Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade: The Thrilling Conclusion (#5 - 1)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31] [#30-26] [#25-21] [#20-16] [#15-11] [#10-6]

Drum roll please....

5. Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens (2005)

Forget about simply putting out a concept album, Sufjan Stevens actually had the nerve to attempt a concept series. It appears that the fifty states, fifty albums project was most likely abandoned after this one, the second in the series, but when you've reached a pinnacle such as this, why continue? If I were to simply pick up this album without any prior knowledge, it would likely have been returned to the pile without even listening. Everything from the length of the song titles, (one song title is 53 words long) to the length of the album itself (clocking it at just under 75 minutes) would normally be too daunting a task for even one as ambitious as myself to undertake. But the hype eventually got to me, and boy, am I glad that this time, for once, the hype was right! This highly melodic history lesson of sorts has the feel of an epic movie, with all of the ingredients in tact. There's action, humor, moments that pull on the heartstrings as well as moments that make you think, not to mention villains that you boo and heroes that you cheer for. Mr. Stevens is one gifted individual, as is showcased by the fact that he can take some of the wordiest lyrics I've ever read, and combine these poetic puzzles to some of the hookiest musical accompaniment I've ever heard. There are some prize worthy melodies on this one: Decatur, Casimir Pulaski Day and the current king of road trip classics Chicago, to name a few. And the fact that the whole thing ends with such an amazing instrumental number called Out Of Egypt, Into The Great Laugh of Mankind and I Shake The Dirt From My Sandals As I Run that plays like a sonic stew of BSS, Peter Gabriel and The Mothers of Invention is like the perfect reward for sitting up and committing yourself to such an awesome album. [Myspace: Sufjan Stevens]

4. Black Sheep Boy - Okkervil River (2005)

While we're still in the vein of the highly ambitious, taking a classic Tim Hardin folk song and expanding on the song's theme by creating a full length concept album around it, would certainly fall in that category, and only the literary mind of Will Scheff would ever be able to pull that off. Normally, I'm a big believer that for a good lyrical album to work, it should be just as easy to enjoy whether one is paying attention to the lyrics or not. But this album is sort of the exception to that rule. Not that the album isn't good if you're not paying attention to the words and themes, but you really need to have the lyric sheet in front of you if you're going to be dropping this album in at number 4 on a 'best of the decade' list. The album touches on feelings of isolation and loneliness in a way that we can all relate to, no matter how popular we are (or think we are.) His ability to wax poetically while still maintaining candor and frankness cannot be an easy job, but this is exactly what he does throughout the course of the album, proving just how talented a songwriter he is. The fact that he does this so effectively makes it the type of album that can really speaks to me as I listen, to the point where I can actually see myself in the narrative. And those moments where the guitars literally blast out of the speakers are just an added bonus. [Myspace: Okkervil River]

3. The Trials Of Van Occupanther - Midlake (2006)

The opening piano notes of Roscoe are like a giant magnet that draws me in every time that I put this one on. In fact, whenever the song comes up on shuffle, it doesn't take long for me to shut off the shuffle feature and just let the album play, because you don't just listen to Roscoe and not let the rest of the album continue. That's like watching the opening scroll of Star Wars and then turning the channel. You just don't do it! The classic 70's sound of this album is an unabashed throwback, but it works so well that you just have to go with it. The album has a real earthy vibe to it, and when Tim Smith's understated vocals come in, accompanied by one of the strongest rhythm sections of the moment, I can almost smell the burning wood of a campfire, and feel the cool breeze off of the ocean. With acoustic guitars and flutes that chime like the earlier folksier output of Jethro Tull to the layered bassline and guitar backdrops that play like early to mid 70's period Fleetwood Mac, this album is sharp in beauty and rich in melody. The biggest secret to the album's success is the band's sense of control. Some of the instrumental moments at the end of the songs Head Home and We Gathered In Spring, show that the band is quite capable of bombarding us with grand progressive moments or over indulgent jam band adventures, while the vocals in songs like Young Bride and In This Camp show that Smith could probably sing the phone book if he wanted to, but the band chooses to keep things simple and accessible. Within the confines of The Trials of Van Occupanther, that approach works to their advantage and the album never overstays its welcome. [Myspace: Midlake]

2. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco (2002)

We've all heard the story surrounding this album, making it the greatest success story in the history of indie music, as well as the defining moment when the record labels lost all credibility. But the whole adventure would not have gelled so effectively if the music on this album was not as good as it claimed to be, and the fact is, that even when listening to the album 7 years on, it's still an intoxicating beauty. The fact that all of the members of the band had the guts to take a collection of songs that would have worked just fine as subtle slices of alt-country fare, and expand them into sonically challenging art rock collages is an inspired move, and one that paid off in spades. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart is almost tear jerking, and that's amazing when you consider that the beat changes several times throughout the song, it's enshrouded in white noise and the lyrics don't really make any sense to me. There are other moments of expansive brilliance like the two songs that close the album, namely Poor Places and Reservations. Both of those songs contain atmospheric codas that, if left in lesser hands, would render the skip button necessary. Instead, they both dare you to keep listening and I don't know anyone who hasn't enjoyed the payoff that comes from doing so. Finally, to the staff of Reprise Records who claimed that the album wasn't commercial enough, I've got to know if they were even listening to tracks like I'm The Man Who Loves You, Pot Kettle Black, Heavy Metal Drummer or Jesus, Etc. because those are four of the greatest pop songs of all time, and they're all on the same album. If that doesn't equal record sales, than I don't know what does. The fact that this became Wilco's best selling album proves that they were wrong, we were right, and from that day on, this is my second favorite album of the decade and who needs them? [Myspace: Wilco]

1. You Forgot It In People - Broken Social Scene (2002)

If you follow this blog at all, then you already knew that this album had to be my number one! When I first heard it, (which incidentally was the day after I first saw them perform live) it single handedly restored my faith in the artistry of music. I had grown up listening to artists that were determined to strive beyond existing stagnant music forms, beginning that education with progressive rock, and then moving towards punk, new wave, 80's college radio and the beginnings of grunge, when suddenly, in the mid 90's I just got tired of it all. By the end of the decade, all I wanted was a good hook and a catchy pop style. That all changed when I saw Broken Social Scene play live and the celebratory nature of art rock was reawakened in me. There were something like 17 people on that stage, playing some songs that would be considered pop and other songs that would be considered avant garde. Some of the songs followed a verse chorus verse chorus format, while others were just the repeating of the same line over and over again, while yet other songs were instrumental blasts of horns and feedback. The band worked together like a well oiled machine, while each individual was contentedly admiring the talents of the guy or girl beside them and looking genuinely surprised at what was unfolding around them. What I saw on that stage was not just a band uniformly playing a collection of songs, it was a community of people that loved music and wanted not only to impress each other, but to be impressed by each other. And when I picked up this album and popped it into my CD player, the band actually managed to accomplish the seemingly impossible by transposing that energy and camaraderie to a physical disc. In my teens, I used to listen to albums repeatedly, to the point where I knew every snap crackle and pop that the cassette shot forth. By the time I hit my 20's however, those days were seemingly gone, both due to life getting in the way, and just general ADD. Again, that all changed with this album. I listened to it non stop for a couple of months, and then pulled it out weekly for a couple of years after that. It had been ages since an album had that kind of staying power for me then, and it hasn't happened for me since. There were undeniably better albums released this decade in a technical sense, but for me, where I was at the time it was released, where I was at the time that I picked it up, and where I am now, there really is no other album that comes close. This is my album. This is the one that originally motivated me to start blogging about music. This is the one that originally reawakened my desire for live music. This is the one that caused me to ignite a fire for what is going on locally. Yes, this is my favorite album of the decade. End. Gush. Now. [Myspace: Broken Social Scene]

Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade Are:

1. You Forgot It In People - Broken Social Scene (2002)
2. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Wilco (2002)
3. The Trials of Van Occupanther - Midlake (2006)
4, Black Sheep Boy - Okkervil River (2005)
5. Illinoise - Sufjan Stevens (2005)
6. Third - Portishead (2008)
7. Man Made - Teenage Fanclub (2005)
8. Sebastopol - Jay Farrar (2001)
9. The Hazards Of Love - The Decemberists (2009)
10. Sorry Love - Pipas (2006)
11. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (2005)
12. Set Yourself On Fire - Stars (2004)
13. Smile - Brian Wilson (2004)
14. Lifted, Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To The Ground - Bright Eyes (2002)
15. The Stage Names - Okkervil River (2007)
16. Love Is Hell - Ryan Adams (2004)
17. Let's Get Out Of This Country - Camera Obscura (2006)
18. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning - Bright Eyes (2005)
19. The Crane Wife - The Decemberists (2006)
20. Gang Of Losers - The Dears (2006)
21. Boxer - The National (2007)
22. Funeral - Arcade Fire (2004)
23. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips (2002)
24. Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer (2006)
25. Kid A - Radiohead (2000)
26. Let It Die - Feist (2004)
27. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - Neko Case (2006)
28. Cryptograms - Deerhunter (2007)
29. Desperate Hearts, Blood Thirsty Babes - TV On The Radio (2004)
30. Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams (2000)
31. Figure 8 - Elliott Smith (2000)
32. A Ghost Is Born - Wilco (2004)
33. Glissandro 70 - Glissandro 70 (2006)
34. Hometowns - Rural Alberta Advantage (2008)
35. Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006)
36. Welcome Interstate Managers - Fountains of Wayne (2003)
37. You Are Free - Cat Power (2003)
38. For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver (2008)
39. Icky Thump - White Stripes (2007)
40. Goodbye Doris - Fox Jaws (2007)
41. The Revolution Starts...Now - Steve Earle (2004)
42. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside Out - Yo La Tengo (2000)
43. Is This It- The Strokes (2001)
44. Sunset Tree - The Mountain Goats (2005)
45. The Weekend - The Weekend (2000)
46. Left And Leavng - The Weakerthans (2000)
47. Never Hear The End Of It - Sloan (2006)
48. Writer's Block - Peter Bjorn And John (2006)
49. Everything I've Forgotten To Forget - Amos The Transparent (2007)
50. Gold - Ryan Adams (2001)

Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#10 - 6)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31] [#30-26] [#25-21] [#20-16] [#15-11]

So how exciting it this 'eh? We're about to embark on my top 10 selections for the 2000's and I, for one, am very surprised at the difference a countdown makes to a blogger's readership. Maybe I should throw a few declining numbers in front of my opinions more often. If you've been following along, I'd like to take the opportunity to thank you for taking an interest, and I'm looking forward to checking out all of the other lists that are sure to emerge over the next few months. But for now, without further ado, here are the final two installments of my completely biased and self-indulgent list of (the best) my favorite albums of the decade:

10. Sorry Love - Pipas (2006)

And the highest climber on the countdown is this obscure little ditty from 2006 by Madrid/London/Brooklyn's Pipas. Claiming a paltry number 23 ranking on my original best of 2006 list, this is an album who's subtle charms needed a little time to percolate before they managed to completely take over my sappy twee-hugging soul. I haven't been seeing this one on any other lists, and if you try googling it, you'll see that it really did receive only a limited bit of coverage. But my goodness, is it infectious, as the hushed whisper of vocalist Lupe Nunez-Fernandez settles into the part of my brain that is usually reserved for falling in love. It sounds corny, but the album sunk into my subconscious like a warm and comforting breeze, to the point that I actually find myself craving it. It has a very minimalistic approach, basically pulled together by two people equipped with only a keyboard, guitar and drum machine but it's in its simplicity that the album scales such wonderful heights. It would be very easy to reference the works of Saint Etienne, Young Marble Giants, Charlotte Gainsbourg or even Camera Obscura when referring to this charming duo, but even those artists haven't been able to lull me into the atmosphere the way that this impressive disc has. And at ten songs and less than 24 minutes, many artists can learn a lesson on what it means to be concise from these guys. If you're unfamiliar with this one (which apparently, most people are) make sure you pick it up and listen to it before you fall asleep at night with a warm cup of tea. When you're done, do it again. If you're human, then there's a good chance that you'll have grown as addicted as I am to this beautiful release. [Myspace: Pipas]

9. The Hazards Of Love - The Decemberists (2009)

Believe it or not, I originally had this album up at an even higher position but opted to err on the side of caution seeing as this album is easily the newest release on the list. I originally intended to have at least a couple more albums from '09 included, but it's very hard to give an album such 'classic' status without letting the dust settle a little bit. However, I'm pretty sure that if I haven't grown sick of Meloy's rock opera about fawns that turn into men at highly inappropriate times, as they fall in love with princesses with grouchy witch mothers who conspire with evil evil beings known as rakes, then I likely never will. I've gushed about this album enough over the course of the year that it probably isn't necessary to do so yet again, but as much as I keep listening to it, I never seem to get sick of it, and believe me, I've been listening to it a lot. Another reason that I can be fairly sure that my love for this album is more than just a passing phase is the fact that, if I were to make a list of my favorite albums of all time, some of the much maligned concept albums of yore would still unashamedly make that list, as I still listen to them quite often. Only time will tell if this is actually Meloy's greatest work, but for now, it is sitting comfortably in my top ten faves of the decade, as well as being probably my second most listened to album of the decade [Myspace: The Decemberists]

