Popdose: Top of the First: Popdose’s Music Picks for 2009 (So Far)
GrayFlannelSuit
· 4 months ago
My top 5 in no particular order:
1. St. Vincent, Actor 2. Eleni Mandell, Artificial Fire\ 3. Doves, Kingdom of Rust 4. Wilco, Wilco (The Album) 5. Queensrÿche, American Soldier
kshane
· 4 months ago
The Wilco album appeared after I made my list, but I would have included it.
Russ
· 4 months ago
<i.Freshening up her Americana-pop sound (calling it country would be misleading,)
Wouldn;t calling it Americana be even more misleading? It's Canadiana, isn't it?
DwDunphy
· 4 months ago
Actually, no. Case is an American (Alexandria, Virginia to be precise) who went expat for a few years.
Only a true stalkerazzi like myself would know that though, so you're in the clear for your assumptions.
kingofgrief
· 4 months ago
Best of '09 to my ears so far: Super Furry Animals, Dark Days/Light Years. I haven't given much attention to the new releases I've gotten this year, but the Furries remind me of their greatness every time I throw it on. DD/LY, Rings Around the World and Hey Venus! are all strong candidates for my top 20 of the decade.
Kingdom of Rust takes 2nd-place honors, a stellar improvement over the recycled Some Cities.
There are some great tunes on that Tinted Windows album but it doesn't hang well as a whole. I'd see them live if they popped into Houston. I vote for a co-headliner with America featuring cuts from the Schlesinger/Iha-produced Here & Now.
I've had the promo .zip file for that St. Vincent album since the week it came out; I heard the first single and wasn't impressed enough to venture further. But it's tempting me.
Jerry
· 4 months ago
I'm glad you shared the PSB track. I'm just enough of a fan/sucker to have bought the deluxe package - and for that song alone, it was worth every penny. The b-sides are all on iTunes and also worth checking out if you haven't.
I really like that Hours song, too.
I'll have to give Tinted Windows another listen. The whole thing seemed a little repetitive to me when I first checked it out.
Thanks for the other recommendations. I now have a list of stuff to check out.
jhallCORE
· 4 months ago
Rob,
You've got the RPM Slices format down pat. Congrats! :)
I'm intrigued by the Miranda Lee Richards and Great Lake Swimmers recommendations, and stunned by the Kelly Clarkson nod (huh?). Chuckled at the Coldplay diss.
In regard to the Giles recommendations, I've heard good things about the new DMB release and will take the plunge. I'll check out the Mos Def disc. Heard the True Magic release was a half-hearted contractual obligation so I'll disregard that as a blip on the radar.
Thanks for the recommendation highlights.
EightE1
· 4 months ago
RPM Slices ... Jesus, Hall, you know how to hurt a guy. I hope you see old DL Depeche Mode reviews in your dreams tonight, pal.
And yes, Kelly Clarkson. Give it a try -- we can all use a little product in our lives. I'll bet if she changed her name to a symbol, you'd be totally down with it.
The rest of you, please excuse Hall and I as we slap-fight, much as we have for the last 18 or 19 years or so.
jhallCORE
· 4 months ago
Rob,
All in good fun man. Surprised you didn't have Dylan's album in your list. I know the bar is high as you are a longtime Dylan fan. With the exception of track two (which emphasizes Dylan's voice, never a good idea), Together Through Life is one of my fave albums so far so this year.
EightE1
· 4 months ago
Of course it's in good fun. It's only rock and roll, but we like it. Yes we do.
The Dylan is indeed a decent record, but it just hasn't moved me like the last couple. I probably need to give it another spin or two.
You should definitely check out the Miranda Lee Richards, though -- no question you'll dig that.
Eric S.
· 4 months ago
Got to agree with Dw. Tinted Windows is the only fun album I've heard this year. Lightweight, but catchy as hell.
I like some of the Metric I've heard, especially "Help I'm Alive", but not enough to invest in the entire album.
autodidact
· 4 months ago
I'm glad the Leonard Cohen Live album made the cut here. No arguments on that.
I just may track down that Steve Martin album too. I started out playing music on a banjo my grandpa bought me.
For the life of me I cannot see what you Dylanoids find noteworthy in Bob's latest. Not that there's anything wrong in that. At least Cohen still has a voice left to use. Bob's singing has devolved now to an implement of torture. It sounds like his vocal chords are held together with Scotch tape and baling wire. The musical arrangements are pretty monotonous. Yes, the style changes from one song to the next, but the chord progressions are simple and repetitive. The band jams along for five minutes each song, while Bob attempts to sing. I find little brilliance in the lyrics, either. I can't say that the lyrics are terrible, but to me it sounds like Bob isn't even trying. No doubt there is some "deeper meaning," but I don't know where to buy the secret decoder ring. Just another view. Sorry.
