The Breakup Albums

If you check this blog regularly (this is a joke, no one does) you may notice that I've barely posted anything in the last few months. This is because I was dealing with a very painful break up from a long-time girlfriend and had no motivation to do anything but lay in bed. Good news is...I'm over it and it's time to resume with things that do not involve feeling like a pile of shit all the time.

Thusly, and in the spirit of that affirmation, I bring you my tribute to the albums that helped me get through it.

The Police

Outlandos d'Amour

1978

A cursory glance at the song titles alone should explain this one. "Next To You", "So Lonely", "Hole In My Life", "Can't Stand Losing You"; kind of says it all right? Lyrically this record connected with me more than any other in this list. It's odd how, even if you've felt it before, heartbreak expressed in song tends to seem obligatory and often cliche until you experience it again in your own life. For myself at least many of these songs took on new life during a tough period.

Aside from the themes of lost love and loneliness throughout the album, "Outlandos d'Amour" is probably the best and most varied record The Police put out. It's a fine mix of punk, raggae and the African influence (heard on the excellent closer "Masoko Tanga") that would carry through the rest of their career.

Squeeze

East Side Story

1981

A great throwback to 1960s pop flavors. The A-side, specifically, is an impressive display of great songwriting and tight studio performances from what is clearly a very talented ensemble group. "Tempted" is obviously a classic but don't overlook the rest of the pack. "Heaven" flirts with the new wave tastes of their famous producer (Elvis Costello) while "Picadilly" and "Someone Else's Heart" supply plenty of hooks and driving bass.

The second side isn't quite up to scratch with the first; the two-song suite of "F-Hole" and "Labelled With Love" don't add up for me but "Is That Love", "Mumbo Jumbo" and "Vanity Fair" are memorable, Beatle-esque tunes.

Steve Miller Band

Fly Like An Eagle

1976

The hippie classic flies again. Having heard "Take The Money And Run" and "Rock N' Me" a million times on classic rock radio I never game this one a shot until recently. The opening three-song suite is just amazing. The title track shows Steve Miller finally rising above the average white blues he touted for so long and breaking through to his own sound. "Wild Mountain Honey" is one of the best covers I've ever heard while, on the flip side, his version of Sam Cooke's "You Send Me" is one of the worst. Don't know what he was thinking on that. If you don't have soul singer pipes you better just leave it alone.

"Serenade" and "The Window", while still good, feel very typical of mid 70's pop-rock but I can forgive it for how damn good "Mercury Blues" and "Sweet Maree" are; the former with a sinful groove that ends far too soon. My only question is, for as famous as Steve Miller has become as a blues guitarist why doesn't he ever let loose and wail? The swing of "Mercury Blues" by the time it fades out is just begging for a tasteful solo. What's the deal?

The Smiths

Louder Than Bombs

1987

The world needs more Smiths albums and this might as well be their "lost" 5th LP. "Louder Than Bombs" is a collection of singles and b-sides (of which they released many) which adds up to being a killer record in its own right. It could have been The Smith's answer to "The White Album", a sprawling, disorganized collection of 24 songs that complement each other as often as they feel miles apart. "Half A Person", "Girl Afraid", "Ask" and "William, It Was Really Nothing" are all so good I want to throw my Morrissey albums out the fucking window. 


Anyone experiencing emotional turmoil can benefit from these songs, which run the gammet from the distorted guitar gallop and pop hooks in "Sweet And Tender Hooligan" to "Asleep", a sedate ode to resignation. Morrissey's lyrics on most of these songs are simply brilliant, cutting to the core of heartache and youthful rebellion, but especially on "This Night Has Opened My Eyes" where his hushed vocals wind beautifully between sentiments of nostalgic reverie and indifference.

Today's Vinyl Purchases

Yo Cheapo. Big ups. Today I became the owner of the following items:

Talking Heads - More Songs About Buildings and Food (1978)

Derek and The Dominos - Layla (and Other Assorted Love Songs) (1970)

Steve Miller Band - Living In The U.S.A. (previously issued as "Sailor") (1968)

Steve Miller Band - Fly Like An Eagle (replacement copy) (1976)

Peter Gabriel - s/t (melt) (1980)

Squeeze - East Side Story (replacement copy) (1981)

Deep Purple - Machine Head (1972)

Rihanna

Rated R

2009

The only reason I checked out this record in the first place is that I heard "Rude Boy" on a car radio and thought..."damn, that's hot!" Rihanna has an original vocal style, a sort of deadened monotone that works well in the current auto-tuned climate of R&B and hoped her album would have more of the same to offer. I'm walking away from "Rated R" with the same assessment of Rihanna as a vocalist but there are too many negatives about this album to commend her for anything else.

The very first thing I noticed about "Rated R" is that the lyrics are absolutely horrible. I'm talking so bad they made me laugh out loud. Although she isn't attributed with even one songwriting credit on the album I think Rihanna must be writing the lyrics herself because I can't imagine Def Jam hiring a songwriter with such bad taste.

