Top 10 CDs 2014

Spoon– They Want My Soul

The miraculous happened in 2014. Not only did Spoon release a new CD, some four years after their last release, but I got to see them do it live, and not just a YouTube video or a rerun of their Austin City Limits performance, but I physically sat/stood in front of them at the Pageant as they tore through everything I have ever wanted to hear them do live. They were one of the bands still on the will-travel-for list because I had never seen them before. They did not disappoint. While this is a Top Ten CD list, those that have been reading my yearly list, know that a band’s ability to pull it off live factors into my rankings. This live performance probably pushed Spoon into the 10^th spot. 2014 was ripe with great releases. There were so many albums that spent time on this list, but when I sat down to decide on the final 10, the infectious grooves of “Inside Out,” “Knock Knock Knock,” and “Outlier” paired with the haunting atmospherics hidden throughout They Want My Soul and the strength of their live show edged out the others.  

Coldplay – Ghost Stories

When I review past Top 10s and this one, I am a bit surprised by how many "big" bands made it on my 2014 list. Not that I shy away from loving popular music, but it doesn’t always appeal to me. Whatever it is that makes it palatable for the masses tends to turn me off, but Coldplay has managed to defy that. With the exception of X&Y and Viva La Vida, they have always hit me where it counts. I supposed that is the strength of sincere music. From the first notes of Ghost Stories I was smitten: nice down beats that keep the body as interested as the ears; a renewed exploration of synthesizers; and the same calming vocals that have had us swooning for years. Of the CDs on the list, Ghost Stories probably got played more than any other CD when the lights got turned off. It just provides the perfect tapestry from which to hang your dreams.   

Damien Rice – My Favourite Faded Fantasy

This list was all but finalized when my world was rocked. Damien Rice was dropping new music. DAMIEN. RICE. Eight years after 9. Eight long, sad years. And there he was. As soon as I heard the news, I knew someone was getting bumped (apologies to Warpaint). I cannot help it. I love him. While I cling to my Italian heritage like a joey clings to his mother, there is a quadrant of Irish in me that comes out when I open my mouth to sing and draws me to the likes of Damien Rice and Glen Hansard. I feel the words they sing, and that means everything to me. My Favourite Faded Fantasy features everything we’ve come to love from Rice: explosive and unexpected instrumentation, powerful vocals, accessible lyrics, and an instant connection, like he is speaking to every listener, directly. Of the eight songs, only one is under 5 minutes; one is 9:33, one is 8:09, and two are over 6 minutes. As a singer/songwriter on the other side of incessant reviews complaining about the length of my songs, I fully respect that he stuck it out and snubbed radio. Yep, not going to get a lot of the airplay that is reserved for A.D.D. stories clocking in at 210 seconds, but he doesn’t give a shit, and neither do I. 

Ed Sheeran – X

I am as surprised as anyone to see this on here. I mean this dude is UBER popular. He is probably responsible for every Prom mistake made in 2014 and will no doubt cause 67% of all virginities lost, but I cannot stop listening to his music. While juvenile on the surface with tales of drinking and smoking out, there is a soul there that is pure and wants to be protected…a soul that wants to fall in love. There are some throwaways on this disc, the bumpy dance numbers that reek of club perfume and spilt lemon drops, but there are also some gems: “One,” “I’m a Mess,” “Photograph,” “Tenerife Sea,” “Thinking Out Loud,” and “Even My Dad Does Sometimes” are worth the price of the full length. Of the CDs on the list, X got the most play in my car. It’s just a great feel-good disc, tons of grooves to jam out to and plenty of earnest lyrics to get your brain spinning and your heart hurting. 

Amy Ray – Goodnight Tender

There are a few things that come with being a singer/songwriter, particularly one that performs solo and acoustic: 1) If you are anywhere near a tenor, you will be compared to Tracy Chapman, and they don’t give a fuck that she is a girl. 2) People will tell you that you sound like James Taylor, even though your smoky howl sounds nothing like the pristine perfect pitch that James offers. 3) You will learn to love the Indigo Girls because they are the best at doing what it is that you want to do. Amy Ray, the husky-voiced half of the duo dropped the best damn country album that Nashville will never play because they have completely lost touch with what country really is, favoring rap with a pedal steel or some other bastardization of the genre. Goodnight Tender is good from start to finish. It has the best pedal steel phrases; features a host of guest musicians; offers fantastic harmonies; and is filled with great stories.  

