PoOPlist » PoOPlists http://pooplist.net POmpous and Opinionated Persons - Being the collected musings on music and pop culture of a few wizened observers ready to bloviate... Sat, 24 Jul 2010 20:50:47 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 John Stewart Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/02/11/john-stewart-poop-09/ http://pooplist.net/2010/02/11/john-stewart-poop-09/#comments Thu, 11 Feb 2010 05:52:29 +0000 MarkZ http://pooplist.net/?p=2572 In Memoriam to Jack Goldberg! Proprietor of Jack’s Rhythms and an all around mensch. I give my condolences to his family and friends. We disagreed on baseball. He was a Red Sox fan, me a Bronx Bombers fan. But he loved baseball and I think more then music? That was his passion, I am glad he got to see his team win twice toward the end of his life. Even if it was at the expense of my team. Did I mention I miss the guy? I do!



Top 10 New Releases for 2009
This list is in no particular order and to be quite honest, l am losing touch with what is hip and cool. I like what l like and I tend to feel that I have heard it all before. But anyway here’s what I liked for 2009



Them Crooked Vultures-Them Crooked Vultures
Jarvis Cocker-Further Complications
The Gossip-Music for Men
Mastodon-Crack the Skye
The Dead Weather-Horehound
Yeah Yeah Yeahs-Its Blitz
Kid Cudi-Man on The Moon
Muse-The Resistance
Franz Ferdinand-Tonight, Franz Ferdinand
Pearl Jam-Backspacer
Nirvana-Live At Reading 1992 (A Reminder of their greatness and what was lost in Kobian’s Death)



Close, but no cigar
U2-No Line on the Horizion
Bob Dylan-Together Through Life



Guilty Pleasure of the Year
Lady Gaga (I love the single “Bad Romancer”) though her albums are inconsistent at best. She is the Def Leppard of her generation. I’d like to see Mutt Lange or Trevor Horn work with her on her next full album.



Single Tracks
Yeah Yeah Yeahs-”Zero”
Jay Z and Alicia Keys-”New York (Empire State of Mind)” For the Yankees Baby!
Kid Cudi-”Day and Night (Crookers Remix)”
Lady Gaga-”Bad Romance”
Pearl Jam-”The Fixer”



Reissues of The Year
Beatles-Beatles in Mono
Beatles-Beatles in Stereo
Kraftwerk-The Catalogue
Def Leppard-Pyromania (Deluxe Edition)
Death-For The Whole World to See
Various Artists-Where The Action is (LA Nuggets 1965-68)
Love-Love Lost
Nirvana-Bleach (Deluxe Reissue)
Neil Young-First 4 Albums, Archives and anything else
King Crimson-Red, Lizard, The Court of the Crimson King



Well that’s all really



Yankees won and the possibility of an Arrested Development film give me hope for the future.



Enjoy life for tomorrow is not promised to us!



]]> http://pooplist.net/2010/02/11/john-stewart-poop-09/feed/ 0 William Manley Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/02/02/william-manley-poop-09/ http://pooplist.net/2010/02/02/william-manley-poop-09/#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 03:46:58 +0000 MarkR http://pooplist.net/?p=2554




William Manley Poop 09



]]> http://pooplist.net/2010/02/02/william-manley-poop-09/feed/ 0 Oliver Lodge Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/01/31/oliver-lodge-poop-09/ http://pooplist.net/2010/01/31/oliver-lodge-poop-09/#comments Sun, 31 Jan 2010 20:05:22 +0000 OliverL http://pooplist.net/?p=2527



Transmissions from the Ovulation Station – Best Releases of 2009



Naoshimabox   Ltd. Ed. (22 copies!) from Taalem
1.) V/A – Naoshimabox (Taalem, 2009)
The stories of people who have undergone near-death experiences are so similar that we have all come to know about that “big, bright light” to which people have been drawn after slipping away from the physical realm. A universal theme is recounted to those around the survivors of death should it somehow be determined that it is not their particular time to go and they regain the consciousness to share their wild tale of life beyond the grave. Rarely are these experiences described as negative. Historically, recollections of the passage between life and death have almost always been of a soothing nature, as if these individuals were welcomed with open arms and made to feel safe amongst the best of friends and family. These testimonies have long reinforced believers in their faith and offered proof of an after-life. Buddhists, for example, refer to the “light at the end of the tunnel” as the birth canal through which the cycle of reincarnation has come to a full circle. We at Ovulation Station on Corpuscle Hill have learned about what these subjects have seen and felt, but what we really want to know is THIS: What did it sound like, man? From the second this release is played, the imagery of some benign heaven opening up before the listener and flooding the vast enclosures of her mind’s eye with an all-embracing light will be undeniable. It’s impressive how consistent this mood is sustained when considering that these are four different artists. Indeed, the Naoshimabox itself was nothing more than a whim dreamt up by Jean-Marc Boucher, creator of the illustrious Taalem label. “(T)his release is not a ‘normal’ Taalem release,” he wrote to us in November. “I just wanted to create something special for these Japanese artists as I have a passion for Japan.” Taalem specializes in releasing 3” CDrs by dark ambient and experimental musicians throughout the world. His catalog is nothing short of breath-taking. Avoid becoming overwhelmed by sampling some of his free net releases and listening to his most recent output. Like we said about Infraction Records, Taalem only seems to be getting better with age. It’s impossible to argue that Naoshimabox is a bonafide testament to this. It consists of five 3” CDrs. One is by Chihei Hatakeyama. Another by Pollypraha. Then there’s Nature of Dislocation and Saito Koji. Limited to a mere twenty-two copies, Naoshimabox includes a bonus disc where one track by each artist has been contributed. From start to finish, you will find yourself in a state of stupefied suspension so make sure you are near a bed or reclined-back chair before playing these works. We’re not sure what will be on the stereo up there in the clouds as we approach the pearly gates, but we’re pretty sure it will sound something like this.



Umezu Kazutoki – Plays the Enka   Buy from Squidco   OR   @ Doubt Music
2.) Umezu Kazutoki – Plays the Enka (Doubt Music)
This was recorded in October of last year, then released in late December. I’m going out on a limb here, but I’m guessing this sumbitch didn’t actually hit the streets until January. I’m using this (all too weak) excuse/explanation because this CD is too remarkable NOT to find an exclusive spot ever-so-close to the PEAK of this countdown. Mr. Kazutoki will have you riding a rollercoaster of heart-wrenching moods, so have your shrink on speed-dial and your medications within reach. Each track possesses its very own personality, its very own life. Imagine this: An exhaustive auditioning process at Ovulation Station bears us fourteen actors and actresses to be featured separately in a short film dedicated to each untitled track on the CD. The first short film depicts an angry teenager sitting on the steps of a storefront. Seconds later he’s leaning on a parking meter looking at the street. Now he’s smoking a cigarette. There is something both charming and vindictive in his stare. A punk rocker of fifteen years old, his features are smooth with small, red lips. His blond hair is tousled, hanging down to his jaw line. One strand of hair has outgrown the rest at a length of close to two feet. He has shoved all his pain back inside himself like a traffic jam on a Monday morning. A sarcastic half-smile meekly covers this up. The first track from ‘Plays the Enka’ holds rein over this otherwise silent short. The soundtrack to the next short film depicts a woman in her forties. Her hair is frazzled. A tangled shaft of white climbs over the center of her scalp, separating the fading brown outgrowths above her temples. She is never quite sure of herself and can be heard whispering to an invisible friend if you listen closely. She smokes non-filtered cigarettes and wears a beige, leather jacket – easily twenty years old according to the calloused collar. We do not have room to list all of these memorable characters, so we’ll leave it up to you to buy the CD and create your own identities. The proto-typical imagery of the sax player in an A-shirt silhouetted in the window of a slummy apartment on a humid day is irresistable, but these sketches in sound reach far beyond what has become cliché. Recalling paintings by Edward Hopper and the loneliness of one’s own experience may be the only and best resource for you to give these astounding works the emotional depth they embody.