Thematically much of the album is about the emotional harm done to her by Chris Brown, although never mentioned by name, but the way she's chosen to express her feelings of heartbreak and betrayal could have been done just as effectively by a 15-year-old who didn't get asked to the prom. Here she's turned genuine feelings of personal anguish into flat, laughable and tasteless metaphors on "Russian Roulette" and "Fire Bomb" -- wasting the opportunity to channel her pain into something artistically relevant. Same with "Stupid In Love" and "Cold Case Love" which are complete jokes both lyrically and musically. Only the will.i.am produced "Photographs" succeeds in creating a genuine musical expression of emotion I could believe in and relate to.

And that's another big problem right there. The only reason "Photographs" works is because of who wrote and produced it. It's basically will.i.am's strengths that make the song a success and oh, it just so happens Rihanna is here too. As mentioned before, Rihanna has no songwriting credits on this album so you can hardly even consider this work to reflect any artistic integrity. Each track (although brightly colored by her vocals if the song works) sinks or swims based on the producer. I cannot respect this. The "take it for what it is" mentality doesn't fly with me. Yes, it's just a pop album meant to sell singles and make money but I hold all music to a higher standard.

Listening to this has frustrated me and I think it's because I hoped it would break my notions of what radio pop is in America today. On certain songs Rihanna is legitimately doing original things with her voice but it's still over the backdrop of slick yet immature R&B/Hip Hop production that will forever date it to this moment in time.

The vast majority of "Rated R" is utterly disposable and easily forgettable. I still feel Rihanna has potential to rise above these flavor of the month sounds and make something great but based on this I feel it may still be awhile in coming.

Best Tracks: "Hard", "Rude Boy", "Photographs"

My Morning Jacket

Evil Urges

2008

Well produced. Good songs. Great energy. Terribly uneven.

"Evil Urges" is a strong release but fatally flawed by inconsistency. It is more than alright to represent different genres and mix dissimilar sounds on an album but you must do it in a way that gives that album a sense of purpose; a unifying aesthetic.

My Morning Jacket bookends this record with "Evil Urges" and "Touch Me I'm Going To Scream Pt. 2" which work fine, they are both shape-shifting tracks that provide the right tone for beginning and end. In-between them is a real mess and listeners are forced to wade through it.

"Highly Suspicious" is the song that many fans will say turned them off early on and I certainly understand why. It could be a fairly straight-forward funk track without the ridiculous, gruff backing vocals during the chorus. Had they cut it out along with "Two Halves", "Look At You", "Aluminum Park" and "Remnants" this would be a classic album. The country sounds reconcile well with the rock and psychedelia but the segment of weak songs between "Sec Walkin" and "Smokin From Shootin'" throws the album's momentum completely off.

Check out the far better "Z" before this one.

Best Track: "Smokin' From Shootin'"

Modest Mouse

We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank

2007

“We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank” opens with singer Isaac Brock screaming the most bizarrely hateful lyric of all time: “If food needed pleasing you’d suck all the seasoning off/Suck it off!” This first track, “March Into The Sea” introduces the nautical themes Modest Mouse attempt to carry through the record with varying degrees of success. Also present throughout is a lyrical focus on damaged love and broken relationships. One could conclude that this is the first pirate breakup album ever recorded.

On “We Were Dead…” Modest Mouse are joined by former Smiths guitarist/songwriter Johnny Marr and he shows his stuff early on in the single “Dashboard” with its funky opening riff. His influence isn’t felt much other than that though; the Brock/Green songwriting partnership is so unique that it’s hard to break through.

The songwriting style employed here, although still unique to the band, is much more conventional than previous releases. Similarly they abandon the genre-mixing approach and stick mainly to modern rock arrangements: loud guitars, big drum sounds, assorted keyboard tracks and not much else. This works fine for inspired tracks like “March Into The Sea”, “Education” and “Fly Trapped In A Jar” which all manage to move in variations which defy their humble instrumentation. Others don’t fare as well.

The downfall of “We Were Dead…” is its failure to maintain momentum. It starts out hot but weak tracks “Fire It Up” and “Florida” damage the flow until it picks up with the melodic “Parting Of The Sensory”. Things move well until “Spitting Venom” which runs about five minutes too long. Brock’s tendency to create vocal-driven breakdowns at the end of songs is exciting when it fits the track but can get tiresome when overdone, as it is here.

Modest Mouse remain a colorful and exciting young band but this is some of their weaker material. Isaac Brock is (among young singers) in a league by himself with his esoteric lyrics and spastic delivery but the songs on “We Were Dead…” don’t rise high enough to match that ingenuity.

Best Track: “Fly Trapped In A Jar”

Elvis Costello

My Aim Is True

1977

Elvis Costello’s classic 1977 debut showcases all the elements which would come to define his sound during the next decade: snarling punk rock swagger, dense hyper-literate wordplay, lighthearted cynicism and tongue-in-cheek humor. “My Aim Is True”, recorded with session players prior to the formation of The Attractions, leans heavily on the influence of 1950s Rock & Roll, Doo Wop, Soul and R&B rather than the synth-heavy New Wave sound he would experiment with on subsequent releases.

“My Aim Is True”, like many great albums, is diverse and difficult to pin down. The one constant is Costello’s endlessly hungry intellect, burning white-hot through each track. He croons tender sentiments of naïve love on “Alison” just two songs before spitting irate, anti-conformity rhetoric with “Less Than Zero”. This tendency towards dichotomy is as confusing as it is endearing.