                                                  

Counting Crows – Somewhere Under Waterland

Probably the most underrated album on the list. It was released with minimal fanfare. If I wasn’t following the Counting Crows on social media, I may have never known it was released, but good God is it good. In my opinion, it is their best work since This Desert Life. The instrumentation highlights the strength of their ensemble. The guitar tones are some of the best I have heard recorded. David, David, and Dan are as legit as any guitarists out there, but they don’t look for the spotlight. They understand the power of the unit. They are a band, and while media will always point to Adam as the face, they should not be separated; Adam needs Charlie as much as Charlie needs Adam, etc. In addition to the music, Somewhere Under Waterland is strengthened by some of Adam’s best storytelling. He is turning great phrases and painting pictures for the world to see behind eyelid shutters. “Palisades Park,” the opening track, is my probably my favorite, but I don’t think there are any throwaways. Every track is solid.   

You+Me– Rose Ave.

 When two powerhouses merge it’s either going to be a clusterfuck or its going to be amazing. You+Me falls on the amazing end of the spectrum. While I would have liked for the disc to be less rushed, for Alecia and Dallas to really flush out some of the lyrics, to expand on the sound, the atmosphere created underneath the words, and replace Alecia’s trills with something more thoughtful, the harmonies cannot be denied and make me forget my want list. Despite the kind of shallow appeal of a few of the tunes, there are some incredibly strong songs on Rose Ave. “You and Me” is a complete song, something that feels fully vetted, and I love that they carried the harmonies throughout the track. “Gently” also resonates with me, and “Break the Cycle” has the anthemic, self-help appeal to it. But the strongest track, “Open Door,” spent days on rotation in my bed room, in my car, and at my office. As someone that hasn’t lived near his parents for the majority of his life, it hit home.

Sarah Jaffe – Don’t Disconnect

We might as well forgo 2 and 3 and replace them with 2.5 and 2.5. I love both discs for the same reasons, and they feature my two favorite songs of the year. “Don’t Disconnect” is stark and haunting. Sarah creates this space that leaves you feeling alone, just as the lyrics cry out, “Do you still feel me.” When you journey through her catalog, you remember that this is a singer/songwriter, a girl and her guitar, but she has been pushing boundaries and redefining what it means to be a singer/songwriter in the electro-pop era. “Slow Pour” is another track that gets under your skin and forces your body to sway, as if you were holding an invisible lover. Don’t Disconnect provides a nice balance of up and down-tempo. It is thoughtful and explorative. 

Priscilla Ahn – This is Where We Are

Same tune different name. Much like Jaffe, Ahn is a girl and her guitar that has been pushing the boundaries of electro-pop with strong lyrical content and the musical sensibilities of a solo musician. She is able to feed the listener tiny bites of music filled with space and still leaves them feeling satiated, but on This is Where We Are she shows she can serve up a very detailed landscape of musical textures sending her listeners away feeling Thanksgiving-full. She embraces dynamics and not just volume swells; she understands how to build a composition. In contrast to the majority of This is Where We Are “Remember When I Broke Your Heart” is nothing but a droning guitar, piano, harmonies – luscious, luscious, harmonies – and the best lyrics of the year:

It was a gray sky on a Monday
There was nothing more I could say
So I called you from Ohio in a parking lot of a motel
I remember how you greeted me
Like you knew we were not meant to be
On this phone call after two years of the fighting of the mad tears

After all that we've been through all the damages I bestowed on you
All the jealousies you engraved in me
The end was near it had to be
So I called you from Ohio in a parking lot of a motel
To say nothing and yet everything I remember I was trembling

Now I'm drinking to forget you spend your money get a tattoo
Stayed a week end up in Oregon bought a plane ride to an island
But I stopped first in Toronto met a man who almost let me go
Four years later he married me I am happier than I dreamed I'd be
So you see I had to let you go in a phone call from Ohio
Filled with silence and apologies still I loved you as you loved me

Water Liars – Water Liars

Having the Water Liars at #1 was a pretty simple decision because this was the album that I would want to make. I love the three piece sensibility, allowing each instrument to breathe, to have a distinct voice, to not clutter the middle with fifteen different versions of the same line of music. Justin continues to drop golden lyrics that have me wishing I had written them, such as “on the dirty brown river of heroin shivers” from “Sawnnanoa” or "When I left her house, it was snowin’ out and her taste was in my mouth, but who cares” and his guitar tone is the stuff of my dreams. I wish every drummer would listen to the Water Liars, so they would understand how powerful minimalism can be. Andrew Bryant is the perfect drummer. While I am definitely a fan of their first two duo releases, I have to admit I like what GR Robinson adds to the recording. It’s nice to have that solid bass line to keep things tightly tied together.  I won’t give you a favorite track because they are all good.

