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what i heard, 2006


And now, from an easy chair in a warm Florida living room, my picks for 2006. Took my time this year, listened and re-listened, and tried to be as honest as possible without letting other internet rankers influence me too much. This year I went back to a “top ten” instead of last year’s fifteen, mostly because the greater-than-ten stuff just became too much “in the noise” when it came to subjective judging. I also shamelessly copied over albums that made both my halfway toplist and year-end toplist, word-for-word, without shame. So, here goes, my favorite albums of the year of our lord two-thousand and six.

10. Thom Yorke – The Eraser

The solo effort kept a secret until just before its planned release, Yorke’s Radioheadless foray into melodic-electronic took the music blogosphere by surprise. Then, it leaked over a month in advance, and the web collective had dissected and discussed the album to death before the law-abiding, CD-buying public ever even got to hear it for the first time. For me, I had to get it – couldn’t wait. I must say, I was leery from the moment I heard about the album. Could Thom’s genius shine as well without the group effort? In short: yes. Thom’s lyrical prowess and knack for eerie melody make a fine showing here; although I will admit the album is a little too ProTooled for me, and it drags a bit through the chewy center – it’s still a damn fine effort with some classic tunes.


9. The Fratellis – Costello Music

Every year has to have this album… the throwin’ darts in the garage at midnight half-plastered with a cocksure swagger rock ‘n’ roll album. Put this on and watch the uninitiated bounce around with the easy-as-pie beats and choruses. The Fratellis don’t require much attention to love, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing – they come right out the chute with loud crunchy guitars that score near ten on the danceability meter – and their music doesn’t suffer too badly from that Brit-dancerock cliché. Oh, maybe a Ramones fan, or an Arctic Monkeys fan, or a Clash fan, or a Strokes fan, might say the Fratellis are biting their style – but when the album is packed with singles and is this much fun, who cares? Wanna get drunk with the crew and put on an album that’ll mix perfectly into the din of conversation while helping maintain everyone’s buzz? Then get this album.


8. The Islands – Return to the Sea

When I first heard the Unicorns album “Who Will Cut Our Hair When We’re Gone?,” I fell in love with it almost instantly. I was bummed, but not entirely surprised, when they announced their breakout shortly after the album’s internet buzz carried them to underground stardom. After all, I’d seen them on stage and they were young and insane with very distinct personalities – I could tell just watching them that they were a bubbling pool of varied talents… and sometimes that just doesn’t work out. But, when I heard that the two “creative” members of the group had formed a new band and released an album under the name The Islands, I was excited. Turns out, this album is only just shy of “Who Will Cut Our Hair…” awesome – and that’s pretty damn awesome. The songs are longer than what they did as the Unicorns, and a little more cohesive with less randomness. “Swans,” in particular, is a good example of why I consider this to be one of the best albums of 2006.


7. Phoenix – It`s Never Been Like That

Every summer deserves a summery album. Like a sweet, dripping ice-cream cone, “It’s Never Been Like That” plops perfect little circles of melted goodness all over your favorite Hawaiian shirt. Each track a self-sufficient pop gem, bouncy and singalong, with just enough rock sensibility and “rawness” to save it from being pure bubblegum indulgence. This album is 2006’s 95° summer-drive-with-the-windows down blarer; put it on and watch the sun move across the sky, maybe toss the frisbee with the hand not holding your beer while you wait for the meat to come off the grill. Oh, and chicks’ll dig the thing too… makes a great poolside swimsuit soundtrack.


6. Figurines – Skeleton

How this album can remind me of experiences I never even had is beyond me, but when I hear it I think about that summer when I lived in that ramshackle bungalow on the beach, spending my days surfing and my nights drinking. Mind you, I never actually had such a summer, but that doesn’t matter. It was crazy, me and the guys blaring this album from the house as we ate Taco Bell on the beach before smoking a joint and heading back out to catch another set. For real though, there’s good energy here, youth even. I realize that people might criticize me for picking albums that “feel” good yet lack lyrical or poetic depth – but fuck those people. You can sit in your room and cry tears over the beauty of some warbly, plucked-harp bullshit – I’ll be riding waves stoned and having sex in the dunes.


