"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.

Best Of 2007: The Songs

My best of 2007 album list has been giving me ulcers since the day I posted it. Should I have included Of Montreal? What about Múm; that was a great album? Steve Earle's latest wasn't as good as his previous work, but I'm thinking maybe I still like it better than numbers 39 and 40 on the original list. Lists are hard. That's why, instead of doing a list of my top 10 favorite songs, that will most surely expand until I end up with something weird like a top 53, I'm simply going to limit this post to an orderless list of 10 songs that completely blew my mind this past year. So here goes:

I Am John by Loney, Dear

The only song on my order list that I will give a ranking to is this indisputable (in my mind) number one. What makes this song so great for me is simply the way it makes me feel. It starts off so delicate and sweet sounding. But the mid song build up is always money in the bank as far as I'm concerned, and when the voices are layered and layered beyond belief, what may sound cheesy in a Def Leppard song, is total euphoria in this case. It simply touches on every emotional nerve in my over sensitive synapses. This is more than a song, it's a celebration of life.

Download: I Am John mp3
Video: I Am John youtube

You! Me! Dancing! by Los Campesinos!

While staying in 'celebration of life' mode, Cardiff's Los Campesinos! has crafted an infectious danceable ditty that has reached a certain level of popularity thanks to the phenomenon / aggravation that is myspace. I like this song because it makes me dance. 'Nuff said.

Video: You! Me! Dancing! youtube
Photo by Grace deVille

Walk Tall; Talk Sweet [Breathe Deep] by Reily

There's a lot to be said about simplicity, but there's also a lot to be said for a song with a whole bunch of everything going on. This song falls in the latter category, being a huge cage match battle of voices that caused me to fall in love with the band earlier this year. Sadly, Reily is no more, but keep your eyes and ears out for their first offspring, Bass Lions. Rumor has it that there are more children to follow as well.

Video: Walk Tall; Talk Sweet [Breathe Deep] youtube
Photo by Brian Emmanuel

Fake Empire by The National

Some of my hoity toity friends would rather choose one of Boxer's deep album cuts, but at the risk of being captain obvious, Fake Empire has to be the choice for me. In the words of a friend, the horns on this one will make you rethink the purpose of life. Haha!

Video: Fake Empire on David Letterman youtube

Girl In Port by Okkervil River

Choosing just one song from The Stage Names is no easy task but Girl In Port simply encapsulates all that I love about this band and Will Scheff in particular. The literary prose in the song lyrics coupled with Will's emotive singing makes this the indie song for the thinking man (or woman.)

Video: Girl In Port (Will Scheff solo acoustic version) youtube

Rag And Bone by The White Stripes

Some things cannot be faked and Jack White's bluesy old time vocal spoken word riffing is the real deal. When I first heard this song I must've put it on repeat about 70 times. It had me shaking my head in disbelief at just how authentic the guy sounds. Mainstream or not, I'd like to welcome you back, Meg and Jack.

Video (sort of...): Rag And Bone youtube (This is actually just a still picture of the band while the song is playing but it's the only place to hear it online without getting in trouble.)
Photo by Patrick Pantano

Backed Out On The... by Kevin Drew

Sorry Kev, you're all well and good but what makes this song an indie rock assault to the senses is the presence of J. Mascis' instantly recognizable guitar work. The video is what every music snob wishes their house party would look like.

Video: Backed Out On The... youtube

My Hands, My Plans by Fox Jaws

Carleigh Atkins' voice possesses a raspy heart that has the ability to take an average song and make it cataclysmic. She does this with several 'ordinary' songs on the album, but when she does it to pop music gold like this, it's even better.

Video: My Hands, My Plans live at the Talk Is Free Theatre youtube
Photo by Sarah Hobson

You Vs Them by The Hero Cycle

Honestly, choosing only one song by this amazing band was really hard to do. I've sort of created a personal rule for my album's list that EP's don't count. But the truth is, that Lakes and Ponds is one of the most solid releases of the year. All five songs are perfect, and subconsciously, I may have chosen You Vs Them simply because it's the song that lasts the longest. I'm really really hoping that we see a full length in the near future and that the full length makes them big enough that we see them coming to Toronto. I just gots ta see 'em!