The review is over; now, go buy some music and thank me later.

Top 10 CDs of 2011

2012 is finally upon us. Finally may not be the correct word. For me 2011 was a flash of light, but I am thrilled to have a good selection of music to help me remember the year. Now, I have the difficult task of picking my Top Ten Albums of 2011.

Before I get into it, a few caveats:

Like last year, I am only ranking albums that I actually purchased. As you get into this list, you may see some names that you do not recognize. It is important to remember that I go to A LOT of concerts, as a result I have the opportunity to see some bands that are just starting out, doing regional touring, playing Thursday sets to 25 people, and struggling to get to the next destination. If the band is good, I always buy the CD. Also, as much as I want to be completely objective, I know I am not. Where I struggle the most is when an artist has multiple CDs. It seems somewhat impossible for me to judge the recent one without reflecting on the older CDs. In some cases that hurt an artist’s place in the Top Ten, in some cases it prevented them from even making the Top Ten, but in the case of my top pick, it helped them secure the Best Album of 2011.

To be honest this list was somewhat of a surprise to me and seemed to be ever changing as the year progressed. Unlike last year, when I got into December and started trying to remember all the CDs I bought, this year I kept a spreadsheet that I added CDs to as I purchased them, and after a week in the car, I would loosely assign a rank. What surprised me is how some CDs that I thought were going to be top contenders in January or February ended up not even making the list. A few things that were significant factors were how much play time an album got, what I would have done differently if I had recorded the CD, standout songs, vocals, lyrics, did I get to see them live, and how did they do. I understand the last should absolutely not be a factor when ranking Albums, but damn it if you cannot do it live, then your CD means less to me. Also, I did not rank EPs. EPs tend to piss me off because they leave me feeling unfulfilled. That being said, if you are going to buy one from 2011, it should be Far From the Tree by Peach. It was refreshingly raw and powerful. Lastly, I am confident that had I been able to see the Pistol Annies live, Hell on Heels would have made this list.

#10 Old Soul – Stevie & the Hi-StaXX

Of all the CDs on this list, I feel I was the most unfair to Old Soul by Stevie & the Hi-StaXX. Had it been from any other artist it could have been a top 5 contender. The lyrics are intelligent and powerful. Stevie’s voice is clear, controlled, and emotive, and while definitely paying homage to the soul of old, musically, the CD sounds like a modern interpretation, as opposed to a copy cat. So why did it end up at #10? My favorite CD of all time is Armaghetto which is from Stevie Harris’ first band, Conglomerate. I know I shouldn’t be comparing his first band to his current project, but I cannot help it. Conglomerate was Stevie. This CD is Stevie. I cannot separate the two. Where “Old Soul” falls short for me is Stevie’s reliance on falsetto. I know where the influences are coming from, and why he made the stylist change, but that doesn’t mean I have to embrace it. The reality is Steve Harris has the biggest voice I have ever heard, and I feel shortchanged when he takes a line to falsetto as opposed to powering it up there. I know this makes it seem like I am placing him in a box, that I am not respecting his artistic freedom, but Armaghetto had such a profound effect on me. It was the first CD that made me realize there was amazing music outside of the confines of the shit radio had been spoon feeding me, and that is hard to escape. “Where” is the closest Stevie comes to the in-your-face Heavy Soul that changed my life.

#9 When You Grow Up – Priscilla Ahn

When looking at this list Priscilla Ahn must seem the most out of place. Everything else appears to be so dark, and even in her darkest moments, her beautiful round tone and playful instrumentation ends up making the song seem light and hopeful, and this album is definitely more sunshine and roses than her debut release, A Good Day. Although there is more love than longing on When You Grow Up, the CD is well produced, the lyrics are thoughtful and sincere, and Priscilla’s voice is the perfection of purity. What helped Priscilla fight her way into the top ten was an absolutely incredible performance during a disgustingly under-attended show at the Old Rock House and possibly my second favorite song of the year, “I Don’t Have Time to be In Love.” As someone that spends way too much time at work, has a really robust social life, and is still chasing the dream of music, I definitely relate to this song. It is so easy to deny love because we are too busy for it, but when it is real, we will make the time.

