PoobahTops

Top 10 of 2009

Not the strongest of years in my opinion, but it was a good year for comebacks- of sorts.

10. Metric- Fantasies   pretty good female led pop-rock

  9. Them Crooked Vultures   See Dec. Review

  8. Ian Hunter- Man Overboard  At 70 he is better than most a third his age

  7. Ryan Bingham and the Dead Horses- Roadhouse Sun  Twangy, gutsy, imperfect midwest rock

  6. Cheap Trick- The Latest   See Dec. review

  5. Shaky Hands- Let it Die   Catchy, hippy dance rock.

  4. Placebo- Battle for the Sun  Powerful, driving modern rock

  3. Cracker- Sunrise In the Land of Milk and Honey   Thank God they are back to their smarmy selves

  2. Dinosaur Jr.- Farm   Best guitar, noise rock in years

  1. Avett Brothers- I and You and Love  Each listen only makes this one better, IMHO.

Top 15 of Decade

I selected my 15 based on personal preference with a dash of overall importance to the world of music. I do have a few that are off the list that I may listen to more but I did because they lacked the scope and breadth of some recordings. Ex: Green Day's American Idiot is on but Fire by Electric Six isn't.

1.       Todd Snider-East Nashville Skyline

2.       Okkervil River- Black Sheep Boy

3.       Avett Brothers- I and You and Love

4.       Drive By Truckers- Southern Rock Opera

5.       Dandy Warhols -13 tales from urban Bohemia

6.       Johnny Cash- American IV Man Comes Around

7.       Nada Surf- The Weight is the Gift

8.                    8.   Ian Hunter- Shrunken Heads

9.                  9.   Felice Brothers- Felice Brothers

10.   Thermals- The Body, the Blood, the Machine

11.   Built to Spill- You in reverse

12        12.   Two Cow Garage- III

13         13. Bob Dylan- Modern Times

14        14    Raconteurs- Consolers of the Lonely

15.   Green Day- American Idiot

Sadly the last reviews of naughts

Fastball-All the Pain that Money Can Buy

The best Beatle album not released by the Beatles. Each song has its own life and identity. (5)

Cheap Trick- The Latest

Does this break new ground? Does the Trick go in a new direction? No. Could this have been released 25 years ago? Yes. Does it matter? Not on your life. Simple, well written pop-rock. Long live Budakon. (3.5)

Them Crooked Vultures

Them Killer Zeppelin Riffs. John Paul Jones' bass pounds this into your skull and Josh Holmes pays respectful homage to Jimmy Page- in a good way. Each song has a Zep nugget in it. It's hypnotic, driving, metal. Worth the hype. (4)

Lucero- 1372 Overton Park

Little more upfront horns than I remember Lucero using which makes their music sound like a train barreling down your throat. Pretty close to a Two Cow Garage/Hold Steady blend .  (3.5) 

Avett Brothers- Emotionalism

Our first back to back artist review starts out ok with "Die Die Die"and "Shame" but by "The Ballad of Love and Hate" it falls into Kingston Trio/Four Lads land, which like a Mighty Wind, really isn't good folk. I am actually a fan of the banjo but not strummed like a ukulele and the lyrics don't seem as genuine as I and You and Love which I think makes some of these songs sound as trite as they do. Maybe they need Rick Rubin and this is the REAL Avett Brother. In any case this was disappointing. (2.0)

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes Ghits

You know every song, admittedly or not, and you will sing along, admittedly or not. What a blast.

Topic

Christmas/holiday Music.  Like it or not? 

I used to really like holiday music. It has lost some of its endearment of late because it gets played way too early and the stupid need for every artist to feel they have to release a Christmas album- normally traditional pseudo-heartfelt versions of songs that have been done with fake piety a bazillian time 

If you do, why?  What makes it a good listen.  

The non-traditional or original interpretations of traditional songs are my favorites. I refuse to listen to straight run throughs any more unless it is at my kids' elementary school where I will cut them a little slack

List your top 10 Christmas/holiday songs. 

John Gorka- Christmas Bells

Los Straitjackets- Winter Wonderland

Run Run Rudolph- pick one

Ralph Stanley- Christmas Time is Near

God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen- BNL and McLaughlin

Jingle Bells- Frank Sinatra

Santa Claus is Coming to Town- Wynton Marsallais

Carol of the Bells- TSO

Let Them Know its Christmas -Band Aid

Marshmallow World- Johnny Mathis

Mostly Quickies and Bullshit Lists Mania

The Mong
Music Group Commentary
Jan. 2010

The Avett Brothers – Emotionalism – 4 Stars
“Emotionalism” has all the great attributes of the album that followed, “I and Love and You,” sans the pop-polish that, apparently, elevated greatness to perfection.

