Michael Hodgkiss Poop 10


Top Ten for 2010


What a year it has been. I actually have more stuff downloaded on my hard drive this calendar year than all years put together, mostly thanks to my brothers ENDLESS CHRISTMAS COLLECTION. Yet, my BEST OF 2010 comes complete with howling guitars, a few jazzbos with one or two twang thangs, so here I go…



cover for The Black Keys - BROTHERS  Buy New or Used via Amazon
1) The Black Keys – BROTHERS
This is the album my brother and I could have made if he would only have let me sing. HOWLIN’ FOR YOU is cool while BLACK MUD has so many influences thrown in I dare you to try to name ‘em all: A Farfisa organ (awright), early Creedence guitar riffs, wah wahs…TOO AFRAID TO LOVE YOU could be a James Bond movie theme song, with UNKNOWN BROTHER taken directly from THE Beatles (White Album ).



cover for Ted Leo and The Pharmacists - THE BRUTALIST BRICKS   Buy New or Used via Amazon
2) Ted Leo and The Pharmacists – THE BRUTALIST BRICKS
Geez, haven’t had this much fun listening to an album in many a moon, well at least since they were called albums. Ted and Company provide killer music ala The Clash, Costello, Wreckless Eric, you know STIFF RECORDS kinda stuff. I played the air drums to almost every song except MOURNING IN AMERICA which was way too fast. My favorite tune is the appropriately named, WHERE IS MY BRAIN?



cover for Jeff Beck - EMOTION AND COMMOTION  Buy New or Used via Amazon
3) Jeff Beck – EMOTION AND COMMOTION
After seeing him “open” for Clapton I could not wait for my Guitar Hero to put out this collection. Jeff Buckley tunes, an aria from an opera, Imelda May singing on a few tunes , strings up front on others, all add up to his best studio recording in years, and I know since I have them all.



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4) Neil Young – LE NOISE
Lets Neil goes into his garage studio which is 5 times the size of my house, plug in an electric guitar and runs HARVEST kinda stuff with power chords AKA LE NOISE. Probably not a big seller for those who like the cute, melodic Neil but nonetheless a true gem.



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5) Trombone Shorty – BACKATOWN
Just right outtasight nasty funky ass jazz. Horns be a poppin’ out your speakers, drumming with slap brushes, samples, Lenny Kravitz,Marc Broussard guesting, SUBURBIA ala New Orleans, and IN THE 6th reminds me of Morphine (the band).



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6) Elton John/Leon Russell – THE UNION

I got this a few night after seeing these two LIVE FROM THE BEACON on PBS .Thought the concert was just okay. Leon ,a fav of mine, looked lost as he read the tunes off the teleprompter. But the album is superb. IF IT WASN’T FOR BAD takes you straight to church with The Reverend Leon and His Holy Majestic Choir of Well Built African American Ladies Who Sing Their Hearts Out, not to be outdone by what they do with HEY AHAB (these girls are tight), GONE TO SHILOH features Neil Young , MONKEY SUITS brings back MADMAN ACROSS THE WATER and throw in a bit of Brian Wilson to do some arrangements. These boys had fun recording this.



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7) Brian Wilson – REIMAGINES GERSHWIN
You take one totally burnt genius, one who needed the pharmaceuticals to stop all the creativity crashing thru his brain, and another genius who well… doesn’t matter which is which, except Brian Wilson REIMAGINES GERSHWIN is a gem. The Beach Boys Do Gershwin, call it what you wish, but “it is wonderful, marvelous, that you should care for me…”, THEY CAN”T TAKE THAT AWAY FROM ME sounds like pre-Pet Sounds B-Boys.



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8) Alejandro Escoveda – STREET SONGS OF LOVE
Loud guitars, smashing chords, banging drums, cool words, images of the deepest parts of the night, “call it what you want but THIS AIN”T LOVE”; “I saw her dancing in the parking lot, wearing black nail polish and smokin’ pot”… “ all I want to do is fall…fall…fall apart with you”, Springsteen, Tony Visconti, Bob Clearmountain, Ian Hunter all are there. Reminds me of The Bowery mid to late 70’s Mink DeVille, The Dead Boys…



cover for 9)	Jerrod Niemann -JUDGE JERROD AND THE HUNG JURY  Buy New or Used via Amazon
9) Jerrod Niemann -JUDGE JERROD AND THE HUNG JURY
Another from “that genre” almost like Sgt Peppers, a full listen thru kinda thang. THEY SHOULD HAVE NAMED YOU COCAINE, THE BUCKIN SONG, HOW CAN I BE SO THIRSTY( this morning after drinkin so much last night), ha ha ha…



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10) Richard Thompson – DREAM ATTIC
You have material for new collection for 2010 and My, my, my, back to the electric guitar mode and do it live for an audience, you gotta be great, and so he is.



OTHERS: Arcade Fire THE SUBURBS, Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL, Marc Ribot, Jason Moran, Jamey Johnson, Mavis Staples, Black Crowes, Ed Palermo Big Band, Gov’t Mule, John McLaughlin and oh yes, TAYLOR SWIFT…



Til we meet agin’
Johnny Jah