MOG - kellywatchthestars's Posts

Top 10 Albums of 2007

kellywatchthestars — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 21:23:00 GMT

Here's my picks for the top 10 albums of 2007 for you to agree/disagree with at your leisure. Selections were chosen using a secret formula based on an album's "objective goodness," originality, number of times listened to, and...who am I kidding, I just wrote down the first 10 I could remember.

In no particular order:

1. Okkervil River/The Stage Names 2. Menomena/Friend and Foe 3. Band of Horses/Cease to Begin 4. Of Montreal/Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? 5. Tegan & Sara/The Con 6. The National/Boxer 7. Jens Lekman/Night Falls Over Kortedala 8. Stars/In Our Bedroom After the War 9. Iron & Wine/The Shepherd's Dog 10. The Honeydrips/Here Comes the Future

I feel a little conflicted about this list. With one notable exception (the Honeydrips), there are no surprises here - these are all albums by already-proclaimed favorites of mine. Although I heard plenty of new acts in 2007, none of their albums really spoke to me like these did. Maybe I'm just getting old...

Happy New Year!

PDX Pop Now! 2007 Compilation Track Listing Announced

kellywatchthestars — Thu, 24 May 2007 19:37:16 GMT

As if you needed any more evidence that Portland's music scene is on fire, PDX Pop Now! have just released the track listing for their latest (and possibly greatest) compilation featuring some of Portland's finest. Now in its fourth year, the 2007 PDX Pop Now! two-disc set is their most diverse compilation yet, offering a nice mix of acts that are well-known (the Decemberists), on-the-verge (the Shaky Hands), and up-and-coming (the Hugs). And despite the "pop" in the title, almost every kind of genre is represented, from metal (Black Elk) to jazz (Evolutionary Jass Band) to klezmer (Klezmocracy) to hip-hop (Ohmega Watts).

Here's the track listing:

DISC 1 01 Swim Swam Swum – "Without Your French" 02 Lips and Ribs – "Battle in Nagoya" 03 Modernstate – "SSMF" 04 Menomena – "Wet and Rusting" 05 Syndel – "Lemme Hear It" 06 World Court – "Maps" 07 The Hand That Bleeds – "Shattered Love Trance" 08 The Ocean Floor – "A Simple Adventure" 09 Laura Gibson – "Come by Storm" 10 Mirah and Spectratone International – "Community" 11 Evolutionary Jass Band – "Phyllis’ Frindge" 12 Old Time Relijun – "The Tightest Cage" 13 Black Elk – "Toss You to the Wolves" 14 Ethan Rose – "Ceiling Song 3 (Excerpt)" 15 Lifesavas – "No Surprise" 16 Alela Diane – "Up North" 17 YACHT – "See a Penny (Pick it Up)" 18 Starfucker – "Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second" 19 Colin Meloy (of The Decemberists) – "Culling of the Fold"

DISC 2 01 Junkface – "ATAMAKATAHIZAASHI" 02 Kristin Hersh – "Blackstone" 03 Sweater! – "Mediterranean" 04 Panther – "How Well Can You Swim?" 05 Ohmega Watts – "4 Days in Geneva" 06 Run On Sentence – "Carrie Pt. II" 07 Exploding Hearts – "(Making) Teenage Faces" 08 Derby – "If Ever There’s a Reason" 09 The Hugs – "North" 10 Eric John Kaiser – "L’Odyssee" 11 Ferocious Eagle – "Bastards" 12 The Better to See You With – "Garden" 13 Hungry Mob – "To the People" 14 Klezmocracy – "Hava Netze B’machol" 15 Wilding & AED – "Broken Branches" 16 The Robot Ate Me – "Empty Feelings" 17 Alan Singley – "Never Knew" 18 Nice Boys – "Johnny Guitar" 19 31Knots – "Sanctify" 20 White Rainbow – "Mystic Prism" 21 The Shaky Hands – "Soul"

The compilation will be available from CDBaby (or at your favorite local record store if you're lucky enough to live in Portland) starting Tuesday, June 19. For those of you who just can't wait, I've included a track from the comp from Starfucker, one of my favorite acts from the up-and-coming category.

But wait, there's more! PDX Pop Now! is also a three-day music festival featuring 50 Portland bands. This year's festival is scheduled for August 3-5 at AudioCinema, and for the first time one of the event's two stages will be outdoors. So if you're planning a trip to the Pacific Northwest, early August might be a good time. The lineup should be finalized in the next month or so. Check PDX Pop Now!'s website for updates.