8. Sebastopol - Jay Farrar (2001)

The ashes of Uncle Tupelo have been blowing around an awful lot this decade as Wilco has continued to rise to the top of the so-called indie "it" list, and Son Volt have released one solid (if somewhat predictable) album after another. But for those that feel as if Farrar lacks that general need to spread his wings and experiment a bit with his sound, then they've clearly never engaged in more than a simple perfunctory listen to his solo albums, in particular this 2001 release. This is my favorite of his post-Tupelo releases (next to Trace, of course) and it shows him trying his hand in psychedelia, blues, a touch of prog and swirling power pop, along with the usual doses of alt-country. But what helps this album to rise above his other works for me (as great as they all are) is the fact that his gift of melody has never been more defined. Songs like Voodoo Candle, Feed Kill Chain and Direction are amongst the strongest tunes he's ever written, while Make It Alright and Barstow both have a classic feel that would not seem out of place next to some of Neil Young's finest moments. Finally, we all know that Farrar's lyrics can get pretty embarrassing from time to time, and there are certainly some "what the?" moments on this one too, but in most case, his rattling poetic obscurity actually sounds pretty cool, as opposed to being overwrought and contrived, even though I still don't necessarily know what he's talking about: (eg: "aftershock, the daily din, metals and monsters, sanguinary vitamins..." (huh?)) Many fans may not share my enthusiasm for this one as it is surely one that will continue to divide the Farrar camp, but to my ears it's pretty close to perfect. [Myspace: Jay Farrar]

7. Man Made - Teenage Fanclub (2005)

The band who's debut Bandwagonesque back in 1991 actually beat Nirvana's Nevermind as album of the year in Spin's annual poll, cannot be said to be bombarding us with an overabundance of music these days. They don't release material all that often, but when they do, you can pretty much guarantee that it's going to be something endearing and easy to enjoy. When Man Made was released in 2005, I had stated to many of my friends that I think it just may be my favorite album by the Scottish jangle popsters. Today, even with the passing of time, I stand by that claim. Admittedly, choosing your favorite Teenage Fanclub album is sort of like choosing which one of your children you love the best, but I do find that this is their only album that I usually listen to from start to finish. Yes, even the aforementioned Bandwagonesque has a couple of skippers on it. For whatever reason, this album soothes me. The opening track It's All In My Mind is the only song on the album that comes close to being a throwaway, not because it's bad, but because it suffers from a bit of overfamiliarity. But from the second song on, the album unleashes one hook after another, showcasing a gentility that still may not be necessarily new, but its heartwarming nature is a direct result of that dependability. The majority of the albums on my list are here because of the way that they challenge me, but reliability can be equally important, and when I need something that I can rely on, this album is the only one that will do. From this decade anyway. [Myspace: Teenage Fanclub]

6. Third - Portishead (2008)

Speaking of artists that don't release very much, Portishead's record of three albums in 15 years certainly does not make them all that prolific, but the idea of quality over quantity is beyond appropo. This album forces repeat listening, both from the standpoint that it has so much to offer, and also in the way that it makes you want to be sure that you aren't missing anything. In my prior review, I believe that I referred to this album as 'large' and that description still remains true, although I think that it may be more accurate to say that it's 'freakin' huge!' There are moments that are psychotic, yet there are also moments of sheer beauty. It's weird and chaotic, yet it still contains moments that flirt with accessibility. It's a terrifying album, but it is also very endearing, especially during those moments where Beth Gibbons voice is given more prominence in the mix. In other words, this album has it all, and although it can be quite daunting and overwhelmingly jarring at times, it's the type of experience that makes you think, sort of like a good art film. Unlike some of the other choices on my list, this is not an album that I can listen to every day, but for those moments when I need something a little bit shocking, not in lyrical content of course, but in overall ambiance, than this is the go-to album for me. [Myspace: Portishead]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade: The Thrilling Conclusion (#5-1)

Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#15-11)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31] [#30-26] [#25-21] [#20-16]

15. The Stage Names - Okkervil River (2007)

Okkervil River are the decade's greatest examples of combining self reflection with compelling storytelling, presenting a narrative that may or may not be autobiographical, but makes for an entertaining and tragic story either way. They've displayed this exceptionally on previous albums, but this 2007 release has taken that formula and made it rock. While most artists believe that somber lyrics should be accompanied with somber melodies, Will Scheff took the opportunity to take those ideas and turn them on their heads with an album that can easily be described as a full on rock 'n roll assault. Charging out of the gate with three rockers right off the bat, Scheff and company refuse to hold back, and the album is mostly action packed from start to end. For those moments where the album does chill out, the band does not sacrifice thrill for monotony, as songs like the album's centerpiece A Girl In Port goes epic as it builds and builds to its brassy climax. The album brings it all together in the grand finale with John Allyn Smiths Sails, a song about the tragic death of poet John Berryman, with a reworking of the traditional Sloop John B making the song sound celebratory despite the subject matter being so sad. The reason the album appeals so much to me is in its ability to seek out positivity in a sea of negativity as it celebrates death, as much as it celebrates life. [Myspace: Okkervil River]

14. Lifted, Or The Story Is In The Soil, Keep Your Ear To the Ground - Bright Eyes (2002)

Not only the most pretentious album title on the list, this album may also be in the running for being the most pretentious album on the list period, which for me, is part of what makes it so great. Although there are a couple of contrived moments, overall Oberst has never sounded so open, and on this album he sounds to me like he's seriously taking some therapeutic measures for reasons of self growth, as opposed to simply sounding angsty to sell a record. Of course, I could be wrong and easily fooled but whatever, it works for me. Originally, it was a shoo-in for my top ten, since not only have I listened to it repeatedly throughout the course of the decade, but it also contains what is probably my favorite song of the decade (the highly emotive Waste Of Paint), but upon listening to it more recently, I decided to knock it down a couple of notches in favor of a few albums that are more where I'm at right now. As I mentioned while blabbing about my #18 pick, I'm not always into what Bright Eyes is doing, and probably less so these days but when Conor is properly focused, he can really knock it out of the park. His lyricism has never been better, with odes to constant failure like Nothing Gets Crossed Out ("it's too hard to focus with all this doubt, I keep making this to-do list but nothing gets crossed out"), the human need for companionship expressed in Bowl Of Oranges ("I learned the lesson that everyone is alone and your eyes must do some raining if you are ever going to grow") and the aforementioned Waste Of Paint where his personal feelings of desperation have never come across more clearly and although his warbly vocal is not for everybody, for me it adds that extra sense of realism that I find very moving. [Myspace: Bright Eyes]

13. Smile - Brian Wilson (2004)

This masterpiece does have the unfair advantage of being 37 years in the making, as Wilson began this self proclaimed "teenage symphony to God" all the way back in 1966. Recording difficulties, his own mental breakdown and the fact that the rest of The Beach Boys just wanted to surf, prevented the project from ever reaching any official form of completion, although I've been listening to fan-made bootleg versions of this one for years. The fact that Brian Wilson was a misunderstood genius has been well documented yet sadly overshadowed by his former band's penchant for recording catchy, but basically saccharine sounding songs about surfing, girls, sunshine and surfing. This orchestral song suite is as brilliant as I'd anticipated it would be, as it gels together in a way that includes classical flourishes with singalong lyrics, doo wop melodies and creative segues into a package that begs to be experienced as a whole piece, as opposed to being simply a collection of songs. The album also gets extra marks for surpassing the initial hype. With 30 plus years of build-up, I think that we were all pretty skeptical that this finished product could possibly live up to such heightened expectations, enabling most of us to hold on to those old bootlegs, just in case. The fact that the finished product is even better than expected is a real testament to the genius of Wilson, and there's no doubt that the album will continue to be heralded as one of the true classics of the rock era. [Myspace: Brian Wilson]

12. Set Yourself On Fire - Stars (2004)

The subtle intricacies of pop music have never sounded more nuanced than on this third offering by Stars. The album is a grand romanticized listen for many reasons: First of all, there is the fact that there's a great eloquence exuded in every perfectly articulated syllable sung by the charismatic Torquil Campbell. The more understated, yet charming vocals of Amy Millan serve as the greatest complement to those of Campbell, creating a melodramatic atmosphere that weaves in and out of the album in the same way that it tends to within most relationships, romantic or otherwise. No, Campbell and Millan are not a couple in real life, but the natural interplay that they possess throughout the album never sounds "put on" or "for show", and you'd be forgiven for assuming that, not only are they a couple, but they have been one for years. This is by far their most consistent album, with every song working together to create a defined whole. One of my favorite moments is the opening track about two former lovers meeting together entitled Your Ex-Lover Is Dead which is both affectionate and damning at the same time, as is indicated in the harsh lyric "and all of the time you thought I was sad, I was trying to remember your name." There's the obvious homages to mid 80's English pop such as Calendar Girl and the album's "hit" Ageless Beauty. And it's those celebratory moments that really help escalate the album to majestic heights, namely What I'm Trying To Say and Soft Revolution, where the mission is made clear in the lyric "we are here to take the blame, to take the taunts and if the shame, we are here to make you feel." Exactly. It's those expressed feelings that make this album so great as it hits on every nerve and moment that dwells in each and every one of us. Sounds corny, but it's true. [Myspace: Stars]

11. Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (2005)

The Social Scene's follow up to 2002's You Forgot It In People is a mess. It's jumbled and sloppy, and very much lacking in the structured hooks that were so prevalent on the previous album. Yes, this is one huge catastrophic mess. However, so is the desk in my office but I promise you that I would never be able to get a single thing accomplished if my desk wasn't in the state that it's currently in. Sometimes it can only be out of chaos that true inspiration is derived, and I find this album to be as inspirational as they come. The album is a sonic boom of conflicting sounds and ideas with layered symphonies that clash as much as they complement, but I absolutely love it! The most appealing thing about BSS has always been the way that they can make their music sound like a community in action, and this album is the noisy din of just such a community. The sequencing is just perfect, with each song outshining the one prior, culminating in the epic, and somehow appropriately titled, ten minute explosion of It's All Gonna Break. The album is downright exhausting, and I usually need a few minutes of silence and a stiff drink once it's finished, but it also weilds several surprises every time I put it on, making every listen a unique experience unto itself. How many albums can you say that about? [Myspace: Broken Social Scene]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#10-6)

Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#20-16)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31] [#30-26] [#25-21]

20. Gang Of Losers - The Dears (2006)

The first time I ever saw Murray Lightburn, his band The Dears was opening for Sloan and he was wearing a t-shirt with the words PROGRESSIVE ROCK sprawled across it for all to see. Right away, I knew I'd like the guy! After that, it admittedly took a bit of time, but since then, The Dears blend of epic musical adventure and sweetly downtrodden lyrics have continued to reel me in with each subsequent release. On Gang of Losers, the grandiosity and orchestral flourishes were toned down in favor of tighter arrangements and a little bit more immediacy, but nowhere has the band sounded like they were more in charge of their sound than on here, despite all of the personal turmoil between band members that may have been taking place behind the scenes. Furthermore, the album is just so beautiful, and Murray's vocals really speak to me on this one. Knowing that he and Natalia had just given birth to their child at the time of Ticket To Immortality makes the line "the world is really gonna love you" ever more touching, as I relate it to the birth of my nephews whenever I hear it. And then there's that title track. I think that you have to be deeply and madly in love with your best friend to be touched by that song in a complete sense, and the longer you've been with that person and the more you've accomplished together as a team just makes it all the more powerful. My wife and I have been together for over 13 years now and we've adopted that song as our own (Gang of Losers? so, you think we might have some self-esteem issues?) and lyrics like "you and I are on the outside of almost everything" and "we have the same heart" cause me to well up almost every time because there truly is nothing more precious than being on a team against the world with a perfect soulmate. (OK, you guys gagging a little bit yet? Sorry, professional music journalism shall commence now...) [Myspace: The Dears]

19. The Crane Wife - The Decemberists (2006)

I don't know how Colin Meloy manages to combine pretentiously bookish lyricism with such down-to-earth amicable charm, but I just can't seem to get enough of it. He's the ultimate geek, shamelessly showcasing styles and sounds that are as decidedly uncool as it gets, which was a risky yet admirable move for a band that had just "graduated" to the major labels. From the three part out of sequence title track that is based on a Japanese folk tale to the sprawling 11 minute prog rock opus The Island, a song which would not be out of place if it were a segment of Jethro Tull's Thick As A Brick, the band certainly was not bent on catering to popular opinion and the fact that they do so unapologetically is very compelling. When I listen to this album, it feels as if they're truly into what they're doing and it doesn't come across as alienation for alienation's sake. In fact, to me, the album isn't alienating at all. It's still very easy to listen to and full of hooks and melodies that help make the album simultaneously accessible and challenging. I'm also madly in love with the closing track Sons And Daughters, which boasts a singalong chorus that is pure delight when experienced in a live setting. [Myspace: The Decemberists]

