David
Assistant Store Manager
The other day at work I was asked questions by two different customers. I knew the answer to both questions:
Who composed "Madame Butterfly?" My answer: Puccini.
Who did the song "Lipstick On His Pants?" My answer: Sheba Potts-Wright.
Try getting those answers at Best Buy. That’s what I love about working at what some people still call a “record store.” (And Spin Street actually has those! Records. Vinyl. If you’re looking for 8-Track tapes, though, you may be out of luck...)
It’s great to work at a store where you can not only help people find what they like, but help them discover new stuff they will love. Independent music stores across the country (and, sadly, there are fewer now) recently had a “Independent Record Store Day".
It's David Jett's Top 10 Albums of 2008! This is based on a lot of things, but mostly on how many times I played a particular cd/mp3/record in my car/home/shower/head. So there may a cd I listened to and thought, "wow, that's brilliant!" And then I never listened to it again.
The Ting Tings-We Started Nothing
I'll start out with some perfect pop silliness from this charming and feisty Swedish duo. Sure, it's may not go down in music history with the same reverence as Dylan's "Blonde On Blonde," but this album can sit respectfully next to Blondie. That is to say, it may not be an instant classic, but I couldn't stop listening to this thing (ting.) In fact, the song "That's Not My Name," one of favorite singles of the year, was my ring tone for months. (ok, it still is. Shut up.)
Langhorne Slim-Langhorne Slim & The War Eagles
Langhorne Slim is a Brooklyn-based singer/songwriter who is originally from Langhorne, Pennsylvania. I don’t want to scare you off with the term “singer/songwriter,” which usually means some dull guy strumming a couple of chords in a coffee shop while he moans about a girl. First of all, Langhorne is not dull...there’s plenty of toe-tappin’ songs here. In addition to strummin’ guitars, there’s a banjo, swirling organ, horns and more. (Alas, no cowbell.) He does talk a lot about girls: loves, lost loves, future loves. But there’s no crying in baseball as Slim keeps things upbeat and earnest. Langhorne had been compared to Bob Dylan, but his lyrics are nowhere near as cryptic. In fact, they are very direct, such as in “She’s gone; I’m staying.” That’s pretty clear. Or the lyrics “Sometimes I hate the things that you do; sometimes I hate the things you say.” (Those last lyrics are from a very beautiful love song, believe it or not.) Slim’s been compared to every other “folk/blues” singer since the dawn of time...Woody Guthrie, Arlo Guthrie, Conor Oberst, Josh Ritter. But you know who he reminded me of most? Both in terms of song-writing, vocals, and attitude? Warren Zevon. Who else would you really think of when first hearing Langhorne’s song “Rebel Side Of Heaven?”
Kaiser Chiefs-Off With Their Heads
Hey, we might have a band who made my list last year! As well as producer Mark Ronson, who also made last year's list. So what's the deal with The Kaiser Chiefs? Instantly catchy tunes? Check. Sing-a-long choruses? Check. Highly distinguishable Brit accents? Check. Irony-soaked lyrics? Check. Musical nods to The Kinks and The Jam? Check. At least one reference to the Queen? Check. At least one song that reminds me of an ex-girlfriend? Check. Adds up to a bloody brilliant album!
The Enemy-We'll Live And Die In These Towns
Take the last review and replace "Kaiser Chiefs" with "The Enemy." Saves me some writing. Except I want to say that their song "I'm Not OK" reminds me of Pulp's "Common People." (hey, don't blame me if the UK produces the best bands! What did you expect to be on my list...Nickelback and Dave Matthews? Please.)
Kasey Chambers-Rattlin' Bones
Seriously, did you think Kasey Chambers could put out an album that wouldn't make my top 10? You may know this Australian from her biggest US hit song “The Captain,” which was heard on an episode of “The Sopranos.” If you haven’t heard her, you should. Voice like a country angel. With a little attitude. And one of her American idols is Lucinda Williams. Also, she can make you cry. Like a baby. Or a river. Depends on your mood. Or hers. “Sometime’s a place to live is just a place to hide.” That’s a line from her new song “One More Year.” Then there’s the song “Once In A While.” I would quote some lyrics from this song, but I’m listening to it right now, and if I wrote those words from that song, I would cry. (Yes, maybe a river. I don’t want to do that. Enough people from the southern states have gone through enough with hurricanes already...) Don’t even get me started on the song “Sweetest Waste Of Time.” (Ok, I’m crying. It’s a happy cry. With a little bittersweet. FEMA, get ready!)
