Favorite Things ~ ALBUMS ‘08   Buy New or Used from Amazon Sigur Ros ~ Med sud i eyrum vid splilum endalaust (XL Recordings). After the “Heima” tour, these Icelandic superstars were left refreshed and re-energized, and their exuberance carried over into the studio. From singles to long, languid stunners, With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly is a document of unexpected extroversion. Special live guests include the London Symphony Orchestra and London Oratory School Choir.   Buy New or Used via Amazon Paavoharju ~ Laulu Laakson Kukista (Fonal). This Finnish duo doles out biographical information in dashes…

 Buy new or used through Amazon Burial – Untrue    Buy new or used through Amazon MIA – Kala     Buy new or used through Amazon Tinariwen – Aman Iman: Water is Life     Buy new or used through Amazon Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare     Buy new or used through Amazon Boxcutter – Glyphic     Buy new or used through Amazon VA – Box of Dub 2: Dub Step and Future Dub     Buy new or used through Amazon PJ Harvey – White Chalk     Buy new or used through Amazon Simian…

Best Records of 2007, IMHO     Buy new or used through Amazon 1. Andrew Bird – Armchair Apocrypha The former violinist and multi-instrumentalist (and perhaps the world’s finest whistler – it’s scary) for the Squirrel Nut Zippers continues to find his voice as a solo artist. I loved the Mysterious Production of Eggs so much I couldn’t imagine this holding a candle. It does.     Buy new or used through Amazon 2. The National – Boxer This one snuck up on me. And now my iPod is telling me that I listened to this more than anything else…

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    Buy new or used through Amazon 1. Amy Winehouse : Back To Black     Buy new or used through Amazon 2. Panda Bear : Person Pitch     Buy new or used through Amazon 3. Mekons : Natural     Buy new or used through Amazon 4. Robert Wyatt : Comicopera     Buy New or Used via Amazon 5. Ryan Adams : Easy Tiger     Buy new or used through Amazon 6. Yo La Tengo : I’m Not Afraid Of You And I Will Kick Your Ass     Buy new or used through Amazon…

Best of 2007     Buy new or used through Amazon Robert Wyatt – Comicopera A sad and tender CD from this UK underground legend.     Buy new or used through Amazon Various Artists – Bokoor Beats Vintage Ghanaian Afro-Pop from the 1970s. This compilation lends a window into a little-known, but thriving, music scene that borrowed heavily from American funk as well as the popular regional “highlife” sound.     Buy new or used through Amazon Battles – Mirrored Someone resurrected the Butthole Surfers, got them off drugs, taught them how to play their instruments and in turn…

  Buy new or used through Amazon ken andrews – secrets of the lost satellite (dinosaur fight) – yeah I know, I know; but the record definitely belongs on the list cause it’s one of his better offerings like YOTR. It is better than his other side gig called ON. Known from his FAILURE fame – well they never really made it to “Fame” rather more like underground notoriety and production darlings? “up or down”,”tripped up” – scream FAILURE. A must have for any KA fan. Strangely enough the i-tunes version, I know saying i-tunes is probably blasphemy on the…

Live Music: Olu Dara (Club Helsinki, Great Barrington) # 1 best show of 2007! Bob Wills’ Texas Playboys (Bearsville Theater) Jason Kao Hwang (Alt Bks Uptown, Kingston) Slavic Soul Party (Spiegeltent at Bard) Jason Slack and the Slick Slack Brass Band (Hudson, TSL on the riverfront) The Detroit Cobras (Stray Bar, Hudson) Chops and Seth (Bert’s Inn, Craryville) Porter Wagoner (Madison SQ Garden, opening up for White Stripes and Grinderman) Elvis Costello SOLO (opening for Dylan, Times Union, Albany) Toumani Diabate (Zankel Hall, NYC) Preservation Hall Jazz Band (Mahaiwe Theater, Great Barrington) Youssou N’Dour (UPAC, Kingston), VISION FESTIVAL opening night,…

  Buy New or Used from Amazon 1. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN – Magic When Born To Run came out a lifetime ago, it was at once stunning, passionate, majestic and poetic, words that might also describe Magic. Listening to “Girls In Their Summer Clothes,” I’m still surprised it doesn’t once reference a boardwalk.     Buy new or used from from Amazon 2. AMY WINEHOUSE – Back To Black This girl is a serious singer. With some serious problems. She might be the only singer in a position to follow up a classic album (and this is a classic) with a…

What I remember listening to in 2007   First, a confession: my motivation and enthusiasm are on the wane. The music seems to mean less than it used to (old fartism). Politics seems a lot more interesting. Listened less and was generally unimpressed but…..     Buy new or used through Amazon Magic – Bruce Springsteen Except for “Radio Nowhere”, which was trite from the first listen, a nice return for the E Streeters. From the frothy “Girls in their summer Clothes” to the overtly political, really loved it     Buy new or used through Amazon Play It as…

Well, the long wait is nearly over … no, I’m not talking about Bush’s presidency, I’m talking about the POOP 2007! As usual, I’m still procrastinating, and still trying to squeeze in a few purchases before deadline. There is some better news from this part of the world though. There will be another bairn in the Nerney clan come this summer. My plan for world domination continues! Well, maybe not world domination … and Nat and I will probably lose what little control we have in our own house with another little rugrat running around. Anyway, it’s certain to be…

    Buy from Calexico store Calexico – Tool Box     Buy new or used through Amazon The Sadies – New Seasons     Buy new or used through Amazon Iron & Wine – The Shepherd’s Dog     Buy from Dusty Groove Sven Libaek – Inner Space (soundtrack 1973)     Buy new or used through Amazon Dean & Britta – Back Numbers     Buy new or used through Amazon Benjamin Biolay – Trash Ye Ye     Buy from Dusty Groove Edda Dell’Orso – Voice (compilation)     Buy from Elefant Single (Spanish band) – Pio…

POOP 21st BIRTHDAY EDITION A toast to the POOP’s 21st drunken birthday! Mark must be such a proud papa. As my people say, slainte! Speaking of my people, I wonder how my shanache ancestors would feel about the fact that my musical mind has been colonized by the Brits. Cacophony and chaos cripple Cromwellianism. I may need an intervention, Or rehab. I say, no, no, no.     Buy new or used through Amazon Arctic Monkeys – Favourite Worst Nightmare The jagged and jarring guitar tension that explodes from the opening “Brain Storm” puts to rest any fear of a…