweetly they sound almost like saxophones at first.
9) John Hollenbeck Large Ensemble - Eternal Interlude Of all the CD's I've heard this past year, this has got to be one of the most ambitious, a quality that works for and against one of my favorite composers, John Hollenbeck, in "Eternal INterlude." The opening track, "Foreign One," is one of the best of the year without a doubt - certainly the best in jazz - and is serviced by the dichotomy between the piano and vibraphone along with the held trombone section changing the chords ever so suddenly, not to mention the masterful sax solo by Tony Mallaby and drum solo by Hollenbeck himself. The title track, "Eternal Interlude," teeters on suffering from taking itself too seriously - While 17 minutes was plenty of time for his "Blessing," when there is only one idea to develop it has the tendency to become tedious. But the CD is strengthened by drummer-like qualities: long builds, sudden spaces where the orchestra drops out, and pounding rhythms. John Hollenbeck is always a cerebral listen, and his vision comes through clearly in this new CD.
10) Dave Douglas - A Single Sky Another jazz big band record, this Frankfurt Radio Band production is a polar opposite of Hollenbeck's Large Ensemble in its insistence on remaining true to tradition. The voicings, the hits, the dividing of the sections, all are nothing new to the jazz fan's ear. The pieces have normal jazz forms, AABA, that are stretched out over 10:00 pieces, focussing more on the groove and the solos than the writing or the thematic concepts, as Hollenbeck does. What's so unique about this record is the juxtaposition of Douglas's writing style with the traditional concept of writing for a big band. For example, in Jim McNeely's stunning arrangement of Douglas's "A Single Sky" throws the whole of the brass section into each hit with a passion, much different from the relaxed, laid-back original sextet version. The fact that it's a German big band is apt: the sound is almost always huge, often featuring two horn sections doing separate things along with a soloist. Douglas's playing holds the concept together, since without great soloists how could compositions focused on the solo work? If you're a fan of Douglas's writing, this CD is an interesting and fun take on it.
Thanks for bearing with me through the list, guys. A few notes of warning, though, on records you should stay away from at all costs, or CDs that didn't make the list and why!
The Black Lips - 200 Million Thousand was the biggest wast of money in my entire life. I paid to listen to a band who didn't know how to record (oh, boy, volume clipping, my favorite), sing, or play their instruments. And it's supposed to be "indie." I don't want to pay a bunch of idiots who don't know what to do. If you already own this record, I apologize on the band's behalf. They suck. Flat out.
Animal Collective - Merriweather Post Pavilion was a good Cd filled with good music that just sounds too harsh. I can't listen to more than 2 or three songs at a time until the intense treble starts to burn my ears. Power to you if you can take it better than I can - as I said, there's a lot to this CD. But even so, I can't imagine it holding up as a CD. Everything is built off a triplet feel and major keys. It gets old. But, hey, this CD is the #1 on quite a few lists, so grab a listen for yourself before you judge.
Dirty Projectors - Bitte Orca is a good disc. I don't have anything bad to say about it except it's just not my style. "Cannibal Recourse" rules as a song, if you can ignore the singers being out of tune. But I fail to see what's so innovative and influential about them, though it's certainly true they have their own unique sound. Just not for me.
The Dodos - Time To Die was the biggest disappointment of the year. Last year I had Visiter as #1, and this disc isn't enough to make the list, despite the addition of a vibraphonist, which you would think would clinch the deal. But this CD doesn't move forward from Visiter at all; in fact, it scots back into predictable rhythms and boring forms. If you have a craving to hear new Dodos, go hear them live. They play a great show.
Grizzly Bear - Veckamist is part 2 of my 2 part series on disappointing records. It probably would have made the list above Dave Douglas if it weren't for sell-out pop song "Two Weeks," which makes me want to tear my hair out if I can't get to the remote in time. "While You Wait For The Others" is a pretty amazing song, but I've found it doesn't stand the test of time, and it hasn't even been that much time. Compared to the amazing innovation of "Yellow House," or even the mediocre innovation of "A Single Sky," "Veckamist" is nothing more than a disappointment.
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix is a Cd I don't have much to say about because I haven't listened much. I tried. "1901" and "Listomania" received such acclaim that I figured I didn't listen right the first time I heard them. Then I listened again and realized I still hate them, despite what people say. I can't even remember why.
The XX - I have to mention them because they played New Year Eve at Flaming Fire's installation art gallery, and they have blown up with their self-titled debut record. "Crystalized" is a great song. The record itself is pretty boring and low key. I don't argue against it, but I can't see anything special about it.
James Carney - Ways and Means; Vijay Iyer's new CD are both projects I haven't had the liberty of listening to yet. I look forward to it.
Memory Tapes - Memory Tapes would have been #11. They often use cheap tricks to build pieces, but their sound is developed and their ideas are interesting and catchy. "Bicycle" is a pretty good song, as is "Plain Material." Sort of dance, sort of electronica, they make a fun listen.
Okay, if you read this far, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. But you didn't, because you're not insane and you have things to do in 2010.
Happy New Year,
-Sam goldsmith
Showing posts with label The Dodos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Dodos. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Flaming Fire, The Dodos, and the Re:Write Review
Ciao, Tutti!
