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Well, we've reached the halfway point of 2011, and if you're a fan of unfortunately named politicians tweeting photos of their bulges, terrorists getting shot in the eye and Austrian strongmen who have a thing for the help, well, congratulations on having the best six months of your entire life.Of course, for the rest of us, there's been plenty to help pass the time in 2011 — namely, a whole bunch of really excellent albums, from folks you probably know (Eminem, Lady Gaga) and some you more than likely don't (the Weeknd, F-ed Up). But whether they're household names or not, they've all helped make the first 180-or-so days of the year practically fly by — a feat that's pretty amazing considering all the crap that's happened up to this point. So, like I've done in, I've compiled my favorite albums of the first half of 2011 — a traditional top 10, followed by some honorable mentions too. If there's something you haven't heard, well, you've still got six months to rectify that. And the same goes for me: If there's an album that I've missed (a definite possibility), I'd love to hear about it in the comments below.
So, let's get right to it. Here's my list of the Best Albums of 2011 (So Far):The Top 1010. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Mirror Traffic: The elder statesman of erudite rock and good diction has been heading in a jammier direction for years now (on songs like '1% of One,' 'No More Shoes' and, more recently, the ), but thanks to the production work of Beck, he's finally honed those tendencies into an album that's every bit as elastic as his previous efforts, yet oddly focused too. Songs like 'Tigers' and 'Senator' prove he's still not averse to an angular verse (or in-depth investigations into the sexual proclivities of elected officials), but it's on '28 Forever' — when he warbles, 'There's no parade/ I cannot rain on with my poison eyes' — where he finally seems to be coming to terms with his past as an oft-noted sourpuss. Call it clarity, call it maturity, call it whatever: It all makes for the best Malk record in years.9.
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Foo Fighters,: The year's best major-label rock record was born out of risk: Dave Grohl eschewed the sanitary confines of the big-bucks studio to record an album in his own garage, on tape, warts-and-all. And then he brought in to oversee the proceedings. The end result is an effort that positively rips, one equally packed with crackling rockers ('Rope,' 'White Limo') and muscle-y, medium-rare mopers ('I Should Have Known'). In the process, he not only reinvigorated his band, but set the bar impossibly high for any of his contemporaries. As if they'd have the balls to try something like this.8.
The Weeknd, House of Balloons: Mysterious, majestically paced R&B courtesy of 20-year-old Canadian Abel Tesfaye, whose sensibilities (gorgeously layered atmospherics, keenly placed Siouxsie and the Banshees samples) belie his years. The trope of the troubled loverman isn't exactly new, but rarely are matters of the heart played out as honestly as they are here. A constant cycle of druggy nights, desperate flings and depressing dawns, Balloons makes no apologies, and, really, it doesn't need to. Not when the scenery is this engrossing, this sumptuous. Mood music for increasingly moody times. And, best of all, it's.7. Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two: Really, this one could have gone either way.
Especially after forced the Beasties to scrap the first record (and, of course, To the Five Boroughs). But, somewhat shockingly, they delivered an album that's a total blast, a mishmash of boom-bap rattle and pop-culture flotsam that, like all the best Beastie albums, manages to tread the line between highbrow rap and lowbrow entertainment. So even if Mike D did open up a restaurant with Ted Danson, you still believe he's got enough swagger to go toe-to-toe with Nas. And on Hot Sauce, he does both.6. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues: The folks over at called it 'the year's most beautiful album,' and they're probably right. Swooning, wide-screen vocal harmonies ebb and expand into the warm, finger-picked acoustics, creating atmospheres that are summery one minute, wintery the next.
But it's not all ethereal. In fact, frontman Robin Pecknold spends the majority of the album rooting through problems that are, in fact, very real: finding his place in the world and coming to terms with his disappearing youth. That balance is key to the album's strength. Because for a band that indulges so much in the space of the studio, Helplessness Blues is rarely, if ever, self-indulgent.5. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes: Psychoanalytic, somnambulant pop from the prodigiously talented 25-year-old Swede, Wounded Rhymes expands on the themes that she laid out in her stunning debut (2008's Youth Novel) and imbues them with an otherworldly spirit. Not to mention the torchy leanings of the greatest of girl groups (the Ronettes, the Crystals, etc.). So while Li is still preternaturally somber (like on 'Sadness Is a Blessing,' on which she keens, 'Sadness is my boyfriend'), she's also not afraid to get dirty, either, and it's when she's doing the latter — like on the aptly titled 'Get Some' — that she truly shines.4.
Lady Gaga,: It's not a stretch to call BTW the year's most-anticipated album, and perhaps in a nod to those expectations, Lady Gaga delivered an effort that doesn't leave anything on the cutting-room floor. From the piston-pumping electronics of 'Marry the Night' and the tarantula tango of 'Americano' to the twitching, 'Transformers'-huge techno of 'Heavy Metal Lover' and the epic balladry of 'You and I' and 'The Edge of Glory,' this truly is an effort that tries very hard to be everything to everyone. And sure, it's probably too long, but that's sort of the point, isn't it? And if she didn't please everyone, well, she came pretty darn close, didn't she?3. Bon Iver, Bon Iver: Justin Vernon has done the impossible: follow up a beloved, much-mythologized debut album (you know, the one that was recorded in a cabin) with a record that's just as good — if not better. He's always been one for atmospheres, but never before have those atmospheres been so dense. Or so compelling.
Here, he creates a singular, breathless world, building it with layers of echoing instrumentation and his own ghostly falsetto. There are moments where the sun shines through the cracks — a horn crescendo, a silvery sliver of bell — but for the most part, Bon Iver is a mesmerizing trip through a dewy dreamscape.
And, in that regard, it's a momentous achievement — even if the last song does sound like Bruce Hornsby.2. Adele,: It's nice when the year's best-selling album also ends up being one of the flat-out best, but, in the case of Adele's 21, we should've seen it coming.
After all, she's got the. But this time out, she's grown, and become a singer capable of both tremendous power (like on the smash 'Rolling in the Deep') and terrifying tenderness too (like on the smash ing 'Someone Like You'). A roiling collection of breakup ballads and revenge fantasies, there truly is no album quite like 21, and not only is its success justified, but it probably guarantees Adele will only add to her Grammy collection come February. Some things are inevitable.1. F-ed Up, David Comes to Life: A wrecking-ball sorta rock opera courtesy of Toronto's hardest-working (and, most likely only) six-piece punk collective, David Comes to Life tells the story of a downtrodden factory worker who may or may not have killed his true love. Because, along the way, there's also betrayal, heartache, bomb blasts, fisticuffs and a whole lot of plot-twisting shifts in narration too. Of course, the story behind the album is largely unimportant (if you want to keep score at home, here's a ) especially when the album itself hits so hard.
