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December 2009
12/31/2009
12/20/2009
Zen Arcade Best of 2009! The Stray Songs
Welcome back to this year's Best of 2009! Today, five great songs from albums that didn't make the Top 10. I used to call this "Songs I Loved from Albums I Didn't", but the truth is that most of these albums could easily make #11. I'll present them alphabetically.
1990s - "The Box"
I predicted breakout success for this album, the second by Scotland's 1990s, based largely on the strength of this single as a potential summer jam. I thought they and Frightened Rabbit would lead everyone to Scotland as the new hot indie band source. Not the first time I've been wrong.
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - "Shampoo"
Elvis is the son of Anthony “Norman Bates” Perkins, and he’s taken full advantage of the eccentricity you can get away with when you’re Hollywood royalty. This is from his excellent second album. One of my favorite memories of this year was his Bonnaroo press conference, where he was joined by Alejandro Escovedo, Tift Merritt…and Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog.
The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Edmonton"
These guys are from Toronto, which is neither rural nor in Alberta. But geographic accuracy aside, they put out one of the best debuts of 2009 after almost a year of blog buzz based on their MySpace songs. The usual comparison is to Neutral Milk Hotel, and it says a lot that they can stand up to the comparison.
White Rabbits, "Percussion Gun"
If you put a piano and two guys beating the hell out of drums in your band, you pretty much have me at "hello". This was the album I had the hardest time keeping out of the Top 10, just because it does my heart good to see the piano brought back to its proper place in rock and roll (as The Hold Steady have done so well). As you can imagine from the energy in this song, their live show (which I caught at Bonnaroo) kicks much ass.
Wye Oak, "Take It In"
I'll be honest, I never got around to listening to the rest of the album from this Baltimore duo, but this haunting track is probably the one I got the most calls about on the Arcade.
1990s - "The Box"
I predicted breakout success for this album, the second by Scotland's 1990s, based largely on the strength of this single as a potential summer jam. I thought they and Frightened Rabbit would lead everyone to Scotland as the new hot indie band source. Not the first time I've been wrong.
Elvis Perkins in Dearland - "Shampoo"
Elvis is the son of Anthony “Norman Bates” Perkins, and he’s taken full advantage of the eccentricity you can get away with when you’re Hollywood royalty. This is from his excellent second album. One of my favorite memories of this year was his Bonnaroo press conference, where he was joined by Alejandro Escovedo, Tift Merritt…and Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog.
The Rural Alberta Advantage - "Edmonton"
These guys are from Toronto, which is neither rural nor in Alberta. But geographic accuracy aside, they put out one of the best debuts of 2009 after almost a year of blog buzz based on their MySpace songs. The usual comparison is to Neutral Milk Hotel, and it says a lot that they can stand up to the comparison.
White Rabbits, "Percussion Gun"
If you put a piano and two guys beating the hell out of drums in your band, you pretty much have me at "hello". This was the album I had the hardest time keeping out of the Top 10, just because it does my heart good to see the piano brought back to its proper place in rock and roll (as The Hold Steady have done so well). As you can imagine from the energy in this song, their live show (which I caught at Bonnaroo) kicks much ass.
Wye Oak, "Take It In"
I'll be honest, I never got around to listening to the rest of the album from this Baltimore duo, but this haunting track is probably the one I got the most calls about on the Arcade.
12/19/2009
Zen Arcade Best of 2009! The "Not Exactly New" Releases
It's time for The Zen Arcade's Best of 2009! For the next four days I'll be listing my favorite releases from the past year. Check back to see it all!
Today I have the Top 5 "Not Exactly New" Albums of 2009. This is the category for my favorite releases that weren't new studio recordings--live discs, reissues, compilations, etc. This was a surprisingly crowded field this year, with lots of seemingly essential releases edged out.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Live Anthology
The first CD I ever owned was Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever, and I'm not sure I've bought a better one since. Petty's great skill is in making it look easy; his songs might have three chords and twelve words, but just try to put three chords and twelve words together like he does. Similarly, it's hard to put your finger on what makes their live show so essential, but this dirt cheap 4-CD set is hard to argue against. All the classics are here, along with great covers like the Dead's "Friend of the Devil" and Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well".