Look, folks, I know what you're all wondering. And the answer is yes: my calves are so strong and chiseled from all this walking in New York City.
Now for the stuff you don't care about as much:
1) The new Flaming Fire website is here! It's a huge improvement over the last one, complete with latest updates (including an embarrassing video of me screwing up our new song at the first gig that I purposely didn't post here) and new photos! I'm even in a couple of the photos from the SUNY Purchase gig, which was one of the most fun experiences in my life, thanks for asking. Go check it out to learn more about what I got myself involved with.
2) That said, because of some scheduling happiness - and by "happiness" I mean "horrid devastation of the abyss" - Flaming Fire has taken the week off, which means... You guessed it! I had Wednesday night off. Which means... You guessed it! I could go to my first ever Re:Write Review Wednesday night meeting!
Okay, so maybe you didn't guess it.
I've been wanting to attend one of these meetings for nearly a year now, though it's only been weighing on my heart for the last four or five months. As I said in a previous post, I've already submitted "Group Therapy" to them, as well as an entry for their contest. And I had an entry to their contest for their first issue, which didn't win but got published! And the editor is one of my good friends, Aurora, from my very first year at NYU. And I was at the official release for the Re:Write Review's first issue to see Aurora and others so some readings.
In short, I've been wanting in on this group for a while.
I read the short story "The Secret Desires of the Cats," which is posted in an earlier form on this blog, which got a surprisingly warm reception, considering the great quality of the other pieces read before mine. Also, I read right after the very talented writer Joel Ealy wrote a remarkably profound account of his cat's recent passing, which took me right back to the moment that we had to put Zack down. In short, they were very supportive and offered helpful constructive criticism (unlike certain high school English teachers I had), and isn't that everything one could want from a writing group? The guys and gals - including the hilariously awkward and brilliant playwright Kristin Froberg, whose dialogue writing is simply precious - are easygoing and effortless to pass time with. I have only good thing to say about these people, as you can see, and I hope Flaming Fire has another Wednesday off sometime around the corner so I can do it again.
So, with no further ado, Re:Write Review's website will take a spot along with my other links posted along the left-hand side of the blog. If you want to check it out, go for it. The guidelines for submission and their new contest are there, so if you want to set your muse free, there's one possible outlet.
One minor problem with both these groups, Flaming Fire and Re:Write Review: both have enough religious overtones to make me fidget. Is being religiously inspired not as terrible as my mother thinks it is? No, never!
3) Yesterday, while I should have been studying for a midterm depending on your definition of "should," I was watching the Dodos in Williamsburg. As you might remember, their record "Visiter" (spelled wrong on purpose) was my #1 CD of 2008. Well, they've released a new CD, "Time to Die," and are now on tour promoting it.
Am I legally allowed to post this picture? Aw, who cares, anyway?
Because the show was so amazing, I thought I'd share some thoughts about it. Made amazing not the least because I bumped into another freshman year friend at the show, Abby Garnett, Kevin Garnett's white, blonde cousin. As for the performance, it was borderline transformative. Guitarist Meric Long owned the stage, though amid the energy that the band shared was an exceeding, nearly classical discipline. Actually, that's one of my favorite aspects of the Dodos, other than their driving rhythms: their nearly symphonic treatment of their grooves and the long forms of their pieces. "Paint the Rust" was an incredible rendition that send vibrations coursing through the body. recent addition Keaton Snyder drew my eyes the most, I think, possibly because he plays the instrument I've been studying for nearly eight years now. Plus, he was kind of playing the vibes and drums at the same time, three mallets on the drums and one on the vibes. That was pretty cool. This show has to rate in my top 5 for the year, by far. Definitely better than TV on the Radio's concert at the Fox Theater in Oakland, even though everyone knows I adore TV on the Radio.
All in all, the show had the same successes and pitfalls I see in "Time to Die." While keeping their charismatic interplay between drummer Logan Kroeber and Meric Long that defined "Visiter," there's something lacking. It came through in the show and it comes through on the CD: the new songs lack the same kind of drumming variation and smooth forms that produce grand composition arcs. In short, it just doesn't feel as natural as "Visiter." This was so evident in the show that I found myself wishing that they would stop playing music from the new record and stick to the old. For example, the most energetic piece of "Time to Die" is definitely "This is a Business," but when they played it live, it lost the punch, as if their energy was being put into maintaining the form. "The Season," however, which was the final encore, hit 100,000 times harder, and it wasn't even the hardest hitter on "Visiter."
Could it be that the Dodos just don't have the new tunes under their fingers as well as the old? It would make sense - John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet was the same way when I saw them. But the same thing is true of the record: it's just not as smooth and thus not as authentically energetic as "Visiter" was. Perhaps the Dodos should have waited a little longer before recording this one to give the drums and the song forms time to define themselves better. It sounds to me like the pieces are still trying to find their shapes, though they're in an adequate enough state to perform. Still, "Time to Die" feels somewhat incomplete to me, like a sentence without a period at the end
But don't let this take away from how great the show was. The show was truly wonderful, and you should all be jealous you didn't see it. Also don't let this take away from the album. I'm listening to it right now, in fact, so it is by no means a bad record. But "Visiter" raised the bar too high, I'm afraid.
