12/17/2010
12/16/2010
My 2010
My Top 10 Albums of 2010 (in alphabetical order):
Allo Darlin'
A wonderful album by a wonderful band that proves what I've been trying to tell people all along -- when done right, twee pop can make your heart melt and your knees buckle. A beautiful voice, a ukulele, and wonderful, bittersweet lyrics combine to form one of most adept guilty pleasures to come along in quite some time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Broken Social Scene -- Forgiveness Rock Record
After a bit of a break, releasing a series of "solo records" that weren't really solo records, BSS return to form with a full-on, family band album that's filled to the brim with everything that makes Broken Social Scene a great band. Given how bloated their self-titled third album was, this album could easily have been a blown-out, over-produced mess. But, with the exception of one or two tracks, Forgiveness Rock Record clips along, leaving this listener wanting just a bit more.
Good thing they also released the limited-run companion EP, Lo-fi for the Dividing Nights -- a collection of mostly instrumental pieces that probably would have slowed the proper album down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diamond Rings -- Special Affections
If you can imagine an alternate reality where Ian Curtis didn't hang himself, but instead went on to become a pop star. That's the reality that Diamond Rings seems to live in: minimal instrumentation, a captivating (sometimes baritone) voice, and lyrics that can cut right to the quick.
Plus -- rainbow eye makeup!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Explode Into Colors -- Quilts
Explode Into Colors, R.I.P.
It's not quite clear why these ladies called it quits, but the Portland music scene is certainly worse off for it.
">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fall -- Your Future Our Clutter
There's really nothing to say about this one -- by now, you're either a fan of the Fall or you're not. Unless you've never heard them. And if that's the case, you could certainly pick a worse album to start with. This one finds Mark Smith more fired up than previous albums, but like most of the recent Fall records, it's not reinventing the wheel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hunx & His Punx -- Gay Singles
The lone male in Gravy Train! sets out on his own to record a series of tributes to the girl groups of the 1960s. This collection is nothing but fun. Flamboyant, queeny fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Liars -- Sisterworld
A new Liars album is always a cause to celebrate -- especially when that album finds them moving away from the straight-forward, Jesus-and-Mary-Chain-apeing of their self-titled release, and back towards the arty, Einstürzende Neubauten influenced sound of previous records.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scissor Sisters -- Night Work
For some reason, I resisted picking up this album for some time. And, to my surprise, any worries I had about the record were unfounded. While fun in its own right, Ta-Dah seemed like the 'Sisters were kinda going through the motions: it re-covered a lot of the same ground as their first record, only overproduced and more self-aware. Night Work, however, finds the band a bit more sure of itself and attempting to move forward -- out of the rollicking disco of the 70s, into the rollicking synth-pop of the 80s. It's a transitional album, but one that comes across stronger than most transitional albums out there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Butch Walker & the Black Widows -- I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart
As with Liars above, a new Butch Walker is always a cause to celebrate. Sadly, most out there are completely unaware of his genius. Before, it might have been easy to understand how he could be so criminally overlooked -- he started out in hair metal, then shifted to "funk"-pop, then to glam-infused power pop, then on to a solo career in which he has covered over-produced stadium rock, 70s AM radio rock, full-on Bowie/Bolan glam, ELO/Tom Petty-style "roots" rock, and with this latest album, he's now tackled Americana. He's currently at his most appealing for the majority of music listeners, even the casual ones.
Words cannot express my love for this man. If you don't know his work -- do yourself a favor and check him out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watain -- Lawless Darkness
Given all of the old Darkthrone albums I picked up this year, I kinda felt obligated to throw some black metal on to this list. Thankfully, Watain released a killer black metal album!
Problem solved.
