Liz Phair – Liz Phair Who could ask for more? A pop-friendly record that really pissed people off. This former Indie goddess sounds AM mainstream and her former constituency claims she sold out. Well, Ms. Phair’s new producers and writing team do pull out all of the stops, but it’s hardly a sell-out with titles like “Hot, White Cum”, and intelligent, witty lyrics about her winter-spring romance. The songs are also catchy, lighter-than-air, and sound great on a car radio on that hot summer day. Fire – Electric Six 6Twenty – D-4 Bazooka – Star Spangles Little Killers – Little…

1. The New Pornographers – Electric Version (Matador) In my book, 2000’s “Mass Romantic” was a force to be reckoned with. Hooky song followed by an even hookier song and Heavens to Betsey, followed by an even catchier song! I would have been happy with a follow-up half as good. “Electric Version” delivers with a wallop on the par of an 18-wheeler rolling over a dozen eggs. My only hope for album 3 is for part-time pornographer Dan Bejar to get more than 3 songs on the record. 2. The Wrens – The Meadowlands (Absolutely Kosher) Magnet Magazine published back…

Favorite Things ~ AlBums Zoar ~ Clouds Without Water. The crowning achievement of this group’s young career. On their third album, Zoar is joined by such guests as Matt Johnson (The The), Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance) and the Masai People of Lake Natron, Tanzania. Weighty issues are tackled here: the unobtainability of happiness through material pursuit, the horror of human disconnect, the finite nature of humanity. Because of the sheer variety of styles represented here, the album demands the listener’s attention, refusing to be played as background music. Reminiscent at times of Nicole Blackman, Elijah’s Mantle, and the Heavenly…

Poop oh ate Tell Tale Signs, Randy, Ani, Ray Davies, and the Cooder anthology was pretty much it for me this slow, tense, political year. Yeah sure Jakob D, the ever-cute Carrie Rodriguez, Kathleen Edwards, and Lynne Hanson ignited some sparks but what’s the poop behind every other aficionado wetting themselves over the latest Baez, Osborne, and Pretenders? And why didn’t any of the new music that crossed my path either by burn or XM leave any stain on my consciousness? Lucinda was great at the Depression era theater alongside Madison Square but without her Buick 6 is a riffless…

Steinski – Nothing To Fear (Soul Ting Records) I am just a little ashamed to have this on the Pooplist, not because of the music, but because the CD is almost impossible to find. Steinski is one of the great DJ/Selector originators, responsible, along with partner Double D, for the seminal “Lesson 1”, “2” and “3”. “Nothing To Fear” is a CD of the mix he made for the BBC radio show “Solid Steel”. The primacy of the beat is the point here. It’s not just that, it’s also the spoken samples he chooses (including one of my own favourites…

2002 Albums of the Year 1. Wilco – – Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 2. Flaming Lips – – Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots 3. Neko Case – – Blacklisted 4. The Doves – – The Last Broadcast 5. Sleater Kinney – – One Beat 6. Brendan Benson – – LaPalco 7. And You Will Know Us From The Trail OF The Dead – – Source Tags and Codes 8. Interpol – – Turn On The Bright Lights 9. Ryan Adams – – Demolition 10. Peter Bruntnell – Ends Of The Earth Dan Wilmer NY, NY, 10025

Fu Manchu – California Crossing (mammoth) Rockin’ head-bobin’ groove – if you know FU, then you know the deal, fuzzy, sludgy & tight – these guys are as cool as it gets – who else would wear ski hats in the summer ? a lot of hayzie fuzz.. Jurassic 5 – Power in Numbers (interscope) Continuing the positive vibe – regulating the “quality control” – most definitely yo! – what can be said more than ill fuckin’ samples & dope ass rhymes – killer shit take a hit. Hermano – Only a Suggestion (tee pee) Garcia baby I, not jerry,……

Here’s where I found my thrills………… 1.Tonight at Noon: A Love Story by Sue Graham Mingus I love Sue. I love Charles. I love every word in this book! Charles had such an amazing mind and his music was so exciting, as of course was his style and how he led his life. Charles did everything to the maximum, took risks and got emotional all over the place. 2.Snapshots From the Lost Highway (more biography on Hank Williams) by Colin Escott, Kira Florita, Rick Bragg A great collection of photographs and anecdotes that you have not seen or heard before….

