Thursday, December 30, 2004
Top 37 of 2004: Part III
Here are the next five in my list. I suspect that this will be the last installment posted in 2004, as tomorrow at this time, I expect to be happily inebriated, bopping my head to the delightful sounds of Carolyn Mark.
27. Devendra Banhart: Rejoicing in the Hand
Stylistically, everything I said about Nino Rojo is true for this record, which is not surprising since songs from both were recorded during the same session. But maybe it’s because I heard Rejoicing in the Hand first (probably), or maybe it’s the luck of the draw – I just happen to like this particular collection of songs better. Staunchly anachronistic and decidedly different from his contemporaries, Devendra is weird in the coolest ways.
26. The Decemberists: The Tain
One of the most literate bands today takes it one step further by loosely adapting an Irish epic into a one-track, five-part song cycle/EP, forgoing whimsical art-pop in favour of all-out prog-rock. Wow. That premise is fraught with danger, but the Decemberists pull it off with flying colours. Lyrically poetic as always, ringleader Colin Meloy name-checks Charlemagne (but not Cuchulainn) and forces me to look up the meaning of “samovar.” As a change of pace, drummer Rachel Blumberg takes lead vocals during part four to fantastic results. These guys continue to amaze me. I can’t wait until their next album, Picaresque, comes out in March (or, you know, when it’s leaked, hehe).
25. Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose
Declaring your love for old-school country a la Cash is an easy way of earning indie capital, and liking this album seems as original as wearing trucker hats. Still, I’m going to join the chorus and say that this is a damn fine album. In spirit, this is country the way country music used to be – unpolished, human, and twangy. Loretta sings her heart out, and you can physically feel every word she sings, something that Faith Hill could never hope to emulate. Ironically, the authentic country sound you hear on the album comes by way of indie superhero Jack White and his knob-twisting, bringing indie lo-fi production to Loretta’s gritty southern sensibility. That an old Nashville legend needs outside help to bring out the scene’s roots truly shows just how far downhill mainstream country music today has gone.
24. Sufjan Stevens: Seven Swans
It takes balls to take an instrument like the banjo and make it the musical centre of your album. Doubly brave is when you accompany your banjo-plucking with decidedly religious lyrics and unleash the finished product on a crowd of music hipsters. Sufjan Stevens did precisely that with Seven Swans, a folk album with an unabashedly Christian theme. No matter how cynical about religion you are, Sufjan’s beautiful melodies and delightfully simple instrumentation will win you over. “The Transfiguration” is an absolute wonder, easily one of my favourite songs of the year. Had I discovered this record earlier, it could’ve ended up much higher. But for now, here it is, 24 with a bullet.
23. Mindy Smith - One Moment More
Straddling the line between country and AC-folk-pop, understated hottie Mindy Smith has put together a collection of thoughtful and slick-sounding songs on her debut album. Vocally, she brings to mind Patty Griffin and Tift Merritt, two names I have feeling you’ll hear more of in the next few days. On One Moment More, Mindy sounds poised – almost restrained – even during touching/heartbreaking moments like the chorus of the title track, a plea to her dying mother for “just one moment more.” This type of maturity echoes throughout the album, allowing her songs to speak for themselves instead of making them sound affected and melodramatic. I don’t know if I should credit her or her producer for that, but either way, it’s thoroughly impressive on a debut record. I can’t wait to hear what she does next!
NP: Smoosh - Rad
posted by Hanson |
11:39 PM
Wednesday, December 29, 2004
Jerry Orbach: 1935-2004
Bye bye, Lenny. You will be missed.
NP: (silence)
posted by Hanson |
12:28 PM
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
Top 37 of 2004: Part II
I finally found "I Heard You Got Action" by Pony Up! on Soulseek. I'd buy the 7-inch split with Ben Lee that it's on, but since I don't have a record player, I wouldn't be able to play it. Now, not only can I put it on repeat while I blog, I can put it on mix CDs too. Yeah! Anyway, here's part two of my year-end list:
32. Keane - Hopes and Fears
At first, I couldn’t get pass the fact that a lot of their songs sound the same. Then I got past it. Keane does inoffensive, melodic, piano-driven Brit-pop (as in pop from Britain, not Oasis/Blur-esque Britopop), and they do it well. “Somewhere Only We Know” not only makes a great karaoke song, it has all the makings of a radio hit. And there’s at least a half an album’s worth where that came from. A very promising debut all-around, and not just one for the chickies who dig Coldplay.