18. I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning - Bright Eyes (2005)

Despite the fact that Bright Eyes places fairly high on my list on two occasions, (yes, you will be seeing them again) I wouldn't necessarily refer to myself as a huge Conor Oberst fan. His early material (circa 95-98) can be incredibly hit and miss, and at times he can be irritating (Digital Ash In A Digital Urn) and downright boring (Cassadaga) but when he gets it right, my goodness, is it ever good! If Oberst could maintain the consistency of this album throughout the course of his career, than the Dylan comparisons would be completely justified, since this album showcases some very poignant lyrics. "In this endless race for property and privilege to be won, we must run" Whew! Also, on some of his other albums, there are moments where his brand of angst seems a tad contrived, whereas on this album, it all comes across as genuine (even if, technically, it may not be.) Lua, for example, is an amazing song, where Oberst tones down his trademark quiver in favor of a subtle hush that sucks you in as you strain your ears not to miss a breath. It's in those moments that, try as I might, I cannot avoid getting the old 'chills down the spine' feel. The same can be said for Landlocked Blues, the duet with Emmylou Harris, who has apparently shared a moment with everyone on my list (see pick #30 and 41). The album ends most triumphantly with Road To Joy, which is certainly not the first song to rip off Beethoven's Ode To Joy, but never has it been done with such swirling guitared, epic sounding bravado. [Myspace: Bright Eyes]

17. Let's Get Out Of This Country - Camera Obscura (2006)

I love the way that this album makes me feel. It is a study in contrasts how the lyricism of Camera Obscura can seem so downtrodden and somber on paper, yet sound so uplifting and inspirational in my headphones. There's something about their Scottish approach to the sounds of twee, coupled with their knack for creating syrupy sweet sounding 60's inspired pop that makes me want to shuffle my feel to their music, even if Tracyanne Campbell is on the verge of crying while these songs are being belted out. This is an example of an album where the band doesn't take too many risks, but the ones that they do take sound as if they were tried and tested first so as to guarantee success. The heavy chamber pop organs, for example, that overtake songs such as Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken and Tears For Affairs would be a bit cheesy in less calculated hands, but here they also add a necessary frivolity to the proceedings. And then there's Dory Previn, its weepy vocal being one of the most subdued, yet beautiful vocals I've ever heard. [Myspace: Camera Obscura]

16. Love Is Hell - Ryan Adams (2004)

It's funny but, although I obviously knew that I loved Ryan Adams, it didn't occur to me just how much I loved him until I started compiling this list. With three albums making the final cut (see #50 & 30) he is easily the one who is represented the most, and I swear that I did not initially plan it that way. However, when an artist releases more albums than anyone else, I suppose the odds are mathematically stacked in his favor, and it works the other way too, in the sense that there's also a handful of Adams albums that had no chance at making the final cut. Still, of all of his works, this one is my favorite and, not surprisingly, this is probably his most solemn release of them all. In fact, at first, Lost Highway didn't even want to release it as it was deemed too dark to be commercially viable, and he offered to release the sub-par Rock 'n Roll album instead. But when the compromising 2 EP's went on to actually be somewhat successful, the label conceded and the album was re-released as a full length. The album is just chock-full of delightfully damaged ditties, the best of which are This House Is Not For Sale, Anybody Want To Take Me Home and English Girls Approximately, all of which highlight some of Adams favorite themes, namely heartbreak and heartache. As far as I'm concerned, this one is a classic that should not be judged based on a brutal Pitchfork review, nor by its throwaway Oasis cover (which, incidentally is still a little bit better than the original.) [Myspace: Ryan Adams]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#15-11)

Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#25-21)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31] [#30-26]

25. Kid A - Radiohead (2000)

While I completely understand my own enthusiasm for this album, I can't say that I really get why everyone else loves it so much. I've noticed that it's already topped some other 'best of the decade' lists and it was also Radiohead's first mainstream number one. But if this album is so commercially viable, then how come King Crimson isn't the most popular band of all time? Or how come other old school eccentricitists like Can or Van Der Graaf Generator isn't emanating out of every 14 year old girl's headphones? I'll never understand how Radiohead has done it, but I'm very glad that they have, because expanding the boundaries of what can be referred to as music is something that has been explored as far back as the early 1900's with french composer Edgar Varèse, and brought into the mainstream by the psychedelic movement of the 60's. Say what you will about Radiohead's over indulgent ways, but any band that brings a redefining of what is acceptable to the mainstream masses is worthy of our respect. And Kid A sounds awesome in headphones. [Myspace: Radiohead]

24. Destroyer's Rubies - Destroyer (2006)

So I've had just over 3 years to fully absorb Dan Bejar's way of thinking as is transmitted through his lyrical wordplay, his thoughts and transgressions along with carefully studying just how his mind works and what it is that makes him tick and I gotta say that I still don't know what the hell he's talking about. But he just sounds so dang cool when he's musing and Destroyer's Rubies continues to be an entertaining listen from start to finish. The fact that it confuses me to the point where there are many times while listening that I find myself actually laughing out loud at how bizarre his ruminations can get (i.e.-sapphires vie for your attention, cheap dancers they mean well in their way but priest says - "please, i can't stand my knees and i can't bear her raven tresses caught up in the breeze like that!" etc etc etc) is only part of its charm and I still find it most enjoyable to continue the journey to finding out what it all means. Besides, if Bejar was easier to understand, what would be the point of returning? [Myspace: Destroyer]

23. Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots - The Flaming Lips (2002)

It is a risky move to create an album that is steeped in the glory days of prog, it is an even riskier move to create an album that is steeped in the second wave and significantly lesser cool days of nouveau prog. The fact is that Wayne Coyne's musical opus about dueling futuristic robots has more in common with FM's Black Noise and ELO's Time than it does with more "respectable" acts like Pink Floyd or Can. Of course, much like my number 25 pick above, this all explains why the album is on MY personal list, but it doesn't really make sense of the fact that the public at large seemed to enjoy this album also. It's a weird one, that's for sure, with its electronic flourishes and bizarre content, and admittedly, I have to be in the mood for it. But when I am, it's an awesome sonic spectacle that reaps rewards and surprises with every listen. It's amazing, but I've listened to the album hundreds of times and there'll still be certain noises, blips, bleeps and moments of instrumentation that catches me off guard, particularly within the two major instrumental pieces, Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots Pt 2 and Approaching Pavonis Mons by Balloon (Utopia Planitia). I also appreciate the album's lasting power, and how some of the songs that I thought were throwaways at first, have become my favorites, such as In The Morning Of The Magicians and All We Have Is Now. Stunning. [Myspace: The Flaming Lips]

22. Funeral - Arcade Fire (2004)

Ok, so this album is great and wonderful and fantastic and bla bla bla, yada yada yada. It's a great album, I get it. This one is destined to top more decade end charts than any other, and it's deserved, nobody is denying that. I do think that the accolades are a bit overblown, especially the ones where people are calling this the most original thing they've ever heard. The fact is, if you've ever listened to anything prior to this decade, than you know that not only has this sound been done before by the likes of Byrne, Bowie and others, but it's also been done better. Hell, if you really know your Canadiana, then you must've noticed how much Neighbourhood 3 (Power Out) sounds eerily similar to Rush's Red Sector A, at least at certain moments. Does that stop this from being a great album? Of course not. If you're going to emulate past artists, those are good ones to go to, even if the Rush fans and Arcade Fire fans still refuse to mingle at my parties. And as much as I hate the hype, the album is still responsible for some of my favorite musical moments of the year. The last minute breakdown of Une Anee Sans Lumiere, the woah-oh-oh's of Wake Up, the incredible lift-off of Rebellion (Lies) and the epic grandiosity of In The Backseat. So to sum up: album=great, overhype=bad. Alright? We still cool? [Myspace: Arcade Fire]

21. Boxer - The National (2007)

If ever there was an album that was a textbook example of a grower for me, this was it. At first I found it very hard to focus on. The borderline comatose slur of Matthew Berninger was consistently lulling me to the sleep, and if I wasn't such a sound sleeper then I'm sure that the blast of horns at the end of Fake Empire should have waken me with a jolt, but at first, it didn't. Then I went from easy distraction to mild intrigue, thinking that a couple of the songs were pretty dang epic before finally embracing the album as a whole the way most of my friends already had. Like most of my all time favorites, taking the time to let these recordings sink in is what eventually triggers a response within me, a response that, quite honestly leads to addiction and that's the case with Boxer, I've become addicted to it. This magnificent album is one of contrasts, as it is both comforting and alienating, political and deeply personal, melacholic and triumphant. It's a great album to put on when I'm feeling good, and it's an even better album to put on when I'm feeling lousy. That settles it, I know what I'm going to be listening to today. [Myspace: The National]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#20-16)

Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#30-26)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36] [#35-31]

30. Heartbreaker - Ryan Adams (2000)

The argument that most of the world's greatest art is derived from sadness is one that I've always worked hard to refute, but a guy like Ryan Adams doesn't make it easy for me to do so. It doesn't get much sadder than his solo debut, which apparently was inspired by the ending of a romantic relationship. Obviously this is not exactly uncharted territory in the world of (real) country music, but Adams leaves no misplaced notions that the feelings portrayed here are anything but genuine. I love the album's deceiving opening, where it begins with a hilarious interchange between him and David Rawlings about whether or not Morrissey's Suedehead is on the album Viva Hate (it is), before lunging into an upbeat rockabilly number called To Be Young (Is To Be Sad, Is To Be High). From that point on though, Adams plays some of the most melancholy music I've ever heard. Oh My Sweet Carolina is a homesick ballad featuring the always beautiful vocals of Emmylou Harris. You may be able to remain composed during Bartering Lines or Damn Sam (I Love A Woman That Rains) but by the time Come Pick Me Up comes along on the playlist, you might as well just set aside the foolish machismo for awhile and let the waterworks flow, because this is an artist that was not put in the recording studio for our foolish amusement. [Myspace: Ryan Adams]

29. Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes - TV On The Radio (2004)

TVOTR is a band that has been very consistent throughout this decade as all three of their studio albums were considered quite seriously for inclusion on this list. When I listened to them all through more recently though, it was this 2004 (studio) debut that had to be the winner since it's the original in terms of them solidifying an avant garde sound that is currently beyond comparison. For me, TVOTR is basically a genre unto themselves. When I want to listen to psych rock for example, there are many artists, old and new, that I could go to. The same goes for folk music, and pop music. But when I'm in the mood for TVOTR music, only TVOTR will do. The harmonies and swirling vocalizations of Tunde Adebimpe and Kyp Malone take bizarre doo-wop sonics to another level, while the music itself takes the standard bass, guitars and drum approach and layers it to a point where it becomes a grand looping orchestra. And the acapella groove of Ambulance hits me in a clouds parting, heavens opening sort of way. There's no doubt that they'll continue to be one of my 'purchase without needing to hear first' bands, since their consistency is now an established fact, as far as I'm concerned. [Myspace: TV On The Radio]

28. Cryptograms - Deerhunter (2007)

While last year's Microcastle and subsequent tour established to us all that Bradford Cox has gotten most of the weird out of his system, I'm eternally grateful that he managed to get this psych rock experience out to the masses beforehand. His more streamlined sound of today is still amazing as he continues to break down boundaries with his unique and original vision, but in terms of artistry and special experiences, nothing can compare with the sonic achievement of Cryptograms. I love the album's schizophrenic approach with the songs alternating between heady rockier, almost straightforward numbers and disjointed soundscapes that make the spaces inbetween the songs crucial to the album's overall tone. The fact that the album was recorded at two different sessions actually works in its favor as this enables it to serve as a document of growth from a confused disheveled beginning to a more focused yet eclectic conclusion. [Myspace: Deerhunter]

27. Fox Confessor Brings The Flood - Neko Case (2006)

There are many reasons why Neko's Fox Confessor... album is one the best of the decade. For one, there is the unique structuring of the songs as they deliberately steer clear from anything overly conventional while still borrowing heavily from the pioneers of the past. There is also the strength that is to be found in the lyrical aspect of the album. Lines such as "The night I fell into the lion’s jaws /To my regret /And your delight /Those teeth themselves could not divine /Nor their pressure estimate /The haze I wish to never break /And to never contemplate" are stacked with unusually stark imagery. But let's be honest, the main reason she's here is that voice! That unparalleled, powerfully sultry voice is such that one can't help but be a slave to its charms. Nowhere is this more obvious than when she belts out the title to That Teenage Feeling, where that intoxicating vocal presence of hers takes me back, not to my own teens, but to the pre-adult years of generations past with a classic feel that epitomizes a time that is often categorized as innocent, even though Case's homage makes it clear that such was not always the case. [Myspace: Neko Case]

26. Let It Die - Feist (2004)

And while we're on the topic of unparalleled vocalists, is it any surprise that Leslie Feist has gone on to become the household name that we all knew she should be? Well, I guess the true answer to that question is actually 'yes' since although she's discovered the pot of gold, so to speak, there are many other equally deserving artists who have not. And it's true that her current popularity has spawned a crapload of imitators but even more tragic is the fact that artists who have been doing this longer than she has are now in danger of being accused of imitating her as well, since she has opened a path that many are now free to follow. Wow, what was supposed to be praise for her album is now sounding like a rant, but let me apologize by saying that Let It Die deserves it all. What's interesting is the fact that, although I like the popular Mushaboom song, as well as the popular Bee Gees cover (Inside and Out), one of my favorite songs is actually the cover of Françoise Hardy's L'Amour ne dure pas toujours simply because, for me, that song encapsulates all that I find endearing about Feist's whole persona. She's certainly got an air of mystery about her, that certain twinkle in her eye if you will, but she also seems completely down to Earth and approachable as well, and both of those sides shine throughout the course of this album. [Myspace: Feist]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#25-21)

CONTEST: Win tix and CD's to the Hottest Indie Showcase in Toronto!!!!