Listen to You Vs. Them on their myspace page.

I Was A Daughter by Basia Bulat

Piano. Strings. Pounding drums. A flawless voice. And the most hyperactive handclaps I've ever heard in my life. Need I say more?

Video: I Was A Daughter live at Schuba's youtube
Photo by A. Von Seckendorf

Best of 2007: The Shows

Last year around this time, I was saying that my goal for 2007 was to attend more shows. Well, at 58 shows and 123 different live acts, I'd say mission accomplished. If I had started this blog when I was a younger man, then I'd be looking forward to upping the ante for next year. But alas, I am but a man with many responsibilities and I'll likely have to scale it down a touch for next year. That having been said, choosing the best shows of the year, for the most part, presented a bit of a challenge. But pictured above I would say that these were the top 20. Here are a few of the highlights:

1. Peter Bjorn and John at The Phoenix was by and large my favorite show of the year. It had many things running in its favor. First of all, there was the surprise factor. I knew it was going to be good, but not THAT good. They possessed an energy that reminded me of some of the old footage you would see of The Beatles performing at Shea Stadium. No joking.

Original review is here.
Download: Young Folks mp3
Photos: Peter Bjorn and John @ The Phoenix on flickr

2. Running a very close second was Loney, Dear which gets my vote for the most under appreciated show of the year. This show drew a comparatively smallish crowd, and that's unfortunate because it means that the rest of Toronto was likely doing something less enjoyable. Emil Svanängen is Sweden's most charismatic export and if they ever come back again, you owe it to yourself, dear music lover, to check him out.

Original review is here.
Download: I Am John mp3 / The City, The Airport mp3
Photos: Loney, Dear @ Lee's Palace on flickr

3. Rounding out the easy to choose top 3 was The Sadies team up with John Doe at Lee's Palace for this year's NXNE festival. For years I had heard about how great The Sadies were to see live, and this team up with the legendary John Doe was a perfect introduction for me. There is nothing the Sadies cannot do, and they proved that immensely at this show.

Original review here.
Download: The Golden State by John Doe mp3 / Loved On Look by The Sadies mp3
Photos: John Doe and The Sadies @ Lee's Palace on flickr

The rest of the pictured top 20 are:
4. Okkervil River @ Lee's Palace (review)
5. They Might Be Giants @ The Mod Club (review)
6. Last Town Chorus @ The Phoenix (review)
7. Midlake @ Lee's Palace (review)
8. Stars @ The Phoenix (review)
9. Richard Hawley @ The Horseshoe (review)
10. Nicole Atkins @ Lee's Palace (review)
11. Dinosaur Jr @ The Phoenix (review)
12. Basia Bulat @ Criminal Records (review)
13. Krief @ Rancho Relaxo (review)
14. Ohbijou @ Lee's Palace (review)
15. Sparklehorse @ Mod Club (review)
16. Cold War Kids @ Mod Club (review)
17. Fox Jaws @ Rancho Relaxo (review)
18. Lowest Of The Low @ Horseshoe (review)
19. The Besnard Lakes @ Horseshoe (review)
20. Jason Falkner @ The Reverb (review)

There were also a few single performances that really stood out for me and I just thought I'd mention them as well:

The single best performance I've seen this year was Rick White with The Sadies covering the MC5's "Looking At You". Pure garage rock adrenalin.

Video: The MC5 performing "Looking At You" in 1970 on youtube

I also loved Kevin Drew hopping on stage for the encore of Dinosaur Jr's Phoenix show to perform "The Wagon." The youthful enthusiasm that he portrays from playing with his childhood heroes is very contagious.

Video: Dinosaur Jr performs "The Wagon" at the Reading Festival in 1997 on youtube

And Nicole Atkins' cover of Patti Smith's "Pissing In A River" truly has to be seen to be believed. Captivating to say the least.