31. Controller.Controller - History EP
Though not as dance-y as purer dance-rock bands like Faint or the Rapture, Toronto’s Controller.Controller is a very capable east coast answer to Victoria’s Hot Hot Heat (but with chick vocals!). Their rhythm sections is well represented on their debut EP, History, giving it an edge over most rock records in terms of boogie-worthiness. Meanwhile, the band’s guitar licks should keep all the rift-happy indie kids satisfied too. By what they’ve shown in this collection of 6-ish songs, I can’t wait to hear what they can do with a full-length.
30. The Killers - Hot Fuss
This is the year that dance-rock crossed-over. Along with Franz Ferdinand, the Killers broke big, led by their boisterous and incredibly catchy single, “Somebody Told Me.” Hot Fuss takes the Duran Duran formula and updates it by 20 years, and the result is a catchy, synth-filled rock record that borders on kitschy. Other than the aforementioned hit, standouts on the album include “Jenny Was A Friend of Mine” and “On Top.” Simon LeBon would be proud.
29. A.C. Newman - Slow Wonder
The first solo record from head New Pornographer Carl Newman is a definite winner. The record kicks off with the insanely infectious “Miracle Drug,” a song that – with a few Neko Case harmonies – would fit perfectly on a New Pornographers record. It then moves on to slower but equally engaging numbers like “Drink to Me, Babe, Then” and “Come Crash.” Clocking in at just a few ticks over 30 minutes, Slow Wonder is a nugget of guitar-pop goodness that no one should miss. Honestly, there’s a good chance this record would rank much higher if I were to redo this list this time next year.
28. Stina Nordenstam - The World Is Saved
Gentle, cherubic, but quietly evocative, this Swedish siren’s songs tears into you like a needle into your bicep (or in her words, your spine); slowly and steadily, you see it enter your flesh, its lovely juices passing through the metal and into your bloodstream until you feel her coursing through your veins. The record is bleakness being pushed away by sunshine; its mood is sombre, but filled with hope – no, certainty – that tomorrow will be a better day. When Stina croons “you’re safer with me here,” you know she means it. With singing that gushes earnestness, how can she be lying? This record is the perfect soundtrack to “dealing with shit.”
NP: Pony Up! - I Heard You Got Action
posted by Hanson |
8:06 PM
With A Little Help From My Friends
I just made a donation to the Canadian Red Cross. If you can afford it, you should too. The relief effort in the areas affect by the earthquake and ensuing tidal waves in Southeast Asia is going to be incredibly costly, and every little bit helps.
NP: (nothing)
posted by Hanson |
2:08 AM
Monday, December 27, 2004
Top 37 of 2004: Part I
Well, after talking about it for so long, I'm finally doing it. Let me present the year in music, Ho Style (i.e. my top 37 records of the year). Here are the first five records of the list. I'll countdown the rest in subsequent days.
37. Devendra Banhart: Nino Rojo
It seems incredibly unfair to punish an album just because its artist released another one earlier in the year. But that’s exactly what I’m doing by slotting Nino Rojo here. Aesthetically, it’s indistinguishable from Devendra’s other 2004 album; that is, it’s an interesting collection of quirky, idiosyncratic folk songs powered by acoustic guitars and Devendra’s unique voice. However, it came late to the party, so it felt like a bit of “been-there-done-that.” Still, it’s a strong album, and with standouts like “A Ribbon” and “Little Yellow Spider,” it will always have a place in my CD player.
36. Juliana Hatfield: In Exile Deo
I love Juliana’s voice, so I’ll like virtually everything she puts out. In Exile Deo is her first solo work since the double dose of hard (i.e. Total System Failure) and soft (i.e. Beautiful Creature) that arrived simultaneously in 2000. This album shows that an older, wiser Juliana hasn’t forgotten her knack for penning catchy power-pop songs, as is evident on “Get in Line,” “Tourist,” and “Sunshine.” No, she doesn’t break new ground here, but since she’s consistently good, we can forgive her.