Aretha: Are You Hiring?

kellywatchthestars — Sun, 06 May 2007 00:23:41 GMT

A friend once told me that I make Aretha Franklin faces when I sing. I guess that means I got some soul, or at the very least I have mastered the art of moving my neck with attitude.

I really dig Aretha Franklin. I mean, Jesus, she's the freakin' Queen of Soul. But whenever I put on an Aretha classic like "I Say a Little Prayer" or "Think," I find myself singing along not with the diva herself, but with the supporting vocalists. I fantasize about wearing matching blue slinky sequined dresses and flawlessly executing synchronized dance moves with my fellow back-up singers. (Okay, and flaunting a stiff bouffant hair-do as well.) Although I'll gladly sing them all, if I had to choose just one Aretha song to accompany my delusions of back-up singer grandeur, it would be "I Take What I Want."

I think it's because the call-and-answer style vocals commonly employed in Aretha's gospel-influenced songs are so inexplicably appealing to me. It's one of a few of my musical magic buttons - techniques that always seem to "get me." Others include the strategically-placed dramatic pause (an excellent example of this is contained within Ben Folds' "Gone") and well-crafted harmony (which explains my obsession with Weird Al's polkas). I have no idea why I find these things so satisfying; they just never fail to put a smile on my face. Perhaps other MOGgers have such weaknesses?

Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King

kellywatchthestars — Thu, 03 May 2007 04:57:51 GMT

It's been over a week since I've seen "Half Japanese: The Band That Would Be King." I was hoping a little distance might offer a more positive perspective. Being an admirer of Half Japanese, I wanted to like this documentary, really I did, but I found it frustrating and disappointing.

For the benefit of the uninitiated, Half Japanese is one of the pioneers of punk. The band was started by Jad and David Fair, who one day decided to pick up instruments they had no idea how to play and make music. Their sound is commonly described as a combination of the Velvet Underground's minimalism and Jonathan Richman's naivete.

The problem lies with the movie's approach. It's like this billboard I pass on the drive up to Seattle - it always has some over-the-top right wing message on it, so that at first you think it's ironic, but slowly come to the realization that it actually might be serious.

Besides the Fair brothers, the documentary features a handful of key interviewees, including Jad and David Fair's parents, Penn Jillette (of Penn & Teller fame), Maureen "Moe" Tucker (drummer for Velvet Underground), and some random music journalist/record producer types.

The film does contain some funny anecdotes (most notably Penn Jillette's account of how he used his earnings from Miami Vice to produce some of Half Japanese's records) and interesting live performances, but the majority of the film is just people yapping about how Half Japanese is the best band ever but never really explaining why, and making outrageous claims like the Beatles and the Stones only wish they made albums as good as Charmed Life.

I've scoured the internet for reviews of the movie, hoping to shed some light on what must surely be a deficiency on my part to understand the film's essence. Unfortunately, these reviews are no help. They are written by people who regurgitate the unapologetic praise for the band displayed in the movie, who obviously don't know what they're talking about (referring to "Jad" as "Jed"), and/or who think the documentary is a big joke about an imaginary band.

Being ironic is all well and good, but the point of this movie was not to poke fun at Half Japanese. It's genuinely trying to tell the story of an underground legend. And I think by taking this "mockumentary" angle, they did the band a real disservice. I came away knowing little about Half-Japanese and why they deserve a place in rock and roll history, and no appreciation for the do-it-yourself ethic. What a shame.

Polka Your Eyes Out

kellywatchthestars — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 04:44:22 GMT

Weird Al Yankovic. The man is a comedic and musical genius.

I have never been apologetic about my love for Weird Al. I own every single one of his albums, and have seen him four times in concert (five after this September!). I get nostalgic for the days of "Al TV" and think UHF is one of the funniest movies ever made. I guess you can say I'm a bit of a fan.

After nearly thirty years of delivering hits like "Eat It," "Amish Paradise," and "White & Nerdy," we have all come to recognize Weird Al as the undisputed king of parodies. But his satirical talents extend well beyond this medium.

Almost every Weird Al album includes a polka - a vehicle to showcase his mad accordion skills, no doubt. With few exceptions, each polka follows the same formula: snippets of popular (and often annoying) songs of the day are strung together into a seamless knee-slappin', arm-swingin' good time.

Although each polka has its moments, "Polka Power!" from 1999's Running With Scissors ranks up there as one of my all-time favorites. It's worth a listen, if just for the hilarious transition from Third Eye Blind to Marilyn Manson to Hanson.