The (multi-multi-multi-)tracked guitars squeal and chug for days, and frontman Pink Eyes' screams are so visceral you can practically feel his blood welling up in your headphones. It's an ambitious, ringing, raging success, the kind of record you'll listen to over and over again, either to try and follow the plotline or just get pummeled by the sheer might of the thing. Either way, you'll enjoy yourself.Honorable MentionsBad Meets Evil,: Reunited with (and recharged by) Royce Da 5'9', Em reminds us that he's still capable of littering the scene with lyrical shell casings, and Nickel Nine matches him shot for shot. Their friendly competition makes for a thrilling listen, and basically everything here burns with varying degrees of intensity — even the track with Bruno Mars.Bright Eyes, The People's Key: Unjustly overlooked for reasons not apparent to me, Conor Oberst's seventh studio album is a latticework of sonic strips, wide-eyed (yet sorta hazy) ponderances of faith and science and, on 'Ladder Song,' raw, positively aching ruminations on death.
Not as great as some of his earlier works, but close. And that's still better than 95 percent of everything else.Curren$y,: One of approximately 750 albums he plans to release this year (and not the one that with 'Weekend at Bernie's' either), Coup bubbles along on producer the Alchemist's hazy beats and Curren$y's laconic, chronic delivery. If you couldn't tell, this is the weed-iest album of 2011, by a smoky mile.Death Cab for Cutie,: Ben Gibbard finally gets happy, only, y'know, within reason. Because even the sunniest moments are dotted with dark clouds, and ultimately, this is an album that's as much about alienation as anything else. After all, falling in love doesn't fill the emptiness inside; it only makes it more pronounced.PJ Harvey,: The iconic Brit shape-shifts with seemingly every record she releases, and on Shake, she's reborn as an old-fashioned protest singer.
The sad thing is, the subjects she's singing about (conflict, bloodshed, man's unending cycle of self-immolation) are just as timely now as they were 50 years ago.Portugal. The Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud: Guys from the same town that (Wasilla, Alaska: Population 7,831) more than atone for that fact with an album that's sprawling, psychedelic and crawling with ambition — the latter of which is also a pretty apt description for Ms. You-Betcha's machinations too.Radiohead,: Maybe the most divisive Radiohead album of all time (or at least since Hail to the Thief), it may not necessarily rock, but that's because it's not supposed to. Instead, its main focus is creating a world that's atmospheric and amniotic, and even if it doesn't contain guitar solos like 'Lucky' or 'Just,' there's still plenty to give you chills. Just not the chills you're probably used to.Tyler, the Creator, Goblin: Terrifying meta-commentary or simply the angry rantings of a 20-year-old kid who doesn't know any better? Probably both.
How about all of the above. It's also visceral, wince-inducing, frightening and sorta funny too. But perhaps nobody does a better job of summing it all up than Tyler himself, when, on the (sorta) hook to 'Radicals,' he growls, 'Kill people, burn sh-, f- school.' Now that's a mission statement.YACHT, Shangri-La: The new-age dance duo ponder the existence of the hereafter and discover that it may very well exist on earth (or within our own minds). Too bad we're busy destroying both. A postapocalyptic party as foreseen by the Talking Heads and Giorgio Moroder, Shangri-La is as heavy on subject matter as it is on lithe, limber rhythms, so even when things get too heady, you can still let your hips do all the thinking.Yuck, Yuck: The year's best debut, one that channels the stray slack and sonic stumblings of Dinosaur Jr.
And Sonic Youth. And considering it all comes from a quartet of kids too young to remember prime-era indie rock, it's all the more noteworthy. Maybe the stuff can make a comeback.What did we miss? Share your favorites in the comments! ViaJurors aren't talking.
Prosecutors are stunned that they lost. Defense attorneys are lashing out at the media. And Casey Anthony could be free by the weekend.A case that involved years of forensic investigation, weeks of often highly technical testimony and untold hours of media analysis turned out to be a quick decision for the jurors weighing whether Anthony killed her toddler daughter. Early in their second day of deliberations, the 12 men and women concluded Tuesday the 25-year-old lied to investigators but wasn't guilty in her child's death. Now Anthony waits to learn if she could spend her first night out of jail in almost three years since she was first accused in the case. She was only convicted of four misdemeanor counts of lying to investigators, and it's possible that Judge Belvin Perry could sentence her Thursday to time already served for those crimes.
The four counts of lying to sheriff's deputies each carry a maximum sentence of one year. Janet Jackson is one of the world’s most iconic performers and a member of the world’s most famous showbiz family. With ten studio albums under her belt, a few television and film roles and now even a book, Janet has taken over the mantle as the most famous member of the Jackson family since the death of her brother Michael in 2009.In recent years Janet has struggled to match the success of her earlier albums janet and The Velvet Rope but nevertheless she still has the passion to tour for her fans.
Last night saw Janet perform the last of three dates at London’s Royal Albert Hall as part of her Number 1s: Up Close and Personal Tour.As the lights went down in the Royal Albert Hall, a video screen lit up announcing that Janet was dedicating the Nasty video to the audience tonight. Watching the video in its entirety, the audience waited with anticipation for Janet to arrive on stage. Clad in a tight-fitting white catsuit Janet opened her set with The Pleasure Principle before whizzing through a medley of some of her earliest hits. Control and What Have You Done For Me Lately followed before turning into Feedback.
The first 30 minutes of her set felt more like a greatest hits medley than a series of performances of her biggest songs. Some songs weren’t performed in their entirety (most notably You Want This) but Janet threw herself into the choreography interacting with both the audience and her dancers.After the medley section, Janet exited the stage as TV and movie clips of her played on the big screen.
As the last one drew to a close, Janet took a seat centrestage to perform a few of her ballads. It was in this section that her voice really impressed us.
She showcased surprising strength on fan favourite Let’s Wait A While and gave us goosepimples as she sung Again. As the closing bars of the latter arrived Janet left the stage and it was time for a short interval.After 20 minutes the show resumed and it was in the second half that Janet really found her stride.
At 45 she performs better than the majority of her contemporaries recreating her iconic choreography to the delight of the fans. Arriving back on stage to Doesn’t Really Matter Janet performed some seriously impressive dance routines as the audience whooped and hollered.The second half was really something special. Janet delivered fuller performances of her bigger hits moving away from the medley feeling of the first half. Escapade, When I Think Of You and All For You got the crowd singing along and on their feet. For That’s The Way Love Goes Janet performed the song in a way we’ve not seen before with some tight choreography as she slinked across the stage.