Allo Darlin'
A wonderful album by a wonderful band that proves what I've been trying to tell people all along -- when done right, twee pop can make your heart melt and your knees buckle. A beautiful voice, a ukulele, and wonderful, bittersweet lyrics combine to form one of most adept guilty pleasures to come along in quite some time.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Broken Social Scene -- Forgiveness Rock Record
After a bit of a break, releasing a series of "solo records" that weren't really solo records, BSS return to form with a full-on, family band album that's filled to the brim with everything that makes Broken Social Scene a great band. Given how bloated their self-titled third album was, this album could easily have been a blown-out, over-produced mess. But, with the exception of one or two tracks, Forgiveness Rock Record clips along, leaving this listener wanting just a bit more.
Good thing they also released the limited-run companion EP, Lo-fi for the Dividing Nights -- a collection of mostly instrumental pieces that probably would have slowed the proper album down.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Diamond Rings -- Special Affections
If you can imagine an alternate reality where Ian Curtis didn't hang himself, but instead went on to become a pop star. That's the reality that Diamond Rings seems to live in: minimal instrumentation, a captivating (sometimes baritone) voice, and lyrics that can cut right to the quick.
Plus -- rainbow eye makeup!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Explode Into Colors -- Quilts
Explode Into Colors, R.I.P.
It's not quite clear why these ladies called it quits, but the Portland music scene is certainly worse off for it.
">
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Fall -- Your Future Our Clutter
There's really nothing to say about this one -- by now, you're either a fan of the Fall or you're not. Unless you've never heard them. And if that's the case, you could certainly pick a worse album to start with. This one finds Mark Smith more fired up than previous albums, but like most of the recent Fall records, it's not reinventing the wheel.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hunx & His Punx -- Gay Singles
The lone male in Gravy Train! sets out on his own to record a series of tributes to the girl groups of the 1960s. This collection is nothing but fun. Flamboyant, queeny fun.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Liars -- Sisterworld
A new Liars album is always a cause to celebrate -- especially when that album finds them moving away from the straight-forward, Jesus-and-Mary-Chain-apeing of their self-titled release, and back towards the arty, Einstürzende Neubauten influenced sound of previous records.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Scissor Sisters -- Night Work
For some reason, I resisted picking up this album for some time. And, to my surprise, any worries I had about the record were unfounded. While fun in its own right, Ta-Dah seemed like the 'Sisters were kinda going through the motions: it re-covered a lot of the same ground as their first record, only overproduced and more self-aware. Night Work, however, finds the band a bit more sure of itself and attempting to move forward -- out of the rollicking disco of the 70s, into the rollicking synth-pop of the 80s. It's a transitional album, but one that comes across stronger than most transitional albums out there.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Butch Walker & the Black Widows -- I Liked It Better When You Had No Heart
As with Liars above, a new Butch Walker is always a cause to celebrate. Sadly, most out there are completely unaware of his genius. Before, it might have been easy to understand how he could be so criminally overlooked -- he started out in hair metal, then shifted to "funk"-pop, then to glam-infused power pop, then on to a solo career in which he has covered over-produced stadium rock, 70s AM radio rock, full-on Bowie/Bolan glam, ELO/Tom Petty-style "roots" rock, and with this latest album, he's now tackled Americana. He's currently at his most appealing for the majority of music listeners, even the casual ones.
Words cannot express my love for this man. If you don't know his work -- do yourself a favor and check him out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Watain -- Lawless Darkness
Given all of the old Darkthrone albums I picked up this year, I kinda felt obligated to throw some black metal on to this list. Thankfully, Watain released a killer black metal album!
Problem solved.
12/11/2010
Strange Powers
This evening, I caught the Stephin Merritt/Magnetic Fields documentary, Strange Powers at the Hollywood Theatre. It left out quite a bit of the band's story -- cutting out most between the first album and 69 Love Songs -- but above all else, it was a fun, competent document of a misunderstood modern genius.
11/15/2010
Jay can't hold it
A few weeks ago, my friend Matt and his partner (husband? [they're Canadian...they can do such things]) Jason were in town for a visit.
My other friend Jay and I met up with them for brunch, and a brief walkabout of the city. I was able to snap a few photos during that time.
This weekend I had a photography workshop with the fantastic Susan Bein. I've uploaded a lot of the original images, and a few 'Shopped images.