I hope that you're enjoying my deliberately dragged out and unabashedly self indulgent list of the top 50 albums of the decade, as selected by me; but I currently interrupt the countdown to bring to you this very special announcement and contest.

There have been many exhilarating unions made in the past: Superman and Muhammad Ali; Run DMC and Aerosmith, and Vodka and Red Bull come to mind, but none have had the universal impact that is sure to result from the joining of forces that is to take place at The Garrison in Toronto (1197 Dundas Street West) on Saturday November 28th.

That is the day and the venue where two of the greatest local indie music superheros, namely Two Way Monologues (altar ego Dan Wolovick) and Zygiella (secret identity Tyler Wade), join forces to showcase a performance by the best bands on the local indie music scene today.

Black Hat Brigade are insane which, if you've heard their album or seen them live, then you already know this. The Schomberg Fair's brand of "speed gospel" is so authentic sounding that it's hard to believe that they don't actually hail from the deep dark south. The Racoon Wedding have apparently received a little bit of lovin' from Now Magazine, who described them as "exciting, catchy and loud" and "worth checking out." And then there's Germans, who were Spin's Artist Of The Day, as well as co-players on Final Fantasy's He Poos Clouds CD. That there is a lot of talent for one night, and to be able to see a show like this and then go home and listen to these bands again once the show is over is a state of euphoria that a person should not expect to experience too often without possibly exploding. Now imagine if you could do this all for free.

Well, tickets for this show are only $7, which is a steal in itself, but I'm actually here to give you the opportunity to get in for free. And if that weren't enough, I'm also going to throw in some CD's as well. So here's the deal:

CONTEST: Courtesy of TWM and Zygiella, as well as the bands themselves, I've got CD's by Racoon Wedding, Schomberg Fair and Black Hat Brigade to giveaway as well as 2 tickets to the show taking place at The Garrison on November 28th. Now, since most of my readers are apprently going steady with most of J-Polk's readers, you've probably noticed that she's holding the same contest. What I recommend is that you enter both and double your chances at winning!

To win the tickets here, send me an email at quadb2001 [at] gmail [dot] com with the words "I Want To TWM with Zygiella" (what does that even MEAN?!?!?) in the subject line and your full name in the body.

Contest closes on Thursday November 26th.
You must be geographically able to attend the show.
You must be at least 19 years of age to enter.
Winner will be chosen randomly.

I now return you to my regularly scheduled countdown, already in progress...

Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#35-31)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41] [#40-36]

35. Ys - Joanna Newsom (2006)

I get an amazing number of hits to my site from people googling the phrase "I Hate Joanna Newsom", simply because the word 'hate' is in the title of this here blog, and I've talked about Ms Newsom on a few occasions. Of course, they're usually angered to find that when I make reference to her it's always surrounded by flattering phrases that couldn't be further from the idea of me hating her. On the contrary, I love Joanna Newsom! But it's understandable why some might find it hard to warm up to her. There's that high pitched squeaky voice, those meandering 17 minute songs, the preference for harps instead of guitars and not a hook to be found in the lot. But I don't think that you'll find a more ambitious album this decade, and the magical pairing of Newsom and Van Dyke Parks is an otherwordly adventure that begs to be experienced. This album is not made for dancing, nor is it a delightful piece of background music perfect for playing at your next dinner party. This album is a work of art and it deserves to be treated as such. This is an album that demands a listener's full attention as it fluctuates from mellow flowing movements to harsh gothic trajectories, all working together to create a musical number that is simultaneously enticing and unsettling. A challenging listen for sure, but well worth the effort. [Myspace: Joanna Newsom]

34. Hometowns - Rural Alberta Advantage (2008)

Admittedly, I'm still in the throes of RAA hype at the time of preparing this list, so it'll be interesting to see if this album's inclusion will be reflected on with rolling eyes by the time 2020 rolls around, but for now, I still find myself consumed in the glow of this masterful release. The fact that I still listen to the album as much today as I did a year ago when it was first released is a good sign, as is the fact that, despite my penchant for being contrary, I haven't felt the desire to rebel against the current hype, as overbearing as it is getting these days. For now, there's just no denying the fact that this is just simply a collection of great songs from start to finish with not really any duds in the lot. The challenge at this point will be where does the band go from here. A series of great songs this is, but I don't think I want their sophomore to be just more of the same. And as much as we all strive to judge an album based on its own merits, our human nature can't help but be tainted somewhat by future releases (see my #43 pick.) So the pressure is on, but in the meantime, I'm more than happy to enjoy Hometowns for what it is as it sits comfortably amongst my favorite releases of the decade. [Myspace: Rural Alberta Advantage]

33. Glissandro 70 - Glissandro 70 (2006)

My prog loving soul can't help but bask in the glow of this local post-rock amalgam of Craig Dunsmuir and Sandro Perri. This one time collaboration makes good use of the build up approach, with each cut opening with a few loops and repetitious drones before exploding into a series of sounds and styles that incorporate Afro-beats, tribal chants, progressive chord changes and even slight leanings towards electro. The opening song Something serves as a bit of a teaser, with a disjointed looping acoustic guitar being accompanied by sounds and atmospheres before giving way to Analogue Shantytown, which is a six minute piece that opens with a looping harmonica accompanied by a whispered 'shantytown' chant before transforming into an experimental piece that hearkens back to the early 80's period of King Crimson mixed with an almost jazzy vocal before embarking on a celebratory revisiting of the opening 'shantytown' chant that is all encompassing. The album's centerpieces, Bolan Muppets and Portugal Rua Rua are inspirational slices of 'almost' danceable psych flourishes that should appeal to fans of Animal Collective with their odd and challenging arrangements. The album ends with a trance inducing 13 minute track called End West that is pretty close to perfect, and makes me wonder why this collaboration has never bothered to release a sophomore album. On the other hand, why mess with perfection? [Myspace: Sandro Perri]

32. A Ghost Is Born - Wilco (2004)

Jeff Tweedy's experimental phase hit a whole other level with the release of this one. At first listen, I actually remember saying something to the effect that it was every bit as good as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and a natural progression from the expanding ideas presented on its predecessor. That opinion has obviously softened since then, but it doesn't mean that this album is not an outstanding achievement in its own write. There are many moments where the album feels as if it has a loose and improvisational feel, which is outstanding considering that Tweedy himself has commented on the fact that every guitar solo and moment of ambient noise was carefully organized and premeditated. The part at the end of At Least That's What You Said, for example, is intoxicating. There are also moments where the band sounds as if they're deliberately trying to alienate, most notably during the wall of synth at the end of Less Than What You Think. This may not be a moment that I always enjoy listening to, but I can't help but admire it to a certain extent. And then there's Spiders (Kidsmoke) and it's incredible jammy feel. The song is over ten minutes in length and yet I still find myself hitting the repeat button whenever it plays. Simply amazing. [Myspace: Wilco]

31. Figure 8 - Elliott Smith (2000)

While it's true that throughout the Elliott Smith catalog there are moments that are more philosophical (1997's Either/Or), more heart wrenching (1998's XO) and more experimental (2004's posthumous release From a Basement On A Hill) , for me no album is more enjoyable a listen than 2000's Figure 8. Smith's passing in 2003 was probably the musical death that I found most difficult to hear, simply because for me, it seemed to come out of nowhere. While it's true that clues of his unhappiness were always prevalent in his lyrics and even in his interviews, I honestly didn't see it coming and I was always looking forward to seeing him perform live. So Figure 8's upbeat and positive feel is just the way that I would prefer to remember him. And I realize that titles like Everything Means Nothing To Me and I Better Be Quiet Now don't exactly scream positivity, but the dreamlike nature of the music and presentation just makes me picture in my mind a person who was relatively happy while he recorded these songs. That's the image that I choose to see whenever this album is playing and it always makes me smile. [Myspace: Elliott Smith]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#30-26)

Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#40-36)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46] [#45-41]

40. Goodbye Doris - Fox Jaws (2007)

Barrie's Fox Jaws are easily one of my favorite live bands, and I make a point of trying to catch their show every time that I can. For whatever reason, their debut album has really struck a chord with me personally, and whenever I put it on, I simply marvel at the beauty of it all. Carleigh Aikins voice is somewhat of a revelation, taking songs that would be good but perhaps a bit average and making them absolutely earth shattering. Some have made the comment that her blusey whiskey stained rasp when coupled with the basic pop rock sounds of the album are a little too odd of a match, but I think that therein lies the beauty. How could one not be exhumed in euphoria when Carleigh belts out the "write it down!" part of the song Couple Of Pops, or the adrenalin flamenco flavored shock of the last 30 seconds of Hide And Seek? The band can get experimental (Hitchcock Camera Trick), epic (New Body) and endearingly atmospheric (My Hands My Plans). It's hard to imagine anything more chill inducing than that last song, and it'll be great to continue to follow their career even further in the decade ahead. [Myspace: Fox Jaws]

39. Icky Thump - The White Stripes (2007)

There have certainly been various opinions on the subject, but for my money, I would have to say that Jack White was the true savior of rock 'n roll in this particular decade. I've already noticed that both 2001's White Blood Cells and 2003's Elephant have made other decade-end lists, but personally I didn't feel that any of those albums offered the non-stop adrenalin rush that this 2007 release gave us. I'm of the opinion that they will never be able to capture the excitement of their debut back in 1999, but this one comes pretty darn close. The opening track is like a punch in the face, with its simple yet effective bassline, its phenomenal riff and Jack's commanding voice. Their cover of Patti Page's Conquest (written by Corky Robbins) is about as fun as it gets, with its matador image inducing trumpet and Jack's tongue in cheek yelp. And never before has the band sounded more authentic than on the songs Rag And Bone and 300 M.P.H. Torrential Outpour Blues. You just can't fake a sound like that! [Myspace: The White Stripes]

38. For Emma, Forever Ago - Bon Iver (2008)

Surprisingly, it took me a little bit longer than most to appreciate the beauty of this album. While most blogs and critics declared it the album of the year in '08, I had trouble preventing my mind from wandering when it came on, and therefore it didn't even make my personal list for that year. But it was on a semi-lengthy spring road trip that I decided to give the album another chance and this is when I became hooked. The album is a solemn listen with a tragic and lonely feel, but the sweet hush of Justin Vernon's voice coupled with the gentle strings of his acoustic guitar is just so compellingly honest that its hard not to feel like you're encroaching on his personal space just a little bit. The decade saw a lot of artists attempt to capture a similar sound, and while many of them managed to woo a few of the critics and fans out there, I've always been a bit skeptical of most of them, even finding the bulk of them to be a bit boring. I'm glad that I gave Bon Iver another chance on that chilly spring day as it allowed me to realize that this album should remain completely separate from the others as this is a genuine collection of moments of sheer beauty. [Myspace: Bon Iver]

37. You Are Free - Cat Power (2003)

I realize that my tastes can be a bit different than most, but I'm truly surprised that Chan Marshall's release from 2003 doesn't seem to get as much love as 2006's The Greatest, which was a significant step down, in my opinion. This album, along with much of her earlier works, contains a vulnerability that is far more endearing and honest hearted than anything she's released since then, and I have to say that this fragility allows the album to have much more of a personal tone to it. As later albums have proven, with a little bit of help, Chan's voice can sound damn near perfect at times, but on this album she allows the imperfections to remain in tact. For me, the beauty is to be found within those imperfect moments. The opening piano track I Don't Blame You and its possible Kurt Cobain references (and reverences) is absolutely haunting as Chan sounds as if she was walking dangerously close to the same line that he walked that eventually cost him his life. The entire album plays like an open wound, whether it's disguised in an upbeat melody (like Free or He War) or she's using someone else's poetry (like Keep On Runnin', a renamed cover of John Lee Hooker's Crawlin' Black Spider.) The album's therapeutic nature was no doubt a step towards her overcoming many personal demons, allowing her to perform these days with a newfound grace that will likely allow her to carry on much longer than she would have otherwise. [Myspace: Cat Power]