Johanna Liebhart – Damals Treue Um Treue (10″ LP, black vinyl – in special fold-out sleeve + inserts – Ltd. ed. of 277, hand-numbered)
3.) Johanna Liebhart – Damals (Treue Um Treue, 2009)
Here we have sexually-charged and decadent synthesizer pieces performed by an obscure artist named Johanna Liebhart, also known as simply Anna. The sounds surround us with a vast garden of exotic plants and gigantic flowers unveiling deep hues of black, purple, and crimson. Giant, black orchids the size of an elephant’s head, adorned with bright, jade leaves cushioning their drooping necks, stare at their visitor with predatory but irresistibly sensuous eyes. So saturated with the sweetest of poisons, one can almost taste the black nectar dripping from their fecund petals. The package offers four inserts that feature compelling photography of crumbling Roman statues of women looking especially forlorn under a gray light juxtaposed by shades of purple and dried blood. In contrast to the confidence exuded in Liebhart’s musicianship, our damsels have their backs bent, their heads down, and their eyes obscured by a visage of thick shadow as they look downward with the resignation of martyrdom, the weight of the world still chaining them to Man’s Earth after centuries of persecution already past. Indeed, the entire packaging oozes of a despairing beauty laid to rest. Whoever is responsible for the artwork accompanying these amazing pieces dating from 1978 to 1980 deserves some kind of award. Without the emptiness of words, the music, composed entirely on a single synthesizer, transmits stories of tragic legends when the gods of ancient Greece still existed. A deep despondency resonates throughout, excluding the second track, a song obviously favored by the producer as it matches the title of the 10”. Clocking in at a mere one-and-a-half minutes we hear a sample of a female in the throes of sexual ecstasy. It sounds like she is at the peak of an orgasm. The artist has chosen to loop this voice throughout the song. In the background we hear the sun shining on emerald fields of grass while sparrows with tangerine wings hover above her sighing lips. Sir Ovulator, the First and Last Descendant of Ovulation Station on Corpuscle Hill, is dying to hear more by this mythical goddess.



Snowblood - Snowblood   Band site  OR   Super-Fi
4.) Snowblood – Snowblood (Superfirecords, 2009)
Our favorite band from Scotland unleashed this final release before disbanding. Compared to their other albums, this is easily their heaviest. Not necessarily in terms of the fast, growling punk/metal represented by their earlier demos and first release, but more in terms of sustained emotional gravity. Consisting of only four songs, each track spans an average of twenty minutes. They are all sure to take their time in creating a mood of conscious demoralization and lower class dissatisfaction with down-tuned guitars and sludgy breakdowns. Their farewell rips out our hearts and smears them across the pavement under dirty combat boots, expressed most poignantly by the last lyrics of the final track: I don’t want your money/ But you try to bring me down with your money/ In time it all comes to nothing…



Sentieri Selvaggi – Plays Gavin Bryars and Phillip Glass   amazon MP3 eMusic Cantaloupe Bang on a Can Store
5.) Sentieri Selvaggi – Plays Gavin Bryars and Phillip Glass (Canteloupe Music, 2009)
Known as the Italian version of Kronos Quartet, this talented ensemble present two pieces which might fall short quantity-wise, but pack a serious wallop as far as quality. We cannot remember being so moved by a neo-classical album since we heard the late Luciano Cilio’s Dell’Universo Assento (‘The Absent Universe’) on Die Schactel. We consider Luciano Cilio nothing short of a genius, so you can imagine how impressed we are by these renditions of Phillip Glass and Gavin Bryars.



Sean McCann – Wind in their Way   Monorail Trespassing (Out of print?)   OR   Artist site
6.) Sean McCann – Wind in their Way (Monorail Trespassing, 2009)
Aquarius Records compared this performer to the all-time masters of drone music Troum (translated as ‘Dream’ in English) from Germany. We worship and have collected everything that Troum has ever put out, but – dare we say – this cassette release is even tighter, more refined than anything we’ve ever heard by Troum. Drone music is all too often lacking in structure. But all three of these pieces have been carefully calculated to the second. Just listen to “Branch of Chambers Pt. II”. Ever so subtly, behind us, we hear the chords of an untreated guitar playing along in perfect harmony to wisps of wavering intonations hovering in the foreground. We listen to hundreds of artists who excuse themselves as being experimental, when all too often, the results of their so-called art betray an amateur understanding of music altogether. The sloppiness is sometimes forgivable, but all too often too cringe-worthy to keep on the stereo. Sean McCann offers a welcome relief to these disappointments with gorgeous pieces that have been meticulously composed.



Silver Pines – Forces   Buy at Light Lodge
7.) Silver Pines – Forces (Light Lodge, 2009)
Hailing from Texas, we have come across a band that would prefer to reveal very little about themselves for now. They released a CDr called ‘Forces’ that couldn’t help but attract considerable attention in underground circles. Within less than a year it was pressed on vinyl. In true indie spirit, they put out a cassette called ‘Night Smoker’, indicating a less than discreet promotion of their drug of choice. The vocals have been compared to Hope Sandoval. But this does not do justice to the singer. We can’t stand country, but there is something about our front-woman that gives us a taste of Southern living. I, Sir Ovulator, the First and Last Descendant of Ovulation Station on Corpuscle Hill, was particularly impressed by the instrumentals featured here. At one point, we hear the heavy bar-chord of a fuzzy guitar reminiscent of Mudhoney, bursting forth after a quiet, acoustic introduction. The rest of the song plods gracefully through the brambles in the backyard of a trailer park. Somehow they stack the debris of dried leaves and broken branches in such a symmetrical order that it’s impossible not to adore them.




ALSO   “Snowy Red” + “Right to Die” results on youTube
8.) Snowy Red – Snowy Red & The Right to Die (bootlegs)
That’s right. These albums are bootlegs. And many fans view the timing of these releases to be at the height of bad taste. Marcel Thiel, better known by his stage persona Mikey Mike, finally passed away this year after a long battle with a number of health-related issues. As rumor would have it, he lived a life of excess, but none of this has been confirmed. Indeed, there is little known about this elusive and legendary master in the genre of minimal-synth. After an absence lasting almost fifteen years, he made a surprise appearance at a festival five years ago and then nothing else was heard of him. A slew of out-of-print (and now costly) vinyl being the only evidence that he once existed, he seemed to have simply vanished into nothingness after 2004. I listed both LPs together because, in my opinion, they mutually sum up the greatest of his work. This also corresponds to my dream of one day seeing both of these gems paired together on a single release – a release on a legitimate label – that would include his “I’m Hurt” 7” as bonus material. The multi-talented, vinyl purist Veronica of the label Minimal Wave – who has got to be one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my entire life – has been wanting put out his works for years. I am hoping that day is soon to come. You can hear “Come On Dance” and “Baby Tonight” from his first album and all of the songs from ‘The Right to Die’ on youtube. Someone with exceptional artistic abilities cued up “Baby Tonight” with a dance scene from a 1910 film. Give it a taste.