Now I'm off to walk in New York City some more to work on those calves. Yet another thing for you to be jealous about.
-Sam goldsmith
Look, folks, I know what you're all wondering. And the answer is yes: my calves are so strong and chiseled from all this walking in New York City.
Now for the stuff you don't care about as much:
1) The new Flaming Fire website is here! It's a huge improvement over the last one, complete with latest updates (including an embarrassing video of me screwing up our new song at the first gig that I purposely didn't post here) and new photos! I'm even in a couple of the photos from the SUNY Purchase gig, which was one of the most fun experiences in my life, thanks for asking. Go check it out to learn more about what I got myself involved with.
2) That said, because of some scheduling happiness - and by "happiness" I mean "horrid devastation of the abyss" - Flaming Fire has taken the week off, which means... You guessed it! I had Wednesday night off. Which means... You guessed it! I could go to my first ever Re:Write Review Wednesday night meeting!
Okay, so maybe you didn't guess it.
I've been wanting to attend one of these meetings for nearly a year now, though it's only been weighing on my heart for the last four or five months. As I said in a previous post, I've already submitted "Group Therapy" to them, as well as an entry for their contest. And I had an entry to their contest for their first issue, which didn't win but got published! And the editor is one of my good friends, Aurora, from my very first year at NYU. And I was at the official release for the Re:Write Review's first issue to see Aurora and others so some readings.
In short, I've been wanting in on this group for a while.
I read the short story "The Secret Desires of the Cats," which is posted in an earlier form on this blog, which got a surprisingly warm reception, considering the great quality of the other pieces read before mine. Also, I read right after the very talented writer Joel Ealy wrote a remarkably profound account of his cat's recent passing, which took me right back to the moment that we had to put Zack down. In short, they were very supportive and offered helpful constructive criticism (unlike certain high school English teachers I had), and isn't that everything one could want from a writing group? The guys and gals - including the hilariously awkward and brilliant playwright Kristin Froberg, whose dialogue writing is simply precious - are easygoing and effortless to pass time with. I have only good thing to say about these people, as you can see, and I hope Flaming Fire has another Wednesday off sometime around the corner so I can do it again.
So, with no further ado, Re:Write Review's website will take a spot along with my other links posted along the left-hand side of the blog. If you want to check it out, go for it. The guidelines for submission and their new contest are there, so if you want to set your muse free, there's one possible outlet.
One minor problem with both these groups, Flaming Fire and Re:Write Review: both have enough religious overtones to make me fidget. Is being religiously inspired not as terrible as my mother thinks it is? No, never!
3) Yesterday, while I should have been studying for a midterm depending on your definition of "should," I was watching the Dodos in Williamsburg. As you might remember, their record "Visiter" (spelled wrong on purpose) was my #1 CD of 2008. Well, they've released a new CD, "Time to Die," and are now on tour promoting it.
Am I legally allowed to post this picture? Aw, who cares, anyway?
Because the show was so amazing, I thought I'd share some thoughts about it. Made amazing not the least because I bumped into another freshman year friend at the show, Abby Garnett, Kevin Garnett's white, blonde cousin. As for the performance, it was borderline transformative. Guitarist Meric Long owned the stage, though amid the energy that the band shared was an exceeding, nearly classical discipline. Actually, that's one of my favorite aspects of the Dodos, other than their driving rhythms: their nearly symphonic treatment of their grooves and the long forms of their pieces. "Paint the Rust" was an incredible rendition that send vibrations coursing through the body. recent addition Keaton Snyder drew my eyes the most, I think, possibly because he plays the instrument I've been studying for nearly eight years now. Plus, he was kind of playing the vibes and drums at the same time, three mallets on the drums and one on the vibes. That was pretty cool. This show has to rate in my top 5 for the year, by far. Definitely better than TV on the Radio's concert at the Fox Theater in Oakland, even though everyone knows I adore TV on the Radio.
All in all, the show had the same successes and pitfalls I see in "Time to Die." While keeping their charismatic interplay between drummer Logan Kroeber and Meric Long that defined "Visiter," there's something lacking. It came through in the show and it comes through on the CD: the new songs lack the same kind of drumming variation and smooth forms that produce grand composition arcs. In short, it just doesn't feel as natural as "Visiter." This was so evident in the show that I found myself wishing that they would stop playing music from the new record and stick to the old. For example, the most energetic piece of "Time to Die" is definitely "This is a Business," but when they played it live, it lost the punch, as if their energy was being put into maintaining the form. "The Season," however, which was the final encore, hit 100,000 times harder, and it wasn't even the hardest hitter on "Visiter."
Could it be that the Dodos just don't have the new tunes under their fingers as well as the old? It would make sense - John Hollenbeck's Claudia Quintet was the same way when I saw them. But the same thing is true of the record: it's just not as smooth and thus not as authentically energetic as "Visiter" was. Perhaps the Dodos should have waited a little longer before recording this one to give the drums and the song forms time to define themselves better. It sounds to me like the pieces are still trying to find their shapes, though they're in an adequate enough state to perform. Still, "Time to Die" feels somewhat incomplete to me, like a sentence without a period at the end
But don't let this take away from how great the show was. The show was truly wonderful, and you should all be jealous you didn't see it. Also don't let this take away from the album. I'm listening to it right now, in fact, so it is by no means a bad record. But "Visiter" raised the bar too high, I'm afraid.
