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"