Zenlo – Skelethal Antics   Buy New or Used through amazon
9.) Zenlo – Skelethal Antics (Porter Records, 2009)
The great Zenlo – a cross between Vince Gallo and a burnt-out Liberace – connected with the guy from Porter Records through Myspace and put ‘Skelethal Antics’ out. An amalgam of minimal-synth, jazz and experimental-drone is in store for you here. He is somehow all over the place and yet, completely sitting beside whoever cares to listen to him, showing his disciple each and every crazy trick up his sleeve. He is solely devoted to the concept of improvisation, but when you listen to songs like “Crab Dance” and “Call of the East” there is an almost pop-formula present. Porter Records puts out some fabulous experimental music but this is probably the best of the bunch.



Mira Cook   MySpace
ALSO   Interviewed and in session on WFMU (Real Audio) here and here and here and here
10.) Mira Cook – Mira Cook (self-released cassette, 2009)
Squish together Daniel Johnston, Grouper, and a pinch of Vashti Bunyan and you’ll have a taste of Mira Cook’s aesthetic. Simple, lo-fi songs comprised almost entirely of the singer’s haunting voice run through various effects. Not a modicum of pretension here. Just an eerie beauty that lingers in the air like a ghost long after the tape has come to a stop. Her next release will be on Digitalis.



Give us a holler at otlodge AT yahoo DOT com. We won’t bite you…




]]> http://pooplist.net/2010/01/31/oliver-lodge-poop-09/feed/ 0 Eric Fine Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/01/30/eric-fine-poop-09/ http://pooplist.net/2010/01/30/eric-fine-poop-09/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:57:12 +0000 EricF http://pooplist.net/?p=2515




Hello world.  Time to wake up again, cram as much music into my brain for a few days and put some ramble on paper and pretend I have immersed myself in music this year.  Truth be told, I find most of my time is spent listening to old Stevie Wonder records.  Perhaps I should just review those?  Nonetheless, I did find a few items that stood out. Surprisingly, or not, much of my “new” music was either compilations (limited attention span?) or reissues.  Anyway, to quote the late, great George Michael (from The Machine, not Wham): “Let’s go to the tape.”



GRIZZLY BEAR   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest What a great headphone record. Layered, atmospheric and complicated; I can’t ask for anything more from an album. Both happy and sad; it can’t decide which way it wants to go. I know the feeling.



Various Artists - Dark Was the Night   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
Various Artists – Dark Was the Night The Red Hot Organization celebrates its 20th release with a who’s who of indie rock.  Outstanding covers mixed in with originals, both new and old.  Highlights include The Books version of Nick Drake’s Cello Song and The National’s So Far around the Bend.



Big Star – Keep An Eye On The Sky Sometimes   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
Big Star – Keep An Eye On The Sky Sometimes What is old is new again.  Never dated, it is like hearing these songs fresh for the first time.  The volume of unreleased material fits in nicely with studio tracks. 



DIRTY PROJECTORS   Buy New or Used through amazon   OR   @ eMusic
Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca One of the most diverse, original recordings to come around in awhile. Heavy, folksy, and breezy all at the same time.



YO LA TENGO   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
Yo La Tengo – Popular Songs I guess that is Ira’s stab at sarcasm. Opening track’s strings help to set up a dark mood, which is quickly shifted to Georgia’s light and airy singing. For me, they can do no wrong, and I am happy to say this is another strong showing.



WILCO   Buy New or Used through amazon
Wilco – Wilco Best American (not Americana) band out there today, this album gets better with each listen. As always with Wilco, there is more than meets the ear. Dig deep into each track and see how simple and complicated they are at the same time.



Brendan Benson – My Old, Familiar Friend   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
Brendan Benson – My Old, Familiar Friend True, Jason Falkner taught him what well produced pop music sounds like. However he has been carrying the torch nicely. I see this as one of those albums that will continue to improve with each listen and will stand up to the test of time in Pop.



Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix   Buy New or Used through amazon   OR   @ eMusic
Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix Normally, not my cup of tea. Poppy and happy are usually not two words I put together when describing the music I listen to. However, I find myself taping along to the strong hooks.



  Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
Built to Spill – There Is No Empty Quite the improvement from their previous release, there is a sound for everyone here.  Still going strong with big guitars, there is more melody than I have heard from them in awhile.  They are still one of the best live bands around today.



ANIMAL COLLECTIVE   Buy New or Used through amazon   OR   @ eMusic
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion It doesn’t take long for this record to take flight.  Starting off like slow and steady, the thumping beats set the pace for the rest of the album.  Each song has an epic anthem quality which you feel like could explode any second.




OTHER MUSIC I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ENJOYED IF I HEARD MORE THAN ONCE:
Various Artists – Score! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Covers A great compilation. I am a sucker for a good cover, especially a Superchunk cover.
The Fiery Furnaces – I’m Going Away Dated, but in a good way. I would describe this record as indie rock with 70’s piano; a more aggressive Sloan perhaps?
Dinosaur Jr. – Farm Some things never change… and that is a good thing. This record snuggly fits into their catalog perfectly.Neko Case – Middle Cyclone Sure, her voice has held up quite well. Powerful, yet somewhat hollow at the same time. Sadly, I don’t find the songs that interesting anymore.
Tortoise – Beacons of Ancestorship Still hypnotic, however not as melodic as previous releases. They are slowly becoming the elevator music of our day. That is not a complement.
Flight of The Conchords – I Told You I Was Freaky Not as strong as their first season, but still make for a good laugh.
Sonic Youth – The Eternal Their tightest release in years without straying too far from their core sound.



REISSUES OF NOTE:
The Feelies – Crazy Rhythms / Good Earth 2 classics finally resurfacing. The sound is amazing
Sunny Day Real Estate – Diary / LP2 Somewhat dated, but still rocks
Beastie Boys – Check Your Head The record that took them to the next level for me
U2 – Unforgettable Fire Before they saved the world, they wrote impassioned and warm songs
REM – Reckoning Totally missed first time around, I get a second chance, loaded with bonuses
Neil Young – Archives, Vol. 1 1963-1972 Full of nuggets and gems I can keep going back to
Jesus Lizard – Head / Goat / Liar / Down Man, these guys were badass
Elvis Costello – Live At The El Mocambo Vital live, high energy highlighting the early days



As always, thanks to my patient wife. I know she wants me to grow up, I’m just not sure how. And to Jaden, an innocent ray of bright light and the sunshine of my life (see, I told you, lots of Stevie Wonder). Maybe next year he can contribute his own list.