Now I'm off to walk in New York City some more to work on those calves. Yet another thing for you to be jealous about.
-Sam goldsmith
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
2008 Best CD's
Ciao, Tutti!
Happy Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanza, Solstice, New Years, Chinese New Year, and anything I may have forgotten. Love each other and kiss total strangers. It may help them get through the incredible stress of endless shopping, partying with people you hoped would have moved to Virginia by now, making food, and decorating. 'Tis the season.
My vacation has been exactly that: a vacation. The best part about college is the length of vacations. And yet I feel I should be hard at work. I'm still working on my fantasy trilogy of novels. My original goal was to finish with Book 2 by the end of the break. Ha! That would have been great. Plus I wanted to finish writing all the music for my recital next semester. Now I just feel inadequate. Not to mention my inability to read any or all of the great books I've received this season. Plus wanting to post more short stories on this blog, which hasn't exactly happened yet.
So work never ends. How come no one told me about this?
But today I feel it is my duty - No! My privilege - to post my top ten CD's of 2008. About a month ago I was wondering how I was going to even come up with 10. Now I feel 2008 was a pretty strong year after all for music, much more so than last year.
But first:
Where To Find My Stories
The other stories are in the archives somewhere along the left-hand side of my blog, intermingled with the pictures I took in Europe and shameless self-promotion.
"Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" is under the post entitled "Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" (duh) in the month of November.
"The VideoMag Proposal" is under the post entitled "The Day Before November" in October. It's a long post and the story is near the bottom.
"Cliche Central" is under the post entitled "Art Sharing Day" in October.
My brother's sudden fiction, "On The Way To Work," is under the post entitled "On The Way To Work - My Brother, The Storyteller" in November.
Enjoy!
Top 10 CD's of 2008
1) The Dodo's - Visiter Yes, that is spelled correctly. The title of the CD gives this Oakland-based group an apt portrayal of their homemade style, as does their childish album art. The acoustic, wry guitar-drums duo (no, not like the White Stripes or Black Keys) pounds groove and distinctive melodic qualities into the mind in one of the best complete CD's I've heard in ages. Everything's there. Great songs, like "Joe's Waltz" and "Park Song." A feeling of continuity throughout the disc. Innovative rhythm and harmony. Emotional vocals. The only complaint to be had about this CD is the occasional ill-conceived lyric. Otherwise, this is amazing. Please, go buy this CD right now. I'm waiting.
2) Dafnis Prieto Sextet - The Emotions Series: Taking the Soul for a Walk I may be biased here, since I personally know most of the musicians on this project and the leader, drummer Dafis Prieto, is one of the senior faculty at my school. Plus I saw the premier of this suite at the Jazz Gallery in New York City. That said, I've been waiting for this CD for about a year now and it did not disappoint. This is some of the most exciting jazz writing and arranging out there since Dave Holland, conspicuously absent from this list, accidentally relinquished the mantle. A unique fuzzing of Afro-Cuban jazz styles with fusion and traditional jazz, Prieto utilizes the colors of the sextet and his own virtuosic drumming to the extreme. It can be a bit much at times; Prieto's writing, like his playing, has the tendency to be dense. But it's worth it.
Talking to Peter Apfelbaum, saxophonist and melodicaist on the record and lifelong friend of mine, he said that the musicians brought their best to the studio that day. They were so excited about it that they considered not even remastering it. Now, how's that for chemistry? Magic? One of the few good jazz records of the year.
3) TV On The Radio - Dear Science You have to understand this as two CD's: one that starts on track 1 and the other that starts on track 6. If this were the second CD, it would easily be number one. Home of "Love Dog" and "DLZ," two of the best songs released this year, the second half of "Dear Science" is potent, gritty, and exciting. Other than "Dancing Choose," nothing else of the project resembles anything of the originality and drive of their previous records. When listening to "Crying" for the first time I felt like ripping my headphones out. It felt more overproduced than the Black Keys's new CD, produced by Danger Mouse. However, after a few listens I have been able to appreciate all the songs, including the over appreciated single, "Golden Age." If I sound down on the CD, it's only in comparison to TV On The Radio's other work. Compared to the rest of the bands out there, a mainstream, poppy TVOTR CD is still one of the best of the year by far.
After the first three there's a real drop-off. I like all the CD's in the top ten, of course, but these three were by far the best, and depending on your style, can probably be arranged in whatever order you want.
4) Flying Lotus - Los Angeles Add a vocalist and this dub CD would easily be with the top three in terms of quality. More songs like the second-to-last "Testament" would have been appreciated. But it's hard to complain here. Flying Lotus has an obvious niche, and it's not meant to be listened to with the same rapt attention as the music listened above. It's meant to be soothing or in the background. "Los Angeles" has the composition of a great disc, even if a bit long. It functions like a long suite, so listening to the whole project in one sitting is rather fulfilling. Still, if you only have the time for a few singles, "Comet Course," "Riot," "Breathe.something/Stellar Star," and the aforementioned "Testament" eagerly await. Exciting rhythm and bass flow create this well-crafted CD. Now if there were only a melody...
5) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair If you don't know Antony And The Johnsons, you're in for an adventure. The man can sing, but his voice takes some time getting warmed up to. His falsetto and self-inflicted tremolo fit this band perfectly for two reasons: he doesn't have to sing so slowly that the tremolo gets annoying, and the two weirdnesses complement each other. This dance/techno/electronica/soul/funk/whatever group's sonorities are so distinctive that Antony seems necessary here. And he kicks butt. This perfect-length CD features three different lead singers, violins, brass (including solos!), bass synths, and drum machine beats. Most of the time it rocks, grooves, jams, and gets into your soul, especially "Hercules Theme" and "Blind." Easily interchangeable with Flying Lotus for 4 and 5, but I went with Flying Lotus because its beats are more interesting. Innovative rhythm and harmony won over innovative rhythm and melody. Perhaps the two bands should get together... yeah, no.
6) Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Continued If I had to choose one CD from this 2-disc set, it would be Microcastle, but there's really no need. This collection of music is not particularly innovative, but the sound of the band and its lead singer is so in sync that they pull off a great project. Using styles ranging narrowly from indie rock to alternative rock to classic rock, everything falls easily into place. "Never Stops" actually had me thinking deeply about tonic/mediant relations in harmony, though now I'd say I like "Saved By Old Times" best on this CD. There's nothing to say about this CD's newness, just that they did everything right, save for the boring segment in the middle of the CD.
7) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes Near the top of everyone's list for 2008, I had to check them out. And they are quite good. Americana, folk rock, a capella, Christmas carol sounding, etc. I was quite excited about them when I first put them in the CD tray. I am a sucker for cool vocal harmony, and they reminded me of a less innovative but fully welcome Crosby Stills Nash and Young. And the too-long CD is solid all the way through. I am particularly fond of the reverb on the singers' voices, giving the whole project a pastoral feel (as do the religious lyrics that are probably there but I don't listen to). But this is the first CD on the list without a single to brag effusively about. The 4th best song on "Dear Science" is better than the best song on this disc, to be honest. This disc is lined with undistinguished song after undistinguished song, all excellent, making up a fairly good unified work. And there is no rhythmic or chordal innovation here at all. The Dodos takes Fleet Foxes to school in terms of creativity, even if they would be grouped together under "acoustic rock."
8) Ambrose Akinmusire - Prelude: To Cora Another biased choice, Sam! While never overlapping with him in high school, we attended the same BHS Jazz Ensemble and know each other from there (okay, I doubt he knows me). The trumpeter cut this album right off his winning of the Thelonius Monk international jazz competition on trumpet, and he deals with the pressure of everyone watching him with the same gusto he had in high school. He plays trumpet, and I normally can't stand the way trumpets sound. Normally. He wrote most of the music, including the scary "M.I.S.T.A.G. (My Inappropriate Soundtrack To A Genocide)," one of my favorite songs to come out this year. Featured throughout most of the CD, giving it a distinctive sound, is a singer who sounds more suited for opera than for jazz, though it oddly meshes well with the trumpet here. She dominates "M.I.S.T.A.G." as well as a few other tracks by sounding out of place at first and dramatic at second. The vibraphonist (yay!) who shares a name with my middle school math teacher also lends his strange sound to the mix with his fast vibrato. The only shortcoming of the disc is its inconsistency. I could delete half of it, especially the superficially covered "Stablemates," and I wouldn't even notice. But try and take the whole CD and you'll have to kill me first.
9) Ben Allison - Little Things Run The World Bassist Ben Allison being Ben Allison at his best. The first track explains it all. "Respiration," one of my favorite tracks of ALL TIME from his record "Buzz," is the opener again for his jazz/rock/fusion quartet Man-Sized Safe. Done differently and featuring a burning trumpet solo that makes the new rendition worth it, the tone is set for Ben Allison the way we've always known him. Like Deerhunter, this CD is nothing new done very well. Especially appreciated is the added play of saxophonist Ted Nash on a few tracks. Ben Allison has, as always, a rock-steady rhythm section and characteristic methods of composing melodies and harmonies that have always distinguished him from his contemporaries. His low rank on this list is almost a competition with himself rather than other CD's of 2008. The composition of this CD is at least as good as Fleet Foxes and probably the best place to start if you don't know his work yet. But still, nothing quite like "Riding the Nuclear Tiger" or the original "Respiration."
10) The Matthew Herbert Big Band - There's Me and There's You This disc is by far the most original of all on the top ten. That made for weird listening the first time through. Perhaps this is why record stores don't know whether to put him in the jazz or electronica section of their stores. May I add a category? Soundtrack, anyone? The lead vocalist sounds plucked from Broadway and shoved into a brassy jazz big band with a sampler running behind them. It was hard to get used to. The tracks sounded like show tunes, though at times like jazz big band pieces, and at others avant-garde dub pieces. I couldn't figure it out. But I figured that any guy who's able to scrounge together 100 musicians (no joke!) for a project deserves a second listen, and I'm glad I gave Matthew Herbert that second chance. The songs are catchy, thanks to their show tune nature; rhythmic, thanks to their electronica nature; and groovy and hip, thanks to their jazz influence. It's got it all thrown together in a hodgepodge of sound. I like it. My mother hates it. It's a personal preference thing. I personally don't like the predilection towards brass, and the singer's voice gets annoying eventually, but songs like the first track, "The Story," show what kind of insane brilliance a man with a vision can come up with. This is recommended just to hear what people are doing with music these days. Wow.