One noticeable difference between this record and his later work is how often “My Aim Is True” finds Costello singing about romantic mishaps and quixotic teenage love. “I’m Not Angry” details the frustrations of a jealous, scorned lover. “Miracle Man” and “Mystery Dance” are hilarious accounts of unfulfilled sexual urges and the embarrassingly unsophisticated behavior of young lovers.

Also present here is the social satire for which his songs are well known. “Pay It Back” laments the loss of identity when assimilating into professional culture as he sings: “And they told me I could be somebody if I didn’t let too much get in my way/And I tried so hard just to be myself but I keep on fading away.” The excellent opening track, “Welcome To The Working Week”, takes a shot at disillusioned working stiffs with the line: “I hear you saying, ‘Hey, the city’s alright’ when you only read about it in books/Spend all your money getting so convinced that you never even bothered to look.”

Costello’s work has been categorized in many ways, most notably as a pioneering force in the development of the punk rock sound, but this is misleading. His signature vocal style was hugely influential in that regard but his songwriting and arrangements are worlds apart from most punk musicians in terms of creativity and sophistication. “My Aim Is True” is only the first in a string of brilliant records he released during the late 70s and early 80s that raised the bar for everyone else writing pop music. The front of the record says it all: Elvis is king.

Best Track: “Watching The Detectives”

Alkaline Trio

Agony & Irony

2008

There are points in life where it’s comforting to know certain things don’t change. Listening to the Alkaline Trio’s “Agony & Irony” is not one of those times.

Kudos to this Chicago three-some for sticking it out far longer than anyone could have imagined when they made a name for themselves at The Fireside in the late nineties. It is clear, however, that time has not treated the group well. It’s been eleven years now since the release of their maniacal, goth-punk masterpiece “Goddamnit” and they have yet to rival or even match the originality and intensity of that seminal achievement.

After the departure of original drummer Glenn Porter following “Maybe I’ll Catch Fire”, which features the anthemic, revenge-themed “Radio”, the band released one album with former Smoking Popes drummer Mike Felumlee before shacking up with Derek Grant of the Suicide Machines. The only interesting part about this Spinal Tap-esque history is the surprising effect losing a drummer can have on your overall sound.

Porter was a monster behind the kit. Being such a virtuosic player he was able to keep the Trio’s simple arrangements and straightforward power chord approach fresh by the huge array of rhythms he could create. From bombastic, metal-influenced breakdowns to the shape-shifting shuffle of “You’ve Got So Far To Go”, he was the standout musician but rarely recognized for his contributions. Derek Grant is a great drummer but his influence has proven to be more melodic than anything else. Singers Matt Skiba and Dan Andriano have benefited greatly from Grant’s ability to write vocal harmonies and incorporate backing vocals. Those things worked well for his LP debut on “Good Mourning” but the band has displayed little growth musically or lyrically since.

“Agony & Irony” is no different. The only positive thing I can say about the record is that the vocal harmonies and backing vocals have again improved over previous albums. That’s about it. “Agony & Irony” is a bland, uneven pop-punk effort that offers nothing new to the either the band’s repertoire or the genre to which they belong. Which poses another question, what genre of music is this? No longer edgy enough to be punk. The gothic/macabre elements of their earlier albums now come off as gratuitous and stale. It isn’t exactly Emo. Are the Alkaline Trio now a pop-rock band? “Love Love, Kiss Kiss” and “Do You Wanna Know?” sound eerily like top 40 rock hits with their big hooks and catchy melodies. And what’s with the cheerleader handclaps in “Calling All Skeletons”?

“Agony & Irony” does feature some strong tracks (“Help Me”, “In Vein”, “Ruin It”) but holds together about as well as a Hollywood courtship. The reality is that you can only go so far with guitar, drums, bass and five-chord rock songs about heartbreak and insecurities. These are especially hard to swallow coming from musicians now in their thirties with wives, families and a fairly successful back catalog from which to collect royalties.

The Alkaline Trio may have grown up but their music is still enduring the painful and embarrassing mutations of puberty.

Best Track: “In Vein”

Talking Heads

Speaking In Tongues

1983

In my mind, the only blemish on "Speaking In Tongues" is that many fans may be more familiar with the charismatic live versions of these songs featured in Stop Making Sense. The studio versions of some tracks ("Girlfriend Is Better","Slippery People") initially feel a bit stale in comparison to the "live" concert film while others ("Swamp","Making Flippy Floppy") have their own unique life on the record.

The production of this album (again, only initially) struck me as a weak point. The reverb-heavy kick drum sound and distanced mix of the vocal tracks serve to date this record to the mid-80s but that stopped bothering me after several listens. The mix is far different on this album because the songs, accordingly, are a departure for the band and would not be as well served by their previous studio sounds. The drum intro to "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity" (which is a fucking brilliant song) wouldn't be as effective without the drum echo in flowing with the delayed guitar David Byrne is weaving over it.

The quartet of songs comprising "I Get Wild/Wild Gravity", "Swamp", "Moon Rocks" and "Pull Up The Roots" may be the best sequence I've ever heard on a record. A good friend described the Talking Heads to me as "the closest white people get to black music" and it seems fairly true on this record. The more authentic Brazilian percussion of Remain In Light is toned down here in order to meld more with a spacey, New Wave feel but the swing and white-boy funk hold true.