Cheap Trick – The Latest – 3 Stars
Shockingly good considering the disaster I was expecting. A very pleasant surprise. But did the opening track get cut off or something?

Fastball – All the Pain Money Can Buy – 3 Stars
Straight-ahead but way above average Rock. Tight songwriting and plenty of hooks. Nice.

Lucero – 1372 Overton Park – 2.5 Stars
Cut and paste Fastball review here but just a little less “nice,” mostly due to the singer’s voice.

Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures – 2.5 Stars
Like most of Josh Homme’s side-projects (the notable exceptions being the first Eagles of Death Metal CD and some standout tracks from the first few Desert Sessions CDs), good but not great. All solid but, really, only one or two real standout tracks and considering the talent here, this kind of pisses me off. So, for fuck’s sake, Mr. Homme, please cut the shit with the side projects and just go make another great Queens of the Stone Age album!

Me First and the Gimme Gimmes – G’Hits
Just awesome, good-time fun! Some of the coolest covers ever.

TOP TEN OF 2009
1. The Avett Brothers – “I And Love And You”
2. The Black Crowes – “Before the Frost...”
3. Superdrag – “Industry Giants”
4. Wilco – “Wilco (The Album)”
5. Dinosaur Jr. – “Farm”
6. Polvo – “In Prism”
7. The Thermals – “Now We Can See”
8. Trams Am – “What Day Is It Tonight? (Trans Am Live 1993-2008)”
9. Sonic Youth – “The Eternal”
10. Dan Auerbach – “Keep It Hid”

TOP FIFTEEN OF THE DECADE
1. Green Day – “American Idiot” (2004)
2. Spoon – “Girls Can Tell” (2001)
3. Wilco – “Sky Blue Sky” (2007)
4. Stephen Malkmus (and the Jicks) – “Real Emotional Trash” (2008)
5. The Thermals – “The Body The Blood The Machine” (2006)
6. The Snake The Cross The Crown – “Cotton Teeth” (2007)
7. The Hives – “Veni Vidi Vicious” (2000)
8. Nada Surf – “Let Go” (2003)
9. Superdrag – “In the Valley of Dying Stars” (2000)
10. The Avett Brothers – “I And Love And You” (2009)
11. The Shaky Hands – “Lunglight” (2008)
12. The White Stripes – “Icky Thump” (2007)
13. Trans Am – “Sex Change” (2007)
14. Built to Spill – “You In Reverse” (2006)
15. The Black Crowes – “Before The Frost...” (2009)


JAY’S TOPIC

Christmas/holiday Music. Like it or not? If you do, why? What makes it a good listen?

Sure, I like Christmas/Holiday music. Who doesn’t? I’m not a big fan of cynical remakes, jokey holiday songs (except as noted*, below), or singers brutalizing the standards like Whitney Housten singing the National Anthem, but most of the classics, (carols and classic songs) as well as many sincere versions and/or remakes of these, always help bring on the holiday spirit.

TOP TEN CHRISTMAS/HOLIDAY SONGS**
1. “Linus and Lucy” – From “The Peanuts” Christmas Special
2. “Pennies From Heaven” – Louis Prima
(Due to the movie “Elf” this has become a Christmas standard at the Mongillo house.)
3. “Happy Christmas” – John Lennon
4. “2000 Miles” – Merrie Amsterburg
5. “I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm” – Dean Martin
6. *“Father Christmas” – The Kinks
7. Yuletide Medley #1 (Oh Holy Night/Joy To The World/Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem/Deck The Halls) – Glen Miller
8. “The Christmas Song” – The Drifters or Ammie Mann
9. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” – Bing Crosby
10. “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas” – Judy Garland
** Absolutely subject to change.

Best of Lists

Best of 2009

A weak year, IMHO. I’m not sure any of my top 10 would have made last year’s list, and none of it made best of decade. The disc I enjoyed most this year was a 2008 release (Gaslight Anthem) for which I owe D’Arcy a finders fee.

Honorable Mentions:
Black Crowes - Before the Frost
Yesterday's Ring - Diamonds in the Ditch
Built to Spill - There Is No Enemy

10. Black Joe Lewis & the Honeybears - Tell 'em What Your Name Is
9. Ian Hunter - Man Overboard
8. Cracker - Sunrise in the Land of Milk & Honey
7. Bruce Springsteen - Working on a Dream
6. Thermals - Now We Can See
5. Lucero - 1372 Overton Park
4. Avett Brothers - I & Love & You
3. Booker T - Potato Hole
2. Wilco - Wilco (the album)
1. The Decemberists - The Hazards of Love


Best of Decade

15. Drive By Truckers - Southern Rock Opera (2001)
14. James McMurtry - Childish Things (2005)
13. The Drams - Jubilee Dive (2006)
12. Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (2008)
11. Fountains of Wayne - Welcome Interstate Managers (2003)
10. Drive By Truckers - Brighter Than Creations Dark (2008)
9. Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake, Its Morning (2006)
8. The Hold Steady - Stay Positive (2008)
7. Todd Snider - East Nashville Skyline (2004)
6. Bob Dylan - Love and Theft (2001)
5. Warren Zevon - The Wind (2003)
4. The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound (2008)
3. Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)
2. Two Cow Garage - III (2007)
1. Drive By Truckers - The Dirty South (2004)

Banjos, purty mouths & vultures, Oh My!