Honorable Mention:
Dave Holland Sextet - Pass It On. Meh. All the playing is good. I've heard it all a million times already. Still, though. Some the best players in jazz playing what I've heard a million times. Why I'd listen to this as opposed to any other Dave Holland record is beyond me, though.
High Places - High Places Short and sweet electronic music that sounds like a forest. It's calming and unique, but they ran out of ideas. 30 minutes and every song sounds the same.
DJ Rupture - Uproot Some of this dub record is really interesting. It works well as a continuous piece, but it gets long and tedious. He's got some great ideas, like with the violins in the middle somewhere, but a lot of it I can do without. People loved this record, though, so I'm giving it another shot.
The Bug - London Zoo "Poison Dart" has a great chorus, and some of the songs rock out. Great beats in general, and I love the political Jamaican rap. But about half of the CD just blows. Such a good idea with choppy execution.
Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life If you don't mind punk rock with a guy screaming into the mic but mixed so low you can't even hear him, this is for you. The first song, "Son The Father," rules. Without it I would have never given the CD a chance. The music is actually pretty good, and they make it clear they have melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic sensibilities throughout the disc with different methods. "Crooked Head" is a good example. But do they have to scream? And do they have to mix it so bad?
Conspicuously Missing: Vampire Weekend
I never thought I'd have to justify not liking this CD to anyone. It's that bad. But here I am, trying to think of technical reasons to trash it. People loved this CD. It got about as much acclaim as "Dear Science." And it didn't deserve it. Every song sounded the same. It was tinny and wiry sounding. The harmonies sucked and the rhythms sucked even more. It was so damn bright I couldn't see a thing. It's not even innovative: The Walkmen are basically the same band (and their new CD was pretty bad, too, but it was better than Vampire Weekend, by a little). I'm sorry, world who likes that CD, but I just don't see it. This doesn't usually happen, but I really just don't understand the allure of that CD. I listen to a CD where people scream into the mic and the mix is awful, but I don't get this CD at all.
Seriously, don't waste your money.
Okay, I need sleep
No, really, I do. If you have any questions about the CD's or are having trouble finding them and need more information, just let me know. Or if you think I left something out and have some suggested listening for me, please please please PLEASE let me know! I love listening to new music! As well as, you know, making it.
Happy New Year.I knew it had to happen sometime.
-sam goldsmith
Happy Hannukah, Christmas, Kwanza, Solstice, New Years, Chinese New Year, and anything I may have forgotten. Love each other and kiss total strangers. It may help them get through the incredible stress of endless shopping, partying with people you hoped would have moved to Virginia by now, making food, and decorating. 'Tis the season.
My vacation has been exactly that: a vacation. The best part about college is the length of vacations. And yet I feel I should be hard at work. I'm still working on my fantasy trilogy of novels. My original goal was to finish with Book 2 by the end of the break. Ha! That would have been great. Plus I wanted to finish writing all the music for my recital next semester. Now I just feel inadequate. Not to mention my inability to read any or all of the great books I've received this season. Plus wanting to post more short stories on this blog, which hasn't exactly happened yet.
So work never ends. How come no one told me about this?
But today I feel it is my duty - No! My privilege - to post my top ten CD's of 2008. About a month ago I was wondering how I was going to even come up with 10. Now I feel 2008 was a pretty strong year after all for music, much more so than last year.
But first:
Where To Find My Stories
The other stories are in the archives somewhere along the left-hand side of my blog, intermingled with the pictures I took in Europe and shameless self-promotion.
"Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" is under the post entitled "Sam Fails to Finish a Love Story" (duh) in the month of November.
"The VideoMag Proposal" is under the post entitled "The Day Before November" in October. It's a long post and the story is near the bottom.
"Cliche Central" is under the post entitled "Art Sharing Day" in October.
My brother's sudden fiction, "On The Way To Work," is under the post entitled "On The Way To Work - My Brother, The Storyteller" in November.
Enjoy!
Top 10 CD's of 2008
1) The Dodo's - Visiter Yes, that is spelled correctly. The title of the CD gives this Oakland-based group an apt portrayal of their homemade style, as does their childish album art. The acoustic, wry guitar-drums duo (no, not like the White Stripes or Black Keys) pounds groove and distinctive melodic qualities into the mind in one of the best complete CD's I've heard in ages. Everything's there. Great songs, like "Joe's Waltz" and "Park Song." A feeling of continuity throughout the disc. Innovative rhythm and harmony. Emotional vocals. The only complaint to be had about this CD is the occasional ill-conceived lyric. Otherwise, this is amazing. Please, go buy this CD right now. I'm waiting.