MichaelFortes
· 4 months ago
My take is this: a strong appreciation of Chess-era blues = a strong love of Dylan's past 10 years' worth of work. You're right, a lot of what he produces lately is repetitive and his voice is not quite an instrument of beauty on the level of a McCartney or even a Cohen. But then, you could say the same about Howlin' Wolf, and Howlin' Wolf was the shit. Basically, what I hear in Dylan is a guy who has stopped worrying about being "Bob Dylan" and is simply reveling in the music he loves (old-time blues, folk and rock n' roll), commenting on the state of the world today in his own clever ways, and loving that he now sounds like what was trying to be when he was young -- an old man. That sense of comfort with himself and his own music, and his dark sense of humor, is something I really connect with. I'll consider myself lucky if I ever make it to that point when I'm in my 60s.
autodidact
· 4 months ago
Well, I did kind of like Modern Times. I guess the new one is a bridge too far for me. Voices don't have to be pretty. I like John Prine. I like Randy Newman. But when it comes to the blues, I guess Joe Williams or B.B. King is more my style. I did like Dylan better when he had more of a "statement" to make. Even his latest Rolling Stone interview seemed to me just a lot of dancing, compared to some of his past interviews which had, for me, quite a few memorable quotes. But, I guess it still sells, so what do I know?
How to
· 4 months ago
There are some great tunes on that Tinted Windows album but it doesn't hang well as a whole.
David Ragland
· 4 months ago
I'm surprised that Phoenix was nowhere to be found on these lists . . .
JohnHughes
· 4 months ago
That's 'cause I didn't write one up in time! ;)
CarlosRamirez
· 4 months ago
Only 24 seconds of the PSB song downloaded for me :(
DavidMedsker
· 4 months ago
The full song is definitely there. Maybe refresh and try again?
DwDunphy
· 4 months ago
Download the file again without deleting the old one. When your computer asks if you want to overwrite, click Yes. WordPress has been difficult with this for awhile but this step usually gets you over the hurdle, not only for the one but for subsequent downloads as well.
All Comments
1. St. Vincent, Actor
2. Eleni Mandell, Artificial Fire\
3. Doves, Kingdom of Rust
4. Wilco, Wilco (The Album)
5. Queensrÿche, American Soldier
Wouldn;t calling it Americana be even more misleading? It's Canadiana, isn't it?
Only a true stalkerazzi like myself would know that though, so you're in the clear for your assumptions.
Kingdom of Rust takes 2nd-place honors, a stellar improvement over the recycled Some Cities.
There are some great tunes on that Tinted Windows album but it doesn't hang well as a whole. I'd see them live if they popped into Houston. I vote for a co-headliner with America featuring cuts from the Schlesinger/Iha-produced Here & Now.
I've had the promo .zip file for that St. Vincent album since the week it came out; I heard the first single and wasn't impressed enough to venture further. But it's tempting me.
I really like that Hours song, too.
I'll have to give Tinted Windows another listen. The whole thing seemed a little repetitive to me when I first checked it out.
Thanks for the other recommendations. I now have a list of stuff to check out.
You've got the RPM Slices format down pat. Congrats! :)
I'm intrigued by the Miranda Lee Richards and Great Lake Swimmers recommendations, and stunned by the Kelly Clarkson nod (huh?). Chuckled at the Coldplay diss.
In regard to the Giles recommendations, I've heard good things about the new DMB release and will take the plunge. I'll check out the Mos Def disc. Heard the True Magic release was a half-hearted contractual obligation so I'll disregard that as a blip on the radar.
Thanks for the recommendation highlights.
And yes, Kelly Clarkson. Give it a try -- we can all use a little product in our lives. I'll bet if she changed her name to a symbol, you'd be totally down with it.
The rest of you, please excuse Hall and I as we slap-fight, much as we have for the last 18 or 19 years or so.
All in good fun man. Surprised you didn't have Dylan's album in your list. I know the bar is high as you are a longtime Dylan fan. With the exception of track two (which emphasizes Dylan's voice, never a good idea), Together Through Life is one of my fave albums so far so this year.
The Dylan is indeed a decent record, but it just hasn't moved me like the last couple. I probably need to give it another spin or two.
You should definitely check out the Miranda Lee Richards, though -- no question you'll dig that.
I like some of the Metric I've heard, especially "Help I'm Alive", but not enough to invest in the entire album.
I just may track down that Steve Martin album too. I started out playing music on a banjo my grandpa bought me.
For the life of me I cannot see what you Dylanoids find noteworthy in Bob's latest. Not that there's anything wrong in that. At least Cohen still has a voice left to use. Bob's singing has devolved now to an implement of torture. It sounds like his vocal chords are held together with Scotch tape and baling wire. The musical arrangements are pretty monotonous. Yes, the style changes from one song to the next, but the chord progressions are simple and repetitive. The band jams along for five minutes each song, while Bob attempts to sing. I find little brilliance in the lyrics, either. I can't say that the lyrics are terrible, but to me it sounds like Bob isn't even trying. No doubt there is some "deeper meaning," but I don't know where to buy the secret decoder ring. Just another view. Sorry.
http://radiomagnetic.com/main-features/smirnoff...