Albums Of The Year 2010

1. Danger Mouse & Sparklehorse - Dark Night Of The Soul

After being held up in legal limbo for over a year, 2010 finally saw the release of the soundtrack to the multi-media collaboration between Danger Mouse, Sparklehorse, and David Lynch. And for those who never got around to obtaining through alternate means (I'm probably in the minority of that category), it was worth the wait. Albums with multiple guest singers are usually a mixed bag, but there is remarkable continuity on this album. The music was composed by Danger Mouse and Mark Linkous, and then the guest vocalists (including Iggy Pop, Frank Black, Julian Casablancas, Suzanne Vega, Vic Chesnutt, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Gruff Ryhs of Super Furry Animals, James Mercer of The Shins, The Flaming Lips, and David Lynch) wrote the lyrics. Despite the fact that the singers were never given any direction or heard any of the other tracks, all the songs share similar themes of dealing with the darker side of life, giving the project remarkable continuity. The one-two punch of Black Francis' "Angel's Harp" and Iggy Pop's "Pain" give the album its rockingest moments, and "Man Who Played God" is the coolest thing I've ever heard from Suzanne Vega. The biggest surprise though is "Star Eyes (I Can't Reach It)," which proves that David Lynch can actually sing. Losing Mark Linkous to suicide was a blow to the music community last year, but at least he left us one more great album before he checked out. God speed.



2. The National - High Violet

This album didn't have quite the immediate effect with me that Boxer did, but over repeated listenings it's made a similar impact. Although "Bloodbuzz Ohio" and "Afraid of Everyone" were the songs that made the most sudden impact, it was slow burners like "Runaway" and "England" that ended up burrowing their way deepest into my head. Matt Berninger's lyrics might seem like a random collection of loosely associated phrases on first listen, but they seem to reveal themselves over time, and though they're rarely direct and to the point, he the brothers Dessner and Devendorf can create a mood like few other artists out there today. This was the year that The National officially made the list of my all time favorite bands.



3. Superchunk - Majesty Shredding

Oh Superchunk, how we missed you! It's not just that your only activity over the past nine years seemed to be limited to playing Merge anniversary shows and political rallies, and releasing the occasional track on a compilation album. It's also that your previous two albums seemed so, well... adult. We understand that bands need to develop and grow, so we accepted the keyboards and horns and such because the songs were still catchy as hell, even if they were a little slower. But to be honest, we kinda missed the Chunk we grew up with. And from the strains of feedback that open Majesty Shredding, it was obvious that this was a return to the band we hung out with in college. Louder. Faster. Slightly neurotic. It's great to see you again! Wanna grab a beer?

Superchunk - "Digging For Something" (mp3)



4. The New Pornographers – Together

I think I've gotten to the point with the New Pornographers that every new release is kind of like a trip to a favorite restaurant... there aren't going to be many surprises, but I know I'm going to love it. There isn't the thrill of discovery like there was the first time I heard Electric Version, or the first time I had a maple bar from Top Pot in Seattle. Over time that sense of revelation has been replaced with the anticipation of something you know is going to be great. And the fact that you know what to expect doesn't diminish the experience. And if that sounds boring to you, clearly you’ve never experienced the utter deliciousness that is a Top Pot donut. If you don’t believe me, ask Golden Tate. Read our full review from June.



5. Jónsi - Go

While it's not as atmospheric or experimental as Sigur Ros, it's funny to think that Go was intended to be a stripped down acoustic record. The instrumentation is still fairly eclectic, but the songs tend of have more traditional song structures. Combined with the fact that the lyrics are written in actually languages, it makes this much closer to "pop" than anything Jónsi has done in the past. It's hardly conventional, but the songs definitely have a happier, more upbeat feel than his past work. Where as Sigur Ros was always kind of a "put on your headphones and get lost" music, this makes for a surprisingly good driving album.

Knock Out Punches For The Freaks

Guided By Voices w/ New Times Viking
Cannery Ballroom, Nashville, TN
Friday, January 14, 2011

The very first time I was introduced to Guided By Voices, it was by a voice other than Robert Pollard's. One night after a show, a couple of friends and I ended up back at the apartment of Shazam frontman Hans Rotenberry. After spending a couple of hours drinking beer and listening to records, a guitar ended up getting passed around, and Hans played a couple of GBV tunes. It was my first exposure to the melodic genius of Robert Pollard, and a mental note was definitely made that this was a band I needed to check out.

A few weeks later (July 24, 1995 to be exact), The Shazam was opening for GBV and Chavez at the Exit/In. It was one of those concerts that alters your musical path forever. It was just song after song of brilliant pop gems in quick two minutes bursts, with little more than a song title announcement and a count off in between (and maybe a quick pause for a swig of beer). I was instantly a fan, and began the laborious process of digging through their back catalog immediately.

I've seen Uncle Bob and company several times since then, and though they always put on a great show, it never quite had the same magic. Sure the exuberance, the mic swinging, the kicks, and the cooler of beer were all still there. And they certainly released some great songs since the classic lineup went their separate ways. But towards the end, the three hour, fifty song sets started becoming an exercise in patience (though I have to admit, it was always worth it when they played "Game Of Pricks" during one of the encores). So I was looking forward to the reunion show, and though I knew it'd be good, I figured there was no way they could match the energy of their show when they were relatively young lads just pushing forty.

I'm happy to announce I was wrong. The show was amazing. Sure the hair was greyer (Pollard's) and thinner (Tobin Sprout's), but that was about the only difference between the shows. It was almost like you stepped through a time machine when you walked through the door. Mitch Mitchell was till pounding power chords with an ever present cigarette hanging from his lip. Bassist Greg Demos broke out the insane striped pants and arena rock poses. And Kevin Fennell was still largely hidden behind cymbals and oversized toms.

It was clear that the guys were enjoying the hell out of doing this again. The setlist only strayed once from the classic era catalog (Mag Earwhig!'s "Sad If I Lost It"), and it contained just about every song you could possibly have wanted them to play. In fact, of the dream setlist I had in my mind, only "The Official Ironman Rally Song" didn't make the cut. Even deep cuts like "Jane Of The Waking Universe" were included. And it was great to get to hear Tobin do a few of his songs, something that rarely happened in the old days. The sing-a-long that accompanied "A Good Flying Bird" was one of the highlights of the night.

Earlier in the night, I thought I had hit the timing jackpot when I walked in the door two minutes before Times New Viking started their set. After their third song I was starting to wish I hadn't been able to find my keys or something. Despite having read good things about them, their music came off as monotonous and, well, boring. Farfisa organs are OK when used in moderation, but they become especially annoying when all your melodies seem to follow along with one finger keyboard parts.

Guided By Voices - "Game Of Pricks (Live)" (mp3) from Jellyfish Reflector

photo courtesy of Nashville Metromix