Avett Bros – Sorry to break up the boner-fest the group is having with these guys, but this disc is a snoozer. Yes, they sing lovely and their lyrics are pithy, but musically its dull. Only “Pretty Girl From Chile” offers a change from the monotony of one slow harmonious dirge after another. Any of ya’ll really getting off on the combination of banjos and purty mouths is welcome to visit me here in Beaufort. 2 stars

Cheap Trick – Haven’t heard these boys in years. Could pass for a new or old selection, which is a testament to the band’s consistency. Their mix of power pop and Beatles-esque songs is as solid now as it was 20 years ago. Robin Zander still has a ridiculous set of pipes and Nielsen & Co are locked in throughout the whole disc. The ballads sucked me in, particularly “Smile”. 3.5 stars

Fastball – Mostly a one hit wonder to be sure. However, the absolute deliciousness of “The Way” can’t be glossed over. It’s a killer pop song with ridiculous hooks. That piano riff, the reverb guitar solo, just perfect. Then there’s “Out of My Head”, which thrilled me when I first heard it on the radio, mostly because I thought Elvis Costello finally had another hit. The rest of the disc is fine, but those two songs justify 3.5 stars by themselves. 3.5 stars

Lucero – Hell, yes. Kick-ass rockers with a hint of twang, whiskey and cigarette ravaged vocals, couple of cry in your beer ballads, clever lyrics, nice guitar work and all in under 45 minutes. Throw a tastefully arranged horn section on top of it, and well, you got yourself something there. To quote nose for beer, “This is what the last Two Cow Garage disc should have sounded like.” 4 stars

Them Crooked Vultures – I researched vultures and found remarkable similarities between actual vultures and Them Crooked Vultures:


1) Vultures are scavengers, feeding on the carcasses of dead animals. Them Crooked Vultures are also scavengers, feeding on the carcasses of dead bands like Nirvana and Led Zeppelin.

2) Vultures use reeking, corrosive vomit as a defensive projectile. Them Crooked Vultures use reeking, corrosive vomit as songs.

3) Vultures urinate straight down their legs. This kills the bacteria they accumulate from walking through carcasses. Them Crooked Vultures urinate all over themselves on this wretched disc. This kills the reputations the members accumulated through their associations with better musicians and songwriters. 1 star

Me First & the Gimme Gimmes – Fun, kitschy stuff that works far better in a mix than trying to listen to an hour’s worth at once. Got a little repetitious after about 25 minutes.

Discussion Topic:

I don't get fired up about holiday music one way or the other.  Like any other type, most of what is played on the radio sucks, but there are some gems out there to be heard.

10 Favorites (in no particular order)

Tom Petty - Christmas All Over Again
Christmas Jug Band - Santa Lost a Ho
Bob Dylan - Must Be Santa
Los Straitjackets - Any track off "Tis the Season for Los Straitjackets"
U2 - Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)
Eels - Christmas is Going to the Dogs
Ramones - Merry Christmas (I Don't Want to Fight Tonight)
Robert Earl Keen - Merry Christmas From the Family
Adam Sandler - Chanukah Song

Ears To The Music Boys- It's a new decade!!

Them Crooked Vultures 2.5

Another Super-Group disappointment. Maybe there was too much excitement for Them Crooked Vultures. Maybe the expectations of the much-talked-about alliance of Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, Nirvana/Foo Fighter Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones, who once played bass for this band called Led Zeppelin were too lofty. The musicianship is there- for sure. The songs are just ok, however. Nothing special. Nothing really memorable. I’m underwhelmed. Sorry TCV- you’re no Tinted Windows - you get a take it or leave it 2.5.

The Avett Brothers- 4.5

Sorry D’Arcy. These guys are great! In fact, Emotionalism is one of my favorite cd’s of the decade. It’s the kind of cd that makes me want to pick up the phone and call D’Arcy or Kaiser just to see how they’re doing. No, I mean see how they’re really doing. Alright, maybe not, but I love the lyrics, the energy, and the honesty of there music. The brothers just cram a lot of stuff into each and every song- great harmonies- fun banjo romps- and a little schizophrenia here and there. I just never tire of their music. A solid 4.5 for sure.