36. Welcome Interstate Managers - Fountains Of Wayne (2003)

It may not be a popular opinion, but I like pop music. Sue me. When Fountains of Wayne released their debut in 1996, it became very obvious to these ears that this band was putting out some of the catchiest pop music I've heard since Jellyfish, and I could not stop listening to that amazing album. Although this, their 3rd album, is not quite as good as that one, it comes pretty darn close, even if it does contain that international hit that every single person I've ever met hates with a passion. Personally, I think people have been a little bit tough on that particular tune, as goofy as it is, but overall this album contains enough other material to entertain even the Stacy's Mom haters. Bright Future In Sales and Little Red Light are solid rockers with amazing riffs. All Kinds Of Time is a beautiful ballad that really showcases the fact that Adam Schlesinger is a melody magician. And Hackensack and Valley Winter Song are a couple of alt-country pop delights that rank up there with some of The Jayhawks catchier offerings. Welcome Interstate Managers is just one example that illustrates the reasons why Schlesinger is the go-to guy when the crafting of a pop single is needed for soundtrack work or otherwise. [Myspace: Fountains of Wayne]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#35-31)

Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#45-41)

For ramblings on how I came to compile this list go here. And for commentary on previous selections: [#50-46]

45. The Weekend - The Weekend (2000)

Probably the most obscure selection on my personal list comes by way of London Ontario's now defunct The Weekend. At the turn of the century I was listening to a lot of embarrassing music and, as expected, when I took the time to revisit some of those old favorites, they did not hold up at all. Oddly enough, I was expecting to say the same about this pop gem, but interestingly, that was not the case. The lyrics are juvenile and very much in the vein of high school fluttery, but the songs are still incredibly catchy, while the vocals of Andrea Wasse and Lorien Jones complement each other in an exceptional way. While their future releases boasted more of a teeny bopper professional sheen, the debut is still surprisingly raw, with a true punk rock aesthetic. The retro keyboard sound of Link Cushman didn't become fashionable for a couple of years, although now you can hear that sound just about everywhere. For an idea on the sound itself, imagine if all of Metric's songs were as catchy as Combat Baby. If you're like me and you wish they were, then combine that idea with the sound of Blue-period Weezer (or more accurately the Matt Sharp side project The Rentals) and this hard-to-find gem may be right up your alley, as it is mine. Hard copies are hard to come by, but I think it may still be available to download on Zunior. [Myspace: The Weekend]

44. Sunset Tree - The Mountain Goats (2005)

I don't usually claim to be one of the forerunners when it comes to music, but I got into The Mountain Goats waaaaaay after everyone else. People have been singing the praises of John Darnielle since back in his lo-fi days, and there are others that got into him after he streamlined his sound a little bit. Myself, I didn't get into him until I heard 2007's Get Lonely, and I simply backtracked from that point on. However, I guess it's better late than never, because I've been turned on to a lot of great music in that prolific back catalogue. As far as this past decade goes, I would have to say that 2005's The Sunset Tree is the best of the bunch. Darnielle's poetic lyricism accompanied by his seemingly basic guitar playing is a combination that cannot be denied, as can be heard in passionate cuts like Next Year, a song that has to be lived in order to be as convincing as it is. He shows a flair for the dramatic with Dilaudid and some classic whimsy with Hast Thou Considered The Tetrapod. [Myspace: The Mountain Goats]

43. Is This It - The Strokes (2001)

Those who have heard me express my disdain for Julian Casablancas are likely surprised to see this album on my list. But a great album is a great album and this, my friends, is a great album. It's just that everything else Casablancas has ever done is terrible. (Ouch!) This is the album that was supposed to save rock 'n roll, and when I listened to it recently in preparation for this list, it's easy to understand why people thought that this would be the case. Songs like Soma, Hard To Explain, Take It Or Leave It and the rambunctious New York City Cops are presented so effortlessly that it's hard to imagine that a sound could be any cooler if the Fonz himself was in charge of the proceedings. The problem is that, like Fonzie, the band jumped the shark pretty quickly and what sounded so fresh and flawless on this debut, came across as forced and cartoon-like on all future releases. I've noticed that Is This It has appeared in the upper echelons of most other lists, and I tried my best to judge this one based on its own merits, but the truth is, that the fact that Casablancas has become such a caricature of his previous self has tainted the overall feel of this one for me, as great as it still is. [Myspace: The Strokes]

42. And Then Nothing Turned Itself Inside-Out - Yo La Tengo (2000)

Everything about Yo La Tengo screams ego-centricity, from their sprawling 17 minute epics to the titles of their albums and, my goodness, don't you just love them for it? Yo La Tengo has certainly released more pop oriented albums, and they've released albums that were also more upbeat, but they have never released anything as sparse or as beautiful than this one. It's true that the mellower approach caused some fans to feel that the release was a little bit too glum or even boring, but I find it to be truly captivating. Saturday, for example, serves as an exploration of atmospheric thoughts and tones, sounding like the soundtrack to a fairly intense lucid dream. Let's Save Tony Orlando's House is another subtle gem, with a sultry vocal that literally gives me chills. And then there's the 17 minute ambient opus of Night Falls On Hoboken, which is a song that I always get lost in. I'm not sure if I would call this one my favorite Yo La Tengo album, but it's definitely the one that I find most endearing. [Myspace: Yo La Tengo]

41. The Revolution Starts... Now - Steve Earle (2004)

Songs of anger and protest are not always my thing, especially since I usually have no interest in hearing other people complain about things that they really no nothing about. However, that opinion completely shifts when it's the articulate poison laced pen of Steve Earle spouting off these opinions. Steve Earle is the type of artist that I have little minor addictions to, meaning that there are times when he's all I feel like listening to. The events of this decade, namely 9/11, made Steve understandably angry, but it was by means of his caustic wit and incredible musicianship that he made his point clear through the material on both 2002's Jerusalem and 2004's The Revolution Starts...Now. The latter makes the cut for the simple reason that I liked the songs just a little bit better, but trust me, the former was only cut by a very small margin. Songs like the biting social commentary contained in the rocking title track, the personal declarations in The Seeker, the perfectly sappy Emmylou Harris duet (Comin' Around), and the hilarious love song to National Security Advisor Condoleeza Rice (Condi, Condi) compile together to make this an album that I come back to regularly. [Myspace: Steve Earle]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's Top 50 Albums Of The Decade (#40-36)

Bobby B's 50 Albums Of The Decade (#50-46)

After spending several hours and TTC rides with my iPod revisiting literally hundreds of albums spawned from the decade that began at the turn of the century, I managed to whittle down a pretty extensive list to a mere 50 choices. These are not the best albums of the decade, these are simply the ones that have spent the most time in my headphones. And I rambled enough about that here, so let's just get on with the list:

50. Gold - Ryan Adams (2001)

There are many that will argue that Ryan's post Whiskeytown output simply does not measure up, but I think the man's brilliance is unrivaled to the point of actually being a bit freaky. Admittedly, prior to his current hiatus, a strong argument could be made for the fact that the man could use a bit of discretion. He has, after all, released ten albums this decade, and that's not including various EP's and unreleased projects. But the fact that he makes more appearances on my list than anyone else shows that it's very rare that his overindulgence results in throwaway mediocrity. Like most of his albums, Gold may be three or four songs too long, but even the lesser songs may simply be a case of too much all at once, as opposed to actually being not that good. The album is a great example of keeping things relatively varied, sporting some straight ahead rockers and other mellower moments, the best of which is the stunning La Cienega Just Smiled and the epic Nobody Girl, which was co-written with Ethan Johns. [Myspace: Ryan Adams]

49. Everything I've Forgotten To Forget - Amos the Transparent (2007)

Everybody knows by now how much I love this Ottawa band, but you may be surprised to learn that this album did not actually make my top 10 for 2007. Like most great albums, this one is a grower. Many of the tracks are instantly likable, like After All That, It's Come To This (with Amy Millan) and the upbeat pop of It's A Beautiful Life. But to fully gain the greatest benefit from this album, one really needs to experience Amos The Transparent in a live setting. Songs like (Here's To) New Beginnings, The Stale Scent Of Old Beer and Title Track take on a new life after seeing them live, and if given the right exposure, those songs have the potential to be true Canadian anthems. The band is still resting comfortably below the radar, but hopefully the decade ahead will see Amos The Transparent sink into the national consciousness with greater success. [Myspace: Amos The Transparent]

48. Writer's Block - Peter Bjorn And John (2006)

For many in the blogosphere, this decade awakened people to the fact that the Swedes can craft a pretty wicked pop song like nobody else. Peter Bjorn and John's third album saw them putting aside some of the heavier power pop stylings of their first two albums, to make way for songs that are more on the twee side of the fence, and doing so with great success. Their signature song Young Folks, boosted by the sweetly saccharine vocals of Victoria Bergsman, is easily one of the best pop songs that I've ever heard, and, for once, the public actually agreed. Although the song's appearance in various commercials and TV shows made it the runaway hit of '06, it wasn't the only great song on the album. Objects Of My Affection and Let's Call It Off are equally as accessible and toe tapping. [Myspace: Peter Bjorn and John]

47. Never Hear The End Of It - Sloan (2006)

Just barely squeezing into my top 30 of 2006, Sloan's 8th album is one that I've been revisiting on a regular basis over the last couple of years, and I'm actually as surprised as anyone that it made the final cut of this list. Personally I find that the songs on this album do not work as well when played on their own, meaning that the album's brilliance really shines through when played as a whole. The fact is, that it's just such an infectious album and their best since 1996's One Chord To Another. What has understandably scared away some people is that the album contains 30 songs, and some people are afraid of commitment. However, if you put forth just a tiny bit of effort, you'll see that the album flows so seamlessly with an Abbey Road Side Two abandon that it actually contains less filler than their two albums previous and the one that followed it. It also contains one of Chris Murphy's greatest compositions (the McCartney-esque Fading Into Obscurity) one of Andrew Scott's best (I Know You), a whole slew of great Jay Ferguson moments and Patrick Pentland's most punk rock moment ever (HFXNSHC). The Brits may have their fair share of fab four worshipers, but Oasis can only dream of releasing an album as Beatle-esque as this. [Myspace: Sloan]

46. Left And Leaving - The Weakerthans (2000)

Nobody with half a brain would ever question John K Samson's poetic songwriting abilities, but never before has that been more apparent than on this classic release from 2000. Besides containing one of my favorite songs, not just of the decade, but of all time, Aside, the album continues to age extremely well. The line "I'm leaning on this broken fence between past and present tense" is highly appropriate since the album has the ability to speak to me in different ways as each year goes by and circumstances change in my life. While it's true that this album was released at the height of the whole emo thing, Samson's lyrics really stood out in the sense that I never felt he was trying to be overtly preachy, pounding my ears with an iron fist, so to speak. He was also not the sort to wallow in his own self pity, screaming his lungs out at the fact that he's the most misundertood teenager in Winnepeg . No, the music on this CD is simply a poetic declaration of his thoughts, emotions and feelings sounding less like a protest song, and more like a person's highly articulate diary. [Myspace: The Weakerthans]

Tomorrow: Bobby B's 50 Albums of the Decade (#45 - 41)

"Spiders are singing in the salty breeze ... spinning out webs of deductions and melodies"

Precursor Ramblings To Bobby B's 50 Albums of the Decade...

It's hard to believe that we're already 10 years into this millennial decade. It seems like only yesterday we were all in fear of Y2K and all of the nonsense associated with that. I always assumed that by this time I'd be flying around in my fuel efficient time machine Delorean, paying $400 for a Coke and fighting intergalactic battles with Wilma Deering by my side. It was 100 years ago that Ottawa won its first Stanley Cup as the Ottawa Senators and it was also that same year when the first commercial flight took place. We're just shy of two years away from the 100th anniversary of the Titanic's massive sinking and just four years away from the 100th anniversary of WW1. We're currently also about 51 years away from Halley's Comet's next appearance.

But random wikipedia stalkings aside, at this here blog it's all about the music, and the internet age of this last decade has seen music become more and more accessible to the masses, as the general public is finally in a position where they get to choose for themselves what they're going to listen to. Sadly, the large majority still hasn't taken advantage of this newfound freedom, opting to put money in the pockets of all of the Theory of a Nickelcreeds and Taylor bleedin' Swift's out there, but I don't think that we'll be seeing that for too much longer. The foul stench of the music industry's rapidly decaying corpse is becoming stronger than ever, and the public will soon have no other choice but to look to podcasts, blogs and other independent sources to feed their musical appetite which means gaining recommendations from people who actually enjoy music. What a novel idea! We're inching that much closer to an era where the important thing will no longer be what a singer's midrift looks like or what music some stuffed shirt has slapped into the pretty person's teen drama of the moment, but it will finally depend on the actual sounds coming through your speakers. OK, maybe I'm dreaming, but when has dreaming ever hurt anybody?

Still, in the meantime, for those who actually care, we have access to more music than ever before, which means that, to my ears, music has never sounded better. I'm sure that hundreds would disagree with me, but I feel that the "oughts" have been the best decade for music since the 1960's, and I've found it downright impossible to keep up with every band, genre and artists that appeals to me; a problem I've never encountered before. However, this is a fun problem to have as I've been spending the last couple of months revisiting all of the music that I've been introduced to since the year 2000 in an effort to compile a list of my favorite albums of the decade. And I'm happy to say that, by George, I think I've got it!