And I can't help but think the recent proliferation of mash-ups owe much to Weird Al's pioneering polka medleys.

If You Haven't Heard of the Old Ceremony, You're Missing Out

kellywatchthestars — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 04:46:17 GMT

The Old Ceremony is a band like no other. Although they self-describe themselves as "pop-noir," when asked myself to define their sound, I falter. How do you characterize a band that incorporates elements of pop, rock, funk, jazz, and folk...pairs the familiar drums, bass, and guitar with piano, vibes, cello, and violin...and counts Paul McCartney, Tom Waits, Randy Newman, and Frank Sinatra among their eclectic influences? I guess the answer is: you don't.

Why this band is still under the radar is a mystery to me. The music is innovative and catchy, the lyrics dark and clever. Their excellent sophomore album, Our One Mistake, (as well as their self-titled debut) is well-worth checking out. It even earned a spot on Paste Magazine's Top 100 albums of 2006 list.

The Old Ceremony - who take their name from the 1974 Leonard Cohen album New Skin for the Old Ceremony - not only have an incredibly unique sound, but are also among the most talented live performers I have ever seen. I was first introduced to them in 2005 at a friend's house concert. The showmanship that this band demonstrated - in a cramped basement club, mind you - was unbelievable. The band has charisma to spare, especially frontman Django Haskins, who engages the audience with such charm that you feel like you're part of the show rather than just an observer.

The magic of that first Old Ceremony show was so strong, I was afraid that the second time I saw them would somehow desecrate that initial experience. But even after the third and fourth time, the music has the same effect. These are songs that speak to you, that give a voice to your deepest, darkest secrets - like the song "Reservations" - as well as your more light-hearted musings - like "Radio Religion" and "Papers in Order."

Although this is no substitution for seeing them live, I found a little clip on YouTube to share - a rollicking rendition of "Papers in Order" (wait 'til you hear the guitar solo!). Since they call Chapel Hill their home, the Old Ceremony mostly sticks to the East coast, but they do venture westward from time to time. I highly recommend you check them out if you have the opportunity. I have always left Old Ceremony shows with a satisfied smile, and you can't ask for much more than that.

Official website MySpace

My Contribution to Hip Hop Thursday

kellywatchthestars — Fri, 20 Apr 2007 02:43:25 GMT

I recently uncovered an old audio cassette in which I am apparently trying, in vain, to record the Fat Boys' "Wipeout" off MTV. That's right, I was using my totally awesome lavender Panasonic boombox to tape songs off the television. It sounds archaic now, but for those of you who didn't grow up in the 80s, just take my word for it when I say I was one innovative sixth grader.

The tape is rather amusing, considering that in addition to taping "Wipeout" I am also recording everything else going on in the background. Highlights include my mom yelling "turn that thing down!," the dog barking, and - my personal favorite - my older brother deliberately sabotaging my efforts by singing along in his Peter Brady teenage warble as I quietly shriek "shut up!" He even makes a valiant attempt at the beatboxing bit.

Although it's not as funny as my personal tape-recorded version, I found the video on YouTube. I am amazed at how much of it I can recite from memory - right down to the intro with Ray "Boom Boom" Mancini and Hector "Macho" Camacho.

It also really warms my heart when two completely different types of artists - in this case the hip hoppin' Fat Boys and the surf rockin' Beach Boys - come together and find some common ground...and have a little fun.

Enjoy!

I Have Heard the Future and It Sounds Like Portland - Vol. 2 Laura Gibson

kellywatchthestars — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 22:51:11 GMT

Ever since Laura Gibson's If You Come to Greet Me found its way onto my iPod last fall, I listen to it at least once a week. There's something about Ms. Gibsons's breezy voice that keeps me coming back. She sounds like a needle gliding over the contours of a slightly-warped record from the 1930s, popping in unusual but pleasant places....or a slow-burning, crackling fire that thaws your cold bones.

The lyrics are also a strong point, one of my favorite lines being "I forgot how light reflects on water" on the opening track "This is Not the End." For me, this sets the mood for the rest of the album. Before you know it you'll be wrapped up in Gibson's daydreams, and you'll find yourself slowing down to notice simple, everyday things you usually take for granted.

As for the accompaniment, it's minimal, mostly a combination of guitar, banjo, piano, strings, trumpet, and found sounds. Never too little or too much - it just makes a pretty thing even prettier.