Next up was the incredible If which contained some of the night’s best dancing. Easily one of our favourite songs, If got one of the biggest reactions from the crowd as Janet showed off her naughtier side.
Rhythm Nation provided a timely reminder of how Janet really broke-through as a performer as she energetically moved to the track’s industrial beats.One of the evening’s most spine-tingling moments came when Janet performed Scream. The video for the song featuring her brother Michael played on the screen as Janet sang her part of the song. This moment took us back to 2009 when Janet performed the song in a similar style on the MTV Video Music Awards but this time she was more composed paying homage, rather than tribute, to her late brother.
Images of Michael flashed up again as Janet returned to the stage to perform her final song of the evening Together Again.Number 1s: Up Close and Personal was an incredible experience. Seeing Janet in such an intimate setting was remarkable and she looked relaxed and happy on stage.
We weren’t convinced that she sung the whole set live but the moments when you could tell she was singing live sounded fantastic. With incredible choreography, genuine audience interaction and a catalogue of hits Janet won over the crowd on her last London date of the tour. We hope that she comes back soon with the bigger tour production that we’re used to but as a way of re-engaging with her fans, the Number 1s tour nailed it.SetlistNasty (Video intro)The Pleasure PrincipleControlWhat Have You Done For Me LatelyFeedbackYou Want ThisAlrightMiss You MuchNastyNothingCome Back To MeLet’s Wait A WhileAgainDoesn’t Really MatterEscapadeLove Will Never Do Without YouWhen I Think Of YouAll For YouThat’s The Way Love GoesIfScreamRhythm NationTogether Again. ViaJanet Jackson let it slip that Australia is one of the lucky countries being included in the extension of her world tour.While no official announcements have yet been made Down Under, during a recent interview on the Paul O’Grady show, Jackson spoke about extending her Number Ones: Up, Close, & Personal Tour and said Australia was on her team’s to-do list.“I’m not finished (touring) till next year some time.
I feel like I’ve really just started,” she said.“We went to Asia, to America, I still have to go to Australia, I have to go back to the States, I have to go to Africa, they want us to come to South America.“It’s beautiful. It’s so great. It’s great to know you’re wanted and loved. I’m very fortunate.”.
Classic album dissections 462B.B. King Live at the RegalB.B. King was the face of the blues for much of the world. Sadly, we'll never get to hear him play his trusty guitar Lucille again. He passed away on May 14, 2015 at age 89. To honor the late great bluesman, we're offering a Classic Album Dissection of his Live at the Regal concert album, recorded in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood in 1964. Jim and Greg are joined by photographer, writer, promoter and Blues Hall of Fame inductee Dick Waterman.
Waterman was a long-time friend of B.B.' S and co-author of The B.B.
King Treasures. He explains that while King was pleased that Live at the Regal achieved iconic status, he didn't think there was anything special about his performance that night.
Had they taped any other show around that time, the results would have been much the same. Still, the masterful control that B.B. Had over his raucous crowd that evening became legendary. For Jim, the album resembles a celebratory church service more than any depressing blues stereotype.If B.B.
King's on-stage persona is that of a humble, genial man, that's because he truly was one in real life. According to Waterman, B.B.
Devoted hours after each show to meeting with his fans as a show of appreciation for their contribution to his success. Even after the mainstream commercial success of ' The Thrill is Gone,' he always stayed true to his vision, never watering it down for his new white audience. He was one of the last of his generation of blues artists, but his legacy is going to live on. Reviews 2976DJ Shadow The OutsiderDJ Shadow released a new album this week, The Outsider. The hip hop/ electronica sound collagist, otherwise known as Josh Davis, has wowed critics and fans for years with albums like Endtroducing and The Private Press, but Sound Opinions hopes this latest effort doesn't force him into outsider status.
DJ Shadow presents a somewhat different sound here, having composed many of the songs himself rather than using samples, and featuring vocals from guests like David Banner and Kasabian rather than his own production. He's also steeped himself in the hyphy, which, like Shadow himself, hails from the Bay Area. Jim and Greg appreciate Shadow's urge to stretch out, but neither thinks this album is a success. In fact, Greg calls The Outsider one of the biggest musical disappointments of the year.
Jim agrees that the album is too jagged and pales in comparison to his previous work. Unfortunately, The Outsider gets two Trash Its. Jim Greg 2531The Dead Weather HorehoundAnother year another Jack White project.
After The White Stripes and The Raconteurs comes The Dead Weather. This time White has a more behind-the-scenes role as drummer and producer.
Alison Mosshart of The Kills is the lead vocalist. Jim was let down by the second Raconteurs record, but he was blown away by the knockout, raw garage rock on Horehound. He gives it a Buy It rating. Greg is surprised to hear this. While he likes the sleezy, b-movie sound and vibe, he needs great songs to go with it. Greg looks forward to seeing the group live, but on record it's a Try It.
Jim Greg 2928DJ Shadow The Mountain Will FallDJ Shadow emerged in the early '90s as a major figure in the northern California underground hip-hop scene. His debut 1996 full-length Endtroducing.
Was one of the earliest and greatest of sample-based albums. But when you make a masterpiece your first time out, where do you go from there? His latest album The Mountain Will Fall features fewer samples, more synths, and more collaborations – notably with rap luminaries Run the Jewels.
Jim says the album is not an easy listen – there are tracks that seem frivolous or intentially grating. But after spending time with it, he finds the record a great soundtrack for ominous times and calls it a Buy It. Greg appreciates that DJ Shadow never repeats himself. Instead he's nodding to contemporary EDM, Italian classical music, and old school hip-hop and turntablism.
Greg calls The Mountain Will Fall a fine record that isn't as cohesive as Endtroducing., but still worthy of a Try It. Jim Greg 2363Radiohead A Moon Shaped PoolIf there's one band from the '90s alt-rock explosion that's retained its relevance, it's Radiohead. While it's been five years since their last release, Greg argues that the quality hasn't suffered on their new album A Moon Shaped Pool.
Multi-instrumentalist Jonny Greenwood seems to have integrated everything he's learned about scoring films into the album. The musical arrangements lift vocalist Thom Yorke to new heights as he contemplates everything from breakups to the environment.
Greg got lost inside the record and its ideas of transformation. It took Jim a bit longer to dig what was inside.
Lykke Li Songs
He laments the under-use of drummer Phil Selway, and the lack of a real fist-pumping save-the-planet anthem. But Jim knows to review what you get, not what you want – and he hears a complex and beautiful chamber pop record reminiscent of Nick Drake. That earns A Moon Shaped Pool an enthusiastic double- Buy It. Jim Greg 485Sharon Van Etten Remind Me TomorrowRemind Me Tomorrow is Sharon Van Etten's fifth official album and first in nearly five years.