35. Kay Hanley: Babydoll EP
Like Kay’s first post-Letters to Cleo release, Cherry Marmalade, her new EP sounds exactly like what you’d expect from a grow’d up front-woman for a mid-90s power-pop band: longer songs, cleaner production, slower tempo, but still packing the catchy hooks that her band was once known for (and the occasional F-bomb, of course). Despite her voice sounding like a certain singer plagued by a recent bout of acid reflux, the driving guitars, bouncy choruses, and girlishly-high singing are patented Kay. I love this stuff.
34. Charlotte Martin: On Your Shore
Usually, albums that make year-end top X lists aren’t disappointments. While I won’t categorically classify On Your Shore as that, it is a bit of a let down after first hearing Charlotte live. Like a lot of recent albums from female singer-songwriters, this has way too much gloss than is necessary (the strings on “Your Armour” were just tedious). That said, contemporary AC piano-pop rarely gets better than the title track, and her solo piano cover of “Wild Horses” is probably the best I’ve heard. Charlotte’s got an awesome voice, and it shines here, despite the overproduction.
33. United State of Electronica: U.S.E.
I used to criticize Andrew W.K. for making brainless party records. Now I realize I was only doing that because his music sucked! Like Mr. W.K.’s work, the debut from U.S.E. is a brainless party record, but a fucking fun one filled with boy-girl vocals and happy cheering. Lyrically, it’s a complete throwaway, but with the insanely catchy hooks and melodies that they pump out, you wouldn’t really care. It’s the musical equivalent of a good, cheesy Hollywood blockbuster: it’s loud, it’s fun, and you can’t tell if they’re being ironic or not. Indeed, “it is on,” so “all the party people come on.” No, I don’t know what that means either, but I’ll shake my ass to it without a second thought.
NP: Charlotte Martin - Limits of Our Love
posted by Hanson |
2:07 AM
Saturday, December 25, 2004
Celebration Time
Merry Chrismakkuh and Happy Kwanzaa, everyone. May your feasting be gluttonous, your gifting be generous, and your receiving be even more so!
NP: Sufjan Stevens - That Dress Looks Nice on You
posted by Hanson |
11:03 AM
Thursday, December 23, 2004
Live Music 2004
I'm probably going to start counting down my Top 37 in the next few days. As for now, here is a list of my ten favourite live sets I've seen this year. They are in chronological order, as I don't need another headache trying to figure out how to rank different types of brilliance:
* Pretty Girls Make Graves - Jan. 24th, Richard's
* Sarah Harmer - Jan. 30th, Van East Cultural Centre
* The Decemberists - Feb. 11th, Richard's
* Metric - Apr. 9th, Richard's
* The Fiery Furnaces - May 21st, Commodore
* Charlotte Martin - May 25th, The Drink
* Tilly and the Wall - Jul. 30th, Richard's
* Death Cab for Cutie - Oct 12, Commodore
* Sarah Slean - Nov. 2nd, Commodore
* The Arcade Fire - Dec. 12, Commodore
Note: the asterisk denotes fucking awesomeness.
BTW, for those of you who wanted to see Hot Hot Heat on the 15th but haven't gotten tickets, I hear the show is sold out (there might still be tickets left for the show on the 16th). I knew it would sell out quick, so I picked up an extra ticket, knowing that I could recoup my money if nobody I knew wanted it. If you want to see the show but didn't act fast enough, you know what to do :-)
NP: The Fiery Furnaces - Single Again
posted by Hanson |
10:32 PM
Wednesday, December 22, 2004
An Open Letter
Dear Sufjan and Stina,
You two are making it very difficult for me to nail down my Top 37. Seven Swans and The World is Saved, your respective 2004 records, are yummy. To have discovered these two gems so late in the year has made my job harder than it already is, and I've found myself hard-pressed to not include them in my year-end retrospective. I've already come to terms with not putting Phantom Planet on there -- that, after having ranked their last effort, 2002's The Guest, as my #2 album for that year. I knew Lisa Loeb wasn't going to make it, nor Interpol, nor Tegan and Sara. And I've dealt with that.
