Top 10 Songs of 2010 - #7 The Gaslight Anthem - Boxer

7. The Gaslight Anthem - Boxer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tawmt1oAcHA

One the catchiest songs off of American Slang.  I can't get enough of that lead guitar line in the verses.

Top 10 Songs of 2010 - #8 Sufjan Stevens - Heirloom

8.  Sufjan Stevens - Heirloom

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Omi1DZKGBmU

Yeah, so Sufjan might have done some "grander" things in 2010.  But this is my favorite kind of Sufjan, stripped down, melodic and beautiful.  Call me sentimental.

Top 10 Songs of 2010 - #9 The Black Keys - Everlasting Light

9.  The Black Keys - Everlasting Light

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jr0194uC-M

If there was a song this year that made you bob your head and tap your toe, this was it.  Yeah, Dangermouse produced it, so what?  This song rocks.

Top 10 Songs of 2010 - #10 Scott Lucas & The Married Men - Get Up! You Damn, Dead Horse

After a few busy months at work, I'm back to the Dogwood Bark.  I'll countdown my top 10 songs from 2010 and then jump into my top 10 albums.

10.  Scott Lucas & The Married Men - Get Up! You Damn, Dead Horse

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=446XahcMUqs

A standout from one of my favorite albums of the year.  Nothing groundbreaking, but enjoyable well-crafted folk rock.  I hope Scott makes more music like this in the future.

Stuck in My Head - October 20, 2010

The last song I heard blasting from my car speakers as I came into work this morning was "Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) from Arcade Fire's most recent album, The Suburbs.  This tune hasn't left my brain all day long.

The first time I heard the penultimate track on this stellar album, I thought that it sounded like an MGMT rip-off.  I still enjoyed it thoroughly, but it didn't stand out.  A few months later, this might be my favorite song on the record.  It's so damn catchy I can't help myself.  It could very well end up on my top songs list at year's end.  Stay tuned.

The National - Live at House of Blues, Dallas (Oct. 9, 2010)

I recently took in one of the best concerts of my life.  The National rolled through Dallas last Friday, and I'll never forget it.  This was just one of the many stops on this ridiculously massive tour, so some of the dialog and between-number shenanigans came off as contrived and corny.  I will gladly forgive these guys though because the treat they bestowed upon my ears is one that will stay with me for a long time.  Tight and polished, the band ripped through great song after great song in a set that ended far too early for this particular fan boy.  We got numbers from High Violet and Boxer obviously, and the multiple cuts from Alligator and Sad Songs for Dirty Lovers would have been a pleasant surprise had I not stalked out a few setlists the week prior.  Goosebumps and chills were standard features on this night, but the standout tracks for me were "Mistaken for Strangers," "England," "Squalor Victoria," "Afraid of Everyone," and a completely off-mic and acoustic sing-along of "Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks."

"I heard cuts by The Kinks on your speakers..."

My Kinks listening frequency has grown exponentially over the past year or so.  I admit it; I loved the song "Lola" growing up, and it was that song that drove me to ask my dad to rip me the greatest hits double-disc later in life.  Why did I wait so long?  Well, I had heard a few too many reports that this band was nothing better than a Beatles rip-off.  As my musical tastes grow and mature, I realize how false those accusations really were.

While The Kinks will never touch the Beatles in my musical hierarchy (no band will), I feel lucky that I have given this material a fair shake.  I went from never hearing a thing outside of the classic rock radio standards to developing a true admiration for quite a few albums.

As I often do, I started with what seems to be the most critically acclaimed, The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society.  I loved it from the first go round, and I ventured out from there.  Now, Something Else By The Kinks, Muswell Hillbillies, Arthur, and (of course) Lola Vs. Powerman and the Moneygoround are all given significant play time on my iPod.  As many have claimed, The Kinks are not known for being a strong "album band" (could have fooled me).  So, I still find time to rock the greatest hits compilations from time to time as well.

Morning Drive - October 1, 2010

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over the Sea

What a beautiful face
I have found in this place
That is circling all round the sun
What a beautiful dream
That could flash on the screen
In a blink of an eye and be gone from me
Soft and sweet
Let me hold it close and keep it here with me

And one day we will die
And our ashes will fly from the aeroplane over the sea
But for now we are young
Let us lay in the sun
And count every beautiful thing we can see
Love to be
In the arms of all I'm keeping here with me

Anna's ghost all around
Hear her voice as it's rolling and ringing through me
Soft and sweet
How the notes all bend and reach above the trees  

Now how I remember you
How I would push my fingers through
Your mouth to make those muscles move
That made your voice so smooth and sweet
And now we keep where we don't know
All secrets sleep in winter clothes
With one you loved so long ago
Now he don't even know his name

What a beautiful face
I have found in this place
That is circling all round the sun
And when we meet on a cloud
I'll be laughing out loud
I'll be laughing with everyone I see
Can't believe how strange it is to be anything at all

Morning Drive - September 29, 2010

I've been a huge fan of indie pop legends Belle and Sebastian for years now.  But just recently did I allow myself to explore their new millenium catalog.  1990's B&S has always been great music for any mood, and I will always hold those albums in the highest regard.  Now that I've spent some time with the newer, "shinier" records, I have come to appreciate the Scottish duo in a completely different capacity. 