I will start a fight with anyone who doesn't think "Moon Rocks" is killer. It absolutely explodes with energy. How can a four-some of caucasian art school nerds get so funky?

Best Track: "Moon Rocks"

DJ Shadow

Endtroducing.....

1996

Many aspects of "Endtroducing....." interest me. The drum samples are generally used very creatively and reflect a mature taste in percussion. In most cases actual drum kit sounds are used, often jazz influenced with splashy cymbals and, occasionally, clever time-signature changes, wether due to the actual sample itself or an alteration DJ Shadow has made.

There are certainly transcendent moments as well. "Changeling / Transmission 1" is a highlight for me, mixing atmospheric synths with a great backbeat. Like many of the songs on the album it vacillates between hip-hop swagger, R&B cool and a certain unpredictable psychedelia often attributed to well-executed house music. "Stem / Long Stem / Transmission 2" is another that showcases a huge array of influences. The percussion is clearly a sample of a metal and/or punk song and yet that ferocity appears completely normal behind a mellow, clinking xylophone melody. There is no question that the combination of influences is certainly impressive and all coalesce well. Additionally, most of these songs sound great and are memorable but the question still nagging me after multiple listens is:

Is this art?

I'm into hip hop and respect a producer or DJ who has taste with samples, let it be known. However, I feel there is an important difference between a creative producer layering/altering/looping existing music before laying original lyrics over it and what DJ Shadow has done on "Endtroducing.....". Some part of me feels that just merging obscure samples together is not worthy of respect, even when used tastefully as it is here. Is it any different than a cool collage you made in art class in the 2nd grade?

It should be mentioned also that I don't recognize 99% of the samples. I feel a know a decent cross-section of music so this surprises me but it must mean DJ Shadow has dipped into a big pool. It is a remarkable feat to meld so many samples and genres but, again, is this an artistic masterpiece as many seem to view it? After several listens I still don't know.

Best tracks: "Changeling / Transmission 1", "Stem / Long Stem / Transmission 2", "Organ Donor"

Monday's Vinyl Purchases

As always, bug ups to Cheapo in Minneapolis, MN. On Monday, June 21st I became the owner of the following items:

Steve Miller Band - Brave New World (1969)

Peter Gabriel - s/t (car) (1977)

George Benson - The Other Side Of Abbey Road (1969)

Stevie Wonder - Innervisions (1973)

Van Halen - Fair Warning (1981)

Today's Vinyl Purchases

Big ups to Cheapo in Uptown, Minneapolis. Today I became the owner of the following items:

Bob Dylan - Blonde On Blonde (1966)

The Beatles - Abbey Road (1969)

Blondie - Autoamerican (1980)

Sade - Diamond Life (1984)

Sly & The Family Stone - Stand! (1969)

Paul McCartney & Wings - Band On The Run (1973)

Madonna - Like A Virgin (1984)

Steve Miller Band - Children Of The Future (1968)

Big up also to the people who stopped caring about vinyl albums as I am now able to purchase them for very little.

Mic stand = slide.

This man is insane.

Skip to 4:44 for the transcendent solo. I'm in awe of this.

Boards Of Canada

Music Has The Right To Children

1998

Profoundly nuanced, beautiful and memorable as a piece of art.

The prevailing opinion, it seems, is that the album is supposed to be a sort of coming-of-age story through music. Not a concept album exactly but intending to imitate a certain non-visual maturation aesthetic from conception to loss of innocence. I don't see that exactly, the clips of children and adults speaking and laughing (often in indiscernible or nonsensical fashion) don't seem to have much in common with each other or follow even a loose narrative.

Unlike most electronic, artificial drum-driven music I've heard, the percussion used here is creative and often varied. It's far from the typically oversized, rattling blasts of KICK - SNARE - KICK - SNARE I hear unqualified DJs playing so often. The tone of the record is very sedate, even psychedelic at points. The sophisticated mixing of the percussion is a perfect accent to the intertwining keyboards which are constantly swirling and winding spooky melodies amid odd background audio of either spoken word or people moving about just out of sight.

The first half of the album ends about the time "Roygbiv" kicks in with a dirty, bass-heavy groove and hip-hop influenced drums. The back half more or less follows this change of the guard with more aggressive percussion and a killer funk groove on "Aquarius".

"Music Has The Right To Children" may take some time getting into but once you give it a few spins it will become a classic.

Best Tracks: "Telephasic Workshop", "Roygbiv", "Aquarius"

Yeah Yeah Yeahs

It's Blitz!

2009

The individual performances here are solid and the album is certainly well-produced although I'm not sure what sound the band was going for. What makes "It's Blitz!" a so-so album for me is that, overall, the songs aren't particularly interesting or arranged with much creativity. Lyrically it doesn't offer much more than the sort of club-pop that sections of this album seem to emulate.

The first three tracks are great before the pointless "Skeltons" stretches Karen O far beyond her already limited vocal range and kills the established momentum. "Dull Life", again, isn't arranged much better than your average garage-rock banger but is saved by points of memorable percussion and vocals.