5. Midlake – The Trials of Van Occupanther

The trials of what-who, now? Whatever you may think about the title of this album, what you’ll find inside is a loosely-cohesive narrative, set to some of the most tightly-cohesive, gorgeously-crafted music put on wax this year. Before 2006, I’d never even heard of Midlake – and I downloaded this album only after hearing the track “Roscoe” via the Hype Machine. A haunting tune with lilting harmonies reminiscent of Fleetwood Mac, it sets the tone for the remainder of this unbelievable album. This album, too, falls in my personal favorites partly because of the way it’s imagery gels with my personal fantasy world. Plaintive pastoral narratives about roving bandits, building rough homes, pioneering and falling in love talk right to the wanna-be naturalist-hippy that I think of myself as.


4. The Decemberists – The Crane Wife

C’mon snobs, just because they’re in the majors now and they’ve got the production values of a “radio band,” doesn’t make them bad. In fact, in this case, it makes them awesome. Let’s explore: In the scant three years I’ve been making my own “best of” lists, the Decemberists have been in the top-ten twice, and even had two albums there in 2003. Not surprisingly, I’ve given Colin and crew the nod once again in 2006 for their progressive (as in progressive with regards to band direction and just straight-up King Crimson / ELP “progressive”) latest LP. This album once again talks to the things that are near and dear to my very own fantasy world: ships and hidden islands, homesteading, and the perils of love. Shutting my eyes tight and listening to “Summersong” with headphones on, I can almost feel the sand under me (and the the girl with the peppery skin above me) on the island.


3. The Most Serene Republic – Phages

Back in 2005, I ranked the Most Serene Republic’s debut effort as #3 on the year, with the subtext that it “could just as easily change places with #2 and I’d be just as happy with the list.” So, when I saw this tour-EP was only available on the ‘net – I went ahead and sent my virtual dollars on down the wire. Little more than two minutes later, the string of digits that represents the money in my bank account went down by $7 or so, and I was happily listening to what turned out to be one of the standout efforts of the year. Lavish instrumentation draped over stunningly complex beats and rhythms, and the kind of trembly falsetto voice that called me to indie rock to begin with. There’s so much going on in these tracks that, when I’ve played them to people, I’ve heard “I can’t ‘hear’ this” more than once. Kind of like trying to wrap your mind around the complex signatures on Brubeck’s Time Out, some of these songs can confound before they delight – but take your time, it’ll pay off in the end I swear.


2. Malajube – Trompe-L’oeil

Malajube is from Canada, and I don’t know if they speak English or not (I’d give ’em the odds tho), but they sure don’t on this album. So, right off, if you can’t get into an album that’s not in your mother-tongue you might wanna steer clear of this one. But I’m telling you now, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not giving it a try. If, however, you can get past the Frenchness of the thing, I think you’ll be nearly as joyous as I am every time I play this thing. Malajube are incredible. Malajube’s songs are dripping with the kind of shit that made the Arcade Fire’s debut so damn likeable – “fun” turned sonic, a band that’s happy making their art. This album for me… it would sound so gay to talk about how some of the choruses make my chest swell and inspire delusions of grandeur… but that’s about as close as I can get to telling you how much I love this thing. This album is it, album of the year… simply incredible; head and shoulders above the rest… well, all but the one below.


1. The Hold Steady – Boys and Girls in America

She was a real cool kisser and she wasn’t all that strict of a Christian; she was a damn good dancer but she wasn’t all that great of a girlfriend; he likes the warm feeling but he’s tired of all the dehydration.

This album so encapsulates some of my highschool-aged carousing, it’s hard to believe it was written by someone over 30. Then again, the lyrics are an immediate tip-off. It takes some word-prowess to write Springsteen-esque poetry about sneaking snootfulls from a girlfriend’s purse at prom – but it works here. To be fair to the haters, I’ll admit that this album does straddle the line, and if you called it butt-rock or bar-rock I wouldn’t have much room to take offense. Hell, I’ve even had a couple folks ask me if it was a Counting Crows album during some of the instrumental parts – so you know the line I’m talking about.

