Greetings to all. Sorry, to those who felt otherwise, but it was a very average year in music. Not to say we didn’t have a wide selection to choose from, but I don’t expect much to stand the test of time. Perhaps I didn’t put in the required listening time this year, but nothing jumped out and told me that it will be soothing my soul for years to come. Don’t feel sorry for me. I was always cynical, yet somehow I can still manage to find a few records to spew about. And as usual, I’m 5 minutes away…

Turbines to Power! Rockets to Speed! DAS LIED DER DEUTSCHEN What does it say about me that I chose as my album of the year a Kraftwerk record that was made in 1983 and has been sitting on a shelf for 20 years? Florian und Rolf have either been tweaking the thing all this time or they just got tired of it or maybe they needed the money. Note that they still haven’t written any new songs since 1986, except for Expo 2000. Nice way to make a living. But the thing was continually on my stereo. No other electro…

The following is not a top ten, but just a list of some records that I enjoyed enough to listen to several times. It’s also not in any particular order. Yeah Yeah Yeahs: Fever to Tell Evanescence: Fallen The White Stripes: White Blood Cells Chevelle: Wonder What’s Next Ryan Adams: Rock & Roll, Love is Hell parts 1 & 2 The Shins: Chutes too Narrow Johnny Cash: The Man Comes Around Longwave: The Strangest Things The Mars Volta: De-loused in the Comatorium Howie Day: Stop all the World Now Third Eye Blind: Out of the Vein The Strokes: Room on…

It was a pretty good year to be in the garage. Garage music hit mainstream although it will probably be back in the garage in a couple of years so enjoy it while you can. There were plenty of great songs although not necessarily on great albums. The best album of the year could have been a new Nuggets-like compilation if there had been one. As it was, there wasn’t any one album that clearly towered over all the rest. A lot got played and the following was what got played a lot: 1. THE WHITE STRIPES- Elephant: Lets just…

Knuckel Drager- S/T (?): I purchased this cd used for $5. The best $51 have ever spent I don’t think there is a disc that has come out in the past 5-10 years that sums up my “sound” better than this. A combination of early Man or Astroman? and the Bomboras. The absolute BEST b-movie samples ever mixed to music. It doesn’t hurt that they sample one of my favorite Munsters episodes (Hot Rod Herman). Strictly instrumental, the farfisa rules but the surf guitar riffs are unreal. No label info on the cd, just a local band from Madison, Wisconson….

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…