Since her debut in 2009, Van Etten's profile had steadily grown until she essentially walked away from her recording career after 2014's Are We There. Instead she went to college hoping to become a mental health counselor, started a romantic relationship with drummer Zeke Hutchins, acted in the Netflix show The OA and gave birth to a son. Loyal fans didn't lose hope, though.
One even made When she started work on the new album, instead of featuring guitar or piano as she has in the past, Van Etten built her sound around the Roland Jupiter 4 synthesizer. Greg says you might have heard that instrument on a Spandau Ballet album, while Jim calls it the“Farfisa trash organ of synths.”They both praise Van Etten's newly reimagined sound. Greg calls the sonics her“boldest touch here.”He says the connection between the creepy sounds and very astute lyrics and melodies indicate that Van Etten may be getting even better as an artist. Jim likens the album to Radiohead's Kid A in that it expresses uncertainty in the outside world and how it encroaches on personal life and self expression through art. Jim Greg 2616Shamir RatchetShamir was first brought to our attention by the one and only Mr. Greg Kot as one of his favorite artists from this year's SXSW in Austin.
The 20-year-old singer defies categorization on his debut album Ratchet in so many ways: vocal style, presentation and sexuality. Jim and Greg both love the way he uses all the musical influences of his own past including country rock and brings in things like Chicago House, which embraced pan sexuality and ambiguousness along with killer danceable hooks.
Shamir really impressed Jim and Greg with this debut; he earns a double Buy It rating. Jim Greg 1653Alabama Shakes Sound & ColorAlabama Shakes has the sometimes difficult task of topping a great debut album. With its new release, Sound & Color, Jim and Greg both think Shakes cleared the hurdle with flying colors. Greg says that the band has really utilized the studio to offer a multitude of soundscapes and Brittany Howard's deeply personal lyrics are a great compliment to the sound which mixes soul, rock and blues.
Jim thinks the sound of this album is kaleidoscopic, and, like Greg, gives this album a Buy It rating. Jim Greg 2440PJ Harvey Let England ShakeNext up, Jim and Greg review the new album by PJ Harvey called Let England Shake. The British singer, who came out in the ' 90s with a series of critically acclaimed albums, never repeats herself. And on this record she uses autoharp and finds inspiration in war.
But sometimes change doesn't do you good. Jim wishes Polly Jean Harvey sounded like herself. He can't stand her little girl singing voice and the pretentious sound.
He gives Let England Shake a big Trash It rating. Greg is not as let down, but admits the album is a disappointment.
He misses her first person perspective and says the music is not at all well-defined. Some parts are just plain annoying, but a few tracks stand up. So Greg says Burn It. Jim Greg 2552Bruce Springsteen We Shall Overcome: The Seeger SessionsSound Opinions listeners know they can always count on a heated conversation when it comes to The Boss. Bruce Springsteen came out with a new album this week (the 18th of his career), We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions. This time around, the singer pays tribute to folk artist Pete Seeger, and Jim and Greg completely disagree on whether or not it is worth your time.
Greg became a Springsteen fan early on, but has been disappointed in his rock hero in recent years. However, he asserts that We Shall Overcome is Springsteen's best album since Nebraska. He appreciates the more down-to-earth production style and political messages of the songs. He gives it a Buy It rating. Jim, on the other hand, states that this record literally makes him sick to his stomach. He has never been a Springsteen fan, but has occasionally given a favorable review to albums like Devils in Dust. He finds this Seeger tribute musically and lyrically conservative, and basically just completely pathetic.
He does not want to hear Springsteen do folk songs (' Froggie Went a Courtin','?) and wishes that Springsteen followed in the path of Billy Bragg and Wilco, who paid homage to another folk hero, Woody Guthrie. Unlike that album, this one gets a Trash It from Mr. Jim Greg 2593Beyonce I Am.Sasha FierceBeyonce and her alter-ego have a new album out called I AmSasha Fierce. The album contains two discs, one comprised of ballads (the Beyonce side) and one comprised of funkier, up-tempo tracks (the Sasha Fierce side). Greg explains that Beyonce has reinvented being an R&B diva in the 21st century by putting the emphasis on songs. But, that's where this release falls through for him.
The songs are not as strong, and he doesn't buy the Sasha Fierce attitude. For Greg this is a Trash It.
Jim couldn‘t disagree more. He thought the ballad side had surprising range. Another pleasant surprise was Beyonce’s take on europop dance music. The second disc is full of great party tracks, and Jim recommends listeners Buy It.
Jim Greg 2943Sharon Van Etten Are We ThereOn her latest album, Are We There, indie songstress Sharon Van Etten trades in the quiet guitar and occasional backing band of her previous albums, for a fuller, more baroque sound that takes both Jim and Greg by surprise. Greg loves the pairing of Van Etten's biting lyrics opposite the music's lush strings and horns arrangements. He says that Van Etten has finally come into her own making Are We There her most accomplished work to date. Jim isn‘t as goo-goo eyed as Greg is over Van Etten’s move away from her simpler singer-songwriter days.
Are We There's eclectic instrumentation occasionally stumbles over itself, but on less busy tracks when Van Etten's vocals can really shine through, all of the album's musical faults are forgiven. Both critics say Are We There is a Buy It. Jim Greg 2572The Dead Weather Sea of CowardsJack White might be the new hardest-working man in show business. Not only does he front his original band The White Stripes, but he's a member of The Raconteurs and most recently The Dead Weather. That group just released its second album in less than a year called Sea of Cowards. White is joined by Alison Mosshart from The Kills on vocals and Dean Fertita from Queens of the Stone Age.
But, as Greg explains, it's White's stamp that's all over this record. He does the songwriting and production. Jim hears a lot of enthusiasm in the music, and it holds together more as a project than the self-titled debut.
He compares White to Nick Cave — the music is dangerous and enticing and gets a Buy It rating. Greg can‘t believe Jim would compare White to Cave — he doesn’t think he has nearly the same songwriting chops. And the songwriting is where Sea of Cowards falls off for Greg. He loves the attitude and sound, but thinks the songs are fragments at best. It gets a Try It.