A lot of people hate this album, and honestly, I’m a little surprised I like it so much. Sometimes, though, you just like what you like. I put this album on, and I remember things like sneaking out at night and walking five miles to a party in the woods at a long-abandoned racetrack. As we left, we dropped our $20 sack in the long grass and couldn’t find it in the darkness. Out of spite for the party that ate our stash, we snatched a handle of rum that someone had left on the ground and took turns chugging on our long, dejected walk home. Turns out Joey had way too much, and passed out with less than a mile to go. Justin and I slung him between us like a dead body and carried him the rest of the way before roughly pushing his limp body back through my window. That night, he pissed himself while sleeping on my floor.

I might’ve though this album sucked if I’d heard it back in highschool, but it’s sure perfect for remembering it now.

Wow, heavy on the rock and light on the lite-rock, eh? Guess it was one of those rocking kinda years. No doubt that the majority of these albums will, one day looking back, remind me of when Keaton was new. Even going back and putting them on the headphones while finishing up this entry brought some memories back. But, let’s not harsh the buzz, yeah? Let’s keep this listmania going with the rounding-out stuff. For instance, what “best of” list would be complete without the safety-net of an “honorable mention” section? So, for 2006, here’s the albums that made my happy but just weren’t able to take one of the top spots, complete with one-sentence reviews:

The Dears – Gang of Losers
Was on the list for the longest time until the bubble-sort popped it off the stack (nerd humor).

Guillemots – Through the Windowpane
Half-brilliant.

+/- – Let’s Build A Fire
Latecomer to the 2006 party, but much better than their last.

Band of Horses – Everything All the Time
Good!

Sunset Rubdown – Shut Up I Am Dreaming
Wolf Parade, just not as good.

Furthermore, the list of lists keeps going with the best old albums I “discovered” in 2006:

Stone Roses – Stone Roses
Near the beginning of this year I discovered the Stone Roses much-hailed eponymous debut album after reading that it was one of the late John Peel’s favorite records. It’s an album I absolutely love.

Ride – Nowhere
Shoegazing roots, get it if you haven’t heard it.

And now, the “back to the drawing board” awards… here’s my picks for 2006’s most disappointing follow-ups

Radio Dept. – Pet Grief
What happened here?

Killers – Sam’s Town
Oh boy, I promise commercialism didn’t ruin this for me – it’s just vapid.

Stills – Without Feathers
New rule: One dude from the old band shouldn’t be allowed to recruit a new band record under the same name.

Next, here are what I feel were this year’s most overrated albums. Those that got the internet all in a tizzy yet lasted all of a few days on my iPod and left a sour taste in my mouth:

Joanna Newsom – Ys
Are you kidding me? I turned off this album when I realized I was starting to grow a pussy.

The Knife – Silent Shout
Sorry, I like beats as much as the next guy, but this just didn’t move me.

TV On the Radio – Return to Cookie Mountain
Never liked ’em, never will.

And, finally, I would be remiss for not mentioning the absolutely glorious new Shins album, which isn’t due to be released until January 2007, but leaked to the masses sometime back in October. Suffice it to say that this album is outstanding, and I thought hard about ranking it amongst this year’s efforts. I’ll respect the street-date this time though, and let it hold its own next year – where, honestly, it’ll likely face a much stiffer set of competitors, that is, if the Arcade Fire and Radiohead make good.

Take it sleazy.

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this thing on?


Hey there, anybody out there? Did I lose you?

Safe and sound in Florida, balmy weather and the smell of the sea in the air – and I’m completely smitten. I think, that the more Sharaun and I come here for “vacation,” the more the once familiar sights, smells, and sounds of “home” become associated with some a sense of disconnected leisure. I’m happy about this, because I have this thought that, if I can get the notion of “Florida” associated with relaxation and lack of responsibilities and deadlines, it’ll be a comforting place I can run to anytime – an escape. I’m actually loving being here, even if it’s been just one day. I took a nap, read some of my book, and laughed with family and friends. What’s more, I’m gonna make a concentrated effort to do little more than that for the remainder of the two weeks we have here.