#8 Barton Hollow – The Civil Wars

There is no question that I love soulful music, the more I want to cry when focusing on your words, the tone of your voice, the pain in your chord structure, the more I love your song. It is also no secret that I am a sucker for harmonies. As a choir kid, it is something I will never escape. When I hear them my ears perk-up like a cat stalking the scratching sounds of a mouse from 2 rooms away. Barton Hollow offers both in a stripped down recording that has become the friend I turn to when I am wallowing in a dark funk. That being said, I feel like I need to apologize to the John Paul White and Joy Williams for this placement. Had I made this list when the CD first came out, it probably would have been in the Top 5, but I overplayed it. That, coupled with my complete obsession with their 2009 release, Live at Eddie’s Attic, caused this CD to lose some position in my Top 10 list. Barton Hollow does feature my favorite song of 2011, “Poison and Wine.” What I loved about this recording is they didn’t over produce it. Studio albums are always going to have more layers than a live album, but they stayed pretty true to the live version on this recording, and I respect that, that they understand how powerful the song is, that they realize that adding to can often detract. I’d also like to say that the Civil Wars were probably my second favorite show of the year, and I will be seeing them again in January.

#7 Strange Negotiations – David Bazan

As a longtime fan of Pedro the Lion I was elated that David Bazan put out a new CD. Of my top ten, Strange Negotiations is, instrumentally, the most exciting to my ears. That probably just confused some of you, as it is possibly the least complex, but I love the tension that sparseness manifests. I love the tones David and company create throughout the recording, the thick fuzzed bass, the droning guitars with natural tube overdrive, the well placed atmospherics, and, in general, I am more drawn to down-tempo tunes than up-tempo rockers. This CD is full of thinkers. You put it in on a nice long drive and lose yourself in the stories. Lyrically, it is raw, honest, reflective, and personal. He opens his mind to us, allows us to witness his creation, feel his pains, and attempt to understand his existential dilemma. If there was a fault to this CD it might be that it is so personal, as a result some may struggle to internalize the connection to it. As for a standout track, I am going to go with “Wolves at the Door.” They are all really strong, but this is just such a great introduction to the CD. You instantly know that Bazan is back and going to treat you to an amazing recording.

#6 Wilderness – The Features

I had the pleasure of opening for the Features this year at Cicero’s, and it was one of the highlights of my musical career. They are amazing, and they proved it on 2011’s Wilderness. Some Kind of Salvation was the kind of disc that you wear out which made me kind of worried about Wilderness. How could it be that good? It is that good by being that different. While Matt Pelham’s vocals are still a focal point for me, this CD is rougher around the edges. It is like that seedy little hole in the wall that you cannot help but love. It forces you to move rather than just listen. It takes music from being purely auditory and cerebral and makes you have a physical relationship with it. I am actually listening to the CD right now and struggling to find something critical to say. The only thing I came up with was the keys. At times their voicing is a little too churchy or 80’s for me. I think I would have preferred a more dirty Rhodes or thick B-3 sound. Standout track, “Big Mama Gonna Whip Us Good.” How do you not love a song with a title like that?

#5 Death and Other Forms of Relaxation – Union Tree Review

Of the Top 10 this may be the hardest for me to write because of my connection to them. After all we shared a band member for two years which ultimately broke-up my band. I have seen UTR so many times that I really wasn’t sure what to expect from this CD. They have a history of becoming too liberal with their consumption before a gig which can lead to clusterfuck of sorts, but when they are on, they are incredible. So which Union Tree Review was going to show up on the disc…the disc that they self-produced and recorded in an apartment? The incredible one. It is important to note that had Tawaine Noah (lead singer and songwriter) dropped a solo disc with just him and the guitar, it probably would have made the Top 10. He is an old soul with a modern pen. His lyrics are personal yet accessible, heartfelt and hopeful. That being said, the more I listened to this CD the more my ears were drawn to Jordan’s guitar and Matt’s well placed drumming. I am also obsessed with Patrick’s harmonies. That being said this CD is not free from fault, none are really, and this is more a matter of taste then error, but I feel like the viola, trumpet, and two guitars end up crowding the middle. Rather than having tonal and pitch differentiation they tend to sit in the same register which muddies the builds. I am torn between three songs as my top pick, “Interstate” and “Parties” both mesmerize me, but for the opening line “Your coffee is bitter like I, at least it’s got an excuse. Like you it’s cold and taste like scotch,” my pick goes to “Facing Fools.”

