My Favorite Albums of 2011

I’ve always preferred to keep my love of music within the margins of the industry. Even with something as marginalized (read: not mainstream) as the “indie scene,” I still prefer to find the niches within the niche. Sure, I could peruse the pages of Pitchfork.com and try to find whatever is the new cool thing to listen (I’ve tried it; it doesn’t work for me), but I’ve always enjoyed how organic music fandom can be, and when the love for a particular album and discovering an artist is a genuine thing, well, there’s nothing more exhilarating than that. I think more than any other medium music lends itself to this kind of enthusiasm; a type of fandom that is all at once exhilarating but rather daunting, too. The reason I think it’s a daunting is because I prefer to listen to music rather than lyrics, so I’ll have to sit with an album for months sometimes before I even form an opinion. It’s why I’m always reluctant to crawl out of my little nook, remove the earbuds of familiarity, and try something new. I like what I’ve always liked. I will stick with a band because it’s familiar or because I have a strong history tied to it. I will also seek other bands that tend to tour with the bands I like. It’s all very homogeneous, but it works for me. It’s why I was so grateful to be a part of Ed Howard’s music club this year; it opened my eyes to a variety of genres that I normally wouldn’t have tried (Jazz and Reggae specifically).

So, this year I really challenged myself to get out of my comfort zone, throw off the shackles of familiarity, and really try to branch out and try new music. What I found was a lot of my tastes zeroing in on the indie genre – I suppose my tastes, having always existed in the margins of mainstream music, would naturally steer themselves there – and I was surprised to find some non-post-hardcore/noise/guitar driven bands that I really liked.

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New Music!

Since the Record Club #2 is coming up in a couple weeks, I wanted to get warmed up by reviewing some new music (and by new I mean albums released so far this year). Don't forget about June 27; you should make sure you've listened to Brand New's The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me, and then come back here for what I hope will be a spirited discussion. Anyone can join, all you have to do is click the little banner on the right and email Ed that you want to be included in the email list for reminders about future Record Clubs. Anywho, onto the new music...

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Sharing the Road We Walk: Wes Anderson and His Music

Watching The Darjeeling Limited the other day I was completely energized by a moment in the film that I had forgotten altogether. The moment is the funeral scene where our three wanderers, Adrien Brody, Owen Wilson, and Jason Schwartzman – three brothers on a quest to find familial unity in India – happen across three boys struggling to carry some cargo across a raging river. As their load crumbles, so do the boys, and they are sent into the water at the mercy of the current. As the brothers try to save the kids from drowning we find that the kid Brody's character tried to save "didn't make it." What follows is a beautiful moment where the brothers walk – in slow motion of course – through the village as "Strangers" by the Kinks (the second time Anderson has used a Kinks song set to slo-mo effectively, the first being the fantastic scene in Rushmore where Bill Murray jumps off a diving board into his pool) plays in the background. It's a heartbreaking detour for a film – essentially a road movie with a pretty standard plot where our protagonists try to "find themselves" – that I was initially uneven on when I first saw it in the theater three years ago. However, this recent viewing has not only de-soured me on the film, but it got me thinking about a Wes Anderson trope that I always look forward to in his films: his "music videos".

You know what I'm talking about if you've seen an Anderson movie. These are the moments that are almost always in slow motion and accompanied by great music that shows us a filmmaker who is willing to share with us his headphones and listen in on the soundtrack of his life. The funeral scene in Darjeeling is something that could have taken the viewer out of the movie – a "look at me" moment – but instead it feels as if we're walking along with the three brothers, sharing in the poignant experience with them, maybe thinking about our own brothers or sisters in the process. This one scene reminds me that these feelings and moods are evoked in every post-Bottle Rocket Wes Anderson movie. He's a masterful storyteller and one of his greatest assets is the way he can intertwine his music (which seems very much him) with his narrative without being too showy or distracting.

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My Favorite Albums of 2009

I usually don't talk music on here, but I figured since I'm working on my year-end review (to be posted at the ever-relevant time of January 25th) I would toss up 20 of my favorite albums I've heard this year.  My tastes aren't for everyone, but there's some good stuff in here, and I hope some of you will ask about them in the comments...I'll be more than willing to let you know which songs to sample. 

My choices after the jump...

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On a Carousel of Sound...

We’re a generation whose medium is television and movies…it just is. As much as we might like music we like it better with a visual stimulus accompanying it[…] The rate at which music is consumed people just listen to something once and then move on. People have no choice to make it the music equivalent to a magazine; you get the ones that you want, basically the style that you like, and you listen to it…then you get another one, and then you just blow through them. I mean they’re not albums…they’re not someone pouring tremendous amounts of time into them to really make some difference in someone’s life. If things keep going that way it’s not going to get any easier for us. That’s for certain.

The following quote is from one of the members of America's most underrated and yet-to-be-discovered rock bands The Snake The Cross The Crown. I thought their 2007 album Cotton Teeth was the best album of that year, and it's probably one of the five best albums of this decade. His quote is interesting and a major reason why great bands like his have a hard time surviving; because I think he's onto something when he talks about how nobody really listens to music anymore...it's become a disposable, quick-fix medium.