I will write, I promise. I feel that itch again, but more now I feel the need to not write – to not do much of anything.

See you around.

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bloggin’ ain’t easy


Trying to do a blog every day isn’t easy, in fact it’s sometimes a burden on my mind. If some after-work drinks go long, I might find my mind wandering, subtracting current time from midnight to gauge my closing window of writing time. I sometimes feel like one of those nutty dog people who leave perfectly fun goings-on to race home and let Fido out, getting itchy to head home and come up with something to post. I have actually caught myself thinking something like, “Oh man, another round of beers? Now I’m definitely not going to be able to write tonight.” Usually though, the act of writing is enjoyable, despite the fact that I may have to actually “work” to get it done by taking time out or staying up late. You may have noticed, though, that over the past couple weeks I’ve missed at least one, and sometimes two, days a week.

This is uncharacteristic for me, but I know what’s happening: Work is busy. Now, in and of itself, that’s just another time-based challenge I have to work around. But lately, work is more than just “busy:” work is frustrating. My mood at the office has been one of a hundred loose-ends and not enough hands to tie them all off. I’m sure this is partly due to the fact that I’m looking forward desperately to our coming vacation in Florida, but it’s also because the environment at work lately is filled with a kind of pointless urgency. I kind of “hurry up” feeling that ends with a largely unfulfilling “keep hurrying up” follow-on. Hopefully Christmas will knock me out of this slump…

To close randomly, I don’t know if the FDA does “usability studies” or pre-release tests with products that are pending approval, but I’m about to make a phone call and see if I can get on some kind of list for this thing. O, what a wonderful tool to put in the hands of the hairy consumer.

Goodnight.

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what’s with the ladder?


Friday night I had a great dream. I dreamed that some friends of mine had come over to take a look at the paver-stone porch I’d built (with help) in our backyard, as they were considering such a job themselves. As we all bent and stooped to inspect my work, I noticed a small hole near the border of the stones, right were they end in a curve and give way to the grass. Looking more closely, I could see that, under the stone porch which I’d pieced together a stone at a time, there was a vast opening. Using the supernatural physics of the dream world, I poked my head in to get a better look.

Opening up before me was an immense white room, its cavernous emptiness broken up only by sparsely-placed alabaster white columns reaching up some 20-30ft at spots to support a ceiling of, you guessed it, pavers. Once in the room, the fact that the space was easily a thousand times greater than that of my porch above seemed to melt away (like facts often do in dreams, I guess). I couldn’t take my eyes of the impossible canopy above me, the underside of my paver porch above looked much like it did topside, but down here seemed supported by nothing for long spans between the aforementioned columns. The whole thing was curved and warped, seemingly unable to stay together, but defiantly there nonetheless as undulating waves of tightly-woven bricks pitching up and down and left and right into the emptiness. I could see the sand I’d swept into the cracks to help “set” the bricks in place but knew that there should be no reason the structure should be able to support itself with such huge open spaces underneath.

Making the picture even more odd, at spots there were long “fingers” of assembled bricks, fitted tightly together with sand and arcing off from the roof to delve downward into the cavern. The fingers followed the warped curves of the brick ceiling above them for a bit, then got thinner and thinner until ending in a point. They, too, hung impossibly in the air above me, supported by nothing other than the point where they grew from the brick rooftop. I realized while looking at them that they were mistakes I’d made while laying the porch above, spindly brick tentacles showing where’d I’d gone off-course and later corrected myself.

As I walked around wondering how the whole thing hadn’t yet caved in, I came upon a humongous bowl-shaped sagging which was supported at it’s lowest point not by one of the white columns but instead a 10ft yellow ladder. It was the largest and most precarious dip I’d seen in the whole warped construction, and it looked to be held up as an afterthought with a ladder from someone’s garage. I remember thinking of how often I’d walked on the porch above with Keaton, and thinking we could never do it again for fear it might crumble beneath us and send us flying to the white floor so far below.

Interpret. Goodnight.