Ok, enough of that! How about some rock and/or roll? Hells yeah!
Supersuckers-Get It Together
Let's face facts. The Supersuckers, at their worst, are just good meat & taters, pedal to the metal rock. At their best, they are the perfect inbred offspring of Social Distortion and Jason & The Scorchers. And these *&%#’s actually have guitar solos in their songs! Some bands make you want to drink a beer. This band makes you want to down a bottle of Jack Daniels. That's the power of rock, baby! Two of the more lyrically and musically brilliant songs on this &%$!-kicker are "She's Leaving (I'm Not Sure When)" and "When I'm Go, I'm Gone."
Little Jackie-The Stoop
Let me state that from start to finish, this is the best female R&B album since "The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill." Yes, it's that good. Secondly, "Little Jackie" is Imani Coppola. If you’re not familiar with Imani Coppola, she’s the gal from the 90's who had a minor hit with “Legend Of A Cowgirl.” She’s gone on to put out great albums, including last year’s “Black & White Album.” Her albums usually have a mix of genres: rock, hip-hop, soul, experimental. Her lyrics are smart and she surrounds herself with other great musicians. She's created an album that harkens back to the day when soul music wasn’t just about what happened between the sheets, but what happens between the lines. “The Stoop” is an endearing tune about sitting on your front porch and being part of the community. “28 Butts” hits on some of her bad habits which she might not be ready to give up right now (tell me about it.) There’s the song “Cryin’ For The Queen” which is a thinly veiled reference to Amy Winehouse. (It’s “thinly veiled” because Amy’s actual name is never mentioned. Outside of that, not very subtle, but it’s a very smart, catchy tune.) And then there’s “The World Should Revolve Around Me.” What a great song. And it’s true. By that I mean that the world should revolve around me. And if it did, everyone would listen to this cd.
The Rosebuds-Life Like
This relatively obscure band made my list last year. I had trouble trying to describe them then. Same story this year. All I know is that they made the list again. And they have both a female and male singer. Ok. The closest comparison I can make is that The Rosebuds are like indy-critic darlings The Fleet Foxes, except they are better. Much better. Meaning I don't think they suck. (Actually, I hear a little Cure in there. Just a little.)
Blackstrap-Steal My Horses And Run
Jesus and Mary Chain. My Bloody Valentine. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. Brian Jonestown Massacre. And now we have Blackstrap. Alas, no free tambourines with purchase.
And now we get to the last cd in the list. As usual, I just list my top 10 albums, in no particular order. But this one really is number one. I want to take this album out to dinner and then marry it. Curl up in bed and watch movies with it. Walk in the park with it. I might even consider having kids with this album. And even if I break-up with this album, I'll still listen to it from time to time.
Amy MacDonald-This Is The Life
The first week I heard this cd, I wrote a review of it for my store's website. Here it is:
Let’s discover something together, like two lovers walking on the beach at sunset and finding a beautiful shell. Or going out on a first date and laughing at the same parts in your new favorite movie. Or shopping hand-in-hand on opening day at your cities first Super Target. Are you ready, my cheeky monkeys? (“cheeky monkeys” being a phrase used by talk show host Craig Ferguson, on whose show I saw Amy MacDonald for the first time the other night.) I’ve seen her cd at our store, but I didn’t know anything about her. Until I saw her on The Late Late Show. And then I knew two things. She has an accent that makes her sound like the lead singer for The Cranberries, minus the shrieking parts. Secondly, the song she performed, “Mr. Rock & Roll,” had me captivated two lines in. (I’ll post some lyrics to that song at the end of the review.) Also, she’s really cute. Ok, that’s three things. But that’s all I knew. Let’s find out about her together, shall we?