Starting tomorrow, I'll be taking you on a two week journey through my top 50 albums of the decade. I don't think that there'll be a huge ton of surprises, especially for those who have been following my blog at all over the last few years. I worked hard to be as objective as I can be though, not allowing myself to be swayed by popular opinion or common thoughts on what is "hip" or "cool" or (ugh) "indie." There are a few choices that are pretty much exclusive to my own personal list, not because these albums are that much better than everyone else's, but more because I've grown a personal attachment to them. Of course, there are other albums that are making all of the "decade end" lists simply because they deserve it, and you're gonna find these ones on my list too. (Yes, of course Arcade Fire made my list because I'm not an idiot, but it's not number one nor is it in the top ten.)

So I hope you enjoy my ten day foray into self indulgence (eleven days if you include this wordy rambling) as I will have album's 50 - 46 posted early tomorrow morning.

The title lyric is from the song 'Spiders (Kidsmoke)' by Wilco (pictured above), an artist that makes a couple of appearances on the list.

Easy Targets / Postcards / The Hoa Hoa's / Volcano @ Rancho Relaxo

Under normal circumstances, the four band lineup has become something that I do not look forward to as much as I once did. My attention span and irritability level after 10pm is not what it used to be, and the thought of attending a late show with a bill of more than two bands just seems like too daunting a task sometimes. It also often results in me becoming a bit of a harsher critic by the time I get to bands three and four simply because by that point of the evening I've become a grumpy old man.

However, an evening that was billed as The Fallout Party, which took place last Friday night, was a quadruped of sorts that I was more than willing to support, since four outstanding examples of truly euphoric psych rock were joining forces to create a symbiotic "excursion of weightless significance" at our very own Rancho Relaxo. I just knew this was going to be a good one.

Kicking off the evening was Volcano, and, as far as I know, this was their very first live performance. I'm quite familiar with the work of lead vocalist Chris Hobson through his other project The Space Between Things, and when I sampled his Volcano output on the myspace page, I became very curious as to how the material would translate live. While it's true this project comes across as a bit more streamlined than the TSBT material, it still contains a fair measure of jumbled cacophony to facilitate a "how are they going to do that?" thought in my head. Still, even the mildly muffled sound system of the Rancho couldn't hide the beauty of the sounds that this band created together. It was certainly a subdued performance in terms of stage presence and banter and whatnot, but in terms of musical artistry, the band literally sucks you into its drone with a mesmerizing mix of epic space jams and lo-fi psychedelic freak outs. Their last two songs were significant highlights; beginning with an extensive instrumental number that reminded me a little bit of Atom Heart Mother-era Floyd before quietly segueing into their last song, an upbeat rocker with a Keith Richards-like riff that was about as infectious as it gets.

The biggest selling point for me was the last minute inclusion of The Hoa Hoa's into the evening's lineup. It has already been duly noted that they're one of my favorite bands in the city, but despite all of my best intentions, I had never actually gotten around to seeing them live. Yes, embarrassing, I know. Now that I have though, I have to say that my confusion as to their lack of popularity and buzz is now even more mind boggling. I'm willing to accept that they're recorded material may not be everybody's thing, especially if you're not a fan of the whole psych-rock universe. But I refuse to believe that it's possible to leave a Hoa Hoa's show without being completely blown away, regardless of your genre of choice. The reason that I say this is because their performance is tailor made for music lovers, as well as lovers of the live experience, plain and simple. The band exudes an amazing amount of energy on the stage, and the songs translate with excellence as the Manchester beat got the crowd dancing from start to finish. They showcased several songs from the new album, and I think that, as much as I love their older stuff, the newer material boasts a greater intensity that sounds so good live. I loved their performance, and I think that it's safe to say that they are one of the best live bands in the city right now. On the downside, this made things pretty difficult for any band that was put in the unfortunate position of having to follow them.

Postcards (from Montreal) were up next, and of all of the bands that performed that night, the buzz surrounding them seemed to be the greatest. They've built up a strong reputation within the community as a forerunner in the Canadian shoegaze/psych movement, placing emphasis on keeping their sounds artistic, genuine and as lo-fi as possible. As far as I can tell, their EP is only available on cassette, which is either extremely cool or extremely annoying, depending on your outlook. The fact is that their melodic brand of dreamy, slightly Smiths-ish pop music probably suits the hiss and crackle of a car stereo cassette deck warmly, and they displayed their low key sound to a crowd whose enthusiasm seemed oddly disproportionate to the laid back vibe on stage. The audience was jumping around and dancing spasmodically, which was bizarre considering the subtle tones that was emanating off of the stage. Performance-wise, the band was a significant step down from the energetic whomp of The Hoa Hoa's, and it would have been nice to see them get into what they were doing a little bit more. Material-wise however, the band was right on par with everyone else, and I really enjoyed their unique blend of subtle jangle guitar tones and 60's Phil Spector-ish pop melodies.

The evening ended with our very own Easy Targets, who pumped the enthusiasm back up to an indisputable high. There were a couple of familiar faces in the band that I recognized, most notably Jeremiah Knight who played with Volcano at the beginning of the night, and Brad Weber, who's in another one of the best live bands in Toronto, namely Pick A Piper (not to mention the work he's done with Caribou). While the other bands of the evening I would describe as firmly rooted in 60's psychedelia, with hints of 80's rave culture and 90's shoegaze, Easy Targets sounded to me to be more the other way around, steeped moreso in 90's melodic noise rock such as Sonic Youth or even early Teenage Fanclub, while still including traces of some of the aforementioned past genres. Boasting easily the largest band of the evening (I think there were six of them) they ended the evening in a celebratory mode that raised the level of euphoria to an appropriate height for an evening so jam packed with music.

I left the evening completely satisfied, which, as I mentioned at the outset, is a pretty amazing feat for such a huge lineup. The fact that all of the bands complemented each other so well allowed the night to flow seamlessly, and listening to Stone Roses on my iPod as I walked home seemed like the perfect nightcap for me. Needless to say, I've been on a steady diet of psych-rock since then, and it's become apparent to me that I need to go to more shows like this.

Photos: My shots of the Fallout Party @ Rancho Relaxo are on flickr
Myspace: Easy Targets
Myspace: Postcards
Myspace: The Hoa Hoa's
Myspace: Volcano

"She's coming after me, she's like a honeybee..."

Quick Blurbs about Friendly Rich, The Hoa-Hoa's & Krupke

Friendly Rich & The Lollipop People - Pictures At An Exhibition

To describe Friendly Rich Presents: Modest Mussgorsky's Pictures At An Exhibition as an eclectic piece of music is an incredible understatement. His personal reworking of the Russian composer's 1874 suite is as bizarre as it gets, sounding a little bit like the unique instrumental pairing of Frank Zappa and Pee Wee Herman. The project is ambitious for sure, but unlike Emerson Lake and Palmer's 1971 attempt at reworking this intense piece of music, Rich manages to draw out the whimsical elements hidden throughout the work, making this a surprisingly fun listen. His arrangement includes a who's who of guest musicians playing instruments as varied as the euphonium, harpsichord, penny whistle, harp and accordion, along with the standard drums, guitars and bass. The CD contains moments of solemnity (Bydlo), carnivalistic intensity (Ballet of the Unhatched Chicks) and beauty (The Great Gate of Kiev), as well as downright strangeness (Cum Mortis in Lingua Mortu) but it all works together in producing an interesting listen that is jarring yet enjoyable.

His live show has been known to include puppetry, cartoons, crank calls and more so if you're looking for something truly eclectic and new, you should attend the CD Release Party at The Tranzac on Saturday November 7th. The Hamilton Trading Company are opening.

Myspace: Friendly Rich
Video: Some bizarre footage of Friendly Rich @ Sneaky Dee's is on youtube.

The Hoa Hoa's - Pop/Drone/Pedals (early review!)

I've made no bones of the fact that dreamy psych-sters The Hoa Hoa's are one of the most underrated acts in the city, if not THE most underrated. I was going to sit on their P/D/P CD until it was officially released on December 1st but, like it's predecessor, it's one of those albums that you want everyone to listen to as soon as possible. Admittedly it doesn't deviate all that far from their debut in the sense that is still boasts a psychedelic fusion of shoegaze and 60's garage aesthetics, but I would say that the playing is a little bit tighter this time around, and the sounds are just a tad more varied. As the CD sweeps into the headphones, opening with a subtle guitar part, quickly accompanied by the steady shaker and a droney bassline, the percussion comes in with that unmistakenly thumpy early 90's Manchester beat, and The Hoa Hoa's once again blast off into the stratosphere with Postcards, which is a killer opening track. That momentum remains constant throughout the course of the album. There are moments of multi-layered shoegaze (Hey Joe, Wasting Time, Vinyl Ritchie), summer of love by way of Anton Newcombe cuts (Velocity (Downtown), Feels So Good Inside) and stunning occasions of mesmerizing beauty (Waves). The best song on the album to me is one that they've been apparently showcasing on the live stage for awhile now, called Grew Up On The Seeds, which is a tribute to the Sky Saxon led 60's garage band. It's notable to mention that the late Sky Saxon even joined them on stage for a live rendition of that song at this year's SXSW festival before his untimely passing on June 25th.

The underground psych-rock movement is noteworthy for many reasons, but the timeless nature of the quality music consistently put out by The Hoa Hoa's is certainly a major ingredient in this trippy sonic stew. The band will be celebrating the release of P/D/P on Optical Sounds at The Silver Dollar on December 4th. If you just can't wait till then, make sure you make it out to Rancho Relaxo tonight (Nov 6th) as they'll be sharing the stage with a whole slew of great psychedelic acts including Montreal's Postcards, Easy Targets and Volcano.

Myspace: The Hoa Hoa's
Video: New Years Eve Ball 2009 on youtube

Krupke - Slap Bracelet Release Party (November 13th)

Most of modern music these days can be lazily summed up into two basic categories: those that wholeheartedly pay homage to the past (which is what most bands do) and those that look forward to the future by creating something new. Now I realize that this statement is faulty in more ways than I care to articulate right now, but it seems to me that local band Krupke is at least putting forth a noble attempt at working towards the latter.

So far they've only put together a handful of songs (which can all be heard on their myspace page) but trying to lump these songs into a specific genre is not an easy task. The reason that I've chosen to promote them here so early on in their career is because their music is a perfect choice for those that like to be challenged when it comes to what is being fed to their musical palate. For example, their song Dirt and Culture starts out sounding like it's going to develop into a bit of a progressive jazz number, until the off-kilter vocal yelp kicks in, turning into a piece of music that is all over the place. The real surprise though is in the second half of the song where an actual melody starts to peek through and suddenly the very song that was initially impossible to follow is now actually stuck in my head. Weird. Waltz is a mellow number that is folksy yet slightly carnival-like in the sense that it tricks you into thinking that it's a relatively simple song until you really pay attention to its varied complexities. They also have a song called My Dearest Fergie, I'm So Sorry I Haven't Called But The Pony That You Always Wanted Died Today. Yah. With that song the band manages to cram an entire art rock tragi-comedy punk opera into a nifty little three and a half minute package which is exactly as daunting and delicious as you would imagine it to be.

Krupke is a band that demands a listener's full attention and admittedly, this may be a hard sell within the ADD driven world in which we live. Still, I think that if you're willing to put forth the effort, the payoff is worth it, and will continue to be even moreso as the band continues to solidify their sound. They don't yet have a CD to release, but they have released a limited edition personlized slap bracelet that they will be celebrating the release of on November 13th at Bread & Circus. Everyone who attends the show gets one. Opening for them are a few more of the city's finest, namely The Lovely Killbots, Ex~Po and B'mo Crazy.

Myspace: Krupke
Video: Krupke performing for minilogues on youtube

Roky Erickson w/The Sadies @ Lee's Palace

If you're at all familiar with the sordid past of psych-rock pioneer Roky Erickson, than you know that it was only a few years ago that the possibility of ever seeing him perform live seemed about as likely as a warm winter in Toronto. His heavily permissive lifestyle back in the 60's while he was the leader of seminal psychsters the 13th Floor Elevators led to his being diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1968, resulting in jailtime, electroshock therapy, and even a brief stint where he believed that aliens were coming to Earth to do him harm. It was only shortly after the end of the 90's that Roky finally received both the medical and legal aid necessary to help him on the road to recovery. It was in 2005 that he performed his first full length concert in 20 years, and it was from there that the momentum continued to grow, culminating this year in a brief four date tour that brought him to Chicago, Detroit, Hamilton and right here to Lee's Palace in Toronto last Wednesday night.

Since I attended another performance earlier in the evening, the situation lined up in such a way that I got to Lee's early enough to plop myself down on an elevated stool that was right up against the stage. In other words, best seat in the house, not only for Roky, but also for the openers whom I probably don't have to tell you too much about: The Sadies.