But I didn't think I'd have to bump off two more! Suf -- may I call you Suf? You're now probably the most buzz-y Christian in the indie scene, surpassing even big David Bazan. So why in god's name couldn't you wait until next year before releasing a follow up to your universally lauded 2003 record -- one that completely went under my radar? Share the critical praise! Jesus would do that! But with an album that I'll probably eventually like more than both of Devendra Banhart's 2004 releases, how can I not give you props? And Stina. I've heard your name mentioned before, but until Nic Harcourt spun "Parliament Square" on Morning Becomes Eclectic, I had no idea you were so damn good. Haunting. Simple. Tinged with a slight Swedish accent. Stina: you've just forced your way onto my list -- at the expense of some other really good record.
So, who gets the bumped because of you two clowns? Char Mar Superstar? The singing voice behind a short-lived cartoon? The Scottish record that's on every critic's top X list (no, not Camera Obscura, though that's a nifty record too)? Perhaps the former Blake Baby? With all this shake up, is the Norwegian hobbit safe? Is The Party Record of the Year safe? The Pornographer? The dude who does a Ludacris cover (that’ll probably stay on, if only to spite Pitchfork)? Sufjan and Stina, you two sure have fudged up my plans.
Hanson, the indecisive music fan who just got even more indecisive
NP: (The West Wing)
posted by Hanson |
9:11 PM
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
Drop It Like It's Hot Hot Heat
Van-peoplez listen up: Hot Hot Heat are playing two shows at the tiny Media Club on January 15 and 16 (Saturday and Sunday, respectively). These are going to sell out *fast*, so if you want to check out a pretty kick-ass live band in a small venue before they absolutely explode -- Killers style -- you better act quick (they sold out the Commodore the last time they played here, IIRC). It's a 19+ show so there won't be (m)any tiny screaming things screeching at Steven Bays' fro, which is always a plus.
BTW, I've got a pair of tix to the show on the 15th. All the cool kids (and me) are going to that one :-)
NP: (nothing)
posted by Hanson |
5:28 PM
Monday, December 20, 2004
Ready to Go
As I've alluded to in my previous post, my year-end CD is done! Anybody who wants a copy, leave a comment or email me at hansonho (at) shaw (dot) ca. I will ship it anywhere; if you want a copy, you get it, as long as I can physically get it to you. If I've got a lurker from the Orange Free State who wants a copy, he'll get one. If an indie pop fan from Uzbekistan peeks in once in a while, she can have a copy too if she wants. Ask and you shall receive (while supplies last).
To add to the mystery, I'm not going to post a tracklisting yet (much like last year). I'll say this much -- it's got a few songs off records that won't make my Top 37, and a number of albums off my top 20 won't be represented. Why? To make it flow better. I can't have half the CD be female-singer songwriters and the other half be girly indie pop. And some artists/records just don't have that on particular song that works well on compilations. In the end, I made the best mix CD possible that represented 2004 for me (well, among the best). It may not have my favourite 20 songs of the year on it (no artist repeats), but it's a well-balanced record that should please most music fans (unless they're only into hip hop -- then they're screwed).
Addendum: those of you who wanted a CD, send me an email about how I'm going to get the thing to you. If you know I'm going to see you reasonably soon-ish, I can just give it to you then. If not, send me your mailing address so that I can enlist the postal service.
NP: Tift Merritt – Laid a Highway
posted by Hanson |
11:24 PM
Sunday, December 19, 2004
Oh What A Week!
Phew. I have to pause and take a breath here, step back and let it all sink in. The last seven days have been super busy: business plan finished, co-op report written, year end CD in the can, and partying gotten-on multiple times. Hell, I even cleaned up my room tonight! In the next few weeks, all I have on my plate are work and more fun-ness! It's such a change of pace not having to jump from deadline to deadline.
So yeah, as you can tell from my last post, Thursday night was fun. We had a release party at work, and people got their drink-on; open bars sort of encourage that. I cut myself off after 9 or 10 drinks (plus whatever number of shots I had), seeing as I need to work with these people, so making an ass of myself probably wasn't advisable. Suffice it to say though, I found a good level of intoxication and hovered there; the taxi vouchers we all got allowed me to indulge. I ducked out at around 11:30 because I had to work the next day, and my self-control ensured that the next morning wasn't particularly bad. That said, by 3-ish that afternoon, I was dying. Still, that was a small price to pay.