Jim Greg 2885Bob Dylan Shadows in the NightOne of Bob Dylan's strengths is his ability to reinvent himself, especially in the ' 90s when he became his own producer under the pseudonym Jack Frost. Now in his seventies, he consistently takes his touring band into the studio every few years, giving his career a new surge of energy. So it's with that goal that he gives us Shadows in the Night, which is built around songs recorded by Frank Sinatra. Jim recognizes that while Dylan and Sinatra are two of the most important voices in the last half-century, they don't go well together. Dylan is great when he sings songs that suit him ( folk, country) but it just doesn't work here; he gives it a Trash It. Greg believes that the production of this album and the choices Dylan made saved the record. He said if you care for Bob Dylan at all you should take a listen, giving it a Try It.
Jim Greg 2642N.E.R.D. NoOne Ever Really DiesAfter a seven year hiatus, N.E.R.D. (the Pharrell Williams/ Neptunes side project) has returned with their fourth album NoOne Ever Really Dies.
As The Neptunes, Chad Hugo & Pharrell crafted synthy, quirky, poppy hip hop and R&B for the likes of Jay-Z and Kelis in the 1990s and early '00s. Then in 1999, they formed N.E.R.D.
With Shay Haley. In the time since N.E.R.D.' S last album, 2010's Nothing, Pharrell Williams has made a name for himself as a solo artist. Most notably, he achieved mainstream success with the smash hit ' Happy,' all while maintaining his signature sense of quirk. Greg says it's that quirkiness, along with a knack for hooks that attracted him to their sound in the first place. He likes this effort for its“weird, buzzy tone”and its psychedelic energy. Greg gives it a Buy It.
Jim calls N.E.R.D. An“experimental garage band.”He adds this project has an uneven success rate with its long list of collaborations, including tracks with Rihanna, Kendrick Lamar, and Ed Sheeran.
Jim gives it a Try It. Jim Greg 667LCD Soundsystem This Is HappeningDuring the next segment Jim and Greg review this season's big new releases. First up, This Is Happening by LCD Soundsystem. LCD Soundsystem began as a pet project for DFA co-founder James Murphy. He's been instrumental in establishing the dance-punk sound of the past decade.
Jim thinks Murphy is going for a Roxy Music vocal style. He explains that Murphy is saying this record will be his last, but notes that it's not his best. Greg agrees, adding that the bar was set very high with the previous two releases.
There was much more honest emotion. But that said, it's still worth your money: a double Buy It. Jim Greg 2496Shamir RevelationsSinger-songwriter Shamir is back with a new album called Revelations.
While his debut Ratchet sported a lot of house music and festival hooks, Revelations is a much more mid-fi effort that mixes genres like folk, soul and rock. Jim finds the record to be a shocking departure but in a good way. Shamir is singing about what's on his mind: racism, sexism, gender, sexuality, etc.
He articulates his thoughts wonderfully with a sonically interesting blend of musical styles. Jim is a fan of Revelations and gives it a Buy it. Greg agrees, and loves that Shamir is asserting his independence and uniqueness as an artist. He also loves Shamir's allusions to other artists he admires, like the Ronettes and the Pixies. Greg finds this album to be inspired and interesting, and gives it a Buy It. Jim Greg 1306Kelis Kelis Was HereKelis scored a big hit with her 2003 single ' Milkshake,' and this week she tries to do it again.
Kelis Was Here is the R&B singer's first album since splitting from former collaborators The Neptunes and marrying rapper Nas. Our hosts are split on their opinions. Jim is happy to see Kelis working with a variety of producers, including Scott Storch and Will.I.Am, and is glad that her sexual self-empowerment remains intact. The album earns a Buy It from him. Greg finds this record to be pretty generic, though, contending that all of the producers have buffed her personality out.
He describes Kelis Was Here as“milkshake leftovers,”and only gives it a Burn It. Jim Greg 2960Kelis FoodSinger (and Cooking Channel personality) Kelis Rogers has just released her sixth album, called, appropriately, Food. Kelis was huge in the UK in the early 2000s, but her 2003 hit ' Milkshake' was the first (and last) time that American audiences paid her much attention.
On Food, Kelis is again blending the creative and the culinary — not only does the album have songs titled ' Breakfast' and ' Jerk Ribs,' but she also uses cooking to signify themes of love and family, notes Jim. He's thrilled to see Kelis creating energetic neo-soul again. Greg hears“layers of flavors”on the album, and appreciates that producer Dave Sitek took care to showcase her voice, which comes out as sultry, ragged, and honest. Food is some of the best music Kelis has made, and our hosts gobble it up. It's a double Buy It. Jim Greg 2589Lady Gaga Artpop'Anti-diva' Lady Gaga has just released her third album, Artpop. And it's headed for #1.
The title is a brazen declaration of its content, but after a few plays, neither Jim nor Greg feel much like the album is“Art”at all. While Jim does the music is still as groovy as ever, he can't get over the pandering, nonsensical lyrics., especially considering her attempts to empower. So, Jim says Burn It. Greg refuses to step over the threshold, that the music underwhelms with conventional, risk-averse EDM courtesy of big name producers like DJ White Shadow. Lady Gaga has built a career out of twisting the formula, but Greg doesn't hear any reinvention: Trash It.
Jim Greg 2935Pusha T King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The PreludeVirginia-bred rapper Pusha T recently released his second solo record called King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude. This album serves as a precursor to his main event – King Push – set to be released this spring. The rapper promises it will be unlike any hip hop album of the last 18 years.Greg says if this mysterious upcoming album is anything like The Prelude, he's sold. This record packs a punch with 10 intense tracks marked by Pusha's authoritative voice. He's lived what he's speaking about, and thus he delivers detail that, in Greg's opinion, is a step above that which his peers provide. Pusha offers powerful social commentary with grit and an understanding of the street life, and the album's a Buy It for Greg.
Jim agrees that Pusha is an agile rapper with important things to say, but is disappointed in the album's continued glorification of cocaine dealing. Pusha's coverage of drug dealing doesn't nearly hit the depths that Kendrick Lamar's music does, and Jim tires of Pusha's coke-centric tracks. Finding this album to be half-Buy It, half-Trash It, Jim settles in the middle with a Try It review for King Push – Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude. Jim Greg 2871Sharon Van Etten EpicJim and Greg both saw singer-songwriter Sharon Van Etten perform at this past year's Pitchfork Music Festival.
And while Jim was unimpressed, Greg highly anticipated this new album, Epic, which does not disappoint. Van Etten's first record was largely about a troubled relationship. On this one, Van Etten is much stronger and more confident, even in her orchestrations. Despite Jim's feelings about Van Etten's Pitchfork show, he loves this album – all seven songs of it. Very few women in indie rock have pipes like this singer. Epic gets a double Buy It. Jim Greg 2420The Dead Weather Dodge and BurnThe Dead Weather formed in 2009 as a supergroup of sorts, sporting a lineup of Jack White, Alison Mosshart of The Kills, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, and Jack Lawrence of The Raconteurs.