The insane talent of The Sadies has been documented quite extensively on this here site and I really don't know how much more I can add to what I've already said. When I first heard that my favourite cow-punkers would be opening for the garage rock legend, the match-up did not seem hugely unfathomable. I've seen The Sadies cover everyone from Love to The Stooges to The MC5, so their love of all things psychedelic and garage-y has been duly noted and sharing a stage with Roky seemed appropriate. I will say that limiting The Sadies to a 35 minute set is somewhat criminal because, although their set was as intoxicating as it always is, to my ears it felt as if they were just getting started. I will also say that they made good use of their limited time by blasting through as many songs as possible, including an outstanding new song that showcases just how diverse the Good brothers are. If the new album is as promising as the new song they played, it is sure to be a significant release for them.

Photos: My shots of The Sadies @ Lee's Palace are on flickr
Myspace: The Sadies
Download: Anna Leigh mp3
Video: Flash on youtube

As great as they were, the crowd was clearly there to see the legend, and right from the start Roky and his band commenced to rocking, obviously with the intent of laying any doubts to rest as quickly as possible. Roky was smart to surround himself with some highly experienced bandmates for the evening. He had Kyle Ellison (Meat Puppets / Butthole Surfers) on guitar, Matt Harris (The Posies / Oranger) on bass and Kyle Schneider (Ian Moore / Charlie Sexton and a billion other bands) on drums and they were as tight as could be. For obvious reasons, Roky can only get so animated but the enthusiasm exuded by the band themselves more than made up for that. Actually, it was admirable to see a fully competent band care for the areas that Roky was unable to care for himself, while not using the situation as an opportunity for personal grandstanding. To the band's credit, never once did they detract from the reason we were all there in the first place, that is, to see Roky Erickson. He played for about an hour or so, and played a variety of songs from different areas of his career. My personal highlight was hearing him end with some Elevators classics, namely Splash 1 and their signature hit You're Gonna Miss Me as well as a song from his Bleib Alien days called Two Headed Dog. After leaving the stage, the band shouted, applauded and hammered for an encore but, even though the setlist indicated that he was going to come back out with 1982's Don't Slander Me, apparently it was not meant to be. Personally, I've always appreciated an artist that can just make the last song count, instead of contriving up the joint with an anticlimactic encore. This is exactly what Roky did, and the show was everything I could ask for and more.

It's not too often that one gets to see a living legend perform, especially not at a moderately small venue like Lee's. The image of Roky on that stage is one that I will not be forgetting anytime soon. I think it was expressed most eloquently by a friend of mine, who was also there, when he described the image of Roky with his back to us playing guitar, fan blowing his silver-ish hair like he was on a beach in psychedelic garage heaven as completely blissful. Nicely put.

Photos: My shots of Roky Erickson @ Lee's Palace are on flickr.
Myspace: Roky Erickson
Myspace: 13th Floor Elevators
Video: You're Gonna Miss Me on youtube

Other stuff:

There's an interesting interview with Andrew Whiteman of Apostle of Hustle and Broken Social Scene by Matt McKechnie over at Thick Specs. He will be at Lee's Palace on November 19th. [Myspace: Apostle of Hustle]

The Wooden Sky have recently put together a project entitled "The Wooden Sky: A Documentary in Pieces" directed by Scott Cudmore on their summer ‘09 Bedrooms & Backstreets tour. The first two pieces are available here. They will be playing Lee's Palace on November 13th with Hooded Fang and Brian Borcherdt. [Myspace: The Wooden Sky]

Pick A Piper also have a new video up for their song Rooms using footage from all the way over in Iceland. Although today's mild snowfall has made me hate pretty much anything associated with the word "ice", the video is still actually pretty good. You can watch it here. PaP are playing Polish Combatants Hall on Nov. 7th and Rancho Relaxo on Nov. 21st. [Myspace: Pick A Piper]

Exclaim has an exclusive on the Born Ruffians follow up to last year's excellent Red Yellow and Blue. Apparently Luke Lalonde has decided that thinking too much is overrated and they're just going to do what feels right for the new one. We'll be able to find out how well the method worked when the album is released on Warp Records early next year sometime. [Myspace: Born Ruffians]

It may be still a little bit early for such lists, but Amazon has just compiled what is, to my knowledge, the first official list of the 100 Best Albums of 2009. And, big surprise, it looks nothing like what mine is going to look like. You can see the list here.

Shotgun Jimmie @ Soundscapes (In-Store Performance)

Shotgun Jimmie's latest release Still Jimmie (which I reviewed here) is not an album that I would say I pull out on a regular basis, but whenever I do, it instantly brings a smile to my face. It really is a solid album through and through, and I really don't know why I never think about it other than the fact that I listen to a lot of music and it's hard to remember everything. When I heard that he was coming to town and including an in-store at Soundscapes on his stay, I hadn't initially planned on going. But as I was preparing to head out for another show last Wednesday night, it was really by mere fluke that I stopped into the store to check him out. And I must admit, that I'm very glad that I did.

I wouldn't say that I'm much of an expert on the works of Jim Killpatrick and to be honest, Still Jimmie, his third album, is actually the only one that I've heard. However, that album alone was enough to convince me that, lyrically speaking, his was a man of charismatic whimsy, and this was doubly apparent in his laid back performance. Every song he performed that evening was preceded and followed by a quip or two and, I've got to say, that Jimmie is one funny guy. But he's quite talented also, as was made obvious as he sang and played guitar at the same time as hitting the snare drum with one foot and the bass drum with the other. Most of his set featured material from the familiar album, which he explained was all killer, no filler and filled with only the greatest "pop" hits. He then attempted to take requests, but then had to admit that he couldn't remember how to play the one that was first suggested. He did follow that up with a different request though, and then went on to play some new songs, the second of which was obviously still a work in progress as he hilariously took to improvising some of the lyrics on the spot.

Overall this was a performance filled with much laughter and good times, which, as we all know, has always been the Maritime way and I, for one, appreciated him taking the time to bring some of that joviality to us.

Photos: My shots of Shotgun Jimmie @ Soundscapes are on flickr
Myspace: Shotgun Jimmie
Download: Mind Crumb mp3


Other news:
Sorry I haven't done these for awhile but I've been meaning to start them up again. And here goes:

Local psych-folk experience The Space Between Things is planning on re-issuing the Songs About You EP with additional songs and artwork on Friday November 13th. Like the original it is going to be offered as a free download on the TSBT website. [Myspace: The Space Between Things]

Tracy Shedd has a new video for a song called City At Night that will be the first track on an upcoming EP entitled EP88, which will be available on Eskimo Kiss Records in early 2010. [Myspace: Tracy Shedd]

Entire Cities will be re-releasing their amazing album Deep River on white vinyl. The show will be at The Garrison in Toronto on November 19th. [Myspace: Entire Cities]

Spoon is finally releasing a new album and it will be entitled Transference. It will be released in North America on Merge on January 26th and in Europe the day before on Anti-. Stereogum has the track listing as well as some live versions of a few of the songs. [Myspace: Spoon]

The amazing Montreal folkster Leif Vollebekk has just been signed to Nevado Records, which means that the label's streak of signing only the best in Canadian indie is still very much in tact. His debut album Inland will be re-released on January 19th on both CD and 12" vinyl. [Myspace: Leif Vollebekk]

'Sup in November: Ten Picks

I went to a lot of shows in October (including a Shotgun Jimmie instore and an historical Roky Erickson show with The Sadies that I still have yet to tell you about) which means that I think I'm going to chill out a bit for the month of November. I'll still be catching a few, but I'll likely be limiting it to a few of the smaller ones. Still, there's a lot to do, and here are my picks.

For more detailed listings, as usual, go check out Stillepost, Zoilus and Jen's Weekly List (of shows under $10)

1. Monsters of Folk @ Massey Hall
(Monday November 2nd; Cost: $36.50-$49.50 w/$1 of each going to Foodshare)

If you haven't yet heard about this project, (which, if this is the case, where have you been?) this is the name of a new supergroup consisting of Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis, My Morning Jacket's Jim James and She & Him's Matt Ward. Initially I wasn't all that enthused about this project simply because I'm no longer as big a fan of each of these talented artists as I once was. Conor jumped the shark at the time of the truly boring Cassadega. My Morning Jacket's last two albums also left me wanting, and I never really was a huge fan of M. Ward. But the Monsters of Folk self-titled debut is actually really good, providing some of the best material that any of those artists have produced in some time. I've also heard that the show will feature two and a half hours of material spanning all of their respective careers.

[Myspaces: Monsters of Folk; Conor Oberst; My Morning Jacket; M Ward]

2. Postcards / Easy Targets / The Hoa Hoa's / Volcano @ Rancho Relaxo
(Friday November 6th; Cost: $7)

Psych rock is alive and well in the city of Toronto and 4 of Canada's finest are sharing a bill at the mighty Rancho. Montreal's Postcards play a minimalistic blend of 60's jangle guitar psych and Phil Spector-ish pop. The Easy Targets capture a mid-90's psychedelic shoegaze vibe, not unlike the Brian Jonestown Massacre. The Hoa Hoa's are one of the best garage bands in the city who are currently in the midst of releasing an outstanding new CD entitled Pop/Drone/Pedals that would've made Ian Curtis proud. And opening the evening is Volcano, the side project of The Space Between Things' Chris Hobson, which takes a lo-fi approach into the psychosphere.

[Myspaces: Postcards; Easy Targets; The Hoa Hoa's; Volcano]

3. Rural Alberta Advantage / Fox Jaws / Bahamas @ Lee's Palace
(Friday November 20th; Cost: $15)

The RAA are officially the hottest band in Canada this year, and they're playing another hometown show at Lee's Palace which is sure to be well supported. They're being accompanied by a couple of Nevado Records' finest; namely Fox Jaws and Bahamas. Hopefully the RAA's supporters will get there early enough to give the openers the exposure they rightfully deserve, enabling them to find a spot on next year's list.

The RAA are also playing a free in-store at Soundscapes on Nov 17th.
[Myspaces: Rural Alberta Advantage; Fox Jaws; Bahamas]

4. Ume @ The Horseshoe (Tuesday November 3rd; Cost: Free)

I finally got around to listening to the Sunshower EP by Austin trio Ume (pronounced ooo-may and pictured above) and it's pretty spectacular. The songs are tight examples of only the best in melodic power pop, but with an edgy guitar sound that rips right through you. Apparently frontwoman Lauren Larson is a guitarist with amazing shred all wrapped in a tiny little amicable persona which sounds to me like a compelling contrast. They've been labeled a must-see by several reputable sources, and to fulfill that recommendation for free is an opportunity not to be missed.

[Myspace: Ume]

5. Camera Obscura @ The Phoenix (Thursday November 26th; Cost: $20.50)

Although they're not the most animated performers I've ever seen, it's hard to deny the power of the music. Their latest album My Maudlin Career may not be quite as magnificent as their star making turn with 2006's Let's Get Out Of This Country, but it's still pretty sweet in its own way, and it will definitely be securing a spot in my personal best of in '09.

[Myspace: Camera Obscura]

6. Devendra Banhart @ Queen Elizabeth Theatre (Friday November 27th; Cost: $29.50)

As much as I admire this beacon of eccentricity, for whatever reason I haven't heard any of his albums since 2005's Cripple Crow. No real excuse for this other than just simply never getting around to it. I also have never actually seen him live, which is an even bigger atrocite considering the fact that he's apparently a very unique performer. Even more unique and eccentric, from what I've heard, is a room full of hippy, freaky Devendra Banhart fans, the entertainment value in which is also likely worth the price of admission. Sadly, I can't make it to this one either, but I will see him one day, just you wait!

[Myspace: Devendra Banhart]

7. The Swell Season @ Massey Hall (Tuesday November 3rd; Cost: $29.50-42.50)

Unlike some people, I never had the opportunity to catch their surprise intimate show at Dakota Tavern in September, but apparently, although the romantic involvement of Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova is no more, the sounds are still as sweet as ever. This means that Massey Hall will be the perfect setting for them to perform not only the hit songs from Once, but also the newer material from their latest effort entitled Strict Joy.

[Myspace: The Swell Season]

8. The Pretty Faces / Maned Young Lions / Born To Busk @ Rancho Relaxo
(Friday November 27th; Cost: TBA)

The Pretty Faces are an incredibly hooky band that used to live in Waterloo, Ontario before settling in Coral Springs, Florida. Their style is right up my alley as it borrows from many of my favourites like Big Star, Elvis Costello and The Kinks. In other words, the perfect power pop band. Maned Young Lions are a band from Orangeville that I only know in a casual way, but I've had the privilege of hosting a show in the past featuring lead vocalist Rayelle Stainton and I can say with absolute certainty that her talent is staggering. If you're looking for something new and accessible, this show comes highly recommended.

[Myspaces: The Pretty Faces; Maned Young Lions; Born To Busk]

9. Amos The Transparent / The Love Machine / Rival Boys / Michou @ Rancho Relaxo
(Saturday November 19th; Cost: $8)

Looks like the Rancho is the place to be this month, as we witness the return of the always entertaining (especially at the Rancho) Amos the Transparent. Joining them on the bill are fellow Ottawans The Love Machine whose infectious high energy rock throughly impressed me at this year's NXNE. As far as Rival Boys and Michou are concerned, I'm afraid I don't really know much about them other than the fact that they are a couple of Rancho faves whose reputation has become quite the buzz of that particular bar.

