Buy new or used through Amazon 1. Of Montreal – Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer (PolyVinyl) It’s hard to comprehend, but 10 years have passed since their debut album first appeared. Truth be told, I hadn’t been following their releases in at least half of those years, as I’d pretty much figured out where they were going, which seemed pretty predictable. Well Kevin Barnes must have realized that he’s gone as far as he could with his shtick and decided to throw himself headlong into a nervous breakdown by moving to Norway with his wife in the dead…

1. Beck Sea Change DGC/Geffen Records Once again, he’s outdone himself. Even Jackson Browne should be suitably impressed with this gloom n’ doom beauty. Take Mutations and remove any semblance of humor. 2. Aimee Mann Lost in Space Superego Records I don’t understand how Bachelor No. 2 got raves and this one seems to fly under the radar for most. If she has more of these in her misery treasure trunk, by all means keep em comin! 3. Super Furry Animals Rings Around the World Beggars/XL Records A real mish-mosh of Beatle-pop, electronica insanity and 70s cliché-isms. A real feast…

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….

   Buy new or used through Amazon M.I.A. – Arular (XL/Beggars) Dunno what I can add to all the column inches already dispensed on this. It’s just so wondeful a mix of beats, samples and musics that I feel like listening to it right now. It’s just sooooo….. fuckin’ good.     Buy new or used through Amazon    Buy from Amazon VA – Run the Road 1 (Vice Records USA) VA – Run the Road 2 (679 Records UK) Best comps to get in on the UK grime scene. Almost all of the biggest names from the last 2…

30 TOPS – – – – 30 – casiotone for the painfully alone – etiquette (tomlab) makes the postal service sound like the telegram 29 – the thermals – the body, the blood, the machine (sub pop) makes green day sound really, really old 28 – indian jewelry – invasive exotics (monitor) doom-plated psych-rock from the bowels of the bowels 27 – grizzly bear – yellow house (warp) winner of my first annual scott dellamore album layout of the year award 26 – skygreen leopards – disciples of california (jagjaguwar) straight up heartache; another notch in the jagjag belt 25…

  Buy new or used through Amazon M. Ward / Post-War: reclusive indie-folk guitar hero wakes up and smells the genius   Buy new or used through Amazon Beck / The Information: uplifting and funky, Beck quits moping, starts popping and locking   Buy new or used through Amazon Tapes ‘n Tapes / The Loon: Pixies plus Pavement, pure indie pleasure   Buy new or used through Amazon Arctic Monkeys / Whatever People Say That I Am…: great dance-punk, undeniably catchy   Buy new or used through Amazon Band of Horses / Everything All the Time: slow-burning, clean, and bright…

  Buy from CD Baby 1. THE FELICE BROTHERS: Through These Reins & Gone – local Hudson Valley guys made the best music I heard all year…several live shows really showcased their Band/Dylan influences. big things lie ahead for them.   Buy new or used through Amazon 2. BOB DYLAN: Modern Times – what can one say? blatant rip offs from Muddy Waters aside, a brilliant, fun, insightful ride. (local reference- rented out the Bardavon to write and jam for a week)   Buy new or used through Amazon 3. NICOLAI DUNGER: Here’s My Song, You Can Have It, I…

I have been doing this for 5 or 6 years now I think? Do I have a frigging clue in what I am doing? Hell to the no. I love the music I listen to, as well as the movies and tv shows I watch. I do support gay marriage, as well as a woman’s right to choose. But other than that I am your typical meat-eating, right to bear arms liberal. Anyway here’s what I dug in 2006. There was a lot of stuff I enjoyed so my top 10 turned into my Top 20 My Favourite Albums of…

I will be the first to tell you I have no musical taste. I leave that to the experts and those who know so much better then me. That being said, I do love music and I enjoy and here is what made me smile in 2005. I played Franz Ferdinand a lot and they almost made it to number 1. But I decided to give it to Bright Eyes for having 2 albums I thoroughly enjoyed plus making one of the best protest tunes of the past 20 years with “When The President Talks to God”, as well as…

