Neil Young - Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (1969)
"Every time I think about back home, it's cool and breezy."
You're going to see plenty of Neil Young as this countdown slowly plods along, as he undoubtedly resides among the all-time greats within the Dogwood pantheon. Another common thread you'll find woven throughout this list is the frequent presence of tracks from essential albums that could be described as less essential individually. Yes, I know this album contains iconic rock songs like "Cinnamon Girl" and "Cowgirl In The Sand;" but for me, you can't top the rootsy folk of the title track.
It's simple, and it's timeless. The Horse sounds great without noodling you to death with their (admittedly impressive) jam skills. Who can't relate to "I think I'd like to go back home and take it easy?" Next time you're reeling from a hard day's work, escape the day to day running around and put on this classic.
"Tell him to jump higher. Tell him to jump farther. Make him measure up, decades longer than you."
Warning: hipster moment coming right at you. Long before Liz Phair was asking Top 40 listeners why she couldn't breathe without a certain someone, she recorded a punchy album full of angsty indie rockers. Yes, before she went mainstream and "sold out," she actually made some really good music. I almost hate myself for buying into the reverse hype so to speak, but this thing is just too damn good.
1993's Exile In Guyville still sounds unique and fresh to this day. The subject matter doesn't exactly lend itself to in-car spins with my daughter, but it sure makes for a great drunken late night headphones listen.
The standout track from this relatively large collection is the bittersweetly beautiful "Explain It To Me." I find the title somewhat ironic; because upon sharing my favorite song from this indie classic with others, I'm often asked to explain. Others seem to prefer the dirtier, more grungy tracks. And perhaps it's the position "Explain" holds within the track listing and the pretty contrast that it provides that warms my heart so.
As it is, I really can't explain why this tune is one of my favorites of all time. It's one of those unmistakable moments in music that simultaneously brings joy and sadness, and it does so with such profound authenticity. Overly simple and slightly mundane? Maybe. I'll play it forever though.
"That was your first mistake. You took your lucky break and broke it in two. Now what can be done for you? You broke it in two."
As you can imagine, this list will be scattered with more than its fair share of contributions from Liverpool's most lauded lads. Following one of history's most infamous break-ups, several members of the Beatles went on to create some of music's most memorable masterpieces. 1971's Ram is no exception; though its initial release elicited lukewarm reactions. "Too Many People" is also the first of many album openers to make the countdown.
It's no secret that Sir Paul was taking thinly veiled shots at Lennon in this song; he even mentioned in an interview that the line "too many people preaching practices" referred directly to John and Yoko. While the palpable tension bursting between each note makes for a compelling listen, it's not what endears the record to me so considerably.
Simply put, it's got all the warmth, character and melody of a Beatles song without it being a Beatles song. It contains a certain tangible familiarity while simultaneously expressing something that's just slightly off. No one else can deliver a vocal chord shredding shout followed immediately by a sweetly sung falsetto line quite like McCartney. Plus, the band plainly jams at the end.
I got roped into the Bloc Party craze a few years after its peak, but at one time this band was all the rage to the thick-rimmed glasses and cardigan sporting crowd. Although I'm not cool enough to say that I liked them before they got "big," I thoroughly enjoyed 2005's Silent Alarm and still do to this day.
While a good portion of that album is somewhat of an acquired taste, "This Modern Love" hit me from day one. It's not exactly a lyrical marvel, but that little guitar melody that hops in for the first time at 1:25 is simply too sweet to resist. It actually served as a proper ringtone at one point in time. As for the rest of the song, it's melodic enough to get anyone's attention and unique enough to keep them coming back. The intensity builds naturally all the way to the end and leaves you reflecting back on what you just witnessed; a nice little slice of stellar songwriting. Try it out as a nice pick-me-up on your next morning drive.
"Your head'll collapse if there's nothing in it, and you'll ask yourself..."
When I prefaced this list, I mentioned a severe lack of content from the 80's. Well, here we are with one of the three songs to make the countdown from the decade of my birth. I, along with most seven year-old's, knew nothing of the Pixies back in 1988. If I was listening to music, it was either something my parents had put on the stereo (Petty, Dylan, Dead, Be-at-lays, etc.), or I was jamming along to "Kokomo" with my school friends. At my very coolest, I might have thrown in a tape containing "Sweet Child o' Mine" or "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."