Peace,
Eric Fine, via NYC




]]> http://pooplist.net/2010/01/30/eric-fine-poop-09/feed/ 0 Kent Benziger Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/01/30/kent-benziger-poop-09-2/ http://pooplist.net/2010/01/30/kent-benziger-poop-09-2/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 20:02:30 +0000 KentB http://pooplist.net/?p=2505



Sweet Sixteen


Amadou & Mariam - Welcome to Mali   Buy New or Used through amazon
Amadou & Mariam – Welcome to Mali



White Denim - Fits   Buy New or Used through amazon
White Denim – Fits



Lily Allen -It's Not Me, It's You  Buy New or Used through amazon
Lily Allen – It’s Not Me, It’s You



PASSION PIT   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
Passion Pit – Manners



Dave Perkins - Pistol City Holiness   Buy New or Used through amazon
Dave Perkins – Pistol City Holiness



  Buy New or Used through amazon
Riverside – Anno Domini High Definition



Sarah Jarosz - Song Up in Her Head   Buy New or Used through amazon
Sarah Jarosz – Song Up in Her Head



Pearl Jam - Back Spacer  Buy New or Used through amazon
Pearl Jam – Back Spacer



Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 - Goodnight Oslo   Buy New or Used through amazon
Robyn Hitchcock & the Venus 3 – Goodnight Oslo



The Reigning Sound   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic

Reigning Sound – Love and Curses



A Place to Bury Strangers - Exploding Head   Buy New or Used through amazon
A Place to Bury Strangers – Exploding Head



Otis Taylor - Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
Otis Taylor – Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs



Bela Fleck - Throw Down Your Heart   Buy New or Used through amazon
Bela Fleck – Throw Down Your Heart



Amayo's Fu-Arkist-Ra - First Kung Fu Lessons of Life  Buy through amazon   OR   @ CD Baby
Amayo’s Fu-Arkist-Ra – First Kung Fu Lessons of Life



Girls - Album   Buy New or Used through amazon   OR   @ eMusic
Girls – Album



Ramblin Jack Elliot - A Stranger Here   Buy New or Used through amazon
Ramblin Jack Elliot – A Stranger Here




Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix   Buy New or Used through amazon   OR   @ eMusic
Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix




World (All from the 70s and Africa Rules)
V.A. Legends of Benin,
Franco – Francophonic Vol. 2
Ghana Special – Modern Highlife, Afro Sounds & Ghanian Blues
V.A. – Panama!2


(African Twins!!!)
V.A.. African Pearls: Mali 70 – Electric Mali
V.A. African Pearls: Senegal 70 – Musical Effervescence

Mulatu Astatke – New York-Addis-London
Mulatu Astatke and the Heliocentrics – Inspiration Information

Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou – The Vodoun Effect
Orchestre Poly-Rythmo de Cotonou – Echos Hypnotiques



Underachievers (Absolutely nothing new and no intellectuals allowed – just familiar hooks and fun stuff)
The Ettes– Do You Want Power
Summer Cats – Songs for Tuesdays
Titus Andronicus – The Airings and Grievances
Bricolage – Bricolage



Twilight Zone
Bloody Panda – Summons
Mount Erie – Wind Poem
Savath Y Savalas – La Llama
Phil Kline- Around the World in a Daze
Mariusz Duda – Lunatic Soul
Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band – Between My Head and the Sky



Retro Soul
Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears – Tell ‘em What Your Name is
Mayer Hawthorne – A Strange Arrangement



Live If You Want It (It’s all good, provided you’re a fan)
Nivrana – Live at Reading
Tom Petty & Heartbreakers – Anthology
Leonard Cohen – Live in London
Paul McCartney – Good Evening New York City



Solid Reissues
The Lafayette Afro-Rock Band, Darkest Light
Michael Bloomfield – Live at Bill Graham’s Fillmore West
V.A., We’re Gonna Change the World, The 60’s Chicago Garage Sound of Quill
Blur – Midlife



Jazz
(Mainstream)
Jay Iyer – Historicity
Chick Corea & Uehara Hiromi – Duet
Gary Burton – Quartet Live
Joe Lovano – Folk Art
Return to Forever – Returns
Christian McBride & Inside Straight – Kind of Brown
The Stanley Clarke Trio - Jazz in the Garden
Jan Garbarek Group – Dresden
Keith Jarrett – Testament


(Ornette’s Children)
Steve Lehman – Octet, Travail, Transformation, and Flow
Miles Okazaki – Generations
The Fully Celebrated – Drunk on the Blood of the Holy Ones
Matthew Shipp Trio, Harmonic Disorder
Joe Morris – Wildlife



Borderline
Meshell Ndegeocello – Devil’s Halo
Florence & the Machine – Lungs
Blk Jks – After Robots
Moby – Wait for Me
U-2 – No Line on the Horizon



Who Cares
Bruce Springsteen – Working on a Dream
Bob Dylan – Together Through Life
Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
Levon Helm – Electric Dirt



I Really Tried….
Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavilion


Kent B



]]> http://pooplist.net/2010/01/30/kent-benziger-poop-09-2/feed/ 0 Jim Meyers Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/jim-meyers-poop-09/ http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/jim-meyers-poop-09/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 04:28:36 +0000 JimM http://pooplist.net/?p=2485
NEKO CASE WILCO Reigning Sound

Jim Meyers Poop 09 (.pdf)
If you need a PDF reader, there are several decent free readers. To avoid bloat on your system it’s best to stay away from Acrobat Reader. Instead, we highly recommend Foxit Reader and the even lighter weight Sumatra PDF (Windows only). For Mac OSX, just use the built-in Preview utility.

Peter Doherty Grace/Wastelands arctic monkeys humbug Rhett Miller



]]> http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/jim-meyers-poop-09/feed/ 0 Jim Finnigan Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/jim-finnigan-poop-09/ http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/jim-finnigan-poop-09/#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 03:34:10 +0000 JimF http://pooplist.net/?p=2468


The women in Poughkeepsie / Take their clothes off when they’re tipsy
But in Albany, New York / They love the filthy way I talk
– Elvis Costello, Sulphur to Sugarcane



TOP TEN


1 Jeb Loy Nichols tie Jeb Loy Nichols & Ian Gomm Parish Bar AND Only Time Will Tell
2 Michael Hurley & Ida Ida Con Snock
3 Various Artists Fire in my Bones Raw + Rare + Other-Worldly African-American Gospel [1944-2007]
4 Mary Anne Hobbs & various Dubstep artists Wild Angels Wild Angels
5 Various Skull Disco w/ Shackleton, Appleblim Skull Disco – Soundboys Gravestone Gets Desecrated By Vandals
6 Various w/ E.C.Ball, Michael Hurley, Pokey LaFarge, Bonnie Prince Billy Face a Frowning World – An E.C.Ball Memorial Album
7 Various w/ Ted Lucas, Gichard Crandell, Jim Ohlschmidt, Mark Lang Wayfaring Strangers – Guitar Soli
8 Jon Hassell & Maarifa Street Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes in the Street
9 Animal Collective Merriweather Post Pavilion
10 Gary Lucas & Najma Akhtar Rishte




2009 FAVES


JEB LOY NICHOLS : Parish Bar
Ian Gomm & Jeb Loy Nichols / Only Time Will Tell
Buy New or Used
through amazon
  OR   @ eMusic
Relaxa Records

Jeb Loy Nichols / Parish Bar
Ian Gomm & Jeb Loy Nichols / Only Time Will Tell
Variations on country dub – my favorite albums of the year. Great homemade Al Green Memphis backing on Parish Bar, more basic post-pub-rock country on the Ian Gomm collaboration. Wasn’t so impressed with the jazz piano on his third album this year – Strange Faith & Practice – his Nina Simone move? Promises of a full On-U outing next year. As On-U’s purported revival is sputtering feebly along, Adrian Sherwood seems to be reinventing himself as an acoustic/ country/ folkie/ dub producer for other labels. Worth checking is Ian King‘s Panic Grass & Fever Few: this here variant explores the Shirley Collins songbook inna English folk dub stylee. In a similar vein is Aussie folkie Dave Dobbyn‘s Anotherland, and Daby Toure & Skip McDonald‘s Call My Name, blues meets French Africa (Mauritania). There’s still some hard-On-U dub and funk stuff spilling out – check Lee Scratch Perry‘s Dubsetter set, Irish rapper’s RiRa‘s Horses Work for Donkey’s Wages, and the dub version of Mongrel‘s Better than Heavy.