We’re checking out her bio from allmusic.com and other sources. She’s Scottish...from Glasgow. Well, we know how Craig Ferguson knows about her. What else here? She’s 21. Wow. Really young for such a confident voice and lyrics. She started playing guitar at the age of 12 after being inspired by Francis Healy. Who the what? Crap. Now I have to google Francis Healy (sounds like an indy film... “Googling Francis Healy.” Is Judy Greer in that one?) Ok, Francis Healy is a guy. And he’s the lead singer/songwriter for the Scottish band Travis. Hey, that’s a good band! Glen Campbell just covered their song “Sing” on his new album.
Back to Amy (which also sounds like an indy film title. Starring Amy Adams.) She taught herself how to play guitar by using info on the internet instead of taking proper lessons. Her first gigs were in coffee houses, but she soon gained slots opening for, ahem, Travis and Paulo Nutini. She then got signed to the same label as The Killers (one of her favorites) and Razorlight. She also wrote a song, “Poison Prince,” which was about Pete Doherty, formerly from the Libertines and currently from drug arrest rap sheets. How about this: at one point in the UK, her debut album knocked Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” out of the top position. She’s also performed on the same stage as other female UK artists Duffy and Amy Winehouse.
And now I present the Top 10 Albums of 2008 that didn’t make my actual Top Ten!
First let me say that there was a lot, and I mean a lot, of good music this year. There is every year. You just have to look for it. Don't depend on radio stations or M-TV to do for you, cause they won't. I could keep making lists all day spotlighting cd's I've liked this year. There are bands who haven't put out stuff in a while that released great albums this year: AC/DC, Mudcrutch (Tom Petty,) The Pretenders, The Verve, James, Oasis, Robyn. There are cool new rap acts like The Knux. Raphael Saadiq put out a totally kick-ass 60's R&B jam this year. And then there are relatively unknown artists like King Khan and the Shrines or The Black Kids or Butch Walker who served up some great cds! I can't list every artist who put out a good cd this year! But here are 10 more who did. Enjoy.
Hold Steady-Stay Positive
I always get a laugh out of cd stickers that compare some unknown band to other equally unknown bands. Let me make one up for an example: “Check out this new cd by Dock Series 3 if you’re a fan of Lazy Radio, Twin Mirror Moment, or Hulk Hands ” Uh, not helping any. So if I say that The Hold Steady’s main man is the guy behind Lifter-Puller, would that help you out at all? Maybe not. What if I say that The Hold Steady sounds like Bruce Springsteen if instead of singing about cars he sang about his next-door neighbor drug dealer and some weird chick he fell in love with but she was just sooooo crazy? Does that help? Would it help if I said that The Hold Steady are story-tellers? Story-telling in songs is almost a lost art. Would it help if I told you that if you saw The Hold Steady walking down the street you would never think that they were in a rock band that actually rocked? (They look kinda smart. One guy wears glasses. And don’t get me started on the plaid shirts. I’m begging someone in this band to buy a black shirt. Actually, that’s a bad idea. It would kinda ruin their charm.)
Lucinda Williams-Little Honey
Well, now, Lucinda Williams is in love. I’m guessing that by her new album’s first song “Real Love.” Some of the best albums by great artists have been the result of a good, old-fashion heart-wrenching break-up. We all love to cry in our beer. But Lu is really head over boots about this new guy, as furthered evidenced by the rocker “Honey Bee” and a song prophetically called “Plan To Marry.” I don’t know who this new guy in her life is, but I do know he better buckle up, cause this southern gal will take him on a wild ride, cause some of her lyrics have that double entendre thing going where she’s actually singing about...ahem...sex. Guess who pops up on this cd? Jim Lauderdale. Charlie Louvin. And then there’s this English guy named Elvis who shows up on a duet track called “Jailhouse Tears.”
Jenny Lewis-Acid Tongue
The lead singer of indy rock darlings Rilo Kiley cements her spot as THE actual INDY DARLING with her second solo cd. Lots of Dusty Springfield, Bobby Gentry and Jeannie C. Riley influences her. And Elvis Costello shows up again!
Glen Campbell-Meet Glen Campbell
Let’s get this out of the way: this is not a novelty album. This is not Pat Boone covering Metallica. The old country crooner coves songs by Tom Petty, U2, Velvet Underground, John Lennon, Green Day (I’m sure you can guess which one,) Foo Fighters, and even the English band Travis. Every song has the traditional Glen Campbell production. The first ten seconds of every song makes you think you’re about to hear “Galveston,” one of Glen’s hit songs from the 70's.