At this middle point of the record it gets dicey. "Shame And Fortune" is a b-side if I've ever heard one while "Runaway" I found to be a surprisingly mature highlight. "Dragon Queen" shows promise with it's opening of funk-influnced back beat but goes nowhere. "Hysteric" offers some sweet melodies from Karen O but not enough to forgive the horrible, Jerry Maguire-esqu lyric "You suddenly complete me". "Little Shadow" is extremely bland and, sadly, ends the album on the completely opposite end of where it began.

I'm puzzled as to why "It's Blitz!" appeared so regularly atop best-of-2009 lists from 'reputable' publications. I wouldn't call it a bad effort by any stretch but I believe Yeah Yeah Yeahs growing hype preceded the actual product with this one.

Best Tracks: "Zero", "Heads Will Roll", "Soft Shock", "Runaway"

Additionally, I've seen many reviewers mention the "80's nostalgia" angle to this record and I have to say that I strongly disagree with that notion. Simply because the band introduces more dance-friendly production to their drum sounds and uses keyboards heavily does not make it a throwback album. Certain aspects of 1980's culture are experiencing a resurgence now in popular music which is likely why groups like Passion Pit, Phoenix and Cut Copy (along with this record) have become noteworthy.

Classic Albums Revisited, Vol. 1

NYC’s The Velvet Underground are notable as one of the first groups to take pop songs into the plane of abstract art. Guitarist Lou Reed’s Tin Pan Alley songwriting approach combined with John Cale’s musicality and sense of melody produced some memorable tunes but that was only the start. The notoriously muddy production, minimalist percussion and Reed’s penchant for convulsive guitar solos and screaming feedback launched the songs into outer space just as often as the seedy streets of New York City.

Today “The Velvet Underground & Nico” is perhaps more recognized in pop culture for the famous Andy Warhol banana cover than the music contained within. Warhol’s influence on this debut, for good or ill, also goes beyond the record sleeve. Fashion model and Warhol entourage hanger-on Nico secured a spot singing lead vocals on three tracks because of her close relationship with the pop artist who, in turn, had a close relationship with the band. On “Femme Fatale” and “All Tomorrow’s Parties” she does her best Grace Slick impression and manages to find her own voice on the short and sweet “I’ll Be Your Mirror”. Her singing won’t blow you away but it can certainly be a nice variance from Lou Reed’s deadpan delivery.

The production quality here is not a high point as is the case with most of their records. The musical performances, likewise, are coarse and sloppy. However, when you invent your own genre these rules of musical etiquette hardly apply. Call it noise rock, art rock, psychedelic rock or whatever else you want and you’ll be right. The songs are extremely varied throughout and offer the listener an array of sensations to love or loathe.

Simple melodic numbers like “Sunday Morning”, “There She Goes Again” and “I’ll Be Your Mirror” to some degree reflect the pop tastes of that time and present little variation from those contemporaries. The band’s signature innovations come from the confused psychedelia and unsettling din of “Venus In Furs”, “Heroin”, “Run, Run, Run”, “The Black Angel’s Death Song” and “European Son”. These songs feature little or no musical movement but concentrate instead on periodic sonic swells created through crude tempo changes and blistering guitar feedback.

Another unique, and obvious, feature of this record is the influence of Lou Reed’s heroin addiction. It’s well known that Reed had a nasty habit during his Velvet Underground days but even if you aren’t familiar with him it should be clear from the lyrics as he mumbles about getting a taste in “Heroin” and losing patience with his dealer on “I’m Waiting For The Man”. My favorite line is the nihilistic, anti-sexual declaration of his narcotisized libido in “Heroin”: “…all the sweet girls with all your sweet talk/you can all go take a walk”.

Admittedly the record is a bit dated to the mid and late 60s by certain songwriting conventions and vocal styles but after a few listens it becomes its own monster. I prefer the bass-heavy, super-fuzz revelry of their follow-up, “White Light/White Heat”, but “The Velvet Underground & Nico” is a breakthrough recording that deserves its reputation.

Best Track: “Sunday Morning”

11 Best Albums of the Decade

1. Wilco - A Ghost Is Born (2004)

The magic of Wilco has long been their refusal to be tied down to any one style and a joyful determination to grow artistically. This has also caused much conflict among fans regarding what their best work is, many finding "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" a happy medium between the somber pop of "Being There" and the dense atmosphere of an album like this one. "A Ghost Is Born", while not their most accessible record, is the band's masterwork and the most significant release of the 2000s.

"YHF" was a breakthrough recording but one sorely lacking in musical unity. "A Ghost Is Born" takes those same ambitious ideas and expands on them to create a tapestry of immensely complex pop arrangements, lucid grooves and deep emotional resonance. From the opening track "At Least That's What You Said" the listener understands that this is no ordinary rock record. Singer/songwriter/guitarist Jeff Tweedy coos tender sentiments of love into the mic with a scratchy, barely audible whimper before Nels Cline's super-fuzz guitar roars to first match and then raise the intensity of the lyrics. Track after track the band invites you into a place where pop, rock and folk songwriting all merge and then break down into unpredictable and surreal instrumental surges.

This record is an experience the same way "Dark Side Of The Moon" or Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat" can be; mesmerizing the listener into another, almost hypnotic state. It is a contradiction of beauty and violence, love and hate, right and wrong. Jeff Tweedy's words and music peak together in ways only flirted with on previous records. My highest possible recommendation.

