Monday, January 08, 2007

Bedroom Bossa Band [download]
Lullatone
Plays Pajama Pop Pour Vous



This is the best album in the world to fall asleep to (I proved it last night shortly after purchasing it on iTunes). Its keyboards and synth and toy instruments playing mini-pop melodies with the whispered singing of a young Japanese woman, sometimes in Japanese, sometimes in broken English. All around its very beautiful and very enjoyable. Nothing you'd want to listen to on a run or when stuck in traffic (although it might calm your road rage), but perfect late night/early morning music for solitude, or perhaps sitting around and reading the paper on a lazy Sunday.

Friday, January 05, 2007




TOP 5 ALBUMS
1) It's a Bright and Guilty World---THE MINDERS
2) The Body, the Blood, the Machine---THE THERMALS
3) Parallel Plots---PATIENCE PLEASE
4) Fewer Moving Parts---DAVID BAZAN
5) Skelliconnection---CHAD VAN GAALEN

TOP 10 SONGS
1) Don't You Stop----THE MINDERS
2) Returning to the Fold-----THE THERMALS
3) Alala-----CSS
4) Conventional Wisdom----BUILT TO SPILL
5) Benton Harbor Blues----THE FIERY FURNACES
6) If Your Poison Gets You----FRANK BLACK
7) The Velveteen Rabbit-------PATIENCE PLEASE
8) Nosebleeders on the Track----THE FAINTEST IDEAS
9) Fewer Broken Pieces---DAVID BAZAN
10) Suzy Jones-----THE MANHATTAN LOVE SUICIDES

Thursday, January 04, 2007

Best of 2006

Top 5 albums:
in absolute firm order never to be changed again
1. TV on the Radio - Return to Cookie Mountain
2. Micah P. Hinson - Micah P. Hinson and the Opera Circuit
3. Califone - Roots and Crowns
4. Bruce Springsteen - We Shall Overcome (the Pete Seeger Sessions)
5. Two Gallants - What the Bell Tolls

Top 10 Songs (limited to one per artist):
1. Province - TV on the Radio
2. This Harness Can't Ride Anything - Chin Up, Chin Up
3. Leading Guy - Micah P. Hinson
4. Black Flowers - Yo La Tengo
5. The Orchids - Califone
6. Chips A'hoy - The Hold Steady
7. Last Cans of Paint - Boat
8. Las Cruces Jail - Two Gallants
9. Old Dan Tucker - Bruce Springsteen
10. Cha Cha Cha - The Little Ones

Best Chicago Performances of 2006:
1. Gil Mantera's Party Dream at the Hideout
2. Micah P. Hinson at Schubas
3. Califone - numerous shows

Best Bridge of 2006:
Chips A'hoy - The Hold Steady

Most Ridiculously Self-Indulgent Build to Start a Song, and album for that matter, but damn it rocks:
Goin' Against Your Mind - Built to Spill

Monday, January 01, 2007

Top 15 Tracks of 2006

In alphabetical order:

Black Flowers - Yo La Tengo
Damn Girl - Justin Timberlake
Gray or Blue - Jaymay
I Was a Lover - TV on the Radio
If Looks Could Kill - Camera Obscura
Lift Me Up - Saturday Looks Good To Me
Little Red Dot - Eef Barzelay
Man O' War - Eric Bachmann
Mr. Tough - Yo La Tengo
Our Kitten Sees Ghosts - Califone
Parade of Punk Rock T-Shirts - Maritime
Province - TV on the Radio
St. Augustine - Band of Horses
Stadiums and Shrines II - Sunset Rubdown
The Orchid - Califone

Saturday, December 30, 2006

Top Albums of 2006

Roughly ordered by current preferences:

Roots & Crowns - Califone
Return to Cookie Mountain - TV on the Radio
We, The Vehicles - Maritime
To The Races - Eric Bachmann
I Am Not Afraid of You and I Will Beat Your Ass - Yo La Tengo

Saturday, December 16, 2006

Damn Girl
Justin Timberlake
FutureSex/LoveSounds



That's it...with this song I'm no longer ashamed to say that I really like a lot of Justin Timberlake songs. Yes, he may totally rip off Charles Wright and the 103rd Street Watts Band at one point, but it only makes the song better. This song is exactly what we wished Steve & The Gerrys could have been. It's worth the $.99 at iTunes, either that or Soulseek this bitch...Or wait for my best of the year mix, because it will certainly be on it.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Michigan State - Devendra Banhart - Oh Me Oh My... The Way the Day Goes By The Sun Is Setting Dogs Are Dreaming Lovesongs of the Christmas Spirit



As much as that dirty hippie jamfest at Pitchfork turned me away from Devendra, I still gotta say that this album has some of the most beautifully crafted songs I've heard.