Buy new or used through Amazon Arctic Monkeys – Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not — Yes, the hype for a certain part of the prospective audience was deafening, so what. The question is, does it communicate what it wants to? Answer: YES! In spades, I say. Basic rock ‘n roll is a lot more difficult than this makes it seem. Some whining on the West side of the pond about it being "too English".. so what.   Buy new or used through Amazon Various Artists – Mary Anne Hobbs Warrior Dubz — Wherein a BBC…

POOP MMVI Once again I have waited until the last minute (actually, I have 240 minutes to go ’til the clock strikes midnight) to gather my thoughts and music purchases for the past year, spread them out in front of me, and try to figure out which are worthy for mention in the preeminent “best of” publication of the year. I spent the better part of 2006 ignoring popular music, hence my list will seem somewhat limited when compared to the expansive sonic options touted by our fellow taste makers. I’m finding as I get older, the emotional link to…

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…

  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:

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 –…

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…

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….

Dancing gets me into trouble. I was dancing after my youth and my body showed me what for. Then, that love thang, that illusion created by a lifetime of Raspberries and Badfinger songs, did another kind of dance. Oh, that’s precious. Start over. Hey what a great fucking year. The war is going well, love was in the air, I lost weight and my hair grew back. Oh, and the music, ..honestly, every year is great. Push on. You know, there is always good music, you just have to look, like a pig searching for truffles. I got bored with…

No collision with a logging truck was gonna keep me from my PoOpy duty. Em, our music makes us heal. Buy new or used through Amazon Bruce Springsteen & The Seeger Sessions Band – We Shall Overcome (American Land Edition) Not the best disc of the year (see next entry) but definitely the most honest. Maybe the most honest disc ever.   Buy new or used through Amazon Bob Dylan – Modern Times Does anyone really care to argue this isn’t the best of ’06? If the seemingly throwaway line from ‘Nettie Moore’ “too much paperwork” doesn’t convince you of…

    Buy new or used through Amazon #l – BOB DYLAN- MODERN TIMES What a great title. This youngster is being touted as the new Woody.     Buy new or used through Amazon #2 – ORNETTE COLEMAN – SOUND GRAMMAR First new album in ten years and live in 20. Recording with the best band he has had, this is truly a delight, even for the uninitiated.     Buy new or used through Amazon #3 – ROSEANNE CASH – BLACK CADILLAC What an eerie recording. Beautiful, reflective. Her voice, words, raw emotion.     Buy new or…

    Buy new or used through Amazon 1. MODERN TIMES – Bob Dylan An older gent with young ideas.     Buy new or used through Amazon 2. ONCE AGAIN – John Legend A young man with old ideas. With a voice that haunts Jeff Buckley and a soul that pulls from Marvin Gaye, someday we may agree that he was correctly named. Gorgeous. Sam Cooke, are you listening?     Torrent? 3. AMERICAN EDIT – Dean Gray It’s like having a girl, and then having her sister too (metaphorically, of course…). Great mash of a great album.  …

The first word in ‘listen’ is LIST – Paul Morley TOP 10 RECORDINGS – PLUS RUNNERS-UP if you read the details Buy new or used through Amazon 1. Little Axe Stone Cold Ohio Tighter, more song-oriented, rootsier than previous Little Axe things, this was my favorite On-U release in years   Buy from the Band 2. Youngblood Brass Band Live. Places Brass powerhouse, much improved from their debut. Their studio followup, Is That a Riot? (#13) is worth investigating too, just a notch lower in energy. Brass band fans should also check the Dirty Dozen Brass Band’s remake of Marvin…

Records 25) Destroyer-Rubies 24) Yo La Tengo– I Am Not Afraid Of You And I Will Beat Your Ass 23) TV on the Radio– Return to Cookie Mountain 22) Liars- Drum’s Not Dead 21) Graham Coxon– Love Travels at Illegal Speeds 20) Silversun Pickups– Carnavas 19) Pink Mountaintops- Axis of Evol 18) Sonic Youth– Rather Ripped 17) The Thermals– The Body, The Blood, The Machine 16) Band of Horses– Everything All The Time 15) Robert Pollard– Normal Happiness 14) Califone-Roots and Crowns 13) Girl Talk– Night Ripper 12) Eagles of Death Metal- Death By Sexy 11) Mastodon– Blood Mountain  …

Top 11   Buy new or used through Amazon 1. Alexi Murdoch: Time Without Consequence   Buy new or used through Amazon 2. Alejandro Escovedo: The Boxing Mirror   Buy new or used through Amazon 3. Ray Davies: Other People’s Lives   Buy new or used through Amazon 4. Bob Dylan: Modern Times   Buy new or used through Amazon 5. James Hunter: People Gonna Talk   Buy new or used through Amazon 6. The Long Winters: Putting the Days to Bed   Buy new or used through Amazon 7. Johnny Cash: American V   Buy new or used through…