Key Tracks: "Muzzle Of Bees", "Hummingbird", "I'm A Wheel", "Theologians"

2. The Black Keys - Attack & Release (2008)

The Black Keys have built their reputation over the last several years behind a series of electric, dirty blues records, wildly energetic live shows and even a jaunt into hip hop with 2009's side project Blakroc. Akron, Ohio's Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have been praised for their integrity and furious energy from the start with the release of "The Big Come Up" in 2002 but something had always been missing. The two-piece have a unique sound but a duo of drums and guitar will only allow for so much evolution as years go on.

Thankfully 2008 brought the brilliant "Attack & Release" and, with it, the validation that this band is more than just kick, snare, and fiery blues licks. Not only are the songs here wonderfully written and arranged but the addition of numerous new instruments and influences brings a richness and new energy to each composition. On "Psychotic Girl" and "Lies" they experiment with spooky reverb on droning minor chords and add haunting backing vocals which creates a sort of ghost blues I've not heard before. Their trademark straight-forward rockers remain with "I Got Mine", "Strange Times" and "Remember When (Side B)" but most of the songs on "Attack & Release" take you to places electric blues never has.

Key Tracks: "Psychotic Girl", "Lies", "So He Won't Break", "Oceans & Streams"

3. MF DOOM - Mm..Food (2004)

"Average emcees is like a TV blooper/MF DOOM, he's like D.B. Cooper" the villain proclaims on "Hoe Cakes", and that's about right. Admittedly I'm new to Hip Hop but even a genre rookie can't ignore the explosion of creativity and technique displayed on "Mm..Food". Keeping in line with his previous releases, the majority of samples here are from old cartoons like Superman, Spider-man and The Fantastic Four (furthering his Dr. Doom, super-villain mystique) but also by the likes of Frank Zappa and forgotten soul/jazz tracks like Ronnie Law's 1977 release "Friend's And Strangers" employed on "Deep Fried Frenz".

DOOM's lyrical and rhyming style, for those who aren't familiar, share more in common with David Byrne's work than DOOM's own Hip Hop contemporaries. By that I mean the focus is on how his words sound together rather than than what they actually mean in context. DOOM flows slow and calm, sometimes with a lagging, stoned drawl, over rhymes that appear to be nothing more than an oddball mix of free association, stream-of-consciousness wordplay without a larger message. The songs here are strung loosely together with the theme of food but really thats just a schtick DOOM uses as an exercise.

The flavor of "Mm..Food" is a massive departure, in nearly every capacity, from the Hip Hop that currently enjoys heavy radio play in America. Through his respect for language and unique vocal delivery, DOOM offers listeners an alternative to the crass, disposable releases being peddled on Top 40. You don't have to look any further than the opening track where Metal Fingers provides the best possible advice for todays Hip Hop fan, "I suggest you change your diet".

Key Tracks: All of them.

4. My Morning Jacket - Z (2005)

Simply stated, I didn't think young bands made records like this anymore. "Z" embodies all the creativity, freedom and ambition that bands of the "classic rock" era could ever have hoped to inspire in future generations of musicians. Whether driven by syncopated guitar lines, booming bass patterns or rich organ swells, the songs flow together impressively while having little in common with one other. "What A Wonderful Man" and "Dondante" may as well have been written by entirely different artists they are so contradictory in tone and substance. Rather than create divisions this diversity actually serves as an asset.

Frontman Jim James doesn't have a great singing voice but he is able to do quite a lot of things with it. He unleashes a wild falsetto during the final breakdown of "Wordless Chorus" and sings barely loud enough to rise above the percussion in "Dondante". Similarly his guitar work creates a number of different sensations in the listener. Power chord rock in "What A Wonderful Man", classic heavy metal riffing at the end of "Lay Low" and the patient melodies crafted in "Dondante" showcase his vision and talents in a collage of styles. On "Z", the whole band is working outside of rigid genre rules and has created something that will serve to inspire the next generation.

Key Tracks: "It Beats 4 U", "Off The Record", "Knot Comes Loose", "Dondante"

5. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes (2008)

6. of Montreal - Satanic Panic In The Attic (2004)

7. System Of A Down - Mezmerize (2005)

8. Kings Of Convenience - Riot On An Empty Street (2004)

9. The Strokes - Is This It (2001)

10. Spoon - Kill The Moonlight (2002)

11. Feist - Let It Die (2004)

11 Best Albums of 2009

1. Norah Jones - The Fall

Norah Jones's 4th release is a thoughtful breakup-themed record in the tradition of Dylan's "Blood On The Tracks", rejecting tired romantic metaphors for creative, ambiguous imagery and mild doses of pop psychedelia. Jones' past forays in Jazz seem to have been thrown out with the bath water here as she experiments with traditional pop song structures and instrumentation. Only on tracks like "It's Gonna Be" and "Man Of The Hour" do we get a glimpse of the sound that made her famous with "Don't Know Why" many years ago. 

"The Fall" succeeds most often when Jones keeps it simple, both lyrically and musically. Most of the tracks follow basic chord progressions without much fancy stuff while her bandmates

 wind spooky melodies over her cooing vocals. This straight forward approach works well but 13 fairly similar songs also leaves the listener wanting a bit more variation. 