[Myspaces: Amos the Transparent; The Love Machine; Rival Boys; Michou]

10. Steely Dan @ Massey Hall
(Wed Nov. 25th & Thurs Nov. 26; Cost: $59.50-159.50)

Well, I'll bet you weren't expecting to see this one on my list. There is no band that raises more eyebrows amongst friends when asked to reveal my favourite bands of all time, but these 70's AM progressive jazz popsters settle nicely in the lower reaches of my top ten. 1977's Aja is an album that I actually crave from time to time and when that craving hits me, nothing else will do. My love of The Dan also explains my attachment to bands like Zero 7 and Midlake, not to mention local acts like The Paint Movement and Make Your Exit. Say what you will, but their influence is obvious (at least to my ears) and I'll bet their highly distinguished sounds would sound amazing at Massey Hall.

[Myspace: Steely Dan]

Honorable Mentions:
There's only a few other shows that I'd like to mention. Former Reily vocalist Megan Bonnell (Nov 1st @ C'est What); Dog Day, Immaculate Machine & Balconies (Nov 5th @ Horseshoe); Islands (Nov 7 @ Mod Club); Peter Bjorn and John & El Perro Del Mar (Nov 11 @ Phoenix); Young Galaxy & The Junction (Nov 13th @ Horseshoe); Invasions, Planet Creature & Davey Parker Radio Sound (Nov 13 @ Silver Dollar); Andre Williams & The Sadies (Nov 19th @ Horseshoe); Devo (Nov 23rd & 24th @ Phoenix); Elvyn (Nov 30 @ Horseshoe)

Where I'll Be:
As I mentioned, I'll be sticking with some of the smaller shows this time around. I'm hoping to catch Ume at the 'shoe, and it would be great to see RAA, Fox Jaws and Bahamas again at Lee's. I will definitely be taking in the psychedelic experience at Rancho Relaxo on the 6th, and I'll certainly be back there again on the 27th to support my friends in the Maned Young Lions. Other than that, the rest of the month is a toss up, so we'll see.

Final Notes:
Just one more thing that I'd like to mention: My computer is currently on its last legs meaning that it's running very slow and overheating regularly. This means that a post like this, which would normally take an hour or so to do, has been taking me approximately a billion hours to do. I'm hoping to get something new early in the month, but until then, my posting might me a little bit on the non-existent side. But I will get those aforementioned reviews up as soon as possible, and when the new 'puter is up and ready to go, I'll hopefully be posting a little bit more regularly again, which means a few more recommendations and rants than I have been providing lately. Until then, enjoy the stupidly colder weather.

[Above Ume photo by Michael Thad Carter]

My Top 10 Hottest Canadian Bands 2009

Well, it's that time of the year that every Canadian music blogger loves the most: I (Heart) Music's carefully calculated compiling of The Hottest Bands in Canada. Matthew is the head maestro of that high quality music blog from Ottawa and what he does is he asks several of the country's finest music aficionados (and me) for their personal picks of the 10 hottest bands in Canada. He then takes our respective lists and, using a team of highly respected scientists and mathematicians, puts together the final selections. I was flattered to once again be asked to contribute my thoughts.

The two points of criteria remained the same: the bands had to be Canadian and they had to have a particularly "hot" year. As far as how these rules were to be defined was left up to our own discretion. I decided that the first point meant that they had to be in Canada, but I took a slightly different approach to that second point this year. Last year, I basically went with hot = popular, which meant that I included a couple of acts that were not necessarily my cup of meat, but included because they were everybody else's. This year I decided, screw that. I'm an opinionated music blogger and therefore I made the list a little bit more bob-centric. But fair.

This meant that I didn't include the bands I don't like, even if everyone else does (see Gentlemen Reg, Chad VanGaalen) and I also excluded the ones that I sorta like but find incredibly overrated (see Metric, Joel Plaskett, Still Life Still.) There are also the choices that were originally on my list but I opted to leave off in the end since I had a good feeling that they would ultimately make the list just fine without my help (see Great Lake Swimmers, Coeur de Pirate.) This allowed me to give that extra nudge to the not-so-sure-they'll-make-it-without-my-vote bands on my list. (By and large, that didn't work.) Finally, by definition, a band's hotness factor is, of course, not all about me, which means that the band needed to have a measure of significant buzz this year that made them stand out, which means that I also had to leave out a couple of my own personal favourites too, as much as it hurt my feelings to do so (see Fox Jaws, Amos The Transparent.) The only exception to this rule was my number 10 pick, whom I knew would likely not make the list, but I thought that I had a pretty strong argument for their inclusion so there you go.

Which brings us to my personal ten selections. Only a select few made the final cut, but this was a pretty difficult year for limiting the choices to only ten, since the level of quality this year was immense. And here they are:

1. Rural Alberta Advantage- Having reaped praise from just about every noteworthy music source over the last year, both here and south of the border, culminating in the support of the mighty Saddle Creek label, the RAA are now mere steps away from being a household name. Very impressive (although I'm still struggling to believe that Stephen Harper honestly listens to their music.) [Myspace]

2. The Balconies - Their debut album encapsulates a brave form of ambition that most bands save up for their third of fourth album. This means that, in theory, their third or fourth album is going to be the greatest thing ever. [Myspace]

3. Bruce Peninsula - Successfully duplicating a live performance that is amongst the most uplifting anywhere onto a studio recording is no small task, but Bruce Peninsula have done so with ease. [Myspace]

4. Wilderness of Manitoba - Folk bands are a dime a dozen these days, but this band's hotness factor lies in their ability to make a semi-tired genre sound fresh and beautiful again. [Myspace]

5. Ohbijou - Beacons is a reminder that even though life in the city can get pretty ugly at times, there is always an inner beauty to be discovered and exposed. [Myspace]

6. Zeus – They’ve made classic rock cool again. And, most impressively, by covering Genesis’ That’s All, they’ve made Phil Collins (semi) cool again. For these reasons, along with the fact that they're ridiculously good, they definitely get my pick for hottest new Arts and Crafts signing. [Myspace]

7. Whale Tooth – I’ve said it before, but in an indie world that tends to take itself too seriously at times, it’s refreshing to have a band like Whale Tooth around to remind us to have some fun. [Myspace]

8. Green Go – Finally, a dance band with a sound that is both organic and honest. [Myspace]

9. The Paint Movement – Not only have they released what, in my opinion, is the most captivating local release of the year, but they’ve done so with a brass rock comeback that, unbeknownst to most of us, was desperately needed. [Myspace]

10. The Hoa Hoa’s – They may not be hot in the sense that everybody has heard of them, but within the massively overlooked Canadian psych-rock scene, they are the saviors of aural experimentation, simultaneously urging us to gaze at our shoes while floating into a sonic high. Reaping praise from psych legend, the late Sky Saxon, is no small feat either. [Myspace]

[RAA photo above by Patrick Leduc]

Elvyn @ Silver Dollar

Brothers Joel and Ryan Beerman have been playing music together as Elvyn for just over 11 years now, and their professionalism and abilities have only increased during that time. Elvyn's mix of pure pop and alt-country is as catchy and accessible as it gets, filled with soaring harmonies and heartbreaking lyricism. If you've ever listened to either their 2002 release Ten Car Stereo or their 2004 EP The Big Bay, then you're likely scratching your head also as to why they've never had so much as a hit song, let alone nationwide success. Of course, with the overwhelming onslaught of music these days, I suppose this is just a product of the musical climate that we live in, and a band such as Elvyn has to settle for making an impression by playing as many gigs as they can and letting the buzz flow that way.

This is exactly what they did when they played The Silver Dollar on Friday night. Rounded out with Jason O'Reilly on bass and Jeremy Knibbs on rhythm guitar, the band played a set that was subdued but tight as their classic sounding tunes caused more than a couple of people to get up and dance. Besides playing a number of familiar ones, they also showcased a number of new songs that are slated to appear on an upcoming CD that should see the light of day in the near future. These new songs are impressive in that they see the band going for an even more polished sound while still keeping an intentional imperfection in tact, allowing the songs to maintain their human "heart on their sleeve" approach. In between songs, Joel the drummer would toss out the occasional quip, while in the rockier moments, Ryan and Jeremy would showcase a little dueling Gretsch action that was entertaining also.

Admittedly, the show did have a few things going against it. The weather was all kinds of bad (I'm pretty sure the monsoon-like conditions wrecked my umbrella,) and there were a lot of other shows taking place in the city too (as is usually the case on a Friday night.) Most noticeably, the sound guy didn't exactly bring his 'A' game this time around, missing cues and messing around with levels, and it was clear that this dampened the band's enthusiasm a little bit. Still, overall, the band handled these setbacks with professionalism, taking it all in stride which the same laid back attitude that is portrayed in the music they make.

Elvyn are playing a free show at The Horseshoe on Monday November 30th.

Photos: My shots of Elvyn @ Silver Dollar are on flickr
Myspace: Elvyn
Video: All Is Lost on youtube

Wilco / Liam Finn @ Massey Hall

Jeff Tweedy's recent attraction to the mellower side of making music in the vein of mid-70's AM pop made me a little bit unprepared for last Wednesday's Wilco show at Massey Hall. Of course I was still excited (this is Wilco after all) but one could understandably be forgiven for assuming that the show was going to be more of a "sit back and relax" type of affair. While it's true that the last time I saw them, they blasted out a set that included a phenomenal three song suite of Being There's greatest rockers, I know that this was more of an exception to the rule, and I walked in to the venue assuming that this would likely be a tad tamer. Still, I had every reason to assume that even that would likely be a sweet slice of fantastic, especially considering the fact that the grand hall of Hart Almerrin Massey is probably the most sonically pleasing venue in the city, especially in an acoustic setting. However, if there's one thing that was proven at the Sonic Youth show earlier this year, Massey Hall is equally equipped for rocking out, and it was with that particular mindset that Tweedy et al approached the first evening of a two night, sold-out stay in Toronto last week.

I was looking forward to seeing opener Liam Finn since I had heard several good things about his live show from some friends who saw him open for Crowded House (featuring his father Neil Finn) and Pete Yorn at this very venue a couple of years ago. He leaped out onto the stage sporting a scraggly beard and a Michael Jackson-like jacket before lunging into a brief set of hyperactive rock that ranged from strongly melodic pop stuff to slightly uncontrolled acoustic numbers, both heavy in drums and looped guitar. Joining him onstage was Eliza Jane Barnes, who helped by filling out on keys, guitar and harmonies. Liam himself was quite adept on both guitar and drums, although rather frenetic when it came to the heavier moments of percussive pounding. During his whole set, I remember thinking that his animated presence would make him a delight to see in a smaller venue, not to mention the fact that the 30 minute time restraint prevented him from bantering much, (although he assured us that when he does, it's hilarious!) For others that may have felt the same way as I did, there's an opportunity to witness a banter-full, complete set when he returns on October 29th for a show at Lee's Palace.

Wilco's self titled opening song (entitled Wilco (The Song), in case you couldn't figure that out) was about the only thing that didn't surprise me about the evening. Following that up with the truly cacophonous one-two punch of I Am Trying To Break Your Heart and Black Bull Nova on the other hand, was an incredibly pleasant surprise and the evening continued on a similarly energetic course that featured a balanced mix of both newer songs and a few select classics. For the first six or seven songs, it looked as though we were going to have to settle for a banter-less Tweedy, but when he finally did end his silence, he was in full "wit and quip" mode as he did everything from appealing to our national pride in order to encourage a singalong during Jesus, Etc. to mocking our singing and quickly apologizing because, in his words, he "didn't realize that we were so needy."

The evening was full of highlights. Nels Cline's insane extended guitar solo on Impossible Germany was truly a sight to behold. Hearing A Shot In The Arm, I Can't Stand It and How To Fight Loneliness from Summerteeth was also an unexpected thrill. Despite Tweedy's jokey comments, the aforementioned singalong sounded more amazing than those usually do, no doubt amplified by the superior acoustics of the hall. I would have to say that my favourite part of the evening though was during the encore when they came very close to displaying a slightly different version of the magic Being There moment of my previous experience when they played Monday and Outtasite (Outta Mind) from that album, only to follow it up with Hoodoo Voodoo from Mermaid Avenue. Classic!

Reading some of the reviews of the following night's experience, I was sorry that we didn't get the expected Feist appearance that they got, (she was busy making an appearance at Amy Millan's Mod Club show on our night,) and I would've liked to hear California Stars (which they pulled out during the Thursday night encore) but otherwise, I'd say that Wednesday's show was every bit as good as Thursday's. At this point, it's pretty much an indisputable fact that a Wilco show is basically a sure thing, and I plan on embarking on that sureness as often as I can. The next opportunity will be when they play Hamilton Place Theatre on February 24th, 2010.

EYE Weekly also has a review of this show (that is even gushier than mine), along with Back In 15 Minutes and The Ampersand, while Chromewaves, For The Records, Blog TO and The Ampersand (again) have reviews of the following night.

Photos: My shots of Wilco, Liam Finn @ Massey Hall are on flickr
Myspace: Liam Finn
Myspace: Wilco