Hopefully, once school backs off, I'll be able to work on more of the photos.
11/12/2010
10/24/2010
Hot Shit!
Last night's Pond/Quasi show was easily one of the highlights of the year. It's always a treat to see Quasi -- one of the rare bands that never disappoints live -- and a Pond reunion added to that, all to help say good-bye to Portland venue Satyricon, made for a truly wonderful night.
The night started in a line about 50 people deep, outside, in the pouring rain.
Once inside, M99 kicked the night off with an OK, if a tad over-long, set of typical 90s post-feminist white-trash grunge.
After that was Pond, pulling off one of the most under-the-radar rock band reunions I think I've ever been a part of. They brought in the largest crowd of the night, with people packing the club from wall to wall -- old fans, new fans, scenesters of yore, folks out for the nostalgia trip, and people like myself who never got a chance to see them perform during their initial reign.
The songs have aged quite well (the "grunge" sound was very much of its time, but there have been a few bands whose output can stand on its own), even if the guys in the band were struggling a bit. With a band that hadn't been on stage in nearly a decade, who was performing with only three practices recently under their belt, perfection isn't expected. And with all of the excitement and energy of the crowd, the warts and flubs were easily overlooked in exchange for the rare opportunity of seeing these guys on stage together once again.
After Pond, Quasi took the stage to close the evening.
Going into it, I had kinda hoped that, in honor of their early days playing 2-3 nights weekly at the Satyricon of legend, it would be a throwback show of sorts -- Sam and Janet reverting back to the keys-and-drums duo they once were and playing a ton of old shit. I got about half of that one.
Quasi is officially now a trio, and that's how they played their set. A few newer tracks, but mostly material pulled from far back in the past. Lots of fun, and even a few surprises. I was sad that they didn't play "It's Raining" (especially given the night's weather, but more appropriately my own mood these past few weeks), however they certainly made up for it by closing the night with a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," complete with the electric piano filling in for the guitar.
The night started in a line about 50 people deep, outside, in the pouring rain.
Once inside, M99 kicked the night off with an OK, if a tad over-long, set of typical 90s post-feminist white-trash grunge.
After that was Pond, pulling off one of the most under-the-radar rock band reunions I think I've ever been a part of. They brought in the largest crowd of the night, with people packing the club from wall to wall -- old fans, new fans, scenesters of yore, folks out for the nostalgia trip, and people like myself who never got a chance to see them perform during their initial reign.
The songs have aged quite well (the "grunge" sound was very much of its time, but there have been a few bands whose output can stand on its own), even if the guys in the band were struggling a bit. With a band that hadn't been on stage in nearly a decade, who was performing with only three practices recently under their belt, perfection isn't expected. And with all of the excitement and energy of the crowd, the warts and flubs were easily overlooked in exchange for the rare opportunity of seeing these guys on stage together once again.
After Pond, Quasi took the stage to close the evening.
Going into it, I had kinda hoped that, in honor of their early days playing 2-3 nights weekly at the Satyricon of legend, it would be a throwback show of sorts -- Sam and Janet reverting back to the keys-and-drums duo they once were and playing a ton of old shit. I got about half of that one.
Quasi is officially now a trio, and that's how they played their set. A few newer tracks, but mostly material pulled from far back in the past. Lots of fun, and even a few surprises. I was sad that they didn't play "It's Raining" (especially given the night's weather, but more appropriately my own mood these past few weeks), however they certainly made up for it by closing the night with a cover of Black Sabbath's "War Pigs," complete with the electric piano filling in for the guitar.
10/06/2010
lolslater
If you go down to Battery Park right now, there is a 90% chance you will see Elizabeth Berkley in this costume, selling pictures of the World Trade Center to tourists.
Seriously -- lolslater.tumblr.com is the best snarky, esoteric blog you're (more than likely) not following.
Then again...I spent years of my life watching two hours of back-to-back reruns of Saved by the Bell, five days a week, every week; not to mention any weekends, and/or prime-time specials. So, I might have a bit more invested in this one.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
