Favorite Things ~ ALBUMS ‘07   Buy new or used through Amazon Arcade Fire ~ Neon Bible (Merge). Recorded and performed in churches, “Neon Bible” is, ironically, a heartfelt diatribe against the evils of organized religion. “Not much chance for survival,” sings Wim Butler, “if the neon Bible is right.” Yet beneath all the disappointment and anger flows a river of faith, apparent in the organ tones of “Intervention,” the prophetic imagery of “The Well and the Lighthouse” and the determined yearning of “My Body Is a Cage.” Strings, brass and gospel choirs enrich the band’s already textured sound and…

Favorite Things ~ ALBUMS    Buy from Amazon B.J. Nilsen ~ Fade to White (Touch). Amazingly, the first new CD I bought in 2005 turned out to be the finest. January’s door had just opened, and here was the perfect soundtrack, one that remained in my CD player until the final frost and returned with the first flakes. “Fade to White” is an apt title for this masterpiece of sampled snow and devastating drones, whipping winds and white-out conditions. As the white noise builds to a tumult, the listener can easily imagine being snowed-in; the final icicle-thin pings sound like…

ALBUMS Buy from amazon Mum ~ Summer Make Good. “Will the summer make good for all our sins?” After the resignation of one of its lead vocalists, Mum retreated to a remote lighthouse in Galtarviti for inspiration. The result is their finest album to date, a treasure chest of creaks and anchors, kettles and coins. “Summer Makes Good” evokes wind-chapped faces, bulky, rain-drenched sweaters, tin cups clenched by a crackling fire. We hear whistles and chirps, violins and glockenspiels, a girls’ choir recorded in a cinema basement. All this and more are embedded in a spider’s web of skittery beats….

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…

These are a few of my favorite things. Albums of 2002 Fingathing: Superhero Music On their second album, Fingathing make hip-hop fun again by adding cello, long drum interludes and an array of vocal samples. Mum: Finally We Are No One Another sophomore release, this from an Icelandic band whose work recalls Bjork’s “Vespertine.” Music boxes, bells, and crisp layered sounds conjure images of snow and ice-covered lakes. Deadly Avenger: Deep Red An assortment of soundtrack flavors, breakbeats and old school funk, co-starring the Budapest Film Orchestra. The album comes with stickers too! Dom and Roland: Back for the Future…

Graduating Class – 2001 Pernice Brothers – – The World Won’t End (Ashmont Records) “Most likely to make Big Star & Alex Chilton drop a load in their pants” The New Pornographers – – – Mass Romantic (Mint Records) “Most likely to squelch any further Canadian jokes.” Ted Leo/Pharmacists – – – The Tyranny of Distance (Lookout Records) “Most likely to end up in intensive care for severe tendon damage.” Fugu – – – Fugu 1 (Minty Fresh Records) “Most likely to change the way most people feel about the French.” Death Cab For Cutie – – – The Photo…

Rich Allen Poop 2009 PDF If you click the link above (and your browser has scripting enabled for scribd.com) the document will open in a child window at www.scribd.com. Look for the button to read it full page If you right (Mac: “apple” key) click on the link you can above you can choose to download it to your computer and read it locally 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…

09 was an interesting year. Since this is my second year of POOP I did a better job of noting what I listened to throughout the year and managed to actually get a larger list together this time around. These albums are in no particular order, they are just the 10 that I came back to the most often over the course of the year in general.   Buy through amazon   OR   @ eMusic 1. Illinois: The Adventures of Kid Catastrophe I referenced this album last year, at that time only a few “chapters” were available, finally this…

The POOP for 2009, in no particular order:   Buy New or Used through amazon Neko Case – Middle Cyclone   Buy @ amazon OR Buy @ eMusic Tom Russell – Blood and Candle Smoke   Buy New or Used through amazon Little Walter – The Complete Chess Masters 1950-1967   Buy New or Used through amazon Joe Henry – Blood from the Sky   Buy @ amazon  OR Buy @ eMusic Dave Alvin and the Guilty Women   Buy New or Used through amazon Allan Toussaint – Bright Mississippi   Buy @ amazon  OR Buy @ eMusic Lee Fields and the Expressions – My World   Buy @ amazon  OR Buy @…

     Buy New or Used from amazon 1) Various Artists Take Me To The River: A Southern Soul Story 1961-1977 (Ace/KentRecords) Pricey import that matches the hype. Almost uniformly slow-burning but still the best soul box since Rhino’s 1997 Beg, Scream & Shout!, hands down.       Buy through amazon   OR   @ eMusic 2) Tinariwen Imidiwan: Companions (World Village) After 2007’s comparatively studio-driven Aman Iman: Water is Life, Mali’s masters of desert psych-blues strip it back down to the roots. Heady and addictive.      Buy New or Used through amazon 3) Various Artists Where the…

This Year’s Best Indie Rock and Alt Country   Buy New or Used through amazon  OR   @ eMusic 1.Drummer – Feel Good Together “Four drummers, not drumming.” This side project of mostly Akron-based musicians is led by Patrick Carney, the drummer from the Black Keys. The triumphant anthems on this record were my favorites by far this year.  Buy New or Used from amazon   OR   @ eMusic 2.Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix The 4th record from these guys finally proves that French Rock n Roll isn’t an oxymoron.   Get it at eMusic 3.Surf City – Surf…