Recordings 08:   Buy New or Used via Amazon C.W. Stoneking- King Hokum   Buy New or Used via Amazon Red Stick Ramblers- Made in the Shade   Buy New or Used via Amazon The Sacred Shakers (eilen jewell’s gospel band) – the sacred shakers   Buy New or Used via Amazon Living is hard: West African music in Britain 1927-29 honest jons records, UK   Buy New or Used via Amazon Bollywood Steel Guitar on Sublime Frequencies

TONY’S TOP 10 +   Buy New or Used via Amazon 1. THE HI-RISERS – Once We Get Started   Buy New or Used via Amazon 2. CHEAP TIME   Buy New or Used via Amazon 3. THE BASEBALL PROJECT 4. HOLMES – Free The Preacher   Buy New or Used via Amazon 5. THE MOVE – Anthology 1966-1972   Buy New or Used via Amazon 6. STEVE WYNN – Crossing Dragon Bridge   Buy New or Used via Amazon 7. THE FALLEN LEAVES – It’s Too Late Now   Buy New or Used via Amazon 8. CUTE LEPERS –…

or…. My Retro Can Beat up Your Retro Steering clear of politics and death. Just music; hooks in the mouth, holes in the cheek and the wind blowing through. A lot, maybe too much, of what I liked this year piles on the MC5, Johnny Thunders, Only Ones, psych-garage or Tin Huey, but I prefer it to sounding like Seals and Crofts, America or Bread. The WNPR list was pretty close to the one in Pitchfork; both had me suppressing the gag reflex.   But New or Used via Amazon 1. Simone Massaron featuring Carla Bozulich- DANDELIONS ON FIRE  …

Well, where did 2008 go? I know there were a lot of babies around. Of course, Nat and I had our new bairn, Finn Arden. Already, we can tell that she’s going to be just as much of a character as her brother, Declan. She’s a trip. Meanwhile, he’s always off on some adventure … slaying dragons, battling on the pirate ship, or racing to put out the fire. Talk about action-packed! With these two, there seems to be a near-constant cacophony of sound that threatens to envelope the house like a tornado. It does make it hard to hear…

HOW I SPENT 2008 IN FRONT OF MY TV. A List by Patrick Kennedy Instead of a list focused on everything under the sun, I wanted to use my two pages to look at the year in videogames. Partly because it’s a topic I hold dear to my dorky heart, and partly because I think the cultural relevance of videogames is increasing with every passing year. I missed just about every AAA game release in 2008 – I just got my PS3 in December and continue to make up for lost time – and many others were skipped for reasons…

  Buy New or Used via Amazon Portishead – “Third” (Mercury/Island) What’s that? How long did you say they’d been away? 10 years? And to come back so strong? Ooooofff!   Buy New or Used via Amazon Santogold – “Santogold” (Downtown / Atlantic) Diplo featuring Santogold – “Top Ranking” – A Diplo Dub mix tape (find it on the torrent sites) With Santogold vocals over a few choice tracks. Bouncy mix all the way through.   Buy New or Used via Amazon Franco – “Francophonic: A Retrospective Vol. 1 1953-1980” (Sterns) Two CD set, well chosen, good notes, decent sound….

The top 8 of 08’, top eight of two thousand and eight, 8 records in 08’ that are deemed GREAT. Here we are. Quite a year I must say. This time I bring you my usual diverse list of records, however this year I will not bore you with the cliché of “close but no cigar/2nd fiddle” titles, nor will I consume your eyes & brains with the list of “letdown” releases. Instead I give to you the crème de la crème, the SHIT, the best of the best, the PoOp. Put on your napkin, pull up a plate, sharpen…

Three of my top ten are of the reissue variety. And one is a compilation of folk guitar instrumentals from 1966 through 1981. That leaves a paltry six releases over the course of twelve months that inspired me enough to pick my head up and take notice. What should I make of this? Well, 2008 wasn’t the easiest year for pretty much anyone I’ve talked to and I’m sure the same can be said for you folks here. So I’ll cut the artists and labels some slack. Let’s all hope we all see a little light by the end of…

(*No real order here. Just the way I could remember things.)  

Well you all. It is nice to see you back after another trip around the sun brings us to our annual chance to document our pompous and opinionated selves to the point of inflated ego and shameless self promotion. This year the numbers listing the musical are not for rating purposes but for my inadequate filing system.     Buy New or Used via Amazon 1) Dave Holland Sextet -”Pass it On” 2008 Dave Holland is an impeccable bass player including his bow work. I am sure he learned something about assembling a band for his stint with Miles Davis….

Click the image to get a slightly larger view of this PoOP

  Buy New or Used via Amazon CALEXICO – CARRIED TO DUST   Buy New or Used via Amazon BON IVER – FOR EMMA, FOREVER AGO   Buy New or Used via Amazon PIERO PICCIONI – SCACCO ALLA REGINA (deluxe reissue)   Buy New or Used via Amazon LYGIA – LYGIA (brazil 1965)   Buy New or Used via Amazon FRANCOISE BREUT – A L’AVEUGLETTE   Buy New or Used via Amazon DEPEDRO – DEPEDRO   Buy New or Used via Amazon TINDERSTICKS – HUNGRY SAW   Buy New or Used via Amazon ENNIO MORRICONE – COSI’ COME SEI (deluxe…

Favorite Things ~ ALBUMS ‘08   Buy New or Used from Amazon Sigur Ros ~ Med sud i eyrum vid splilum endalaust (XL Recordings). After the “Heima” tour, these Icelandic superstars were left refreshed and re-energized, and their exuberance carried over into the studio. From singles to long, languid stunners, With a Buzz in Our Ears We Play Endlessly is a document of unexpected extroversion. Special live guests include the London Symphony Orchestra and London Oratory School Choir.   Buy New or Used via Amazon Paavoharju ~ Laulu Laakson Kukista (Fonal). This Finnish duo doles out biographical information in dashes…

Best Music of 2008   Buy New or Used from Amazon 1. Blitzen Trapper/Furr: Sounds like a lost Big Star record, with a healthy dose of Gram Parsons plus hints of the Beatles, Bowie and Chicago. Every single song is great: a classic.   Buy New or Used from Amazon 2. Born Ruffians/Red Yellow & Blue (sounds like: Violent Femmes + Shins + Dismemberment Plan). These cocky fuckers kick down the door with their edgy, angsty indie-rock sound.   Buy New or Used from Amazon 3.A.A. Bondy/American Hearts: (sounds like: Whiskeytown + Jeff Tweedy + Dylan). This dark, mostly acoustic…

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…