Now the band has returned with its third album, Dodge and Burn. White is taking a literal and figurative back seat here as he remains behind the drum kit, and Greg is grateful for the showcase of Mosshart's excellent vocal talents. He also cites Fertita as the band's secret weapon, using distorted guitars and keyboards to bring an element of pure nastiness to the record. Despite a couple of missteps, including the odd closing piano ballad ' Impossible Winner,' Dodge and Burn is a Buy It for Greg. Jim concurs – the dirty blues garage rock may be nothing new, but its swampy, southern Gothic flavor is perfect for Halloween season. It's a Buy It for him, too.
Jim Greg 2971Chance the Rapper Acid RapA number of Chicago rappers are blowing up right now- Chief Keef, King Louie, Lil Durk. But unlike those“drill scene”artists, Chance the Rapper is the kid next door. Jim loves that this“extraordinary artist”can be both deeply profound and also funny as heck on his new mixtape Acid Rap. He calls ' Pushaman' the ')' that Chicago needs. Greg is also loving the goofy, self-deprecating lyrics and hears a huge amount of growth on this second, deeply moving mixtape. Acid Rap gets a double Buy It, and yet it's completely free! Jim Greg 2549Bat for Lashes Two SunsNow onto something you might want to buy at a record store.
Jim and Greg first review the latest album from Natasha Khan, aka Bat for Lashes. The British artist's first album was nominated for a Mercury Prize. Now she is back with Two Suns. Jim and Greg hear a lot of heavy subtext in the songs, half of which are sung from the perspective of Khan's alter-ego Pearl. Greg thinks these tracks are the most interesting. The melodies and hooks aren't that insistent on this record, but listeners who pay attention will hear some really complicated stuff.
For ambition alone, Greg gives Two Suns a Buy It rating. Jim admits that this album will not be everyone's cup of tea. But, that's what he loves about it.
He also gives Bat for Lashes a Buy It. Jim Greg 2072Michael Franti and Spearhead Yell Fire!Politicially charged group Michael Franti and Spearhead has a new album out this week. Michael Franti's songwriting has ranged from R&B to funk to hip hop, and he's been a part of numerous groups including The Beatnigs and The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. On this effort he expands his sound with the help of reggae greats Sly Dunbar and Robbie Shakespeare. Much of Yell Fire!
Was recorded in Kingston, Jamaica with the seminal Jamaican producers. While the album's sound is slightly different, the message is no less socially conscious. Franti recorded it after a trip to the Middle East in 2004, and has also released a documentary film based on his travels. Jim respects Franti's message, and strongly recommends people see the movie — but he thinks that the lyrics are weak and wishes Franti didn't sound like he was trying so hard with the reggae sound. His rating is on the cusp between Burn It and Trash It.
Greg disagrees, and thinks the production and the dancehall beats were done well, but he has to agree with his co-host about many of the cheesier, U2-style ballads. It's a Burn It for Greg. Jim Greg 1693Lucinda Williams Down Where The Spirit Meets The BoneLucinda Williams has never been known as a prolific alternative country singer-songwriter. At 61-years old, she's always taken her time crafting her albums, and her latest in three years, Down Where The Spirit Meets The Bone, is no exception. However, Williams surprises Jim and Greg with her newest, having not just one, but two discs full of over 100 minutes of new material. Greg thinks she should have pared the track listing down a bit, but overall, he enjoys the album's loose vibe and shaggy instrumentation.
The sprawling album is worth getting lost in in order to unearth the best of William's sincere, passionate - and sometimes seething - songwriting. Greg says Buy It. Jim seconds Greg's rating, saying if you can warm up to William's slurred vocals and the album's decidedly un-cheery tone, you‘ll be rewarded with an intimate look through the life and times of one of music’s great pioneers. Jim Greg 2115Against Me! Shape Shift with MeAgainst Me! Has been active since forming in Gainesville, Florida in 1997, but 2014 proved to be the pivotal year in the band's history. Its leader Laura Jane Grace came out as transgender and the band released its most successful record to date, Transgender Dysphoria Blues.
While that record was explicitly about her transition, Greg says the followup Shape Shift with Me examines her post-transition relationships, trading in some of the anthems for a film noir feel. Greg wishes the production sounded less meticulously layered, but the songwriting is very strong, filled with both sincerity and humor. Jim likes the darker, slower moments on this album, but points out that there is still plenty of rabble rousing anthemic rock. When all is said and done, Jim believes we'll see Against Me! As the true inheritors of the political legacy of The Clash. Although Laura Jane Grace writes personal songs, Jim says you don‘t have to be living her same journey to be able to find inspiration.
It’s another double- Buy It for Shape Shift with Me. Jim Greg 2103Monsters of Folk Monsters of FolkJim and Greg supergroups a few weeks ago on the show, and now there's a new one on the scene named Monsters of Folk with their eponymous release, Monsters of Folk. Jim James of My Morning Jacket, M.
Ward, and Conor Oberst and Mike Mogis of Bright Eyes have joined together to form a band, and Greg is reminded of the Traveling Wilburys. It's a fun, affable project where no one is taking himself too seriously. Jim thinks a Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young comparison is more apt, but both critics agree about the album's consistency. Some of the songs are good, some unremarkable, and others awful. That adds up to a Try It from both hosts. Jim Greg 2582Cat Power SunAnd now for something completely different. Indie darling Chan Marshall, who goes by the stage name Cat Power, has a new album out called Sun.
Sun is not what one generally associates with Cat Power. Over eight solo albums Marshall has developed a dusky, lonesome sound whose pure melancholy is often intensified in concert (she's been known to curl up in a fetal ball onstage, so overcome with anxiety that she is unable to continue playing). Marshall wrote Sun as she was breaking up with her actor boyfriend Giovanni Ribisi, so one might ask, how sunny can Sun possibly be? Jim says it's all relative, but he likes this album better than Marshall's previous efforts.
Instead of wallowing, Chan seems to be in self-help mode, reminding herself in ' Ruin' that some people 'don't have s. to eat.' And Jim likes that she's traded in the dirgy guitar and piano for more upbeat synths on this record. He gives Sun a Burn It. Like Jim, Greg has found Marshall hard to take on previous albums, but he's come to appreciate Sun. Chan, he says, is in a dancier mood here - she's even got a fun little pop number in ' 3,6,9' - so he gives Sun a Buy it. Jim Greg 2443Cat Power The GreatestBoth albums reviewed this week are independent label releases.