Key Tracks: "It's Gonna Be", "Chasing Pirates", "Light As A Feather"

2. BK-One (w/ Benzilla) - Radio Do Canibal

The new Minneapolis Sound? Longtime Brother Ali collaborator BK-One released this Brazilian inspired gem last year to little popular notice. Although being well-known in the circle of the Minneapolis Rhymesayers faithful, the young DJ's label debut has been largely ignored in popular mention despite meeting substantial critical approval. "Radio Do Canibal" showcases an impressively sophisticated statement from the bourgeoning hip hop scene and should make Minnesota music fans very excited for the coming year in local releases.

Much of the Rhymesayers roster, along with some big name friends, fill these inspired tracks with party anthems, ("Eighteen To Twenty-One", "Gittit") political commentary, ("American Nightmare") and tails of artistic frustration ("Blue Balls"). The emcees include Minneapolis favorites Brother Ali, Slug (of Atmosphere) and P.O.S. as well as established national players Black Thought and Raekwon. The collage of styles and talents only serves as a compliment to the multifaceted tracks and "Radio Do Canibal" ends up sounding like the best XM hip hop station you've ever heard.

Key Tracks: "A Day's Work" (feat. P.O.S.), "Face It" (feat. Toki Wright), "Love Like That" (feat. Aby Wolf), "Blue Balls" (feat. Blueprint)

3. Blakroc - Blakroc

For those Black Keys fans who are unaware, and surprisingly I've met many, your boys put out a hip hop record in 2009. Genre-humpers take notice: no sampling, all original songs, live instruments and a sprinkling of talented emcees (with a few hacks). For these reasons, and others, "Blakroc" is untouchable from those who will write it off as an unnecessary hipster attempt at genre melding. Anyone who has paid attention to the Key's musical progression will know that they have moved past the dirty blues and, likely influenced by Danger Mouse's production on their 2007 "Attack And Release" LP, have begun morphing their thumping grooves into haunting, reverb-heavy soundscapes.

Drummer Patrick Carney's percussion impresses on "Coochie", "Why Can't I Forget Him",  "Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo)", "Tellin' Me Things" and "Done Did It" but sits unnoticed in the mix on most other tracks. Auerbach and Carney fill out their traditionally sparse arrangements with bass, keyboards and additional percussion which elevates "Blakroc" musically over Black Keys records but some emcees don't make it worth the effort. Mos Def underachieves with the overly-wordy "On The Vista" and Q-Tip's contribution to "Hope You're Happy" can't elevate it past being just another riff-happy Black Keys tune. 

Overall a very creative first effort but a second "Blakroc" record would need to be a bit more selective on the final mix.

Key Tracks: "Coochie", "Why Can't I Forget Him", "Tellin' Me Things"

4. Phoenix - Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

It seems electro pop is alive and well in modern music. Phoenix's "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix" blends 80's nostalgia keyboard effects with tasteful dance beats and shape-shifting vocal melodies. Perhaps what sets this apart from their contemporaries (The xx, Matt & Kim, Passion Pit, The Postal Service, etc.) is the very serious focus on song-writing. Opening  track "Lizstomania" has great hooks and fine grasp on basic pop sensibilities but what drives the song is the solid background of refined musical movement in the rhythmic chording. The rest of the songs on the album prove that it's no lucky accident either. 

While being quite adept at creating dance textures in the songs, Phoenix also experiments with feedback-driven noise rock. On "Love Like A Sunset Part I" they effectively build overdriven guitar fuzz behind a simple piano line, explode into choppy, melodic riffing and finally lay down a killer beat that carries the song into it's second act. The whole album is solid and I look forward to the next release.

Key Tracks: "Lisztomania", "Fences", "Love Like A Sunset Part I"

5. John Mayer - Battle Studies

My feelings on this album are conflicting because of the great fondness I developed for "Continuum". The expectations I loaded on this follow-up weren't unrealistic but I wanted to see Johnny shed his non-offensive pop roots for the retro R&B and Soul aesthetic he strutted all the way to the Grammys with in 2007. Of course the prevailing wisdom states "Take it for what it is", so be it.

"Battle Studies", while no masterpiece, contains a number of well-written songs that focus mainly on broken relationships and heartbreak. The mix on most tracks comprises a lush layering of instruments that sets them above the standard pop production but the album is hindered by the over-use of "love is war" type metaphors. Tracks like "Heartbreak Warfare", "Assassin" and "War Of My Life" stretch the limits of good taste considering how ineffective the analogies are combined with the fact that we are currently engaged in actual war in the US. There are some very good songs here but the whole package left me unsatisfied. If you're going to make a career on soft love songs they need to get a lot better than these.

Key Tracks: "All We Ever Do Is Say Goodbye", "Half Of My Heart", "Friends, Lovers Or Nothing"

6. Gossip - Music For Men

If old time, foot-stomping gospel ever mixed with metal and disco I'm sure it would sound something like this. Olympia, Washington trio Gossip, Formerly "The Gossip", keeps it simple on "Music For Men", a unique fusion of punk, funk, dance and straight up vocal bravado. Singer Beth Ditto channels Aretha Franklin and Wendy O. Williams as she wails through a series of post-punk tracks that are just interesting enough to keep your attention. 