Blur, Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur
Since I was busy with the whole med school and residency thing from 1998 through 2005, there are a lot of great bands that I more or less missed during that time. Blur, for instance: I knew their singles like "She's So High" and "Song 2", but I never got deeper than that. They must have known I was out here, because they put out this concise 2-CD set just for people like me, covering the hits and the worthy deep cuts to bring us into the fold.
REM, Live at the Olympia
It seems insulting to REM to refer to their comeback, since they never actually went away. (They just should have.) But from everything I've read and from listening to 2008's fantastic Accelerate (and seeing a truly spectacular hometown show from that tour), I think they'd be the first to admit it. Live at the Olympia is like a document of their return from the wilderness, featuring early versions of tracks from Accelerate and obscure tracks reaching back to every stage of their career. It's pure fanservice, but it's also one of our generation's great bands reaching back to rediscover what made them great.
Drive-By Truckers, The Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and Rarities
The Truckers have become one of my favorite bands over the last few years, but it hasn't really been on the strength of their recent studio output. Lots of good songs on those albums, but on the whole they've seemed bloated. So it's surprising to me that a whole album of trimmings from those same years could be so great. Highlights include a cover of Tom Petty's "Rebels" that sounds like it was written for Patterson Hood's voice, and Mike Cooley and Jason Isbell's perfectly opposite takes on the Tennessee Valley Authority ("Uncle Frank" and "Thank God for the TVA").
Tom Waits, Glitter and Doom Live
I didn't get to see this tour (I saw the one before it), but whenever Tom Waits takes his clank-and-growl show on the road it's a big deal. It's nice to have an official document from this brilliant phase of his career. Highlights: "Fannin Street", "Dirt in the Ground", "Trampled Rose", and the included bonus CD of the crazy shaggy dog stories Tom tells from the stage.
Today I have the Top 5 "Not Exactly New" Albums of 2009. This is the category for my favorite releases that weren't new studio recordings--live discs, reissues, compilations, etc. This was a surprisingly crowded field this year, with lots of seemingly essential releases edged out.
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Live Anthology
The first CD I ever owned was Tom Petty's Full Moon Fever, and I'm not sure I've bought a better one since. Petty's great skill is in making it look easy; his songs might have three chords and twelve words, but just try to put three chords and twelve words together like he does. Similarly, it's hard to put your finger on what makes their live show so essential, but this dirt cheap 4-CD set is hard to argue against. All the classics are here, along with great covers like the Dead's "Friend of the Devil" and Fleetwood Mac's "Oh Well".
Blur, Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur
Since I was busy with the whole med school and residency thing from 1998 through 2005, there are a lot of great bands that I more or less missed during that time. Blur, for instance: I knew their singles like "She's So High" and "Song 2", but I never got deeper than that. They must have known I was out here, because they put out this concise 2-CD set just for people like me, covering the hits and the worthy deep cuts to bring us into the fold.
REM, Live at the Olympia
It seems insulting to REM to refer to their comeback, since they never actually went away. (They just should have.) But from everything I've read and from listening to 2008's fantastic Accelerate (and seeing a truly spectacular hometown show from that tour), I think they'd be the first to admit it. Live at the Olympia is like a document of their return from the wilderness, featuring early versions of tracks from Accelerate and obscure tracks reaching back to every stage of their career. It's pure fanservice, but it's also one of our generation's great bands reaching back to rediscover what made them great.
Drive-By Truckers, The Fine Print: A Collection of Oddities and Rarities
The Truckers have become one of my favorite bands over the last few years, but it hasn't really been on the strength of their recent studio output. Lots of good songs on those albums, but on the whole they've seemed bloated. So it's surprising to me that a whole album of trimmings from those same years could be so great. Highlights include a cover of Tom Petty's "Rebels" that sounds like it was written for Patterson Hood's voice, and Mike Cooley and Jason Isbell's perfectly opposite takes on the Tennessee Valley Authority ("Uncle Frank" and "Thank God for the TVA").