MySpace Official Website Hush Records

I Have Heard the Future and It Sounds Like Portland - Vol. 1 The Shaky Hands

kellywatchthestars — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:04:36 GMT

I've been an official Portlander now for six months. Having spent the majority of that time cramming the music of my newly adopted hometown into my head, I feel ready....and obligated...to share some local favorites.

And so it begins. The first installment of many Portland MOG posts to come.

If Conor Oberst did jangle pop, it might sound a little like the Shaky Hands. According to their label, Holocene Music, "the Shaky Hands make the kind of catchy, soulful indie rock that’s tailor-made for brokedown car stereos and river-rat boomboxes." I couldn't agree more. It's the kind of music reminiscent of those early teenage summers - first loves, sunshine, freshly mowed lawns, and endless possibilities.

I've listened to their self-titled debut a few times now, and it's proving difficult to pick out favorites - always a good sign of a solid album. Right now, they fall into two categories: songs like "Sleepless" and "Sunburns" that make me want to sit on the edge of the lake and splash my feet to the beat, and those like "Why and How Come" that make me want to spin around in dizzy circles until I collapse.

The Shaky Hands - "Why and How Come"

MySpace Official Website - coming soon Holocene Music

Can't Say Enough About Cloud Cult

kellywatchthestars — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 23:54:42 GMT

One band I cannot plug enough is Minnesota’s Cloud Cult. The music is just amazing - thumping drumbeats, haunting strings, driving guitars, and front man Craig Minowa’s impassioned vocals merge seamlessly into infectious tunes that defy both categorization and comparisons.

Although the lyrics explore heavy topics like the meaning of life, death, and loss, the overall mood is one of hope. In fact, at first you may find Minowa’s words a little too earnest, a little too heartfelt. But this is the kind of optimism that arises out of desperation, when you’ve reached the point where you have to keep telling yourself everything is going to be alright just to get through the day.

And there is a compelling backstory that might help explain not only the lyrics, but also the prevalence of clinky pianos, music box-like chimes, and children’s voices on many of Cloud Cult’s tracks. In 2002, Minowa and his wife lost their two-year-old son Kaidin, who mysteriously passed away in his sleep one night. The couple, overcome by this tragedy, split up. Minowa poured this devastation into his music, and it shows. The words almost don’t matter. You can tell what he’s saying just by listening to the emotion in his voice. (You’ll be happy to know that Minowa and his wife, Connie, have since reunited.)

I also have immense respect for Cloud Cult for their unparalleled commitment to the environment. On their last tour, the band outfitted their van with solar panels, planted an acre of trees to offset their carbon emissions, and purchased wind energy credits to power their stage performances.

But that’s not all. Cloud Cult’s record label, Earthology, is located on an organic farm that operates on geothermal and wind energy. Its recording studio was built with recycled materials like plastic lumber and newspaper soundboards. Even the CDs are environmentally friendly. They feature reused jewel cases and are wrapped in nontoxic LDPE plastic wrap. Inserts are printed on 100 percent post-consumer recycled paper with soy inks. To top things off, Earthology is a nonprofit label, using its revenue to promote environmental causes.

So go buy their new album The Meaning of 8 and see them on tour. You'll get great music and help the environment. Eat your heart out, Bono.

Official Website: www.cloudcult.com
Earthology: www.earthology.net
MySpace: www.myspace.com/cloudcult

It's All About Me

kellywatchthestars — Sat, 03 Mar 2007 18:52:08 GMT

All rejoice, for it is my birthday. And what does every girl want for her birthday, and everyday, really? Songs about her. Here are my favorite Kelly-themed songs. Got any to add? (Irish drinking songs don't count!)

Air - "Kelly, Watch the Stars!"

Van She - "Kelly"

Tapes 'n Tapes - "Insistor"

Happy Birthday, George

kellywatchthestars — Sun, 25 Feb 2007 02:01:04 GMT

Although I love each of the Beatles, I can't deny that I have a favorite. In honor of what would be his 64th birthday,* I will spend the entire day listening exclusively to my favorite Beatle - George Harrison’s – catalog.

While I don’t expect you to commemorate George’s birthday with the same fervor, I’d like to ask you to take a moment to remember an often underrated legend. Listen to your favorite George song or album, watch an old video clip, or simply read a little about him. To help you out, here’s five facts about the Beatles’ lead guitarist:

1. All Things Must Pass was the first album by an ex-Beatle to hit number one (in both the U.S. and Great Britain). Similarly, the single "My Sweet Lord" was the first post-Beatles song to top the charts. All Things Must Pass, George's most critically acclaimed solo effort, is also considered by many to be the best solo album by any of the Fab Four.