All of these thoughts (and why they struggle with the idea of touring), and the making of their 2007 album, can be found in a new documentary by Nicholas Kleczewski called On a Carousel of Sound.... Kleczewski followed the band around during the recording of Cotton Teeth and the subsequent tour. It's interesting to hear some members talk about how they hate to tour because they suffer some sleep deprivation, or how other member do enjoy touring...and how this dichotomy drives a band to go on an indefinite sabbatical. The trailer for the documentary comes after the jump...check it out. At about the two minute mark you get to hear one of their best songs from Cotton Teeth. Enjoy (and if you do like it go buy Cotton Teeth)...

Click to watch video

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My Ten Favorite Albums of 2007

I will admit that I do not think about music in the same way as film or literature. I can appreciate artistic music, music that really makes you think and can make you feel really smart and like you are apart of a smaller subculture, patting yourself on the back for being the only people who know about a certain artist. I know that feeling. I remember feeling that way about Radiohead, Bright Eyes, Cursive, and others. But something has changed for me recently; my music experiences have become more organic. Basically, I like what makes me feel good. This list of my favorite albums in no way represents what may be the “best” albums of the year. I don’t know what those are, music is so subjective. People who like one genre but not another fail to see the little things that make that genre so good. And vice versa. I can never understand the appeal of Hip Hop or Rap, because I don’t like it. That doesn’t mean there aren’t good Hip Hop musicians out there, I just don’t like it enough to care and take the time to notice the subtle differences.

You will notice there is no Feist, Rilo Kiley, Radiohead, Spoon, Interpol, Arcade Fire, or any other beacon of the Indie scene, because even though I liked those albums, you are going to see those on every music magazine top ten list. Some of those albums I really like, others were huge disappointments, but this list is to provide a diverse and hopefully unheard of group of albums so that you will become aware and seek them out, and perhaps give a listen. Enjoy.

10. Every Time I Die – The Big Dirty




A great metal album that sounds good with the stereo up and even better with the windows down (I was hoping that would sound like some cheesy infomercial).

9. Sigur Ros – Hvarf-Heim



The Icelandic postmodern power pop band do it again. The film that this score accompanies is amazing. There is a scene where they are playing one of their songs in a cave. Magical music.

8. Rocky Votolato – The Brag and Cuss



The best folk musician alive today. This isn’t his best album, but it has more of that bluesy bar room sound to it that is great chill music.

7. Circa Survive – On Letting Go



The post hardcore champions do it again. Oddly enough this album is not as good as their first, but the improvements lead it down some unfamiliar and semi-brilliant paths. It doesn’t always work and sometimes the songs seem too long, but it’s a great addition to any list.

6. Look Mexico – This is Animal Music



One of my favorite moments of 2007 was discovering this little gem. The band from Florida create some of the most laid back music, easy to get lost to, or if you prefer, it’s good for other things too. The epitome of chill music.

5. Portugal. The Man – Church Mouth



The ex Portlander’s are at it again with their best album to date. Imagine a group of Northwesterner’s who move to Alaska to make some of the craziest jazz/punk/funk albums to date. Also, imagine said group were to create an indie version of blues music from the 20’s. It’s a trippy and worthwhile experience.

4. Bright Eyes – Cassadaga



This was just a few songs short of being the best album of the year. But unfortunately there are two real stinkers on here. Other than that, it’s Bright Eyes at their best with Conor Oberst giving the cautionary lyrics a rest and focusing more on the storytelling aspect of folk music. I know the Dylan comparisons are said ad nauseam, but this really does remind of the “electric” Dylan. Great stuff…just skip track 4.

3. Minus the Bear – Planet of Ice



I admit that I have a bias towards Seattle bands. In fact, for the last three years my favorite albums have been by The Blood Brothers (2004), Minus the Bear (2005), and The Blood Brothers (2006). This isn’t the easiest listening (like their previous albums about beer, weed, boating, and women) with its complicated beats and guitar solos, but it is a lot of fun and is reminiscent of Wish You Were Here and Animals, two of the best Pink Floyd records. Not too shabby.

2. The Dear Hunter – Act II: The Meaning of, and All Things Regarding Ms. Leading



With a title like this you know a band has aspirations to be something besides the typical post hardcore rock band. The second part to a dizzying story ( the first part, a five song EP, was 30 minutes long) clocks in at a little under 1 hour and 20 minutes, but it is possibly the best 80 minutes you will ever spend listening to music. Using every instrument he can think of, front man and brain child of The Dear Hunter, Casey Crescenzo creates a cinematic feeling while listening to the story, complete with one of the catchiest piano tunes and a somber (but fitting) end to the album where it is nothing but noises from a pier. It’s a prog rock fans wet dream.

1. The Snake The Cross The Crown – Cotton Teeth





Well, no other album made me as happy or feel as good as The Snake The Cross The Crown’s newest album Cotton Teeth. Despite what their name may suggest, the band doesn’t dip into themes of religion or what it means to be alive, but rather they play simple southern rock in the vein of The Band. And that’s a big compliment. Simple is not to say easy, in fact rock music this good and this simple is one of the hardest things to do. There is never a hint of grandstanding and there isn’t a pretentious thing about it. Simply put, it’s the best rock album of the last five years. It’s a shame this band remains so unknown, but part of me thinks they like it that way.




Almost made the cut:

Band of Horse – Cease to Begin
Saves the Day – Under the Boards
Feist – The Reminder
Arcade Fire – Neon Bible
Two Gallants – s/t
Thrice – The Alchemy Index: Volumes 1 & 2

Really disappointing albums:

Emery – I’m Only a Man
Rilo Kiley – Under the Blacklight
Interpol – Our Love to Admire
The Good Life – Help Wanted Nights
Ben Lee – Ripe

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