Video: Nicole Atkins performing "Pissing In A River" in Copenhagen on youtube

Quadb's Completely Arrogant and Pretentious Top 20 CD's of 2007

It was a much bigger challenge to choose a top 25 this year as opposed to last year due to the simple fact that 2007 was a really good year for music. Once again, as I look at other lists I'm discouraged by the fact that there is an awful lot of music that I had never gotten around to listening to. However, based on the fact that everyone else is doing it and I desperately want to look cool, here is my year end top 25:

1. Stage Names - Okkervil River (Review)

For me this was a pretty obvious choice. A great punch in the face of an opener, the three set of "Savannah Smiles," "Plus Ones" and "A Girl In Port" being possibly the greatest sequencing of the year and the anthemic album closer make this an absolute shoe-in, as far as I'm concerned. People say this is not as good as Black Sheep Boy but I highly disagree. This is a completely different release that is incomparable.

Life Is Not A Movie Of Maybe

2. Goodbye Doris - Fox Jaws


Best local album of the year and probably my most played. Completely infectious and deliciously hooky.

Karmonica
Quarantine Girl

3. Boxer - The National

This was originally going to be my pick for overrated CD of the year but, what can I say, I was wrong. The most critically acclaimed pick of the year and rightfully so.

Fake Empire

4. Neptune City - Nicole Atkins

I've only recently gotten acquainted with this one so putting it at number 4 might be kind of risky but her voice is like a sweet shot of high quality whiskey.

Party's Over

5. Icky Thump - White Stripes (Review)

Just when I thought I was over them, they come back and release the greatest album of their career. Simply put, this rocks!

Conquest

6. Marry Me - St. Vincent
A perfect mix of the bizarre and the beautiful.

Now Now

7. Oh My Darling - Basia Bulat


She's just so gosh-darned adorable and her music is incredibly prolific.

Snakes and Ladders

8. The Reminder - Feist (Review)


Admittedly I'm a little Feist-ed out but a great album is still a great album, even if I don't really ever have to hear it again.

9. Jetplanes of Abraham - Jetplanes of Abraham (Review)

This is the most overlooked pick on my list but I truly have a feeling that we'll be hearing a lot about these guys in the year or two to come.

Tunnels/Terminals

10. Once: Music From The Motion Picture - Glen Hansard & Markéta Irglová

Just an incredibly moving and sincere collection of songs.

11. I Can't Go On, I'll Go On - The Broken West (Review)

12. 5:55 - Charlotte Gainsbourgh (Review)


13. Everything I've Forgotten To Forget - Amos The Transparent (Review)

Another underrated classic.

14. Loney, Noir - Loney, Dear

"I Am John" is easily my favorite song of the year.

15. In Our Bedroom After The War - Stars (Review)

Originally I gave this kind of a mediocre review but it's grown on me.

16. Back Numbers - Dean and Britta (Review)


17. Sunset Notes - Michio Kurihara (Review)


18. Chrome Dreams II - Neil Young

His most scattered release in a long long time. but also his most enjoyable.

19. Beyond - Dinosaur Jr. (Review)

Classic lineup. Classic sound.

20. The Search - Son Volt (Review)Further proof that Mr. Farrar can do no wrong.

And because this was such a good year for music, rounding out the top 40 are:

21. The Sweetheart Deal - Katy Mae
22. Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - Spoon
23. In Rainbows - Radiohead
24. Night Falls Over Kortedala - Jens Lekman
25. Friend Opportunity - Deerhoof
26. Spirit If... - Broken Social Scene Presents Kevin Drew
27. Easy Tiger - Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
28. I'm Ok, You're OK - Jason Falkner
29. Ash Wenesday - Elvis Perkins
30. Saltbreakers - Laura Veirs
31. Friend And Foe - Menomena
32. Lady's Bridge - Richard Hawley
33. Sky Blue Sky - Wilco
34. 101 Tambourines - The Dilettantes
35. Neon Bible - Arcade Fire
36. Robbers And Cowards - Cold War Kids
37. New Magnetic Wonder- Apples In Stereo
38. Are The Dark Horse - The Besnard Lakes
39. You, You're A History In Rust - Do Make Say Think
40. National Anthem Of Nowhere - Apostle Of Hustle