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constructive criticism


Busy busy hump day for me, lots to think about lots to do. Now I’m sitting at home blogging while Sharaun watches the M-TV and complains that, somehow, I’ve made the whole couch smell “like a giant fart.” I don’t know how that’s possible, maybe she’s mistaken the reeking foulness of this hip-hop shite on the tube for something else. Blech, will popular “urban” music ever be able to recover from the worn-out self-masturbatory mantra of sex and money?

Well, the bipartisan Iraq Study Group released its much-anticipated report today. You can read the entire thing here, if you’d like – but why do that when you can read my very own “best of” picks from the document right here? So sit back, and let me do the reading for you (or, take some initiative and read it yourself… it’s 160 pages long, but the text only covers about 30% of each page and there’s lots of fluff). Be warned, I didn’t really try to pick all negative bits… it’s just that the report is largely gloomy and there’s not much positive other than hopeful recommendations that the administration will act according to its recommendations.

On the current situation in Iraq:

The situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating. There is no path that can guarantee success, but the prospects can be improved.

The situation in Baghdad and several provinces is dire. Saddam Hussein has been removed from power and the Iraqi people have a democratically elected government that is broadly representative of Iraq’s population, yet the government is not adequately advancing national reconciliation, providing basic security, or delivering essential services. The level of violence is high and growing. There is great suffering, and the daily lives of many Iraqis show little or no improvement. Pessimism is pervasive.

On the current level of investment and cost of war:

The United States has made a massive commitment to the future of Iraq in both blood and treasure. As of December 2006, nearly 2,900 Americans have lost their lives serving in Iraq. Another 21,000 Americans have been wounded, many severely.

To date, the United States has spent roughly $400 billion on the Iraq War, and costs are running about $8 billion per month. In addition, the United States must expect significant “tail costs” to come. Caring for veterans and replacing lost equipment will run into the hundreds of billions of dollars. Estimates run as high as $2 trillion for the final cost of the U.S. involvement in Iraq.

On the consequences if the current direction is not changed:

If the situation in Iraq continues to deteriorate, the consequences could be severe for Iraq, the United States, the region, and the world.

A slide toward chaos could trigger the collapse of Iraq’s government and a humanitarian catastrophe. Neighboring countries could intervene. Sunni-Shia clashes could spread. Al Qaeda could win a propaganda victory and expand its base of operations. The global standing of the United States could be diminished. Americans could become more polarized.

Despite a massive effort, stability in Iraq remains elusive and the situation is deteriorating.

On “staying the course”:

Current U.S. policy is not working, as the level of violence in Iraq is rising and the government is not advancing national reconciliation. Making no changes in policy would simply delay the day of reckoning at a high cost. Nearly 100 Americans are dying every month. The United States is spending $2 billion a week. Our ability to respond to other international crises is constrained. A majority of the American people are soured on the war. This level of expense is not sustainable over an extended period, especially when progress is not being made. The longer the United States remains in Iraq without progress, the more resentment will grow among Iraqis who believe they are subjects of a repressive American occupation.

Summary of the Study Group’s recommendations:

Our most important recommendations call for new and enhanced diplomatic and political efforts in Iraq and the region, and a change in the primary mission of U.S. forces in Iraq that will enable the United States to begin to move its combat forces out of Iraq responsibly. We believe that these two recommendations are equally important and reinforce one another. If they are effectively implemented, and if the Iraqi government moves forward with national reconciliation, Iraqis will have an opportunity for a better future, terrorism will be dealt a blow, stability will be enhanced in an important part of the world, and America’s credibility, interests, and values will be protected.

The behest:

The ability of the United States to shape outcomes is diminishing. Time is running out.

If you read the whole thing, you’ll notice I pulled some quotes “cafeteria style” from different portions of the document, but don’t get it twisted… I’m not misrepresenting the spirit of the thing. How much must it suck for the president to read this thing, for him to be briefed on it… talk about “constructive criticism.”

Goodnight.

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is it butt-doctor time?


