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)

2008: The Albums

For several personal reasons, 2008 is not a year that I will be looking back on with a great deal of fondness. There's been high points for sure, but the low points are ones that I hope I'll never need to experience again. On a much more superficial level however, there was a lot of good accomplished in double-oh-eight, and the world of interesting music cranked out a lot of good, while the world of popular music, once again, cranked out a lot of bad.

As per usual in the world of bloggers, snobs and elitists, a few bands were raved about ad nauseum. Some I agree with (Fleet Foxes), while others I simply do not (Vampire Weekend, Crystal Castles.) Overall though, I've really enjoyed this year of toonage and I've decided that I will try to control myself and keep my list to a top 10 (followed by a few honorable mentions.) So here goes, the Quadb Top 10 CD's of 2008. Enjoy.

1. Portishead - Third (Review)

Upon perusing through other best of lists, the comment has been made on more than one occasion that there was no real standout for 2008. I beg to differ. Although I'll admit that there are a lot of popular choices that I still have never gotten around to listening to, this third one by Portishead is the undisputable champion of the ones that I have heard. Surreal, original and passionately weird, there is no other album that has rotated upon my virtual turn table as often as this one has. (Myspace)

Video: Machine Gun on youtube

2. TV On The Radio - Dear Science (Review)

For a band to incorporate such a diverse amalgamation of styles, yet still remain hooky, said band would have to be very talented and focused. TV On The Radio are just that, and the fact that they do so with such consistency is what places them at my number two postition this year. (Myspace)

Video: Golden Age (live) on youtube

3. This Is Ivy League - This Is Ivy League (Review)

My vote for the "most hard to understand why this is so criminally underrated" pick of the year, goes to Brooklyn's This Is Ivy League's self titled full length debut. What can I say, I love catchy sugar coated pop music, and this album presents such in a very accomplished way. I honestly expected this one to be 2008's Peter Bjorn and John but I still haven't heard a heckuva lot of buzz on it. Curious... Highly recommended to people who like Belle and Sebastian or Kings of Convenience. (Myspace)

Download: London Bridges (EP Version) mp3

4. Lightspeed Champion - Falling Off The Lavender Bridge

Dev Hynes wears a big furry hat in the summertime and he likes to put comic book superheroes on his t-shirts. Never before has blatant dorkdom been so melodic and beautiful, and Falling Off.. is superbly so. I particularly appreciate the way certain songs scale epic heights while still managing to stay firmly rooted in accessibility. (Myspace)

Download: Everyone I Know Is Listening To Crunk mp3

5. Quest For Fire - Quest For Fire (Review)

It has been an especially good year for local releases and my favourite local one of the year goes to Quest For Fire's self titled release. They prove wholeheartedly that one does not need to be a stoner to appreciate stoner rock, and their progressive take on psychedelia was simply too enthralling for me to ignore. Their live show is a sight to behold as well. (Myspace)

Video: I've Been Trying To Leave on youtube

6. Rural Alberta Advantage - Hometowns

Following up one local band with another, Rural Alberta Advantage are one of those bands that I am positive are destined for greatness. Never before has a three piece sounded so full and complete that I think it would be near impossible not to succumb to their engaging folk rock ways. I was quite happy to see this one pop up on a few other best of lists as well. (Myspace)

Download: Don't Haunt This Place mp3

7. Deerhunter - Microcastle

While it's true that Bradford Cox has certainly cleaned up and streamlined his sound a little bit, I find it very hard to agree with those who feel that he has sacrificed any of his integrity on Microcastle. The man is simply doing what he wants to do, and this album is by no means a mediocre snag at commerciality. Rather, album number three is a perfect sonic melding of the worlds of ambience and punk rock, creating a soundscape that is wholly original and a blissful addition to the ever expanding Bradford Cox catalogue. (Myspace)

Download: Nothing Ever Happened mp3

8. Dodos - Vister

Despite my contrary nature, The Dodos are one of those mega hyped bands that I can totally get behind. Visiter is a rare and perfect blend of organic minimalism and high powered freneticism that can lead you to believe that the worlds of folk and bluegrass were always meant to lead into spastic psychedelic breakdown. (Myspace)

Video: Fools on youtube

9. The Golden Hands Before God Conducts Incredible Magic Band And The Spirits - Here

At this point I would like to state for the record, that I do not deliberately try to include local artists on my year end lists. While it's true that heavier exposure to these bands is going to be inevitable, I always try to keep the list nationally unbiased. That having been said, I am fully convinced that regardless of where you're from, if you like rock 'n roll, you will be impressed with the debut release from the band with the ridiculously long name. (Myspace)

Download: One Fine Morning mp3

UPDATE: Originally I had Dog Day's Night Group in the number 10 position but then I was quickly informed that the album was released way early in 2007. Fine. So this means my new number 10 is...