As I grew up and realized that this music thing may be evolving from a habit to an obsession, I followed the trail of critical acclaim to this influential and essential group. Having never seen "Fight Club" (still haven't), I happened upon this song more conventionally, in the middle of the album Surfer Rosa. Now, that record would eventually grow on me as a whole, but it was a little over my head the first time through. Not this track though.
Immediately gripping and incessantly catchy, it's become one of the most revisited tracks in the collection. It does not sound dated to this day, and it constantly amazes me that it came out in 1988. Take a listen to a game changer; a jam that was truly ahead of its time.
So I haven't posted anything in over a month. This is partially due to a transition into a new career and all of the stress that comes with such an undertaking. Truthfully though, I have been meticulously compiling a list of the Dogwood Bark's best songs of all time. If you are a music lover, take a moment to contemplate just how difficult it would be to narrow down your entire collection to just your hundred favorite.
Well I think I've got a list with which I can finally be satisfied, at least for now. Mind you, this is not your traditional "greatest of all time" list that lends itself heavily to influence, chart positions, sales, etc. Check Rolling Stone or VH1 for those countdowns (though I share many of their entries). I'd also like to point out that this particular index leans heavily towards the types of rock, folk, and pop genres that populate the majority of coverage here on the Dogwood Bark. While I will never discount their merits, you won't find Beethoven or Mozart here. Nor will you be able to locate any tunes from the countless, yet influential, artists from the R&B, jazz, soul, or hip hop categories. I completely understand the place that these legends hold in the landscape of popular music, they just don't happen to reside in the old proverbial wheelhouse.
As the narrowing down process began, I found myself adding every song that just had to be included, without keeping count. Well, I ended up with a preliminary pool of over 300 songs. After all of skimming, trimming, and slimming of the list was complete, I found the results to be about as I expected. The thing is littered with tracks from the 60's and 70's but severely lacks content from the 80's. The 90's are well represented obviously, and the new millennium has clearly been good to me as well.
Lastly, this collection has evolved and grown and will continue to remain organic until long after I've published it. There in lies part of the joy of creating such a thing. Just when you swear that that certain Van Morrison song is fine somewhere down in the 80's, you catch it on shuffle on an unseasonably cool morning with a lot on your mind and it skyrockets up into the 50's. With any luck, you'll hear something new that grabs you and doesn't let go. Those of you that track it over the upcoming months will assuredly revisit some old favorites as well. So I invite you to humor those of us that enjoy slaving over ordered lists, as ridiculous as we may seem. Stay tuned for the countdown.
Orange - Sixties
Green - Seventies
Yellow - Eighties
Red - Nineties
Gray - The Aughts
After releasing the underrated All Eternals Deck just last year, the Mountain Goats are back at it. Set to release in early October, Transcendental Youth becomes the next must-have item creeping down the assembly line in the toy factory of my life.Everything I've heard from Darnielle and company has been enjoyable, and I expect this to be no exception.
01 Amy aka Spent Gladiator 1 02 Lakeside View Apartments Suite 03 Cry for Judas 04 Harlem Roulette 05 White Cedar 06 Until I Am Whole 07 Night Light 08 The Diaz Brothers 09 Counterfeit Florida Plates 10 In Memory of Satan 11 Spent Gladiator 2 12 Transcendental Youth
The year's most exciting display of musical exhilaration may very well have been released earlier this summer from the Canadian duo, Japandroids. The perfectly titled Celebration Rock is about a half hours' worth of youthful exuberance and buoyant energy.
Let's be honest--there is no earth shattering originality on display here. And at first, it comes off as slightly more juvenile and bro-friendly than the stuff I usually enjoy. However, there's no denying or resisting the melodic bombast that screams and soars through every last bit of this record when simply taken and enjoyed at face value. Driven by unmistakably catchy bursts and shout-along "whoa-oh-oh" choruses, it doesn't take long before the mood of this album washes over you.
Recorded live with little to no overdubbing, the band effectively captures the atmosphere of the most kinetic concert experiences. It starts and ends with fireworks, of both the literal and figurative variety. Trust me when I tell you it's the best music you'll hear between colorful skyward explosions this week.
It feels like finally finding a Replacement for the Cheap Trick you used to pull on your old Boss. It sounds like an old episode of the three Stooges Clashing with Who knows what in some old house in a Gaslight district. It rocks like the appetite you try to destroy late at night in a futile effort to make yourself Hold Steady.