On Friday, I scrambled to get the business plan done and submitted by 11:59pm despite feeling the after effects of the previous night. There was some last minute panic, but we stayed calm and worked through it. Greg and I worked until the very end, but I think it turned out all right. Now, it's all up to the judges. *fingers crossed*
Saturday was a bit of a scrambled too. Not only did I have two parties to run to that night, I also had a shitload to do before them. To make matters worse, I slept in and had to leave my place around 5. Before that, I also needed to get my mix CD done since I was giving out the first copy that night. This meant that I had to pick up the vinyl CDs, finalize a balanced track listing, make sure they all fit on a disc, order the tracks in a well-paced manner, and do up a cover/case design. I was pretty happy with the resulting disc despite the scrambling, and I can't wait for other people to hear it!
So that night, I first hit the office Christmas party at the Fairmont, and then I headed over to Genny's for a much more relaxed, low-key house party. I must say that the latter was much more fun than the former; I'm not a big fan of the round-table configuration, seeing as I have to yell to talk to the person sitting across from me. The food was good, but I'd rather eat pizza and be able to talk to everybody than have a pimpin' buffet and only talk to three or four people sitting beside me. At the house party, I hung out with a whole bunch of new people, something I don't do nearly enough, as well as had one of those Granville Island Winter Ale that Carlos has been raving about (it was pretty good). So yeah, mad fun was had. I got home around 3:30am, at which time I proceeded to crash (but not before wasting some time on the internet...).
And this morning, I was awoken at 10:00am and notified of a lunch thing I had to be at. After that was done at 2-ish, I went and got some shopping done. I got home, dropped off my stuff, and realized I need space to put my stuff. I then proceeded to take the following 4 hours (interrupted by a pause dinner) cleaning up. Productive!
Ugh. Work tomorrow. I love work, but I hate getting up at 7am. Well, at least I won't have to worry about any deadlines for the next month or so!
NP: The Organ - Memorize the City (from my mix CD)
posted by Hanson |
10:57 PM
Friday, December 17, 2004
Oh Shit Yeah
Mandy Mooore has a greatest hits album out. Man I'd so fucking tap that. Fuck, I'm pissed. I'll probably delete this tomorrow. That's what open-bar parties at work will do to ya.
NP: (nothing, beeyatch!)
posted by Hanson |
12:38 AM
Wednesday, December 15, 2004
Faster, Faster
Question of the day: Will Stina Nordenstam, Psapp, (either) Rufus Wainwright(s), Surfjan Stevens, and Ted Leo sneak into my Top 37?
No time for complete sentences. Speed blogging needed. OK. The Arcade Fire ruled. Will post more later. Next show probably won't be 'til January. Boo. Just faxed in my co-op report. Yay! Still working on my business plan. Almost done though. Helping out at the food bank tomorrow. Yay! Until next time then.
NP: Stina Nordenstam - The End of a Love Affair
posted by Hanson |
1:33 AM
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Didn't Quite Lit Up the Scoreboard
Thanks to my job, I haven't posted in the am in a long time. Since I'm not used to it (anymore), I'll make this quick.
As expected, I got my ass thrashed at the lit doubles tournament today. I was on a team with Courtney, whom I finally got to meet, and we came away with fourth place (we played as "But Not as Cute as Pushkin" [Gilmore Girls shout out!]). That's not bad, considering I was sitting there, staring blankly as most of the answers were read out. I still enjoyed it though, getting the odd question here and there, and it wasn't like I was expecting to do well anyway. The movie singles tournament in the afternoon went a little better. I finished sixth, since movies are my weakest of the four major trash categories (i.e. music, TV, movies, and sports). Still, I got the question on Mallrats after two words (i.e. La Fours), and the Liv Tyler question after one clue (i.e. Tatyana on Oneign), so I'm good.
After the tournament, we played a bit of poker to kill time. Dinner followed, then karaoke, since we couldn't find a place to do poker for realz. Before we got kicked out at 11:30ish, I managed to pull off a decent Keane impression on "Somewhere Only We Know," as well as do a smattering of other karaoke favourites (e.g. "Pieces of Me," "In Da Club," "Oops! I Did It Again," etc.). I even did my Lil' Jon impression, backing up Carlos on Usher's "Yeah." Less succesfully, I attempted Weezer's "Butterfly," but the arrangement was pretty fucked up, so it got me singing really high. I'm actually singing along to Rivers right now, and I could totally do it. For some reason, it just wasn't working for me at Fantacity. I like said, I blame the arrangement, not my lack of skillz :-) Mango and green tea gelato wrapped up the evening, and now I'm going to bed. Tomorrow, I got me some work to do!