As good as many songs are, specifically "Dimestore Diamond", "Heavy Cross" and the title track, the highlight is ALWAYS Beth Ditto's vocals. The simple arrangements of drums, bass, guitar and vocals don't vary much throughout the record and the better tracks are aided much by the impressive vocal performances. 

Key Tracks: "Dimestore Diamond", "Heavy Cross", "Music For Men"

7. M. Ward - Hold Time

Portland, Oregon native M. Ward has already revealed himself to be a young, borderline genius songwriter and he continues to flex his artistic muscles on "Hold Time". Here he continues to meld modern folk flavors with 1960's psychedelic rock but with an increasing use of lush string arrangements. The first three tracks give "Hold Time" a strong start but it sags a bit with the overly-somber title track before picking up again with "Rave On". 

"Hold Time" is a strong release but runs a little long and the energy seems to ebb and flow in the wrong spots. Check out his previous effort "Post-War" before this one.

Key Tracks: "For Beginners", "Never Had Nobody Like You", "Jailbird"

8. Passion Pit - Manners

The year of electro pop continues. In the spirit of Phoenix and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Passion Pit embraces the spirit of House DJs and rave fanatics without losing the focus on song writing and creative nuance. Musically most of the songs on "Manners" soar and romp through jumpy, synth-influenced beats while the lyrics evoke naive sentiments of love and heartbreak. Singer Michael Angelakos gets a little too high pitched on "Make Light" and "Little Secret" but cools off on his Prince-envy as the album plays on. 

Not every track here is solid but even those which succeed most are in no way benefitted by the lyrics, which rarely reflect maturity. Nearly every song is Angelakos lamenting a lost love or offering the listener an unartistic and overly ambiguous narrative about a failed relationship. Perhaps he feels that lyrics are of little consequence with rhythm-driven music (that isn't hip hop) but certainly it can be.

Key Tracks: "Little Secret", "The Reeling", "Folds In Your Hands", "Sleepyhead"

9. Yo La Tengo - Popular Songs

Yo La Tengo have been around seemingly forever and yet they continue to put out relevant, eclectic and well-conceptualized pop records. "Popular Songs", their 12th full-length, is a typical release for the New Jersey trio as it vacillates between many genres, styles and tones without creating a feeling of disconnect between the songs. It opens with a spacey, trance-inducing groove in "Here To Fall", led by a ghostly keyboard riff and thumping bass notes. Before long they are trudging through choppy power chords on "Nothing To Hide" and then strutting through 1960's blues-pop on "Periodically Triple Or Double". The Motown inspired "If It's True" is an impressive show of wearing your influences on your sleeve and might be the best song on the album.

Key Tracks: "Here To Fall", "Periodically Triple Or Double", "If It's True"

10. Them Crooked Vultures - Them Crooked Vultures

RIFFS!!! Much like John Paul Jones' last band, Them Crooked Vultures is heavy as hell and wilder than King Kong on acid. The famous trio (Grohl, Homme, Jones) offer us a double shot of manic guitar riffs, chase it down with insane drum fills and then order another round.

Despite the multiple merits and talents involved I find the most impressive thing about this debut is how they don't lean on Zeppelin nostalgia to bring listeners in. There are a few moments where JPJ jumps onto the keys and you can't help but think of "Trampled  Under Foot" (most notably "Scumbag Blues") but overall they have created their own sound and stick to it. 

This is the second collaboration between Dave Grohl and Josh Homme, the first being Queens Of The Stone Age's "Songs For The Deaf" back in 2002, and they pick up right where they left off. Homme's inspired playing is matched note-for-note by Grohl's thumping kick drum and unstoppable fluidity all over the kit. This might actually by Josh Homme's best guitar performance on record and that's really saying something.

No one is reinventing the wheel here but this pool of talent is one of the few to which I will attach the moniker of "Supergroup". Great debut.

Key Tracks: "No One Loves Me & Neither Do I", "Mind Eraser, No Chaser", "Scumbag Blues"

11. Mayer Hawthorne - A Strange Arrangement

Motown fans better get hip to this record real quick. "A Strange Arrangement" follows the production style of Hitsville USA's legendary Holland;Dozier;Holland to a tee with the inclusion of hip hop and barbershop quartet flavors as well. An obvious downside is that Hawthorne (whose real name is Andrew Cohen) isn't the strongest singer and has a difficult time pulling off the same vocal stylings of his talented heros Isaac Hayes, Smokey Robinson and others. The upside is that he meets this inadequacy with creativity, energy and well-written songs.

The best parts of the album come when he stops trying to copy Curtis Mayfield ("Maybe So, Maybe No") and The Temptations ("Make Her Mine") in favor of his own sound with standouts "I Wish It Would Rain" and "Green Eyed Love". It's hard to say if this is the Mayer Hawthorne sound or just an experiment as Hawthorne is also a rapper, hip hop producer and DJ. In any event it's a fun record worth picking up if you enjoy the soul sounds of the 50's and 60's.

Key Tracks: "I Wish It Would Rain", "One Track Mind", "Let Me Know", "Green Eyed Love"