Lucero- 3.5

Since I’m a huge Reckless Kelly fan and Lucero sounds very much like RK with horns, albeit a little over-produced, I’ve got to say I really enjoyed this cd. Especially if you tune out the horns a little. A lot of critics think the cd would be better without the horns- I'm afraid I agree. Cody Braun and Ben Nichols could be the same person. Their vocals are that similar. The few misses on this cd are when Lucero try’s a little too hard to channel Springsteen and the E- Street horns- something RK will never do. The hits for me here are when Lucero sticks to that Reckless Kelly Texas swagger, gritty guitar, bar-room brawl, eat shit buddy attitude. And there’s plenty of tunes here that have that.

Cheap Trick- 3.0

What’s not to like here? Zander is in good voice, Nielsen’s guitar playing is consistently strong and fluid and there’s plenty of solid, well-crafted songs. The opener is a miss as far as I’m concerned but the rest of the cd is a great band staying true to their spirit. Songs like Sick Man Of Europe, California Girl, and especially Everybody Knows are as good as anything CT has done in many years. 3.0

Fastball- 4.0

If you like power pop- you’ll like fastball. You would think that because the album starts with the biggest hit the band has ever known that it can only go down from there. You would be wrong. "Fire Escape", "Warm Fuzzy Feeling", and "Outta my Head" carry you through the landscape of great guitar driven pop. No collection can be complete without it. They definitely have a flair for that mid-60’s pop sound. What’s not to like? 4.0

Discussion: Music makes everything better- including “the holidays”. I love Christmas music. Sandor’s top 10:

1. Hey Parker, It’s Christmas- Ryan Adams
2. The Mods of Christmastown – Zumpano
3. Another Christmas (Old Borego)- Switchfoot
4. All That I Want - The Weepies
5. 25th December- Everything But The Girl
6. The Lights And Buzz- Jack's Mannequin
7. Christmastime- The db’s
8. Christmastime Is Here- Thad Cockrel
9. Christmas Must Be Tonight- The Band
10. Fairytale Of New York- Pogues w/Kirsty MacColl

Lists to Follow (Probably)

The Avett Brothers – Emotionalism 3
I love the banjo. That’s all I got.
Cheap Trick – The New One – 4
I’m really glad that Cheap Trick is still using the Psycho noise and rip off Beatles/Lennon riffs, it’s what sets Cheap Trick apart (they seem to have graduated from a Beatles cover band to an Oasis. Cheap Trick, however, does hold a special place for me, since they are the first “Rock Band” that I actually got in to. To this day I love every track on Dream Police. The Latest is also the first Cheap Trick cd I’ve listened to since 1988’s the one with the Flame. I stopped liking them for a while after my wicked hot girlfriend gave her number to Robin Zander at a concert at the Agora Ballroom. I’m over that, and I’m glad that this cd was proposed because, although it’s no Dream Police, I liked it (My pick of the month), it brought me back to my youth. Now I just need to find that old girlfriend.
Fastball – All the pain money
I actually thought that a couple of these songs belonged to the Wall Flowers. I was surprised by how many songs I recognized, but had no idea whose they were. Most don’t even sound like they are from the same band. This is an awesome cd, I’m glad it was submitted. It was a close second for cd of the month.
Gimme Gimmes – Best Of
These were a lot of fun to listen to…..once. At the risk of sounding like my Dad, if I didn’t know the lyrics to the songs I wouldn’t have been able to tell any of them apart. It was quite literally the same song played over and over with different lyrics.
Lucero – 1372 Overton Park - 3
For a band that sounds like The Mighty Mighty Bosstones singing the Commitments Soundtrack I thought that they were alright. I actually wouldn’t mind hearing that soundtrack. I have to say that as much as I wasn’t totally blown away by this band, the songs were immediately stuck in my head. I’m wondering what form of alien mind control they use. Regardless of my inability to identify my reason for liking Lucero, I’ll still give it two thumbs up.
Them Crooked Vultures – Them Crooked Vultures 3.5
At first I thought that there was Just a little too much Josh Homme influence here until I heard Reptiles. I’m a huge Grohl fan, so I was a little disappointed that he didn’t sing on even one track. Fortunately, I do really like Josh Homme too.

Christmas/holiday Music. Like it or not?
Yes, but not before Thanksgiving.

If you do, why? What makes it a good listen. Nostalgia

If not, why not (childhood Santa trauma, heart is two sizes too small,
whatever.)

List your top 10 Christmas/holiday songs.
Oh Holy Night
Christmas Wrapping - The Waitresses
I believe in Father Christmas – Greg Lake
Little Drummer Boy – Crosby & Bowie