The first is by Chan Marshall, better known as Cat Power. A much-hyped indie darling for some time now, Cat Power just released her fourth full length album, The Greatest, on the Matador label. Our critics ponder whether it was appropriately named. According to Jim—not at all. Frankly, he hates it.
He has never been a Cat Power fan, however, and doesn‘t understand the appeal of Marshall’s albums nor her onstage antics. Greg agrees that The Greatest is not, in fact, the greatest. But he does not think it's a ' Trash It' album. He believes it's worth listening to for the fantastic Memphis Rhythm Band's appearance alone. Steve Potts, Flick Hodges and Teenie Hodges, who worked with Al Green, provide a wonderful backing for Marshall's sultry voice. The result is a ' Burn It' for Greg. Jim Greg 2520T.I.
Paper TrailT.I. Went straight to #1 this week with his new record Paper Trail. Unfortunately that's not the only headline the rapper has made. In a few months he's scheduled to serve a year long prison sentence for gun possession. But, as Greg points out, that should‘ve made for great fodder for songwriting - should’ve being the operative word. He sees Paper Trail as a missed opportunity to do something deeper. Rather, this is T.I.'
S most commercial record. It's packed with a handful of terrific tracks, but not enough to warrant a Buy It from Greg. Jim agrees; He enjoyed the hook-filled songs, but was left wanting more out of T.I. He recommends the rapper use his time away to channel his more poetic inspiration - Tupac Shakur. Therefore the album gets two Try Its.
Jim Greg 83Chance The Rapper The Big DayChance The Rapper's“debut album,” The Big Day, is one of the most anticipated albums of 2019. His third mixtape, Coloring Book, was the first streaming-only release to win a Grammy award- three, in fact, including Rap Album of the Year. Since then Chance has expanded his focus beyond music: producing stadium concerts, supporting local politicians, donating $1 million to Chicago Public Schools and buying the news website, Chicagoist. The Big Day features many guest performers including Death Cab For Cutie, Shawn Mendes, Gucci Mane, Nicki Minaj, John Legend and Randy Newman.At 19 songs (plus three skits) and 82 minutes running time, Jim and Greg agree the album is too long.
The Big Day is referencing Chance's recent wedding to his longtime girlfriend, which is the most common topic discussed in the songs. Some critics consider the subject matter uncool, though Greg doesn't count himself among them.
Jim and Greg both cite the confessional lyrics of ' We Go High' as a noble gesture of honesty, but ultimately find the treatment of weighty topics such as fidelity, mortality and parenthood lack depth. They both feel Chance is capable of much more complexity in his lyrics, though they find the production and performances on most songs to be very enjoyable.
Jim says with more brutal honesty, this album could have been a masterpiece. Greg acknowledges that with so much celebration and without deep reflection the album can be a chore to get through. Jim Greg 2561Makaya McCraven Universal BeingsMakaya McCraven is a young, Chicago-based jazz drummer who also deconstructs his own live improvisational recordings to make hip hop reworks.
Makaya's latest album, titled Universal Beings, features young jazz luminaries like bassist Junius Paul, horn player Shabaka Hutchings, jazz harpist Brandee Younger, and cellist Tomeka Reid. Also featured on guitar is Jeff Parker, who is probably best known as a member of Chicago post-rock group Tortoise; but Parker is a staple on the jazz underground scene, as well.Makaya took the products of recording sessions in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and London and electronically condensed, looped, and reworked them for the tracks on the final album. Jim and Greg compare Makaya's process to Teo Macero's post-production edits of Miles Davis sessions during Miles' electric period on albums like On The Corner. Greg notes that the album has the crossover appeal of work by other young jazz artists like Thundercat, Robert Glasper, and Kamasi Washington.
They both agree that Universal Beings is a great introduction to a new international underground jazz scene. Jim adds that Universal Beings 'is a brilliant and, yet easy to listen to seductive album'. Jim Greg 3015Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings I Learned the Hard WayThe next album up for review is I Learned the Hard Way by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. 53-year-old Jones is the voice of the Daptone label, whose house band the Dap-Kings is perhaps best known as Amy Winehouse's backing band. Greg explains that this title is well-earned for Jones, and her life experiences inform her nuanced vocal style.
He loves the dialogue between the singer and the horns section and highly recommends people check the group out live. Greg gives this record a Buy It. Jim has found her previous releases more like souvenirs of the live show. But I Learned the Hard Way is a complete work.
There's a retro element, but it's not about looking backward–it's about where Jones is in her life right now. I Learned the Hard Way gets a double Buy It. Jim Greg 105Gorillaz HumanzThe virtual band led by Blur's Damon Albarn, Gorillaz, is back with the group's fifth album. While they may technically be a“fictional”band, their impressive record and concert sales are very real. Their new record, Humanz, features collaborations with artists like Mavis Staples, Pusha T, Jehnny Beth of Savages, Grace Jones and more. Jim thinks Humanz is another great and creative effort from Gorillaz. He thinks the guest cameos work well from track to track, and that Damon Albarn created an interesting, dystopian effort.
He gives it a Buy It. Greg is also a big Gorillaz fan, and thinks that Albarn gets the best out of his guests, and particularly loves the cameos from new artist Benjamin Clementine and rapper Vince Staples.
While he doesn't think much of the collaboration track from Albarn and“enemy” Noel Gallagher of Oasis, he thinks Humanz is a great end of the world party soundtrack. He gives it a Buy It. Jim Greg PJ Harvey The Hope Six Demolition ProjectEnglish singer-songwriter PJ Harvey's newest album, The Hope Six Demolition Project, drops April 15. This is her ninth album, and Jim and Greg have been following her from the beginning. The self-taught musician came into the spotlight in 1991 and debuted her album Dry in 1992 to critical acclaim.
On this new album, Harvey pulls inspiration from her travels to Kosovo, Afghanistan and Washington D.C., where she observed local politics and infused her thoughts on them into her songwriting.Greg notes that her writing style has changed in the past few albums. It was during her eighth album, Let England Shake that she transformed into a storyteller, and that approach comes through on The Hope Six Demolition Project as well. She's an outsider looking in, but her reporting is still personal. Greg appreciates the emotional core of the record as well as the uplifting melodies that color her bleak accounts. The Hope Six Demolition Project is a Buy It for Greg.Jim agrees, taking note that the theatricality of her third album To Bring You My Love returns in this album. Harvey also introduces an anthemic quality— her passion and anger are audible, and Jim loves it, making The Hope Six Demolition Project an enthusiastic double Buy It.