1. VARIOUS ARTISTS – The Best Bootlegs In The World Ever. . . Hip-hop artists get their grunge on or, to quote the title of the Nirvana meets Destiny’s Child mashed potato, smells like booty. DJ’s, not as musicians but as magicians, create altogether new songs out of old ones, proving the whole to be considerably greater than the sum of the sometimes ridiculously incongruous parts. The cleverest, most outrageous, funniest, most fun release (or non-release) of the year. Song of the year: Freelance Hellraiser’s “A Stroke Of Genie” (The Strokes go to bed with Christina Aguillera). 2. MARY LEE’S…

Top Ten CDs 1) Howie Day, “Australia” 2)The Streets, “Original Pirate Material”-a white-British-pothead-rapper; use your imagination 3)Norah Jones, “Come Away with Me” 4)Wallflowers, “Red Letter Days” 5)Jason Mraz, “Waiting for my Rocket to Come” 6)John Mayer, “Room for Squares” 7)Dixie Chicks, “Home” 8)Dashboard Confessional, “Unplugged” 9)Eminem, Various Artists, “8 Mile” soundtrack 10)Deep Banana Blackout, “Feel the Peel” Enough J. Lo – (stop trying to make it look like you actually work in your music videos) Avril Lavigne – good CD, but shut up Kerri Rosen

What I Listened To In 2002 Well, I am getting jaded. Sick of almost all alt.anything. Can’t stomach most singer songwriters. Went out of my way to listen to other types of stuff – except for some of the old reliables. George Harrison – Brainwashed Comfortable listening at its best. Well, the two best are gone but this one resonates with George’s knowledge of what was to come. Missed. Mary Lee’s Corvette – Blood on the Tracks Live, song-for-song recreation of the original. Much more passionate than the original. Speaking of the original: Bob Dylan – Live 1975 – The…

piero piccioni – scacco alla regina soundtrack (1971) burnt friedman/jaki liebezeit – secret rhythms (2002) al cinema con edda dell’orso – (compilation) mellow – cq soundtrack (2002) deodato – percepcao (1972) os gatos – os gatos (1970) piero piccioni – maestro series vol. 1 (compilation) system – system (2002) nara laeo – dez anos depois (1971) forma – a grande musica brasileira (compilation) greek cinema vol. 2 – george hadjinassios (comp) …a pile of francoise hardy lps, lots of morricone soundtracks, lalo schifrin, & ok…I like beck’s sea change too. 2002… the trend away from “new music” continues. maybe I’m…

(I am a POOPster intern. I don’t even own 10 new albums from 2002, in fact I really just want the POOPster log to read more than anything. But…(stealing a page from STP) here are my top 10 musical moments for 2002): 1.The Handsome Family, Live at Schuba’s, (2002) — The Handsome Family can do no wrong, well almost. Their songs are great and Brett’s voice stops me in my tracks, especially in ‘Arlene’ one of my favorite of all their songs ever. The silly banter between tracks on this album left me wishing I only knew their singing voices….

I had it all, written out. ..well, outlined. Then I cleaned my room. Then I took drugs. Ennui and I almost don’t want to do this and not because there wasn’t a lot of good music or because my ex-girlfriend called me yesterday but hung up on the answering machine and I was anal and still in love enough to *69 in the fear/hope that it was her… no. Not for any of those reasons. Just a big sigh, is all. A big stoned sigh and.a shrug of the shoulders. Martin Carthy is singing “the Deserter.” Usually I listen to…