  Go to Jeff Schwartz PoOP 2006 Original .pdf here (Opens in new window) If you need a fast loading, non-bloated .pdf viewer, we suggest Foxit Reader (Windows) Here’s a rough preview:

In order to begin, we must first know that while many of these bands & artists seem familiar to most of us…is it my fault that THEY are THE ONE’S who are putting out quality material? I think not. Hence they are simply voted into the crucial, the essential, the masterful, the chosen few, the coolest of the cool, the best, quite simply THE POOP! While there are quite possibly 10 records that I could list this year, I am only coming up with 6 GEMS. Now I will mention a few at the end (that I was not fortunate…

CDs   Buy new or used through Amazon 1. VA – Fonotone Box set 5 CDs – (Joe Bussard’s 78rpm label) comes w/ great book, bottle opener and postcards   Buy new or used through Amazon 2. Ali Farka Toure – The King of the desert ‘blues’ singers – Savane (World Circuit)   Buy new or used through Amazon 3. Wayne Hancock – Tulsa (Bloodshot) honky tonk at its swingin best Buy new or used through Amazon Buy from the Vipers 4. New Orleans Preservation Hall Jazz Band – Shake That Thing (Preservation Hall) 4. New Orleans Jazz Vipers –…

    Buy new or used through Amazon 1. PAUL McCARTNEY – Chaos And Creation In The Backyard Go ahead and call me a wanker for liking this (or for any other reason, if you prefer). Without resorting to one damn silly love song, McCartney delivers a genuinely great album of minor key marvels. Like new Beatles music once did, it surprises and challenges at every turn. And to think that this year he’ll rent a cottage at the Isle of Wight (if it’s not too dear).       Buy new or used through Amazon 2. ROBBIE FULKS –…

What I listened to in 2005 (approximately)   As ever, in no order, at least that I can discern:       Buy from Not Lame Recording Co. Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass Kickin’ Team  –  Terry Anderson and the Olympic Ass Kickin’ Team Drunkin’ Rockpile. Songs about drinking, driving, drinking and driving and (did I mention) drinking. Delivered with delightful abandon.       Buy new or used through Amazon Kronos Quarter and Asha Bhosle –  You’ve Stolen My Heart – Songs from RD Burman’s Bollywood The name says it all. A collaboration between the eclectic quartet and the…

Cultural Learnings of Music Geek for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of America Hey! Now 2006, what a year … The world is still going to hell in a handbasket, but Americans finally woke up from their collective coma to try and straighten out our own freakish mess of a government. It may actually be too late for any kind of real salvation but, as always, I’ll try to find some salve in the mysterious, narcotic delirium of music. It also helps when you have a good-natured and forgiving wife and a little pip of a son running around to brighten…

Well, it’s that time of year again. The holidays have come and gone, the cookies and nog have settled permanently in my waistline, and the resolutions have been made. Then the voices in my head start talking; “Mark’s going to be in touch soon, start on the list, don’t put it off, don’t put it off …”. Unfortunately, I’m able to listen to myself about as much as I listen to other people (which is not much, obviously, except for my wife and son). So once again, at the last minute, I’ll try to meet Mark’s deadline and stay in…

Buy new or used through Amazon m. ward – post war   Buy new or used through Amazon charlotte gainsbourgh – 5:55   Buy new or used through Amazon holden – chevrotine   Buy new or used through Amazon neko case – fox confessor brings the flood   Buy new or used through Amazon root 70 – heaps dub   Buy new or used through Amazon jenny lewis & the watson twins – rabbit fur coat   Buy new or used through Amazon elodie frege – le jue des 7 erreurs   Buy new or used through Amazon paul st….

Buy from Amazon iron & wine & calexico – in the reins   Buy from Amazon francoiz breut – une saison volee   Buy from Amazon jeb loy nichols – now then (& the october ep on cd at last)   Buy from Amazon ana d – morning becomes eclectic   & that about does it. the new brian eno has its moments as does the new benjamin biolay. the daniel lanois is cool but i prefer his pop song stuff. the bertrand bergalat was worth it for a few songs & a wonderful animated video that was inspired by…