#4 Running from a Gamble – Company of the Thieves

Where do I begin with Company of Thieves? I am about to be accused of blaspheme, just remember when I explained that this blog is about my opinion and though I try to be objective, I cannot always be. To me the pairing of Walloch and Schatz is up there with Page and Plant or DeLeo and Weiland. Yes. I just said that. Marc Walloch is an amazing guitarist. He understands the roots of the instrument, but rather than show up with a slew of vintage gear in an attempt to recreate what once was, tonally he pushes the boundaries of what the guitar can be without sacrificing its guitarness. If you do not know that name, it is probably because Genevieve Schatz has such a powerful presence that she kind of becomes the band. Her voice is unmatched, soaring and soulful. I have seen them four times in the last 18 months, and have always left feeling inspired. Let’s talk Running from a Gamble. We are getting into the territory where the current album is not only equal to previous releases, it surpasses them. I absolutely love Ordinary Riches, but I do not think it did justice to the songwriting duo that is Walloch and Schatz. It was kind of the Genevieve show, which is a great show; however, on Running from a Gamble Marc’s guitar grabs you by the jaw, spins your ear towards his amp, and demands that you listen to him. If you do, you will be glad you did. Similarly, I think the band as a whole showed themselves as a powerful force of rock, soul, and groove. Eitan Bernstein’s keys are thick and tasteful, and the rhythm section of drummer Chris Faller and bassist Marcin Sulewski, is one of the best you will find in any band, tight, prominent but not overpowering. This was the first CD where I knew, immediately, what my favorite track was. Sonically “Gorgeous/Grotesque” strums every chord of this rockers heart. Its dynamic shifts give it breath and energy, and the builds make we want to kick shit over, turn my amp to 11, light it on fire, and watch it burn while I play my guitar with a ferocity that would frighten children.

#3 Ashes and Fire – Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams is back. I should probably just stop there. I mean how do I write about one of my biggest influences? If you are a fan of Ryan Adams, you probably know he is amazingly prolific and has never confined himself to a particular genre. If you are a fan, you also probably have a favorite period of Ryan Adams, whether it was with Whiskeytown, his first 3 solo CDs, the meanderings through rock and indie rock with Rock-N-Roll and Love is Hell, or his work with the Cardinals. Well, for me, his first 3 CDs are untouchable, and Ashes and Fire, takes a circular move back to the beginning. The lyrics are sensitive and sincere. They paint breathtaking images and impel you to feel, if only for the 3 minutes that they wash over you. The instrumentation is sparse but layered with enough variance to keep the ears excited during a first to last listen. His voice is tender and pure. It is the kind of CD that when you put it on you immediately want to pop a cork, light a candle, and hold someone you love. It was really hard for me to pick a favorite song, so I’ll claim the bookends. “Dirty Rain” and “I Love You But I Don’t Know What To Say.” Both will melt you.

#2 Beekeepers – My Molly

Unless you have never read any of my Blogs, my Twitter, or my Facebook, you should have seen this coming. I have been gushing about My Molly for three years now, and when they released Beekeepers, I dropped a review. Rather than rehashing the blog, I’ll just let you read it, remind you that I love this CD and tell you to do yourself a favor and purchase it. By total plays, production, vocals, lyrics, and ability to do it live, this CD definitely deserved placement in the Top Ten, and the back to back heart melting combination of “Fission and Fusion” and “Tie Me to the Mast (a Sirens Song)” helped secure it as the 2^nd best CD of 2011.

#1 Little Hell – City and Colour

Where to start with this album…where to start? First I should say I love everything Dallas Green has done under the guise of City and Colour, and while having multiple albums may have negatively impacted others, it helped this CD. In truth, if I were completely objective, this CD would have still been my #1 regardless of past work, but, for me, City and Colour keeps getting better. The rich instrumentation and layers on this CD create the tension and release that I love in music. The well placed pedal steel on various tracks makes my ears happy, Dallas has the most amazing voice since Jeff Buckley, and more importantly, he proves it during his live performances. City and Colours’ show at the Pageant this year, was definitely my #1 concert going experience of 2011. Yeah. I said that. I meant that, and I stand by that. There are so many breathtaking songs on this CD, it is next to impossible to pick a favorite, but I am going to go with “Sorrowing Man.” The lyrics are powerful and speak to me. I love the dirty resonance and controlled drive of the rhythm section, not over powering or fighting for dominance but definitely driving the song. Please do yourself a favor and buy this CD. You will be glad you did. Your lover will be glad you did. Your neighbors will be glad you did. Your co-workers will thank you.

And there we have MY Top Ten of 2011. I am sure for many of you there are CDs that you feel deserved a spot on this list, and I would love to hear about them, so please feel free to comment with your Top Ten of 2011.