2. In addition to his affinity for the sitar, Harrison was also a ukulele enthusiast. It's rumored that he always traveled with two ukuleles, so he could jam with a friend. His posthumous album, Brainwashed, prominently featured this instrument - most notably on the track "Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea."

3. George's masterpiece "Something" is the second most-covered Beatles song. Frank Sinatra referred to it as the greatest love song ever written. Although ol' blue eyes mistakenly attributed it to Lennon/McCartney...

4. Harrison dabbled in film production. His company HandMade Films produced Monty Python's The Life of Brian. He even had a cameo!

5. Perhaps the most important part of George's legacy, however, is his historic role in organizing the first major benefit concert, the Concert for Bangladesh, in 1971. Not only did the concert raise millions for flood- and war-ravaged Bangladesh, but it also paved the way for future benefit concerts such as Band Aid, Live Aid, Farm Aid, and Live 8.

Thanks for everything, George, and happy birthday...wherever you are.

George Harrison - Crackerbox Palace

*Disclaimer: There’s been some contention as to George’s actual date of birth. The story goes that after believing February 25th was his birthday all his life, he learned in 1992 that he was actually born around 11:50 pm on the 24th. However, George’s birthday is generally still recognized on the 25th (it has never been confirmed which date is correct).

Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes Shows Us His "Stuff"...Literally

kellywatchthestars — Fri, 23 Feb 2007 15:29:30 GMT

Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes NAKED! Pitchfork briefly changes name to Pornfork Pitchfork February 22, 2007

Oh my. You never know what might happen at an Of Montreal show these days. Random cover songs, costume changes, stage props, audience confrontations...full-frontal nudity?

Pitchfork reader Ian Foley attended Of Montreal's show at the Art Bar in Las Vegas on February 13. According to Foley, "They played gay and straight porn on a monitor in the back of the stage and [frontman Kevin] Barnes sang naked for at least a half-dozen songs."

Foley was kind enough to supply us with photos of the, um, momentous event.

You'll have to clink on the link to the story to view the pictures, because my MOG is rated PG-13.

This just in!

Of Montreal's Kevin Barnes Explains Nudity He was just trying to bring about world peace, see Pitchfork February 23, 2007

So, Kevin Barnes of Of Montreal. Why'd ya do it? Why'd ya go and strip naked (except for fishnet stockings and a red cummerbund, of course) on stage in Las Vegas last week?

Well, according to an interview with Dan Moore that aired on WITR, the Rochester Institute of Technology's college radio station, on February 20, he was just trying to get us all to free our minds. (Our asses would, presumably, follow).

Barnes said, "I always wanted to perform naked...it's kind of my concept, to bring world peace to the Earth if everyone had to stand naked in front of their peers once a month. I think it's good because it forces you to sort of come to terms with any sort of body issues that you might have and it sort of like cleanses your emotional palette.

"A lot of people get this anxiety that's like 'I was naked in front of an audience!' and stuff, but I think it's kind of cool for people to be able to face that without going to jail. That's the thing, too, I had to pick Vegas because that's the only 21+ venue we're playing on this whole tour, and I didn't want to become a sex offender, because that would be pretty dreadful."

Viva Voce at the Crystal Ballroom

kellywatchthestars — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 12:14:39 GMT

Although I enjoyed Viva Voce's Get Yr Blood Sucked Out so much that it made my top albums of 2006 list, I had not seen them live until last night. Blew. Me. Away. They filled Portland's Crystal Ballroom with a sound so big and rich that I could've sworn there were ten musicians up on stage. Who knew two people could make so much noise?

Partners in both music and marriage, duo Kevin and Anita Robinson won over my ears and my heart. Anita has a delightful breathy voice that also manages to be loud and crisp - somewhat like Mary Timony, only with better enunciation. Not to mention her guitar prowess - that girl can rock with the best of them. And Kevin has one of those irresistibly charming stage personas. Plus, I can't think of anyone else I've seen that plays two instruments...at the same at time.

Kevin came out on stage to perform the first song of the encore with the Shins. Before the song, he did the heavy metal drumstick twirl, then whipped out a cowbell and started wailing on it. I mean, he owned that thing. As he continued to wail on the cowbell, he started simultaneously headbanging and doing the pony. I can't even remember what song it was. Kevin was that fantastically distracting.

Oh yeah, did I mention Viva Voce are supporting some little indie band called the Shins on their current tour? (The Shins were pretty good, too.)