2) Dafnis Prieto Sextet - The Emotions Series: Taking the Soul for a Walk I may be biased here, since I personally know most of the musicians on this project and the leader, drummer Dafis Prieto, is one of the senior faculty at my school. Plus I saw the premier of this suite at the Jazz Gallery in New York City. That said, I've been waiting for this CD for about a year now and it did not disappoint. This is some of the most exciting jazz writing and arranging out there since Dave Holland, conspicuously absent from this list, accidentally relinquished the mantle. A unique fuzzing of Afro-Cuban jazz styles with fusion and traditional jazz, Prieto utilizes the colors of the sextet and his own virtuosic drumming to the extreme. It can be a bit much at times; Prieto's writing, like his playing, has the tendency to be dense. But it's worth it.
Talking to Peter Apfelbaum, saxophonist and melodicaist on the record and lifelong friend of mine, he said that the musicians brought their best to the studio that day. They were so excited about it that they considered not even remastering it. Now, how's that for chemistry? Magic? One of the few good jazz records of the year.
3) TV On The Radio - Dear Science You have to understand this as two CD's: one that starts on track 1 and the other that starts on track 6. If this were the second CD, it would easily be number one. Home of "Love Dog" and "DLZ," two of the best songs released this year, the second half of "Dear Science" is potent, gritty, and exciting. Other than "Dancing Choose," nothing else of the project resembles anything of the originality and drive of their previous records. When listening to "Crying" for the first time I felt like ripping my headphones out. It felt more overproduced than the Black Keys's new CD, produced by Danger Mouse. However, after a few listens I have been able to appreciate all the songs, including the over appreciated single, "Golden Age." If I sound down on the CD, it's only in comparison to TV On The Radio's other work. Compared to the rest of the bands out there, a mainstream, poppy TVOTR CD is still one of the best of the year by far.
After the first three there's a real drop-off. I like all the CD's in the top ten, of course, but these three were by far the best, and depending on your style, can probably be arranged in whatever order you want.
4) Flying Lotus - Los Angeles Add a vocalist and this dub CD would easily be with the top three in terms of quality. More songs like the second-to-last "Testament" would have been appreciated. But it's hard to complain here. Flying Lotus has an obvious niche, and it's not meant to be listened to with the same rapt attention as the music listened above. It's meant to be soothing or in the background. "Los Angeles" has the composition of a great disc, even if a bit long. It functions like a long suite, so listening to the whole project in one sitting is rather fulfilling. Still, if you only have the time for a few singles, "Comet Course," "Riot," "Breathe.something/Stellar Star," and the aforementioned "Testament" eagerly await. Exciting rhythm and bass flow create this well-crafted CD. Now if there were only a melody...
5) Hercules and Love Affair - Hercules and Love Affair If you don't know Antony And The Johnsons, you're in for an adventure. The man can sing, but his voice takes some time getting warmed up to. His falsetto and self-inflicted tremolo fit this band perfectly for two reasons: he doesn't have to sing so slowly that the tremolo gets annoying, and the two weirdnesses complement each other. This dance/techno/electronica/soul/funk/whatever group's sonorities are so distinctive that Antony seems necessary here. And he kicks butt. This perfect-length CD features three different lead singers, violins, brass (including solos!), bass synths, and drum machine beats. Most of the time it rocks, grooves, jams, and gets into your soul, especially "Hercules Theme" and "Blind." Easily interchangeable with Flying Lotus for 4 and 5, but I went with Flying Lotus because its beats are more interesting. Innovative rhythm and harmony won over innovative rhythm and melody. Perhaps the two bands should get together... yeah, no.
6) Deerhunter - Microcastle/Weird Era Continued If I had to choose one CD from this 2-disc set, it would be Microcastle, but there's really no need. This collection of music is not particularly innovative, but the sound of the band and its lead singer is so in sync that they pull off a great project. Using styles ranging narrowly from indie rock to alternative rock to classic rock, everything falls easily into place. "Never Stops" actually had me thinking deeply about tonic/mediant relations in harmony, though now I'd say I like "Saved By Old Times" best on this CD. There's nothing to say about this CD's newness, just that they did everything right, save for the boring segment in the middle of the CD.
7) Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes Near the top of everyone's list for 2008, I had to check them out. And they are quite good. Americana, folk rock, a capella, Christmas carol sounding, etc. I was quite excited about them when I first put them in the CD tray. I am a sucker for cool vocal harmony, and they reminded me of a less innovative but fully welcome Crosby Stills Nash and Young. And the too-long CD is solid all the way through. I am particularly fond of the reverb on the singers' voices, giving the whole project a pastoral feel (as do the religious lyrics that are probably there but I don't listen to). But this is the first CD on the list without a single to brag effusively about. The 4th best song on "Dear Science" is better than the best song on this disc, to be honest. This disc is lined with undistinguished song after undistinguished song, all excellent, making up a fairly good unified work. And there is no rhythmic or chordal innovation here at all. The Dodos takes Fleet Foxes to school in terms of creativity, even if they would be grouped together under "acoustic rock."