So find some people who enjoy your company as much as you enjoy theirs, and celebrate this week. Toast to something meaningful, and toast to something frivolous. Splash some bottles together and let the foam soak your fists. Throw this record on among a crowd of friends. Trust me when I say it won't serve as background music for long. Happy Fourth, everyone.
The third installment in the Penny Lane home movie series is now complete. Set to the Beatles classic, "Dear Prudence," it highlights months 4-6 in the life of Lainey Glaze.
The Gaslight Anthem are set to release their fourth LP entitled "Handwritten" on July 24. I've been reading reports of a more 90's alternative rock influenced sound, and the bonus tracks are to include both a Tom Petty and a Nirvana cover. I positively cannot wait for this record.
Track Listing 1) ''45'' 2) Handwritten 3) Here Comes My Man 4) Mulholland Drive 5) Keepsake 6) Too Much Blood 7) Howl 8) Biloxi Parish 9) Desire 10) Mae 11) National Anthem
Being revered as a female Fleet Foxes singing Joni Mitchell tunes, one could easily understand my immediate draw to the Swedish duo, First Aid Kit. Well, the descriptions being bestowed upon the throwback folk impressions of sisters Johanna and Klara are completely fitting. These songs are rustic and poetic, and they wouldn't sound out of place around a campfire at Woodstock. As a person who does not typically shy away from modern day hippie music, I can genuinely enjoy this album in moderation. Not taken in small doses, however, this flower child formula can begin to teeter on music exec board room banality.
All flaunting of innocence and incense aside, the music actually sounds pretty good in the right setting; sunny day drives through fields of wheat, for example. The credentials are legitimate too, as the girls have worked with Jack White (but who hasn't, really?) and the album was produced by Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes. It's also hard to ignore the obvious, albeit well merited, name-dropping of Gram Parsons, Emmylou Harris, etc. I will say that Conor Oberst's appearance on the final track serves as a sweet signature on a simple and summery set of songs. Check it out to add some airy and untroubled warmth to your day.
The next 12 Song Mix I'd like to present to you is inspired by the inauspicious storms that rolled across the country today. I hope that everyone has settled in safely despite the dicey nature of today's acts of Mother Nature.
Forgive me for the overly sensitive commentary, but some songs just sound better against a background of raindrops on a window pane. Many albums have suddenly clicked between the slides and scrapes of wiper blades. The atmosphere described here is not limited strictly to depressing ballads or mournful piano pieces. The mood of a raging monsoon or a violent wind ripping across the plain is just as frequently captured in popular music. Really, the songs that hit home on rainy days could fill a thousand of these lists.
Therefore, we'll start with a few of the more obvious choices. It wouldn't be the Bark without including some relatively obscure tracks as well. All subtlety aside, spin some of these the next time a timelier and more innocuous storm comes through (hopefully on a day off from work); it can be therapeutic.
1. Neil Young - See The Sky About To Rain
2. Sun Kil Moon - Grey Ice Water (Modest Mouse cover)
3. Grateful Dead - Box Of Rain
4. Fleetwood Mac - Storms
5. Nada Surf - Are You Lightning
6. The Beatles - Rain
7. Whiskeytown - Sit And Listen To The Rain
8. Bob Dylan - Shelter From The Storm
9. Jonsi - Tornado
10. Simon & Garfunkel - Flowers Never Bend With The Rainfall
Well, add this to the list of amazing releases slated for 2012. This will make a perfect soundtrack to my summer. Clear a spot in your top 10 lists, folks!
There's No Leaving Now (2012, Dead Oceans)
There’s No Leaving Now Tracklist: 1. To Just Grow Away 2. Revelation Blues 3. Leading Me Now 4. 1904 5. Bright Lanterns 6. There’s No Leaving Now 7. Wind and Walls 8. Little Brother 9. Criminals 10. On Every Page
Would love to get my hands on that Starman 7" and those Quadrophenia demos. Also, Paul McCartney, Regina Spektor, Ryan Adams, and The Clash! I bet that T. Rex classic sounds all kinds of warm and fuzzy on vinyl as well. Lastly, The Whole Love Deluxe Box Set. Great stuff, everyone.
Well, with 2012 feeling less and less like a new year, there has already been some great music worth discussing. First Aid Kit has given us a wonderful spring album. The Boss dropped his best record since the 80's. The world is being introduced to the charming pop sensibilities of Nate Ruess and the boys from Fun. However, all of that can be discussed later. For now, let's look back at the best songs from 2011.