10. Born Ruffians: Red Yellow and Blue

It actually took me a little while for the brilliance of this album to eventually peek through, but once it did, I was addicted. It is catchy and fun, that's for sure, but there's also just enough weirdness taking place just below the surface that, if you listen carefully, you can catch something new with every listen. (Myspace)

Video: I Need A Life on youtube

And because I actually have no self control, here are 10 more honorable mentions:

Lykke Li - Youth Novels
Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
Entire Cities - Deep River
Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
Leerone - Imaginary Biographies
British Sea Power - Do You Like Rock Music?
M83 - Saturdays = Youth
High Dials - Moon Country
Hey Rosetta - Into Your Lungs
The Disraelis - Demonstration

Other lists have already begun to surface, and there will undoubtedly be many more, but for starters:

Kirstiecat
Chromewaves
Butchslap
Cause = Time
Indie Music Filter
Herohill
Muruch
I Am Fuel, You Are Friends

Songs From A Room - EP

In 2007 I saw Songs From A Room three times from August to December. The fact that I had only planned on seeing them one of those times is a testament to what a hard working band they are, as well as the caliber of bands that they have had the privilege of sharing the stage with. Their first EP was a throat shredding, mind numbing display of post punk with a leaning towards the hardcore. Yesterday, the band released their latest EP for digital download on iTunes and Dine Alone Records and, although I quite enjoyed the first one, they have taken a remarkable step up on this semi-sophomore release. Although some would view an homage to more of a 70's classic rock territory to be a digression of sorts, I feel that the instrumentation is significantly tighter, and the vocals sound much more controlled and uncompromising.

The EP opens with Revival, an intense rocker that harks back to the pre-Diane Warren penned Aerosmith, back when they could rock as hard as any of the more reputable punk bands of the time. The heavy pulsated drum sound coupled with the immediate shouting vocal work prevents the sound from ever getting too cheesy. Aches Maybe Angst dips into slightly bluesier jam band territory, where again the percussion and the riff heavy guitar work make this song impossible to ignore. The Black That We Clad relies a bit more on melody than in your face rock, but still manages to meld the two worlds together successfully. However, it's back to being all "in your face" with We Are The Ones, which encourages fist pumping rather effectively. High Road is probably my least favourite song on the album, not because it's particularly bad or anything, but more because it lacks the immediacy of some of the other songs, almost borrowing from early 90's Brit pop, but doing so a tad unconvincingly. The EP then closes with To My Surprise, which travels along the same road as the previous song, but fares a little bit better as it segues into some subtle psychedelia.

The new EP showcases a band that is just starting to get comfortable with what they're doing; discovering their sound and settling nicely into it. As they perform more and more shows, it'll be interesting to watch them get even more secure in their musical niche, and there's no doubt that the songs will continue to grow ever more riveting.

Songs From A Room are playing Dave Bookman's Nu Music Nite at The Horseshoe on December 16th with Arkells, We Are The Take and Young Rival. Should be a great show and it's Free!

Photo by Dan Novisedlak

Myspace: Songs From A Room

Other stuff: Not that I'm their biggest fan in the world, but before their song California became forever associated with a bunch of goofy teens from Orange County, I kinda dug the classic power pop sound of Phantom Planet. Well, it looks like they've decided to call it a day, with their last show being at The Troubadour in Los Angeles on December 12th. [Myspace: Phantom Planet]

Wintersleep relate how they were counselled by a church going music promotor and a Nazi police officer both in the same night. You can read the entire interview at the Von Pip Express. [Myspace: Wintersleep]

Stereogum has the latest video from Portishead's Third album, entitled Magic Doors. Surreal, mesmerizing, bizarre and captivating. [Myspace: Portishead]

Tomorrow night (November 27th) is the CD release party for Spookey Ruben's latest prog rock opus Mechanical Royalty. It takes place at The Horseshoe and it's $7. Also on the bill is Schomberg Fair, Whale Tooth and Black Hat Brigade. More info on the album can be found at blogto.com. [Myspace: Spookey Ruben]

Are you as elated as I am to hear that Coldplay are planning on doing what they should have done two albums ago and decided to call it a day? Me too. Do you believe them yet? Me neither. [Myspace: Coldplay]