Mary Anne Hobbs Presents Wild Angels
Skull Disco Soundboys Gravestone Gets Desecrated by Vandals
Buy New or Used
through amazon
Buy from Skull

In other dub- and electronica-related news, Mary Ann Hobbs (presents) Wild Angels finds the BBC DJ moving beyond hyperdub and dubstep to airy spacey dark dancefloor electronica. Sends chills down the spine. Skull Disco’s Soundboys Gravestone Gets Desecrated by Vandals features beats and bleats almost as scary as Wild Angels, and great dub echo effects, too. And I gotta give a mention to 5 Years of Hyperdub, a worthy summing up by premier dark dubstep label.



Fire in My Bones   Buy New or Used through amazon
Various Artisits – Fire In My Bones / Raw + Rare + Other-Worldly African-American Gospel 1944-2007 – Incredibly soulful downhome singles from local gospel groups and preachers mostly from east of the Mississippi. Song of the year has gotta go to Elder Beck’s anti-Rock & Roll sermon which is one of the hardest rockin’ thangs you will ever hear.



Felice Brothers / Yonder Is The Clock   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
Felice Brothers / Yonder Is The Clock – Sounding like a desiccated and languorous version of The Band. A misty-eyed reverie about the Cooperstown Hall of Fame. Tempo speeds up with Run Chicken Run, chickens don’t get no life after death Ü Pick to Click. Brother Simone’s outing as The Duke & The King was unforeseen 60′s folk-pop, and check the Robert Frost references – who’s he trying to be, John Sebastian? Cat Stevens? Norman Greenbaum? Worth watching to see how it develops.


ANIMAL COLLECTIVE
Michael Hurley & Ida - Ida Con Snock
 Buy New or Used
through amazon
  OR   @ eMusic
Buy New or Used
through amazon

The “freak folk” / “old-weird” movement is intriguing. Animal Collective‘s woozy psychedelic Merriweather Post Pavilion seems destined to justly pick up mucho bestof votes – the album is indeed sweet and pretty. Volcano Choir‘s Unmap wordlessly takes up the Bon Iver story from last year. Bon Iver‘s Blood Bank EP is ace, although it’s less ethereal than For Emma. All of these groups with high-pitched harmony choruses – AC, Fleet Foxes, Bon Iver etc – remind me so much of an update to The Mamas & The Papas 60′s folk-pop sound. Michael Hurley & Ida‘s Ida Con Snock was my second fave this year, and it replicated much of the repertoire from last year’s Varga Gallery show – homey, smiley, fun, mellow. Hurley fans also gotta check out the Irish Snock fanzine Blue Navigator, some issues which come with a cool CD.



Face a Frowning World - An E.C. Smith Memorial Album   Buy New or Used through amazon
Face a Frowning World – An E.C. Smith Memorial Album was one of several great folk compilations this year. A great gospel songwriter, great lineup (including Snock again), tho’ the version of Tribulation here was topped by Peter Stampfel’s cover back in what, 1986? Both Hurley and Jeb Loy also appeared on Migrating Birds – The Songs of Lal Waterson this year, another fine folk comp.



Guitar Soli   Buy New or Used through amazon
Been getting into some so-called Guitar Soli stuff this year. I was turned onto James Blackshaw via his collaborations with lutenist Jozef Van Wissem, and of course I was turned onto Van Wissem via his collabs with Gary Lucas. Lucas turned in a fine collab with Najma Akhtar on their album Rishte – gotta love it when Gary starts playing Bra Joe from Kilimanjaro in the middle of an Indian love song. Rick at Rhino turned me onto the Numero Group’s Wayfaring Strangers compilation of forgotten 60′s guitar soli-ists. Where’s that patchouli oil?



Fennesz In The Fishtank   Buy New or Used through amazon
More ambient stuff: I was quite taken with Fennesz’s dark and noisy ambient stuff, although there’s some light moments on In The Fishtank, his collab with Sparklehorse. Roger Eno’s Flood set was bright and engaging, and Michael Fahres’s Frames was cool and relaxing. Also worth checking was White Rainbow’s New Clouds, which added some muffled mutant tribal drumming to the mix, and Choral by Mountains (about as far from Leslie West’s Mountain as you can get).



Jon Hassell Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street   Buy New or Used through amazon
Best ambient recording this year was Jon Hassell’s Last Night the Moon Came Dropping Its Clothes In The Street, very sleep-inducing, which is as good a criteria for assessing ambient recordings as any I can think of. Hassell’s concert at Carnegie Recital Hall was quite different from the album, as the electronics in this music were much more pronounced, most probably due to the hall’s excellent sound system and speakers on the ceiling.


YONDER IS THE DOOR


Bob Dylan’s Christmas in the Heart
Whatta sense of humor. Loved the 50′s backing vocalists [too bad Mitch Miller's not around] and the Bettie Page photo. Woulda been better if he had just snuck these songs into an all-Christmas Theme Time Radio Hour. Or had Bettie Page sang the lead vocals, even tho’ she’s dead. However, you’ve got to give Bob a hand for not (totally) suppressing Kevin Ryan’s brilliant Dylan Hears A Who album – Oh the Thinks You Can Think.



Then there’s The Slits’ Trapped Animal
I really wanted to like this. Not only have I been avidly following Ari Up’s True Warriors and the Slits in concert, but also Adrian Sherwood mixed this. Too bad about the new material tho’ – right at the top of the album they let us know that they’ve got problems, but it sounds like the songs were written in 12-step meetings where the chief take-home message is Blame Blame Blame somebody else – which wouldn’t be bad if they expressed it with some song craft or humour, but here they’re artless and unimaginative. Some of other songs are good tho’, and the vinyl version has a less onerous song order, but it’s also less interesting. The other thing that nags me is all the choral vocal parts – it sounds more like a Girls At Our Best 25 year reunion than a Slits revival. Zoe Street Howe’s Slits biography Typical Girls was pretty good, tho’. And they had one of the top reissues of the year.




GIGS
There were so many good gigs this year that I’m listing them all. This list does not include the bad gigs that I also had to endure – these are just the good ones:




Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians at Vassar’s ModFest 01/31,
Jon Hassell & Maarifa Street at Carnegie Zankel Hall 02/10,
Peter Stampfel’s Ether Frolic Mob at Jalopy Theater Red Hook Brooklyn with John Cohen, Annabelle Lee, Jeanne Scofield, Eli Smith 03/06,
Fast’N'Bulbous at Le Poisson Rouge 03/10,
the Battlefield Band at the Town Crier on 03/20,
Bernard Fowler & Tackhead at the Highline Ballroom 03/22,
the Felice Brothers at the Bardavon on 04/07,
two Trombone Gospel Shouts with Cedric Mangum’s Clouds of Heaven and the “primitive gospel” of the String Band in Charlotte on 04/24 and 09/08,
Merlefest 04/25-26,
the Full Moon Concert by Gamelans Chandra Kanchana & Giri Mekar at Bard 05/09,
the Moondog Madrigal Marathon by the Eupraxia Players at Southpaw 05/14,
Peter Stampfel & Baby Gramps at the Kitchen Cafe 06/15,
Chuck Brown & The Soul Searchers with Little Benny at Battery Park City 06/16,
The New York Dolls at The Chance 06/26,
Scanner and Mountains at the World Financial Center 07/07,
Sonando at the Beacon Latin American Festival 07/12,
Bela Fleck & his film Throw Down Your Heart at Upstate Films 07/14,
Lee Scratch Perry & Dubblestandart with Ari Up opening for Alpha Blondy at Central Park Summerstage 07/19,
The Duhks at the Colony Cafe 08/02,
Rhys Chatham’s Crimson Grail for 200 Electric Guitars and Liquid Liquid at Lincoln Center’s Damrosch Park 08/08,
John Fogerty’s Blue Ridge Rangers at the South Street Seaport 09/02,
Gary Kvistad’s Drumboogie Festival at Kingston’s Cornell Park with Nexus, Silver Cloud Native American Singers & Drummers, Gamelan Giri Mekar, Jerry Marotta & Tony Levin 09/18,
Leon Russell at Red Hook’s Hardscrabble Day 09/26,
Terry Riley at Bard 10/09,
and Greil Marcus “performing” Lipstick Traces at the Columbia Library 11/19
Doc Watson’s Merlefest 04/25-26 featured great sets by Roy Book Binder, Happy Traum, bluesman Jimmy Duck Holmes, Rory Block, BeauSoleil, Emmylou Harris, Linda Ronstadt & Los Campaneros De Nati Cano, and Violet Hensley, the Stradivarius of the Ozarks.



Best recipe Þ how to make a Black Cat Bone: boil a cat until all of the meat falls from the bones. Throw the bones in a river, and watch them – some of them will flow with the current, but some of the bones may stay in place or flow against the current. Retrieve the bones that flow against the current, because they have “power”.



Best Museum Opening: Lisa Goddel’s Subterranean Homesick Blues Bar & Museum in Kingston 09/26.




PIRATE RADIO
Some good rock & roll flicks this year – Pirate Radio was an appropriately slovenly retelling of the Radio Caroline story – two of my favorite things: boating and 60′s free-form radio – couldn’t miss.
Anvil! The Story of Anvil was the real Spinal Tap – funniest scene: the artwork in the bathroom. \
And Michael Hurley’s American Boogie – a home movie of a journey through the desolate high plains of the Midwest with 20′s blues records geeks, 30′s-style fingerpickers, 40′s tube radios, animals, animation, and water towers.


Speaking of Pirate Radio, my favorite radio is still Vassar’s WVKR – where else can you hear polka music followed by Bollywood filmi followed by a great hip-hop mix? Props go to John Vanderwe’s Pipes’N'Pizzazz, Brendan Daly’s Irish Show, Bill Skills’ Diggin in the Crates, Bill Eberle’s Classic Country and Radio Showtime, Reggae Spectrum with Dexie B, and Geetmala with Padma.




EXTENSIVE RUNNERS-UP & REISSUE PICKS



Pylon – Chomp More
Incredible String Band – Tricks of the Senses
Slits – Cut/unCut Deluxe Edition
African Head Charge – Psychedelic Africa
Harmonia & Eno ’76 – Tracks and Traces
Afrika Bambaataa – Planet Rock The Album
Shirley & Lee – Rock (Sweethearts of the Blues)
Monks – Black Monk Time
Elvis Costello – Live at the El Mocambo
Moondog w/ Julie Andrews & Martyn Green – Tell It Again – Songs of Sense and Nonsense
Peter Ivers – Wounded Bird reissues
Ian King – Panic Grass & Fever Few
Fennesz & Sparklehorse – In The Fishtank
Roger Eno – Flood
5 Years of Hyperdub
RiRa – Horses Work For Donkeys Wages
Mountains – Choral
Volcano Choir – Unmap
Kevin Ryan – Dylan Hears A Who
Felice Brothers – Yonder Is The Clock / The Duke & The King – Nothing Gold Can Stay



]]> http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/jim-finnigan-poop-09/feed/ 0 Damian Cleary Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/damian-cleary-poop-09/ http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/damian-cleary-poop-09/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:01:26 +0000 DamianC http://pooplist.net/?p=2458




POO9
…a communique from the front…


this is a declaration of WAr. their reign over our humanity, over our minds aand spirits is at an end. no longer will we be their consumers, their worker s, their voters, for we will no longer clean the trash fromm their gutters. we will atttack their systems, culture, government and all they build up, we will tear down. our soldiers are alreadyin their homes and schools, crouching in the dark corners near jukeboxxes in bars, behind the counters of local stores, pouring out into the streets of cities. everywhere. our bulllets are words, our rockets are chords, our bombs are music. our weapon is ART. we will take no prisoners and there is no surrender. we will hangg them from their dead flagpoles with stereo wire.




(((from the last 365 )))




#1 OM – god is good
the sound of our marching feet on the footsteps of their palaces


#2 WOODEN SHJIPS – dos
pouring through th e loudspeakers as we disturb their peace


#3 OLD CANES – feral harmonics
their laws are ours to raze, our heartss have no rules


#4 SUNN 0))) – monoliths and dimensions
glaciers thawing and we finally have clarity


#5 PHOENIX – wolfgang amadeus phoenix
reveries of our summers exploits


#6 MOUNTAINS – choral
as the smoke clears, the sun hits our faces for a moments quiet


#7 JAPANDROIDS – post nothingg
our blood rushes as bricks shatter their windows


#8 NIGHTMARES FOR A WEEK – flood tomorrow e.p.
grass roots uprising with molotov cocktails and bared teeth


#9 REVOLUTIOARY ENSEMBLE – vietnam (reissue)
lest not we forget, to honour our past dissidents


#10 A SILVER MT. ZION – 13 blues for thirteen moons
we can see their holy grounds burn on the horizon





((( from th e decade past )))





#25 BATTLES – mirrored 2007
#24 DIRtY THREE – cinder 2005


#23 MASTADON – leviathan 2004
#22 BORIS – akuma no uta 2005
#21 JESU _ s/t 2005
#20 T HE NATIONAL – alligator 2005
#19 THE SWORD – age of winters 2006
#18 VARNALINE – songs in a northern ke y 2001
#17 GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR – yanqui u.x.o. 2002
#16 FUGAZI – the arguement 2001
#15 SUNN 0))) – white one 2003
#14 JOHN FAHEY – red cross 2003>
#13 GRAILS – doomsdayers holiday 2008
#12 hOT SNAKES – automatic midnight 2000
#11 PAPA M – hole of burning alms 2004
#10 SIGUR ROS – takk 2005
#9 DON CABALLERO – american don 200
#8 NEKO CASE – blacklisted 2002>
#7 PELICAN – autralasia 2003
#6 HOLd STEADY – bOys and girls in america 2006
#5 NEW PORNOGRAPHERS – twin cinema 2005
#4 oM – conference of the birds 2006
#3 EXPLOSIONS IN THE SKYY – friday night lights soundtrack 2004
#2 EARTH – hex; or printing in the infernal method 2005



#1 GODSPEED YOU! BLACK EMPEROR
lift your skinny fists like antennas to heaven 2000








"…them drums say the revolution is near – are you listening?" – De La
Soul





d a m i a n p a t r i c k c l e a r y







]]> http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/damian-cleary-poop-09/feed/ 0 Matt Nerney Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/matt-nerney-poop-09/ http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/matt-nerney-poop-09/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 07:31:16 +0000 MattN http://pooplist.net/?p=2453



Another year, another list, eh? Well, I have to say that on the verge of my 40th year, I may have finally reached the age of the curmudgeon. I don’t know if I’ve just lost my taste for new music, or if, as I suspect is true, new music really is just getting worse. Of course, there will always be good new music out there; it just seems it’s getting harder and harder to find. As the year wore on, I found less new music that interested me, and so I retreated back into a long forgotten love … reggae and dub. Since I really haven’t purchased that much reggae in the past few years, there was a treasure chest full of stellar titles for me to obsess over this year. Oh yeah, I also got the Beatles Stereo Box for Christmas, so the family and I have been listening to that quite a lot in the past month. Those classic and timeless recordings may also factor into my less than enthusiastic response to music in 2009. Bah Humbug!



