“I’ve come to hate my body and all that it requires in this world”- The Velvet Underground
No reason, I just like that line and it makes more sense every year. Another quote: “There is no new thing under the sun.” None of these artists have reinvented the napkin. Just pleasure for 30 to 78 minutes, whatever, he sounds like Nick Drake or Marc Bolan or Tiny Tim or she sounds like Barbara Manning or Blossom Dearie.
Writing straight, a devil’s bargain with myself. No drugs. This sucks. Life in all it’s clarity is a basement with no view. Other will mention politics. Beyond caring and punctuation. And sleep. But insomnia is its own narcotic.
Then there is love or lust, but I’m Travolta in the bubble, see all no touch. What’s so great about clarity? Isn’t that what they say in A.A., “moment of clarity.”
Fuck clarity, let’s dance. Haven’t danced since the kibbutz, with the rosy cheeked English girl. Didn’t dance for a decade. Then I danced, I moved. Better off still. Feet still, tongue still, heart still. Gimme my drugs back. Scotch will do. List.
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1. Devendra Banhart – “Rejoicing the Hands”
Precious as hell, but appeals to my inner pagan hippy Incredible String Band loving soul. Does anyone else hear a bit of Leon Redbone?
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2. Cerberus Shoal – “Bastion of Itchy Preeves”
Like a less commercial Thinking Fellers Union Local 282. I like saying that because it’s so fucking pretentious. Arty group out of Maine that sound like they are having a good time while sacrificing at the alter of ESP records.
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3. P.J. Harvey – “Uh Huh Her”
Dark, sexy record. Best since “To Bring You My Love.” Bones, blood and no Thom Yorke.
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4. Mark Lanegan Band – “Bubblegum”
Dark, sexy record. Best since, well, ever. P.J. on board to share the smokes. Love is a strange religion.
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5. Acid Mother Temple – “Does the Cosmic Shepherd Dream of Electric Tapers”
They released four records in 2004. This one was the longest.
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6. Robyn Hitchcock – “Spooked”
With the help of Rawlings and Welch, Hitchcock has made the lovliest and emotional record of his career. Of course, the first track is about fucking his television, but love is strange. Plus a great cover of a Dylan song I never gave a second thought to.
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7.The Gris Gris – “S/T”
Psych garage nugget rewrites so what, it doesn’t sound careerest. ist?
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8. The Ex – “Turn”
Finally saw them at the Knitting Factory, surpassed all expectations. Ears rang for days. Double disk of bangs clangs and a salute to the great Ethiopian sax player Getatchew Mekurya.
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9. The Fall – Country on the Click”
More old school cranks, but something lit a fire under Mark E. Maybe a moment of clariteeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey
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10. Mr. Airplane Man – “C’mon DJ”
A bright sexy record. Sorry about the lack of diverse adjectives, but 375 ml of Dewars evaporated in less than an hour. Hot pants and black boots.
11. Animal Collective-”Sung Tongs”
12. Tom Waits-”Real Gone”
13. Neko Case- “The Tigers Have Spoken”
14. Anders Parker- “Tell it to the Dust”
15. Mekons- “Punk Rock”
16. Sam Phillips- “A Boot and a Shoe”
17. Califone-“Heron King Blues
18.Giant Sand-”AII Over the Map”
19.Master Musicians of Bukkake-”Visible Signs of an Invisible Order”
20.Adrian Crowley-“A Northern Country”
Other good stuff:
Sixtoo – ”Chewing on Glass” ||| Orso -”My Dreams Are Back” ||| The Hunches -”Hobo Sunrise” ||| Thee Silver Mountain Reveries -”Pretty Little Lightning Paw” ||| Sonic Youth -”Sonic Nurse” ||| Bonnie Prince Billy -”Greatest Palace Music” ||| Bjork – “Medulla” ||| David Thomas -“18 Monkeys on a Dead Man’s Chest” ||| Black Ox Orkestar -”Van Tanzt?” ||| Sun City Girls – Who can keep
up? Whatever they recorded, compiled or shit.
Stuff I didn’t spend enough time with:
Nick Cave, Richard Buckner, Drive By Truckers, Elliott Smith, Mission of Burma Reissues: DNA, Richard and Linda Thompson, Pavement, and especially “Dogs” by Nina Nastasia, my most listened to 3 a.m. record.
Stuff I didn’t get:
T.V. on the Radio, Interpol, Arcade Fire,
Shows:
Mekons/Johnny Dowd,
Pixies, bigger and better than 198?
Matthew Sweet/Velvet Crush, solid night of power pop,
Kristin Hersh/Anders Parker, music almost as electrifying as the company.
Films:
“Sideways,” Which appeals to those of us who look like Paul Giamatti, hands up, shlubs.
Best movie, though, “Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind”
I’m sure there is more, but it all floats away on the ether …”between the viaducts of your dreams” as it were. Or “…and all that it requires in this world”