And on a sad note, you've probably already heard the news about the untimely death of Kenny McLean, the former bass player for Platinum Blonde. There aren't many details as of yet, but apparently it seems to be due to a heart related problem, according to wikipedia. Although you rarely hear people speak of the band as a major influence, I have to say that their 80's output was definitely a major contributor to my own musical tastes. Listening to 1985's Alien Shores, I have to say that their material still holds up very well. Last Friday he had just played a CD Release show at The Mod Club for his latest CD Completely. Sad news indeed. [Myspace: Kenny McLean]

Portishead - Third

Portishead's third CD, brilliantly entitled Third, was released way back in April and here I am, three months later finally getting around to talking about it. There are many reasons for my tardiness and they are as follows:

1. Each Portishead release is meant to be digested. This is not fast food; theirs is the equivalent of experiencing a new culinary delight. This is something new to the palate, something exotic, something out of the ordinary and because of that, it deserves to have some time spent with it before rendering judgment.

2. It has been 10 years since their sophomore release. I haven't listened to Dummy and their self titled second in years, and I wanted to make some kind of accurate comparison. I know of many who feel Third is as masterful as anything else they've released, others have been disappointed. I wanted to spend some time revisiting the first two releases and form my own opinion as to the current relevancy of this band.

3. In the interim, I've received several CD's by more digestible bands, and been to a lot of shows featuring these bands. These are all slightly easier to blog about.

4. As I've mentioned in previous posts, I'm tired and a little bit lazy.

5. And finally, over the last three months, Third has been reviewed and blogged about quite extensively by people who are far more articulate and gooder at writin' stuff than I is.

Which brings me to this post. Taking reason #5 into consideration, this will be more of a gush and less of a review, although I'll be incorporating elements of both. The fact is, that I've become somewhat addicted to Third and all of its subtle charms. I've listened to it at least twice a day for the past week, and it still completely enthralls me. This is not an easy listen, but Portishead never is. Ten years is a long time to wait for a follow up release, and it's been my experience that the long awaited return release usually comes out in one of two ways. Either it's a nostalgic rehashing of previous glories; a return to form that either works really well (eg. Dinosaur Jr) or makes you realize just how immature you were the first time around (eg. Duran Duran.) OR it's just a really bad album. Portishead's Third is neither of these. I think it's safe to say that this is yet another direction for this experimental band. Oh sure, some of the regular elements are still there, Beth Gibbons' voice being the most obvious one. But while Dummy is clearly one of the pioneer releases in the genre they call trip-hop, and Portishead is a darker and spookier version of the same, I would have to say that Third is one of those rare releases that I would have to declare as genre-less. Or genre-full. Depending on how you look at it.

It opens with Silence, which begins with some muffled vocabulary, slight piano and then settles into a steady pulsating drive, sounding as if every instrument ever invented is working together in disheveled harmony. This is what I would refer to as a large song, the type that could be used in the title sequence of a movie, as long as this movie is the type that is meant to be grand in scale. Beth's voice is simply haunting in Nylon Smile. When she bellows "I don't know what I have done to deserve you" over an almost tribal rhythm, you can hear a slight leaning towards the psychotic, her voice giving out an off kilter warble of sorts. In The Rip, Beth harnesses her inner Nico, playing the chanteuse with a folksy guitar, before being joined by electronica type keyboards, making the song the most accessible song on the album. Plastic is very weird and chaotic. A strange chopping sound is one of many bizarre ambiances that can be heard in the background, and the song makes a few abrupt stops before once again hitting turbulence. Deep Water is almost bluegrass, meaning that it totally stands out in stark contrast to the rest of the album. On an album that is generally quite dark, the backing vocals on this brief ukulele ditty actually made me laugh out loud the first time that I heard it. Machine Gun was the first single I believe, and it's a very interesting choice at that. The title is clearly in reference to the sound of the backing electronic drum that permeates the track. Small is my favorite song, where the band serves up a saucerful of psychedelic Syd-era secrets, culminating in a heady hippie jam that would not have been out of place in an early 70's Barbet Schroeder film. Magic Doors is another song that flirts with accessibility, almost sounding a bit 60's-ish, albeit perhaps in an alternate universe. All the songs that I've mentioned thus far fall into the genre-less universe that I mentioned at the start. The band brings back their high quality Bjork meets trip-hop sound on two other tracks, namely Hunter and Carry On, which both remind me slightly of Dummy. The album closer, Threads, starts off in the same vein as these two, before venturing off to conclude with a creepy sounding fuzzed out guitar, that feels more like a cliffhanger than an ending. The fact that the band has already expressed an interest in getting straight to work on their fourth album makes me wonder if this was intentional. Whatever the case, Third is intense, to say the least, and the fact that I continue to find it entirely captivating tells me that I won't be getting sick of this one anytime soon.

Myspace: Portishead
Video: Machine Gun youtube