The Life Pursuit consumed most of my drive this morning, and I loved every minute of it.  I am still caught slightly off guard by "Song for Sunshine" though; I'll admit.  It sounds like something that danced right out of an episode of The Electric Company.

Will we ever see another B&S offering that wears its Nick Drake influences on its sleeve?  It doesn't look that way.  But if they keep recording Kinks and early Billy Joel style tunes, I'll continue to listen.

First Impression: Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz

2010 has been a great year.  New releases from Arcade Fire, The National, The Tallest Man On Earth, Josh Ritter, Band Of Horses, New Pornographers and Jimmy Eat World have all hit the shelves (or virtual shelves) this year.  However, the artist that I've longed for new material from the most might just be Sufjan Stevens.

I won't go into the utter brilliance of 2005's Come On Feel the Illinoise! here, as I could write all day on that very subject.  Let's just say that it made a fan out of me.  And then, low and behold, Sufjan releases an EP (an hour long EP at that) and a full-length in 2010.  Pure joy.

The All Delighted People EP had a little bit to love for every Sufjan fan.  Long, sweeping epics bookend the more traditional examples of acoustic balladry that originally drew me to the man from Michigan.  Needless to say, this EP delivered the goods and had me even more excited for the soon to be released full-length The Age of Adz.

This is where this entry might get confusing, as I haven't quite wrapped my head around this work after just one measly listen.  No banjo?  Where are the organic ballads?  What's with all of this electronic glitchery?  There aren't even any geographical landmarks being discussed here.  Well, maybe one. 

Wow.  Well let me tell you what I do hear.  I hear some Kid A in here.  I hear my friends making fun of me for liking that there's some Kid A in here.  I hear some Flaming Lips.  I hear some stuff that sounds like it jumped out of an 8-bit NES cartridge.  I hear the Sufjan standard orchestral trills.  I hear some Prince-worthy guitar work.  I hear an album that is often beautiful and never boring. 

I thought it took me a while to embrace the intricacies of Illinoise.  Adz will probably take longer.  I will say, however, that getting past the fact that the folksy balladeer has traded in his weathered acoustic for cold dials, switches and keys is going to be easier than I anticipated.  Be sure to check back for the "Ten Spins Later" feature on this album.

Morning Drive - September 23, 2010

In Texas, you don't normally start feeling the cool crisp breezes of fall until well into October or even November.  On this particular morning, however, I could almost hear leaves crunching under foot as I listened to the most recent EP from The Tallest Man On Earth.  I can't quite put my finger on the reason as to why the acoustic (and in the case of one track here, electric!) strummings of Kristian Matsson seem to remind me of autumn.  The cover art even seems to depict a spring or summer setting.  Perhaps it is the organic and raw quality of the music.  As in his prior works, simple melodies along with vivid lyricism draw me in.  As usual, I feel like I should be wearing flannel or a hoodie.

Review: Jenny and Johnny - I'm Having Fun Now

August 31,2010

Warner Bros.

Rating:  6.8/10

Jenny Lewis, known mostly as the charismatic eye/ear candy songstress from Rilo Kiley, lends her versatile talents to a project simply titled "Jenny and Johnny."  The other half of this pop rock duo is Jenny's former touring buddy and current love interest, Jonathan Rice.

Rice supported Lewis on her 2009 Acid Tongue tour.  Bus rides, hotel downtime, and backstage jam sessions seemed to have supplied an ample slate for the creation of this rather enjoyable album.  Handily crafted pop tunes with Byrds-esque harmonies and surf's up style guitar melodies drive across a consistently pleasant plane that lasts just long enough to cover my morning commute (if I hit play after a fill-up at QT). 

For my tastes, I'd prefer a little more Jenny and a little less Johnny.  Their voices blend well though, and there is a tangible chemistry that comes across in the music.  Airy and accessible, there's not a lot here to break down any walls into unchartered musical playgrounds.  Taken for what it is though, no shame should be felt while singing along to the infectious "Big Wave" or the unshakeable "Just Like Zeus."

Fans of past works take caution.  There are no twins singing back-up here, and the partnership with the dude from Salute Your Shorts has been placed on indefinite haitus.  This Jenny is more Stevie, less Loretta.  Past moments of smokey solitude disappear as if someone cranked the windows down on a classic Mustang bound for the PCH.  As much as I would like to have seen Johnny in the backseat again, he's apparently called shotgun.  But hey, Jenny's happy and having fun now.  Who are we to judge?

http://www.jennyandjohnnymusic.com/
Jenny And Johnny on Facebook
Buy on Amazon

Welcome.

Completely new to the blog world, I intend to add a bit of flavor to your day through a series of music related tidbits.  Content will vary based on mood, season, and the time I have available to write.  I look forward to stomping out a few tracks into this previously blank canvas of snow.