Gore Announces Climate-Change Concerts

kellywatchthestars — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 15:53:37 GMT

Al Gore (ex-future president of the United States) and Kevin Wall (of Live8 fame) have just announced Live Earth, a series of benefit concerts to raise awareness about global warming. The concerts officially kick off Gore's new campaign - Save Our Selves, or SOS - which hopes to create a mass movement to combat climate change.

Live Earth, which will take place on 07/07/07, will bring together more than 150 musicians for 24 hours of music from seven concerts across all seven continents - including Antarctica! Reportedly on-board are Melissa Etheridge, the Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Sheryl Crow, John Mayer, Duran Duran, Korn, the Black Eyed Peas, Akon, Enrique Iglesias, Faith Hill, and Tim McGraw.

I, for one, am all for the marriage between music and the environment. Perhaps even more exciting than the concerts themselves is Live Earth's partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). For those of you unfamilar with the USGBC, it's the creator of LEED - the national standard for rating green buildings. Buildings are awarded Certified, Silver, Gold, or Platinum status depending on the number of measures they meet in five categories: sustainable site development, water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection, and indoor environmental quality.

Live Earth and the USGBC are developing similar guidelines for the Live Earth concerts, which will hopefully serve as a model for future concerts and other live events. There is even talk about developing a formal LEED-approved certification process for entertainment venues.

Some of Live Earth's environmentally preferable practices will include:

Powering all shows with electricity from renewable sources.

Encourag

ing concessionaires to use agricultural/biodegradable plastics and minimize waste through a comprehensive recycling system.

Retrofitting venue offices, walkways, etc. with compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs where possible.

Following sustainable light design principles. For example, production lighting will include the use of LED light bulbs and production/artist trailers will incorporate low impact technology in areas such as air conditioning units.

Offsetting SOS staff and artist air travel through carbon credits.

Using hybrids or other clean fuels for ground travel where possible.

Directing hotels to change light bulbs to CFLs, use nontoxic cleaning products, and have recycling containers present in the rooms.

Cool.

You Should Be Listening To This

kellywatchthestars — Thu, 25 Jan 2007 22:30:07 GMT

Seriously.

First Great Album of 2007

kellywatchthestars — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 03:46:17 GMT

I hereby declare Menomena's Friend and Foe the first masterpiece of 2007. The album itself is hard to describe. The only thing I can think to say is that each song feels like it's neatly contained in its own well-crafted package while simultaneously spilling outside the lines. In other words, you can appreciate the songs as polished pop gems or you can let your ear wander and try to peel away the layers. There's a lot going on here. The build-up is so intense in some places that it mimics the feeling of having a panic attack.

The official release date isn't until January 23, but you can stream it for free here. I can't stop listening to it!

The Obligatory Top 10 Albums of 2006 List

kellywatchthestars — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 00:45:47 GMT

I don't know about you, but composing this year's list of top 10 albums has proven more difficult than usual. There were a lot of solid albums released in 2006, but few stellar ones. I think this is illustrated by the fact that people's end-of-year lists don't overlap all that much - friends and music critics alike. So with that in mind, here are my top 10 albums of 2006 (in no particular order):

1. Joanna Newsom Ys 2. Viva Voce Get Yr Blood Sucked Out 3. Band of Horses Everything All The Time 4. The Decemberists The Crane Wife 5. Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins Rabbit Fur Coat 6. M. Ward Post-War 7. Tapes 'n Tapes The Loon 8. The Essex Green Cannibal Sea 9. Built to Spill You In Reverse 10. Peter Bjorn and John Writer's Block

Jethro Tull Revival?

kellywatchthestars — Wed, 20 Dec 2006 20:09:26 GMT

Did I miss something? Is Jethro Tull suddenly cool? I have heard Ian Anderson & company at two coffeehouses, at a pizza joint, and on a contemporary (i.e. not "oldies") radio station over the past few weeks. I’m baffled.

Colin Meloy, do you and your Decemberists have anything to do with this? After all, The Crane Wife is a bit on the prog rock side. “The Island” trio in particular is very Aqualung meets Dark Side of the Moon meets Band on the Run. Or perhaps I should point fingers at Joanna Newsom for bringing unlikey instruments into the limelight once again.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not (entirely) anti-prog rock or opposed to instruments outside the guitar, bass, and drums formula. I’m just really surprised that Jethro Tull is making a comeback with the hipster set. I thought Tull was kinda nerdy. Like in a Dungeons & Dragons sorta way. But maybe it’s cool to be uncool.