Traffic is on XM as I sit here and write. Half-past 7pm now and I just wrapped up sending some late e-mails for work, trying desperately to get a handle some things which’ve been consuming me of late. This week has been a good one at work, one of those ones where I get to use my brain to dream up what-if type stuff and go figure it out. I like that kind of stuff. I find, interestingly enough, that I get my best thoughts and ideas after I’ve removed myself from work-proper and have a chance to reassess a situation mentally with the benefit of some brain downtime. For instance, I regularly plan out e-mails or courses of action while showering in the morning or brushing my teeth at night. Tonight, a doozy hit me on the drive home from work. What am I even talking about? Let’s get on with it…

This about-to-be-thirty thing is an odd beast. I’ve never been one to spend a lot of time thinking about age, my brithdays generally pass without much fanfare or rumination on my part. This year, though, I’ve been surprised how much pause I’ve taken to consider my three-decade milestone. Not a lamenting or dreadful kind of pause, just a different line of thought than normally accompanies each passing year. I suppose it’s because, although it’s really quite arbitrary, there is some recognized “milestone” a big birthdays like this. For me, it’s less about “woe is me, I’m going to be old” and more about looking back or taking stock. And, since part of “taking stock” is doing those little “how’m I doing” self-evaluations, my mind also turns to those arbitrary life “checkpoints” that everyone keeps track of in their heads. Married? Job? Kids? Check, check check.

This year, however, also seems to come with some degree of self-judging on standards which are newer to me. Things like how healthy I am, and how well I take care of myself. I haven’t really been more than superficially concerned with things of this nature before, as evidenced, I’m sure, by my portly frame and general yen for excess. Turning thirty, which, if I’m lucky, isn’t even a third of my existence, and having Keaton, I’m starting to think about things like my own longevity and its effect on those around me. I’d hate, for instance, to have to leave this sphere for nothing more than too many Double Whoppers and too few jogs round the track. Now, don’t think I’m going all reality-TV on you here or anything, words are one thing – but changing a lifestyle, that takes work y’all. I will, however, seriously consider shaping up when I hit forty – promise.

C’mon board the animal train, c’mon everyone. Learning about animals, is really lots of fun! Colors, sizes, what they say, if they’re fast or slow. Learning about animals, there’s so much to know! Toot! Toot! -Christmas with a baby.

Goodnight.

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concussed


Man the moon is big and full tonight, like it’s right up there in the sky in our backyard. Sometimes I want to sleep outside, like just on the ground in a sleeping bag or something. Not in my backyard, mind you, no that’d be dumb. I mean camping, or getting outside. Too cold now though, gonna have to wait until it’s a little warmer.

Today at lunch, Sharaun and I got caught up talking about when Keaton grows up. We were watching a TiVo’d episode of America’s Funniest Home Videos, which was showing clips of kids hurting themselves jumping their bikes off homemade ramps and landing on their asses while trying to jump curbs on skateboards. It got me thinking about when I was a kid, and how my brother and I used to pull my mom and dad outside into the front yard to watch us careen our own bikes down the sidewalk and off a ramshackle ramp we’d assembled from bits of plywood and bricks. It’s not like we were jumping over a pit of alligators or anything, just launching no more than a foot into the air for a split second, but we had our share of mishaps: ramps flattening mid-ascent, botched landings, and broken bikes – all which ended up in scrapes and bruises. All this before it was “vogue” to outfit your children in pads like linebackers, too.

As a parent now, I know there’ll be a day when Keaton wants me to watch her do a cherry drop off the high bars on the playground (that’s if schools even accept the liability of high bars anymore). The day will come when she wants me to watch her rollerskate down the driveway, or ride her bike while clapping her hands. And, as a source of validation, I’ll be expected to beam with approval and pride while stifling my fear of broken bones and skinned knees. I bet this is hard, although it must get easier as your child grows older. Sure makes me look a little differently at all the stupid stuff my parents used to watch us do when we were young though…

The bloggers-collective are slowly starting to scribe out their 2006 “best of” lists, and, as it happens, I spent a lot of time working on mine today and tonight. Today, running through the shortlist in my brain and re-listening to the albums on the iPod at work; tonight, writing up my thoughts, adding album artwork images to the post, tracking down and pasting in relevant links. It’s coming together nicely, and I think I may even be ready to post before leaving for Florida (or, if I’m facing a slow week of writer’s block). Look for it… if you’re cool… that is.

Goodnight.