Tops of the Pops



John Vanderslice   Buy New or Used through amazon   OR   @ eMsuic
1. John Vanderslice – Romanian Names :
Another interesting album by one of my favorite contemporary musicians. Intelligent songs, catchy hooks, and engaging production-work result in yet another indy-pop gem from JV. Artist of the decade?



Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix   Buy New or Used through amazon   OR   @ eMusic
2. Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix:
Reminds me of growing up in the 1980’s … remember new wave? Just really good, up-tempo pop songs.



Ida Maria - Fortress Around My Heart   Buy New or Used through amazon
3. Ida Maria – Fortress Around My Heart:
Mostly rehashed power-pop and punk tunes with a slightly modern sheen, but very catchy and her vocal-shredding antics on “Oh My God” just dug right in under my skin. Brass in pocket?



Le Loop - Family   Buy New or Used through amazon
4. Le Loop – Family:
More sunny pop music, but a little mellow and strummy. Inevitable comparisons to Animal Collective (ca. Sung Tongs) seem lazy but are generally accurate, with a smidge of English folk thrown in for good measure.



Alasdair Roberts - Spoils
Alasdair Roberts - Wyrd Meme EP
  Buy New or Used through amazon
  Buy New or Used through amazon


5. Alasdair Roberts – Spoils/Wyrd Meme EP:
Another guy having a great decade. Eccentric, acoustic Scottish folk with out-there lyrics and arrangements. Very interesting stuff. Warning: retrieve old college English lit. text books for references.



AC Newman - Get Guilty   Buy New or Used through amazon
6. AC Newman - Get Guilty:
Not quite up to the standard of the Slow Wonder or Challengers, but still quite good, really. The lyrics and arrangements are a bit fussy, but the hooks are still as sticky as molasses.



Dark Captain Light Captain - Miracle Kicker  Buy New or Used through amazon   OR   @ eMusic
7. Dark Captain Light Captain – Miracle Kicker:
Modern English folk-pop. Very clean production, intricate acoustic guitars, and hypnotic rhythms propel these songs forward with purpose and determination.



Fredrik - Na Na Ni   Buy New or Used through amazon
8. Fredrik – Na Na Ni:
A quirky little home-made folk-pop album by a couple of ambient/electro-pop musicians (the LK) from Sweden. Warm and fuzzy and strange.



GRIZZLY BEAR   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
9. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest:
It took a little while to get into this album but its slow charms eventually stuck. Dense and plodding, yet somehow atmospheric. Patience is definitely rewarded with this album.



THE FLAMING LIPS : Embryonic   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic
10. the Flaming Lips – Embryonic:
I’m always glad when a new Flaming Lips album comes out, and more so when Wayne and the boys mix things up like they do on Embryonic. Dark, dense, and dirty, just like the old ways.



11. Blitzen Trapper – Black River Killer EP:
Outtakes from Furr make for an interesting little EP. If you’re a hardcore fan, check out all their sessions at daytrotter.com, also.



12. the Acorn – Heron Act:
A collection of demos and live performances from the Glory Hope Mountain sessions/tour. Good alternate versions, but I still can’t say enough good things about the album proper (see POOP 2008).



13. Volcano Choir – Unmap / Bon Iver – Blood Bank EP:
Both releases expand the sonic landscape for Justin Vernon, but retain enough of the moody folk sounds for fans to be satisfied.



14. Great Lake Swimmers – Lost Channels:
Recommended if you like Harvest/Comes a Time style Neil Young. High, lonesome folk from Canada.



15. Polvo – In Prism:
One of my favorite indy bands of the 90’s come back with a solid, well-produced album that holds up to their blazing early work.



16. Twilight Sad – Forget the Night Ahead:
More psychological isolation than on Fourteen Autumns & Fifteen Winters, with a pronounced industrial sound that heightens the lyrical themes. Not for the weak of heart.



17. Reigning Sound – Love and Curses:
More garage/soul nuggets from Memphis rockers.



18. Levon Helm – Electric Dirt:
A bit more rambunctious this time around from the rejuvenated Band man. Here’s to your health, Levon.



19. Taken By Trees – East of Eden:
A few interesting moments, but the former Concretes vocalist sounds far too sugary for this type of minor-key musical backdrop. Disappointing.



20. Animal Collective – Merriweather Post Pavillion:
Again, a few engaging bits, but this is starting to sound more like house music than alternative. Also, the hype machine really started to grate the nerves.




Reggae Revival



Pressure Sounds:
Still putting out the good stuff, like Joe Higgs – Life of Contradiction, Keith Hudson – Nuh Skin Up, King Tubby – Sound System International, Delroy Wilson – Dub Plate Style, Bim Sherman – Tribulation, Jimmy Radway – Dub I, V/A – Every Mouth Must Be Fed, V/A – More Pressure: Straight to the Head, V/A – Once Upon a Time at King Tubbys, as well as a slew of others. This label really can do no wrong!



Blood & Fire:
Sadly, no longer releasing new titles, but put out some great titles before the end like Yabby You (RIP) – Dub It to the Top, Yabby You – Deliver Me from My Enemies, and General Echo – Teacher Fi De Class (Equalizer imprint). Numerous titles are still available, but who knows for how long?



Heartbeat:
One of the great early US labels to champion Jamaican music, their association with the mighty Studio One is still going strong. Recently remastered and expanded editions of the Heptones – Sweet Talking, Johnny Osbourne – Truth and Rights, Delroy Wilson – Original 18, Lone Ranger – On the Other Side of Dub, Freddie McGregor – Bobby Bobylon, and the Gladiators – Studio One Singles, and many more have kept this label a vital source for essential reggae.



Soul Jazz:
Another crucial partner with Studio One, this UK based label has a deep, deep catalog of compilations that highlight the brilliance of CS Dodd and his stable of hit-makers from Brentford Road.



Trojan:
What to say? One of the originators, they have weathered hard times and recently been revived by their partnership with the Sanctuary group. Still cranking out great compilations like Big Youth – Ride Like Lightning, Keith Hudson – the Hudson Affair, and the Heptones – Peace and Harmony. Along with their massive back catalog, they also issued an extensive run of limited edition box sets at cut cost that is a boon for any reggae fan (highlights include the rocksteady box, the 12” mix box, and the dub rarities box).



VP/Greensleeves/17 North Parade:
Another group of labels that has a catalog that just won’t stop. The 17 North Parade imprint releases heavy sets of crucial roots and early dancehall that will enhance any reggae collection. Culture & the Dee Jays @ Joe Gibbs, Niney the Observer – Roots with Quality, Joe Gibbs – Scorchers from the Early Years, Joe Gibbs – Scorchers from the Mighty Two, Dennis Brown – A Little Bit More, Rod Taylor – Where is Your Love Mankind, Toyan – How the West was Won, Toyan – Spar with Me, the Most Wanted series, and too many others to mention. Keep an eye out for a “Junjo” Lawes collection in February.