“California Soul” Marlena ShawOne of the best things about music is it can transport you to a whole other place without ever having to leave the room. Greg's DIJ pick this week is Marlena Shaw's 1969 track, ' California Soul.' The song was written by Ashford & Simpson and had been covered by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell and The 5th Dimension. However Shaw's version is the most definitive, having been sampled numerous times over the years. Her cover combined elements of R&B, soul, jazz and a hypnotizing string arrangement. While Shaw recorded the track in Chicago, it transports the listener straight to California. “Shake the Dope Out” The WarlocksRay Manzarek's death gets Greg thinking about bands that have carried The Doors' dark L.A.
Aesthetic into the present day. For his DIJ, he goes with The Warlocks' 2002 album Phoenix. It wasn‘t just The Warlocks’ lyrics that were dark, he says, it was also their music. As many as ten players contributed to the band's moody, wall-of-sound onstage. The lyrics to ' Shake the Dope Out' could be about drugs, but Greg thinks they could also be referring to the overwhelming feeling of the band's music. “Stranger to My Happiness” Sharon Jones & The Dap-KingsThis week, Jim pays tribute to Sharon Jones, a huge figure in the neo-soul revival, who after a battle with cancer.
With her powerful voice and electric stage presence, Jones was, according to Jim, the true inheritor of the legacy of fellow Augusta, Georgia native James Brown. She moved to Brooklyn where she ended up teaming up with The Dap-Kings, the finest soul / R&B backing band since Stax. Their 2013 song ' Stranger to My Happiness' exemplifies her bravery against her illness.
Ostensibly a love song, the lyrics also find Jones reckoning with mortality. She didn‘t wear a wig after losing her hair from chemotherapy, refusing to pretend to be anything she wasn’t. You can see that in a Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings recorded for“Stranger to My Happiness,”which is Jim's Desert Island Jukebox pick of the week. “The Message” Grandmaster Flash and the Furious FiveSylvia Robinson passed away last week at the age of 75. One half of Mickey and Sylvia, Robinson earns her place in the music history books through her contributions as a businesswoman. She co-founded Sugar Hill Records, which pioneered early hip-hop. To honor Robinson, Jim decides to take one of Sugar Hill's most significant tracks to the Desert Island Jukebox: ' The Message' by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.
The track demonstrated that rap music could not only get people moving, but could inspire and spread a message. “Sisters of Mercy” Leonard CohenThis week Sound Opinions welcomed a new station: WHDD-FM, in Sharon, CT. Hotchkiss School in nearby Lakeville produced John Hammond, one of the most important music industry figures in the 20th century. So Greg decided to take his turn at the DIJ as an opportunity to honor the man who discovered Count Basie, Billie Holiday, Bob Dylan, and even Bruce Springsteen. But it was his signing of Leonard Cohen at Columbia Records that Greg wants to highlight.
It was brave of Hammond to bring the Canadian poet to the label. His first album, Songs of Leonard Cohen, never achieved much commercial success, but it served as inspiration for Robert Altman's 1971 film McCabe and Mrs. Greg chooses to add that album's track ' Sisters of Mercy' to the Desert Island Jukebox. “Mother Richard” Lida HusikLooking at an artist like Sharon Van Etten, one is reminded of how much the music landscape has changed in the past two decades. It's possible that despite her talent, Sharon wouldn't have gotten noticed without the help of critics and fans on the internet.
Take Lida Husik. Greg explains that in the '90s she was every bit as good as singer/songwriters like Liz Phair and Beth Orton. But, without blogs, message boards and social media, she never got her due. Greg can still give Husik a little love by adding her track ' Mother Richard' to the Desert Island Jukebox this week. “'Open Your Eyes'” The Lords of the New ChurchThis week we looked at the music, past and present, of Russia. Jim thought about one band that curiously made a splash there: The Lords of the New Church.
The band was somewhat of a supergroup, with punk pioneers Stiv Bators of The Dead Boys, Brian James of The Damned, Dave Tregunna of Sham 69 and Nick Turner of The Barracudas, all coming together to play, what Jim readily admits, a 1980's sound that mixed punk with goth. While he didn't love most of their output, he really loved the first single that penetrated the Iron Curtain: 'Open Your Eyes'. “Everybody's Happy Nowadays” The BuzzcocksJim's Desert Island Jukebox pick is an act of punk rebellion. One of his favorite singles, ' Everybody's Happy Nowadays' by The Buzzcocks, has been co-opted by AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) for their recent ad campaign. AARP has been trying hard to attract younger people, but they seem to have missed the point of the song. It's an ironic statement on how crummy life can be, rather than a celebration of getting older and retiring. In an effort to reclaim this great track, Jim steals it away to his deserted island.
Elmo's Fire” UilabAfter hearing the news that fellow music critic Sasha Frere-Jones was stepping down from his post at The New Yorker, Jim was reminded of Frere-Jones's own band Ui. Ui was active throughout the 1990's as part of the so-called ' post-rock' scene, experimenting with strange instrumentation including electronics, banjos, tubas, and multiple bass guitars. In 1998, Ui collaborated with another of Jim's favorites, Stereolab, under the moniker Uilab and recorded an EP of deconstructed covers of ' St. Elmo's Fire' by (who else?) Brian Eno. The combination of Eno's songwriting, Laetitia Sadier's wonderful vocals, and Ui's trancelike performance add up to a DeRogatis triple threat, making it Jim's Desert Island Jukebox pick of the week.
“Thin Line” Jurassic 5While on a recent nostalgia trip through late 90's, early 2000's hip-hop, Greg spent some time on the West Coast, which at that time was experiencing an underground hip-hop renaissance led up by the likes of DJ Shadow, Lyrics Born and Jurassic 5. Greg especially loves L.A.' S Jurassic 5, as it was the antithesis to the better-known, yet simplistic, gangster rap coming out of the city. Throughout the group's four album run, its four MCs and one DJ (sometimes two) exercised a consistently complex musicality and often employed narrative lyrics that were at their most effective on a track like, ' Thin Line.'
This thoughtful song about the pitfalls of a man-woman friendship turning into something more comes off the group's third album, Power in Numbers, and is Greg's Desert Island Jukebox pick of the week. “Thirty Frames A Second” Simple MindsThis week, it's Greg's turn to pop a quarter in the desert island jukebox and play a song he can't live without. After the Sharon Van Etten conversation, Greg has the Jupiter 4 synthesizer on the brain and picked one of his favorite songs that expertly uses the instrument. He chose ' Thirty Frames A Second' by Simple Minds off their 1980 album Empires and Dance.
While Simple Minds is best known for ' Don't You (Forget About Me),' Greg prefers their earlier material. The band's usage of the Jupiter 4 on“Thirty Frames A Second”is eerie, inventive and danceable.