NP: Memphis - On the Last Day of School
posted by Hanson |
1:47 AM
Thursday, December 09, 2004
Things Are Looking Up
Tift Merritt is coming in February! I'm too excited not to get that out of my system first :-)
Keane was good last night. They played a tight 75-minute set full of those good pop songs that all kind of sound similar. The chick-factor was mega-high,; I'd put the non-dude-to-dude ratio at 4:1, all of them screaming and yelling and singing. And there weren't all just young'uns either. There were these two women up at the very front who looked like they were in their early 40s. They weren't the normal hipster-show-going/cougar types either -- it was just two old-ish women who were apparently big Keane fans. That was actually kind of cool.
As for openers Doubt Paris, they had the whole Can-Can rock thing down: mid-tempo ballad-y rock songs with Owen Wilson doing a Raine Maida impression as a lead singer. They were so middle-of-the-road, they make Nickelback sound like Sigur Ros. In short: suck-itude. That said, they have a good chance of "making it" in Canada, their sound completely tailored to mainstream "rock" radio.
One more thing before I go: the O.C. was actually good tonight! The music selection was the best of the season, and pacing, plot, dialogue, and characters were all back on form. It still wasn't as good as the first half of last season, but it was certainly better than the crap that passed for the first four episodes of this year. And OK, I'll admit it -- as bland and textbook as the new chicks are, I have to say that they are both pretty damn hot. Alex has that generic-hot-blonde thing going on, and although the stupid tattoo is pretty damn lame, you can't argue with heat. And the air was thick with irony when Lindsay said Marissa was (paraphrase) "the most intimidatingly beautiful girl in school." Lindsay, mirror. Mirror, Lindsay. It's not even close, comparing a cute redhead with bones. I'm sure glad the show is back on track! Lets hope they keep it up.
NP: (nothing)
posted by Hanson |
11:43 PM
Monday, December 06, 2004
The List
My calendar says it's December 6th. Yup, it's the time of the year for (dun dun dun da) My Top 37 Records of the Year! I'm making my list and checking it twice, and I think I have an idea of what's going to be on there. Canadians will be well represented, especially in the top 10. There'll be some surprises, as records from some of my favourites have slipped down the list a bit; some will even miss the cut entirely. But that's the way da shizznat rolls. Like previous years, I'll reveal my list in instalments. The first batch will probably drop in a couple of weeks after I give them all another spin (or two... or three...). Hehe. I can't wait.
NP: (Daily Show)
posted by Hanson |
11:14 PM
Sunday, December 05, 2004
Unleashed
I'm happy to report that my final essay of 2004 has been written and faxed. Standard issue procrastination has caused me to miss a Salteens/Natasha Thirsk show on Friday and a curling club non-curling event tonight, but that's the cost of doing business. From now until my first assignment next semester, all I have to do is a co-op report and a business plan. And mucho fun! Keane, the Arcade Fire, books, movies, Kwanzaa holiday parties, and sooooo much TV. Indulge? Don't mind if I do!
In other news, I just realized that Ashlee Simpson sounds a hell of a lot like Kay Hanley. The similarity is troubling me a tiny bit.
NP: Tift Merritt - Good Hearted Man
posted by Hanson |
10:58 PM
Thursday, December 02, 2004
Good Riddance
The hypocritical, self-contradicting, metaphor-mixing asswipe that is Ivana is FINALLY gone from the Apprentice! Good fucking riddance. She calls Jen a hooker and a stripper when she's the one who offered to take off her skirt if someone buys a chocolate bar from her for $20. With so few Asians on network TV, one of them just /had/ to be that self-important assclown.
Oh. I'm working on this business plan, and if you have a bit of time, please take this survey about your dinner habits. It will only take a minute -- literally.
NP: ('Rasslin')
posted by Hanson |
10:01 PM
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