Wackies/EFA:
Criminally under-rated producer finally gets his due with the help of a German-based ambient/industrial label. Titles by Horace Andy, Wayne Jarret, & Bullwackies All-Stars highlight the bubbling, broiling dub stew that Lloyd “Bullwackie” Barnes created in his Bronx reggae stronghold.



Light in the Attic:
Seattle-based label that has released a handful of totally obscure reggae titles from the Toronto-based Summer Records. Noel Ellis – S/T, Earth, Roots, & Water – Innocent Youths, and the Summer Records Anthology all delve into a little known north-of-the-border sound that draws inspiration from the likes of Keith Hudson and the mighty Upsetter himself, Lee “Scratch” Perry (who, of course, still has numerous titles being released, like Ape-ology, Dub-Triptych, Cutting Razor, Born in the Sky, and the totally essential I am the Upsetter box set).



Well, here’s looking forward to some good new music this year!




]]> http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/matt-nerney-poop-09/feed/ 0 Duncan Clark Poop 09 http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/duncan-clark-poop-09/ http://pooplist.net/2010/01/29/duncan-clark-poop-09/#comments Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:21:34 +0000 DuncanC http://pooplist.net/?p=2445



I thought that 2008 was probably one of the best years in music over the past decade and judging from a lot of other people’s comments, I was just about the only one who felt that way. I’m not sure what people thought this year, but for me 2009 was a year of great expectations and equally great disappointments although maybe I’m just generalizing from everything else that has been happening. Oh well, here it goes:



VARIOUS ARTISTS - The Soul of Spanish Harlem   Buy New or Used through amazon
VARIOUS ARTISTS – The Soul of Spanish Harlem:
Superb collection of songs recorded in NYC between 1967 and 1971 from Ace Records. These are songs, all in english, that never came close to making a Billboard chart by artists that you’ve never heard of before (ie. the 107th Street Stickball Team) which is a pity. It is a fantastic mixture of soul, pop, r&b and rock that is as strong and vital as anything that was on the charts at that time. My favorite disc from last year.



RANCID - Let the Dominoes Fall   Buy New or Used through amazon
RANCID – Let the Dominoes Fall:
Still stuck in the past, but you could do a lot worse than the Clash as your reference point. This is their best work since their early albums. It has the band covering a lot of different areas with a depth to the songs that I had not previously appreciated.



Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix   Buy New or Used through amazon   OR   @ eMusic
PHOENIX – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix:
Along with wars, earthquakes and other natural disasters, I suspect that the first appearance of a Gallic pop dance band on one of my poop lists is yet one more sign of the coming apocalypse. Damn catchy though.



RAPHAEL SAADIQ - The Way I See It   Buy New or Used through amazon
RAPHAEL SAADIQ – The Way I See It:
I think this was actually released towards the end of 2008, but I didn’t start hearing it on the radio until this year. This is smart old school r&b and soul from someone who has been doing his history homework.



WILLIE NILE - House of a Thousand Guitars   Buy New or Used through amazon
WILLIE NILE – House of a Thousand Guitars:
Second strong disc in a row from Nile. It ranges from rocking at the Doomsday Dance (throw your red shroud on!) to the quiet bitterness of Now that the War is Over.



NEIL YOUNG - Dreamin’ Man Live ’92   Buy New or Used through amazon
NEIL YOUNG – Dreamin’ Man Live ’92:
It’s weird but I prefer the songs from Harvest Moon in this solo setting a whole lot more than the studio album that was released. Come to think of it, I felt the same way about the bootlegs that came out around the same time as the Harvest album.


BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS - Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is  Buy New or Used through amazon
BLACK JOE LEWIS & THE HONEYBEARS – Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is:
Lewis is more of a shouter and screamer than he is a soul singer but you can’t deny the man’s musical chops nor that he fronts one of the tightest bands around.


COCKTAIL SLIPPERS - Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre   Buy New or Used through amazon
COCKTAIL SLIPPERS – Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre:
Little Steven seems to be making garage rock a cottage industry. A couple of well chosen covers, a couple of songs written by Little Steven who was always a better composer than he ever got credit for and strong original material by a group that’s able to pull off the garage-girl group rock with style.



DECEMBERISTS   Buy New or Used through amazon
THE DECEMBERISTS – The Hazards of Love:
They lose points for doing a concept album even if it was inspired by an old Annie Briggs EP. Ultimately it comes down to the songs themselves which are strong enough to stand on their own.



WILCO   Buy New or Used through amazon
WILCO – (the album):
This is about as middle of the road as Wilco gets.



ERIC CLAPTON AND STEVE WINWOOD - Live From Madison Square Garden  Buy New or Used through amazon
ERIC CLAPTON AND STEVE WINWOOD – Live From Madison Square Garden:
The one concert that I really wish I had been at. At least I got see Winwood in Kingston.



MARK KNOPFLER - Get Lucky   Buy New or Used through amazon
MARK KNOPFLER – Get Lucky:
My favorite works by Knopfler as a solo artist are the soundtracks that he did for the Scottish movies “Local Hero” and “Shot at Glory”. He’s added Scottish heavyweights John McCusker and Phil Cunningham to the band for this disc a lot of which would fit in quite nicely with the aforementioned albums.



THE WOODEN BIRDS – Magnolia:
Melancholia from Austin by way of Brooklyn. It doesn’t hurt that the singer sounds like Lucinda.



YOUNG DUBLINERS – Saints and Sinners:
If I have to pick a favorite album released this year by an Irish rock band, this is more memorable than the one released by that other band.



SONIC YOUTH – The Eternal:
Growing old, neither gracefully nor quietly.



THE SWELL SEASON – Strict Joy:
Even in “Once”, you could see that this was Glen Hansard’s show. Marketa’s contribution is only two songs this time around but they still make beautiful music together.



BRENDAN BENSON – My Old Familiar Friend:
After hearing this, I’m beginning to think that I gave Jack White too much credit in the Raconteurs. A musician born in the wrong age.



YO LA TENGO – Popular Songs & CONDO FUCKS – Fuckbook:
The two albums from Hoboken’s finest runs the complete gamut from genuine garage rock in the latter disc to a real mix on the other album that ends with classic twin sonic blasts over the last half hour.



BOB DYLAN – Together Through Life:
I love minor Dylan albums where it at least sounds like he’s having fun. He also gets extra credit for making the weirdest Christmas video in recent memory.



TINTED WINDOWS – Tinted Windows:
Nobody’s quitting their day jobs although Taylor Hanson might be hoping otherwise.



BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Working On A Dream:
I really struggled with this one. A confounding record. I don’t like the production and for every song that impresses me there’s another one that has me going WTF. Bruce sounds somewhat removed from the proceedings but the best songs keep you coming back to the album to give it another try.



NEKO CASE – Middle Cyclone & A. C. NEWMAN – Get Guilty:
Strong solo efforts from New Porno mainstays. Neko’s is the better disc although you can’t get around the fact that the sum of their parts is more than what they accomplish here.



IAN HUNTER - Man Overboard:
It’s hard to believe that Hunter turned 70 this year. I assume that he saved the hard rock for the Mott reunion but he is still slugging it out and having fun.



COREY CHISEL & THE WANDERING SONS – Death Won’t Send A Letter





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