Saturday Knights-Mingle
I don’t really like Gangsta Rap. I don’t care how much money you’re making, how many times you got shot in the face, what kind of car you’re driving or what kind of champagne you’re drinking. (Champagne is a really over-rated drink. Even at weddings. Just give everyone a shot of Jack Daniels and things will go much better.) The rap I like falls into two categories: 1. Club/Party Rap. Ying-Yang Twins, Nelly, Fat Joe, Trina, Ludacris. Stuff that is fun. Catchy. And the gals want to dance to it. But that kind of stuff is pretty disposable, meaning that six months later, you really don’t want to hear it again. 2. Actually good stuff. Jay-Z, The Roots, Jurassic 5. Artists who put out albums that hold up both musically in the now and in the future. And then I stumble upon the Saturday Knights. I think they fit in more with #2 than #1. And they come from the rap capital of the world: Seattle. Seattle? Ok, they seem to be influenced by rock as much as they have by rap. They drop some rhymes over surf music on one track called, uh, “Surf Song.” And then there’s the “hey, I’ve got to listen to this track just cause of the title” song “Private School Girl.” And Sharon Jones (and Amy Winehouse) back-up guys, The Dap Kings, show up here. The group has also performed with Death Cab For Cutie and Lady Sovereign. So should I go on or are you going to listen to this cd already?
Santogold-Santogold
"Santogold" sounds like the name of a Lucha Libre wrestler. She is, however, someone who loves 80's new wave and helped write Lily Allen's song "Littlest Things" and Ashley Simpson's "Outta My Head." Yes, she worked as a gun-slinger at a record label before she put out her own cd. A cd, by the way, that you will love. As a lot of song-writers for hire know, you save the best stuff for yourself.
Duffy-Rockferry
This is like Norah Jones first cd in that you can give it to your mother, buy one for yourself, and both enjoy it. Another English chick doing 60's style, Dusty Springfield-ish stuff. Nothing wrong with that. At all. Bring it on. (And her song “Mercy” is one of my favorite singles of the year!)
Willie Nelson/Wynton Marsalis-Two Men With The Blues
Despite the title, this cd has little to do with blues music. Well, except for the fact that blues, jazz and country were all born in America. And when musicians combined elements from all three genres, they came up with better blues songs, better jazz songs, and better country songs. And then somebody combined all the drugs/liquor those musicians were using and that made them combine all of the elements of those genres into one big stew. And then they passed out. But before they did, they created rock & roll. Take that, European music This cd is Willie singing Willie songs with a jazz band led by Wynton. Sounds like a trainwreck, huh? (I bet you thought the same thing about the Robert Plant-Allison Krauss marriage.) But when you think about it, Willie's singing never really fits in with the music or written melody. He, in fact, has always been singing jazz-style. This new album almost sounds like a slower Bob Wills record (that's western swing, my friends.) The pairing works amazingly well.
Boogaloo Joe Jones-Right On Brother
Technically, it’s a jazz cd. It’s on a jazz label. But if you’re not a big jazz fan, don’t be scared off by that. He’s not nicknamed “Boogaloo” for nothing There are equal parts blues, R&B, and funk in his guitar playing on this instrumental cd. If you are a big jazz fan, then you might be surprised to know that this is part of the RVG reissue series. RVG is Rudy Van Gelder, the most well-know and respected recording engineer in jazz. He’s recorded most of the great names in the genre and in recent years, he’s spent his time remastering many of the original recordings he did with Blue Note and Prestige.
Marnie Stern-This Is It
She's on the Kill Rock Stars label, and sometimes for me, that’s good enough for a try. She has a rep as a talented, but unique guitar player. I'll buy that. And she doesn't so much sing as she chants lines in-between disconcerted tempo changes. I'm actually not sure how to describe it. Uh, Bikini Kill jamming with Peaches while listening to Rush and then someone breaks out Guitar Hero and does a Dragonforce song? In an odd way, this is almost jazz. There's something to be said about being so talented, yet slightly off-putting as to make people feel uncomfortable. Hey, that's how I get most of my dates. (rim-shot.)