Now, to avoid a list full of Wilco and Frank Turner songs, the "one song per artist" rule still applies. As usual, I am hesitant to include the videos. Quality speakers or headphones only, please. Volume turned up.
10. The Black Keys - Gold On The Ceiling
A raucous romp stomp of unadulterated rock and roll. There were other great tunes on this album, but this one was the first to shake me.
9. Seryn - We Will All Be Changed
Local Denton artists creating some of the best indie folk I heard last year, from any region.
8. Bon Iver - Perth
I wasn't going to include this album opener until I saw this live performance. Enjoy.
7. The Head & The Heart - Down In The Valley
Although this was technically released in 2010, I first witnessed its brilliance on KXT in 2011.
6. Iron & Wine - Godless Brother In Love
It sounds churchy on the surface, but it reveals more with subsequent listens. This is easily the prettiest melody on this list.
5. Manchester Orchestra - April Fool
This song saved that album from being a total disaster. When it comes to the art of thrusting your listeners into full on rock-out mode, this one was unrivaled in 2011...well, almost.
4. The Decemberists - Don't Carry It All
Another album opener, this thing served as my sunny song on many rainy days. Great feel to it. So raise a glass to turnings of the season.
3. Frank Turner - If I Ever Stray
I toiled over this decision for quite a while because there are at least two other tracks from England Keep My Bones that I enjoyed just as much as this one. Slight edge goes to a fantastic song.
2. Wilco - Art Of Almost
This could really be ranked as "1A," because really there was no better song to come out of last year. I seriously could have flipped a coin to decide the top 2, but I did the next best thing; looked at play count on iTunes.
A wise man once pointed out to me that this song requires a bit of an investment to get through when it comes on. It is almost 8 minutes long. However, the journey it takes you on is rewarding and invigorating. Churning along in Radiohead style ambiance, you're drawn in throughout the subtly melodic front half. Then, it's like someone in the studio flipped a switch, the guys remembered that they're Wilco, and decided to immediately and thoroughly kick your ass through your speakers. Enough said.
1. Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues
It's beautiful and it's haunting. It reverberates the soul and raises hairs. It produces a different type of sonic experience that will leave you coming back time and time again. Fleet Foxes didn't release the best album of 2011, but they did bestow upon us the best song. If it doesn't resonate with you after one listen based on the hype I just fed you, try it again. It won't be long before you find yourself seeking it out frequently.
The best radio station in north Texas recently held a video/sound clip contest asking listeners to share why they love 91.7 KXT. Well, for me there are many reasons. But the resounding characteristic that endears me so fervently to this listener supported independent station is quite simply the music. I hear classics from some of my all-time favorite artists such as Dylan, Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, the Zombies, Simon & Garfunkel, Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, Floyd, Zeppelin, and the Beatles mixed in seamlessly with some of the more relatively unknown (yet equally cherished) indie acts like Wilco, the Pixies, Iron & Wine, the Decemberists, the Shins and the Gaslight Anthem. To top off an already stellar mix, KXT frequently throws in great tunes from local artists such as Midlake, Seryn, Air Review, etc.
I used to tell people that some of the best music in the world is stuff you'd never hear on the radio. KXT has me rethinking that statement. Here is the winning clip:
Annual "best of" lists are a staple in nearly every music blogger's repertoire. I don't know what it is, but some people just enjoy making lists. Compartmentalizing and ranking art can be an exhaustive task for many. For me, it just presents another opportunity to discuss the largest department in my toy store of life.
Being that it's almost February, it may seem a bit superfluous to write about music from 2011. However, the thoughts brought forth on this little site would be swallowed up in the sea of charts and lists blasted across the interwebs between November and December. Therefore, I present them to you now.
Who am I kidding? We had a kid. Someday she'll view the lack of blog posts over the past month as a compliment.
On to the music. As my recent tastes have dictated, you'll see a lot of folky-indie-rock type tuneage on the meat of the top 10. These two honorable mentions, however, appear here for their uncanny ability to remind me of some of the alternative heroes of decades past. The Joy Formidable and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart impressed critics in 2011 mainly with the onslaught of effect pedal driven shoegaze that comprises large chunks of their recent albums. For me, they bring the androgynous and epic-scale rock of the Pumpkins in their prime and the energy of the most accessibly raucous Sonic Youth. While these songs may not have the staying power of the glorious anthems that are to fill the rest of the list, they hit the spot in a very different and very real capacity. Turn it up.