Tom Waits, Glitter and Doom Live
I didn't get to see this tour (I saw the one before it), but whenever Tom Waits takes his clank-and-growl show on the road it's a big deal. It's nice to have an official document from this brilliant phase of his career. Highlights: "Fannin Street", "Dirt in the Ground", "Trampled Rose", and the included bonus CD of the crazy shaggy dog stories Tom tells from the stage.
12/08/2009
Zen Arcade 12/08/09: The Playlist!
Them Crooked Vultures - "Bandoliers"
Them Crooked Vultures - "Caligulove"
Florence and the Machine - "Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)"
Florence and the Machine - "I'm Not Calling You a Liar"
Papercuts - "Dictator's Lament"
Papercuts - "Future Primitive"
Amadou and Miriam - "Sabali"
Amadou and Miriam - "Ce N'est Pas Bon"
The Dodos - "Longform"
The Dodos - "Fables"
Animal Collective - "Graze"
Animal Collective - "What Would I Want? Sky"
Avett Brothers - "I and Love and You"
Avett Brothers - "And It Spread"
Real Estate - "Beach Comber"
Real Estate - "Suburban Beverage"
Bear in Heaven - "You Do You"
Bear in Heaven - "Lovesick Teenagers"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Nightwatchman" (live)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Oh Well" (live)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "It's Good to Be King" (live)
Tom Waits - "Get Behind the Mule" (live)
Tom Waits - "Fannin Street" (live)
Tom Waits - "Dirt in the Ground" (live)
Nirvana - "Breed" (live)
Nirvana - "Drain You" (live)
Nirvana - "Lithium" (live)
Neil Young - "Hank to Hendrix" (live)
Neil Young - "Unknown Legend" (live)
Neil Young - "War of Man" (live)
Them Crooked Vultures - "Caligulove"
Florence and the Machine - "Rabbit Heart (Raise it Up)"
Florence and the Machine - "I'm Not Calling You a Liar"
Papercuts - "Dictator's Lament"
Papercuts - "Future Primitive"
Amadou and Miriam - "Sabali"
Amadou and Miriam - "Ce N'est Pas Bon"
The Dodos - "Longform"
The Dodos - "Fables"
Animal Collective - "Graze"
Animal Collective - "What Would I Want? Sky"
Avett Brothers - "I and Love and You"
Avett Brothers - "And It Spread"
Real Estate - "Beach Comber"
Real Estate - "Suburban Beverage"
Bear in Heaven - "You Do You"
Bear in Heaven - "Lovesick Teenagers"
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Nightwatchman" (live)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "Oh Well" (live)
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - "It's Good to Be King" (live)
Tom Waits - "Get Behind the Mule" (live)
Tom Waits - "Fannin Street" (live)
Tom Waits - "Dirt in the Ground" (live)
Nirvana - "Breed" (live)
Nirvana - "Drain You" (live)
Nirvana - "Lithium" (live)
Neil Young - "Hank to Hendrix" (live)
Neil Young - "Unknown Legend" (live)
Neil Young - "War of Man" (live)
Zen Arcade 12/8/09: The Catch-Up Show!
Tonight on The Zen Arcade: the third annual Catch-Up Show! I'll be playing three hours of great music from 2009 that I haven't played yet on the show. I'll have tracks from the likes of Papercuts, Them Crooked Vultures, Amadou and Miriam, Raekwon, the Dodos, Nirvana, Tom Waits, Tom Petty, and more!
Tonight, 7-10PM, 88.7 WMMT-FM in Whitesburg, KY. Stream it at http://www.wmmtfm.org
Don't miss it!
Tonight, 7-10PM, 88.7 WMMT-FM in Whitesburg, KY. Stream it at http://www.wmmtfm.org
Don't miss it!