8) Ambrose Akinmusire - Prelude: To Cora Another biased choice, Sam! While never overlapping with him in high school, we attended the same BHS Jazz Ensemble and know each other from there (okay, I doubt he knows me). The trumpeter cut this album right off his winning of the Thelonius Monk international jazz competition on trumpet, and he deals with the pressure of everyone watching him with the same gusto he had in high school. He plays trumpet, and I normally can't stand the way trumpets sound. Normally. He wrote most of the music, including the scary "M.I.S.T.A.G. (My Inappropriate Soundtrack To A Genocide)," one of my favorite songs to come out this year. Featured throughout most of the CD, giving it a distinctive sound, is a singer who sounds more suited for opera than for jazz, though it oddly meshes well with the trumpet here. She dominates "M.I.S.T.A.G." as well as a few other tracks by sounding out of place at first and dramatic at second. The vibraphonist (yay!) who shares a name with my middle school math teacher also lends his strange sound to the mix with his fast vibrato. The only shortcoming of the disc is its inconsistency. I could delete half of it, especially the superficially covered "Stablemates," and I wouldn't even notice. But try and take the whole CD and you'll have to kill me first.
9) Ben Allison - Little Things Run The World Bassist Ben Allison being Ben Allison at his best. The first track explains it all. "Respiration," one of my favorite tracks of ALL TIME from his record "Buzz," is the opener again for his jazz/rock/fusion quartet Man-Sized Safe. Done differently and featuring a burning trumpet solo that makes the new rendition worth it, the tone is set for Ben Allison the way we've always known him. Like Deerhunter, this CD is nothing new done very well. Especially appreciated is the added play of saxophonist Ted Nash on a few tracks. Ben Allison has, as always, a rock-steady rhythm section and characteristic methods of composing melodies and harmonies that have always distinguished him from his contemporaries. His low rank on this list is almost a competition with himself rather than other CD's of 2008. The composition of this CD is at least as good as Fleet Foxes and probably the best place to start if you don't know his work yet. But still, nothing quite like "Riding the Nuclear Tiger" or the original "Respiration."
10) The Matthew Herbert Big Band - There's Me and There's You This disc is by far the most original of all on the top ten. That made for weird listening the first time through. Perhaps this is why record stores don't know whether to put him in the jazz or electronica section of their stores. May I add a category? Soundtrack, anyone? The lead vocalist sounds plucked from Broadway and shoved into a brassy jazz big band with a sampler running behind them. It was hard to get used to. The tracks sounded like show tunes, though at times like jazz big band pieces, and at others avant-garde dub pieces. I couldn't figure it out. But I figured that any guy who's able to scrounge together 100 musicians (no joke!) for a project deserves a second listen, and I'm glad I gave Matthew Herbert that second chance. The songs are catchy, thanks to their show tune nature; rhythmic, thanks to their electronica nature; and groovy and hip, thanks to their jazz influence. It's got it all thrown together in a hodgepodge of sound. I like it. My mother hates it. It's a personal preference thing. I personally don't like the predilection towards brass, and the singer's voice gets annoying eventually, but songs like the first track, "The Story," show what kind of insane brilliance a man with a vision can come up with. This is recommended just to hear what people are doing with music these days. Wow.
Honorable Mention:
Dave Holland Sextet - Pass It On. Meh. All the playing is good. I've heard it all a million times already. Still, though. Some the best players in jazz playing what I've heard a million times. Why I'd listen to this as opposed to any other Dave Holland record is beyond me, though.
High Places - High Places Short and sweet electronic music that sounds like a forest. It's calming and unique, but they ran out of ideas. 30 minutes and every song sounds the same.
DJ Rupture - Uproot Some of this dub record is really interesting. It works well as a continuous piece, but it gets long and tedious. He's got some great ideas, like with the violins in the middle somewhere, but a lot of it I can do without. People loved this record, though, so I'm giving it another shot.
The Bug - London Zoo "Poison Dart" has a great chorus, and some of the songs rock out. Great beats in general, and I love the political Jamaican rap. But about half of the CD just blows. Such a good idea with choppy execution.
Fucked Up - The Chemistry of Common Life If you don't mind punk rock with a guy screaming into the mic but mixed so low you can't even hear him, this is for you. The first song, "Son The Father," rules. Without it I would have never given the CD a chance. The music is actually pretty good, and they make it clear they have melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic sensibilities throughout the disc with different methods. "Crooked Head" is a good example. But do they have to scream? And do they have to mix it so bad?
Conspicuously Missing: Vampire Weekend
I never thought I'd have to justify not liking this CD to anyone. It's that bad. But here I am, trying to think of technical reasons to trash it. People loved this CD. It got about as much acclaim as "Dear Science." And it didn't deserve it. Every song sounded the same. It was tinny and wiry sounding. The harmonies sucked and the rhythms sucked even more. It was so damn bright I couldn't see a thing. It's not even innovative: The Walkmen are basically the same band (and their new CD was pretty bad, too, but it was better than Vampire Weekend, by a little). I'm sorry, world who likes that CD, but I just don't see it. This doesn't usually happen, but I really just don't understand the allure of that CD. I listen to a CD where people scream into the mic and the mix is awful, but I don't get this CD at all.
Seriously, don't waste your money.
Okay, I need sleep
No, really, I do. If you have any questions about the CD's or are having trouble finding them and need more information, just let me know. Or if you think I left something out and have some suggested listening for me, please please please PLEASE let me know! I love listening to new music! As well as, you know, making it.
Happy New Year.I knew it had to happen sometime.
-sam goldsmith
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